Dear Heartstrings family,

Thank you for stopping by again. I know the turmoil that is in the world; yours and mine, can be so daunting. But, the Love of Jesus Christ is shed in our hearts. It keeps us balanced, hope filled and moving forward to the Day of His Appearing.

While reading Revelation I can see the personal application in my own life from the letters to the churches. Some things apply strongly and required my thought and attention. 

This morning, before we go to Revelation, Look at Hebrews 13:5&6..."Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

~ So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified], What can man do to me?"

Now go to Revelation 2:8-11..."And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, Who died and came to life again:

 ~ I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty---but you are rich! and how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

~ Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and prove and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life.

~ He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death."

LORD, I praise You this morning for guiding us into the Light and showing us amazing promises now and yet to come. You are the Living Word and we know to trust You. Help us be removed from a spirit of unbelief and cling to You alone. You are worthy to be praised!

I have been following the news of the war in Israel, as most of you. However, I am careful to watch only true news. My first go to place is with Behold Israel with Amir Tsarfati. He is there and up at all hours giving us the information we had expected to hear, but, do not on our media in America. I have questions. Ones that only God can answer. Do you trust Him today?

If you have not invited Jesus Christ to be your Savior, please take time right now and do this. You may be one of those that thought your road to heaven had already been paved by what your parents believe or your religion. See what the Son of God is saying to the churches. There is no time to wait until you are sitting in a pew at church next Sunday. That is no guarantee. But, you have this moment, this day to choose Who you will serve. I am praying for you. Commit your life, your way to the One Who made you! 

Hebrews 13:20-21 says, "Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it)."

Abundance is...Grace (God's favor and spiritual blessing) be with you all. Amen.

Dear family of Heartstrings,

Do you believe the Word of God? There is power, hope, and strong confession of Truth for each of us who believe. Have you turned from sin and to God? I know He alone is worthy of all praise! So, read this with me from Revelation 2.

The words are from Jesus Christ. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all). Revelation 1 tells us Who He Is! Trust Him.

Chapter 2:1-7 says, "To the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Ephesus write. These are the words of Him Who holds the seven stars [which are the messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, Who goes about among the seven golden lampstands [which are the seven churches]:

~ I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special) messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.

~ I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.

~ But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

~ Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord] or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent. 

~ Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I Myself also detest.

~He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

I have read this portion of scripture many times before but never has it spoken more clearly to my heart as today. I pray you are moved. Moved to dig deeper in the Word of Life and stay tuned to what the Spirit is saying to you personally. This word is not only for the church as a whole but for each individual within the church. You and I.

I am so glad that God's Love Letter gives fresh life and is also able to challenge me to look inside. God knows the motives of every heart. I am praising Him that He knows my name too. He gives us the way out of our destruction and lazy approaches to HIs Word. We have all we need for counsel. Right here and now. 

He and she, who is able to hear...that is you and me. Getting back to the heart of God and communing with Him intimately is my desire. Is it yours?

Until we meet again, stay faithful. Stay true. Stay in the Love of God. And, remember Jesus Christ is everything we need. He is alive forevermore and He holds the keys of life and death. Run into His arms today, my friend. He longs to keep you safe and well. Only trust Him. Let Him be the One you Choose to serve.

Bless you family of God!

Abundance is...Jesus, our First Love 

Dear Heartstrings Family,

Thank you for coming to my blog site. As you know full well this has been an incredible season. A season of falling and rising.

Let me explain what I mean by this. Personally, loss has been wrapped in beauty. Such contrasts but, I know God is Sovereign. He is aware of every heart, heavy or happy. So, I get to lean into Him as my Shepherd ever more. Not a bad thing. For He is my God, my Refuge and my Fortress. I lean and rely on Him and live confidently in Him. Just as I shelter myself under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91 teaches me this. I believe it.

What do you believe today? Is your trust in man's wisdom, reports, or in the Lord God Who is in control? Remember, how the children of Israel came back from viewing the Promised Land? All but two reported how scary things were...giants in the land and fortified cities so huge. But, Joshua and Caleb alone reported the good news of abundant fruit and how delightful the land was.

What of a season of falling? Aren't you tired of getting scrapes and bruises from falling? When the best place to fall is at the feet and mercy of The Most High God...which is where I am choosing to live. Hope is there to refresh and renew our minds, if only we will.

So, rising during while all the horrors of war continue, sickness is evident in family and friends so close to home, and a heavy garment of discouragement weighs on the shoulders of many. 

Rise up and give God the glory and praise that is due Him! Put on a garment of praise! Look into the face of the One Who loves you and gave His life for you to have sweet fellowship with the Father. 

As you may notice, I haven't included scripture to back what I am saying. Did your mind recall what your Bible tells you? If not, then, you aren't spending enough time hiding His Word in your heart. Take a moment now and recall His promises!

My prayer today is this...Lord, life feels so fragile, fleeting, and changes so fast. One day makes all the difference. Help me live every moment to please You, Abba. Amen.

Now, James 4:8 says..."Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Jeremiah 29:13 says..."and you will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all of your heart."

Hebrews 11:6 says..."Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

How diligent are you? I am realizing I can always in all ways draw closer to God. Many are groping to fill that place with worship of other gods. But, only The One True God can fill that place. He gives us a heart to rejoice in Him, to trust. We can lean all our weight on Him and He won't fall down. But, without our dependence on the Lord, we are bound to fall down. 

That vacuum you feel in your life is intended to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. I may not see the answers to all of my prayers this hour. But, God will answer. 

