Write an ode to someone or something you love. Bonus points for poetry!
This is today’s daily post. I don’t really believe in Cupid. Some little fat dude with wings and arrows that shoots at you. Nope. Not real. I believe that love comes from God and He is the one who shows us what it is and what it isn’t. And there is no bow and arrow to make it all happen, lol! HeartStrings – they pull at you from beyond. Love never dies. God’s love for us, and our love for each other lives on. We are loved, and we are not alone.
Love gives
Love forgives
Love never dies
If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such [a]as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).
Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. (1 Corinthians 13: 1-8 AMP)
HEARTSTRINGS
I miss you like The stars miss the sun Walk down memory lane I know I’ll run Into you there
I hear your voice Echoing my name I wander in the wind And wonder if you’re still the same I come undone I come undone Your Heartstrings capture me
Smell the sea, feel the sun See the stars touch the night Your Heartstrings capture me Oh I come undone I come undone
Linger longer Rearrange my mind Please make room for you to stay As the days slip so quietly away I come undone I come undone
I hear your voice Echoing my name I wander in the wind And wonder if you are still the same Your Heartstrings capture me I come undone I come undone
Peace waves Hope stays Love lives forever Love lives forever Love lives forever
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [divinely suggested] dreams.
Yes, and on My menservants also and on My maidservants in those days I will pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy [telling forth the divine counsels and predicting future events pertaining especially to God’s kingdom].
And I will show wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and smoking vapor;
The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the obvious day of the Lord comes—that great and notable and conspicuous and renowned [day].
And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord—Christ] shall be saved.” (Acts 2:17-21 AMP)
If you could paint your current mood onto canvas, what would that mood look like? What would it depict?
Second Fiddle
Song Description
Living as a child with divorced parents is not always easy – especially when they both come to watch you play at a sporting event and sit on opposite sides. I have been the parent, and I have been the kid in this situation.
Like a rope pulled back and forth in a tug of war
Like a soccer ball bounced from head to toe
Like the fly away ball in a baseball game
His perfect family is up in flames
He hangs on believing things will change
He is only one play away
He’s caught in the middle
Playing second fiddle
Like a chess pawn sacrificed for the King and Queen
Like a quarterback sacked on the play
Like a basketball in a zone defense
He’s double teamed or else he’s benched
He hangs on believing things will change
He is only one play away
He’s caught in the middle
Playing second fiddle
Back and forth, back and forth
zero to love, zero to love
He’s caught in the middle
Playing second fiddle
Oh he’s caught in the middle
Playing second fiddle
He hangs on believing things will change
He is only one play away
He’s caught in the middle
Playing second fiddle
Song Length
2:59
Genres
Folk – Bluegrass, Country – Honky Tonk
Tempo / Feel
Medium Fast (131 – 150)
Lead Vocal
Female Vocal
Subject Matter
Divorce, Fight
Similar Artists
Alison Krauss, Taylor Swift
Era: 2000 and later
Lyric Credits Diana Rasmussen
Music Credits Diana Rasmussen
Publisher Credits InnovativeTeks
Performance Credits Diana Rasmussen
UNSAFE CONTAINERS – Which emotion(s) — joy, envy, rage, pity, or something else — do you find to be the hardest to contain?
Lately for me – the hardest one to contain is DISAPPOINTMENT. I find myself blogging about it more and more. And yet I know this is the field that God wants to plant in. Have you ever seen a farmer till the field? There may be leftover cornstalks from the winter or whatever. The farmer takes his plow and TURNS OVER the soil. Where there used to be weeds – he plants new seed – seed that will grow and produce a harvest of 30, 60, 100 times over. So today – I am done looking at my disappointments. I am going to let GOD turn over that soil in my heart and plant His Word as seeds. It will grow, and the harvest will be awesome!
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:7-12 MSG)
Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. (1 Corinthians 3:5-9 MSG)
I hate the two-faced, but I love your clear-cut revelation. You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me. Get out of my life, evildoers, so I can keep my God’s commands. Take my side as you promised; I’ll live then for sure. Don’t disappoint all my grand hopes. Stick with me and I’ll be all right; I’ll give total allegiance to your definitions of life. Expose all who drift away from your sayings; their casual idolatry is lethal. You reject earth’s wicked as so much rubbish; therefore I lovingly embrace everything you say. I shiver in awe before you; your decisions leave me speechless with reverence. (Psalm 119:113-120 MSG)
Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. (Proverbs 13:12 MSG)
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it. (Jeremiah 29:13-14 MSG)
Pray with Simplicity
“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes. (Matthew 6:5-13 MSG)
I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won’t let you stumble,
your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God’s your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always. (Psalm 121:1-8 MSG)
“What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries. (Matthew 10:29-31 MSG)
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:27-31 MSG)
God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life. (Psalm 23:1-6 MSG)
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:26-28 MSG)
MY PRAYER FOR YOU:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for plowing the field of our hearts and turning over the soil. We love you and we trust You to turn things around. We come hungry, we come thirsty – for more of You and your Word. Your Word brings life – and life more abundantly. Thank you Jesus!
