Breathe… Just breathe… I tell myself.

We live life in tiny moments.

Stay focused on goodness.  Keep your heart light…

Those tiny moments will become our destiny and our legacy…

We are cultivating the world around us, and leaving footprints of who we are…

Life will never be easy.

There will always be something coming around that bend.

We live in a broken world.    Yet.  Jesus makes it possible to live free from bondage and despair…

It has been said that hard times make us stronger… stronger for what? lol

But hard times really do make us stronger.

They make us dig deep into our soul… and hearts of hearts.

Tough times make us ask tough questions, and when we seek our answers from our loving God, who let His own son walk in our steps, we will always find our answer  is truth… love and light.

Seeking His heart, and not the answers is where he meets us.

He calms our fears.

He fills us with peace, and then, he instills in us his perspective of hope and light…

Jesus walked a tough journey… it was never easy.  He was judged. ridiculed. mocked and alone… His hope was in an unseen God.  A God who was his father, hope and strength.

And that’s what He is to each of us…

He is our father…

“Your father knows what you need before you ask him”

Matthew 6:4

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in is holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.”

Psalm 68:5-6

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.are you not much more valuable than they?”

Matthew 6:26

The difficult roads we travel, make us better or bitter… victim or victorious..

Jesus was never a victim…

May we never see our lives through our pain…

May we never fall victim to putting ourselves on a pedestal and obsessing over every detail of our fear or sorrow…

Jesus showed us the way to live victoriously… holy and free.

And He is the way…

What does that look like?

We acknowledge God is God…. We don’t have to be in control!!!!  :)

“Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

We pray for His will in our matters… We are free to stop obsessing, and relieving what we think ought to be…

Your kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

We live in the moments of today. Seeking His  strength and love to cover our daily needs, as we lay out our own struggles of sin, and pray over those we love, and those who are hurting…

We pray our hearts free from deceit… that we would see God’s love and light more clearly and brightly…

Give us or daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

We pray for love to keep us near,  and hope over fear…

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Matthew 6:9

We move forward every day with a course and focus to be covered by His wings, and sheltered by his care…

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your armor and protection.”

Psalm 91:4

Sometimes, when we don’t think things are going the way we think they should be, we are tempted to push our agenda, make things happen, manipulate the circumstances…

That temptation to push our agenda is heavy.  A very heavy burden to carry,  It takes all the love God is pouring into your heart, and stamps it out.

That’s how you can tell it’s not from God.  God’s burden is light, there is freedom to move, and sing, and love abundantly…

“Then Jesus said, “come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, 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…”

Matthew 11:29

Jesus said learn from me…

That’s the focus..

Learn from Him… Let His words of truth fill your heart to overflowing…

That is where the light is.

That is where our hope is…

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask for…

Ephesians 3:20

Be still and know…

Live in Love,

Lisa

Don’t lose yourself in your fear…

because fear is a liar, and God is the way…

Though life may feel uncertain, the days unknown, we have a rock to stand on… a truth to believe in…

“Give thanks to Him who led his people through the wilderness.

His faithful loves endures forever…”

Psalm 136:16

He will lead and guide… Hold and comfort…

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever…”

Psalm 136:1

He is preparing a way…

“Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.

His faithful love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:4

I run to you, my Father in heaven, I run into your  arms of hope, and  grace.

With eyes wide open, I can see your face… I see the gentleness in your eyes, and feel the warmth of your embrace…

I am whole in you… I am quieted and stilled…

“Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully,  

His faithful love endures forever”

Psalm 136:5..

In my weakness, may I take the time to truly live in the tiny moments I have in front of me.

May I be aware of what is needed from me, and may my heart be willing to love abundantly…

“He remembered our utter weakness.

His faithful loves endures forever..”

Psalm 136:23

May my eyes be on you.  Your power.  Your love.  Your truth and your glory…

In Jesus Name,

I pray,

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

God called YOU by name.

He loves you deeply.  Ferociously….  Unconditionally.

There’s nothing you can do to make him love you more…

Be kind.  Do good. And spread love wherever you may go :)

Because life is way too short for bad vibes!

“Praise the Lord, my soul; and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all

your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems you life from the pit and crowns 

you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things”

Psalm 103

Praying over your Sunday, Friends…

Live in Love,

Lisa

What does it look like when I try to control my little world???

