“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.
Love is a choice to reach beyond myself not once, but twice. First, I reach out to God to grant me the love that I don’t possess, and then I reach out to others to give them that love. And to be a conduit of this sort is to take love beyond the thin romantic notions of men and set it ablaze within me so that it might consume the world around me.
Craig D. Lounsbrough
The Meaning of reach - To extend; to stretch; in a general sense; sometimes followed by out and forth; as, to reach out the arm.
The word reach is used approximately 104 times in the Bible.
When I reach for you will you be there? I run to you each day but you are always just beyond my reach. I feel you in my soul, I hear your gentle whisper. However, I yearn so to touch your beautiful face.
What is this race we call life? What is this drive to love you, that lives in my heart? What is our purpose…
I find this journey so simple yet so complex.
It’s the midnight hour when I seem to reach for Him the most. I want to share my thoughts, my desires, my love with the one that holds my heart. The one who keeps the chaos from knocking at my door. The daily noise of life becomes a distant memory in His presence. … He is my fortress, my high tower, my protector, my escape to a spiritual existence.
In Him I found life. He is such a gentle and kind spirit. I found a beauty that I never knew existed in this world. He fills our souls with an unexplainable love. It is so difficult to put it into words. His dream is for His children to share this great love! So, I ask you, how do we share this kind of heavenly LOVE ?? I can only pray that He opens your heart and that He gives me the words.
He has given us this promise of this kind of love for eternity. Once you have felt God’s Love there is no turning back…. I can only pray, that if we began to slip from His grasp. That He will reach for our hand and pull us lovingly into arms. I personally do not ever want to fall far from His reach..
It’s Him. It has always been Him.
He breathed life into my soul. How did I not reach out sooner? How did I not respond ?? He tried to reach me so, many times…But I never stopped long enough to hear His melodic voice. He had to pour out His heart from heaven and touch my soul so deep, so profound that there was no doubt ... I knew in my heart it was Him.
And life will never be the same.
Thank you, my LOVEs my 3N1for never giving up…
Psalms 139:7-11, 17-18, 23-24 TPT
“Every single moment you are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought! O God, your desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore! When I awake each morning, you’re still with me. Where could I go from your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from your face? If I go up to heaven, you’re there! If I go down to the realm of the dead, you’re there too! If I fly with wings into the shining dawn, you’re there! If I fly into the radiant sunset, you’re there waiting! Wherever I go, your hand will guide me; your strength will empower me. It’s impossible to disappear from you or to ask the darkness to hide me, for your presence is everywhere, bringing light into my night.
God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way— the path that brings me back to you.”
Do we listen to God's whispers? Do we feel thought that tug at our heartstrings? Or are we too busy to know it's Him?
I now realize He tried so many times to get my attention and I was way too busy with life to know it was Him... This image was taken by me on January12, 2015... It has no edits. It was captured on church grounds in West Palm Beach, Florida. The quote was mine. I hid behind the GW initials because I was too timid to share. In 2017 we moved from Florida to Tennessee and that is when I had a Holy Spirit Encounter that rocked my world... And He gave me wings to fly.
It's when I look back, I can see the little hints He was dropping all along the way... I now only wish I would have listened to my heart sooner... Because He has shared the most amazing LOVE I have ever grown to know... It is so difficult to put into words... It's beyond human understanding.
Do not miss those soft whispers... They are not coincidences... He is knocking at the door of our hearts. It's up to us to open it !!
It's Him, He is the most amazing and relentless pursuer of our hearts. It's always been HIM...
When you Run alone, It's called RACEAnd When GOD Runs with youIt's called GRACE! - unknown...
The meaning of cautious is careful to avoid potential problems or dangers.
We located 7 verses that speak of the word cautious...
Are we just being cautious? Do we tread lightly when we are unsure? There is so much to digest these days... So many instabilities... So much uncertainty? So many “experts” ???
I don’t know about you but it makes my head spin?? Am I being overly cautious or am I just dizzy from too much information from the so-called “experts”? Are we truly being bamboozled?
We have truly taken our eye off the ball? If we look at the Bible we see many parallels...
