His Love will lead us Home

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Proverbs 4:18

Many years ago,  as a young missionary in a new country, I was eager to explore the beautiful hills and vineyards near my new apartment. I was on a long walk in the Vienna woods. I had moved to Austria to work  with young college students. New to the area, I did not realize how easy it was to get lost in the forested hills. I had no map, no water, no food, no jacket and at that time, no cell phone.

Venturing too far, too late in the day, the sun began to set and fear began to tug at my heart. What would I do if the sun went down before I found my way to safety? All of the paths looked the same, the woods became more ominous with the shadows of the sun sinking in the sky. My German was very poor and I could not read the signs.

A breath prayer emerged from my lips, "God, please, please help me. I am lost and I need to find my way back home before it turns dark. I am afraid and I don't know what to do."

Gradually, as I walked forward little by little, I began to see light shining through the trees that indicated a more populated area just below. I spotted a familiar building in the distance and followed its shadow until I came to the lower part of the woods where I had entered the woods hours before. Finally, I found the path that led me home. It was such a joy and relief to finally reach home, where I belonged.

Scripture often uses the metaphor of a pathway to describe our journey in life. Each of our paths and journeys of life are different, but each of us sometimes gets lost. Sometimes our pathways are covered with the darkness of sin, selfishness, difficulties with others, scars from our past. Often, our hearts are filled with fear as we look at the shadows and not to God. Yet, the more we walk the pathway of our lives with God, the more we will grow to understand His love.

Learning to know the heart of God as we walk our path is the key to experiencing His love more consistently, and learning to understand His will for our lives. We have to believe in His good will toward us to be able to experience His ever-present love. We must replace the darkness of fears or bitterness with the light of His loving desire to guide and bless us at each step along the way. We can only rest in His love when we have rid ourselves from the fear of our heart as we walk the path of our life with Him. His love will lead us home. His goodwill and promise to be with us, will give us security.

God's love is not just a feeling that we are supposed to "muster" up. His love is based on His character and promise to be with us. I love our verse for today, because it gives us the substance of God's commitment to us, amidst our own path of life, to assure us of His goodwill and love.

The verse we have to read today has encouraged my heart so very much. Even though the people of Jeremiah's time had rebelled against God's ways and had compromised His will for their life, God still watched over them and promised them that in their future, He would do them good and not evil, that He would take them closer to His heart. This is what God promised them on their road ahead:

He would set his eyes--watch us--and willed them His goodness and presence to provide for the His children--us.

He would lead them from their place of banishment to their own land, from the dark path where they had walked to a new place--a path of life. His will  was to guide them home and to  to guide us home.

His heart is to build up his children, and not to overthrow them.

He will plant us and allow us to grow, and not allow us to be plucked up--pulled away from His presence and protection.

But most of all, we see God's heart:

"I will give them hearts that recognize me--that knows me. They will be my people and I will be their God." God wants to give you a new heart, a heart that is so close to His, that you understand deeply and experience in reality His deep love and commitment to you. God longs for us to be "His people" --His family, to own Him as our very own father, and he has already extended His son, Jesus, to adopt us, to be in community with Him, to guide and protect us. His love is not just a "feeling," His desire is to love us in the foundational reality of our lives and  He wants to guide us that we may be secure belonging to Him.

If you feel lost on your path of life, or have any fear or feeling that you are alone, please know that God's heart for you is so very good. He will guide you and bring you to know Him and to understand Him. Just give yourself to Him, as you are in all of your circumstances today--and let Him begin to lead you toward His love, His goodness and His desire to show you how to live with Him in harmony.

An Ocean of Love is awaiting you today!

"It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum beause he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

C. S. Lewis

Three of my four children lived in California last year. Consequently, I traveled there as often as I could because I wanted to be with them. Every time I visit, we always go to the beach, to walk along the ocean, and to breathe in the beauty and fresh salt air. When I look out over the water, I see endless sea as far as my eye can see. God's love is even bigger than the vast ocean that seems to go on and on. God gives us pictures in nature to depict what He is in reality. His artwork in nature reflects a picture of His reality.

Today, I know that many of you are caught in circumstances that steal from your heart, that fill you with sadness. Yet, right now, He is wanting you to approach Him, to be in His presence, to look at Him and allow His grace to soften your heart so that you can experience His deep and vast love. There is nothing big enough in your life or heart to keep you from His endless love.

We are often caught up in our pettiness, our self-centered selves and by our own limitations, prevent ourselves from experiencing all that He has for us. But He is able to love us beyond what we can imagine--His love is endless, beyond our measure. But we must open our hearts to Him and ask for Him to allow us to experience, to taste the height and depth of His love.

