And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

Good Friday? - Jesus died so we wouldn't have to.. Yes! Very Good Friday!!!

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened.. Hebrews 3:13

Uplifting others should be a way of life, in everything we do and say, even in how we joke and play. Could honoring others involve stepping into their worlds, instead of wrecking a seemingly silly thing they're working on or derailing them from something they're eve casually enjoying? Why is it funny to mess up something a person is working on?? Why not enter into the thought processes and emotions of those we're close to in order to come alongside them and enhance what they're thinking, doing and or experiencing? My treasure and I were sitting in the back at a recital, and I commented that the piece we were listening to made me think of rain. He grinned and tapped out a pitter-patter of raindrops on his knee, then we painted a picture of what the piece brought to mind as the music rose and fell. Animals ended up playing a game of chase as they scampered over low rolling hills of green grass, fresh from the rain..it was quite a fun experience :)

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

I love how Daddy-God gives us everything we need to become the daughters and sons He created us to be and to do everything He calls us to do. This week, He's begun to challenge me to stay connected to who He wants me to be so that I can grow in my ability to Love the way He created me to Love. It felt overwhelming bc of the pain that people's words bring, so I told Him I need encouragement and connections that don't hurt..He is providing connections that are encouraging and not painful.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Things in my life rarely settle into a comfortable rhythm, possibly bc I never want to stop growing and changing. Even tho growing is rarely comfortable, it is full of peace once I yield. So if I'm cozy and comfortable yet/or frustrated in my circumstances (or bored), is it an indication that I've stopped yielding to allowing Daddy-God to grow and stretch me into who He created me to be. The more we grow into who He created us to be, the better fit we will be in each situation He brings us into. ;')

We need to watch how Daddy-God uses us in the lives of others to see what He might be up to and focusing on in their lives.

Everyone who is called by My Name, whom I created for My glory... Isaiah 43:7

Se were made to bring Him glory. The way Paul said this this morning struck a new chord in me.. We were created for the Divine purpose of bringing Him glory!

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

This thot intrigued me - we all know that we need to fix our eyes on Daddy-God's face and become like Him. Yet when I read these verses, I realized that when we don't know what we're suppose to be doing, if we focus on becoming like Him, what were created for and what we're suppose to be doing will become clear. And becoming like Daddy-God will bring us into greater effectiveness and productivity.

Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." Genesis 41:14 & 39-40

Starting out small and learning to steward the little things we've been given, helps us to stay humble and teaches us how to steward the more we will receive when we are promoted. True humility and knowing how to honor others will open doors of opportunity beyond what we dreamed was possible. - Loving and honoring others is a way to start transforming our prison into a palace right now.

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20

Pursue friendships with those you want to emulate or who cause you to grow into the person you were created to be more than w/ those whom you feel comfortable w/when you're not being your better self.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will isa - His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

How can we accurately discern Daddy-God's Will and desires when our minds are influenced by fear, doubt, worry, etc.?

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3

Daddy-God's world is so beautiful to me.

For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord. Proverbs‬ ‭8:12, 35

Pastor Bill talked about favor on Sunday.. When we wear a bullseye for Daddy-God's favor, it's for our benefit and so that we can paint that bullseye on others..for Daddy-God to release the favor on them that He releases on us.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6 & 7

Setting boundaries can be hurtful and feel like rejection to those affected by them, so we need to be encouraging and Loving when we're setting boundaries in relationships. Leaving the situation w/ an invite to come back later is an encouraging and healthy way to set boundaries. Isn't setting boundaries in a way that leaves the other person feeling Loved, valued and powerful evidence of royalty? Pastor Bill spoke last night and said that our royalty is revealed in the choices we make, and that our time here is training for eternity. Is our royalty being revealed in our relationships?

Fo the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. 1 Corinthians 14:12

Daddy-God gives each of us skills, gifts and talents for the purpose of developing them and using them for other people's benefit and building them up, which glorifies Him. Our skills, gifts and talents were not deposited in us for our own glory.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Perfect Love has no place for things that hold us back, bc perfect Love motivates us to move forward. Living a life w/out regrets can only be done by living from Love where fear, doubt, pride, etc. don't influence our decisions and what we say and do.

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?

The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Psalms 15

Every thing about Daddy-God, Who He is and what He loves is so beautiful to me, like a meadow of sweet grasses w/ streams and pools of water amidst fragrant flowers popping up everywhere, happily lifting their faces and leaves to the Son in worship! This Psalm goes w/ the section in Proverbs 6 that I read this morning, bc as I was reading verses 16 thru 19, I felt Daddy-God wanting me to take these verses on what He hates to find out He loves.
Seven things Daddy-God loves: Eyes that look at others w/ honor,
A tongue that speaks truth,
Hands that heal and bring life,
A heart that plans good things for others,
Feet that are quick to do good,
A true witness who stands up for what is right,
And a person who promotes unity.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Matthew 22:39 & Romans 12:10

Honoring others requires us to be confident and comfortable in our own skin. When we aren't okay w/ our shortcomings and weaknesses, we can't honor or celebrate others' skills, giftings and victories. We are on this ball of land and water to Love, Honor and Celebrate others, which means we needs to like how Daddy-God made us.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

Is being right worth the cost of someone feeling lower or taken down? I suppose I'm pondering this bc I'm around enough people who aren't shy about letting me know when I'm wrong or how I need to be or do things differently. Is all of that so important? In the midst of going to Daddy-God to be built back up, He reminded me of who I am as His favorite girl, which lifted me up to standing strong and tall again. It made me realize that things can beat us down more when we lose sight of who we are as His favorite. For those times when a correction needs to be made, Holy Spirit can show us how to make sure that people/situations feel safe and healthy w/out tearing anyone down. Knowing who we are as His favorite gives us insight into how to be honoring in everything we say and do, including how to establish standards and boundaries while walking in Love and Honor.

My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

We got the keys to our house this afternoon! This has definitely been an experience of seeing issues come up then watching Daddy-God do His ahhh-but-God thing.

God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5

This morning, Kris said something that peaked my interest .. The way we see Daddy-God reveals what our calling is. I see Him as gentle and safe yet powerful, almighty King of the universe who is confident and secure enough in who He is and who I am to empower me to be powerful myself. He is also confident and secure enough in Himself and in me to release me to explore, grow. learn and heal. He is my safe place. Interestingly, I've daydreamed about being a safe place for animals and people ever since I was six or seven..I've always wanted to be a place of safety and healing for people as Daddy-God has always been for me.

This morning made me think about how Daddy-God encourages us along the way until it's time for us to keep going simply bc we know we're suppose to. A few years ago, He stopped giving me reassurances and confirmations that I was to stay faithful to my treasure no matter what bc I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was to keep the covenant I had made to stay faithful no matter how excruciatingly painful it became. I have just begun a new journey that involves healing, growing and trusting, and the urge to run is almost overpowering. Nevertheless, I've decided to face it, and as I started towards the back doors of the sanctuary this morning to say hi to a precious person He says is safe and wants me to trust, Shepherd by Amanda Cook began playing. Daddy-God gave it to me this song a few years ago bc it was the heart cry of my dearest treasure, so I knew He was in this and was very near.

the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

Thinking about the life Daddy-God brought me out of, the lives He's brought each of us out of, how can we possibly withhold anything from Him? His plans are way better than ours anyway, so we're just shooting ourselves in the foot not to run after them. The only reason why His Ways and His Plans are scary is bc they were made to fit the person He made each of us to be, not the person we are at the moment, which means we have to grow and change to fit into what He has planned. Growing and changing means we're not in control...lol. Happy New Year!!

Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you" - when you already have it with you. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 3:28 & 31:8-9

When I woke up this morning and looked at the clock, it was my treasured hubby's birth date, and I wondered why Daddy-God would bring him to mind like that as He used to do to renew my hope or to nudge me to pray for him, neither of which is needed any more. Then as I was reading Proverbs 31 (not planned, so the timing is intriguing), I read these verses and was reminded of the importance of our responsibility to speak up for and defend those who cannot stand up for themselves or make their voice be heard.. and we need to do it when it's needed instead of later when it may seem to be easier. My hubby did, and those I work w/ now stand up for, defend and speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and be heard (and it's done w/ honor and grace), so I post this in honor of them today.

Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. John 7:38-39

I love how God gives us pictures to show us Who He is in ways that we can understand. Tonight I had this thot: Holy Spirit is like water bc He can get into every crack and crevice of every part of who we are, and He can clean and heal every part w/ utmost gentleness.

For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. John 6:55-57

We must internalize the Truth in order for it to change us and bring us into greater intimacy w/ Him.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

I saw something this afternoon that brought me to realize just how humility and honor opens the door to freedom and a better life in all aspects. For instance, if we can't accept and value someone's help to fix something or show us a better way to do something, like solve a computer issue, we'll have to live without a properly working computer until we can accept and invite the help we need. When I'm not finding my identity in being Daddy-God's favorite girl, I like to be the one who is knowledgable and not always needing help from others who can do things better than I can, but this attitude keeps me from celebrating others and what they're good at.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

Just had this thot: what if our longings are given to us to give us a taste of how deeply Daddy-God longs for us and to spend time with us? And when our longings are fulfilled, what if that's a taste of what Daddy-God feels when we spend time w/ Him and thoroughly enjoy His Presence? Makes me want to give Him as much of me as He longs for. :)

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. John 13:34-35 & Colossians 3:17 Live in unity

Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives/tricks their neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" Proverbs 26:18-19

My brother and I were talking today at lunch about making sure that actions and motives match. It's frustrating when someone says something like, "You're weird." or "That was stupid." and then when they see that it was hurtful or discouraging, they say, "Oh, don't let it bother you. I was just joking." We are responsible for our words, actions AND motives. When our motives are to truly Love and Honor others and to bring out the gold in them, we'll have a considerable decrease in the number of messes and hurts we need to fix, and there'll also be little or no need to excuse or explain ourselves either. However, when we say something like, "You're so amazing!" from a sincere heart of Love (w/ no desire to sneak in something out of frustration, anger or an insecurity), and they take it wrong, then that is on them. We are responsible for what we put out and for the purity of our motives behind it.

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:14-16

This caught my attention tonight as I was listening to Pastor Bill: The greater the warfare, the greater the need for a clear conscience, and sometimes it's Daddy-God who leads us into warfare to teach us how to manage us(our thots/emotions), manage Truth(what He says about us), and manage opposition. How well we manage ourselves w/ others and how well we deal w/ conflict shows Him how much He can trust us w/ now and in eternity.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:39

Why is it so important for us to like who Daddy-God made us to be and be secure in being His favorite? Bc we won't be happy or able to be and do all He created us to be and do, and we also won't be able to genuinely Love, encourage and honor others. In order to truly and genuinely encourage and honor others, we have to be okay w/ ourselves and our limitations.. meaning we have to Love ourselves, the good, the bad, and ugly as Daddy-God does so that we can Love and encourage and honor others. If I'm embarrassed or insecure w/ my lack of skill and interest in math, I won't be able to confidently celebrate and honor another's skill or successes in the math world. When we are confident and secure in who we are as Daddy-God's favorite daughter or son then we can truly and genuinely encourage and honor others and celebrate their successes and victories..the stronger we are w/in ourselves, the more powerful our words and actions are.

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, Ephesians 3:10-11

Pastor Bill spoke tonight on how our destinies and promises here are preparation for what we will be doing in eternity. Whenever Daddy-God gives us a promise, He is linking us to our eternal purpose and to what we are becoming, and our eternal purpose is all about manifesting His nature over everything.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

... live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 Live in unity

Living in unity requires intimacy. Hadn't thot of this verse in this way before, but as I was wondering why there's strife, fighting, and people just not getting along and hurting each other, I wondered why people can't just give to each other like my treasure and I did. Then I realized that tho we were far from perfect, we had a bond and an intimacy that put the other person and their well-being above our own desires, and we were both willing to listen, give and change. True, unity is not a one-way ordeal, but it starts with us (not the other person). The stronger and better we become at something, like Loving, honoring and pouring into everyone around us, the stronger the effect it will have on the atmosphere we're in, which will then cause others to fall into being more Loving and honoring and pouring more into everyone around them. We are contagious, and it's our choice whether we're contagious w/ good things or bad things.

Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 1 Corinthians 13:7

I've been watching Person of Interest , and tonight Shaw saved a little girl instead of going to the hospital to have her wound treated as Finch had told her too. She expected to be fired, but Finch surprised her by telling her she was hired, bc he saw the good in her and believed in her and her ability to make wise decisions. Healthy freedom allows people to think and experiment outside the box w/out being shutdown by harsh consequences, whereas control always dishes out consequences for thinking, speaking and doing things that are different from the instructions given. This is bc healthy people Love, trust and believe in people and are all about championing them to become who they were created to be, even when they don't do everything they're suppose to for the sake of someone else's safety.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This morning, Eric wrapped up what Jesus did so well; He gave His life for us, bought us w/ His life so that we could live, therefore our lives actually belong to Him for Him to use. His grace is the reason we breathe air and exist. Yet we are not robots to do His bidding, bc He wants us to freely yield to Him out of our gratitude and love for Him. This means that we need to check w/ Him, "What are Your plans and dreams for my life? I have this desire. What do You want me to do w/ it?" This last question actually came up at the end of worship before Eric even started talking, bc worship had brought to mind a desire that had begun in high school when one of the students w/ autism began coming out of her shell w/ me.

Honoring what He did for us and the grace He extends to us also means seeing ourselves as He sees us, so that we can walk in the Love, confidence and security necessary to live out His plans and dreams for our lives and to give this grace to others for His glory. Grace is a higher standard that goes further, deeper, higher than the law, bc "it's not about us".. i.e., if someone asks us to go thru something w/ them, walk a mile w/ them, we should walk ten miles w/ them.

Everything in life is about glorifying the One who bought us.

[The Twelve Apostles ] One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12

[The Transfiguration ] About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. Luke 9:28

[Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy ] The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. Luke 9:37

I was reminded today how we need to actually know Daddy-God, His heart, and His Spirit by spending time w/ Him, in the Word and in worship in order to know what He's doing and saying. He's been accelerating things, bringing opportunities one right after another, and the enemy's also been at work to hammer me senseless. It's mostly due to a lack of spoken Truth around me to contradict him, but I know a place where Truth is spoken, breathed, and lived out so much that it saturates even the air. It is a place I can go to build myself up and refill my amo just by popping in for a few minutes, and I sense Him saying, I have given you this place, so make use of it w/ wisdom and discretion.. Since what I need lingers in the air, I know I must go for the purpose of pouring into people, but in the midst of that I can absorb what I need from Daddy-God's Presence and His Truth that saturates the air. Knowing this, however, isn't going to be beneficial for me unless I actually make use of it and go w/ purpose, esp. when I'm being hammered.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8

Paul continued his message on the glory we carry and how humbling ourselves to honor others will take us from glory to glory. We were given a glory bc we are made in His image and are a reflection of Him - it is ours so that we can give it back to Him. Honoring others means judging for them (in their favor) encouraging them, speaking life to them, recognizing the glory in others, humbling ourselves to serve and lift others up. I hadn't thot this out until Paul talked about it - negative judgment dishonors and keeps us from going forward, and pride justifies our criticism and promoting dishonoring attitudes, thots and behaviors.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. -> You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Jeremiah 29:13 & Psalms 16:11

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

This came to mind again this morning: Truly Loving others is never about what we might get out of it. Truly Loving others is about discovering what honors and celebrates them and pouring that into them like Daddy-God, Jesus and Holy Spirit do for us nonstop!

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and .. He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him." Acts 10:38

Pastor Bill makes this wonderfully simple: Jesus is perfect theology. He is not just an example of how to be nice and Love people; Jesus is our example of how to bring heaven to earth out of being filled w/ the Holy Spirit and power.

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor others above yourself. Hebrews 3:13 & Romans 12:10

Jesus gave them this answer: Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ... whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. John 5:19 & 12:50

Jesus did what He saw the Father doing and said what the Father was saying to show us how to Love people and bring the Father's World/ heaven to earth, our purpose for being on this planet. Therefore, pursuing our dreams, interests, and passions should be incorporated into why we are here. Passing by opportunities to Love and Honor the person in front of us and bringing heaven to earth should never be the result of pursuing our own things.

Then the Lord said to Moses, See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all [manner of workmanship]. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Exodus 31:1-5 & Colossians 3:23

Pastor Bill addressed the beauty found in excellence, creativity, and integrity in The Power That Changes the World. There is beauty that's glorifying to Daddy-God in our workmanship, which is how we develop the skills and talents He's given us. Then, when we take it a step further and do what we do as unto Him and as an act of worship, it invites His Presence into what we do. When we partner our will w/ Him to develop all that He's put in us as an act of worship and for His glory, He will inhabit what we do and be glorified in it. I love how doing what we're good at for His glory is an act of worship :)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9

I know that what we carry, Holy Spirit/Daddy-God's Presence or other buggars, effects our interactions and relationships w/ other people, but I never clicked in on how merely listening to the enemy's lies ("Oh, don't bother them, they're dealing w/ a lot alrady." when Holy spirit has said to go encourage them.) will also effect our interactions and relationships w/ other people. By chipping away at our confidence, the enemy's lies can make us pull back and/or taint and twist what Daddy-God wants to say and do thru us. People, esp. discerning people can feel or even see who and what we carry, which either encourages them or gives them more to have to deal w/. So since one of my passions is to Love and encourage people, I want what comes out of me to be purely Kingdom and not tainted by my issues or the unKingdom critters that my issues and pain may have attracted. I've heard so often, "Well, I grew up w/ (blah blah blah), so that's why I'm afraid ..." (or angry or insecure, etc.) All of our issues have one goal and purpose, to keep us distant w/ Daddy-God and too insecure in who we are to Love, honor and celebrate the people in front of us. I realized today that having a clean bill of health in the spirit isn't enough..merely listening to the enemy's lies will hinder me from Loving, honoring and celebrating the one in front of me. To Love, honor and celebrate the people in front of us, we need to be healthy in our spirits, cling to what is good -> only carry Holy Spirit/Daddy-God's Presence and not other buggars, and be healthy in our minds and hearts by not listening to the enemy.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

There are reasons why Daddy-God gives us guidelines, parameters, and restrictions, and they seem unfair until we feel His Heart and His Reasonings for them. It's easier to understand why He wants us to be gentle, kind, loving, patient, etc., but the individual restrictions can be frustrating and feel unfair until we feel and understand His Heart and Reasons. From the first day of seeing my best friend and dearest treasure, Daddy-God basically showed me that I was to remain at His feet w/ regards to him, that I was there to pour into him and strictly nothing else. He had already been teaching me how to go to Him for everything I needed (unless He specially sent to a person) so that I could pour into my husband and others w/out my needs and wants tinting my motives for loving on them, but His strict parameters that I never go to a human when I needed something even as small as an encouraging word was maddening until I came to see how people, esp. girls, pulled on my best friend in ways that wore him down and worse. The parameters that I only go to Daddy-God when I needed something was frustrating to no end and felt cruel and maddeningly unfair as I watched and listened to other girls striving to get their needs met by their spouses, parents and friends until I felt His Heart and Reasoning for it. Once I saw and felt what my neediness could do to another person, I've had no desire to go to someone for something I needed much less wanted.

After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. Matthew 14:23

This thot piggybacks the last entry.. Why should I have to go somewhere to find God's Presence so I can hear His Voice? Why can't I have my time w/ Him where/when/how I want to? Maybe bc there's a little pride in the place those questions are coming from, and pride always distorts what we hear and sense in our spirits. (He also wants to know how hungrily we'll pursue Him and how hungry we are for His Voice, His Thots/Ideas/Solutions for our situations.) - This thot just popped into my head, anger in reaction to Truth reveals resistance in our spirits..and resistance also affects how and what we hear.

After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. Matthew 14:23

I am the vine; 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. John 15:5

I had coffee w/ a friend tonight, and as we encouraged and prayed for a guy outside, I was reminded tonight how important it is to remain in Him in absolutely every area of our lives, bc it will keep everything balanced and in the proper perspectives. What I was reminded of tonight was that working thru healing, frustrations, etc. while in worship mode keeps our thots aligned so that we can gain Daddy-God's perspective and heal properly. It's also always a good idea to interact w/ people from our place in Him bc it will gives us the confidence and security we need in Him to truly Love and Honor them, and remaining him enables us to see them according to how He sees them.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened (and give up) Hebrews 3:13

Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

Loving people involves learning their love language and embracing the ways they show love. Truly Loving someone means studying them to learn who he/she us, his/her love language, likes and dislikes, etc. It reminds me of hearing about when my best friend's parents invited people over.. they would talk about their guests' interests, play the type of music their guests liked, and basically celebrated them while they were all together. Loving someone celebrates him/her in a way that feels honoring to him/her.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Sometimes pain is confusing to me when external things seem to be okay, not hurtful or wrong, so I've asked Daddy-God why things hurt that seem to be good. This is what He showed me: pure motives must match loving words and actions to have a positive and healing impact. Good motives (I/he/she meant well) with unloving words and actions brings pain and conflict, while wrong motives with nice words and actions often brings subtle yet deeper pain and confusion for discerning people as we try to convince ourselves that those nice words and actions shouldn't hurt. Words and actions must come out of selfless Love.

Here's another that..if we truly " mean well," won't we be so careful with our words and actions that we won't do or say things that require an explanation for why they shouldn't hurt?

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Ephesians 6:7 & Colossians 3:23

I was tired this morning and felt a nudge..if I think about or calculate how much I give and pour out to others, am I doing it w/ the right motive? Am I giving and pouring myself out from the overflow of Daddy-God's Love for me? - Bc when I give and pour out to others for the sake of Loving them, I won't be aware of how much I'm giving out, or judging what they do w/ it.

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22

Keep hearing this: when all else fails, praise Him.. Might be my sarcastic brain at the moment, but Pastor Bill literally just said that when the people praised the Lord, He set up an ambush. So, when all else fails, praise Him and He will ambush the enemy..

When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. Matthew 14:26

We were discussing this verse in class today, and two things were said that made me stop and think..

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

We are called to Love others, to pour into the one in front of us, and what a precious friend shared today reminded me of the process Daddy-God asks us to go thru by asking us to Love others. The more people we Love and deeper we Love, the more loss and grief we'll experience. I love her acknowledgement that in Loving others, the joy we experience now will be pain later. Yet she chooses to Love well bc she is willing to go thru the pain of loss for the connections, things she learned, and the treasured memories.

Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight." 1 Chronicles 19:12 & 13

When I read this, it made me realize that this is how our close relationships should be. Support and encouragement should be two way, and in healthy relationships, they are. When one person is being hit, the second person is there to encourage and support, but this encourager shouldn't be the only encouraging and supporting person. In healthy relationships, when the second person gets hit with something hard, the first person will turn around and be strongly encouraging and supporting for the second person. Healthy relationships are where support, encouragement and positives go two ways.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:1 -3

These verses are some of my favorites bc they're a peek into the Throne Rroom and how worship is doing what we were created to do..for the seraphim it was to fly and cry out, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." - We were created to worship Daddy-God in and by everything we think, say and do, so how must He feel if we only go to Him when we need or want something from Him? Why would we want to be in a relationship w/ someone who only interacts w/ us when he or she needs or wants something? Same thing w/ worship. Our lives should be lives of worship, lives in worship mode, but worship is also a place where we can get downloads, ideas, strategies, solutions, etc. So when we truly live in worship mode and live a life of worship, we can assertively go after losing ourselves in Him for the specific purpose of getting His ideas, strategies, solutions when we have a problem or situation that needs His input. Only going to Him and worshipping Him when we need something from Him is an awful motive for "enjoying" His Presence and Who He is. Living in worship mode, on the other hand, is how we were created to live, and it makes everything so much easier, better and way more fun!

[Joshua] said to them, "Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Joshua 4:5 - 7

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Hebrews 10:24 & Galatians 6:2

Then the word of the Lord came to [Elijah]: Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food. So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink? ... And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

"As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread - only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it - and die."

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land."

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 1 Kings 17:8 - 15

When Daddy's-God wants us to pour into someone, He'll provide enough for our needs and theirs.

A family decided to adopt two little boys who were cousins, but they needed to sell the house they were renting out in order to build additional bedrooms to accommodate their growing family. A half hour before the boys came tonight, the house went into escrow, so they have what they need for themselves and the two new boys!

As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Eric talked about fathers this morning, but this can go for all of us bc it has to do with Loving well. Loving well means:

Being there emotionally for the person in front of us, not just physically.
Get to know them, their dreams and passions and get into their world, and keep their dreams and passions in focus in our relationship with them rather than our own likes and enjoyments or our desires for them.
Loving the person in front of us means being one of their biggest champions.
Be real/authentic with them and ready to admit when we're wrong.
Keep a good balance between responsibility and privileges.
Deal with attitudes and behaviors..if we deal w/ attitudes first, appropriate behaviors will follow.
Be the same person in front of people as you are in private.

Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

Honoring others begins w/ honoring them in our thots. Do we think of others in a way that lifts them up or in a way that sets us up above them? I'm not good at performing at all, so if my thots about a person line up w/ Daddy-God's thots about them, my words, actions and responses to him/her will be closer to what they should be. :')

Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

Love beckons and woos before it restricts, and I think this is bc Love is forever seeking to build and nourish relationships over perfecting performances. Love knows that once it has captured a heart, there will be little if any need to restrict or address performances, bc once a heart is captured, actions become Love in action.

Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

This came to mind again this weekend - the first step in truly Loving someone is learning how he/she needs to be Loved, and the second step is honoring them by Loving them the way they understand it best, in their Love language. Even when we're polite and nice on the outside, seeing someone as less or lower than ourselves bc of what they need to feel loved is not honoring to them.

When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. Later that night, He was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. Matthew 14:13-14 & 23-25

Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7

Dreaming renews hope, and finding people who will partner w/ us to see our dreams fulfilled can breathe life back into despair and hopelessness. A friend and I had a meeting this afternoon at Compass to share a dream we have for Compass, and I went mostly to humor my friend. For awhile after losing my treasure and his dad, I quit dreaming bc the enemy's work had been so devastating. Thus, as dreams have been coming into my mind again this year, I've been dreaming more as a way to humor Daddy-God and keep my thots on a positive spin than bc I actually believe they could happen. So I was utterly surprised when we were asked to write a proposal at the end of the meeting. Dreaming keeps hope alive..maybe that's another reason why Daddy-God is constantly after us to dream.

As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man. Proverbs 27:19

This that just came to mind: meaning well and wanting to love someone when we're held back or timid bc of insecurities doesn't actually love them the way they need to be loved. Yet when we yield to Daddy-God's work in us to change us and to make us like Him, He has something to work w/ and thru. Whatever we won't give over to Him He can't work w/ or work thru as freely, so what others get from us is just our tainted and wounded version of Love, grace, mercy, humility, etc. Guess it intrigues me to see how our private decisions affect our relationships and our ability to Love well.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

Testing the spirits to me includes smelling and feeling them out along w/ poking at their beliefs and theologies. Pastor Kris spoke this morning on false prophets and how things of the enemy often look like, even identical to, things of Daddy-God. So how can we tell the difference, esp. when things match up w/ scripture? As Kris mentioned, two people can be worshipping alike but give off different vibes, bc one is lost in His Presence while the other other is wanting to look spiritual or whatever. It kind of messes w/ me to see how two such drastically opposite worlds can appear indistinguishable, and the only way to tell them apart is to recognize the source.

This made me wonder how we can recognize which source something is coming from? Then I realized that we need to know the Source. Is it bringing fear, anxiety or chaos, or peace, hope and freedom? We only need to know one side, one source, to be able to distinguish between the two. Knowing Daddy-God isn't a head knowing; it's a heart and spirit knowing that can only come from being so entwined in Him that we eat, breathe and sleep in all of Who He is. When we know someone this deeply, we immediately recognize their scent and their feel, and we know their hearts and motives. When we know Daddy-God this intimately, we'll be able to sense Him in the things He is a part of, and we'll notice His absence in things He's not doing or saying.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. .. the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Proverbs 4:23 & Matthew 12:34

Years ago, Daddy-God gave me a picture to help me understand my best friend's innocence and the purity of his heart. I saw a wine glass that looked like it was full of muddy water, but as I looked closer, I saw that the water was actually crystal clear, pure water and that the mud had come from people's perspectives, words and expectations as they watched his actions and made wrong judgements about him. Daddy-God told me that the pure crystal clear water was the true state of his heart and spirit, and as I was thinking about this early this morning, I saw another glass that was full of ripped paper (wounds/rips and tears) and rough black gravel. My best friend had freely poured his pure water into this other glass, but all they could pour back was rips of paper, gravels and dirty water.

