FEBRUARY 2012

Lord Jesus, Thank You for being with me always, for letting me know You're near, and that I am loved by You! My heart is full and sings with praise! ♥

Lord, remove my stubbornness –Amen

Let me trip and stumble over Your mercy, in fact... let me fall down in Your grace... Lord, I pray I walk right into a Love Encounter with You! ♥

My flesh is mortal, my efforts are futile... anything good, anything ever-lasting that comes from me comes from Christ who lives in me, shows me who I am and where I belong ♥

Romans 4:18 – I BELIEVE in what I cannot see…. I BELIEVE!  New meaning to life sentence!

relationship means I care about you WITHOUT an agenda

Romans 8:29,30
Amen

"God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun." Romans 8:29, 30 (MSG)
now I know who I am, that I am made right, that I have a one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ!, and like no other Love I have ever known or can even begin to comprehend - He will ALWAYS be with me, in EVERY moment... and I look FORWARD to His plans!

(vs32) "If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?" ...in the name of Jesus, I claim victory!

Love compels me into action

in order to be put back together, we must first be broken

"And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that." 1Cor 1:8-9 (MSG)
Lord, I pray that these Words become more than words... and consume my life. Amen

I am receivable in You and through You

I found my validation... it was with me all along... through the blood of Jesus Christ - in His love, I am complete

Today, I asked God to be with me, and suddenly I realized I had it completely backwards... He is ALWAYS with me, steady and constant... the question is am I with God? So, I change my prayer:
Lord, thank you for being the ONLY One who is steadfast in my life! I surrender all my own agenda, my daily rituals, my joy and my pain to You so that I may be WITH YOU, walk with You, be available to You. I exist in a joyful expectancy, a sober obedience, looking forward to all Your amazing plans. Forgive me for thinking that my input somehow mattered, and I pray that when I do trip and stumble.. that I fall right into Your arms, every time. In Jesus Name... ♥

I can make good decisions, but the ability to follow through with (make good on) those decisions is only by the grace of God...
My intentions may be good, but my actions, done through my power alone, are not. They're selfishly contaminated.
If I think for even a moment that I've done or created something good all on my own, then I'm living in a state of delusion... for God is the source of all things good, and I'm so excited to be in His presence!

God's Love is ev-ery-WHERE! ♥ look ALL around you... start expecting to see it!

In our human condition, we tend to love others conditionally - looked at more closely, perhaps we love others based on the 'condition' that they will receive (or accept) it.
"if you don't reject it, then I'll love you unconditionally"
It would be safe to say, then, that our love is based on our fear of rejection. We can see how that person is behaving... whether they "accept" our love or not... it's tangible.
Take this a step further, what about how we love God? Do we translate this same fear into our relationship with God? Are we afraid of rejection?
But God's Love is BIGGER and more POWERFUL than even our greatest fear. God IS love. He loves us FIRST!
...and then we meet Faith. So often we experience a Love Encounter with God, and then we walk away... is it because we can't 'see' it? because it's not 'tangible'? because we are afraid of rejection? We come face to face with faith - and THIS is where we each have a choice - to believe you are valuable in His eyes... that He loves you in a ridiculous way... and that His love IS unconditional (even though it is US who turn our backs on Him...)
Embrace your Love Encounter with God:) and open the door to faith.

If all good things come from God... and all God's things are great, then all good things are great things, done by the power (love) of God.
Lord, today let my heart start to recognize that every time I do something good, that I do it by Your power (love) through me. Every time I hold my tongue, every time I get from start to finish, each and every victory... big or small... let me see that those are Your victories and sing Your praise! May my eyes start to see that no matter the size, Your victories are great! and Your love flows through me all day long! My soul rejoices! as I realize that I am your work to show the world how beautiful You are!
So, may Your love continue to transform me and transform everyone I touch, make me flexible to Your plans and excited to be IN this moment while looking forward to the next! ♥

I'm warming up for my workout tonight and I'm looking forward to exhausting the muscle... reaching my favorite number: failure:) recruiting all the different muscle fibers, overloading them, breaking them down... THIS MEANS GROWTH!!
...and BAM! like a ton of bricks - this is the perfect analogy of how I am to approach love, life, and God! Look forward to the 'work'... look forward to the 'exhaustion'... Get EXCITED for the NEW things that will come out of what's presently occurring:)
I don't resent the weights for being too heavy... Why should I resent life (or love) for being too hard? I am excited at post-training soreness... It hurts for a good reason;) why am I surprised that life - or love - hurts...? There is recovery, ALWAYS, and growth... And then the courage to KEEP GOING! Whoa! Praise God!

TOTALLY free-falling for the Glory of God!! ♥ my whole day was 'wrecked' in the most AWESOME way!! I have not enough words... WHOO-HOO! Praise Jesus! ♥

1Tim 4:4-5 (MSG) Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy.

♥ wrapping my heart with the Blood of Christ ♥
OH the LOVE! AMAZING LOVE!!! realizing that His love isn't a 'sometimes' thing... it's an 'all-the-time' thing! as much as I need, whenever I need it, never runs out... and He loves you too in the SAME WAY!! OH the LOVE!!

God absolutely answers prayer!
...like on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff;-) So exciting!

"But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. -- Matt. 6:33 This is a partnership deal. All I have to worry about is to "seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness"...the other half is up to God."
(MSG) Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
-Amen

♥ Blood-bought, Spirit-filled, others-focused ♥

MmHmm! Take this world and give me Jesus! ♥

a Love surge - right now - united by the Blood of Jesus - faith in our destiny, in our identity in Christ –

All good things that have come into my life, including the things that 'I think I've earned' are blessings from God, and I pray to continuously remove myself from the equation, remove my sense of entitlement... and Lord replace it with the urgent desire to share all that I have - all that you've given me - with everyone I see... and help me to see the ones I don't... make me desperate to love like You love, in Jesus name I pray ♥

"Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless-cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything-encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!"
1Peter 4:8-11 (MSG)

basking in the Glow of Jesus ♥

Lord, I pray that I do not get distracted, that You keep my eyes focused, that You interrupt me always, that I recognize that I am unable on my own, and that I grow more and more dependent on You moment by moment... Jesus, You are all I need... thank you for loving me this way ♥  and give me patience...  and remove me from myself... Amen.

Lord, in You I trust my mind.  In You I trust my heart.  In You only will I rest!  Jesus, clarify me… Let me lean only onto You!

Thank You for knowing me, for loving me, for keeping me... let me lean on You all day - every day! ♥ in Jesus name