Living on Purpose

I must be honest with you. This is not the lesson I had originally planned for today. The original lesson was written quite some time ago, and while it is really good, it just wasn’t what is in my heart for today. (The original lesson is included as Lesson 2 on the download page as a PDF file that you can print out.)

The original lesson was written long before I ever heard of a coronavirus. Covid-19 wasn’t a thing. So, the lesson was written with a totally different perspective than the thoughts I want to offer you this morning.

As we look at the last four words of Psalm 23:1, we read this,

The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want…

I shall not want! How do we make sense of these words when we look around us today and see so many who are in want?

There are those who want a few more moments with a loved one who is dying in a hospital, but they can’t be there because of the virus quarantines in place.

There are those who want their loved ones, who are health care workers, to be protected from the virus they are daily exposed to.

There are those who want to know if they will get another pay check since their place of business has been closed.

There are moms who want to know if there will be enough groceries to feed their children.

There are dads who want to know if there will be enough income to pay the rent.

There are elderly in nursing homes who want to see their families, but cannot because they are quarantined.

Everyone wants a vaccine, a cure and an answer.

Today, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, feeling heavy and sorrowful. I’ve not responded that way up until now. The anguish of hearing my dad’s voice on the phone yesterday was hard for me. His dementia has been worsened as he is in “lockdown” at the assisted facility where he lives. He wanted to “go home,” not realizing that he is in his own apartment that he has loved for almost 10 years. But my sorrow was not for me only. I grieve for the families who are having funerals and cannot feel the close comfort from extended family and friends, due to the “shelter in place” restrictions. I grieve for those who live in the large cities that are besieged by the virus…wondering if the silent enemy will invade their homes. I grieve for the family on my own street who is wondering how they will be able to rebuild their business after the crisis is over.

It is not unusual, when I minister the Word as in these lessons, for the Lord to “prove” the message in my own heart. He was faithful to do just that this morning. As I walked and prayed in the dark I remembered the word of this precious Psalm. King David was familiar with want. Even though he was a king he often cried out to the Lord in desperation. In Psalm 61, he cried out in deep anguish,

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”

David suffered much sorrow; the sting of failure, the loss of a young child, the rebellion and death of a grown son. He hid in caves, ran for his life and felt rejection. He carried the load of governing a nation and, more than once, bore up under the burden of his own sins.

Yes, David knew want. But he was also closely acquainted with the Great Shepherd who was the greatest satisfaction in his life. He had seen the Lord’s faithfulness, over and over. He knew the one who meets every need.

“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
You shall establish in the very heavens.”O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” Psalm 89

As the sun rose this morning, things looked better. No, the news reports aren’t much better than yesterday. But my heart is fixed on this….my God is faithful! And he withholds “No good thing from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

This is the link to Psalm 23 (I Am No Alone) as sung by People and Songs. I think it will encourage you. https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TMuqrLRMN88zYPQSLyhOzMlVMDJWyFRIzFXIyy9RSMzJz0sFAPi0DJE&q=psalm+23+i+am+not+alone&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS738US738&oq=Psalm+23+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46l2j0l4j69i61.7656j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Don’t forget to download the original Lesson 2. You will like it! Also, give me a shout out in the comments section. If you haven’t “followed” the blog, please do it so you can get a notice every time I post a new lesson.

Love to all of you. gb

Lesson One – The 23rd Psalm for Today’s Woman

I read the text from the doctor’s office. 

It was a reminder of my dad’s next appointment. As one of his caregivers, I realized that dad would not be able to keep this next appointment and I was glad to see that the text gave the option to reply with “yes” to confirm or “no” to cancel. Wow. That was easy. I just typed in “no” and it was done.  

That text interplay with the doctor’s office was painless. But how many times do we get unbearably frustrated when trying to find a real person to help you on the telephone? 

Whether it is paying a bill, trying to set up an appointment with a doctor, or just attempting to connect with a busy friend, a voice mail is usually the first thing we hear when we make a phone call. It’s almost shocking when we hear a real voice on the other end of the phone these days.