When we don't face our unhealthy issues, all we can pour into others is all that we won't deal w/. Even if we are filled w/ the wine of His Presence, when we don't work on getting rid of the rips and tears, gravel and dirt in our hearts, then the wine we pour out will be full of our rips, gravel and dirt. However, when we humble ourselves and allow Him to clean us up and heal us, He acts as a filter over us so that what we pour out is clean and pure. This made me realize how important it is for us the allow Daddy-God to clean us out and heal us, bc our undealt w/ issues will affect those we interact w/.

Do everything in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 1 Corinthians 16:14 & Romans 12:10

So many times we "shouldn't have to," blah blah blah, but since others don't know or don't choose to do the healthy and honoring thing, we have to start the ball rolling..and often keep it rolling in a healthy direction. Going w/ the flow is actually being just as unhealthy and dishonoring as the wrong situation. Being healthy means not being angry, upset, frustrated or such bc we "shouldn't have to,", but realizing the healthy thing we should do or say then doing it or saying it in all Love and Honor. Sometimes children and pets aren't the only ones who need to be Lovingly redirected, the trick is doing the healthy/right thing with a Loving attitude before, during and after what we "shouldn't have to," be doing or saying. I've found that forgiving those I've had to say or do things for that I "shouldn't have had to," takes away my negative feelings towards them.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for [man].. A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Colossians 3:23 & Proverbs 17:22

Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:8

Love's effects take longer to be seen, but they're lasting and often eternal.

But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.

So this isn't an actual verse in the Bible where Jesus says "I never said it would be easy; I only said it would be worth it." He never promised that life would be easy, but He did give us His promises in scripture to help us and give us hope when things are hard. A conversation today reminded me that easy doesn't mean something is a Daddy-God thing, but neither does hard. We must check w/ Holy Spirit, then live, eat and breathe on the grace He gives us to do what He has set before us to do.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. rough Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 2 Corinthians 2:14 & Hebrews 13:15

With some things, like garlic, when we eat a lot of it regularly, its fragrance starts coming out of our pores, ie, if we eat a lot of garlic, we'll smell like garlic. It's the same in the spirit..what we think on, we "smell" like. When we praise Daddy-God thru things, esp. thru painful and hard things, we'll smell more like Him than our pain and struggle. If we think on the pain or everything that's not how we want it to be, we'll "smell" like the stench of negativity, dissatisfaction, etc. What we think on is what we end up smelling like...and what we worship. Pastor Bill was talking about the fact that we worship what we think about the most; thus, we smell like what or Who we worship.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

Motives come across to others more than we may think or want the to. I'm reading Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman, and it's intriguing me all over again. Whether people are sensitive or not, our motives color what we do and say. So I guess that means we should do and say everything from pure selfless motives, motives to Honor and Love. - True, sometimes people feel hurt even when our motives are pure, Honoring and full of Love, so, as always, we need to ask Holy Spirit what our response should be. Sometimes healthy patterns hurt unhealthy people simply bc healthy patterns disturb and disrupt the flow of unhealthy ones. Thus, pain is not an indicator of rightness or wrongness, so again, we must check with Holy Spirit and keep our hearts/motives clean and pure.

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

Love covers, even in the midst of a warning about an unsafe person.

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 1 Kings 19:7

I love how Daddy-God gives us what we need to face difficult situations. I had a few things to do this afternoon that were looming over me and seemed overwhelming.. but it just so happened that I had to go by the office on the way bc I hadn't been able to do what I had needed to do when I had gone by earlier in the week (bummer). After leaving the encouraging atmosphere of the office, I went to the first "fun" thing, and getting there didn't go as planned, which didn't help any. It left me hurrying down the sidewalk, feeling hot and stressed about being late, so I kept my pace steady and an eye on my destination. I noticed a person at the bus stop who reminded me of a safe person I know, and as I passed him, he smiled and said, "You're awesome!" just like the person he reminded me of has said to me. I knew it was food for the journey ahead, so I thot on what Daddy-God had given me at the office and in the stranger's words until I didn't need them anymore. I love how everything matters to Him :')

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. John 13:4 & 5

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20

Healing doesn't end w/ the acknowledgment of what was wrong. The next part of healing is learning to trust a wise and safe person or a safe situation and creating healthy patterns w/in that relationship or situation. ... Trusting and learning new patterns is usually the hardest part of the healing process, but it brings the most freedom and the best rewards. :')

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45

The Truth will come out in the end, and we sill be known for those very things and attitudes that we thot no one saw or noticed. Our inner thots and attitudes always reveal their true colors in one way or another. So what do we want to be known for? Loving and honoring people well bc we Love and honor them in our private thots and attitudes? Wanting to Love and honor others in our hearts and thots is entirely different from actually Loving and honoring them by how we think and hold them in our hearts.

The Lord said to Moses, When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Exodus 4:21

We should only do what Daddy-God gives us the power and grace to do bc He'll always back what He's doing even if others oppose it. This made me think .. I'd rather be going w/ Him than against Him. I'd rather have Him backing me than facing me (in opposition).

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13 & 14

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37

We are to use every part of who we are as we live our daily lives. To put it simply, we are to use our spirits/hearts to sense what Daddy-God is saying or doing, our minds to decide what action to take, and our hearts to act or speak from. For example, we may sense that we should go one more block and around the corner, and once we get there, we see someone crying. We sense that we are suppose to encourage them and make the decision to do so, but once we decide to encourage them, everything else should come from our spirits and our hearts. This means that we ask Daddy-God what He wants to say or is saying to them, and we say it from the Love and emotion of His heart that He fills us w/, not from the decision we made in our minds to be obedient. Words and actions that come from our mental decision to be obedient instead of from His Love in our hearts are cold, distant and void of the Love that the person needs. On the other hand, when we make our decisions from how we are feeling instead of from a mental decision or what we're sensing in our spirits from Daddy-God, we may do and say what we're not suppose to do or say bc we "feel like it." Or we may not do or say what we are suppose to do and say bc we "don't feel like it." Emotions aren't for determining what we say or do, emotions are for pouring into people thru the words and actions we've decided to take based on what our spirits are picking up from Daddy-God.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭3-6‬

When Daddy-God is in on something that He wants to bless us w/, His Spirit makes it so much richer and fulfilling than things He's not on. The picture I get is cocoa made w/ milk, cream and marshmallows versus hot chocolate made w/ water and nothing else. Whatever Daddy-God has for us is always deeper, richer and more fulfilling than anything we can conjure up for ourselves. It is also much much bigger than we are (so that we need Him), which makes His Ways for us scary and daunting in the midst of being full of excitement and anticipation of good things. Are we willing to trust Him and deal w/ the fears in order to live in the richness and depth of the amazing things He has for us?

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

We had a wonderful thunderstorm this afternoon, and when the sun came out, the scene was breathtaking. The sun made the wet grass and leaves sparkle and the varying colors of the leaves pop against the dark cloud backdrop. In misspelling sun, I realized that the Son makes us and our uniquenesses sparkle and pop against the dark backdrop of the enemy, esp. when we stand before Daddy-God, bc when we come under Jesus' blood covering, all Daddy-God sees is our sparkling and vibrant beauty.

Faith by itself, if it's not accompanied by works, is dead. James 2:17

Seeing and thinking about how we need to change is great, but not putting it into action renders it meaningless and useless.

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor others above yourself. Hebrews 3:13 & Romans 12:10

Taking authority over atmospheres is a start, but moving on the offensive is not only keeping nonKingdom atmospheres at bay, it's going further to shutting down nonKingdom spirits, thots and attitudes in others and calling forth the Kingdom opposites. This opens the way for the Kingdom to reign in the atmosphere and in the others in it. For instance, if we encounter someone who's angry that we're helping someone who genuinely needs help (and it's not wrong or unhealthy, just a little inconvenient) we can take that "Don't me w/ me." (You have no authority here.) in our spirits. But moving offensively takes this further by bringing Daddy-God's Love and Heart of compassion into the situation and our interactions w/ the person who's angry. Moving offensively also involves declaring peace over the situation and over the person in our spirits while believing in the good in the person who's angry. In a sense, this is what a parent does w/ a child who's needlessly upset about having to do something he/she doesn't want to do, "This is what we're going to do, and you're going to be okay w/ it bc it's helping someone, and no one's being harmed in the process."

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20

We need to surround ourselves w/ people whom we want to be like.

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor others above yourself. Hebrews 3:13 & Romans 12:10

Our sole purpose for being on this ball of land and water is to Love the one in front of us as long as they're here, which requires us to "learn" them and how they need to be loved. It's easier to remember to do this w/ those who have been given a terminal diagnosis, but we should be this way w/ every person we interact w/. When you think about it, if we are here to Love on the one in front of us, how can we possibly say, "Not now. I'm busy."? That may be one reason why we need Holy Spirit...He will fix things and get things done so that we Love others and be Him w/ skin on. When I was in college, someone was talking to me, and I cut them off bc I didn't want to be late to class - when I got to class, there was a note on the door that said class had been cancelled. Daddy-God immediately said to me, Don't you ever do that again. I created people not schedules.

Holy Spirit can fix the details so we Love those He sends our way, which requires a tight and trusting relationship w/ Him...

Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 2:10-11, 4:16 & 20

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18

Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

Eric spoke this morning and said that when our hearts aren't in line w/ our words and actions, then our words and actions mean nothing. So when we love others, esp. our spouses, is it for what we can get from them or is it simply to pour Love into them? And if it is to pour into them, are our hearts in line w/ our words and actions? Daddy-God spent years teaching me to have my needs met by Him, so that I could pour into my hubby and Love him thoroughly bc of how amazing he was, not bc I needed love, attention, approval, feel-goods, or even bc being near him made my muscles relax and the pain leave. He showed me what loving my hubby (and others) for the selfish reasons would do to him bc of his giving nature and trusting spirit, and it made me sick. So I Loved him for him, and he valued it, the depth of my love and the purity of my motives... " you're the only one I know who doesn't have an angle on your love for me." I Loved him and poured into him even when he couldn't return it bc that's what covenant does, and I knew it was keeping him going.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1 - 3

Sean Boltz talked about prophecy tonight, and what caught my attention was his focus on prophesying out of Love. He talked about how we can only prophecy out of Love when we know who we are (as Daddy-God's favorite son or daughter), bc when we aren't secure in being Daddy-God's favorite, we don't like ourselves enough to be able to truly Love and Honor others, even through a prophetic word. If we are to be like Daddy-God, and Daddy-God is Love, then we are to be Love and do everything out of Love. I think that everything said and done that's not out of Love has a destructive end, probably bc I've experienced it. We need to Love and Honor each other, esp. those closest to us for the sake of Love and never for what we can get from them...and this requires to like ourselves.

Be devoted to one another in love. Romans 12:10

Myaybe bc Love and true Honor and Unity heals.

Love is patient and kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love does not dishonor others.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not easily angered.
Love keeps no record of wrongs bc Love forgives and forgets faults, foibles and irritating things.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
Love always believes in others (by bringing out the gold in them).
Love never gives up. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Love pours out into others for their benefit just as covenants are made for the other person's benefit. Could it be that when our spirits are aligned w/ who Daddy-God is in our relationships that everything else w/in the people in these relationships lines up w/ the Kingdom and physical, mental, emotional, and psychological issues are healed? The more my dearest hubby and I poured into each other and meshed together, the less my cerebral palsy affected me, ie, my twitches disappeared, and I wonder if I had a similar healing effect on him.. Is this why our purpose for being on this ball of land and water is to Love people? Because Love, Honor and Unity heals us and empowers us to live out our destinies?

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. .. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10 & 18

Being proven wrong can be so degrading, which reminded me of how Daddy-God's been showing me that relationships always trump proving rightness. Insisting on one's being right typically causes anger, frustration, and even pain and humiliation, but we are called to bring peace, love and healing to our relationships thru Loving and Honoring others. We are called to bring out the gold in others, not prove how right we are.

Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

As I was reading tonight, a thot popped into my head - many people feel unloved bc their nonKingdom/unhealthy behaviors aren't embraced or celebrated.

I personally like being around people who don't embrace or celebrate my unhealthiness bc they expect more out of me, and it's how Daddy-God is w/ me too. His motto is "You're fine. Keep moving forward." Looking backwards or drawing out imperfections doesn't ever get us anywhere. So how do we Love people w/out embracing or celebrating their unbecoming/unhealthy/nonKingdom behaviors? Don't react to the behaviors and just Love them. Since the silence from not reacting to negative behavior may be uncomfortable, we can draw attention to positive things about the person and embrace and celebrate those! (This works beautifully on children who get into trouble often, and it's how Daddy-God is w/ us...hmmmm!) -- Once again, it comes down to Loving people and bringing out the gold in them no matter what.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ..speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:2,3, 15 & 16

We are to build each other up, support each other and grow together.. Had a training for work last Thursday, and our theme this year is speaking the truth to bring out the gold in people. Then last night, Kris said that if a thot, idea or interpretation of scripture isn't redemptive, it's not God's heart. Meaning, Kingdom Truth and Love are always redemptive, full of hope, and uplifting. So between the training and Kris' morsel, if a thot, idea, interpretation of scripture or opinion about someone isn't redemptive, full of hope, or uplifting, it's not Daddy-God's heart and doesn't need to be aired.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18
The truth will set you free. John 8:32

Speaking the truth means calling out the gold in people, which is often Truth about who they are that that can't see, and it sets them free and release them to be who they were created to be. I've found it intriguing (and painful) to see people use "speak the truth in love " as a way to tell others about all of their faults and things about them that might be irritating or annoying. Where's the Love in that?

Love is patient and kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love does not dishonor others.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not easily angered.
Love keeps no record of wrongs bc Love forgives and forgets faults, foibles and irritating things.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
Love always believes in others (by bringing out the gold in them).
Love never gives up. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

The enemy constantly hammers us w/ how imperfect we are to keep us from being the powerful, strong and confidently courageous people we were created to be, so why join him? Joining him is never a good idea. Speaking the truth in Love is all about bringing out the gold in people bc that is what Truth and Love see in others. (Wisdom and boundaries are essential when bringing out the gold in those who have not been safe or trustworthy.). If something isn't redemptive and doesn't build someone up or set them free, then it shouldn't be spoken.

Jesus gave them this answer: Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:18

How much are we tapped into Holy Spirit and what Daddy-God is saying or doing? How often do we miss opportunities to Honor and Love on others? I missed an opportunity yesterday bc I allowed a non emergency situation to dictate my actions to not pursue doing what I was supposed to do. Is missing opportunities to Love on others, lift them up and honor them a big deal? Well, Loving and Honoring others is the main purpose for why we are living and breathing and being on this planet, so yes, Loving and Honoring the one in front of us and the one Daddy-God highlights is a big deal. Yesterday's incident reminded me of how acutely aware of Holy Spirit's nudges and promptings we need to be, and also how we must then pursue saying or doing what He's nudging us to say or do. We can't ever know how much that person is in need of what Holy Spirit is prompting us to do or say.

I read this today as I was trying to figure out why some of my html isn't working (must update/redo code format..rrgh):

Wow, and there are even a verses for it!

Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:16

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; Psalm 15:1 - 3

Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it. James 4:11

So how do we vent and work thru issues w/out being critical or speaking badly about others? Not sure other than not implicating the person who's caused the problem, such as, "Someone I see often cut me off and it hurt. Made me feel very unimportant."

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

If one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. Ecclesiastes 4:12

On the way to work this morning, the thot came to me that if Daddy-God had changed my best friend's disposition, i.e. made him hard, untrusting, and conniving, he might still be alive (tho not as kind, Loving or safe). Then I realized that this is precisely why we're suppose to Love, encourage, support and cover/protect each other... so that we can be who we were each created to be. The ability to support and protect/cover each other involves insight and wisdom so that it actually supports and protects/covers w/out turning into control, which Holy Spirit is an expert at! So again, maybe this is bc the reason we're on this ball of land and water is partner w/ Holy Spirit to Love, encourage, support and cover each other, so that each of us can be who we were each created to be and walk out the destinies that we were created to walk out. We are here to Love, support and cover each other (Galatians 6:2), and Holy Spirit's guidance, not having to know the details, is all that's necessary.

Thinking things out like this enables me to be internalizing what I can do next time for someone else, so that my pain doesn't develop into a spirit of hatred, bitterness, and criticism. Learning how to truly Love is ongoing..

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. John 15:12

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:15 - 16

As Randy Clark was speaking tonight at the healing conference, this thot came to mind: when someone is sharing their heart, true empathy brings us to where that person is, and this enables us to carry their burden (Galatians 6:2) and also be in a place where we can bring them thru their pain/sorrow. If we don't come along side them, we'll end up pulling them to where we'd like them to be, which is tiring for us and can end up causing them to slide even further down their hole. When I read verse 16, I didn't remember it being in the Bible -

Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. - In other words - Do not be conceited...do not see yourself as better than others.

Carry each other's burdens, help each other with your troubles, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Neutrality is often actually being unsupportive and even opposing, supporting the other side. This means that we must ask Holy Spirit how to be supporting and encouraging, so that we don't end up siding w/ the enemy.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 10:10 & 14:6

Daddy-God tells us Truth so that we willingly choose Him and His Ways, while the enemy has to deceive us to get us to choose him. Hmmm, I wonder who's more trustworthy?

Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, .... who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; Psalm 15:1 - 4

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

This thot just came as I was reading tonight, and maybe it came due to the fact that my sensitivities to things have been accentuated bc of all that I have lost. Jesus doesn't just look at our hearts and attitudes regarding what we've lost or don't have, but He also looks to see what we've done and are doing w/ what we do have. Since I so desire to create an atmosphere where people can heal and not be further thrashed by the enemy, I think about what hurts my heart and what comforts it so that I can be a comfort and instrument of healing to others who are hurting. In my experience, the more one is blessed w/, the more tact one needs to have. Losing my treasure has brought hugely devastating loses and limitations to my life, besides the fact that no one else fights for me or partners w/ me quite like he did. In sense, I will now have to live a very different life...it will be good bc I am choosing to make it good, but it won't be what it should have been, which stings. It is my job to focus on what Daddy-God is doing in my life and to celebrate w/ others those things He has blessed them w/.

So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. Nehemiah 4:21

Jsus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?
"No one, sir," she said.
Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin. John 8:10 - 11

Fnally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable and of good report - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

From heaven the Lord looks down
        and sees all mankind;
     from His dwelling place He watches
        all who live on earth -
     He who forms the hearts of all,
        who considers everything they do. Psalm 33:13 - 15
    Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. Philemon 1:17

Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that He breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. John 20:21 - 23 & Matthew 6:14

I strongly believe that this means that if I forgive someone, whether they ask for it or not, they will be forgiven. This is actually a serious responsibility on our part. Of course, if the person asks Daddy-God for forgiveness, He will for give them whether we do or not, but what an amazing gift we can give someone! How can we not forgive others when we are in such dire need of being forgiven ourselves?

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" .. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted. So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. John 6:9 - 13

As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Do we pour ourselves out for what we can get out of it or for the sake of Loving and pouring out? If we pour out for the sake of Loving and pouring into someone bc we're so awed at His Love for us and how He poured Himself out for us, then we wont be quite as hurt or disappointed when it isn't honored or valued or returned. How can we not pour out our Love to others once we begin to internalize His unending and abounding Love for us?

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:7

We wear what we think. This idea woke me up a bit today as I thot about how much people can actually feel the true state of our hearts, esp. discerning people. For instance, if we think in our heart of hearts that people w/ curly hair are ugly, or that people with less money or less education are less important or of a lower class, people can feel that aversion and hardness on us. Also, a discerning person who has curly hair may wonder why s/he feels ugly arounds us, and a person w/ less money or education may feel degraded in our presence in spite of the polite pleasantries that may come out of our mouths. Impure and inappropriate thots can be felt as well. Our hearts and our thots are not as hidden from people as we may think and hope, for they truly do determine what we give off, ie, our hearts and our thots make us smell good, or not so good.

He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you - be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. Luke 11:39-41

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. What do you think, Simon? He asked. From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes - from their own children or from others? "From others," Peter answered. Then the children are exempt, Jesus said to him. But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours. Matthew 17:25-27

We are to not cause offense whenever possible. Just bc we realize that we're the favorite sons and daughters of the King of the universe doesn't mean we can/should be bratty and walk in the spirit of entitlement or the spirit of stupid. That's not Love... the spirit of stupid pretty much encompasses all things that are not Love.

If we are truly the favorite sons and daughters of the King of the universe, we will be patient and kind.
We will not envy.
We will not boast.
We will not be proud.
We will not dishonor others.
We will not be self-seeking.
We will not be easily angered.
We will keep no record of wrongs bc Love forgives and forgets.
We will not delight in evil, but we will rejoice with the truth.
We will always protect, always trust, always hope, and always persevere.
We will always believe in others.
We will never give up. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. Matthew 10:24

This really stirred my spirit and even jolted me a bit as I read it. If Jesus, the God of the universe, humbled Himself and served in the lowest capacity, how can we possibly see anything as being beneath us? How can we have the audacity to see ourselves as being above the task at hand, especially if it's for someone else? And considering that Jesus gave His life to save our skins, how can we not do every single thing that we do out of our Love and awe for Him?

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Acting and speaking in healthy ways will eventually bring others into healthy behaviors and responses if they choose to continue being around us. To maintain strong and powerful relationships, it's also imperative to set healthy boundaries, but this never has to be hurtful or rejecting. Reacting to others' unhealthiness only brings us into their unhealthy whirlwind. My best friend's dad never reacted to my peculiar behaviors, so his healthy responses to me allowed my heart to heal and change. I eventually learned healthy and proper behaviors, and I even learned how to set healthy boundaries w/out it being hurtful or rejecting. Saying no doesn't have to hurt. If we set our boundaries w/out apologies in an honoring and respectful way, such as w/ a positive invite at the end, it can leave the person feeling loved and secure, i.e. "I can't do this w/ you, but hey! let's go do this!" or "I can't do that right now. Let's do it in an hour."

Here's a story of how I learned some of these things. Early in my journey of healing, part of the healing process was learning to trust my treasure's dad. One afternoon, I had gone up to see him, but when I saw he wasn't there, the fear of having messed up and being so weird that he wished he'd never met me overwhelmed me as I went back home. I knew that I had to go to choir that night bc I was meeting friends there, so I hardened my heart bc I knew the sweet safe relationship was done. We walked into the small amphitheater and sat down, and I mustered all the strength and hardness I had to look up and glare at him. I glared at him long and hard bc it would hurt less if he gave up on me bc I was nasty to him. W/out missing a beat, he smiled back at me and said w/ a wink, "It's good to see you, Jessica." Immediately, I felt the hardness melt away and I felt stronger too, Maybe he didn't regret knowing me. He seemed to smile extra encouragingly during practice, then after practice he came over to me, "I wasn't in my office all day today, was I?"
I shook my head, wondering how he knew I'd come by.
"I was in boring meetings all day. I'll be in my office tomorrow if you want to come by."

How did he know why I had flipped out and had hardened my heart? He didn't apologize bc he had done nothing wrong; instead, he let me know why he wasn't there, hinting that it wasn't all that fun, as if to say that he wasn't avoiding me. Then he left the conversation w/ an invitation to come back, try him again when he could be there. ~ That has shown me how to set healthy boundaries w/ people while letting them know that I still like them and am not rejecting them. Then... if I know that I have set healthy boundaries w/ honor, pure love and encouragement, I must realize that I've done my part and their response is their responsibility, not mine.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As I continue to grieve, Daddy-God's been dropping treasured gems into my lap, and while I was thanking Him for these today, I saw this.. The enemy may be able to destroy something, but when the dust settles, he can't destroy the gems that rise out of the ashes.

Daddy-God has been making my treasure's love for me so real. My best friend loved me in a way that I think most people dream about, the kind of heart and soul love that cannot cause pain or grief to come into the eyes of the one who is loved. His love for me ran deep and seemed to be something he couldn't ignore. He avoided causing me pain, was never once angry w/ me and didn't want me to ever be distressed about things I didn't do well, tho he did sharpen things in my character that needed it. I loved how he could sharpen me in a way that didn't hurt, somehow his sharpening was always encouraging and built me up each time. It blows me away to remember how aware he was of every move I made and just about every breath I took... and it was incomprehensible when I realized than he had fallen in love w/ me - something I never saw him fall out of. He was proud of me as well. So I've been thanking Daddy-God for giving me the experience of being loved this deeply, and I will have these memories for the rest of eternity.

Good words to an amazing song -

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

We've all seen Daddy-God provide food, clothes, housing, finances and other physical things, but He also gives us what our hearts and spirits need. Thanksgiving is this week, and I know that I will never be able to enjoy it or any other holiday w/ the family Daddy-God had intended me to be a part of. I always worship my way thru the pain, but this morning was proving to be a hard morning, and the intensity of the pain made it almost impossible to worship and declare while I got ready for work. So I asked Daddy-God to show me that He is good. Life has been endlessly hard and fułl of pain except for those few precious years I had w/ my best friend, and even tho I fully know that He is good, I was really needing to see it. - On my way to work, my driver found out I do web design and asked me to work w/ him in the creating of the website for his business! Thank You Daddy!!

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective... pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. James 5:16 & Ephesians 6:18

How can we tell if what we're sensing or feeling is Holy Spirit or the enemy? For one thing, Holy Spirit is always full of peace, hope and expectation of good. There is never any minute particle of fear, worry, anxiety, etc. in Him bc He has nothing to fear, worry or be anxious about. He's not fearful or worried about anything, bc nothing is beyond His ability to fix! Also, Love is always and only ever good, which is why there is nothing to fear or be anxious about in Love. Therefore, if we're fearing something or are anxious and worried about something, then we're sensing what the enemy wants to have happen, not what Daddy-God wants, so fear and its relatives are never worth paying attention to. In actuality, inaction, passivity, or lack of support bc of fear or feelings devoid of peace can actually end up being a partnership w/ the enemy for his plans to succeed. If we do feel fear or concern about something, we must ask Holy Spirit for His Perspective until all fear, worry, anxiety disappears and we're filled w/ a peace and exciting hope that we can pray into.

I've experienced how not praying, encouraging and supporting someone bc of fear can enable the enemy to permanently keep that person from living out their God-ordained destiny. So how can we know how to pray and support so that our actions/responses or inaction don't enable the enemy's plans to succeed? - We can't make decisions or do or not do something out of fear, worry or anxiety, for one. Once when I shared w/ someone a little about a situation, the person said that fear was gripping them regarding the situation and wouldn't pray for what I had asked. True to what the person was sensing, the situation wasn't pretty, but the not-pretty things weren't what the person was assuming they were. Some time later, I was on the flip side when a friend shared something that she felt she was suppose to do. I encouraged her in it and supported her even tho something felt icky in my spirit. Then in my prayer time I asked Daddy-God to expose whatever it was that felt icky or whatever it was in me that might be off if I was sensing wrong (bc we don't know everything or sense everything correctly, and it's important to be able to acknowledge this). My friend ended up not getting into the situation, but she thanked me for supporting her.

Since I wouldn't share details about my situation, only a couple of people ever prayed w/ me here and there over the years. Each of those who did pray w/ me felt Daddy-God in the situation bc of their own experiences w/ Him, yet each one ended up having things happen in their lives that left them w/out the time or energy to continue praying w/ me. One friend's sister and another close-by friend herself had even experienced some of the same exact things that I wasn't sharing, so they both fully understood the importance of praying until things changed bc that is how each had gotten out of their situations. But after a month or so of praying w/ me, the close-by became so insanely busy she even told me that she didn't understand what was happening, and the other friend slowly became overwhelmed by her own circumstances to keep praying w/ me. No one seemed to be able to consistently and steadfastly press in w/ me in prayer for my best friend breakthru until it came, and his life ended before its time, which has also altered my own destiny. . . It makes me wonder what might have happened if there had been support by people who fully believed in us and were actively pursuing supporting and praying w/ me until he had breakthru?

Pastor Bill said once that just bc Daddy-God shows us something doesn't mean He'll show others, and we need to be obedient to what He's shown us whether others support us or not. That is also true when Daddy-God speaks to someone about something and doesn't fill us in. We shouldn't have to know the details to pray for and support someone, bc we should believe in each other whether we know a lot or a little. Just bc Daddy-God hasn't told us what He's told the person doesn't mean that it's not Him, and we still need to be encouraging and supportive so that His Will can be accomplished, not the enemy's. Maybe this is why our purpose for being on this planet is to Love, support and pour ourselves out for others...their destinies depend on our Love, prayer, and support.

