Modeling God's Love for ourselves changes lives

Joy and Sarah, my beloved cherished friends and daughters.

 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9

How do we model the love of God to our children? To our lost friends? To the world?

Learning to accept God's generous love, is not just a personal issue for ourselves, but it is a crucial part of how we show God's grace to a world of women around us who long to be loved and accepted for who they are.

Everyone we know is longing for acceptance and validation. Yet, unless we as Christian women model this to those closest to us, they will miss seeing the unconditional love of God He wants to show through our lives.

I have been blessed with two lovely daughters. Yesterday, I had conversations with both of them--Sarah by skype and Joy sitting next to me in our living room last night--sharing hearts, insecurities, failures, flaws and love and redemption. My girls are living in a culture in which bodies and looks, intelligence, clothing,  personality and behavior are marketed in such a way as to promote the message that there is a certain kind of body, way of dressing, a size or weight or body type and when any one of us measures up to this false worldly standard of perfection, we will all fall short.

Now, as to looks, some are too skinny, too tall, too short, some too overweight, some have big chests, some small.

As to personality, some are charming, some are not, all personalities are flawed in some way because all are subject to this disease called sin.

Some smarter, better, and on and on the world tempts us to think we can be enough if we just try hard enough.

But all of these arbitrary standards plague women every day. Even I, as a 60 year old fight, insecurity every year as I have to stand in front of hundreds of women at conferences, with more weight than I would wish, or more wrinkles or the kinds of clothes I should wear--I am a normal women who can be caught in the grips of cultures' temptations by seeking measure myself by some arbitrary standard that God never established.

Why in the world would even a woman like me, aging as I am supposed to, ever compare myself with the standards of a young, thin model of a woman who represents universal beauty? Because of the messages of the world being screamed in every movie, every show, every billboard, every advertisement. If it plagues even me and I am a relatively reasonable woman, and have walked with God for many years. I know it plagues my beloved daughters, and you and your daughters.

And so I have come to understand that an important part of my testimony to others, is that I am enough--just as I am.

It is God's grace every day that saves me, restores me, makes me beautiful. Not perfection or performance.

I do not want my girls to have to believe the lies of the world, I want them to grow beautiful inside because they learn to love who God has made them to be. I do not want my daughters to bear such a legacy of self-condemnation as the world would give.

They will only learn to accept their worth to the Lord if I accept my worth from the Lord.

The whole point of Christianity and redemption is that we are saved from all of our personal corruption. As women, we are beautiful because God designed us very intentionally with our personality, our skill set, our dreams and drives. He also designed us with a specific face and body and height and weight--All are beautiful when they live in the love and confidence of God's affirmation. As to personality, they are extremely different and make different choices in life because God gave them different gifts.

It is the grace and glory of God that we find freedom and joy and the life to live apart from the condemnation and criticism of this world. Then we are able to grow in our acceptance of His love. His desire for us as women is to greatly experience the "Life" of His reality of acceptance every day, because of how much He sacrificed so that we might live.

Yet,when it comes to my daughters, I want them also to understand, that they are beautiful because both are beloved by their Jesus and by me. They are both righteous because Jesus knew they would never ever be able to be perfect or good enough on their own, and so he lived and died for them so that they would never have to feel so deeply disappointed in themselves.They will always have hope and deep acceptance when they walk with His hand in theirs leading and loving and blessing them moment by moment--if they have first seen it in me.

 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—  rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. I Peter 4:3-3

It is the hidden person of my heart, the tenderness and humility before Jesus that makes me beautiful to Him and that will  make you beautiful to Him. When your heart seeks to love Him, to please Him, to rest in His love and care for you, that is your preciousness in the sight of God.

When I model this inner heart, my daughters will understand that it is their heart--not their body, their performance or their perfection that will help them to find His love.

As their mother, I hope I will make choices that lead them in this freedom and grace. They need to see me model that I feel accepted by God's love, that my beauty if from my heart, so that they will hear a different message from me than they see in the world. When I make peace with who I am, warts and all, I speak boldly of His ability to fill up all the cracks of my life. Then they learn how to live in the freedom of His love and acceptance. 

And so, I want to give them this Jesus who saved me, and who grants me His grace every day--His grace, His unmerited favor, His power to live life, His faithfulness to direct, correct and mature them little by little and His favor and unconditional love, which will never fail them. My daughters, friends, colleagues will better understand their adequacy that comes from Jesus when they see it for real in my life.

And I want to live in such a way that they will always know that they, too, can be found acceptable and beautiful in His arena of blessing.

I want my precious daughters to live in the secure ring of our own family love, grace and acceptance and to have the freedom and grace in their hearts to know that who they are, as they are is quite enough and even lovely because of the grace of God so very reflective in and through each moment of their lives.

May He bless my precious girls, and me, and each of us to so live in this true feminine beauty of His love and acceptance that we never need dwell in the insecurity of not ever being able to be perfect or measure up to the arbitrary standards of this world. May His grace truly invigorate and fuel the moments of our lives each day and may others see what is really beautiful as we reflect His reality every day.

Let us break the mold of the world and show a new acceptance--one that comes from God's grace, not as a result of anything we have done to deserve it, but acceptance that comes as a gift from God.

Grace comes every morning

 "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it yet?" ~Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

It is more than a comfort to know that each day offers the promise of a tomorrow--a new day, with no mistakes in it, yet.

The yet, perhaps, is the important word in that sentence! Because mistakes will surely be made. I will speak too sharply to someone, and I'll gossip or criticize someone and then feel guilty, I will break a commitment I have made to myself one more time. Perhaps I'll forget to return a phone call or water a plant that dies--and know that I wasted my money and failed one more time. The possibilities of ways to make big mistakes and small are endless. In the past, those sorts of things weighed heavy on my heart. Why couldn't I just get everything accomplished, as everyone else seemed to do? Why was I still impatient and unorganized sometimes?

Sometimes it is assumed that anyone who speaks or writes or works to inspire other moms has "arrived" to some extent. There can be an illusion that at my house, everything is perfect, no one is ever cross, and there's no effort necessary to keep things running smoothly. This, I can assure you, is not the case!

"I do not consider myself to be a perfect mother. My aspirations and what I can idealize oftentimes far exceed my ability to live up to them in reality. Yet it is in being able to visualize the dreams of my heart and beauty of God's design that I have found a standard of maturity to move toward.

As I reflect on my own life, I feel that I have learned so much--the hard way, by making many mistakes. Many moments of stress and struggle could have been handled so much more easily if I had had a wiser, older woman to shed light on my stages of life. It was through writers like Edith Schaeffer that I was encouraged and helped along my way. My hope is that in some way, I might be able to provide that same encouragement and inspiration."~ from The Mission of Motherhood

Mistakes will be made, and our ideals are not always realized- and others disappoint while we disappoint ourselves. But the most wonderful truth that I pray will go deep into my own heart and to yours, is that the love of God is steadfast--it never changes, it remains strong, it's loyalty does not change.

Take this deeply into your brain and into your heart--The steadfast love of the Lord never, ever ceases and His mercies never come to and end. Every morning they are there waiting for you to bathe yourself in once again.

--And best of all, the truth that I can always begin again! Every day a clean slate, a new beginning, a fresh history. 

Today, you are new and fresh--walk in the newness and reality of a clean slate and live into His everlasting love.

Aim high, sweet mama. And when mistakes come, know they are covered by the One who holds all in His hands, and whose mercies are "new every morning!"

Memorize this verse and sing it to yourself every day:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

~Lamentations 3:22-23

Be Still: Learning to live in the goodness of His grace.

“As mothers and fathers, it is so easy to get distracted by the details of our lives. We have so much to do! We must feed our children well and take care of their health. We must oversee their education and their training to make sure they will be able to take care of themselves and live in a civilized society. We train them in righteousness so they may understand how God wants them to live. We try to relate to them in mature ways and help them learn to have healthy relationships.” -The Ministry of Motherhood

It is a great responsibility to be a mother, a cultivator of beauty and nurturer of souls. If you are finding yourself overwhelmed today with the tasks of your home ( playing with your sweet ones and listening to their hearts, cooking meals, cleaning, reading to your children, being a life-giver), consumed by anxiety, daunting tasks, and a serious lack of sleep, I invite you to take a deep breath at this moment.

Relax, even for just a minute, and remember that while you may feel alone, God sees all of the work you do (the late nights, early morning, many meals, the lit candles and lovely flowers that no one else noticed).

Don’t put unrealistic pressures on yourself, on your personal mama agenda, or on your parenting, that God never asked you to do. Perhaps the most loving and healthy thing you can do for yourself and your children is to be still for a moment today and have a quiet time. Put on some music, and invite your children to have some independent quiet time for just an hour. This is a wonderful time for them to enjoy some summer reading, while you can enjoy a moment to refuel.

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10

Take a moment to reflect on the verse and ask yourself the 5 questions below: -How can you prioritize your quiet time today and squeeze it into your busy schedule? -What tiny details are distracting you from what is truly important? -Is there anything on your to-do list that can be set aside for a later date? -What tasks are you stressing about and prioritizing that God is not asking you to carry today? -How much more efficiently could you love and nurture your children if you took a moment for yourself to be still?

Be still today, sweet mamas, and know that not every day will be filled with Pinterest-perfect meals, spotless homes, intense homeschool lessons finished, or 15 DIY projects completed. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, and remember that God loves you not just through what you do, but how you are able and willing to let Him take over. The beauty of God's grace shines when we learn to be still. 

