"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Meaning of blind: unable to see because of injury, disease, or a congenital condition.

There are approximately 74 verses about the word blind.

Our eyes are such an amazing gift… To not be blessed with sight must be such a true challenge. I can not even begin to imagine. I do believe most of us do not give it much thought unless we are faced with a problem with our eyes. The smallest grain of dust can cause such a major discomfort.

Some say the eyes are the window to our soul… So, how does someone that has been blind from birth see? How do they see the beauty that surrounds them daily? I do believe they build extrasensory abilities. Many of these abilities we find difficult to understand. Just how do they do it?

I don’t know exactly how they manage.  So before I continue to write about the word blind. I will close my eyes and try an experiment.  I will use my ears to hear the music, I will use my sense of touch and my sense of smell and I will see what if anything I can see…Can our spiritual eyes see what our human eyes can not? I say yes, without a doubt I know you can. 

My soul felt the beautiful music, as it opened my heart.  I could feel the vibrations of the sounds being made. There was a sweet smell of home in the air. And in my mind's eye, I began to see many details of our Savior's face. 

I will describe what I saw with my spiritual eyes. He appeared to be approximately 30 years of age. His hair was brown shoulder length. As I approached Him I could look into His eyes they were a deep shade of blue. There I could see His kindness. His beard and mustache were neatly trimmed. And he had the most amazing smile. A smile that can speak volumes to my soul. 

So how does this happen? How do we see with our spirit? I believe it is His voice… It calls to our soul. Our soul hears His song of love.. and our heart vibrates to the sound being made while we feel His presence. There is a sense of home felt when He fills your heart with an explainable love. And then the mind paints a picture..with all the detail our sense have gathered. And we can see a vision of Him that speaks to our mind, and then we began to feel Him in our heart and soul. 

How sharp are your senses? Do you see our Heavenly Father in your mind's eye? Do you hear His voice? Do feel that sense of home? 

If not I urge you to close your eyes. I urge you to invite Him into your heart. Listen for His voice because I know He is calling your name.  And if you diligently seek Him you will find Him. And for those who do not believe or that have no desire to find Him. Here is a quote from a remarkable blind soul. 

“Better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.”  (Helen Keller)  

With her extrasensory abilities... She found the beauty in Her soul and shared it with the world. It's not a secret... 

It's Him, It's Always Him!

He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” John 12:40 

 “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God Second Corinthians 4:4

Photo Design & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: YouTube

I See Love (by Third Day with lyrics)

“Love is the beauty of the soul.” – Saint Augustine...

In Scripture, the word soul appears 754 times in the Old Testament and 102 times in the New Testament—856 times in all. Clearly, God wants us to notice the soul.

The soul is the essence of who we truly are. It is our life-source—the God-given flame that burns through eternity. While our body and mind serve as vessels for this earthly journey, it is our soul that carries the magnetic pull to commune with our Creator.

We all travel at different speeds along life’s road. None of us are perfect. We stumble, we falter, we fall short. But each day we are given a choice: to nurture and define who we are in our souls. Our life, our legacy, and our eternity depend on it.

Did you know that Scripture even speaks of God’s own soul (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Just imagine—a God who not only gave us a soul but shares His own heart and essence with us.

The best relationship we could ever know is soul to soul with God. Search your heart. Free your soul. Let Him guide you into the fullness of life everlasting. A happy soul cannot be contained, because it rests secure in what the future holds.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” – Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

“And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” – John 10:28 (KJV)

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (KJV)

Photography, Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses From AMP   / Sinner's Prayer 

Inspiring Music: YouTube

Casting Crowns Oh My Soul (Lyrics)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Psalms 51:10

 

The meaning of Circumcision: The action or practice of circumcising a young boy or man. It’s a procedure that has been used for centuries. Many view this subject as one that requires special care to discuss and execute.

 

Circumcisions are normally done for medical or religious reasons. And this type of circumcision can be studied by individuals at another time and place.

 

As my curiosity wanted to know more about this word and why, in the early part of my journey, I prayed multiple times and stated that God circumcised my heart. But why would I use this word to describe this light-hearted feeling? As many of you know, I journal my prayers so I can revisit them and know where this incredible walk with God has taken me. So, I will share a peek into my heart where I actually used this curious word.

 

“Teach me how to touch hearts in my world. Help me understand my past hurts. I know they have helped You mold my heart. You have circumcised the layers of my heart and made me truly FEEL… The rawness is beautifully painful but necessary for growth. I understand this, but it does not diminish the pain that I have felt. But on the flip side, I have also felt Your great LOVE. It’s like no other.

 

You are an amazing teacher of LOVE and LIFE. I am grateful for You!!!”

 

A circumcised heart is an amazing cleansing and freedom of the heart! Many of you have witnessed these changes in me over the years. Now you know what you were seeing was an outward view of God’s beautiful work from within. I won’t lie—it has had some low, sad times, but it has had some of the most amazing high times of my life. I am a work in progress, and I feel He is not finished with me yet. Every day is quite a spiritual adventure.

 

To further help me understand the meaning of a circumcised heart, I will share the scripture I found in the Bible:

 

“Also, because you are united with Christ, you truly belong to God’s people. No person has circumcised you to show this. It is like Christ himself has circumcised you, to show that you belong to God. It is like he has cut off your old nature, which made you do bad things.”

—Colossians 2:11 EASY

 

Are you surprised that this is in the Bible? I am not. It’s been an amazing eye- and heart-opening experience.

 

It’s His Fault!!! And I love Him for it!

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 KJV

Meaning of children: a person between birth and full growth; a young boy or girl.

I must admit, I have been on the most liberating, love-filled journey. During that time, I claimed—I found the child within! (Some have witnessed this change!) You see, as we grow older, we are told to put our childhood ways away.

They say, Thats not who you are now, now that you are an adult. So, we listen to others in our world and hide the child deep within. With time, the child within grows weary and hides so long they forget how to lead with their heart, and their light grows dim. As an adult, our behavior becomes guarded, life scars happen, and our actions are controlled by the mind.

With the day-to-day struggles, we begin to lose appreciation for the basic things. The child’s light slowly begins to fade. You are no longer a free spirit, unencumbered and free. It can even become hard to breathe.

But I can share my story of hope. Through a spiritual encounter, I was blessed by Elohim. He has taken me on the most amazing journey of my life. However, in order for me to understand and appreciate what He offered, He had to ignite a once-dormant flame within my soul. He fed the flame with His love, His kindness, His compassion—and with His reassuring voice, He never stopped talking to the child within.

Then, like magic, on that faithful day in May, in Triune, TN, the child within listened to the sound of His voice and began to follow His illuminating light. And much to her surprise, she found a freedom she had forgotten. She emerged with eyes of wonder, and her heart began to sing a new song.

Life around her began to unfurl and become alive. Colors were brighter than she remembered. She could feel His love within the warm breeze. Hugs seemed to linger even longer. Her heart was free to share His love with others.

You see, He gave her wings and said, Fly, my child, fly. He is still teaching her to love without boundaries and to see even the smallest detail in the wondrous world He created. His work in us is never done. He is the greatest love story ever told. He is the Master of our heart, and only He holds the key.

He is whispering your name… so just quiet your mind, listen, and get ready to fly into the most amazing journey of your life.

I urge you to go to a quiet place and listen. He is calling His children one by one. Your life will never be the same. It will be better than you could ever imagine.

If God wants to bring you closer to Him, He will make you alone. Kamaran Ihsan Salih

In the Bible, "bring" signifies a wide range of actions and ideas, from physical acts of carrying to metaphorical acts of leading, presenting, or causing something to come about. It's used in contexts of offering, deliverance, guidance, and even the act of bringing to life or completion.

As I began to examine this word, I pondered why it surfaced in my mind. However, I then experienced an epiphany. It’s Him. He wanted me to bring you on this journey. I have been on an extraordinary path of discovering God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We have traversed the pages with the hope that these words would resonate with at least one soul. It has been remarkable to witness the numerous individuals who have read our words. Nonetheless, this marks the first instance in which He has requested that I bring you along.

Will you join me on an extraordinary adventure that will elevate our existence? You will find yourself falling in love with our Creator, my Elohim!! He will communicate with your heart in an unparalleled way… He is our safe haven when adversity strikes… He is our beacon of hope!!! And.… He has asked me to bring you along!!! Take my hand..…

But wait…. 

When we're invited to the most momentous occasion of our lives, what will we select to bring? Will we choose to share our love and our hearts without restraint? Will we present our lives as a testament to the power of kindness, compassion, and love, just as we've been loved and inspired to do by the most amazing loving soul we will have the privilege to know!

I can only bring you this far… the rest is up to you… Open your heart to His amazing love… and join Him as you write the most extraordinary love story you will ever experience! 

He brings me to where no man has ever traveled! My heart deep within His presence… and as my soul fades into Him… I can only whisper it’s You!!  It’s always been you!!  

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. psalm 143:8

Photography & Words Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Inspiring Music by (YouTube) 

Bring Me to Life by Evanescence - Flatirons Community Church

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. John 5:24

Immortal is listed six times in the KJV Bible. 

Meaning of Immortal living forever, never dying or decaying: “Immortal souls inhabit our mortal bodies."

Immortal truly does not seem to be a popular word in the Bible. It is only used approximately six times. The word immortal draws us into unfamiliar territory.  

When we speak of immortality, it seems we tend to think of Hollywood’s vision instead of the true essence of the word. To live forever in a spiritual realm can be a scary thought! 

Hollywood seems to depict the darker side of immortality. However, I see it as a beautiful promise. When I think of immortality, my heart and vision drift to the man who defies all logical thinking. He has shown us the deepest, most important vision of immortality. 

He gave us hope; He has shown us the greatest LOVE ever known to mankind! During this amazing moment in time, He offered Himself as a sacrifice, thus giving us a visual of His love and the promise of immortality. This visual points us to and gives us confidence that one day we will walk with Him in paradise.  

This promise unveils our Soul's purpose on earth and in heaven. Our soul inhabits our earthly body to embrace a life of learning.  We are to share its beauty and His love with others. Until that pivotal day that we all must face transitioning to another life. I do believe it is human nature to want to hold on to hope that the very essence of who we are will never perish.  

The biggest questions are: Is there really a spiritual realm? And do we truly know where our journey might take us? Not knowing where you will be for eternity can be a daunting thought. However, there is a beautiful promise of eternity.  
Our Heavenly Father gave us many tools to help us find our way. He gave us Jesus to illuminate our path and show us, by example, a travel guide called the Holy Spirit. He gave us a road map called the Holy Bible. And the beautiful news is, He even holds our hearts through the process...

If we embrace and use all the tools He has given us. It is not a scary journey.  It’s a beautiful gift of sharing eternal life with the most amazing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we will ever have the privilege of knowing!! 
We can only pray that when that pivotal day arrives, our family and friends will know without any doubt that we made it home. 
Love without restraint. Celebrate LIFE. Be everything our Father knows we can be, and look to the beautiful promise of eternity.

“To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:”

Romans 2:7 KJV