God said to Moses, I AM Who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you." God also said to Moses, Say to the Israelites, "The Lord, the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you." Exodus 3:14-15

Daddy-God is all about building a relationship w/ us, not a religion (formulas/patterns that don't need Him to be sustained), which I think was the basis for Paul's message tonight. He talked about how Daddy-God's Plan A was for Moses to trust Him enough to speak and use his voice (Exodus 3), and His Plan B was for Moses to use his rod (Exodus 4). He allowed Moses to use his rod as he began leading the people and even told him strike the rock the first time the Israelites grumbled about being thirsty. Then after showing how abundant His provisions were, He wanted Moses to trust Him enough to use his voice to speak to the rock. Moses' anger, however, caused him to use religion, ie follow a pattern for provision (hitting the rock for water), when he should have been secure enough in his relationship w/ Daddy-God to go w/ His Plan A of using his voice. His choice to continue to follow Plan B instead of trusting Daddy-God enough to go by Plan A kept him from being able to enter the Promised Land.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. 1 Corinthians 6:12

I found this intriguing as I was asking Daddy-God why being around people who talk big but do and/or produce little is so draining. He brought to mind how people who face challenges and overcome them, inspire those around them to persevere, be strong and overcome. Similarly, when we slack off or give in (eat that cookie or watch that movie for comfort or such) instead of going to Him for strength, comfort, etc., it actually pulls others down bc it comes from a negative or non-Kingdom mind-set. Every decision we make affects those around us in a positive and inspiring way or in a way that weakens and pulls others down.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

A few days ago, my team leader noted that I had been covering someone's shift four weeks in a row... I had begun to feel a bit taken advantage of but hate to not be helpful, so I was feeling out what I should do when my team leader talked to me about it. She thanked me for filling in then told me she'd take care of it. It was so nice to be appreciated and to feel my giving nature was honored bc I wasn't told to stop being giving. I love how I am appreciated for being giving and honored/respected for it in how those over me work to make sure that I'm not taken advantage of. So what's the difference between honor and control? Here are a few thots..

Honor is to regard w/ great admiration. Honor in the Kingdom protects Kingdom values like selfless love, serving, giving, thinking of others, as well as keeping one's self healthy.
Control is limiting or maintaining influence or authority over another's behavior. Subtle control is limiting right/positive behaviors by permitting inappropriate/negative behaviors to persist.

Honor doesn't take away someone's choices, but control (both subtle and blatant control) limits or takes away someone's choices.

Control would ask the other staff to have someone else cover for them and not to ask me to cover for them any more bc I'm feeling used/taken advantage of.
Honor notices that I might be being taken advantage of and appreciates what I've done while asking the other staff to be responsible about working their scheduled shifts or asking them to discuss a schedule that's better for them.

Honor finds a gracious way to curb disrespectful behavior while encouraging and promoting appropriate behaviors. Subtle control allows disrespectful behavior, expecting others who have less authority to deal w/ it if it bothers them. For instance, in a meeting held to help a person or a cause where there are people who are talking off-topic, honor would continually keep the attention where it should be, "Let's hear what (person who cares or who the meeting is about) has to say." A leader w/ control/little respect issues would say or shrug, "Don't look at me. If you want the focus to be on you, then you get them to quit talking."

Honor seeks the good of others by valuing and honoring what is right, good, and appropriate, while giving choices for changing disrespectful behavior. Control is self-seeking and doesn't honor or value what is right, good, and appropriate, but allows it to be shutdown by not protecting it and requiring others w/ less authority, to step up.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

I've been wondering what my is purpose now? For fifteen and a half years, Daddy-God focused on shaping me into being the wife, and later the mommy, that He wanted me to be, but now that my best friend is no longer on the planet and I can only be a distant mommy, I've been wondering why I must remain here. I know that we're all here to Love others and pour ourselves out for them, but yesterday morning during communion, He moved me to release the self-giving unity and oneness that my best friend and I had to the newly married couple I was sitting w/. This is why I'm still here..

Whatever Daddy-God gives us is definitely for our enjoyment, but it's also for releasing to others! and if the enemy destroys that which He meant for us, part of the justice gained comes by releasing it to others so that countless others have the gift that Daddy-God had originally given to us! So I am releasing what we had as Holy Spirit nudges me to in addition to Loving others and pouring myself out for them. I have a renewed purpose! Happy Birthday, my Love!!

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. John 17:16-18

We've all heard this, but how is it really played out? How do we immerse ourselves in the world to be a witness w/out getting sucked into the things that hurt Daddy-God's heart? The answer is to bring the Kingdom into every atmosphere we walk into. For instance, my best friend wanted to play his (secular) music in bars, and his music was so infused w/ Holy Spirit that it would have broken chains and shattered strongholds. To do this, he would have needed to be sufficiently covered in prayer at all times by a steady group of people who were devoted to him, and also have people there praying for him and for Holy Spirit to come and do His Work in people's lives...Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. We can do many, many, many things in the world, even dress up for Halloween, but we just need to do what we do from His Presence and w/ His Holy Spirit.

But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. ... For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9 & 10

It makes me laugh to be reminded exactly how much we're suppose to pull on Holy Spirit to give us what we need to be able to do those things we need to do. For instance, if we're not good w/ words or knowing how to encourage people, we can ask Daddy-God to give us the gift of encouragement and ask Holy Spirit for the words that the person we're w/ needs to hear. If our sensitivities overwhelm us, we can ask Him to strengthen us (not desensitize us), so that we can bring the Kingdom change into our surroundings that we've perceived is needed. If we're laid back and not as self-motivated as some, we can ask Him to work into us self-motivation and responsibility. If we're not a detailed person, we can ask Him to make us a detailed person w/ grace, so we can stay on top of things responsibly while giving people grace. Remaining not good at something that people need from us, especially when it has to do Loving and encouraging them, means that we're not pulling on Holy Spirit to the extent that He wants us to. Our lives should be all about pouring ourselves out for others.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Reminiscing about someone's sin, or assumed sin, is never a part of the process that Daddy-God uses to make good out of the situation. So why not partner w/ Daddy-God by looking for the good and speaking that out?

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

As I've been asking Daddy-God to help me make sense of why people look down on others who aren't like them, He showed me how people's own individual personality, education, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, and value systems are not the universal standard as most seem to think. This means that differences in others are never indications of their inferiority...if they are, then we have an identity issue. (When our identity is in being Daddy-God's favorite girl or boy, we won't have the need to feel superior to others...funny how having our identity in being His favorite fixes so many attitude problems.) My slurred speech and crooked gait doesn't make me less human just as someone else's delays doesn't make them less important. A person's sensitivities aren't indicators that this person is delicate, weak, immature or uneducated, instead, they show how Daddy-God wants to use that person. For example, I'm sensitive to words spoken to me, as they either really strengthen me or deeply wound me. When words are wounding, I work thru healing w/ Daddy-God and learn what I could say that would be encouraging and healing instead of wounding. So my sensitivity to spoken words isn't a sign of me being delicate, weak, immature or uneducated, as some may think, but it enables Him to use me to speak words of healing and encouragement bc I understand how deeply words can wound. I have found that those who are grounded in who they are in Him, honor and value my sensitivities bc they're secure in who they are. Once we're secure in who we are, we can celebrate each other's strengths and strengthen each other's weaknesses.

[Speak] only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

This weekend was our Compass Retreat,and I was awed again to watch the honor value and respect shown to clients, admin, and staff alike..I never saw a distinction or hierarchy shown by the leaders. A church service was offered this morning to those who wanted to go, and the message was on learning to like and value ourselves and who we are the way that Daddy-God likes and values us and who we are. - Because again, we can't Love, honor, value, respect or enjoy others and their uniquenesses until we can Love, honor, value, respect and enjoy ourselves and our own uniquenesses as He does!

Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Matthew 18:19-20 & Galatians 6:2

The law of Christ is Loving others. I understand the context of these verses, but we truly do need each others' Love and support in order to do what we were created to do. There are five things that I have found are necessary in order to step into and walk out our destinies in Him.

Conviction in our spirits
Confirmation in the Word
Covering, accountability and agreement w/ a rightly aligned authority figure
Prayer, declarations, and pressing in (and fasting at times)
Supportive and praying people

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

As I was thinking on things earlier today, this thot came to me: the reason why Daddy-God wants us to take our thots captive and to think on good things is that when we're changing a thot pattern, as w/ lifestyle changes, we have to replace the bad way of thinking w/ a good pattern of thinking. Good patterns of thinking are thinking about whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.(Philippians 4:8) For instance, if we're critical of others, we can think on their good qualities every time a negative thot about them comes to mind.

Good patterns of thinking are also a crucial part of the healing process. Early on in my journey of healing from things in my childhood, a lot of healing came from learning to trust my best friend's dad and to interact w/ him in a healthy way out of that trust. In order to do this and to change my heart and behavior patterns, I had to change my thot patterns. This meant that I had to think and "dream" about looking confidently into his face, talking comfortably w/ him, and even making him laugh when my natural wounded pattern of thinking was to think about shrinking away and hiding every time I saw him. We must take our thots captive and replace/overcome the wrong ones w/ good ones, bc what we think about, we end up acting out.

Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.' Matthew 7:22-23

This morning, Kris talked about Daddy-God only knowing us according to what we give Him to know, which is why He'll say to some, "I never knew you." I asked Him tonight for a word, and someone from work came to pray w/ me when we were told to pray for our neighbor. We gave each other words, and for me she saw an onion w/ deep deep roots growing down and green shoots growing up towards the Son, then she saw that as I spent time in His Presence, layers of the onion came off. As we give all of who we are over to Daddy-God for Him to see and know, He can actually know us and use us! and when we bare our hearts and souls to Him (give Him permission) for Him to heal, change and make us new, He honors our desire to be changed. This means that He will begin to bring up issues for us to deal w/ and work thru w/ Him, and it also means that merely spending time w/ Him will shed layers and parts of us that we need to be rid of.

Each part of us and every place in our hearts that we do open up to Him for Him to know and experience, He will fully know, fully experience and be able to fully use! On the other hand, whatever parts of us and places in our hearts that we do not give to Him to know and experience, He will never know, experience or be able to use.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:7

Pastor Bill spoke tonight, and this caught my attention. "There are some people who reject a story bc the story is unbelievable, but it's true. And some will believe a story that's totally believable, and it's a lie. How can we tell the difference? Only one of the two releases Presence. Love has a unique bent in that Love believes all things...but it's not gullible." Love strongly desires to believe in people.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. .. et your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Luke 6:4 & Matthew 5:15

Feeling pain and working through it is legal, marinating in it is not. Meaning, pain is not wrong, but letting it turn into bitterness, hatred, negativity, criticism, etc. is. Two years ago, I wrote on being real and not wearing an opaque mask, bc Light cannot shine thru an opaque mask. When we stuff our struggles and hurts and slap a happy-I'm-fine! smile on our face, that's called wearing an opaque mask. So how do we work thru our issues w/out dragging others down? Be open and real while marinating in His Presence. As we are open and real w/ Him and those around us while marinating in His Presence, we can work thru issues and ride out each wave of pain w/ Him w/out bringing others down bc they only see Him shining thru us. I remember hitting bottom in college as I was working thru all that had happened to me during my childhood, and Daddy-God kept after me to feel it all and to ride the wave of pain, sorrow, violation, etc. out all the way so I wouldn't have to re-visit each issue (that's different from sulking/wallowing in it). Most of my college years seemed to be me riding out wave after wave after wave of pain, sorrow, violation, etc., but the weird part was that on my lowest days, people would thank me for being an encouragement and for shining His joy! All I can conclude from that is that when we're real and keep our focus on Him, we become transparent such that Daddy-God can shine thru us and lift others up no matter what we're going thru.

If you hold to my teaching, ... Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32

As I was cutting up an apple for our veggie drink this afternoon, I thot of how people often remove the skin of so many fruits and vegetables when the skin is often where most of the vitamins and cancer-fighting nutrients are. I found it intriguing that the very part of a veggie or fruit that's often the most nutritious is the very part that so many people remove to make it look and/or taste better. How often do we do this with Truth when it doesn't come in an appealing package? We either don't eat/ingest Truth at all, or we peel away the distasteful parts that will actually give us the most nutrition, healing and freedom.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Proverbs 27:1

If we knew what was going to happen in each person's life that we know, how would that effect the way we treat them and Love them?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord .. has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve ... They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:1-4

Pastor Bill spoke on these verses this morning, and what caught my attention was how he talked about Daddy-God using those of us who are the most broken, devastated and grieving to rebuild cities and restore places of ruin. This mixed w/ the fact that we are on this ball of water and land to Love and pour ourselves out for others has given me a task to focus on. It intrigued me as well to be reminded again that our deepest places of brokenness will become our greatest strengths, so that we can be oaks of righteousness for the display of His splendor.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

The Compass staff meeting was tonight, and I'm endlessly amazed at how full my bucket is when I leave, even if I'm just going in to have my paychecks copied. They honor and value my detail-oriented, pouring-out personality w/out using or abusing it, and it feels heavenly every time. Every personality trait has its good points and its not so good points. The perfectionism in a detail-oriented person helps tasks to be done w/ excellence, and having the details about one's life remembered can make one feel valued and loved. On the other hand, perfectionism (usually accompanied by control) and attention to details can also make other people feel overwhelmed, inadequate and useless. This is why we need to blossom each of our personality traits fully and let lose, but only under Holy Spirit's guidance and covering. For instance, my detailed-oriented personality should be let lose to produce excellence, then curbed w/ His Spirit and His Grace so that others only feel honored and Loved because positive details about them are remembered, not the negative ones. Also, my attention to detail and drive for excellence should never cause them to feel inadequate, useless or inferior bc of how differently they do things.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels(head), but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy(head) and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge(head), and if I have a faith that can move mountains(head), but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor(head) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast(head), but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient(heart), love is kind(heart). It does not envy(heart), it does not boast(heart), it is not proud(heart). It does not dishonor others(heart), it is not self-seeking(heart), it is not easily angered(heart), it keeps no record of wrongs(heart). Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth(heart). It always protects(heart), always trusts(heart), always hopes(heart), always perseveres(heart). ... And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13

Last night my treasure's dad joined him after a horribly painful battle w/ cancer, so the two safest people on the planet who truly got me are now happy in Daddy-God's Presence. I don't want to have to face life without them or the rest of their family, but I am on this "ball of water and land" to Love people, and so this is what I am going to do. Eric talked this morning about very thing, that we are here to Love, and we are to Love from our hearts, not from our heads.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Ever since I was little, I've been drawn to helping others work thru inner healing as well as just simply loving people. I always loved the stories where a boy rescued an animal from a trap and then patiently nurtured it, even tho it growled and snapped at him, until the animal learned to trust him. He didn't love the animal bc of its responses back to him that made him feel good; he loved it bc it needed him and also bc of the life he saw in it...kind of like how Daddy-God Loves us. I've lost two precious people and am not the easiest person to love and be around right now, which reminds me of the time I gave one of them a "go to hell" glare one night at choir practice bc I was overwhelmed in my own journey of healing. W/out missing a beat, he responded, "It's good to see you, Jessica." w/ a special smile and wink that strengthened and softened my heart to keep yielding to the healing process. Are we loving to Love or for what we might get back? When we love for the sake of Loving, the non-loving responses back are easier to bear.

