He Healed Me of My Leprosy

The Lord healed me of my leprosy
He healed me of my sadness, my sorrow,
He rescued, delivered, solved the problem, provided, protected...
He healed me of “my leprosy”

But so many times I almost missed the miracle.
I saw it as “just working out,” or time mending things, or...
I forget the prayers I prayed,
And I almost missed what transpired in the unseen as my prayer was uttered...

My Father heard my cry, my sigh, even my unspoken desire
Quickly He came to the rescue
As He lavishly poured out His grace, His strength, His comfort, His love.
Quickly He offered wisdom and delivered heavenly supplies.
Quickly He fought the enemy that tried to steal , rob, and destroy.
Quickly He dispatched His angels to deliver messages of love...

So magnificently He healed me of my “leprosy”
And I almost missed it
I almost went on my way not realizing His labor of love.

But when my eyes were opened and I saw...
All I could do was fall at His feet and cry
“Thank you Jesus!”

Unfailing Love

Thank you Lord for Your unfailing love.
Your love that remains constant whether I feel it or not
Your love that continues despite my humanness...
My unbelief, my pride, my searching...
Your love that is surrounding me even when I become confused,
Look elsewhere, believe the lies of the enemy...

Your love remains
Holding me up, sustaining me, protecting me,
Providing for me even when I find myself in the mess...

It’s Your love that breaks through
That opens the eyes of my heart...
It’s Your love that shines the truth into my innermost being
And brings hope...

It’s Your love that brings me back into Your arms
Back into the fold, the green pastures, the cool waters...

It’s Your love that goes before me, follows after me
Each step of the journey...

Unfailing,
Constant,
Unremoveable,
So powerful that nothing can sever...love!!!

Unfathomable depth, height, length, volume, power, and vastness this Love has...
My mind cannot understand it,
But my heart melts and receives...
Unfailing love!!!

Discovering

Have you found your strength in the Lord?

Have you found that His arms are there
In every situation to hold you up?

Have you discovered His favor
His favor that lasts for a lifetime?

Have you discovered His delight in you,
You His beloved one?

Have you felt His hug, His comfort, His presence,
Or remembered that He is
Jehovah Shammalh, the God who is always there?
Always...

Have you entered into the strength of the Lord
Which is always available, without fee,
Always enough...
Always more than expected??

Oh what a path of bliss He leads us on
As He allows us to discover Him!!!

The Beautiful Place

I want to choose that beautiful place
That beautiful place of sitting
At Your feet Jesus...

That place where I won’t get distracted
By what I see
By what I hear
By the circumstances and situations of the day
By the pressing details of the moment...

I want to stay here
In this beautiful place, at Your feet Jesus
With my soul and my spirit
Soaking in Your goodness with awe and wonder...
With my heart grateful for the big and the little.  
With new thoughts and the mind of Christ
For the circumstance I find myself in.

Yes, that beautiful place..at Your feet, Jesus
That produces peace, joy, strength and courage
That beautiful place where You fill me up
So I can nourish those around me

Yes, even though,
I am running to my next appointment...

Even though,
I am in a place of contention...

Even though,
I have to meet that deadline...

Even though,
My body aches with pain...

Even though,
I am struggling financially...

My soul and my spirit can sit in that beautiful place
At Your feet...
And declare and believe
That my hope is in You God,
My trust is in You God...

And as I wait upon You,
You supernaturally bring me to joy
As you allow me to step into the revelation
Of the truth...
Of who you are and who I am in You!!

My Refuge

How strong is your refuge?
Can your refuge withstand against all odds, against any arrow,
Any blow, storm, circumstance, any collapse of systems?

Is your refuge constant?
Constant in the hard times and good times?
Constant in the danger and the peace?
Constant when you fail and when you succeed?
Constant no matter what?

Is your refuge big enough, strong enough, wise enough?

The Lord is my refuge
He is strong, He is good.
He is constantly by my side.
My refuge fights my enemies and delivers me...
My refuge offers me peace,
He offers me safety,
He offers me protection, grace, and wisdom.

My refuge loves me... knows me...
My refuge is like none other!!!

