Unrelenting Love ~ March 12, 2022

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

~ Song of Solomon 2:4 (ESV)

Suddenly, he transported me into his house of wine— he looked upon me with his unrelenting love divine.

~ Song of Songs 2:4 (tPt)

He brought me here. He took me by the hand and He brought me here. He purposefully sought me out and He brought me to His banqueting table. He brought me to the place where royalty meet. He has set before me a feast to share with His honored guests. I am an honored guest. Me. Who am I? Yet He sought me out to bring me here. He went to great length to find me, to pull me out of darkness and set me here in His holy presence. I’m amazed, overwhelmed. How can this be?

And in my insecurities and wonderings if I even belong here… am I good enough? He calms my fears and reminds me I am His. He made the way for me. He wants me here. This is where I want to be. But my timidity wants to take hold and tell me this is too good for me. Yet… He looks at me with love and calms my soul. He loves me. “He looks at me with His unrelenting love divine.” He covers me with His love, protects me with His love, tells me I am His own and I have a place here at His table. This is where He wants me to be. With Him, surrounded by His unrelenting love divine.

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” ~ Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJ)

Father, thank you for drawing me to you. Thank you for covering me with your love and bringing me to your abundant table. You have provided a way for me to sit in a place of honor by the blood of Jesus. I am forever grateful.

A Light So Lovely ~ September 10, 2021

Today I had off from work, the creative muse called, which typically happens when I remotely have quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I love these times, these moments of being able to purposely be more aware of my Muse (my Jesus, my Father, my Holy Spirit). We started the day together and I quickly put on my running shoes to follow after in the adventure that has already ensued. Bless Their heart They gave me a song.

Recently, I have been drawn to and reminded of the quote above. It has been cropping up over and over and over again. A lovely group of women that I gather with online from all over North America met last night to share and encourage each other in our writing. The subject of being light in the darkness was a sliver of what we discussed, but it stuck and stirred and overflowed. So today, with the help of the Holy Spirit a song was born. I sat at my piano, and this is what came out.

The words….

A Light So Lovely

To hear the very rough cut of the song click the button below:

Peace ~ August 5, 2021

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  ~ John 14:1

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  ~ John 14:27

Peace. I like peace. I want peace. But there are so many reasons to not have peace these days. All the happenings in the world, let alone our own individual lives can be overwhelming. A perfect storm to steal our peace. I’ve had my share of heartache, pain, anxiety, and depression. Circumstances of life crash against me like a tsunami. If I look to the waves I’ll sink, but if I look to the one who commands the waves, could I possibly walk on water?

When Jesus told his disciples to “let not your hearts be troubled”, he was preparing them for what was ahead. He knew they had a tough trek in front of them. Soon they would have to navigate watching him be arrested, beaten, and crucified. As we read through John 14, 15, and 16, Jesus consistently communicates to them to have courage, promising them He has given them His peace. And His peace is nothing like the peace the world has to offer. His goes down to the heart, the kind that despite what we see, encourages us to trust in a faithful God.

The disciples had the benefit, although I don’t know that they recognized it at the time, of watching… literally watching Jesus tell the waves and wind to be still. In Mark 4:39 we find Jesus sleeping in the boat and a storm picks up. The disciples freak out. But Jesus is sleeping. How can He sleep at a time like this? Maybe He let go of a need to stay awake and make sure nothing horrible was going to happen. You ever felt the need to do that? Yeah, me too. And how helpful did that turn out to be? I was so exhausted my emotional state was on a high anxiety alert, I didn’t have the physical strength to get my brain to shut up with all its fretful badgering. Not much different than the disciples, I’m sure.

They wake Him with fearful words, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) I wonder if Jesus might have thought, “Why’d you wake me up? Don’t you remember what I said earlier? Let us go across to the other side.” That’s what’s going to happen, K? But no, instead what does he do? He speaks to the wind and the sea, and He tells them, “Hush up!” Okay, my Bible says “Peace! Be still!” But that word peace can translate to, hush, silence.

I think sometimes He needs to say that to me too. Daughter, hush, I’m here. I will never leave you or forsake you. I give you My peace. During difficult times, when you feel caught in a storm, and the wind and the waves threaten to overtake you, remember, I’m here. You are not alone. I have given you My peace. Be still, know… I am God. I won’t leave you as an orphan. We’ll get to the other side, together.

Let’s pray:

            Father, You are faithful. Thank You that You have said in Your Word that You will never leave me or forsake me. Thank You Jesus that You give me Your peace. Help me not be afraid. Help me to remember You told the wind and waves to be still, so I can trust You to calm the storm in me. Thank You for Your peace that guards my heart and mind by Christ Jesus. Amen.

April 8, 2021

Morning Prayer ~ by Tessa Burns

Good morning Lord. How are you on this fine, fine, day?

Help me to see the beauty all around me displaying Your majesty.

Let my eyes be open. Let my ears listen. Let me see the wonder of Your love in everything around me.

Good morning Lord, thank you for the sunrise, starting a brand new day.

Thank you for clouds, the trees and the flowers decked out in bright array.

Help my heart be open. Help my mind listen and obey, as Your voice gently leads met on my way.

Good morning Lord, thank You for the birdsongs filling the atmosphere.

They fly with joy, with freedom and no worries, reminding me that You’re near.

Let me walk in Your goodness. Let me share Your kindness. Let Your peace that passes understanding guide my way.

Good morning Lord, help me see people through Your loving eyes.

Let me bring hope and grace to those around me, no matter their shape or size.

Help me love like You do. My walk, an expression of Your grace. Let my life, today, bring a smile to Your face.

Good morning Lord, thank You, You are with me as I go on my way.

The Desire of Our Hearts

There is a love story stirring deep in the heart of every one of us. A longing to be known, desired, to belong. A love not dissuaded by our shortcomings or our imperfect humanness; A love so strong our faults, our weaknesses, our quirky oddities don’t get in the way of the love the lover has for us. If we could only find such a love.

The romantic in me would say this love would go to the ends of the earth, to hell and back, across deserts, oceans, even universes to get to me, to find me… because they want the same love that I long for. Have you felt this? The deep ache, the yearning, to know someone and for them to know you at this ancient, mystic level?

A child looks for this in a parent. An adult looks for this in a partner or spouse. But seldom have I known a story that satisfied my belief this level of intimacy exists. How I long for it too. But then, maybe it does. Maybe it does and we just look for it in the wrong places. I have only seen glimpses. In our imperfect humanity, we can only give each other so much. We are limited on the level of depth we can even reach on this planet. Like diving to the bottom of the ocean, the pressure has to be equalized somehow to even survive.

I am not so proud to think I know it all. I am not so naïve to believe anyone on this planet knows it all. I believe there is a realm we cannot even fathom. Somewhere deep inside of me, I believe the satisfying of every longing heart is meant to be filled. To be made complete, to no longer feel the ache of emptiness or the discontent of not quite enough.

Am I alone? Or have you felt this too? Psalm 107:9 (ESV) says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.” May I suggest this is the answer? Charles Wesley penned, “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”, putting melody to the phrase, “Joy of every longing heart”. We write songs, stories, search high and low. And this side of heaven we only see a glimmer, but we do see that. In all the beauty around us, created for us to enjoy, the lover of our soul was proclaiming his infinite love for us.

When I see Him face to face, I fully expect to find new and wonderful things I could never fathom here on earth. Someday I will finally have the deep ache of my heart filled to overflowing.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:12