Friends of Heart

Life is full as our Father gives us all purpose! I am grateful He has a plan for each of us in this world! His timing is perfect with 24 hours in a day and within that time frame there are oh sooo may great opportunities to do many, many, many things and people – oh, my gosh, there are sooo many people that each one of us could spend time with 24/7 and still never meet everyone!  I have read a few things from people this morning that gives me the heart that I think most people struggle with and that is seeking to manage their time in balance with the priorities of life, good health and relationships. One of the articles I read today talked about how they thought it was wrong to refer to someone as a friend if they had never met them, had never spent any time with them and knew little about them.  While these factors do go far in building a deep quality friendship, I would like to suggest that people can still have a loving, friendly heart towards someone even if they have never met them.  Just in having an awareness of someone, knowing that they are there in the world, you can still have a fondness in heart for their existence and an appreciation for the gift of their life.  If time and opportunity never allows two people to meet, it doesn’t mean they can not have a friendship in heart.  The Apostle Paul is someone I have never met, but I have a great appreciation and love for him and while I will not meet him in this life, I hope to in eternity.  I can read his notes written thousands of years ago speaking love, grace and peace to me and feel his heart for me personally.  When I write, I do not know who all may read what I write, but this I know.  My heart is full of love for everyone! Jesus is not someone I have seen face to Face, but I look forward to seeing Him in eternity.  Even so, I still love Him and my whole life is lived out based upon the fact I love Him.  For me, there are many people in this world I may never meet, but I have great love for all people and if God were willing, I would love to have a cup of coffee and a friendly chat with all of them.  All of this to say, you can be a friend in heart even if you never spend time with someone – maybe a good name for it might be “tennis-shoe love.” Love on the move!  If you do get the opportunity to spend time with them, it is the cream on top of life! I like these words of my Father today:

“A friend loves at all times.”

And I might add, in all places.  Everyone is in different places physically and may be in different places spiritually, but we can have a heart to understand everyone’s struggles and everyone’s desire to be loved and love as our Father would have us do, the best we can – that may be just in heart or perhaps in a additional bonus way! Know this, may you feel the presence of our Father’s love today for you wherever you are. He is always with you in heart and in full power to help you at any time, in any place and in any way. Love to you!  God bless!

Proverbs 17:17

 

Kingdom Minded People

There is a place in life where the lamb will lay down with the lion in the Kingdom of Jesus. It is a place that is full of peace. The Kingdom is a place where all are welcome, all are free and it does not cost money to buy a ticket to get there. The poor can enter in as well as the rich if they will lay all of the earth down to gain all of His Kingdom. The price for entrance into Jesus’ Kingdom was already paid on the cross by Jesus and all He asks for in order to enter His Kingdom, is your heart that believes in Him and wants to be with Him.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Beyond Splendor

I marvel at the greatness of my Father today as I look all around my life.  Just the miracle of life existing is pretty incredible and within a square foot of creation are sooo many miracles, you could spend much time pondering just it.  Yet beyond that is a vast universe of miracles that go on and on and on and as the Psalmist wrote:

“His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.”

Beyond even what we can see right around us right now, there are even more divine miracles that one day we will see when His Kingdom paradise called heaven is revealed.  Until then, in the here and now, Christ brings His Kingdom into every heart that believes in Him and graces our lives with all that we need, plus miracles galore!  Jesus is truly beyond splendor – the miracles of His grace are indescribable – beyond how to see it all fully, but yet it is all fully there.  Jesus is truly beyond splendor, but not so far beyond as to be right here to behold at all times. I sooo love my Father. He is amazing in who He is! Standing amazed with ya! Enjoy all the splendor of life – God with us!

Psalm 148:1-13

The Master Gardener

It is summertime and with it here in Idaho, there is lots of watering going on to keep things alive and growing.  Farmers are preparing for the harvest to come this fall.  I took a photo of this big cornfield near our place last night when I was out for a walk. The miracle of all of it comes to my mind as I reflect upon my Father’s Word today.  He is the master gardener of the whole world.  His Word says it this way:

“He waters the mountains from

His upper chambers;

the earth is satisfied by the

fruit of His work.

He makes grass grow for the cattle,

and plants for man to cultivate–

bringing forth food from the earth.”

Now how amazing is that to think about how God is a gardener caring for the earth in which we live!  He sustains it continually!  Wow! He is truly amazing and I am a gal thankful today for His kindness towards us.  Enjoy the fruit of His work around ya today! Let’s give thanks to Him together!!!

Psalm 104:13-14

Strong Linked to Strong

It is good to be strong in life and our Father understands the value of that and that He is the source of strength that all people need.  Have you ever wondered who gives strength to God?  In Psalm 65:6, it says of God that He formed the mountains by His power, having armed Himself with strength!  God has the strength of the fellowship of the trinity – God the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit – all three in the One God.  We as saints are strengthened by Him!   He says that “His eyes roam the earth, to strengthen those who are committed to Him.”  He recognized in the Garden of Eden that it was not good for man to be alone and He gave man a companion in Eve.  He also longs to have a relationship with us and took the initiative to build a relationship with us.  Now how sweet is that  to have One who sooo longs to have us in His life and is never willing to let us go!  Thankfully, Adam and Eve chose to reciprocate to keep that relationship healthy and boy, howdy – I’m a gal very thankful they did because numerous amazing things happened as a result of their forward walking.  Our Father was the instigator of a relationship with Adam and Eve because He was armed with strength!  This all speaks volumes to me that when we are armed with the strength of God, we, too can be instigators of healthy relationships that just makes us stronger, stronger and stronger, just like the Trinity of God.  People always have a choice, though and if they choose to turn from us, we can still pray that our Father will bring the victory.  I’m a gal seeking the strength of my Father in all of life with ya! How about you?

He is “who formed the mountains by His power, having armed Himself with strength.”

Psalm 65:6; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Genesis 3

 

Fountain of Life

Oh there is nothing in life like a good drink from our Father’s Word to me!  He is a great refresher of my soul! Even the Psalmist understood this about the Lord when He wrote:

“For with you is the fountain of life”

Psalm 36:9

Wherever ya are in life, if ya be thirsty, seek Jesus and ask Him to give ya drink and He will give ya the best one you will find!  He is my favorite watering hole! His waters are sweet to my soul with every gulp! Ahhhh! Blessed gal again today by the fountain of my Father! When ya take in of Him to the full, ya can’t help but spill forth into the world about Him! I guess you can say when ya drink from the fountain, ya become a fountain! Can’t help but share the greatness of Him! It just springs up! May you be refreshed by His fountain of life today as well and when full, spill forth with the good news of Him to others as ya can.  Many in this world are thirsty! It will be awesome to point them to the greatest refresher of all! They will be glad ya did!

The Royal Life

My Father is a King and as the Psalmist wrote long ago, this is still true today:

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty;

the Lord is robed in majesty

and is armed in strength.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be moved;

Your throne was established long ago;

you are from all eternity.”

I’m a gal trusting in my Father today! From the beginning of time, He has been making this, His perfect divine plan, work out in this world and I’m a gal confident that from today forward thru all of eternity, life with my Father is going to be nothing short of divine and victorious! Why heck, Jesus has already defeated that devil dude on the cross and is now just working to get the Word out to as many folks as possible about Him so that as many as possible can enter the courts of His Kingdom with thanksgiving in their hearts when life on this earth is done. Woohoo! Until Christ provides the next phase of life there for us all, I’m rejoicing that He is full on in power and near and dear, in fact, plunked right in the middle of my heart, established and never to move.  Now that makes me feel like a secure princess to have the King with me in heart! Resting and peaceful knowing He is on His throne in all of life! I guess you could say “it’s a royal life!” Got royal blood in your life?  It’s available to all who believe in Him!

Psalm 93:1-2; Romans 8:28-29; Psalm 100:4; John 3:16; John 14: 16, 26-27; Acts 1:8

 

Course Determined

Have you ever thought in your mind that life would go one direction only to find out as you are going along, something else happens instead? Our loving Father who always has the best plan in mind for our lives is a God of determination to help each of us as His children in life and as a result, He is always working to bring us victory.  Sometimes certain things need to happen before we can get to where we think we are to be and maybe where we think we should be is not the goal at all – there is something more divine in the works!  In all of life, as we seek our Father’s plans for us, these things we can keep in mind:

“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

“Through all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.”

“In His heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines His steps.”

Our Father IS love and He IS good!  With that perfect combination, I’m a gal that can trust Him with my life! Where He’s going is right where I want to be! I love life with my Father! Every day is a great adventure to see where the trail leads! Woohoo! That is exciting!

Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28-29, 12:1-2; Proverbs 16:9

 

A Joyful Noise

Reflecting upon the blessings of my Father today and sooo appreciative of all His efforts to bless my life.

“O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.  For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.  In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also.  The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land.  O Come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”

Psalm 95:1-6

Here is a worship song if you would like to listen here and spend some time pondering our Father’s efforts to bless us. I sooo admire my Father.  He is good in heart!

His Eye Always on Us

Our Father is a good Father to us as His children.  As I ponder His Word today, He gives me the vision of a parent watching and interacting with a young child as the child is exploring their world.  Our Father knows what is safe for us and what are good experiences for us and He also knows where there may be things that we need to be steered away from.  He is always at work in our lives to guide us and direct us so that we have the best possible life. He wants us to be joyful! We can never get out of His supernatural Fatherly vision and He is always in tune to hear us as we cry “Abba, Father!”   As the Psalmist writes:

“If I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.”

“My shield is God Most High.”

I’m thankful for the loving, guiding hands of my Father that keeps me secure in the boundaries of His care as I listen to Him. I am glad that He is always there with me! I’m sure a blessed daughter of the King to be in the playground of life with ya. It’s a new adventure everyday and oh so fun with Father’s love with us! He’s a great Dad!

Psalm 7:10; 139:9-10; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Philippians 2:13