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Love does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:5

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm ... If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God [and life] with freedom and confidence. Galatians 5:1 & 25 & Ephesians 3:12

I had a dream this morning where I was walking along a dirt road that was covered by a canopy of trees with a chain link fence on my right. I was walking half on and half off the sidewalk as cars were speeding by me going in the opposite, and I felt very strong, confident and bold in who I was as I realized that I was also very tall. I could have been eight feet tall because I towered over the passing cars. Then I saw a van speeding towards me and swerve onto the sidewalk I was walking on and off of, so I in my strong, confident and bold state of being and attitude, I easily, confidently and safely sidestepped the oncoming van.

I continued on down the sidewalk w/ exhilarating confidence and joy and turned in at the gate, where I came under a huge white tent. People were setting up for a big event, and I walked along the back then up along the far side wall of the tent. Electrical chords were lying everywhere, and my feet danced over and around them while zigzagging between people and tables with unconcerned ease. When I reached the front, my feet came into another mess of electrical chords that were plugged into different things on one of the tables, so I confidently moved a few of the impeding chords aside and hopped out. Then I woke up, and it was 7:44.

I felt like Daddy-God was showing me how we can move thru life and not get tangled up in messes when we walk confidently in who we are as His favorite sons and daughters.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5

When our highest passions, interests, and places of identity are in anything outside of Daddy-God, it will limit our circle of friends as well as who we are able to relate to and encourage. This means we must work thru our issues and allow Him to heal us until He is first in every area. If our highest passions, interests, and places of identity are in our high paying jobs, having a spouse, children/grandchildren, houses, cars, etc., what do we talk about and enjoy w/ those who don't have many or any of those things? Having Him be our highest passion, interest, and place of identity will then give us his Heart for others and their lives, interests and passions when they are different from ours. This is what pouring into others looks like. This is what Love looks like.

Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. John 13:34 & Romans 12:9

If the final question truly is did I learn to Love, then I want to know what Love looks like every moment in every situation I'm in. Jesus puts His entire being into everything He does for me. Do I put everything I have into every interaction I have w/ others and in everything I do for them? Do I pour myself out for others, value them and encourage them like He endlessly does for me?

For God does speak - now one way, now another - though no one perceives it. Job 33:14

As the pain from loss has been overwhelming and has taken everything out of me lately, it's intrigued me to see Daddy-God's gentle and subtle ways of keeping me moving forward. He's given me projects to work on and think about in between working thru everything that's happened. It's comforting that He allows me to feel shattered and sunk beyond help in the midst of keeping my shattered self moving forward by giving me things to do. For the past couple of days He's begun to remind me of stories, like how Kris grew up w/out his daddy, to remind me of how things can still turn out for the good.. and today I saw the Spiderman movie. Daddy-God speaks in quiet and subtle ways...how often do to we pick up on His words of Love and Hope?

Love one another as I have loved you. Do everything in love .. with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, John 13:34, 1 Corinthians 16:14 & Colossians 3:23

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ... God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.Acts 4:32-35

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

Someone stayed overnight last night, and as we talked this morning, they told me about the dreams they had just had. In one dream, none of this person's friends knew this person's true and rightful name except for the one boy this person didn't like, so this person had to hang out w/ him. As this person hung out w/ the boy, one by one this person's friends began to call this person by their true and rightful name. Quite often, the significant things in our lives start out small and even distasteful.

Then the Angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." Give us each day our daily bread. 1 Kings 19:7 & Matthew 6:11/Luke 11:3

Today, I was thinking about the interaction I had w/ Pastor Bill Sunday night as I was looking for the person I usually see and have learned to trust. A few moments each week, I have a place where I am free to be my all-out loving self, and it is honored instead of pushed away, cut short and/or excused. It will be several weeks before I can go on a Sunday night again, so I wanted to find my person to encourage and also to have a fresh healthy and honoring interaction under my belt as I face a long three weeks ahead. I turned the corner, and there was Pastor Bill, so I hugged him instead.

Every single day, Daddy-God gives us things, words, people, etc. as food to keep us going along our journeys. However, it is up to us to internalize (chew and swallow) each one so that we can draw from them to keep going, to change unhealthy mind-sets, to endure the stretching, to learn new healthy patterns, and so on. Changing, growing and enduring are all intentional processes...it doesn't just "happen".

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. Love never gives up. 1 John 4:18 & 1 Corinthians 13:7-8(TLB)

This morning, as I was wondering why a few people seem to make correct assumptions about me while others don't, I felt Holy Spirit showing me that it is bc of fear. Fear demoralizes, debilitates, disorganizes, distorts reality, warps perception, gives false self-confidence, procrastinates, avoids, and always assumes and/or expects the worst. This may be why fear causes us to misjudge/misread people and their thots, feelings and motives, so that we are unable to truly know the people Daddy-God gives us to do life w/. Love, on the other hand, encourages, strengthens, organizes, portrays reality accurately, straightens out perception, gives true self-confidence, works diligently to bring completion, faces things, takes on challenges, and always assumes and/or expects the best. This may be why Love enables us to believe in people and their thots, feelings and motives, so that we can truly know the people Daddy-God gives us to do life w/.

continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose. Philippians 2:12 & 13

I have given you authority .. to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, Luke 10:19 & Ephesians 2:6

Tonight, while we were watching Hook w/ my niece who was spending the night, I watched Peter blunder around w/ the Lost Boys whispering about him not remembering who he was, and it clicked. It was a perfect picture of how wimpy and wussy we are when we forget who we are as sons and daughters of the King. However, once Peter remembered that he was Peter Pan, he remembered how to fly, how to fight and wield a sword, and how to let loose and have fun. He also got his "inheritance" back. When we remember who we are as sons and daughters of the King and the authority that we have in Him, we can soar above the enemy and fight offensively w/ a confidence, strength and boldness that brings about victories and reclaims territories that have been lost. We also have fun in the process and become more and more childlike - trusting, carefree, playful, and full of hope and joy!

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

A friend passed me tonight on her way out and said she was praying for what we had prayed about a few weeks ago. It boosted me out of my sludge enough for me to consciously realize that I can't give up...bc Daddy-God will restore my treasured family as He Promised. - - Caring for others can encourage them enough for them to be able to determine not to give up, which can change destinies and make history.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. Psalm 145:13

Trust is trust. Whether you are the head of a huge business or a full-time mom, trust is trust. The same is true for those who have families, own things and have lots of responsibilities and those who only (appear to) have themselves to worry about, trust is still trust. Saying it's harder for one person to trust than another indicates that identity may be coming from number/size of responsibilities/problems, status, external importance, etc. instead of being a favorite daughter or son of the King.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:7-8

I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18

We don't have to get ourselves fixed or happy before we come before Him, just yielded and honest. No sin or experience is bigger than Daddy-God. Nothing makes Daddy-God reject us. The space between us and Him is in our court; the distance between us and Daddy-God is our choice bc He will never turn us away. Intimacy w/ Daddy-God is affected by attitudes not brokenness, pain, sorrow, grief or tears bc He always lifts up the down trodden and comforts the broken hearted.

Daddy-God is always waiting for us, to Love on us and to celebrate us. He knows us to our cores and takes us as we are all the time, bc He is always readily available, meaning He is never ever angry w/ us or too busy for us. He actually and truly enjoys it when we come to Him in strength, confidence and boldness, and He likes to be pounced on. Daddy-God loves loves Loves to dance w/ us, play w/ us, twirl us around, and He plays the best hide-and-seek. He also loves to laugh and has absolutely the best humor! Whether we feel close to Him or not, He sings over us. He is the best Daddy in the world, so Happy Daddy's Day!

Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life... for as he thinks within himself, so he is. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Proverbs 4:23, 23:7 & Philippians 4:8

Our thots truly do affect other people by either building them up and giving them a place where they feel honored and safe, or by demeaning them and destroying them. True, not everyone is sensitive to their environments or has the gift of discernment, but those who are discerning and sensitive can be deeply affected by our private dishonoring thots and biases. For example, if someone thinks short people are less intelligent, I begin wonder why I feel dumb when I'm around that person. I don't normally feel unintelligent or whatever odd thing I start feeling, but I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt (when it's safe to) until they say something that reveals their true thots/biases. Then I realize that there is a valid reason for how I have felt and feel around that person. This validation also feels like Daddy-God is confirming my ability to sense things accurately and is showing me how to pray for the person and lift them up. True, these thots probably come from their insecurities, but they still have a negative and even destructive affect on those who pick up on them. Some may advise sensitive people to learn not to pick up on these things... but why put the responsibility on discerning people not to be affected by thots we shouldn't be thinking in the first place?

Years ago, when our pastor spoke on relationships between men and women, he talked about how men think about and look at women can destroy them or honor them and lift them up (and women to men). If we keep our thots honoring and time, place and person appropriate, our words, actions and even our silent presence will be uplifting and a safe place for others in ways we'll never know. If people could read our thots, what would we think about? Thank you to those who keep your thots honoring and appropriate...it's nice to be able to let my guard down and still feel clean, and sweet and lifted up when you're around!

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Psalm 34:18 & Matthew 5:3

An older man sat next to me tonight, and one of the things I sensed was that he was lonely. I knew I couldn't take it away bc it was on a level that only Daddy-God can fill. I feel so badly that people are lonely bc it's such a horrible feeling, and it made me so glad that feeling needy and lonely was another thing that Daddy-God had begun to work out of me back in '95.

He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household. 2 Samuel 6:10 & 11

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Another squirrel was found the be the culprit that started the fire on the hillside behind Bethel yesterday, so the streaming didn't work this morning, which meant that we got our own preach. Eric talked about three chairs that we usually think from: the seat of selfish ambition, the seat of Peace, or the seat of fear. As he spoke, it reminded me of what Daddy-God had begun doing w/ me when I lost my first treasure. My mind would go down the rabbit trail of recalling all of the pain in my life and how much I had to fear bc things never seemed to end well for me. I remember Him giving me the awareness that this pattern of thinking was not the way to develop healthy thot patterns or healthy behavior patterns. He would encourage me to dream in a positive light about what I wanted from life (bc I only knew what I didn't want). I had been doing this for the past few years as I was healing from things in my childhood, so I was familiar w/ it and it's purpose. Then Ken Medema put a different twist on it when he did a concert on our college campus. He said that the Kingdom of God begins in our minds, bc how we think and what we think about we eventually will put into action, which will bring the Kingdom of Love into our midst, or not.

"As for God, His way is perfect: The LORD's word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him." 2 Samuel 22:31

When I got up this morning, I was struggling as always to see how Daddy-God's Ways are perfect. How could all that's happened to my treasures (and others) be perfect or His Will? If I am to live according to His perspective, how could not being able to love on my two most precious treasures on this planet for over five years possibly be right or even okay? Struggling to see His Ways as perfect has only brought on more pain, so I finally asked Him this morning to help me to see how his Ways are Perfect, and this is what He showed me..

Not everything that happens is Daddy-God's Will, which is why He shows us what He wants to do and asks us to partner w/ Him to bring it about. For instance, it's not His Will for a person to be abused or controlled, but if it happens and the person looks to Him and trusts/obeys Him, He will show the person His Way for that person to break free into freedom, healing and wholeness. His Ways are perfect and safe but insanely hard, esp. if we're making a break from a person or circumstance that's imprisoning or dysfunctional. He may also show the person or someone close what His Will is/the person's destiny and maybe even a way out for that person in order to create a partnership w/ the praying person that will bring about His Will. Circumstances may not be His Will, but His Ways for each of those circumstances are truly perfect!

The Lord said, If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
"Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!" So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. Genesis 11:6 & 1 Samuel 4:9-10

The Philistines were able to defeat the Israelites bc they weren't united, even tho Israel had the Ark of the Covenant. If people who were united w/out Holy Spirit could do anything and even defeat God's people who had Him in their midst but weren't fully focused on Him or united in Him, what can we accomplish when we unite together and partner w/ Him?

"We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." Genesis 37: 7

He's never too busy for you either, bc He actually misses you when you're not including Him in your stuff and talking to Him. You can love Him and have a relationship w/ Him in a way that no one else ever has or ever will, and He has been excited about you from the dawn of time! He'll take a frustrated and angry you over an absent you any time, and He won't respond in anger bc He truly does care. His anger is towards sin, not people. When I asked Him about hell, He said that since He is perfect and can not tolerate sin, He casts sin into hell, not people...we will end up spending eternity w/ what or who we're attached to or won't let go of, sin or Him. Sin also taints our perspective and relationship w/ Him, so He yearns deeply for us to be free to see Him and know Him for who He is. This may be why His Presence stirs us to deal w/ issues that are tainting our perspective and relationship w/ Him. I prefer to cleanse myself and work thru yielding to Him before I hang out w/ Him, so that when that I'm w/ Him, nothing needs to be brought up. Being clean and yielded makes me feel free to pounce on Him and look into His face, "I'm here!", chat w/ Him, ask Him to help me figure something out or to get me out of yet another mess.

When I feel entirely and deeply safe, I enjoy being affectionate and am very tactile. So when I'm sitting w/ Daddy-God, I touch His face and play w/ His fingers while we talk and dream together. Towards the end of the message, Stephen told us to sit quietly w/ Daddy-God, so I started poking Him - must connect! He said, Talk to me! Lol, He's so funny!!

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

Last week I cracked my elbow pretty hard on our hardwood floor. It didn't bleed much, and I poked at it and twisted and bent my elbow to see how much damage had been done. It felt no worse for the wear, so I got it cleaned and bandaged and began my regiment of downing vitamin C. After a few days, it began leaking clear fluid and was warm to the touch, which has never happened before, so I asked Daddy-God if I was going to be okay and live. He said I'd be okay, and I had a peace about it even tho the amount of drainage increased over the next few days.

There were two who were anxious about it, and I was curious, so even tho I had a peace about it and felt it would heal (like all the other times, lol) I felt Holy Spirit nudging me to get it checked to honor the two who were concerned. So I went to the ER after work this afternoon and met some precious medical people there while discovering that it was even less injured than I had been supposing - it was going to be okay, nothing was broken or out of place and I hadn't ruptured the bursa sac as I had thot. (A ruptured bursa sac just takes ice packs, rest and time to heal.) Getting it checked was honoring to those who cared and showed me that I had heard and sensed Him accurately. I also got antibiotics for it.

When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what/who is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Proverbs 23:1 & 2

Pastor Kris spoke on Daniel and this verse this morning. We were created for greatness, to serve before kings and to be fathers and mothers to nations, but this requires us to manage our appetites/desires for greatness, fame, money, significance, etc. While these desires aren't bad and can help move us into our destinies, they must be managed well and must not become the motivation for what we do. Daniel chose not to indulge by eating the king's food, but he went ahead and accepted a position in the king's court where he was in charge of all magicians and sorcerers. This position identified Daniel as being one of them, a magician/sorcerer, not a servant of the Most High God, but it also put him in a place of high influence over the King's court. When we learn to manage our appetites, Daddy-God can trust us to manage unusual situations.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5 & 6

Daddy-God saved my skin yet again this week and today. The enemy is out to do everything he can to steal, kill and destroy us and our destinies, and our sins make us deserving of exactly what the enemy wants for us. But! bc Jesus died and rose again, when we humble ourselves and ask Him to forgive us, we are clean and free to step into the life, blessings and destinies/"straight paths" that Daddy-God longs for us to have. I can never make things work out for my benefit, so I learned even as a young girl that I desperately needed Him bc I was always doing things and into things that were mammothly bigger than me. When I've come clean and have decided to trust Him, He has saved my skin every time. Making sure we're clean and good w/ Him is so freeing in itself any way, why does it take us so long?

If we are living a life we deserve, then we are living the life the enemy desires for us and not the life Daddy-God planned and longs for us to have. However, when we come clean, we can stand before Daddy-God in Christ and in His Righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and therefore in Him, we become deserving of what He has planned for us as His sons and daughters, i.e favor, success, blessings, hope, promises fulfilled, everything worked out, everything restored, everything redeemed, and destinies lived out, instead of the consequences our sins "deserve". His Love and Grace can fix anything and straighten every messed up path bc w/ Daddy-God, nothing is impossible!

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess His Name. Hebrews 13:15

Do not worry about tomorrow, Matthew 6:34

Worry is imagining our future w/out Daddy-God.

As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Do everything in love. Proverbs 4:23 & 1 Corinthians 16:14

When Love is our motive and "behind the scenes" in everything we do and say, our actions and our words will follow w/ honor and other Kingdom qualities.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
Matthew 22:37

What we consciously think a lot about becomes a way or pattern of our subconscious thot. So if we are to love the Lord "w/ all our mind," that means w/ our conscious and subconscious minds. This afternoon as my client was on her computer, Daddy-God said, "Why don't you praise Jesus while you have this time." I remembered wanting/asking Him to help my subconscious thots to be on Him and realized that if I consciously praise and worship Him every time I can, then I will begin to praise and worship Him subconsciously or when my thots aren't focused on anything. I so love Him!

This, then, is how you should pray:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name,
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Matthew 6:9-10

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23 & 24

During worship yesterday morning, I was wondering why some people seem to be able to give everything over while others can't. The freedom from giving everything over to Him is exhilarating beyond words, so I don't understand why people don't just let go of all those things that bring so much stress to themselves or pain to others. I sensed Him saying that the extent or depth of our need usually determines how much we are willing to yield, let go, and give over to Him

Even tho my life has been incredibly challenging, I'm so so so glad bc it has increased my awareness of my deep need for Daddy-God. The things I've been thru have made yielding, letting go, and giving everything over to Him seem like an easy alternative w/ freedom as an end result. Maybe this is bc when things are said or done that hurt or degrade me, I desperately don't want to do them to others, so when others act like it's normal/okay, I ask Daddy-God why it hurts or feels so degrading. For example, I used to feel degraded when I was proven wrong bc I was often needled into the ground until I acknowledged the other person's rightness, so I asked Him why this was so humiliating when no one else seemed to notice.

Daddy-God showed me that when we can't be wrong (bc our identity is in being right instead of being His son/daughter), we will insist on being right at the expense of relationships and others' dignity. When our identity is in being Daddy-God's favorite son/daughter, being wrong (or appearing to be) will not bother us unless it's life or death, bc it won't make us feel like less of a person. I loved how my treasure was so open to learning from others... it was beautiful to me, and I wanted to be able to feel that secure and confident when I was wrong. Having our identity in being Daddy-God's favorite son/daughter also causes us to value our relationships over the need to be seen as right, and that is Love! Another issue I struggled w/ was not finding my identity in my job status...He told me that if I had my identity solely in being his favorite girl, I should feel as dignified having to walk in to buy food stamps as I would if I were the president of a high-status company. He helped me get there w/ both of those. When something makes us feel like less of a person, it may be a red flag that our identity isn't solely in being His favorite.

In him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24 & 25

I have found that the more I pursue being in community w/ positive, encouraging believers, the less loud and overwhelming the enemy's lies are. This week, I saw how the enemy does what he can to be louder w/ his lies than Daddy-God is w/ His Truth. Daddy-God is a gentleman who doesn't force Himself on us, so I realized that I don't need to sift thru the lies to find the Truth, I just need to shut the enemy up so that I can hear the Truth :'D I also realized how being in the Word and in community w/ positive, encouraging believers will make the lies of the enemy more obvious and Daddy-God's Truth easier to hear.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 12:18 & 18:21

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Pa. Bill said something to the effect that he waits to feel the Father's heart of Love for the person in front of him before praying for/advising/working w/ them. When we feel Daddy-God's Love for the one in front of us, we will feel His heart and how it's for them and their good, and our actions and interactions w/ them should come out of that awareness.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling... Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Philippians 2:12 & 1 John 4:1

Daddy-God created us in His Image and in His Likeness, which means that we have a free will to choose Him and obey Him, a heart to Love w/, and a mind to fill w/ His Truth and Wisdom to use in making decisions. He never created something for the purpose of not being used, ie, He didn't given us a discerning spirit, a Loving heart or an intelligent brain for us not to use them. For instance, if we're hungry and pray for food and a stocked pantry appears, we shouldn't sit in front of it, waiting for Him to tell us to open the doors, pick something, then wait for Him to spoon-feed us (unless He says to do just that). When we're praying, we must keep ourselves attentive to Him to find out what we're responsible for working out and what His part is. I've found that quite often when I'm praying about a situation, He wants me to use the heart and brain He's given me to step out w/ my spirit fully attentive to Him. Once I've stepped out in faith watching and listening for Him, then He'll give me the guidance, open door, or provision I've been asking for! I believe that He honors those w/ hearts that are truly fixed on Him by not allowing them to go off track w/out extremely clear warning signs.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Last night during worship, I was seeing lots on how to teach/show my children how to worship. I saw an example of most of it years ago w/ Daja (they have 8 now, such sweet cuties). When I've mentioned things to friends about what I'm going to do and focus on as a mom, they've been torn down, so the way she's a mom I guess is Daddy-God's way of affirming the mommy stuff He's put in me. If I have any more kiddos, I'll probably wear them in a sling unless they want space and to move around on the floor. She has never had a baby carrier... to her, it's why have one? She's funny. Anyway they bounce around on her front while she's dancing and worshipping, then they mimic her raising her hands, and as they begin teetering around, they'll bounce on their little chubby legs next to her until they're big enough/brave enough to join the fun dancing towards the front. I love this way of getting them into worship from day one.

So last night, I saw worship times w/ our little ones being a mix of loving on them and being lost in worship ourselves at our favorite parts. I dreamed about having a worship time w/ one of them twirling around w/ him, laughing w/ him, holding and kissing him. Then at my favorite part, whispering how much I love this part and let's sing it, and when it's over, go back to having fun w/ him and the songs. This will hopefully help him/them to associate feeling deeply loved and accepted w/ worship and being in Daddy-God's Presence, and it may also bring him/them to tell me parts of songs that he/they like, then we'll worship and enjoy those parts he/they like together. Pushing children away so we can "get into worship" brings a lonely rejection association w/ worship and church, or so I think. This is another reason why we must make time to have our own individual worship and soaking time! Plus! Loving on them, snuggling them, building them up, even tickling and playing w/ them are all ways we can worship Him!! They're acts of worship too! I so Love Him!!!!

You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and You lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:2-5

This just dawned on me this morning, and I love that Daddy-God knows every single thing about each one of us. That's why it's such a good idea to go w/ Holy Spirit's take on each of us. I grew up playing the "happy child" role, and it must be stamped on my forehead since I still get the well-meant subtle 'be happy' advice. This 'be happy' advice hovers around 'don't add to the problem', 'not showing or sharing your unblissful things w/ others shows maturity,' 'the joy of the Lord is your strength!' or some other this'll-fix-you bit. Daddy-God has seen all of how I have not been free to feel not-happy feelings, which might be why He never ever tells me not to feel hurt, upset, frustrated, etc., tho I do know that I'm not free to lash out. He always tells me to feel things all the way out and also often reminds of how Hannah was allowed to weep and be broken over having no children and how she ended up raising a prophet...maybe she was crying His tears.

Seems like I personally need to be allowed to feel by having my feelings validated and respected thru empathy w/ no explanations like "they're so sweet and they really do love you" bc that says to me that they mean well and love me so much, so how can I let that gash in my heart hurt and bleed? When I get these responses, I feel horrible for being so selfish and for "over-reacting," so I have to go to Daddy-God to figure out why I'm over-reacting, and He always says I'm not over-reacting, that it should hurt and make me bleed bc it hurt Him and made Him bleed. Once my feelings are validated, empathized w/, and respected, I'm mostly over it, tho not entirely bc healing is a process. Thank you to my treasure, his fam., and others who have given me the freedom to feel by feeling w/ me and crying when I had no tears w/o 'buts' or advice, as tho you realized that I just needed a human to feel w/ me bc you believed in my ability to figure everything else out w/ Him.

Daddy-God is still teaching me to feel w/ freedom in order to heal (not wallow or splash in it for attention), but I no longer have the comfort of an empathetic listener when I need an empathetic heart. So He has given me another way to feel joy in the midst of my pain w/o discrediting how I'm feeling. My healthy, good-for-you, chocolate drink (raw cacao powder and raw honey) boosts my energy and my emotions so that I feel happy and light-hearted even tho I miss my treasures, I'm not understood deeply and the whirling around me makes my muscles tighter and my jerkiness worse. So when I'm going into a painful, hard, or demeaning situation, I drink up and thoroughly enjoy Him thru it! then I cry out for justice later. So yes, the Joy of the Lord thru cacao powder and honey is my strength!

I will repay you for the years that the locust has eaten - You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will [you] be shamed. Joel 2:25 & 26

Oh, how great is Your goodness,
       Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
       Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
       In the presence of the sons of men! Psalm 31:19

Daddy-God truly will repay and restore what's been taken from us, and He will lift up our heads in front of those who have looked down on us, laughed and mocked us, etc. He will not only restore, but He will repay as well, and repayment includes justice for wrongs done to us w/ others watching :')

Then the Lord said to him, Reach out your hand and take it by the tail. So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. Exodus 4:4

v Things that Daddy-God asks us to do aren't always safe, but He knows where we're individually in knowing His Ways, understanding His Heart, trusting Him, and therefore in what He can ask of us. Picking up a snake isn't safe unless you know how to use your authority in Him to keep it from biting you. So I found it intriguing that Daddy-God told Moses to pick it up by its tail, which would have been a definite test for Moses. My picking up a snake thing is that I've had a feeling this weekend that I'm suppose to start actively Loving on people instead of just loving in response to them. I love how He knows our hearts and where we are. For myself, I love from the depths of who I am, from my toes, so to speak, and being held at a distance or pushed away when someone is uncomfortable bc of their own insecurities and walls really hurts. Being pushed away by people who like their walls or have told me how not pure (they think) my motives are has messed me up very deeply and has made me doubt myself and my perceptions in so many areas that I've no longer had the strength to Love on people unless they ask for it or take it from me.

Experiencing so much of this, brought Daddy-God to hold me back and hide me for a long while bc my heart had become a torn bloody mess, but the past couple of years since I've been up here in Redding He's had me work on healing and trusting again. Now He wants me to Love on those I've been learning to trust. This means Loving on them w/out wondering how it'll be taken/interpreted bc of their past experiences, woundedness, etc. He is starting me out w/ a specific handful of people who will receive my Loving on them in an honoring way and will value it, and it's wonderful to be able to Love freely, to pour out and drink in in a healthy way, as I did tonight w/out hurtful responses! This has also helped me to understand how much it hurts Daddy-God when we can't or won't let Him Love on us down to our toes bc of our issues...and how it makes Him fly when we work thru our issues and become free enough to drink Him in!

