Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love. – Rick Warren

Meaning of scared fearful; frightened.

The word scared is referred to approximately 32 times in the Bible. But 'Fear not,' is in the Bible 365 times,”

I fear that my opening my heart for the world to see will never be enough... But what do I have of value to repay Him for a love that is too rich to fully understand? I have nothing but my heart... So, I share it willingly in hopes that you see a glimpse of Him...  There is no need to be scared. However, I do remember as a child being afraid.

I was so afraid I lost the ability to speak... I was frozen and could not move...I was alone in my darkroom... I pulled the covers up to my eyes... And watched the creepy shadows dance across the walls. The walls seem to get closer and closer, and the shadows began to take on scary shapes... My heart began to pound and breathing became shallow. I tried to call out to my earthly Father, but I could not make a sound... I began to tremble.  But then I took a deep breath gathered all my courage and screamed his name.

”daddy!!!”

As always, He came to my rescue. He turned on the light... And tried to console me and he lovingly reassured me that he would always be close. He hugged me, and as I settled in his to his arms.. I felt safe and fell into a deep slumber...

As we grow... being scared is a well-guarded emotion. But I do believe everyone that has breath has moments in life they feel like a scared child... It could be a darkroom; it could be the uncertainties of life... It could be health or financial issues... or even death. Everyone can and will experience those dark scary moments ...  

When we become adults, we outgrow the ability to pull the covers over our eyes and scream our parents name and they will take care of the issue for us.

We are taught to be strong. And so, we ask ourselves do I have to face my fears alone???  

Alone can be a scary word... Can we just call out our Heavenly Father’s name?  Will He turn on the light and show us that with Him things in our world are not so scary..

He will hold and comfort us no matter the time, no matter the day... No matter the issue ... And if you feel the need to curl up in His arms and rest... He will hold you while you sleep...

It's Him! It's always Him!!!

He is the light that guides my heart!!! He is the whisper that comforts my soul! He is my rock in the darkest moments!!! 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall, I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Psalm 55:22

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. “Deuteronomy 31:6

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

"Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." ~ Helen Keller

Meaning of Fidelity faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support. 

The word Fidelity is in the Bible approximately  21 times. 

Let’s be honest do we use this word very often in our daily lives? I do not hear it, do you? 

However, I find it sad when our world uses a variation of this word. And it’s unfortunate that it is used way too often! It can be devastating and cause great scars on the heart... 

I also find it strange how I see the word... 

The word “In” added to today’s word truly changes it completely. It would seem to me if someone was “in” fidelity this state it would be a good thing? ... but surprisingly that is not the case.. Infidelity or adultery is one of the most frequently and severely condemned sins in the Bible. Adultery is mentioned 52 times, and fidelity is only mentioned 21 times. 

I have tasted life long enough to see both the beauty and the devastation both of these words can cause... I will admit, I myself have had few scars hidden in my soul caused by the ugly “in" word. 

It is truly interesting when I look back to that time in my life. God had me in His care and brought me through a difficult time even when I did not know it was Him.  His fidelity for His children is staggering. And I love Him for keeping me in His care during that life trial. He has proven to me that victory can be found in His unwavering LOVE. He is all “in” ... He is “in” love with His creations... He abides “in” me ... 

He is the true example of Fidelity. His loyalty has been taken for granted by many of us. We seem to look for Him when things are dark or become difficult to handle... I had to search my heart and ask,  have I been loyal to the one who has never let me down? Have I been loyal to the one who has loved me unconditionally since the beginning of time?  

Then It made me wonder do I possess that fidelity trait toward Him?  Or do I only look for Him when it’s convenient? Or when I hit my knees in anguish? I can only say like many of us, I am still a work in progress...  And pray that now that my heart has a new appreciation for Him and for who He truly is,  that my loyalty will never wavier. 

It’s Him, Its always Him. 

Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands. Deuteronomy 7:9

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalms 23:3 

And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” Matthew 19:9

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

Unfailing Love - Chris Tomlin [With Lyrics]

"Agape is total love... Whoever knows and experiences Agape learns that nothing else in the world is important – just love." ― Paolo Coelho 

Pattern meaning: A Biblical pattern is a spiritual model or example given in Scripture for purposes of imitation.

The word pattern is referred to in 8 verses in the Bible.

I truly had no idea how this word came to my mind.. It not a word that I would normally think of... Is this a pattern in my journey?  Is this a word with more depth than I could ever wrap my head around.. 

As I opened this word I stepped back with great amazement... Many Bible scholars have studied in depth the patterns that seem to hold many secret messages throughout its delicate pages... 

I do believe I have found a gold mind hidden here... But unless I am prepared to spend a lifetime studying these nuggets of wisdom I would need to address this word on a much higher level or isolate one pattern that speaks to my heart... I will wait for guidance... 

Waiting on Him.. Now that is a pattern I understand... lol

This is such a daunting and challenging task... It is like trying to pick God’s brain... Which one of us is equipped to understand His complexity and depth? There are so many articles on the patterns in the written word. For instance, there are patterns that point us to Numbers, Prophecy, and Jubilee... just to name a few... 

Pattern hmm is this a secret code from our Heavenly Father? How do we with our limited thinking unlock this code? What type of Mastermind can create such an intricately woven Masterpiece of literature??  It has captured and maintained the hearts and minds of humankind since it was written ... How did He organize and orchestrate this with such rudimentary supplies? They did not have the technology that we have grown accustomed to. Let's just look at the statics of the Book itself. 

The Bible was written over a period of 1400 to 1800 years by more than 40 different authors. The Bible is a compilation of 66 separate books, divided into two primary divisions: the Old Testament (containing 39 books) and the New Testament (containing 27 books). It is believed that all of the books of the Bible were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.(www.allabouttruth.org/when-was-the-bible-written) 

I do believe the only way this could have ever been accomplished is by Divine Intervention and inspiration... 

Just imagine the simplistic yet magnitude of this project. 

I am sure many words were written by Candlelite and scriptures show us that they were inscribed with an iron tool on a lead or engraved in rock forever! (Job 19:24) They had no computers, no file sharing... No, delete or save buttons ... No spell check... And every beautifully written word pointed to Yeshua, the Son of God, the pages are filled with a poetic love story between the Trinity and all of mankind... He wrote the words in a way to keep our hearts and souls interested for centuries!! Will we ever unlock all the messages within its pages... Will we truly ever understand all the patterns? Will we grow in our knowledge to understand the magnitude of His great love ??? 

I feel so ill-equipped... 

I can only stand in awe... His very presence blows my mind... He is so much more than my earthly mind can understand... I am so grateful that the pattern that fell from the sky into my heart that day was a “feel” clue. It is such a small word with such great power... He let me feel His love... He opened my spiritual heart and eyes. I know I should study this magnificent book, I should look for all the hidden clues... 

But I will admit ... my attention span is not that broad.. As I began to read I seem to always be swept away to thoughts and conversations with Him... Many call it prayer some call it devotionals... I call it heartfelt... 

As I traveled on this journey I have had the privilege of witnessing the great love He has for all of His children. As a parent that thought seemed simple enough for my earthly mind to understand... 

But it did not stop there... His LOVE is real, His love runs deep His love WOWs me... It is way beyond what my heart and soul have ever felt.. it boggles my mind.  As parents, we say we love our children. We would give our life for them... We would move Heaven and earth... And when that child looks at you with adoration, and smiles and says from their heart  I Love You ... You smile and your heart melts. 

And to think,  our love is only a fraction of the LOVE our Creator shares!

Double WOW 

It’s Him. it’s always been Him... there is no one that has ever or will ever come close... 

He is the master of my heart and soul. I rest on the pattern of His Love!

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

 Finding the Pattern - Jessica Curry 

                   Only For A Moment in Time Now Available on all Media Platforms 

Lyrics [Intro]

If only for a moment in time…

Speak to me  my beloved

I sit and wait for your song

Your love

Your voice

speak to me ….

Where do we go from here ?

Is this state of unrest temporary

I write songs

I talk to you

Do you hear me ?

My heart can not speak

My soul has earthly restraints

My spirit longs to be free

So who am I ?

Why am I here ?

Where do we go from here ?

You gave me a gift so

Precious and rare

I want to hold it tight in my arms

But know I have been given the task of sharing you

Is it selfish to want to keep you

And never let you go?

sharing you is a struggle

I love you, and want to keep you…

but sharing you with the world

is a beautiful part of knowing who you are

I have opened my heart for the world to see

So beloved where do we go from here?

As I close my eyes I can feel you near…

Let me keep you if only for a moment in time..

So My Beloved where do we go from here?

