Tag Archives: love

Coffees & Chats

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I’d love nothing more than to sit face to face with you and have a chat over a coffee, but we will just have to pretend. So grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and let’s chat!

Do you know we can’t catch God off guard? We never stump Him, surprise Him, shock Him. We can’t knock Him off His throne bewildered or flabbergasted. God doesn’t get His “knickers in a twist” nor is He flustered. He isn’t taken aback, perplexed or rattled. These are not His attributes. They never were & they never will be. God isn’t sent reeling by anything. He doesn’t have knee-jerk reactions or roller-coaster emotions. He is God. He is steady. He is the Rock. Never changing. Faithful. Immovable. He knows all, sees all, hears all. He is prepared.

There isn’t anything that He doesn’t already comprehend, although He Himself is incomprehensible. He is not confounded by the wise, yet He confounds the wise. He is not shaken, yet He shakes the heavens & the earth. He is not stumped or left speechless, although He leaves us awe-struck and without words to describe His greatness & His goodness. He is mighty. He is ready. He is prepared.

He is prepared for everything we could throw at Him. Our thoughts, our questions, our expectations, our high & lofty ideas, our discouragement & disappointment. Our passion, our confusion, our temptation, our pride, our insecurities. Every emotion, every feeling. He’s not dazed or repulsed. He can’t be …. Because He is LOVE. His arms are always open. His eyes are always on us. His thoughts are always for us. He is prepared.

He is prepared for us. Waiting. Longing. Searching. Looking. Listening. Full of compassion, righteousness, justice. Pure. True. Merciful. He is prepared for all that lies ahead in life & in death. Today & tomorrow. He never changes. He is prepared.

And He PREPARES: for those who love Him.

•“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” 1 Corinthians 2:9

•He prepared good works for us to walk in. Ephesians 2:10

•He prepared a kingdom Matthew 25:34

•He prepared a city Hebrews 11:16

•He prepared a table for us, right before our enemies! Psalm 23

•“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent (this body), is destroyed, WE HAVE A BUILDING FROM GOD, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens … Now He who has PREPARED us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 5:1 & 5

When we begin to understand that God is prepared, our trust, our hope, our faith will increase. It will not be misplaced, put in man, a system, or an organization, but rightly placed in the ONE who is awesome and excellent. The One Who is the great King over all the earth. Who reigns above the nations & sits on His holy throne. Our eyes, our perspective, our focus will begin to shift & We will exalt Him above the noise of this world, the media, the politics, the news, the reports, the statistics, all that is seen & all that is said. He is above it all. when we come into agreement with that truth, then our worry, fears, anxiety, confusion, the noise, will begin to fade into the background. we will stand in the inheritance, the position that He has already prepared for us right here on earth, right NOW ….. a position of faith, of steadiness, of strength, of hope, of courage. He Himself is prepared, He has prepared for us in the eternal & in the here & now. For those who love Him, it is a place of glorious, enriching inheritance. A place of peace. It’s already prepared!

His Crossed a Chasm For The Sake of The Cross

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Jesus crossed a chasm for you and me.

He crossed the expanse between heaven and earth. God became flesh.

He overcame in the wilderness, He walked the dusty roads, and He crossed the stormy seas. He walked on them. He spoke to them and He calmed them.

He taught in the fields and fed thousands. He ate at the tables of sinners.

He shared and laughed with people in their homes, on the streets, by the well, on the shores.

From home to home. Town to town. City to city.

Each place bringing Him closer to the hill of Golgotha.

The CROSS.

The path was always leading Him to that hill, the hill where He would be crucified.

He knew what was coming, yet He stayed the course.

What lay ahead for Him did not deter Him from seeing those He would encounter on His way.

His eyes met with the eyes of those for whom He’d give His life. Some would love Him and follow Him. Some would betray Him and curse Him. Some would have ears to hear His Father’s heart and eyes to see His Father’s love. Some would close their hearts, their ears, their eyes and turn away with bitterness, hatred, and denial.

