Dancing with the Father

Lately I haven't been posting much of anything substantial but today I want to share some things the Lord has shown me over the weekend.  On Sunday, during worship, the Lord showed me some pictures that I want to share with you.  I have tried to find some pictures on the web that can illustrate what I saw and I hope it helps you see what the Lord showed me!

 

First picture was of the Father holding a baby or small child in the air dancing in circles. 

The child was in full trust of her Father as they danced, no fear of falling, 

complete eye contact, and full of love and trust.

 

How fun!  To stand on your Father's feet, trusting his steps

and yet with out stretched arms.

 

The last with the daughter's head against the father's chest in a warm embrace.

 

Now what the Lord revealed to me is that when we first accept Him as our Savior we are like a small child or baby who fully trusts the Lord, never taking our eyes off of him, fully trusting his hands to support us, guide us and protect us.  As we grow we experience things that keep us at bay.  We trust the Lord (represented by our feet on our father's feet as we dance) but we want to do things our way (arms stretched out keeping our father at bay).  Oh we want to know His plans and we want to follow Him but by our terms and how we think He wants us to go.  But the last scene of the child with her head on her Father's chest represents how the Father wants us.  He wants us in his warm embrace. Fully trusting Him!  With our ear against His chest hearing His heart beat.  HEARING HIS HEART BEAT!!!  How are we to hear His heart beat for our lives without that warm embrace.  Trusting, relying on, fully engulfed by his arms.  Hearing His heart beat so much so that if it beats to the left we follow and if it beats to the right we follow.  To fully know what God wants for our lives, to trust and obey we must hear His heart beat!!! 

   I will be honest, I tend to be the little girl on His feet but with outstretched arms keeping Him at bay.  Oh I fully trust the Lord but I want to see around me (and Him) at times, to see if there is a way out of a situation instead of being embraced in His arms.  What I have found is that when I am in that position I am longing to be in His embrace hearing His heart beat.   You would think after 22 years of dancing with the Lord as an adult I would realize I need to be within His embrace hearing His heart beat.  For it is within that embrace that I have peace, I have rest, I have comfort and protection.  

   I don't know about you but I am choosing today to dance within His embrace to hear His heart beat for my life.  What are you going to chose to do?

Resurrection Sunday is not ...

just one day a year for me. It is through grace I am saved and set free from the bondage of sin. I am not perfect and fall before my Savior daily to repent for attitudes, words I have spoken that did not bring Him glory. NOPE Resurrection Sunday is not just a once a year event! For me it's a daily event! Thank you Jesus!

Hidden Damage

So today I have been thinking...I know hold on to your hats because I was actually thinking and it's only 8 AM. As I said the other day, I was in an accident. Thankfully the van is drivable so my husband has been taking it to work with him. Well today I had to meet him at the mechanic so that we can get the brakes in the car. While he was taking care of that I was sitting in the van. (yes that is my van and yes we are taking it tomorrow to get an estimate of what it is going to cost to get it fixed...praying it won't be a tremendous amount...this is coming out of our pockets.)
Do you know how embarrassing it is to sit in a vehicle that has this kind of damage? Right now all the openings are covered with a black garbage bag and PURPLE duct tape. So it stands out even more.
Anyway as we were driving home I started thinking about how looking a the van from one side you can not see any of the damage, but walk around it and there it is. Then this thought crossed my mind...how many people do we see that look whole, healthy and happy on the outside but on the inside are damaged worse than my van? Then you have people that have been "damaged" and you see the evidence on the outside such as with a burn victim and yet you get to know that person and they are more whole, healthy and happy than that other "perfectly put together" person on the other corner.
I am so glad that I serve a God that can see the inside past the "perfect outer shell" and can heal the damage on the inside all because He loves us! I invite you to pray this prayer with me today..
Dear Heavenly Father,
Today I came before you and ask that you reach deep inside of me and heal all the damage that no one else can see. Past hurts, negative thoughts, sins I have committed, all of it...Lord cleanse me from within, heal the damaged areas and restore to perfect health my body, mind and soul. Forgive me for the sins I have committed. I accept You today as King and Lord over all of my life.
In Jesus Name...Amen.

"Arms Open Wide"

“What does love look like?” is the question I’ve been pondering
“What does love look like?”
“What does love look like?” is the question I’ve been asking of You

I once believed that love was romance, just a chance
I even thought that love was for the lucky and the beautiful
I once believed that love was a momentary bliss
But love is more than this
All You ever wanted was my attention
All You ever wanted was love from me
All You ever wanted was my affections, to sit here at Your feet

Then I sat down, a little frustrated and confused
If all of life comes down to love
Then love has to be more than sentiment
More than selfishness and selfish gain

And then I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me
I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me
He was looking at me, looking at Him, staring through me
I could not escape those beautiful eyes
And I began to weep and weep

He had arms wide open, a heart exposed
Arms wide open; He was bleeding, bleeding

Love’s definition, love’s definition was looking at me
Looking at Him, hanging on a tree
I began to weep and weep and weep and weep

This is how I know what love is, this is how I know what love is

And as I sat there weeping, crying
Those beautiful eyes, full of desire and love

He said to me, “You shall love Me, You shall love Me
You shall love Me, You shall love Me”

With arms wide open, a heart exposed
With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding

If anybody’s looking for love in all the wrong places
If you’ve been searching for love, come to Me, come to Me
Take up your cross, deny yourself
Forget your father’s house and run, run with Me
You were made for abandonment, wholeheartedness
You were made for someone greater, someone bigger, so follow Me
And You’ll come alive when you learn to die

Song: Artist: Album:

Arms Wide Open Misty Edwards Fling Wide

Still Looking...

for the song! Yes if you have even come across this blog for the last few posts you have read I am seraching for a song I heard on the radio. Still can't find it but I am finding some very POWERFUL songs out there. This next one I found...well heard on the radio today hit me so hard I just sat in the car bawling for a good 30 mins. It just hit me squared in the heart strings. Has such a POWERFUL message. Read the words here and then listen. Let the Lord minister to you as He did me today.


You Deliver Me ~ Selah

Deep as the ocean, Bright as rain
This powerful emotion lifts me up above the planes
It's taken me to places I never thought I'd go
Showing me a grace I never thought I'd know

When I feel like I can't go on
You deliver me
When the road is winding and way too long
You deliver me
You deliver me

I feel like a sinner, my sins have been washed clean
I'm absolutely given, this heart has never seen
I must be forgiven sometimes asking why
I was chosen to be given you in this life

When I feel like I can't go on
You deliver me
When the road is winding and way too long
You deliver me
You deliver me

When there's a distance
Between what I am and who I want to be
You deliver me

When I feel like I can't go on
You deliver me
When the road is winding and way too long
You deliver me
You deliver me

When I feel like I can't go on
You deliver me
When the road is winding and way too long
You deliver me
You deliver me

The Shack

Last week a friend of mine gave me this book, called "The Shack" by William P. Young. This book was awesome! I loved it and highly recommend everyone reading it. It truly made me laugh, cry, think and touched me deeply. You can go here to read the forward and first chapter of the story. This book was truly a life changing book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. If you do read it let me know what you think. I would love to have a discussion of what you thought!