God's Focus - Not on Our Behavior, But on His Love for Us

I was reading this morning in my grace devotional and I came across this thought: I wish we could get behavior out of our minds when we think about our relationship with God. 

That really stuck with me and I want to ponder it more. I have focused on my behavior so much when it comes to my relationship with God. I have thought that God focused on my behavior, too. I have imagined Him shaking His head at me in disappointment, wishing I could just do better, pray more, have more faith, increase in holiness, etc. etc. etc! 

But what if God isn't focusing on my works or deeds or behavior at all? What if He is just focusing on how much He loves me? 

I really believe that is a big part of the grace message of God to us - that He is not all about behavior and works. That He is all about love and grace. That He loves us regardless of our behavior and without any reference to whether we ever improve or not! 

Recently a wonderful blessing came to our extended family. On my husband's side of the family there is a young man who married a lovely girl. For ten years they waited, hoped, prayed and wished for a baby. But a baby never came for all those long years. Then finally, this year a miracle occurred and they found out they were expecting a baby! You can imagine the tears of relief and joy they had! And just a few days ago, they welcomed their beautiful baby boy into this world! The baby is beautiful, a tiny perfect human being with a sweet little expression and lovely dark hair. The photos they posted of them holding this little one, wearing caps that said "Dad" and "Mom" just made tears come to my eyes. 

And I started imagining how much that baby is already cherished and loved! It has been prayed for, wished for, hoped for, dreamed for..for so many long years. Finally the hopes and dreams have come to pass and the baby is now in their arms. They have many years of love stored up for this little one, and all they want to do is pour out their love on this little guy, hold him, rock him, spend time studying his every feature, singing to him, and just smiling at him! They probably don't want to put him down, but just hold him every second! 

And I realized, that must be how God sees all of us! He has waited for the moment we would be created and born, has dreamed of us and brought us into existence. All He wants to do is pour out His love on us! All He wants to do is hold us in His arms and sing to us! All He wants to do is take care of us, cherish us, nurture us, and spend all His time with us! 

I can't imagine my relatives worrying about their baby's behavior! It's a joke to even think such a thing! It's not on their mind whether he will be good enough, smart enough, behave well enough, or obey them enough to please them! Their minds aren't on his behavior, they are just on how much they love him. And I really believe that is the way God feels about us, too. He sees us as His dear little ones, babes in His arms, and His mind isn't on our behavior, it's just on how much He loves us! 

I think about that new little baby. He hasn't even had time to DO any behaving, obeying, trusting, yielding or performing yet! But he is still loved in such a big way. I believe that is the same with God and us. He loves us apart from our behavior and without reference to any behavior! God isn't concerned with that, He isn't judging us, He isn't demanding some amazing behavior from us. He is just loving us.  

And out of that love He is being there for us, He is helping us, He is blessing us, He is caring for us, whether we ever perform well or not.  His love and care come to us not because we have perfect behavior, or perfect motivations, or even perfect faith. Not with reference to anything coming from us at all! Just like any parent loves and takes care of their little one, not because the child made that happen in some way, but just because that's their beloved child!

Let's accept that, let's bask in that love, let's give ourselves a break and love ourselves! Let's relax in the arms that are holding us and see His smile towards us! Daddy is cherishing us and always will. We will always be infinitely loved by Him and we will always be in His arms! 

Beautiful things I want to remember: 

You are the child God always wanted. 

God loves you without reference to anything you DO. 

You simply ARE His beloved, cherished child. 

He is happy with the way He made you! 

You can love and cherish yourself, as God does. 

See His eyes of love on you and feel His arms holding you. 

You are beautiful to God and He is so proud to be your Dad!

Things to Remember..

 It has been so long since I wrote anything here on my little blog!  But I am thankful to have this blog and am so thankful for all the things God teaches me about grace every single day.  Life is so precious and I am so thankful for each day to enjoy my life with family and friends and God!  To any readers who happen by, many blessings of love, peace, joy and grace to you in this precious life!

I was writing a list of good things to remember for a young friend of mine who is struggling with self-doubt and feelings of not being 'good enough' as a Christian.  I can relate so much to those feelings.  I lived with them for years and still struggle with them from time to time.  So I made this list for my friend and for me and wanted to share it here, too.  It's so good to go over these wonderful truths of God's love and acceptance and grace!

