It takes a lifetime to learn to love well

This is my desire
To honor You
Lord with all my heart
I worship You
All I have within me
I give You praise
All that I adore is in You

Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for You alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your way in me

~Michael W. Smith

How wonderful it is to spend time in the presence of the Lord. What a week. I really needed to hear the hard word that it's not about me. 

Thank You, Lord God, for putting that burden on my heart to drop everything and just pray, pray, pray. Thank You for redirecting my thoughts and prayers away from my self and towards others, and refixing my gaze on Jesus Christ—for it is only through Him that I can love the people around me in the best possible way. Give me a heart that "rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep" (Rom 12:15).

Two days ago, as I was walking to the station with one of my beautiful sisters in Christ, in the course of our conversation I happened to say: "It takes a lifetime to learn to love well." I don't know where the words came from but they just rolled off my tongue. And they made sense. (To God be the glory for any words of wisdom that proceed from my lips consciously or unconsciously). Loving is hard. Life is a struggle. But we know we have the victory if we are in Christ. And as we fix our eyes on the greatest picture and reality of sacrificial love— that of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us — the Holy Spirit at work in our lives will engender in us the love that we need to give freely, willingly to others. 

Not my love, but Your love, O God. Not my strength, but Your strength. Not my peace, but Your peace that "transcends all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Phil 4:7) I thank You, Lord, that You are a God who heals completely—body, soul & spirit.

May Your perfect will be revealed in Your perfect time. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than my ways, and Your thoughts than my thoughts."(Isaiah 55:9)

Jesus Christ, our constant companion, our best friend, our first and truest love and every promise of God fulfilled. ["For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." 2 Corinthians 1:20]

September's been patches of chin-up-and-move-on murkiness, agitation, sickness, but also overwhelming joy, blessing and thankfulness for the incredible, undeserved gift of friends (who are so much more—my eternal family :') 

Right now, I just wanna pray: "Lord, comfort them and fill them with your overflowing grace. If I care this deeply for them, how much more do You, O Lord God? So so great and overflowing is Your love for those who fear You, O God, "as high as the heavens are above the earth" (Psalm 103:11). Only Your love can heal and sustain. Only Your grace inexhaustible. We resist any attacks from the Enemy and we cancel all demonic missions in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, grant us all wisdom during this time, and use me in any small way to be of any encouragement or support when others are hurting. Thank You for this forever family. And thank You for being my forever Father."

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21