Wisdom... Proverbs 2:7

 

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit...

In a world that is tilting... a time of confusion and unknown... take our hands and lead us...

If you have read or studied the book of Revelation... you might be hearing whispers to draw nearer into God's Holy Word. If you read the Left Behind series... you might be looking up in wonder. If you are watching for the signs... Know that you are not alone.

I remember being told that wisdom came with an education (college and job experience). I was told that every time I opened a book... I would be my own teacher.  I was told to respectful of those who have gone before me. I was told that God was my creator and only He could judge anyone else. 

I believed that we all had the thumbprint of God within us. That we were watched over (night and day). I believed that we learned by our mistakes, we asked for forgiveness, and we prayed for others.

Wisdom... Lord does our world need more wisdom. Rationality about each other. A balance between the past and present. Hope for the future!

We are all walking this path... world-wide lock downs... oppressors and deceivers twisting untruths for power and personal gains. Where do we look for wisdom... How do we model wisdom for those younger than us?

What are you reading?

Are you listening?

 

Called...

 

When we come to Christ, the barriers between us and God are broken down, and God Himself lives within us through His Holy Spirit. In other words, we now know God and He knows us. Think of it: We have a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

The same is true with God. 

When we read or hear His Word, the Bible, He speaks to us. 

When we pray, we speak to Him. And when we worship Him and obey Him... 

we are doing His will and participating in His work.

 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. … The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15, 17).

So how do we learn to do God’s will—to walk with Him—every single day? 

How do we grow closer to someone on a human level? By spending time with that person—talking, listening, sharing concerns and lending a hand when he or she needs help. The same is true with God. When we read or hear His Word, the Bible, He speaks to us. When we pray, we speak to Him. And when we worship Him and obey Him, we are doing His will and participating in His work.

4 For just as we have many parts in one body—and all the parts do not have the same function— 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Messiah and everyone parts of one another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace that was given to us—if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; or the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who gives, in generosity; the one who leads, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12: 4-8 (Tree of Life)

Life or death... peace or fear: Romans 8

"For they that are after the flesh, savor the things of the flesh: but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 

For the wisdom of the flesh is death: but the wisdom of the Spirit is life and peace,"

Rms 8: 5-6

Bible Gateway

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

I humbly come before You with prayers from a burdened heart. For those suffering in fear... for those sick from a man made disease... for those fleeing their homes due to corrupt and deceiving spirits of evil. My Lord, it is written in your precious word that no weapon formed against us will prosper. For it is written in Psalm 91 that we abide under the protection of our Almighty's wings and that You have angels on assignment walking us through the shadows of death and of evil. 

My Lord, my God, my Creator... hear our prayers, the prayers of Your faithful... guide us and keep us... provide us with Your Armor as it is written in Eph. 6. Pour out Your anointing of Your Holy Spirit... comfort us and meet us, Oh Lord... right here where we are for the Glory of the one true God... our Creator!

Blessings and prayers to all,

Called... Listening... Watching... Standing!

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, 

that I will send a famine in the Land, 

not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, 

but of hearing the word of the Lord.

And they shall wander from sea to sea, 

and from the North even unto the East shall they run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, 

and shall not find it. 

Amos 8:11-12

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

It is written that in the day of confusion you are our present help. When our hearts are burdened. When our spirit cries out. When we need Your loving guidance... How do we hear you?

Listening to your word: My Lord, enable me, through Your Holy Spirit, not to be lead astray. As it is written in Eph 6: 7-24, my Lord remove the scales from my eyes. Open my ears so that I may hear Your guidance. As I put on Your helmet of Salvation, bless me with the clarity of mind so that the voices of this world are silenced. 

My Lord, open the eyes of my heart so that I might search for Your truth. There are so many voices of the world tempting, deceiving, and misguiding us. As our Shephard, Lord Jesus, we are guaranteed that You will find Your lost sheep. Once found, open our ears so that we may hear Your truth about what shape our heart is in. Your light cannot shine in our eyes with out Your loving guidance. Pour forth Your Holy Spirit, for clarity of Your word. 

My Lord, guide me and mine in Your ways everlasting. As we look unto You, we thank You that it is written in PS 91 that You have placed Your angels on assignment to guide us away from the deceivers and worldly tempation. When we seek Your truth, there are always voices that are willing to lead, to guide, and to walk with us. Lord, help us to hear your guidance. What is right for all? What is your truth for us? Where are we heading as a nation?

