To live this way, God the only Fortress

"Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. ... So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows." Psalm 61:2-5,8

Uneasy, tired, tense. Situations can sometimes make you feel that way, don't you agree? I memorized this passage because I thought how amazing it is for God to lead me to a rock that's higher than me. Exactly what I want and need!, I thought.

"FOR GOD alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved." Psalm 62:1-2

Did you notice the part of "God alone"? It took me a little while. And then the psalmist says, "He only..."! He only is those great things I need and look for in life every day: security, safety, strength, wholeness. And I'm struggling to feel at ease, to be strong, to feel secure and safe instead of insecure and uncertain and while this is going on, God tells me: "Steph, you can only find these things in Me. And you have Me. You don't need to wait for anything to take them now."
So, I can wait in silence and not in worry, knowing that my wholeness, my salvation comes from Him -and I have Him! He only is my Rock, my security, my strength. He only is my Salvation, my Defense. How about having God defending me? Nothing will overcome me for He has overcome the world! And He only is my Fortress, I won't be greatly moved. You know I'm dust. You know that in my humanness I fall, my heart can falter, my mind can worriedly run,  my body can be tired. But even taking all of that into account, I won't be greatly moved if You are my Only Fortress.
Please, Jesus, Papa, make Yourself my only Refuge, my only Rock, my only Fortress. Teach me what it's like to live this way.

Guess what, my soul? You have God! The Rock, the Fortress, the Refuge -the Only one!

Grace today

I love writing about what Jesus is doing in my life. I just feel I ought to, for my own sake and the sake of my memory and treasuring what He's doing. I feel that writing about it is part of honoring what He's doing. Maybe that's why so many people that know Him keep journals. There's something far too special and rare about living your life with the God of the Universe to take the things that come, the epiphanies, the ideas, the mental pictures, lightly. I think there's a new revelation of Jesus waiting for me in every day. His endlessness brings me joy! Just the thought of it, cause I can always go back for more.
Yesterday was a wonderful day and the reason to remember it more poignantly is because Jesus showed me a misconception I've held on to too tightly in my life. And He just exposed it and blasted it away with His word! I love how He does the work so that I can "be transformed by the renewing of my mind." (Romans 12:2) I just gotta let Him!

Concerning the Torrents of Worries about Tomorrow
I absolutely loved the time I've spent here. "I don't wanna leave this place without feeling totally alive and taking every bit of it back with me." The trip will end in a week. I'm already thinking about it.
"It's not a bad thing for you to want that, Steph, but it's not an accurate depiction of reality", God says.
"Oh gosh, am I crazy?", I think.
"You want your batteries charged and you want that to last you next year or at least the next couple of months."
"Well, such happy days ought to multiply my joy elsewhere too!", I feel like I'm clutching something.
"I give you your daily bread every day, day by day." I know I've been trying to save food like an ant for the winter.
"Bread in this case represents grace for life's burdens, trails", He goes on to explain. "Grace to fight, grace to win, grace to lose, grace to give, grace to be."
"And guess what?", He adds. "You have it today, and you don't have to worry about tomorrow, I'll take care of that."
Isn't it so easy to want to have grace for all of our lives all at once? It'd bring such peace, I wrongly reason. Wrongly because what I need each day is relationship with Jesus, and if I had all that bread in the pantry I wouldn't go to Jesus. I'd lie to myself and believe the lie about my sufficiency. After all, I can live from what's in the pantry. I'd totally forget my complete need of Him (the Person) and die inside. Whereas if I let Him, as He wants, hand me the grace for the day each morning, each moment, I'll have sweet communion with Him. I'll hang out and be with the Person of God and that will be enough.
I love the fact that God has already placed the grace to fight, to win, to lose, to give, to be in every day. All the elements to overcome are in each day. So that is why worrying about tomorrow is futile in the greatest of ways. Through worrying I'm hoping to find a better solution to a possible problem, except that solution to the problem I'll actually encounter, will be solved that day with God's grace for the day! I'm not God. Yet I'm His adopted daughter.
So when worries come, cause they do, I'll hold them out to God, the Creator and Giver of daily Grace and tell Him, "This is not for me to worry about, You'll supply the grace, the tools for any difficulties that could come up. I ask you now to take these fears and tie them to the bottom of the sea and help me to live today like your trusting daughter who lives to know you better every day."
I love what God told me, "As you turn to me for wisdom on how to live today, you'll worry less and less about tomorrow." That's the way I want and need to live. When? Today.

