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Meditation Moment... 

The sounds are the ocean waves lapping on the seashore... The view had the sun glistening gently on the ocean surface as waves kissed the shoreline... There is a ship bell ringing at a far distance. My heart always calls upon Jesus in my meditations, and He never disappoints. 

My mind's eye sees Him standing barefoot on the shoreline in an off-white cotton robe.  His eyes are fixed on the vast ocean in front of Him. A gentle breeze is blowing through His brown wavy hair, His skin is tan, and He has a golden glow from the sun shining upon His beautiful face. He turns away and begins to walk on the shoreline, leaving footprints in the white course beach sand.  I slowly stepped into the footprint He left behind; I was like Cinderella trying on her glass slipper... One foot then the other, my feet fit in the middle of His print with room to spare. I could feel the warmth of the sand between my toes.  The ocean breeze blew my hair, and my flowing white dress danced across my legs. I could smell the aroma of salt in the air... 

I kept my eyes focused on Him as He slowly continued to walk, leaving me His foot imprints on the shore to follow... But then, He motioned with His hand to follow Him, and I followed Him for what seemed to be a very long distance. With each step, the water line crept closer, and warm waves began to rush over my feet, filling the prints with sea foam bubbles. 

The tide called the salty water to return to the sea, and our merged footprints were soon swept away... 

He turned and said, “Come by my side and walk with me,” so I joined Him. We walked without words until we found two old-fashioned beach chairs sitting just at the water's edge... He motioned to welcome me to sit. I did, and He joined me in the other chair ... Without speaking. He then reached out His hand; I joined His hand with mine. He gently held my hand as we watched the skies sweep in various ribbons of pink and blue hues... We could almost hear the water sizzle as the sun began to dip its beauty into the dark, glittering water.  We held on to the moment for a while, but then the moment ended ... No words were needed.  

This beach escape engulfed all senses with a peaceful harmony and radiated love to my heart like no other...  

If I still lived in Florida .. I would be finding the closest beach to return to the scene. ⛱❤️😍☮

Art, Photography & written by Lori Garner 

Bible Collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Trinity Music | Anointed One

Take me with you... 

Passion Week is such a spiritual time of remembering. As we move past this time of year, do we embrace His significance to our world… During this time, many will visit a church or perhaps find a quiet moment to say a few words of thanks. Do we celebrate Him this week and then find ourselves moving on and going on with life as usual?  

Or does His memory linger on our skin like the dew that clings to the vine? Do we take Him with us as we enter the next chapter of our lives? Do we reflect on and understand the magnitude of this monumental gift of love from God? 

Emotions can run from complete sorrow to unexplainable joy!!! The sorrow is heartfelt as we relive His life and what He endured, but is our joy self-serving? The answer to that question, my friend, is personal. 

I feel a humbling gratitude for His undying love! It is such a beautiful, unselfish love.  I feel so in debt to Him for giving me life… His gift of life will hold my soul for eternity… 

His love is bittersweet…

It brings me to tears to think of the cost…it brings me to my knees in complete surrender … it brings my heart to a love that I find hard even to explain… 

It’s Him!!  It’s always Him!!  

Close your eyes and invite Him into your world. Linger here with us for a while! I am undone…

Remember me, O Lord, in Your favor toward Your people;

Visit me with Your salvation, Psalm 106:4

Art, Photography & written by Lori Garner 

Bible Collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring Music by (YouTube)

Adoration (Live)

Meaning of Resurrection is the concept of coming back to life after death.   

The word “resurrection” appears 56 times throughout the books of the Bible. 

Whenever I have heard or hear the word  “resurrection” I have always thought of Jesus... Even before I truly knew Him... But I knew enough of the story from movies that this word seemed to always point to Him... 

But as I travel on this spiritual journey ... Words that point me to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit have taken on a deeper meaning.  So how do we understand this phenomenon we call resurrection? 

The Bible is always a great source for our soul to understand the spiritual essence of where we come from and where our final destination resides. It's our road map to life and beyond.

Resurrection is such a beautiful and yet powerful word... 

One must die in the flesh before this activity can begin. This concept is truly mind-blowing. 

But wait. If we truly believe in the Trinity and the promise of eternity, we are taught that we serve an amazing God and that all things are possible.

As we are resurrected, we will all travel into this amazing spiritual dimension, like everything we experience in life. 

Jesus did the same. He came to experience the humanistic side of life on earth. His mission here was to lead us by example and teach us many lessons about life, love, and our Creator. 