Always Willing

Always willing to bend down
Always willing to listen to my cry
Always willing to bring me out of the muddy pit
Always willing to set my feet on the Rock
And give me the firm foundation of Your love, Your peace.

You never withhold Your tender care from me
You insist on embracing me with Your unfailing love
Your truth shines brightly to lead the way and protect me.

Even when trouble presses in from all sides
And my iniquities weigh me down again
When courage forsakes me
And my eyesight becomes cloudy
You are there.

And You do it again...willingly, cheerfully, and extravagantly
You pull me up
Set me firm
Embrace me with Your love
Putting a song once again on my lips.. and gladness in my heart...

So patient You are God
As I learn this process of trusting...

How patient You are
As I learn that only You,
And only trusting You
Can lead me to true happiness and contentment.

I am Crowned

I have a crown on  my head today
It's a crown of the Lords love and tenderness...
He places it on me because I belong to Him...
He delights in me
He has good plans for me...a good future...
Today..tomorrow...and the next day and the next...

You have one too
For the same reason
He delights in you, my friend.
Today is a good day!!

Psalms 103:4 "He crowns me with His love and tenderness!"

But I Will Woo Her

Thank you Father for the desire, the wooing of Your heart as You pursue me.
Thank you for following me
In my wandering, my barrenness, my dryness...
Thank you for Your tender thoughts, Your watchful eye, Your constant care
Even in my filth...
How could You want me in this condition?

But even in this mess
You continue to pursue
Offering to me a gateway of Hope!

As I nudge this gate open
Your cascading fountain of light falls upon me as You reveal Your love to me.

The moment of the miracle
When the old is gone and the new comes...
Despair turns to hope, and then awe, and then adoration.
The old way of thinking
The old burden of shame, guilt...lifted,
A new way of thinking...
Transforming me into pure, washed, clean.

 New hopes, new desires
A new relationship...with You, my Maker!

How silly of me to think You were a cruel master
When the desire of Your heart was always turned toward me to bless and prosper me.
Your desire has always been for me to discover Your love
Your desire for me to be Yours, entwined with You
So I could participate in the goodness that You planned and had stored up for me.

Thank you for wooing this heart that was turned away from You
Thank you for the constant unending pursuit.
Thank you for the new label of loved, accepted, righteous one that You have given me.
Forever Yours...

Hosea 2

The Delight of Your Smile

Thank you Lord for this new beginning
Of knowing...that Your smile is upon me...

The day of the lie is past...
The lie of
You are mad,
You don't care,
Your critical eye is upon me,
You are far away,
I have to work hard to obtain your approval...

Thank you for the beginning of this new revelation
This new revelation of Your smile
Your smile of delight upon me...

Your delight in seeing me...
The one You created...with the uniqueness
gifts and talents You created for me.

Your delight in seeing me...
Discover the good things, the good plans, purposes, and destiny
that You planned for me.

Your delight in seeing me...
Discover Your goodness, Your grace, Your love

Your delight in me... becoming Yours
Receiving the abundant life that You gave Your life for me to obtain.

Your delight in me... becoming more...
More and more of all You desire
As You transform me.

Your delight in me...
Your beloved one,
Your daughter...
As You have freely given me all things.

Yes, this is the beginning of looking at life differently
Of waking up in the morning
Filled with thoughts of love, of hope, of possibility
Instead of dread, worry, and fear...
Of seeing today as better, and tomorrow as better yet,
Of looking ahead with the anticipation of Your goodness
Instead of seeing the "what if's" and feeling the fear.

Yes, when I can see Your smile, Your giggle, Your joy
That You have for me...
The sweetness of the Lord fills me with new thoughts, new vision, new hope, new perspective.

Your smile turns the light on...
And all I can do is delight and rejoice in You, Jesus!

Thick Love

As the thick fog surrounds me this morning
I think of my Daddy's thick love...

His thick love that pursues...
That invades my soul and turns my heart toward Him.

His thick love that covers my shame, guilt, and sin
Forgives and remembers my sin no more.

His thick love that not only forgives
But restores, remakes, transforms
And turns those ashes to beauty.

