For God so LOVED the world.....

LOVE.....

What does that word mean to you? Is it the romantic love between a man and a woman, or the love between a mother and a child, or the friendly love between friends, or the general love you have for other people who struggle and need help. No matter how you see this word LOVE is a word wrapped in different levels of emotions based on where you are in life and how you view the world. 

For me I view this word in the light of how God views us - His creation. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 3:16‭-‬17 NKJV

God loved us so much that He sent His Son to be a Holy sacrifice. To die on a cross for ALL our sins. To bear the burden of our sins so that we might have everlasting life. "Christ like LOVE covers all wrongs." (Pastor Locke)


"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

I John 3:16 NKJV

That is an awesome love that God has for us that He would give up His Son to die for you and me. Not because He had to but because He wanted to.  He pursues us because He loves us. He created us and He loves us more than a mother or father loves their child. He loves us with a perfect love that only He can provide. 

This is the kind of love I should have and show others in my life. But only with God's  love flowing through me am I able to flow that love out toward others. 

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 

I Corinthians 13:4‭-‬7 NKJV




Perfect LOVE dispels all fears. (Pastor Locke) Perfect LOVE doesn't think of itself first. Perfect LOVE loves others just because not out of anything it might gain. Perfect LOVE doesn’t hold a grudge. "You cannot hold love in your heart and hold bitterness toward others. " ( Pastor Locke) Perfect LOVE bears ALL things even the very hardest things that come with loving other people. Even the messy things that come with having a relationship with other people. 

PERFECT LOVE ONLY COMES FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. PERFECT LOVE ONLY COMES WHEN I YIELD AND ALLOW GOD TO FLOW HIS LOVE THROUGH ME. 

Be still......

Psalms 46:10 NKJV

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
http://bible.com/114/psa.46.10.NKJV

This verse comes from a beautiful passage in Psalms where the author describes all that God can do and all that He has done.

Psalms 46 NKJV
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
 Therefore we will not fear,
 Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
 There  is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is  in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
 He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord ,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God;
 I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.

http://bible.com/114/psa.46.1-11.NKJV

I have spent much of the last year being very still. Deep sorrow and grief for me meant going very deep within myself to find out who I was without my mom. It meant finding out what I really believed. Understanding who I was without the shadow of my mom being cast over me. It meant almost completely getting off social media so I could spend  time thinking, praying,  communing with God, listening to His words and His voice. Much of this year was spent quietly healing out of the spotlight behind closed doors with just God. I wanted to know that He was God and no matter what emotions I felt that God was indeed bigger than any sorrow I was going through.

God is so much bigger, so much more loving, full of so much more grace, and full of so much more mercy than I ever thought He could be. He somehow enveloped me with all my broken pieces and somehow held me together. And not only did He hold me together He is healing me. I still feel the cold winter wind blow from time to time over those broken pieces which are still healing but spring is coming. I feel life coming back into me. Slowly pieces and parts of me are awaking to where God wants to take me next and the lessons He still has for me to learn. Patiently He is guiding and protecting me.

Spring is coming.....but until then I will be still and wait patiently until He tells me to move.

The love of my life....

I was saved at a very young age. Some might say I was too young to really understand what I was doing that day at our kitchen table as a played a game with my mom and sister. I clearly remember that day at the age of 5 like it was yesterday. I knew what I meant when I asked my mom what it meant to be saved and what heaven was. My mom was so unsure if I really understood everything I was asking or everything I was doing when she lead me in the believers prayer as I gave my life to the Lord. She was so unsure that I was not baptised until several years later at the age of 7. She wanted to make sure that I clear knew the decision I was making.

I may not have know all I know now but I knew enough to know that I wanted to give my life to Jesus and live with him in paradise. As the years have gone by I have come to love the Lord even more deeply every year then I did the year before. There are no words to describe how much and how deeply I love Jesus. He impacts all parts of my life. Everything I do is in the light of the Lord and what He means to me.

Jesus is the love of my life. 

Everything else in my life is built on that love. My husband and our relationship is built on my love and relationship with Jesus. The relationship I have with my children is built on this love. Even my teaching job is built on my love for Jesus and my devotion to show others the love that Jesus has for them.

John 3:16New International Version (NIV)

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God's Grace

My newest obsession is over the word grace. 


According to Webster's Dictionary:

Simple Definition of grace:

: a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward

• : a controlled, polite, and pleasant way of behaving

But the Full Definition of grace is as follows:

1. 1a :  unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctificationb :  a virtue coming from Godc :  a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
2. 2a :  approval, favor <stayed in his good graces>b archaic :  mercy, pardonc :  a special favor :  privilege <each in his place, by right, not grace, shall rule his heritage — Rudyard Kipling>d :  disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemencye :  a temporary exemption :  reprieve

To me God's grace is the unmerited mercy and favor that He pours out on us. Not because of anything we bring to the table but only because He loves us and wants to. 

He loves us and sent His Son Jesus to take our sins on the cross not because He had to but because He so loved us and didn't want us separted from Him for eternity. 

Ephesians 2:8-9New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Romans 6:14New International Version (NIV)

14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law,but under grace.

1 Timothy 1:14New International Version (NIV)

14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

So as a result of my understanding of the great sacrifice that God exteneded to me as His child I am trying to give grace to others in my life whenever I can. Grace is hard. My natural reaction is to be mad, seek revenge, be mean or selfish but grace says I give them the benefit of the doubt. I let them have a second chance. I allow them to make mistakes without holding a grudge or seeking compensation. That is so much easier said than done. But this is my goal for this year to incorporate grace in ALL situations. Not just the ones that are easy. 

I have this picture hung up in my living room as a reminder to let GRACE rule my home and my heart.