His resurrection taught us of His heavenly power. It taught us about His undying love for mankind...He taught us to not fear the things we can not understand. He taught us to trust our Father with our life. 

As He inhaled His last breath, He uttered these painful words...  “It is finished. Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit." 

I can only imagine at that very moment in time there was a love outpouring from our Heavenly Father that is so powerful it breathes new life into His beautiful soul. It's a LOVE that gives us newfound freedom and understanding. We will experience peace and joy that is beyond man's limited understanding.  Our soul will be resurrected and transition to a new spiritual existence with our loving Creator. What a beautiful travel destination. Jesus spoke of this paradise. 

Jesus’s gentleness, His Love, and His resurrection have always been the light force guiding us home. 

I thank my Heavenly Father for loving me so much that  He resurrected my once dormant soul... because I was spiritually lost... He tried many times over the years to get my attention... But I was not tuned into His frequency... It actually took an act of God to get my attention...  and on the day the Holy Spirit touched my life, He awakened my spiritual soul...It's been an amazing journey of discovery.  And due to my experience, I feel that there seem to be many forms of resurrection. 

But as we all know, Jesus is the ultimate example... because He could be physically seen by those who loved Him... His resurrection confirmed to the world that His mission was complete, and now His followers need to pick up His cross and continue to share His Love and legacy for generations to come. His life is such a love story!! It speaks volumes to our thirsty souls. Yes, He is alive, can't you feel Him? Can't you hear His sweet voice whispering your name? His love will tug at your heartstrings until you are willing to surrender your heart.

It’s Him. It’s always Him. 

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:21

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Inspiring Music:

Auli'i Cravalho - Feels Like Home (Lyrics)

“Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; forty years learning he was nobody, and forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody. D. L. Moody

Meaning of Christian relating to or professing Christianity or its teachings. 

The word Christian is only mentioned three times in the New Testament. 

As strange as it may sound to many I do not use the word, Christian... I truly don't know why? But like many things in this amazing journey with God. I do not have the answers... It seems that my heart just instinctively knew that I had to follow this great LOVE that fell upon my soul on that monumental day in May of 2018. 

At the time, I had no idea where this love came from or what it was... But it placed a hunger in my soul that could not be satisfied. The more I discovered the more I became enamored with this Godly presence. From the outside looking in people would see me as a ”Christian”??? 

It sounds like a label I could proudly wear across my chest. So why did I not throw the word ”Christian” around while I traveled this most amazing journey... 

Come with me as I try to unravel this word.  What is the mystery of why I never call myself by this label? Don't be critical or discouraged if you use this word that is perfectly ok... God knows our hearts and our intentions and gives us all such unique and diverse opportunities to truly know Him on an intimate level. 

So let's discover how the word Christian came to be and if it fits our individual needs. 

The three places the word Christian appears in the Bible is in Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16

And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples (A) were called Christians first (B) at Antioch. Acts 11:26 

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:16

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian Acts 26:28

After diving into this word. It does seem to be a label given by the government of Rome to a group of disciples and or churchgoers... 

I am set aside. I am a follower of Christ. And if you must label me you could call me a ”Christian” you would probably be right. However, I have discovered in this world of labels, labels seem to create division... 

However,  I have also discovered that His love can build bridges between all diversities... One day we will all discover that we are truly all one world ...  under ONE great LOVE... under one supreme God.

Once bitten by this LOVE there is no turning back.

So call me what you will... I know who my heart follows... And you can call Him Jesus Christ... My Lord and Savior... 

It's Him. It's always Him!!! 

And if you must label me you can call me a Child of God...  Now that's a label I can live with!! It speaks of the power of His Love for His Child... He loves me... and that is a WOW... 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube) 

Who You Say I Am - Hillsong Worship

She will always see her precious little boy. 

As a mother, how do you reconcile the fact that your child carries the weight of the world on his shoulders? How can you deal with seeing the pain in your Child's eyes? How do you stand at His feet and watch Him take his last breath?  Witnessing this must have put a rip in her heart so deep she felt it was beyond repair... She must have suffered every wound, every tear, and every drop of blood that fell. The anguish must have been beyond comprehension.  She gave us such a precious piece of her life. She gave us her beautiful son... She was just a child herself when he was born. But she trusted God to hold her hand through her life's trial. 

Even knowing how important His role is, the loss must have always haunted her soul.  She was left behind with all her human frailties to embrace and understand the magnitude of His life.  Only her Son could deliver such an amazing gift of peace and healing to her heart. I am so grateful for them and their sacrifice.  

When you look for strength, remember this story of a mother and child and their journey. It’s unconditional love at its finest and the most beautiful love story we will ever know. 

Today, let’s remember the sacrifices they made for the greatest love we will ever know. 

 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Luke 1:46-47 KJV

Photography, Art & Written by Lori Garner  

Bible Collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Sinner's Prayer 

Inspiring Music: YouTube

JJ Heller - Still My Little Boy (Official Audio Video)

CeeLo Green "Mary Did You Know" Official Music Video - The Bible Series.mov | FOX Entertainment

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14... 

Meaning of rejection:

 The dismissing or refusing of a proposal, idea, etc.

We located 20 verses that deal with that ugly word rejection... 

Rejection is a heartbreaking action word... And difficult for me to understand.  Sometimes, it is blatant and in your face. Other times, it is as subtle as fumes from a smoldering fire.... Both leave reasons that will forever burn a scar in the fiber of who we become. The wound may fade over time, but the heart will carry the scar.   

Rejection stings; humans can be so cruel, cold-hearted, judgmental, and self-centered. I have witnessed rejection happen at any age, gender, or race... There is no respecter of person. 

When you feel you have connected with someone or yearn just to be a part of something more than yourself. 

You can become vulnerable as you open your heart to the risk of acceptance. You may even get close enough to share life and dreams and make precious memories. 

And then, without any provocation or signals, they sever all ties and shun your very existence.  

Or worse, sell you out for just a few pieces of silver! Your emotions become a roller coaster as you begin the rationalization process. You begin to question if it was something you did or if there was something you could have done differently. You question their heart and motives. 

Regardless of your thinking, rejection is difficult and hurtful. It cuts deep into your soul. 

How did Jesus deal with rejection? 

God knows firsthand the cruelty of rejection!! He has been rejected by some of the ones He has loved the most!! Sadly, He is still rejected by so many!!! If rejection hurts us so much, I can only imagine how great His pain must be!! 

Do we ever stop and think before we act? How are we so cold that we reject His love, or for that matter, love of any kind? 

How did we come to reject the one who gave us life? The creator of all things! The one who loves us more than life itself! He has proven His love in life and in death. 💔 How does He forgive us for the magnitude of rejection we bestowed on His beautiful heart? I can almost hear His voice say these words.

“Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing.”. (Luke 23:34)

I do believe most if not all, rejection stems from a deep-rooted fear, insecurity, hate, greed, and/or judgment. 

The most amazing thing I have discovered is that we can find that silver lining out of rejection. 

Healing happens when we realize that rejection is truly not about the one being rejected but about the person or group that has executed the rejection. It shows their short-sightedness, insecurities, and brokenness. 

I will admit that during my spiritual journey, I have also felt the pain of rejection. I am afraid many did not take the time to understand and rejected my vulnerable soul. It wounded me deeply. Many tears fell. 

I wrote this early in my Spiritual Journey. 

Heartfelt

You scarred my heart ...with no remorse. But I found the beauty in you making me bleed ... I found me. 

That is when I felt the most vulnerable and when rejection hit home. Some of the people I cared about stopped all communications and cut all ties. I believe my pain was magnified due to my newly circumcised heart.

However, I discovered that the pain of rejection can actually make us stronger. It can put us in the position of forgiveness ... It can make us dig deep. It can make us rise from the ashes of what once was... and what could have been, and give us newfound hope that lets us look towards what could be.

It's at that time we understand that with God, all things are possible. Especially when we open our grieving souls to His love, He teaches us many beautiful things... He taught me the art of forgiveness and how to love even in the face of rejection. ( I am a work in progress) 

There is truth in that old cliché. 

"Freedom from pain is letting go. 

" It’s not accomplished instantly! It takes work, love, prayer, understanding, time, and most of all, Jesus. 

It’s Him, it’s always Him... 

Give Him the chance to introduce you to the most beautiful person you may ever meet. You may be surprised that it’s you! 

 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. John 15:18 NIV

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Psalm 27:10 NLT

All who hate me whisper about me, imagining the worst. Psalm 41:7 (NLT)

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer

Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull

Inspiring music by (YouTube)

Céline Dion - Ashes (DEADPOOL 2) cover by Kimberly Fransens