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

Today is a special day and very dear to my heart as well as painful, and the last few days I've felt like I was in a daze about it all. I woke up this morning to the thot that I would be working w/ one of my clients today bc her staff called in sick. Before I wanted it to, my bladder required me to roust all my muscles and get up, and I was bummed at knowing they were now all tight and working for the day, which meant I was too. Nevertheless, I climbed back in bed, trying to worship and dream w/ Him while avoiding starting another day so early, another day and another year of missing my treasures. When I eventually got up to get ready for the day, I got a call asking me if I could cover a shift bc my client's staff had called in sick. So I dressed quickly, realizing that I had heard Holy Spirit correctly as I had noted doing earlier in the week, two other blatant incidences of strangely yet accurately hearing His Voice, not just having a sense about something. On the way to work, I remembered watching Kris last night tell Bob Jones stories and how I had asked to hear Him like Bob Jones had. Then I realized that this had been another lesson in the art of listening to Holy Spirit. I find it intriguing that He seems to teach those things we ask to be taught and doesn't force too much, if anything, on us...as an honor of our free will.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. ... I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Psalm 103:12 & Isaiah 43:25

I had to ask Daddy-God for forgiveness tonight, and the ickiness felt so huge I was sure I'd be feeling it for days when I heard,

You're fine.

Teach me Your Way, O Lord; I will walk in Your Truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name. Psalm 86:11

When we truly desire to see, understand, and live out Daddy-God's Kingdom Reality, He knows it bc He knows the true essence and motive of every single thot and desire we have. I love how He shows us His Kingdom Reality when we truly desire to live it out no matter the cost. Once we understand His Perspective and what He wants us to do, we become responsible for our choice to obey or not obey what we now understand. If He shows us something that's confusing, it's our responsibility to seek Him for understanding so that we can obey...teach me Your Way, O Lord; I will walk in Your Truth.

He shows me how He views things by giving me dreams, and I love how He does that bc if He showed some of us (like me) His Perspective while we're awake, our logic would reason His revelation down to nothing. I love coming to understand things from His Perspective bc then I can live in His Reality and bring heaven to earth. Seven years ago today, He distinctly showed me His Perspective on my place and role in the lives of my two treasures, my two favorite people on the planet. He showed me His Perspective on how the covenant I had made sixteen years ago has made me one flesh and how His Promise to restore everything included restoring the role He had planned me to play in the life of my other treasure. In this dream, He very clearly showed me my roles in the lives of both of my treasures, and so since that day I have been responsible for choosing to be obedient and live according to my roles or not accept His Viewpoint and be disobedient.

My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Don't underestimate Daddy-God's way of providing. He may not give us our hearts' desires immediately, but He will give us what we need to make it thru until He brings us into all that He's Promised. I have had a taste of the outskirts of my Promised Land, in which I never knew that life could be that gloriously wonderful. I never knew anyone would ever know me and get me so perfectly or could ever be that gentle and genuinely kind w/out impatience, irritability, etc. The gentle calm in the environment plus the safeness I felt from being understood, enjoyed and covered/protected made my muscles relax and my jerkiness almost disappear. Having this again/restored is one of my heart's desires, so I've been asking Daddy-God for relationships where I feel real again (not a mirage or out-of-site-out-of-mind) w/ friends who "get" me and enjoy who I am so much that they make the time for us to meet together. He hasn't brought this to me yet, but He has given me a healthy, good-for-you, chocolate drink (cacao powder and honey) that boosts my energy and my emotions so that I feel happy and light-hearted even tho I miss my treasures, I'm not understood deeply and the whirling around me makes my muscles tighter and my jerkiness worse. Sometimes the drink makes me feel so happy it shouldn't be legal. Lol :') Funny way of dealing w/ that for now, I think.

That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. Judges 6:40-7:1

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" So all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops - pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon. Exodus 14:5 & 9

Not every oppressive entrapment is a consequence of sin. Some situations start out as Daddy-God's provision, similar to how He used Joseph's place of honor to provide Jacob, his sons and their families w/ food and a place to live and prosper during the famine. But after Joseph died, the Egyptians began to oppress and enslave the Israelites, and the oppression increased over the next several hundred years until Moses led them thru the Red Sea. Just like Pharaoh didn't let the Israelites go w/out a fight (to his death), the enemy will not let us go from his grasp w/out an intense fight to keep us under his control.

Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Romans 14:4

Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. ...do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them like bread. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 13:30 & 14:9

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Ephesians 3:12 & Hebrews 4:16

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

"Worship the Lord your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you," Exodus 23:25

A few days before Christmas, I had lunch w/ a friend, and as we were sharing things she said to me, "You have no scars." I was shocked, amazed and elated all at once bc I knew that her words were trustworthy. (I've also been told by others that I shouldn't be this normal after all I've been thru.) This friend and I have both been thru our own horrible things and also work w/ people who have been thru horrible things, so I knew that she knows full well the affects that abuse and tragedy has on people. As I thot about her words, I felt like Daddy-God showed me that I have no scars bc whenever the pain and torment hit, I go into worship and lose myself in His Presence as much as I can at that moment. Being lost in worship and lost in His Presence heals us like nothing else can.

When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

Woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied. My hour has not yet come.

His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine ... and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." John 2:3-10

I read this last night and have been chewing on it all day. In this chewing process and during one of my meetings today, a (probable) Bethel person/student came up to our table and told me that she saw so much joy on my face. Her words filled me w/ Joy and made me fly! This made me think further about the amazing freedom that we have in Him to be who He created us to be, then it morphed into thinking about the amazing freedom Daddy-God gives His kiddos to think and express themselves, a freedom I didn't have for the first 19 years of my life. I also thot about how both Abraham and Moses had voiced their opinions/argued w/ Him, and how their opinions had changed His course of action. Then Mary, centuries later, apparently overlooked Jesus' rebuff, and in turn He honored her faith and persistence by doing a miracle to fix the problem before He had originally intended to start doing miracles in public.

I know that we're taught not to cross or contradict Daddy-God, but I think He presents us w/ situations to see what's in our heart of hearts, selfless Love for others or other focuses. I know that boundaries must be made, but I've learned that He does honor our hearts' desire to pour out.. For instance, when I've needed to make a boundary that would leave someone in the lurch, I've told Him that I wasn't going to leave the person/situation hanging until He brought a replacement bc I never want another human being to feel as abandoned and devastated as I have felt, even at simply being stuck at home bc I didn't have a ride. He's always honored that by providing for the person/situation everything that was needed.

Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. Mark 10:27

I've been thinking about a conversation I had w/ Daddy-God years ago about Him doing the impossible, and I actually started this post earlier this afternoon... now it's a new year - good way to end 2013 and begin 2014 ;-) When I was struggling w/ losing one of the last desires that I was asking to have, I figured that I had misunderstood the "everything will be restored" bit. Yet I knew that Daddy-God can do and fix anything bc nothing is impossible for Him, and then I heard,

Couldn't I or wouldn't I restore this to you as well?

I knew that He "could" restore this too, but I had never thot that He actually "would" do that for me. Would He restore this too? This quandary made me realize that our confidence (or lack of) that He "would/will" restore the everything He promised to restore often reflects how much we truly understand His heart for us.

        "A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. Proverbs 15:18

        "Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made." Matthew 5:33

        The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:29-31

        To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. Titus 1:15

        God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

        A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

        A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45

        A bad motive can't achieve a good end; double-talk brings you double trouble. We justify our actions by appearances; God examines our motives. Mixed motives twist life into tangles; pure motives take you straight down the road. Proverbs 17:20 and 21:2 & 8

        If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. John 20:23

        Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

        A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Proverbs 16:28 & Romans 12:10

        Jesus said, If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:31, 32 & 36

        Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

        Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

        Be careful to do whatever comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed what you promised to the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 23:23

        Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ... Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Proverbs 14:10, Mark 13:11 & Romans 12:15

        You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there... even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. How amazing are Your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Psalm 139:1-4, 7, 8-10, & 17

        ...be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Ephesians 6:10 & 11 & Galatians 6:2

        "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

        "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:6 & 10

        For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

        But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light... 1 John 1:7

        So God created mankind in His own Image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. I will give thanks to You, for I am made [with great reverence and heart-felt interest and respect] and [I am unique, set apart, uniquely marvelous]; Genesis 1:27 & Psalms 139:14

        Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Philippians 2:3 & 4 & Romans 12:15

        And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6 & 7

        ([Adonijah's] father had never rebuked him by asking, 'Why do you behave as you do?' He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) When I was a son to my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me... 1 Kings 1:6 & Proverbs 4:3 & 4

        I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Luke 24:49 & Matthew 10:19 & 20

        For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Let there be no obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Matthew 12:34 & Ephesians 5:4

        The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalms 34:18 & 147:3

        For as he thinks within himself, so he is. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.Proverbs 23:7, Luke 6:45 & Philippians 4:8

        One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
        Jesus answered them, Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.
        Then Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath; He is in charge and the Master of it. Luke 6:1-5

        Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

        Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails... Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 & 16:14

        And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

        Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

        The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.' Matthew 25:40

        Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

        Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Philippians 4:8

        In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalms 5:3 & 27:14

        This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:9 & 10

        Be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

        The tongue of the righteous is choice silver.. The lips of the righteous nourish many.. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting.., the tongue of the wise brings healing. A kind word cheers [a person] up.. A gentle answer turns away wrath.. The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life.. The heart of the righteous weighs its answers.., and pleasant words promote instruction.. A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (Proverbs 10:20-21 & 32; 12:18 & 25; 15:1, 4 & 28; 16:21; 25:11)

        The Lord said, If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Genesis 11:6

        Forgive, and you will be forgiven. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." Luke 6:37c & 1 Peter 5:5

        ...a man will leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate. Mark 10:7-9

        For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. Psalm 33:4
        Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8

        In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out - until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels. Exodus 40:36-38

        He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, Psalm 146:7

        Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?
        "No one, Sir."
        Neither do I, said Jesus. Go on your way, and don't do it any more. John 8:10 & 11

        The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

        Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

        For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

        Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
        Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:3 & 4

        Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalms 3:2 & 3

        "Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth..." Isaiah 54:4

        To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure... Titus 1:15

        "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

        ...Today, Daddy-God showed me how making cookies is a good picture of why we need to listen to Him and obey Him. There are many things Daddy-God asks us to do. Some of the things He asks us to do are easy, and some are hard. Some seem very important, while others seem not important at all. Yet everything He asks us to do has a purpose. Like the baking soda we put in the cookie mix, it doesn't taste good by itself, but it helps the cookies to be soft! So we can't leave out the baking soda just because it tastes bad. Also, too much yummy honey or butter in the cookies will make us sick.
        In the same way, we need to follow the recipe He gives each of us because He has a special future planned for each of us. Just as if He was making almond cookies for you and fudge cookies for me, some of the ingredients for your future, the things He asks you to do or not do, will be different from some of the ingredients for my future, the things He asks me to do or not do.

        "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26 & 27

        So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

        Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13
        "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - " Joel 2:25

        From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. Psalms 33:13-15

        Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20

        Kris posted this this morning, and I thot it was so good... To the lazy, life is work. To the blind, life is a sacrifice. To the passionate, life is an adventure. To the atheist, life is a meaningless game of chance. To the Believer, life is divinely orchestrated love affair, played out on this beautiful stage we call earth, climaxing in a wedding so extravagant that it is literally beyond your wildest imagination. Creatures from every dimension of the cosmos will look on as the Bridegroom takes the hand of His stunning bride.

        God said to Moses, I Am Who I Am. Exodus 3:14

        "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God." John 6:68 & 69

        Love covers all offenses. Whoever covers an offence seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Proverbs 10:12, 17:9 & 1 Peter 4:8

        My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

        And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. Luke 8:43 & 44

        A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly." Jesus did not answer a word. ... Then Jesus said to her, Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted. And her daughter was healed at that moment. Matthew 15:22-28

        Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess His Name. Hebrews 13:15

        God is NOT a man, that He should LIE, nor a son of man, that He should CHANGE HIS MIND. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19
        He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

        For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

        "...the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord... These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Joshua 4:7

        "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

        Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

        Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

        You, then, why do you criticize your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Romans 14:10 & 12

        "The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' And he said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'" Genesis 31:11-13

        As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

        God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, Hebrews 1:1

        For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

        I will repay you what you lost in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops-the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you. Joel 2:25

        The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:25

        He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then He said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. Revelation 21:5

        Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

        Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7 & 8

        Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

        For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

        Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

        ...hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

        Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

        If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother or sister for whom Christ died. Romans 14:15

        As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10
        Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
       Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
        If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?
        Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay everyone according to what they have done? Proverbs 3:27 & 24:11-12

        A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Quiet! Be still! Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? Mark 4:37-40

        There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

        To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22

        For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

        And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His Purpose. ... being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Romans 8:28 & Philippians 1:6

        But Jesus was saying, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 22:34a

        "'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.'" Jeremiah 42:11 & 12

        The Lord will guide you always;
       He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
       and will strengthen your frame.
    You will be like a well-watered garden,
       like a spring whose waters never fail.
    Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
       and will raise up the age-old foundations;
    you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
       Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. Isaiah 58:11 & 12

        "This is what the Lord says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without people or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,
       "Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
       for the Lord is good;
       His Love endures forever."
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the Lord.
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without people or animals - in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.'" Jeremiah 33:10-12

        "This is what the Lord says: 'If I have not made My covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.'" Jeremiah 33:25-26

        "Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD." Jeremiah 32:44

        'But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' Jeremiah 30:16 & 17

        I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten - ... You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never again be put to shame. Joel 2:25 & 26

        The LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines. Nahum 2:10

        O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Psalm 139:1 & 5

        "...it will be said, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. ...I will bring them back and restore them to this place.'" Jeremiah 16:15 & 27:22

        "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

        "'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,' says the LORD." Jeremiah 30:3

        The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, .. to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - ...They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:1-4

        "I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them." Zechariah 10:6

        "Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you." Zechariah 9:12

        "In that day I will restore David's fallen shelter - I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins - and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear My Name," declares the Lord, who will do these things. Amos 9:11 & 12

        "I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the LORD. Zephaniah 3:20

        After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His Presence. Hosea 6:2

        [The Lord] says: "It is too small a thing for You to be My Servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make You a light for the Gentiles, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." Isaiah 49:6

        "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord, the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,
    who spreads out the earth by Myself,...
    who carries out the words of His servants
    and fulfills the predictions of His messengers,
    who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,'
    of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be rebuilt,'
    and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,' " Isaiah 44:24 & 26

        "I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." Isaiah 1:26

        How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
        You hide them in the shelter of Your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in Your presence, far from accusing tongues. ...
        So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! Psalms 31:19-24

        Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev.
        Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
        Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalms 126:4-6

        "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for My holy Name." Ezekiel 39:25
        "Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God Himself will fight for you." Deuteronomy 3:22

        Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14:7

        This is what the LORD says: "I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place." Jeremiah 30:18

        When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
        Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."
        The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:1-3