We see hate and discord with the Government. We see a division within the general population. Political, Race, Gender... We see blatant judgment...
Centuries ago we had the opportunity to witness and love Jesus and we let Him slip through our fingers??? Was He cautious in showing His love? I say NOT!
I do believe we must be cautious as we travel in our broken world... We must uncover all the facts... We must sift all things through our Saviors heart and our Father’s words... We must hear His protective cry before we take action... We must diligently pray for guidance.
The vision that comes to mind is a horse race... So much training goes into each race. So much trust in his jockey. Winning the prize is the ultimate goal.. and one of the best pieces of equipment the horse will wear are blinders...This helps him focus and only see what’s ahead...
Again parallels. We are all in a race we call life... We are all training for that lifetime opportunity... We all must grow and learn to trust Jesus... Never, Never take your eye off the prize. We must wear our spiritual blinders..and must stay focused on the days ahead.
It's His presence that will give us peace in our hearts in the midst of our uncertainties...
Trusting Him has given me the ability to throw caution to the wind and blindly focus on Him!!! The prize of eternity with my Savior is my Heavenly goal... We do need to be cautious of the fleeting things of our world... One day they will all fall away. But His gift of Life and LOVE will never fade... It can only grow stronger in our hearts as we approach the starting gate, and the final bugle call is blown... and the race is on... mud flys.. and you can almost hear the announcer calling the positions of the race... Are you in first place ?? Or dead last? And as you go under the wire... in a faint small voice, we can say thank God I made it !!!
It is there in the winners circle our focus becomes clear...
It’s Him, it’s always been Him!
So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God. Joshua 23:11
“By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.”
"Too many are willing to sit at God’s table, but not work in His field." - Vance Havner...
The meaning of sit: adopts or be in a position in which one's weight is supported by one's buttocks rather than one's feet and one's back is upright.
Do you ever find life so busy that sitting still can be a challenge?? We seem to be so busy that we can not stop our minds from racing ?? Do we busy ourselves so much that we get lost in the LIFE shuffle??
Where can we go to escape? Who will understand? Who will comfort us with no questions asked??? Where can we find that freedom of a child? There is an answer.
But are we too busy to see Him? Are we too busy to talk to Him? Are we too busy to love Him? Are we too busy to FEEL Him?
I have found a safe place to hide in a world that seems to have gone mad... I want to share with you the answer...
He came to rescue us from the madness of our world... He is our first love... He is gentle, kind and our soft place to fall.. He loves us far greater and deeper than anyone.. in all the universe!
I cherish each second that I sit in His presence. He comforts my anxious soul. He fills my heart with a love that engulfs my very existence. I see Him in all creation ...
It’s at that moment.. when I feel Him that time seems to fade away...My heart and soul are freed ... to feel such amazing rest, peace, and acceptance, even when life seems to continue to spin out of control in the distance.
I am swept away...
Things of this world do not necessarily go away... It’s our heart, soul, and mind that gets refreshed as we sit with Him... He brings such amazing balance, joy, and love... that the burdens of life seem to lift... You feel that you can finally breathe...
If I have learned anything during this amazing journey I have learned... this,
We must learn to sit still and open our hearts, talk to Him from the depths of our soul... Humble ourselves and surrender your entire life into His loving arms...
And love Him with ALL!!!! all your Heart, Soul, and Mind...
It’s where healing begins.. mountains crumble, and clarity can be obtained.. and you will be loved far greater than you ever dreamed possible...
I used to find sitting still difficult.... 😍 until now !!! I now crave these moments...They are the reason I breathe...
My heart is calling me now... I am done...
I am going to my favorite place where I can not be reached by things of this world...
It’s Him! It’s always Him... He refreshes my soul... ❤and yes He takes my breath away...
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. Matthew 20:23
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, Psalm 17:8
“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit remind us that there is always more of God than we know, always more of God than we can explain, always more of God than we can show. The Trinity says God is not in a box but is bigger, much bigger than we imagine. God is more powerful than we sometimes want to believe or remember, but there is great comfort in remembering.” ― Thomas R. Steagald.
The meaning of 1 - The number 1 represents newness, movement, and the possibilities that await us. In spiritual symbolism, it is the number of creation and the birth of all things -- the divine origin of the universe.
Number one appears significantly, but I was unsuccessful in getting a word count for this word...
One of the most mind-boggling concepts for many who study the Bible is the Trinity Himself.
On this amazing journey, which I have been blessed to travel, I have grown to know Elohim, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in this order. Just who are they? And what is this oneness that they possess?
Initially, it was so confusing to me that I asked who we should pray to. Some say I pray to my Heavenly Father; some say they have an intimate relationship with Jesus; therefore, they pray to Jesus. A few stated they pray to our Heavenly Father in Jesus' name. The Holy Spirit seemed to be mentioned the least—or not at all—when speaking of prayer.
I am not here to disprove any of the above ways to pray... I can only share how my journey unfolded and how I understood my Triune, or LOVEs, as I lovingly call my 3n1.
Each one of them plays a significant role in our lives... Each is just as important as the other... They are all part of one deity, mind, heart, and spiritual being.
I started by asking many questions, and a family member who has studied the Bible almost her entire life said these words... You are Lori, you are a wife, you are a mother, you have many jobs, but you are one... Armed with this simplistic logic, the pieces began to come together...
Let me preface by saying my journey started with a Holy Spirit Encounter (at the time, I did not know It was Him).
As my journey began to take flight, I began communicating with my amazing Heavenly Father. I called Him Elohim... It was that name that spoke to my Heart... It was Elohim who taught me about Jesus. He showed me His compassion, His depth of love for all mankind... and He taught me that Jesus was indeed a beautiful human facet of God the Father, my Elohim... And then, as I traveled deeper into my understanding, He seemed to hold my hand and disclosed things one beautiful piece at a time... I spent hours just loving and communicating with Him... I still look back and have trouble understanding how this happened. But feel so blessed that I have had the privilege of knowing Him.
At the beginning of this amazing walk, I asked. I hear many people say they love God the Father, and many love Jesus, but I never heard anyone say they love the Holy Spirit. Why? And then, like always, I started my search... He pointed me to an article that said many love the Holy Spirit, but I was too new at this to know this fact. However, I was surprised when I read this article at the bottom of the page. It said another word for the Trinity is Triune...
And at that moment, I was so surprised that I was speechless. I had my spiritual encounter on a country road in Triune, TN, which happened to be a pivotal moment in my life. It was a beautiful revelation; the word Triune spoke to my soul. All I could say was wow.
My journey unwrapped each one of the facets of God—the facets we all love and admire.
Elohim showed me that each facet of Him is equally important. They are all God. But each one has a different job. Each one relates to us differently... When we need a Father figure, most relate to God the Father... when we need to be held, or we need to relate to someone who has walked through what we are experiencing, or we need to be loved for who we are, we look to His human side Jesus ... And one of the most amazing spiritual experiences is the very breath of God we know this facet as the “Holy Spirit” it How God communicates with His Children... I envision the Holy Spirit as an eternal hotline directly connected to God our Father... It is the most intimate call you can ever make ...
My journey has been amazing, and I do not take credit for what and how He taught me. I can only thank Him and love Him for who He is.
I stand in awe and see Him as one... But I love and relate to each beautiful facet of Him...
It depends on what I need in that given moment who comes... I call them LOVEs because they are one in my heart and soul. I love each precious facet of Him...and He knows better than me which facet of Him I need to relate to at any given moment...
To add one more mind-blowing thing, the week of my encounter, I started addressing this presence I knew was God as “Elohim.” At this time, I had little to no religious background, and this was a Hebrew word. I am not of Jewish descent. So why this name? How did this happen? Later in my search, I found out this.
Elohim is God in plural? One God that wears many hats ...
It's Him. It’s always been Him...
The one I love, the one who rescued me. The one who taught me to love Him beyond what my mind can comprehend... He is my 3N1.
I am open to Him relating to me with whatever facet of Him speaks to my heart and soul... It does not matter who comes because I love surprises; deep down, I know it’s Him.
