All that she needed to know

She stood there shimmering with a beauty that defied all logic. After everything that she had been through many believed that she would be destroyed forever, left in the dirty muck. But there she stood, clothed in truth and a freedom that came only from the Almighty.

A man, who watched silently in the shadows, wanted nothing more than for her to stay bound in the dirty mud that once encased her. He looked her over with jealous disdain. She was clothed in white and wore a pearl necklace of remarkable worth. This necklace represented real beauty that is found only in an honest relationship with Jesus. It represented the truth of being redeemed and having every chain of fear, abandonment, abuse, and lies dropped to the grave. She was free. She was pure. She radiated Love.

In anger he pulled out a fake pearl necklace and walked toward her. He was tired of seeing her stand upright, smiling with joy. Her laugh grated at his nerves. She glanced his way the closer he moved towards her. She recognized his face. He was a familiar companion yet one she had been freed from years ago. Despite his advance towards her, she started to sing, closing her eyes as she peacefully smiled in worship.

This infuriated him so much that he screamed for her to take off the necklace she was wearing and put on the one he had in his hands. She opened her eyes in time to tell him no and made sure her footing was firmly planted so that she would not move. Being denied, he furiously brought up his hands and attempted to rip off the necklace around her neck. 

Pain shot through her neck, head, and back. Nothing he did was able to break such an incredible gift. The more he tugged, the firmer she stood despite the pain. When he was tired of yanking her necklace, he wrapped his hands around her neck to strangle out her voice, which she was using to speak words of loving truth. The tighter his grip, the stronger she fought for her voice. 

She pleaded with the Lord, asking for help from such binding actions. Jesus, having been the one to give her such a gift of priceless worth stepped into the room. She saw him in the distance with relief. He nodded to her to do what He had prepared her to do in this moment. In an upward motion, and with all of the strength within her, she broke off the hands that were slowly choking out her voice.

His eyes went wide. His grasp on her had been broken. Pain shot through her entire body as she gasped for air. Her throat throbbed.

Then Jesus, in all of His glory, appeared behind her. She was filled with awe as the man could only cower, desperately fighting the urge to kneel to the King of Kings. And as he collapsed to the floor, she stood victorious. Jesus wrapped His arms around her gently and whispered in her ear words that filled her with strength. These words she would forever remember. 

Jesus said, "I am so proud of you!"

That is all that she needed to know.  

Come Home

Jamie's Song- Kristene Mueller

(I walked down the aisle on my wedding day to this as a prayer that someday you would come home to us... after all, we all were wanderers who had been found in the arms of God when He pursued us. You are loved.)

I stand here on the sidelines, feeling helpless, yet the prayers I pray shake the atmosphere.

A broken dream I never knew could break is being smashed to pieces before me.

How can you not see it? 

How can there be such destruction?

My heart breaks as each piece falls.

I moan in agony as I see the final blow being wound up to finish what the enemy started long ago.

God, please intervene! 

We need you!

The ache is almost too much to bear.

Each breath is a painful reminder of that which has just been lost.

I weep, creating an ocean with my tears.

And only you God can save me from these torrent waves. 

....

   L

      O

         V

            E

              .. 

                 ..

                   C

                      O

                         M

                             E

                                ..

                                  ..

                                    S

                                      A

                                         V

                                            E

                                              ..

                                                ..

                                                  M

                                                     Y

                                                       ..

                                                        ..

                                                          FAMILY

                                                           

Forgive us for our dark places that were never surrendered to your light.

Forgive us for following other lovers.

Extend your mercy upon us.

Heal this family and put back together all of these broken pieces.

We need you.

                    Go find them.

                                        Bring them home.

                                                                  Please come home.

Psalm 119:10

 “With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!”

Messiah- a stunning, artistic portrayal of the Gospel

Messiah: Origin, is the first in a volume artistically telling the Gospel. This book is beautiful, and breathtaking artistically. The writing is simple and may disappoint those who want the full written text like a book. But to a visual learner, this book will be a great way to read the origin of our awesome Messiah. It brought me joy to see pictures that depicted what I was reading. To me, it is just another way to bring the Bible to life in our own lives.

For those of you who like to read the story of Christmas individually or as a family, this book will be a great asset to your devotional time and family time. The artwork alone can help young children get a better grasp of the birth of Jesus and remind us as adults that we too need to come to the Lord with faith like a child. 

