“A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love.” -  Mother Teresa

In biblical usage, the term "purification" refers to a certain rite in the external worship of God. Purification seeks to remove legal uncleanness so that the purified individual may resume normal activity in society

There are 28 verses in the Bible that point us to the word purity. 

Are our thoughts and actions pure? Are they clean from judgment, hate, and discord? Are they from a beautiful place within our hearts or are they tainted from the darkness that can overshadow our very existence?  Do they weigh us down or do they give us the passage of amazing freedom!! 

I do believe it’s a daily struggle!!! Our human DNA makes us work really hard to achieve even the slightest improvement towards purification... It’s a moment-to-moment decision... Do we have the strength to withstand the temptations and harshness of our troubled world ?? Or do we join in the chorus of discord and lash out with our thought or remorse??

What is a pure heart? How do we attain one? And if get close to having one is it sustainable ?? 

I can only share my thoughts and my flight to freedom experience...

As we try with all our strength to obtain this status we will find that it is not achievable without God... We must surrender our ties to things of this world... We must give Him our heart and ask Him to help us become better humans each and every day... 

He knows our heart better than we can ever imagine. He sees every thought, every action, every word that is spoken... 

I can say as we travel closer to His heart we will begin to understand Him.. and our desire will be to please Him ... We will learn to listen to that so small voice from within ... And They will guide your thoughts, actions, and our hearts. This process is getting you ready for the most amazing journey we could ever aspire to travel... 

Into our Savior's arms... where the purest heart can be felt within our yearning souls...

It’s Him, It’s always Him!!! 

He holds all the answers!!! He has traveled this road before us !!  

And He knows we are forever a work in progress!!  And yet He loves us anyway!!! 

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

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A PURE HEART WORSHIP SONG BY HILLSONG WORSHIP (LYRIC VIDEO)

“Selfish people tend to only be good to themselves… then are surprised when they are alone.”

Meaning of Selfish..  (of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure:

There are approximately 50 verses the speak to the subject of Selfishness.

In my opinion, being selfish is a very ugly trait... It is a human trait that raises its ugly head when we least expect it. It is self-satisfying for just a short time.  But it will eventually implode leaving long-term scars... 

I do believe if you wear the suit of being human you can relate to this word... We have either executed this word or we have been on the receiving end of a selfish act... 

As we go through life we began to recognize these actions and separate ourselves from people that show these types of traits. Some people separate themselves because they feel you no longer serve their purpose. And that can leave heartfelt wounds. Some are so self-serving they do not even see the wake they have left in the heart of another.

We live in such an opportunistic world... It saddens me. How did we find ourselves here? Where is that golden thread where people put other people's needs before their own selfish wants? 

As always I turned to the Bible for answers. And then I came to this word from a totally different perspective. 

Sorry to say this, But it was not all about you!! 

My heart went to the most unselfish human we could ever grow to know. He has put all of mankind before His own needs. His own wants and His own desires. 

Who has this type of love, compassion, and heart?  Who thinks of us first always??? No matter what? He does this time and time again with no regard for His own needs??? 

Have you ever given it any thought? What does God need? What are His wants? What are His desires? Many will say He is God He has everything He does not need anything! If you have never thought of this, read this scripture below.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.

Genesis 1:26. 

If we are made in their image. Why do we not believe He has similar desires just on a much bigger scale? 

And as I grow to know Him better each day. I have found myself asking. Do we love you enough to give you our best? Do we say to our Heavenly Father, “ I want nothing from you today? I just want to thank you for the very gift of you!  

Father, you have so many people clamoring for your attention... Every moment of every day.  Please escape with me today .... Can I hide you in my heart for just a little while... Many see you as a genie and fill your request jar with many shallow wishes. 

Do you ever get any peace ??? Do you ever rest?? Or are (we) your children so selfish!  So self-centered. So preoccupied with self that we do not consider your feelings! your needs! your desires!  We seem to always come to you with open hands, with our wants, our needs, our requests?? 

Please come, hide in my heart for a little while... I want to give you peace... I want to take care of you...I want to love you as much as you love me.. I want to put you first... 

I feel I can never love you as much as you love me ... teach me!!! 

His amazing unselfish love is such a beautiful gift. 

I challenge you today to ask Him, to hide in your heart for just a while.  Put Him first. Ask Him what does He desire from you today? Cherish these unselfish moments with Him. 

Time with Him is priceless.  

