Turn your eyes upon Jesusand thethingsof thisworld will grow strangely dim InspiredbyJohn 8:12
The meaning of Gaze is to look steadily and intently at something, especially at that which excites admiration, curiosity, or interest:
As we gazed at His beautiful words we found eighteen verses that contain the word we were so diligently searching for…
Do we gaze with our soulful eyes? Or have we become so human that our souls have lost their way ???
How can we look for something to fill the void in our lives… and still not see… How do you fall in love with someone you can not gaze upon … How does our heart yearn to be in His presence? How does our soul thirst just to hear His beautiful whispers of love…
What is this magnetic pull He has on the amazing souls that He so loving created… Do we yearn to gaze into His eyes… Will we be lost in the moment? Will our words fail, as we fall deeper into His gaze?
As we continue on this journey of life… We can only imagine…
What will that day bring? Will I be able to contain my love for Him, or will my excitement seem like that of a child? Or will my soul be so overwhelmed by His beauty that I am not able to move? Will I be mesmerized by His inviting smile…
And if He opens His arms will I melt upon the floor beneath my feet… Or Will I willingly jump into His embrace ??
There is no greater love… that will engulf all of our senses…
It’s Him, It is always Him.
For now, we can only close our eyes and dream of being drawn into His Gaze…
If we've responded to His gaze by recognizing His love and by loving Him back, then He has given us the mission of setting the world ablaze with His love.
To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.
St. Augustine of Hippo
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Proverbs 4:25-26
“And fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.”
Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.
Meaning of long-suffering having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people.
This word is not a word that I wanted to research or even feel…
When we look at Galatians chapter 5 verses 22:23, we will find the “Fruit of the Spirit” listed as follows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;.
Life has its beauty but how do we learn to appreciate the beauty? I believe we must have opposite feelings, so we have a base of comparison…
For instance, how could we recognize Joy without knowing sadness? Peace without conflict? Patience’s without impatience? kindness without unkindness ?? And the list goes on???
Strangely enough, when I looked up the opposite of long-suffering, I found the word blessed!!
But how can we find the blessing in Long Suffering? If I transpose the words they would read Suffering long!!!
No one in their right mind would want to own these words... But for this exercise, I will put my mind on hold and look at this word with my heart and soul...
How could that be a blessing?
Long-suffering is a heart-crushing feeling that leaves scars... It has no defined timeline.
But what life has taught me is Long-suffering is a great teacher!!! Those scars serve a beautiful purpose.
We live in a beautiful but challenging time. So many things to experience in one’s lifetime.
The pain and suffering are real but always remember you are not alone... He stands by our side through all our trials. He wipes every tear... And His beautiful peace will engulf your soul and joy will come in the morning...
It's Him... He is our joy, our love our peace...
However, do we even think of His suffering on the cross? Do we think of His daily suffering?
When many souls do not even acknowledge Him. (sad)
Do we not love Him as much as He loves us?? I believe It wounds His soul and breaks His beautiful heart...
How deep? How long? Will we let His Long-Suffering go on??
He had to ask Peter 3 times in order to get the true answer “ Do you love me? “
If He asks you today! Do you love me? How would you answer??
Would you hesitate or would your answer roll off your tongue like sweet honey...
Yes!! I love you. You know I love you.
I feel it is in each one’s power to lighten His long-suffering one heart at a time...
It's truly about Him! It's about loving Him with all our heart, soul, and mind...
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. “This is the first and great commandment”
This is the greatest blessing a person could ever achieve!!
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).
Written and Art by Lori Garner(Image Enhanced by AI)
“The only way you can reach your full potential is if you open up and allow yourself to be exposed to how you really feel.” ― Turcois Ominek
Meaning of exposed: open to view: not shielded or protected
The word exposed is in the Bible approximately 74 times
When we expose our true raw feelings to the world it can be a difficult, heartfelt task. We share and then hold our breath. We sometimes start to second guess ourselves ...
But then we ask ourselves what is our motive? Why are we opening our hearts for possible rejection, ridicule, or negative comments?
I can only speak from experience... God gave me a story to share... and not sharing His story would grieve His soul... and that would wound my heart for longer than I care to even imagine.
As I began to study this word my mind drifted to my youngest grandchild. She is such a refreshing delight... But the one thing I have discovered about children is that they do not hold back they will tell you what’s in their hearts and on their minds.. without any filter.. even if it scares, hurts, or makes you laugh... and then they let it go .. without another thought.
