"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:6

The meaning of Storm: a storm, a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. A tumultuous reaction; an uproar or controversy: 
Move angrily or forcefully in a specified direction:

The word "storm" appears in the Bible one hundred and nineteen times. 

Storms can come when we least expect them.  Many can come with complete knowledge, allowing you to prepare for the worst... When I think of storms, I think of Florida, where in my lifetime I have weathered many violent storms. 

As I think about these storms, I have witnessed the devastation they can cause to life and property. In life, there are storms we face that rage within. 

Let’s look at the storms of life that we feel in our soul… It starts with a distant rumble. We can see grey clouds moving swiftly across the sky… Lightning crashes and bolts of light furiously light the dark sky. The winds pick up speed… And we hear the sounds of the rumbling get closer and closer … Everything in its path is showing signs of being battered and worn…  

The human soul will hide in fear, thinking that it will not be able to stand the violence felt. But when our soul retreats and goes deep. Something amazing happens, we find God's gift. He instilled a resilience and a hunger for life in each life He has created... as soon as we find Him there, these storms lose their strength and soon die. And our soul finds a strength we did not even realize existed. It’s at these times that we begin to understand the beauty of our Heavenly Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

He is our rock, our anchor, our Savior. Find Rest in Him when you face any storm life may throw your way. Get anchored and feel Him in your soul….  

It's Him, it's always Him.

And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. Matthew 8:24

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  

Sinners Prayer 

Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm (Live from YouTube Space New York)

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

Become the person you were meant to be, light your inner fire and follow your heart’s desire.  Leon Brown… 

Meaning of stoke .. add coal or other solid fuel to (a fire, furnace, boiler, etc.).

The word stoke is only used one time in the Bible. 

It's 3 am and I can not sleep… as I close my eyes and begin to pray the word stoke nudged my mind and stirred the smoldering fire within… 

What sets our souls on fire? What is this pull God has placed within my soul to chase this greater existence? This greater peace?  This greater LOVE… 

Has this kindling been placed in our souls before birth… Does it sit dormant just waiting for that golden opportunity? That date with destiny, when our Heavenly Father has preordained the exact moment-in-time of when He will remind us of who we are… and how our story began… ??

We are all His children … When He created us He placed His seal of ownership on our heads. And sprinkled His love into our hearts. He lovingly kissed our tender souls…And then gently placed us in our mother's womb… 

I believe this precious kindling sits waiting in silence… Waiting like combustible atoms of light! All waiting for God to unlock and ignite the fire of heaven's light.

This is what I consider the rebirth of the soul. Many call it an awakening… However, I find it odd that there are those that claim an awakening of the spirit … and they may find many gifts!!  However, they miss the most important ingredient, the reason, the main event… and our true purpose... 

Even when it's our Heavenly Father’s very breath that has stirred up that primal craving to search for more… Some still do not get it ...It is sad that many do not cherish this gift or for that matter even acknowledge where it came from. 

He gently blows His heavenly breath into our smoldering souls… the fire within our hearts begins to spark and the flutter of new life can be felt. He lovingly stokes the coals with such care and He sings a love song that resonates with the most intimate places in our souls. His love is the purest love that we could ever be blessed to feel. 

The coals react with the oxygen in the air and the glowing red heat turns into a flame. This fire can be equated to birth and resurrection… 

This portion of His heavenly love has had our name on it since the beginning of time. 

The power of this love is beyond our human understanding. It is a beautiful process of reconnecting with our Creator… Our mission in this life is to find our way Home so we can reunite with our first love. 

It is our destiny to fall madly in love with the greatest soul that I have ever grown to know… 

It's Him, it will always be Him. 

Breathe on me…  your sweet breath of LOVE🔥it contains enough octane to blow the human mind… He is the eternal breath of life… 

The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Job 33:4 KJV

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God John 3:5 

I love how He inspires my soul… 

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Meaning of lost: unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts.

The word lost is in the Bible forty-nine times.

Lost, have you ever felt lost?  Have you ever witnessed a child when they have lost sight of their parent and panic sets in… They are afraid, tears stream… cries can be heard!! I do believe we still can feel that panic and anxiety as adults. However, as adults, we learn to internalize those emotions or choose to suffer in silence.

The lost feeling can manifest within for many reasons. This life can be unpredictable and difficult at best. Each day is a difficult hill to climb. But how do we cope? How do we hold on to a rope that seems to be unraveling?  Darkness and doubt can overcome our very existence.

Where do we turn when our hearts are longing for relief? Where do we go when our souls are aching for answers?  It sometimes seems to hurt so bad that we bleed. 

I am not a doctor or even qualified to give medical or clinical advice. But I can share my heart. I have found a healer, a therapist, a friend and a lover of our souls. That if you will open your heart and let His light in He will heal every scar. He will fill every void. He will bring peace to your soul that you will have difficulty in understanding.  Where there was once darkness, you will feel a warmth from the love that will glow from within.

There is no medical insurance needed, no copay. His heart is open 365 days a year, rain or shine… I can’t recommend Him enough. 

So, how do you contact His office? Go to a quiet place. Close your eyes and call His name and wait on Him… Open the life manual He provided. It’s a best seller and holds a wealth of information…It’s called the Bible. Meditate on the words between the pages day and night.  The most important action is to chase Him with all you are worth. Never give up, the rewards are endless… 

The only true cost is to LOVE Him… He will return love to you, far greater than you ever knew could exist. So, now I will ask you who in our troubled world could not use this type of LOVE.  

It’s Him, It's Always Him!!

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV

Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. Luke 12:3 ESV 

Photography, Design & Written by Lori Garner   

Bible Verses From KJV  / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring Music Freya Ridings - Lost Without You