He is the One I Will Always Turn To

You say it doesn't work
This prayer thing...
It doesn't keep bad things from happening...

But you do not know who I pray to.
I pray to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords,
I pray to the God of the universe who has all authority over heaven and earth.
I pray to my Father, my Daddy in heaven,
Who is always attentive to my requests whether small or great.

I pray to the One who loves me completely,
The One who gave Himself for me,
The One who loves to give His beloved, me, His daughter, good gifts.

He is the One who loves me,
He is the One who wants to see me prosper, whole, happy,
He is the One who is always on my side, and who Never leaves me...

He is the One I trust and believe
As I pray,
As I touch the hem of His garment...and believe
That He is able,
That He is good,
And that He wants to bless me and provide for me.

Yes, even though it is unmerited,
He pours it out...

He can move the mountain,
He can calm the sea,
He can destroy all the enemies plans for harm or disaster over me.

My God is able...
He is the One I will always turn to... and believe!

Constant Tender Love

Your tender love, Father, is constant,
Even when I am unaware that it is there,
When I am far away,
When I cannot see,
 When I am gloating in my own strength...

You love me with that constant tender love,
Way before I even know I need You, or want You.
Your constant tender love draws me
To see my need, my lack, my inability
To obtain peace, strength or victory by myself.

Your constant tender love causes me to see a need for Help
A Father's Help..
A Father's Help that accepts me.
Your constant tender love hears my cry for help even before I utter the words.

Your constant tender love continues to love,
Continues to rescue,
Continues to open the eyes of my heart to discover,
That beautiful broad place of sins forgiven,
That beautiful broad place of restored fellowship,
That beautiful broad place of discovering that I am the righteousness of Christ.

That constant tender love removes all the old labels.
It gives me a new label,
   "the beloved,"
   "the righteous one,"
   "the chosen, holy and anointed one,"
   "the light of the world,"
   "the more than a conqueror."

Yes, Your constant tender love continues...
As You fight for me,
As You defend me,
As You wrap Your faithfulness and favor around me,

Your constant tender love is my true strength,
It is my weapon,
It is my glory song,
It is my hope for tomorrow,
It is my pathway to Your presence and Your goodness.
Yes, Your constant tender love is everything to me,
It lasts forever...through all times...through all circumstances...

Constant...Tender...Love...Forever!!!

Free Day

If my Jesus has set me free
Completely...not partially,
Then I am claiming my freedom today...

Yes, It is going to be a free day...

Free from worry,
Free from anxiety,
Free from offense,
Free from tiredness,
Free from frustration,
Free from resentment,
Free from lack,
Free from forgetfulness,
Free from fear...

Yes, free to believe He is who He says He is,
Free to believe I am who He says I am.

Wonderfully free,
Wonderfully free to become servants of one another, expressing love in all I do!

Galations 5:1 "The Anointed One has set us free, not partially, but completely and wonderfully free."

The Seed of the Promise

The Father set His gaze upon Mary,
Anointed her with great favor,
And planted a seed of great promise within her.
A promise that she would be the mother of the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

After the promise was planted,
The negatives surfaced,
  "is this a dream"
  "unfaithful one"
  "unstable, gone crazy"
  "disillustioned"

But the seed was planted,
And the promise contained the power of God...

And Mary treasured the promise in her heart and waited...

She waited for the fulfillment.

Thirty-three years she waited before her son began His ministry and began to reveal who He was.
And then at the cross...
The promise seemed hopeless...
Was this the end? Had the promise failed?

But the promise contained the power of God,
And Jesus, her son, arose as the Savior of the world, the Messiah!!!

Yes, the promise that was planted could not be rescinded...
The promise contained the power of God.

My friend, have you received a seed of a promise?
Hold onto your promise,
Even though circumstances make it look impossible,
Even though you are getting tired of waiting...

"For not one promise from God is empty of power,
 For with God, there is no such thing as an impossibility." Luke 1:37

Continue, friend, to Hope...Believe...Trust...

Our God is mighty,
He is able,
He is good!!

A Tender Plant of His Righteousness

Like a tender plant
He plants me
In His vineyard, His kingdom.
He has already cleared the land,
Pulled out the roots of sin's decay,
And the thorns that attempt to invade...

