The word occupy means to take back and keep that which is His aggressively.
Occupy is used 45 times in the Bible.
He is coming again in the same form as He left. Two thousand years ago, He ascended into the clouds. Are you looking for His return?
While we wait, we are to occupy? What does that mean today? If you follow Jesus, what are you doing to occupy?
Are we taking a stand in this world? Do we have influence in government, entertainment, the education of our children, and the technology that every child and adult holds in their hands every day?
Do we complain there is no prayer in our schools?
If we are to occupy, take, or possess what is His, we must be bold. He has given us the talents and gifts we will need. He has given us His love, His power to speak, to write, and to share His wonderful message with the world.
In the Old Testament, there was a man named Caleb. It says that when facing the enemy, he had a different spirit, and he followed God fully. That different spirit in Him said our God is mighty, and with Him, we can take the land, even the giants in it.
We can also say this: The enemy is defeated. Our Father has given us the tools to occupy and stand strong. We can wield His sword and shine His light in the darkness that seems to be trying to take over our world. Let us join our hands and our hearts and hold fast our positions. I urge you to discover your talents and gifts and use every possible way to share Him!!
He is our hope for a brighter tomorrow.
“And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”Revelation 1:8
Yesterday, I had the desire to paint… I was not sure where this adventure would lead… With gentle music playing softly in the background… I decided I would work on improving my painting skills. With no pre-planning, I began to paint a face to work on the eyes, nose, and mouth… As I continued to apply the layers of paint. He soon revealed Himself… A warrior with a mission.
This image brought me to this descriptive Bible verse in Revelations 1:14. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire.
Many questions began to dance through my head as I continued to paint. Many will become scared, frightened, and overwhelmed when reading the Book of Revelation. But the bigger question is, how can our Lord and Savior be scary? Why would we fear someone we love with such a spiritual depth? Will His children see Him in all His loving glory? While the unbeliever sees a different image, perhaps a frightening image?
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder… I know that every event in life is perceived differently depending on our vantage point… Personally, I feel that the love I have felt will not allow me to be frightened. His love gives me the overwhelming desire to be a witness to His triumphant victorious return… When I can gaze upon His beautiful face. And whisper. It's you! It's always been you.
Sometimes He takes me places that only my heart can feel...
I am here...
This love is not of this world. I found the beauty of your face is not to be gazed upon with my eyes but to be felt in the deepest chambers of my soul.
Souls that intertwine can never be undone... I am yours and you, are forever mine...
"Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you." Matthew 7:7 TPT
“The Hebrew word most commonly translated as wait (wait upon the Lord) is, qavah also means to tie together by twisting, or entwine, or wrap tightly.”
To those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ. May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!” Jude 1-2, NET....
Wrapped in His love.
Wrapped is mentioned 54 times in the Bible.
The meaning of wrapped is to be clothed.
There comes a time in our lives when we realize that He will wrap us in His arms. We long to know this love. We may know the love of our parents or our spouse, but we long to be loved by a deeper love. This love comes to us as we understand that He is a living God who loves us and desires that we love Him.
When we completely surrender to Him and say we can’t drive this car. I am going to let You drive. At that moment, the Holy Spirit takes over. Your spirit becomes entwined and wrapped together with His. He will never leave you. He has been whispering to you, “Who are you looking for?” You know you have found Him.
Our spirit becomes one with His. We have the same goals and desires. Before, we tried to cover ourselves with a blanket of self-righteousness that never fully wrapped around us. We are now wrapped in His righteousness. There is peace in every circumstance that now comes our way—a freedom that only He can give.
He wrapped Himself in a human cloak so He could wrap His cloak of love, freedom, and peace around you.
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has clover me with the robe of righteousness…. Isaiah 61:10
This has been an amazing Journey of words, friendship, and love. I never in a million years would have envisioned that I would be writing, let alone that my work would be received worldwide. We have published two books that are selling on Amazon. It sounds too good to be real, right!!
But you see, I was just a passenger on a trip of a lifetime. God had a plan to use my abilities (some I did not even know I had, LOL), but evidently, He did. I remember praying and asking Him to let me touch just one heart in His name. Let me share this love that fell into my soul that faithful day in May.
I should have considered who I was talking to, and in His extraordinary way, He delivered. I now realize He used this experience to teach me many things. And if you felt the overflow... We were both blessed by a God who still works miracles.
He still blows my mind. Thank you to my beautiful Triune (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) Family and Friends for sharing in this magnificent spiritual journey.
Wishing you all a day filled with His abundant LOVE!!!
Special thanks to Joann Turnbull for the many hours of supporting this adventure and for sharing life.
He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in the heart and soul of the keeper.
Meaning of keeper, a person who manages or looks after something or someone. “Keeper in the English-language Bible is one's master or supervisor, not simply one's caregiver.
There are approximately eighty-four verses that refer to the word keeper.
When I think of the word Keeper, I hear these words in my mind...to hold, to care, to cherish, to love, to hide in our hearts.
But do all “Keepers” have good intentions??? Or are they self-serving?? Are they truly caring? Do they put others' needs before their own??
Do we have something in our possession that requires a keeper? Do we feel we are in control and have no need for a keeper? master? Or supervisor? Do we have all the answers??
I can only speak from my own experience...
In looking back at my life when my children were small, I was given the job as their keeper... God loaned them to me for such a short while. They had no choice but to grow up and blaze their own path in our world. When they were small, they thought I had all the answers... They had complete trust. But as they grew their wings. They discovered I did not have all the answers... I was held to our human standards ... and I did the best I could... To-date I am still a work in progress ... and I have discovered that I need a keeper...
Unfortunately, I was not aware earlier in my life that God had appointed one for me... Who knew?? But one day the Holy Spirit stopped me dead in my tracks. And God finally revealed to me who my appointed keeper has been. He told me even though I did not know Him for much of my life... He knew me from birth... He has never left my side... He has been watching me grow into the woman I had become... I thought I had a normal existence. No major setbacks. and I was my own keeper... boy was I wrong lol
It seemed my soul had been bound by this life. I had built walls to hide... I had become isolated and kept my feelings hidden deep inside... But my keeper came to rescue me. He came to love me, to care for me... He came to free my soul and make me whole...
As my heart opened to Him. I began to trust Him...and my soul could finally breathe... I began to recognize His soothing voice and feel His amazing LOVE in the most intimate places in my soul and I fell in love. He is the most amazing soul I have ever grown to know... I have willingly given Him my heart to hold until I can look into His eyes... and tell Him how grateful I am for always being with me! For always loving me even when I did not know Him... I thank Our Heavenly Father for appointing me the best Keeper a girl could ever pray for... Thank goodness unlike me He has all the answers... And as His child, I just need to listen...
By the way, His name is Jesus. and I have promised Him that I would give Him great recommendations to anyone that is searching for a keeper!!!
He has decades of experience. He is one of the best at multitasking!! His wisdom blows the human mind... and His heart, His heart is my favorite part!!! He loves unconditionally and without boundaries... So, when looking for a keeper choose Him!!!
Always choose Him!!
He exceeds my expectations on a daily... He wows me... He can wow you too!! Invite Him to be your keeper you will not be disappointed!!!
“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.”Psalm 121:5 KJV
“For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”2 Timothy 1:12 KJV
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
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22..
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
“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
Artis thegiftofGod andmustbeused unto His glory. That inartis highest, whichaims 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.
“We ourselves feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Mother Teresa
As I close my eyes… I can feel the gentleness of the ocean breeze and taste the salt as it rests upon my lips…I can hear the rhythmic movement of the waves… as they call me home… This is my escape into my peaceful abyss… Far from the world where hate and discord seem to be rampant. People have lost the beauty of life itself… I have been given the power… the vision… and a love that stretches far beyond our world. These gifts can mold us into what God has envisioned us to be…. It’s a power that rests in our minds… in our hearts, and in the depths of our souls…
Only He has the power to release the beauty that lives within!
It's Him. It is always Him… and I am undone!
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.Matthew 16:26-27
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.
