For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:8-10)

Meaning of - Unequipped: not furnished with the necessary supplies, abilities, etc 

I searched and searched the pages of this ancient book we know as the Bible and could not find the word unequipped. 

I guess I am unequipped to understand why He loves us ?? Why He even takes the time. Why are we so important to Him?

When we humbly stand before our King, our Savior, Heavenly Father we feel so small ... so unequipped, so fragile...so small... But So .... So in awe !!’ 

What is it that He sees? Why does He feel the need to chase us, to love us, and to teach us His ways? It is part of His mystery. It’s part of His power and grace... and 

His insatiable need to LOVE. 

When we reflect on the ones that came before us... There is a common thread that we can see. 

They were not the biggest the most powerful .. or even the most popular among others... 

Many may have seen them as small like David? Crazy like Noah .. or struggle with words like Moses.

If we examine all the characters within the Bible we may see a little bit of ourselves in each of them. 

I am sure they felt inadequate and unequipped to accomplish what God asked of them. They had doubts.. but they trusted Him. 

There will be times in our lives that we feel unequipped. Much Like Mary... We may feel small in the vastness of our world. 

God placed a monumental task upon her heart. She may have been afraid of what others would think. But she trusted Him with all of her heart. 

How did they find that inner strength, that peace? 

How did they find the confidence that they forged ahead without validation from others? What set them apart? 

It's Him!!! It's trusting Him!! It's loving Him.

It’s His insatiable desire to love His children. It's His passionate dream to see them grow into everything He knows they can be. He knows our deepest thoughts, strengths, and our weaknesses. 

He knows how to touch us in the deepest part of our hearts and soul. He knows how to lead us through every life experience from the simplest to the most difficult.  He knows that each experience holds a life lesson that will become a part of who we are.

He has promised to never leave us to face those hurdles alone...

We must learn to wait and trust Him with our mind, our heart, and all of our soul.

He knows when to hold us close.. and when to open His arms and whisper fly my beloved I am here.  

He is the foundation beneath our feet and our safety net if we fall. 

It's Him, It always points me to Him...

God doesn’t, however, save us by His grace and power and then intend for us to go off in our own wisdom and strength, to figure it out on our own. Rather, “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6)

Photography, Design & Written by Lori Garner  

Inspiring Music: YouTube

Ben Platt - 'Grow As We Go' Lyrics

Photography, design & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM + spontaneous worship // one-take cover

The meaning of judge - to form an opinion or conclusion about something or someone.

The word “judge ” seems to have been used 45 times in the “authorized” KJV of the Bible. 

Who can honestly say without reproach that they have never been guilty of judging others?? 

This is such an ugly human trait. Do we become the judge and jury and throw that discerning eye and walk away too fast?? 

I don’t understand how we can not be more accepting of others. We are only here on this planet for such a short time... We should attempt to look past the outward appearance and see the rawness of a soul and maybe what you think you saw, is nothing like envisioned in your mind. 

Does our judgment come from fear of the unknown? Or is it due to our own inadequacies? Are we so full of ourselves that there is no room in our hearts for anyone that does not meet our standards ??? 

This is such a sad thought! 

This type of behavior can wound hearts! It can make them bleed.. and leave scars for a lifetime... I believe the one judging is truly missing out on the fullness of this life. 

There are times in our lives that we feel like we do not belong and we can feel lonely... Those heartfelt feelings can raise many of our insecurities... Looking to others to validate our worth is such a critical mistake... 

I do believe our deepest desire is to belong to something bigger than ourselves. But are we limiting ourselves to be earthly bound? Or are we reaching for something beyond this life?

There are times I have been on the side of the one being Judged. I feel many may judge my outward appearance of an inward love that is so beautiful and yet so hard to contain.  

And when I have been made to feel different is when I may withdraw and look like I am detached from this life. “Distant” 

But do not fooled by my silence. I have found solace in the loving arms of my Savior. He offers no judgment. He accepts me where I am at that beautiful moment in time. I look to Him for my validation. 

I have witnessed and felt His love.  His love is the most important love our soul should ever crave... It fills every void. It heals every scar. It is timeless and yet so difficult to describe. 

It's been my experience that our Savior speaks of love and acceptance. I ask Him often to teach me of His great love!! I want to learn to love with this type of love!! How, just how does He do it !! 

It’s His type of love that we should be desiring. It’s a love that is unconditional. It does not judge. It’s kind and forgiving. It has no boundaries...  