He paid a heavy price to win this battle,
This victory that destroyed the authority and power of anger, fear, greed, and so on...
Yes, He wiped out these inhabitants,
And rescued me
A tender plant of His righteousness,
A tender plant of His grace.
He made me new, gave me a new start.

His love nourished my plant,
Causing my roots to extend down,
Into the bottomless well of living water.
His love poured out its blessing of Sonlight favor and grace.
And my plant began to bloom
And fruit became plentiful
As His favor and glory surrounded me...

My plant began to be an influence in the land
Because of the excellent care of the Gardener.
It produced seed and became nourishment itself to many more.
Only because of the Gardener,
The One who planted, cleared the land, paid the price, nourished and cared for my plant...
Was this possible.

The One who rescued me
Did all the work,
Provided everything I needed to grow and prosper.
Protected me from the trespassers who wanted to steal, kill and destroy...

So well, so tenderly, so uprightly with justice and grace,
He takes care of me.

Only You, God, can rescue a tiny weak plant,
Plant it and provide for it in such a way that it can blossom and grow
And display Your goodness to many others!

Bathed in Light

I have been trying to capture the picture of the tree in our neighbor's yard,
The picture of the tree in its brilliant color of red when the sun shines on it.
The last few days I saw it, but by the time I got my camera,
The sun had shifted and the brilliance of the light on the red was gone
And the color looked ordinary, not spectacular...

But today, I captured it...
What a brilliance the light on the tree gives to its color.

The resting place that our Beloved has for us is "Luxurious, like a green forest
Bathed in light" Song of Songs 1:16.
Our Beloved wants us to bring our circumstances, our worries,
To the resting place He has prepared for us.

And when we do,
He baths the picture, the circumstance, the worry,
In the Light of His truth and glory,
And slowly the picture changes.

When the light is turned on, the darkness has to flee,
The "what if's, the fear, the anxiety, the despair.
Yes, when He baths the picture in the Light of His truth and love,
The brilliance of Hope emerges,
As He brings our hearts to Rest.
Rest in His bigness, His goodness, His grace...

Without the light my circumstance remains in the natural,
The striving, the "barely making it," the gloom.
The Light makes all the difference,
It opens the heavens so I can receive what the Father desires for me.

Thank you Lord for bathing my picture in Your Light.
Hope is arising and an anticipation of Your goodness to me is bursting forth.

The Mountains Melt Before Me

The mountains before me...
That worry, that seemingly big obsticle, the unknown, that circumstance that is closing in...
Is real,
It is not an image of my imagination.

But as I remember my Father,
His goodness, His bigness, His closeness, His greatness...

That mountain begins to melt,
Melt like wax in a fire.
Yes, when I see Him,
His glance of adorning love,
His gaze of intense passionate desire and longing for me to be whole, healed, full...
Yes, that mountain begins to melt.

The anxiety begins to fade,
As I remember His poured out love,
The work He accomplished for me on the cross so at this MOMENT,
I can have victory...
Yes, the mountains begin to melt,
As I partake and receive His goodness and His abundant grace!!!

"Yes, mountains melt like fire when the Lord of all the earth draws near." Psalms 97:5 TPT

His Loving Gaze

"Examine me Lord,
 Find out everything that may be hidden within..."

Does uttering those words bring fear to your heart, dear one?
Does the thought bring a sense of dread, an "Oh my," a downcast countenance, anxiety or shame?

It need not...
Your Shepherd, your Friend
Examines your innermost being with a Loving Gaze...

He sifts through all your cares, worries, stress, and weaknesses,
With one intent,
To bring you back.
To bring you back to His glorious, everlasting ways...

He sorrows to see you on the path of pain.
He wants you on that path that brings you back to HIM...
Back to Shalom,
Nothing missing...

"Yes, Lord, I gladly welcome Your searching gaze, Your examination...
  I want to be on that path that leads to You!'

Psalms 139:23,24

Darkness Was Never Intended for You

Darkness was never intended for you,
Your Father never intended for you to be surrounded by darkness.

You say,
"Darkness is my friend. It is all I know or have known for so long..."

But the cry of your heart is..."Help, I am suffocating!"

My friend, there is HOPE.

All the questions,
All the doubts,
All the accusations you have thrown at your God, your Creator, the One who loved you into being,,,

He hears,
And He forgives...

He looks at you dear one,
And desires wholeness, desires freedom. desires restoration for you.

