“My Soul Clings to You..”

dry and weary land 3Today is one of those days when my heart feels tired… and my mind wants only to rest on the majesty and glory of who God is…

Nothing can penetrate that.. Nothing can come up against His power, glory and amazing beauty…

“O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water…I have seen You in the sanctuary, and beheld Your power, and Your glory because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live..”

Psalm 63: 1-4

May this picture of complete vulnerability, and dependence of God, draw us into the Saviors presence…

Dear Heavenly Father, with so many things swirling around our lives and days, how I pray for us to be able to be still for a moment today, so we do not miss your still quiet voice drawing us into your sanctuary.  That as we come before You, our hearts and knees bowed low, we would feel the pressures and demands of our day just gently melt away, and in place of all of the madness, we would see Your majesty, hope and

light…

“My souls clings to You, Your right hand upholds me..”

Psalm 63: 8

Dear Lord, may I be a reflection of Your beauty and grace…

I love You,

Jesus,

In Your Holy Name,

 I pray

Amen..

“Praise the Lord, o my soul; and forget not all His benefits.  Who forgives all your sins, and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion who satisfies your desires with good things..”

Psalm 103: 1-5

“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever..”

Psalm 23: 3-6

He so loves You…

Live in Love :)

It’s always about… Love

eph 4I was thinking about this the other day…

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails..”

Proverbs 19:21

We have goals, dreams, ideas, responsibilities… I was thinking about how easy it is to set our minds on anyone of these, and in doing so, feel justified that we are doing the right thing.

If we have a dream, we so want to dream big.  If we have a goal, we so can’t wait to accomplish it… If we are needing to meet our responsibilities, we can scrape and claw our way to meet them… If we have an idea of what our life is supposed to look like, we can so easily, and innocently,  keep fixated on that idea,  and in the process,  miss so many great and meaningful  opportunities..

Freedom comes when we look at God’s purpose… not our plans.

God’s purpose is simple.. It is pure, and it is always about Love..

“Love the Lord, your God,  with all of your heart, and with all of your soul,  and with all of your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it;  “Love your neighbor as yourself..”

Matthew 22: 37-40

If our plans, dreams, responsibilities, hopes and ideas are leaving us feeling confined, frustrated, or paralyzed, how I pray we would check in with God’s purpose for our lives..

Lord, Create in me a new Heart….

Oh, Lord, I come before you this beautiful new day, and seek You in your temple.  I give you my plans, my ideas, dreams, and responsibilities, and pray that you would take them all from me.  Set my heart on Loving you.  To seek your word of hope, and fill me with more of your love.  Help me to remember that people are dying.. they don’t know You.  They don’t know Your love for them, and they don’t know there is hope in who Your are.  Oh, Jesus, may your purposes prevail.  Will you use my life to love other’s in spite of my circumstances… Open my eyes, and my heart,  Dear Lord, to opportunities that you have prepared in advance for me, to love other’s as myself.  Please, Father,  help me to draw the hurting and lost  into your presence. We all so need you, Lord… What a beautiful treasure to know,  that in the end,  we will hear You say,

“Well done, good and faithful servant..”

Matthew 25:21

I so love that….

More of You, Jesus, and less of me.

I pray this in Jesus name,

Amen..

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do..”

Ephesians 2:10

“In His heart a man plans His course, but the Lord determines his steps..”

    Proverbs 16:9

For further study.. read…

Proverbs 8:17,  Psalm 51:10,  John 15:6,

Luke 12:31,  Luke 1:38

Col 3:2

Live in Love :)

A Crown of Beauty…

a crown of beautyOne of the hardest things in life can be the thought of being alone…

That we have to protect our heart may be so true, but never do we have to protect it from God..  We don’t have to go through our battles, or our fears, in isolation; full of loneliness, sadness or regret…

God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said…

“….He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes; the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor..”

(Isaiah 61:1)

When my heart was bound so tight, I couldn’t see the light.  God saw me. I was a prisoner in my thoughts, held captive and brokenhearted.. When the light pierced the darkness, I felt His warmth calling me into His presence…

Can you hear Him calling you?

These scriptures changed my life… Will you let God change yours?

“Do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, and help you.  I will uphold you with My righteous right hand..”

(Isaiah 41:10)

Dear God, I hear You calling me out from the darkness, from the shadows; into Your glorious  light.   I drop to my knees, and ask you to enter my heart, mind and soul, Oh Lord, I thank You.  Thank you for forgiving me of my sin. I stand in awe of your love for me.  With open and empty hands,  I accept your crown of beauty, instead of these dirty and ugly ashes.  Your oil of gladness instead of this horrible feeling of  mourning . I, gladly, accept your garment of praise, instead of this super heavy spirit of despair that seems to hold on to my heart; and keep me bound in so much pain…

 How I pray I would be a plating of your  splendor… for other’s to see Your beauty and hope.