How can we check the "fruit" on the tree of those in our government? Which voices are providing hope that aligns with Your word. Which voices are worldly deceivers, those that speak a false hood as if their morality aligns with Your Word? Pour forth your Holy Spirit with discernment about when an official is speaking truth or lies...

My Lord, say the word that will clear our path unto Your only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and His eternal salvation... to you be the glory!

"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light..."

1John 2:10

My Lord, forgive us. Our Nation, our families, our friends... are seeking Your perfection with Your help. Many have decided that is my "our" might that Your peace will be achieved. Many feel that they are owed recompense for ages gone by. They have decided that "man's" needs are more important than Your Will. Hardness of the heart has become a "truth" for many. Our Nation is divided, becoming calloused and indifferent toward those who do not agree with their "truths." Without a "rebirth" through Jesus, we speak falsehoods and "social" gospels. Without "redemption" we are not truly sensitive to the needs of others.

God's Redemption is the only truth. Everything else is a shadow. A falsehood. Divine love shines down into our hearts before it ever radiates out. We must accept the Holy Spirit's outpouring of  God's compassion... not that which comes from man. 

Truth.... PS 139

• We are wondrously and awesomely created by the Lord God Almighty, the creator of Heaven and earth
• We have created with our skin color, eye color, and hair color according to His design
• We have been born in this nation for a time such as this
• We have been given talents and strengths/weaknesses for us to freely use for His purpose
• We will bow only to El Shaddai, our creator, and our Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua, God's only begotten son
• We are... His sons and daughters...

Two Golden Hooks...

Luke 19:1-10

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit...

It is the eve before 2021 begins. Such a year of turmoil, and yet in the midst of this year there were so many mercies and witnessing of Your continued hand at work. Thank you my Lord for all the ways You confirmed Your presence!

Have you heard about the Golden Hooks? I've just learned that there is a saving thought about history, which is a confirming thought in today's culture of cancellation and re-writing of our Nation's perspective.

"There are two Golden Hooks on which all of History (His Story) hangs!"

Jeanne Wilkerson

Food for you to ponder:

All history hangs on these two Golden Hooks (events): 1st coming of our Lord and His 2nd coming.

How are you positioning your self for His Return?

Jesus has no requirement for us before he comes to visit us... 

• He already knows who we are (for Abba is our creator) 
• He already knows what shape our house is in (what is spoken/unspoken in our hearts, spirit and soul)
• He already has promised to guide us in making our ways right (with Abba) for a fuller life with Him

Consider and pray about what the message is in Luke 19:1-10. In this historical truth, we are introduced to Zacchaeus (Za-Key-us). A small man who wanted to see Jesus (first golden hook). He had to climb a Sycamore tree just to see over the crowd. He was known as a tax collector and not well liked in his community. The truth that Zacchaeus knew, that so few were unwilling to acknowledge, was that he had to position himself away from the crowd if he wanted to "see" Jesus! It was in that "boldness" that Jesus called him down from the tree. Jesus met Zacchaeus right where he was... no good deed... no expensive seat of honor... no grand attempt to be like anyone else... just a simple desire to "see" Jesus as he passed by the crowd. It's in the positioning to "see" Jesus that brought Jesus home to Zacchaeus. 

Now consider, ponder, and pray about what the message is in Malachi 4:5-6. “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” 

Many have preached about the return of Elijah in the days before Jesus' return (2nd golden hook) and some have spoken the truth about John the Baptist (1st golden hook) in Luke 1:5-79. Zechariah (Zack-a-ri-us) was a priest of Aaron. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were elderly (and childless) when they were told that they would have a son. The truth of his birth positioned them for the way of our Lord. Can you imagine that truth of lives created and chosen because they knew God and chose to live in accordance to His Truths? Now ponder the moment they presented their new born for his circumcision. As was the custom, they proclaimed his name as John (not a family name) and a proclamation (prophecy) was said over their child... that their child, John, would make ready the way of the Lord (1st golden hook). This is the same baby that "leapt" in his mother's womb when Mary came to visit Elizabeth. The very same baby that knew the truth of Mary's Immaculate conception and recognized Jesus in her womb. The same baby that knew Jesus as his Lord. The same man who baptized our Lord in the Jordan. Positioning... making ready the the way of the Lord.