All the lies the enemy has dumped upon you,
All the broken promises, traps, and hidden snares,
Have only brought you deeper into your darkness...
His intent,
To strangle, steal, destroy, and crumble your dreams and destiny.

But the greatness that was placed in you by your Creator,
Cries out,
It cries out for freedom...

My friend, the One you have been rejecting is your source of HOPE.

He sees all,
Yet passionately loves you and wants you to discover His Help.
He has provided a way for your rescue,
He has paid the price for your freedom, your victory, your wholeness.

Come to Him,
Call out to Him,
Believe that your God is good, 
Believe that He paid the price for your shame and guilt,
Believe and receive the gift of this One,
Jesus.
He is Light.
When you receive His gift of love...
The chains of darkness will fall.
His love sweeps it all clean.
His love restores,
His love returns,
His love conquers,
His love always wins...

Friend, believe that your God is good,
Believe that He loves you,
Believe that He is life, He is Light, He is the way out,
Believe that He is your HOPE

His faithful, steadfast love will never fail you!

He Fully Wants Me

He fully wants me,
He wants to reach into my heart,
Have my permission to unlock,
Open it up...to more of Him...more of His goodness.

He whispers,
"You have only begun...even in your weakness of faith...
 Could you open up your heart, my beloved, to receive more of Me?
 In your inability to hope, to see past today...
 I want you to know more of Me...
 So you can dream with expectation again.
 Any pleasure you have experienced, any delight you have realized,
 Is nothing compared to the "more" that I have for you."

"Precious one," He continues, "I delight for you to have Me fully!"

Promise of Blessing

The Father has a promise of blessing over your life.
Can you hear the promise of blessing that He speaks to you?
Tenderly He calls your name...and loves you right where you are.

He blesses you with the promise of who He wants to be for you,
He blesses you with strength, as He says, "I am your Strength."
He blesses you with peace as He whispers, "I am your Peace."
He blesses you with wisdom and revelation as He reveals His secrets to you,
He blesses you with comfort as He becomes your Comforter,
He blesses you with health as He becomes your Healer.

He promises to bless you with His love forever,
Forever He will be with you...
Forever He will be on your side...
Forever He will bless you with His presence, His grace, His favor...

Maybe life has you in a place now that you do not see or hear these blessings...

Look up, precious one,
Can you see the gaze of your Creator, can you see His smile?

He loves you and accepts you as you are.
He invites you to, "Come to Him"
Come to Him so He can be all you need today.

He is your Promise...
He is your Hope...
He sees the next chapter,
And He offers you all the blessings of heaven...

Do Not Be Afraid

What do you see today?
Does the mountain before you appear huge, impassable?
Do all your troubles seem to cover the landscape, like sand on the seashore?

The Lord sees something different...
He comes and says, "Do not be afraid."

"I am with you today." He reminds me.
"I know what will happen to those enemies, those troubles,
 You can not see...but I can...I know,
 And I come to you now to remind you, "

 "Do Not Be Afraid!!!"

"I am with you on this journey,
 I will fight for you...sustain you... be right there beside you to provide for your every need.
 Tomorrow is in My hands,
 Tomorrow is in My vision...clearly...
 I see victory!!!
 Trust
 Do not be afraid!!"

Joshua 11:4-8

Restoring Love

I thank you, Father, for Your love that desires so deeply for me to be whole,
That love that offers me chance after chance after chance...
That love that never gives up,
That love that desires for me to come and receive the entire GIFT.
That love that wins,
Wins over the enemy and his destructive plans,
That love that offers RESTORATION.

Restoration love that returns what the enemy has stolen...
Restoration love that restores not only to the degree of the prior...
But restores to so much more than even dreamed...

Your restoring love, Father
Restores my soul to wholeness,
Restores relationships,
Restores my strength, my hope, my peace, my joy...

Yes, Your love restores my destiny...

Restoring love that preserves
Restoring love that surpasses dreams...

Thank you Father for Your restoring love!

My Tied-up Bundle

That tied-up bundle of His suffering love,
I need to keep near,
Close, so I can remember and partake...

Yes, especially in the night, the dark times, when the world seems cruel...