His thick love
That stays with me
Lives inside of me
Guides and instructs me along the way.

His thick love that blesses me
With all the blessings of heaven.
Thickly, providing for me
Thickly, encouraging and comforting me
Thickly, feeding me with His promises and truth
Thickly, protecting and keeping me.

His thick love...
The glory that surrounds me.

His thick love...
The green pastures I feed on and rest in.

His thick love...
The anchor I am secured to.

His thick love
Holding me, protecting me, providing for me, delighting me...

Thick Love!

Extravagant Worship

A woman came in
To adore the One who showed her love
To worship the One who rescued her, set her free, gave her worth...
To bless the One who caused her heart to sing
The One who took the burden of pain, worry, and heaviness from her...

Her joy, her freedom, her gratitude
Brought her to adoration and generosity...

She came to Him with the only valuable item she had...
Desiring to give Him everything,
Desiring to bless the One who had touched her
The One who had put meaning and purpose into her life...

She poured it out...this valuable, fragrant oil...
Over His head, dripping it down over His body
Desiring only to give, to bless, to adore, to worship Him.

The extravagant gesture blessed the Lord...
He saw her heart
And warmly accepted this gift of love.

Those around him saw this picture differently.
"Crazy woman, wasted money," they growled.

Father
I desire eyes to see as You do
And a heart that extravagantly adores You!

Mark 26

Take Courage

Be strengthed...dear mother
Take courage...faithful father
The Lord your God has heard your cry
He knows the desires of your heart...

Look...He is coming!

He is coming with vengeance
To rescue your prodigal
From the grip of the enemy, the robber, the thief
Who is intent on destroying your dear one.
Your God is coming to save...

He promises
That this dear one of yours...
Blinded eyes will be opened...
Deaf ears will be unsealed...
This precious one of yours
Will leap with freedom
Will sing songs of joy...

For this God of yours
Is causing His fountain of living water to burst forth
In the wilderness and wasteland of your dear ones land...
This God of yours
Is filling the parched , barren land
With His living springs of Life
As He reveals His magnificent unfailing love...

New is awakening
Rising up
Sprouting
Bursting forth...

Take courage, dear mother
Hold unto your faith, faithful father
Your precious prodigal will return.
Return with singing, joy, and with gladness,
Entering into all that was intended from the beginning,
Overflowing with abundant life...

Yes...so much more than you can imagine at this time.

This is the promise of the One
Who created the heavens and the earth out of nothing
Who raises the dead
Who calls forth that which is not
Who loves you, dear mother and father, beyond measure
Who loves your prodigal so much more than you ever could...

Take courage
Steady your trembling knees
And trust your mighty, kind, good, Father.

He does not disappoint!

The Question

The question echoed through my head as He gazed upon me.
"Do you really believe I can do this?" He asked.

"Do you believe I am big enough, strong enough, wise enough,
 Powerful enough kind enough to handle this situation?
 Is there something about your circumstance that puts this in the category of impossible or out of the realms of My ability to help? "

The echo of the question remains...
Do you really believe I can do this.....

"Do you believe I am all sufficient?
Do you believe I am your warrior, your banner, your Healer, your provider, your protection?
Do you believe that I am the mighty God,
That I love you, that I want to make you whole...
Do you believe I can do this?"

With passion, my voice responds to His question.
"I believe.."
As the words explode from my mouth,
The inner turmoil of questions and reason disappears.
Peace invades as He touches my body....

"As you have believed, so shall it be. " He responds

And the miracle is granted....

Matthew 9:27-31

A Trust That is Never in Vain

He did not fear
He did not hide
He did not even close his windows.

He knew who his judge was,
Who was holding him,
Who he was accountable to,
He knew who he was trusting.
He knew, that not even a king, a decree...
Could have power over his choice
His choice to simply trust the One who he knew loved him completely...

His enemies were watching, waiting
For the opportunity to
Destroy, steal, and rob him of his identity...

As he trusted...
He was thrown into a den of lions...

This man who had continually served his God
Despite threats, taunts, and danger...
Was now about to experience the continual, magnificent care of His God,
The care He had trusted in and believed was true...
Yes, even now, in the midst of a den full of hungry lions.