Finally, consider, ponder, and pray... To live... To move... to continue John's ministry... It's the positioning of our selves, in the place we should, be for our Lord's return (2nd golden hook). Will we stay in the crowd or will we be bold in our calling? Courageous? Encouraging? We need to simply follow our Lord's voice, His lead... He takes care of the rest.

Blessings for a year of remarkable blessings,

IS 43:8-12; Nehemiah 11:17-18; always PS 91

Mary Did You Know... Lk2:19 Do we know?

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

Tis' the season to remember, to ponder, to let our hearts feel... to love. So many "joyous" sounds of Christmas fill our homes, cars, work spaces... our hearts. In the early hours are moments when being quiet allows our hearts time to listen, feel, and go beyond the world into what we "glimmer" as truth.

2020 has not been a year of kindness. I wonder... did Mama Mary feel peace when she heard what was done to the children by Herod and those he commanded (Matt 2:16-18)? Or, did her heart feel peace when she held Heaven as her child gently snuggled close to her heart?

Just for today... take time to ponder... to seek...

• What is love? How do we recognize the purity of love?
• When you look into a mirror... do you see love in your eyes? Do you see love in other's eyes?
• God's word gives us an entire book of truth... have you read it (Proverbs)?
• Is our truth real or an illusion? How do we discern the truth? At a time such as this, should we be celebrating what the "news" considers truth? Pain comes from the thorns that wound us... yet those thorns also have the blooms of a rose. 
• Hope... what does it mean? What does hope uncover within a heart that beats the very life we live?
• If the first gift of Christmas was a baby... why do we spend so much on "things" and so little on the value of each other?
• If we can "feel" the beauty of the song, "Mary Did You Know?," why can we not recognize that which steals, kills, and destroys the hope of our nation... the love of each other... or the joy of our creation?
• What are we doing with this, our, gift of life? Are we seeking our own entertainment and that which the world offers? Or, is there one small way we could celebrate the life we are given by using our strength and talents to offer a touch of kindness or forgiveness as we were created to do?
• What, oh, what will we say when... we come face to face with God's only begotten son? Will we fall to our knees? Or run into His arms?

This isn't a season to enjoy and go back to daily "stuff," this is a season to celebrate just how Great love is. To celebrate the Joy of each other. To embrace the magnitude of Hope in our Lord's promises...

Come... let us adore Him... together we can lead each other and our future generation...

Mary did you know... that you would be the one chosen to be our Heavenly mother... our role model... our understanding of truth...?

Blessings...

Sheltering under His Wings with Thankfulness PS91

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

My God, in whom I trust!”

Ps 91: 1-2

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

This year has been a year filled with struggles, disillusions, heart-ache, and extreme daily pressures. When I take time to "sit" with you, my Lord, your peace that surpasses my oppression always provides the very breath of Heaven to surround me, as if... a shawl is placed around me... and I can breathe in Your presence.

My Lord, my Shepherd, I know that when apart from You... I get distracted... I tend to bound in all directions... I get snared by others... I even get so close to the edge that You must come and scoop me up into Your protective arms. At those times, my Lord, I can do nothing of lasting value for You. This Thanksgiving... Lord Jesus, extend Your had of renewal upon me and mine, upon Your faithful, and upon our nation... our world. Open our eyes to see our reliance with thankfulness for Your great Passion. Guide us to the end of self and lead us into Your Will, take the reins of our lives for You alone created us. Amen---Amen---Hallelujah 

"The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking;

He rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins."

Ps 34:18

For a time such as this... 2 Tim 3

 

"...so that the person belonging to God may be capable, fully equipped for every good deed."

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit...

As we approach the outcome of our 2020 election, I encourage you to take a moment to come before our Lord and meet with Him. Review your thoughts, words, and deeds. Ask Him what is aligned with His word and will... What is aligned with the world's view of life? Read 2 Tim 3, talk with Him about what He wishes for your understanding. Realize His truth... that is where our hope is found. Receive His insights and loving hope for this season of life... (vs. 14-17).

Add into your daily prayer His peace (PS 91 and 2 Sam 24:25...

With the peace and love of our Lord... we walk together...

MrsK

"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you" 

James 4:10

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

With the dawning of this new day, you have reminded me about Job (42:1-11). Given all the discourse within our nation, on our news stations, and our global pandemic... sometimes it feels overwhelming. Your word reminds us not to complain, close our eyes to your hand at work, or listen only to those voices that are void of inspiration about your promises.  "You instruct me, and as a result of Your instruction, I will willingly submit and accept it." 

