In the Midst

My friend and I talked Wednesday on our way to my appointment in Topeka about how God made us in His image and how we are supposed to strive to be LIKE Christ... Not BE Him but to be like Him. We will never BE Him.  We will never know what it feels like to be God in the form of man. We will never know the feeling of taking on the sin of the world. We will never know the feeling of God turning away from is in a moment of despair. But Christ does. He knows more pain than we will ever know even in our darkest hour. We disussed how God works everything for our good and how He had plans to prosper us but how at times we overlook the other part of that. Yes Christ accomplished what He was sent to accomplish and in that He was successful and through that we are blessed to experience Love. But how much verbal, emotional, mental, and physical pain did He experience? To be like Him we will go through that to some extent not as close to as great as His experience. We have to experience that to some extent in order to be like Him. We may not realize it or know what that will look like but in some our many ways we will experience and persevere through some or many types of pain. Good perspective to think on for sure.

Thankful

Thankful for the ability to feel pain... A humble reminder that I am a mere mortal.  A grateful reminder of the pain endured on the Cross. For experiencing healing... A gentle reminder I am only human.  A beneficial reminder that, in order to take each breath, every step, and live a single moment of a given day, I have to lean on He who has been there, He who has made me. Thankful for the gift of living

Thankful for Hope... For Him to lead me through... For He never lets go of my hand regardless of the circumstances. Thankful for that small thread of Hope that keeps me hanging on to Him.  Hope for healing... Even if that healing may not find me physically, that it would find me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Thankful for the Hope that is Jesus.

Thankful for family... I am blessed.  For the peace and comfort of being a DAUGHTER of the ONE TRUE KING... His PRINCESS... a CHILD of the CREATOR OF LIFE, of all things above, below, and in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE.  For the family He has blessed me with... The support, care, love, and prayers of my brothers and sisters around the globe... From Kansas to Washington to Indiana... From Africa to Japan and back again. Thankful for healing hands and shared wisdom... For provided knowledge, sought out life, and support.  Thankful for who He has blessed me with and the incredible and eternal family I am a part of.

Thankful for the little things... Quiet. Rest. Stillness. Peace. Solitude. Coffee. Comfort. Writing. Relationships. Fellowship. Laughter. Rain. Green plants. Blue skies. White clouds.  The calm in the small raindrops during a summer rain shower. Hearing the rain and seeing it fall. The miracle of life.  The miracles in life. A trusting friend.  Thoughtfulness. A mini-vacation. Rolling hills. Rumbling thunder.  Sun showers.  Peaceful bliss.

Thankful for a Loving Father... Beautiful Creator... Infinite Being... Holy Redeemer... Wonderful Savior.  Kindness. Mercy. Gentleness. Humility. Peace. Love. Servanthood. Sacrifice. Rest. Calm. Graciousness.  For His Cross and Salvation that comes from it.  An ETERNITY spent with the One who gave it ALL so that I might run to Him, know Him, love Him, and follow Him.  Thankful for the One who picks me up and dusts me off when I fall... And NEVER stops loving me.  For His Path, Guidance, and Love.  Thankful for hills and valleys, the heights of the mountains and the depths of the seas.

Thankful that my King lives and loves and never lets go of me.

Jesus Calling -- June 17th

I totally needed to read this today... and definitely wanted to share what I read =)
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Jesus Calling
June 17th
By Sarah Young

Learn to laugh at yourself more freely.  Don't take yourself or your circumstances so seriously.  Relax and know that I am God with you.  When you desire My will above all else, life becomes much less threatening.  Stop trying to monitor My responsibilities -- Things that are beyond your control.  Find freedom by accepting the boundaries of your domain.

Laughter lightens your load and lifts your heart into heavenly places.  Your laughter rises to heaven and blends with angelic melodies of praise.  Just as parents delight in the laughter of their children, so I delight in hearing My children laugh.  I rejoice when you trust Me enough to enjoy your life lightheartedly.

Do not miss the Joy of My Presence by carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.  Rather, take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.  My yoke is comfortable and pleasant; My burden is light and easily borne.

Proverbs 17:22

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,

    but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength."

Proverbs 31:25

"She is clothed with strength and dignity,

    and she laughs without fear of the future."

Matthew 1:23

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child!

    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,

    which means ‘God is with us.’"

Matthew 11:28-30

"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”"

My Child

I received this from my Aunt today and it was incredibly encouraging to me so I thought I would share it.  Recently there have been quite a bit of stress in my life... and pain... whether it be financially or physically.  I know in the end that all of it will work out.  There is a Will... and it is God  =)

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My Child ~
You may not know me, but I know everything about you ~ Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up ~ Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways ~ Psalm 139:3 
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered ~ Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image ~ Genesis 1:27 
In me you live and move and have your being ~ Acts 17:28 
For you are my offspring ~ Acts 17:28 
I knew you even before you were conceived ~ Jeremiah 1:4-5 
I chose you when I planned creation ~ Ephesians 1:11-12 
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book ~ Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live ~ Acts 17:26 
You are fearfully and wonderfully made ~ Psalm 139:14 
I knit you together in your mother's womb ~ Psalm 139:13 
And brought you forth on the day you were born ~ Psalm 71:6 
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me ~ John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love ~ 1 John 4:16 
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you ~ 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father ~ 1 John 3:1 
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could ~ Matthew 7:11 
For I am the perfect father ~ Matthew 5:48 
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand ~ James 1:17 
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs ~ Matthew 6:31-33 
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope ~ Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love ~ Jeremiah 31:3 
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore ~ Psalm 139:17-18 
And I rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17 
I will never stop doing good to you ~ Jeremiah 32:40 
For you are my treasured possession ~ Exodus 19:5 
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul ~ Jeremiah 32:41 
And I want to show you great and marvelous things ~ Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me ~ Deuteronomy 4:29 
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart ~ Psalm 37:4 
For it is I who gave you those desires ~ Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine ~ Ephesians 3:20 
For I am your greatest encourager ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you ~ Psalm 34:18 
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart ~ Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes ~ Revelation 21:3-4 
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth ~ Revelation 21:3-4 
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus ~ John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed ~ John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being ~ Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you ~ Romans 8:31 
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you ~ 1 John 4:10 
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love ~ Romans 8:31-32 
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me ~ 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again ~ Romans 8:38-39 
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen ~ Luke 15:7 
I have always been Father, and will always be Father ~ Ephesians 3:14-15 
My question is ~ Will you be my child? ~ John 1:12-13 
I am waiting for you ~ Luke 15:11-32
                                                                                                  Love, Your Dad, Almighty God