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Remember todays amazing verse for our You Are Loved Bible study:

Oh the voices…

God doesn’t love you because….

Your sins really aren’t forgiven…

God is not pleased with you….

He is disappointed in you…

You can’t change…

If God really knew what you are like on the inside…..He wouldn’t/couldn’t love you.

Oh those voices, they speak lies to me day and night, so much so that I have to go back to God’s Word, back to the real Truth, day after day and read for myself what He says about His amazing love for me. For more, go HERE

Today, He sees you and does not condemn you. Be still and rest in Him!

The Rival seeks to destroy the beauty and reality of God's love!

Four rocking chairs squeaked gently as we sat quietly on my front porch in the cool of the mountain sunset at the end of the day. A cherished friend of many years shared the moment with my two daughters and me. All of us had shared our hearts and thoughts and conflicts and issues bubbling up inside.

I realized that, in my life, and in the experiences of all of us who were together this evening, there have been many conflicts, bruises, separations with people over many years. All of us will confront many challenges in our lifetime in a broken world. Our sweet fellowship of friendship gave comfort to each of us and we shared each other's burdens with understanding and gentle sympathy.

 So often we allow these times of difficulty to effect how we perceive God looks at us.

We think, "Because I have scars or have a failed relationship, God must be disappointed in me. Perhaps we are disappointed with ourselves because we have the illusion that somehow if we try hard enough, we can create a perfectly harmonious life. And so we feel we have failed God and He looks down upon us with angry or disappointed eyes.

But when Jesus looks upon us, he looks at us with compassionate eyes. I love the scripture in Psalm 103: 14 that says, "For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust."

Jesus died for us, because He loved us so much, he wanted to restore us to the perfect love that God had always wanted us to know. We read, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."Romans 5: 8

Amazing--while we were stuck in our own selfishness, our own pettiness, our own scars, he loved us so much He died for us.

It is the cross that bridges the gap between our hurts, disappointments, brokenness and God's perfect love. It is the cross that brings us hope for what we will experience in eternity.

Consequently, Satan does not want us to know this freedom, this amazing grace. He seeks to steal our joy, destroy our image of the living loving God. He wants us to think somehow we are able to heal ourselves by trying harder.

"It is easy to be cynical, it is brave to be joyful."

Joy Clarkson

As we were speaking of these issues, we all were captured by a field of wildflowers in our view.  Swaying in the wind, they seemed to dance and sing of the beauty, the glory of the artist who planted them there for our pleasure. It is as though God reminded us that He was with us--that He had seen and heard our hearts, but that the beauty He had shown us was a hint of the exquisite loveliness had has prepared for us in eternity, where we will live in a perfect relationship with Him, and everyone else who dwells with Him there.

My daughter Joy observed that our sense of God's provision was a choice of faith that it is our glory to make. All around us are evidences of His reality and presence, but we must open the eyes of our heart to see His beauty and to embrace His love and joy. She finished her thoughts, "As we experience the disappointments in this world, we have a choice to make--to look at the reality of God's beauty and fingerprints to remind us of His provision of love or to ignore what He provides every day and to live in despair or disappointment. She concluded, "It is easy to be cynical, it is brave to be joyful."

We must understand, our peace will not come from our circumstances, our only hope is God Himself.

We cannot control the behavior of others in our lives. We cannot force someone else to be understanding, responsive, forgiving, sympathetic, when we experience broken or disappointing relationships.

But we do have the choice of controlling our own responses.

We can choose to forgive, to grow in humility. We can choose to give difficult relationships to God. And then we must leave the consequences and results in God's hands to work out in His time.

If we allow a broken relationship to consume us, to take up too much brain space, it will create anxiety and despair. However, if we give it to God by faith, and seek to leave the consequences of our difficulties in His hand, then we are able to move forward, to cultivate hope, to learn the pathway of His love. When we meet Him at the cross and allow Him to take our broken hopes, we can leave with peace, knowing that He knows us and still loves us and has healed once and for all, the places of our own failures. Only as we live in this way, can we experience His love--when we forgive ourselves and when we accept His amazing accomplishment and victory in our lives.

It is my prayer this week that you will learn to live into the light of His promised love, that you will give your burdens into His capable hands and that you will accept your Father's desire to love you and carry you through this world until you see Him face to face.

May you live free from burdens and worries to day, and rest in His amazing love.

For more encouragement, please join me today at: Goodmorninggirls.org and follow us as we study and read together:

You can still purchase it HERE 

Help us find 250,000 to support this great movie! God is opening doors.

Sweet friends,

Will you help Nathan get this movie out to a large audience?

We are so excited to see how many people supported Dolphin Tale and now, we are hoping to get Nathan's movie to Theatrical release. Kevin Sorbo, from God is not Dead--is the father of the prodigal son in Nathan's movie. He is helping him begin to reach the public with this message.

LOOKING FOR 250,000 PEOPLE TO LIKE THIS PAGE AND GET THE ATTENTION OF DISTRIBUTORS OF MOVIES TO GET THIS MOVIE IN A THEATRE RELEASE!

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS MOVIE AND LIKE THIS PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsOfAProdigalSon  

If you are receiving this, it means you are a mover, blogger, speaker, writer, a mom, or  mover and shaker that I feel embodies the powerful message of our new film Confessions of a Prodigal Son. Every single person can help us get one place closer to reaching the secular media's attention. Please share this with your friends.

This is a little note from Nathan!

Many of you have followed and supported me in this journey to bring this film to life since it was only and idea.

Now with your support and God's grace, we have a real movie on it's way with real movie stars, like Kevin Sorbo (God's Not Dead, Soul Surfer, etc...).

So I thank you for helping me on this journey!

BUT now I need YOUR help again!

This Friday (13th) we are releasing the first official teaser trailer- and we need YOUR help! If you would be able and willing, it would mean to world if you would post, shout, point to, and share the trailer in any outlet available to you Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, Instagram, EVEN Myspace (if you have one).

We want to bring exposure to our film, and see if we can begin to spread it's name to as many eyes and ears as possible now, helping it reach even more people than we ever imagined when we actually release the film. Doing this will insure that we can partner with a REAL distributor who will put our movie on REAL DVD's, Theaters, Digital Download and more!

I believe with my whole heart in the message of this film- one of redemption, forgiveness, and unconditional love. A message we ALL need to hear. So with your help I know that this film will touch many, and maybe even call a few prodigals home.

IF you are a social media person share this link to the trailer! (at the bottom)

AND if you are interested in doing a blog-post, or website article, I've had a small post written up (at the bottom), should you want to use it!

Thank you again for all your help, support, and prayers.

Looking forward,

-Nathan Clarkson

-Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtNHYvTW0PE

Nathan Clarkson moved to New York for acting school when he was 19 with a burning desire to bring light to a dark world, and a passion for telling truly great stories. Now at 25 years old living in Los Angeles, Nathan looks back on what led him where he is now, in the midst of finishing his first feature film where he stars (also wrote and helped produce) alongside Kevin Sorbo (God's Not Dead, Soul Surfer, etc...) called Confessions of a Prodigal Son - a modern retelling of the prodigal son story from the bible -.

"I can remember coming to LA- poor, passionate, and ready to live my dreams, but what I soon found out was this dream was hard, and didn't come as easy as I thought. I began to look around me and see others, who like me, came here to Hollywood looking for something, but ultimately found disappointment and heartache in not being able to satisfy the hunger in their souls whether they achieved "success" or not.

I began to notice how lost and hurt so many around me were, and I began to realize that the city that promised, to so many, the fulfillment of dreams and desires- Was in reality a concentrated gathering of the broken and hurting looking for "more". I realized that instead of living in The City of Angeles, I was living in a City of Prodigals. I had my own long nights, weeks, months, years, when I thought giving up on following god would be easier and maybe it would've been.

But as I continued, even through the hardest times to try my best to follow Jesus, I began to find that the dream I had come here to find was slowly being replaced with a bigger and better dream than I ever could have imagined. Until, one morning I woke up, and felt a tug from God on my heart, to get up and write. I didn't know what to write, so I asked him, and like a light coming on above my mind, I realized it had to be the prodigal son story, because Jesus has an interest in bringing the prodigals home.

So I sat down and took the story Jesus told from the bible and mixed in with my experience in a modern world and long story short, we will soon have Confessions of a Prodigal Son. A story I hope will touch many, and maybe just maybe, call a few prodigals home."

Nathan began his journey into making this film, two years ago, raised all the money himself, through places like Kickstarter, Go Fund Me, and the support of people believing in the message of the story of the Prodigal Son. As word started making it's way around about the film, more and more people started to become interested and join in the cause, until eventually Nathan had a full crew of talented filmmakers and a cast that included some beloved and well-known actors. Nathan also was able to play opposite his then beautiful Fiancee who in the midst of everything became his wife earlier this year.

Kevin Sorbo is the father, welcoming His prodigal home. Nathan is the prodigal looking for meaning in his life.

Today is the OFFICIAL release of the first teaser trailer with actual footage from the film! If you believe in the dream that God placed on Nathan's heart to love, redeem, and call the prodigals home- the watch, be inspired and share with others.

Also make sure to "LIKE" the COAPS Facebook for all the up to date news on the film: https://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsOfAProdigalSon

And Visit the website for more information and materials being posted soon: http://www.confessionsofaprodigalson.com/

PLEASE LEAVE US A COMMENT AND TELL US WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES THAT INSPIRE AND ENCOURAGE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!  Tell us what you think about this story and how it may help a generation of kids to come home to their faith!

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.