Just Breathe

Breathe in:
Father, you love and accept me,

🍃

Breathe out:
All the time, no matter what.

 

Dear friends, I hope this anchors your souls and lifts your spirits.

~Romans 8~

 

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I Need You

Father, it is so easy for me to drift from you – to forget that you are all I need, that You are the One who will satisfy all those empty spaces I clamor to fill. …….Thank you for your faithful and patient presence in my life – always drawing me back with your comforting staff. .

I need you. I really need You.

Lead me to those green truths my soul is lacking, so I can feast and lay hold of You that much more. May You increase, and may what I think “I” need become less important.
To You be the glory.
Amen.

 

When You Feel Alone

Relationship

He made us in His image

So we could understand

A measure of His Pearson

Thus, more closely to Him stand.

🍃

When walls came down to separate,

He came in and tore the veil

And with it also tearing fear –

His furious love won’t fail.

🍃

The Word gave spoken language,

And through it’s threads the written letter

So we could read His heart and mind

And get to know Him better.

🍃

He was not content with just our move

From Hell to Heaven only;

He placed us in Him and He in us,

True intimacy- never lonely.

🍃

What can we say to such great Love!

Could anything be better?

Humankind has many longings,

Which He meets perfectly to each letter.

🕊

Mind-Numbing Ruminations

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest….”

Several years back, I was standing on the precipice of an immense life change, carrying a weight of confusion and multiple emotions.  Our entire social network was pulled out from under us, and almost everything we believed was henceforth put on the table for questioning.  My thoughts did not know where to stop or start.

During that time we “got away” to a vacation on Banderas Bay, a beautiful alcove surrounded by the Pacific. One morning, I was walking on the beach, picking up rocks, and ruminating on the same heavy thoughts. I was mentally worn.

While in wordless prayer, God brought to my mind this well-known verse and used my surroundings for a perfect word-picture:

“Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.”

…..So there was little me, at the edge of the big-wide ocean with a rock that I had been looking at intently and carefully massaging in my hand. Casting…….
“What does it mean to cast?,” I thought as I looked at the stone weighing down my hand.
……I wound up a pitch…..Followed through, and released……….

When I cast it into the ocean, the feel of it leaving my hand
And the sight of it dropping into the vast waters….
The satisfying sound of its fall……
The disappearing……………………
That wonderful disappearing…………
Where I could no longer carry it or feel it anymore….
Where I could no longer SEE its lines and colors…….
helped me then, and in days to come,

to release the actual stones weighing down my mind;

to release them into HIM, where their weight is rightly measured and beautifully hidden;

to release them upon His vast character and consuming love…… for me, for you, and for those we need to forgive.

May we live the blessing of a life that is light and free.

“….Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Jesus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Extras:
References: Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG); Psalm 54:22; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 27:13,14; Philippians 4:6

Definition of “Casting”: from Strong’s 1997 = epiriptó:  to throw upon, place upon, to throw away, throw off to cast upon, give up to, God.

 

Fitting quote: “If I must seek an identity outside of myself, then the accumulation of wealth, power, and honors allures me. Or I may find my center of gravity in interpersonal relationships. Ironically, the church itself [and other relationships] can stroke [the sin nature] by conferring, and withholding honors, offering pride of place based on performance, and creating an illusion of status by rank and pecking order. When belonging to an elite group eclipses the love of God, when I draw life and meaning from any source other than my belovedness, I am spiritually dead. When God gets relegated to second place behind any bauble or trinket, I have swapped the pearl of great price for painted fragments of glass.” – Manning

Prayer Challenge

In my prayers of deepest longing,

I ask You to saturate, invade, take over.

~~

And I yield to You my dearest belongings;

my fears and speeding thoughts by your love, lowered.

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Here poised, can I pray without condition –

willing,
surrendered to face

pain for Your end, all-wise?

~~

And, to set my face steadfast –

resting,
knowing Your compassion overwhelms all hurt,

And You, Yourself, shall be the prize?

Relationship Not Rules

“My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.” 2Cor.12:9 MSG

“Walking with Jesus is not a task to be performed, but a relationship to nurture.” Suzie Eller

Faith uncorks the bottle of your soul and lets God in.

May you filled with all the fullness of God.
Blessings, L 👥🍃

“Comparison is the Thief of Joy.” T. Roosevelt

This has been my struggle lately.  (Maybe some can relate?) I *too* often compare myself to others and find myself less-than or lacking. I know I shouldn’t do that, but I do. This is what it is like: I picture myself in the large room of His Body where we all occupy, and my head turns from side to side……and then down at me. I am dissappointed. But then  these words fall on my ears:

“Certainly, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves to themselves, they show how foolish they are.” ~ 2 Corinthians 10:12

After a sigh of “that’s right,” I look up and see His eyes looking INto mine. His look is piercing and yet comforting. He takes my hands, my palms up with His hands under mine and I hear Him say, “I. Know. You. I don’t make mistakes. Don’t look around or down, but turn your eyes upon Me. I always give exactly what is needed.”

I allow His words to seep in and almost literally, feel a weight leave my body.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” ~ Psalm 23:1