Just for today, my Lord, let me:

• Take a moment to be quiet with you
• Humble myself before you, in Your presence
• Place into Your loving hands all that is burdening my heart, cluttering my mind, and distracting me from Your daily portion of Grace, Mercy, and Peace
• Help me to pull back, stop mulling around in the muck of the moment, and take refuge under Your wings
• Place me into Your day, allow me contentment even though answers have not become clear
• Strengthen me in the type of trust that, regardless of what the world is showing, You are my provider
• Bless me with the Holy Spirit's comfort that worries fade away so that my day is filled with the works of my hands that will glorify Your name

My trust is with our Lord,

Walk today with assurance,

You Were Chosen... Pentecost 2020

"You were chosen to tell about

the excellent qualities of God."

1 Peter 2:9

Good morning ABBA, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

Today is the glorious celebration of Your Holy gift of a comforter and spiritual guide. How do we put into words Your loving endowment? In what ways, Holy Spirit, could someone like me honor my Lord, my God? How could I be of use to God Almighty the greater of all... of Heaven and Earth... of everything living... of everything "good?" Oh my Lord, pour forth Your blessings in us...

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,

 they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,

and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, 

and began to speak with other tongues, 

as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Acts 2: 2-4

In You, my Lord... Through You, my Lord... For You, my Lord...

Strengthen us, O Lord... for the time such as this...

Help us walk in Your Truth, proclaiming Your Goodness...

For these times are filled with deceivers, destructive choices, and spiritual warfare...

Let us lift up our eyes and fill us with Your overflowing Love, Peace, and Joy...

That Your Truth is found in Your only begotten Son... Yeshua... our Lord Jesus Christ...

"And afterward will I pour [a]out my Spirit upon all flesh: 

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: 

your old men shall dream [b]dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

And also upon the servants, 

and upon the maids in those days will I pour my Spirit.

And I will show [c]wonders in the heavens and in the earth: 

blood and fire, and pillars of smoke.

The [d]sun shall be turned into darkness, 

and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

But whosoever shall call [e]on the Name of the Lord, 

shall be saved: 

for in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said, 

and in the [f]remnant, whom the Lord shall call."

Joel 2: 28-32

Come Holy Spirit Come...

In our humility, let us walk forward as Yours!

Walking in faith... Yes, Lord!

"Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land,

that they may dwell with me:

he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me."

PS101:6

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

Such a beautiful day, thank you my Lord. Your amazing leading knows what each day will bring. Today is a day for me to travel back home to Silverton, OR. I am filled with love, excitement, and joy!

With summer’s arrival, there are so many wonderful seasons of yesterdays that seem to shimmer through my mind. Upon a leaf, morning lights flicker in a playful breeze. Smells of summer fruits promise a delightful delicacy, a tasty memory of longer days and wonderful adventures. Silhouettes showcased by watercolor skies brings to life youthful days blending into family voices preparing for rest from the heat.

Just for today, a journey home will end with gratitude for a life filled with precious heart-prints of those that God placed within these seasons of my life. For this summer marks the transition of one season coming to completion and a new season dawning. Just for today, I will be content in God’s wait room of peace.

Eric Metaxas

ISBN: 9780718021832

Publisher's Synopsis:

Metaxas gives us seven captivating portraits of some of history’s greatest women, each of whom changed the course of history by following God’s call upon their lives—as women.

Each of the world-changing figures who stride across these pages—Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, Mother Teresa, and Rosa Parks—is an exemplary model of true womanhood. Teenaged Joan of Arc followed God’s call and liberated her country, dying a heroic martyr’s death. Susanna Wesley had nineteen children and gave the world its most significant evangelist and its greatest hymn-writer, her sons John and Charles. Corrie ten Boom, arrested for hiding Dutch Jews from the Nazis, survived the horrors of a concentration camp to astonish the world by forgiving her tormentors. And Rosa Parks’ deep sense of justice and unshakeable dignity and faith helped launch the twentieth-century’s greatest social movement.

Writing in his trademark conversational and engaging style, Eric Metaxas reveals how the other extraordinary women in this book achieved their greatness, inspiring readers to lives shaped by the truth of the gospel.

MrsK's Review:

Changing one life at a time begins within a person's spirit. Accepting, knowing, and relying on God's promised truths is a lifelong journey. A journey so worth taking... so valuable... so transforming. This collection of inspiring women will leave an imprint that will ignite a "quiet" resolve to seek a personal transformation.

