OK, I didn’t write this but I couldn’t resist posting....

This was sent to me and I couldn't just pass it up. I had to post it. I thought it was a very interesting article. I have seen and heard many, many examples of younger men, older women. I have always been interested in hearing more about the successful relationships that people have told me about, so I thought it was very interesting that this article came to me. Thought I would share it for what it's worth........

Dating Older Women By Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D...

Perspectives from the "younger men" and dating tips for them

The reasons why some men date older women are as varied as the women themselves. These women, because of their experience, often have more wisdom and self-assurance than younger women -- perhaps they may also possess more self-reliance and tolerance.
Some men receive mentoring from older women, who have had more relationship experience and often understand men well. Clearer about who they are and what they want, "older women" may even have an advantage in the dating arena.
In some cases, having a relationship with an older woman may work for men who don't want children:
"My wife and I have been married for almost 20 years," says Rocco. "She was 53 and I was 41 when we met. We both shared many values, including our faith. Our children are grown up now, and mine love her. So, it's worked out very well. I tell men who have been divorced at least once to go for an older woman... If you find the right one, don't worry about age -- unless you still want more children."

A man who dates someone who has children his age will run into the occassional social opposition. But there are men (like Ben, 25, who is dating a 45-year-old woman) who can overcome resistance. Ben says:
"A woman can be 25 and marry a man of 45 or 55 and, hey, whatever. Traditionally, it's been ingrained in our psyches... that's the way it goes, but not the other way around. We've always known that age may be an issue. But now that we've been together for a while, I have a new perspective.

Through my experience as a therapist and marriage counselor, age difference isn't as important in a relationship as most people think. What counts is whether a couple can create a working partnership and build an enjoyable life together. So, for you men who've fallen head-over-heels in love with an older woman, I've developed nine tips on how to enjoy your newly found romance:

1. Be a gentleman. An older woman wants to be treated with respect, like any woman does. While she might attracted to your rebelliousness or youthful attitude, she still wants you to treat her with good manners.
2. Don't get ahead of yourself. Don't worry about the future until you actually might have one. Take your time and allow the relationship to develop.
3. Stay calm. You may be excited, but don't overdo it. Have fun and enjoy your dates, but don't come on too strong. She has some reservations, too.
4. Be charming. Don't underestimate how powerful your smile can be. Use it often, make eye contact, and keep the conversation flowing. Pay attention to what interests you about your date, and show interest in her opinions, experiences, and activities. Be complementary whenever possible, and respond intelligently to whatever she says.
5. Don't focus on looks.
Give complements, but focus less on her physical appearance -- she may be anxious about it. And even if you're complementary, she may worry that you're too focused on looks. She wants to be appreciated for who she is, including her intellect and style. Compliments like "That color is lovely on you," or "You look great tonight" are safer than "You're in great shape."
6. Have fun. Keep your dates simple and have a good time. Focus on being pleasant, and not getting too far ahead of the relationship. Refrain from talking too long about any one subject without inviting a comment from your date.
7. Keep conversation interesting and light. Feel free to talk about anything, including your personal lives, past relationships, and love in general, but don't be the one who brings up the intimate topics first. Be wary of prying too deeply into her private life and secrets, unless the information is voluntarily offered.
8. Avoid talking too much about yourself. Keep your focus on learning about your date. Dole out the boring information about yourself. Punctuate your conversation with questions: "What do you think?" "Has it been that way for you?"
9. Pay attention! Listen to answers to your questions. You have things to learn here! Seek to get to know each other better. No matter how thrilled you may be about her, listening to what she says, watching what she does, and understanding how she feels are the most important things you can do.

Can these older woman/younger man relationships last?
In my counseling office, I have seen many relationships succeed with this kind of older woman/younger man scenario.

The media focuses on the age difference, but what really makes or breaks the relationship is how well the couple can form a partnership that works.

Age difference is an adolescent worry: When you're a teenager, an age difference of even two or three years makes a vast difference in your experience and your outlook on life. Such a difference can interfere with communication, life goals, outlook, and relationship experience. In addition, for the young, the social reaction to such a relationship is often negative. If one partner is underage, a sexual relationship is even against the law.
But, as you get older, life experience and emotional growth help to equalize your relationship skills and resources. A 10-year or more difference in your ages makes little difference in how well you can conduct your relationship.

Don't focus on an arbitrary numbers difference in your ages. If you are getting along, you have good communication and problem solving, and you love each other, that's a precious thing, and far more important than any age difference could be. If other people have a problem with it, let it be their problem. Whether or not a relationship is healthy is not determined by age differences, but by the interaction between the partners.

Success in these relationships depends on what the motivations of both people are. Some older people feel younger at heart than their contemporaries and like to date people who are as active as they are. Chronological age doesn't always reflect either physical capability or emotional maturity.

If you're asking: "Is it OK for me to have a partner who is much older or younger than I am?" You'll do better off if you forget about your ages and concentrate on whether the relationship works for both of you, or not. What really makes a romantic relationship succeed is the emotional connection.

Ruts......

Yes, that's right RUTS! God really started talking to me about being in Ruts last week. Someone mentioned it in our group that went out to the Parthenon one night and it just struck a chord in me and I started thinking about it more and more. I realized how easy it is for us to get stuck in Ruts, get out of old Ruts just to go right back in because it's easy and sometimes comfortable, or create new Ruts.

God's not in the RUTS!!!! Over the weekend I was driving in the country and looked out into a field and saw where the cows had made a path from a barn to the field and vice versa. When I saw it the Lord immediatly started talking to me about that. He showed me that as followers of Christ, we have gotten into Ruts in ways we never even thought was a Rut. We have gotten into Ruts in our prayer lives, in the way we pray for people, for situations. We have gotten into Ruts in the way we go to church, how we worship, how we come to Him. If something familiar happens the same way it has happened before in our lives, we tend to go back to that old Rut. We have gotten into Ruts in our thinking processes. If we are hurt, or offended or if something happens in life as it has happened before, we retreat to old thought patterns, which triggers old ways of thinking and acting accordingly, and yet we somehow expect different results!

The Lord said that those cows go out of the barn to the field the same way, every day, out and back in, out and back in, the same old rut. He has said the He is not in the barn anymore........He's over on the other side of the field! He's doing a new thing, working over there and if we stay in the same Rut, headed towards the barn, we're going to miss Him! His word never changes, the end results He has promised in His word never changes, BUT the way He brings them about changes. He is not a cookie cutter God! He is not going to do things the same way over and over again, so that He can be figured out and we can then say, OK if I do this and this and say this and this, and pray that and that, then Poof.....I can have the same results everytime! Nope, not gonna happen! Then we wouldn't need Him if we could do it on our own. He is asking why are we reverting back to old thought processes (Ruts), Old ways of doing things (Ruts), approaching Him in the same old tired way (Ruts), asking for the same old things (Ruts) and expecting something brand new, or something different!

He is saying, "Get out of the Rut, run across that field towards me! Behold old things are passed away, and behold alls things have become new!" Come learn of Him in a new way, force yourself out of that Rut so He can manifest into your life the things you have wanted and prayed for and believed Him for all of your life! Know that He is going to do it His way, and it won't be back where the Rut is! When Jesus called Peter to come and meet Him on the water, I expect the diciples had been across that water that same way many, many times. Peter didn't think twice about jumping out of that boat and heading towards His Lord, but then huge winds, tall waves (circimstances) got in the way and he let those become bigger than his faith in Jesus. Peter got out of the Rut, and he too walked on the water! Jump out of that Rut or Ruts, start running towards Him in a new thought life (our mind is renewed by the word of God), in new ways of thinking, in new actions, and don't let any circumstances get in your way! You will be so glad that you did. You will see the manifestation of the prayers, the things you have been believing Him for, in your life! Praise Him! Jesus is so worthy of ALL our Praise!

True Intimacy....True Love

I had an amazing experience almost 2 weeks ago now, and I just continue to grow and learn what it all means, and I wanted to share this with everyone so that hopefully it will be light in darkness, blessing where there has been desolation, hope where there has been no hope. I know people look at my myspace and my blogspot (I have been blogging more there than here lately) from all over the country and the world, and I am trusting that this is going to be a witness to everyone around the world that reads it. It is all about HIM and it is all for HIS Glory.

I will be very open and vulnerable, but I am secure in who I am and who He has made me, so I do this for His Glory and so that others might see HIM and what He has for them.