What was it that drew you to your significant other?
People said we would never make it. We have both been married before – both had spouses who were not faithful. Both had given up on ever finding anyone to be with. Both had given up on love a long time ago. It hurt too much.
God had other plans…we have been together 7 years now. What a testimony of what God can do. Thank you Jesus!
This picture is from about 6-7 years ago, when we first met.
And all those doubters and nay-sayers can just shut up already!
Your love is compassionate , Your love is extravagant
Your love never ends, It changes everything
Your love is long, Your love is wide
Your love is deep, Your love is high
Your love is forgiveness, Your love is grace
Your love is peaceful, Your love is safe
Your love is hopeful, Your love is honest
Your love never ends, It changes everything
Your love is long, Your love is wide
Your love is deep, Your love is high
1 Corinthians 13:4-14 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love
The Robe“Make the robe for the Ephod entirely of blue, with an opening for the head at the center and a hem on the edge so that it won’t tear. For the edge of the skirts make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material all around and alternate them with bells of gold—gold bell and pomegranate, gold bell and pomegranate—all around the hem of the robe. Aaron has to wear it when he does his priestly work. The bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place and comes into the presence of God, and again when he comes out so that he won’t die.” (Exodus 28:31-35 MSG)
showdown at big sky (Photo credit: tbone_sandwich)
Soldier of fortune He’s a man of war Just can’t remember What he’s fighting for Start a revolution Right before your eyes When you hear the big bang Don’t be surprised
Showdown at big sky Darkness at high noon Showdown at big sky That day may be soon
People, people Can you hear the sound From every village and every town Let the bells ring out Hear the bells ring in Let the bells ring out Keep them ringing, ringing
Can’t predict the future Can’t forget the past Feels like any moment Could be the last All you believers Standing inside this room Can’t you see it coming Shooting out across the moon
Save this place In the valley of tears By the river of time From weapons race In the Book of David In the holy night When it’s laid to waste It will be written By the children of Eden I said save this place And the Holy Ghost
Showdown at big sky Darkness at high noon Showdown at big sky That day may be soon
People, people Can you hear the sound From every village and every town Let the bells ring out Hear the bells ring in Let the bells ring out Keep them ringing, ringing
Save this place In the valley of tears By the river of time From weapons race In the Book of David In the holy night When it’s laid to waste It will be written By the children of Eden I said save this place And the Holy Ghost
Showdown at big sky Darkness at high noon Kiss tomorrow goodbye That day could be soon
Give us strength Give us wisdom And give us tomorrow Let the bells ring out Hear the bells ring in Let the bells ring out Keep them ringing, ringing Let the bells ring out Hear the bells ring in Let the bells ring out Keep them ringing, ringing
Showdown at Big Sky
How do you handle conflict? Boldly and directly? Or, do you prefer a more subtle approach?
We all feel down from time to time. How do you combat the blues? What’s one tip you can share with others that always helps to lift your spirits?
How to beat the blues? When that cloud of depression tries to follow me I have found I can run into it or run away from it and into the arms of Jesus. My circumstances do not control me. We all go through stuff. The best advice I ever got –
If you can’t change your circumstances,
change the way you look at them.
My attitude is my choice.
Psalm 57:1-11 AMP
Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.
I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!
He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.
My life is among lions; I must lie among those who are aflame—the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!
They set a net for my steps; my very life was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my glory (my inner self); awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [I will awaken the dawn]!
I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth and faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.
Crazy. For thinking I was the Savior – that I could change someone’s behavior. Crazy for thinking it was all about me. Crazy for thinking things would get better when you live with an Abuser – when actually things were getting worse day by day. Denial is powerful. Especially when you have given away your power. Crazy for thinking he would be faithful – when he is gone night after night.
Living in an abusive relationship is toxic – to me. It’s all about power and control. And a small man pretending he is God. Crazy, I tell you.
If you need help, reach out today. Call the hotline for Domestic Abuse, or the YWCA, or tell a friend. Life doesn’t have to stay CRAZY! God will make a way where there is no way. He will put people in your path to lead you out of the darkness and into the light.