And the God that He so bravely trusted...
Sent His angels to shut those lions mouths.
And no trace of injury was found on his body.

His simply trust in His big God
Led to a huge territory taken from the enemy
And opportunity for many to know the living God!!!

Trusting in our God is never in vain!

The Hand That Sustains Me

Your precious hand
That You offer me
Nail printed.....
Revealing Your poured out love, Your sacrifice,
Your desire to provide for me to enter into You
Enter into the promise, the covenant, into union with You.

Your hand in mine
On the path, through the storm,
In the everyday, in the new adventure,
Through the wildness, the unknown,
In the midst....

As I slip my hand into Yours...and believe
Hope begins to stir
As an infusion of Your love explodes in my spirit...
Your goodness is real
Your love unfailing
Your peace all compassing
Your provision supernatural.

Your hand in mine on the journey
Never alone...
Your hand in mine in the storm
Releasing hope...wisdom...
Your hand in mine in this new adventure..
Peace, promises revelation, guidance.

Your hand in mine
Pursues and overtakes my enemies
Striking them down,
Making them so they will never rise again.

With Your hand in mine
I am victorious
More than a conqueror
Loved beyond measure

With Your hand in mine...
I can reign
I can bless
I can plant those seeds and do those good works
That You planned for me before the foundation of the world

With Your hand in mine
I truly am satisfied...complete...abundantly blessed and free!!'

My Friend Bette

My friend next door is with Jesus now...
We knew each other since 1998.
She and her husband lived with their son, who had moved into the house beside ours...

My friend, Bette, and her husband, Herb, took delight in getting to know each of my seven children.
They enjoyed receiving updates about what was going on in their lives...
We often exchanged recipes, shared garden produce, went to church events together,
And just enjoyed chatting together...

I remember the day so vividly, when I saw them out in the yard together and I went over to "catch up"
Herb sadly told me that Bette had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease.
Bette cautiously continued and said,
"I don't know what is ahead... but I am forgetting things."

Those words have rung in my ears often these last 7 years
As I realized that conversation was an appointed God moment...
God had intertwined my life with Bette for a specific purpose...
And one of those purposes was obvious throughout the next 7 years...
He was giving me the privilege of walking along side of my friend as she went through this trial
My role changed from not only being her friend and neighbor,
But also her caregiver and nurse.

This was God's gift to me...
Oh, it was so much more than a job, so much more than monetary provision...

It was the beautiful story and example of a husband who loved his wife so unconditionally,
Even when she couldn't give anything in return...he loved her
Patting her head, giving her kisses, reminiscing about their wedding date and married life..

It was the story of their life together that strengthened me...

It was God speaking to me through this frail lady as I took care of her,
Telling me that her life was so valuable to Him...

It was the songs that I would sing and hear her try to sing some of the words...

It was the precious pats and embraces she would give me as I cared for her when she could no longer communicate with words...

It was the assurance that the Father gave me that He was ministering to her soul and spirit as I prayed and sang over her...

It was the privilege of caring, encouraging, being able to lavish love
Upon this beautiful woman of God, this radiant bride of Christ, this loving mother,
This endearing wife, this precious friend...

I could go on and on
But as I look back, I see a brave, courageous woman of God face a horrible disease...
And I was given the privilege of walking it with her as I cared for her,
Learning so much through the process as I watched the fruit of this woman's life
On display when all natural barriers were gone...
Jesus spilled from her character and mannerisms...despite the disease...

I am an enriched person today, Bette...
Because the Lord allowed me to be in your life up to the very end...
I am grateful and I look forward with anticipation
to our reunion in heaven one day
When we will again have so many stories to share...

I

A Tender Father

"As tenderly as a Father  treats His children,
so Yahweh treats those who fear Him. "
Psalms 103:13

As I read this verse,
A picture of my son-in- law came to mind.
He just had his first child
Baby calms down for Daddy, my son-in- law, easily.
Daddy takes him in his arms
And gently soothes him saying,
Ah, what is the matter, everything is alright."
And he comforts him, sings to him, walks him, pats him,
And that baby is fast to sleep in minutes.

Before he goes to work,
He says,
"Let me change his diaper, I love caring for my son in this way. "
And the first thing he says when he comes home,
"Where is my baby? Daddy missed you!"

Yes, as tenderly as a father treats his children,
So God loves His own, His sons and daughters.

Thank you Byron for giving me this picture of a tender Heavenly Father!

Sitting at His Feet

Mary...seated herself at the feet of Jesus...
She sat there at His feet, content
Whispering, "Yes, Lord, I want You,
I want to breathe You in...
I love Your words...they comfort me, encourage me, lift my spirit.
They give me a new way to think, a new way to look at life.
Your words speak hope into me
They bring peace to my spirit.
Your words are different than any other,
They are words of life
Words of love
Words of acceptance....."

Mary stayed at Jesus feet.
She wasn't interested in a quick fix, a mend job,
Or a pat on the back of a duty done for the day...
No, she wanted more
More of His presence, His light, His truth.

And so she stayed and listened
Becoming acquainted with His voice
Allowing His words to change her, transform her, beautify herr
She stayed there...falling in love again and again.

Jesus replied, "One thing is necessary, what Mary has chosen is best,
And it cannot be taken from her."

I Need You

I throw myself
Headlong...into Your embrace, God.
Your embrace, Your outstretched arms...
I so need to lay my head upon Your chest
And feel Your arms tightly holding me.
I need to hear Your heartbeat at this moment.
I need to hear Your endearments whispered into my ear...

I need to stay her a bit
Until I am reassured again
That I am safe with You,
Until I know
That You'll never let go
You'll never forsake, never disappoint...

The pounding of Your heart's desire of love
Reassures that is is true...
Your love is real, it's deep, it's wide...
It's unfathomably magnificent,
And it's forever!

The Lies

The enemy comes to me
And tells me that my God is far away...
That He is hidden,
That He doesn't care...

Yes, that enemy whispers lies about my God into my ear
Trying to convince me
That my God is not good
That He is withholding His love
Because of this and that...

And then that liar changes his tune
And says, if I do this and that...
God will come through for me.
And if I don't eat or drink this...
God will come through for me.
Or if I go here or there
He will be accessible...

But it's all a lie...

Because my God is already here...
He is wrapped around me
Even though I cannot see...
Even though I can't feel Him.
He is already holding me tight and true
Because I am His...

He knows it all...
He knows my mess, my past, my present
He knows my thoughts at this very moment...
And His love doesn't change.
Always and forever
His love remains abundantly, magnificently more
Than I can imagine or comprehend...

The truth puts a new song in my heart...
It allows me to see the new day arising...
And praise begins to bubble up!

His Faithfulness

Is there a limit to Your faithfulness, God?
Does Your faithfulness have a boundary, a time limit, a contingence?

Is there a shadow of change to Your faithfulness,
A span of remiss, a season of hiddenness?

Does Your faithfulness have a top, a bottom, a measurement...

No, Your great faithfulness is infinite
Stretching over the whole world
To all generations, all ages,
In all circumstances, in all cultures...

Your faithfulness continues on...forever
In unexplainable, magnificence!!!

Thank you God for Your faithfulness.

The Shining Path

That shining path
That You gently lead me on
As You comfort me with Your revelation truth
Takes me to the place of Your burning Presence.
That place of awe and wonder
Of the goodness, greatness, and faithfulness of our God
In the big and little things of life....

Yes, that shining path of Your revelation truth
Dispels the lies, the fears, the anxieties of the day...

That shining path that brings me to peace
And allows my spirit to remind my soul,
Not to be afraid...not to be disappointed or discouraged...
Reminding me of the truth
That I am not alone, I have a help
And there are plenty of reasons I can praise my God today!!!

Yes, that shining path that you take me to
Causes the harp inside me to explode
With joy,
With singing,
With praise to a God who I can always expect
To breakthrough for me!!!

April

As the 1st day of April dawns, memories of past Aprils and past springs flood my memory.
April, the month of looking for the new, expecting the rain and often hosting Easter.

