Revealing the Heart

Day 1 of the New Year 2015 Let me not lose sight of you Lord Jesus!  1)Happiness 2.)Abiding in the Lord  3.) Power of your Word 4.) The inspiration of the Holy Spirit!  5.) Not allowing the woes of this world to rule my state of mind.  6.) I CAN have happiness!  7.) I CAN abide in the Lord!  8.) I HAVE power through His Word!  9.) I HAVE inspiration through the Holy Spirit!  10.) Most thankful for the joyful journey ahead as YOU Lord hold my hand!  Psalms 30:11 - We can change lament into whirling dancing!  Let your vision be the burst of song; I can't keep quiet about you! 

Something to think about.  If we carry worldly treasures, if they are not stolen, they soon deteriorate.  Even the IRS has a depreciation formula for those things that depreciate over time.  What did you receive this year that you will either forget about, or it will stop working by the years end, or shortly after.  What can our heart hold on to, if everything around us is slowing decaying?  Even the sand of the ocean, rushes in, only to flow back out with each tide.   So how does one keep a steady, whole heart in such a deteriorating environment? A world filled with loss and decay.   "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  Yesterday, I ended with Psalms 36:7 -  Our hearts and souls can be hidden beneath the shadow if His wings; where pleasures abound.  God says, even if I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there sha

artwork by pj Revealing the Heart!  Inspired by the LIVING word of GOD !  It has been awhile since I have blogged and it is almost a new year!  Did you know that each day reveals the heart?  The heart is exposed by the decisions we make, by our actions, by the things we say, what we think, how we act, what we do!   It makes me shiver to think my heart may be exposed, just out there, naked before the world.  The more we remove layers, the colder it seems to become.  Until one day we realize our heart is frozen in indifference.  What are the layers I am talking about?  As we grow in this world, we learn to cover our heart so it isn't exposed to the natural elements of this world; at least we think our heart isn't exposed.  Until hurt creeps in slowly, breaking it apart, rips off those emotional blankets we have so carefully placed, piece by piece, by rejection, betrayal, hurtful words, by loss, by suffering.  No one is exempt, no one!  Sometimes we do a pre

Bottling His Beauty If I could only bottle the beauty of the heart of God!  It would hold every beautiful picture He has allowed me to take.  His hand and heart work together.  As I walk along the beach, he reminds me that it is He who calms the waters.  As I see the water hit against the rock,  again his whisper is like the wisp of wind, gentle to the skin.... I am your refuge and your rock, a very present help in trouble.  As I take a picture of the meadows, he reminds me that He can take the desert and make it bloom.  As I press my finger against the shutter to capture the magnificent beautiful Orchids, again He whispers with a still, small voice, I have taken your ashes and given you beauty!  He takes our tears, our torment, our tender hearts and turns them to lovely.  His lovely presents can be seen in everything.  His fragrance can saturate the soul! We walked through the orchid green house, each orchid more beautiful than the next.  She gently brought the plant closer

Hope We receive hope through the free gift of grace.  So light and delicate is grace as the peddles of a flower.  Just as our burdens become when we focus on the light of His word.  When we sit at the feet of Jesus our struggles becomes lighter!  Spending time with the Savior is a free gift, just as the fragrance that comes from the flower. God who is so rich in mercy, for his great love is how he loves us.  Because even when we were dead in sins, he quickened us, brought us out of it and joins us together with Christ. (by grace our we saved).   Raising us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  The flower above makes me think of heavenly places, a place of hope, a place filled with mercy and grace.  As time goes by we can see His exceeding riches of his grace and kindness toward us through Christ Jesus!  Our salvation is a sweet heavenly fragrance from above that permeates our heart when we only believe!  Ephesians 2

Contentment!  On a little vacation and I am able to wake up to this!  A beautiful light pink hue across the horizon.  I was reading a devotional by Max Lucado.  He said no one is ever satisfied.  As soon as we are on our way home we are planning another trip!  I had to laugh because that was exactly what we were doing, planning another trip.  God is good in all things and a master artist for sure!  There isn't anything more beautiful than what is created by His hand.  He tells us not to worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks!  And God's peace, which is so great, will keep your hearts and minds on Him!  

