Category: Writing

The Bread of Life

Have you ever gone to a restaurant hungry? Starving hungry! And they bring bread to the table and you eat it all and even get a refill on the bread because it’s SO GOOD!

By the time the food arrives, if you’ve eaten too much bread, you don’t even really want what you ordered because you are so full.

So often, we look for things that we think will satisfy the needs, and desires inside of us. We are desperate to find something to satisfy the longings and cravings we feel.

We might turn to food, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. We look to people or things to satisfy these cravings, not realizing that these vices don’t truly satisfy…they don’t fully meet the needs, or longings, or desires that exist inside of us. These things may satisfy for a moment. They may offer a brief escape. They may distract and offer a false sense of satisfaction but it’s temporary.

The only thing that will truly satisfy you is Jesus.

In John 6:35, Jesus was talking with the crowd of people who followed Him across the sea of Galilee. These were the same people who had just been fed by the 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty.“

Just the day before, He had just fed them with physical food but here, He was talking to them on a much deeper level than just physical hunger.

He was saying to them (and to us), Come to me and recognize that nothing in life will satisfy you, completely. Nothing will adequately “fill you” until you don’t need anything more…….except me.

Do you recognize that there are places inside of yourself that long for something. There are places inside of you that feel empty, that feel broken. Places that feel a hunger for love, for safety, for peace, for joy, for wholeness; and nothing…NOTHING will satisfy you like Jesus can.

You can try. You can attempt to satisfy yourself with people and things; but when you are so full of Jesus; when you are so full of His love and His strength and His power and His glory, you won’t need anything else.

There are things in your life that currently tempt you. Even if you know they aren’t right or won’t satisfy. When you are hungry, temptation is hard to resist. But… when you are so full of Jesus, those things won’t tempt you in the same way.

When you’re full, you just don’t want anything else.

Be so full of Jesus – of the Bread of Life – that when faced with the things you used to consume in an attempt satisfy yourself, you won’t even want them anymore because you are full.

Even the Rain…

I’ve worked on a practise of gratitude and thankfulness for years but the weather is something that really affects me; and I’ve whined and moaned incessantly about it.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and we have a significant amount of rainy, grey weather throughout the year. I struggle physically, mentally and emotionally when the weather is cold, dark, grey and wet. This is unfortunate because that is a fairly accurate description of our weather for about 8 months out of the year.

Each year, as the summer winds down, I find myself dreading the fall, winter and spring months. Why do I live somewhere where the weather affects me so badly?

A couple of years ago, The Father challenged me to stop complaining about the weather. He really impressed on me that He was responsible for the weather. All of it! We often hear of big, violent weather like storms or tornadoes, tsunamis, etc referred to as Acts of God, but the reality is – ALL WEATHER IS AN ACT OF GOD.

For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. Matthew 5:45 NLT

This scripture attributes control of the weather to the Father. His hand is in both the sun and the rain.

He knows what the earth needs. He knows which areas of the earth need more or less of every kind of weather. He definitely knows so much more than I do. And if I’m being honest, I’m thankful to not have the responsibility of having to care for the whole earth and all the creatures that call this place home.

Recognizing His sovereignty, even over the weather has made a difference in how I view the dark, rainy seasons.

It doesn’t necessarily make it easier but I can recognize that there’s more at play than I can see or understand. And honestly, I have options. If it’s really important to me, I could move to a place that has less rain. It might be difficult or uncomfortable to make the move but it is an option.

The biggest change for me has been adjusting my attitude. The Bible says to be thankful in all things.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. ?1 Thessalonians 5:18?


All things or all circumstances doesn’t exclude the weather. Now it doesn’t say that I have to be thankful FOR all things – there is lots that happens in our broken world; and too many things that are hard to be thankful “for”. But… we do have the choice to look around us and to be thankful for what we do have, even during difficult or hard times.

Even during the dark, cold, rainy seasons (whether that’s literal or metaphorical), we can look around and find things to be thankful for. I am thankful for the rain because it waters the earth. Even when I wish it was sunny, I am thankful that my plants are getting water so they can grow. I am thankful that our reservoirs are filling up and the ice pack is growing because it helps during the hot months so we don’t end up with massive droughts and forest fires. I am thankful for opportunities to hunker down inside my house and get some stuff done that I might not want to, if it were a gorgeous sunny day and I wanted to be out and about.