So what happens as adults? And why do we find it difficult to talk openly about so many subjects? Subjects like God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. This subject makes many uneasy. Or uncomfortable. Some engage willingly and it brings joy to their soul, some run. The conversation about our Creator should be as natural as enjoying a beautiful breakfast or taking a shower. But it is not. So many hide and many do not talk about the most important relationship in our lives.
The ones that bravely step out and open their hearts and souls. Take that chance, but they do feel exposed and have moments of insecurity.. they feel vulnerable.. a word I have grown to respect.
But there is a beauty in exposing one's true self if you can share the most incredible love to anyone willing to listen ... It is like taking a deep breath of fresh air into your congested lungs. Your heart becomes lighter and your soul feels freedom like never before. I find it’s much like childbirth... there are pain and suffering but when they lay that beautiful child in your arms, and you look upon their tiny beautiful face... the pain and suffering become a faint memory and soon fade from existence... He heals our hearts, loves us through the pain ... He loves us far beyond our imaginations!
He has exposed hearts with His love since the beginning of time... it’s what we do with this love that matters most...
It’s Him, It’s always Him.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-15
So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtakes you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. John 12:35 ESV
Isaiah12:2 - “Behold,Godis my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; forthe Lord Godis mystrengthand my song
The meaning of gird: Prepare oneself for action.
I have been given the task of tackling this very odd word…
“Gird”…
I find this word rolls off my tongue much like a guttural sound or growl.
I believe this word is not used in today's modern world… So let’s roll the clock back to a time long ago.
When men were men and women were viewed as inferior souls… But we’re we?
I know of a man that walked the earth, humbled Himself but had and still has the power within his soul to fight and win any battles… He is a Kingly warrior in every sense of the word… He has that unique power under the control aura that surrounds Him.. He is a beautiful site to behold!!
Through His life and teachings, He has taught us that we are all equal and loved dearly by this great and noble warrior… but does this love have a cost?
Many say it free …. But is it?
Do we need to gird our path with His pillar of strength? Is this life we are living our daily battle cry? Is it a journey that we all must embark on? Our souls are born with a beautiful soulful mission to discover the path to our Savior's heart. Each of our paths is uniquely our own... There may be stumbling blocks, trials...and challenges...
Have you ever heard the “ Roomer” that one day soon He will return? It will be an amazing time. But I wonder how many will be ready??
What did he mean in the following verses?
Jesus is quoted in Mark 8:34-35 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
And then in Philippians 4:6-7, He is quoted
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So when we make that commitment to pick our cross, we must ready ourselves for the battle ahead... He never said it would be easy. But He has promised gifts that are not of this world…
When we accept the gift to follow Him. He will gird our lives... He is that inner strength that most of His followers do not even know they possess.. until they are tested … Others will witness this peace, this strength, this love … And this life event is God's messenger’s opening to share his amazing love story !!
To feel His strength and love well up in your soul… will leave you awestruck and your life will never be the same..,
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.Colossians 3:14...
His mission on earth left a legacy like none other. His life and love were so grand they could not be stopped even through death...
It is documented that He uttered these words “It is finished” But as He was reborn into the spirit perhaps, He uttered “It’s just the beginning.” His work of loving unworthy souls will never be finished!! His love is new, fresh, and everlasting not even death could contain it!
Most paint this moment to show the agony and suffering He endured. My heart is wounded by this moment, but my soul revealed that yes feel His pain… remember His beautiful sacrifice. But paint the peaceful moment when the fragile human body could no longer contain the amazing gift of the soul…
The soul is Free… Free to return to its first love … There is a sad somber moment for those that are detained on earth within their human existence ...
Are we sad for them because we will miss them? Or does our soul have that unique understanding and yearning to return home hidden deep within.
Perhaps we should celebrate our soul’s freedom as that marvelous moment when we are no longer bound by our human frailties, limitations, and our body's inability to sustain life.
It’s that awe-inspired moment when we can finally gaze into His loving eyes, as He smiles, opens His arms, and welcomes us home. And the earthly souls will witness a bodily facial expression of a beautiful peaceful surrender that comes from falling into His arms.