Cavish…  and colorless, and gray.  Some days hopeless, and most days fearful…

What does it look like when I surrender my days, my time, my hope, and my life..

Well it looks like light, and love, and beauty topped with goodness and grace…

We can’t control the confusion of  things thrown our way…

We can choose how we handle these things in so many ways…

It begins with an attitude of love and truth…

That is the antidote that sets your foundation in place.  Love anchors our soul.  And God’s truth sets us free :)

Life is messy and complicated…. because people are messy and complicated lol

Yet…  God is not messy… nor complicated.

He is our rock of ages…and the anchor of which our soul craves.  When I literally chose God’s face and presence over worry and wonder, my heart is calmed, and my thoughts directed…

My focus shifts from the unknown, to the known…

And the known is my Lord and my God… My king and my savior.

I know that’s not the answer we sometimes want… We want clarity over our confusion, but when that’s not happening, we are pushed to control our situation, or choose God’s presence.

I’ve done both.. and when I have controlled the situation, words get messy, hope squashed, and my heart weary…

When I choose God’s presence over chaos my hope is directed in the palm of His hand, my words become a little sweeter, and my heart a little lighter…

I forfeit my plan, and trust His :)  I’m trying to put into words what this feels like and it’s hard. I struggle until I lay it down in His presence..

Sometimes it takes minutes, but there have been times where it has taken days or weeks or even longer…

What makes it easier, is when I change my prayers from  my wants and feelings, and I choose to focus on the things God is to me…

My redeemer.  My Savior.  My life source and my friend…

“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 40:13

He becomes the strength I don’t have.  The peace I am longing for.

I grab on to his hand, and walk in my day… Let the minutes unfold, and just keep doing the next thing.

I chose beauty over chaos and live my day filled with hope, because I Trust in God’s righteous right hand…

“So 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 y righteous right hand.”

Isiah 41:10-11

Walk in His peace today…

Live in Love,

Lisa

Control freaks UNITE!

So it turns out when I can’t control a situation, I tend to freak out… lol

I have good days, bad days, really bad days, then really good days :)

The crazy is real.

The Bible talks about seasons…

That there is a season for everything under the sun…

{Ecclesiastics: 3}

So for those of us going through a season that feels overwhelming.. A season that feels like you’re stuck… like trying to run in mud… A season where it actually feels like time is standing still, and you want to be like… HELLO?  Is anybody there?!  LOL

A season where you can do nothing to change, or push, or control circumstances…

You  know those seasons?? lol

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I a helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song…”

Psalm 28:7

Sometimes, the last thing our messy mind wants to do is stop…

Our mind wants to wander and think, and overthink…

But if you stop for just a moment, you’ll sense something different… something longing, and yearning…

It is the place where His power overcomes my weakness.

We will go through times where we are defiantly given more than we can handle…

And in those times, you can be sure God is handling the situation with purpose and meaning

I have found that the best and only way for me  to be still in hope, and at peace in prayer, is to sit in the Lord’s presence…  that in the time I spend in prayer and petition is the only life source that changes my perspective.

So we kneel…

We let God in our locked doors, and through away the key…

Let Him touch and feel and carry your burden.

That’s where faith meets fear…

How I pray today, after we kneel we rise.

Let’s rise, and trust and let go of our emotions…

Let’s live big.  Give back.  And let God use us to love others and fill us with the things He wants to fill us with…

Way more of you, Dear Jesus, and way less of me.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:14

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights… you give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.  You broaden the path beneath me so my ankles do not turn.”

Psalm 18:41

Amen!

Have the best day :)

Live in Love,

Lisa

God…

You are the light of my life.  You are my breath, and my song…

You never let go of those who seek you…

“….However, those the father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.

For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of those he has given me, but that I should raise them to eternal life at the last day.

For it is my father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life that I should raise them at the last day…”

John 6:37-40

Dear Jesus, I thank you for seeking me out of the shadows and drawing me into your Holy presence.

You pierced my soul with truth.. you unveiled our eyes that we may see You…  The living God… The lover of my soul.

You give me hope through the beauty of your grace..

You came to abide in our  hearts…  and at the end of our life’s journey, you will carry us home…

No matter how much we fuss or fight, You will never let go… we are your chosen loved ones…

We are sojourners just passing through…

Our life’s journey has purpose and meaning.

Nothing we are going through or have been through has been in vain…

You are making beauty from ashes.