We have become accustomed to the idea of maintaining relationships with friends, family and business associates by way of emails, texting, and social networks like Facebook or Twitter. Especially during these days of social distancing, we have our business meetings on conference calls, and share ideas by live-feed transmissions. For some, the idea of mailing a handwritten card or letter is quite archaic. (What do they call it? “Snail mail?”) 

I must admit, most of us are doing the best we can during these unusual times; but even before this virus, we had begun to lose the personal touch, hadn’t we?

The good news is that David understood something that we have either forgotten or maybe never knew at all. Let’s learn from him as we look at the very first verse of Psalm 23.

“The LORD is my; Shepherd…”

Will you read that verse again — out loud? Now, will you read it again and let it sing back to your thirsty soul that is so in need of a personal response from someone! This time, put emphasis on the word, “my.” 

Do you get it? He is MY Shepherd. He is YOUR Shepherd. Used here, the word “my” is a first person possessive adjective used to show ownership. He belongs to me… personally.

We often see our God as a benevolent, white-haired, long-bearded man who extends favor to a sea of faceless humanity. He has indeed shown favor to mankind. But what is even more true is this — He has shown love and favor to YOU. With Him, it’s personal.

In these troubling times, we need Jesus to be real. We need our Lord to be near as we face our fears. We want to know that what occurs in our lives matters to him. Most of all, we want to know that the Lord will deal with our needs personally and exclusively. We need to feel that we are more than a nameless face.  

The following excerpt is from an online article, you can find at Heartlight.org.

“Notice in these four important events how our Lord dealt with people personally and specifically, based on their needs.

1. With the disciples’ terror in the storm, Jesus calms the storm in a way only God Almighty could calm a storm and then challenges his disciples to deeper faith (Luke 8:24-25).
2. With Battalion, the man controlled by a legion of demons, Jesus connects with the man personally by asking his name (Luke 8:30), includes the man in his group of disciples after having restored the man to full health (Luke 8:35), and then sends the man on a mission to his people to tell them how much the Lord had done for him (Luke 8:39) — the exact opposite instruction Jesus gives after most of his miracles.
3. With the woman with an incurable flow of blood, Jesus’ power heals her because of her faith, but Jesus will not allow her to leave unnoticed and will not allow her faith to go un-praised and her healing un-affirmed (Luke 8:47-48).
4. With the death of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus puts everyone out of the room except the little girl’s parents along with Peter, John, and James (Luke 8:51-52) so these parents could have this amazingly tender moment of grace as the Lord takes their daughter by the hand, raising her from the dead and then Jesus asks them to get their girl something to eat (Luke 8:54-55).”

Your fears, your sorrows, and your joys will look different than mine. The Lord doesn’t deal with you the same way He deals with me. Except for this — He always approaches each of us with love.

Let’s get the real picture. He is YOUR God. He is YOUR Shepherd. It is His joy and His delight to see you succeed, to lead you, and to guide you. He loves you just because you are YOU. Wow! Think about that and just smile. 

Reflection

When you really embrace this idea of personalizing your relationship with your Father God, how will this concept affect…

…your personal prayer life and intimacy with the Lord?

…­­your ability to believe Him for answers to your prayers?

…your ability to trust Him in trying or sorrowful times?

…the way you express your Christian experience when sharing with others?

What has this lesson meant to you? Leave a comment and encourage someone today!

Here is a great verse to post somewhere and think about several times a day.  

Check out our downloads page to get this printable that I designed just for you!

Lately, I find myself reaching for comfort foods. I haven’t made cinnamon rolls in a long time. But last week I scavenged around town until I finally tracked down yeast and flour on the shelves of a grocery store. Then I found my Pioneer Woman recipe for sticky buns. I know I don’t need to eat all that sugar and butter, but I just wanted them!! The smell of the yeast dough brought back memories of days gone by when my mom made her famous cinnamon rolls and I realized that I wasn’t longing to eat sticky buns as much as I ached to feel the comfort of the familiar. 