The story He writes

He told me "Why do you worry about the story that is already written?"
"Jesus, what if I don't like the story? What if my worst fears take place in that story?!"
"Don't I make all things beautiful in their time? Your story is no exception, the story of your family is no exception. I'm using it, what right now you cringe over, I will use to bring greater things. Think of it as a lion's den. Trust Me."
And it's a real battle to not give in to fear. Yet, He said the lion's den? What happened after Daniel came out of the lion's den?

I heard that story so many times as a kid. The King was aghast when Daniel came out of the lion's den alive and whole. He told Daniel "Truly your God is the living God" and he commanded his entire empire to worship the God of Daniel, who had saved him. That time in the lion's den, with the fear of maybe being eaten by beasts, is simply not worth comparing with what God was planning after that. 
Maybe the lions in your den seem like they're gonna eat you, like I sometimes worry in my own story, but God will bring us out and do extraordinary things as we surrender to what He has penned and planed since the beginning of time. 
Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for being the best writer ever! All those books that fascinate us, book-lovers, have stories that are left in the dust compared to the love, wisdom, power and beauty you put into our stories. Thank you for being so good!

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." -Psalm 139:16 (NIV)

To all of you, beautiful sisters out there

I want to share this, something about your beauty.

"In the beginning, our God spoke beauty because He is Beauty and the God of the Bible is an artist and what you must never forget is that you are His art. Touch your face right now and feel what you really are, what His Son whispers, “My masterpiece worth dying for, my beauty worth redeeming." -Ann Voskamp

I just wanted to remind you how beautiful you are. But most of all, your love (the Creator) wants you to know.

Training

Kevin and I have been enjoying a beautiful vacation so far, funny things have come up, lots of rany days, roars of laughter, long tearful hugs, songs in bed, songs before a birthday-party crowd, and a song in our hearts that draws a great big smile on our faces. But before he came, as I was busying myself with finishing my second year of college, I heared His words clearly:
"All this waiting, isn't waiting, it's training so that you can look into each other's eyes and say 'I love you' in even the hardest of times."
I thought what I've thought many times, but what I had temporarily forgotten: "It IS strengthening our love for each other!" There was silence, the silence of yes, a loving Person's nodding silence. I ran upstairs to write these words while I repeated them in my head as to not forget.
I don't want to forget. I want to embrace it. Every moment! Right now when I'm with him and when I'm not. Because when we're apart, we're both taking care of what God wants us to do at the time, in different places, different things and with different people. And when we're together, nothing is more right and I know that he's the man I want (and will) spend the rest of my life and eternity with.

What He sees

"Nothing can be hidden from My love. It searches and reaches into the very depths of your being and sees all. But that doesn't change My love for you; it makes Me love you all the more in a way that you could never understand. You see your faults; I see your love for Me. You see your failings; I see the times you persevere and make it." -Jesus

Best interests at heart

From Jesus with Love

I have your best interests at heart. Everything that has happened to you, or will yet happen to you, or hasn’t happened to you, has all been according to My plan. You haven’t been forgotten, missed, skipped over, neglected, or any of the terrible lies that the Enemy might whisper to you. You’re right where I want you, and being in the center of My will is what will always bring you the greatest joy.

At all times

"In times of pain, I will bring sweet relief. In times of distress, I will be your comforter. In times of doubt, I will fan the spark of your faith. In your darkest hour, I will be your guiding light. In times of torment, I will be your safe haven. In times of emptiness, I will be your in all." -From Jesus with Love

Taken care of

Stop right now and look out the window and up into the sky. Remember that if I made the world and all that is therein, I can certainly take care of you, My dearest. -Jesus

Trust Me

(Jesus:) I ask for your trust, as a child would trust a parent and a baby its mother. I want you to trust Me that I know what is good for you. Even though it seems like everything is turning out all wrong, I don’t want you to struggle or fight against it or harden your heart toward it, but I want you to know by faith that no matter what the outcome, or what you end up with or don’t end up with, or how things work out, that you will say in the end: "The Lord is good and He has done all things well".

