He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
    my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

We live in a world filled with brokenness: broken marriages, broken families, broken bodies, broken spirits, broken homes, broken memories, broken choices. With God there is: restoration, healing, fulfillment, compassion, forgiveness, new beginnings, mercy, peace, light for the path, laughter, smiles, purpose, transformed hearts, and minds. The human spirit is strong within and can weather many storms of life with God. With God we can soar above the mountain tops and ride with the wind caressing us. God loves you and has adventure around every corner as you let things go and breathe in fresh life.

The valleys make us strong and bring us new whispers from heaven. The sun shines brightly again and we ascend to a new experience and can help others along the way. The relationship with God grows and we freely take his hand to places of beauty, tranquility and peace. Hold on tightly, never give up and move forward into his loving arms.

God is your path to joy and freedom.

⁵² Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus on the way. Mark 10:52

For you are my rock and my fortress,
    therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me. Psalm 31:3

Fall into the comfort of our all knowing God. He sees the big picture.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

May God’s spirit rain on your soul today and refresh you within. You are his precious child and he loves you very much! Be renewed and restored and filled with his peace. He cares for every detail of your life and knows your heart.

¹⁶ Every Scripture is God-breathed and^[a] profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy”3:16

Lectio Divina means sacred reading. It is a reflection of how we meditate on God’s word as we saturate ourselves in his presence. It is an invitation for the Holy Spirit to work in us and to transform us. Christian meditation has been around much longer then most people realize we only need to look to the Bible to see many shining examples. Jesus continually spent time alone with God and was quick to use scripture in his teachings and application. To memorize scripture is admirable but to live it out through listening to our Father in heaven and hearing his will for us is divine and life changing.

As we read a Bible Scripture we can:

• Read
• Reflect
• Respond
• Rest

We can read a verse, reflect on what the passage means to us, decide what God may be inviting you to do, and finally rest in his presence and let him guide you. We are renewed, refreshed and revitalized. Union with the Father in Christ is our life force here on earth and for eternity in heaven. Pray without ceasing.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. Romans 8:26

My Dad always told me you are what you eat. His words came back to me today after celebrating with tantalizing cake and ice cream. It tasted great going down but now I am feeling sleepy and full. My daughter calls it having a food coma. Lol!.

Although I love celebrations I am reminded that we need to be mindful of what we put into our bodies. This is also true of our spiritual life. What are we allowing into our lives daily? Are we being saturated by the noise of the world or are we being renewed internally with God?

Positive choices are one step away and can be fueled with mindful God intention. May we live renewing our mind, body and spirit.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold,^[a] all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

³ Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:3

When I am walking my dog at night here in the plains I see the creators hand in the majesty of the starlight. I look up at the sky and think of the hugeness of God and how he created everything. We ourselves are made in the image of God and this is a pleasant reminder even in our fallen world.

At the gym I see people taking pictures of themselves as they pose for selfies quite frequently. I wonder if they are star gazing at what is temporary or what is eternal. Healthy body image comes first from within. We are beautifully and wonderfully made by the keeper of the stars.

Know that Yahweh, he is God.
    It is he who has made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

 Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him. Genesis 5:24

To walk with God is to be transformed by him everyday. It is finding joy, peace and purpose in our journey. God walks right beside us and takes us by the hand. If you have worries, cares, anxieties or fears take them to God. You are not meant to hold tightly to your cares but rather share them with God. He is right here and wants to lighten your load.

The choice is yours every day if you will trust God with your existence or focus on the fleeting world around you that cannot sustain you. Holding on to negative things only causes you to carry around heavy baggage.

To walk with God is to walk in freedom and to breathe with restoration and renewal. God is the source of our existence and is a flood gate of everything good. Open your soul to all that God wants you to experience with him.

² Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. Ephesians 5:2

Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it Genesis 2:15

As I drove by this farm 3 years ago I saw a row of small, white containers filled with calves that would never experience the freedom to walk through an open field. Across from them lay a creek and there onlooking were the female cows that gave birth to them. They could see each other but could not be with each other.

I prayed passionately that this farm would no longer raise cows. I prayed this each time I drove by. Eventually the sad farm was sold and is now a gravel pit.

We have the choice every day to be mindful of what we eat and how it is prepared. I encourage all my readers to be sensitive to what they put on their plate. Life giving food edify’s the body and encourages the soul. I will choose compassion.

God said, “Behold,^[a] I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food. Genesis 1:29

Buildings Crumble but the beauty of God’s creation lasts generations after. The contrast between things made by God and things made by mankind is stunning. It is a direct reflection of the majesty and infinite wisdom of God. Our creative efforts are but a finite shadow of the master creator, a mere finger painting compared to his masterpiece.

This reminds me of the largeness of God. He is the beginning, the end, our Father, Savior and Holy Spirit. He is our defender, our counselor, our rest, the origin of our existence, the one who paints the skies and causes the birds to fly. God is intimate, purposeful, all knowing, the very essence of love and we cannot grasp the vastness of his being.

In the face of the enemy we can praise the God of all creation who calls us his children. There is nothing on this earth that God does not see and his wisdom, glory and majesty will last forever. Life is fleeting but YHWH remains.

³⁶ For of him, and through him, and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen. Romans 11:36

⁸ Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged Deuteronomy 31:8

I was reminded this weekend how much we are blessed when we follow the plan of God for our lives. Visiting with family this weekend really made that hit home. I wanted to reflect today how thankful I am to have freedom to worship God, freedom to pursue the passions in my heart and freedom to have supportive family, friends, church and community.

As we move forward today I encourage us all to pray for our brothers and sisters who are facing incredible odds. Also take a moment today for gratefulness and thank God for all that he has done in your life. We are his family and set apart to shine light in the darkness.

There is time yet to love, to transform lives and to celebrate our amazing creator.

⁷ For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7