 I thank you for your promise to strengthen me, to help me, and to uphold me with your righteous right hand…   How awesome it is to know I can  live in unity with the maker and lover of my soul…

May this day, be Yours, and may my life be forever changed; as I learn to walk in the light.

In Jesus precious Name,

I pray

Amen

Read John 17

     It is a beautiful, amazing prayer that Jesus prayed to God for Himself…

God bless You, Sweet Friend :)

Live in Love…

Rest In His Goodness..

people cryThis scripture came to mind the other day…

“Come to me, all you who are burdened,…and I will give you rest..”

I was talking with someone who was struggling to encourage a loved one. My friend  was adamant that God only helps those who help themselves.. I could see her frustration; and felt so torn by what she was saying, as I struggled to give her hope.. God’s breath of truth and love pierced the darkness as I heard His gentle voice…

“.. I desire mercy, not sacrifice..”  (Matt.9:12)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(Matt. 11: 28-30)

What an amazing God we have.  He is love.  No matter what we are going through, He loves first…

God doesn’t want my strife.  He longs for my heart.  He says Come to me when you are burdened and weary.  He knows our weaknesses.. He knows why we struggle, and He knows we desperately need Him.

He is our Strong Tower

And…

He is Near.

Dear Heavenly Father, Your love amazes me.  That You desire mercy softens, and strengthens my heart; and makes me want to be a better person.. to love more, to give more, and to seek to be more and more a light of Your hope to a world so filled with pain and struggle. Use my heart, and my hands to love those who can’t help themselves, that they would be drawn into your presence…That they would know You love them, see them, and are always fighting for them.

How, I always; always need this truth…

I love You Jesus

In Your name, I pray,

Amen

Food for thought; look up these scriptures… you will be blessed :)

John 10:27,  Gal. 6:9,  Isaiah 61:10,  Hebrews 10:22,  Psalm 32: 1-2,  Proverbs 18:10

Live in Love…

The Hand of God..

the-hand-of-god-isaiah-41-10To the weary and brokenhearted…

God loves you…

God sees you.  God stands with you, and God will hold you up..

Dear Heavenly Father, I so need you.  Oh, Lord,  I seek Your love and goodness.  My heart is broken and I need you. Please show me, Oh Lord, that You are near…As I lift my hands  to you, My precious Father, I surrender my heart into your loving care.   Please hold me close and help me to drink deep Your great love and protection..

Dear Jesus, let me be a light of hope and love to those who are hurting…

 Praising You for Your comfort and grace..

“… You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23

You are my great hope..

I love You…

In Jesus’ Name I pray

Amen

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand, and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you..”

Isaiah 41:13 

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need..”

Hebrews 4:15 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34:18

I love you,

Dear Friend…

Live in Love :)

Lisa

 

Living in Love..

have faith in meA prayer for the weary…

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul…”

Can you picture yourself in this moment?

 Walking hand in hand with your precious Savior.   The smell of fresh air, green grass and flowers blooming satisfy your weary heart, and fill your senses.  As you begin to let your worries slowly be stripped away, you are noticing such a beautiful creek… so soothing.  So calming…

 It’s surreal.

 The peace that transcends all understanding is surrounding you.

He is restoring your soul…

Oh, Dear Lord, how beautiful you are…As I come before you today, I thank You for your gentle spirit that fills me with peace.  May we let your goodness overflow to those around you, as we take the time to notice the hurting hearts that also surround us…

Help us to keep our eyes on You, not of the things and worries of this day.. We so want to leave this world a little more beautiful because we choose to love others as ourselves..

We love You, Dear Father..

In Jesus name,

Amen

“The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul..”

Psalm 23: 1- 3

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus..”

 Philippians 4:7  

Live in Love..

Lisa :)

Happy Mother’s Day..

mothers day

Weather you have children or not…

You have loved…

Thanking God for all of the wonderful women out there who have so freely given your heart to love others…

You are a treasure…

We are all  blessed because of your kindness..

God Bless you on Mother’s Day…

Keep Living in Love :)

Lisa

 

What Does Faith Look Like to You? In His Eyes.. (Day 7)

he has made everything beautiful in its timeHello, Dear Friend!

 “What does faith look like?”

So this is the last day of this Sweet woman’s story…

Have you ever asked.. ” What faith looks like?”

I know I have.

In my mind I would just imagine faith as believing.. pure and simple..