Things to Remember:

-God is pleased with me no matter how I think or act.

-No matter what I may do wrong, Jesus already died for that and it's already forgiven and gone.

-I'm always 100% clean and pure before God because Jesus washed all my sins away long ago at the cross.

-I don't have to try to do better or be a better Christian.  Jesus already did all the necessary 'performing' for me, and He was perfect!

-I am righteous, for Jesus gave me His own righteousness.  So I am always 'all right with God.'

-I can never get any closer to God, any better before God, or any more loved by God than I am right now!

-I am good, innocent, kind and pure because God made me that way as a new creation, with a pure heart inside.

-God is taking care of everything that concerns me, so I don't have to handle it all on my own.  It's not all up to me, it's all up to God.

-Even if I doubt, fail, or even turn away from God, He will never change toward me.  He will always love me and be right there beside me. 

-I am beautiful to God, one of a kind, a work of art - His masterpiece!

-I am perfect to God right now, just as I am.  

-I'm already all I was ever meant to be - God's innocent, beautiful, beloved child.  No changes needed or required!

-God is not demanding that I improve or 'do' anything.  God asks nothing of me.  He just wants to love on me and be my Friend.

-Friends are always there for each other, and God will always be there for me and have my back.

-God is right there inside me at all times, and I am right there inside God at all times. Our spirits are in union.  You can't get any closer than that!

-I am 100% loved and accepted by God, and nothing I do and nothing that happens can ever change that fact!

-God says I am a winner in His book!  He says I am His favorite!  He says that I am worth it!

-Right now, Jesus is carrying me through it all, the Holy Spirit is strengthening me through it all, and the Father is loving me through it all.  Because of Him, I am invincible!

-There has never been a moment when I have been out of His care, and there never will be.

-God already wrote the end of my story with Him, and 'they lived happily ever after!'

Chrysostom on Christ Overthrowing the devil and hell at the Resurrection

[Quote from] the fourth century Archbishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom and his sermon on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a powerful declaration of what Jesus did:  

“By descending into Hell, Jesus made Hell captive. 

Isaiah foretold this when he said: 

Hell was angered, when it encountered Christ. 

It was angered for it was abolished. 

It was angered, for it was mocked. 

It was angered, for it was defeated. 

It was angered for it was overthrown. 

It was angered, for it was now fettered in chains…. 

Christ is risen, and the devil and hell are overthrown. 

Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. 

Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice. 

Christ is risen, and life reigns. 

Christ is risen, and not one dead will remain in the grave, 

For Christ has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep”.

from Peter Youngren newsletter

The Year Outside of Time

 I kept a journal during the pandemic.  Because our daughter has a health issue that made her at greater risk if she got COVID, we chose to be extra-careful and basically didn't leave our property for a year.  

It was like a year out of time.  Everything stopped and all our senses were heightened to the everyday things we so easily missed before in our rushed lives.  The flowers seemed to have such a long blooming season, but it wasn't really that they bloomed longer - it was just that we had slowed down enough to actually 'stop and smell the roses' every day!  

We enjoyed nature more, we relished many walks in the woods, we spent time together, we did homey things, life became so quiet and basic and slow.  We adopted stray kittens.  We read books aloud.  We put up a swing in a backyard tree. We had a skunk on our porch.  We discovered K-Dramas and laughed and cried through them together. We watched the snowflakes fall and walked in the snowy woods. We had new bird species come to the birdbath (hello, Summer Tanager!). We saw a blue moon. 

We were grateful to be safe and be together. God took care of us.  It was a terrible year yet it was a wonderful year!

I wanted to write down some of the verses and quotes that I put in my journal, that helped me get through that year when I felt so anxious and scared at times:

"The Lord will save us." Isaiah 33:22

"All my days I've been held in Your arms; You are close like no other.  I've known You as a Father, I've known You as a Friend.  All my life You have been faithful; I have lived in the goodness of God."  Chris Quilala

"In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir

"Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you." Genesis 26:24

"Hope has a name - Emmanuel!  Light of the world who broke through the darkness."

"Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." 2 Kings 6:16

"God has no problems, only plans. There is no panic in heaven." Corrie ten Boom

"For with God, nothing shall be impossible!" Luke 1:37

"Learn from the flowers. Every day is a new opportunity to experience, to grow toward the light."

"Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me."

Q and A about Our True Identity

This Q and A (with Colin Lagerwall on facebook) on our true identity helped me so much, I wanted to post it here so I can refer to it and ponder these wonderful new truths:

Sparrow: Was the New Man always my real self? Or was the old nature my real nature, and then Christ gave me the new one? I am so trying to understand, having been taught in a traditional way, that I was bad and evil to the core, and then when I believed, Christ came and He was the only good thing about me, even as a Christian, always seeing myself with a low and shameful self-concept..Was the 'old man' my real self before I believed or was it just an illusion, is that what we mean when say false identity, that it never was the real 'us'? Are we saying we were always good or always compatible with God, just didn't know it? Can someone help me, I am trying to unpack the idea of what it really means to be in God's image and likeness..I was always taught it meant that we were rational and spiritual beings..does it also mean good, not evil, at the core? Connected to God? Did we lose that and then Christ restored it to all, or was it only that we thought we lost it, had a darkened mindset through sin, and now we see who we have always been since Christ took away the mindset of sin?

Just trying to figure out which self is the real one, and have I always been good at heart because in His image, and that was covered up by lies?

Or was I totally bad and evil and Jesus had to come kill me off and start over and make me good?

Colin Lagerwall: The lost coin that the widow looked for never lost it's value, neither changed it's shape, the lost sheep was a whole sheep, just as valuable and 'sheepish' as the 'found', the lost boy in the far country was a son in all his sonness, he was just not aware of who he was and the love of his father (he came to himself, the bible says, he saw who he was)

When Jesus was asked about paying taxes, he held up a coin and said 'Who's inscription is on this coin ....give Caesar what belongs to him, and give God what belongs to him, speaking of the image and likeness of God in man'

Sparrow: That is beautiful...that helps me, Colin Lagerwall...we were always valuable, beloved, worth so much in God's eyes, we never stopped being His own because HE made us, right? What about image and likeness, does that mean inherent goodness? Were we always good at the core, through it all, just didn't know it? I don't know why I am so hung up on wondering if we are inherently having goodness at the core, or as Fay says, a core made of Love, right? I need to know that or understand it...I was always taught we were bad at the core, with a sin nature, and Jesus had to root that out and make us good..??

Colin Lagerwall: God calls us to see ourselves as He sees us, valuable, precious, beautiful, .... just as He made us ... We get bent out of shape as we grow up, not knowing His view of us, so we adopt a foreign 'father', or a foreign assessment of ourselves, we get to see ourselves as 'the ugly duckling', which we never were , we are always his much loved sons and daughters ... The Spirit (of Love and Truth) changes that ugly duckling view to what is true, as he has always seen us

These ugly duckling views get very deeply ingrained in us, we develop definite 'identities' that we live by, and these identities are not who we are, they are a kind of 'persona' that we develop, ad this 'persona' is what begins to crumble and 'vanish' as we see more and more the way He looks at us ..... and yes, we do sometimes hold tight onto this false image, because it is the only life we have ever known, and it sometimes needs to be pried out our hands ...

Sparrow: Yes, that is so..the thought/false identity 'seems' to be so truly me and yet, the more I focus on my identity in Christ, it does fall away and freedom comes!..I was thinking about it and just feeling God's presence over me and the thoughts came to me that there wasn't anything inherently wrong with the human race, only that we were infected with this false mindset of separation and inferiority and etc., and this caused lots of problems, but Jesus killed that off at the cross - HE wasn't saying we were bad and needed to die but that we were infected with poison and the poison needed to be removed, and that happened through death..so we could rise up with Him our clean and beautiful selves, now not infected anymore, now healthy and strong and released from the prison of sin sickness, fear, loneliness, and other dark feelings..almost like a mentally ill person being cured and discovering who they really are for the first time...?

Colin Lagerwall: Exactly !

Sparrow: I finally start to see it!! Wow...I praise God so much right now! The good news just keeps getting better and better! I want to just bask in this amazing truth!