If you have heard about Corrie ten Boom, you will learn a deeper quest for strength. Joan of Arc provides a glimpse into your ability to remain steadfast. With Rosa Parks, you will realize the power of accepting personal freedom that is given by your Creator. Your view point of others will never remain "blinded" once you gain insights into Mother Teresa's view of seeing Christ within all in need. Susanna Wesley unlocks the truest meaning of a prayer warrior. Hannah More ignites a quest to "make goodness fashionable." Saint Maria of Paris provides the wisdom of humility and reliance upon God's will.

All of these women left a legacy for women around the world. A legacy that requires transforming power to remain faithful beyond society's value. A valor that empowers us to walk a path that few are willing to travel.

Become inspired and plant the seeds that will lead others in their walk,

MrsK

Meet the Author:

 In a decidedly eclectic career, Eric Metaxas has written for VeggieTales, Chuck Colson, Rabbit Ears Productions and the New York Times, four things not ordinarily in the same sentence. He is a best-selling author whose biographies, children’s books, and works of popular apologetics have been translated into more than 25 languages.

New Year: Walking With God by John Eldredge

John Eldridge

ISBN: 9780718080953

Publisher's Synopsis:

Our deepest need is to live in conversation with God. To hear his voice. To follow him intimately. This is the single most life-changing habit that a human being can adopt, because it brings us back to the source of life. Yet most Christians have never been taught how to have a conversation with the Creator.

In this revised and updated edition of his classic Walking with God, John Eldredge opens his personal journals to tell a year’s worth of stories about walking and talking with the Lord. By putting words to the things God has shown him through some amazing experiences, Eldredge helps readers shed light on the miraculous truths that God is showing them right now.

MrsK's Review:

For this season in life, I have been learning how to walk the path our Lord has given me. This book is an excellent resource. It provides moments with our Lord, moments to just be in His presence and listen. It has helped me reclaim my standing on God's promises. Being renewed means looking deep within the recesses of your mind, heart, spirit, and soul. What has truly been harbored and/or hidden. 

Each chapter leads you through each season. In each season you will walk with John's testimony. His insights, re-trials, and spiritual discernment will lead you into those moments with God. This journey is so well laid out... take the journey and learn to "hear" the Lord as He cleanses you!

Through the retelling of John's search, as a reader, I was able to follow in his steps. To ask our Lord to reveal, to forgive, to renew, and to rejuvenate His Love. Allowing Him to reveal that which He wants removed is still under construction. To have the old buttons of despair; low self-worth; de-valued; abandonment; and betrayal become disengaged is like having your wiring stripped and reconfigured. It is my hope that those "old deceptions" can no longer spark any shadowing whisperings, because our Lord has signed, sealed, renewed, and called me redeemed!

Blessed journey... Godspeed!

MrsK

His spark of Life: 1 Peter 1:8

"Though you have not seen him, you love him;

 and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him

 and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,"

1 Peter 1:8

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

In the garden, that is where conversations between my spirit and our Lord Jesus flourishes. Those moments encircled with His creation. Sunrises, Twilight, and Sunset... quick moments to ponder His greatness, His goodness, and His precision in creation.

Today's devotional speaks of joy. Joy is a promise, a gift to God's people. Free for the asking. Unveiled around us in all of His creations. As filling as any morsel of goodness. A feast for your eyes when His truth stirs up His spring of life with in your spirit. Joy is an "eternal reason to celebrate."

While reading, I pondered those moments in which: "All is well."  In those Heaven sent moments when trials transform into a source of "deep, lasting, unshakable hope."

Zinnias provide a delightfully cheerful burst of joy. Gardeners have chosen Zinnias as a trademark of bursting joy. In my reading today, I've decided to follow the lead... "Plant a patch of zinnias and let them remind you of His inexplicable Joy!"

"Precious Lord,

I have never seen You with my eyes,

but I love You.

I thank You, Lord, for the peace and joy

You pour into my heart.

May Your presence in my life

spark the kind of smiles that Your zinnias do."