You change fear to love and my soul sings for joy that I am a living host of your goodness and grace…

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Colossians 3:12

My life is in you… and you alone…

I love you Jesus,

In Your Name,

I pray,

Amen

Live in love,

Lisa

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask, or imagine

according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen,”

Ephesians 3:20

According to HIS power that is at work within us…

As I sit here, and think about what these words mean, my heart strikes a cord of strength and trust.

I do not need to rely on my own strength or power.  God is already at work, in and through us, leading the way through the darkness, guiding us through the fog, and helping me navigate my daily needs.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”

Eph 3:14

Father, I kneel before you… letting go off all my worry and pain.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strength you with power through His spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Eph 3:16-17a

Thank you, Dear Father, for shining your light of truth over my life…

How I praise and thank you for your strength and power that falls on me like a summer rain…   Thank you, Dear Jesus, for dwelling in my heart, and filling all the dark places with faith and light.

“And I pray that you be rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Eph 3:17b-19

You have rooted my heart, and my life in your love… how very thankful I am to be covered by your wings… When I doubt and search and worry, you cover me with hope… you remind me of  how high and deep and wide your love is…you take my brokenness and hold me together with the fullness of all that you are… Your love surpasses all knowledge.. all understanding, and I am humbled that you choose to draw me near.

Heavenly Father,

I give you my day… my heart and my thoughts.  Thank you for refreshing my soul, and encouraging my heart…

May I live today surrounded by your fullness…

May my heart know it’s place covered by your grace.

I am alive, and well and living in your presence…surrounded by your glory!

May I love others well, and live to draw a hurting world unto your power and love…

I love you,

In Jesus Name,

I pray,

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

How true is this…

As the years pass, I am weary of conflict… I want to make things right quickly and profoundly..

I choose to live in the light of love, covered by the hope of goodness…

I don’t want to be offended and shaken…

Love is bigger than that…

When someone else pain touches your heart, and you feel the Spirit of God’s love gently awaken your heart of compassion…You have 2 choices… You can either run… lol!  or you can pray, and reach out…

I know the pain of feeling misunderstood.  The feeling that someone may think you are judging them..  I also know the sweet victory of bleeding hope into another soul…

Our words can be messy.  Our thoughts unorganized… but by our character and our  lives,  I pray others would see our heart of love and your intentions of bleeding truth and light into another’s life…

Recently I had that promoting, a friend who is weary… she needed to be touched by hope and truth and what is good…

It can be dicey to interject your own thoughts and feelings, but it is always beautiful when you open that door, and you see a ray of light, and a kindred heart…

You lay yourself aside and let the Holy Spirit’s love and words be your guide.

I have failed at this more times than I would like to admit… I hate the feeling that my words were turned into words of pain.

How I pray, I would remember to listen more closely, and speak more gently, when I am offended, or hurt by a friends words…

So today, I pray for myself,  any of my kindred friends who have been through something like this…

How I pray we wouldn’t be offended by their judgment upon us, that our hearts would soften even more… and after we have said our ‘I’m sorrys” we would let it go.

Because life is too short to live stuck…

“… let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Hebrews 12:1-2

God knows your heart, beautiful one…

And He loves you.

Keep loving.  Keep shinning…  and keep running your race :)

Live in Love,

Lisa

“Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now

what I am doing, but someday you will.”

John 13:7

We don’t have to have it all figured out to live happy.

It’s a state of mind to dig in and live.  To live love right where you are.

Jesus told us we wont understand now what he is doing.  It’s pretty clear that there is a bigger picture than our hearts can even  imagine.

When we let the words of the Bible penetrate our life, we will  live in constant hope of all that is good.

I believe everything we are going through has love at the core.

Jesus is love.

So today, maybe let some layers of worry fall away.

Look at your little world with twinkle in your eye, and know that God is working in and through your life so that you will know him deeper.  Love him harder.  And trust him undisputedly.

Trust is essential to freedom…

I am praying a miracle in your heart… that trusting God will let your heart soar, and your love roar… that freedom will flow thorough your veins, and hope will fill you with joy..

“In the beginning the word already existed.  He was with God and He was God.

He was in the beginning with God.  He created everything there is.

Nothing exists that he didn’t make.

Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.  The light shines through the darkness, and darkness ca never extinguish it.’

John 1:1-28

Live in Love,

Lisa