Colin Lagerwall: The ugly duckling was never a duck, but a beautiful swan all along

Sparrow: Was always a swan, never an ugly duck..what a relief!

We were made by Love, in Love, as Love, for Love! Evil was always a false identity, Love was always our true identity..for we are in the image and likeness of God, and God IS Love, so since His Spirit is at our core, for He breathed His Spirit in to give us life, Love is at our core! That wonderful divine substance that made us never stopped being there, it is the image on the coin that never was removed no matter how much dirt from the outside world coated it or hid it from view! Thus the gospel is 'Christ in you, the hope of glory!

A Prayer (On Reading Julian of Norwich)

A Prayer (on reading Julian of Norwich)

Tell me again the tale of Love's compassion 

For all of us who fall into the mire,

How He is wounded with us, how His Passion

Quickens the love that haunted our desire.

Show me again the wonder of at-one-ment

Of Christ in us distinct and yet the same,

Who makes, and loves, and keeps us at each moment,

and looks on us with pity not with blame.

Keep telling me, for all my faith my waver,

Love is His meaning, only Love, forever.

Malcolm Guite

malcolmguite.wordpress,com

We Already Are

All that ever needed to be done, Jesus did.

All that we ever needed to be, Jesus made us.

All that relationship with God was meant to be, Jesus gave us.

We have His finished work as ours, His wholeness as ours, His relationship with the Father as ours! As He is, so are we!

Grace tells us that all we've ever wanted to be, we already are... and all we've ever hoped for our relationship with God to be, we already have. Law says become, achieve, strain, try, attain...but Grace says rest because you already ARE complete and everything already IS fine!

We are already home with Papa, sitting in His lap, held in His arms of love..there is nowhere to try to get to, nothing we need to do, no goal we have to reach or 'great spiritual person' we have to become. We are already complete and perfect and securely in His arms, His beloved children so safe and sound, home forever in His loving presence!

The Cross Is Proof of His Love

The cross says God loves and accepts us even in the midst of any sin...thus, the cross not only assures us of God's love but puts to death any lies or accusations that we are unworthy, shameful, or rejected..for the cross proves we're worth dying for, the cross proves we're not rejected even at our worst, the cross proves Jesus is not ashamed to be counted with us transgressors! And thus the cross forever silences those voices of accusation!

The cross is the proof that God loves and forgives us even at our worst...even when we killed His own Son, He had nothing but love and forgiveness towards us! This proves His love for us is unconditional..that no matter what, He will love us, He will not turn away from us, He will not reject us, He will not punish us or retaliate in anger towards us...

His love is a loyal love, a love that does not take into account a wrong suffered, a love that keeps no record of wrongs, a love that says of His murderers, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing!" He sees past our wrongs to the hurting person beneath, to His little lost child beneath, so in need of his Papa's tender loving care!

The cross forever stands as our proof of God's love and our value to Him in the face of any accusation or lying voice of condemnation or shame...for He says we're worth dying for, we're loved no matter what we do, we can't drive Him away no matter how we act, He's for us, on our side, to do us good, no matter what, forever and always! Committed, faithful, unconditional, nonjudgmental, generous, self-sacrificing, other-centered, 100% pure LOVE! That's what He is, and the cross is our proof that it is so! Hallelujah!

The cross shouts for all eternity, "I came to my own and you, my very own children, are worth it! You are worth My very own life! You are so special and beloved and accepted in My sight that I'd rather die than miss out on fellowship with You! I can't get you out of My heart, our of My thoughts, out of My existence! I am forever on your side, forever for you! You're my very own children, and I'd do anything for you! I will never leave you or forsake you. I will never turn you out in the cold, never forget you. You're everything to Me, and I will never let anything keep us from enjoying sweet communion together for ever and always!"

Jesus really finished His work! He didn't just obey the law for us, He didn't just take away our sin and shame, He didn't just free us from the enemy and curse of corruption, He didn't just raise us up with Him into new life, He didn't just take us into heaven, He also picked us up and put us right on our Papa's lap to enjoy His loving embrace forever!

Grace Notes from My Facebook Page

These are some grace thoughts I had posted on my Under the Waterfall of Grace facebook page. I wanted to share them here, too:

With law, our blessings change depending on our performance..it is all up to us and our faith, love and devotion to Him!

With grace, our blessings never change no matter what our performance...it is all up to Him and His faith, love and devotion to us!

Law tells you, you 'should' be this, you 'ought' to do that, you 'must' become this, you 'have to' improve that..
But with Grace, there is no should, ought, must or have to!
Grace says you don't need to become, you already are!
Grace says you aren't required to do anything, you are free!
Grace says you don't need to improve, you are already fine!
Grace says you have no pressure on you to change, become, improve, or be better..
Grace says you are fine just as you are, accepted just as you are, blessed just as you are, beloved just as you are!

We do not have to worry about being apart from God, rejected, cast out, falling away, or losing our salvation..because "HE Himself has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you'" (Heb. 13:5).

That means that even if we doubted, got confused, decided to leave, rebelled, or wandered off, He would still be with us! For He truly promised never to leave!

Even if we leave Him, He comes with us! He never leaves us!

So there is no way for us to ever come to a place of being apart from Him, away from Him, lost from Him, ever! Thank You, Jesus, for Your wonderful grace that says, "Surely I am with you ALWAYS!" (Mt. 28:20)

At the deepest level of our being, we have a constant communion and fellowship with the Best Friend and Companion we could ever have!

If you are one with Someone Infinite, that means you have an infinite supply of all you need! The One who is Infinite love, peace, wholeness, well-being, joy and freedom is in you! So you have an infinity of all those things in you, you are infinitely free, full, whole, peaceful, joyful and well! And most of all, infinitely LOVED!

Nothing can separate us from Him or His love, one with us, deep within or own heart!

At the center of our lives, we are one spirit with God's Spirit. In that place everything is okay, all is well, everything is peaceful and whole, right and good. In that place all is safe, all is calm, all is complete. Nothing can disturb that union we have with Him, that safe place we are in with Him, that communion we have with Him deep in our heart!

God says, You were never an orphan; you were always mine!

You have a place of belonging - it's in God..
Home is where you belong, you are wanted, you are cared for, you are part of the family circle..
God is your home, you belong!

"When you're loved outside the lines, you start coloring outside the lines." Mike Yaconelli We can jump out of any boxes and feel free to be ourselves, because we are loved unconditionally, no matter what....accepted wholly, without hesitation....understood completely, in every part!

God is the pure light of perfect, unconditional, nonjudgmental, all-embracing LOVE! God is pure love without a bit of meanness, unkindness, condemnation, punishment or harshness! God is 100% pure light all the way through, the light of love and grace and kindness! God doesn't have a 'dark side' - hallelujah!

Have you been afraid of God, afraid He is made at you or will punish you, afraid He is standing over you judging you, and may not 'let you in heaven' if you step out of line somehow? This is not Papa, this is a terrible caricature that religion has of God! Relax, rest, everything is okay. He is not going to hurt you, Daddy's got you in His arms and won't ever let you go, just like any good father would do! You've always been safe with Him, always will be..He will gently bathe you with His love and tenderness till you know how safe He is, and how safe you are with Him! He is so in love with you that He couldn't bear to be without you, so He won't ever let you go! He is pure love without a 'dark, mean, punishing side!' I know that His beautiful love will cast out all those fears, just like He is doing with me!

You matter! You are worth it! Jesus thinks you're 'to die for!'

You can never put down or belittle the one He thinks so highly of that He'd give His own life to save..

You can never put down or belittle the one He sees as such a treasure that He'd even die to rescue..

You can never put down or belittle the one He loved to the end, the one He loved with His own life - YOU!

Waking Up to Union With God

Like waking up from the longest dream, how real it seemed

Until Your love broke through

I was lost in a fantasy that blinded me

Until Your love broke through

"Your Love Broke Through" by Randy Stonehill and Keith Green

To know that I was never alone or without Him, never apart from Him, it amazes me so much...I was actually made with Him as part of the fabric of my very being, that the definition of me as a human is actually "a being made of Christ substance" (that's perfect union oneness even down to the DNA level!)...we were always in union, that's just who I am, a being in union with God...He was always present in me and I was always with Him...He was always there for me, in me, and always will be..wow, it amazes me so much! It brings such relief and peace..