Sometimes, I find that familiar scriptures bring me comfort as well. They are like landmarks that remind me of God’s grace and provision in my life. With that in mind, I want to offer a daily devotional study of scripture that we all know and love. I hope you will join me as we unpack the beauty of each verse. I know these words will offer comfort, peace, and hope in a troubled time. I’d love for you to print out the lessons from our Downloads page. And, please leave a comment if you have questions or if you would like to leave an encouraging word.  

Today is the introduction to The 23rd Psalm for Today’s Woman.  The devotional study lessons will begin tomorrow as we look at verse one.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: 

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

At first glance, the story of David might seem to be the stuff of which fairy tales are made. After all, it is the story of the lowly shepherd boy who, one day, became the King of Israel. It sounds like an updated version of the Cinderella story to me. But as we read the story more closely we realize that David’s story was not a feel-good fairy tale at all. As we look deeper into the life of David, we realize that the journey from the sheep pasture to the royal palace was quite long and even treacherous at times.

We don’t know for sure the exact time or place where David wrote the twenty-third Psalm. Was it one lonely night when he was guarding his father’s sheep? Could it have been written from a cold, dark cave when he and his men were running from the crazed King Saul? Or was it written from the palace as his heart is broken after learning of the death of his renegade son, Absalom?

We do not know for sure, but this one thing we do know. The words written in this Psalm have brought comfort to many. The words of David are simple, yet so profound. They reassure us and cause us to look heavenward.

During these next few weeks, I hope that we are comforted, but also challenged, as we look into this chapter. My prayer is that we will not just read the words on the page. I pray that we will also, with the help of the Holy Spirit, learn to read the very heart of our Shepherd. I long for us to truly fall in love with Him, and in doing so, find that we are more committed than ever to the task of truly living for Him.

Our Shepherd has a divine purpose for each of our lives. As we get to know Him more we will also get to know the plan that He has designed for us. I have decided to follow Him…wherever He leads me. With His help, I am resolved to fulfill the divine purpose and plan He has designed for me.

 By the time we have completed these lessons, I hope that you will have made that same decision. Would you commit to joining us for the next few weeks? You can find a printable version of each lesson on our downloads page. Please print and share each lesson with a friend.  Let’s do this together! – Love, g

One of the reasons I started this blog was to open up a forum for introducing my readers to women who are making a difference in their circle of influence. We all need mentors in our lives. Sometimes these individuals are friends, family or…anyone, who has encouraged and inspired us to be our best. Oftentimes, God will guide me to an author, a speaker or an online ministry that has mentored me from afar. Regardless of the manner in which they come into our lives, they are special gifts. I say that these are women whose “shoulders we can stand on” because they have paved the way in front of us that we can follow

Today I would like to introduce you to one of those ladies, Marlys Myers. She is a friend and mentor to many. She is a master encourager, a talented leader and a bright spot in the lives of everyone she knows. Recently, I had an opportunity to talk to her about an exciting new organization of ladies that she is bringing together to form a group called Rankin Career Women CONVERGE. Since Marlys began sharing her vision on Facebook just a few weeks ago, over 200 women have become members. I am sure you will want to know more about it, so let me bring you into our recent conversation about the group.

Gayla:  Marlys, I know you are thrilled about a new organization that you are bringing to life that will connect women from all over the Rankin County Area. Please tell me and my readers more about that.

Marlys: Rankin Career Women has been on my heart and mind since the fall of 2017 following the loss of a dear friend. Although I did not know then exactly what this would look like or how the details would play out, the dream was there. My pastor said something several weeks ago that lead me to finalize some details that caused the “leap” if you will. What he said was “Dreams Inspire us…Vision Involves Us”. I realized that morning, my dream was actually a Vision, because it required me to move out of my comfort zone, it required me to be involved.  

Gayla:  What does this vision look like?

