Great leaders instill a sense of meaning and belonging in their followers by putting the personal imprint of who they are and what they stand for on their people.” Kevin Leman... 

Meaning of Shepherd, A person who tends sheep. Someone who watches over, and looks after, or guides somebody.

There are approximately 40 verses in the King James Bible that refer to the word Shepherd. 

The most famous Shepherd in history did not lead animals but lead souls... His earthly occupation was a carpenter?? Say what? Wait. A carpenter, not a Shepherd? A carpenter is someone that has a keen eye for detail and can create something from nothing...

Doesn’t it seem odd? That we think of Christ as a Shepherd instead of a carpenter? 

Why did He choose the Shepherd as the image for us to grasp the hidden meaning behind His teachings...? He is such an amazing mastermind!!! There is no one greater!!! I love how He has intricately tied all the details of this amazing LOVE story together. His mystery has kept His Children interested since the beginning of time!!!  He has yearned for our love and has been guiding our hearts home since Adam’s creation on earth. 

The human mind is so weak in comparison to His vast and beautiful mind. We seem much like sheep, limited in our thinking and we need more... We need His Guidance...

We need a role model!!! One that we could relate to on a human level... We need someone that has felt the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat... 

So, in His usual way we needed and He came... He offered His own life to teach man how to live and love from birth to death...

I wonder would we have followed God without question?? Would God’s presence be too powerful for the human mind to comprehend? Or would our human weaknesses lead us astray like Eve? 

I am sure Elohim gave this master plan a great deal of thought and consideration!! 

But why a Shepherd?? Let’s start by looking at a Job description of a Shepherd. 

Job description: 

1.        Day-to-Day Care of the Flock. 

2.        Dealings with the Outside World on Behalf of the Flock 

3.        Foresees Danger

4.        Leads and Guides the Flock 

5.        He learns the strengths, weaknesses, and personality of each one.

6.        The Shepherd trains the sheep to hear only his voice.

It does seem the Shepherd 

makes perfect sense.

The Shepherd had such an important role since the Old Testament.  They cared for, protected, and guided the spotless lamb for the altar sacrifice to God... 

Hmm God knew "the shepherd's" capacity of love, care, and guidance. And He also knew He would become "the shepherd’s" prize, Lamb. The ultimate sacrifice to God... 

As He stepped into His earthly skin to save mankind... He came with the inherited skills of the creator. (i.e., carpenter) But His mission was to intricately lay out all the pieces of His life, to save all His children. He gave us that tangible role model ... a visual... a love offering that goes beyond anything of this world.  We lovingly call Him Jesus. 

This Heaven-sent Shepherd has been whispering words of love to His soul-filled sheep, since the beginning of time. He has been guiding their hearts home ever since Eve fell from grace.  

His masterful plan has been playing out since these words were spoken: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The question becomes ... Do we know our Master's voice? Do we appreciate the artistic merit of our Creator? Do we love Him for sacrificing His royal life in Heaven to become a Shepherd of souls? Do we love Him enough to follow Him??? 

I will share with you... 

He has captured my heart...

I have heard His alluring voice whispering a love song to my soul .. He has shared with me that this Love Story has no end!! 

It’s Him, It’s always Him 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake. Psalms 23

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Good Shepherd | Mercy Hill Worship

❝Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.❞ - A.W. Tozer...

Meaning of complacency, A complacent person is very pleased with themselves or feels that they do not need to do anything about a situation, even though the situation may be uncertain or dangerous.

We located thirty-eight verses about the word complacency in the KJV of the Bible...

Are we stagnating in our own self-worth??? Are we driven by the race to possess more things than our friends and neighbors? Are we building a facade of life so others can be envious of just how grandiose our life seems? Are we filling our lives with possessions while our soul silently cries to be filled by a love they once knew??? 

There seems to be an emptiness in an unsatisfied soul... Do we try to rationalize these empty feelings??? Or do we just fill our days with activities to distract us from life... Are we going through the motions?? 