It’s Him, It’s always Him. 

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinner's Prayer

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Beautiful Relaxing Music, Peaceful Soothing Instrumental Music, "Hummingbird Flight" By Tim Janis Janis

“There was a star riding through clouds one night, and I said to the star, 'Consume me.'”- Virginia Woolf, ‘The Waves’.

 The meaning of a cloud: a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the ground.

There are 49 passages in the Bible that refer to clouds.

Have you ever laid back in a soft green meadow, hands clasped behind your head, and simply watched the clouds drift by?
I see an angel… look, that one looks like a lion… and that one, a dove…

Have you ever imagined sitting in heaven, perched on a weightless, soft cloud? What exactly are these beauties?

Scientifically, clouds are described as tiny water droplets or ice crystals floating above the Earth. Water from land or sea evaporates, becoming a gas — water vapor — that rises into the sky.

Then technology brought us another meaning — “the cloud” where we store photos, documents, and memories.
But what does the Bible say?

Come with me as we turn the pages and lift the mystery of the cloud…

Many references point us toward the clouds when speaking of our Heavenly Father or Jesus, His Son. 

I believe they offer us an understanding — a reminder — that He resides in a heavenly realm. And as I close my eyes and rest back with my hands behind my head, I can see the beauty of that symbolic cloud.

Look… there He is.

I see His face.
I see His amazing Son.

And I see His loving heart drifting gently toward mine.

Look toward the heavenly realms… open your spiritual eyes and heart.
Be ready to witness our Savior’s return.

It is written in the Book. And it will be a glorious, monumental time for all mankind.

It will be the beginning of a new adventure with the Creator of all the heavens and earth.

It’s Him. It’s always Him.
Be ready to be WOW’d.

Scripture

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
Mark 13:26 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:64 (ESV)

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

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Seated in Heavenly Places (official lyric video) 

Am Who You Say I Am // Kelanie Gloeckler                                                 I 

Elohim, touches hearts with an unforgettable love, from here to eternity. 

Meaning of unforgettable impossible to forget; very memorable:

Ops I forgot to find out how many times the word unforgettable is written in the Bible... 

The mind is such a fascinating gift... We seem to run on long and short-term memories. Our daily tasks are stored in our short-term memory and deeper memories make up highlighted times in our lives. And then they are stored in our long-term memory... 

How do these memories affect our hearts, our emotions, and our mood???  

The emotional memories have what are known as emotional memory triggers. This help guides our lives by protecting our hearts, our mind, and our physical being. For example “ Don’t play with fire you may get burned” a memory of getting burned could stop us from making the same mistake... However, a “feel” good memory will keep us yearning for more of the same” 

I question if we know our Creator at birth is there a memory built at that moment in time? Has it stayed hidden deep within our minds? Has it laid dormant, just waiting for that memory to be ignited by special triggers He Himself planted in our minds... 

These “feel good” memories of knowing Him so long ago... leaves us with an empty yearning, and a desire to fill a void that has haunted our soul? 

What is it about our Creator that makes Him so unforgettable? He has so many outstanding qualities... But do we only scratch the surface ... Do we take the time to make long and short-term memories of Him??? 

I believe rituals and devotionals, and reading the Bible becomes a special part of our short-term memories... However, when we close our eyes and can “feel” His presence, We can open our spiritual mind to amazing wonder. We can see with our spiritual eyes His true beautiful brilliance. We can be swept away into His heavenly realm.  By spending spiritual time with Him we can create long-term intimate memories. These beautiful heartfelt memories leave us with a thirst and a yearning in our soul to return to His unforgettable LOVE, time and time again... 

I can only share my thoughts and my own experiences that have built with Him... Many will think of it as being odd... Some may think that I am losing my mind... However, I would not change one day, one minute, or even one second that I have spent loving Him and growing to know His beauty... 

He has gifted me with such beautiful memories, memories that have tapped into emotions that I never knew even existed. He has open my heart to His world of wonder. 

But as the lyrics of a beautiful song states “ He thinks I am unforgettable too”  Now looking back on my journey He has been chasing me with such a relentless heart... I can not thank Him enough for never forgetting me... 

The question becomes am I in His short or long-term memory? Is His love permanently ingrained in my heart and mind?  Will I chase Him with the same relentless vigor He has shown me?  

