Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. 

Meaning of draw pull or drag (something such as a vehicle) so as to make it follow behind: an act of selecting names randomly, typically by extracting them from a bag or other container, to match competitors in a game or tournament:

There are approximately 35 verses that point to the word draw in the Bible. 

How does one possess this magnetism that draws one closer and closer??? What is that element that sets them apart? Through life, we can see this in people we may know. And there are some we know through the persona they display to the public. (i.e. movie, television, radio personalities, politicians, sports figures, etc. ) Many follow them and watch their every move; they hang on to every word, and they spend absorbent amounts of money and time just to watch them speak or perform. So, what draws us? What is that magical formula? Is it called charisma? Is it our wish to be in their light overflow? What is the gain? How does that create value in our own lives?  

There will come a day when we will ask ourselves, did our heart misguide our lives, or did it keep us on track? 

Were we drawn to the one that will add the most value to our lives? Were we drawn? Or did we chase? I have been drawn to the “ONE” that will enrich our lives more than we could ever repay... He is a public figure that has been known to draw many hearts. His magnetism has transcended time and space since the beginning of time. Many follow His every move. Many hang on every word. He offers this gift for free. I do believe I now have a better understanding of how this magical draw works... 

It comes down to how it makes us feel. Does your heart dance with excitement just to hear their name, see them, or hear their voice? Do they fill that void in your soul? Do they have your best interest in mind? Do they know your name? Do they offer you life everlasting?   

I only know of “one” life source that can claim all the above...If you would take a moment and look into your heart and analyze what has that magical draw has on your heart ... 

Is it one-sided? Or is it a mutual love that pulls us closer and closer? Our Creator touched our souls before we were born. He gave us a taste of His love, and we have this yearning embedded in our souls to chase it.

So my question is still the same: Are our hearts misguided? Do we chase the “ONE” that will add the most value to our lives? That answer is a personal one, and it’s between you and our Creator. 

For me, the answer is simple. His value is beyond anything we could ever imagine!!!

It’s Him; it’s always Him.

Draw me after you, and let us run together! Song of Solomon 1:4

Photography & Written by Lori Garner Model 

Sinners Prayer

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Pull me close 

The meaning of sustain is to strengthen or support physically or mentally. 

We located eleven verses that point us to the word sustain.

Life has so many twists and turns… what gives us strength to endure? What is that human trait that gives us the fight to go on?  Everyone on this planet has difficulties of some type! At some time.

I have no words. How can I write about a word that is so difficult to own? 

Do we feel lost?  Do we feel abandoned? Do we feel alone? 

The answer is yes to all of the above… Especially when we forget who our Father is!  We will have moments of doubt and uncertainty when we stop searching for His beautiful Son. life can become difficult to sustain… When we stop feeling the nudge from the Holy Spirit… we may feel abandoned … and void of substance.

So, how do we sustain a life of beauty, a life of peace, and abundant love!! We must do the work!!! A relationship with Him takes work! It takes commitment! It takes nurturing a love that is beyond our human understanding!!! 

How? How do we find this euphoric state of mind? 

Start by asking Him into your life!!! Talk to Him about everything! Meditate on His word! Be still and listen for His soothing voice!!! Spend time with Him!!  He will take you to places your heart could only dream of… 

He sustains me in this troubled world!! He gives me the strength to dig deep into my soul… and experience a spiritual love that only He can deliver … 

He is the nucleus for sustaining life!  But more than that, He teaches us the beauty that can be found in each given day, no matter the circumstances!   

It’s Him! It’s always Him!!  

Photography & Written by Lori GarnerModel : Gia Gamboa

Sinners Prayer

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

https://youtu.be/xzbitP0rk_o?si=qATWRFc6XjAWQc9u

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.” — Nicholas Sparks.

Meaning of codes, a system of words, letters, figures, or other symbols substituted for other words, letters, etc., especially for the purposes of secrecy.

I could not find a count for this word but, I have fallen into a subject larger than I can understand in my lifetime? God is such a mysterious wonder. His beautifully written word holds so many clues… So many souls and scholars have tried to dig deeper to unravel His hidden treasures… 

But where do we start? Who among us has the answer? 

I do believe there is a mathematical thread that runs through this literary masterpiece we know as the Bible.  But what is He trying to teach His children? 

In my search, I discovered something called "Gematria Numerology". There is a way to calculate a Gematria value (Hebrew numerology) for a given birth name or any word by an association of each letter to a value from 1 to 400. 

It seems that the Hebrew language is far better suited to find "hidden codes" more than most languages due to the language's characteristics. This is probably why most programs only work with the Hebrew alphabet.

I feel I could spend the rest of my life trying to crack my Father's code. But as these images of Numbers, words, and verses began to swirl in my head faster than I could even begin to decipher… I became overwhelmed with the task at hand… 

So I stopped, inhaled, and closed my eyes… and found that if I let the Holy Spirit open my heart to His teachings He will unveil what He wants me to know at that perfect moment in time… 

But then I began to question. Do we get so bogged down in the dissecting and the research that we forget to just close our eyes and let Him teach us? Are we so impatient that we need immediate answers?  Or do we make the choice to just trust Him with that childlike faith? 