Miriam Drennan

Miriam Drennan

ISBN: 9780718030506

Publisher's Synopsis:

There’s nothing on earth like the peace and loveliness of a magnificent garden. It’s the place where Adam and Eve first fellowshipped with God, and where you, too, can escape from this chaotic world into His loving arms of beauty and serenity.Devotions from the Garden takes you to that place where senses are restored as dewdrops settle and butterflies gather to witness the miracles of God’s creation bloom and grow. These ninety devotions explore the parallels of life with the elements of the garden to help you see God, to sense His presence, to soothe your soul, and to rest in knowing He is with you throughout each day. Included are striking photographs with a fresh, contemporary design for timeless appeal.

Growing Great Zinnas

The Gardener's Workshop link

Just Be His Creation: Job37:5-6

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; 

he does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'

 and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'

Job 37: 5-6

Good afternoon Abba, Good afternoon Jesus, Good Afternoon Holy Spirit,

Have you ever heard of Liturgy Oriented? I had not, but believe me, I will be practicing these moments with God for the rest of this season.

Present Over Perfect has been a great discovery. Shauna's book study is spot on for where I'm being lead. Just for today, here are a few insights to enter into a deeper presence with our Lord:

1. Ignatian spirituality is rooted in the conviction that God is active, personal, and—above all—present to us. When you are reading a segment of scripture ask the Lord to open you up to new aspects of Jesus' character through His revelation of the passage. Place yourself within the scene (walking, listening, feeling, sensing) what they experienced.
2. Unearth and Relearn what God is really saying to you. "Set aside your lens of understanding." Learn to be with Him in silence (stillness of His beauty, sense His goodness, listen for His voice of love and forgiveness).
3. Practice centering prayer. Picture His image or part of His word or one of His names. Ask God to whisper to you who He is.
4. Practice Restfulness. Practice responsible and respectful rest. God is in control of all things... it doesn't depend on you. Seek His provision of resurrected rejuvenation.
5. Hold all things up to the lens of His words only. Let go of your lens about His words (beliefs, version of scripture, self-labels or agreements).
6. Embrace the daily and weekly rhythms and practises that will ground you in His love. Be centered in the way He made you, letting the revelation of His love into your heart (love, joy, promises, will, calling, delights).

Remember, in Job 37:5-6 He is guiding us that the snow just falls as snow and the rain just pours down. We can live and do the only thing He created us to be. For He is God... He is mighty... He created you... Just be His creation.

Shauna Niequist

ISBN: 9780310342991

Publisher's Synopsis:

Present Over Perfect is an invitation to this journey that changed my life. I’ll walk this path with you, a path away from frantic pushing and proving, and toward your essential self, the one you were created to be before you began proving and earning for your worth.

Written in Shauna’s warm and vulnerable style, this collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in her life, and maybe yours too: leaving behind busyness and frantic living and rediscovering the person you were made to be. Present Over Perfect is a hand reaching out, pulling you free from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder, and produce more, all while maintaining an exhausting image of perfection.

Shauna offers an honest account of what led her to begin this journey, and a compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter most to us.

In these pages, you’ll be invited to consider the landscape of your own life, and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and begin the life-changing practice of simply being present, in the middle of the mess and the ordinariness of life.

Study Gateway Link

Called with Grace: 2 Tim 1:9

"He who has given us life and has called us with a holy calling,

 not according to our works,

 but according to his will and the grace which has been given to us in Yeshua The Messiah

 before the time of the world,"

2 Tim 1:9 ABPE

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

Have you wondered how the disciples walked by faith, even to the point of death? What gave them the courage, the grit, the freedom from "that which is in the world," and the peace-filled grace to walk each day with purpose? For my daily walk, the moment I leave my devotional time and enter my daily life, I find the things of this world begin taking over my focus. Once my focus is redirected, gosh, my graciousness and even my dignity begins to falter. Why is that? 

How do I bring people with me into His marvelous light? Am I celebrating the gift I've been given by Jesus? How am I responding to His gift of Grace and Holiness? Tough questions, right! As an educator, the most valuable aspect to my calling has been a simple formula: seeking to know + willingness to practice + internalizing with a journal = living as a life-long learner. The prior questions and so, so, many more become clearer when I can read, listen, write, and contemplate in my time spent before our Lord. Summertime retreat means mornings spent with a spiritual leader (chosen book), my journal, and Study Gateway.

For today, learning how to "Dance in Grace, Stand our Holy Ground, and Run our Mission" will inspire me as this day unfolds. Today's choice is to step into the abundance of His blessings,

"Looking at the Holiness that God has written over you

and how you live out worship

in honoring Him with your choices..."

Jess Connolly

ISBN: 9780310345640

Grace is always good news. But it's not cheap—true grace compels us to change. That’s where holiness comes in.

Beloved writer, speaker, and bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Jess Connolly will be the first to admit that not long ago, like many women, she grasped grace but she had forgotten holiness. Dance, Stand, Run charts her discovery that holiness was never meant to be a shaming reminder of what we “should” be doing, but rather a profound privilege of becoming more like Christ. That’s when we start to change the world, rather than being changed by it.

Dance, Stand, Run is an invitation to the daughters of God to step into the movements of abundant life: dancing in grace, standing firm in holiness, and running on mission. Through story and study, Jess casts a fresh vision for how to live into your identity as a holy daughter of God, how to break free of cheap grace and empty rule-keeping, and finally, how to live out your holy influence with confidence before a watching world. Spoiler alert: it’s a beautiful thing.

For anyone longing to take their place in what God is doing in the world, Dance, Stand, Run will rally your strength, refresh your purpose, and energize your faith in a God who calls us to be like Him.

Click here to follow Jess' blog

More to Your Story: Eph 1:11

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ,

we have received an inheritance from God,

for he chose us in advance, 

and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Eph 1:11 NLT

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

Have you wrestled with the notion that there is more to your life, to your story? Do you enter your day with full knowledge that His script, His-story, His ending is designed for your glorious living?

When ever I ponder this truth, life seems overflowing with possibilities.

And then... I walk out of the peace of His presence and prepare for the day. Why?

In the book, More to Your Story by Max Lucado, discusses putting on the cloak of glory. To truly live without the "cloak of guilt," we must intentionally put on His cloak of glory. Claiming, accepting, proclaiming that God's story redeems our story. We are now redeemed, dressed in the goodness of Christ. Anointed.

His purpose is now our purpose. His will is now our will. His plans are now our plans. His divinity is now our passion. We are custom made by Abba, our Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. We can live freed from condemnation, secured and established, sealed and a joint heir to the Kingdom of Heaven. Through the workmanship of His hands we will be seen through to completion.

When the whisperer comes into your mind, a situation, an action of oppression, bringing forth shame, guilt, or fear... remember that our Lord's forgiveness is irrevocable! From Heaven God doesn't see our sins... He sees His Son blocking out our transgressions.

Let us walk in His promises, standing tall in His service, and enjoying His life that we are meant to experience. God is good... all of the time! With full authority from Jesus, we can rebuke, bind, and cast out every deceptive thought. We can rebuke, remind, and bind every evil that tries to steal, kill, and destroy. We can proclaim every scripture passage that speaks life, blessings, and promise.

Walk with intentional purpose... it is your inheritance!

"View these days on earth...

as but the opening lines of 

God's sweeping saga!

Max Lucado

  "Your life is a crafted narrative written by a great God, who is working toward your supreme good. Join Max on a journey through the great promises of the New Testament and discover your place in God’s plan. Everything changes when you see how your story fits with God’s story."

  With more than 130 million products in print and several NYT bestsellers, Max Lucado is America's bestselling inspirational author. He serves the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy. His next book is publishing August 2018 and is titled Unshakable Hope.

Watch Max's teachings: click here

For today: Romans 8:9

"However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, 

if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you."

Romans 8:9

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

When asked what I would be doing during the summer break, I knew that this is my season of retreat. My time to learn, to listen, and to be renewed. Although my retreat begins early when I rise and has moments off and on our porch swing and carries over into my evening prayer time, renewal tends to be slower than if I was away from the every day.

With slower and steady pacing I've learned to trust in God's hand at work within me. Come fall, I have experienced an overflowing merciful graciousness that carries me through until my mini-retreats of Thanksgiving and Christmas. My friends, God is good... His plans and will for my rejuvenation is always complete.

So, for this day I walk out into an exploration with family trusting that His blessing for today will bring a gathering of blessed memories in my farmer's market experience.

Holy Spirit, I invite and accept your miraculous confirming

within my mind. 

I thank you for aligning it into the

mind of Christ 

and revamping my heart to reflect the

heart of God.

Amen unto you, my Lord, my Savior, My God! 

Enjoy today, go out and gather those moments of God's hand at work around you,

AM beginnings: This is the day! Psalm 118:24

"This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it."