I need to have my bundle, my tied-up bundle,
Right there on my chest,
So I can breathe in that suffering love,
So I can breathe in the sweet henna blossoms of His longings and desire for me,
So I can remember His suffering love and the work that He did for me on the cross,
The work He accomplished so He could have me in this life union, this constant companionship with
     Him,
This work He accomplished so I could be forgiven, healed, restored, free from the addiction,
     free from the torment.

Yes, the finished work of the Lamb,
Who poured out a never-ending fountain of provision with His blood,
Suffering because of that great love He had for us...
That sweet bundle of myrrh...
Fragrant with suffering redeeming love...
I breathe you in...remember..and partake...right now.

"My Lover is to me like a tied-up bundle of myrrh resting over my heart throughout the night."
 Song of Songs 1:13 TPT

Your Strength

I find strength when I wait upon You, God,
When I let You into my world,
When I let You do what You want to do,
When I let You be there for my every need...

Then Your strength comes to me.
Your strength is totally different than mine.
My strength tries and tries, works and works, strives and strives,
But it never obtains the desired result.

But You offer Your strength to me...
Your strength is powerful, mighty, tender, and kind.
Your strength changes my way of thinking,
Your strength removes the fear,
Your strength renews hope, and brightens the day,
Your strength raises faith and allows me to trust.
Your strength moves me forward...in peace...in thanksgiving...in victory,
Your strength heals,
Your strength brings the brightness of Your Light and dispels the darkness.

Your Strength,
Supernatural strength,
Strength given from the passion of Your heart of love,
From Your Daddy heart to me, Your child.

Yes, Father, Your strength becomes my song, my song of joy.

Psalms 59:16 "Your strength God, shall be my song of joy, each and every morning.

Glad God

My God is a glad God,
He is not sad or gloomy,
No, He is not full of anxiety or worried about the darkness,
Nor is mourning over the needs on the earth...

My God is a glad God
Because He is the God who is more than able to utterly save, protect, provide, restore...

My God is not offended with the rejection, the turning away, the questions...

No, He is a glad God.
He knows...His plans and purposes have been decreed.
And now He waits...
He waits for a glimpse of a turning heart...

And then He runs...
Runs with joy and gladness to embrace us with His love.
Announcing, "Lets rejoice, have a party, this one of mine has returned!!!

Yes, He is a glad God,
This God who loves first...
This God who loves fully,
He is a glad God!

The Choice

When I make the choice
         to look up, 
         to gaze upon my God,
         to strengthen myself in all that He is,
         to seek direction from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
         and allow Him to comfort me in my sorrow, loss, or pain...

It is then that I choose Him.

Even though I do not understand...I choose Him,
And He opens the heavens with His Father's heart,
And gives out of His rich treasures,
Giving me grace for the circumstances of the day,
Strengthening me from the inside out,
Allowing me to see and know His love, His greatness, His goodness.
He goes ahead and prepares the way for victory...

And then He says, "Come and rest!"
"Come and rest in all I am for You.
 Allow Me to reveal My love to you.
 Allow My love to touch, mend, soothe, and heal all your pain, and aches of your loss."

"Allow Me to come into your garden and reveal My love to you."

"I am with you, I am for you,
 We belong to each other!"

                                      
                                     

The Seeds are Sprouting

The seeds are sprouting,
The seeds that were sown in love, in faithfulness, in perseverance...
Those seeds are sprouting.

The hours of travail in prayer for a loved one,
The seeds that were planted in childhood,
The seeds of simple trust in a big God,
The seeds of generosity and kindness,
Even the seed that was planted that you were unaware of planting...

They are sprouting...
All throughout the land.

My confidence in this declaration is in our gracious God.
Our gracious God, who out of His fullness we have received:
     grace upon grace,
     spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing,
     favor upon favor,
    gift heaped upon gift.

This God who has heard our every prayer,
His hand is moving...
He has watered the fields with the abundance of His rain,
Showers have soaked the earth softening the clods of dirt,
He has fertilized the ground with His goodness, 
The tracks of His chariot wheels have dripped the oil of passionate love into the depths of hearts...

And now,,,
The seeds are sprouting throughout the land.
He is pouring out a visitation of His glory,
For He answers our prayers with amazing wonders,
Blossoms of joy are emerging, along with shouts of praise...

Yes, we celebrate,
And sing our song to You, our Gracious, Magnificent God../
Who helps us like a Father,
Caring and providing for our every need!!!

Psalms 65

Fountain of Grace

Your fountain of grace, God,
Is a delight to behold.
Longingly I gaze upon the splendor and beauty of this fountain as I observe the joy
    of those who have entered and partaken of its life.

"But you, my child, have been granted permission to enter also.
 Please come,
 I had you in mind when I poured out this fountain.
 I paid for this fountain with the price of My Beloved Son's blood.
 As He was bleeding, I saw you set free,
                                 I saw you at rest,
                                 I saw you joyful, with a sound mind,
                                 I saw you whole,
                                 I saw you passionately using your gifts and talents that I had given you...
 My heart burns with passion and longing for you to come and partake,
 My heart burns for you to enter and receive,
 Receive the abundance of My grace that is for you too!!!

 Let all the walls you have placed around yourself crumble...
 Let the box you put Me in, of what you thought I was like... disintegrate.
 Come and receive My love,
 My heart is passionately burning for you to obtain My grace...
 Come... the fountain flows freely...
 Come... the fountain flows abundantly...
 Come... the fountain flows with passionate desire for you...
 Come and receive."

                                 

The Discovery

Have you discovered the treasure?
The treasure of being in Christ Jesus, of being in union, joined to Him,
Have you discovered the overwhelming benefits involved in this union,
These benefits that are at your  disposal, always available?

These treasures are for you to discover, the Father wants you to partake in them.
Yes, He wants you to unwrap His gift, His treasure...

Unwrap the treasure of Christ within and discover...
His Strength that you are supernaturally infused with...

Unwrap another layer and discover...
His explosive power that  flows in and through you...

Unwrap another layer and discover...
That you are destined for victory

Unwrap another layer and discover...
The armor of God  that will protect you from the plans and attacks of the enemy.

His belt of truth that has been provided to enable you to stand tall and confident,
His shield of holiness to protect your heart,
His provision of faith that He wraps around you to extinguish all the blazing arrows of the enemy.

Unravel another layer and discover...
The power of your salvation to save and deliver you from all the enemies lies about your past, your
    present and your future.

Unravel another layer and discover...
The sword of His Word,
The blessings of peace and joy...

Unravel another layer and discover...
That All your sins are forgiven,
That you are the righteousness of Christ,
That He has set you apart as holy,
That He has plans to prosper you and give you abundant life.

Unravel another layer and discover...
His sweet companionship, His acceptance of you,
Hear Him whisper His love song to you and receive His kisses of love.

This is a treasure that continues to unravel, continues to amaze...
There is NO end to the discovery of this gift...
This gift of being joined to Christ Jesus...
This gift that continues and will continue... right through eternity.

An Ever-fresh Lily

An ever-fresh lily
Keeps blooming and blooming,
It keep blooming when the storms of harshness come,
It keeps blooming in and out of season.
It is an ever-fresh lily.

The Beloved calls you, His child, His ever-fresh lily.

The ever-fresh lily hears a song,
The song of its Maker,
The One who created it in all its beauty with intent and purpose.

This lily hears the song of the One who is delighting in him/her,
It hears the song of its Creator, the One, who is taking pleasure, delighting in its shape, brilliance
   and fragrance.

The song keeps the lily ever-fresh, ever blooming
Even in the storm, the valley, the off seasons.

The song lifts the lily's face to adore it's Maker,
To display more of its beauty,
Emit more of its fragrance.
The ever-fresh lily hears the song and knows purpose in life...

Your Maker desires for you to hear His song of delight,
His song of delight over you.
His song will bring you to be an ever-fresh lily, emitting a brilliance of fragrance and brightness for Him,
That keeps blooming and blooming in and out of season.
Ever-fresh!

Sandaled Feet

"How beautiful on the mountain are the sandaled feet of this one,
 bringing such good news..." Song of Songs 7:1

These are the feet of the beloved,
They are the feet that know,
They have been over this mountain path before...
These feet are not tender, offended with the stony path, the fallen trees, nor the muddy track,
No, they are quick,  light, they make the way look easy...

These feet are beautiful because:
They are child-like with delight, not fear trodden,
They are trusting with confidence, not stumbling along heavy with care,
They are gay, light, happy, not sad and worried...

These are the feet of one who looks up, not down,
Who is lead by an invisible strength.
These feet have purpose,
They display the beauty of one who is well cared for.