Or is there more??? I will confess I was in that state of complacency... But one day God stepped in and jump-started my stagnant heart... And from that day I have been on the most amazing spiritual journey of discovery.  My value system seemed to shift, and I found joy in the simplest things, I began to breathe fresh cool air ... My heartfelt freedom to love, unencumbered and my soul began to appreciate life and love like never before...  

The chasing of things of this world began to slow down... And I began to chase God... because I found He was my lifeline and what my soul craved most. He was the hidden answer I unknowingly kept hidden in my heart... 

But with one spark He captured my full attention. 

And then He seemed to fill my very existence with a love like I had never felt. He became oxygen to my soul... He is as important as waking up each glorious day... 

I will admit there are times even in this blissful state of walking with God... Life happens, challenges happen, and complacency can get the best of us...

But we must be diligent in our commitment to spending time with Him. Let's not become robotic in our worshiping and loving God. 

Many have shared with me they read His word daily. They do their daily devotionals. They go to church every Sunday... They join small groups.  These are all wonderful learning and sharing tools ... 

But... are they enough? 

There is nothing in this world that replaces spending dedicated time with Him... Talking to Him... Get up close and personal!  Ask Him... what can I do for You today? 

There is a love exchange that happens in our hearts as we respond to His amazing love...  

The love rush can be difficult to contain let alone explain. 

However, I find that He brings a freshness, a rejuvenation of the heart and soul as He anoints us with a love that is not of this world.  

He wows me!!! 

There is no room for complacency when you are filled with His LOVE... With just a whisper of my name, I am done... 

It’s Him, It’s always Him... 

Lord help me. I never want to become robotic, unfeeling, and numb... Give me all of you ... today... tomorrow and forevermore ... I am yours 

Like an idiot, you’ve turned away from me and chosen destruction instead. Your self-satisfied smugness will kill you. But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous, that one will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.” Proverbs 1:32-33 TPT 

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. Luke 12:19!

Now your souls will be strengthened and healed if you hold steadfast to your faith. Haven’t you already experienced Jesus Christ himself living in you? If not, you are deficient. I hope you understand that we cannot be devalued. But we pray to God that you will be flawless, not to validate our ministry among you but so that you may continue on the path of righteousness even if we are denigrated. 2 Corinthians 13:5-7 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

 Beautiful Ambience 😌 Relaxing Harp Music for Peace 😌 Heavenly Harp

Has your heart been touched by Jesus? 

Then the Holy Spirit will touch your heart and soul. This past week I kept seeing the verse in Acts 4:13.  Especially one part of the verse. 

”And they recognized that they HAD BEEN WITH JESUS”. 

 Another translation says......

“Then they began to understand the effect that Jesus had on them simply by spending time with Him”.

Peter and John spoke with BOLDNESS about Jesus to anyone.  This day they had been talking with the religious leaders.  Leaders who did not like the name of Jesus.  They told Peter and John not to speak about Jesus.  Peter and John said, “we cannot keep from talking about Him”.   After warning them two more times Peter and John went to the other believers and rejoiced together and prayed.  

Did they pray for protection?  NO.  They prayed for more BOLDNESS. 

Two things hit my heart this week. 

       1.    Believers are known by the time they spend with Jesus.  Is He always on our mind?  Do we dig deep into that well of His love and compassion?  Do we feel that response from Him as we tell Him we love Him?  Are our steps ordered by Him? 

       2.    Peter and John said to the leaders in verse 19, “is it better to listen to you or to God”?   Are we so hampered by worrying what others will think?  I will say that I have been many times.  It hurts to think about it.  He is the Holy One Who humbled Himself and came to earth to save me so I might walk with Him here and spend eternity with Him.  

As I shared the word BEEN it led me to these two thoughts.  There is really no option.  Is it my heart's desire to spend more time with Him and to be bold?

Time with Him is purest joy.  So love Him with all your heart, soul and mind. 

If you want the whole story read Acts chapter 3 and 4.

Photography by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

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Give Me Jesus - Fernando Ortega + Lyrics

“A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love.” - Mother Teresa

In biblical usage, the term "purification" refers to a certain rite in the external worship of God. Purification seeks to remove legal uncleanness so that the purified individual may resume normal activity in society

There are 28 verses in the Bible that point us to the word purity. 