PS 118:24

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

What should have begun with anticipation for my time with our Lord, daily devotion and inspirational teachings quickly turned into a selfish tantrum. Seriously, where do moments like that come from? With humility, confessing that "buttons-pushed" can be so derailing (for everyone in the area). With wisdom from the Holy Spirit it was time to walk away (at least I was listening to the prompting). In the wake of this unrest, I had to repent of my willingness to be derailed and ask: "Lord, what is the target in me that was so primed for such a response? Lord, I rebuke that agreement of self-defense that was made so long ago. Lord, come with me into that agreement moment to bind it and cast it away from my mind, my heart, my spirit, and my soul. Through your authority Lord Jesus, that agreement has no power over me any longer, for it is in Your victory at the cross that has set me free." Alleluia... Alleluia... Alleluia..."

Just for this moment, if you are in need of a "reset" in your day... Sing with me:

This is the day, this is the day.

That the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice, we will rejoice,

And be glad in it, and be glad in it.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day, this is the day

That the Lord has made.

We are the sons, we are the sons,

Of the living God, of the living God.

We will rejoice, we will rejoice,

And be glad in Him, and be glad in Him.

We are the sons of the living God.

We will rejoice and be glad in Him.

We are the sons, we are the sons

Of the living God.

Matt Johnson (1983)

Of course maybe the Holy Spirit is bringing me back to May 1, 1976...

It's a brand new day,

everything is fine

 Though it may be gray,

I want you to know that the sun's gonna shine

And out of that sky, piercing every cloud, is our God on high!

There will be a new heart for every man

like the flowers that bloom in early spring

For every life there is a plan,

no matter what autumn breezes bring

So put away care, let freedom be yours 

Joy is everywhere, joy is everywhere!

Let freedom ring, alleluia now

Everybody sing let your voices shout to the mighty King.

Well the heaven's declare in a way so grand 

If the skies are fair or windy or gray 

it's the work of His Hands 

And down on that ground, with never a word 

Such a mighty sound 

And the morning will see the rolling sun 

As he happily rises o'er the land 

A messenger on his daily run 

Brings news of the Father's guiding Hand 

His Law of love, it is wholly wise 

Word from above gives joy to my heart and it's light to my eyes 

It's riches are fine out lasting all days 

To the end of time 

Though I walk in the path of evil ways 

And my thoughts are a presence causing pain 

There's always a sun of future days 

That follows a time of wind and rain

Paul Quinlan

Being Faithful in Small Things: 2 Cor 9:8

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you,

 so that in all things, at all times,

 having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

2 Cor 9:8

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

With much joy, today is a day that the Internet is working. That meant my daily posts can be sent to all of you. Some times it is all about finding joy in the small things!

This morning has been filled with doing what is there for me to do. What was a take-away from last fall's study, greeted me this summer morning: "Waking up to enjoy the small things." In my journal, there was a page "mapped" with these words: "Grateful and placing value on the small accomplishments/blessings that we can begin our day with... the possibilities are endless!"

Yes, in fact the possibilities are endless. Just for today, what would our Lord wish for me to do? It's all in the seeking (asking), what is His desire of me for this day? Since the 5:00am alarm, my day has been less organized... flittering from here to there. A few moments in the yard and then back in to the computer (of course a snack, a quick cup of tea, the rinsing of dishes, stopping for a brief discussion with little Gabriel Michael, etc). By Noon, this entry had its beginning!

Melanie's study (listed below) taught me that I could be "living with an enthusiasm while embracing where life is right now." Shout out to her for that thought. Seriously, knowing my "right now" can be of use for His purpose. Now that brings renewed enthusiasm!

My initial goal for today... In yesterday's post there had been a brief statement and a link for verse mapping. Thoughts throughout the day kept returning to the lack of details about this form of ordering your learning known as verse mapping. It is a new path for me during my scripture studies, although my journal technique is always evolving this is a deeper form of notation. Here are a few screen shots that might provide some insights about verse mapping. 

    

Go to Kristy's site for her details!

Every word written in a scriptural journal ensures that those seeds can be revisited and nurtured. Which is another shout of joy, especially when my mind races beyond God's word and/or inspiration shared shared for my harvest. Take time for yourself and check into these resources. 

The possibilities are endless...

ISBN: 978-0310081340

  Melanie Shankle is a graduate of Texas A&M and lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband, Perry, and daughter, Caroline. Melanie began blogging in July 2006 when she started her blog, Big Mama. She’s also a regular contributor to The Pioneer Woman blog.