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Be happy!  You are loved by the Creator!

It doesn’t matter what you think of you, or what others think of you; what matters is that you are His delight!

You may be facing some obstacles that you never dreamed you would have to face, but He is still the Sovereign Lord!

He did not make a mistake when He created you-

And He is not surprised when you face trials

In fact, He is using them to quicken your heart. They are an invitation to draw near to Him.

Don’t pray to be a  better person; pray for knowledge of His great LOVE.

Expect to be soaked in it!

In what ways does fixing one’s thoughts on Jesus and entering into His rest promote inner healing?

I’ve lived a portion of my life in my own self-made misery; a misery that enabled my own rebellion. Having known better, I’ve turned from Jesus not just once, not even twice, but innumerable times. He knows that number, though I dare not try to count. It seems that the closer I’d get to Him, the more fearful of myself I became.  I know the feelings well because I’ve experienced it so often.

I’ve been comfortable slightly on the outside, but the more I draw towards Him, the more I become a “partaker of the Heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1), and the more it hurts.  It hurts to heal.  Isn’t it supposed to? I’ve scabbed this wound multiple times and He’s removed one time more than I’ve scabbed it.  He takes it apart bit by bit.

As I look into His being and consider His nature, I cannot help but have the inclination to yearn to receive all that He has to offer. Psalms 95:7-8 tells me, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart in rebellion.” Lo! I don’t want to be Israel.  I don’t want to be Judah.  I do not want to ignore my Lord, but want to dwell in His presence!

Yet, these thoughts are on me!They are not on Him! Jesus!  Jesus! How does fixing my thoughts on You heal these scars? How do I allow Your hand to remove these scabs of imperfection and shame? I don’t know!  I wish I could fix my thoughts on You more so I can have inner healing.

“Behold child,” He says, “You are complete just as You are through I AM who gives you strength (Col. 2:3). Rest in Me.”

Ah! His rest.  Entering into His rest.  What is His rest?  It’s Him saying, “It is good.  What I have created is very good.”

I meditate on His rest.  It’s more than clearing my mind.  It is being in His perfect love.

At work, in His perfect love;                                                                                             Caring for my kids, in His perfect love;

Studying His Word, in His perfect love;

Righteousness, in His perfect love;

Overcoming disappointment, in His perfect love;

Healing, in His perfect love;                                                                                            Just as I am, in His perfect love;                                                                                  Believing, in His perfect love;

Loving, in His perfect love.

His Word pierces me.  I am naked before Him.  I cannot hide a single thought (Heb. 4:11-13). I go boldly before the throne of grace-broken, mired, desperate for His love.  I need it and He says I have it.

Today, I hear His voice, still.  Everything I do, in the Lord, can only be fulfilled in His rest.

What a paradox!

Glory to God our Father

I like to do triathlons.  It isn’t that I am some fitness queen who dominates the age group I am competing with. No, it is the comradere, the electric atmosphere, and the sense of accomplishment when crossing the finish line.  It is during these races that I learned what true endurance is.  It has carried over into my personal life, and in my relationship with the Lord.

With that said, I hate running. Despise it.  I run funny, it hurts my body, and I often feel like I will literally die while running.  In fact, the only time I run is during the last leg of a triathlon, or if I am being chased.

God has been chasing me for years. Actually, I think He has been chasing me my entire life.  There are times when I have stopped running; but there has always been a season that comes around that causes me to put on those proverbial running shoes and take off again.

Something else has been chasing me as well: the Enemy. That is a different kind of chase.  He chases like a bounty hunter, seeking to destroy or entrap me and every other human being.

The Lord chases because He is lovestruck by us. He is deeply in love with each and every one of us.

In this season of my life, I have felt myself itching to put those shoes on again.  Instead of running this time, I have stopped in my tracks and turned around.

Trust me, this was difficult to even recognize.

I first said to the enemy, “You can’t catch me! You will NEVER catch me!”

Then I say to the Lord, “I will rise on the wings of the dawn. I will run with you Lord. I do not fear what you have purposed for me.”

Do you know what He said to me?

He said, “You have never gone anywhere that I haven’t led you.  You have never been outside My love.  You have never gone against what I have purposed for you no matter how hard you tried. Your shame is your victory. Your pain is your healing. Your race is My delight.”

It isn’t necessarily about what you do, it is always about Who you pursue in your heart.

I apologize for tarrying on my postings.

Well, really I’m  not sorry.  What I apologize is for (I hope) your disappointment in my lack of posting.  That sounds selfish doesn’t it?  Well, every writer likes readers; otherwise, why would we write? So, I’m sorry for the disappointment.  I digress.

What I want to tell you is that I’ve had plenty to write about, but have not had the blessing of the Lord to post.  Yes, I ask the Lord for words before I post, and he gives them to me.  My ultimate goal in posting is not to be commended for my writing, but to glorify the Lord.  After all,  I couldn’t write if He did not give me words.  He is the Word, you know.

The Lord has been dealing with me.  That is not a negative thing.  It is a good thing to be dealt with.  Has the Lord dealt with you lately? If not, I dare you to ask Him to. Be aware, it is not pretty- you are human and you need dealt with.

I have a bad attitude.

Sometimes I think I’ve gotten a raw deal.

So guess what? He has made me thankful for the “raw deal” by allowing me to be in situations where I choose to be exactly where He wants me.

Always, we have to choose Jesus.  It is easy to choose Him when life is going great, and there is little sacrifice given for His sake.  It is also easy to choose Him when everything is going awful and you feel your intense need for Him.  Do you know when it is hard to choose Him?  Everyday.

And that is where I have been: in the everyday.  I have been learning to choose him everyday.  Some days are great, some are awful, and even still, some are just days. He has given me a season of “just days.”

I wake up, I’m tired.  I spill soda all over the kitchen. I run late for work. I yell at my students then realize how I could have handled it better.  I make parental mistakes. I feel insecure. I neglect the Lord. I don’t clean my house. I stay up too late. I fail a class. I go completely broke. I fall behind on grading. I feel lonely. The TV breaks.  I bag 7000 bags of leaves. I don’t fold laundry for a week. My students vandalize my favorite picture. I remember my life’s regrets. I don’t work out even though my pants are tight. I feel weird. I procrastinate studying, etc, etc, etc…

“Where are you Lord?”  I cry. He gives me the Dr. Phil “how’s that working for you?”

It’s not, Lord. It’s not.

So His Spirit fills me-not in a Holy Ghost fall on the floor way-but in His gentleman-like approach.He prompts me by showing me how to handle the everyday in Him. It is hard, but His voice is so precious.

He sees us in our everyday and gives us the soothing “shhhhh child”  and and whispers His love into us.  In this, I find myself trusting Him and loving more.

I need Him.

I need your love, sweet God, I need you.

I’m thankful that my wonderful Lord has opened my eyes to how badly I need Him and that He loves me so much that He  dealt with me. Again.

I found this picture today and decided it is pretty comical.

Sadly many think the Gospels are just four different version of the same story.

The Gospels are not four versions of the life of Jesus; they are four accounts.  Each author had a specific audience he was trying to reach with his account of the life of Christ.  2 writers were disciples of Jesus, 1 writer was a disciple of Peter, and another was a disciple of Paul (who began his research as a skeptic). Each has his own purpose.  Each illuminates the glory of Christ in his own unique way.

If you want to know how Jesus fulfilled the Law, study Matthew.

If you want to concentrate on Jesus’ ministry, the miracles, and healing power of Christ, read Mark.

If you want to read a biographical account, read Luke.  The guy did his research, and it took years!

John is separate from the Synoptic Gospels because it begins by acknowledging Christ as the Everlasting Word. This gospel shows the life of Christ in the realization of who He is from the beginning.  Whereas the Synoptic Gospels reveal Christ as the Messiah as the story unfolds, John reveals Him as that immediately.

If you want to really challenge yourself, read the four Gospels, one right after the other. Don’t just read them; meditate and learn them.

After all, this is the Christ we pledge our adoration to.  Isn’t it important to know Him in our minds as well as our heart?

I challenge you, no matter how old you are, or how many times you have read them,  to read these Gospels separately  but as a whole in a short period of time.

Your mind will be blown away by His glory.