Forgive me as I settle into a meditative state and make sweet memories with my Creator ... His presence will ignite my emotional triggers and my heart will be freed to FEEL His grace and everlasting love ... He is an unforgettable force of amazing wonder... 

He wows me!!  

It’s Him, It’s always Him! He posses that relentless love we seek...  

“Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Matthew 7:7 TPT

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

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Nate King Cole and Natalie Cole Unforgettable Lyrics

“Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; forty years learning he was nobody, and forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody. D. L. Moody…

Meaning of Christian relating to or professing Christianity or its teachings. 

The word Christian is only mentioned three times in the New Testament. 

As strange as it may sound to many I do not use the word, Christian... I truly don't know why? But like many things in this amazing journey with God. I do not have the answers... It seems that my heart just instinctively knew that I had to follow this great LOVE that fell upon my soul on that monumental day in May of 2018. 

At the time, I had no idea where this love came from or what it was... But it placed a hunger in my soul that could not be satisfied. The more I discovered the more I became enamored with this Godly presence. From the outside looking in people would see me as a ”Christian”??? 

It sounds like a label I could proudly wear across my chest. So why did I not throw the word ”Christian” around while I traveled this most amazing journey... 

Come with me as I try to unravel this word.  What is the mystery of why I never call myself by this label? Don't be critical or discouraged if you use this word that is perfectly ok... God knows our hearts and our intentions and gives us all such unique and diverse opportunities to truly know Him on an intimate level. 

So let's discover how the word Christian came to be and if it fits our individual needs. 

The three places the word Christian appears in the Bible is in Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16

And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples (A) were called Christians first (B) at Antioch. Acts 11:26 

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:16

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian Acts 26:28

After diving into this word. It does seem to be a label given by the government of Rome to a group of disciples and or churchgoers... 

I am set aside. I am a follower of Christ. And if you must label me you could call me a ”Christian” you would probably be right. However, I have discovered in this world of labels, labels seem to create division... 

However,  I have also discovered that His love can build bridges between all diversities... One day we will all discover that we are truly all one world ...  under ONE great LOVE... under one supreme God.

Once bitten by this LOVE there is no turning back.

So call me what you will... I know who my heart follows... And you can call Him Jesus Christ... My Lord and Savior... 

It's Him. It's always Him!!! 

And if you must label me you can call me a Child of God...  Now that's a label I can live with!! It speaks of the power of His Love for His Child... He loves me... and that is a WOW... 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

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Who You Say I Am - Hillsong Worship

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.Philippians 4:11

Meaning of need circumstances in which something is necessary, or that require some course of action; necessity:  

I do believe I may need help finding out how many times the word need is in the Bible. 

Putting that thought aside for now. As I watch people in general we all have needs some more than others... Some are givers and some are takers. Be honest and look deep within and ask yourself which title do you fall under ?? Giver? Taker? 

There are so many needs in our world. But many of us are so busy living our lives that we may have a tendency to overlook many of them. 

The words “I need” can become a selfish action. I ask you to take a moment and say with me... I need! And now you finish the sentence ... 

Where is your heart? Is your need a monetary want? Then it truly is not a need but a WANT.  Many of us get caught up in the rat race of ownership of “things” and lose sight of what we should value most. 

Many of us pray for our wants instead of our needs... Do you use your time with our Heavenly Father wisely? Do we bring the needs of others before Him? 

Have you ever asked Him, what do may need? Many of us think of Him as an unlimited ATM. We pray and stand there waiting with our hands open ready to receive our materialistic wants... 

Do we behave like His spoiled children? Or do we humble ourselves before Him and truly ask Him what can I do for you? What do you need of me today? When we began to shift our hearts and minds towards the needs of others our hearts start to open and we began to see the true value of life and our monetary wants become less important.  You may find a love bigger than you even realize existed...You may find a joy that has been hidden deep within. You may find the true meaning of life!!! 

It’s Him, It’s always Him

It's His amazing LOVE... That spills out upon the hearts that are willing vessels. Have you felt Him stirring in your soul? 

I NEED Him now and forever !! 

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: 

Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) [Official Lyric Video] - Hillsong Worship

"Rebirth is neither born of blood nor flesh or human origin. But born of God."

Meaning of rebirth, the process of being reincarnated or born again. spiritual rebirth - spiritual enlightenment causes a person to lead a new life, conversion, rebirth. redemption, salvation…

We located 34 verses that speak of rebirth in the Bible...