Don’t get me wrong I believe part of knowing Him is to study all we can. But it is equally important…  to NOT allow ourselves to get buried in our books… that we take our eyes off Him…  He is our path, our light to discovering who He truly is… Spending time with Him is better than all the books that have ever been written… 

To simplify my life …and to quench my thirsty soul’s curiosity… He gave me these numbers “831234”. And because I had no clue what He was trying to say I googled “831234” …. 

Do you know it means "I love you today, tomorrow, forever!."

And that is the most important lesson that we can ever decode… 

His mystery, His gentle teaching…His love… 

Just spend time with Him… let Him speak to your heart and watch your understanding grow… 

Yes, He wows me!! 

It’s Him, it will always be Him! 

He has asked me to now share this with you!! 

“831234”

Then the disciples came and asked him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ He answered, ‘To you, it has been given to know the secrets* of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.” With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
“You will indeed listen but never understand,
and you will indeed look but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes: so that they might not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn—
and I would heal them.” 

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Matthew 13:10-16

Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

Mystery (Hidden Things) - VOUS Worship (Lyrics)

Art is the gift of God and must be used unto His glory. That in art is highest, which aims at this ... – Michelangelo. 

I was gifted a 5x7 canvas… typically the smallest canvas I paint on is 11x14… So I thought, what could I paint on such a small surface? Hmm, perhaps I could create a colorful abstract? I picked several primary colors tuned into music that spoke to my soul…

And color me surprised His beautiful face always seems to appear….

I call this one…

“The color of love!!!”

Do you see His beautiful face… Do you hear His sweet whispers? Can you feel His warm embrace? He is the amazing colors of life!! 

It’s Him. It will always be Him!!

(ELOHIM)

God’s Love and Ours

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:7-12

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinner's prayer 

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Forever in Love - By Kenny G,

Can you hear the noise???

Life is a jungle out there. Just listen. Can you hear the chatter of the animals? Lion, tigers, and bears?  Oh my. Fear and uncertainty of life seem to grip my soul…But as I hide beneath the weight of the heavy foliage, I realize that to survive, I must slowly make my way through the thick, dense, scary forest of life …

Then, suddenly, I hear a beautiful melodic sound in the distance. I seem to be magically drawn to His sound. This intoxicating rhythm spins around my head…and engulfs my senses.  My fears seem to vanish like a vapor in the wind.  A peaceful forest of love can now be felt deep in my soul…I can once again breathe… 

Life tries so hard to rob me of my peace. But the minstrel of my soul once again tames the wicked jungle of my mind… can you hear His intoxicating song calling? 🎶😀🕊 

 “If you cannot find a good companion to walk with, walk alone, like an elephant roaming in the jungle. It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress.” — Gautama Buddha.

But then again, we are never alone... He is always with us. 

It's Him! It's always Him!! 

The lion, the king of the jungle, who is afraid of no one.

Proverbs 30:30 TPT

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinner's prayer 

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

This symbolism is used in the bible over 150 times. 

Am I in too deep to fully understand? Where is this land so dark and cold?  I have tried to escape this oppressive darkness that lives just beyond the perimeter of my mind… But the enemy has discovered my location. They seek to destroy my peace and erode my confidence! My heart is pounding, my mind racing as beads of sweat slowly drip from my brow… Am I defeated? Am I a lost soul? Doubt is swirling throughout my ravished existence… Will I lose my will to survive? Am I slowly losing my grip… How will I find the strength to endure?? 

As I rest in this negative moment, I can hear your soothing voice say lean into me, my child. 

We’ve got this!! 

And as those words become alive in my mind … I feel your presence so strong as you press your soul against mine… It is there we become the power of one! It's there; I have found a strength that I did not know existed!!! Your courage and heart are the reason I will not be defeated!! I will stand! I will draw my sword! And I will fight until I draw my last breath. Your love has become my shield and my purpose. Your forgiveness has become my peace. 

Teach me your ways… You are my gentle giant!  You have brought me from the pit of darkness into God’s heavenly light…  I will only surrender to you! I will only bow to you, my King!! It’s you! It's always been you!!! 

Thank you for showing me your power and grace… and for loving me far more than I deserve!!!

It's Him. It will always be HIM !!!

Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll. Revelation 5:5 

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinner's prayer 

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Never Walk Alone (Live at Team Night) - Hillsong Worship

“I'm glad to be alive in a world where his gently awakening eyes nourish the morning sun.” - Sanober Khan...

The meaning of dawn is the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise.

We located 24 verses that speak to the word dawn.

As the time of peaceful slumber fades, I can hear a whisper in my soul: awake, my love, awake… The darkness of night will slowly dissipate as the beauty of the sun’s new light breaks the horizon…

The room is quiet; there is a strange silence in my mind… my eyes are closed as I linger in the moment… It's a time of waiting, a time of yearning, a time of searching my heart, and of deep reflection. 

I so long to hear His voice … I long to feel His peace. I long to feel His presence. He speaks of forgiveness… He speaks to my heart of supernatural love; He speaks of a joy that surpasses understanding. 

