Enough of the Not Enoughs…

Not enough time…not enough money…not enough energy…not pretty enough…not smart enough…not rich enough…not successful enough…not athletic enough…not enough…not enough…not enough.

Enough of the not enoughs!

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Not enoughs pollute the soul, distort the spirit, cripple the will.

Not enoughs restrict the breathing in of God’s grace…and the breathing out of thanksgiving for blessings received.

Not enoughs refuse the gift of – I AM ENOUGH

Enough of the not enoughs!

Look straight in the mirror.  Declare boldly – I AM ENOUGH

I AM “made in the Divine image” ENOUGH,

I AM ” in Him we live and move and have our being” ENOUGH,

I AM “God’s offspring” ENOUGH,

I AM “chosen”, “dedicated”, “fearfully, wonderfully made”, “all good gifts come from You” ENOUGH!

I AM “Your treasured possession” ENOUGH!

Catch the poisonous thoughts and words of not enough before they strike.

Enough of the not enoughs….

I AM ENOUGH!

“You shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the Lord, a royal diadem held by your God.  No more shall men call you “forsaken”, or your land “desolate”, but you shall be called “My Delight”, and your land “espoused”.  For the Lord delights in you and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.” Is 62: 2-5

The Servant Song…

The Servant Song

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Will you let me be your servant? Let me be as Christ to you;

Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.

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 We are pilgrims on a journey.  We are trav’lers on the road.

We are here to help each other.  Walk the mile and bear the load.

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 I will hold the Christlight for you in the night-time of your fear;

I will hold my hand out to you.  Speak the peace you long to hear.

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 I will weep when you are weeping; When you laugh I’ll laugh with you.

I will share your joy and sorrow til we’ve seen this journey through.

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 When we sing to God in heaven we shall find such harmony,

Born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.

(text and tune by Richard Gilliard 1977)

Was deeply touched as we sang this song “in harmony” today at Church. May it bless you as well.

“so that we may exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.” Eph 1:12

Contagious…

“They might not need me; but they might.

I’ll let my head be just in sight.

A smile as small as mine might be precisely their necessity.” (Emily Dickinson)

A smile takes such little effort…but given away can become a gift of utmost value.

May your weekend be filled with smiles given and received….they really are contagious you know!

God’s abundant blessings on you and yours this weekend,

The Heart of J

Confidence…

The Word of God is NOT chained….(2 Tim 9:9)

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Not in you…not even in the darkest recesses of your heart…

Not in your neighbor…not even in the toughest hardness of their hearts…

Not in that hopeless situation…not in that unanswered prayer…not in that battle of good vs. evil…

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The Word of God is NOT chained.

What confidence should flood our hearts in the knowing and the living…

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The Word is always victorious!

“Indeed the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” Heb 4:12

Patchwork Post…

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Patchwork Post…

End of the year shuffle…graduations…traveling guests…days at beach…sunburns and sweet ice tea…friends…heart to heart talks…good news/bad news…joys and trials…laughs and tears…summer heat and barefoot…being grateful…being humbled…to do lists…bucket lists…books that inspire…”Word”s that convict…kaleidoscope skies…sleepy saturdays…zumba and park runs…prayer and presence…dogs and lemonade…stray kittens…going fast…going slow…family…taking deep breaths…inhaling/exhaling…joy in the eyes….laughter in the voice…fresh peaches…juicy tomatoes…flowers galore…fresh cut grass…the smell of jasmine…whirlwind days…everything’s connected…all is Grace…

the Stuff of “Life”…

Busy but Beautiful…

Bountiful and Blessed…

A “Gallimaufry”… (isn’t that a fun word?!)

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“I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds.  I will delight and rejoice in you; I will sing hymns to your name, Most High. ” Ps 9:2-3

I’m knee deep in the “gallimaufry” of life…but promise to be back soon! From the Heart of J!

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No Such Thing As A Counterfeit…

If you aren’t a writer…be the story.

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If you aren’t an artist be the paint.

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If you aren’t a sculptor be the clay.

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If you aren’t a singer be the song.

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If you aren’t a dancer be the moves.

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If you aren’t an athlete be the fan.

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Discover “YOU”… the real version.

Because if you aren’t “YOU”…there is no such thing as a counterfeit!

“In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.” Eph 1″ 111-12

Falling and Getting Back Up…

Is “Wholeness” perfection?

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Or rather in this life is “wholeness” realizing we are sinners doing the best we can,

falling and getting back up as we journey through the chaos of the world?

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Always, however, embraced in His love and mercy.

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“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you everybody else,

means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight;

and never stop fighting.” (E.E. Cummings)

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“Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.  In you I seek shelter.  In the shadows of  your wings I seek shelter till harm pass by.” Ps 57:2

Go Out Into the Whole World…

“I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

The die has been cast.  The decision has been made.  I have stepped over the line.  I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

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My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God’s hands.  I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and dwarfed goals.

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I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity.  I don’t have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.  I now live by faith.  I lean on Christ’s presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the power of God’s grace.

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My face is set.  My gait is fast, my goal is heaven.  My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

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I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed.  I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

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I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know, and work until He stops me.

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And when He returns for his own, He will have no difficulty recognizing me.  My banner is clear;  I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.” (Patrick Madrid, author and radio host)

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Amen, Amen, Amen!

“He said to them, “GO out into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

His Eyes Meet Yours…

Jesus looks down from the cross…

Scans the crowd…

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His body racked with pain and drenched with blood.

His eyes meet yours…

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What does His gaze say to YOU?

Die with Christ…so that you may LIVE with HIM.

(We know the end of this story don’t we, and we rejoice in the knowing!)

“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted, but he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” Is 53:4-5

Peace Be With You…May I Wash Your Feet?…

“When the Lord of the world comes and undertakes the slave’s task of foot-washing…

which is an illustration of the way He washes our feet all through our lives…

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We have a totally different picture.

God does not want to trample on us, but kneels down before us so as to exult us.

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The mystery of the greatness of God is seen precisely in the fact that He can be so small…

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Only when power is changed from the inside, and we accept Jesus and his way of life, whose self is there in there in the action of the foot-washing,

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Only then can the world be healed and the people be able to live at peace with one another.” (Pope Benedict XVI)

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“If I therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash another’s feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:14-15