 But because of God’s gracious love, He has given us story after story.  Some we can relate to, other’s we just stand in awe!  While God’s word does tell us in Hebrews that;

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see”

Hebrews 11:1

God also gives us these most amazing stories of what other’s faith looks like to give us hope.. and encourage our hearts to seek God in the midst of our life’s trials, confusions and fears.   Let’s  connect the dots of this sweet women’s  journey, and see how she got from just being someone in the crowd,  to being smack  in Jesus sight.. then Hearing the most amazing wonderful words ever….

 “Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace, and be freed from

 your suffering.”

Mark 5:34

What does faith look like?

Dear, Heavenly Father, good morning and thank you for another new day!  How amazing  it is to know that you had us  in mind when you orchestrated the Bible’s contents..

We are that loved by You.

As we approach Your throne, maybe even with fear and trembling, we are surrendering our  hearts…

Oh, Lord, will you please speak to my heart what faith looks like in my life…In my circumstance.

I love You, Jesus,

Amen

Let’s look at the facts….

She had a need.  She spent all that she could to get help. She was exhausted.  She heard about Jesus. She decided to seek after Him. She believed He would help her.  She made a conscious effort to find Him, and then to reach out to Him.

Do you have a need?  Have you spent all that you are able?  Are you exhausted?  Have you heard about Jesus?  Do you believe He will help you?  Have you made a conscious effort to seek Him, and have you, or are you, reaching out to Him?

Well, if you are taking the time to read this, then my guess is that you can answer, “yes” to each one of these questions…:)

So… what does faith look like to you?

Let’s together, as we are sitting here, write out our need.  Does it match what you may have written down on Day 2, or has it changed to something you didn’t even know you needed?

For me I didn’t know why I felt so sad. That’s where my need began.  When I pictured myself standing there; as Jesus was calling out, “Who touched me” I realized I needed Him.  And just like this sweet woman, I started to realize that I needed to tell Him my whole story. While I had accepted Him as my Savior, and believed in doing so, I was forgiven of my sin.   I needed to let his forgiveness, personally, heal my heart.   That’s what a personal relationship is, right?  It’s personal. It’s between me and God.

And It’s between you and God…

  After receiving Jesus as my Savior.   I had excitedly gotten to know Him, gave Him my heart, and dove in to wanting to please Him, I told Him all of the things I wanted to do for Him.. all of the people I wanted to love, and He listened, and filled me with such joy, but what I didn’t know was that He wanted to know all about me, too…

That the joy he filled me with, was the same joy I would give Him…

He wanted to know my story through my words.. Just as I was learning about Him through His word!   To all of a sudden realize that God wants to hear the things that pained my heart, that He accepted me, and to know from the bottom of my heart, He knew all of me, was freedom!

Amazing..

  As I pictured myself  looking into my Saviors eyes I could completely know that I gave Him all of me… and the details, As we sat together, I can remember feeling His presence alongside of me, holding me, hurting with me…

An unimaginable feeling was coming over me… I felt beautiful;

 In His Eyes..

And, you, dear friend, are Beautiful In His Eyes…

Faith was trusting Him with my heart.  Faith was trusting that He deeply cared about me.  Faith was trusting that He wanted to be by my side. Faith was believing Him when He said, “Daughter” that I was, and am, just that;  His daughter.

…..And at the right time, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt;  I was passionately forgiven, passionately loved, and passionately more in love with my Savior, and I too heard Him say;

 “Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace, and be freed from

 your suffering.”

This was the answer to my suffering.  Freedom!  Living a life beautiful in HIs eyes…

Living a Life of Peace

is….

Walking with my Savior, trusting Him. Asking for forgiveness when I mess up, and being refreshed in His love. Letting Him in every aspect of my life.. Seeking to be in His presence one day at a time. Loving God; Loving other’s as myself…

Matthew 22: 37-39

What does faith look like to you?

Dear Sweet, Heavenly Father, You are everything to me.  Thank You for opening your word to us and making it come alive.  I am over joyed to accept that I am your daughter, that You will continue to keep the pieces of my heart in your hands is such a gift.  To be able to walk in Your peace, knowing that whatever I face you will be with me, and You will free me from my suffering is a treasure that I will hold ever so closely as I live one day at a time loving you, and loving others!

I love you, Dear Friend,

In Jesus, Name,

Amen!

Live in Love :)

Have You Ever Been Called Out? In His Eyes.. (Day 6)

he has made everything beautiful in its time” …Trembling with fear, she told Him the whole truth..”

Mark 5: 33

Have you ever been called out?

Good Morning, Dear Friend!  Today we will be focusing on what it must have been like to be called out by Jesus.