I want to pray with you now. Dear heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us together on this day. Help us to worship You with lifted hands as we kneel before You. Take our sins and blunders and place Your hand upon us in a certain, assurance that we belong to You. Pour You precious Holy Spirit upon us. Take the distractions and burdens as we lay them at the cross. Set us free and focused to live our lives sincerely before You. Oh, God our breath, our very life is from You. You are Sovereign. Help us through this season with Heaven in our sights. We long for You to catch us up Lord Jesus. May it be today in the matchless name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Come and let us return to the Lord!

Abundance is...God's plans for this season

Blessings to my Heartstrings family

It is good to return to you today! Isn't the Lord Good? I have found Him to be ever so faithful to His Word and long to draw closer to Him on this journey.

While we may not be able to see tomorrow in its fullness, we can announce our trust and love in God with every step of the way. 

I come today without any agenda, with only the fact that the Holy Spirit is pressing me to open this blog and trust Him to write from the heart. In all that is going on in the world, He is the mainstay of our lives, the hope for our future and the steadfast hold of His hand. If we want we can pull away because He isn't the kind of friend who is without compassion. But, it is His desire that our desire is to stay put...in His care.

I have experienced some amazing answers to prayer the last few days. Maybe not earth shaking like most would think. Just the gentle nudge, the whisper and sweet kisses my King loves to give. I know my sights are on His Appearing and I am assured I will see Him very soon. I don't know how or when, only that He promised and I trust Him. 

Take time to read The Love Letter of God. It will hold you up when the enemy wants to give you a gut punch hard enough to drop you to your knees. It will cut away the anxiety and fear of his lies. You will stand firmly in the armor supplied to every believer. You are a warrior in His army! 

Have you noticed the change of seasons? I went for a walk today. It has been a long time. God supplied me with good shoes so I had to try them out. It arrived back home without the usual pain and care of my legs and feet. What a gift! 

On my walk, all the senses God gave me were reborn. My eyes could take in the beauty of the water flowing in the creek, the beautiful golden and red hues of leaves, the smell of the ponderosa trees and wet earth. Exhilarating! And, I knew I didn't walk without Him by my side. The very best part.

If you have invited Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, He walks with you in every situation. He will stay beside you in the night hours and look upon you as a parent watches the child of their heart sleeping. He intimately loves you and will keep you! 

You may be wondering why all the chat and no verses? Well, here they are. Look them up in your quiet time and be blessed in His presence. Do it today and don't put this off. It is an honor to walk with the King of Kings! Someday, we will see Him in person. Think about this!

Make these a working part of your heart. Psalm 13:5 says, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

Ephesians 5:20 says, "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Psalm 37:5 says, "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."

Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

There are so many to meditate on aren't there? I know my own heart is revived and overjoyed that God has given us His promises. We can adapt our lives to His promises and make them apply to any situation. He remains faithful and true!

So, I leave you today, my friends in the hands of our soon coming King. It won't be long now. Only cling, trust and abide in Jesus. Let His Spirit comfort you and teach you as He prepares you as the Bride of Christ. In the matchless name of Jesus, you are in my prayers. Amen

Abundance is...enjoying the walk

Good morning Heartstrings family

My heart is so full this morning while I begin in the presence of God. My Bible open on my lap. And, my thoughts engaged as I meditate on Truth.

It began with the words of Jesus found in Matthew 6:27..."And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure to his stature or span of his life?"

This was perfect for all the times of my planning and calculating. So I prayed this to not be the title page of my story today. Only His ways are right and perfect and altogether lovely; full of peace and joy that comes with a heart filled with the hope of His Spirit in me.

Praying the word I remembered Psalm 91:1-2. I will choose to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. I will remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty whose power no foe can withstand. I will say of the Lord, "You are my refuge and my fortress, my God to lean on and rely and in You I will confidently trust." 

Proverbs 3:3-6 I will let mercy and kindness and truth be bound about my neck and write them on the tablet of my heart. Then, I will find favor of God and man. I will lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all my heart and mind and not rely on my own insight or understanding. In all my ways I will know and acknowledge You, knowing You will direct and make plain my paths.

Isaiah 55:1...I will wait on and listen to You because I am thirsty. So, I come to Living waters which is priceless simply for the surrender of myself. I accept the blessing Lord.

Are you still with me? I find God's Word the most personal and fresh when I pray His Word. I am not trying to reduce the perfect Word of the Lord to mere words of man. I am drawing closer to Him. Intimate and honest. 

Lord God I praise you today for choosing me, Redeeming me and sealing me with Your Spirit. Ephesians chapter one. Thank you for saving my soul!

Psalm 103:1-5...I will bless, affectionately and gratefully praise the Lord with all my heart, my soul and mind today. You have forgiven me of all my sins. You have healed all my diseases. You have redeemed my life from the pit of destruction. You have crowned me with loving-kindness and compassion. You have satisfied my mouth with good things, even at the age I am and the situation I am in. All with good so my youth is renewed as the eagle's which is strong, overcoming and soaring!

There are so many scriptures to tuck into our prayers. If we read His Word they just flow out of your heart. What He puts in you will not rot or decay with time but only grow and produce a harvest according to His perfect plans. 

One final scripture that I pray often is found in Romans 15:13...I say to you (put your name in the blank), May the God of my hope so fill me with all joy and peace in believing through the experience of my faith that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound and be overflowing, bubbling over with hope!

So, today, if you will trust the Word of God as alive and strong for you in all circumstances, let His Love flow into you and fill you with strong desire to know Him better. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Come to Him. I pray this in the matchless name of Jesus Christ, our soon coming King, Amen.

Abundance is...the power of prayer