For those that have felt His great love on earth, I feel it is only a fraction of what we will experience on that destined date with our beloved Savior…
We can only imagine!!! ❤️❤️❤️ The BEST is yet to come!! And it’s only the beginning!!!
Now, it is God himself who has anointed us. And he is constantly strengthening both you and us in union with Christ. He knows we are his since he has also stamped his seal of love over our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit like an engagement ring is given to a bride—a down payment of the blessings to come! 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 TPT
“Age wrinkles the body; quitting wrinkles the soul.” - Douglas MacArthur...
Meaning of quit leave (a place), usually permanently.
We located twenty-five verses that talk to our hearts about the word quit.
I QUIT!!!!!
Things are just too hard... I cannot take another step... People just don’t understand!!! What am I doing wrong? Where am I failing??? Is it me? Is there just one person in my world that understands??
They say we should be happy.... but they do not finish the statement by saying not all are happy...
It’s been a trying time for so many hearts these last couple of years... Many of us struggle just to put one foot in front of the other... medical? financial? jobs? pandemic?? variants?? LIFE? ... Where and when will it end!! Problems seem to be magnified this time of year...
How do we go on.. our world is so fractured... My heart is heavy... The air is thick, am I drowning... How do we heal? How do we mend our own hearts?? What can we do to settle our minds and soothe our souls...
Have you heard that nagging whisper in your soul...?
Quit!!! Thrown in the towel... Life is too complicated to continue!
We know these are not the words that God would whisper... Get to know God's voice ... Do not be fooled.. by the imposter. The imposter will rob you of the beauty of life.
Let’s open the book that contains God's own words and see where His words lead our hearts...
I feel I must go to the man I have grown to love and trust... Many have heard the stories of His life trials and what He had to endure.
Do you ever wonder how many times Jesus felt like saying to our Heavenly Father,
I am tired of trying... they just don't get it !! They just do not understand!
"I quit!"
There is a saying ... Do not judge until you have walked in their shoes...
He was a gentle kind soul with a mission to love... He was persecuted, shamed, spit upon, tortured?? I cannot even imagine?? The thought crushes my soul. But I thank God and love Him for having the strength to persevere...
But what was it that set Him apart???
His mission looked like an enormous mountain, way too difficult to climb... He indeed must have felt discouraged, depressed, and perhaps overwhelmed... He even asked His Boss (God) to take this cup from me...
Why didn’t He just say I quit?? He could have quit so many times... He could have just walked away... He could have taken the easy way out...
But where would that have left us ??? All of humanity would have been lost and our existence may have become extinct ...
However, there is good news.
He knew that one day you and I would need Him... There would be a day that we would cry out bewildered and confused. HELP ME Lord, I can not face this alone.
He knew without a doubt that He LOVED us far beyond our own human understanding. He knew in His heart that He held everything we could ever need in the palm of His scared hands.
Can you even imagine being loved by this kind of love ?? He loves us more than He loved His own life... How were we so blessed to receive this beautiful gift from heaven?? How did He find the strength to endure life struggles on earth?? How did He show such strength during His death?? How? Do ever ask “Where did this inner strength come from??” He felt pain and shed blood and He carries the scars of life just like you and me.
But what made Him different, What set Him apart?
He carried a secret in His heart ... He knew He was special in the eyes of God... He was chosen ... His Heavenly Father loved Him with a love that defies all human logic... Before He arrived here on earth, He must have felt His Father’s, great love. He felt how amazing this gift of love can be. He knew that He craved it and would do anything within His power to return to His Father's arms. He never wavered He kept His eye on the prize.
But that was not all He knew...
He knew all of God’s children are special in God’s eyes. As a child of God, we were also chosen, and He loves us far greater than any love on earth...
And when we turn our page to Jeremiah 1:5 we can see that we felt our heavenly Fathers' great love... even before we were born... How amazing is that!
So when the imposter whispers in your ear “quit”!
Remember God loves you... Keep your eyes on Him ... He will give you the gift of inner strength. He is the magnificent prize that awaits...
He is whispering in your ear...
Follow me!!! Follow me our Father awaits ...
It’s Him, It’s always Him!!!
He never will quit loving us far greater than we even deserve...
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
A fountain of life was in Him,for his life is light for all humanity.And this Light never fails to shine through darkness. Light that darkness could not overcome! John 1:4-5 TPT
“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
Don't quit - Help is available ... Talk to someone... YOU ARE LOVED!
I wasrunningfrom my call and destiny. I want to encourage you today to STOPrunning!Runtoward the destinyGodhas for you. Nicky van der Westhuizen...
The Hebrew word for “refuge,” machaceh, refers to a shelter from storms and danger.
This word is not a word that came to me… It’s a word that fell into the heart of another…
This word seemed to haunt her thoughts. And as I pondered this word I became more aware of how my day unfolded…
I stay swamped like most people in this troubled world… We can find ourselves distracted, overwhelmed… disenchanted with life… For some life seems to have lost its beautiful luster… But there is hope…
Can I share my secret? Can I share my most hidden treasure? Can I share with you the beautiful love that I have discovered !!!
When I get to that place when life becomes heavy and too difficult to understand …sad.. displaced.. unloved...
I think if only I had a place to hide? A place where no one could find me. Even if it is just for a moment in time…
I close my eyes.. play the music that speaks to my heart and soul… and it is there where I find Him… My beautiful Savior!! He comes as soft as a summer breeze. His voice whispers a love song that speaks to my wounded soul … I can hear His heart rhythmically beating its peaceful life source into my very existence…
He is my beautiful refuge. He is my peace! He is my first love… There is no other that can take me to this paradise found within…
Just breathe… and take in His beauty… and a peaceful love will soothe your soul in this troubled world…
It’s Him... It’s always Him…
Thank you my beloved for clearing my mind and filling my heart and soul with you!!! I run to you...
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest..
2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” And Philippians 3:14 says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
“Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount-that is the measure of God’s love for you.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf....
That is a vulnerable act as you give God access to every area of your heart. You hold up the past; you trust Him with today, and you have hope for tomorrow. - Suzanne Eller
Meaning of fragment: a part broken off, detached, or incomplete...
The word fragment appears approximately seventeen times in the King James Version of the Bible.
This is a curious word, and I am not sure why it fell into my heart... However, I had a few thoughts that kept playing over and over like a broken record in my mind...
Do we allow ourselves to love fully or do we only give a fragment of our love away??? Do we withhold love in fear of getting hurt, looking silly, or perhaps because of earthly opinions from others???
I do believe it’s a human trait to selfishly protect ourselves from injury or heartfelt pain. However, I have been blessed in my life to witness a few people that put their lives on hold for others. They possess the most unselfish hearts and seem to be rare souls.
And then my Heavenly Father pointed me to this verse in “Colossians 3:12-14..."
Where it states, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Should we strive to be that selfless caring soul? The words “Perfect Unity” spoke to my soul ... To possess perfect unity, one must not be fragmented... One must love from our whole heart ...
Do we exercise all the virtues outlined above or do we only exercise fragments of the fullness of God? He has spelled out the keys of loving with your whole heart in this passage.
But then I became singularly focused on my Heavenly Father’s Face and I began to ask myself a very important question? Have I only given Him a fragment of my heart? Have I committed to love with the richness He has shown me? Or have I been afraid to commit to Him fully? Why do we hold back from our Creator? Why are we unwilling to give Him our whole heart? Why is the decision to love Him the way He loves us so difficult??
I feel it takes the heart time...
Time to learn how to trust Him... It takes time to know and understand Him. We must spend time with Him each day to feel His beauty, His Holiness, and His undying Love... Once He has drawn our hearts into His sacred kingdom of LOVE. We will willingly give Him our whole heart... This total commitment frees our heart to fully love Him unencumbered and from the purest of intentions ... We will experience beautiful freedom of the soul ... A freedom that can only come from Him... And the virtues from above will start to flow from your heart with greater ease... You will begin to share these gifts with other souls in hopes that His circle of LOVE becomes complete... It's at that moment we realize that we are not just a fragment of His chosen people. But we have become a part of His much bigger and more masterful plan of loving for eternity.
Where we are free to experience His fullness, His grace, and His beautiful everlasting LOVE...
He is the most important key that can make us whole... Our Creator yearns to bring our fragmented hearts and world back to “perfect unity”
It’s Him, it’s always been Him.
I can only humbly say here is my heart Lord it’s yours. Make me whole... Teach me how to LOVE like You, unencumbered and pure...
You still WOW me!! And I am forever your work in progress.
Mark 12:30-31, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment… There is none other commandment greater.”
