Speak LOVE.

 

I’m always grateful when I stumble on something positive that came out of something negative.

After the Miley Cyrus VMA debacle, I happened to read this great article The Dear Miley Aftermath on a blog by a 27 year old kindred spirit named Rihanna. The title of her blog is LOVE. The headline is Romans 12:11: “Never be lacking in passion.” I’m intrigued.

I go on to read that she has overcome many challenges in her life, namely an eating disorder, and that she has done it through an intimate, passionate relationship with God. She shares on her blog a list of affirmations she spoke over herself for a full year that completely transformed her life and empowered her recovery. I began speaking them over myself and will be using them from this day forward for the next year. I am ready to be transformed even more! From glory to glory Lord!

“You will decree a thing and it will be established for you and a light will shine on your ways.”  –Job 22:28

I AM…

Beautiful. Jesus is enthralled by my beauty. People see the beauty of Jesus when they look at me.

Worthy. Jesus made me worthy of love and all good things. I am worth getting to know, befriending, loving and keeping.

More Than A Conqueror. I am strong. I was put here for such a time as this, for a purpose. God is stirring a new strength in me for the world around me.

A New Creation. The old me has passed away and the Lord is making me great and powerful.

God’s Favored.  God awaited the day I was born. Every day is a new adventure. He fought long and hard for my heart and He longs for all of me.

A friend of God. God speaks to me every day and I am able to recognize His voice. I have a deep, intimate relationship with the Father.

A friend of people. People are naturally attracted to me and I am deserving of good friends.

Irreplaceable.  I am the only one who has ever had my calling. God has equipped me to accomplish my dreams, calling and destiny.

“Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach – words kill; words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose.”   –Proverbs 18:20-21

I choose life. I choose LOVE… of God, myself and others. <3

You Are Valuable

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

You are valuable. Others may not treat you as such, but that in no way diminishes the fact that you are truly and undeniably valuable.

You are valuable, and nothing that anyone else can do or say will ever take that value away. The value of your life is yours to hide from or to ignore if you choose, or to live with magnificent fulfillment.

Your thoughts and opinions are valuable. The more they are challenged, tested and refined, the more valuable they become. Your interests, passions and experiences are valuable. Even your disappointments and limitations have much positive value because of the learning and perspective they provide.

You are valuable, and it is your unique challenge in every moment to fulfill that value. Though it is much easier to pretend that you have no value, what is easiest is not what is best.

For ultimately, life is considerably more rich and more rewarding, more filled with joy and real meaning, when you live true to the value that is you. Know that you are indeed valuable, and let that value shine.

— Ralph Marston

Let the world know us by our love.

I saw this brilliant post by NewSpring Church on Facebook today and loved it so much I had to share!

Jesus made it clear in John 13:34-35 how the world would know we are His disciples.

Notice that He did NOT say:

They will know you are my disciples…

By the way you forward really stupid, ridiculous emails (or Facebook posts) to one another…and if you refuse to forward them to everyone you have in your contact list, then you don’t love me.

By the way you yell at people who don’t know me for living as if they don’t know me.

By your T-shirts and bumper stickers!

By the music you listen to!

By the political party you support.

By the denomination you belong to.

By the way you protest.

By the products and companies you boycott.

By the way you look down on those whom you perceive aren’t as good as you.

By the way you take from one another!

Nope! John 13:34-35 is clear. Jesus didn’t mix His Words. We are called to live this out.

John 13:34-35 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Love is the key. It is the greatest command. It is the highest form of wisdom there is.

Father, I pray: Let the world know us by our love.

That's What Fathers Do

 


First of all, I must say it feels really good to be back! It has been over a month since I've written in my journal and nearly three months since I've posted to this blog.

Yesterday I came home from work early. I'd been feeling ill for a couple days so I resigned myself to come home and go straight to bed to give my body some much needed rest. I don't always take the best care of myself. Even now. I have a habit of go, go, going until I can't go anymore.

Well when I woke up this morning I felt slightly better. I got out of bed and looked out the window to see what the weather was like. Overcast and gloomy. Hmmm... I think I'll get back in bed and stay there all day.

Well after having the most amazing quiet time, I was suddenly inspired to write! As soon as the pen hit the paper, it was like healing salve for my soul. Why had I stayed away for so long!? Illness, bad weather, whatever. Whatever it takes to slow me down enough that I get alone and still with God and let Him revive me - physically, mentally and spiritually - with a pen in my hand. I am grateful.

“The root of worry and fear is an orphan spirit.”*

I've been reflecting on this a lot since my pastor said it last Sunday. Not only does it make me extremely grateful for my life transformation since returning to my Father, but it makes me think of those passages in the Bible where Jesus talks about the little children.

“...whoever humbles himself like this child...” {Matthew 18:1-4}

“Let the children come to me and do not hinder them...'” {Mark 10:13-15}

When I read these I always tear up. I picture Jesus sitting down in His robe and sandalled feet and a little child climbing into His lap.

I am that little child.

It makes me think of this line from that song by Josh Garrels, Children of the Earth:

“The older we become, we must become more like a child”

This is one of the many paradoxes I have found to be true in my own spiritual growth. When I was out there on my own and didn't want anything to do with the Father who loved me, I was alone and scared to death. I was selfish and insecure. I did not trust. I was stumbling around in darkness. I was lost.

But when I returned to my Father, He began to transform me...
“from a restless slave into a trusting child.”*

Trusting in Him has changed everything! My life is a lot simpler today but it actually has purpose and meaning for the first time. I am no longer living a selfish and lonely existence. I am secure for the first time.

Secure in my Father's love. And His will for me.

And when the old worries, doubts and fears creep in ...which they often do... I return to the beginning:  SURRENDER.  I live life one day at a time now. And I'm constantly having to turn my life and my will back over to Him, the One who loves me.

Because I am His child and He knows what's best for me. He takes care of me.

That's what fathers do. 

*Josh Lipscomb

We Belong

Dear Rightful Girl (or Boy),

You belong.

You belong on this earth, you belong in the room. You belong to humanity and you belong to everything good and true. You belong.

 

It is truly amazing how we can fool ourselves (or let other things fool us) into believing that we do not belong. We can let every experience we have ever lived through stain our certificate of belonging to be so dark that we can’t remember what it says or what it means.

You belong, and so does she. You belong and so does he. You belong, and so do we. You belong.

An easy way to shift our belief of not belonging is to step back and make room in the circle for others who do not feel as if they belong.....somehow when we remind others, and treat everyone in our life (even if they are only in our life for a few minutes) as if they absolutely belong.....it reminds us that we belong too.

So look around at those whose hands and heads are hanging down.....and bring them into the circle of belonging.....smile at them, SEE them for who they are, SEARCH fiercely to find the most beautiful and unique things in them that they have forgotten and point those things out to them.....and most of all, seek for things that are the same as you, and draw those things deeply into your heart and never forget them.

It’s kind of a little magic trick. When you treat her, and him, as if they belong..........somehow you will forget that you got tricked into believing that you don’t belong. You remember what you already knew.

We all belong.....
and we are all so very very very loved.
 

Thank you to the amazing BRAVE GIRLS CLUB for this awesome guest post.

Stay in the Light.
Love,
Jo 

The Still, Small Voice

Many voices ask for our attention. 

There is a voice that says, "Prove that you are a good person." 

Another voice says, "You'd better be ashamed of yourself." 

There also is a voice that says, "Nobody really cares about you,"

and one that says, "Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful." 

But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, "You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you." 

That's the voice we need most of all to hear. 

To hear that voice, however, requires special effort;
it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen. 

That's what prayer is.  It is listening to the voice that calls us "my Beloved." 

{Henri Nouwen}