You gave me life,

You gave me love,

Who am I?

I am your child a gift to you born from our father’s love…

So my beloved

I believe we are

where we are supposed to be

if only for a moment in time…

I love you and will hold you near if only for a moment in time

I love you

“Love is not love until love’s vulnerable.” – Theodore Roethke…

Meaning of mute: refraining from speech or temporarily speechless.

The word mute is referred to in approximately 28 instances.

Hold that thought!! What, the cat got your tongue??? I’m speechless!!!

If I share my feelings or thoughts, some people will think I am not good enough! Or maybe they may think that I am losing my mind?? Feeding my doubts, which may factor into negative thoughts?

I don’t know about you, but when I look back on my life, I too have had many silent moments… Moments when I did not speak my mind or share my feelings. I retreated. Many wondered why I did not have anything to say??? I thought, did my opinion really matter? I would find myself gravitating to people who were conversationalists, so my being quiet became comfortable, and that grew into who I had become. I had crafted the art of listening… Which isn’t really a bad thing.

But I became aloof and only shared my inner thoughts with a chosen few… Trust and loyalty are traits I deeply value. However, like many of us, I fell into that snare and cared too much about what others would think…

So with time, I bound my heart and kept my soul buried deep within… I indeed found myself dancing on the edge of being mute…

But one day, everything changed… I can only say I was chosen to be loved far beyond my own understanding… I still do not understand why things happened the way they did…

However, I will admit, in the beginning, I felt a burning desire to share this amazing love. To be honest, it was a struggle to contain it and spilled out many times. Many people did not understand.

This was not my normal.

It seemed that my behavior was changing.

What they did not realize is I had been mute for so long that I learned to fly under the radar… You could say I became invisible.

I now was like a fish out of water. I had lost the ability to openly share without fear of judgment.

Such a dilemma… I had been given this great love, but my insecurities were raging. I felt bewildered and confused… and I cried many tears… The struggle was real… What would others think??

But this LOVE was intensely beautiful and much greater than any fear…

And my Savior did exactly what His name described. He saved me from me, and He delivered such a beautiful life lesson for me to experience and to share.

He loved me through my doubts and sang a beautiful love song to my soul… He opened my heart and freed my soul…

This newfound love and freedom loosened my tongue…

He gave me this message for a reason… This message is about greater love. He sings His love song to all mankind… Listen with your soulful ears and hear His voice…

He has asked us to love beyond boundaries… We are all not so different… We all bleed the same… We will struggle with things in our lives.

But in the end, we all crave to be accepted and loved by our Creator… It’s a love not of this world!!!! It’s a LOVE that surpasses all human understanding…

I am no longer mute because to share Him and His Love is the greatest adventure we can share in this lifetime… The only time now that I am speechless is when I can feel His loving presence… I can only close my eyes and breathe Him in and bask in the moment… and my heart whispers, I love you, thank you for the gift of You!

He WOWs me #speechless

It’s Him. It’s always HIM… But now it’s you and me… He gave us a voice… share Him… your life will never be the same.

“And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.” Luke 1:64

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

Naomi Scott - Speechless Lyrics (From Aladdin 2019)

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” —William Arthur Ward.. 

Just sharing,  this was our first post on this blog in March of 2020, and here we are 6 years later with 196k views, 824 post. and... He still blows my mind..              

HOLY Smokes ...We created the blog to share this amazing journey of discovery. And to my amazement, we have received over 20k views. 

During this time I have been taught so many amazing things about life, love, family, and friendship... 

I have been loved far beyond my own imagination by the Father, Jesus, and the amazing Holy Spirit. I have grown to love this book that I thought was old and boring. Many know it as the Bible. I found that there is so much power, grace, and pearls of wisdom lying between its pages. But mostly I discovered it's...

The GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD. 

It is such a masterpiece of wonder. 

My friend and I started this Bible Word Study on Dec. 14, 2019. We committed to each other to study one word a day... Details can be found here Word Study. We have cataloged over 460 words... To me, that is such a personal victory... Our blog started because of Covid and a desire to share our word journey with others. 

Special thanks to Joann for sharing life and love, it's been an amazing ride... and thank you to those that have taken the time to become part of our journey. 

xoxo

Lori 

Holy is the very first post on our blog to read more click on the link below. 

  ------------>    Holy

And there is always a song;

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: 

The Journey (Lyric Video) - ICF Worship