Free to Be Real

You are allowed to fail. You are allowed to be real. You are allowed to be you!

"[True] wealth...it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God."

1 Timothy 6:6 (MSG)

We can fail and still be safe and secure with God, for it's all by His grace that we are fine and well and safe, not by our own doing or keeping.  We are free to be ourselves, admit our weaknesses, have problems and issues.  We are free to take risks, free to try new things and sometimes not succeed, free to be fallible and free to be wrong, free to not understand everything, free to even have erroneous beliefs or doctrines about some things.  And free to be human, to be weak, to be emotional, to be real, to be genuine!  For no matter what we do, where our thoughts and acts take us, what lies or traps we fall in, what confusion we have, or what lies we believe, He has saved us, He has accepted us, He has embraced us just as we are.  And therefore we ARE safe, forevermore!

A Thought:  No matter what, I am safe with God.

Road to Heaven

No matter where I find myself, He is always the bedrock under my feet and I am always on the pathway to heaven.

"The Lord will rescue me from all harm and will take me safely to His heavenly kingdom. Glory belongs to Him forever! Amen."

2 Timothy 4:18

He has got this whole salvation thing wrapped up in His perfect work and faithfulness!  His is the initiative, His is the work, His is the responsibility, and His is the resolve...so we are safe, we are secure, we are assured that we'll forever be snug and cozily at home with Him!   He will not fail us.  We may think we've just fallen too far to ever come up again, yet right in the deepest pit of all we find that God is there with us.  We suddenly find that by His grace, the pathway that seemed to be going down is actually going up, and the hellhole turns into heaven!  Because HE is there!  HE is with us, no matter where we end up, and HE keeps us.  He makes the dark places light and the crooked places straight, flattens mountains into plains and turns the storm into calm.  No matter what, He makes it all come out for good.  Thus, we cannot get lost, because anywhere we go or even run from Him, there He is, holding us, saving us, blessing us, keeping us, carrying us to heaven!

A thought: No matter what, we are still on the road to heaven.

Powerful Love

"So...'Love never fails...' Doesn't that mean Love DOES win?"

Sarah Anne Howell

"Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:8

How powerful His nonviolent, nondemanding, nonjudgmental the Father's love is, how strong is His love that moves, not by force and threat of punishment, but by total, unconditional acceptance and kindness, gentleness and affection! Love is stronger than death. God's weakness and vulnerablity is stronger than any of man's strength to resist His love. And His grace is more powerful and salvific than any power or system that tries to entrap us or keep us down in lies of inferiority, shame or alienation.

Love conquers all...love never fails! Love never bends or breaks down: rather, all things eventually give way to love, all barriers eventually disappear like rocks persistently worn down by waterfalls, waterfalls of grace and tenderness and affection. His kindness leads us to repentance, His grace saves us all, His love pulls every single lost child home, Christ and His cross drags the whole world to Himself!

A Prayer: Love always wins...Love will win all hearts in the end.

God Does Not Recall Our Sins

"At this very moment, your blameless innocence before God is not a goal … it is the reality of what Jesus achieved for you. At this very moment, God is not holding anything against you … in fact Heb 10:17 says “This is final: I have deleted the record of your sins and misdeeds. I no longer recall them.”

Andre Rabe

I will be kind even when they do what is not right, and I will never remember the wrong things they do.' (WE)

Hebrews 8:12

We are to be like God our Father, and God our Father has forgotten our sins.  They are blotted out and never remembered. God is not thinking of our sins at all - they are never on His mind. This is His promise! And since we are to be like God our Father, we too can forgive and forget our sins. We can stop thinking about them, obsessing over them, feeling guilty for them, or trying to fix or stop or make up for them. At the cross Christ deleted our sins and all record of them was erased. Those sins are gone! We are innocent! Let's stop thinking of our sins and start thinking of our blameless innocence in Christ, because that is what God is thinking of today and always!

A Thought: It pleases God when I forget my sins and focus on my righteousness in Christ.

Included in His Love

"Love includes."