He sees through me like a glass pane. He sees my strengths, weakness, and all my flaws… He holds my vulnerable heart and soothes my aching soul… 

I will crave His spiritual presence until the end of time… Who is this marvel that comes to me so softly in the morning light... who has such power over my life? Who has willingly shared Himself with me? Who is this incredible soul that has found me when I did even know I was lost?

It's Him. It has always been Him. 

It has been quite a journey, but I will admit it has finally dawned on me that my life will never be the same.  

I have fallen in love, Dawn.   And the stillness of His presence!!!

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinner's prayer 

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour (Lyrics)

Life Is Short. Eternity Is Long. Live Like It.

The meaning of vapor is a quantity of visible matter, such as gaseous water, diffused through or suspended in the air. 

I located forty-eight verses that speak to the word vapor. 

I played music, settled in, and began to pray… because I needed God's help in understanding where this white smoky substance would lead me… My mind drifted to a place where my God seems to appear in my mind… But as soon as I saw Him, He disappeared, and I heard in my soul the word vapor. And just like that, He vanished. 

I did not understand. So, I sat up and went to where He has taught me so many things…. “His Word” … He delivers them to me with such mystery that my curiosity to discover more becomes overwhelming… 

He began to speak softly to my heart.  “I am yours for eternity... This life that so many desperately try to hold is truly just a vapor in the wind."

It’s not often I think of my life disappearing from this old crusty world…But today, He brought me here… Time is fleeting… Days are getting shorter …  Are we fulfilling our destiny to love and be loved? Or are we so busy that we are missing our true purpose??? Love is a beautiful gift from our Creator that will stand the test of time!!

He is the Rauch of my life… He is the very air I breathe... He is the vapor that intertwines with my soul…  His Holy Spirit dwells deep within the very essence of this borrowed life.  His spirit of love is the gift for all souls for eternity!! 

Do not let Him disappear like a vapor in the wind…Feel Him in your soul… Cling to Him… Tell Him you are His forever more. 

It's Him!!! It's always Him!! 

Ruach (pronounced roo-akh) is the Hebrew word for spirit, breath, or wind. When spoken, the word engages one's breath and lungs.

Psalm 39:5

You, indeed, have made my days short in length and my life span as nothing in Your sight. Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor. SelahPsalm 39:5

You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” James 4:14.

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinner's prayer 

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Casting Crowns - Who Am I (Official Lyric Video)

"God is Great'' means God is the greatest of all, and nothing is Greater than God because He is the Creator of everything, so he is above everything and, therefore, Greatest.

Meaning of great: an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average.

We located 66 verses in the Bible that refer to the word great.

Oh great…. How have I been given this word to explain where my heart has traveled… 

When we think of the word great, do we place the word in the same sentence when we speak of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit!! 

Or do we let Him stand-alone… 

Do we speak of His greatness? Or do we take Him and His amazing love for granted??  

Many only call His name when they need something. Do we understand the magnitude of His heart… I cannot even begin to wrap my head around someone so great… I do not understand how He has loved and protected me since birth… He has never left my side… it was me who did not acknowledge His beautiful existence!!! 

I will admit since I have felt Him in my soul, my life will never be the same.  How does He do His work??  How does He have the power to sustain His presence in our world for so many decades? How has He had such an impact on humanity??  How has He created our world and the beauty of this vast universe??? How does everything point us to His beautiful Son… Jesus??? How does He send His Holy Spirit to live within each of His Children??? How did I fall in love with Him??? Is this even possible?? I say… without hesitation … yes!!! 

It’s Him! It will always be Him. 

It will not matter how “He” touches our lives… There will be a day when we will all fall to our knees and acknowledge Him, for He is the Greatest lover of souls…  and I love Him more each given day!!

He still WOWs me!!!

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; Psalm 95:3-7

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinner's prayer

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

How Great Thou Art w/ lyrics - Anne Murray

  “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Darkness to light? 

How?? 

Do things happen by chance, or is there a lesson in everything we see, hear, and touch? Do we experience the moment, or are we so busy we dismiss things without thinking deeply??  

I thought I had come close to finishing this painting. I put my brushes down on my color-filled palette. The room had become dim as the sun had begun to set… I sat across the room in my comfortable chair. There, I started to listen to a song that lured me into the moment. I studied the painting as one would to see what I needed to do to improve the image… My hands can never seem to convey what my heart sees and feels… 

And as that thought darted across my mind… I looked out the window to see the sun moving towards the earth's horizon in a slow, deliberate descent… As I brought my eyes back to my canvas, I witnessed Her illuminating light kissing the face that rested so peacefully on my easel … The light started at the edge of the canvas and began to dance slowly across His face!! I was so moved by the moment. 

The dimly lit face soon showed light where darkness once stood… but the shadows still remained… And this thought-filled moment brought me here… We are all made up of light and darkness.  However, I am confident in saying it’s where we position ourselves in the Son that matters most… Be the light… do not hide in the shadows, or the darkness will consume you… 

He is the light source that draws our souls… He is our only choice!! 

It’s Him! It is always Him!   

This Image and I are a work in progress.

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer