Another new meaning :D

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

I cringed at the word scrutinize this morning here in Psalm 139, but when I looked it up I found out it has two meanings:
to inspect critically
or
My personal thought is that it means this:

to observe with great care.

He observes my path, my lying down, and my ways with GREAT care.

hm

I don't want to sing lyrics, and feel nothing.
I want to sing my all for my Jesus, I want to dance all for my Jesus.
It's so easy to get distracted.

Is it just me?

Have you ever noticed that the words you hear consistently- you really have no idea what they mean? I have gotten in this habit lately of re-looking up words that I thought I had a grasp upon before... Here is a short (but will be expanded) list of the ones I have looked up:

Loving-kindness
Faithful/faithfulness: loyal, true, constant. (That's my prayer! To be found constant and solid in Jesus in every situation and circumstance that comes my way)


It's so cool to look up these words in the context of Papa and learn just a little more about Him each day <3

I have to start my Tuesday and leave the house, but I will expand later! Have a great Papa filled day!

The Journey

I am truly fed up with winter while writing this.. I am sick of the snow, the ice, the coats, the scarves, the boots.. the shoveling, scraping, wondering, everything associated with winter, my body is saying "ENOUGH."

..And even as I write this, Holy Spirit convicts me and softens my heart, whispering.. "It's just a day in the journey, it's just a moment in the bigger picture, it's just a small thing." And as I meditate on these words whispered to me by the Lover of my Soul, I remember that there is a such a greater thing to be learned during this season.. He asks instead, "what are you enjoying about the season?" Am I enjoying the snow and the things that the Father is trying to speak to me about the snow and the ways that the SNOW signifies who He is or am I too distracted by the enemy's distractions to really notice the simple peace and joy that comes along with the snow?

As I look at the snow and how much we have of it, It reminds me how much Papa truly loves us... every single flake signifies just a spinet of our Father's love for us. Each flake as it falls, lands on us, lands on EVERY single cell, every little detail of who we are. As the snow accumulates and as the truth of the Father accumulates inside of us, it gets more and more easy to stand up against the distractions that come our way. And as the snow accumulates, others around us see His true love for us and for them. Another cool thing about the snow and Papa's love for us is that He plows, He gets rid of EVERY single distraction that gets in the way of the journey He has us on.

So the reminder I have today for myself.. and for you.. is to simply focus on the journey He has for you (snow and all) because even the annoyance of things that we do not particularly enjoy as part of the journey (snow (and ice)) and the work that comes with the journey, it is worth it! He is so worth it! The journey, the hard ship, the annoyances, and the rough times are really just a beautiful, elegant part of our journey, a part of our lovely relationship we have with Papa.

He just makes me sigh in utter delight in Him sometimes, so enjoy Him today, enjoy the hardship because He makes it so beautiful! So beautiful and what's cool about the hard and even the beauty is that HE has better plans from the mess than we can imagine, and even though I have no idea how the mess that is in my life right now is going to end up, I have faith, I know that the Ruler of the Universe, He has it all under control because He is for me, He advocates for me, He knows me, He created me, and He loves, loves, loves, Me.. and you!

I feel the Lord saying: Here is the ticket to the rollercoaster- it's going to be bumpy, its going to be shaky, and it's going to be scary: up and downs, but He only takes my hand, puts on the seat belt and tells us that it is SO WORTH the entire ride because HE IS WITH US! He is with us, He is not going to let us fall out of His gaze no matter how high the hill gets or how scary the down is.. He is hanging on with all His might- so He is asking you to cling to Him... as well. He is such a great Papa... I love him!

I just felt the Lord say that it is time to gear up- it's time to put on our boots, to put on the weapons of warfare! He has given us all the truth we need, open His word, He has it for you! Everything He has for us is incomparable to anything else! Incomparable... don't try to compare it!

Jeremiah 29:11-13: 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

You always are..

The life of the party- Ben Dunn!

I was listening to this song over and over today! The Lord just kept placing deep in my heart that the world views Him not as a Father, a protector, an advocate, a joy or a lover, but many times all we see when we pray or ask for Him to reveal Himself is the God of the Old Testament, with the rod waiting to hit us on the head and yell at us. Slowly, the Lord is reminding me that HE IS A FUN GUY! He loves us, He wants to dance with us, and He is so joyful! He wants to have fun with us, he enjoys doing things with us as long as we are in relationship and obedience to Him.

He is the life of the party and this life means NOTHING without Him in it. He loves dancing, he loves having a good time, and he is not trying to take things away from you! He is such a great Papa and he smiles on each of us waiting with open arms for us to fall into them and party with us and with him! Each day is a party and He has released us from the things that have held us back, the chains, and the extra baggage we are carrying. He wants to reveal Himself to you as a party God, a fun Guy, but most of all to party in HIS love. It's a great journey!

What image do you have of God?

Merry Christmas!

Seeing Clearly

This morning as I began getting around, I was thinking about things and just enjoying a friend who was at my house. I finished the normal routine: shower, getting dressed, hair, makeup, etc. and decided today was a day for my glasses to be worn. As I stood in front of the mirror, I had this thought that once I put my glasses on, I would be able to see myself more clearly. I gently placed my glasses on my face and heard the Lord say, Yes, it's time to put your glasses on. Your spiritual glasses- the glasses that allow you to see me more clearly.

These glasses that I was putting on in the spirit allowed me to see myself more clearly- the amazing, created, LOVED woman of God. He is aligning my vision to give me one unbroken gaze on HIM. As we begin to gaze upon the Father more intently and see His glory and righteousness, we begin to show the Father, we begin to glow as He glows. These glasses allow us to see the beauty of others (one of our many duties and destinies that we each have as saints) so that they may walk into the revelation of who they are!

Gaze means to have a steady or intent look. The Father gazes at you and He wants us to loving lock our eyes back on him.

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

My prayer for you today is that Papa aligns your vision to see him clearly and to know that he loves you. I ask for a revelation of His deep, penetrable, and amazing love for you. Ask because He has promised to show it to you! That you would have a revelation of the beauty of the Lord on this cold December morning.

Shalom, Peace to you!

Email titled Pearls!

This was in my email.

It's called "Pearls"-

Enjoy!

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with
her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening
white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy, can I have them?
Please, Mommy, please?"



Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked
back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A
dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll
think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money
to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might
get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."



As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17
pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went
to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten
cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at
last she had enough money to buy the necklace.



Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She
wore them everywhere-Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time
she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother
said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.





Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he
would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.



One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"



"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."



"Then give me your pearls."



"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from
my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you
gave me. She's my favorite."



"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her
cheek with a kiss.



About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's Daddy asked again, "Do you
love me?"



"Daddy, you know I love you."



"Then give me your pearls."



"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new
one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow
blanket that matches her sleeper."



"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And
as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.



A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with
her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was
trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.



"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"



Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And
when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little
quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."



With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with
one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached
into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine
pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just
waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine
treasure.



Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father. He also is waiting for us to
give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first... so He can fling open the
windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will not have room
enough to hold it.



What are you hanging on to?




Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.



-- Author Unknown