What! born again??? Being born is something every human has had to endure...It could be the most exciting most traumatic physical change we have had to experience... It's a moment that no one can even remember... God must have known it would be a difficult memory to understand... So, He blocked it from our memory... 

But having such a clever mind... God gave us the ability to relive the excitement when hopefully we are in a place in our life to understand the amazing gift of rebirth!!! 

Not!  lol... It's an amazing phenomenon... Many that walk the earth have experienced this amazing tantalizing force of heavenly enlightenment. How does this happen?  Is it our soul awakening to our Divine Master's voice calling to our hearts? I am not an expert in the how, when, and why.... only He has those answers... 

But I can speak to the experience... We feel physically aware as we make our way through this thing, we call life... But our soul seems to be fast asleep... Dormant just going along for the ride... Suddenly without much warning, God reaches out and says it's time, awake my beloved... 

And the rebirth process of the soul begins... 

Some slowly emerge from the darkness. Some jump up, stretch, and are ready for this new adventure. Some are bewildered and confused... We all have a unique experience orchestrated by God Himself. 

But to be uniquely awakened by God is the most important predestined appointment we could keep...The igniting of the flame within gives us the ability to see with our spiritual eyes. To hear with our spiritual ears. And feel with our spiritual heart! Our life becomes alive. You will experience things like never before. Colors are brighter, music is sweeter, and time with our creator is like the breath of life to our weary soul... It is so difficult to truly describe all the feelings that come racing forward... 

But LOVE tops the charts... It's a life beyond human understanding. You are driven to chase this unexplainable force from heaven... You feel complete... You realize your body and soul are not one they are separate, but both have a vital purpose... And when they are in harmony, we gain the wisdom that this life is but a fleeting moment in time and our soul is who we are on a much deeper level. Both appreciate and begin to understand the role they play in our journey with God for eternity. 

He holds the answer to all our questions... To be enlightened by God is only the beginning.  Every day is an exciting adventure of discovering Him... 

It's Him. it's always Him. 

He WOWs me. 

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. 

John 3:3.

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

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Third Day - Born Again_ Traduzido

“No relationship in this world ever remains warm and close unless good effort is made on both sides to keep it so.”- Eleanor Roosevelt..

Meaning of one-way: something allows movement in only one direction a one-way street. one-sided. 

I could only find the word one-way once in the Bible. Jeremiah 32:39. 

During my journey, I have listened to many speak and say that Jesus is the only way… 

And I am not here to dispute those amazing and wise words… 

But the words one-way spoke to me today in a different way… and I feel I must share… 

I find that in this “religious” walk many tell us we must strive for that intimacy with God. We must crave and chase that relationship with Jesus… and the Holy Spirit sometimes is just an afterthought?

I must ask you this question because I have asked this question of myself today… 

How secure are you in your relationship with God??  Is it a deep caring above all else bond?  Is it just an occasional need?? Or do we say like the kids today… We are talking, in hopes that we can cultivate something more… 

Once you search your heart… 

I then will ask you, is your relationship one-way?  Do you only come to Him when you need something from Him? Do you only share the crumbs of your life with the one who holds you so dear??  I am afraid many of us are selfish in our relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit…

We seem to think of ourselves first. 

I am not here to judge or point a finger… I am a work in progress just like you… 

But if I am asking this question of myself, others may need to look into their hearts as well… 

Ask yourself is my relationship with God one-way? Or do I give Him as much time as He gives me?  Am I there for Him when He needs me? Many may say… He is God He needs nothing ?? He just wants me to be good and to do for others... 

But I have discovered there is so much more to Him. And we have only begun to scratch the surface…He made us in Their image for a reason… I would have to believe if we have emotions, so does He…. But maybe even on a larger scale… 

After all, God is Love. How can He be love and be void of feelings? 

1 John 4:16

Do we ask Him what can I do for you today ?? Do we care how He feels? How can He love and care for us so deeply…When all we do is ask Him for things? 

As a parent myself I would be disappointed if my children viewed me as their source for “things” and did not care about the "real" me… 

I ask ….. 

Where is your relationship? 

Is it one-way??? 

Just imagine if you could have that intimate 2-way relationship with the only one that loves you so deeply and beyond this world … 

He WOWs me. 

It’s Him, It’s always Him.

Jesus stated, in Mark 12:30-31, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment… There is no other commandment greater.”

Triune Loves Me / Podcast 

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Somewhere in Time: John Barry