Marlys: I had the vision to gather women from various walks of life and various careers and experiences, to create events that would speak life into them and equip them for their day to day life. RCW is about joining with women who are in search of inspiration, connection and strategies for succeeding with a career, personal life and navigating it all. Connecting with motivated peers to continue learning, growing and advancing. Developing these events for and from my own desire to give back to the community, by creating events that I personally would want to attend. 

Gayla: You have a vision that goes beyond this generation. Can you share more about that?

Marlys: This dream I have involves building this group, not only for us, but for the future generation— for our daughters and granddaughters. We need each other and so will they.

Gayla: Who can be a part of Rankin Career Women Converge?

Marlys: Any lady who lives or works in Rankin County can become a member. Regardless of where you are on your career path, even if you are in between paths, Rankin Career Women will enable you to maximize your work impact by hearing from experts focusing on career exploration, leadership, networking, professional skills development, and many more essential, impactful and relevant topics.

Gayla: What can ladies expect when they become a part of this group?

Marlys: The ladies can expect resources that will potentially put them in a position, to better strategize and visualize their lives, career options and even provide direction, specifics and implementation for their personal visions. They will love hearing also on topics from closet organization, paint colors, home decor, makeup, headshots, marketing or even where to buy those comfortable career shoes and clothes. 

Gayla: What are some other ways this group can benefit the ladies of Rankin County?

Marlys: As members of RCW, our ladies will have the opportunity to hear from women that have overcome life obstacles such as discouragement, resentment, failure, cancer diagnosis, the shame of past abuse, addiction, infidelity but are now leading and succeeding in their field. 

Gayla: So, this group is actually a place for women to connect with their peers for encouragement and inspiration? 

Marlys: Yes! That’s how we came up with the name. Rankin Career Women CONVERGE…coming from different directions, meeting at a point. 

Gayla: Tell us, where can ladies sign up to be a part of this group?

Marlys: You can become a member of the group by joining on our Facebook Page, Rankin Career Women Converge.  If you don’t live or work in Rankin County, but would like to attend one of our events, you are to come as a guest of one of our members. Just make sure you are registered. ❀

Gayla: I so appreciate Marlys for sharing her heart with us. If you want to know more about Rankin Career Women Converge you can click HERE to connect to the RCW Facebook page. Click HERE to find out more about the upcoming brunch on April 4, 2020, at the Alumni House in Pearl.

Have you already become a member of RCW? Tell our readers about it. Do you need more information? Let us know by leaving a comment.

I posted a photo on Facebook yesterday and it got a lot of attention. It was a photo of some cookies I had just baked and I joked that the fat grams and calories had been “waived” due to the pandemic. Well, several of you asked about the recipe so I am including it here as a PDF file that you can download and/or print. You will find the download button at the bottom of this post. Just to be clear — the statement about the fat grams and calories is a joke!! I am sure there are quite a few calories and more than a few fat grams. With that in mind, I must quote my friend, Candice; “Oatmeal is good for the heart and chocolate is therapeutic!”

I was thinking about how nice it would be to share some of these easy-to-prepare cookies with a friend. So, I also included a PDF file of this cute little card I made that could be included with your cookie delivery! I was hoping it might put a smile on someone’s face. If you do choose to share your baking with someone, please remember to use proper kitchen hygiene. Wash hands often. Keep counters disinfected. Wipe down food packages, containers and all bowls and utensils before use.

“…But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.” (NLT, Daniel 11:32)

I was going to bed a few nights ago, when this scripture came to my mind. I had just been mulling over in my brain all the news about the Coronavirus and was coming to terms with all the information I was hearing.

