a Mighty Word ~ ALL

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34

There are no if, and, or, but in His commandment to us... love possesses the power to conquer and bind us together in His family.

"Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight..."

and ours too.  

Love more, my friends, love more. 

we are loved and chosen by God,

may we live and LOVE like we believe it,

veneal

the Root of all...

"For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139.13-14

For some reason, my hydrangea plant in the backyard blooms in all colors... white, pink, violet, blue... in varying shades.  One plant, one root, but an array of  colors.  It's impossible to pick a favorite, because each bloom is unique and possesses its own personal beauty, meant to be enjoyed and appreciated by all who pass by it.  

One God, one Root, but an array of children... in all colors, sizes, styles.  All His, all beautiful. Each one specifically and specially designed by Him for His purpose.  He loves them each, one and all.

Father, i want to love like You.  Everything and everyone You created is good.  We are blessed by all Your creation.  

we are loved and chosen by God,
may we live like we believe it,
veneal

where is your faith?

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."   Hebrews 11:1

By faith Noah built an ark...
By faith Abraham went to a place he did not know...
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob, the younger...
By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born...
By faith Rahab welcomed the spies...
By faith the walls of Jericho fell... 

God has something better planned for you and me.
Because life is not fair, we need to stay faithful. 

Who and what are you faithful to? What matters to you? Who matters to you?
How will your faith statement read?

By faith (your name)......

we are loved and chosen by God,
may we live like we believe it,
veneal

a Mighty Word ~ power

"But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-11

The frenzy, uncertainties and craziness of 2020 has the power to turn us into destructive monsters....

But thankfully God's power is greater and is within us.  I pray we are obedient to Him so His power may prevail in all our ways. 

God will see and carry us, even through this.  Trust Him as we listen to Him and to our hurting brothers and sisters.

we are loved and chosen by God,
may we live like we believe it,
veneal

under the Rock

"For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock...Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:5,14

The walk on the mountainous path took its toil on her.  It wasn't until we finished that i noticed her level of exhaustion. With tail drooping, tongue hanging Bella searched and found rest from the winding hills, burning sun and thin air.  Coolness under a nearby ledge provided much needed relief.

God knows when and where we need a ledge to provide protection from the troubles and harsh elements in our life.  Broken relationships, sickness and death, specials events, unexpected circumstances can all take a heavy toil on our heart, body and soul.  It's hard to keep going and breathing when the air becomes so thin, or the uphill battles are unending, or the raging, hot storms linger over our head.

How easy it is to cry out, "Where are You, God?? Do You see what I'm going through?? Do You care??"

Then slowly it comes back to me.  Being a believer is not about making life easy and fair.  It is about knowing and trusting our God in all matters. A look at any one of the people of faith in the Bible confirm hardships do not dissipate due to their faith, but they persevere through then because of their faith.

That ledge in your life is not there for you to jump off, but for you to climb under... for rest, as you look to and wait for our Father to restore peace in your life.  He is our Everlasting Rock for the good.  

God is good all the time... all the time God is good.  BE-lieve.  He cares for you.

we are loved and chosen by God,
may we live like we believe it,
veneal

who really matters?

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”   Matthew 19:14

 

Actually, we are all God's children. Each of us important to God, no matter how short or tall, no matter what color.

He love us all the same, each one and all.

Father, help me to not hinder the path to You with thorns and rocks but to clear it in love for all i meet.  Let my words by kind, my actions sincere and heart pure. I want Your Love to guide me always.  As i matter to You, may others matter as much to me.

we are loved and chosen by God,

may we live like we believe it,

veneal

is it possible?

"DO  some  most  part  half  your portion  what you want  what's fair EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." Philippians 2:14-15

When crossing the mountains in our life feel insurmountable, tempers flare, reason escapes, and the desperate changes we seek feel too distant, remember---

Life is...
not about fairness, but righteousness
not about our way, but God's way
not about conquering, but surrendering to God
not about independence, but dependence on God
not about our glory, but His.

Father, help us keep our sight on You.  You are our Hope, our Way, our Savior, our Protector. Because of Your love for us, we will trust and follow You.  We desperately need Your Light shining through us to others in these dark days to help bring healing to our hurting lands.

we are loved and chosen by God,
may we live like we believe it,
veneal