Are our thoughts and actions pure? Are they clean from judgment, hate, and discord? Are they from a beautiful place within our hearts or are they tainted from the darkness that can overshadow our very existence?  Do they weigh us down or do they give us the passage of amazing freedom!! 

I do believe it’s a daily struggle!!! Our human DNA makes us work really hard to achieve even the slightest improvement towards purification... It’s a moment-to-moment decision... Do we have the strength to withstand the temptations and harshness of our troubled world ?? Or do we join in the chorus of discord and lash out with our thought or remorse??

What is a pure heart? How do we attain one? And if get close to having one is it sustainable ?? 

I can only share my thoughts and my flight to freedom experience...

As we try with all our strength to obtain this status we will find that it is not achievable without God... We must surrender our ties to things of this world... We must give Him our heart and ask Him to help us become better humans each and every day... 

He knows our heart better than we can ever imagine. He sees every thought, every action, every word that is spoken... 

I can say as we travel closer to His heart we will begin to understand Him.. and our desire will be to please Him ... We will learn to listen to that so small voice from within ... And They will guide your thoughts, actions, and our hearts. This process is getting you ready for the most amazing journey we could ever aspire to travel... 

Into our Savior's arms... where the purest heart can be felt within our yearning souls...

It’s Him, It’s always Him!!! 

He holds all the answers!!! He has traveled this road before us !!  

And He knows we are forever a work in progress!!  And yet He loves us anyway!!! 

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

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A PURE HEART WORSHIP SONG BY HILLSONG WORSHIP (LYRIC VIDEO)

What is this magnetic pull you have on my heart? What is this love I feel so deep in my soul?? I yearn to hear you whisper my name forevermore you are my beloved and I am yours. 

Beloved is a quaint and lovely name for someone. 

It is used 60 times in the Bible. 

We have lost this name over the years in the church.  We have gone after other things. How to start a small group.  A better way to save souls.  The best way to study the Bible. How to draw people into a beautiful Church. 

All this time we should have been seeking Him. The one who loves us so.  Seek me and find me if you seek me with all your heart.  When He comes, he draws all men to Him? His beauty and love open the door for His presence among us.  

Repent of seeking everything but the one who is worthy to be sought.  The Beloved who comes when we call.  The one who will shower down on you all the love you have ever wanted.  He longs for us.  His presence above all else will set our soul on fire.  He will envelop you in His arms.  He will hold you close.  He will never leave you. 

Seek Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.   Do not turn aside from this until you find Him.  You will never be alone.  All you will need to do once you have found Him is to just get quiet for a moment and say, Jesus, I love you.  He is there so willing to whisper to you how much He loves you and desires you. 

He delights in you and one glance in your loving eyes, and He is undone.  His love for us is so strong.  Yes, in His presence is where we want to be.  It is where we belonged since we were a child.  Loving Him. 

It has always been Him!  

Written by Joann Turnbull 

Photo by Ana Paula Lima from Pexels

Sinners Prayer

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EVERYTHING // Lauren Daigle (cover)

I will ask, Father “Teach us how to love like you!” 

Meaning of taught past tense: taught; past participle: of the word teach. To show or explain to (someone) how to do something.

We located 79 verses in the KJV Bible.

Are we open to learning? Are we so full of self that we have forgotten the art of listening? Or are we so distracted with technology, and life that we can not turn our focus to God for longer than a few hours, on a Sunday morning? Can we turn off our outside stimulation long enough to hear His voice, see His wonders and learn something new? He is such a wealth of information! And He is so willing to share it with those who are hungry to know more... 

Throughout history, we can study many cases where He gave them the knowledge to learn and experience many life lessons.

If we travel back to the beginning of time... To the time of Adam and Eve’s creation ... We find scriptures that teach us that they were made in God's image.. However, they were not born as an infant they were created as an adult in physical features. However, I believe they had to be taught everything... They were not created all-knowing... God Himself had to share His knowledge of how to survive in this new amazing world He created for them called Paradise ... I am sure it was an amazing time... Much like children they must have had the excitement of discovering new things!!! The couple forged ahead and grew in knowledge with each new day. But we all know the story.  They acted like children and tested God's authority and disobeyed His rules ?? I believe that many of us today display the same behavior.  They allowed ungodly voices to distract them?? They were enticed by a distraction that held hollow earthly promises .. They showed weakness and fell into its snare. And as you know they ate the forbidden fruit which lead them astray? 

There does seem to always be a deep price to pay for actions that go against the teachings of God... Harshly they were banished from everything they grew to love..  They gathered the lessons they had been taught and traveled out into a scary world. Where life trials became more difficult than they had ever dreamed... I am sure they yearned to return to the once beautiful simplistic life they had grown to love ... 

But even in the most difficult times, there are lessons to be learned... Do we become bitter? Or do we ask for forgiveness?  Do we silence our minds and humble ourselves before our Creator? 

God may have banished them from the garden but He never banished them from His heart.. He still loved them even after their fall from His Grace.. 

However, because of their human weaknesses, God laid out a plan to save all future generations. 

He orchestrated the biggest visual aid just to teach the greatest lesson to all mankind. He gave the world the most amazing gift!!! .. He gave us a piece of Himself... We call Him Jesus... born as an infant... He needed to learn all that God required of Him.. He was taught by the greatest teacher of all time!  He was taught by the Creator of all things! Our Heavenly Father .. 

The difference between the two historical stories is Jesus made the time to listen... He spent many hours getting to know God’s heart. He grew in His knowledge of The Father and shared it with the world...He learned and obeyed the rules... He loved His Father so intimately His obedience came naturally... He never wanted to disappoint His Father...

His life reflects the wisdom that has taught many life lessons to all generations .. God filled this willing vessel with the knowledge to complete His mission on earth. Together they blazed a path for all mankind to receive redemption. They taught us the valuable lesson of what it means to be chosen as a child of God. 

We recognize that there is a price to pay for this knowledge... but what is the tuition for such an amazing degree??? And are we a willing vessel to learn such wondrous things from God? These life lessons do not appear the same to all students... 

They are taught by the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit... They come to us through many resources... we have the basic knowledge... of Reading, Writing, and Visual aids...They know how to stimulate our individual mind, our heart, and our souls... and the biggest lesson that is the most common thread throughout all people and lessons is to love... To love Him !!  To Love Him First...  

 He has placed such amazing value on our individual lives... He has never given up on us !!! Not since the beginning of time... He was even willing to sacrifice His own life to prove just how much He loves us...

The question becomes can we sacrifice the time to study Him? Can we commit to removing all distractions and spend the time to truly get to know Him intimately?  Can we live a life that will make our Heavenly Father proud? What would we sacrifice to prove we love Him with the same passion that He loves us??? Just how good of a student will we become? Will you pass or fail? Will you do your homework?? After all your future for eternity depends on it... 

If you need special remediation call Him... He has all the answers !! 

It’s Him, It’s always Him... 

Jesus continued, “It has been written by the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God himself.’If you are really listening to the Father and learning directly from him, you will come to me. John 6:45

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

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Spirit and the Bride (Official Music Video) Sea of Galilee, Israel ~ Joshua Aaron

"Eclipse of the light of heaven, eclipse of God - such indeed is the character of the historic hour through which the world is now passing" ~ Martin Buber

Meaning of a Lunar Eclipse: an eclipse in which the full moon passes partially or wholly through the umbra of the earth's shadow. 

There are 9 verses in the Bible that point us to the word Eclipse. 

This is such an amazing event. I wanted to capture the moment. However, I fell asleep early... and I did not prepare my camera to capture the beauty or significance of such an amazing moment in history... 

In my deepest state of slumber, I suddenly woke up ... at exactly 1:39 ... give or take a few sleepy moments… And as I became aware of my thoughts. I remembered the Lunar Eclipse... I grabbed my iPhone and my jacket in hopes that I could catch a glimpse of this once-in-a-lifetime event... 