The format may not be something that everyone likes but the visual depictions and the simple layout of the scriptures is a great addition to your daily Bible reading. These volumes will be a wonderful way to read the Bible as a family, as it brings the scriptures to life.

I received this book free from booksneeze.com and these opinions are my own.

Merlin's Blade- Robert Treskillard

 

















In the book of Merlin's Blade by Robert Treskillard, action, the battle against good and evil, and mystery will keep you in suspense as you read about Merlin before the time of King Arthur. Although the book is about a time that many associate with magic, Treskillard, writes a beautiful perspective of a pure, devoted heart of Merlin who learns how to battle an unknown magical and deceptively powerful enemy, with the power of prayer to the Almighty. You will be caught up in intense scenes of a spiritual battle that will make you want to read late into the night.

This is a teen fiction novel that I would highly recommend as the spiritual realm, and what some would consider fantasy, collide with the natural. The story of Merlin, a sweet and blind boy who desires only to serve Jesus, turns out to show more heroism than most adult warriors. It shows that the power of God is bigger than any other power or force. It reminds you that God uses those who love him even if they do not feel qualified for the task at hand. Above all, Jesus is Lord of all.

Please read Merlin's Blade. It will captivate you and you will not be disappointed as you read example after example of good prevailing over evil.


I received this book for free from booksneeze.com and these opinions are my own.

"If You Fall"

If You Fall-- JJ Heller

"Even if my heart turns black and blue, I will love you!"

I will never give up. I will keep on loving. =)

This is exactly what God does for each of us.

Lord, forgive me when I do not understand how to do this everyday.

Book review: The Daniel Cure

This is the first book review that I have done about any type of fast, diet, or physical way of living. I wanted to branch out and review other books as a way of not getting stuck in a rut.

The Daniel Cure by Susan Gregory and Richard J. Bloomer, is most likely a good book for those desiring to truly change to a healthier way of living. It is not a book for those who already have been living a healthy lifestyle. Much of the emphasis is on dieting, although the authors would say that the Daniel cure is not a diet but a lifestyle change. I would agree with them there, but there were moments when I felt like the writing was conveyed in a way to put guilt trips on those reading it as a way to force individuals to live the "Daniel Fast Way". My frustration with this is that this is only a partial fast. If you want to begin fasting for spiritual renewal and to grow deeper with the Lord, you do not need to read this book.

If on the other hand you want to grow deeper with the Lord by also changing your lifestyle this may be an excellent book to help you. After all, our bodies represent the Temple of God and we must care for it. With this in mind, the book offers a 21-day devotional to begin the 21-day fast to jump-start "the Daniel Cure", which is altering the way that you eat. They have over 75 recipes to help with this change in lifestyle and give medical and educational information for those who have health issues or want to prevent them from happening.

All in all, if you want to change your lifestyle, this book may be a good choice for you. But if you are already eating healthy and want to do your own fast, this book is not for you. You do not need a book like this to help you get closer to God. You have your Bible, and the Holy Spirit to guide you. Just make sure that you are listening very carefully to His voice and that you surround yourself with others who will support you and help guide you. 

I received this book from booksneeze.com. These opinions are my own.

The Cleft of the Rock

I have been pondering over a rather remarkable statement made in a Beth Moore Bible study series called, "A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place". Together with the amazing group of ladies that I get to meet with each week, we heard Beth ask,

"Are you in a cleft of a rock when it seems darkness has overtaken you? Perhaps, God has covered your face so that you can see His glory as you see His back."

This is in reference to Exodus 33:21-22 when God put Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered his face (Moses was not to see the face of God), so that he could see God's glory. Often times, when life gets dark and troubles and pain come our way, we tend to look at it in a negative way. This message spoke volumes to me about my dark moments. I can look back over the past 3 years and see now how God revealed himself to me.

What I find rather interesting about this stage in my life and in the lives of family, is that although this is a new grief for some, it is not knew to me. I have slowly had to let go of some very important people in my life. Because I have gone through my own form of grief with some I hold very dear, this grief and letting go process has been something I have already been going through. Does it add to the ache? Yes it certainly does. Does it sometimes feel dark? Yes, some days feel darker than others. But with this in mind, I think that I can honestly say that it is God's hand over my face. Soon, I will get to see His glory through all the darkness and heartache.

Dear one, if you feel as if you are in a dark place. Do not despair. Perhaps God has placed you in the cleft of the rock, and He is shielding your face. Wait for God to reveal His glory through this time. It is worth it because He loves you. He wants to take you into His glory so that your intimacy with Him will grow.