I love Him with my heart and Soul, so my mind has no choice but to follow.
“The only way you can reach your full potential is if you open up and allow yourself to be exposed to how you really feel.” ― Turcois Ominek
Meaning of exposed: open to view: not shielded or protected
The word exposed is in the Bible approximately 74 times
When we expose our true raw feelings to the world it can be a difficult, heartfelt task. We share and then hold our breath. We sometimes start to second guess ourselves ...
But then we ask ourselves what is our motive? Why are we opening our hearts for possible rejection, ridicule, or negative comments?
I can only speak from experience... God gave me a story to share... and not sharing His story would grieve His soul... and that would wound my heart for longer than I care to even imagine.
As I began to study this word my mind drifted to my youngest grandchild. She is such a refreshing delight... But the one thing I have discovered about children is that they do not hold back they will tell you what’s in their hearts and on their minds.. without any filter.. even if it scares, hurts, or makes you laugh... and then they let it go .. without another thought.
So what happens as adults? And why do we find it difficult to talk openly about so many subjects? Subjects like God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. This subject makes many uneasy. Or uncomfortable. Some engage willingly and it brings joy to their soul, some run. The conversation about our Creator should be as natural as enjoying a beautiful breakfast or taking a shower. But it is not. So many hide and many do not talk about the most important relationship in our lives.
The ones that bravely step out and open their hearts and souls. Take that chance, but they do feel exposed and have moments of insecurity.. they feel vulnerable.. a word I have grown to respect.
But there is a beauty in exposing one's true self if you can share the most incredible love to anyone willing to listen ... It is like taking a deep breath of fresh air into your congested lungs. Your heart becomes lighter and your soul feels freedom like never before. I find it’s much like childbirth... there are pain and suffering but when they lay that beautiful child in your arms, and you look upon their tiny beautiful face... the pain and suffering become a faint memory and soon fade from existence... He heals our hearts, loves us through the pain ... He loves us far beyond our imaginations!
He has exposed hearts with His love since the beginning of time... it’s what we do with this love that matters most...
It’s Him, It’s always Him.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-15
So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtakes you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. John 12:35 ESV
Like the tiny spark of fire that consumes a forest, the spark of love is all you need to experience love in its full power and glory - Deepak Chopra...
Meaning of spark a small fiery particle is thrown off from a fire, alight in ashes, or produced by striking together two hard surfaces such as stone or metal:
The word spark seems to appear approximately 4 times in the Bible...
Have you ever felt hopeless? Void of life or just plain stagnant? Life can sometimes throw you a curve... Your heart may ache... depression and anxiety may seem to be your only friend ??
What or who can come to our rescue? If you have experienced life.. then at some point you have yearned for someone to throw you a lifeline...
Before my Holy Spirit Encounter, I was trying to reestablish my life because of a move from Florida to Tennessee... And I had an empty stagnant feeling deep within my soul. I wore my I am ok mask and shuffled my feet to get through each day. And as I felt this stagnant feeling I questioned if I made the right decision...
Little did I know God was watching... Did you know He brings people into your life for special missions? I had a messenger surprisingly call me and ask me to lunch and as we embarked on this newfound friendship she began to shine a little light in the shadows of my life. And the colors of life began to shine through...
But God was not finished with me yet... He had a bigger plan...
He was getting ready to wow me. He was going to impact my life in a way that would thrust me into an amazing life-altering adventure...
I was behind the wheel of my car. Driving on a beautiful road in Triune, Tn... And it was there that God poured a generous dose of love into my soul... I had never felt anything like this in my life... I felt a warmth... a bright light and a LOVE like I had ever known... It ravished my mind, heart, and soul... I stopped my car and had to compose myself as I basked in this amazing moment...I did not realize at the time the magnitude of this gift... I was given His gift of heavenly love. In the days ahead, I found it difficult to explain but even more difficult to contain. I remember calling my newfound friend and telling her of this love... And she told me that I did not understand... It was the love inside me that was emerging. And I responded, maybe, but if that was the case she was the spark...
God has taken my heart and hand and given me a greater understanding of who He is and how He can orchestrate people in our lives to fill a void and to deliver His spark of life back into our souls...
It is with a sad heart that I admit my newfound friend could not stay to see His work...
But with time have grown to understand her mission... Although short it was her job to deliver His spark. A spark that would prime my soul for Him to work in my life...
We have all heard that saying. "People come into our lives for a reason some for only a season... or maybe that person was a messenger that God utilized to help us find ourselves and draw us closer to His beautiful heart... He knew that His spark was what I needed to start a flame 🔥 A flame in my soul.. a flame that would burn for Him... and Him alone.
There will be times in our lives that we will be in transition and feel confused maybe even a little lost... We may feel that things are hopeless and He will send a spark or a lifeline to be delivered by a surprise messenger.
Not all messengers will understand their role or even realize they were part of a much bigger plan... Some will stay and enjoy the overflow of LOVE, Some do not understand and run.. and some will come with a genuine curiosity and He will deliver yet another spark to another dormant soul... And His circle of life and love will continue to grow into a beautiful flame...
Our Heavenly Father knows it only takes one spark to ignite a flame that will ravish our... mind body and soul... and it will ignite our heart right where we are standing at that amazing moment in time.
Get lit 🔥 and burn your light bright for Him your life will never be the same...
He wows me... Whoo Hoo
It’s Him, It’s always Him.
He is the spark to an amazing adventure of life and love.
And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. Isaiah 1:31
Meaning of wrestle take part in a fight, either as a sport or in earnest, that involves grappling with one's opponent and trying to throw or force them to the ground. “he wrestled with the intruder before being knocked unconscious". Struggle with a difficulty or problem. “For over a year David wrestled with a guilty conscience"
There are only five verses about the word wrestle...
Life as we know it has many struggles... Some of our struggles are in our control some are not. Some of our struggles are spiritual some are physical. All rob us of our peace...and can affect our health, relationships, and ultimately our life.
I believe we must sift our problems through the three Rs...recognize, reconcile, and recover.
You could try all three without any help. You may have a fifty percent chance of getting a favorable result... But I believe if you ask for God's help. Your odds will increase to 110 percent.. maybe even more!!
There is a weight that is lifted when we ask God for His help. That is the first R recognizing there is an issue. As we lay it out for God to see we began to reconcile all the ugly pieces... and with God's help, we began to get clarity...
In this process, we learn that He sees the good, the bad, and the ugly... and loves us in spite of ourselves. He loves us beyond the most difficult situation.
As we travel through the darkness we learn to trust Him. And our clenched fist began to open ... We learn to let go and let Him guide our actions and our hearts. The road to recovery may be a difficult road. But He will give us the strength to endure.
You will feel freedom and recognize that He has never left our side. He has loved us through any darkness and into the light. He has wiped every tear... And has held our hand every step of the way...
The question becomes why don’t we come to Him with everything? Maybe pride? Maybe doubt? Maybe ______?
You fill in the blank ...
I believe the biggest issue we can encounter is when we wrestle with God, Himself... We bring Him our problem... We take it back several times!! We may even say if you are so mighty fix this??? I give up. Life is too hard?
He could fix it just like that. But as our loving Heavenly Father, He would ask Himself what lesson would this teach? What would my child learn??
As a parent, our role is to teach. Lead by example and love with a forgiving and understanding heart. All the while giving our child a soft place to land...
This lesson is spelled out from the greatest teacher there was, there is, and could ever be... The question becomes did We learn the lesson? Did we understand the assignment? Can we execute what He taught us??? or did we ask God just to fix it???
Do we find ourselves still wallowing in doubt and despair and self-pity??
Do we seem to still be wrestling our thoughts and with God???
Have we humbled ourselves before Him and asked He to teach us... Did we say? I cannot do this without you... Father, It's your will, not mine?? Did we truly mean it?
I can share a secret that I have learned... He knows what’s best for us ... way better than we could ever even begin to know for ourselves.
I have thrown in the white towel of surrender and opened my heart to learn whatever lesson He is willing to teach me... Because I know with God all things are possible!!!
It’s Him... It’s always been Him. And many of us are just too stubborn to realize it!!!
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