Sarah Anne Howell

Your love is a treasure, and everyone finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36:7

God has never excluded or rejected us, and He never will. He loves us, His dear creations, made in His own image. He always has a heart of loving acceptance towards us. His heart holds the whole world in it, and every single person is held in His embrace. There is a special place for each person on earth in the sheltering love of God. This love doesn't divide people into 'in' and 'out' or 'accepted' and 'rejected.' This love includes everyone, is open and friendly to everyone, sends blessings on everyone, takes care of everyone - both the just and the unjust. You are included in God's loving embrace. You have your own special place of shelter under His protective wings, just like a little chick snuggling up to its mother hen. You have just as much right to be with God and under His care as anyone else on this planet. It is your birthright as a human being to be loved and adored and helped by God!

A Thought: God has always included us all in His family, in His love, in His blessing, in His heart!

Enjoying Union

We are in union with Him who IS Life.

He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

We are always in His presence!
We are in perfect and intimate communion.
We are never alone or abandoned but always with Him.
We enjoy unbroken fellowship!
We enjoy the smile of God upon us at all times.
We enjoy complete acceptance and unconditional love.
We enjoy His beautiful, wonderful, joy-filled and happy-making Presence at all times.
Face to face with Him!
Our spirit and His Spirit are one forever. 

Forget about sin, failure and struggle.  In His eyes, it's gone.  

Enjoy the union! 

A Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your indescribable gift of Yourself, Your very Spirit, to be with one with us always!  Your presence alone gives us rest!  Nothing will ever separate us from Your presence. We will never be apart from You.   Thank You, Lord!

Holy Rant: Peace

God is our peace forever.

Jesus said, "MY peace I give you."  (John 14:27)

Let's testify and have a holy rant about God's peace in us: "My peace in Him CAN'T be removed.  In Him I AM at peace!  He has a covenant of peace with me that won't be removed - He promised.  (Is. 54:10)  His promise of peace for me will never be broken!  His peace not only surrounds me, it's in every fiber of my being and it guards my heart, pushing back every fear and lie and anxiety.  His peace is a wall around me.  I am at peace with God because of the finished work of Christ who took away ALL my sin forevermore, and NOTHING can change that!  Nothing I do, think, say, or feel will ever come between us.  I'm acceptable forever because of Jesus.  HE is my peace!"  

A Thought: Christ is being peaceful in me, holding me in His peace, right now and always.

Holy Rant: Joy

God's joy in us lasts forever.

Jesus said, "You will rejoice, and NO ONE will take away your joy."  (John 16:22)

Let's testify and have a holy rant about the Peace of God that we HAVE forever in Christ: "My joy in Him CAN'T be taken away!  I'm happy in Jesus forever, and that's untouchable.  No circumstance, problem or evil can ever touch my joy in Christ.  It is my permanent possession because it's HIS joy in me.  He looks on me and sees someone He's perfected forever, His dear child and the apply of His eye.  He's happy with what He made - me!  He's smiling at me RIGHT NOW and that is a joy to me!  My Jesus is delighted in me forever and He's sticking with me forever.  Nothing can break that up!  My emotions can go up and down and life can be crazy, but that's all only on the surface.  Under the surface in my spirit is a deep calm joy in HIM!" 

A Thought: His presence in me makes me full of joy!

Being Kind Is Our Nature

You are a kind person.

"As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience."

Colossians 3:12

We all want to be nicer people, but we can all see areas where we are not kind. We may put ourselves down for being selfish or uncaring, rude or judgmental sometimes. But God doesn't see us as selfish and uncaring! He sees us as made in His good image of love and kindness. It's our nature to be kind, even though sometimes we act in the opposite way! We can all think back to a time in early childhood when we showed tenderheartedness and love, whether it was for a beloved pet, a parent or grandparent, or a friend. That is our true self - a little child full of innocent love and sweetness. We are tender-hearted and kind just like our heavenly Dad, and He remembers and sees us that way even if we have forgotten and started to act otherwise! Christ has come to show us who we are as God made us and to fully liberate us to act according to that true, God-given good nature within. Knowing His love for us empowers us to just go out and be ourselves in kindness, generosity, and acceptance towards those around us.

A Thought My heavenly Dad is holding me in His lap right now, reminding me that I'm His good and beloved little child, and that it is my nature to be kind!

At Rest

We are resting in His love.

"My soul finds rest in God alone."

Psalm 62:1

We are at rest in God right now. No matter what the turmoil of our feelings and thoughts, deeper than that is our spirit, resting in God. At our deepest core, we are one with God's Spirit, face to face with Him, being loved and being held, totally at rest. We are resting in Him, having all of His love, favor, and support without having to strive for any of it. There is nowhere to go, nothing to strive for. We are already at the destination and we already have everything. We're not struggling with God and He's not struggling with us. God is at rest in us and we are at rest in God. All is at rest and all is well.

A Thought: No matter what I'm feeling, no matter what I'm thinking, deep down I am always in the most peaceful place of all - God's arms.

The Easy Life

"The Christian life is easy - I just let Him live it."  

Source Unknown

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose."

Philippians 2:13

Nobody can live the Christian life.  Nobody but Christ.

We were never meant to live this life on our own, by our efforts, or even with His help.  We were meant to express His life, which means to me that He lives it through us.  It looks like us.  But it's Him flowing through.

The Christian life is easy if I don't have to live it.  It's easy if I don't have to stop sinning on my own power.  It's easy if I don't have to figure out every detail of my life's direction.  It's easy if I don't have to handle my problems.  It's easy if I can rest.  It's easy if He lives it for me, as me.  It looks like me.  But it's Him.

I think we are constantly being brought back to the reality that we can't live this Christ-Life, but that He can and will.  I find He constantly brings me back to looking to Him within to handle every problem, every situation, every temptation, every fear or worry that comes, every decision.

There is nobody in us but HIM.  The evil one isn't there, our sin is dead and gone and not there, the old man isn't there.  He alone fills this cup.  He will pour out!

The Christian life is easy when we let HIM live it!  Because Jesus can handle anything.  Easily!

A Prayer:   Jesus, You will have to handle this life of mine.  Because I see, and You've taught me, that I can't handle it.  Praise You that I was never meant to.  I am not an independent agent, out there to fend for myself.  I am ever linked to You!  Yoked together, we are so ONE in spirit that we're inseparable.  You will have to live this life.  And because we're yoked together, I will be living it too, but we'll both know that I'm only a vessel.  The wine is You.  The Life is You.  You are the One who does it all!

He Carries Me

I used to try to lug around Jesus. Now I see He carries me.

"Throughout your entire journey, until you reached this very place, the Lord your God has carried you just as a parent carries a child."

Deut. 1:31 (CEB)

I used to try to get myself closer to Him or seek to keep Him close.
Now I see He is with me, never to leave.

I used to try to maintain my Christian life and my faith.
Now I see He maintains all in me.

I used to try to keep myself from falling.
Now I see He keeps me.

I used to think this life was all up to me.
Now I see it's all up to Him.

I used to feel so alone in my problems.
Now I see He's with me to handle all my problems.

I used to try so hard to pry my eyes off the storm and onto Jesus.
Now I see He by grace pulls my gaze to Him.

I used to try so hard to get over all my struggles.
Now I see He HAS overcome for me and will manifest that victory.

I used to try to do it all.
Now I see I can trust Him to do it all.

I used to try to walk on the water by myself, all alone.
Now He holds my hand and we walk over the waves together!

A Thought: God takes care of everything.

Sunshiny Day

He wakes us from a dark, rainy night to to a bright, sunshiny day!

"With God on our side like this, how can we lose?" (Rom. 8:31 MSG)

God in His grace has a way of clearing the air, doesn't He?  We learn that all we ever wanted and hoped and often worked for is ours for FREE through Christ's perfect work.  We realize we now have the love and acceptance and freedom and life we've been searching for all our lives.  We find ourselves under the blue sky of God's presence and love!  I think He loves waking us up to what we already have in Christ.  I think He loves seeing us open our eyes to the bright sunshine, realizing we're not in the dark anymore ever again!  I think He loves breaking away every lie to show us we now have God's very Life inside, which automatically trumps every sin, problem, fear, and evil.  We are IN Life and we're never going out!  

A Thought: He has made it an eternal sunshiny day for us in the spiritual realm, where we are seated with Him in the heavenly places forever!

Normal

Focus on new creation reality.

"Now, in the light of your co-inclusion in His death and resurrection, whoever you thought you were before, in Christ you are a brand new person! The old ways of seeing yourself and everyone else are over. Acquaint yourself with the new!"

2 Corinthians 5:17 (MB)

We are normal. Not broken, or messed up, or damaged. Whatever we thought was wrong with us was taken down into the grave with Christ and it didn't come up! But we came up out of the grave with Him, fresh and clean and new. We are simply new creations in Christ, and that is all we are! We are good, strong, full, clear-minded, loving, complete, and solid. We have a spirit of power, love and a sound mind, not one of weakness or fear. We are on top of any problem, not under it. We are well and whole, not broken down. We are just as Christ is. All that He is, we are, because we are in Him and He is in us. We are actually seated with Him in heaven. That's how great things are for us. We are normal!

A Thought: There is nothing wrong with me; everything is all right with me!

In His Eyes

When we dare to look into His eyes, we find only love there!

"And Jesus, looking at him, loved him." 

Mark 10:21 (ESV)

He's looking at us right now, loving us. What do we see in His eyes? In His eyes, we see the endless affection He has for all the world.  In His eyes, we see the delight He feels when He looks at us. In His eyes, we see His infinite compassion for all our pain and suffering. In His eyes, we see the beauty of unconditional love. In His eyes, we see that the Father is all kindness and no wrath, all light and no dark.  In His eyes, we see the tenderness and vulnerability of His wide open heart towards us. In His eyes, we see ourselves, just as He has always seen and known us, His innocent little children simply needing love. In His eyes, we see we are like Him, in His image and likeness, beautiful and pure. In His eyes, we see we have always been His own dear ones and always will be. In His eyes, we see we are one with Him and will never be alone or forsaken. In His eyes, we see we are safe, nurtured, comforted, and held for all eternity. He's looking at us right now, loving us!

A Thought: In His eyes I see how much I am loved.

Free from Sin

Because of Christ we have no association with sin.

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

Romans 6:18 (NIV)

Free from sin! We died to sin with Christ and are now alive to righteousness.  That means we don't have to sin if we don't want to. And the good news is, we don't want to! We are in God's image of love and goodness, and we naturally hate sin and love righteousness. We are free from sin, not enslaved to it, not bound to it, not at its mercy, not helpless before it. We are actually slaves to righteousness. We WILL be be righteous. We just can't resist it! It's our very nature to trust, to love, to be a good person. And not only that, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places right now. We rule and reign with Christ. We reign in life, we rule over sin, we are master over it in Christ. We naturally say no to sin and yes to goodness and kindness. And the Holy Spirit rises up in us to affirm and express that, in power and love and peace!

A Thought: Because Christ has a hold on me, sin has NO hold on me!

Living in Union

Inside my skin, there are two - Christ and me - face to face at all times, moving as one, going through life together, in constant companionship and love. Inside my skin, there are two, yet we are one.

"God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 6:23 (GNT)

We are living life in union with Him! In union, there is no distance between the two. They are perfectly united as one. In union, there is no barrier, no distance, no separation. Nothing is ever amiss or off-kilter. The two are knit together as 'one heart' in unity, transparency, mutuality, sharing and real communion! Christ is in union with us in our spirit, spirit to Spirit we are bonded as one, and nothing can ever come between us! We are safe, we are melded with Him, we are so close together that we are IN each other!

A Thought: I am one with Christ, so close that we are one heart, one mind, one life!

His Spacious Heart

 

There's room in His heart for all the universe, and room in His heart for me.

"He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—He is supreme in the end. From beginning to end He’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is He, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in Him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmony.."

Colossians 1:18-20 (MSG)

There is room for us in His great big heart..room for all our problems...room for all our doubts...room for all our questions...room for all our inconsistencies...room for all our pain...rooms for all our worries..Absolutely anything and everything that concerns us is welcomed, embraced and healed in the great big heart of Christ. In fact, He is holding and healing the whole of creation in His beautiful heart right now!

A Thought: He holds us in His heart.

No Record

 God never thinks about sin when He thinks about you!

"Love keeps no record of wrongs."

1 Corinthians 13:5b

We see our sins and we feel guilt, shame, and regret. We feel we deserve to be punished. We fear God's judgment and anger. But even though we may think about our sins a lot, God isn't thinking about them. God is Love, and love keeps no record of wrongs. God doesn't have His mind on evil. God has His mind on good. He isn't seeing evil when He thinks of you; He is only seeing good, because you are made in His image of love. If you feel you deserve punishment for what you've done, look to Jesus and take His death as yours. Let that be enough 'punishment.' God doesn't need that punishment, that sacrifice for sin. It was we who needed it, and He graciously allowed us to take Christ's death as such, so we could deal with our guilt and shame. But God, Love, always loves and accepts us and does not keep a record of wrongs. So why would He punish them? Why would He judge them? Why would He even need to forgive us, since He keeps no record of our wrongs at all! Our failures don't exist to God! He only sees the person He made, in His image of Love, and nothing we do can change that!  As Julian of Norwich wrote, "What a powerful love that no trespass can break!"

A Thought: God takes no account of my wrongs. He only takes account of His love for me!

Healing Love

"I was so messed up and broken. I expected God's wrath. But all I got was His love, and that's what changed me!"

Susannah St. John

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!"

Isaiah 30:18

God's justice isn't like the human way of justice. God's justice is part of His love, and His way of doing justice is to heal us with His love. No matter what we do, no matter what regrets we have, His love embraces us, engulfs us in tenderness and kindness, with grace and compassion.  He is not judging us but rather accepting us. This acceptance that comes to us no matter what we have done, heals us!  He is not about punishing wrongs but about righting wrongs by healing hearts! His love reaches deep into our hearts and mends all the broken places, heals all the wounded places.  What a wonderful justice to be healed by love!

A Thought: Your love heals all my hurting places.

God's Spitting Image

We are in God's image and likeness and the mirror image of Christ.

"He already knew his people and had already appointed them to have the same form as the image of his Son. Therefore, his Son is the firstborn among many children."

Romans 8:29 (GW)

I had a dream. In this dream I was holding my little child, a tiny little girl, and I was saying, let's just look at you! And I looked into her face and she looked just like I did as a baby! I mean I could have been looking at my own photo from those baby days - she had the same hair, same eyes, same expression, everything. And I was so proud, my heart swelled with joy, I felt such a connection to this little one, and I loved her so much..I ADORED her! And I was thinking, she's my spitting image!

If He sees us anything like I saw that child in my arms in the dream, He must ADORE us! I just feel the intense love He has for us, the pride and joy He has when He looks at us. When He sees us He sees someone He ADORES just as much as He ADORES Christ our Brother! We bear the family likeness; we are His spitting image!

A Thought: God sees Himself in me because I am in His image.

Inner Light

The true Light, God Himself, is shining within us.

"God is shining in our hearts to let us know that His glory is seen in Jesus Christ."

2 Corinthians 4:6 (CEV)

The Quakers call Christ inside the Inner Light. He is a Light inside us that can't be extinguished, a Light that has already overcome all darkness. He is a Light that will always guide us from within and light our path all the way home. He is the Light of pure Love that has no darkness in Him - He is only kindness, friendliness, and goodness, with no trace of evil or wrath. This beautiful Light, Christ Himself, is there within, His face glowing with glorious radiance, shining forth and waiting for us to remember that He has been here with us all along, He loves us like noone else, and He will never ever leave us.

A Thought: I am filled with the Light of God, not any darkness.

Within Us

Christ is within every person, like a seed waiting in the soil, till the water of the Word comes to give each one the message of "Christ in you, the hope of glory!" 

"He was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so I could proclaim Him in the nations."

Galatians 1:16

Little children seem to instinctively know God is with them and seem to find it easy to trust God. They seem to know what adults often forget - that God is in us. Paul said that God revealed Christ in him, not separate from or outside of him. And Paul said he wanted to proclaim Christ in the nations, that is, in everyone. We can look at ourselves and at every person and see that Christ is within. He is not far from each of us. We live and breathe in Him, and we also find Him deep within us, in our heart of hearts, where He waits to be seen and experienced, waits to burst forth in love for us and abundant life through us!

A Thought: Christ waits to be revealed and known in every person.

Chosen

God chose us in Christ before time began. We are wanted, just as we are, for who we are!

"I have called you by name; you are Mine."

Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)

We were already prized and valued by God, like a priceless jewel to Him that He saw and delighted in, long before we even existed on this earth, for we already existed in His heart and thoughts and imagination! He chose us way back then before creation, and choosing means calling by name! That means before time began He already called us by name, called us "My Beloved" and "Beautiful" and "My Bride." He gave us grace before time began, gave us favor, meaning that He actually called us His favorite - favored, highly esteemed, greatly loved - before time itself even started. What security in knowing that before we were even born, before we could do anything to try to earn any acceptance or approval, He already chose us, wanted us, called us 'worth everything to Me', said 'you are Mine, My very own!' If He chose us before we were even around to try to cause the choosing, then nothing we do could make us lose that choosing. We will always be His delight and joy! He is never going to divorce His Bride.

A Thought: We are safely in His embrace forever!

Someone

We just need Someone to love us.

"He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:7

It seems what we want most is just to know we are loved by someone - thought of, cared about, noticed, cherished..And there is Someone who loves us like we've always wanted - our Father God! He is that Someone who thinks of us, values us, believes in us, thinks we're wonderful...that Someone who is committed to us, will be there for us, won't let us down..that Someone who assures us that we matter, we're important, we're precious...that Someone who understands us , accepts us, likes us, wants us, enjoys having us around, couldn't be without us!

A Prayer: Thank You, Papa, for loving us infinitely, for Your love is like a great, deep ocean that we can't even fathom..May everyone sense Your love for them today!

The Moment of Awakening

Hearing the good news is like waking up from a bad dream and finding yourself safe at home!

"I will behold Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."

Psalm 17:9

Wonderful! When we awaken to His finished work, see that it's already done and we are standing face to face with Him, with no spot or flaw, just standing before Him covered over with His love, an amazing thing happens..faith happens!

Faith, as I see it now, is just relief and confidence that comes from perceiving reality - "I really am loved, I really am accepted, I really am included, I really am delivered, I really am pure, I really am innocent, I really am embraced, I really am in right and perfect relationship with Him, He really has forgiven me, He really has taken away my sin, He really has brought me home, He really has perfected me, He really has put me in contact with Him, He really is here with me right now, He really won't leave me or reject me..I'm home!"

And out of this awareness, we start having a real relationship with the One who has always loved us, and we are fused with Him and bonded with Him in such a way that we can never be separated from one another...the miraculous new creation that was birthed at the resurrection is now our living experience, and Jesus lives His life in and through us! His very Spirit fills us and overflows from us in Pure Love and rivers of Living Water! We've awakened to Love and we'll never be the same!

A Thought: HIs love awakens me to who I am in Him!

Innocent Children

We were created perfectly innocent, and innocence is our true nature.

"Your flawless innocence radiates.."

Philippians 2:15 (MWB)

Isn't it wonderful to know that we are truly innocent before Him, even in the midst of our 'hands in the cookie jar' moments, that our hearts are truly innocent and pure deep down, that there is NO shame, blame, guilting, condemning or punishment coming to us from our Daddy at all, ever!    He always sees and knows and relates to you just as you are - innocent, pure and sweet like a little tiny child!  Pure, untainted, unmarred, with only innocent thoughts and motives and intentions.  

He sees the deepest part of yourself and only sees His own image there!  We are made in the image of Love, Pure Love, vast and open and free, so how could we ever be anything else BUT that pure love?  We couldn't!  The source and wellspring of our very life is God, is a Pure Source, like sweet crystal clear water, a fountain of Perfect Love springing up from within giving us life, BEING our Life..and if the Source (God) is pure, the water springing from it (humanity) is pure! 

A Thought: I dance and play like an innocent child, made in the image of Love Himself!

This Love

We are loved beyond our wildest dreams!

"Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God."

1 John 3:1

This love...His love for us is almost unbelievable, truly unfathomable, and yet it is TRUE and REAL! We really are infinitely cherished, cradled, and loved - without condition, from before there ever was any 'condition' - by the Most Wonderful Being in the universe!

His love is so great, so vast, that we can never fully comprehend it or come to the end of it..His love is so tender and sweet that it melts all defenses...His love is so gentle and peaceful that it calms every fear...His love is so powerful that it shelters us from every lie of the enemy as he tries to tell us we are not loved...

This love is so alive, so magnetic, so beautiful, so fulfilling that in this love we actually see ourselves as He sees us and it is mind-blowing! And we find ourselves starting to believe that we really ARE the special, innocent, chosen, and beloved children that He says we are!

This love can't be defeated, stopped, or driven away..This love is here with us, for us, no matter what...This love will never, ever fail us, never let us down, and never lose us - we are safely home in His love for all eternity!

A Thought: I'm floating in the endless ocean of my Father's love for me!

A Place of Innocence

Before time began, God held me as a baby in His arms and adored me, His innocent child!

"Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you."

Jeremiah 1:5

Before we were even born, He knew us. Before we were formed, before our life began, He already loved us. We already existed in the thoughts of God, in a place of complete beauty and innocence outside of time.   God had already wrapped us in love, given us kindness and love, and set us apart for Him. We were chosen and cared about, known and cherished, found in Christ before time began. That is the innocence we started from, the purity that we were created in.  And that is the innocence that we are eternally preserved in by being in Christ.  He has kept us in Him from the foundation of the world, and we have always been in Him in that wonderful place of simplicity and wonder, cherished as a little child in His arms.  We always have been and always will be His innocent ones!

A Thought: I have always been in a place of innocence and wonder with God!

Reflecting God's Nature

 We are reflections of God.

"God created human beings; He created them godlike, reflecting God's nature."

Genesis 1:27 (MSG)

It is truly awe-inspiring and almost unbelievable that we are in the image and likeness of God!  We give God so much joy just to look at us! He created us with delight, created humans as beings He could find likeness and relationship with. We are the image of God - His reflection, a mirror of Him. We are the likeness of God - like Him, therefore godlike. We are not God but we are His offspring, made like Him, with a similar nature to Him. What is the nature of God? It is love. That's what our true nature is! It is simply our nature to love, just like our Father God!

A Thought: The loving nature of God is radiating from me, His child!

Only Good

He only leads us into goodness, truth, joy and peace.

"Without exception God's gifts are only good; its perfection cannot be improved upon."

James 1:17 (MWB)

God is only good, and He only gives good gifts! He ONLY has peace and good will towards us. He will ONLY lead us into green pastures and beside still waters, He will ONLY give comfort and rest to our soul! The good news is ONLY good, the wisdom from above is ONLY peaceable and yielding good fruit, and the kingdom is ONLY righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit! We can be like little children and let Him lead us by the hand into all the beauty, love, acceptance, joy and peace He is to us.

A Thought: Only good is coming to us from God!

Child of Love

 "..the sunshine of Love and Truth penetrates our self-hatred and we 'see' what He has always seen, a child of love, just like Him ... Colin Lagerwall

"We are in Him, invented and defined in Him."

Ephesians 1:11 (MWB)

Let's testify: "I am a child of love - that love is at my core, and is at the core of every person!! To be made in His image and likeness means to be made in His image and likeness of LOVE, for God IS Love, and since I am His child, His offspring, I can even say that I am Love, as well...And that I am just like Him - compatible with Him, fitting in with Him perfectly, having His characteristics taking after my Daddy in His character of love. He is proud to call me His own child, and He sees the family likeness in me. Yet He doesn't just love me because He sees His traits in me, He loves me for ME, for the unique individual He created.. I have always been that, He has always seen me that way, for He had me in His mind before time began and I existed in His heart and mind way back then, and He has held onto that true me and never let that go, that has always been His reference for who I am..."

A Thought: I have always been His child of love!

Basic Goodness

There is a basic goodness and decency about every person God made.

"God made men and women true and upright."

Ecclesiastes 7:29

People are made by God in His own image and likeness. We inherently have the traits God our Father has, like righteousness, kindness and goodness. Our design is not faulty; we have been made with a good and true nature. There is an innate goodness about us; we are upright at the core, created this way. There is nothing wrong with the way we were made! Yes, we haven't always lived true to ourselves, or in accord with our true and good nature. But people are basically good. There is no need to put ourselves down or think of ourselves as dirty, inherently bad, sinful or unworthy. We may do dirty, bad, sinful or unworthy things, but that doesn't change how God made us - as beautiful, good-natured ones in His own image and likeness, and therefore good at the core!

A Thought: I was created innocent and good by God!

 

The End from the Beginning

"From the beginning all was well; we just needed reminding."

Andrew Weissel

"His works were finished from the foundation of the world."

Hebrews 4:3 (ESV)

God has always had the whole cosmos in His hand. He has had the end completed from the beginning. Nothing has been a surprise to Him, and He had taken care of the solution before there was a problem. We were chosen, graced, and loved before there was time. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, before there was any sin for the Lamb to even take away. We see things in time. But God is eternal in the heavens, apart from time. So in God's economy, we were never even lost. In God's economy, we never even left home. In God's economy, we have always been at rest in Him! That is how secure our salvation is! It was always "done" and "finished" from the founding of the world!

A Thought: I have always been safe in His arms!

Inside Us

 "Utterly at home, He lives in us forever."

Julian of Norwich

"God, I love living with You."

Psalm 26:8

Because He is in us, our friendship with God is an inside job! He is right here inside our skin, walking through life with us. We can talk to Him right here inside our heart, and He's always talking to us and smiling at us, laughing at our jokes, feeling what we feel, enjoying life through our eyes. Our life is a story of the greatest friendship ever - the union relationship of God and man, happening right here inside us at every moment!

A Thought: God, You are My best Friend!

Unfailing Friend

"He says, 'I keep you most securely.'"

Julian of Norwich

"You'll never let me down."

Psalm 31:5 (MSG)

People can let us down. We can even let ourselves down. But He will never let us down or fail us! He is with us to the end of the road. We can always count on Him and lean on Him. We're so safe with this Perfect and Loyal Friend. He keeps us so securely, holds us so lovingly, and He will never let go!

A Thought: Jesus, You are the Friend I need.

Relax and Smile

"Good morning, little sunbeam, I am your source...I will be handling all your problems today. I won't be needing your help; just relax, shine, and have a great day!"

Francois Lange

"Lord, You do everything for me."

Psalm 138:8 (ICB)

There are so many challenges in life, so many things that can make us anxious or upset.  Yet He is the light inside us, no matter what dark times we face. God is our source, the source of all that is needed for every situation.  We shine like sunbeams but we don't have to worry about generating anything, because He is our source. All the light and strength we need comes from Him. And His light keeps shining no matter what. We can relax and smile because He is handling everything for us, and His light has already conquered all darkness.

A Thought: I relax in His love and care.

The Safe Place

There is a wall of protection around us.

"The Lord is my life's fortress."

Psalm 27:1 (GW)

We are in Christ. That is where we are securely, constantly, reassuringly. His presence is a wall of protection around us, a fortress for our life. Calamity and trouble cannot get in. Anxiety and fear are not allowed entrance. Struggle and disease are barred from this wonderful safe place - His presence! His presence is all around us. He is enveloping us. He is keeping out any turmoil or evil that would hurt or upset us. In His presence we are perfectly safe! And this is where we always are, because we are always IN Christ!

A Thought: Fear and worry, danger and trouble cannot have me because I am in the fortress of Christ!

Our Protector

We are covered in His blanket of protection.

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Psalm 91:1

We are not out there in the wild winds and storms of life, vulnerable and all alone. We are in Christ. We are in the shelter of the Most High. Right now He is covering us, blanketing us with His presence. That blanket of His loving presence protects us. No harm shall come to us. We are safe. He brings us to see this, and we rest. We relax. We snuggle down in His arms and fall asleep because He only makes us dwell in safety.

A Thought: It's so warm and cozy here in His arms.

Radically Good

 It's radically good news to have such a radically good God!

"For the Lord is good and His love endures forever."

Psalm 100:5 (NIV)

The goodness and kindness of God is really mind-blowing and radical. We have a God who is our dear Father and we His beloved little children. This Papa God never gets angry, never judges, always loves and forgives, takes responsibility for and repairs our faults instead of blaming us for them, always embraces us, is never disappointed or embarrassed with us, gives without expecting anything in return, loves us at our worst, always sees the innocence He created in us! He is one with us, He hurts and dies with us, He wins over death for us, He lives in heaven with us. He always heals, always protects, always stays. He is ever gentle, humble, tender, sweet and vulnerable. He loves all, saves all, embraces all.  Heaven keeps breaking through on earth through Him and He keeps spreading goodness all around.. Darkness disappears in the light of His love, joy and peace. He will provide the ultimate happy ending for us all and all will be well forever!  

A Thought: Thank You for being so radically good, dear Papa!