There was a peace that settled me as I rehearsed the words over and over. I couldn’t remember exactly where the verse was found, so the next day I looked it up. I found it in the Book of Daniel and was reminded of the events that were taking place when it was written. The book of Daniel is considered a historical book and a prophetic book. Daniel, who was carried off into captivity as a young man wrote the book. He had experienced the persecution and chaos personally. In the eleventh chapter Daniel records the reaction of a group of Jews who did not give in to the flatteries and threats imposed on them by an evil ruler. The persecution of the Jews had just reached a tipping point when this evil King took over the Jewish temple, caused the daily sacrifices to stop, and profaned the temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar. But Daniel emphasized that the people who knew their God did not give in to the fear tactics of this evil King, but instead, resisted him!

I realized as I studied and prayed over this verse that there is an evil force coming against us today, but it is not the Coronavirus. (Don’t get me wrong — I have concerns about the virus.) But, I know there is a force that is just as evil and even more paralyzing. That evil force is called “fear!” I know fear firsthand. I know what it can do to you.

The fear of this virus is what is driving us. It causes us to do things we would never do otherwise. ( Have I ever made a 7:00 a.m. run to the grocery store, just in case there might be a few rolls of toilet paper on the shelves? Never…until this morning!!) Who told us that we needed to stash paper products or stock up on cereal and canned goods?

There was no announcement that instructed folks to hoard food or buy multiple cases of hand sanitizers. But the voice was so loud we listened. It was the voice of fear.

Remember, the Bible reminds us that the people “who knew their God” did not give in to the force of evil. They resisted it.

So, today, while we remain vigilant and exercise Godly wisdom, let us also seek to react with calm. (Yes, I am going to continue to search until I find some extra rolls of toilet paper to store, not hoard, in my cabinet.) But I am determined not to be driven by fear! Let us be determined to know our God and realize that we are safe in the arms of our Father.

I guess the next questions to ask is this — Do you know God? I mean, really know Him. I am talking about the kind of knowing that goes beyond the intellect. It’s a knowledge that can only be attained with a personal relationship.

You may be able to quote the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes, and still, not really know God. Possibly, you asked the Lord to become your Savior as a young child, but since then you have walked away from your Faith and you no longer walk with God.

If fear is ruling your life right now and you cannot find a place of rest, you can find the peace you are longing for. If fear is driving you to react in panic mode and if you are living in a prison of “what if’s,” please run to Jesus. He is your place of refuge.

Maybe you have never made Jesus the Lord of your life. Please take a moment, and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to be your Lord and to adopt you into His Family. Allow Him to take your hand, your heart and your will so you can walk in obedience to Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s love to you.

The Bible tells us that “God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.” (God’s Word Translation, I John 1:9)

After you confess your sins and begin walking with God, begin to read His word. You will see the expressions of His love in scripture and you will find joy as you rejoice in all He has done for you. (If you find it hard to understand the King James Version of the Bible, explore other versions like the NIV, New Living Translation, or other versions that are translated into language you can understand.)

Run with me into the arms of our Faithful Father. He is a good Father. I have been held by Him for such a long time and in many trying circumstances. I can testify to you that He is trustworthy and He will be your peace.

Finally, I encourage you to take these practical steps to resist fear.

1) Be grateful for every good gift you have been given. (Psalm 136:1, James 1:17)
2) Fight against the urge to fill your mind with hourly news reports about this virus. (Philippians 4:8)
3) Reach out to someone who might need your help. (Philippians 2:4, Romans 12:13)
4) Rest — body, soul and spirit! (Psalm 32:1-2, Psalm 91:1-2)

Let me share with you a favorite scripture, Psalm 34: 1-8 NIV.

“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Run into His arms and find a safe place of refuge. He is good!

If you need prayer, or more information about the steps to becoming a Christian, please reach out to me in the comments section. Be assured that I will pray for you and help you if you need encouragement as you begin a new walk with the Lord.

If you know someone who can benefit from today’s post, please forward the address of this blog site to them.

There is a scripture in Genesis that I have been pondering lately. It’s found in the third chapter of Genesis right after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, allowing sin to enter the Garden – and their hearts. Up until this point, the original couple had an amazing, idyllic life that we can hardly begin to imagine. The Bible tells us that, every afternoon, Adam and Eve would walk through the Garden and Father God would join them. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around that scenario. I think about the joy of feeling so comfortable in the presence of the Creator that we could enjoy uninhibited fellowship, face to face, every day. And what kind of conversation would we have? There was no sin, sickness, war or distress at that time; no family troubles, no unruly children, no in-laws (just kidding) and absolutely no lack. So, I can envision that daily dialogues would allow for childlike laughter, exuberant singing and just sharing extravagant affection for each other. I wonder if they skipped and danced together and played with the animals in the Garden?

But now, in chapter three, we find Adam and Eve cowering in fear and hiding from their Creator. They have sewn fig leaves together to hide their nakedness and, instead of anticipating their time with God, they are fearful and ashamed. The Garden that was once a miraculous, heaven-like home for the couple was now enveloped in a cloud of darkness that was never intended to be.

As they were hiding in shame, the Lord calls for them. When He found them, He asks them a question that I keep playing over and over in my mind. He asked, “Who told you that you were naked?”

It was one of those very pointed, rhetorical questions that the Lord loves to ask us. He already knows the answer. He just wants to make sure that we know the answer. If you look back one chapter, you find in Genesis 2:25, that Adam and Eve had never felt an awkward awareness of their nakedness. There was no consciousness of anything shameful or inappropriate in their being naked. Now, their innocence was gone. The original man and woman who had been created in God’s image were marred by sin and shame.

Let’s get back to God’s question. Who was it that told them they were naked? We know it wasn’t God. And there was not record of Satan’s direct allegation in this matter. So, who was it?

Here is the thought that I can’t get out of my mind these last few days. There is no record of Satan directly accusing Adam and Eve of anything that would cause them shame and humiliation. But, I know this – shame is always the result of removing our eyes from our Lord and directing our gaze at ourselves. When we look at our nakedness, without the covering of the Blood of Jesus, it’s a pretty ugly thing. And the enemy of our souls just loves that!

Let’s face it, folks! We have all been a victim of shame. We have all allowed our eyes to gaze way too long at ourselves, our nakedness, missing the beauty of His face. The scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:18, that it is in the face of Jesus where we find our beauty and our wholeness. We actually become like a mirror, reflecting His beauty as we gaze on Him.

Satan doesn’t have to lie to us, even though he is the Father of Lies. We lie to ourselves and Satan magnifies the lies. We look at everyone around us and we just don’t’ seem to measure up. The lives portrayed on social media and television appear to be amazing and quite perfect while our own lives seem so commonplace and imperfect.

So, how do we learn to gaze more on Jesus? How do we reflect His face more and more? Let’s start by learning to recognize the face of that One whose love covers us and beautifies every imperfection.

I’ve been married to my husband for over twenty years. I can recognize his face from a long distance away. I can recognize the back of this head, the way he walks and the funny little smile that creeps across his face when he gets amused at his own jokes. No one has to tell me that it’s Dale. I know it’s him because I’ve become so familiar with him.

Let’s get to know the face of Jesus. We will begin to recognize His face and His heart as we read His word. Let’s gaze on Him as we worship and sing His praises. As we spend time with Him our gaze shifts toward Him and our lack becomes His provision. Our imperfections become His perfection. His nature becomes our nature as we grow closer to Him. 2 Peter 1:4 says God’s promises “are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” As we embrace Him and His promises to us, we become more and more like Him.

Does this mean you will never feel shame again? No. But it does mean that you will begin to recognize the lie. The truth of His love and beauty will become more real to you than the lie of your shame.

Remember this – shame is a prison that locks you into self-humiliation. When you believe the lies that say you are not good enough, that you are not smart enough, that you are not pretty enough, you have been caught in the evil web of shame. Your “nakedness” may take the form of feeling unworthy, unloved or without hope. Dear friend, that is a lie that must be recognized and undone immediately.

Let’s ask the Lord to help us direct our gaze heavenward into the face of our Lord Jesus. Our prayer will become, “Lord, let me be so captivated by Your love, that my sense of nakedness and shame will melt before you.”

You might want to put this next scripture on your mirror or on a note card to read several times a day. It always makes me smile and reminds me that I am not naked!! The Lord has dressed me in His righteousness and I am beautiful!

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

Let us “fix our eyes on Jesus” who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Read Hebrews 12:2). We don’t want to look in the mirror and see ourselves. We want to be the mirror that reflects His face.

Pray this prayer with me.

Lord, help me to discipline myself so I will look to you instead of my failures. Let me direct my gaze into your face of love, not at my lack. I know that your Word tells me that I am a new creation when I become your child. Break me out of the prison of shame for I have been made beautiful by your hand of love and grace. Help me to walk in the freedom that only comes from becoming a reflection of your loveliness. Amen

Check out the Music Tab.  I just added a song that I think you will enjoy.  

I recently ran into an old friend at a local restaurant where my husband, Dale, and I were having Sunday lunch.  We were just finishing up our meal when Denise and her husband walked over to our table and we quickly began reminiscing and catching up on everything from jobs and ministry to children and grandchildren.  Denise and I had seen each other several times in the last few years, but only for short snatches of time and we had not really had time to visit. So, this was a special time.  The more we talked the more I realized how many years had gone by and how much of her life I had missed out on.  I loved hearing stories of God’s miraculous interventions in her life and how the Lord was blessing their ministry at a local church.  Denise proudly showed me pictures of her children and “grands”.  I loved seeing the pictures of her newest grandbaby and I secretly wished that sweet little girl had been present so I could have held her for a minute and kissed her juicy little cheeks. 

I had a few moments to share with Denise some updates in our family and she was kind enough to ask about a particularly difficult situation that she had heard about.  She assured me that she was praying and would continue to do so.  As we visited, there was a sweet spirit that wrapped around us and I know she felt it just as I did.  It was a joy that only comes when heart touches heart.  The words we spoke were special; the spirit we shared was priceless.  As we left the restaurant we hugged goodbye and I spoke these words.  “It was so good to see you today, Denise.  Spending this time with you was refreshing to my soul.” Afterward, I chastised myself for a minute, thinking how silly that sounded. I don’t usually use the word “refreshing” to describe my day-to-day interactions with friends.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was the best way to describe the way I felt that day.  I left our impromptu meeting feeling joyful, uplifted, energized and, well… refreshed!

Our culture today gives us many opportunities to connect with people.  Technology has opened so many pathways to share with friends, families and casual acquaintances.  But, I think we have lost something very special along the way as we have begun to depend on our devices to link us to the special people in our lives.  We have many friends, but often we still feel lonely.  We are busy texting words, but we aren’t sharing our hearts.  To share our hearts there must be a bond of trust that is seldom formed on a Facebook page or in the often-ambiguous words of a text.  We have learned to connect, but we have forgotten how to touch.  We know how to tweet a clever comment, but we no longer know how to embrace each other with sacred hugs.

I pray this blog will offer more to you than mere words.  I hope it will be like the warm hug of an old friend that leaves you feeling loved and accepted.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will breathe life into every phrase and that words will become sanctuaries of hope and healing.  My prayer is that every blog post will be a warm embrace and that, when you leave this site, your heart will feel alive and new.  My goal is that every reader will know the love of Jesus because they have sensed His presence in every passage.  My heart’s desire is that the words written here will be inspired and instructed by the Holy Spirit.  His words are always healing and life-giving.

So, I look forward to the days ahead that I can share His words of hope.  I want to offer you a place to come when you need to breathe the fresh air of friendship and when you long for connections that are wrapped in the presence of healing love.  I long to share His word with you as I also share my heart.   Even as I write today, I feel Jesus close.  He longs to be close to you, as well.  He is reaching for you.  Embrace Him.

Wow!  Now, that’s refreshing! 

“He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.”
(Psalm 107:20  New Living Translation)