Rose of Sharon (picture taken at the Lord's Nursery) Rose of Sharon I was reading a friends beautiful blog the other day, and I thought this is something I need to respond to, because it was so pertinent, and really hit home for me.  The title of the blog was  "Hell in the Hallway" by Cathee Poulsen.   Cathee Poulsen's Blog   She graciously outlines the common mistakes we all make when we are waiting on a decision from God.  Don't we all have a hallway experience in some part of our life?  I know I do!  Some of the examples she used was waiting for the job you had hoped for, a repaired relationship, a call from the doctor, and the check is in the mail!  Expectations, dreaming about another time and place and wanting to take care of our dilemma ourselves, often leaves us empty, in essence, "Hell in the Hallway." So what does all this have to do with the picture of the Hibiscus or the Rose of Sharon?  As I typed into th

Grace and Beauty!  Each day I try to post a flower or bouquet of flowers to offset some of the not so beautiful things that happen in life.  God tells us in Philippians 4:8 we should concentrate on the lovely, the good report of another.  Can we bring this blog alive? Are you willing to share something lovely with me today?   I would love to see Philippians 4:8 come alive!! I think this is why we have God's word, so we as believers can bring it off the pages and into our hearts!  Each day I pick a different flower and write about the symbolism of each one.  This is a hydrangea and the hydrangea is known for it's grace and beauty.  The hydrangea is also a symbol for heartfelt emotions.  It can be used to express gratitude for being understood. God understands us perfectly because He made us - He also equipped us with grace and beauty, even if you don't feel beautiful.  Did you know that grace and beauty are mentioned 59 times in my concordance?  What can you

Be grounded in God's LOVE!  This week has been a true battle of the mind.  Such things, as fear, negative thinking, worry, mixed in with health issues, such as aching and tired body, soul and mind.  Do you every have those days??  How can we conquer a bad day when we feel so weak?   You know even in God's word he warns us that we are killed all day long: we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  But His word does not stop there, it continues on to say "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us, for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!  I think even the Lord speaks through the things He has created:  They say there is no picture of Christ or God; I say we see Him every day, just look around.

What is truly beautiful today is that God's mercy abounds!  It's always a little painful to pull the blooms from the plant, because their life span is bloom to fade.  It seems though each time I pluck them and arrange a bouquet in thanksgiving - God provides triple the blooms.  I have never seen anything like it!  I now have 16 blooms on my plant ready to spring forth into a shape and form of beauty. The more our flesh dies, the more we bring forth the beauty that God intended. 5  Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;  but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires  Romans 8:5.

Battling depression, reading the headlines, wars and rumor of wars, celebrities killing themselves, health issues to close to home, maybe at home?  How can one stay above their trials?  How can one breath after the news, the daily news? Reaching out, stepping out, hopefully on ground that doesn't fall beneath your feet!  Reaching out for substance and not just thin air! When we think our trials are too much to bear, look around, look back, look way back in the bible in the book of Job. Job, though tested beyond normal human endurance, finished strong with a steadfast faith. In Job 19:25 (NIV), he declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Likewise Paul, who suffered tremendous persecution for his faith, was able to write, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT). Let it echo from your heart, be spoken from your lips, let your attitude reveal it! "I know that my Redeemer lives.!" Let your hands show it

Trust!  Sensitive subject this word "Trust".  If you have ever been betrayed you understand how difficult it is to trust again.  Who in this world is totally faithful?  Totally trustworthy? No one!  Yes, I think the closer we are to God, the closer we are to being faithful.  The closer we become to the spirit of love (God) the more we recognize what trust is, and what faithfulness consist of. It is my belief that God is the only one we can really count on.  In 1 Corinthians 1:9 it says that God is faithful - He is reliable, trustworthy and true to His every promise, every word that He speaks.  Isn't it true that each day begins with a masterpiece and ends with a masterpiece as the sun rises and sets?  Another word for lack of trust is WORRY!  Each time we worry, we have taken our circumstance back to handle ourselves.  Each time we worry, we fail to trust God to take care of our situation.  What goes through our mind when we worry?  If I try hard enough, I c

Judgement  When we have the mind-set of judging others; whether we think they are hypocrite, a horrible sinner, not holy, we take the element of LOVE out of the picture.  Why does God terry, because HE is the judge, we are not.  He is LOVE and it is our job to love our neighbor as ourselves.   Oh, isn't this commandment difficult at times, because when others do things that we feel deserve judgment; we judge.  Lamentations 3:22  It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not.   They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness!  Matthew 5:44 Jesus said, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which dispitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward

Treasure Hidden in the Heart!  Take an inventory of your treasures or jewels that lye hidden in your heart!  Is it a kind word? A precious moment that has turned to memory?  Spending time with family or a beloved friend?  How about just pure joy!  We have those moments every day, they are treasures within our heart!  How about when you share your knowledge with others?  Or they share their wisdom with you?  Helping those in need.  It is more blessed to give, then to receive.  What about the things we see every day?  Beautiful birds singing, or a stunning landscape, or a sunset that literally takes your breath away!  All of these things are treasures or jewels hidden in your heart.  I challenge you to take an inventory of all your treasure!  Put it out on the table, name them one by one....it will surprise you of what God has done.  Life is moment by moment!   How can we compare the Kingdom of  Heaven?  It starts out small, one treasure at a time (hidden in our hear

You must be born again!  Just when the caterpillar thought the journey was over, it transformed to a butterfly!  The reason I am using a picture of butterflies is because it is a great analogy of being born again.   "Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  I say unto you except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:3-5 When God said this, he was talking about two different state of beings, one is being flesh and the other being spirit.  As the life of the caterpillar converts to a new life of a butterfly, the caterpillar was never able to fly.  As the new birth happens, the butterfly is able to fly!  Can we honestly go back to the mother's womb to be reborn?  No, this isn't what God was talking about.  He was spea

Why have you forgotten me, Oh God?  I viewed a video today on Facebook that reminds us of God's strong and abiding love for us.   A woman's young son had just passed away and she felt abandoned by God.  Why did it have to be this way?  We often cry out when this life gives us, or takes away things we don't want to happen.  In the process, where are you God?  Why have you abandon me?  We don't have all the answers to life's events, but the one answer that I am certain of is the love of our Heavenly Father toward us.   "You are written on the palms of His hands!"  Isaiah 49:16 Just think God's love far surpasses the love we have for our own children. A Mother's love is something that no one can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may For nothing can destroy it or take that love away . . . It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, And it ne

Elegance! The only references I see in the bible that refer to a rose is in the following scriptures:  Romans 14:9 I Corinthians 15:4 I Thessalonians 4:14 "For to this end Christ died and "rose" and lived again, that He might  be Lord of both the dead and the living!" "and that He was buried, and that He  "rose" again the third day according to the Scriptures." "For if we believe that Jesus died and "rose" again, even so God will bring with  Him those who sleep in Jesus." Promise after promise of elegance seep from the petal of the "rose" From the stem to the tip of the bloom How sweet is it's fragrance, how beautiful is it's form It was He who "rose" again It was He who over came the thorn of death It was He who took the ugly and covered it with his precious, most beautiful blood lightly pink and red with crimson It is He who brings life eternal a

How Great thou Art Then sings my soul! How great is your LOVE!  How GREAT! Today our Savior is Risen!  He is alive and lives within our heart!  How great you are Lord Jesus! In Mark 14:32 - Jesus was betrayed by Judas and Peter denied being a follower.  Weigh in today with your faith.  Are you a Peter or Judas?  Do you truly believe there is a King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He WILL come back to take His own? In Mark 15:16-32 - Pilate condemned Jesus to die on the cross.  The Roman soldiers mocked him as they prepared Him to be crucified.  On the cross, Jesus cried out as he declared He was truly the Son of God! Amazing! Mark 16:1-8 On the first day of the week, some women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body.  When they arrived, an angel told them Jesus was alive.  His body was not there and the entrance stone had been rolled away!  He then instructed the women to go and tell the disciples that Jesus would meet them in Galilee!  The tomb is EMPTY!  Matt

Fill my Cup, Lord, I lift it up Lord!  Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.  Bread of Heaven feed me until I want no more!  Fill my Cup, fill it up and make me whole!  I love the lyrics to this song.  How full is your cup today?  Are you thirsting for something or someone more?   There is something in the heart that secretly cries out for more.  In John 7:37-38 There is an invitation to have more, in fact Jesus cried out!  "If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  What is this "living water"?  I think the living water is God's word - It says in Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is "Living" and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discern er of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Again in John chapter 6 it tal

