Philippians 4:7 (KJV)

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Those of faith, put their unconditional trust in the LORD, and surrender to His will, for all things.  With that complete trust, and ability to yield to His ways, comes a calm heavenly repose.  A tranquility, that only those who experience a relationship with the LORD can speak of.  Ostensibly, those who do not have a relationship with God, can neither comprehend, nor fully believe in such a “feeling.”

The enormity of an intimate relationship with Jesus, supersedes all else. He guides us, leads us, directs us, and teaches us.  The Spirit is wise, and filled with compassion. Without the power, and Spirit of Jesus Christ, we cannot endeavor to accomplish that which we set out to do.  Because through Him we can do all things.

When we set our mind on Him, through prayer, reading His word, and following the Spirit, we are filled with peace. The noise of the world, can be pushed out the back door, while letting all good things from above, into the front door of our minds.

The verses speaking of keeping our minds on Him, is powerful, and resonates with His truth and promises.

Pray, speak to Him. 

Trust Him.

Keep your mind set on Him.

“Where is your mind these days?”

“Lord, thank You for keeping me in perfect peace, may my mind be stayed on You, today, tomorrow and always, in Jesus name, Amen.

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

I began walking through the doors God was opening for me, so many years ago.  And as anyone who is a follower, or filled with unwavering faith, it makes a difference in every single scenario during our lifetime.

When we are well acquainted with the LORD’s promises, and His “voice” we can endeavor to overtake, and undertake, all kinds of circumstances.  That obviously pertains to both good and bad times…and all of those in between times.

Life brings a series of gains, along with the losses.  In the progression of life, we lose loved ones along the way.  There are those we expect to “die before us” and it’s usually our grandparents, or parents, which hits full force in the pit of the stomach.  But those are expected, albeit sad no less.

Some who are reading this at this moment have recently lost their spouses, and are finding themselves in a “new kind of reality.” Life is not the way it was any longer, and they are hurting.

Then there are the unexpected, and totally out of the realm of reality situations, like the loss of a precious child.  Or a young friend, that lost their life by a fatal error in an operating room, and yet another individual being killed by a driver that was under the influence.

All of these situations are horrific, some more shocking than others. I’m sure there are so many others, who have had their hearts slashed to ribbons. No matter the circumstance…Grief is real, it hurts, and it’s exhausting to the mind, heart, body and soul.

This morning when I woke up, and thanked God for another day, I felt that “someone visiting my site” needed to read, and hear this today.

The Spirit within led me to write this, and whomever you are right now, I pray it blessed you. I pray God’s light and comfort wash over you and bring you a semblance of peace and guidance from above.

Through so many “dark times” in which I’ve lost my parents, my best friend, and the loss of our fur baby, whom we adored.  God has been there non-stop.

And…I know He’s there for you right this moment.

He has been with us all along.

His promises are real, secure, and never ending.

Especially His love.

He has given me bouquets upon bouquets of beauty,  for my clenched fists full of ashes.  And He will do the same for you.

Thank God, for the majority of individuals,  life overall can be filled with joy.  However, on the same hand,  it can be blistering painful.

But how we manage to get through it,  is what it’s all about.

When we embrace, and realize that God is ever faithful, the same today, as He was yesterday, or tomorrow—and realize His promises are true—We can certainly get through life as He holds us up with His right hand of righteousness.

He promises us “beauty for our ashes,” as He did with Joseph.  He did so with Ruth, and for Job, and a host of others throughout the ages.

There is always an “open door” that God will guide us through.  Or an open window, to let the fresh air in.  When we recognize that the LORD’s promises, and His unrelenting love are there for us all the time.  We then are able to see potential in every situation we face, because we are NOT ALONE.

Because no matter how we are suffering, He hears and sees us. He counts our tears, and He always has a plan for us…for our betterment, and for our peace.

When we know Him, it gets easier to face our adversities, no one said it’s easy, but it is so much better when the LORD is in the center of our lives, and we understand that He is in control.

“Father, thank You for always providing the path and the door for me to walk through, for opening a window for those moments in my life I couldn’t breathe from so much pain and grief, and for always loving me, may I always be mindful of Your grace, and Your gifts from above,  I pray for those who are in need of Your touch, and  for those who are suffering, may they find comfort in You, and seek Your face in all they do, in Jesus name, Amen.”

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Sharing in All Things.

The Holy Spirit’s presence with us assures us that no one can harm us apart from His Sovereign will.  Whenever the Bible speaks of being filled with God’s Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18, Acts 2:4, Acts 4:31, etc.), it’s essentially the same as being filled with God’s Holy Breath.

This is the air I breathe, is a song by Michael W. Smith, and one of my contemporary favorites, especially in today’s world and events.

Every time I hear the above song,  by Michael W. Smith, I can’t help but cry.  It’s an overwhelming and powerful piece, that brings me to my knees, in thanks, praise, and humility.  It’s relevant at any time, for anything, and everything going on in my life.

Irrespective, it pertains to all circumstances;  for good and for bad.  For sickness and for health.

But most important…it’s so true.

His Holy Presence, is living inside of me!

His Light. His love. His Presence.

I breathe, because of Him.

I live because of Him.

I love because of Him.

I am because of Him.

I hope because of Him.

And I will live FOREVER, because of Him!

“This is the air I breathe. This is the air I breathe. Your holy presence living in me. This is my daily bread. This is my daily bread. Your very word spoken to me. And I I’m desperate for you. And I I’m I’m lost without you. This is the air I breathe….”  

In this week following Christ’ Miraculous Resurrection this song, is just one way of proclaiming His glory.

His Presence brings me joy!

Loving Him, feeding on His daily bread, and affirming His Glory in worship and praise, while dedicating “alone” time with Him…is my only way of “living.”  It is through Him that I’m able to navigate through turbulence, or tranquility.

It is by Him, I am redeemed, and therefore have been given the ultimate gift of “forgiveness” culminating into salvation, and eternal rewards.

I breathe, I feed, I love, all because of Jesus.

“Do you feel His presence?  Enjoy it, embrace Him, in all that you do, and all that you are. Amen!” 

“LORD, thank You for the air I breathe, for Your Presence in my life, and for being my Kinsman Redeemer, and offering Yourself as a sacrifice for my sins, may I praise You daily, and never forget for one second, I am who I am, and live only because of You, in Jesus name, Amen.”

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you.” 

     Matthew 28:5-7 (KJV)

Jesus Christ’ resurrection WAS and IS  the building blocks of Christianity.   Because, without  Jesus’ resurrection, the belief in our LORD’s saving grace would be nullified.  It would be void.  The foundation of our Christian faith, was “born through Christ Resurrection,” and His mission on earth, for us.

When Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He accomplished what He set out to do by the Father’s plan.  He proved His divinity, as the Son of God, and His mission and works; atonement, redemption, reconciliation and salvation, were all done for us!

The resurrection is real, and the physical raising of Jesus body from the dead, is our pathway to salvation, and eternal rewards.  That those who believe in Him, shall not die but live forever.

So today, celebrate the CHRIST, who did it all for us.  Our King of kings, and LORD of  lords. Who was without sin, and took on sin for us.  Who gladly, willingly, and selflessly went to the cross, for us.

His resurrection is not only a witness to the greatest miracle of all times, but an never ending celebration of “life” and what we have been gifted with, by and through Christ.

Eternal rewards, and love from His Son, to us.

It doesn’t get any better than that does it? Have you thanked Him today?  If not, may I ask what are you waiting for?

“Father, thank You for Your Son and for redeeming me, for saving me, and for loving me, I am Yours, now, tomorrow, and always, in Jesus loving name, all glory and honor are Yours, Amen.”

 .

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Mark 1:35

Jesus started early each day in the early hours of the morning, going off alone, to pray to the Father.  So I ask this: If Jesus knew that praying to the Father was of dire importance, and critically essential to navigating the upcoming hours through any given day, how much more should “you or I do this?”  Think about that for a moment.

Jesus, the Son of God, knew He had to start the day off right, by praying to the Father.  Praying for guidance, light, discernment, and blessings on His day.  Praying for strength and direction, to do all according to His Father’s will, for His mission on earth.   How much more should “you or I do that?”  

Being alone with the LORD, at any time in a particular day, somewhere, or someplace, is crucial to strengthening our roots. Thereby allowing for spiritual growth, is a gift and honor…and a wonderful feeling.

But in the morning, before anything “is up” or “stirring” it is so much more peaceful and tranquil  For me, I can “hear His voice clearer” and more so in the early am.  Before my husband gets up, before my dog is up romping around, before my neighbors are out and about. I seek Him and His love and blessings on my day.  “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3)

Early morning is my “God time” and I love it.  It’s so special.  My connection to Him in the “wee hours” of dawn, is powerfully rejuvenating.  Before the Sun bears its face, and says “hello” is my essence of tranquility.  As the twilight begins to give way to the “light” — for me, is a beacon of joy, interspersed with a powerful feeling of being connected to my Father’s presence, and His love.

When you seek the LORD, you will find Him. He says so throughout the Bible in both New and Old Testament.  It’s reinforced in His words, and inherently available to those of faith.  His love is exponentially available to those who want Him.   And He knows those who “love Him and follow Him.”

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. Proverbs 8:17

Find the time to be “alone with Him.”  Seek Him. Love Him. Desire Him to be in all the equations of your daily life.  When you do, and you take the time to seek Him in solace, your life will take a different direction.  Your paths will be easier to travel.  Your decisions will become fundamentally lighter in due course, and your life will become a genuine opportunity to do all He has set forth for you to endeavor and handle, all the days here on “your mission” for the LORD.

“Father, I seek You early and always, please show me Your ways, teach me, and uphold me in all my paths, guide me, and show me Your will for my life, today, tomorrow, and always, in Jesus name, Amen.”

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:13 (KJV)

Deliver us O’ LORD, powerful and merciful Father, from all evil.  Past, present and to come. 

Did you ever have one of “those days” where things in the course of your day kept “coming at you fast and furious?”   You know to what I refer, and we all have had them, some more than others. Some not as frequent, however, suffice to say, we all encounter them along the way.

And then you have the current conditions in our world today. It’s hard to escape the breathless voices in the news, who report what seems to be “only bad news.”  Whatever happened to “feel good” stories?  I know that they must still exist. Surely there is still goodness in our world. There has to be!

After all, there is the LORD, and His light, and His protection over us. Keeping those of faith from “evil” which is swirling about in a cyclonic fashion. It’s stench covers the gamut of “death tolls from this hideous Virus” to “hateful acts ” against each other.

Evil seems to be winning at this point in time, does it not?  But, as the LORD says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

You can count of the LORD, and all of His promises, that He will neither leave us, or forsake us.  He is with us always. Through the slings and arrows, through both good times and bad.  He is strongest when we are at our weakest.  And He is mighty, and driven by His love for us.

Don’t lose sight of His Sovereign nature, and powerful omnipotence. During the course of our lifetime, He is standing by us, behind us, in front of us, and in us.

His Spirit leads, guides, directs, protects, delivers…and defends us.

As we enlist His help, and seek His face, let’s not forget we have a warrior who stands by us, all the days of our life.  As we encounter egregious events,  that are barreling down around us, or unseen circumstances, that might knock us to the ground, remember we have a King that Reigns, and is in FULL CONTROL, at all times.

Life can be convoluted in “average times” but, one has to agree this is not the “average times” any longer.  But one thing is certain, and so welcoming and reassuring…and that our LORD never changes.  He is the one constant in our world and in our lives.

Let Him be in control, and plan your steps. Let His will be done, and let Him guide, and direct you, all the days of your life.

When we rely on Him, in all we do, we then acquiesce, and solidify our faith, and it becomes inherently easier, to navigate the rough days.

Hold on to the LORD, and be confident that He, “…will never leave us, and is with us always, even until the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20) 

“Father, deliver me from evil this day, I look to You, and seek You, and Your Kingdom, my eyes are on You, today, and always, in Jesus precious name I pray, Amen.”

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 1:6 (KJV )

The light of God, illuminates our path, and we proclaim His glory!

He creates light, or more specifically, His Spiritual light by which, “we” His children can see the truth.  Without His light, we would walk in the darkness, as most of the “world” walks in darkness, and is engulfed by the darkness of evil. (2 Cor 2:14)

To walk in God’s light is to “seek His wisdom, understand His truth” and live in the light of His divine righteousness.

God is light means that He creates spiritual light by which His children can see the truth. Without His illumination, we would walk in darkness as the world walks (2 Corinthians 2:14). To walk in the light means to know God, seek His wisdom, understand His truth, and live in the light of His righteousness.

Those who have entered, and embraced the light of God through Jesus Christ, have a huge responsibility to “shine as lights in the world.”  The light should be a beacon sparkling in the hole of darkness, as it bears witness to the Glory of God.  Jesus instructs us to “shine our lights” to a crooked and twisted generation” of people who live inside the “rim of darkness.” (Philippians 2:15)

Darkness is the emblem of chaos, trouble, perplexity, sorrow, grief, despair.  Conversely, light of course is the antithesis of Darkness.

Being under the auspices of Christ and His light, is a shield against the slings and arrows of evil, it’s our Spiritual armor in the war raging in this world, since the beginning of time. It’s more pronounced now, and it’s going to be quite a ride.

However, let us be clear…Christ is our light, Savior and protector. He is our Rock, and will guide us in all of our ways.  When we walk in the light, we are energized with His Spiritual power. We are harnessed in His love and our faith in Him will galvanize our pathways in life.  He will bring us through all of which we encounter along the way.  And we will be stronger, and shinier than we were prior to the circumstance in which we may be facing.

So walk in the light.

And continue to shine your light, from the Light that is within each of us, as children of God!

“Dear Father of Lights, thank You for the path in which Your glory shines, and for Your protection and love in a world of darkness, may I always walk in the Light of Your love, in Jesus name, Amen.”

“Did you get your vaccination? Why? When? I got mine. You should get yours. What are you waiting for? You will die without it.  Are you crazy?  Get it, now.  Why would you even think about it? What are you waiting for?

YIKES!

This is kind of what I’ve been hearing since the vaccination arrived in our State in January, and even months before it got here, there was avid discussions from both sides.  Those who are for it, do not want to hear from those who are going to “wait” before making the decision.

The truth is, I have some underlying conditions that might trigger responses to the vaccinations.  And quite frankly, even after getting the “okay” from doctors.  I am going to wait until early summer, before I make a “permanent decision” about getting the vaccine.  Whether I will, or whether I won’t, remains to be seen.  And that is entirely up to “me” as it well should be for each individual.

Gathering the evidence, and speaking to your health care professionals, and weighing in on the pros and cons, is your decision.

I’m not “against” vaccines per se, or those getting eagerly in line to receive it.  If that is what will give normalcy to these individuals, and protect the vulnerable population…of course that is wonderful!  And if that’s what is going to eradicate this insidious virus from our lives, according to doctors, and the individuals getting them, okay. To each their own, amen.

Personally, my feelings on the whole subject is simple.   God is my vaccination against this Virus.  I trust Him fully on my behalf, and know I am under His wings of protection.

Now. Please don’t misunderstand, or misquote me!

I know there are many who have received the vaccine, or scheduled to get vaccinated, and believe in God.  This isn’t to say I have more faith, than those who already are vaccinated.  NO!  It merely is a testimony on my behalf, that I believe in God and His protection, and that is my spirit speaking from within.  I just really trust God, completely and fully.

I don’t know what I shall do.  However at this point, we both will wait. My husband, and myself, until at least early summer, before we make a conclusive decision. We want to see how things go, and pray about it.  Then we will make the decision with God’s help.

Until then, we hide under His wings of protection, and seek solace and peace in the cleft of the Rock.

My Almighty and forever, LORD!

“To all of my brothers and sisters, no matter about the vaccine, whichever route you choose is your business, may God be with you,  through this turbulent time.  May His light shine upon you, and guide you, direct you, and heal you, in Jesus name, Amen!”

“Father God, You are my Vaccination and my truth, my light and my protection in ALL things, now and always, thank You for all You are and do, in Jesus name, Amen.”

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Revelation 22:13

If we’re fortunate and blessed, we awaken each morning,  realizing God has granted us another day. With that new day, comes an array of duties,  we all have a routine of sorts…I call it a “Loop.”

We have a designated set of responsibilities.  Those of us who are retired, transport over to a new way of life.  Waking up a little later,  taking our time doing things, because we’re not usually subject to time constraints, as when working, or as when we were younger.

Then there are those in an “empty nest”  who find they may have more time.  Of course some may be enjoying the extra time, still others feeling saddened by the “void.”

Some have lost loved ones, and are adjusting to a different way of “living” without that individual.  The list goes on, and can be quite extensive overall.  But one thing that emerges forward, our life is a “constant Loop” for the most part.

It goes around and around and comes full circle.  And we’re all going to have some sort of “loop” in our days here on earth.  We all share things that others go through, its not uncommon what we are experiencing as God states in His word–(1 Cor. 10:13)– We all share the same temptations at times, we go through trials, we go through triumphs, and we go through losing something, or someone so very important. We lose and gain friends along the way.   Crises, illness, life, death. “Loops.”

The only discernable, and distinctive difference, is how we handle the “loops” — Those of faith know that within that “loop” is the Great I Am, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega...Our Father.

When He, is within our “loop,” there isn’t anything that we can’t handle through His Sovereignty.

There isn’t anything we can’t face through His love.

There isn’t anything we can’t accomplish through His blood.

There isn’t anything that can’t be fulfilled, through His grace and magnificence.

When you find yourself in the loop at the end of the day…look for the One constant in that circle.

Look and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, who brings us peace and understanding, protection and security, and leads us to the green meadows and still waters.

When we do that, and embrace Him,  the “loop” we encounter, becomes an ease of circumference, that is driven by our faith, and by His love.  Amen!

“Father, thank You for Your presence in my life, morning, noon and night, You are my One constant, and the reason I’m able to get through the “loops” of life, today, tomorrow, and always, in Jesus name, Amen.”

Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

With thanks, and love, I proclaim His glory, and magnificence.

Daily praise is a habitual addiction of mine.

Let me repeat, “daily praise” is a habitual addiction of mine.

I sing a song aloud, out of nowhere!

At times, my dog jumps up, and stares at me as if to say, “Mommy, are you okay?  Will you be able to still give me my treats, food and hugs?”  LOL

How many of us are guilty of “praising the Lord all day long?”  I’m hoping we are a huge majority, but sadly…I wonder if that is true.

Yes, there are those who faithfully practice praising, and meditation along with Bible reading daily.

But…how many of us follow along those lines of openly, loudly, and purposely bowing down to give worship to the “Greatest of all?”

Naturally, there are times when that might be a little difficult to do. Such as in a store checking out your grocery items. For one to suddenly shout, “Praise to You LORD Jesus Christ!” and then proceed into song, might cause individuals to turn tail and run!  So…not sure if we can do it everywhere.  But, we can do it in our heads, and in our hearts, everywhere!  Right?

Today…as you go through the day, if you aren’t already in the “habit” of doing so, give Him a shout of “Thanks” and proclaim His glory.

He will smile and shower you with thanks. And your spirit will be in accord with His.

“Father God, thank You for everything!  Praise You for all You are, and all You do!  Praise You!  Praise You! Praise You!  In Jesus name, I proclaim Your glory, Amen!”