These feet carry a voice of good news.
They carry the voice of royalty,
Of the daughters and sons, of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

They carry the beauty of promise...
                                      promise of provision,
                                      promise of care,
                                      promise of protection,
                                      promise of strength and energy,
                                      promise of hope and a destiny,
                                      promise of direction and wisdom,
                                      promise of a new creation,
                                      promise of unmeasured grace.

A promise of a Good God,
                     a Father's Help
                     a Beloved's Love.

"How beautiful on the mountain are the sandaled feet of this one, bringing such good news...
 you are truly royalty..."Song of Songs 7:1
                                    

His Words

The words that my Beloved speaks
Drip with honey,
Drip with desire and longing,
Drip with power and majesty.
They are encased in solid gold TRUTH.

They are not words spoken flippidly, or words of flatter,
Nor are they spoken without intent of fulfillment,
They are not spoken in order to impress, boast, or with self motive...
No they are spoken with intense desire and longing to bring me to wholeness, to fullness.

My Beloved has all of the power of heaven behind His words,
His actions of suffering love, back His words!

His words are not fairy-tale bluff...
Something never to be realized or experienced.

He speaks words of love to me with true intent and desire.
He speaks words of hope to me showing me what He can see.
He speaks words of peace to me out of His unlimited knowledge, power, and love.

Yes, His words pierce and heal,
But they all bring me to freedom, wholeness, and fullness.

Words encased in solid gold TRUTH...
Words from His Daddy heart...
Words of love

I Hear the Roar

I can choose
Which roar I will listen to.
They both roar at the same time,
One in the natural, one in the spiritual.

One is seen with my eyes and heard with my ears,
The other is seen with those eyes that are trained to gaze upon the Father's face
     and heard with ears that are tuned to hear His song...

In the natural, 
I hear the roar of the wind, the storm, and I see the crushing waves,
Waves of fear, lack, despair, uncertainty,
In the spiritual,
I hear the raging river, whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to His people,
I see the face of the One who is on the throne, secure and never shaken...

This is the One who is my Helper,
The One who is on my side...

The roar of His majesty and His delight is my only choice...

Be still my heart and know who your Help is...

Psalms 46

Praise

Something happens when I begin to praise,
Something happens when I remember, call to mind and begin to worship and adore the goodness of my God

It is powerful...the walls of darkness,
                       the wall of fear,
                       the wall of "what if,"
                       the wall of "poor me,"
Begin to fall
Crumble
As my God is lifted up.

Praise breaks through...
Like wiping the grime off the window,
Like giving medicine to my soul...

When I begin to remember,
 To adore,
 To sing
Of the marvelous miracle of His mercy and grace,
The grime washes away
And I can see His grace and blessings surrounding me.

What goodness He had in store for me when He commanded me to,
"Rejoice and again I say rejoice!"

The Alpha and the Omega

Jesus,
The One who always was,
You tell me I need not fear,
Because You are the first and the last,
The Alpha and Omega,
The beginning and the end,
The One who know all things, understands,
The One who does not identify with the word "unknown."

No, You know,
That is why You want me to Trust, to not be afraid...

You know what was before me,
You know what is,
You know what will be,
Your eyes see it all,
And You tell me, "Do not fear."

"I am the beginning and the end, Do not fear!"

The One who speaks these words of comfort to me is the same One who with intense love planned and
     purposed my life, thought it into being, planted me in this world at just the right time in history...

The One who speaks these words, gave Himself, suffered, bled, died, rose again so I might be set free
     from the curse, the grip of the enemy.

The One who speaks these words, knows my past...

He has picked me up when I have tripped,
Pulled me out when I got stuck in the mud...

He knows my yesterday.
He is acquainted with my today.
He sees my tomorrow...and the next...

And He whispers,
"Do not fear, I am the beginning and the end,
 You are safe with Me,
 I got you covered,
 I am right beside you,
 All the way...to the end...and then forever!!!

Rev. 1:17

Arise and Come

Does life feel like a cold, harsh rain splattering on your face?
Does your heart feel barren, empty or angry?
Do the circumstances surrounding you now seem endlessly dark with little hope of change?

There is Someone who knows all about it, feels all your pain, has bottled your tears...
He has come as you have asked,
He has come to lift your head, to carry the load, to lead you out of the tunnel...