Scary?!

                                           Nope!  Amazingly freeing!

No matter who we are, or what is going on, He will call us out…

And that is a blessing for sure!

Dear Heavenly Father, As I come before you today, please consume my heart and mind with your awesome presence… fill me with your love, hope and great wisdom. How I pray I will be changed… free to  walk out of the shadows, and into Your beautiful light..

I love You, In Jesus’ Name

Amen

“Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth..”

Mark 5: 33

In this huge crowd of people, Jesus knew He was touched… He wanted to know her. He wanted her to tell Him why His power was released, and He wants to know you too!  It  was at that moment when, like a lighting rod hitting an antenna,  In a moment’s flash,  I knew Jesus saw me! He knew the exact moment what I  reached out with my heart, and touched His clothing.. I was saved by His grace, and  I had already begun living a new life, yet He knew I was holding on to pain, fear, and regret.  He wanted me to trust Him with my whole truth..

All of me..

He knew my heart wasn’t completely set free, He knew I was still bleeding from a broken heart.  And through this sweet woman, He could speak the same truth into my life…

And

into your life…

I must have cried for an hour… letting down one wall at a time… confessing past failures, reliving things I didn’t want to ever relive, let alone remember!  It was exhausting, cleansing and so good to be able to be completely vulnerable.  Completely real..

For the first time in my whole life, I was able to be me… the real me!

Can You see that?  Have you been able to let your walls down?  Have you reached out to Jesus with your utmost fears, hopes, sadness or pain?

Falling at His feet, in fear and trembling she told Him the whole truth!  The whole truth.. That must have taken her some time, right?

No agenda. No requests.

She sought Him.  She didn’t know that He would answer her, let alone that He would heal her.

She needed Him, and He didn’t let her down.  The focus isn’t on the healing, it’s on the beautiful truth that God is near.  He stops when we cry out.  He listens’ to our cries.  He is the great I Am.  That is our comfort, hope and strength.  Not the outcome, but the presence of God.

As I am writing this, I am being reminded that that should be our posture.  Always seeking His presence.. No agenda. No pressure for God to answer our cries with a certain outcome… because there is no peace in wanting anything… Our peace is in Jesus, under His wing, resting in His presence.  Thank You, God, for reminding me of this… it is always needed.. always refreshing, and always my comfort!

I believe with all of my heart, every word of the Bible has importance.  The fact that the scripture says… “she told Him the whole story” gives me relief.  The whole story definitely took some time.. He let her finish.  He beckoned her to speak, and she did!

She cried out in the presence of a huge crowd, she must have been dying!!!   This shows me how much she needed Him, how much she trusted Him.

Do you trust Him?

Do you trust Him even if the outcome of your cry doesn’t turn out the way you want, or think it should be?

This is the very reason it is a blessing to be called out!  He isn’t wanting you to run away, and continue living your life without His full attention… He is beckoning you to tell Him your whole story, and then, sweet friend, trust His will and plan for your life.

No more controlling, No more pushing… Just living a life in His presence. One day at a time.

This is His will for our lives.

“One thing that I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek.. that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To gaze upon the beauty of  the Lord, and to seek Him in His temple..”

Psalm 27; 4-5

He knows you better than you know yourself.  He created your inmost being.. He wants to love and comfort you… He wants you to release your heart to His care…

Can you do that?  He has our back, not our agenda…

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for calling us out.. for taking the time to stop, listen and heal this sweet woman.  It is so amazing to be fully known and fully accepted just the way I am… in my heartache, desperation and fear… you have my heart in your hands, and I am learning to leave it there… trusting you with my life. With my hopes, dreams and joys… May your will be done.  Thank you for showing me how to be beautiful in Your eyes… completely vulnerable, and completely free to trust whatever Your will is for my heart and life..

What a beautiful picture…

We pray this in Jesus’ Name

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa :)

 

He has the Key to your Heart…

cropped-you-will-find-me.jpg

“He will listen to the prayers of the

destitute.

He will not reject their pleas..”

Psalm 102: 17

He will listen….

Have you ever felt like someone you love is just not listening?

God Listens.

Dear Heavenly Father, As I come before You ,I just want to say, “Thank You.”  Thank you so much for listening. … will you please calm my spirit, and fill me with your peace as I dwell on this truth instead of my worries and fears.  That You listen is enough for today.. As I come before Your Throne of Grace and pour out my heart, how I praise You for your loving kindness and hope.  I know You will not reject my pleas.  I know You are filling me with Your beauty and hope in exchange for my worry and fear… and that is a beautiful thing!

That you are listening changes me… praise Your Holy Name

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen