The Light of Life

Last night I could not fall asleep! I got up and blogged till about 3am and finally drifted off on the couch with my dogs all over me. When I finally woke up I was happily surprised that I felt no pain in my body! What a great feeling, although, it doesn't happen very often. It felt so good to arise and want to open up all the shutters and actually enjoy doing some things! Outside the air is cool with a gentle breeze so I opened all the doors to invite it all in! I know when it's going to be a good day because I reach for my "happy" daily devotional instead of my "deeply emotional" one. My happy journal is called, Today is your Best Day Because..., by Roy Lessen and it basically has a devotional reading about why each day is your best day because of God.

Today it read in part...God's encouragement is the greatest when your valleys are the deepest, His comfort the sweetest when your burdens are the heaviest, His support the strongest when your strength is the weakest and His love the surest when your fears are vastest. I sent it out in my text ministry as I often do when I read something encouraging. There's just something about cool days that make me feel wonderful. I suppose it reminds me of where I grew up in upstate N.Y. since it's overcast there most of the time. My son said a profound quote when he was little that I always think of on overcast days, "Clouds feel like you're under God's blanket". I love that!

I'm also excited because my sister is coming up to see me this weekend. She is going through such a terrible time in her life with her loved ones having severe health problems. She just empties herself of everything into others and often leaves herself with nothing left for her. For some reason we forget that we're no good to others if we aren't taking care of ourselves. That's why Jesus told us to stay attached to the Vine! John 15:1-17, in part says, "I am the true Vine...and you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers...". I see the truth in that every time I garden, and especially in summer. Everything grows like  weeds in the summer sun and when I trim stalks I throw them into a trash pile. The plants continue to flourish but the cut stalks wither and die apart from the vine! So many people just hang over their pots everyday when they could be producing blooms and fruit if they would just read their bible and spend time with Jesus each day!

We have a saying in N.Y., "It's more fun to fall on the ice with a friend than to fall alone." I would rather go through life with Jesus than alone! My life right now is going through a valley and most days are like a snow storm but my mind is lush and robust with God's truth and loving promises! That truth and hope are the Vine I cling to when I am having a dark day. We all have dark days but the difference is when you walk with Jesus you know what you stumble over. Without Him you stumble in the darkness but you don't learn from it. I often think of those coal miners in Chili and it's such a perfect example of life. There will be days of darkness but those who had Christ found great meaning in that darkness. Those who refused God's purpose didn't learn from the stumbling and they continue stumbling even after they arose from that dark place.

Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!". The light "of life" doesn't mean there won't be dark days, it means that He will always be a shining light in your heart, mind and soul even when darkness is all around you! That's why He says to stay attached to Him! If you're holding His hand in the darkness then you are walking toward the light and that's the only way out.You have two simple choices in life, trust or doubt. It doesn't get any more complicated than that, unless we choose to make it so.

I am in a dark place with certain situations right now but I know that I have a seed of doubt deep in my heart where I thought God would abandon me. He knew that by taking me into this valley of trouble that I would come to face that seed of doubt and I would have to make a choice! Will I ever doubt His love for me again? Just when I would choose trusting Him, He would take me deeper into the forest and as my doubt arose He would ask me again, "Do you think that I will leave you?". Each time I came to trust Him and love Him more and more, but He took me deeper still. I found myself in the darkest part of the forest and when I cried out His name, I heard nothing. I cried and cried out His name, and nothing. It was then that I realized that this was  the final lesson in this long dark journey of replacing doubt and lies with truth and light! After months, even years of being in the dark forest I realized that I don't need to hear His voice to know that He is there anymore!

The Living God of the Universe cared so much for me that He would not let me go through this life believing a lie about Him. He would not let me continue to carry all that false disappointment, rage and pity around in my soul, mind, heart and body! I used to shake my fist at Him and say, "I wouldn't do this to my child! Cast them into a lonely darkness and then not guide them with my hand and voice!". Our dark valleys are places of honor that we get to go with Jesus and it's in those valleys that we learn the depth, breadth and height of God's love for us! I've come to realize that the times I matured the most were the times in the darkness with Him and especially the times when He was silent and unseen yet still there! I know the truth now and God has changed my inner voice from one that questioned Him to one that believes Him! The next step is to "praise" Him with a trusting and joyful heart even when all seems forgotten and lost. He will tho, NEVER leave me or forsake me! (Hebrews 13:5). He would love to hear me sing in the dark though, before He lets me sing in the light!

Letter From Jesus

My dear children,

                How can I return when even my own children believe that I Am “the tormenter”? These trials that I allow have limits on them BUT they are a gift! Deep inside you is a thorn of unbelief. Whenever tribulations come they press against this lie and cause you extreme pain in your soul. I Am allowing these trials because I love you so much that I cannot leave that thorn in you! Each sickness, each trial is My loving scalpel to heal you, but instead of standing on My Word and using My Name with authority you cringe, shake your fist at Me and curse Me. My precious one, would I be a loving Father if I let that thorn remain in you? Do you not even discipline your own children so they will know that protection and love are one in the same? They may hate you for a while but if their hearts are good they will come to see that you were just teaching lessons of character that will make their life safer and better.

                My job is to protect my sheep. Why do you blame Me for the lion that seeks to destroy you? It’s your will that chooses to wander off without Me. You start most of your days without me, run your errands, stress through your evening and often go to sleep without taking notice that I Am longing to spend all my time with you! I Am not mad at you, I just miss you. When you wander toward the lion without the armor I’ve given you, there is NOT ONE TIME, past, present or future that I haven’t or will not come and fiercely protect you! But I must put a righteous fear in you! That is to protect you and to build your character and belief system. Will you not also do this for your children? Or are you going to send them out one day into a dangerous world without any tough lessons to have prepared them?

                If trauma in your life makes you curse me then I refuse to leave that thorn in you! I will allow trials because I love you! Trials are to the soul the same as white blood cells are to the body. They push the infection out! It may seem that your body is fighting you but it is actually fighting for you! That is how I designed you. I do not ask you to understand it all but just to trust me .Drink and eat of My Word so the TRUTH OF MY LOVE will become the words you utter when you are weak. Not the lies that the prince of lies whispers in your ear. You are grown in body but inside there is still a child that has yet to believe My Truth that I will never leave you or forsake you! Look around the world. Do you think I pleasure in the suffering of my children? I weep over them every moment. I wait for the Word from My Father when I can rush to the Arch Angel Michael and yell, “Blow the trumpet, it’s time to gather my sheep! It’s time for all suffering to stop and I can feast with my children! We can drink wine and dance!  No more pain! No more suffering! All have heard the truth and made their choices! It’s time to bring My sheep home!

                Then, one at a time I will invite them to come with me for a private moment. I will show them the bottles in which I saved each of their tears. For the first time though, they will see that mixed with their tears are My own.  For every tear you shed my child, remember that I weep with you. When you suffer I Am right there inside you feeling the same pain. I Am NEVER away from you! I Am ALWAYS with you!

NEVER entertain the prince of lies!!!! Would you be righteously angry if a teacher told your children that you secretly despised them on a daily basis without your knowing? Then a day came when your children took it to heart? Would you not, with all your power hope that they would choose to renew their minds! Yes, it is a choice. I cannot force you to believe that I love you but I can hope that you will “choose” to seek Me and My truth! My servant David chose to believe Me! He looked not at the giant but at my giant faithfulness and unfailing love! It was through years of communion with him and many of those years were in the desert! We would Sheppard his flock together and I taught him how to fight lions of lies and bears of unbelief! Your times in the wilderness are not for nothing! Those times of fighting the lions and bears are not a waste! Trust me and know, that the fury in your soul, that your pain triggers, is a character that I must destroy before it destroys you.

So please know my little children that it is the fearful child inside you that these trials are for. You despise me now but trust me that you will praise Me one day for not leaving you the way you were! I want nothing to be able to trigger unbelief in you!!!!! No matter how dark the season of the soul or body you must never believe the prince of lies!!!! In your pain, remember my servant Job.  He questioned me, cried to me but never cursed Me. I promised him, “I will yet fill your mouth with laughter and lips with shouts of joy!” (Job 8:21), and I did. I blessed him one hundred-fold! Your trial little one is not forever! You will laugh again, here, in this life! I will restore back to you the years the locust have taken! (Joel 2:25a). So pray! Rebuke the prince of lies in My Name! The name “Jesus the Christ”, and as you become a strong warrior for Me, you will be changed from a target to an arrow!!! Cast despair from your heart in My Name! You may not always understand what I Am doing but you need to know with all your heart that I will never leave you or forsake you! When that warrior spirit rises up from the compost of your trials that is when I will send you back down the mountain with a song in your heart rather than the despair, doubts and fears you came up with!

You will return to the valley a different person. I will call upon you to go and encourage one of my other children to allow you to help them to the trailhead at the base of the mountain... You will try to tell them that all their fears and anger are all an illusion from the prince of lies but neither you nor I can convince them. It is only the mountain of suffering that will change their fear to faith. Do you see now, my precious one? Even I, as God, cannot change a person just because I want to or because I know what’s best. I can only get your attention on the mountain. The pain and suffering caused by the mountains elements causes my little ones to run to me and spend time with me. It’s in that time that they come to see the truth about me and they learn to rest in Me even as the storm hovers above. They will never be the same again!  No longer frightened, angry and disillusioned children but instead, they will be warriors and soldiers in My Army! With My armor they will never be taken down again by lies! They will know the truth that believing any lies will weaken not only their faith but their bodies! My child, did you hear that…”The truth will set you free.” If you tell your mind the truth, then your heart and body will follow.  It is in the rejoicing that the body heals. For only hope can rejoice!

I love you my precious one,

Jesus

Of a Psalm I Say...

A psalm is a song of lamentations. It starts with the honest cries of the heart yet always ends with praise and glory to God! I've learned that God is in every aspect of my life, the good and the bad. He teaches me about Himself through every event that comes my way. God encourages us to question Him as He did with Gideon, to talk to Him as He did with Moses, to try even if we fail at first as He did with Peter. Depression is a psalm with no recognition of God's goodness at the end. Hope is Praising God after you lament your troubles.

Apart from God's Word there is no hope. Every story is a story of His infinite love for us! His unfailing boundless love that He desires to lavish upon us every moment! I encourage you to read the Psalms and then model your prayers after them. Be honest, pour your heart out, question and be specific. Then, end with praise, for He is good and worthy to be praised! See Him in every situation, even when you can't see Him!

Writing From My Shell

I awoke this morning to the monotony of what my life has become. My spirit panting for laughter and fullness, my body weak and sore, my mind numb and empty, my emotions blank and my soul quietly reminiscing about how it used to play. Why bother getting up? I feel nothing and my hope has hidden from me. Outside the sun is shinning and I feel angry at it! Jealous because it shines and I feel so dark. I know that if I stay in this bed that nothing will change though. So, I invest my energy in opening the shutters and straightening things up so my house doesn't reflect my mood. I dilly dally at the sink and let the hot water steam my face while I think of nothing. I remember a friend telling me once that if I wanted to change the paradigm of my life then I should answer my own question of "Why bother?". Why should I bother to get up, open the shutters, write from my heart, paint a painting, do the dishes...?

To stop trying is to die and to die is to give up hope. Hope IS life. Choosing to hope is the first decision I must make each day!!! Just start with that, then get up and walk to the kitchen and do the little things that should be done. After that, work my way into the living room and read my devotional and my bible and after that it seems as though momentum takes over and I'm on the road instead of in the ditch! I have to also purposefully put meaning into a drawing or painting that I do, so instead of saying, "Why bother?", I must say, "Because I can make this into a card and send it to someone! That's why! I must look at the dishes that need to be washed and say, "My husband loves when he comes home to dinner and he absolutely loves to see me joyful! That's why I'm going to wash you!"

It all sounds so childish and narcissistic to be so self absorbed but God has me in a small corner right now and when you really love Him and know with all your heart how much He loves you. then, you know that it is not a place of punishment but a time of learning. God has a plan. He had a plan for Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Hosea, Peter, Paul and even His own Son Jesus. God has a plan for me and I'm not going to let depression or anger  (which is from the lying enemy) to undermine what God is doing! Everyday is a choice for me to rise or fall, to trust or doubt, to have hope or to lie down and die. It's not the big storms of life but the monotony of stillness that wears on me. Like a grain of sand trapped and held captive in a shell, being tossed, rolled and ground in the ocean's salty tears until finally the sharp blade of the Great Fisherman pries open the shell of darkness and reveals the precious pearl inside! He bends over and whispers to His creation, "My precious one....The pearl is the only precious stone that lives, suffers and dies only to arise from the darkness full of glory! The door to heaven is a pearl, which represents Me. I am the Way, the truth and the life. I asked you to share in my sufferings and you did. Go now, be there for someone like I was there with you. Listen to their heart, hold them with your arms for me and share My love and truth with them".

2 Corinthians 1:3-5...Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in ALL our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

This is why we bother....because no matter how dark our own circumstances are, there is always someone else who needs to hear the story of the pearl.

Dee-pression

I have just emerged from a deep depression due to my my circumstances being very challenging right now and way to lengthy to even attempt explaining. It's been something that I have suffered with all my life. It is a gift from God when He formed me in my mother's womb (Psalm 139). I don't like it at all but God has put this thorn in my mind to allow me to be exactly who I am and who I"m becoming. Sensitive, sympathetic, empathetic, caring, deep, sincere, honest, candid, available, etc... Now that wasn't easy for me to say those nice things about me because I also suffer from low self-esteem. That is not from God! I chose through the years to listen to a very negative degrating inner voice. It started when I was 13 and my mom died. The enemy (satan) held my mind in bondage and convinced me that I was not worth living for. Needlesstosay, I was not yet born again in the Spirit of God so I was an easy target! I listened to all the lies and adopted them as my mind-set and identity. This is the pivot point in many peoples lives where their inner child stops growing. They may grow in physical years but they are imprisoned mentally and emotionally because of some event in their life where they became vulnerable and broken.

Praise be to God that He chose me in my late teens and I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior ! That event was the beginning of my life journey with Jesus. Life did not become easy but I knew I wasn't alone anymore! The stronghold that satan had on my identity became God's priority and He is still helping me to peel the layers. Sure, God can change anything in an instant but the problem is He needs a willing heart! You may think you want to grow and move on but if you really meditate on it you'll find that change is scary and not something that humans generally jump into with both feet first or at all for that fact! God can only take the knots out of our character if we allow Him. Often, it is even a case of panic that halts our change, like a lifeguard trying to rescue a drowning victim that is hysterical. God goes at the pace we allow Him to go. At times, as we mature in our faith, He will strongly encourage us to move forward by allowing an uncomfortable situation in our life. A great example of this would be a loving and wise mother eagle who begins to put pine needles into the nest to strongly encourage the eaglets to move on and fly!

There are times, especially now that I'm a more mature Christian woman, that I move out of my comfort zone of self-pity and victimhood with full trust in God and His plan for me. But, there are also times when I listen to the enemy whispering in my ear that I'm not special to God and that God is mean. The big difference now is that I run to the truth (my bible) and read aloud the promises and truths of God's Word so that the enemy can hear me! I also tell him, "Get behind me satan! In Jesus Name! Peddle your lies somewhere else because my mind is not your playground anymore"!

I've learned how important it is to have a support system to be there for you while you're in that temporary, irrational and vulnerable state. I have true friends and family that I know I'm safe with. Also, my church and the woman's group there.People are the arms, eyes, hands...of God! You may be the only Jesus some people meet! That's why it's so important to let God use you to be a support for others too.

I hope this blog will be a safe place for you to get encouragement, grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and even ask for prayer. For confidentiality just email me from the link on this page or I also encourage you to share comments, stories, praise reports, epiphanys, blessings and wisdom by clicking on Comments.

When we are housing God in our bodies, minds and hearts by asking Him to come dwell in us as our Savior and Lord, we are SEALED with the Holy Spirit! Just as a wine bottle is corked then dipped into wax to seal it. Without having asked Christ to enter into your life, forgive your sins and admitting that only by His blood are we saved (being born-again), we are unsealed and thus vulnerable to deception, lies and thoughts and actions that keep us in bondage! Freedom is only found in Jesus. What makes Him so cool to me is that He not only revealed His divine nature to us through scripture but He actually revealed himself in His human nature by leaving His Father's side in heaven and took on our human flesh and walked among us!!!! Then, fully knowing what the sacrifice would be (himself), He died for us, so we could have freedom and eternity with Him!

In the book of John in the New Testament, chapter 15, verses 12,13 it reads, "My (Jesus) command is this: Love eachother as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends". Yes, the God of the universe wants to be friends with you! Now, you just need to decide if you want to be friends with Him. Some of you have already made that decision but for those who have not..He's waiting for you.

P,B,a,J

I'm sitting here in my big comfy chair with this ethereal harp music playing on the stereo. Outside the birds are singing and the day is cool. All day I've been wanting to cry though. I miss my grandchildren so much and the distance between us seems too much to bear sometimes. They're in New York and we're here in California. I'm so grateful to my daughter-in-law and son because they text me all the time with pictures of the kids just doing what they do! It seriously makes me feel like I'm there for those few moments with them! They enjoy life and all the little things each day! I've never seen a family that takes in or participates so much in life! It makes me smile when I think of them :))))))

We also took a big hit with the economy and life is now about getting by. The days of distractions by vacations, lunches with friends, going to the cabin with my husband....are over for now. I know this sounds cliche but it's all about our attitude. If I focus on my problems then I'm wracked with bad emotions... depressed, sad, angry, etc... But, when I stand back and make an effort to see my life "in" God's hands then I can enjoy what I do have.

Instead of wallowing I've chosen (for the most part) to,  light a candle or some incense, play some music, open the doors, stretch, make a phone call, start some blogs, Facebook old friends, try different spices and marinades with dinner, get on the floor with the dogs and laugh, gather fun stuff bit by bit and send it to my grand-kids, grow a vegetable garden, watch a movie, do my nails, play dress-up (when I'm home alone :), put perfume on before bed, put my Christmas peppermint spray on my pillow in July, kiss my husband on the forehead as I walk by him, write, hum, sing, dust, take a night-time shower with candles, peruse art books, paint, make jewelry, do a project, walk at night with my honey, take photos of beautiful things, go out with my best-friend or just sit and talk with her, have a photo day with an artistic friend, go to church, take sandwiches to the beach for dinner and watch dolphins sometimes!, go get something off the dollar menu somewhere, get a .89cent small vanilla cone at McD's, call my sister, text a quick note to people I love, put a fruity smelling lotion on, twist my hair, make a list, clean, give my dogs treats for tricks, bath and foofoo the dogs, watch the dogs play, make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it into quarters, look at pictures, take pictures of pictures and text them to the people in them, open the doors on a cold night and bundle up, let a small piece of chocolate melt in my mouth, bake, organize stuff, do a facial, take a bath with bubbles, go along with a friend who wants company, make someone laugh (that's my favorite), say a prayer on the phone with a hurting person, try different hair-dos, read, go for a bike ride by the strawberry fields :), think, reminisce, dream, pray..............................................................................We can't choose our life but we can choose our attitude!

Light in the Darkness

I'm generally not a negative person. I love to be around people and especially laugh! Being around other people, whether it be family or a friend, a cashier at a store or just someone standing in line, just energizes me! I always start up a conversation and it usually always ends up with laughing. It's almost like food to me, I can't live without it.


My life has changed dramatically! We used to have financial security and freedom but not anymore. The bad economy has changed all that for us. Aside from details we are now living a much simpler life. That is actually fine with me and I'm enjoying the simplicity. It's the deep trenches that are no longer manageable for us. The cuts to the bone in every area of life, from me no longer having a car, to the days of isolation and loneliness along with my daily physical pain. 


My faith has always gotten me through tough times. My husband used to say that I handled the major issues just fine but it was the little things that sent me reeling. I have been through many losses, injustices and times where I had no control and no freedom. Those times are the hardest for me, when you want to strike out at life because it's been so hard but you have no power, none. There are no options, no choices and all seems hopeless.


I have to admit that when all these pressures mount I get angry at God. As I lie there curled up in a ball of pain, completely isolated from friends and family I will frighteningly whisper toward God, "I think you're mean". Then, I burst into tears because I know He isn't! I know that people all over the world have situations much more severe than me! I know that satan is using the circumstance to get me to hate God and not trust Him!


This morning I read my devotional as I was feeling all that sadness and abandonment and this is what it said..." Trusting even when it appears you have been forsaken; praying when it seems your words are simply entering a vast expanse where no one hears and no voice answers; Believing that God's love is complete and that He is aware of your circumstances, even as your world seems to grind on as if setting it's own direction and not caring for life or moving one inch in response to your petitions; desiring only what God's hands have planned for you; waiting patiently while seemingly starving to death, with your only fear being that your faith might fail, "This, is the victory that has overcome the world", this is genuine faith indeed"! George MacDonald


If I had not reached out and sought God's voice either through my bible, a book, a devotional, a blog, a friend, etc... then, I would have spent my day in a dark depression! I always say, "It's better to do something small than nothing at all"! My choice to seek God rather than curl up and blame Him has changed my day! James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you". That's one of my favorite verses to meditate on! I just picture a small child crawling up on its parents bed and the parent instantly draws near to the child and embraces them!


Life is hard and it's going to get harder, it always does as we get older. All of this boils down to a simple yet profound picture...our Jesus  on the cross! When we feel helpless, powerless, frustrated, fearful, alone... That is how He felt when His Father had to turn away from Him because He was carrying "our" sins! As we find ourselves in situations that are very uncomfortable for us it is of the utmost importance to never forget that we are not alone! Christ promises us that He would never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). 


When we are confronted with bad circumstances we must remember only one thing... Reach for the rope! We can let things trip us up and fall down the well of despair OR we can reach for the rope that He ALWAYS provides and not fall! I had a choice this morning, to either slip into the darkness or reach out for His voice through it! Just as a plane takes off and treacherously flies through a dark storm of clouds, rain, thunder and lightning...there is nothing like that moment when it bursts through the clouds into that vast sky of blueness! Just as we know that the blue sky is above that storm we must confidently secure to our heart that same truth regarding Christ and our dark days. 


So, we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever! 2 Cor 4:18   

Neglect Not Your Gift

Neglect not the Gift that is in Thee

1 Timothy 4:14

Life is not about existing but creating. It’s not a noun but a verb. Before you can live a fully joyful life you must rescue your soul by revealing it, healing it and breathing new life into it. If asked, how many human beings could define their soul? Yet, each day we arise and exist carrying this void in us that longs and needs to be filled. Where is your soul? What is your soul? Why is your soul? Imagine your soul being a child and you are the one chosen to take care of him or her.  Is it loved, fed, hydrated and nurtured? Is it safe, protected, defended? When it’s sick is it comforted, healed and cleansed? Do you teach it, guide it, encourage it and forgive it? We do that for our pets, friends, family and even strangers. But, we neglect our own precious soul. Inside every human being is a soul that needs all these things and more.


Your soul is “who” you are! It’s your personality, your talents and your character. Your soul is what fills your body, mind and emotions. It’s not just a temporal existence but an eternal one! Your soul is entrusted to you by your Creator and it’s your job to take those talents and develop them to their fullest potential and to the glory of God.  I believe the physical body grows but more often than not the soul is damaged, abused, neglected and malnourished. We spend more time just busying ourselves with materialism rather than taking some quiet time for reflection and spiritual growth. Rescuing the soul is a perilous journey that will take a human being back and beyond everything they have ever experienced. It takes special time that’s set apart from the sin of busyness.  It’s confessing that we have neglected and ignored the “good part” of us!


We empty our soul minute by minute into the needs that demand our time and how often do we take time to fill it again? To revive the starved soul takes a determination and commitment to being still and trusting God. It’s traveling from adulthood back to childhood and back again through meditation and all the while knowing that you are being healed and filled by the God you love and who loves you! All this for one specific reason, to rescue the soul-child, give it goodness and encourage it to be all that God intended it to be and provide it with a safe place next to your heart where it can thrive and grow! With a healthy soul we can not only serve others but have a heart full of joy left over for ourselves.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you are are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Madame Guyon wrote...

I implore you to not give in to despair. It is a dangerous temptation, because our adversary has refined it to the point that it is quite subtle. Hopelessness constricts and withers the heart, rendering it unable to sense God's blessings and grace. It also causes you to exaggerate the adversities of life and makes your burdens seem too heavy for you to bear. Yet God's plans for you, and His ways of bringing about His plans, are infinitely wise. Madame Guyon

God spoke to the people and said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest", and, "This is the place of repose" - but they would not listen. Isaiah 28:11,12. If we choose to listen to God then we have decisiveness! Yet, often we choose not to listen and that leads to times of despair and depression. There has never been a time when I didn't find hope, love, wisdom or guidance when I sought God in His Word! It's alright to be puzzled in your mind about things in this life, but I implore you not to let it drip into your heart and become despair. That well is dark, deep and dangerous and the adversary loves to get you trapped there.

Tonight, my soul, be still and sleep; the storms are raging on God's deep...God's deep, not yours; be still and sleep. Author unknown

Trust in the Lord your God and love Him with all your heart, soul, body and strength. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you! He cares for you.

Daughter of the King!

Poetry by Dee Armes-Hartmann

Oh, little psalm angel, sitting in my garden faire, always reminding me, how much our Father cares! Tho, there are times when sorrow rains down and the clouds gather dark, our Father never leaves us, for He is in our heart! We have learned to cry, yet then rejoice, just as the Psalmist did in past, knowing that our storm will not last. That's the secret we daughters must know, that He is still with us, even when our wings hang low.

Daughter of the King

I took my eyes off Heaven, fell and broke my wing, trapped inside a thorney bush, the lies began to sting.

You're of no use anymore with that broken wing. Who could bear to look at you or need you for anything.

Tears burned my cheeks as my soul became cold. The One who loved me would never say such things so I sang till my prayers were bold!

His heart revealed like lighting, brought forth to me the proof. He said, "There's nothing here distorted, except the lack of truth!

The vines of lies reached up, an attempt to pull me back. But, Heavens song annointed me, lying vines had lost their grip.

In my mind epiphany, God's Spirit brought to me. Even with a broken wing, I'm still the Daughter of the King!