“The Divine is revealing itself to us every day. All we have to do is pay attention.”-Andrew Pacholyk...
Motivated by a whisper that echoed in my mind, I embarked on a new sculpting journey. My experience with clay has been limited to playdough with the kids… Lol. So, this could be a challenging afternoon.
I found myself with a childlike curiosity in Hobby Lobby, standing in the clay aisle, shifting through the choices. Suddenly, a young woman appeared before me, and we exchanged words. I asked her if she had ever created a sculpture, and she replied that she had, but it had been a while since she last sculpted in college. She shared that she is a photographer.
That day, we discovered many things in common, including our love for Jesus. Our conversation flowed effortlessly as we stood in the aisle, sharing stories about God and life.
She hugged me and said that in Hebrew, the word 'coincidence' does not appear and that moments like this are considered God's intervention. She smiled, said we met for a reason and introduced herself as Ruby. I smiled back, told her my name, and gave her the bracelet I wear with the inscription 'One great love, Elohim333'. We hugged and said our goodbyes….
I left with renewed inspiration to sculpt a 10-pound block of clay into a memory, proving that His great love is never a coincidence.
Wishing you a day filled with His Great LOVE!!
WhenYAHWEH delightsin howyou live your life,he establishes your everystep. Psalms 37:23 TPT
"God provides the wind; Man must raise the sail." - St.Augustine...
When I close my eyes and feel the softness of the wind, I find His embrace. It's where I connect with His divine presence. His gentleness caresses my soul as the breeze sweeps across my parched skin. The fragrance of flowers fills the air as I allow myself to be swept away by His wonderous beauty… The wind carries the essence of creation, spreading His magnificence and wonder wherever it travels. May I forever embrace the romanticism of the wind, allowing Him to guide me home
“The two most important days in life are the day you born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain…
There are approximately thirty-three verses about legacy in the Bible...
Legacy is a word typically discussed when the inevitable happens. It is mainly thought of when someone we love transitions from one dimension of time and space to another. We like to think that they made it to Heaven.
The word legacy brought me to these questions. What am I leaving behind? How will I be remembered? Will my life make a mark on this planet? What do my family and friends honestly think of me? Is our legacy a tangible object? Does it come down to our "possessions”? Is that how we value life?
Possessions are fleeting. Our character and loving memories are the most valuable assets we can leave with the souls we leave behind.
In my lifetime, I have witnessed that some people consider "possessions " essential. Some feel they cannot live without the “things” they have collected. It seems many gain perspective when they are facing their mortality.
Some may not have cared about your well-being while you were here, but they will selfishly look to gain something valuable from what you've left behind.
Some possess an unselfish heart and love you deeply. Your relationship will leave a lasting imprint on their hearts. They will carry you with them wherever life takes them. They may want a precious item with little to no earthly value to feel close to the one who made them feel wanted and loved.
Have we thought about this word on a larger scale? Do we understand the spiritual potential that awaits? We have been gifted a legacy of magnificent proportions! It’s a legacy of royalty... It’s a legacy of riches beyond physical “possessions." It’s a legacy of love that runs through our lives like a scarlet thread. It's woven into our life’s tapestry deeper than we realize.
Jesus is that scarlet thread. He is our legacy. He has promised us eternal life, and His love will travel with us from this world to the next.
With Him as our precious guide, we should ask ourselves:
How do I want to be remembered? What am I leaving behind? Will I lovingly leave my imprint on anyone’s heart?
I pray that when people talk about my legacy, they speak of “God’s Love” and how His love changed my life. He has taught me the importance of all relationships and introduced me to love beyond my earthly understanding! He gave me the boldness to show my vulnerability to the world.
He is my legacy!!
It’s Him. It’s always Him!
His legacy is an amazing love story for all of His children!!
I beg you, don’t miss Him or His legacy of love for this world!
If children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:17
“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit remind us that there is always more of God than we know, always more of God than we can explain, always more of God than we can show. The Trinity says God is not in a box but is bigger, much bigger than we imagine. God is more powerful than we sometimes want to believe or remember, but there is great comfort in remembering.” ― Thomas R. Steagald.
The meaning of 1 - The number 1 represents newness, movement, and the possibilities that await us. In spiritual symbolism, it is the number of creation and the birth of all things -- the divine origin of the universe.
Number one appears significantly, but I was unsuccessful in getting a word count for this word...
One of the most mind-boggling concepts for many who study the Bible is the Trinity Himself.
On this amazing journey, which I have been blessed to travel, I have grown to know Elohim, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in this order. Just who are they? And what is this oneness that they possess?
Initially, it was so confusing to me that I asked who we should pray to. Some say I pray to my Heavenly Father; some say they have an intimate relationship with Jesus; therefore, they pray to Jesus. A few stated they pray to our Heavenly Father in Jesus' name. The Holy Spirit seemed to be mentioned the least—or not at all—when speaking of prayer.
I am not here to disprove any of the above ways to pray... I can only share how my journey unfolded and how I understood my Triune, or LOVEs, as I lovingly call my 3n1.
Each one of them plays a significant role in our lives... Each is just as important as the other... They are all part of one deity, mind, heart, and spiritual being.
I started by asking many questions, and a family member who has studied the Bible almost her entire life said these words... You are Lori, you are a wife, you are a mother, you have many jobs, but you are one... Armed with this simplistic logic, the pieces began to come together...
Let me preface by saying my journey started with a Holy Spirit Encounter (at the time, I did not know It was Him).
As my journey began to take flight, I began communicating with my amazing Heavenly Father. I called Him Elohim... It was that name that spoke to my Heart... It was Elohim who taught me about Jesus. He showed me His compassion, His depth of love for all mankind... and He taught me that Jesus was indeed a beautiful human facet of God the Father, my Elohim... And then, as I traveled deeper into my understanding, He seemed to hold my hand and disclosed things one beautiful piece at a time... I spent hours just loving and communicating with Him... I still look back and have trouble understanding how this happened. But feel so blessed that I have had the privilege of knowing Him.
At the beginning of this amazing walk, I asked. I hear many people say they love God the Father, and many love Jesus, but I never heard anyone say they love the Holy Spirit. Why? And then, like always, I started my search... He pointed me to an article that said many love the Holy Spirit, but I was too new at this to know this fact. However, I was surprised when I read this article at the bottom of the page. It said another word for the Trinity is Triune...
And at that moment, I was so surprised that I was speechless. I had my spiritual encounter on a country road in Triune, TN, which happened to be a pivotal moment in my life. It was a beautiful revelation; the word Triune spoke to my soul. All I could say was wow.
My journey unwrapped each one of the facets of God—the facets we all love and admire.
Elohim showed me that each facet of Him is equally important. They are all God. But each one has a different job. Each one relates to us differently... When we need a Father figure, most relate to God the Father... when we need to be held, or we need to relate to someone who has walked through what we are experiencing, or we need to be loved for who we are, we look to His human side Jesus ... And one of the most amazing spiritual experiences is the very breath of God we know this facet as the “Holy Spirit” it How God communicates with His Children... I envision the Holy Spirit as an eternal hotline directly connected to God our Father... It is the most intimate call you can ever make ...
My journey has been amazing, and I do not take credit for what and how He taught me. I can only thank Him and love Him for who He is.
I stand in awe and see Him as one... But I love and relate to each beautiful facet of Him...
It depends on what I need in that given moment who comes... I call them LOVEs because they are one in my heart and soul. I love each precious facet of Him...and He knows better than me which facet of Him I need to relate to at any given moment...
To add one more mind-blowing thing, the week of my encounter, I started addressing this presence I knew was God as “Elohim.” At this time, I had little to no religious background, and this was a Hebrew word. I am not of Jewish descent. So why this name? How did this happen? Later in my search, I found out this.
Elohim is God in plural? One God that wears many hats ...
It's Him. It’s always been Him...
The one I love, the one who rescued me. The one who taught me to love Him beyond what my mind can comprehend... He is my 3N1.
I am open to Him relating to me with whatever facet of Him speaks to my heart and soul... It does not matter who comes because I love surprises; deep down, I know it’s Him.
