"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

The word new is mentioned 150 times * The word newly is mentioned 2 times * The word newness is mentioned 2 times. 

We are all standing at the brink of something new... a new day, a new month, a new year.

It’s time to reflect on our past and look to our future with wonder and hope for a brighter tomorrow.  I know you are asking. How can we do this our world is in such turmoil. There is hate. There is discord. There is a relentless virus... There is sadness in my heart when I think of what we have lost... And I could stay in that mindset... I could bathe myself in this depression and despair daily  ... I could allow myself to wallow in this darkness. 

But you see I can’t... Because I found a beauty that lives in my soul. And I will admit it I can't contain it!! I just have to share it. This has changed my direction. It has changed what and who I value. This LOVE shines from heaven above. It has filled my soul with the wonderment of a child. It has filled my heart with a NEW song... It has given me NEW hope. He has given me a New outlook on life... He singularly can work miracles. He can turn our grey skies blue. His Love is like nothing you will ever experience on this earth ... 

When you have felt Him in your heart ... You are driven by an unknown force that brings you peace no matter the circumstance. You began to focus on His promise of a heavenly existence for eternity. And as this transition happens ... The things of this life become less difficult because you will realize that our very existence is only a temporary condition all life must experience. 

So, as I share this amazing new gift with you ... Let’s work together to focus on Him... Together let’s see that light shine from Heaven.. and let’s hold on to the hope of a brighter tomorrow. 

It’s Him, it’s always him 

Can I hear an Amen !!! Happy NEW Year !!!

Play the song below and sing it with me !! 

Hallelujah, let's sing it's a NEW day!! 

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6)

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - Sing a New Song (Live)

 ”Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing.” – Dolly Parton

Meaning of butterfly: a nectar-feeding insect with two pairs of large, typically brightly colored wings that are covered with microscopic scales.

Butterflies in the Bible are not expressly found in Scripture but they seem to parallel to the Christian walk... 

As I laid back with my eyes closed this morning and prayed.  I had a very random thought jump into my head “The butterfly and the soul”... I found this strange because I was not thinking of butterflies or souls. So why? hmm is there more to this thought? Is there a lesson? Did God plant that thought into my mind to feel my fluttering heart ?? Or perhaps to let His love give me the feeling of butterflies in my soul?

Have you ever studied a fragile butterfly and truly wonder how did this beauty start out as such a squirmy insect? Let's start at the beginning and try to find a deeper understanding of this big word metamorphosis.

The butterfly life cycle includes four stages: stage one: egg; stage two: caterpillar stage three: pupa; and stage four: adult butterfly. Butterflies transform through these stages. This transformation is called metamorphosis.

Now when we look at our souls, and we take steps closer and closer towards Christ we can see parallels. Our Personal Cycles of Transformation, Rebirth, and Renewal become quite evident... 

As we study Christ and move towards His lifestyle and His way of thinking a metamorphosis of our mind, body, and soul can be felt stirring deep within.

I can only speak of my experience and my observation of others that are on the same journey of chasing Christ. Many of us are in different stages of our walk with Him as well as in our lives.  

I do think once you accept Christ into your heart. Your once dormant soul will begin its journey. I feel all believers are much like the Monarch butterfly we start our soul’s migration towards home... 

There seem to be many changes that happen to each Christian depending on their life trials. We are all a work in progress just traveling towards our final destination at different rates of speed. 

As our soul hears the call of our Creator and we began to follow Him. Many of us will experience rejection. Many of us will experience loneliness. Many will withdraw, many will go to their safe cocoon to regroup, and to learn about this great love they have found. 

This love will teach us about life and love and it will give us the promise that we are never alone.  Each one of us will go through a personal experience with Christ. One that only the one chasing Him will deeply understand.

He will bring us through the most amazing transformation of our lives. He tenderly teaches His precious little souls the importance of each day. The importance of each life. The importance of loving. And the beauty of life itself. 

As we grow stronger in His loving hands. A beautiful soul will emerge. And you will find He has filled you with His love and He has given you wings to fly. He will release your once dormant soul to taste the freedom to love without boundaries. It’s a love that you never knew even existed. 

 Your LOVE for Him and your metamorphosis makes this new birth your story and your life’s purpose. If we would just take the time to study nature we would see the many clues He has laid before us… His knowledge, His Love, His beauty, His caring heart…

 He .... 

There truly are not enough words in all the languages in the world to describe Him… 

It's Him, It's always Him.

WOWd by Him ... 😍

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube

Sia - Courage To Change (Lyrics) From The Motion Picture Music

Meaning of inspire: fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative:

There are 9 Bible verses about the inspiration of Scripture. 

What is it that inspires us? Where does that vision and that drive come from? Who are these creatives that can see a blank canvas and know how to mix the colors and paints to create a masterpiece? Or take a few words and weave them with a melody and create music? Who is it that can take an idea and bring this thought to life?

Does it take a mastermind? Does it come from the heart? Or perhaps the soul? 

Rumor has it the Bible was inspired by God. I do believe all inspiration originates from God. Whether we want to admit it or not. The creative mind is a gift from God... The talent is a beautiful part of who we are. There are no 2 humans exactly alike...  

I like to think of myself as a creative person. I dabbled in a few different avenues that many would consider artsy. But many things finally came to light when the Holy Spirit threw a LOVE bomb my way.  

I found a new inspiration I found a LOVE that fueled a desire to chase .. and chase hard. Writing began to become more important than ever before. I stepped out of the shadows.. and into His light. 

Yes, He inspired me to LOVE life... He inspired me to see things with my spiritual eyes... He inspired me to feel emotions from the deepest chambers of my heart... 

When you are inspired by God many things become possible... He knows your heart, He knows the gifts He has given you! He inspires His children to become better with each passing day. 

He also knows our insecurities, our doubts, and our vulnerabilities. But His beauty will slowly reverse those negative emotions and fill you with confidence, and strength.  Thus allowing you to grow into the person only He truly knows you can be.  

He is an amazing inspiration! He supports our journey with beautiful understanding and a loving heart...  

However, my question becomes where does He find His inspiration? He is the master of creation. His artistry defies all human imagination... What kind of mind is this ?? What kind of mastery is this? What kind of wonder is this?

I personally believe He is self-motivated... His inspiration is motivated by LOVE, and He is LOVE... I can only bow my head in admiration. He leaves me speechless... I am inspired by His majestic splendor ... He Wows me!! 

It’s Him, It’s Only Him !! 

“Every Scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 TPT

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube

The Lion and the Lamb - Big Daddy Weave - Lyric Video

Written by Joann Turnbull 

How many can look back to your years in Middle School and remember a lesson you had?  This happened to me this week.  I never thought I would use it years later.   This is a story of four words.   They are what we call “Helping Verbs”.   They are: SHALL, WILL, SHOULD, WOULD

There is a verse in the Bible that says, “You shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, and mind”.  The word SHALL LOVE the Lord is used.

Any of these four words could have been used in this verse.  Let’s look at each word and what it could mean. 

WOULD. I would love Him, but I was too busy making money or pursuing a hobby so I did not make this my priority. 

SHOULD.  I should love Him, but I just kept putting it off. Other things kept getting in my way. I thought I will do that tomorrow. 

WILL.  Will is that good word of intention.  Will is that future tense.  I will love Him.  I really want to.  But sometimes it is never accomplished until it might be too late. 

SHALL.  I shall love Him.  What is different about this word?  Shall is the strongest helping verb of the four. Shall is helping the word LOVE.  And LOVE is the most beautiful verb in the English language.  Shall means something that is done with great determination and desire. It opens the door to the verb it is helping. 

I suddenly became aware of this verse in Matthew 22:37.  I began to see it everywhere.  Even on cocktail napkins in a store.   So I asked a friend how do you say this verse in Hebrew.  She said it is called the Shema and we say it twice a day.  Surprise!!  

Then I found it is the FIRST great commandment and Jesus repeats it in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  I was astounded! Why did I not see this before now?   

I found in the past that sometimes I “would” love Him but.....  other times I “should” love Him but......   and sometimes it was I “will” love Him but.......    You can fill in the excuses. 

To say I SHALL LOVE HIM with all my heart, soul and mind sent me on a quest. I started to listen to some songs with lyrics like, “The More I Seek Him, the more I find Him, the more I find Him the more I love Him”.  The music spoke to my heart. 

To say “I shall love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind.” is a game-changer.  It means you love Him more than anything else or anyone else or yourself.  You love Him with a great desire, passion, and determination.  You just whisper His name and your heart fills with His love. 

Let’s get rid of should, would, and will.   Let’s now say, I SHALL LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART, SOUL, AND Mind.  Once you do there is no turning back.  You don’t want to.  This commitment just gets stronger every day. You feel His love overflowing in you.  Which is for now and forever!!

So I hope you look at this verse and decide which of the four words best describes your response to Him. 

“And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’”Matthew 22:37 NASB:

And you shall search seek me, and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Photography Lori Garner

Written by Joann Turnbull 

Bible Verses from KJV, NASB / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

Kari Jobe, The More I seek you

Meaning of visible to be seen; 

The word visible is in the Bible approximately 55 times. 