I did not have to try to get close to God or 'get into union' with God..He simply showed me the truth that I already was/am in Him and with Him...I had been stuck in believing a lie that kept me slumbering in a dreamworld of 'separation', but Jesus came and set me free from the poisonous lies of Satan that were keeping me asleep, and as I heard the truth I was simply awakening from that bad dream (that I was separated and alone) into the real world that always existed, into the bright morning at His house, safe in Him as I always was and always will be!

We are so safely with Him..thank You, Father! The good news is so much better than I ever dreamed..we've always been with God, He's always been with us..He never left us and we never left Him (it was just that our minds wandered from believing the truth and got confused)...we are ever intertwined with Him even at the most basic cellular level, it is part of our makeup!

Look in the Mirror

"Christ always reveals Himself 'as in a mirror', not as a separate entity (2 Co. 3:18). He reveals Himself as the secret of your true life (Col. 3:3-4)."

Andre Rabe

"Now, we all, with new understanding, see ourselves in him as in a mirror. The days of window-shopping are over! In him every face is unveiled. In gazing with wonder at the blueprint of God displayed in human form, we suddenly realize that we are looking into a mirror, where every feature of his image articulated in Christ is reflected within us! The Spirit of the Lord engineers this radical transformation; we are led from an inferior mind-set to the revealed endorsement of our authentic identity." 2 Cor. 3;18 Mirror Bible

When we look in the mirror, we see Him there, looking back at us through our own eyes! He reveals Himself within us, where He has always been - we have never ever been alone! He has always been with us, one with us in the depths of our being. Deep down we know this, we have experienced His presence within us and naturally looked to Him and felt Him within us, known He was real and was there..

We find Him inside us, we find our true center, we find our true nature - Love, the Truest Lover of all, is the deepest thing about us, is at the depth of our being - we are Love Beings, we are joined inseparably with Him, made of Him who IS Love...we are a union of Lover and Beloved, we are in a love relationship with Jesus!

And when we look at Him, when we look into those eyes, we see Love looking back at us, we see Grace shining out, we see the delight and wonder and joy that He has in us, we see the most tender affection, the gentlest look of kindness and care, the sweetest glance of friendliness, the most sincere gaze of understanding and empathy..we see the Someone we have looked for all our lives, the Love that truly accepts us without condition and will be loyal to us no matter what the cost...we see the Love of a lifetime, the Love of eternity, gazing back at us!

We find ourselves in that Love, in that Lover - we find our true identity - we are called "the Beloved," we are the Ones Jesus loves! We have never been anything but His beloved ones, and that is what we will always be!

Thoughts on Faith

When law goes out, sin goes out, unbelief goes out!

When grace comes in, faith comes in, rest comes in!

We don't have to 'work up' faith or seek to 'get' something to manifest, do we? Reality IS reality, whether it is completely seen, known, enjoyed or even manifested tangibly in every way. It's still true, and nothing can change that. What a relief!

In the past, I have seen faith in such a way that I have made it into a work, I think...I have almost seen it as a 'thing' that you put in God's 'blessing machine' in order to 'get out' some blessing like salvation, healing, etc....but that is really a law-based idea, isn't it? That isn't faith at all - that is works/performance/law! That way of thinking makes it all about 'me' and how much faith I can muster up, instead of it being all about relaxing because of Him and His perfect and complete work.

Faith is starting to seem different now, like a tired person resting in a hammock on a breezy day, or like a little baby falling asleep in it's mother's arms. Faith is starting to bring to mind images of rest rather than images of work, and I'm starting to equate faith with feelings of relief and peace rather than feelings of anxiety and pressure. I'm starting to see that it's God's faith that's important and central rather than my own, and that my faith is actually just the echo of His own faith within me, rising up from within me when the good news is shared with me.

Faith isn't a work we do at all!! It is really about enjoying a rest from all our work to make something happen/manifest, because we find out it's already happened by Jesus' work, not any of mine, and Jesus Himself is responsible for manifesting it, not me!

Faith seems like spiritual sight, I think...I think faith can be defined as 'seeing reality.'

Papa reveals the good news to me of my completeness in Him, and it is like He is turning on a light within my soul. When the light is on, it's natural and automatic to be able to see what's reality. So when the good news is shared with me, God is illuminating my heart, and with my spiritual eyes I naturally see reality!