So the next time you feel the urge to judge ... look in the mirror and ask yourself am I full of myself? Or is there room in my heart to love... 

If you do not know the answer turn to the greatest teacher of life and love. It’s Him! 

Don’t judge something you do not understand.. embrace the differences.  You might surprise yourself and learn the most beautiful lesson of life!! 

To love like!!  HIM!!

It’s always been Him! 

He has only one request. That you love God with all your heart and soul and mind.

1 John 4:8 - But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:16 - We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.  

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37 -42 

A safe place to land lyrics Sara Bareilles ft John Legend

"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

It's on the mountain that God reveals to us our weaknesses and insecurities. We find in our relationship with him a strength we didn't know existed.  - Jarrett Stephens...

Meaning of mountain - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level.

Mountain formation refers to the geological processes that underlie the formation of mountains. These processes are associated with large-scale movements of the Earth's crust.

The word mountain is referred to 55 times in the Bible. 

When we look at the word mountain we can stand at the foothills or rise to the beautiful peaks.  

There have been times I have stood at the foothills and looked up to what I felt were impossible odds. I have cried and asked my Heavenly Father to remove this mountain before me!! I have opened my eyes and I thought nothing changed... I felt alone, unsettled, and felt like my prayers went unanswered. 

But as I traveled this path of life. I knew “I” would need to prepare myself with everything I could think of for this difficult climb. Ropes, climbing shoes, gear... And with an uncertain heart, I began my journey living life one day at a time.  As difficult as some of the terrains became to overcome I found comfort, the strength I did not know even existed. There were days that were without challenges smooth and unencumbered. But then there were treacherous places that I wanted to quit, throw in the towel..and just withdraw from my very existence. 

But like most I too have been guilty,  in final desperation, we seem to cry out to our Heavenly Father help me I need you !!! 

Only to realize at that moment He has been traveling beside us every step of the way.  He has danced with us through the beautiful light and through the darkness of despair. 

He held us tighter when we began to slip and lose our grip... and as He holds us we can hear “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you” ( Deuteronomy 31:6). 

In my journey, I have stood at the foothills and traveled to the mountain peaks... I find that He is always at my side. there are times I think .. where are you? You are so distant! He was always there ... I am sad to admit it was me who moved. 

But to my surprise I found that He is my constant, He is my rock at the foothills and the wind beneath my wings at the mountain peaks. 

So grateful that He plans on never letting me go...I have been on a spiritual climb each and every day...So much to see, So much to hear, So much life to live... With Him, mountains are a beautiful path to the heavens gate.   Where we can feel Him in the wind... See Him in the beauty of the open sky ... and hear Him whisper to our soul.

It’s Him, it’s always Him 

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalms 121:1-2 NIV

 Photo design & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer                                                                                       

Inspiring Music by Jaci Velasquez - Imagine Me Without You (with Lyrics)

“Outer beauty pleases the EYE. Inner beauty captivates the HEART.” – Mandy Hale

The meaning of others one (such as another person) that is psychologically differentiated from the self

Oh my goodness!  Google can not find this word in the Bible word count search.  We may have to find another way to find a word count on the word "other."

I am a firm believer that how we treat others is a direct reflection of who we truly are... Do we love enough? Do we show kindness enough? Do we forgive enough? Do we take a moment to truly understand? Or do we rush by without a second thought? 

History has proven that when life gets hard people show their true colors!! Do we silently hold the troubled hand of another wounded heart? Do we wipe the tears of a troubled soul? Or do we callously turn and RUN ... ??? I do believe Covid has brought out the best and yes the worst in people!! 

I say it’s time to search our hearts and look in the mirror. Who is it that you see?  If you have not taken the time to help others. To love others to forgive others ... Then most likely your reflection will only reflect the shell of the darkness you hide deep inside. 

To live life so consumed with self is a path of self-destruction. You may think not !! But have you thought beyond this life? 

Be kind, Be thoughtful of others, love beyond measure!! Forgive others... He will fill you with abundance! He will fill you with peace! He will fill you with love.. and as you look in the mirror you will see change, you will see growth, you will see the beauty that lies deep within. 

FIND HIM. LOVE HIM. AND BE EVERYTHING HE KNOWS ARE MEANT TO BE.  It’s Him !!! 

It’s Him! It’s always Him 

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. JOHN 13:34

Photography & Written by Lori Garner

Bible Verses From KJV, Easy  /  Sinners prayer 

Inspiring Music: 

Eren AB - Beauty Lies With You (Lyrics)