Every time Every time I feel a tear coming....He wipes it away with his Love Every time I think a dark thought is on the horizon.....I sing it away with His praise Every time I feel loneliness creeping.....I marinate in His words He is as close, as next to me....every time I call He is as close, as next to me.....every time I fall Every time I murmur....He reminds me to give thanks Every time I stumble....He picks me up and makes my way straight He is as close, as next to me.....every time I call He is as close, as next to me....every time I feel small  Every time....He bears it, and carries it with His Love! Every time!   I John 4:10 "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the  propitiation for our sins."

Taste and see that the Lord is "Good" "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Psalms 34:8 Count the many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you to see what the Lord has done.  We so often look at the negative in our circumstances and in the world around us.  If we could only pause for a moment and just think of the little blessings, the unspoken, the unseen, the hidden.  I think of blowing up a balloon, where it encapsulates your breath.  Each breath, it becomes bigger, and than all of a sudden it is big enough to float alone in the air.  And each balloon is the same.  To begin with it is deflated and nothing but a piece of colored rubber.  With each breath, with each small prayer of thanksgiving, it rises up as a huge, colorful bouquet of balloons!  A celebration if you will.  A celebration of thanksgiving!   "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trust in Him!

All nine, not mine...they belong to Him!  Each day I wonder what I will write about next?  Until I sit down to be still and get to know my God better.  "All nine, not mine....they belong to Him.  I took all nine pictures, most blooms were found in different places.  Each one, to me, represents a miracle.  The miracle of life!  The miracle of a small seed in dirt and the hand of a living God over it's birth.  The miraculous way the peddles form to create such a unique and marvelous design.  And the fragrance of each bloom is different and distinct, delicious and devine!  They stand in boldness, those blooms, yet are soft, gentle and have a tenderness about them, almost fragile. I see Jesus' heart, like the blooming flower.  When He was here on earth, He had the boldness of a flower in full bloom; but had the heart of tenderness and the spirit of humility.  "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry everything

We are in His Hands I wasn't going to blog this evening because I was tired....but God knew I needed to hear His words, maybe you do too?  I can't just write one verse without including a chapter; because I would leave something special out.   Imagine the Savior speaking to you.  As I pray the same prayer as David....the apple of God's eye.   David was certainly not a perfect person; but the Lord truly loved him.  This is something I struggle with every day.  Being good enough, until the Holy Spirit whispers, be still and know I am God!  Does He need to remind you some days too?  I think of the verse in Matthew 11:30, where it says my Savior's yoke is easy and light.  Some times I need to dig in and pour some more faith in my cup!  Psalms 139 "Oh Lord, You have search me and known me,  You know my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down.  And are acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word o

Pushing Back the Dark Do you ever feel like a single candle in the dark, and wonder what possibly you could do to make a difference?  Does somebody need the light you have?  In pushing back the dark...a song by Josh Wilson, it talked about letting your light so shine.  Don't under estimate the God you follow.   Whatever you do, don't lose heart.  This morning I was going to talk about hiding God's word in your heart.  Then, this afternoon I had an errand to run.  I got into my car turned on the radio and the song came on, "Pushing back the Dark."   A million reasons why we shouldn't try.  Let your light so shine.  Don't under estimate the God you follow!  Somebody needs the light you have!  That is the truth, they do!  Don't lose heart, keep on pushing back the dark with God's word, it's a sword, it's your salvation in a wicked world.  Yes, his song made me think about hiding God's word in your heart.  Because how else do w

In the Garden Come to the Garden alone, where the dew is still on the roses; where the voice you hear draws you ever near to the Son of God, how He discloses!   Does He walk with you and talk to you?  What peace He can give, if you only hold His hand.  What joy as we tarry there, in the garden.  As I was listening to the piano music from "Pure Praise", it sounded like my mother playing!  Peace - Ephesians 2:14 "For He Himself is our peace"  This is what the blog is for - Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of God "rule" in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts! "  Do you often feel like the world has a ruler to measure, to judge, to see how you match up to it's expectations?  Are you rich enough, are you educated enough, do yo