Dear God, I did not like You.

Hide Your word in My heart, that I might fully enjoy You and Your abundance.

I will never leave you or forsake you.    There is no bond of union on earth to compare with the union between a soul that loves Me and Me. Priceless beyond all earth's imaginings is that friendship.  
In the merging of heart and mind and will, oneness results that only those who experience it can even dimly realize.  I came to show you how to live life and live it abundantly. -God Calling

I was raised Catholic.
When I was growing up, I thought that the purpose of my life was to be a martyr.
I thought that was an honorable goal for an individual who wanted to love God.
I believed that following  God is inherently dangerous.
That proclaiming God is deadly.
So, then I decided.

God, I did not like You.
And....
I did not want to be a marytr.
I wanted to survive.

Then, I survived.
I realized, surviving is not enough.
Surviving is like being alive, but dead.

Then,
I turned toward You again,
I realized then that,
I wanted to live.
I wanted to be fully alive....

Then,
I found You more.

And,
then I found out that my PURPOSE is not to suffer for Your Name,
but to find joy in loving You and glorifying You.

I find that the only place to get abiding peace is in spending time with You.
I run to You.
You are the only one who can anchor me.
Without You, living is still like death, and death is the end.

I hear in my heart,
I hear You say.
"Come sit with Me. Live in My Presence, protection, and guidance.
Know what real joy is. "

I am learning that yes, there is evil bent on destroying goodness and good deeds.
But in this journey, I find that I am, we are,  not alone.  We are not without a powerful Ally.
The goal of my life is not to be destroyed by evil so that eventually in some twisted way this will bring glory to God.
The goal of my life is to live in relationship with God and to be anchored in Him when times are good, or hard.
The goal of my life is to be so 'twitter-pated' by my relationship with Him that nothing else matters.
To be so in love with Him, that as a result, His Presence is felt by those around me.
They are drawn to Him as a result.

I know I have a long way to go, so many personal sins, imperfections, and flaws.
Please forgive me folks when I mess up.
At least now, I know, I can share with you which way I am going.

Put a dream in my heart.
Show me what a liar that enemy is and reveal to me my next place of promise.

Worldly wisdom says,
"If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck....
it is probably a duck."

But, be that said,
The only one who knows beyond the appearances
 of what a person says and does is God.
He is the only one who knows a person's heart.

So, when counseling,
stay out of the muck and mire,
Get back so quickly to God
and ask Him for His wisdom and guidance.

Lift up others to Him and leave them there.

And remember, He is the one who is overseeing all.   He is your guide and protector.   It is all for Him and no other.   In the end, it is not for people pleasing, or any other power around you.   What you say and do is to point to His goodness.

Lord, help me to know and love more of what You want me to know and love.

"The opposite of wasting your life is to live by a single, soul satisfying passion for God in the supremacy of all things.   Whatever you do find the God exalting passion of your life, and find a way to say it and live it and you will make a difference that lasts.   You will not waste your life.

Because I was created by God and for His glory, I will magnify Him as a response to His great love.  
My desire is to make knowing and enjoying God the passionate pursuit of my life."     -Don't Waste Your Life


Yes, Lord I want to walk in the way of Your laws and wait for You, Your name and praise is the desire of our hearts.         -Isaiah 26:8    

I will heal your scars.

I will heal your scars and make you strong.

There are no insignificant people.
He does not rebuke us for our human weakness.
All reform is from within.
If you are walking with God and tough times come,
don't look inward for a secret sin,
Look upward where you will find hope.
Legalism fills people with guilt or self righteousness.

The soul of the wounded calls for help and God does not regard it as foolish.   Job 24:12

Ask God not only to help you forgive, but to heal the hurt.

Intimate marriages, characterized by forgiving hearts,
are a great light house to the world.

Never listen to the voices of the world.
Never feel at the mercy of the world.
Listen to Me and anxious thoughts and tired nerves will become rested.
Man's little power is as clay beside the granite rock of My Power.
I will heal your scars and make you strong.

He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

All our heroes are shadows of God.   We love to admire their excellence.   How much more will we be satisfied by Him?   Who conceived their excellence?   He has all excellence, and embodies all skill, all talent, all strength and brilliance and savvy and goodness.   This is what I have been trying to say.  

God loves us by liberating us from the bondage of self so that we can enjoy knowing and admiring Him forever.

Dont't waste your life.  

I don't have to be afraid that I must choose between what is right and what is inevitable - between pursuing his glory and pursuing my joy.

He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

-Don't Waste Your Life

I am your SHIELD.   No buffets of the world can harm you.   Feel that between you and all scorn and indignity is a strong shield.   Practice feeling this until nothing has the power to spoil the inward peace.
-God Calling

Lord help me to know Your wisdom when speaking with other people.
It is not about pointing fingers,
but asking You, what do YOU want to teach in this.
What do you want us to learn.

"I am the one who teaches you what is good and leads you along the paths you should follow."

Doubt your own wisdom and rely on Mine.    I will teach you.
Ask Me to right all as you leave it to Me and go on your way loving and laughing.
I am Wisdom.
Only My Wisdom can rightly decide anything, settle any problem.
So rely on Me.   All is well.

"The fool believes everything he hears, but the wise man looks and considers where he is going." 
-proverbs 14:15

"He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips come to ruin."
-proverbs 13:3

"Every wise man deals with
 knowldege, but a fool exposes and flaunts it all."
-proverbs 13:16

Treat others as you would treat Me.

He has anointed you and QUALIFIED you to preach the good news to the meek, poor, and afflicted.
He has sent you to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the physical and spiritual captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound.
To comfort all who mourn.
He brings you to Beauty instead of ashes, with the oil of joy instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit.
That you may be called oaks of rigteousness -lofty, strong, magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God,
the planting of God, that He may be glorified.

Fill your world with love and laughter.
Never mind what anguish lies behind you.
Forget , forgive, love, and laugh.
Treat ALL as you would treat Me!
With love and consideration.
Let nothing that others do to you alter your treatment of them. 
-God Calling

"He has lifted the curse of work. 
He has replaced anxious toil with trust in GOd's promise to supply our needs.   This has awakened in us a different passion in our work.   Seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, and the food that perishes will be added to you.   SO don't labor for the food that perishes.   Labor to love people and love God.  Think of new ways that your work can bless people and honor God.   Stop thinking mainly of profitability and think mainly of how helpful your service or product can become." -Don't Waste Your Life