Sometimes, we act on impulse: it could be something as small as ordering that special dessert on the menu, maybe asking out that cute boy or girl, or as large quitting your job and selling everything you own to become a shepherd in New Zealand. What’s the most crazy, outrageously impulsive thing you’ve ever done? If you’ve never succumbed to temptation, dream a little. If you gave yourself permission to go a little crazy, what would you do?
Photographers, artists, poets: show us IMPULSE.
CRAZY by Patsy Cline
Crazy
I’m crazy for feeling so lonely
I’m crazy
Crazy for feeling so blue
I knew you’d love me as long as you wanted
And then some day
You’d leave me for somebody new
Worry
Why do I let myself worry?
Wondering
What in the world did I do?
Oh, crazy
For thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for trying
And crazy for crying
And I’m crazy for loving you
Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for trying
And crazy for crying
And I’m crazy for loving
You
The victim becomes the victor. The girl that got abandoned, betrayed, and abused becomes a Child of the King. Adopted by the King of Kings. Against all odds, she makes it. Why? Because God is with her. And she trusts Him. He delivered her. He came into the darkness and led her out. He didn’t condemn her at the well. He didn’t laugh at her when she cried those tears and poured out her perfume and her pain at His feet. He looked into her eyes and she was never the same. He lifted her head. She met Grace. She met Mercy. She met her Savior.
ALABASTER BOX
By CeCe Winans
The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There’s no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster
Refrain
And I’ve come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary’s alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren’t there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don’t know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
I can’t forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I’d thought I’d found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I’m giving back to Him
All the praise He’s worthy of
I’ve been forgiven
And that’s why
I love Him so much
Refrain
And I’ve come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary’s alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair (my hair)
You weren’t there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don’t know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don’t know the cost of my praise
You don’t know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
Tell us about a situation where you’d hoped against all hope, where the odds were completely stacked against you, yet you triumphed. Be sure to describe your situation in full detail. Tell us all about your triumph in all its glory.
Photographers, artists, poets: show us LONGSHOT.
_________
Tell us about the time you threw down the gauntlet and drew the proverbial line in the sand by giving someone an ultimatum. If you’ve never handed out an ultimatum but secretly wanted to, describe the scene and what you would say to put an end (one way or another) to an untenable situation.
Photographers, artists, poets: show us COMPLEX.
_________
Yep. We put it all on the line. Draw a line in the sand. Just like Jesus did when others accused the woman of adultery. I have had to draw many lines in the sand. Lines. Boundaries. What will you allow? And what is no? And what about when someone uses another person just to get at you?
That’s what happened to the woman. Yes, she had sinned. But so had the Pharisees. And my question is, how many of them had slept with that woman? Many I’ll bet. See it’s always easier to accuse someone else of the same thing you are doing. IMO, I think they were guilty as well. And they did too, when Jesus asked the question, “who is without sin?” They had to leave. They were guilty as well.
God’s Word for You:
To Throw the Stone
Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them.
The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.
Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?”
“No one, Master.”
“Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.” (John 8:1-11 AMP)
______________________________________
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:31-39 AMP)
My Prayer for You:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your Word and your wisdom. Let us put down our rocks and stop accusing others of what we are doing ourselves. We have all sinned, we all need a Savior. Thank you for your sacrifice at Calvary. Your blood bought us redemption and now we can come boldly before the throne of grace to receive grace and mercy in our time of need. We need you Lord.
Remember your first crush? Think about that very first object of your affection. Oh, the sweaty palms. The swoony feeling in your stomach. Tell us the story of your first crush. What was it about this person that made your heart pound? Was the love requited? Change the names to protect the guilty or innocent if you must! No judgement here. Happy Valentine’s Day! Photographers, artists, poets: show us SMITTEN.
I’m going to take a few liberties here. God was not my first love, we didn’t meet until I was 40 something. Yet, all those before him have not compared. I met Love. And he is still changing my heart. He is still showing me what love is and what love is not. And the more I receive his love, the more I am able to give love.
Have you met love yet? The love that covers, protects, heals, shelters and provides? He is the Healer of all the broken places. His love is greater than any sickness, depression, lack, abuse, hurt, or wound. Open your heart to Him today and watch love come down on:
“So I ask you not to lose heart [not to faint or become despondent through fear] at what I am suffering in your behalf. [Rather glory in it] for it is an honor to you. For this reason [[d]seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]. May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).” (Ephesians 3:13-21 AMP)
My Prayer for You:
Dear Lord,
I pray that you would come down with Shoelaces of Grace and meet all your kids wherever they are. We so desperately need your love. Flood every hurt, every pain, every sickness, and every abuse over with the healing waters of your love, in Jesus Name.
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