If We Had Coffee Today...

If we were having coffee today, here's what I would tell you...

Someone loves you.

Not just by those people around you.  But by a Awesome Someone, who knows you well.  

With the breath of Heaven, there is One who thought of you today, and said "you're good".  In His very first exhales...an image was created.  A special, unique and vibrant life.  A Creator's creation.   You. 

You might say these are fancy words...

But know this...God is for you.  Even if it doesn't feel like it.

Because you are loved by a perfectly wonderful and holy Craftsman, that means its only His love that satisfies.  We look for that fulfilling love in many of the wrong places.  We so easily give our fragile hearts to things that don't love us back.  We lend our hearts to things that don't matter.  We often consume ourselves with the quest of finding satisfaction that we forget to guard what was so innocently created.  

Pouring you another cup...

Stop looking for a love in stuff when that stuff can't love you back.  Don't be consumed by your quest to give your love away at first temptation.  Protect the purity that God has blended into your being.  

You are loved by a God who knows how you struggle with your self-approval and worth.  God sees you with His worthy eyes.  So don't live for God's approval but from His approval.  I heard that in church Sunday and it is still dancing around my thoughts.  That's love in it most beautiful form.  His holy death gives you a life of love.  

Yearn for His holiness not that false sense of approval from people.   

He is dying for you to know Him and love Him like He loves you. 

I will always find what I really need in the One who will never leave me wanting.  

You want to be loved.  I want to be loved.  We all do.  

I love you enough to tell you that you ARE loved by God...just believe it, you don't need to understand why or how.  His love goes beyond our clumsy sin-filled hurting hearts.     

God's love remains.  Even when we don't.  It's the only love that does.

Romans 5:8  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Let this love dwell in your heart and dwell on it.  God.Loves.You.  Don't harden your heart to His love.  

Ready to believe it now?    More coffee please...

Celebrate Your Freedom

One Monster Cracker

Every year at my house there is tension on this day.  I don't like spending money on fireworks but the rest of my family does.  It's because I was taught by my founding father that it was a waste of money.  So now...almost every year there are some "fireworks" at our house, and I always lose.  


But I do have a confession...I enjoy seeing the fireworks explode.  I love to watch them soar into the air with their fabulous, magical streams of colors, whistles and trails of smoke.  I don't like the process but I like the result.    


I also like celebrating freedoms and am so thankful that God has allowed me to live in a free country.  Spiritually, this past year has been quite a journey from my personal past.  Although this faith journey is long from over, that's another reason to celebrate, in that God is not done with me yet.  He celebrates each shift I make towards His holiness.  

Spending time studying His Word allows His Spirit to

explode truth into my heart and it's always time well spent. 


"Then you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."  John 8:32 

One truth that I have found as I walk with God is that the more freedom I discover in Christ, the more dependent I must to be on God.  Independence has no place here when you are walking along in faith.  Dependence on God is essential and an added bonus is we get trust in God for each step.  

Our Founding Father delights in this process as we declare independence from our sinful ways.  And as the faith fuse burns, it brings us new level of trust and dependence on Him.  The declaration of my dependence is sometimes a difficult process but I like the results.  Dependence births freedom.  That is something worth celebrating each and every time.

How do you celebrate freedom?