As I stumbled to the back porch ... My eyes began to focus on the illumination I could see in the blackened sky directly in front of me... I was mesmerized for a few moments, and I felt God woke me up at this very moment so I could witness His lunar creation ... I attempted to capture the image with my iPhone... But I could not capture the true essence of its beauty. I knew as a photographer, I could get much closer to the moon and document this moment in time. I grabbed my work camera and zoom lens. I stood on the back porch of my home in Triune, TN. And as I brought the viewfinder up to my eye I witnessed the breathtaking view. I indeed knew I could capture this beautiful moment. 

The sky was dark but clear, the air was cold and crisp and the stars twinkled. As I stood watching the moon shadow dance with earth in the vastness of the universe that God created...

I stood there in my PJs, staring into the illuminated dark sky, as tears began to roll down my cheeks... 

I could only ask myself, what kind of mind creates such wonder??? 

It’s Him! It’s always Him... 

As the sun began to usher in the morning. My curious mind wanted to know more about this Godly phenomenon. I needed to understand the Heavenly connection. And then I found this… 

Did you know that some scientists and scholars have discovered, That there was a partial lunar eclipse that occurred on what we now know as April 3 in 33 A.D., the day some think Jesus died?

I do believe that scripture confirms that there is a heavenly connection to all events that happen in the Heavens and Earth. I feel these events tug at our souls... 

The question becomes do we sleep during these events...? Or are we awakened from our slumber… just in time to stand ready, gazing into the night sky. In hopes of witnessing prophecy being fulfilled!!!

And as we stand there in awe... we can only whisper… 

He's here... 

“The sun will be turned into darkness. And the moon into blood. Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. Joel 2:31

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

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All My Tears

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” ― Ernest Hemingway

Mark (letters, words, or other symbols) on a surface, typically paper, with a pen, pencil, or similar implement.

There are 91 verses about writing in the Bible. 

Writing has never really been something that interested me... I became a photographer so I could capture the beauty of life with just one image...  And that seemed to satisfy my need for creative expression... 

But one day that all changed! It changed just as fast as the shutter speed on my camera could capture the moment.

I am still not sure why but God decided to give me a story to share that could not be fully shared without the heartfelt expressions of words... So, He freed my once bound heart ... and filled it with a LOVE that I could not contain!!! Tears began to flow, and I found my voice... and a pen. 

I started this amazing writing adventure by writing love letters to Him... I found a richness in Him that was not of this world. I am not truly sure how it happened, but I fell in love with Him?  I was not accustomed to sharing my spiritual heart on such a deep personal level... Where did these bottled-up feelings for God come from??   How do you express this heavenly relationship? Photography? Writing? Music??  He knew me better than I could ever know myself... He knew how to reach places in my soul that I never even knew existed ...I found that He was teaching me the art of the written word because He used this art to create a masterpiece of wonder!! Many call it the Bible! He has used this tool to communicate with His children for centuries...  

Why would He not touch my heart and plant the desire to write within me? Why would He not use writing as communication tool to talk to my heart ?? I am not sure if He meant for me to share this gift with the world or was it a personal gift to help me find my way back to Him.  Interesting enough I have found many of His children began the art of writing because of their own journey with Him. 

He knew!!! He knew that my heart could not keep these words bound in my now freed heart! I had this burning desire to tell the world how amazingly wonderful He is!!! There is no way I could keep the gift of Him a secret!!!  

Sharing Him brings such peace, joy and love to my soul... 

Whether it’s in an image of a delicate rose, a smile from a beautiful child... or any subject matter... I always see Him!!! All my writings point to Him!  

And well the music? I will admit I am not a musician, but I am a music lover ... And I have found He speaks to me through the lyrics and songs.... And when all 3 collide ... I am done!!  

He WOWs me like no other!! 

It’s Him! It’s always Him. 

I still write love letters to Him everyday ... many call them prayers... I call them Heartfelt. 

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So, you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man Proverbs 3:3-4 

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation21:5 

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35.

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

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Good To Me - Audrey Assad