“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” (1 John 4:10)

The meaning of personal - of or concerning one's private life, relationships, and emotions rather than matters connected with one's public or professional career:

The word personal is referred to 121 times in the Bible.  

But what does it mean? Many of us have been taught that each man, woman, and child has their own space. And unless you are invited in, you must stay out or be ready to defend your position. 

(It could prove to be a painful experience) 

Like me, many of you have heard over the years we must have a “personal relationship with Jesus” to reap the benefits of His gift of life and love.  So, my question becomes ... How? Why? Where? And when? 

1. How - Just how deep do you want to feel His LOVE? 

2. Why - Because we will never be complete without Him.

3. Where - We think of a physical location! But it is a spiritual walk of the heart and soul. 

4. When - I feel the sooner, the better. Like many, I have had a late start but now feel I am in the race. 

I believe there are degrees of a “personal relationship” with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  

I can only speak of my experience. And how my walk went from head knowledge to feeling Him stirring in my heart to a love I carry deep within my soul. I will simplify them into Personal Phases. 

Phase 1

Over my many non-religious years, I knew the story of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; it was a clinical understanding derived from Hollywood Movies and the very occasional visit to some church for reasons other than learning about the Trinity. 

I knew of Him on a superficial level. 

Phase II 

I had a Holy Spirit encounter that planted a desire in my heart to know more about Him, and the chase began. He became an important player in my daily activities. I began including Him more and more each day. I spoke to Him like a friend I have had all my life, and a trusting relationship began to grow as I discovered deeper details about Him. 

My heart and mind began to open to the possibilities of a greater love.  It's a love greater than I have ever known. I began to appreciate His beauty, grace, and unconditional love. As I study Him daily, I find He is teaching me more about who I truly am. He has freed my bound heart and given me wings to fly.  I say I am a work in progress. And He is not finished with me yet. Isn't it a beautiful thought that our growing knowledge of Him will never end? 

Phase III 

Like any relationship, the more you invest in yourself, the more vulnerable you become and the deeper you let them penetrate your heart.  At that very moment, you realize you are free to surrender your heart and fall in love. It's no different with God, but His love is not of this world. It's a love greater than you have ever known. It's HIM! 

It’s a spiritual love greater than we have ever experienced. It’s a deep love from our soul. It’s when God becomes as important as the air we breathe.  We will find that place of intimacy in our soul.  We may be moved to tears of joy. We will feel this indescribable love, consume your soul. And life will burst into a beautiful rainbow of brilliant colors. 

You will find that this intimate place is reserved for a party of two you and your Creator. He knew that one day we would find Him waiting there to love us on such an amazing spiritual level. He has instilled a hunger within us from birth. To crave an intimate communion with Him that only He can satisfy. 

A friend asked me today who in the Bible had an intimate relationship with God and how we know that they did. 

I will turn to a favorite quote by Nicholas Sparks. 

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that's what you've given me. That's what I'd hoped to give you forever. 

I believe that the ones we have grown to know in the Bible and in our lives have had or are in an intimate relationship with God. Are the ones that show it in their daily lives. With His strength, they forge the way for others. They openly speak of His greater love. They realize they are not perfect but walk in His mercy and grace. Even with doubts, they listen and act on His direction. They are a witness to Him by their actions, and they, above all, share His amazing love with anyone who will listen. 

I found this quote spoke to my soul many months ago. 

To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him is the greatest human achievement. St. Augustine of Hippo

It’s Him; it’s always Him. 

The question becomes just how deep you want your 

"Personal Relationship" with Him to be???

Design & Written by Lori Garner

Photo by nappy from Pexels

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: Beckah Shae - Overflow - Lyrics

I can't make people fall in love withJesus, but I can arrange dates…Andy Stanley....

Meaning of dedicated (of a person) devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty or integrity.

The word dedicated can be found 25 times in the Bible.

How does He orchestrate happenings in our lives that draw us to clues of discovering more?  

This week I stumbled across a movie called Mary Magdalene. I watched the movie and the next day I discovered that March is woman’s month … hmm 

Many would say that it is just a coincidence. But I have discovered that I love how He works.

Women have played such a significant role in the Bible. But when looking back with the exception of Mary the Mother of Jesus they seem to be overshadowed by the men… 

Do we try to understand the roles and the significance they played in such a male-dominated world?? 

When I began my discovery of Mary Magdalene I knew very little about her. But I soon discovered these facts. 

1. Jesus cast out 7 demons from her. Is it a coincidence that there are 7 deadly sins? (pride, envy, wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, and greed) hmm

2.She boldly left her family to follow Jesus

3. She was a witness of the crucifixion 
4. She was the first witness of the empty tomb

5. She was mentioned in all four of the Gospels

6. Her amazing story was one of darkness and torment until Jesus freed her from the bondage that raged within her soul… 

I do not want to take away from the important facts, but what impressed me the most, was not only her loyalty to her Savior … But beyond that was her deep love for Him… 

I believe she felt she owed Him her renewed life…

She must have felt spiritual, emotional, and physical death when He was taken from our world.… Losing the one who freed her.. the one who brought light into her dark world… It must have crushed her heart and made her soul bleed… 

But the “good news” was she was the first one to lay eyes on Him at His resurrection. She was the first witness… She was set apart. She was chosen. 

It was a woman that He appeared to first. It was a woman that He trusted with such monumental news. It was a woman that He trusted to share His amazing legacy of love and life beyond death to the world. 

She had such an unwavering trust, deep love, and gratitude for Him. She did not just love Him. But I believe she indeed fell in love with Him… It has been written that there may have been a physical attraction to Jesus. 

But a physical attraction is not necessary to fall in love with our Creator…It’s a much deeper love, it comes from a deep place within our soul... 

As I traveled on this journey I have been blessed to discover a few souls that carry this type of love for Him.  It transcends time, space, and human understanding … It’s a spiritual gift from Him… and Him alone.

I believe we get confused when we try to dissect this love… The hows and whys, the “scientific” result from testing.  

When speaking of the possibilities of Heaven, eternity, and the spiritual realms we will never fully understand. It contains such vastness and depth, just how do we wrap our human mind around it? 

That is why we must open our hearts and trust Him and love Him with the innocence of a child…. 

It’s Him… He WOWs me. 

I urge you… 

Love Him like Mary… love Him with that type of dedication… with that type of depth… fall in love with His soul… take your love to the next level… Don’t keep your love for Him restrained to what our world has deemed as acceptable…  Set your love free… Just as He freed Mary… 

I have discovered when dealing with Him there is always MORE!!! 

Jesus replied: “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37 

“Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable like a little child, you will never be able to enter in Matthew 18:3 TPT

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1Peter 1:3 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull

inspiring Music by (youtube)

Falling In Love - Phil Wickham (Lyrics)

“If these walls could talk, I wonder what secrets they'd tell.”― Gayle Forman 

The meaning of barn large farm building used for storing grain, hay, or straw or for housing livestock.

There are approximately 14 verses about the word barn in the Bible.

This word came to me as a word challenge from a friend. I am usually up for a good challenge. So, let's see what we can discover about this inanimate object. Living in Tennessee there seems to be such a variety of barns. Some are shiny and new, some are large and red, and some show a character all of their own. They are battered and worn.. some may be dangerous to explore. 

They make me think if they could talk what stories would they share ?? How many families utilized them? How many animals did they shelter from the elements of storms? Did they provide protection for their food supply and livelihood?

Well, as always let’s look and see if this word is even found in scripture? And oh yes it’s a win for the home team. Right there in Deuteronomy 28:8, it says “The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you”

But as I began to search this word further I found a mediation that played out in my mind's eye.  So I thought I would share. 

Mediation 10:52

As I started this meditation I had the birth of Christ on my mind. So this is where the story unfolded ... 

I listened to meditation music called God's love for you. Beautiful music with no words. I became relaxed and my mind drifted here. I found myself in a setting like the Sahara desert. I was dressed in many long layers with a headdress of long cloth enough to drape across my nose and mouth only leaving my eyes exposed.  I seemed to be walking through dunes and traveling through a sand storm. My clothes were waving in the wind as it whipped around me. The sand was stinging my skin as it pelted anything that was exposed to the elements... 

It was dusk and I knew in my heart that I had to continue my journey if I was to witness the miracle of birth... As I pressed forward, the night began to fall and the most amazing star appeared and I heard in my soul. This light has always guided you .. just continue to follow it.

I then witnessed the warm lights of a city on the distant horizon ... 

I finally reached the dimly lit city and began to seek Mary and Joseph... and I was guided to the barn where they were located.  I arrived in time. 

I rushed in and kneeled by Mary.. she smiled.  I said I am here to help. What can I do to comfort you? She grabbed my hand a squeezed and the moment and intensity of birth began. 

My eyes welled up with tears and they began to slowly roll down my face The time went quickly but also seemed to move in slow motion ...

The baby arrived. I held him and I thought something must be wrong because I did not hear him cry. I pulled the cover away from his face and then I witnessed His angelic face. His eyes were open they were a dark brown He had dark hair framing His little face. He was alert, He had the most precious peaceful look upon his face.

As I held him I was in awe of His majestic splendor.  His tiny hand grasped my pinky and held on as if He knew me. I gently kissed his forehead and whispered in his ear.  

“I loved you even before you were born” ... 

The moment and peaceful love engulfed the room with a warm light.

I began to cleanse His tiny body and rewrap Him tightly and handed Him to his beautiful mother, she smiled. 

As I stepped back His earthly father loving gathered them both in his strong arms and held them ... I then moved to the back of the barn and watched as others arrived to bow in adoration of this tiny miracle...

I thought this tiny child one day will bear the weight of the world ... So much love filled my heart and soul that I could not contain the tears of joy,  they just streamed down my face ... 

But at that moment, I also felt heartbreak knowing what lies ahead for this new life... What an amazing sight. The music faded and the meditation ended. 

Lesson ... Follow His light. He brings you amazing peace and a love like no other ... He is truly a miracle... 

This beautiful royal life could have had a castle but His life started with a modest humble beginning... and "The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns" 

The next time you see a barn. Let it remind you of HIM !!

It's Him, It's always HIM !!

God chose for His Son to be born in a stable. This is because Jesus came in humility and in poverty to identify with the poorest and weakest among us.

Photography & Written by Lori Garner  

Bible Verses From KJV  / Sinner's Prayer

Music from Youtube 

Perfect Love (Mary's Song) by Darlene Zschech

https://youtu.be/6BOBydX5ez0?si=rsu47EoyBzxXZ41T

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 in celebration ... 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 

Merry 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

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen!! Matthew 28:20 

Meaning of wise: having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment. "she seems kind and wise" 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube