Absolutely In Love with Jesus

“…and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”   Psalm 30:11b-12

I love worship. Plain and simple. It is a lot of my heart. And recently the idea of serving God, loving God, obeying God…etc with a WHOLE HEART has been coming up and impressed upon me.

I have been listening to Starfield in my car this past week and this one song called “Absolutely” just keep speaking to my heart and is where I feel my heart is and has become my PRAYER.

“Lover of my soul, I want to tell you
Only you have all of me
I cannot contain, my adoration
I’m in love so desperately

No one is as lovely as You are
And there is no one else who has my heart

Jesus, You have me completely
Every breath that I breath I am absolutely in love
Jesus, I am Yours forever
All of my surrenders
I am absolutely in love with You

Down upon my knees, I’m lost in worship
Humbled by Your majesty
What is there to say, but how I love You
Thank you for forgiving me

No one is as lovely as You are
And there is no one else who has my heart

Jesus, You have me completely
Every breath that I breathe I am absolutely in love
Jesus, I am Yours forever
All of my surrenders
I am absolutely in love

All I am is Yours
Only Yours”

Walking with People

What does it mean to walk with someone? I don’t mean physically…cause that’s too easy to answer. But I mean in the Christian walk.

I have been thinking this week about where my role is in discipleship. Because honestly, I don’t have words to say very often, I don’t how to respond a lot…etc. But recently I just feel like God is telling me to just walk beside and to walk with the people He has brought into my life.

When I think of walking beside people, my mind goes to the 23rd Psalm.

A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, 
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake. 
Even though I walk
   through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows. 
Surely goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever.

 

To me, what I feel is the best way to walk with and beside someone in discipleship,and in life with relationships; is to just be there. to listen. to speak when you know you need to speak. to be honest. to laugh with them. to cry with them. to let them know you care and are there. to PRAY for them and with them. to share your story, your life with them. to challenge them. to go on the same eating plan as them so they are not alone….

It is the little things that matter.

I am one who at times will question whether I am really making a difference, or am really helping someone or am even really being there for them, being a friend…but one thing that I am constantly being reminded of…even when I don’t have words to say or don’t have a clue of how to help someone my heart cares for, PRAYER is enough. BEING there is enough. LISTENING is enough. because I know that, that is and has been enough for me. and I know that God can and will use anything, anyway, and anyone. We just need to TRUST in HIS POWER, and HIS WISDOM, and HIS COMFORT…

What hinders you?

The past couple of months I have been on this kick with the word UNHINDERED. Mostly in a corporate worship setting is where the focus has been on being unhindered. But recently it has hit me, that I cannot be unhindered in corporate worship until I learn to be unhindered in my daily life. From the littlest things leading to the bigger things. There are so many things and areas that hinder me in my everyday life, physically, emotionally and spiritually and they are all connected in some way. My heart’s desire and my prayer is to become unhindered in my life. In my worship…which my worship is my life. And through that, the more my walls will be broken down, and a life of unhindered-ness and of embrace for and in the LORD Jesus Christ will be alive and lived to the fullest. For His glory.

Psalm 34 has become a life (verses) passage for me this past wee while. To me, it is just my heart’s cry in so many areas, as well, as it says all that God is and all He has even done in my own life. So I leave you with Psalm 34.

“I will extol the LORD at all times;
   his praise will always be on my lips. 
My soul will boast in the LORD;
   let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 
Glorify the LORD with me;
   let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
   he delivered me from all my fears. 
Those who look to him are radiant;
   their faces are never covered with shame. 
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
   he saved him out of all his troubles. 
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
   and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 
Fear the LORD, you his saints,
   for those who fear him lack nothing. 
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Come, my children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 
Whoever of you loves life
   and desires to see many good days, 
keep your tongue from evil
   and your lips from speaking lies. 
Turn from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
   and his ears are attentive to their cry; 
the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
   to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
   he delivers them from all their troubles. 
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
   and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

A righteous man may have many troubles,
   but the LORD delivers him from them all; 
he protects all his bones,
   not one of them will be broken. 
Evil will slay the wicked;
   the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 
The LORD redeems his servants;
   no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.”

When’s the last time you were really alone?

You can get so caught up in busyness and people that you forget what has always been important and a priority to yourself.

The simple act of being alone…something i used to hold onto too much. something God has stretched me in not doing so much of. Something I need as an escape and refresher. Something I had forgotten I needed.
I have fallen so in love with people, and have gotten used to people always being around and been keeping busy that I havent taken undisturbed alone time. Sure I have had my quiet times with the Lord. but the time I am talking about, is escape from all things. just to be by yourself. you and God. where you build that intimacy. where you are free to just cry and not have someone ask what’s wrong. you are free to be frustrated and talk it out with God….etc and not think of all the people around you or who could be looking at you and what they are thinking.

I have forsaken those special intimate times, as simple as they are at times, with my LORD. The One my heart yearns for. I need to fight for these times. Fight for more times of intimate prayer, as I am learning a lot about prayer and how I actually don’t know how to pray for people or for myself and as I feel this is something God is calling me to more.

When you forget what has always been important to you, and is a part of how you communicate with your Creator, it eventually catches up to you and you crash, and insecurities, past failures come creeping in. and you realize, its all because you havent had the intimacy you need.
Where are your priorities? Who is your top priority to spend time with? Who receives the majority of your time? God should be receiving all of my time, and all of my attention. He should receive more of me, than anyone else does. and if He is not, there is a problem, and He will fight for You.

Random:

Don’t live in the past failures and mistakes. Learn and move on. You are forgiven and free. Don’t let present mistakes ruin all that Jesus has done for you.

One of my favorite questions or thoughts right now is this:  “If all Jesus ever did for you was die on the cross and rise again and forgive your sins and set you free…would that be enough for you?”  becasue He has done so much more and continues to do so much more…but would the cross be enough to receive ALL of your devotion and your heart?!

“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name…” Psalm 29:2a

Psalm 19

My heart needed to be calmed down tonight, so after some journaling and prayers, I turned to my Psalm chapter for the day. Psalm 19.

Beginning with the end…v 14.
”May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
What am I meditating on?!

What I should be meditating on is what the previous 13 verses explain…It starts out…

”The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes it circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat…”

and it goes on even more…(which I love definitions, so I looked up the definitions to these words, and if you substitute the definition for the word, at least for me, it helps put things into a better perspective and understanding of what it is saying)

“The law (rules of conduct established by the authority of a nation) of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes (rules) of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts (rules of moral conduct) of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands (orders) of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear (awe) of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances (regulations) of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold, they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward….”

 

I believe, the Psalms speak for themselves. What should I be meditating on? God. Father. Son. Holy Spirit. His Glory. How nature screams His name. His law, statue, precepts, commands, fearing Him, and His ordinances…

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

God’s Blessings

Yesterday I realized how much of a testimony, God’s Provision is in my life. I have sooooooo many stories of how God has come through and provided my needs, in every area of my life. It just amazes me that I never have had to worry about a thing(and yet I still do at times, but God ALWAYS comes through). I am just blown away by God and His love and provision for me, and the things that I do and am involved in and the provision in those things! incredible!

Just wanted to share.
”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. “ Philippians 4:6-7

Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God Almighty

How often do we prepare, or consecrate ourselves for God?

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”
So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.”
Exodus 19:10-15

We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, so granted we always have the presence of God. But are we daily consecrating (devoting…) ourselves and preparing so we are ready for God? to serve god?
So often I think I forget about how God, is a HOLY God. In Exodus 19 verse 5 God gives limits to Moses on where the Israelites can stand before He shows Himself. God is so Holy, that as His chosen people, they still cannot be a certain distance from Him. Granted, now a days, Jesus has justified us, therefore we can be with God 24/7 and are. But there are still limitations, because of our human bodies and our sinful nature. Am I daily preparing emotionally, spiritually, physically to be with God? To spend time with Him, to expect answers and acts from Him in a day? If I am honest, the majority of times, I am not.

Do I treat my God, as He truly is…which is Holy? Sometimes yes, majority no.
Or do I treat my God, as just another person in my life? Majority yes, sometimes no.

My heart’s desire is to live to please my God, my Savior, my Guide. To daily recognize Him as HOLY. I want to live a life worthy to be called His child, of which I am one, by His grace and love. I desire the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to receive from me the praise, honor, respect, glory…due to His name and His character and His Holiness. He deserves every single ounce of me, yet all to often I fall short. I ask for forgiveness for falling short all to often, but I am eternally grateful for the grace, mercy and love that Jesus has poured into and over my life. Each day, may I take time to recognize the truth of who you are God.
(which shows me the truth of who I am.)

And God came as a cloud of fire. And one of my favorite scripture later on in Exodus(33 i believe)…God is so Holy that He could not even show His face…yet His love protects us from how Holy He is!
This….is what makes me revere my LORD!