Category Archives: Belonging

Rest for My Soul

heavy load

Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden

We fail.

We mess up.  We make bad decisions, and many times the heavy load we carry is the result of those choices.  When we recognize this, we pile on self-condemnation—guilt and shame.  Not God, our Loving Father.  He opens His arms wide, and says:

Child come here.  Put down that heavy load, and climb up in My lap and tell Me all about it.  Receive the grace, the forgiveness I so want to give you, and let me release you from your worry.  Quit accepting shame, and embrace the freedom-joy of My love once again.  Just leave it to Me.  I will help you know what to do as you move forward from here.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me

I will not only show you what to do now, but I will help you learn from this.  I can teach you to be free of your compulsions, to see more of the world from My perspective, so you don’t make this same mistake twice.  If you choose, My Holy Spirit will do this deep healing in your spirit. 

For my load is easy and my burden is light and you shall find rest for your souls

It is so much easier–and more enjoyable–to follow Me when you aren’t carrying unnecessary burdens.  The load I give you is quite simple: stay connected with Me.  Don’t let anything get in the way of this connection, especially not your mistakes. Don’t let anything keep you from embracing the identity, value, belonging and calling I have given you.

When you stay connected with Me, you will be able to hear my voice and follow where I am leading you to go.

I will show you the next step from here.

Do not anxiously look about you for I am your GodReaching forward to what lies ahead I press on to the upward call of God in Christ JesusCast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you

What helps you stay connected to God, even in the midst of failure?

come to me all who are weary and heavy laden

By Lydia Floren

Image by woodleywonderworks

God’s Supreme Attribute

by Lydia Floren

I love this quote by Billy Graham, so appropriate in the Easter Season,from his book The Journey.  He gave the ultimate gift – His life – so that we would be able to connect with Him intimately, daily, His presence continually with and within us.  Nothing can demonstrate His love and deep desire for all of us more than for us to spend an unending future with Him in the bliss-filled place called Heaven:

“The more I read the Bible, the more I realize that love is God’s supreme attribute.  Behind every dealing God has with us is His perfect love.  It was love that made Him create us, and it was love that caused Him to send His Son to redeem us.  His love pursues us and draws us to Himself, and His love will someday take us into His presence forever. ‘This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin…s’ (1 John 4:10).  His love is not a passing fancy or a superficial emotion;  it is a profound and unshakable commitment that seeks what is best for us.  Human love may change or fade; God’s love never will.  He says to us, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’ (Jeremiah 31:3).”

-Billy Graham (The Journey, p.22)

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13 NLT)

For more thoughts/observations about God’s great love, visit Belovedlove.org.

God's love is a profound and unshakable commitment that seeks what is best for us. Billy Graham

Waking Up to Beauty

 Yesterday morning I woke up to this:

I am fearfully and wonderfully made and my soul knows it very well.

This morning I woke up to this:

I am fearfully and wonderfully made and my soul knows it very well.

Each view is 

breathtaking, dazzling, unique, captivating, lovely.

Created and adored by our Heavenly Father.

Every day, I wake up to me, in my skin, with my unique blend of personality, temperament, gifts, talents, DNA, history. Whether I recognize it or not,

I am

breathtaking, dazzling, unique, captivating, lovely.

I am created and adored by my Heavenly Father.

I am beloved.

You and I

wake up to beauty every day…

and then we open our eyes.

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made and my soul knows it very well.”

 

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