“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.  Then God made you alive with Christ. 

He forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record that contained the charges against us.  He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross…”

Colossians 2: 13-14

Dear Heavenly Father, How I thank You for forgiving the guilt of my sin…

How I honor, worship and love You…

Your gentle voice declares me innocent in Your presence…

How humbling and beautiful is that!

Thank You for cutting away the rotting parts of my soul, and making me clean and alive in Your presence…

You cancelled all the charges against me now and forever…

destroying the ugly and creating in me a clean heart…

Your love has changed the course of my life… I am Yours…  caught by Your beauty, and saved by Your grace…

Your love is my refuge

Use my life, Dear Father, to be a light of hope for those who are drowning  in their guilt or shame…

May they see in me…

My Father’s eyes.

Live in Love,

Lisa

Happy Sunday, Friends…

Praying over your day :)

“O, God Your ways are Holy.  Is there any God as mighty as you?  You are the God of miracles and wonders!”

Psalm 77:13

Have a blessed and restful day..

Live in Love,

Lisa

“Whom have I in heaven but You? 

I desire You more than anything on earth, My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart;

He is mine forever…”

Psalm 73:25-26

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am Yours forever..

Nothing I will ever do, or have ever done can change who I am to You..

How much do I love that!

Oh, Lord, thanking You for this new day…

Praying Your strength that comforts my soul…

You are the strength of my heart, Oh, Father..

The days can seem long, my heart can grow so weary…

How I thank You for Your stamp of love over my life…

Help me to be the woman You have designed me to be…

Help me to love other’s beyond measure, that they would be drawn into Your presence of light, hope and salvation..

How I thank You for Your sweet love of forgiveness over things that just crush my spirit..

Your love flows over me and washes me clean..

I am so grateful to know I am yours forever…

In Jesus Name,

I pray,

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

“Then I realized how bitter I had become, how pained I was by all that I had seen.

  I was so foolish and ignorant I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. 

Yet I still belong to You; You are holding my right hand…”

Psalm 73:22-23

Can’t stop Him from loving You… :)

Apply Your heart to instruction and Your ears to words of knowledge…”

Proverbs 23:12

Good Morning Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this new day…

Thank You for Your words truth and light.

Thank You for Your love and goodness that You so graciously bleed into my heart…

How I pray that my heart would be softened, and open for Your instruction…

That my ears would be tuned toward Your words of wisdom and truth…

That my heart wouldn’t be deceived of what is good, and right, and true…

Help me to crave Your words…

That they would be the light unto my path…

This world can be dark… full of interruptions and discouragement..

But Your Love, Oh, Lord, fills me with hope, and pierces the darkness..

Thank You for Your word of Hope that always leads me into Your presence, fills me with grace, and cleanses my heart…

Thank You for keeping my eyes on You..

In Jesus Name, I pray,

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

Oh, Lord, create in me a clean heart….

“He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for His friend…”

Proverbs 22:11

Dear Heavenly Father, I love You so much.  So thankful for Your gentle spirit that whispers truth, hope, and sweetness into my soul..

How I seek to be pure at heart in Your presence… Giving You all that I am, praying for my heart to be still..

Consumed by Your love…

 Thanking You for Your sweet forgiveness of sin that washes over my mind…

May my words reflect Your goodness…

Your graciousness..

How I  thank You that You have pierced my life …

Covering me with such tenderness and joy…

 You have become my Father, my Redeemer…

My Friend..

And

My King…

I am so humbled by Your love and goodness…

May all that I am be beautiful in Your eyes…

Your love is my very lifeline…

Please help me to keep my heart…

My speech gracious…

I love You, Jesus..

In Your Name, I pray,

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

Your life matters…

My life matters…

How I love this beautiful verse from 2nd Corinthians…

“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing…”

2 Corinthians 15

No matter how you are feeling.  What you are doing, or where our path is leading…

 We are leaving a sweet aroma of love; or a stinky aroma of death…

Pretty harsh?

I don’t mean to be…

This verse helps keep my heart open, and my mind focused on what is true…

Our lives matter…

The other day, I failed at this pretty miserably…

It’s hot in Arizona… Really hot!  Lol

I was helping my daughter get the littles out of the car, and just as I opened the back door to unbuckle my granddaughter’s car seat, a woman approached my side of the car  wanting to get into her car… standing uncomfortably close, holding a child, and looking through me…

“I’m sorry” I said…

She wasn’t budging, just staring.

Soo….as I stood there fumbling about..and  trying to rush, (I hate car seats by the way… there are buckles eveywere! hahaha)  I could feel her stare, and knew she wanted me to close the door so she could walk by…

This was terribly annoying!  LOL

I just wasn’t going to… It was hot.

Way too hot to close the car door even for a second.

My thoughts were conflicted, I knew she was hot too…

but she was annoying me by her stare!

Ugggg

Finally I got all the buckles unbuckled, (like 1,000 of them:))  and helped my granddaughter up and out…

closing the door to the car, and having to squish by this woman to get by…

I said,

“You’re welcome..Have a nice day..”

My daughter was like…

“Mom!  Now she’s going to do something to my car!!”

Hahahaha

I’m not very proud of that moment, and I was even surprised at myself…

Just goes to show you how fast we can react if our hearts aren’t focused on leaving a sweet aroma no matter what ;)

Live in Love,

Lisa

This scripture is such a blessed assurance and reminder of who I was…

And who I am now In Christ…

I pray that you bask in His Holy goodness.. letting His tender mercies wash over your heart, and flow through your life…

“Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,

whose sins are put out of sight. 

Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord..”

Romans 4:7

Thank You, Oh Lord, for this refreshing, wonderful, and beautiful truth!  My heart overflows with gratitude and hope…

I fully know who I was…

what I am capable of… and that brings tears to my eyes…

Oh, how I praise Your Holy Name for Your great redemption and love for me…

How I pray for those whose lives cross my path.. that I would be a shinning reflection of all  that You are.

My rock.  My redeemer.  My comforter, and friend…

I am wholly forgiven, and fully loved,  and I stand in awe of Your great mercies…

How awesome it is to know I am beautiful in Your sight…

Beautiful in Your eyes…

I love You Jesus,

In Your Name,

I pray,

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us..”

Romans 5:1

When we take our focus off of ourselves, we begin to see the light of God’s love…

His goodness our purpose.

His love renown our desire…

May His love grip you..

Change you.

May His truths and freedom be the overflow of our hearts, and

May His tender hand of forgiveness and mercy, give you the strength to live a life of love…

May we be strengthened in hope,

filled with His light, and free to shine…

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you…

Be imitator of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love,

just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5: 1-2

Dear Heavenly Father, it’s so hard to focus on You when there is so much going on around me…

Help me to find that still quiet place in my heart where I know I can meet You…

I want to lay down the commotion, confusion and distractions that tear me away from you, and  leave me feeling empty and alone..

Draw me into the light of Your love…

Cleanse me, Oh Lord, that my heart would be refreshed…

I want to live a life of love that other’s would see Your beauty and find Your grace…

We all so need forgiveness and healing…

I love You, Jesus,

In Your name, I pray,

Amen

Live in Love,

Lisa

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him…”

1 Corinthians 2:9

That is a beautiful promise!

Right where you are.

God sees you.

Right where you are in the calm, or in the storm, God loves you.

He sees your precious heart.  He hears your cries.  And feels your struggles.

Carry each worry.

Step by Step… to His loving throne of grace…

Fall on bended knee, and pray..

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come, Your will be done

on earth as it is I Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

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

In Jesus Name,

Amen

This simple, yet Heart felt prayer brings back one of the most beautiful memories in my life…

My father in law was dying.  It was a gut wrenching and overwhelming time for His precious wife, and my sweet husband.

I had never sat with anyone while they were so sick…

It was just Ben and I.

My husband and his mom were taking a break… having a cup of coffee.

It was so white in that room.  So quiet.

He was resting, and I was holding his hand.

Out of the sterilness, and quietness that was overwhelming my heart, I heard my father in law whispering…

I wasn’t sure if I should say anything or just be still and hold his giant.. soft…warm, loving hand…

and just as I was I thinking that thought…He squeezed my hand ever so gently…

My heart pounding… I didn’t want to cry.

He looked at me with the most beautiful blue twinkling eyes I had and ever seen…

EVER

and barley whispered…

“Please pray…”

Nervously, and searching my thoughts for words.. I started rambling..

He ever so patiently whispered…

“No..”

“Like this…”

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name…

Tears began to run down my face, then his face, as we locked eyes…

and we prayed the rest together…

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is I Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

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

Words cannot express what we both felt at that moment…

The sterile feeling of that bright white room was gone… we were surrounded by the overwhelming feeling of warmth… comfort.. it seemed as if soft white clouds were surrounding us… holding us.

In that moment.. so treasured and true..

I know I saw a glimpse of Heaven.

My father in law was being surrounded by the beauty of God…

What a privilege and honor to have been there with my precious father in law in those moments…

Oh, Heavenly Father, how I thank You…

Live in Love,

Lisa