He still went to the cross for each of them.

All along His journey He healed, He taught, He delivered, He spoke, He forgave, He saved.

And as He approached the garden outside of where He knew He would be crucified, He prayed and He wept.

And then carried His cross up that hill, wounded for our sins, beaten for our burdens, whipped for our wrongs, crushed for our iniquities, stripped for our shame.

He bled. He cried out. He died. For the joy that was set before Him, you and me, He endured!

He went into the grave so WE could be brought out of our own.

His love didn’t stop there though.He crossed that chasm once again as he did His greatest work in secret.

Beyond the tomb when all was dark, when others thought all was lost and hope was gone, Jesus was still at work. It was in that place, between the crucifixion and the resurrection that Jesus conquered sin and death.

HE ROSE AGAIN!

HE LIVES!

He did it all for us.

He came. And He is coming again.

For me. For you. ❤️

Happy Easter Week

He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures

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“He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

In times of crisis, when everything around us feels absolutely out of our control, attitudes, beliefs, emotions, can all make their way up out of our hearts and to the surface. Times of shaking begin to shake loose the things we have been holding onto, areas we have falsely placed our identity and security in, and at times those beliefs that have become quite foundational to our lives without realizing it. We are faced with the reality of what we value, what we treasure, who we love, what we believe, and the condition that our faith is truly in.

Questions arise in our hearts. Some are deep, and some may seem quite shallow and ridiculous, but they are still questions that rise up and require a bit of thought and hopefully an answer. What is important to me? Have I loved well? Am I doing what I am am meant to be doing? Do I enjoy my life? Am I making the most of this life I am given? Is there anyone I need to forgive or apologize to? Am I eating well and taking care of myself like I should be? Should I have spent my money better or saved more or invested? Do I need to give more? Do more? Be more? Do I believe in God? Do I trust Him? Am I loved? Am I happy? On and on the questions pop up, and we are faced with having a bit of a “reality check” of our lives.

Certainly doesn’t feel like the time to be “lying down in quiet pastures”! But it certainly is a time, an opportunity to sit and evaluate and search our hearts for answers. We may be pleasantly surprised that we are content, that we have loved well, handled our finances with wisdom, working in a job that is fulfilling, and strong in our faith. And then we may be quite discouraged with some of the answers to these questions, finding ourselves disillusioned with life, not sure if we are really doing enough, out of shape, faltering in our faith, financially broke and emotionally broken. Regret, fear, disappointment, confusion can come crashing in on us like a tidal wave. Self evaluation isn’t always fun, nor does it always make us feel like we are shining stars or conquerors of mountain tops, but it is good …. It is good when we remember that no matter what we find, WE ARE NOT STUCK THERE.

I have to admit that during this pandemic I have been a little shocked at what all has surfaced in my heart. My biggest disappointment is that I have felt so much fear surface. Some of my foundations I have discovered, have not been built solidly on God’s strength and power and trusting in Him, but more on what I can do in my own strength and in my own power. That illusion of CONTROL has often reared its ugly head as something I am building my life on. And when it’s smoothed over with a layer of PRIDE that says, “I got this!”, it gives the illusion of being strong and ready for anything! All seems right as I think I can handle whatever comes in my own power, instead of really leaning into the strength of an Omniscient and Sovereign God. It’s all good …. Until the shaking comes and then all of the cracks in my thinking and my plans begin to show.

I’m sure that is why God seems to continually give me Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and HE SHALL direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones.” It is the daily reminder that I am meant to trust in a God who is powerful and mighty, not in my own strength or anyone else’s for that matter! He knows all, loves me well, and is 100% FOR ME!

I can trust him with what I don’t understand, but sometimes the real challenge is to trust him and not even lean on those things that I do understand. I have found in this time, that the key to overcoming my fears and facing the issues of my heart that have been surfacing, is in the ACKNOWLEDGING HIM part. It’s an action! A choosing! Intentionality! Acknowledging Him in every area of my life. Acknowledging Him as I answer each question that rises up. Every attitude, every doubt, every fear, every anxious thought. Every fact and every feeling, I am called to acknowledge Him. I do this by declaring who HE IS.

I acknowledge that He is God and I am NOT! I acknowledge that He is Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Faithful Father, Loving, Kind, slow to anger, compassionate, Healer, Deliverer, Sovereign, and Good. I declare His goodness over my life, over my past, my present and my future. I declare and acknowledge that He is still sitting on the throne. He has loved me from the beginning, forgiven me, and has filled me with the same power that resurrected Christ, His Holy Spirit. I give him the reins and declare that HE REIGNS! As I “acknowledge Him”, I feel Him directing my heart, my thoughts, my emotions, leading them down a path of FAITH, STRENGTH, LOVE, AND HOPE! He leads me beside still waters and causes me to lie down in green pastures – places of peace and places that refresh my heart.

SO NO MATTER WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE TODAY IN THIS SEASON, NO MATTER WHAT IS RISING UP IN YOUR HEART AND MIND, GOOD AND BAD, THINGS WE UNDERSTAND AND THINGS WE DON’T, BEGIN TO ACKNOWLEDGE GOD. LET HIM SHAKE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE SHAKEN – FEAR, PRIDE, PAIN, HOPELESSNESS, DOUBT …. AND THEN LET HIM RESURFACE YOUR FOUNDATIONS WITH HIS LOVE, HIS STRENGTH, HIS POWER, HIS PEACE, HIS FAITHFULNESS, HIS PROMISES. HE IS GOOD! HE WILL DIRECT YOU AND BRING HEALTH TO YOUR BODY AND STRENGTH TO YOUR BONES. HE WILL DIRECT YOU TO THOSE PLACEA OF PEACE – STILL WATERS & GREEN PASTURES. ♥️

What a Train Touches

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As I do a bit of wedding coordinating, one of my favorite parts is when the flower girl goes down the aisle just before the bride. Usually she has a little basket filled with flower petals, and her one task is to sprinkle them on the runner or in the aisle before the bride makes her grand entrance. Often the flower girl is a toddler or just a little older, which means her little sashay down the aisle and how she performs her job is extremely unpredictable. I’ve seen just about everything. Some become frozen with fear as they are overwhelmed by all of the stares of the guests. Some dumping the entire contents of the basket and running away with tears. Some taking clumps of the petals and throwing them as they hurry down the aisle, leaving little piles of petals all along the path behind them. Fortunately most of the little girls take their time sprinkling the flower petals as they walk, sweetly smiling at each guest and scattering each one all the way down the aisle. 

Recently at a wedding, I watched two little flower girls begin their important journey down the wedding aisle, gingerly reaching into their satin ribboned baskets, pulling out the wilting rose petals. The oldest of the girls delicately pulled out one petal at a time, and with each step, bent over and almost strategically, placed each one all along her path. The other, much younger flower girl, grabbed as many petals as her little hands could hold, and just as I had suspected, dumped them into sporadic piles, moving as quickly as her feet could carry her down to the altar. Once they reached their destination and the music changed to signal it was time for the bride’s entrance, I glanced back up the aisle filled with rose petals. Some lay in clumps and many lay scattered all the way down as if someone had carelessly littered the path. The scene intrigued me, reminded me of the path of my own life. Times of road blocks and piles of mess. Times where I felt scattered, stepped on, fogotten, left behind. Times fo feeling wilted and lonely, unsure if I had destiny, purpose or importance. As the DJ gave me the nod, I quickly opened the barn doors on cue to allow the elegant bride and her doting father, to enter the room and steal everyone’s breath away with her beauty. She began her royal procession towards her smiling, awe-struck groom, her elegant train flowing behind her. As she moved slowly step by step down the aisle, her train swept over each rose petal in her path. Some were caught up under the silky fabric and no longer seen. Even the petals, that just moments before laid in clumps, were now spread out showing that they too had been affected by the weight and length of the garment. Each petal in line with the path of her footsteps was touched and covered by the train of her exquisite dress. Moved, carried, covered.

The scripture Isaiah 6:1 came to mind. Isaiah was speaking about a vision he had been given. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.” I stood there, completely lost in the moment, realizing how significant this scene at the wedding was. I felt the revealing and reminder of what the Lord has done for us. Each petal representing our sin, our disobedience, our flaws, our weaknesses. Each petal symbolic for a time of our life, our emotions, our decisions, our experiences, good and bad, highs and lows. Some wilted, some feeling quite dead and withered up, some representing even the sweetness of our lives, the beautiful moments. Each one, though has been covered by the train of the Lord’s robe. Each one being touched, covered, caught up in the very fabric of who He is.

I can just imagine how tremendous and magnificent the train that Isaiah saw in this vision must have been. Enough to fill the enormous temple, flowing throughout, touching every corner, every room, every area. I thought of the story of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She knew that if she could touch just the hem of the garment that Jesus was wearing, she would be healed. And as she did, the Bible tells us, she was healed immediately. The power of His garment. And He gives us garments of praise. The power of the train of His robe. And He puts on us robes of righteousness.

The weight of His glory, His goodness, His faithfulness, His love, bearing a beautiful affect upon each part of our lives as we surrender to His path and allow Him to move through our hearts. We are even called His temple, the very dwelling place of the Spirit of God. So as we lay down our own lives, completely vulnerable and yielded, He comes and catches us up, sweeps over us with His love and majesty, with forgiveness and healing. He fills us, every part, every room in our heart, every corner of our mind, the train of His robe fills us as His temple. As we surrender, we cannot help but being touched, moved, and forever changed by Him. 

Finding Yourself, By Denying Yourself

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In our search to understand who we are, we must walk in discernment & supernatural wisdom, as to not fall for finding our identity in a counterfeit formula or way.

If anything tells us that who we are is now static & unable to be anything different, then it is not truth. We are told biblically that we have the renewing of our minds, we are being transformed into the image of God, we can go from glory to glory, we are bearers of Christ’s image, becoming more like Him and new creations in Him. We are called to die to self, deny self, lay down self, just as Christ did for each of us. The danger is that we become lovers of self, self-absorbed, self-focused, instead of fixing our eyes on Christ.

If we begin to find our identity in any other book, belief, system or person other than the Word of God and in God Himself, we will never be fully satisfied or ever feel fully loved. We are not told to find ourselves, figure ourselves out, understand ourselves, know ourselves. We are called to find God, know God, seek God, trust God, confess God, believe God. We are also called to love others, bless others, give to others, heal others, forgive others. We are told to love ourselves, but that can only truly be done as we get to KNOW GOD and His love. Read the word. The more we discover God, the more we discover ourselves – not the other way around.

Food for thought:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. II Corinthians 3:18

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:35

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Ignite the Light

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I have this phrase running through my head recently …. “IGNITE THE LIGHT”!

A scripture that has helped me in along my journey with the Lord is Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” His Word, His truths, His promises, His message, His Son who is the Word made flesh, is what brings light to my path. It illuminates the road I am called to walk on, each step. It is what leads me in righteousness and holiness. His Word gives direction, wisdom and peace. Through it I am able to take the next step – whether that is towards a deeper relationship with Him, help in a relationship with someone else, with a job, a ministry, finances, freedom, healing, wholeness, understanding, every decision I need to make …. I am encouraged that He will be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The whole thing may not be lit up, so I don’t necessarily know what miles down the road looks like, nor what is even around the corner. But it does mean that the next step He is asking me to take, I can trust He will show it to me, and walk it with me. This promise means that as I go to His word, it will illuminate any darkness in my life, any sin that holds me back, any fear that would parlalyze me, and give me just enough light to help me step out into the unknown with even the littlest amount of faith I have.

I continued to read more in Psalm 119, the absolute longest Psalm in the Bible, but so full of treasure and wisdom and hope. Verse 30 grabbed my heart. “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” This comes with an invitation. The invitation is to you and to me, to open the door. To give entrance to His Word. To give it room in our lives. We have the power to open the door of our hearts and let His Word flood in. It is our free will to choose, and the choice is powerful The choice is critical. Yet the choice is simple once you have tasted the Word and promises of the Lord and His faithfulness. It is like honey to the lips. A wellspring to the soul. And truly a light that brings hope, security, and blessing. The beautiful thing is that it also brings understanding, just the right amount that we need for that moment, for that decision, for that next step.

We must IGNITE THE LIGHT. Go to the Word. Get in His Word. Even if it’s one verse at a time. Write it out. Speak it out. Sing it out. Shout it out. Put it on your bathroom mirror. Put it on your fridge. Put it on your dashboard. Put it on your screensaver. Now is the time. The Word is our sword. Our most powerful weapon that we have been given. It gives light. It gives strength. It gives understanding. It gives hope. It gives courage. The Word of God.

Because He is the Word, it represents who He is …. Active. Powerful. Living. Truth. It exudes love because He is LOVE. It exudes hope, because He is HOPE. It exudes Light, because He is LIGHT. Let Him in. Give HIs Word entrance to your heart. Activate it. Ignite it. IGINITE the LIGHT!

Breaking the Bars of Iron

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God is always doing a new thing! Around us, through us, for us, and IN us. While He loves us just as we are, right where we are, He also wants us to continue to move forward, to grow in our relationship with Him, as well as in our revelation of Him. He has so many wonderful and new adventures, discoveries, skills, challenges and more for us. That often takes some gentle nudging, a bit of shifting, tender wooing, and even more often than not – some powerful prodding! All done in love, because He never wants us stuck. Not in our selfishness. Not in our habits. Not in our pasts. Not in our personality tests. Not in our emotions. Not in what others have labeled us as, nor the destructive criticism we speak over ourselves. Not in lies or watered-down truths. Not in dangerous cycles or behaviors. Not in unhealthy patterns. And definitely not in our circumstances. 

His love is powerful and filled with so much life and goodness for each of us, that He loves us OUT of the chasms of complacency, the pits of pride, the ruts of fear and hopelessness, the caves of isolation, the dark corners of despair. He loves us OUT of our sin, and the blindness that keeps us there and unaware. He calls us out of captivity, where we have been enslaved by our emotions and insecurities. Why? Because He loves us too much to leave us there. This truth brings new meaning to the scripture: For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” He does not want to leave us as we were, or as we still are. He is our helper. He helps us be able to step out, rise above, take the risk, try new things, conquer the old, remove the chains, and break the cycles. Nothing can hold us back, cave us in, beat us down, or lock us up when we come into agreement with His powerful, life-changing love. He pull us out of our slimy pits of pain, breaks the bars of iron, because He holds the keys of freedom. He moves us out beyond our personalities, pity and pride that cage us in like iron gates with heavy locks. He loves, and even longs, to lift us out and set us free with His mighty right hand! He establishes our footing! Sets our feet on solid ground, and puts a NEW SONG in our mouths! Forever changed by His love. He doesn’t leave us there!

What new things does God want to do in your life? What old habits, cycles, attitudes, mindsets, and dangerous beliefs does He want to set you free of? His love is too strong, deep and wide to leave you stuck there. One way I have been able to “take His hand” and start agreeing with His truth and His powerful love is by listening to worship songs that speak about His love for me. I play them while I’m driving, drinking coffee, washing dishes, doing housework, on my computer, walking on the treadmill, getting ready for the day and winding down from the day. The words wash over some pretty stinking thinking, and wash away the residue of the day’s events that would like to get me stuck in worry, doubt, fear, stress, insecurities, self-pity and more. Soon I start to feel new again. He unlocks my perspective. He opens up doorways of hope. Breaks the bars that hold me back and I find myself believing, receiving and clinging to the LOVE OF GOD, ready and willing to walk into the NEW THING He wants to do in me, through me & for me today.

Bursting With Love …

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I woke up this morning feeling a love for my children so strongly and so deeply, I felt like I was going to explode. Even though my children are grown up, some married, some with their own children, my love for them still moves me, still captivates me, still makes me smile. It is almost as though my heart can literally burst for them. 

Have they ever disappointed me? Frustrated me? Angered me? Absolutely! Many times over. Have they broken my trust, caused me grief, left me wondering, driven me to my knees? You bet! But, my love has never been based on their performance, or the lack of. My love does not increase or decrease depending on my children’s temperament, like liquid mercury in a thermometer going up and down, depending on the temperature in the atmosphere. I have never loved them LESS, even in spite of the rollercoaster of emotions that I have felt over the years because of them. There have been days I haven’t exactly LIKED them, or been happy with their choices, their attitudes, their actions. There have most assuredly been days they have not liked me, and I’m sure they have felt some very “colorful” emotions towards me. But, love is not an emotion, nor should it be based on emotions. Emotions do not affect my LOVE, but MY LOVE can most certainly affect my emotions. Love can override, and emotions subside. 

My love has not decreased for them over the years. It has neither faded, nor worn out for them. Instead, my love for them has most certainly grown. As I guard that love, as I watch them grow and change, as I get to know them more and more, my love for them has in fact deepened. As they grow and mature, our relationship grows and matures and rises to a new level. We relate differently. They need me differently. They too have fallen “in love” with their spouses and with their own children, and so their love for me has been divided in a way, but my love for them is not built on their love towards me. It is not hinging on whether they appreciate me, or show me love in return. I just love them. I love them for who they are, how they are, and some days, in spite of how they act. But, as much as I love them, there is still room for more, and my love for them is not perfect. 

Not everyone has experienced this kind of parental love, nor does every parent love to this extent. Some people have no idea what love is supposed to look like, feel like, be like. They may feel unloved, and unable to love. This is human love. As much as I’d like to say that my love is unconditional, strong, and so magnificent, my love is still bound and extremely limited. There is still so much left untapped, undiscovered, with room to grow.  As deeply as I feel my love for my children, as moved as I am, as great as that love is, this is only a mere glimpse of a love that far outweighs our own. The love of a Heavenly Father. My love for my own children is but a tiny grain of sand in comparison to the magnificent love that God has for us! His love for us, His children, is constant, truly unconditional, unchanging, and unending. His love is sacrificial, powerful, faithful, and healing. This love from god is life-changing, chain-breaking, freedom-bringing, unrelenting love! He loves His kids. Each one, everyone. He created each person out of love and longs for each one to know His love and to love Him. We are all loved by Him, but not all people will choose His love. For those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God and accept Him as their Savior, He adopts into His family and call His own. I love this truth written in Romans 8:15-16 (The Passion Translation), ’But you have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as He rises up within us, our spirits join Him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Father!” For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as He whispers into our innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!”’

How wonderful to be loved with unlimited, relentless, pure, enfolding love. Not based on what I look like, where I was born, how I perform. Not determined by how others see me, or even how I view myself. Not subject to my talents or skills, my flaws or faults, nor my strengths or weaknesses. How comforting it is that I am not hanging in suspense of whether God loves me or not, but am rest assured that His love for me is abounding and amazing, passionate and perfect. His love is not weak, but powerful. Not withheld, but poured out, lavished, demonstrated and proven, and nothing can separate me from it. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

And if that weren’t already enough, His love explodes in its beauty, as it fuels us, fills us and equips us to love others as He has loved us. The love that I feel for my children, my spouse, my family and friends, for the stranger, and even for my enemies, actually comes not from myself at all. That tank would have run dry a long time ago. But because God has first loved me, I can love others. Because He loves me, I can actually love myself. Because He continually pours His abundant love into me and over me, it now runs through me, assuredly as blood runs through my veins. I am loved. I can love. Just as I love my children, and those who have become like my very own, God loves me as His own. Oh to be a child of God. How sweet to be a child of God. His heart is bursting with love for us at this very moment!