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