We must give up our insecurities. We must give up trying to control our lives. We must ask for His endless love to flow over us. Look at the ocean on my banner--see how vast and deep and high His love is for us today--for you today!

He is above all problems, all conflicts, all our inadequacies. He is an ocean of love waiting to pour out His goodness on us.

It is my personal prayer that you will find rest in His love today! And share His love with those who are in your life.

Angela just returned from a week at the ocean with her family and shares a beautiful post with us about her own understanding of this.

Learning about the ocean from books and videos is one thing, but nothing compares to actually going to the ocean and experiencing it. I was thinking about that truth this past week as I visited the Atlantic Ocean with my family and friends. Learning about the ocean from books, pictures and even videos, is not the same as actually being at the ocean and swimming in the water, running on the beach and hearing the sounds of the waves rushing to shore.

I believe some of us tend to approach God like that, lots of facts, data…..but no experience. We might have a lot of head knowledge about God. We can quote Bible verses and know most of the famous Bible stories, but head knowledge does not necessary turn into heart knowledge. This week in chapter two we talk about ways we can get to know God better. One important point to keep in mind this week as we read chapter 2 and dig into this week’s verses is that God desires for us to know Him. He has gone to great lengths for us to know Him in a personal way, through a relationship with Him. God has blessed us with His Word and when we are reading it, His words come alive and can speak straight into our hearts. God is good and He gives us opportunities to know Him through times of stillness and prayer as well as through His creation.

One thing is for sure; God loves each of us dearly and desires to have a personal relationship with us.

I’m so excited for you sweet friends as you begin to dig into the scriptures and see for yourself how God desires for us to know Him.

This week, make an action plan of how you are going to incorporate the different ways mentioned in chapter 2 into your life. Make a plan of when and where you are going to spend time in God’s Word. Practice spending some time this week just being still as you pray…..work on listening as much as talking when you are praying. And don’t forget it’s summertime, make sure and get out into nature!

This week, immerse yourself in these verses:

For more, visit Angela at:http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/2014/06/loved-week-2-knowing-god/

God's great and merciful love, in all of your moments today!

David is known as a man who was very precious to God. God called him a man after his heart.  In spite of the fact that he committed adultery, had the husband of a woman he loved, killed, and was imperfect in big ways, God favored him.

Why?

Because David's heart was devoted to God and praised Him.

David knew God to be the ultimate lover, the one who forgave. The creator who always showed generous mercy, lovingkindness, patience and compassion. David was certain in God's love and it created a confidence in him and a delight to tell others about the amazing God he worshipped. David was not faultless, just secure in the love He knew God had provided. David knew that love was the attribute that most defined God and it gave him personal intimacy with Him!

When we are certain of God's constant love, our lives are filled with innocence of a child who does not have to perform to receive approval. But also, a grace to live each day free of condemnation. Today's memory verse for You Are Loved--our Good Morning Girls Bible study is a wonderful study of God's consistency. I looked these words up in the dictionary.

But, I think it is so helpful if we personalize this verse to ourselves:

Merciful:  God is merciful to you, treating you with kindness and forgiveness : He is not not cruel or harsh towad you : But he Has mercy and will show it to you today!

Today, in your life, God is Slow to anger: He is patient with you, longsuffering, He will bear with you for a long period of time and you are not too much for Him, He will bear with you through all of your days.  

Abundant: Today, God's love for you isplentiful, abounding, overflowing--more than you will need. It is His nature to pour out, lavishly, the love that will fill your heart and carry you through all of your struggles.

May we remember this verse today, memorize it and store it in our heart. May you walk in the reality of His generous, patient, overflowing love today, and may you be a vessel of this love to all who come into your life.

Lovingkindness: tender kindness motivated by expressing affection

Truth: a verifiable and undeniable statement of fact or reality

Do  you live in this reality? Mercy, long-suffering, abundant and overwhelming, patient, kind and affectionate--towards you, now, every minute of this day. Let His love transform your minutes and your life. It is changing me.

"Do unto others", a spontaneous, momentary choice as a Mom!

Th. Rennert

Finally, our internet is back. So happy to be sharing this study with all of you this week from, You are loved. Just remember:

“A person who feels loved, lives with relief that they do not have to perform. They live with joy to know they are acceptable as they are. They live with hope because they are not alone.”- Sally Clarkson, You Are Loved

Be sure to catch Angela's blog post today and do the Bible study, answer the questions. Live today with the knowledge that you do not have to perform for God, or prove anything to Him. He knows you, sees you, understands you and wants you to have His companionship today.

Go HERE for the blog!

And now the story I was able to put up last night!

Tonight our internet is down, so I am trying to post an article of a memory since my computer is unavailable!  Enjoy!

Life has never moved beyond exhausting since I have had my 4 children.  I think when I was a young mom of young littles, the hardest part was that I was just not used to being exhausted all the time

This summer, though, my love is willing because I miss having Joy and her friends home around to make me smile, to feel her hugs and to cherish rocking chair moments on the front porch beneath the stars. Another memory when our home was soooo full, but life was so precious came to mind.

Is it possible to be beyond weary  to the bones? A week of a speaking trip in Canada for 3 days,different time zones, many conversations with sweet friends and lots of people, and did I say, little sleep? .....

Coming home to 11 people in our home for a week of speech and debate finals from the crack of dawn until 10 or later at night.

with meals and lots of life and fun; driving, judging, talking, serving;

Finally, Saturday night before the final awards, Joy calling at 5 p.m., "Can I bring 8 more kids home for dinner tonight?" to add to our already 11. A quick chicken enchilada casserole thawed from the freezer.

"Let's throw together a quick after party at our house after the awards ceremony," from another one of my children, who was throwing themselves fully into the activity and celebration of the week.

A quick trip to Walmart, candles lit, porch lights ablaze and 38 people showing up on the spur of the moment for snacks and chattering and antics of stories everywhere, loud piano and music, laughter and weary adults falling on the couches as the teens clamored for a little more time together.

Sending off our precious friends to Texas Sunday morning at 9:30.

Asthma, a respiratory infection, still nagging, still hanging on, a deep tightening in my chest, reflecting shortness of breath, but putting one foot in front of the other was a practiced habit....

Preparing a luncheon for 11, that had been postponed twice for a group trip overseas by 1 Sunday and cleaning up after everyone had gone, while the rest of the family was out at a church activity.

Tea time and dinner  and a movie, for our last guest, who was ill on the couch and yet so sweetly patient.

Finally, at 10:00, thinking about falling into bed just to stay alive, did I say, beyond weary to the bone, if possible,

when I passed Joy's bedroom. (She was out at her very last speech party, with friends and comrades.)

Piles everywhere--strewn clothes on chairs, floor; shoes, speech ballots and paper all over the floor, dirty tea cups, plates with crumbs in them, and unmade bed with stuff here and there.......an overall mess.......

She was not being irresponsible, she had given her all--practicing, writing, dressing, running from room for room for giving over 30 speeches, adrenalin spilled, energy expended. Her bedroom was a reflection of our weeks.

If I were her, I would not want to come home to such a mess.

I know what it is like to return from conference weekends to a messy bedroom when you are beyond tired. It oppresses one to think of more work and more effort......

And so with one last weary push, I hung clothes, stacked papers into neat piles, picked up all the dishes, folded her sheets and covers into a straight and welcome turn down for needed sleep, placed shoes in the closet, picked up random things off the floor and placed beloved stuffed animals in the proper place of old, when she as a child loved their welcome.

When she returned at midnight, she would see love all over her bedroom, a little more ordered place, where rest would come more easily, because I needed to do unto her as I would have her do unto me--if I had been so weary and in need of an angel to straighten join Angela and me today at good morning girls for more encouragement about our study this week on UR his beloved. my room.

The next day, a facebook picture of her, me and Sarah--with a sweet message--you and Sarah--two of my most favorite people--

her heart saw the love, her sweet thankfulness spilled the next morning--"Mama, you are the best. Thanks for the gift of straightening my room."

It is in the small moments of choices of love spilled out once again, where hearts are knit together and open for influence.

It is in doing unto others as we would have them do unto us..........

Emails pile up, requests for more of my time and body stacking up as the outside world strives for my attention--but my inner circle, my children, my husband, Jesus waiting for me to listen to Him--they are the ones who get my first best--

and if there is nothing left to give, the world will have to wait for just another little while, as I seek to keep peace and a heart to serve in the center of my home.

**************************

What Names do you call yourself? He calls you beloved.

Andy Vansloun

Pilgrim, (from Pilgrim's Progress) is weighed down with his burden of guilt, failure, sin and inadequacy that he unnecessarily carries around on his back every day, because he has not discovered the freedom that Christ brings. Sometimes we carry around unnecessary burdens that Christ wants to lift.

What an amazing time we live in that over 10,000 women can do a Bible study together at one time! That is how many of us will be studying the book, You Are Loved together this week! I am sooo happy that so many of you will be joining us to ponder anew what is really means to live, walk and breathe in daily the love of our Heavenly Father!

If you are like me, sometimes you are so used to the baggage of fear, past failures, the voices of others in our life, inadequacy and exhaustion you don't even realize what a drain it is to you. But Christ wants us to live in the freedom he provided for us every day. He does not want our burdens to take emotional or mental space in our lives that keeps us from experiencing his own commitment to us. It is my prayer that all of us will be energized, refreshed and heartened as we study this concept together in the scripture about how to embrace and daily engage our minds and hearts in the love God has for us.

Knowing His love and living in a fallen world with the inconsistencies of others can be confusing. We hope to address some of these issues through His Word in the coming week.

We are soo happy that women will be joining our study through 8 different languages, as that is how many books have been translated for groups joining us. Will you please pray with us, that women will be released from their emotional burdens and find Christ in a new way as we spend the next 8 weeks in His word together.

Angela and I will have  a video for you each week. I wanted to share with you some of what is on my heart about beginning to understand your place with God. Hope you enjoy our messages. And know that we are praying for you today.

“I Love you!”

These are the words that soothe our heart, that fill us with comfort, that bring joy.

Yet, because we are living in a broken world, often instead we hear the words,

“You aren’t worthy!”

“You have failed.”

“You are inadequate.”

Yet, the truest thing about God is that HE has the capacity to love you, to surround you with His joy and delight forever and ever. He has compassion on you like a Father has compassion on His children. He gave everything to redeem you.

God is the one who designed your eyes, your hair color, your personality and he delights in you as a work of art.

This week, begin replacing the voices that speak to you in your head with, “I am loved.”

“He made me to be special.” “He gave everything, His very life, so that I could be restored to the secret place of His heart and love.

Even as a toddler crawls into the arms of her mother because she belongs there, so we can crawl into God’s love and tell him all that is on our hearts. He opens His arms to us and is delighted that we are there, because

WE BELONG THERE!

WE ARE HIS CHILDREN.

 WE DO NOT HAVE TO DESERVE TO BE IN THE ARMS OF OUR FATHER, WE GO THERE BECAUSE IT IS OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AS HIS CHILD.

 As a matter of fact, God is so delighted with you that He will sing over you with delight. Let these words sink into your heart this week, and believe them and celebrate them as you come to understand even more the abundant, never-ending love of God, our heavenly Father.

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3: 17

Remember, today, He rejoices over you with singing! Be blessed in His love today.

No matter what your issues that make you feel separated, anger, laziness, bitterness, failure, food issues, friend issues, selfishness or pettiness--all are a part of our lives--but we can have a fresh start today. Cast all of these on Him and start anew, take baby steps, live free!

For more encouragement, join Angela HERE at Goodmorninggirls.com

After watching this video, reading the first chapter, how is God speaking to you? I would love to hear from you.

Your Failures do not define you! You are Beloved.

Guido Reni

"I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

When God looks at us, his children, us who are fearfully and wonderfully made, He cherishes us as we are, His very own beloved children. If we could picture Him holding us thus, and looking tenderly at us, how differently we would feel in life. We would not worry what others thought. We would understand our great worth. We would treat others with more grace and acceptance for what we had received in our hearts.

When I gave away the 30 "You are Loved" books a couple of weeks ago, there were hundreds of comments. Most comments told of how much many of you feel inadequate on a daily basis, feel guilty for not doing enough, carry baggage from your past. Perhaps if Satan wanted to destroy one thing in our lives, it would be to cause us to doubt  divine, unconditional, "everlasting" love that truly reflects the true nature of God.

From Genesis to Revelation, He is there creating beauty for us, providing for us, teaching us, dying for us, preparing a new home for us--ever the lover, ever the compassionate Father.

I have receive thousands of letters each year and I notice  how many sweet ones there are who truly want to do the best and be the best for their children. But in light of all the burden of performance I see that so many of us carry, I just felt I wanted to tell you how very precious you are and how much your own personal life matters.

I awakened this morning with you on my heart.

I know there must be many precious moms out there who are reading these articles and are feeling inadequate or guilty or condemned--or just worn out!  I have been praying for you all morning.

Motherhood is very precious to the Lord. As a matter of fact, the more I mothered, the more I came to understand Him, His love, His sacrifice, His forgiveness, His patience. Motherhood is not an easy journey. I kept feeling that I needed to have more children so I could do it right at least once!

And yet motherhood is a long journey, a hard and challenging journey, that will require much endurance with grace, much forgiveness, much patience and just a whole lot of energy expended. So many women have written me lately saying that they are finding the teen years sooooo hard and that they are worn out--both homeschooling moms and non-homeschooling moms find these years to be the place where they hit the wall and think they cannot hold up ideals any longer--their kids and life have worn them out--and still they have to try to keep going.

I so understand this feeling. Many times I felt like quitting or giving up or just wanted to run away, but somehow by God's grace, He kept me going towards my ideals one more day, one more child at a time.

You need to know, you are truly important to God in the midst of it all. He sees you and cares for your dreams and desires. And so I wanted to write this little post just for you.

When I had my first baby, I had never even changed a diaper. I did not know how to hold a baby. I was unprepared for the task. I also did not know how selfish and self-absorbed I was. And I have to admit that over the years, there were many times when I did not feel loving or feel like a good mother or even feel like I wanted to *be* a mother. I was always committed to my children and always committed to loving them, because I knew God wanted me to. But I did not always like them or feel like doing the right thing, and sometimes that made me feel guilty.

I just put one foot in front of the other because I thought that is what God wanted me to do.

So if you feel that you are not a "natural" mother, or you enjoy doing things outside your home, or you have other ambitions, please do not condemn yourself. I felt all of those feelings and had to learn how to balance the different pulls on my life. But God has loved me and led me through it all.

I know that there are so many of you precious ones with deep scars. Perhaps you came from an angry family, where you were criticized or rejected. Or maybe you were ignored and you still wish someone would notice you and love you deep inside in those places that only you can feel.

Many of you made some bad choices morally that have deeply injured your own heart. Or you have a passive and indifferent or mean and abusive husband.

You are not defined by any of these things--not by what people have said to you, not by your flaws (we all have them), and not by your past failures or present difficulties. God loves you so very much. God is with you. God is your champion.

We read that when He looked out on the multitudes, He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus sees our needs. He loves us. He cares for how each of you feel deep in your heart.

You are so very precious to God. He is on your side. He will be your warrior God in all the battles in your home. He will help you and defend you and pour out His unconditional love on you. He is the source of your strength and joy. Nothing can separate you from His love.

There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

The only way we can truly make it in this life productively is to tend to the garden of our own souls by dwelling and living in the reality of God's enduring and abiding personal love for us. The only way you can be a loving mother or friend is to have your soul filled with the deep, unchanging, unconditional love of God.

I love the picture above. I picture God, holding me, cherishing me, as the man in the picture is looking so tenderly at His child. We must invest in the truth and foundation of this God love. The godly women I have come to know, invested purposefully to become who they are and to live in His grace and freedom.

You may find criticism from the world. But in Christ, you will find love, deep, abiding, unconditional love and all that you need for your task. But you must choose to invest your time wisely.

We are starting to get letters from women all over the world who have read the book and are refreshing themselves in these important truths. Monday, Angela and I will be hosting our 8 week Bible study to ponder the importance of these issues. I hope that each of you will emerge from the study with the light and energy that learning about His great love will bring to each day of your life the rest of your lives-and that it will spill over into the hearts of your children, friends and all who are in your life.

But most of all today, please consider--You Are Truly beloved by your creator and Father God, as you are His very own.

Love: The foundation of discipleship influence in the life of your child

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Casting shadows in my lightless office, I was reading in the late afternoon sunlight and hadn't even realized that the sun was setting. Just then, my cell phone rang and caused me to jump as I was engaged in deep ponderings.

"Mama, what are you up to?" chimed the voice of one of my adult children. "I have been so busy, but every day, I still want to know you love me and are thinking about me, so I thought I would give you a call. You know there is no substitute for your affirmation and to know that you are still thinking about me."

Daily, my phone rings and one of my children is on the line. We are a tight group, joined at the hip, so to speak. My children go all over the world for their jobs, have friends and function as mature adults. But, our friendship just grows deeper and deeper. They are my best friends, next to Clay. And we are their dearest companions.

So it was with Jesus. Eating together, walking roads, arguing opinions, sleeping under the stars, sharing fears, thoughts, dreams and jokes--this was the nature of the friendship with the disciples that knit their hearts so intimately with their savior, they were energized, driven and excited to spend the rest of their lives telling the world about their closest, most trusted friend, their heavenly Father, Jesus.

Love is the foundation of  discipling relationship with  children, just as love is the foundation of Jesus' relationship with me.

Without love, without relationship, Christianity becomes a list of rules to keep, a dry obedience to adhere to, feelings dulled and heart longing for more--yet, doubts, insecurities crop up in our hearts and we feel guilty "feeling" unspiritual, and hoping no one notices, especially God.

And yet, this is not the work of our God, but a picture of the veil of Satan whispering to us our inadequacy, the ways we fall short every day.

This lie steals too much life from too many.

When we observe the lives of the disciples--vibrant, alive with faith and hope, filled with an energy that can only come from being loved and accepted by their God.

This love is still offered to us. And out of this God-love, we invite our children into such a family where the life of God is breathed through all the moments and love becomes the fuel for living with hope, purpose, expectation.

And our own disciples will learn of this love if we express the God love we have been given.

And eventually, we must send our disciples into the world as Jesus did. When they have been trained and understand the kingdom and the King; when they are mature, they too can be redeemers. Jesus said He would not take His disciples out of the world, but asked the Father to keep them from the evil one while they were in it. And so our children too will go out into an antagonistic, difficult world.

But the power that will hold them fast to the ideals they learned in our home will be the bonds of love, the deep companionship we shared, the sympathy they received during hard times, our personal validation of their personal worth, to us and to God. Whatever our voices have been in the daily lives of our children is the voice that will speak to them when they are far away.

Still, we will have the opportunity to be with them, close to them, pursuing them and active in their lives—though now through letters, emails and phone calls. Lonely children, even young adults, need to have someone to lift them up, encourage them, believe in them, and help them—

It is the way of discipleship, motherhood and servant leadership. Living this way expresses the reality of Christ and His life in us.

But I have always said to my children, "There are people in the world who will hurt you, offend you, disappoint you. The natural response is to become offended, to develop bitterness, to fight back. It is natural to hate or react in anger; it is supernatural to love, forgive, give grace, and control your own spirit.''

And so they learn how to extend His love because we have extended it to them.

A woman has such capacity to bring a spirit of grace and beauty into the world if she focuses on the Lord Jesus, if she lives in His love and then reflects that gracious love to her children. Our motivation comes from studying the one who Himself is love and embodies committed love to us through all of His stories when he walked the earth.

Though still growing, I have learned so much about true love, self-sacrifice, commitment, and long-suffering--and it has all made me love Him more because I see how much my life has required those qualities from Him. I have tested Him, misbehaved, thrown tantrums, and pulled away at times. Still He loves me; He died for me while I was yet a sinner, and His grace continues to extend to me now that I am His stumbling child.

Love must grow over years and years to become mature. It must be cultivated and watered and nurtured and protected and worked on again and again. Thank you, sweet Lord, that you showed me the way and went before me to model real love.

Remember His words:  "Greater love has no one than this; that a man lay down His life for His friends." John 15:13 How are you doing in the love department? Are there areas where you know you’re still striving against laying down your life? Ask the Lord for help. He is ready to grant it!

• “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails ...” 1 Cor. 13:4-8 This passage is an incredible picture of God, Himself (the Word tells us, “God is love” 1 John 4:8) Take some time to meditate on these verses and rejoice in Who God is!

If you have the desire to go deeper in your study today, plan to join Angela Perritt and me to learn more about discpleship love, about His love for you and about living free from guilt and fear. 

We are so thrilled that thousands of women have signed up for this summer study. How amazing and fun it is to think of us joining with 8 languages, groups of women gathering in all corners of the earth to celebrate the reality of God's unfailing love for each of us. Hope you and your friends and daughters can join us! 

Enroll for the book study here so you can receive all of our emails and study outlines.

Enroll!

Buy the book, HERE! Follow along with us in the Bible study in the book and read our chapters each week.

Guarding our Children's hearts from darkness, Living in the Light! Winner is:

There was the true Light which, coming into the world,

enlightens every man.

John 1:9

Darkness has invaded our lives and constantly, on a daily basis, we hear of tragedy, another mass shooting, or of another moral failure of leaders and threats of financial demise.   The thought of youth dying needlessly, is abhorrent to our value for life. We have also seen men and women of influence fall and compromise Biblical ideals, especially in Christian leadership. It would be easy for us to get caught up in despair or disappointment--to listen to the voices of doom and gloom and to allow them to determine the mood and focus of our lives.

God never intended that our eyes be focussed on people who are limited in strength or to listen to voices of humanity that are not infinite in wisdom. When our eyes are focussed on people, we are likely to become disappointed.

But, filling up with His light, restoring hope requires an intentional life. A person who is still godly and spilling out with His life and love through all the years of her life is not an accident. Intentionality and purposing to live well takes time and insight.

  A focus on Jesus, the light of the world, brings hope, a pathway forward, strength to meet each day. He is not a false hope--a "I wish, I wish, I wish......." But He is the source of all truth, all wisdom, all mercy, and is the answer to all of our questions.

