“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)

"In the quiet moments, love whispers memories that echo in the soul.’

It's 8:05 pm, and soon, a new day will be unfolding before me... I can almost hear the pages of the past three years closing softly, marking the end of a remarkable chapter in my journey...

As I sit here in the darkness of my room, surrounded by moving boxes, I am filled with gratitude as I replay the incredible moments my Heavenly Father orchestrated for me in this charming old house. It is within these walls that I have written two books, launched a podcast, created a blog that has over 109k worldwide views, and touched Jesus’s face through painted canvas…

He has inspired me to achieve things that are beyond my imagination…

It was here in Triune, TN, that He poured His boundless love into my soul… He ignited a once-dimming ember into a radiant flame… He awakened within me a profound sense of curiosity, restoring a childlike excitement for such an extraordinary journey. 

However, I must admit my seasoned soul struggles within these earthly constraints.  Because I yearn for a world far beyond the stars. It's a world that I crave deeply within the core of my human existence. I yearn to discover more about this faraway place because my beautiful Savior has made it His home.

I'm always in a state of one foot in the past and one in the future. Is there a word to describe such a transitional state of being? When I close my eyes, my mind can travel to a blissful place where my worlds collide. It's where my past, present, and future become my life’s story.  

This intimate and soulful state holds the power to reveal clarity and insight, empowering us to move forward and embrace new opportunities and adventures with bold confidence.

It's Him. It is His presence in our lives that motivates us to grow in His amazing wonder and grace. He is such a powerful gift! I appreciate and love Him more each day!! 

The memories we weave are our life's tapestry, filled with vibrant colors. But our future is filled with blank pages waiting to be written. Those pages are filled with infinite hope, eternal love, and thoughts of the most captivating soul we could ever encounter!!!

So, as I gather my earthly belongings, and memories, and wipe away my tears, I vow to take my Father's hand and put all my love and trust in Him, for my future rests with the greatest love I have ever known. 

And as I dip my pen and press down on a new crisp page, I will continue my quest to share my “Triune” story with anyone with ears to hear… 

No matter where life takes me, He has made it clear that "Wherever I go, There He will always be." 

It’s Him! It will always be Him!!  

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged". Deuteronomy 31:8

Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Photo and Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull 

Heaven's Window - Peter Kater (YouTube)

“Love is not love until love’s vulnerable.” - Theodore Roethke...

Meaning of mute refraining from speech or temporarily speechless. 

The word mute is referred to in approximately 28 instances. 

Hold that thought!! What the cat got your tongue??? I’m speechless!!! 

If I share my feelings or thoughts, some people will think I am not good enough! Or maybe they may think that I am losing my mind?? Feeding my doubts which may factor into negative thoughts?

I don’t know about you but when I look back on my life, I too have had many silent moments... Moments when I did not speak my mind or share my feelings. I retreated many wondered why I did not have anything to say??? I thought, did my opinion really matter? I would find myself gravitating to people who were conversationist so my being quiet became comfortable and that grew into who I had become. I had crafted the art of listening... Which isn't really a bad thing.

But I became aloof and only shared my inner thoughts with a chosen few... Trust and loyalty are traits I deeply value. However, like many of us, I fell into that snare.  And cared too much what others would think... 

So with time I bound my heart and kept my soul buried deep within... 

I indeed found myself dancing on the edge of being mute...... 

But one day everything changed... I can only say I was chosen to be loved far beyond my own understanding... I still do not understand why things happened the way they did...

However, I will admit in the beginning, I felt a burning desire to share this amazing love. To be honest it was a struggle to contain it and spilled out many times. Many people did not understand. This was not my normal, it seemed that my behavior was changing.

What they did not realize is, I had been mute for so long, That I learned to fly under the radar... You could say I became invisible. I now was like a fish out of water? I had lost the ability to openly share without fear of judgment? 

Such a dilemma, I had been given this great love but my insecurities were raging. I felt bewildered and confused ... and I cried many tears... The struggle was real... What would others think?? But this LOVE was intensely beautiful and much greater than any fear...  