When I look for and focus on the things I can be thankful for, my mood lifts and I am happier. Even if it’s still dark and grey and raining.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.? Philippians 4:6-9


We can absolutely choose to focus on the difficulties we experience in life and be discouraged and frustrated, depressed and anxious. Or… we can choose to be thankful in all circumstances. We can choose to focus on God’s truth and on things that are honourable, pure and lovely. When we choose gratitude over dissatisfaction, we will experience peace and joy – even in the middle of difficulties.

Are there areas in your life where you are struggling to be thankful? Can you look around, take stock of your life and find something – even just one thing – to be thankful for?

Every day I wake up, I’m thankful for another day to live and love.
I’d love to hear what you have to be thankful for.

Creativity

Did you know that you were actually designed to be creative?

I hear way too many people saying things like,

“I’m not creative.”
“I can’t draw”
“I can’t dance.”
“I can’t paint.”
“I can’t write.”

Every time I hear words like that spoken out, I wince and my heart hurts because I used to say those things, too.

The saddest part was that, inside, I was desperate to express myself in creative ways. I figured that because my creativity didn’t look perfect or even really, what I deemed to be acceptable that I couldn’t consider myself creative. Not like other people were.

For my entire childhood, teen years and into adulthood, I grappled with this inner desire to express myself creatively; and this feeling that I wasn’t good enough to even try.

That feeling of inferiority kept me from living as my true, authentic self.

I WAS CREATED TO CREATE.

WE ALL ARE!

We are created in the image of God and HE IS THE CREATOR OF ALL.

His divine nature as a creative being bringing beauty into the world, creating something from nothing gives us all, the right and even the responsibility to create what we can to also bring beauty into our world.

If you feel a desire to paint, then paint.
If written or spoken word stirs you, then let the words flow.
If you desire to dance or flag, go for it.


Whatever creative outlet your heart desires, just do it.
Practise.
Don’t discount the desire.

Very few people have natural talent and ability but that doesn’t disqualify you from being creative.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 has an encouragement to move forward with all your might. It’s an encouragement to not hold back but to GO FOR IT. Psalm 33:3 has an exhortation that when you play an instrument that you would do it skilfully. Some people are blessed with an incredible natural talent but for so many of us – excellence and skill takes practise.

Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts wobble a little.

Think about a baby. When babies first start walking, they stumble, fall and wobble quite a bit but when they take those first shaky steps we excitedly say, “You’re walking.”

Can they do it well? Nope! Will they continue to stumble and fall. YUP!

But we speak into being what we know will happen with practise.

So if you want to write and you practise writing, You are a writer.
If you want to dance and you practice dancing, You are a dancer.
If you want to draw and you practise drawing, You are an artist.
If you want to take pictures and you practise photography, you are a photographer.

Speak it out.
Embrace your creative nature.
Practise creativity regularly and
Share the beauty that you are creating.

Now more than ever, we need beauty in the world and you, as a creative being, have a part to play in adding beauty to our lives and the world.

So the next time that lie comes to you telling you that you can’t create, that you’re not creative; STOP and declare the wonder of who you were created to be.

  • I am a creative being.
  • I am created in the image of my Father
  • I create beauty to share with the world.
  • I have permission to play and create in ways that are unique to who the Father made me to be.
  • I embrace creativity as part of my God given nature.
  • I am creative.

You are His Masterpiece

I love to knit.

I was thinking about that verse in Psalms where it mentions that the Father knits us together in our mothers womb.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. Psalm 139:13-14 NLT

I know that as an imperfect person, my knitting projects are usually imperfect and I make mistakes. Even if I am extremely careful, I often have to redo sections to get it right. But, I choose my material and patterns carefully and work to get the exact look and feel that I want. My plan is to create something that I love and that works perfectly for what I want it for.

I can’t help but think about the Father. He is perfect in all of His ways. He doesn’t make mistakes. He knew exactly what He wanted to create when He made you and He loves you the way you are. There’s no mistakes in the way he made you. He put you together with love and care and so much attention to detail.

BUT….just like a sweater that’s been around for a number of years, there may be wear and tear. Maybe the sleeve gets snagged on something and ends up with a string of the wool pulled funny and hanging loose in a way it wasn’t supposed to be. Maybe a hole gets ripped in the front of it.

The sweater is still useful, even if its a little worn. Even with snags and holes, it will be able to keep us warm and provide a layer of comfort; even if it’s not perfect and in its original beauty and design.

We are sometimes like that sweater. What God knit together in the beginning may end up with a few scratches or worn bits, We may get pulled out of the original shape that we were created to be in. Often times we end up being used in ways that don’t line up with our original design.

If you take that worn out, beat up sweater and put it in the hands of a master craftsman or craftswoman, they have this incredible skill and ability to take that piece and transform it back into something beautiful. Often times, their goal is to restore it to it’s original look and feel, if possible.

Our Heavenly Father is the most amazing craftsman you could imagine. Not only that, He is the original creator of that piece. He made you. He is intimately familiar with how He created you; with how He designed you and with what you were like before time and people impacted you.

If you’re feeling worn out or stretched out of shape. If you’re feeling a little beat up or like you might have a few damaged bits, I would encourage you to come to the Master Craftsman. Come to the Father and let Him work in you. You are not worthless. You are not beyond hope. You are never beyond repair. He will restore you. Spend time with Him. Let Him restore the beauty of your life. Let Him be the ONE who defines you, who re-creates you. Let Him be the ONE who speaks of your worth and value.

You ARE wonderfully and marvellously made and if you’re not feeling that, spend time with the ONE who made you. Let Him speak over you. Let His love saturate you and fill you until every part of you is confident of it. Let Him work in your life and He will reveal to you, the beauty and wonder that He created.

You are His masterpiece.

Being Content

The Bible has a lot to say about being content.

It’s too easy to look at our lives and focus on our lack. To get stuck on everything that others have and to be hyper aware of what we don’t have. We spend too much time comparing ourselves to others. That comparison negatively affects us mentally and emotionally; it can even affect us physically.

In the Bible, Paul spoke of his ability to be content no matter what circumstance he was in.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13

He knew what it was to live in abundance and He also experienced some of the lowest lows a human can go through. He recognized that he couldn’t do it in His own strength, but that the story was so different when he put his trust and confidence in God.

God was his source for everything.

With that awareness and confidence, He could handle anything that came his way.

Contentment is something that happens inside of us and has nothing to do with our situations, our circumstances, our needs; or our lack. It’s a peace and confidence that comes when you place your trust in God’s provision and His sovereignty in your life.

Contentment is a peace and confidence that comes when you place your trust in God’s provision and His sovereignty in your life.

It comes when you lay down your ideas of self-sufficiency and live in His sufficiency; knowing that there’s nothing you can do to earn it or make it happen, but that His grace and mercy are gifts that He gives out of His Great Love for you.

If contentment is something you are struggling with here are a few practical things that you can do to shift your focus.

  1. Purposefully pursue an awareness of the Father’s goodness and provision
  2. Prioritize your relationship with the Father
  3. Reflect on the Blessings in your life
  4. Rely on the Father to lead and guide every decision you make.

He is a good Father who provides for all you need. Spend time with Him and read your Bible; and in doing so, you will learn more and more about His character, His truths and His promises. Focus on what He has blessed you with and be thankful.

Gratitude has been scientifically proven to affect our outlook on life. Science has proven what the Bible has said for years – Be thankful in ALL things. Not just some…ALL THINGS! Gratitude rewires your brain to see the blessings that you do have.

As you move through your day, listen to what the Father is saying and do it. Ask Him questions. Communicate with Him. He’s always speaking and He wants whats best for you. Listen and follow what He says. He will lead and guide you.

If you are struggling with being discontent, and you want to trust in the Father in every area of your life but you’re unsure where to start, here’s a prayer for you.

Father, I am struggling to be content. Would you please help my unbelief? Would you forgive me for the times that I have placed my trust in myself or in others? I choose to put my trust in You and You alone. You are my provider. You are my strength. You are everything that I need. Help me to see your provision in every aspect of my life; and to shift my focus from what I don’t have, to what you have given me. I want to live in your peace; confident of your sovereignty in my life. Help me to hear your voice and to know your ways and to do what you ask me. I commit my life to you. Amen.

Psalm 23:5-6 (part 3)

Isn’t it amazing to be able to trust someone so much that even when we go through dark, dismal places that we don’t need to fear because we are never alone and we have the most incredible loving provider and defender and care taker.

I love this Psalm. There is so much beauty and depth within the words written here.

These last 2 verses resound inside me with their promises and truths.

Imagine being brought to a dining hall and the doors are thrown open and you are escorted in and an incredibly important person shows you the most incredible feast laid out and it’s all for YOU! It has all your favorite foods and drinks and even some that are specifically nourishing to what you need at this exact moment. It’s been laid out perfectly to honor YOU!

Now imagine that your “enemies” – the people who have been opposed to you, or angry with you, or jealous or resentful, or who have been treating you badly – have all been brought in to witness you receiving this great honor. It would be a weird feeling, wouldn’t it? We aren’t used to being extravagantly honoured, especially in front of those who oppose or persecute us!

Can you truly fathom what it is to be honoured by the Creator of all? Think about that for a moment.

It was customary at the time for the host to lavish extravagance on their guests, to provide for their every need and to protect them.

So not only are you being provided for and honoured and exalted, but you know that you are completely safe and can be relaxed and refreshed at the same time.

Having your head anointed with oil was also to refresh and revitalize you; if your cup runs over it means you don’t lack, you have more than enough. There is an abundance of blessing and provision in your life. How amazing is that! There’s something incredible that happens inside of us when we acknowledge truths that we know but may not feel.

We can “feel” a lot of conflicting emotions but when we align ourselves and our “feelings” with His truth there is peace and joy, even in the middle of uncertainty and chaos. The acknowledgment here is that He does refresh and revitalize us and that He provides for us is in abundant ways. We can trust that He is our good Shepherd.

Without a doubt, with all certainty and confidence and assurance……..that’s what “surely” means.

Without a doubt, with all certainty, confidence and assurance, goodness and mercy (God’s tender love that doesn’t give us the punishment that we deserve) will follow me – they will persue me – all the days of my life. I will be chased after by His goodness and His mercy every day for the rest of my life.

And that’s not the end because even when I die, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That’s the hope that we have as believers. That when all is said and done, it’s not just the end. It’s a whole new beginning and we will spend eternity with the one who loves us most; with the one who created us, who gave His life for us.

How incredible is that?

I love this Psalm and the meaning and imagery within it. Take this Psalm and recognize the immediate presence of it. The personalized reality of it…..the relationship between Him and You. Hold these truths tightly and it will change your life.

THE LORD is MY Shepherd, I shall not want. HE makes ME to lie down in green pastures. HE leads ME beside still waters. He restores MY soul.

When we truly encounter the reality of His love and His truth and His presence, we are changed. We can’t help but be changed.

Shattered and Beautiful

I was thinking about times in my life when I’ve felt so shattered and devastated by situations or circumstances.

I’m talking about the times when you feel so beaten down or broken that you don’t even feel like you have it in you to worship or praise or rejoice your way out of the situation. What you want to do is fall on the ground in a heap and either have a tantrum; or sob until you can’t breathe, or both. Or maybe you just want to curl up in the fetal position and hide……have you been there or is it just me?

I love how real David expressed himself in the Psalms. The Psalms are gritty and glorious and real; and filled with emotion and heartache and suffering and joy and praise and worship and even frustration and a desire for revenge. They’ve got it all and when I have no words to speak what my heart is feeling; there’s always something in the Psalms that resonates with me, no matter the situation or circumstance.

In Psalm 51:15-17, David is feeling all the feels and he cries out to God because He knows that praise will help him move beyond his immediate feelings. You’ve got to know that he’s not feeling like praising. He feels locked up, maybe shut down; but He knows what He needs to do.

He acknowledges that God isn’t interested in the surface things like how good we present ourselves or what we offer or give up to make ourselves look or feel better about something.

I think verse 17 is one of my favourites.

Think about the picture it presents. God’s pleasure is released like a fountain bubbling up and overflowing when we scrape up the pieces of our heart and offer them to Him. When we come to Him with all our brokenness and wounding and shattered pieces and say, “Here. I don’t even know what to do anymore.”

Have you ever had someone despise you? It’s an awful feeling. Especially if they are despising your weakness? It’s like getting kicked when you’re already down. But God won’t despise you when you come to Him shattered. The opposite of despise is to cherish, adore, admire, love; that’s how He will receive you when you bring your broken pieces to Him.

Imagine. Imagine feeling like you’ve been broken into a million pieces and you can’t possibly see how you are worth anything to anyone in the shape you are in. You scrape together all the pieces and come before God with all the sadness and hurt and shattered-ness that you are feeling. And He looks at you with such love and compassion and holds all those pieces close to His heart until the warmth of His love softens them enough that He can mold and piece them back together into an even more beautiful masterpiece than what originally was.

