Written by Joann Turnbull 

How many can look back to your years in Middle School and remember a lesson you had?  This happened to me this week.  I never thought I would use it years later.   This is a story of four words.   They are what we call “Helping Verbs”.   They are: SHALL, WILL, SHOULD, WOULD

There is a verse in the Bible that says, “You shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, and mind”.  The word SHALL LOVE the Lord is used.

Any of these four words could have been used in this verse.  Let’s look at each word and what it could mean. 

WOULD. I would love Him, but I was too busy making money or pursuing a hobby so I did not make this my priority. 

SHOULD.  I should love Him, but I just kept putting it off. Other things kept getting in my way. I thought I will do that tomorrow. 

WILL.  Will is that good word of intention.  Will is that future tense.  I will love Him.  I really want to.  But sometimes it is never accomplished until it might be too late. 

SHALL.  I shall love Him.  What is different about this word?  Shall is the strongest helping verb of the four. Shall is helping the word LOVE.  And LOVE is the most beautiful verb in the English language.  Shall means something that is done with great determination and desire. It opens the door to the verb it is helping. 

I suddenly became aware of this verse in Matthew 22:37.  I began to see it everywhere.  Even on cocktail napkins in a store.   So I asked a friend how do you say this verse in Hebrew.  She said it is called the Shema and we say it twice a day.  Surprise!!  

Then I found it is the FIRST great commandment and Jesus repeats it in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  I was astounded! Why did I not see this before now?   

I found in the past that sometimes I “would” love Him but.....  other times I “should” love Him but......   and sometimes it was I “will” love Him but.......    You can fill in the excuses. 

To say I SHALL LOVE HIM with all my heart, soul and mind sent me on a quest. I started to listen to some songs with lyrics like, “The More I Seek Him, the more I find Him, the more I find Him the more I love Him”.  The music spoke to my heart. 

To say “I shall love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind.” is a game-changer.  It means you love Him more than anything else or anyone else or yourself.  You love Him with a great desire, passion, and determination.  You just whisper His name and your heart fills with His love. 

Let’s get rid of should, would, and will.   Let’s now say, I SHALL LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART, SOUL, AND Mind.  Once you do there is no turning back.  You don’t want to.  This commitment just gets stronger every day. You feel His love overflowing in you.  Which is for now and forever!!

So I hope you look at this verse and decide which of the four words best describes your response to Him. 

“And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’”Matthew 22:37 NASB:

And you shall search seek me, and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Photography Lori Garner

Written by Joann Turnbull 

Bible Verses from KJV, NASB / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

Kari Jobe, The More I seek you

Meaning of visible to be seen; 

The word visible is in the Bible approximately 55 times. 

Will I be able to see where this word will take me?? Will I wonder or have a doubt? When someone says I LOVE YOU ... can you see it? Is it visible? 

Have you ever wondered where the saying seeing is believing came from ??? It must have come from that guy Thomas ... hmm the doubter ?? 

Have you ever felt that you were not visible? Have you ever felt you had no voice? Have you ever kept your feelings guarded so deep that no one truly knew your thoughts?  

I know full well what it feels like .. you feel invisible... I felt I was? I was loved and blessed but I hid my true self because of what people might think or say. Soon it became who I was.  

But someone with a LOVE greater than I have ever known has helped me be visible. He has given me a voice. He has helped me find me...He did this when I did not even realize I was lost... He gave me a LOVE story to share. 

I would love to introduce Him to you !! He is bigger than life !!  But many think He is invisible, they think He does not exist... Some will say I think she has gone mad... Who is this that has captured her heart? 

For Thomas and the others that need to see with the naked eye ... I will ask you to close your eyes ... Now think of the Love of your life...  

Picture their face, their eyes, their smile and if you are really good you will hear their voice in your mind and maybe you can even remember their scent ...  Hold that thought for a few minutes. 

Now slowly open your eyes. I will ask you are they standing before you? Are they visible? 

Or did you just feel them deep within your soul?  

If you want to meet Him I can introduce Him ... But you will need to be ready to feel ... 

To feel His love is the greatest human experience you will ever encounter... However I will warn you,  your life will never be the same ... Your heart will begin to sing a new song, you will begin to feel things in your heart like never before.  Your soul will be set free, and you will be who you are truly meant to be ... 

And yes He still WOWs me 

It’s Him, It’s always Him 

“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us:” Acts 17:27 KJV

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube

Phil Wickham - Face Of God (Official Audio)

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1

Meaning of forever: lasting or permanent:

In the Bible, the word forever is used 56 times in the Bible in connection with things that have already ended. 

When we live in a world that changes on a whim... How do we even begin to understand the deep meaning of forever? Is it a measurement of time? How do we know when we have reached the end? Is there an end? .. Are things in this life just temporary? 

I do believe this word could lead us down many paths. It could be an amazing state of mind or it could be scary! .. 

I am a firm believer that this unique journey of mine has lead me on the most incredible walk ...And it is not over!!  I have been introduced to the most intriguing soul... 

Many say He is LOVE. I have discovered that somewhere between my birth and the word forever I have found a love like no other!!!  It’s heavenly... It’s so powerfully beautiful it touches many lives. It leaves me speechless... 

No words can explain the feeling in your soul. I will cherish Him Forever... I will cherish Him beyond the constraints of this Life... I will cherish Him in the Heavens... I don’t want to wonder will I make it there?  I want to be confident in my Love for Him that when forever comes... He is the one that is standing at the gates of heaven.. and He can say... Hello, my beautiful child ... welcome home...  I have loved watching you grow.

I Love You.😍

It’s Him, it's always Him!! 

I am forever His Child.

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 89:1 ESV

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

Francesca Battistelli-Forever Love(lyrics)

It's Him, It's always Him.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.  Him, It's always Him.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours. 

Meaning of everything all that exists: All that relates to the subject. All that is important you mean everything to me. All sorts of other things...   The word everything seems to appear in the Bible 930 times. 

I can only think of that old song by the Byrds. Turn, Turn, Turn. I am sure back in the sixties when I listened to this song I never knew that the lyrics were actually words from our Father in Heaven... (Lol) But of course, on my Bible Word adventure, I am discovering that everything points to Him.  

How did He accomplish this amazing gift to all of mankind? The Bible is such a poetic masterpiece. His ability to teach us everything about life and love and what is important in our lives.. is truly mind-boggling.  He has outlined everything from the beginning to the end...

The poetic scripture that is found in Ecclesiastes 3“ A Time for Everything”  covers a multitude of things. What is God trying to tell us? That everything has a beginning and an end... I personally believe it tells us no matter what happens in life we have Hope... 

There will always be change. He gave us the gift of seasons to show us the beauty of change .. for instance.

Fall we witness the biggest change. We shed our old ways to get ready for the new...

Winter is when things are bitterly cold. Somethings die and we become dormant and rest and regroup.

Spring we see new beginnings and new life... 

Summer life is lived in all its sunny glory. 

There will always be good and bad in everything we encounter in life..  And yes we live our lives in seasons with a purpose under the heaven. 

My Father has proven to many that have traveled this road before me that He is Everything to Everyone... Everything... He is the alpha and omega!! 

This chapter further states “all go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return” Ecclesiastes 3:20

So no matter how many toys we have gathered. What race, color or status we think we are.  WE are all equal in life... We are all equal in His eyes... And we all are destined to return to the same place we began. 

WE MUST LEARN many things in our life, We must know when to Hate.. wait for Hate? Yes, we can Hate actions, not people.. We must learn to Love..  if we embrace His Love, we will reap the peace and beauty in our lifetime... But the operative word is WE!!! 

How does He craft these nuggets of wisdom?  How have we not truly taken these words in our hearts? How have we not lived our lives according to His instructions? He has given us everything, every clue, every opportunity and we still do not see it ... 