Threading a needle

From Jesus with love

When was the last time you tried threading a needle? You probably licked the end of the thread and held the needle up close, squinting, straining your eyes as you carefully and repeatedly tried to maneuver the thread through. Sometimes it threads easier than at other times, but almost always there are those moments of difficulty and frustration, right up until you finally get it through. Now why would you bother threading that needle in the first place? Because there’s a purpose and a plan. You need to create something or mend something.
Remember this the next time you feel like your trials are threading you through the eye of a needle and you’re experiencing pressure, frustration, and anguish. There is a plan and a purpose—My plan—and that is to create something glorious with your life: a tapestry that is going to wow the world with its deep colors, intricate detail, and beauty, the kind that can only be created through the trying of one’s faith. It’s those difficult and hard-earned lessons that make the tapestry of your life stand miles apart from all the rest, because so few are willing to endure and persevere through the trial in order to create that life of beauty and substance.

Perfect control

I said: Jesus, You keep the world in perpetual motion, moving in perfect synchronization and with ethereal displays of beauty. The seasons come and go, the wind blows, I may not know what will happen next, but You take such great care of nature around me and the world spins just as it should, that I'm given more than enough reason to trust you to take care of little ol' me and my life, the uncertain, dynamic, beautiful, scary, surprising thing that you've made my life to be.

I asked to be given eyes to see that everything's alright, because you're in perfect control.
And true to your word, the very next morning you reminded me and assured me through this message how it's all true, not just a hunch... but I knew it.
This you told me, and I thank you.

"I made the world. I made you. I know your past. I know your future. There is nothing you will encounter in life that I haven’t foreseen or that I’m incapable of handling. Life may seem random at times, but it’s not. Every factor in your life is under My control, and you won’t encounter anything you are incapable of overcoming with My help. I’m not only in control of eternity, but I’m in control of your future."

Perfect, you are perfect.

Love so great, the price's been paid

(Jesus:) Celebrate this Easter as the beginning of our new future together. Think about a love so great that it was willing to die for you, love so great that it was willing to give and to sacrifice all. Let My love wash away any hurts, fears, misunderstandings, or mistakes. My love has already covered all these things, but now it’s in your hands to dispense that love and forgiveness to others and even to yourself.
I already paid the price long ago when I died on the cross and rose again, and now it’s in your court to complete the cycle of love and forgiveness on Earth. When you take the plunge to let My love and forgiveness flow through you, Easter will be everywhere!

-I cannot explain-
It amazes me how there's nothing I have to do, but just receive Your love and let it in.
I want your forgiveness, I want a clean slate, I want healing of past wounds and I also need You to fill me with your love so that I can forgive others completely, without leaving any bits of it to use against them later.
I'm only dust, yet you made me Yours!
I'm not worthy, yet you payed for me with Your own life.
I'm nobody, yet you love me like I'm the only one in the world.
Nothing can describe Your love, can it?
For your undying, never ending, strong, passionate, perfect, unconditional, out of boundaries, supernatural, true love, I thank you.
I'd be nothing without you. I'd be so lost without you. There's such joy in knowing I don't have to spend a single moment of my life without You.
Nothing can compare to you, my Love. You save me anew every day, you love me anew every day, you renew your mercies toward me every day. Your love's so great I cannot explain.

And to top-off wonders, take a look at this!
You can see for yourself just what I mean, His love is there for you, and it's true, He won't ever leave you...The one thing you can trust that never will.

Persevere

Perseverance is all about one step at a time, one moment at a time, one day at a time. Perseverance is refusal to give up. Even when you fall, you refuse to stay there. Even when you make a mistake, you refuse to let it hold you back. Even when you feel like a failure, you refuse to let it stop you. You get back up and try again. -Jesus

Dark caves

"There is gold to be found, even in these dark caves which threaten to snuff out your little light. That’s My promise to you, My love, when you find yourself in one such cave of life. I go before you and I never allow you to pass through a cave that will not return to you that which perisheth not—the treasures and gold of the spirit (richness and lessons learned). So when you feel like you’re in a deep, dark cave, the key is to seek after that gold, never doubting that it is there somewhere, just waiting for you." -Jesus

He's in there too.

