One Hundred Years From Now…

One hundred years from now what will matter most is if you knew God.  Did you know Him in such a way that you fell more in love every day?  Did you dare to dream and step out in faith to accomplish those dreams?  Did you live your life with curiosity, confidence, courage and constancy?

Let’s go deeper:  To live with curiosity means that as you live you embrace the unknown.  Like Peter, you are not content to stay in the boat; you want to walk on water.  In terms of today, you do not only want to dream, you want to live your dreams and walk by Faith however He leads you.

In the same way, when you live with confidence, you walk circumspectly down the path He chose for you and trust in His promises every step of the way even if they do not always make sense.You know that no matter what He will faithfully be with you.

When you live with courage, you are able to cast your fears aside because you can feel His hand in yours.  No matter what trials come your way, you are able to keep walking because you can see the end result even if it seems distant at first.

Furthermore, when you live with constancy, you keep your eyes straight ahead by spending time daily with Him.  You know that everything is in His hands and that He is more than enough for you.

In essence,

There is no thrill in easy sailing

when the skies are clear and blue

There’s no joy in merely doing things

which anyone can do

But there is some satisfaction

that is sweet to take

when you reach a destination

that you thought you’d never make (Unknown)!!!

 

Divine Romance

“To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances—to seek Him the greatest of all adventures, to find Him the greatest human achievement (Augustine).” 

“He is the Lover, and you are His Beloved.  He has promised Himself to you, so love Him totally who gave Himself totally for your love (Clare of Assisi).” 

A Divine Romance is:

1. …a divine love that surpasses all other loves.

“…and I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ; and to know that love surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19).”

2. …divine protection.

“He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge (Psalm 91:4).”

3. …divine sustenance.

“…and my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).”

4.  …divine care.

“Cast all your anxiety of Him for He cares for you (I Peter 5:7).”

5. …a divine blessing.

“Praise  be to the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).”

6….a divine knowing.

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise.  You perceive my thoughts from afar; before a word is on my tongue you know it completely (Psalm 139:1-2; 4).”

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).”

7.  …trusting in His timing, leading and provision.

“He makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).”

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).”

8.  …waiting patiently for Him.

“I waited patiently for the LORD, He turned to me and heard my cry (Psalm 40:1).”

“Wait for the LORD, be strong and take heart, and wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14).”

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7).”

9.  …remembering His divine promises.

“He is faithful to all of His promises and loving toward all He has made (Psalm 145:13).”

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ (II Corinthians 1:20).”

10.  …falling more in love with Jesus every day!!!

“Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well (Matthew 6:33).”

  LORD Jesus, Your love takes me deeper and deeper into who you are.  Help me to fall more in love with you every day.  I love you, Amen!!! 

Falling in love with Jesus in this divine romance brings about not only a change in our lives but the lives of those we interact with day in and day out.  It shows others that our relationship with God is so much more than just something to believe in and that they can fall in love with Him too.

“

 

Temporary Setbacks—a devo I just read yesterday!!!

“They went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop. Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill… Ezra 4:23b-24a

 

Don’t give up. You may be facing a temporary setback, but God’s purposes will not be thwarted. It may seem as if your life is on hold and everything has come to a stand still. You have worked so hard to get to this point, but it looks like the opportunity has vanished. Hold it with an open hand, as it may have disappeared.

If so, God has something better.

It is not time to get mad, but glad. What God initiates, He accomplishes. He hasn’t forgotten about you or your circumstances. He is on top of the situation. This is a temporary setback. This is a good time for you to catch your breath and reflect on the great things He has done so far. You have been running hard, so pause and prepare for the next stage of personal and professional growth.

You do not need to venture into opportunities for which your character is not ready. The last thing you want is to move forward without the depth of wisdom, patience, relationships, and operational skills needed to complete the project. The motive of your adversaries is to crush your project, but God is taking what was meant for evil and using it for good.

The unfair criticism of others is a cheap way to distract you; so ignore their insults. Immature people act immaturely. Do not lower yourself to their level of behavior. Otherwise, you may never get out. You’ll spin your wheels and becoming defensive; and you’ll get stuck. Focus on God, not your distracters. He is the one who has led you this far and He is the one who will lead you through to completion. If everything were easy, we might take God’s blessings for granted or we might forgo gratitude to God.

Lastly, the Lord knows what is best. He knows how to align everyone’s hearts involved in the project. Sometimes, there is even an ironic twist. He may eventually use the endorsement, resources, and relationships of your biggest critics. The ones who rolled a boulder onto the road may be the very ones who remove the obstacles and provide you fuel for the journey. Isn’t it just like God to turn the tables?

Obstacles become opportunities; adversaries become advocates; critics become cheerleaders; enemies become emissaries. And setbacks become a tremendous springboard for God’s will. Take heart, and keep your head up. It is darkest before the dawn. Hang in there with Jesus, and He will hold you up. Your Savior will sustain you. God’s purposes will not be thwarted, so believe it, and watch Him work.

The Bible says, “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means” (2 Corinthians 8:11).

 

Divine Romance

Divine Romance

Dance

Beckons

just as I am

beauty from ashes

and suffient

for all my needs

deeper and deeper

my affection grows

so I can begin to uncover

the depths of your

undying love

Divine Romance

is what I have with you

and I know

your love will always see me through!!!

“He has brought me to His banqueting table, His banner over me is love; I am my beloved’s and He is mine (Song of Solomon).”

 

More than Enough

More than enough

although life will be tough

I can turn to you

You who is faithful

You who is true

This journey I am on

is one that you’ve gone

down before me

so I can trust your hand to lead.

 

Mixed Emotions

Nothing makes sense

Nothing is adding up

and why, because it is nothing, nothing at all

Everything is chaos

and nothing is in line

My head is spinning

but which direction do I turn

so many thoughts creep in my head

that many are very misunderstood

One minute I am praising

the next I will cry

What went wrong

What occurred

True Joy is found

only when I look in the word

“Therefore, since we have been justified through FAITH-we have PEACE with God through our LORD Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by FAITH into the grace in which we now stand; and we REJOICE (with JOY) in the HOPE of the GLORY OF GOD.  Not only so, but we also REJOICE (with EVEN MORE JOY) in our sufferings because we know that SUFFERINGS produce PERSEVERANCE; PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; CHARACTER, HOPE, and HOPE does not disappoint us because God has poured out His LOVE into our hearts by the Holy Spirit He has given us (Romans 5:1-5).”

I am not forgotten

I matter to HIM

He is in control

because

He is the one with the plan

All of HIS promises He has fulfilled.  All of His prophecies have and will come true in His time.  So, I can be more than sure that when I trust Him, He is more than true!!!

 

Inspiration from the Ocean

The ocean has no end

that has always been its trend

The ocean clears my head

never ceasing in its stead

The ocean points me straight to YOU

YOU who is faithful

YOU who is true

The ocean reminds me that I am free

because my heart belongs

first and foremost to Thee!!!

“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls all your waves and breakers have swept over me.  By day the LORD directs His love, by night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life (Psalm 42: 7-8).” 

Your love is an ocean wide, I swim in your waves that will never subside!!!

 

 

Your Special Place

My Dear Reader,

You have a special place in this world

It would not be the same without you

There are many people in your wonderful life

who have been impacted because of you

So, whenever you get discouraged, disgruntled or dismayed

remember all the blessings your very life has brought.

This Christmas season

as the day quickly approaches

remember that Jesus loved you

so much that He came here

especially for you

so that you too would be born

and come to realize

your special place in His beautiful plan.

Forever in His Love,

Another like you who has a Special Place in His Plan

P.S.  At times we need to be reminded of our worth, so where do we look?  There is no place better than His Word to remember His promises and the blessings that come when we bring glory to His name.

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place; when I was woven together in the depths of the earth; your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:15-16).”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oecH-V9RkQg&feature=related  This song is one of my favorites as it reminds me that we were made for His glory and purpose especially when we get discouraged by things we cannot control.

 

What You Are

Your strength alone helps me to stand

Your peace allows me to be strong

Your Joy fills my heart

and gives me faith

that helps me to trust

so I will never part

Your love is what

I crave this day

so fill me up

I need it

so I can display

who you are

because your salvation is never far!!!

 

 

Keeping Eternity in View

Keeping Eternity in view

is something I must do

if I want to live for you

I want to brighten the night

with your everlasting light

that shines within me

so the world will see

Keeping Eternity in full view

I know you are making me brand new

and my heart you will renew

with your word so true

Keeping Eternity in view

I will not walk away

as the faith within me surely will stay!!!

“Therefore, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is Eternal (II Corinthians 4:18).”

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).”