A year ago on April 1st, my youngest son was released from the hospital after a week of long bout of pneumonia.
Another vivid childhood memory that is painted vividly for me which occurred in April is the night 35% of my body was burned.
The Father's healing hand restored each of these tragedies.

April is the month I think of daffodils, violets, tulips and forsythias.

April sparks happy memories of my Dad, because his birthday was in April. My mother would make his favorite cake (a hickory nut cake in a tub pan,) and then she would put a bouquet of daffodils in the middle.

April was the month I met my husband and love began to blossom. It was also the month we celebrated one of my daughters wedding.
And now, April will be the  month that my 3rd grandchild will be born!!

Yes, His blessings continue on forever and forever...

But the greatest gift of April is the gift that Jesus gave us as He hung on the cross and suffered, and gave His all so we could be free, whole, and blessed with abundant life.

So I take in the treasure of this month, the treasure of memories, the stories of God's faithfulness along with the treasures that I can expect this month, as He reveals more of His goodness and grace!!!

Cheers to the green, the beginning of life, the appearing of the flowers, and the hope and confidence, of the goodness of the Lord, which we will experience this April!

Comforting Love

Father, Your comforting love
Just wants to hug me and make everything better.

Your comforting love
Engulfs me
Telling me
You understand my thoughts, my emotions, my circumstances.

Your comforting love
Breaks through the pain, the grief, the sadness, the disappointment...
And soothes my heart with peace.

Your comforting love
Reprints the picture...
It erases the gloom, the ashes, the dirt,
And brings the sunshine.

Thank You Father, for Your comforting love
That comes...
Even when I can't give anything in return.

Your comforting love comes and holds me tight.
Til my ears hear the heartbeat of Your heart of love
As it softly whispers,
"I love you...I always will,
 I am here...everything is going to be OK.

A Heavenly Perspective

A Heavenly perspective

In the midst of "bad news, sickness, missed appointments, disappointments, unpaid bills, pink slips, death, clogged drains, arguments, misunderstanding, rage, panic.....

Is very difficult to maintain.

A Heavenly perspective in earthly chaos takes effort, abundant grace, and a renewed mind.

Yes, this is the reason the Savior came to earth, suffered and died, rose victoriously...
He came so He could lead us to victory...even in the midst...

A heavenly perspective:
 Believes the Word that was spoken and written.
 Gazes upon Jesus
 Sees as the Father sees
 Hopes and trusts
 And then
Hopes and trusts some more...

A heavenly perspective:
 Opens the heavens
 Sees and expects the blessing
 Releases possibilities
 Knows a battle is raging but is determined to win victoriously.

A heavenly perspective results in a different outcome...
An outcome of perseverance, trust, joy, peace.

A heavenly perspective is possible,
When we call upon our Helper,
Lean on our Beloved,
And saturate our minds in the Truth...

The fragrance of this perspective is
Peace, joy, health, rest...
Contrast that to the odor of just the earthly, seen perspective
Worry, anxiety, negativity...

Lord I need Your help to have a heavenly perspective!

That New Day

I declare it is time for the new day to fully dawn...

That new day
When my soul no longer
Responds to the circumstance and the unknown
In shadows of fear...

That new day
When my imagination is no longer
Used by the enemy
To imagine what can or will go wrong...

That new day
When my soul and emotions will no longer
Be the boss
Concluding truth from such a narrow space as the visible realm...

That new day
When my mind along with my heart
Will know it is fully loved by God...

Yes, that new day
When fear disappears
And I can respond to my Beloved Lord
With, "I will go with You..."
Even though it is beyond what I understand
Or what my senses have ever experienced...

That new day
When my soul does not react to the circumstance
Because it believes the truth of being dearly loved...

That new day
When my imagination can run free
Dreaming the goodness of God...

That new day
When my soul is expectant, joyful, and believing
Even though...

That new day
When fear cannot touch me
Because Truth reigns...

That new day
That I can respond wholly to my Beloved
Because the shadow has passed,
Revelation has been deposited,
And freedom reigns...

That day when the dawning breezes have conquered
And I am able to step into the fullness that the Father planned for me
As He thought me into being...

The day when the dawning erupts!
The day of His Great Gladness!

Bathed in Light

When my world becomes bathed in light
Those dark shadows have to flee,
The unknowns are no longer scary,
And the gray disappears.

When my world becomes bathed in light
Those lies are seen for what they are,
The traps are evident,
And that net will no longer be able to keep me from my destiny.

When my world becomes bathed in light
Hope over takes despair,
Joy wins over sadness,
And the spirit of His acceptance of me tramples those condemning accusers.

When my world becomes bathed in light
My fears of failure,
And those anxious thoughts of what might happen
Are replaced with courage, confidence, and peace.

When Jesus comes and baths me with the truth of His love
And turns the eyes of my heart on...so I can see...
I am bathed with the light of truth...

Yes, the truth that I am magnificently loved... even though...
Even though I think I do not measure up
Even though I rejected Him with my words,
Even though I am in a mess right now...

When the eyes of my heart receive His light...
I realize that He is so good
And the Love He has for me is beyond my comprehension.

As He baths me in His truth
I enter into that beautiful, broad, green place
That is saturated with the fragrance of hope.
That place where the circumstance no longer has to control my emotions,
 Because the truth of His love now reigns
And frees me to look outside the box,
And believe...

As the King Surrounds Me

You come and surround me with Your Presence
Yes, even when my heart cries, "No, I am not ready yet, I don't understand..."
You continue Your pursuit
And surround me with Yourself,
You surround with those outstretchedl arms.

And the fragrance of Your poured out heart of love,
The fragrance of Your suffering love
Seeps into my soul
In the darkness of the night,
In the midst of the violent turmoil,
In the utter chaos...

Yes, the fragrance of Your unceasing, forever love
Breaks through the pain, the fear, the despair, the chaos
And delivers peace and protection...
Your fragrance gives me another thought,
A better thought, a true thought...

And I hold it tight
Like a bouquet upon my chest
And I breath You in...
And as I am inhaling Your sweet fragrance
I hear those words again.
Those words I cannot begin to comprehend
But the deepness of my heart so want to be true...
"My dearest darling, you are so lovely,
 You are beauty itself to Me!"

This certainly is a love like no other...

Song of Songs 1:12-14

The Strength of the Lord

I receive the strength of the Lord today
For it is my inheritance as His daughter,
To be filled with His strength.
Strength that will fill in all the gaps, every area of need.
Strength that will wipe the slate clean of all the lies I was believing,
Strength that will allow me to put on my eyes of faith
So I can see what He sees,
And hear with clarity His whispers of love and truth.

This strength allows me to hold my head high
It reminds me who I am, a royal one, who is ever blessed and plentiful.
This strength allows me to sing and rejoice
As it gives me another picture to look upon...
This strength allows me to proclaim with confidence
That I shall live...prosper...
It allows me to remember that My God is good, He is for me...
And I will see the goodness of the Lord in my land today!

Oh when I receive the strength of the Lord
That enemy runs
Because my Lord is stronger than any other...

"I will be strength to him and I will give him My grace to sustain
 No matter what comes. None of his enemies will get the best of him,
  Nor will the wicked one overpower him...." Psalms 119:21,22

His Hands of Love

His hands of love
Have always been upon me
From the moment He thought me into being...
From the moment He placed me in my mothers womb..
His hands of love has been upon me.

No, His plans were not for pain, disaster, or failure.
His plans for me have always been for good,
And although the enemy comes in like a wave,
A tyrant to destroy all hope...
My God is there...with His hands of love,
Sending His host of angels to fight the invaders...

Each step of the way
Each step in the journey of life,
His hands of love are upon me...

These are the same hands
That bear the piercing of the nails that hung Him on the cross.
Willingly, He gave His everything
To give us the abundant life of
Forgiveness, freedom, wholeness, peace and joy
And that abundant life of victory...

Yes, these same hands of love are holing me today,
Through the circumstance,
Through the unknowns,
Through the scary...the new,
Through the "whys"
Through it all!!!

They are holding me steady
And making me who He intended me to be

"Your very hands hold me and make me who I am."
Psalms 119:73a TPT