Daughter of Mine

Precious child, daughter of Mine, 

Living in My love divine.

Who am I Lord? What is my place?

That I deserve Your warm embrace?

Like a child that is never still, 

How do I know that I'm in Your will?

Oh, daughter of Mine, your words are true, 

But I am only after you. 

I made your eyes not only for sight, 

But so they'd reflect My radiant light.

Your skin so soft, I made, you see, 

So you could know that side of Me.

Oh daughter of Mine, when will you learn, 

That it's time with you, for which I yearn?

Don't worry about My plan and will, 

It's your deepest yearnings, I long to fill.

I am, who created you from birth, 

To Me you are of priceless worth. 

Oh daughter of Mine, what steals your time, 

From sitting at my feet divine?

I see your life, in such a hurry, 

And then you're filled with stress and worry.

How could you not know that I am here, 

To calm your fears and dry your tears?

Oh daughter of Mine, see, it's you I so desire!

Why do you keep living in the midst of the mire?

You feel your life is full of demands, 

But I've engraved your face on the palm of My hands.

What more can I do to get you to see, 

That hole in your heart can be filled with Me?

Oh daughter of Mine, so precious and fair,

In the morning will I find you there?

I've called you by name and You are Mine.

You're exactly the child that I've designed.

Come lay your head upon My chest, 

Let My arms enfold you while you rest.

Oh daughter of Mine, My love is true, 

And My heart desires more of you.

Precious child, daughter of Mine, 

Come live more in my love divine. 

(Written by a Mrs. Bloodworth)

Jesus, i need You

       "Jesus... 

   I really need You right now. I need Your help every second of every day. To breathe, to walk, to talk, to blink, to move... I need You just to live! I'm sorry I try to do things on my own-in my own time and my own way. As if You are not big enough to take care of everything and know what's best for me... I'm sorry, God.

   Sometimes I forget, God. I forget where I have been and that You have carried me through deep, deep valleys and really dark places; I forget that as Your grace was sufficient last time, it will be again sufficient this time around too; I forget that the place I really want to be is in Your will. Sometimes I look around at my circumstances thinking they are too hard and big and massive, instead of looking to You and Your strength.

   God, You say again and again in Your Word not to be afraid or fearful and to be courageous! But God, I am not a very courageous or bold person on my own-will You help, me God?!?! I want to be bold and courageous like David facing Goliath; Daniel in the lion's den; like Shadrach, Meshach and Obedigo when they defied the King and were thrown into the furnace; and like Esther when she only thought her people and not herself. Jesus, help me be bold for You and to stand for You, even if and when I stand alone.

     God, may I crave You more and more everyday! 

I Want to Live Like That

"Jesus,
May we live like it's our last day everyday. Not holding back because of fear of what others think or say, or fear of failure; or just thinking of ourselves and our desires, wants before others needs. Jesus, show me/us how to love those no one else will! Show me/us how to reach to those no one else will touch! Show me/us how to love those that You have placed in our lives. You have lavished us with so much grace, God, how can we not give it away!?!?!

"May I/we be quick to lend a hand, and not judge; may I/we run to help others and not criticize; may I/we lavish and readily give your grace, forgiveness and love to others as You have given to us freely. Jesus, the same radical living You called Your disciples to many years ago, (Check out the Gospel(s) of Matthew, John, Acts)  is the same radical living You have called us to today! May we embrace it! fully and completely giving ourselves to You, Jesus-wholly, utterly and completely abandon to You and Your will!"

 "Jesus, may every breath I/we breath be for Your glory!"

Singing Stars and Wales-How Great is Our God!

My sister showed me this video and I wanted to share it with you... Friends, even creation is praising our God, the Creator of the universe!

So, what did you think? Is this just amazing or what?!?! What an awesome God we serve!

I have Chosen Thee

Pain's furnace heat within me quivers,

God's breath upon the flame does blow;

And all my heart in anguish shivers

And trembles at the fiery glow;

And I whisper, “As God will!”

And in the hottest fire hold still.

He comes and lays my heart all heated,

On the anvil, minded so

Into His own fair shape to beat it

With His great hammer blow on blow;

And yet I whisper, “As God will!”

And at the heaviest blows hold still.

He takes my softened heart and beats it;

The sparks fly off at every blow;

He turns it o'er, o'er and heats it,

And lets it cool, and makes it glow;

And yet I whisper, “As God will!”

And in His mighty hand hold still.

Why should I complain? for the sorrow

Then only longer-lived would be;

The end may come, and will tomorrow,

When God has done His work in me;

So I say trusting, “As God will!”

And, trusting to the end, hold still.

                          ~Julius Sturm 

This is one of my favorite poems. I love the vivid picture it paints using this analogy. Maybe you are finding yourself in a fiery furnace right now. I'm sorry you have to go through this pain!! Please know that I am not trying to fix anything because I don't have all the answers, but I hope and pray this is encouraging to you! 

Here is something a new friend of mine [Jen Barrick] told/emailed me tonight: "God never wastes a pain, a tear, or a trial. He is faithful to find the most creative, purposeful means to bring beauty from the ashes, strength from our weakness... it is only a matter of timing!"

'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has planned for those who love Him' 1 Corinthians 2:9

My friend, you are a precious and priceless treasure!

Easy or Hard?

"Would you rather have an easy life, and not produce much fruit, or have a harder life, but produce more fruit?"                    
                          
The other day I heard a gentleman say that God asked him this question. It made me stop and ask the question of myself. What do I really desire? How do I live my life? Do I want an easy life, or one that is harder, but bears more fruit for Christ?!?!

Well, friend, I will be honest and say that I don't really love trials and suffering, it hurts! I don't like things that hurt! But, I do want to bear fruit in my life and I do want to live in obedience to Christ. I want live in such a way that those who do not know Jesus, will see Him in me. And in order to do that, I need to be like Jesus. 

Jesus was perfect and last time I looked in the mirror and looked at my life, I did not see someone who was perfectly like Christ. Hmmmm, yep, last time I checked I had a ways to go to be just like Jesus in every area of my life. 

So friend, what do you say? May I encourage and challenge you to think about this question? If God was/is asking you this question right now, what would/are you going to decide? 

"God, I pray that we would so desire for Your Name be glorified, proclaimed and lifted high, that even through the suffering and pain involved in our life, we would embrace it-looking to You for strength and grace, knowing that there is a bigger picture. May we patiently walk the path, following You every step of the way. Jesus, I do want to bear fruit for You! Sometimes though, I get scared and look at my circumstances and what looms before me instead of looking to You. Help me to keep my eyes fixed upon You always.  God, if trials is what it takes to bring You the most glory and proclaim Your Name, then Jesus, may we say, 'bring the rain'."

Pursued by My Lover

I start laughing with joy. Then crying, and then laughing again. All throughout that day when I thought about it, I was giddy all over again.    

                   
The other day while doing my devotions God opened my eyes to the truth that He was pursuing me way before I even began to look His way. Just think about this... God, the Creator of the Universe, wants YOU!! and so much so, that He pursues YOU!!! Yep, I know, it is simply crazy, amazing!!! (*girls, just food for thought...no man will ever pursue you like what God does!! Not even close!)

I invite you to look at these verses with me... :)

"For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  Psalm 139:13

"Your eyes [God] saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."  Psalm 139:16

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. ..."   Psalm 139:2-5

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

"For God so loved the world (you), that He gave His only Son, that whoever (if you) believes in Him [you] will not perish but have everlasting/eternal life." John 3:16

You know sometimes we believe the lie that we are not valuable and that we don't "measure" up. Or maybe you think that God doesn't like you, much less love you. Sometimes because of circumstances that happen in our life that are out-of-our-control, we believe the lie that satan and the world feed us: "You are not worth much or valuable; you are such a loser." But guess what, Friend?!?! You have been created and made in the image of God, and He says you are valuable. Your worth does not depend on what you have or have not accomplished; whether you are super smart/intelligent; on your looks or athletic ability; or anything else!

You are valuable & of worth because God says you are!!!

So don't believe the lies from the world that you have to do a specific thing or be a certain way to be valuable! It's just not true! You, my friend, are valuable because God wanted you to be and He made you in His image; it pleased Him. Check out the book of Genesis and the creation account (Genesis 1-2). Notice how God created the rest of creation and then how He created humans. Walk in the truth today and tomorrow and the rest of your life! 

Friend, if Jesus is your Lord and Savior embrace knowing that He wants you and is for you! Maybe though, you do not know what having a relationship with Jesus is; know that God is pursuing YOU and is calling your name. Go to Him. He wants you! I encourage and challenge you to find out more about a relationship with Jesus. Open up the Bible and start reading. Ask your pastor, a trusted friend, or as always, please contact me! I would love to talk with you! :)                

Friend, God doesn't make junk! If fact, you matter so much that even though we messed up His perfect world and separated ourselves from Him, He made a way that we could live with Him for eternity! Isn't that just crazy, amazing!?!? You do matter! You do have a purpose because of Christ! You are precious and valuable!