To live life to the utmost

(Jesus:) Your life.
That's one. Think about the thousands of others. The lives of people that are presently on this Earth. Lives born, growing and coming to an end.
If you had a chance to talk to the oldest man on Earth, he could tell you that from all the he has seen and experienced, life is short.
If you look closely into that statement, there lies the secret to enjoy life and live it to the utmost.
Life on Earth is uncertain, fragile, for everyone that goes through it.
You can't be sure about your own life or that of others.
When it comes to it, you don't own anything, not even yourself.
The way to gain is by giving; and the way to truly live is to never stop giving.
If you can learn to enjoy every minute, treasure every moment, make the most out of everything you do, and tackle each day with love in your heart that is shared and spread, then you will have lived a life worth living! A full and rich life.
It doesn't take perfection: perfect conditions and surroundings, perfect loves and friends, a perfect family and a perfect past, perfect feelings of happiness and success, or a perfect will to take you through it all.
Nobody has these perfect things, and I didn't intend for you to have them in order to live a great life.
The greatness in life lies elsewhere. The key is in your heart, at every person's reach.
In you heart I have placed needs, dreams and desires, hopes and longings. I have given you the ability to love beyond what is humanly possible. I have placed a desire to find happiness and a craving for success. And these things are really out there. I'm not a cruel God.
To enjoy life, to live it grandly, stretch and give!
If you feel you have nothing to give, you can look a little closer and see that you can give of what you have. I have placed love in your heart and that is the main reason to live, to love.

What remains

(Jesus:) The unhappy times, when the tears fall, water the flowers that grow and blossom when the sun returns, and their beauty remains while the tears pass.


Low times have a greater purpose, isn't that just wonderful?

Optimism

When you feel burdened with the cares of this world, the problems that abound, or your personal weaknesses and inabilities, pray for optimism, which I will use to destroy the lies of the Netherworld Pessimist and supernaturally empower you to feel positively challenged instead of down and defeated.
-Jesus

P.S. The glass is half full!

Love is the reason the world survives

33. (Jesus:) Life on Earth is but for a moment. Your time of living on Earth—where love sometimes seems cheap and is not valued, and so many other things feel more important—is going to be over before you know it. And then you’ll have the rest of your existence (which is a very long time) to reap the rewards of all that love you gave away so freely. In Heaven, you’ll never lose again; you’ll see clearly how every act of love paid off, and you’ll be so glad for the times you made the right choice.

34. Even if you feel poor in the ways of love—maybe you don’t have someone special in your life, maybe you miss someone very much, maybe you want children to love but it hasn’t worked out, maybe you’re laboring alone for Me on a far-flung field—just keep giving the love that you have, in every way that you can, and you won’t lose. I won’t let you lose.

35. What you do for love multiplies forever. What you give on Earth for love is magnified in eternity. Keep giving away whatever you have to give, keep loving and serving in love, and you’ll more than win in the long run.

Dead by midnight

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again."
- Og Mandino, The Greatest Miracle in the World

"If you knew that your time left on Earth with your loved ones, or those you live with, was short, how would you act? What would you say? How much concern and unselfishness would you show others? How much love would you give?"
-Jesus

I remember hearing a grown-up talking about this when I was a little girl , and mostly my imagination got the better of me and I would end up scared thinking that I would loose dear people around me.
But if you can control your imagination better than a six or seven year old, then I assure you you´ll learn to be grateful for this wisdom. It´s sobering, but true.
An extra "I love you" was never known to kill anybody. And a concentrated effort to stretch ones patience to its limits and beyond, has only made the person stronger and more lovable in the long run, which are only positive side effects.
That last one was for my personal benefit. I let the world know now, that I´m making a concentrated effort to become more patient. It has dawned on me that it´s what I need to do if I really want to show my love to some of those that I love the most in the world!

Cheers to Patience?!