May we offer those shattered pieces of ourselves to the One who loves us most. Trusting that He will create beauty from brokenness.

Psalm 23:4 (part 2)

Psalm 23:4 NKJV – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

I love that David is speaking out the truth over himself and his situation. In the first three verses, He speaks declaratively. I am cared for. I have everything that I need. I have safe places to rest and be renewed.

Have you ever done that? Especially when you are feeling exactly the opposite of what you are saying? I most definitely have.

When my feelings don’t line up with the truth in God’s word, you better believe that I speak His truth over my life.

In verse 4, David starts out by acknowledging the reality of his situation. It make look dire. You may be facing a difficult situation that feels like the end. You may see no positive ending in your future. I can imagine David, hiding in a cave believing that he would be captured and killed at any moment; or heading out to face Goliath the giant. In the natural, death was pretty likely in both those scenarios. David faced a lot of pretty discouraging and dangerous situations in his lifetime It would have been so easy to wallow. It would have been so easy to get stuck focusing on the reality of right now BUT….

David chose to believe that whqt God said was true and that He was going to believe His promises regardless of how awful the situation looked.

Have you walked through valleys in your life where it seemed like the end? Where the darkness of death hung over you. Maybe you’ve run out of money and can’t buy groceries or pay rent or bills? Maybe you are facing layoffs at work? Maybe you have a strained relationship that feels doomed? Maybe you are actually facing a life threatening illness? There are so many dark valleys that we face in our lives.

We get to choose how we act and react in every situation.

David speaks up again and says, “I will not fear.”

I think that all too often our first “ human” reaction is one of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of lack. Fear of loss. Fear of death. Fear of feeling out of control. Fear can easily and quickly overwhelm us, making it impossible to even be able to think straight. Fear seems inevitable but God…

David says, “I will not fear because You (God) are with me.”

God is with us. The creator of heaven and earth is on our side. He loves us. He is our Protector. He is our Provider. He is our Defender. He is our Healer. He is our Strength. He has promised to never leave or abandon us. If we truly grasp the enormity of what this means and how great His love is for us, then we too can walk through life without fear.

The verse ends with Your rod and staff they comfort me. These were tools the Shepherd used to do his job. They indicated his authority as the Shepherd. It was his job to care for to protect, to guide, to comfort, to feed, to defend, to lead the sheep in his care. He used these tools to do exactly that.David knew all about caring for sheep. That was his job. It was his responsibility to care and protect for the sheep. The sheep trusted their shepherd. They knew the Shepherd’s voice and would go where He led because they trusted him. They felt safe and cared for. They knew that the Shepherd was reliable and dependable and loving and caring.

We can go through terrible, difficult times that feel like the the end of the world and trust that our Shepherd is always there for us, leading us and guiding us; and taking care of us.

It’s possible that there were times that David’s sheep had to walk through a treacherous pathway to get to a glorious meadow where they could rest and feed and care for their young. They may have needed to trust that even though it looked pretty dicy that the Shepherd knew what he was doing and that blessing and peace and rest was on the other side. If they would just trust and follow His voice, they would wind up in an incredible place.

Will we choose to trust that our Shepherd has our best interests at heart and follow where he leads no matter how dark it seems?

If we do, then we too can say,

Even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. Psalm 23:4 TPT

Psalm 23 (part 1)

This Psalm has really come alive to me recently. Have you ever thought about what it really is saying? It’s such a popular scripture but have we slowed down and really thought about what it means and what it’s really saying and how it applies in our lives. It’s so powerful if you really break it down and make it applicable.

Psalm 23:1-6 NKJV

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

When you break it down, you really start to see the incredibleness of it.

The Lord is my Shepherd

The root of the word that’s most commonly associated used for “shepherd” comes from a word that means best friend. So not only is the Lord referenced as responsible overseer of his flock (that’s us….we are His sheep) but he is our best friend; He never leaves us or abandons us. He is always there for us. He is a caring, loving nurturing father-figure who doesn’t just tend to his flock out of sense of duty but out of a deep sense of love. Shepherds were also fierce protectors of their flocks; keeping them safe from harm and predators. That’s amazing to see it like that. To see the depth of meaning in those five words! It’s so much more than just some random person guiding a bunch of dumb sheep around.

I shall not want.