I love Him with my heart and Soul, so my mind has no choice but to follow.
The child's heart is tender and easily impressed; when we become “as little children,” we learn the simplicity, gentleness, & tender love of the Savior.
In writing this word, the first thing that came to mind was: “In tenderness, He sought me.” I think we are sought by God from a very young age. We might hear an adult talking about Jesus, but we don’t know who this is. We all seem to find Him in different ways. It is His goodness that brings us to Him.
He is constantly drawing us to come near to Him. Sometimes, that drawing begins with music, a word you read or heard, or it could be a picture of Him.
Recently, I began painting pictures of Jesus. Sometimes His face, or with Him gently holding a bird or a light with a young boy by Him and one with Him kneeling by a sad young boy.
Jesus spoke strongly that He desired the young children to come to Him. Why?
I will share my opinion. Little children respond to gentleness and tender love. The earlier they know Jesus has love for them, the more they will want to give their hearts and lives to Him.
There was something about Jesus that drew children to Him. I have several great-grandchildren. When they come to my house, they look at the pictures of Jesus. One time, one looked at the painting of Jesus holding a bird for a long time. What was he thinking?
God is a pursuer of His children. He tenderly draws hearts and minds to Him. Recently, my great-grandson came to me wanting to be saved. As we talked, he affirmed his desire for Jesus to be his Savior. After prayer, he pointed to his heart and said, “I feel Him in my heart.” It was such a tender moment.
Others I have heard say I am no longer alone or love Him so!! What a glorious change when we say YES to the One who loves us. We can be nine or fifty-nine or older!
He comes to our heart’s door and knocks. He says, “May I come in”?
Open your heart’s door to Him. You will never be the same again.
To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him is the greatest human achievement.
St. Augustine of Hippo.
I posted one of my art pieces on a Facebook Artist page, which was removed due to the rule prohibiting religious content. The freedom of artistic expression is in the hands of the moderator. Many try to avoid conflict in light of diverse religious beliefs. Or does their belief dictate what is acceptable?
It's a sad day for me when God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit are shunned in any circle.
I must say I don't consider myself a religious person. I don't even call myself a Christian, even though many might label me as such.
I try to share His message of love; it’s not religion. After my life-altering spiritual experience, I chased my Creator and embraced all facets of Him. I am a work in progress and still have so much to learn! He is so incredibly vast! It will take me a lifetime to discover more, and I will still not know everything about Him.
But His message is clear: hope, love, unity, compassion, and forgiveness.
In this world of exclusion, segregation, and hate… We all still have a common bond of seeking acceptance and love.
If this is true, “Why do we exclude and/or shun the greatest love of all? “
It is Him!
Please wake up… let’s put our differences aside!!!! Let Him teach us how to love beyond our world!!! It’s up to us to make a difference.
He is ready to lead us to a brighter tomorrow, but we must accept, love, and follow Him…
You could search for a lifetime and never find anyone Greater!
Redeem, Redeemer, Redemption is used 167 times in the Bible.
The meaning of Redeemer is: One who buys back that which was lost. As I was studying this word, a hymn came to mind. “O, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer 's praise.” The last verse says: “Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye silent, your loosened tongues employ. Ye blind, behold your Savior come, and leap, ye lame, for joy."
The music draws us to Him, to worship Him. We come closer to Him as we sing songs of love and joy. We feel His love rise up in our hearts. He deserves the honor and the glory!
The word Redeemer encompasses many thoughts. It signifies redemption. Humanity has been lost, living apart from their Creator and the Lover of their souls.
Sacrifices and countless works by man could not restore that fellowship. After years of failures, we can see a bright glimmer of hope in numerous places in the Old Testament.
It says in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore, the Lord HIMSELF shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name, Immanuel. (God with us)
Seven hundred years later the Son is born, and His name is Jesus.
He paid a great price for you and me. He is that Redeemer sent from the throne above. He bled and died to redeem us. He gave His all. Say, YES, I accept Him as my Savior and Redeemer.
When we do we can rejoice in our freedom to follow Him. And joy will fill our souls as we fellowship and walk with Him. He will continue to tell us how much He loves us and desires us.
Another song came to mind as I was writing this. “Pass me not O gentle Savior, do not pass me by.” He will not pass us by. He has been seeking you and me all our lives.
Surrender to Him. Feel His love and grace in your life.
The longer you know your Redeemer the more you will love Him. He IS our great Redeemer and Lover of our soul.
Redeemed forever!
“For I know that my redeemer lives….”Job 19:25
“O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life.” Lamentations 3:58
"Our lives are but specks of dust falling through the fingers of time. Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." ~ Socrates
Meaning of expectations a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.
I truly didn’t expect the word expectations to be in the Bible.
So I have no set expectation on what we might discover.
Color me surprised there are 33 verses about expectations.
I do believe we set expectations in our own mind of things to come! Resulting in a form of future desires. Some may have beautiful results. Some may carry difficult heartfelt outcomes. I am sure there are varying degrees of this word.
Let me share a couple examples. A new bride plans and with great anticipation this once in a lifetime event. She sets certain expectations in her mind of how this day should unfold.
There may be times in our lives when we must face a medical condition. And the Dr. puts us through a battery of tests. And with anxious anticipation we are full of expectations, we then hold our breath to hear the final results?
Not everyone that sets these type of life expectations finds that they go as planned. Our expectations may have been set too high or they may have not been set at all?
But how do we try to understand this anxious feeling when our mind tries to set expectations. Where do we turn for answers? Let's invite King James (Bible) into the discovery of this word.
Psalm 39:7. King James Version ... And now, Lord, what wait for I for? My hope is in thee.
I personally believe these feelings seem to creep into our soul as our mind tries to set our expectations for our future desires.
There are times we place our expectations on others. Some will exceed our expectations Some will not be able to accomplish the set goal because we may have placed the target too high. And this can lead to disappointment.
The question becomes do we set expectations on God? Do we let our human expectations of God limit our reality, our growth, and the wondrous possibilities of our spiritual growth and future?
Do we look at others as they travel towards this heavenly destination? And then place unrealistic expectations on our own spiritual walk? I am a firm believer God has made each one uniquely His own and we all have different gifts. Each one of us has different expectations in God's heart for our physical and spiritual growth.
When we pray do we place expectations on God or do we pray and have faith that He is in control. We may find our expectations may not be God’s plan for our life. We may experience disappointment but we can find solace in knowing God has a bigger plan.
I do believe we are all guilty of wanting and waiting for God at some time in our life.. When we place our expectations at His feet... Are we on target? Or are we disappointed at the results? Because we do not take the time to understand His plan for our life?
I would like us to take a moment and let’s flip the direction of this word.
When is the last time you asked God, what do you expect of me? What do you want my life on earth to mean? How can I grow my faith and my love for you, so I can meet or exceed your expectations for my life ??
Only He knows our heart's desires. He knows them better than we know them ourselves.
Our expectations should be focused on Him. Our faith should be strong enough to trust Him. We should cultivate the art of waiting on Him. Our soul should guide us to the greatest anticipation of love. Our expectations should be centered on Him and His LOVE. He will never disappoint, it's a spiritual experience... that will blow your mind... It has nothing to do with our humanistic wants. It's an expectation of the soul, It's an excitement of newfound love. It's a relationship that has no true earthly explanation.
It’s him it’s always him.
My soul, wait for thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Psalms 62:5
“And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait? My hope [my confident expectation] is in You. Psalms 39:7
Written by Lori Garner, Verses From KJV, Easy / Sinners prayer Inspiring Music by Carly Simon - Anticipation
“The painter has to unlearn the habit of thinking that things seem to have the color which common sense says they 'really' have, and to learn the habit of seeing things as they appear.”- Bertrand Russell...
Are we among the Walking Dead…. Are we living in the grey? Are we drowning in stagnant waters?
I have lived long enough to have seen and felt life with an unclear purpose… just tumbling from one day to the next, a life with little meaning, no luster.
Being stagnant without purpose can leave you with an empty, unfulfilled feeling—sad, perhaps depressed… possibly floundering… in your limited space.
Nothing in the world can light a flame in your heart and give you purpose like Him!! He is the miracle worker who can breathe life into the lifeless. He can find that faint pulse and make your heart beat like a professional rhythmist… He can take your soul places your mind has difficulty understanding!! He is alive in full and living color!!!
It’s Him! It will always be Him!
Color would not be possible without light;
He is our LIGHT …. Our purpose! Our love! Our newfound Hope!
It’s Him!!!!!!!!
Living with Him in our hearts brings unexplainable joy and peace that others will not understand. It may be difficult to explain His wondrous love!
I say, “Don’t contain it. Let His color of LOVE flow to every corner of our world!!!”
Burst forth in color, my Friends... He is what gives life the WOW factor!!
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. John 12:46
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 5:16
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
After painting the above image, I stumbled across this explanation of colors. He does work in mysterious ways... He blows my mind...
If we seem crazy, it is to glorify God. If we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ's love controls us. 2 Corinthians 5:13-21
The meaning of crazy is extreme foolishness or irrationality. It’s crazy that words you would think are not in the Bible are pressed within its wisdom!! It was no different with the word insane; we found 23 verses!
Many of us are judgmental when we view others. If their behavior is not what we consider “normal,” we tend to think they are a little crazy or insane…
But I ask who placed the boundaries on what is “normal”? Or what is “acceptable” in our circles of life?
During my journey, I have seen and felt this judgmental spirit… To the point of questioning my sanity and behavior.
On the first day of my spiritual encounter, things began to change… The mundane everyday existence that I had grown comfortable with began to unravel. Things became exciting, and God's love taught me that there is MORE…
And my thoughts shifted, and my “normal” behavior began its spiritually enlightened journey, and my once-bound life took flight… Many thought that I had lost my mind… perhaps I would need medical advice? Mid-life crisis? But none of these was the correct diagnosis…
I had been touched by God… And for that, there is NO cure… because there is no illness.
Loving Him is our soul’s purpose. I will admit He gave my life new meaning…. I grew closer to Him as others watched ... Some judgmental souls became distant. But their curious hearts continued to watch me unfold from a distance.
I gained so much more depth, love, and understanding… He made my life richer, and my quest to know more about Him continues… He placed a hunger in my soul that cannot be contained.
This word came to me today as I watch what many people will view as crazy behavior as it unfolds… on all social media platforms. Many have caught the spiritually enlightened bug of love from God.
People watching, like me, have this desire to go there and connect with the souls that have felt His stirring in their parched souls... Some will raise their hands and praise Elohim where they stand in unity. Some will think these souls have lost their minds… “Insanity” is rampant in many places around the world.
No social status that is immune… I had my own experience six years ago, and I know first-hand that God shows no favoritism in color, race, age, or gender; we are all His children. And He is calling all His beautiful souls… But the ones who listen to His voice seem to be chosen… Are you listening?
We live in a world of judgment, especially when we do not understand. I have lived in His love and have difficulty putting this spiritual love into words…
But if I am labeled insane because of people’s lack of knowledge. So be it. I would not change His gift of love for all the riches on earth.
So, as we watch others raise their hands and utter prayers with new and beautiful excitement, don’t judge. Fall on your knees, listen…and find your purpose!!
We were created to love God and others no matter what others think...Yes, I admit I am crazy… crazy about Him! It will always be Him.
He gave me the courage not to be bothered by what others think. It's taken me a while to get there. LOL. BUT,
He gets me more than anyone. He knows me better than I know myself… and yet He accepted me with all my flaws and promised to love me to the end of time.
I am excited to witness His love touching so many souls. They are our future … They will carry His name and love for future generations. We are all His legacy.
Let’s raise our hands in unity; one day, we will be one people under the one and only living God.
Elohim…
What’s the definition of insanity again? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
Who would not want to feel loved over and over again? Is that insane?? I say not. I pray you agree…
If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God . . . 2 Corinthians 5:13
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9
Photography, Design & Written by Lori Garner Bible Collaboration - Joann Turnbull Bible Verses From Easy, / Sinner's Prayer Inspiring Music; YouTube Casting Crowns - Crazy People (Official Audio)