He beckons, "Come with Me."
He calls you beautiful and declares,"It is time!"

He continues,"I see it."
"I see the season changing,
 I see the cold rains finished, the barren winter gone.
 I see flowers appearing,
 I hear the gentle cooing of the doves,
 I discern a new day of destiny breaking forth around you."

"Although you do not see yet, my beloved," He whispers,
"I see."
"Can you trust Me?"

"Come with Me,"
"Arise...lets run to the higher place."

"Come, let Me tell you how I see you...
 I love to see your face turned toward Me,
 Your voice is so beautiful to me."

"Come,
 We will catch those little foxes that want to ruin your vineyard,
 We will do it together..."

"Come,"
 "The air is filling with song.
  I have so much delight and fullness for you to experience.
  Trust Me, my love,
  Arise and Come!" 

Song of Songs 2

                                   

Seedlings

I tried something new this spring. 
I tried growing my pepper and tomato plants from seed.
I had tried this once before, but without success, so I planted these seeds in the dirt hesitantly, not wanting 
  to hope too much.
After watering them, I set them out of the light, in the warmest place I could think of, on top of the   
  refrigerator.
After a week, I took a peek.
To my surprise, tiny green stems had appeared.
I watered then again and left them there for a few more days, and when they were slightly taller I brought 
  them down to the light by the window.
And they kept kept growing.
My hope was growing now as I watched these tiny, tiny seedlings stretch toward the light.
As they got taller, I began to pay attention to each indivual plant, transplanting them each to a larger pot
  and propping up their tender stems on sticks to keep them straight.
My little seedlings began to delight me as I watched them grow.
They started receiving extra attention from me as I would watch over them, taking them out to the sunshine  
  on warm days and bringing them in when it got cool.
I am enjoying watching their progress of growth, each stage is fascinating.

The Father plants us in this soil of life, with much anticipation and expectation.
He is not a hesitant gardener as I was.
He know the plans and purposes He has for us. 
He knows what is in the seed.
Patiently He waits...
And when we discover His love, we sprout and begin the process of growth.
So tenderly and eagerly our Gardener watches over each one of us individually.
He has everything we need to grow, to flourish, to prosper.
He does not leave us to ourselves and demand that we make it in our own strength.
No, He sees each need, propping us up if we are drooping, preparing and fertilizing the soil, pruning at
  times when needed.
He takes such delight in the process...
Such delight in each plant, watching with expectation for the fruit.
He is not worried about failure, or discouraged with the slow ones...
No, He gently continues to nourish us in His love...with His smile always upon us...
His delight is from the beginning to the end.

But unlike my tomato plants that will grow, bear fruit and die...
Each of His plants have the opportunity to just continue and continue to grow more and more
  in His fullness, bearing more and more fruit, until they meet their Gardener face to face, where they will 
  continue to grow in their love for Him!

Jesus, Do You Love Me?

Jesus, do you love me?
Have You removed Your love, removed Your favor, turned Your face from me?
When I pray, do You hear?
My circumstance is not changing...

"My dear child," He responds,
"Let Me ask you a question.
 Does God the Father love Me?"

 Of course, I respond.
 The Father loves You, the Son, and the Spirit...You all are 3 in 1!

"It is the same with Me, my child," Jesus whispers,
"With the same love that the Father has for Me, His Son, I love you!
 You see, we (you and I), are one, joined, cemented together.
 I am in you and you are in Me.
To hate you would be to hate Myself, and God to hate Me...
No, my child, no circumstance can ever change the intensity of My love for you."

"My dear one, nourish yourself in My love for you.
 Let it sink in deep, let it saturate your very being...
 Until there is never a doubt again.
 Let My love for you bring you to much joy, much peace, much rest...
 Let My love still the turmoil of your heart letting you know that you are loved mightily by your Maker,
    your Savior, your Friend, your Shepherd.
You are the beloved!"

John 15:9 "I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves Me. Let My love nourish your hearts."
                  TPT

Steps

I love watching my grandson learn to walk.
Each time I see him, he has advanced a degree.
How proud he was when he took his hand off the sofa and stood all by himself,
And then he was grinning from ear to ear as he took that first step,
And then two and then three steps to get that toy he wanted.
 Last week, I counted eight steps before falling,
Today he walked across the room barely thinking about his accomplishment.