And my Savior did exactly what His name described. He saved me from me and He delivered such a beautiful life lesson for me to experience and to share. 

He loved me through my doubts and sang a beautiful love song to my soul... He opened my heart and freed my soul... 

This newfound love and freedom loosened my tongue... 

He gave me this message for a reason... This message is about greater love. He sings His love song to all mankind... Listen with your soulful ears...and hear His voice...

He has asked us to love beyond boundaries... We are all not so different... We all bleed the same... We will struggle with things in our lives. 

But in the end, we all crave to be accepted and loved by our Creator... It’s a love not of this world!!!! It’s a LOVE that surpasses all human understanding... 

I am no longer mute ... because to share Him and His Love is the greatest adventure we can share in this lifetime... The only time now that I am speechless is when I can feel His loving presence... I can only close my eyes and breathe Him in ... and bask in the moment... and my heart whispers I love you, thank you for the gift of you! 

He WOWs me #speechless 

It's Him. It's always HIM... But now it's you and me... He gave us a voice ...share Him... your life will never be the same. 

And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. Luke 1:64 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Sinners Prayer 

Inspiring Music by (youtube)

Naomi Scott - Speechless Lyrics (From Aladdin 2019)

Christmas is one of the most celebrated  Christian holidays of the year, but what is the true meaning of Christmas? It is the celebration of the beautiful birth of Jesus Christ our Savior .. but is there more? 

 Christmas appears zero times in the Bible. But in the New International Version of the Bible, “Christ” appears 453 times! 

In order to understand the word CHRISTmas I decided to look at the two syllables that make up this word we have grown to celebrate annually...

The word is a shortened form of "Christ's mass", or "Cristes Maesse" as it was first recorded in 1038. 

Christ was the title given to Jesus. It was not His given name. It actually comes from the Greek word Christos which means "anointed one" or "chosen one.". 

The second syllable “mass”  comes from The English word “Mass” which comes from the Latin word missa, which means to be “sent.” This Latin word has been used since the 6th or 7th century. The mass is the gathering of people to celebrate the life of Jesus. This practice is the ritual we know as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper.

So to summarize the word CHRISTmas: it is a word that was given to a Christian event that has celebrated the birth of Jesus since  Dec. 25, 336 AD.  

It is the annual celebration of “anointed” one. The style of this celebration is the drinking of wine and eating of bread to remember our beautiful Savoir. 

So how and when did this monumental day become so commercialized? When did we decide to give this “gift“ an annual birthday celebration? Do we even celebrate its true significance?  Or do we get caught up in all the materialistic trappings? 

This tiny newborn life that we celebrate on Christmas, comes from the very essence of God our Creator. We know Him as the son of God.  This beautiful soul came to earth to live and taste life. He wanted to understand first-hand man's journey and how to live life as a human. He wanted to teach us a value system that would bless our lives... He is our living example of how to conduct ourselves with others... He allowed men to take His life in order to offer us a way home and to clean our transgressions before our Heavenly Father... He came to us as a gift with a mission... 

So as we break bread, and pour the wine in celebration ... Take a few moments.. and put those shiny new gifts aside.. and let’s bow our heads ... and truly thank Him for being the reason we are blessed to gather today... He is the reason we celebrate life... It’s because of Him that we have been able to share in God's human anointing...  We can further discover in 1 Samuel 16:13; Matthew 25:1-13 that the act of anointing symbolizes the Holy Spirit. 

So are we to understand CHRISTmas... Is Jesus Christ the anointed one.. He is God, the man, that has been sent to us as the deliverer and He reigns as promised under the title of Messiah.. the expected king. 

Mass is the gathering of the masses.. To share in the beautiful gift of life. I can only bow my head and thank Him ... The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit for His abundant love. His abundant grace and His patience as I unravel the many clues He has given us. 

It makes me smile when I see how He has woven every celebration, every word, every gift... to Him... Because He knows that our lives are much like a butterfly ... We come to earth and stay in the dormant state of our cocoon... Until the day, His love breaks our spirit free and we become alive... This transformation begins our migration home to Our Creator. 