How easy is THAT! No work or effort is needed on my part at all...faith becomes automatic, like breathing! Faith - wow - it's just God breathing in us!! The breath of life, the Spirit wind, the very Spirit of faith is flowing and moving and invigorating all the deepest places of our heart!

Faith is really just seeing what's already true, opening one's eyes to reality!

It's like finding out that where we've always longed to be, we already are - home with Papa, one with Him, safe in His arms!

It's like finding out that who we've always wished we'd become, we already are - perfect, beautiful, beloved children of God!

It's like finding out we ALREADY have the love we've always searched for!

It's like finding out we ALREADY are in the relationship with God we've always dreamed of!

Faith doesn't make any of this happen, it already happened, by God's perfect work completed before time began and revealed through Christ's finished work 2000 years ago...it's already true and real, more real than we can even fathom! He created us perfect and in utter oneness with Him, and Jesus freed us from any lie that told us otherwise so we could see and enjoy the truth that's always been true since before time itself!

Faith doesn't made things become true or make things real - Faith simply sees what IS true, what IS real!

We have resurrection life NOW!

It's time to stop worrying about 'having faith' and just enjoy the present reality of resurrection life and love with our Papa God!

God as Sweet Little Baby

God entered into our physical world as a baby.

Nobody feels threatened by a little baby.  They feel drawn to a baby, energized by a baby's soft little touch or hug, and they feel that baby's smile just lighting up their world!  Making everything feel so soft and cozy and warm and inviting and safe.  Maybe being with a little baby brings us back to the place where we ourselves felt safe and secure in our own mother's arms as she sang and rocked us to sleep. I feel that when God came to us, coming as He did as a sweet little baby, He was coming to bring us back to a cozy, homey, safe and happy place, safe in His loving arms forever!

God came as a baby.

Why did He come like that?

God came as the most lovable, innocent, sweet and non-threatening being you could imagine - a newborn baby, a little tiny baby!

He didn't come in judgment or harshness or anger or force, Ge came in vulnerability, gentleness, purity and openness.  Imagine the friendly eyes of a baby looking into your own eyes!  Imagine the pure love and sweetness in an infant as that darling baby looks towards you and can't take its eyes off yours!

When God wanted to reveal Himself to us in our world, He wrapped Himself in the soft folds of baby skin and came to us.  He came in pure kindness, in sweetness, in friendliness, in grace. 

A baby couldn't harm anyone.  He came to show us He means us no harm.  Love does no harm.  He came to show us He loves us, He just loves us, He ONLY loves us.  That His plans are always good, to give us hope and a future, NEVER to harm us or hurt us. 

A baby has no agenda.  God came to show He has no agenda from us. He doesn't want anything from us.  He's not exacting, demanding, or pushy.  He is good and kind.  He just wants to be our friend.

A baby is non-threatening.  God wants us to know we are in a safe place with Him.  Safe in His arms.  "God is a safe place to be," as the Message Bible so beautifully says.  We are safe with Him.  Secure and wrapped in love.

A baby is endearing.  God is so endearing.  So attractive and sweet!  He is the most delightful, happy-making, smile-bringing being we could ever meet!  All He does is bring laughter and joy and delight, just like a baby's laugh brings delight to us when we hear it!

A baby is innocent and pure.  God is so pure.  There's no dark side to Him.  His words, actions and ways with us have to hidden agenda.  He wants nothing from us, loves with no expectations or conditions, gives asking nothing in return.  He is simply pure light in a radiance of love for us, pure joy in His delight with us, pure grace in His generosity towards us, pure cherishing in His care for us.

A baby is lovable.  Vulnerable.  Open and friendly.  Sweet and gentle.  Soft and pure.  A delight and a joy.  A treasure.  God is all these things and more!  Our God is so lovable, gentle and soft.  He's so delightful and fun and happy.  He such a treasure!

He came as a baby to bring us a smile, a hope, a joy, a life better than we ever had without knowing Him.  Parents often say they couldn't imagine their life without their baby in it.  We can't imagine our life without Him who is everything to us, the One that makes life worth living again, the One who brings joy back in the midst of tears, the One whose love rescues us from our fearful places and makes us laugh and smile again, makes life feel light again, makes us come to rest and feel everything is okay and hopeful again. 

A baby is the expectation for new life, for long and happy life, for a beautiful future.  God gives us that same hope and expectation.  He lets us know this world isn't all there is.  There is another world, and we'll live there in happiness and joy with Him forever.  And this time, we'll get to be the babies!  We're God's babes, His little children, and we'll be with our heavenly Dad forever. 

God came as a baby so we could know that we are always His little babies, always safe in His arms, forever and ever!

Merry Christmas to us all, with all blessings of the love and peace and joy that are truly ours as His dear little babies, His treasured and precious children!

The Father's Assessment

I recently listened to a sermon by Pastor Colin Lagerwall and I was just brought to tears to think of the Father's assessment of us - that His assessment of us is never based on our right or wrong "doings" (this is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!) but based simply on His knowledge about my "being" - who I am as His child (this is the tree of life!)..

One thing that really stands stands out to me is that he said that we can be naked before God, and when we stand naked before Him we are not vulnerable and exposed but instead we find ourselves covered with and radiant with His glory!! It is so hard to believe that we are glorious beings, yet we are in His image which is loving, good and glorious and we just shine with love and goodness and glory too! I can't even begin to fathom that..

Another beautiful thing that stuck out to me is that Jesus death and resurrection showed and proved what God's assessment/knowledge of us is: that we are beloved even when we think we are at our worst (for it was when we were still sinners Christ showed His love for us and died for us) and that we are innocent and pure in His eyes, truly with good and loving natures just like our Daddy (for He was raised as proof of our innocence and He honored us by raising us with Him!)..I had never seen it that way! Jesus truly shows us God's opinion of us!

It is so amazing I can't take it all in, just wanted to share these beautiful thoughts..to be able to drop all measures and forget assessing myself by performance, to stop judging myself and just listen to what He says about me, how He feels about me, who He says I am...this is what I want to do. I have been scared to admit my mess, scared to admit my failure. But dropping all pretenses and just being quiet, I really ask You, dear Father, tell me who I am to You..I have only longed to know of Your love and approval, that has been my one desire, and I have always felt so unworthy and bad and sinful..I have not allowed myself permission to be loved because I thought I was so bad that I almost punished myself sometimes with my thoughts and actions..now I just want to hear from You..speak Your love to me and to anyone else who needs to hear it today, to know who we are to You!

Meeting God Face to Face Is Only Positive

A facebook friend, Amy Mester Hendry, said 'all words related to God are positive' - !! I want to just go over that again and again!

ALL words related to God are positive! There is not ONE negative thing at all in relation to or connected with God! He is ALL positive, He is ALL light without a hint of darkness! He is wholly LOVE and KINDNESS and MERCY, not half leniency and half retribution! Yippee, I love that! It's so TRUE! It just resonates with my spirit!!

Wow, that means we really don't have ANYTHING to fear from Him at all!! I think I have had these last nagging vestiges of fear about the after death future, about the second death, about the lake of fire and judgment and fire of God, etc....yet God is ALL positive and meeting Him face to face will thus be the most positive thing that's ever happened to any of us! It will easily and obviously be the best experience of man's existence, not the worst, won't it! Being loved like you always longed to be, always dreamed of being...that will be the most positive, satisfying, wonderful, and ecstatic experience and HIGH ever known! How could that be bad or awful or scary? How could that be painful or hurtful? How could that be ANYTHING other than healing, restorative, joyful, freeing and invigorating!

When we experience Him tangibly, face to face like that, it will be such a JOLT of holy electric love that it will energize us so much we'll live forever just off of that love burst, His lovingkindness being better than life even, better than living forever, more like living in a new dimension outside of time, because time can't even hold enough moments to contain such love, thus it is truly outside time, in the realm of simply being the always NOW, the eternal!!! It's already started for us in the spirit realm, and one day it will be manifested in the tangible realm too! Full of His love presence now and forever! Loved with holy electric jolts of invigorating affection, now and forever! Eternity now and forever!

It's good to hear this message of His love constantly, and to know know know that we have nothing to fear from Him, that all that will happen upon seeing Him face to face is that we'll experience love beyond all imagining, beyond our wildest hopes and dreams!

•