Jesus' kingdom is coming, surely, and will be one in which all wrongs will be righted and all hope for a just and good world will be restored as He renews and makes a new heaven and new earth.

My sweet Joy in a younger, more innocent time.

I knew my young children longed for a safe world, one in which they could dream and hope, so I protected their little minds until they were able to hold the darkness of the world, little by little, as their spiritual and mental muscles developed more each year. But we did prepare them for the temptations and battles of the world in our home before they ventured out on their own. We were their generals to train and prepare them for war--but only after they had buried their roots deeply in the strength and goodness of God.

What about our role as moms in such a fallen place. How do we live in the world with our children, but protect them from despair or fear at an early age?

 We mamas are the ones who tenderly hold the hearts of our own children.

We need to be guardians of the flame of faith inside of them, until they are old enough to guard their hearts themselves. 

In a world of media and video games and tv and movies and cell phones which can carry the images of all sorts of evil,

One of the best gifts we can give to our children is the gift of an innocent, protected heart. 

Children are created to be innocent, to believe in mystery, to be good and pure of heart. It is why Jesus said about children, "Unless you become like a child, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven."

and on another occasion, of children, "Of such (children) belongs the kingdom of heaven."

The longer we can keep them in this place of storing up hope,  belief in miracles and light and courage and redemption, the better. Parents are guardians, to protect our children of all that is evil or wicked, so that our children can grow to be strong.

Children must build their foundations of value, belief and morality on goodness and righteousness before they can be expected to fight against evil. They must be strong in vision of heart before they can know how to redeem a lost world.

When we give our children foundations of hero tales, faith, goodness, courage, sacrifice and hope as the foundation of their little souls,  we feed their faith imagination, so to speak. This innocent giving helps them to think of themselves as those who will become heroes in their generation--

so that then they will have strength to become real heroes when they have grown into full fledged adults.

Consequently, when a tragedy occurs, we must, as the strong ones and the ones who are seasoned and mature, bear up the difficulty and tragedy inside our own hearts, prayers, walk with the Lord and in the comfort of other spiritually mature adults. We walk with our own choice of faith, to trust God amidst the darkness and focus on His true light, even when it appears obscured.

We must seek Him who is the light in the darkness and look more profoundly into scripture which reminds us that we, and our world, indeed needed a savior--and so, daily, we celebrate His coming with expectation.  And we must always point to our savior with hope--He is with us, He is a redeemer, He is our hope and He has never, ever left us alone.

Children store up memories so very long and these memories feed their understanding of truth about the world. So, if they are raised on fear, insecurity, and despair, from observing their parents, then their foundation will be insecure, and they will fear the world and what it might hold for them.

But if children grow up watching their parents choose hope, cultivating faith that chooses to see His reality on a daily basis, parents who seek to bow their knee with worship and trust in God through all the moments of life, then they will have a pattern of how to face darkness when it invades their lives as adults.

I do not want to diminish the deep darkness we have observed in so many ways this year, but we are to be the seasoned soldiers and the ones who lead our children to slowly perceive themselves as righteous warriors who will confidently usher God's kingdom into this world with His help, His indwelling and His power. He has won the battle and the ultimate victory is ours--that is our hope, that is our reality, if we indeed know Him and His word.

May we, as His children, remember that He said, "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John  8:12

May God grant each of you the grace to live in His light today and to guard well the hearts of your children, as you live within the walls of your home with the beauty, goodness and light of our redeeming Lord.

Remember to enroll for our summer Bible study over at Good Morning Girls, where Angela Perritt and I will be speaking, sharing videos and Bible study lessons on You Are Loved. Enroll here or on the picture. 

Buy You Are Loved: Here

The Winner of the Bundle is: Michelle N. Congratulations to you, Michelle. And thanks to all who entered. We will be doing another bundle again this summer since so many of you entered. 

God gave us a Dancing heart, Free to celebrate His amazing love! (A giveaway)

Ann Dhnahy

"If we're not supposed to dance, why all this music?"  

 Gregory Orr

We were created to dance, to laugh, to love, to enjoy, to hug and hold hands and to find joy in life--

because He, who is the Great Artist, crafted life to be filled with hidden pleasures,

sparkling treasures,

deep fulfillment and smiles and thankful hearts and fulfilled dreams--happiness and joy.

God designed us to be loved, to have deep friendships, to believe that dreams stored in our hearts could come true.

Yet, sometimes the melody is hidden or overpowered by the noise that surrounds us, is it not?

Beauty is hidden, at times.

Bonds of love are broken by broken people.

Sometimes the pleasures seem like a memory of the past.

Who makes the noise of the world so loud that, at times, we do not even notice the music or acknowledge it's reality?

Who would want us not to dance, not to listen, not to engage in the joy?

We must not give in to this dark side, that creates the cacophony to blot out all of the alluring, dazzling, delightful, pleasing, heavenly music.

But, if indeed, when God imagined us and longed to grant us beauty,

If God created life such as this--one in which there is so much soul wrenching, toe tapping, love-giving, comfort making music,

our deepest souls were also made to dance and to enter into and engage in the divine symphony, irresistable rhythms, haunting, memorable melodies, the harmonies,  that He has surrounded us with all the time, every day.

May God grant us ears to hear, hearts to perceive and a willingness to dance with all of our might.

My prayer is that we will remember the grace of being loved, the music behind the one who created this world as a place of delight.

But perhaps we must remember,

Unless one becomes as a child, he cannot experience the kingdom of heaven--or hear the sounds of the music He is playing for us, even now.

May our hearts, like a little, innocent one, come to rest against His, to allow His arms to shield us from what would obscure His reality.

May love heal and revive our hearts as we hide in the secret place of His tent, until we can dance once again, and live fully into the beauty He longs for us to experience.

My heartfelt thanks for all who have joined Angela and me in getting our book into the hands of so many women. I believe and am praying each day, that our time together will be life-heartening, soul deepening with messages we will remember forever, from the one who loves us so very much! Get your copy, HERE.

Sign up for the study, you are loved, HERE.

Our appreciation for all of you is overwhelming. And so we want to give you a choice of the books you would like to have as our gift to one of you! Our giveaway of our books will end soon, so please let your friends know. I wish we could give away to each one of you. Loved reading your responses. You make me want to write again! :) We shall do this again. Be sure to sign up for our Bible study so that you can get the study notes! Pick any 5 whole heart books of your choice. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make This the "Summer of God's Love" & You are the Best! A Bundle Giveaway!

Angela Perritt and me! :)

Truly, truly, you are all the best! I am amazed that I get to have such amazing friends to know and share with on my blog! Because of you, our book is reaching sweet women all over the world. To thank you, look below at some of my books I am giving away!

Today, after a moonlit walk with my son, Joel, I sat on the porch in our rocking chairs, talking heart to heart with Him about God's abiding and constant presence in our lives. What a sweet moment to share in deep thoughts with him as a grown man, and hearing of the ways God's love has held him fast through the last years of living far from home. So touching to see God speaking of His love even to my children when they are far away in very difficult places.

Love never fails! God's love never fails.

I fail. Everyone in your life will fail or let you down some time. But God's love never fails.

Always, every day, He is consistent in His love for you. He has good will for you, every day, all the time!

Angela and I couldn't be more excited about sharing our summer book study with all of you precious women all over the world. We have been so surprised and astounded at how the Lord is getting our book concept out in the hands of women. We did not have a big marketing plan--as a matter of fact, no marketing plan. Let's just tell our friends and pray.

Meanwhile, I was on a week long trip away from home, and didn't have time to focus on marketing. Angela was graduating her precious girls from their different activities and May celebrations--and we would share a bit here and there and then God did the rest! Out of all of the books all over the world, and those 18 million books listed on Amazon, we saw God take us to the 23 most popular book--the top 100 on Amazon. He did it all while were both busy taking care of our families!

But really, you all are the heroes. To have friends like you, joining us in seeking to reach women with this study, is the real story. Imagine if we saw a revolution of women loving like God--loving their friends, loving their families and children, loving their neighbors, loving those who have hurt them--loving themselves. What an amazing energy of God through us we would see all over the world.

The amazon page last night when we hit #23.

Amazon determines the price--not us! So for a few hours today, it was on sale for $6.87! But we hope you and your friends will be able to get the book and join us as we meet together this summer for the best Bible study fellowship together! You can get it here. 

To register for the study, to receive emails from us, guidance for our study and to find out about other groups studying this together,

Go to Goodmorninggirls.org. 

For everyone helping us, Clay and I want to give away a bundle of our books! If you win, you can pick any 5 books and we will send them to you--for yourself or to share with your friends! (Even 5 of the same book so you can do a book study--whatever you want!) (Our books are listed on the side bar of this blog!)

All you have to do to win is listed below. We are hoping to reach lots and lots of sweet women with this message. And we thank you for sharing on facebook, twitter, your study groups, support groups, all the places we might gather women for a wonderful study! Thanks for making Angela and I see God's at work amongst all of you wonderful friends! Blessings and blessings!

a Rafflecopter giveaway