Today I celebrate His life, His Love. His gift of the anointed one Jesus Christ...  He is my masterpiece of splendid wonder... I appreciate Him beyond this life... He WOWs me... 

It’s Him, It’s always Him 

Merry CHRISTmas 

Hmm, 🤔 More clues to this amazing heavenly puzzle?  ...are we ready?? 

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Revelations 19:7 ESV 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23

“Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:21-22 NLT

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

You're Here Francesca Battistelli - Mary & Jesus Christmas Music Video

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” (1 John 4:10)

The meaning of personal - of or concerning one's private life, relationships, and emotions rather than matters connected with one's public or professional career:

The word personal is referred to 121 times in the Bible.  

But what does it mean? Many of us have been taught that each man, woman, and child has their own space. And unless you are invited in, you must stay out or be ready to defend your position. 

(It could prove to be a painful experience) 

Like me, many of you have heard over the years we must have a “personal relationship with Jesus” to reap the benefits of His gift of life and love.  So, my question becomes ... How? Why? Where? And when? 

1. How - Just how deep do you want to feel His LOVE? 

2. Why - Because we will never be complete without Him.

3. Where - We think of a physical location! But it is a spiritual walk of the heart and soul. 

4. When - I feel the sooner, the better. Like many, I have had a late start but now feel I am in the race. 

I believe there are degrees of a “personal relationship” with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  

I can only speak of my experience. And how my walk went from head knowledge to feeling Him stirring in my heart to a love I carry deep within my soul. I will simplify them into Personal Phases. 

Phase 1

Over my many non-religious years, I knew the story of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; it was a clinical understanding derived from Hollywood Movies and the very occasional visit to some church for reasons other than learning about the Trinity. 

I knew of Him on a superficial level. 

Phase II 

I had a Holy Spirit encounter that planted a desire in my heart to know more about Him, and the chase began. He became an important player in my daily activities. I began including Him more and more each day. I spoke to Him like a friend I have had all my life, and a trusting relationship began to grow as I discovered deeper details about Him. 

My heart and mind began to open to the possibilities of a greater love.  It's a love greater than I have ever known. I began to appreciate His beauty, grace, and unconditional love. As I study Him daily, I find He is teaching me more about who I truly am. He has freed my bound heart and given me wings to fly.  I say I am a work in progress. And He is not finished with me yet. Isn't it a beautiful thought that our growing knowledge of Him will never end? 

Phase III 

Like any relationship, the more you invest in yourself, the more vulnerable you become and the deeper you let them penetrate your heart.  At that very moment, you realize you are free to surrender your heart and fall in love. It's no different with God, but His love is not of this world. It's a love greater than you have ever known. It's HIM! 

It’s a spiritual love greater than we have ever experienced. It’s a deep love from our soul. It’s when God becomes as important as the air we breathe.  We will find that place of intimacy in our soul.  We may be moved to tears of joy. We will feel this indescribable love, consume your soul. And life will burst into a beautiful rainbow of brilliant colors. 

You will find that this intimate place is reserved for a party of two you and your Creator. He knew that one day we would find Him waiting there to love us on such an amazing spiritual level. He has instilled a hunger within us from birth. To crave an intimate communion with Him that only He can satisfy. 

A friend asked me today who in the Bible had an intimate relationship with God and how we know that they did. 

I will turn to a favorite quote by Nicholas Sparks. 

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that's what you've given me. That's what I'd hoped to give you forever. 

I believe that the ones we have grown to know in the Bible and in our lives have had or are in an intimate relationship with God. Are the ones that show it in their daily lives. With His strength, they forge the way for others. They openly speak of His greater love. They realize they are not perfect but walk in His mercy and grace. Even with doubts, they listen and act on His direction. They are a witness to Him by their actions, and they, above all, share His amazing love with anyone who will listen. 

I found this quote spoke to my soul many months ago. 

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

It’s Him; it’s always Him. 

The question becomes just how deep you want your 

"Personal Relationship" with Him to be???

Design & Written by Lori Garner

Photo by nappy from Pexels

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: Beckah Shae - Overflow - Lyrics