Staying in His light of love… Walking in the beauty of His grace…
Turning my back on the darkness… Trusting God with my days…
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your great love, hope and redemption…
You are my God, and I thank You for Your beauty…
Today is beautiful, and I will walk in Your goodness…
I love You, Jesus,
In Your Name, I pray,
Amen
Live in Love,
Lisa
“Give Your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the Godly to slip and fall..”
Psalm 55:22
Ever feel stuck?
Your mind can’t rest.. You don’t know what’s wrong, maybe you just feel uneasy…
The days keep rolling on, and so do your thoughts….
“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat…
Finally I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And You forgave me! All my guilt is gone…”
Psalm 32 1-5
God can use our guilt to draw us into His presence of light, hope and love…
Forgiveness is a word that heals.. cleanses, and softens our hearts…
God longs to be near to us in all our dark and weary places… especially those places in our hearts where we have shut the door, and thrown away the key!
Sometimes, I sit down to have my quiet time with God, my mind races…
The truth is I find myself not wanting to sit still..I feel uncomfortable, rushed… even wanting to move from the light.
But the best thing to do is let the light shine bright. Let God’s beauty and goodness draw the darkness from your heart, and hand it to Him in a sliver platter…
Give him all the hurtful words, thoughts, or actions that grip your soul… Trust Him to set Your heart free..
It is a great exchange.. your sin for His goodness.
“Finally I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And You forgave me! All my guilt is gone…”
Psalm 32:5
Trust Him in this and see your heart freed and your soul renewed…
Dear Heavenly Father, How I thank you for Your forgiveness and light always bleeding through my heart..
How I thank You for your gentle nudge of uneasiness in my soul… You draw me into Your courts that I might be cleansed… refreshed and renewed.
Thank You…
Lord, You are so good, and I thank You for loving me.
Today, how I praise You for refreshing my heart, use me to refresh those who are heavy laden and looking for hope…
I love You, Jesus..
In Your name I pray,
Amen
“Therefore, let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
For You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.. The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
Psalm 32:8-9
Live in Love,
Lisa
To You, Oh Lord, be the glory…
So today marks the first day of Lent. Lent is a tradition that many Christian Churches don’t observe because it is just that a tradition.By: Karen True
“I was first introduced to Lent by a patient at the hospital where I volunteered during high school. He was in traction and had a sign posted on his door that read, “I gave up walking for Lent.”
The traditions of Lent were different from those I knew. We celebrated Easter as the high point of the year, yet I’ve learned that Lent offers a meaningful way to reflect on Christ’s journey to the cross. Lenten traditions include fasting, prayer and repentance and conclude with Holy Week leading up to Easter. The season begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 9 this year. I invite you to accept this invitation to pause, ponder, sacrifice and serve during Lent this year.
PAUSE: Fat Tuesday Pancakes
The day before the start of Lent is called Fat Tuesday, and pancakes are often served to use up any remaining eggs or dairy products which might be part of a “fast” for the season. Host a pancake party to celebrate the start of this journey of reflection and renewal. You can provide the pancakes and ask guests to bring the fixings: syrup, butter, berries, bananas, granola, etc. This offers a fun setting in which to introduce the season of Lent and some its traditions using the ideas below. Use this time to begin this season of reflection by reading from one of the devotionals below, or one of the recommended reads and by inviting others to join in some of the other observances listed here.
PONDER: 40 Days of Devotionals for Lent
The Lenten Season includes 40 weekdays leading up to Easter. Sundays are not included because they are days to celebrate the resurrection. Follow along with the 40 Days of Devotionals via the links we’ve provided to Ray Stedman’s online devotionals. We’ve chosen topics that relate specifically to this season including repentance, forgiveness and Christ’s final words to His disciples. Also, here are some recommended reads for the season:
SACRIFICE: A Lenten Fast
Encourage individuals and families to observe Lent by choosing something they will give up for Lent. A fast might include something other than food ((chocolate, computer time, one meal a day, etc.). The idea is to refocus our attention on Christ’s sacrifice by making a meaningful sacrifice of our own. Families might participate by doing this together so even children can choose something they might give up for the season.
SERVE: A Time to Give
We think of Christ’s death on the cross as only a sacrifice, yet it is more. It is also a gift. Offering an opportunity for the women in your ministry to give and serve others during this season is another way to remember Christ’s great gift to us. Invite women to serve at a local domestic violence shelter, collect needed items for a crisis pregnancy center, or offer another way for women to give as Christ has given to us.
God gave His people feasts which they celebrated every year to remember what He had done for them. The symbols of Lent help us remember the greatest gift the world has ever known. “
Live in Love,
Lisa
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him…”
1 John 9-10
Hatred can be caused by so many different things…
Pain, betrayal, jealousy, anger.. sadness, selfishness, feeling threatened… and pride come to mind..
This is such a powerful and life changing scripture….
If we will just let it soak in…
and lift our eyes to Heaven for forgiveness and healing…
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day. A chance to start over, love, and give people the benefit of the doubt.. A chance to let go of what grips us, and reach out to Your mighty hand of strength and freedom..
I want to live in the light, and not be deceived by the darkness that makes me stumble and fall… I can’t find You in that place… I feel lost and alone.
Draw me to the light of Your goodness where there is air, hope and lots of beauty…
I lay down my hate… my fears, bitterness and anger. Please, Oh Lord, cleanse me and shine Your light of truth over me.
May I live under your wing of tender mercies and loving abundance… turning my back on what is dark and isolating…
Thank You for not letting the darkness blind me. Thank You for shinning Your light of love over the things that threaten to destroy…
Living in Your light is where I want to stay…
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge..”
Psalm 46:1-3
“Perfect love casts out fear..”
1John 4:18
Help me to walk in the light of your freedom today… To let Your light of love, hope and forgiveness flow through my heart.. that I would be insightful and thoughtful to those who are hurting around me, and love them unconditionally…Lord, I know that doesn’t hold true for abusive relationships.. those I have to let go of.. those I know are covered by Your grace…
May I walk in Your strength, love and hope this new day!
Lord.. How majestic is Your name..
In Jesus name,
I pray..
Amen
Live in Love,
Lisa
“But when you are praying first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that Your Father in Heaven will forgive your sins, too…”
Mark 11:25