I Was Running

International star athlete, Forrest, Forrest Gump, popularized the statement, ‘I was running’ in the film Forrest Gump.

Image Source: Nike.com

 

As I reflect on the film, I thought of many races and games, and a couple of marathons I’ve ran. I think of challenges that I’ve faced and the things that I have been faced with.

I never want to get to the place where all I can say is I was running.  I want to be forever in the place where I run and move forward.

Progress is one of the most significant things that we can see in life.

Think about it. Progress, even a minuscule amount of it, can make the difference between you quitting, starting over again, staying at the same pace, or increasing speed.

Progress is important, when we assess the situation and are certain that we are progressing, we propel forward.

– Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain (I Corinthians 9:24).

– I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

I never want to speak of running this race in past tense.

Morover, I declare and I decree:

I will run the race that is set before me diligently (Hebrews 12:1).

I will press toward the mark (Philipians 4:13).

I will run, run, run, until the Lord says, ‘Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant’

#FeelingDetermined

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He Has Feelings, Too!

It’s important to remember that Jesus has feelings, too!

Image Source: http://www.pixshark.com

… remember, He made us in his image, right?

We have feelings, so does He!

1.  He is not ignorant of our infirmities.

2. We bear this in mind so that we can truly realize just how faithful he is!

He always does what He says He will do, despite our evil, snide intentions. The sun rises and sets, everyday, without fail, without our blessing, and without being influenced by our stupid or ignorant behaviors.

He allows blessings to fall upon the just and the unjust.

He loves us despite the fact that we do not:

 

Thank Him,

Obey Him,

Trust Him,

Praise Him,

Worship Him.

As an aside,  We cannot be ignorant of our brother’s infirmities, either. In addition, we cannot sin, that grace may abound- God forbid!

#GodHasFeelingsToo

It’s A Humbling,

so that none of us can boast.

Not long ago, I heard someone speak about humility. Humility is very important and as I grown to realize the full importance of humility, I think of the things that humble me.

In the city that I used to live in there stands a tall hill in one of the city parks.  After work, I would change into work-out attire and drive to the park and climb the hill, over and over again. Standing on the highest point of the hill did not allow me to see very much of the city at all really.  But, looking out at what I could see still made me feel small and insignificant.

Image Source: wikipedia.org

As I moved to the Atlanta area, I drove through the mountains and valleys of Tennessee. As I traveled, the views of my drive allow me to put a few things into perspective as well.

I already know, but these things remind me that I am nothing and no one.

Sometimes, going out the ocean makes me feel the same way …

A wise man once said, ‘The ocean is the king of 100 rivers because it is humble.’

Another familiar adage states, ‘the gentle outlast the strong’.

As I view the beauty of the land and thank God for all of His creation, I am humbled that He also took the time to create me. I pray that I am always making Him pleased that He has.

#Humbled

 

Argh!!! Why does this hill seem so big?

Sometimes, we get frustrated because the obstacles in our path seem so insurmountable.

Why do they seem sooooo big? … Because we are closer to the obstacle that we are to God.

Tell your problem: ‘Back up, give me 50 feet!!’

1. Pull out your phone and message yourself 10 things you are grateful for

2. Google ‘what the bible says about trust’  … or a word to describe your issue, whatever the issue

3. Go to Youtube.com and pull up some music and sings praises unto the Lord

4. Go to your ‘Holy Bible App’ and read some scriptures on encouragement

5. Encourage yourself by remembering things that the Lord has brought you through so far

6.  Read a scripture, close your app and then just meditate on it, for 10 minutes

7. Periodically stop and think about different scriptures that you’ve read over the course of your life … It doesn’t matter if you just say, ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want!’ (Psalm 23)  Say that…

8. Intentionally overthrow the issue at hand and purposely think about other things: whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philllipians 4:8)

9. Verbally say, “Get behind me, satan”. Leave me alone! You no longer have permission to speak to me.

10. Go into all-out, no holds barred, prayer, praise and worship! Worries and stressors cannot stand where the presence of the Lord dwells.

#HisGoodnessAndMercies

#TwentyFourSevenNightAndDay

#AlwaysMeditateOnTheWordofGod

 

This Is My Season

I have heard the song about this being ‘my season’ over and over again over the past week- before that, I had never heard it.  Listening to it, and see in everyone get extremely excited makes me think…

I sure hope there were good seeds planted; I hope that the things are desirable are planted, because the law of God says that we reap what we sow.

Lord, let us recognize that all of the seeds we’ve planted have not been good.

Lord, let us acknowledge the wrong we’ve done.

Lord, let us acknowledge that we’ve sinned against you and men.

Lord, let us repent and return to your perfect will for our lives.

Lord, have mercy upon us and let us reap the harvest of the good we have sown.

Lord, let us love you all the more and long to stay in your presence forevermore, in Jesus name Amen!

Killing Christ

Like, Saul I was killing the Christians

I was killing Christians because I was killing the Christ in me

I was doing everything and anything that I could possibly do to drown out the voice of God.

Loud music

Always watching television

Always doing this or doing that

Who can focus and hear God when they are continually drowned by the noises of the world?

But like Paul, on the road to Damascus, was drawn to Him

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief (I Timothy 1:13)

No I am free from that. I vow to never stray, my Lord

Just a few thoughts.

… to be continued…

 

Ease On Down The Road

Day two of my travel, I decided that I would pace myself and “Ease on Down the Road.”

After two days of back-to-back rush here, rush there, I resolved to take my time doing things today.

LOL!

With only two hours left to my destination, I woke up casually, and at a moderate speed, prepared to get some breakfast from the Hyatt buffet downstairs, load my car, and move on south. As I drove, I put Diana Ross and Michael’s song on repeat and thought about its message.

1. Keep it moving.

2. Get rid of weight and things that might be a load.

This move, this vision is not mine. I am now seeing that when the vision is not yours, but rather the Lord’s the plan is not yours either.

Every set back, every failure, everything is part of God’s wonderful orchestration of your life.

Ease on down the road, He’s got you!

Not Fully Dressed Without His Smile

Watching the movie Annie with a friend a song plays that says, “Not fully dressed without a smile.”

I decree and I declare:

I need the Lord to smile upon me.

I need His smile- His seal of approval.

He sees past my:

long skirt,

closed toe shoes,

bunned hair,

solemn face,

He sees through my shades,

makeup,

lashes,

skinny jeans,

Tee,

… He sees my heart.

If I allow him to clean up my heart, He’ll smile and that’s all I need.

This Past Year, I Found…

This past year I found my Lord to be a Great Prepare-er.

“Just as I took many days to prepare a place for man everything I did to create earth and to make earth a place for man to dwell in creation,  Just as I prepared Eve’s womb to bear children and throughout the years, millions of other women … and your mom before she knew she’d get pregnant” …

He led me to the story of Jonah:

The Lord prepared the great fish to swallow up Jonah (Jonah 1:17).

He prepared a tempest to come and make the seas rough (Jonah 1:4).

He prepared the lots to fall upon Jonah.

The Lord prepared a ship and crew to throw him off board.

He prepared the gourd to grow and serve its purpose (Jonah 4:6).

The Lord prepared the hearts of the people in Nineveh to accept the Word of God, preached by Jonah.

The Lord is now preparing a place for His people to dwell and worship: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him (I Corinthians 2:9).

He said, “I am away right now, in heaven, preparing a place for you with many mansions “…

“I am currently preparing a place for those that love me to worship me!”

He showed me that everything that has happened in my life is preparing me for who he would have me to become is just a few moons. He’s preparing me for kingdom work and for work when this life is over.

I am honored by His presence, His diligence in preparing me – preparing me to use me in His great kingdom.

He is a Great Prepare-er!

 

 

Christmas Reflections

Today, I am opting to check myself, and see if I’ve grown.  I’ve pasted some of my public Christmas reflections, below.

December 25, 2012:
I searched and I found Him to be a mighty counselor-
More wise and viligent that I could ever be.
Away from the manger,

Waxed strong in spirit,
He has erected a tower-
Strong and mighty all round about me.
No, no, no
He is the tower, mighty in battle!!!

Jesus your name is a strong arm of protection.
My God
The author an finisher gives perfect counsel
And hath smeared a path-
Through the city and field
Hath made every crooked path straight
Lifted valleys and hath made mountains low.
I have found him to be a mighty counselor.
No need to trust in self,
For I am to be about His business.
I need to listen to The Mighty Counselor.
I have found Him to be my Mighty Counselor.
December 2013:
I am thankful that my Lord Jesus loved me so much that He came down from the heavens
In the form of a man to live as an example for me.

I am grateful that He knew he’d suffer greatly in life and in death,
But still chose to come here for me.
I am humbled as I ponder the sacrifice He made to come and live here for a season.
I am thankful to have had an opportunity to share this Christmas with my family to share the remebrance of His great sacrifice.
I am thankful that much of my family was able to be away from work and free to spend time together.
I am thankful for the time we spent in prayer, playing games, and sharing.
… And falling on the floor laughing.
When I remember His sacrifice, I am compelled to declare that:
Henceforth, everyday I will strive to have:
CHRIST MAS = More of Christ

In every area of my life, more of Christ.
Not more of who I want to be.
More of who He is.
Less of who He is not.
Merry Christ Mas 🙂

We Have Come This Far By Faith

Singing, ‘We have come this far by faith’ …

This song is stuck in my head, lol. I’m actually glad that it is.

It reminds me of how I got this far and how I need to move forward. I am glad to remember: my life is not my own.

It reminds me that I need to take up my cross put it on my plow, keep my hands on the plow and not look back, less I turn into pillar of salt.

Small, Yet Powerful Beyond Measure

I was wondering why someone would attack me.

… I mean, ‘I’m not hurting nobody!’ … ‘Why are you throwing salt on me?? ‘

 

I’m just moving along through life, not bothering anybody, minding my own business, and bam!!! Attack!!!

 

I started daydreaming and wondering why as kids, we used to pour salt on slugs and snails.

We were told that they would die if we put salt on them … tested the theory, and behold: they did die!

 

Oh, we gott’em now! Go for it, you kill this one, I’ll kill that one, over there!

Smh.

 

As I researched later, I learned that slugs/snails:

– Can be covered with a shell (covering) and then be virtually impenetrable.

– Have internal organs that undergo a 180 degree change during its development.

contain male and female organs and is able to reproduce when they encounter any of the same type of snail.

– Are able to move about on land and on water.

– Can kill their prey (foliage) faster than it can grow.

 

As a woman of God:

– My covering is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with Him I am unstoppable, impenetrable.

– Christ has given me a 180 degree change on the inside of me – I may look like the same person, but I am not.

– In those times that I expected him to change others, he has changed me.

– Moreover, when I come together with other believers, we are planet shakers, producing others who are also planet shakers.  As a matter of fact, where just two gather, we find the heart of God and build the kingdom of God in the hearts of other people.  With my focus on my Lord- I can walk on water- accomplish things that would have otherwise been impossible.

– Through spiritual warfare, I can and will destroy every plot, plan, or trick of the enemy, in Jesus name!

 

I may be small, but I am powerful beyond measure, and so are you!

#ICanDoAllThingsThroughChrist

Another Comment …

Men …

Just know that if you turn your hearts to God, your wives, girlfriends, sisters, friends, and others who you are in your circle of influence will also turn your hearts to God also!

We need God.
We need you.
Lead us to Him.

#IfMyPeople

Comments on Ferguson

Like everyone else, since the Michael Brown incident occurred, I have been praying and thinking about what is happening.

I am praying for his family, friends…
I am praying for all of other young Black men and their families, girlfriends, classmates, and other associates.
I am praying for other black men who feel ‘that kind of way’ as they conduct their daily activities.

I remember that Black men were lynched many years during slavery and also throughout the early stages of life just after the emancipation.
I remember stories about Black men being injected with Syphilis years ago.

I remember other scenarios that ‘pick’ out Black men for various types of abuses.
Last year, I learned that boys/men of color are kidnapped for sexual trafficking more than any other race-gender subgroup.
Smh… I don’t understand why they get picked on so much.

Well, in light of recent news I have heard lots of comments amongst the people I interact with on a continual basis …
– The Dean of Academic Affairs at a local institution, a Black male, described his teenage son and friends as ”so disrespectful” … asking, ”What do they expect??”
– Another Black man noted that black men and boys today, ”ain’t paying no ‘tention to God”
– Last Sunday, a Black male pastor described what is going on as simply ridiculous. He said that we need to remember the incident when Jesus casted the demons out of the men .. the demons then went into the swine… He described that satan and his emps drive us to “kill ourselves” …

In my opinion, the men I am mentioning above were a little annoyed and I could tell that there was a little bit of an air of ‘they are getting what they deserve’ when it comes to this violence.

Of course, I don’t think that it’s right to murder.
I don’t think it’s right to discriminate or profile based upon race or ethnicity.
I don’t think that it’s wrong to have peaceful protests or to stand up for your personal rights, but I wish that we would dedicate more time to prayer and educating ourselves (each other) about the Lord.

As I remember comments that have been made, I sat my desk at work and cried out to the Lord. Then, I said, There is nothing too hard for God!

What if our generation asked our Lord for permission to conduct our daily activities?
I think about how much trouble I’ve gotten myself into because I did not ask The ‘Lord of my Life’ if I should do this or that. Smh!!
I believe that we would be safe guarded against many of the things that we experience …

He fulfills so many roles, God wants us to recognize Him as our Deliverer.
We can’t fight these battles alone.
We need God to do this for us.

When we have continual, honest conversation with the Lord, there is a comfort level when we need Him to protect us from danger, violence, etc.
I imagine asking my mom to do me a favor verses asking one of my college professors who I haven’t talked about since 2008 to do something for me. Ha!
For instance, If I wanted help starting a business, my mom vs my professor, both may be financially able to help me, but my mom, because I am in constant communication with her is more likely to help.
Admit it, if a stranger walked up to you and asked to borrow $200 you’d be like, I don’t even know you!!!

Let us seek Him early that He may be found. Isaiah 55:6
Let us draw nigh unto Him. James 4:8
Let us know Him in the power of His ressurection. Philipians 3:10
O Lord please don’t say,
… depart from me I know you not.
Matthew 7:21-23
… or in some manner has He already said it? Forbid!

We need to be in continual conversation with The Lord. Not for this reason only, but we will feel comfortable speaking with Him when we need Him.

Moreover, I think that then, and only then will we quickly run to Jesus and allow Him to operate as our Lord, Savior, and Deliverer.
When we run to Jesus, it will be apparent that the battle is not between races or between this person and another, but between angry people with weapons and the Lord.

… I wondered… if we were able to spy out the news of these events last year would we have reported report back that this was ‘too much’ for us?
Yeah, prolly.

So, I say:

It’s time for us to ‘TURN UP’ our belief in Jesus Christ=> Who would dare defy the armies of the living God?
We need to proactively allow Jesus to be Lord over our lives.

Belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord is manifested in our daily lives.

Not just a simple confession on Sunday or one Thursday night during a revival.

When He is Lord over our lives,
We ask Him for permission to do things.
We ask Him what we need to do differently or better.
We ask Him what we need to avoid doing.

We find ourselves:

Asking Him what He would have us to do

verses

Asking Him if we can do this or that.

If He is Lord of our lives, young people, we need to act like it!

When we play our role, I believe that He will fight for us!  I remember when I worked in Teen Court, before we approached the judge, we had to say, ‘If it will please the court’ (judge).  (Ouch!!!)

Over and over again, as I think about what’s in the news, different scriptures keep surfacing in my mind.

If my people, who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray. (II Chronicles 7:14)
Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord (Psalm 20:4)
Honor your parents, so that your days may be lengthened (Exodus 12:20, Ephesians 6:2, and Matt 15:4-6)
Pay your tithes and offerings, and He will rebuke the devourer for us! (Malachi 3:11)
I will be your God, and I will be your people (Jeremiah 32:38 and 37:27)
He wants to fight for us (Exodus 14:14)

Keep praying, so will I.
Please comment!

Suicide, Revisited …

I will not argue if suicide is forgivable, but I will say that is very displeasing to God.  Suicide is selfish, and does not consider the power of God to change the situation.

Pastor J. McArthur summarized that stress, worry, anxiety, fretfulness, apprehension, great concern, (and thus, suicide) is a result of

failure to understand divine priority,

failure to understand divine provision, and

failure to understand divine privilege.

 

Simply put, in order to contemplate suicide, one must not TRULY believe

that he is important to God,

that God is the greatest provider known to man, and

that he is an heir alongside Christ, with a seat in heavenly places.

 

As disciples of Christ, we must learn to discipline ourselves to learn from the examples that are provided for us in the scriptures. When I was growing up, I was told that experience was the best teacher, but I have learned that the ability to listen to testimonies and respond spiritually is actually the best teacher.

 

Revelation 12: 11- And they overcame him (the enemy, ‘satan’) by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  In the stories that I mentioned in my original post, the men did not consult God, neither did they worship, sing, or praise God after their sins. Instead, they opted to take matters into their own hands and kill themselves.

When we bear these things in mind, we manifest the fruit of the spirit, and in particular, practice longsuffering, even when times are rough and tough. For example, Moses…

Hebrews 3:5   And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things that which were to be spoken after;

Hebrews 11:24-25   By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God , than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

When we keep our mind on him, his love for us, his promises- we’ll be busy being who he made us to be, and we will not entertain suicidal thoughts.

Praying for the families of those young men.

Suicide

Since the recent deaths and suicides back home, I been remembering some scriptures that I have read about suicide.

There are at least three accounts of suicide in the bible (there is probably more, but I can only say that I have read three): Sampson, Ahithopel, and Judas.  In each of these instances [Judges 16: 23-30, II Samuel 17:23, and Matthew 27:3-5, respectively,] the person who committed suicide had had the opportunity to perform a Godly act, but did not, and out of regret, committed suicide.

When we realize who God is, and humble ourselves to his sovereignty, (give him complete control over our lives,) suicide is out of the question.

1. Isaiah 26:3 & 4- Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.
2. II Corinthians 13:11- Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind- the mind of Jesus Christ, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
3. Romans 8:28- And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
4. Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus.
5. Isaiah 26:3- Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stated on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
6. I Thessalonians 5:17- Pray without ceasing.
7. Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end.
8. II Thessalonians 3:3- … the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
9. John 10:10- Jesus said, … ‘the thief cometh not, but for to seal, kill, and to destroy: I am come that ye might have life, and that they have it more abundantly’.
10. II Timothy 2:15- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
11. II Timothy 2:4- WE SHOULD NOT ENTANGLE OURSELVES WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE, BUT RATHER, PLEASE HIM WHO HAS CHOSEN US TO BE SOLDIERS.

From these scriptures, it is apparent that suicide occurs after God has given direction, his instructions are ignored/ disobeyed, faith disappears, and the enemy is free to set up camp in our minds- specifically, and in this case,

his job is to steal joy,

to kill the ambition to live, and

to destroy the soul.

So, submit to God- love, pray, worship, praise. Resist the devil, and he (and his nasty thoughts) will flee.  –James 4:7

Familiar Ground

We have all been through ups and downs.  As we recall our past experiences, we should be able to assess what is ‘familiar ground’.

-With our favorite foods, there is a salivary reflex that comes when we know we are about to consume the tasty treat!

-In relationships, our hearts may begin to beat fast or our palms may begin to sweat…

On the one hand, there are those times we pay pucker our lips as we prepare for a gentle kiss from the one that we love.

On the other hand, there are those times when we disagree and words get crossed.

In either case, if we are wise we can see these places as familiar ground. Small clues can be gathered to indicate that we do not or we do need to move in this direction.

If, when dating, you find that your mate is jealous, envious, controlling, full of strife, has the tendency to backbite or be negative, make hateful comments, sabotage the lives other folks, oppress or otherwise make others feel guilty for this or that, verbally abuse others, or use his mouth as a weapon to hurt people …

Get out!!

It is better to stop while you are ahead. Stop before you like him, and certainly before you love him.

It is also important to stop before you invest a significant amount of your time and energy in the individual or into your relationship.  Doing this early on makes life easier. The quicker you get out, get up, and get going, the quicker you will find some one who does not display those character traits.

It’s not a matter of whether or not you think that what it is that they are doing is right or wrong or if those actions are a ‘sin’.  If you don’t want to be around those things, you simply do not. And that’s OK.

Scientific research has indicated that humans can only think of one idea at a time. In this vein, every negative thought was traded for a positive thought. Proactively overthrow those types of things – valuable thoughts, time, and energy and trade them for positive thoughts.  Think about it, if you had a choice between two thoughts:

a thought that is jealous about another person

OR

a thought about chapter 8 of your new book

which would you choose?

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about purpose. My final remark reflects on my advice about making sure that you know your purpose.  When you know your purpose, you attract people who know theirs (and repel those who do not know their own). Individuals who know their purpose will not be caught up in immaturity, jealousy, envy, or strife. We are to be enthralled in our purpose and pleasing our Lord so much so that we do not have time to have any of those traits that I described earlier.

Further, the best relationships are those where both people know their purpose and as individuals, each party is working to accomplish their own goals- when they come together, they compliment, encourage and edify one another and then part ways, super-charged to do their best.

Being around a mate who knows his purpose, believes in and supports yours- that should be your familiar ground.

Comments?

 

 

 

Purpose

As you probably already know, one of the words that is in the air is purpose. Purpose is very important because when the Lord reveals yours to you, it explains your past, and can propel every part of your everyday life, and shape your future.

Purpose helps us understand why you are different from everyone else in general. Even why you are different from your twin.  It helps us understand why the Lord did not simply create mindless robots, or why He simply just did not make us angels or just like angels- but that we are not invisible.

When you know your purpose, you attract people who know theirs (and repel those who do not know their own). Individuals who know their purpose will not be caught up in immaturity, jealousy, envy, or strife. We are to be enthralled in our purpose and pleasing our Lord so much so that we do not have time to behave unseemlingly or in whatever manner display any unfavorable personality traits.

Further, the best relationships- platonic or otherwise- are those where people know their purpose and as individuals, each party is working to accomplish their own goals- when they come together, they compliment, encourage and edify one another and then part ways, super-charged to do their best.

Being around a mate who knows his purpose, believes in and supports yours.
A couple years ago, I was speaking with one of my friends about being in a un-equally yoked relationship.
I said that it’s really nice when your partner knows your purpose, contributes with positive reinforcement, constructive criticisms and gives you ample space to grow and walk in what God wants you to do.

I think that in all the ways you can be unequally yoked that this is the most significant.

Comments?

Waiting for Teacake

Some time ago, a friend asked about what it meant to be the bride of Jesus Christ. I have opted to respond here.

I believe that being the Bride of Christ is more than simply being His fiancee. More than being His wife or wife to be.

… being the young Bride of Christ represents
a fondness
a love
a like of Jesus Christ.

It represents being somebody that possesses the characteristics of a person that He would consider marrying.

I imagine that such a Prince would have a laundry list of prerequisites. I simply do not do fit the bill.
Despite many, many, many reasons He should not love me at all, He loves me and loves me unconditionally.

Googly-eye’d I am. I must admit.
I am fond of Him.
I like Him.
I love Him. Let me just say I love…
I love everything about Him.
Who He represents.
Who He is in front of people.
Who He is behind closed doors.
Who He is when He is speaking.
Who He is when He is silent.

This fondness, love, and like moves towards me from Jesus Christ.
And from me to Him.

When I fall short, He is so patient and kind that He teaches me what I need to know.
He teaches me to love, give mercy, and repent. So together, we love mercy, forgive quick, and repent quicker.

Our relationship is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

It’s a freshness.
It’s a promise.
It’s a contract between He and I to be together forever.
… the promise to begin every single day with new mercies toward one another and others also.
There is newness, tenderness.
We cherish one another and we cherish one another’s feelings.

I only want to be with him.
I remain pure only for Him.
When we communicate with one another we remember that the other has feelings and speak with kindness to one another.
Because we know each other so well, we say things like, ‘Honey will you.. ‘
And quickly the other interrupts, ‘Yes, I sure will.’
Further, He has paid a price for me – His blood serves as the drowery.

When I think of the scenario of me being the bride of Jesus Christ, I picture myself as a young woman fully dressed to the T, sitting on a veranda with fresh made sun tea. I sit and wait on the front of this huge white home even on a hot summer day, patiently waiting for Teacake, my love.
… I am fond of Him.
… I like Him.
… I love Him.
He is my groom.

Filled to the brim with excitement, I can hardly wait to see His silhouette walking down the driveway toward me.
When I catch a glimpse of Him, I dare to run down the dusty path to meet Him and jump into His arms.

Until that day, I will keep my promises and patiently wait for my Love to return.