I will have more than enough. I lack nothing. I have everything that I need. My emotional, physical and spiritual needs are met. I am provided for. What a powerful truth. What would it look like if we truly walked out our daily lives believing this truth and living in it! I’m pretty sure that we’d operate differently than we often do. How much more confidence would we have if we fully believed that everything we needed was taken care of? What would we do differently, if we really embodied this truth? Think about it! Wow!

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

In God’s incredible love for us, He provides a safe place. A place where I can rest, free from all fear, because I trust that He has led me there and is watching out for and protecting me.

He leads me beside still waters.

I can confidently follow where He leads me, because He brings me to peaceful, calm places where I can be refreshed.

He restores my soul.

When we follow the paths where He leads(to the green pastures and still waters) and rest in His loving, safe presence; our souls and lives are refreshed. So often life wears us down as we do our own things, our own ways, on our own; but He wants us to follow His ways, His path and be refreshed and restored!

He leads me in the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake.

This phrase actually translates as “circular paths of righteousness.” Did you know that the sheep on the hills in Israel would wander in circles as they grazed and they would slowly circle their way up the hills to the tops. It was so much easier than just heading straight up. Even though it may seem like we are just going in circles and not really getting anywhere, when we follow where our Good Shepherd leads, we gain ground; and in doing so, we bring honor to His name.

How incredible are those first three verses? I’d love to hear what part stands out to you the most.

I’ll share more of my thoughts, on the rest of this Psalm, in another post.

God is Love

I’ve been thinking about God’s Love recently; and how that plays out in my life.

God Is Love!

1 John 4

God is the embodiment of perfect love. In wanting to be more like God, I want to know His character and have it evidenced by His Love inside of me; in my every thought and action and word.

And God lives in us. Which means that the expression of our lives should be evidence of His Love. And fortunately for us, He gave us clear instructions on what love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I want to be able to substitute my name for Love and have this be a description of myself. That when I think about myself or when others think of or talk about me that this is what they say! I don’t believe the large part is talking about my physical size but rather that Love is Large within me. Although being honest, I’m not exactly a small person, so I guess that fits, too!

Patti is large and incredibly patient.
Patti is gentle and consistently kind to all.
Patti refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else.
Patti does not brag about her achievements nor inflate her own importance.
Patti does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek her own honor. Patti is not easily irritated or quick to take offense.
Patti joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong.
Patti is a safe place of shelter, for she never stops believing the best for others. Patti never takes failure as defeat, for she never gives up.

That’s quite the passage to live up to; to line my life up to. But, WOW, I can see how beautiful life is, as we operate from a position of love.

Galatians 5 talks about the fruit of our lives and I love the way the Passion translation puts it.

Galatians 5

The fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is
DIVINE LOVE in all its varied expressions.

And this goes right back to wanting the expression of God’s Perfect Love evidenced in my life.

I want overflowing Joy in my life, no matter the situation or circumstances.
I want to live a life of Peace, trusting that God’s got everything under control.
I want Patience that endures forever and ever.
I want to be Kindness in action.
I want to live a life full of Virtue, evidenced by high moral standards.
I want to live full of Faith; believing and trusting God, no matter what!
I want Gentleness to be so evident in my life.
I want Strength of body, soul and spirit so I can be confident and boldly move forward in life.

I so desperately want God’s love to be evident in my life in every way. I want my words and my thoughts and my actions to be loving towards myself and others.

Going back to the first verse in 1 John, when God’s love is working in my life and I fully grasp and understand and live a life of perfect love, then I will not be walking in fear.

Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection.

There is a footnote in the Passion Translation indicating that the context of the word “Fear” is the fear of correction, punishment or rejection.

So if I’m walking in Love then I won’t be walking in fear. Which means if I’m feeling fearful, I’m likely scared that I’m going to be in trouble, or be punished or rejected.

Often, when I can take a step back from my situation, and think about what I am feeling – that assessment is correct. Fear of punishment, or getting in trouble or rejection is often at play.

The more that I realize that I’m operating out of fear, the quicker I can align myself back to LOVE. Get my focus off my situation and circumstances; and back on the ONE who loves me unconditionally. The One who’s love for me is patient, gentle, kind…..perfect! And when I’m walking in alignment with Him, then I am also walking in Love. So that same love that He gives me, I can then give out freely to those around me. Its such a beautiful concept to think of – His love fills me because He lives in me; and as I fill up and overflow, His love pours out to others. Wow!