Our Father does not despise small beginnings.
When He asks us to trust Him in an area, sometimes we feel like we are taking baby steps.
 It does not bother Him
 He is there by our side to pick us up and administer hope.                     
 He asks us to try again, encouraging us with His truth.
 How He cheers with each step of accomplishment, reminding us 
   of His truth.  
 He delights to see us get up...time and time again.
 And before we know it, those baby steps have turned into a    
   steady gait of trust,
 As we gaze upon our Father, our Daddy.

 He does not despise small beginning,
 Because He knows these baby steps will turn into mighty steps 
   of faith.
 He knows because He put the greatness of His power within each
   of His children.
                                            
Next time I see my grandson, he might be running across the room...
                
You will be too...

That is what His goodness does!

Waiting

Spring seems to be having a hard time coming forth this year.
There definitely are signs...the birds, the grass is slowly becoming 
   green...
But I keep looking up into those barren branches,
Looking with anticipation for the green...

I believe this spring is a picture of the longings and desires of our 
   hearts.
We have prayed, seen in the Spirit, believed the promises...
But we continue to wait..and wait.

But the promise is so close...
That which you know is there but is yet hidden is about to burst,
It's about to come forth.

But we continue to wait...

Oh, but let us not give up hope,
The signs of promise are beginning to appear.
Let us continue to stand..continue to persevere, continue to contend, believe and trust...

Let us keep our eyes open wide,
With much anticipation and child-like wonder.
Let us have our pens and pencils ready to record the goodness of the story...
The goodness of our God.

Yes, it is ready to burst forth!

A Father's Help

Thank you Lord for that "Father's Help"
That help that comes from Your Daddy heart
 As You look upon Your child,
Hear her cries, her plea,
Bottle her tears, 
See her need...

A "Father's Help" You send her way the moment she calls.

A "Father's Help" that turns the tide of the battle, sending the enemy running.

A "Father's Help" of protection,
A "Father's Help" of provision,
A "Father's Help" of comfort and kindness...

A "Father's Help" that You deliver with such delight to Your precious child...

Thank you

Christ in Us

I have been watching these pink geraniums by my kitchen window. They have cheerfully displayed their pink color all winter. They have looked out that window at the barrenness of the winter and the piles of snow... but they have continued to bloom. They have felt the cold draft through the glass of the harsh cold, but they have continued to bloom, delighting all who have entered my kitchen.

They have continued to bloom, because here in my kitchen they have all they need to grow. They have warm soil for their roots, water for nourishment, and sunshine shining in the window to nourish their leaves and stems. The weather on the outside does not effect them as they grow inside my kitchen.

Makes me think about us. If we are in Christ, we have everything we need..inside.. to grow, to prosper. We have Christ living in us enabling us, nourishing us, teaching us, watering us with His goodness, shining the light of His presence in our every day.

What a gift! Christ in us that enables us to prosper, even when circumstances on the outside seem black, cold, and harsh. 

What a blessing we can be to those around us when we shine His light so brightly and bear His fruit...despite the circumstances on the outside.

Just like those geraniums brighten up my kitchen reminding me that spring and green is coming...
We can bless those in our life with hope and encouragement when we continue to shine and display the beauty of Jesus, despite the circumstances.

The secret ingredient...Christ within us...our hope of glory!!

Ever-Present

Thank you God that you are the ever-present God,
You are always present in my circumstance,
Always present in my every day,
Understanding me and knowing my thoughts before I know them myself.
You are ever-present with everything I need for each particular moment,
You come with Your Help of provision for each need.

In my moments of worry...
You offer me confidence that You will provide.

In my moments of darkness...
You are there with Your seeds of hope and rays of light.

In my moments of confusion, when the haze seems to reign...
You are ever-present with Your Truth and guidance.

In my moments of unbelief...
You are present with Your pursuit of love, healing my eyes of faith.

In my moments of grief and sadness...
You come with Your comforting love, soothing and healing the wounds.

In the moments of fear...
You are there with Your courage and strength.

In my moments of stress...
You are there with your enduring peace and wisdom.

In my moments of mourning...
You bring those splashes of joy.

In my moments of anger...
You come with quietness and renew my thinking.

Ever-present
Ever-present with Help,
For every situation, every emotion, every kind of need.
You are my ever-present God... my ever-present Help...my ever-present Father!!!