Will I be able to see where this word will take me?? Will I wonder or have a doubt? When someone says I LOVE YOU ... can you see it? Is it visible? 

Have you ever wondered where the saying seeing is believing came from ??? It must have come from that guy Thomas ... hmm the doubter ?? 

Have you ever felt that you were not visible? Have you ever felt you had no voice? Have you ever kept your feelings guarded so deep that no one truly knew your thoughts?  

I know full well what it feels like .. you feel invisible... I felt I was? I was loved and blessed but I hid my true self because of what people might think or say. Soon it became who I was.  

But someone with a LOVE greater than I have ever known has helped me be visible. He has given me a voice. He has helped me find me...He did this when I did not even realize I was lost... He gave me a LOVE story to share. 

I would love to introduce Him to you !! He is bigger than life !!  But many think He is invisible, they think He does not exist... Some will say I think she has gone mad... Who is this that has captured her heart? 

For Thomas and the others that need to see with the naked eye ... I will ask you to close your eyes ... Now think of the Love of your life...  

Picture their face, their eyes, their smile and if you are really good you will hear their voice in your mind and maybe you can even remember their scent ...  Hold that thought for a few minutes. 

Now slowly open your eyes. I will ask you are they standing before you? Are they visible? 

Or did you just feel them deep within your soul?  

If you want to meet Him I can introduce Him ... But you will need to be ready to feel ... 

To feel His love is the greatest human experience you will ever encounter... However I will warn you,  your life will never be the same ... Your heart will begin to sing a new song, you will begin to feel things in your heart like never before.  Your soul will be set free, and you will be who you are truly meant to be ... 

And yes He still WOWs me 

It’s Him, It’s always Him 

“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us:” Acts 17:27 KJV

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube

Phil Wickham - Face Of God (Official Audio)

Christmas is one of the most celebrated  Christian holidays of the year, but what is the true meaning of Christmas? It is the celebration of the beautiful birth of Jesus Christ our Savior .. but is there more? 

 Christmas appears zero times in the Bible. But in the New International Version of the Bible, “Christ” appears 453 times! 

In order to understand the word CHRISTmas I decided to look at the two syllables that make up this word we have grown to celebrate annually...

The word is a shortened form of "Christ's mass", or "Cristes Maesse" as it was first recorded in 1038. 

Christ was the title given to Jesus. It was not His given name. It actually comes from the Greek word Christos which means "anointed one" or "chosen one.". 

The second syllable “mass”  comes from The English word “Mass” which comes from the Latin word missa, which means to be “sent.” This Latin word has been used since the 6th or 7th century. The mass is the gathering of people to celebrate the life of Jesus. This practice is the ritual we know as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper.

So to summarize the word CHRISTmas: it is a word that was given to a Christian event that has celebrated the birth of Jesus since  Dec. 25, 336 AD.  

It is the annual celebration of “anointed” one. The style of this celebration is the drinking of wine and eating of bread to remember our beautiful Savoir. 

So how and when did this monumental day become so commercialized? When did we decide to give this “gift“ an annual birthday celebration? Do we even celebrate its true significance?  Or do we get caught up in all the materialistic trappings? 

This tiny newborn life that we celebrate on Christmas, comes from the very essence of God our Creator. We know Him as the son of God.  This beautiful soul came to earth to live and taste life. He wanted to understand first-hand man's journey and how to live life as a human. He wanted to teach us a value system that would bless our lives... He is our living example of how to conduct ourselves with others... He allowed men to take His life in order to offer us a way home and to clean our transgressions before our Heavenly Father... He came to us as a gift with a mission... 

So as we break bread, and pour the wine today... Take a few moments.. and put those shiny new gifts aside.. and let’s bow our heads ... and truly thank Him for being the reason we are blessed to gather today... He is the reason we celebrate life... It’s because of Him that we have been able to share in God's human anointing...  We can further discover in 1 Samuel 16:13; Matthew 25:1-13 that the act of anointing symbolizes the Holy Spirit. 

So are we to understand CHRISTmas... Is Jesus Christ the anointed one.. He is God, the man, that has been sent to us as the deliverer and He reigns as promised under the title of Messiah.. the expected king. 

Mass is the gathering of the masses.. To share in the beautiful gift of life. I can only bow my head and thank Him ... The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit for His abundant love. His abundant grace and His patience as I unravel the many clues He has given us. 

It makes me smile when I see how He has woven every celebration, every word, every gift... to Him... Because He knows that our lives are much like a butterfly ... We come to earth and stay in the dormant state of our cocoon... Until the day, His love breaks our spirit free and we become alive... This transformation begins our migration home to Our Creator. 

Today I celebrate His life, His Love. His gift of the anointed one Jesus Christ...  He is my masterpiece of splendid wonder... I appreciate Him beyond this life... He WOWs me... 

It’s Him, It’s always Him 

Marry CHRISTmas 

Hmm, 🤔 More clues to this amazing heavenly puzzle?  ...are we ready?? 

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Revelations 19:7 ESV 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23

“Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:21-22 NLT

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

You're Here Francesca Battistelli - Mary & Jesus Christmas Music Video

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1

Meaning of forever: lasting or permanent:

In the Bible, the word forever is used 56 times in the Bible in connection with things that have already ended. 

When we live in a world that changes on a whim... How do we even begin to understand the deep meaning of forever? Is it a measurement of time? How do we know when we have reached the end? Is there an end? .. Are things in this life just temporary? 

I do believe this word could lead us down many paths. It could be an amazing state of mind or it could be scary! .. 

I am a firm believer that this unique journey of mine has lead me on the most incredible walk ...And it is not over!!  I have been introduced to the most intriguing soul... 

Many say He is LOVE. I have discovered that somewhere between my birth and the word forever I have found a love like no other!!!  It’s heavenly... It’s so powerfully beautiful it touches many lives. It leaves me speechless... 

No words can explain the feeling in your soul. I will cherish Him Forever... I will cherish Him beyond the constraints of this Life... I will cherish Him in the Heavens... I don’t want to wonder will I make it there?  I want to be confident in my Love for Him that when forever comes... He is the one that is standing at the gates of heaven.. and He can say... Hello, my beautiful child ... welcome home...  I have loved watching you grow.

I Love You.😍

It’s Him, it's always Him!! 

I am forever His Child.

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 89:1 ESV

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

Francesca Battistelli-Forever Love(lyrics)

It's Him, It's always Him.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.  Him, It's always Him.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours. 

Meaning of everything all that exists: All that relates to the subject. All that is important you mean everything to me. All sorts of other things...   The word everything seems to appear in the Bible 930 times. 

I can only think of that old song by the Byrds. Turn, Turn, Turn. I am sure back in the sixties when I listened to this song I never knew that the lyrics were actually words from our Father in Heaven... (Lol) But of course, on my Bible Word adventure, I am discovering that everything points to Him.  

How did He accomplish this amazing gift to all of mankind? The Bible is such a poetic masterpiece. His ability to teach us everything about life and love and what is important in our lives.. is truly mind-boggling.  He has outlined everything from the beginning to the end...

The poetic scripture that is found in Ecclesiastes 3“ A Time for Everything”  covers a multitude of things. What is God trying to tell us? That everything has a beginning and an end... I personally believe it tells us no matter what happens in life we have Hope... 

There will always be change. He gave us the gift of seasons to show us the beauty of change .. for instance.

Fall we witness the biggest change. We shed our old ways to get ready for the new...

Winter is when things are bitterly cold. Somethings die and we become dormant and rest and regroup.

Spring we see new beginnings and new life... 

Summer life is lived in all its sunny glory. 

There will always be good and bad in everything we encounter in life..  And yes we live our lives in seasons with a purpose under the heaven. 

My Father has proven to many that have traveled this road before me that He is Everything to Everyone... Everything... He is the alpha and omega!! 

This chapter further states “all go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return” Ecclesiastes 3:20

So no matter how many toys we have gathered. What race, color or status we think we are.  WE are all equal in life... We are all equal in His eyes... And we all are destined to return to the same place we began. 

WE MUST LEARN many things in our life, We must know when to Hate.. wait for Hate? Yes, we can Hate actions, not people.. We must learn to Love..  if we embrace His Love, we will reap the peace and beauty in our lifetime... But the operative word is WE!!! 

How does He craft these nuggets of wisdom?  How have we not truly taken these words in our hearts? How have we not lived our lives according to His instructions? He has given us everything, every clue, every opportunity and we still do not see it ... 

Even our cute OMG 😳 that we think we invented points us to Him. We all know it means oh my God — used (as in e-mail or text messages) to indicate that something is considered surprising, shocking, thrilling, etc.

Is it surprising? That everything we do, every action, every breath we take, points us back to Him...  Are you shocked?  I personally am thrilled !!! OMG, He is Everything !! 

It’s Him, it’s always Him!!!

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Photography Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube  

TURN! TURN! TURN! (Lyrics) - THE BYRDS