Even our cute OMG 😳 that we think we invented points us to Him. We all know it means oh my God — used (as in e-mail or text messages) to indicate that something is considered surprising, shocking, thrilling, etc.

Is it surprising? That everything we do, every action, every breath we take, points us back to Him...  Are you shocked?  I personally am thrilled !!! OMG, He is Everything !! 

It’s Him, it’s always Him!!!

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Photography Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube  

TURN! TURN! TURN! (Lyrics) - THE BYRDS

And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

What is the meaning of a precious person?

beloved; dear; cherished. very costly or valuable. held in high esteem, esp. in moral or spiritual matters. very fastidious or affected, as in speech, manners, etc.(of an object, substance, or resource) of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. 

The word precious is in the Bible approximately 13 times.

When I think of the word precious the lyrics to a song we all have heard since we were children popped into my head.   

“They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Is this song for just little ones under that magical age of 18?  I know in my heart that He thinks of all of us ... every race, every color from every corner of the world His children.  

And I do believe we are all so precious to Him no matter where you are in this life... No matter what secret things you hold in your heart.. or mind... He will hold you, love you, and wash your slate clean... 

With Christmas just a few days away... Many look forward to a gift exchange from loved ones, many find they behave much like a small child this time of year. 

Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit... Offer us a gift of hope, forgiveness, compassion, and kindness and it is wrapped in the most amazing wrapping. It has the brightest colors. It's called love...Will you exchange your gift with them this Christmas season? 

I know first hand how precious their gift is. I feel it every day.  It's a gift that brings, uncontainable joy, peace in your soul, and love that will last a lifetime and beyond... it wows me.

You might ask but if this is a gift exchange what do I have to give them ?? Will it be precious to them? Will it bring joy to their hearts? What I have to offer Them is so insignificant in comparison. 

They do not ask for gold or precious gems... They get excited when you find time to share your life with Them... They adore you when you give Them your unselfish unbridled love... I personally feel our love feeds Their life source. (see 1 John 4:7-21)

They crave to be precious in our site, every race, every color in every corner of the world... They give the gift of Their Love freely, without boundaries, without qualifying factors... They just ask that you share this gift of Love with your family and friends and beyond... He is the most precious gift we can share!!! 

It’s Him, it’s always Him

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Mark 10:14.

Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you, Isaiah 43:4-28

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How vast is the sum of them! Psalm 139:17

Photography Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube  

Jesus Loves the Little Children

The meaning of guide a person who advises or shows the way to others:

The word guide is used approximately 92 times in the Bible.

When I think of a guide my mind sees someone who processes the knowledge to teach me and show me the way to my destination.  We come across them many times in our lives. Some have amazing storytelling skills. Some have such a beautiful sense of humor and make the journey memorable. Some stick to the facts... But all show us something to remember. If we enjoy the time we share it with others and give time a nice tip. But the most important thing is we share our time. 

Each time we embark on any type of transportation there seems to be a person that is in charge.. a guide.  What is it they have in common? They have traveled to the destination, They have gathered details they find interesting to share... But the most interesting trait I find is trust… There are times we trust them blindly... For instance, when we board a plane we put our lives in the hand of our guide.  Some trust them 100% some carry major anxiety aboard, and there are those that say a quick prayer in hopes that Jesus will keep them in His care. But all place that blind trust and faith that our guide will get us home safely. 

When we look for our guide for life who do we see? I have been shown the best travel agent. He knows me and what my dream destination would be. But He knows that there is so much still to do to get ready for such a long journey. He has shared with me some details. He said it is the most beautiful location I will ever witness, nothing on our earth can even compare. It's a place where love is fully seen and given without boundaries.  Many beautiful souls are already there.  And many still will join.  There is amazing music that fills the air. There is a peace that speaks to every heart.

I stopped and asked Him to tell me. Tell me what do I need so I can be ready... I do not want to miss this lifetime opportunity.  He said, "The answers are in the travel guide." "Many call it the Bible."  I said, "How do you know me so well?' He said, "His Father tells Him everything…" I said, Who is your Father? Do I know Him? He chuckled and said yes, "He is your Father too."  

With a very perplexed look, I said, "Who are you?" "What is your name?"  He said, "Many call me Jesus." "You have called me, Yeshua..."

 I stepped back and said, "but how did I not know it was you?  "Because I come to you when and how you need me." "Today I come to you as your Guide…" "So do not waste even one day… " "Love like there is no tomorrow."  "Show compassion to others." "Forgive the ones who have wounded your heart." "And Love our Father with all your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind.." "You can trust me I will guide you home…" "That is where LOVE lives." 

It's Him, It's always Him. 

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1John 4:8 

And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28

Photography Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube  

Foy vance ft ed sheeran guiding light lyrics BATB

• Something deep in all of us yearns for God's beauty, and we can find it no matter where we are. ...

Meaning of look: an act of directing one's gaze in order to see someone or something. 

The word 'look' appears 322 times in the NIV, 153 in the KJV.

How do we look but do not see? What is it we are looking for in this life? Are we searching to fill a void in our soul... Many push through but are not satisfied with what they see or who they have become... There is a hunger, a thirst, and a desire that can not be quenched!  When we look with our human frailties we will never truly see the answer. 

It’s not until we tap into our soul and truly look for God will we see His beauty, His grace, and the fullness of His love... It is everything you have been told and more.   It is that missing piece of ourselves that can only be filled by our Creator... So why is it that we do not look for Him on a consistent basis?  Many have studied the word. Many go to church for answers... Many never cross over from the mind to the spirit. 

When you open our hearts and your spiritual eyes. A beautiful transformation begins.  We begin to see Him in everything in our world and beyond.. You will begin to see His fingerprints embedded deep within every line, every stroke, every crevice ... We just need to retrain our brain to lead with our soul and look for His clues... He has left them everywhere!! I truly adore discovering them ... It warms my soul and brings tears of joy that fall softly upon my face. 

I challenge you to start by looking in a mirror... Who do you see? Do you see the miracle before you? Do you see His mystery? Do you see His creation? I do believe many of us take Him and our miracle of life for granted. Many only look to Him when it’s convenient. Or when we hit life milestones, or feel pain in our hearts, or a just simple celebration of the holidays occur. I pray that starting today we open our hearts and souls and train ourselves to look for Him at the start of each new glorious day... Look and appreciate His many wonders... Do you ever imagine what it will be like when we look upon His face??

Close your eyes and open your soul and look for Him with your spirit... Tell me what do you see? I will share what my mind's eye has seen in many of my meditations... I have gazed into His eyes, I  have witnessed His beautiful smile, His chestnut brown hair...He is there,  He alive within...  He lives within our hearts.. and His stirring can be felt in our soul... Never stop looking for Him... He is the answer!  He is the love you have been searching for... He is the peace that will engulf your soul... He is Heaven on earth.  JUST LOOK.....

It’s Him, It’s always Him. 

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth John 4:24ESV 

Photography Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube   

Beautiful by MercyMe (Lyrics)

Meaning of favor: feel or show approval or preference for: 

In the King James Version of the Bible, the word "favor" occurs 117 times.

Favor what does this word “favor” truly mean? God’s favor ?? Is this status obtainable in our lifetime ??  Do we rack up points by accomplishing good deeds? Personally, I believe it goes much deeper... How do we understand and measure up to His standards? Does He expect too much from us? Do we even recognize it’s His favor? What is it that speaks to our souls ?? What makes us yearn to hear or feel that we are in God's favor or His good graces? 

Being in God”s favor what an amazingly splendid place to be!! Can we just sit here and soak in His presence and feel His LOVE !! That in itself is in my opinion to feel His favor... And on that note, I can only say “WOW”... 

“So yes being in His Favor is obtainable? Deeds can help if they are executed with kindness, love, and from a pure and unselfish heart. Search your heart. “ What is your motive ?”  

I believe If we conduct our lives with the goal of being in His “Favor”... We will grow. We will change... We will become better humans. But I believe,  We have missed the true and pure meaning of being in His Favor... It’s a special gift from our Heavenly Father our King. Unfortunately, not all of us will acquire the qualifications required. 

His favor can not be bought or sold. He gives it freely to the humble, pure, loving hearts... I believe we can recognize His favor because it is delicately wrapped in His beautiful love.. 

You will be so close you will hear His whispers of love in the depths of your soul.

Unfortunately, there are those who fall short in seeing His blessings as a favor and they do not give credit where credit is truly due!! Some are so self-absorbed they miss seeing the gift. His Favor truly is a heartfelt wonder of a spiritual undying love. If you are blessed enough to find His Favor.. hold on to it tightly.. cherish it and behold its beauty. 

It’s Him,  It’s always Him. 

“For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”

Psalms 5:12 KJV

“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52 NASB1995

Photography Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube  

Michael W. Smith - King of Glory ft. CeCe Winans (LIVE CONCERT VIDEO)

If this world was made by a triune God, relationships of love are what life is really all about. 

Timothy Keller...

Meaning of Him: used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a male person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified.

"his wife survived him". Himself.

The word Him is in the KJV 5,465 Instances. Wow, but that does not surprise me.

For those of you who have joined in on our enlightened word study. You have come to the realization that I end most of these posts with the statement It’s Him, It's always Him. Some will think in their heart of God the Father. Others will think of Jesus, and yet others will think of the Holy Spirit. I do believe there is no wrong answer. Most will think of the dominant one of the Trinity. The one they relate to or spend the most time with.  

For me when I speak of Him, They are one... They are one in my mind, one in my heart, and one in my soul... During this amazing journey of discovery of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit it became crystal clear. He is all... It is Him. He is ONE. 

I do believe there are some that struggle with this concept. Because I know I did, I found it confusing. I even asked, Who do we pray to? But I feel they slowly opened my heart, my soul, and then my eyes, to an enlightened spiritual understanding.

I personally find His ability to be everything to everyone, A major part of His beauty. His willingness to love those that seek Him is such an amazing gift. It does not matter who you are or where you have been, or what you have become. He loves you without boundaries. Without judgment. Without self motives… It's pure, It's light, it's beyond our earthly understanding. 

When we seek Him it will be for different reasons? It will be at different times in our daily lives. It will depend on where we are in our lives, which facet of Him you will see, feel, or hear. 

Again I do not claim to be a scholar or to have all the answers, I can only share from my experience and my heart. When I look for deep wisdom or unconditional love I seek my Heavenly Father. 

When I feel lost or need a friend, or just need to be loved on a spiritual level or if I feel my life’s struggle is beyond my capability I find Jesus. He relates to life as a man who walked the earth.  He has been loved unconditionally by our Heavenly Father and has felt the intimate sorrows and victories that life can bring. He knows how it feels and can soothe our souls.  

And lastly but equally as important the Holy Spirit. He is our confidant, our teacher, our friend He brings God, and Jesus alive in our souls. He is the very essence of God's breath… They are so beautiful and intricately woven. Their bond of love is the most powerful bond in all the heavens and earth... And they willingly open their hearts to anyone that seeks their face, anywhere anytime, and in any circumstance. 

I call them LOVEs… Because I see ONE LOVE. A love that transcends all time and space.  So when I use the words LOVEs or Him. Know that to me they are all-inclusive they are my Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I love the ONEness of Him. 

It's Him. It's always HIM.

“In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.”

John 1:4 AMPC

 “And you are in Him, made full and having come to the fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].”

Colossians 2:10 AMPC 

Photography Design & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube  

This I Believe (The Creed) - Hillsong Worship