The Sweetness of these words so touch my heart…

“Far below Him are the heavens and the earth. 

He stoops to look, and He lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. 

He sets them among princes, even the princes of His own people!

He gives the barren woman a home, so that she becomes a happy mother…

Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 113:6-9

When you take a minute to visualize these words, the tenderness of our God who reaches down with loving hands of comfort…  He picks us up, and dusts us off.  No words of how or why; Just the love of our Heavenly Father  to His people; we can so clearly see the fabric  from which we come …

The beauty of grace. The gift of mercy. The overflow of loving kindness…

Oh, Dear Lord, may my heart and thoughts reflect these amazing and beautiful words…

As I come before You this new day, I seek Your loving Kindness, hope and cleansing…

Thank You for creating in me a new heart.  Thank You for Your gift of forgiveness and grace… that each new day is just that.  A. New. Day.

A New beginning… A do over…

Today as I walk in Your grace, how I pray that my steps be filled with the wonder of Your love…

May I be a beautiful reflection of You…

My Father…

I love You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person..”

Proverbs 27:19

Live in Love,

Lisa

Then Jesus turned to the woman, and said to Simon;

“Do you see this woman?

I came into your house.  You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been  forgiven – for she loved much, but he who has been forgiven little loves little..”

Luke7:44

Oh, Dear Lord, how I see myself in this beautiful woman… As I come before You this fresh new day, how I thank You.

I love Your love for this sweet woman.  I thank You that I can come before You in my weaknesses, and know that I am safe in Your arms..

Oh, Lord, fill me with who You are… Your tenderness.  Your mercy.  Your kindness…

May my life be an offering filled with Your hope to those who are lost and hurting..

I pray this In the Name of Jesus…

Your precious Son..

Amen

Live in Love

“Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 7:45

Hello, 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 :)

” …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 :)

Good Morning!

Thanking you God, for your beautiful mercy..

  Did you get a chance to read the Beatitudes?  If not, I pray you will… they will comfort and refresh your heart :)

Matthew 5 1-12

Dear Heavenly Father, I love You!

Thank you for Your constant comfort and hope in my life…No matter what is going on you are my rock and refuge… my place of safety, and I so dwell on that truth…I can’t imagine how desperate I would feel, if my comfort was in myself or my own understanding…

How I praise and need You.

As we come before you today, Lord, thank you for your cleansing power in our  lives, and for your great forgiveness and hope.  Please open our hearts and minds as we seek to give you more of our hearts, and live a life of beauty in Your eyes..

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Can you imagine the moment Jesus stopped?

There she lay… healed!  The crowd rushing by her, it’s noisy, dirt and dust flying from everyone’s feet…

Her heart pounding, thoughts racing…

This image so takes me back every time. As, I put myself in this sweet woman’s place, I feel like, Him stopping, was the last thing she expected..

He not only stopped, He called her out!

The Bible says that Jesus was on His way to heal a dying girl. To me that is huge!  I guess that’s why, in my heart, I am so struck by Him stopping. He must have been in a hurry.  He had some place to be, and to me, someplace pretty important. He was on His way to heal a dying girl.  Somewhere in the back of my head, I had heard someone say, and  Maybe, you have too,  that God has way more important things to do then deal with my problems.  It’s funny how things we have “heard” about God can cause us to just expect the worst, right?!

Why did He stop?  In the middle of that huge crowd, anyone could have touched Him!

But He did stop..

And that surprised me more than I can express!  I feel like the moment He stopped, she must have been scared  to death!  I thought, without a doubt,  He was going to be mad.. I wonder if she thought that too?  Shame, fear, rejection… felt so normal..

He definitely wasn’t mad..

In Fact;

He was very aware of her pain, He knew the exact moment she reached out and touched Him, because the moment she touched Him..

“His power was released..”

Mark 5:30

How amazing is that?  She reached out. He released His power… no explanation.. no reasoning!

What are you going through in your heart and life that may have you exhausted!  You have reasoned, explained, rationalized all of the scenarios out in your head a million times?

Maybe you too are fearful, tired, and don’t know what to expect.

All she did was reach out..

All you have to do is reach out!

In our brokenness, in our pain, and uncertainty… He is on our side..

When Jesus stopped, He made a ginormous statement to all of those watching.

Jairus, whose daughter was dying,  the disciples, who were in a hurry, the crowd that was pressing in, and most importantly to this sweet woman who was in so much pain…

As I see it, He didn’t want her to just disappear. To think that maybe it was an accident that He healed her.  He didn’t want her to question whether or not she deserved it. He didn’t want the crowd to be able to gossip later about her. He showed the disciples, yet again, He was there for people who needed Him, not those who think they can help themselves… who think they don’t need God.

Dear Father, How I thank you that I don’t have to do my life alone..I know I need You and I want You in every bit of my being..

Matthew 9:12

“…Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…I desire mercy not sacrifice.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners..”

Oh, Lord, I am a sinner, and I thank you for your beautiful mercy..

 He most definitely didn’t want her to carry all of those feelings of fear, sadness… hopelessness, or regret any longer!

He wanted her to know He sees her, and He cares deeply for her

And with all of that said;

He sees YOU, and He cares deeply for YOU

Today, bask in the truth that God sees You, loves you, adores you.. He is your Heavenly Father that protects, comforts and hides you under His wing.

Psalm 91: 1-2

Yes, we fail.  Yes, we sin.  Yes we (most of the time ) don’t know what we are doing..

This sweet, alone woman, certainly didn’t know what she was doing.  She “selfishly” sought after him, even though she was thought to be “unclean”,  and being around others could have jeopardized their relationship with God.. That didn’t stop her!

She needed Him

I need Him…

Take refuge in the fact that you matter to God.  We have a God who stops to listen.

It is a beautiful truth that we can always, no matter what time, day or night, go to God..

People can’t be there for us 24 hours a day, people will let us down.. we are not perfect.

But God’s love is perfect;

He is always near, and always fighting for our heart!

He could have kept going, He did not have to stop.  He didn’t.  And He doesn’t today!

Will you let God in?

Dear Heavenly Father, Wow!  You amaze me every single day.  Today I am struck by your kindness.  That you are never too busy for me.  You took the time to stop for this sweet woman, in the middle of a crowd, on Your way to heal a dying girl… Oh, Lord, you stopped and You listened, and You loved.

I give you my day, my heart and my life.  How I ask you, Father, to help me to be in constant communication with you throughout my day. To know that You are near because you want to be.. because You are my redeemer and friend!

I love you so much,

In Jesus Name,

Amen

If and when you have a few minutes, look up these scriptures

Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 32:5 and Psalm 91:1-2

You will be blessed…

I love you,

Lisa

Live in Love :)