Meaning of decide - come to a resolution in the mind as a result of consideration… 

The word decide is in the Bible approximately 59 times.

Did you know that some sources suggest that the average person makes approx 35,000 choices per day? 

Today I have a decision to make, what word should we study today? So many words so little time? Have you ever in your lifetime stood at the crossroad to indecision?? So many decisions to make? how do we even cope??? 

Are you the one that cast caution to the wind?? Or do you methodically study all the pieces to the puzzle and then make your move? I wonder hmm do we dare see what the Bible has to say?? 

Well, I decided to start here 1 Samuel 14:7 ”His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.”

I have found that our Father gives us the choice to believe in Him.. He gives us the choice to follow His Son, Jesus. And He gives us the choice to embrace the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Hmm, decisions, decisions. Some dance around Him but can not decide to love Him with all their heart and soul. Some only give Him a fragment of their heart but keep a stronghold in it, so they can quickly rip it back if the fire gets a little hot. A few jump in with vigor, and fall in love. They fall so hard that it affects change, it affects the very nature of the person. It opens their soul to a beauty and a love beyond our world. And they embark on an amazing journey of discovery. 

And as this beautiful love story unfolds you began to find your way and the beauty within will began to show. A softer more caring heart will be merge. But it's you that has to decide. Personally, the decision to follow Him should be a no-brainer.. But He wants us to willingly come... To willingly follow Him. And to be willing to love Him with of your heart and soul!! 

Its Him. It's always Him.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: You Know Me - Steffany Gretzinger | Bethel Music Worship

I have long believed that there are fundamentally two forces or emotions that drive our decisions - love and fear. Love has its many manifestations: compassion, gratitude, kindness, and joy. Fear often manifests itself in cynicism, anger, jealousy, and anxiety. I worry that many of us are being driven by fear. - Vivek Murthy

The word "cynicism" does not appear in the Bible. However, the concept of cynicism is reflected in various biblical passages…

In a biblical context, cynicism is an attitude of distrust, skepticism, and negativity, particularly regarding faith, the goodness of others, or the promises of God. It often manifests as a lack of faith, questioning motives, and expecting the worst in situations and people. Cynicism can stem from disappointment, disillusionment, or a hardened heart. 

Are you a manifestation of the world around you? Have you been disappointed by life? Is the stench of darkness seeping into your soul? Has your heart been hardened by the movie playing over and over in your mind? 

Are you thinking that things look better in other people’s lives? Is it “facade”? Are they creating an unrealistic image of life? Are we disenchanted when we compare it to the real in our own lives? 

Where has commitment, loyalty, and love gone? Is the human heart so hardened that we have forgotten why we are here??  Have we forgotten how to love? 

I have often heard, ‘Are you a fighter or a lover?’  I believe we can be both... Fight for love, and those who have been in the trenches with you! The ones that have your back!! The ones that have held your hand and comforted your tired soul.  The ones that have the strength to stand with you in these confusing and difficult times…

Has society become complacent and forgotten the value of perseverance in matters related to love, family, and friendship? Have relationships become so fragile that we readily relinquish them at the first sign of adversity?

I must admit we all should do a little soul searching??  Will we find that we are so confident in self that we feel we are perfect and need no one? I believe perfection is a virtue that is NOT attainable by anyone but Jesus!! We can only strive to be a better human each God given day… 

So, how do we change our hardened hearts? How do we remove the layers of dust from our soul??? How can we breathe once again? How do we break this bondage on our lives, and learn to unleash the supernatural love that Jesus is willing to share with us?  His love is far beyond our human understanding... 

I know from experience we cannot do it alone… We must place our total trust in God!! Give Him our heart and surrender our life to Him…be vulnerable in front of Him and ask Him to search our hearts and teach us how to love like Jesus! 

Mastering the art of humility, speaking with kindness, and leading with compassion can have a lasting impact on all people, places, and things we value most. 

Even though some individuals may say they have tried this and faced disappointment, remember that the benefits of fighting for love and showing up for your people far exceed the cost.

Don't let this world and its trappings rob you of what is truly beautiful and important!!  

Eternity with the Arthur and Creator of all things!!! 

It’s Him!!! 

It will always be Him!!! 

His message is clear: love one another…. Sharing His love and light can illuminate our path as we journey back home!!! 

My prayer is that you will not succumb to cynicism or fall into a downward spiral into darkness. Instead, look up and love as if tomorrow will never come!

Be the light! Keep Loving! It’s our only HOPE! 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Garth Brooks - If Tomorrow Never Comes (LIVE) Lyrics 1989

The UnderCurrent 

The UnderCurrent has officially been unveiled…

Will you follow the current into deeper waters?

Click… the link above and catch the next wave.

"Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.  Zechariah 1:3

Meaning of drought, a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. 

We located approximately 41 verses the refers to the word drought…

Have you ever been so thirsty that nothing seems to satisfy your thirst?? I cannot fathom the thought of how some countries suffer for lack of water...  We are a spoiled lot... Many take this gift of water for granted... 

When we examine a drought, we can see the life being drained. Our earth will become so dry it will literally crack open... and life will wither away... Layers of dirt can be carried away with the wind... 

There are many droughts we could study in the Bible. But my heart landed on spiritual drought.  What is the cause? How do we quench our thirst? If we do not find that pure water source, can we shrivel up and spiritual die?? 

I can only speak from my heart. The cause of a spiritual drought is LIFE.  Life happens ... There are many things in this life that will distract us and pull us away from what should really matter... 

I have found that we can quench our thirst by immersing ourselves in the living water Himself... Never stop loving Him. Speaking to Him and worshiping His very existence. Fill yourself with His word... It will wash your soul... and yes our soul can get parched and shrivel up. It will lay dormant and not be able to breathe... and sadly their light source will become dim.

I know this firsthand. I was going through the motions of living a busy life. I was outwardly happy... But even without my realizing it... 

My soul had become dormant and unresponsive. I could not feel her presence.  And without my calling out or even knowing Him. The Holy Spirit sensed that my soul had lost her way. But then one unexplainable day in May of 2017 without warning He doused me with a healthy dose of living water 💦...  My thirsty soul became fully immersed in this amazing beautiful sparkling water...It took my breath away.  And for a moment my soul became bewildered and confused...But as she felt this warm and gentle love.The fog began to lift..

It was at that moment she realized that it was Him... She had forgotten her first LOVE.. And how He made her feel.  As He whispered gentle words of love.. She began to hear the rhythmic beating of her own heart.  She was excited about the newfound freedom they shared. With each new passing day He began to teach her about His love and life... and the wonders that He created. She listened with an open heart and her spirit became stronger and she felt more alive than she had felt in a very long time. Joy filled her heart.  Peace and tranquily engulfed her very senses whenever He was near... She felt safe in the shadow of His wings. I will admit.... 

Somewhere during this journey of recovery... This once dormant soul fell in love with her rescuer!  I loving call Him My Savior. 

It’s Him, It’s always Him

I wish I could bottle this living water and give it away to every living soul...But this water can not be contained... It runs free and My Savior holds the key... 

One who lives in the shelter of the Most High will stay in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalms 91

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” All of us go through times of spiritual drought. Psalm 40:1-2 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

Lauren Daigle - Rescue (Official Music Video)

Meaning of conviction: a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law… 

We located 40 verses that speak of conviction in the Bible... 

Guilty as charged ??? 

This word brought me to thinking of children... Have you ever witnessed a child in the act of doing wrong... And when confronted they have the ability to look us in the eye and say I did not do it!! It wasn't me !!! But the truth is written all over their face!! 

We all have been guilty of the same behavior at some time in our lives... We may think if no one witnessed the act we do not have to own up to the action... So then we try to bury it deep with our hearts... 

But who are we truly fooling??? 

Guilt can eat away at the lining of our soul... until we come clean. It will haunt our peace.. and can even make us physically ill. Because it comes from a dark place... But conviction is the Holy Spirit’s cleansing process... We must acknowledge the wrong... We must bring it to our Heavenly Father.. and ask for forgiveness... that is when the weight in our heart lifts and we are able to breathe again... 

His forgiveness, His grace ...His undying love... Works miracles in the field of guilt, conviction, and remorse... 

But we have some responsibility in the process ... We must meet Him where He stands... We must commit our unclean heart to Him... daily. We must work towards setting the wrong right... We need to acknowledge that in our human form we will always fall short of being perfect. Because perfect is not attainable and He knows it ... Striving for improvement every day ... Can only make us better... than the day before... He welcomes improvement, He watches the growth... And loves us through each challenge... I personally do not understand how He has never given up on His children??? How? Why? So many questions? 

How does every word, every thought, every day that my heart beats point to Him?? 

It’s Him! It has always been Him!! 

I must admit ... I am guilty .... Guilty as charged... Guilty of falling in love with Him and I pray that it is written all over my face !!  He WOWs me... 

I am a work in progress!!! But He still loves me, even with all my imperfections... 

Forever His.  

“This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” Acts 24:16 

“Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.”Hebrews 13:18

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

Conviction - Rachel DeLong Music

 ”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