I had a difficult couple of days this particular week. I had been fretting and talking with the Lord about some things that had happened, some hurtful, insensitive things that had been said to me, and just generally fed up with this area of my life. I had had enough. As I was crying out to God on a Tuesday morning, I felt angry, angry at the Lord. That is unusual for me, but I knew that I had come to the point (where He wanted me all along) that I needed to get very real with Him and very honest with Him about where I was and what I truly felt (like He didn't know that already!) As I was driving to Whitehouse to a one day job God had provided for me (that's another blog soon about His amazing Provision), I was crying, talking to the Lord, getting real plain, and real.....real with Him. I am writing this for anyone who has ever experienced any type of rejection in any area of life, felt like God was withholding things from you....etc. If you are breathing, you have experienced that at least once in your life. Back to the story, I told the Lord that I didn't understand why things had come about, had taken place the way they had in the past 2-3 years. I mean after all, I have waited a long time for God to manifest in my life, His promise of a husband and mate. So anyway I was getting very honest with Him about things and I was upset. I was thinking about some conversations and events that had taken place and really asking the Lord some very pointed, serious questions. He really does want us to get real with Him, because guess what? He can handle it. It is when we get real with Him that we are really getting real with ourselves and opening the door and allowing Him to now work and move because we have finally surrendered and gotten ourself out of the way.

Well, while I was at this job, I was by myself the whole day. I was thinking and thinking and talking to the Lord a little here and there, but I was hurt and mad. I was standing in front of the sink, the water was running to fill up the bucket and I was just watching it. In my minds eye I saw, and felt the Lord walk up behind me, I could feel Him, His presence, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. He put His hands on my shoulders and He whispered in my left ear "I love you" and I just started to cry and I relaxed and leaned back into Him and said "I love you too". Then He whispered in my right ear "I do have my best for you" and I cried even more and said "I know you do, but why can't it be right now.....today!?" And then I just let the flood gates open and I cried and cried and worshipped Him. It was the most amazing, initimate moment I have ever had with Jesus like that. We talk about how that He is our Husband first, or if you're a man, He is your Wife first and foremost, but I actually got to experience Him that way for the first time. Not only was He showing me and telling me how much He loved me, as a husband would, but He was also showing me an example of what a husband should be to me. If a husband and his wife were upset, or she was upset with him; he would go to her and comfort her and tell her that he loved her and that it was going to be alright, he would take care of her.

So here are some things He has continued to show me and build on that moment that I want to share with all of you. He loves us so much, He desires to be in every part of our lives. He desires a deeper intimacy with us, and having had just a taste of it, I can tell you it is so amazing. He is giving us an example of what He has planned for us, His best for us. He has shown me over and over and over the past few months His example of the roles of men and women. How He created it to work, and what He intends for me and all of you. If you are a woman, Captivating as He created you to be, we are to be pursued, we are to be fought for, don't settle for anything less (Not talking about playing games girls, just sharing His plan He has already put in place). Not striving, not hiding, not fighting, but Captivating, having that beauty to unveil, being the warrior princess when needed. If you are a man, you are made in His image, to be the Wild at Heart, hunter, fighter, pursuer, lover, priest of the home He has called you to be. Don't let the world tell you that you can't do it, or that you don't measure up....you are a child of God! You have HIS attributes!

He has told me and shown me over and over recently, I am not a concellation prize, I am not second best, I am not someone to be "settled" for and neither are you! I have not been passed by and I am not a victim! He has His best and I am His best for the man that will have his eyes opened to that and see what God has in store for him. And His promise is the same for everyone of you! He does not prefer one over the other....He is in love with all of us. Won't you be in love with Him too! Allow Him into the deepest most intimate parts of your heart.....you won't regret it.

Ephesians 5

"2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."

22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.


Currently reading :
The Secret Place: Passionately Pursuing His Presence
By D. Arthur Fife

ALL Provision is in HIM

I just had to share how amazing, how awesome, how wonderful, how beautiful my Lord is. Several weeks ago, I obeyed the Lord by stepping out by faith and leaving the previous job I had. I knew I was supposed to leave and He opened a door for me to do so and I felt as if I was jumping off a cliff not knowing if He would catch me, but I knew in my spirit I was doing the right thing. I don't know where to start to tell you about how my spirit grasped the He is our Provision, that He has ALL provision in HIM. Read John 17:21. If Jesus lives in us and we live in Him, where is the provision? There is no lack of jobs in Him, there is no lack of finances in Him, there is no lack of husbands/wives in Him, there is no lack of health in Him, there is no lack of restoration in Him, there is no lack of opportunities in Him. No Lack In Him!

He has proven Himself to me over and over again and again in this past month. The more I have witnessed about this revelation knowledge to others in the past few weeks, the more I've seen His hand daily in my life. From jobs, to supernatural provision, to intimate moments with my Lord like I have never experienced before! He is changing my life, He is working in and through me and I give Him every bit of The Glory! He has done it all! He is so very worthy of ALL of our Praise! He has blessed me exceeding, abundantly above all that I can ask or think. He has shown me Himself as my Provider, as my Husband, as Warrior fighting on my behalf, as Romancer as my Healer like I have never known or experienced before. I just wanted to take a minute to share with you all and Give Jesus all of my Praise, and ALL of The Glory! He is so worthy! And He does not prefer one person over another, what He has done for me He will do for you! Trust Him like you've never trusted Him before! He won't ever leave you for fail you!

Just like The Screw Tape Letters by C.S. Lewis, this is again, a reminder of what is really going on in the spirit realm, the battle that really is waged against us. Do we find ourselves asleep, or are we going to wake up to the fact there is a real enemy...the devil....who is out to destroy us? Whether it is with complacency and indifference, or blatant attacks against our stand for The Lord and what He has called us to do....there is a villain, and we can not afford to be naive of his motives......


"The question is not, Are we spiritually oppressed, but Where and How?

Think of it—why does every story have a villain?

Little Red Riding Hood is attacked by a wolf. Dorothy must face and bring down the Wicked Witch of the West. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi go hand to hand against Darth Maul. To release the captives of the Matrix, Neo battles the powerful “agents.” Frodo is hunted by the Black Riders. (The Morgul blade that the Black Riders pierced Frodo with in the battle on Weathertop—it was aimed at his heart). Beowulf kills the monster Grendel, and then he has to battle Grendel’s mother. Saint George slays the dragon. The children who stumbled into Narnia are called upon by Aslan to battle the White Witch and her armies so that Narnia might be free.

Every story has a villain because yours does. You were born into a world at war. When Satan lost the battle against Michael and his angels, “he was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (Rev. 12:9). That means that right now, on this earth, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of fallen angels, foul spirits, bent on our destruction. And what is Satan’s mood? “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short” (v. 12). So what does he spend every day and every night of his sleepless, untiring existence doing? “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against . . . those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (v. 17). He has you in his cross hairs, and he isn’t smiling.

You have an enemy. He is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, destroy your life." (Waking the Dead , 150–51)

Walking with God

Wow, you must go to this new website for John Eldredge and listen to the webcast about his new book. It is an entire evening and message about 'Hearing from God'! It is absolutly phenominal! Sign in and listen. I am ordering the book. I want to draw closer and hear from Him more intimately. You will be blessed and inspired to walk even closer with Him after you hear/read this new book. Just click on the title of this blog to take you there. I am also including it under my friend list to the right to get to this site.

There is no lack...He has provided everything

There have been some challenges of late, to say the least. My job ended, but it was God opening a door. Through prayer and counselling with treasured prayer partner-friends, I saw the light and stepped out by faith to trust God to take me in the direction and next step He wanted me to take. I don't know where that's taking me, I honestly don't. Whether it is to stay here, move somewhere else totally, move into another area of work, relationships, life. I am not sure, but what I do know is I am available, ready and willing for whatever direction in every area of my life that He wants to take me.

Four things that really ministered to me and spoke to me in the past week I wanted to share.

First: I was listening a series by TD Jakes called "Divine Strategies" over the weekend while on the way to my parents. On one of the messages he talked about the children of Israel and Jericho. It was amazing what they went through, not unlike things we do today. What he was pointing out was that God is not a cookie cutter God. He does not get in a rut and have people do the same thing over and over so that He can be figured out. He had them walk around that wall every day. Joshua chapter 6. God told Joshua to walk around the wall one time each day for 6 days. So naturally, they thought the 7th day would be the same, but it wasn't. On the 7th day he told them to walk around the city 7 times not once as before. Not only that, Joshua told them they couldn't even make a sound that day, until he told them to shout. Can you imagine that many people walking around that city, 7 times, and not one peep, not one sound coming out of their mouths. You know they thought Joshua was crazy. God asks us to do what seems like crazy things sometimes, but He is working all things together for our good. So they obeyed, they received God's strategy everyday for where they were and what they were to do and sure enough, when Joshua told them to shout and sound the horns on that 7th day, the walls fell just as God has promised. What TD was saying about that story that moved me so much was that they were in a hard place, going through some rough things, but when they made that place they were in a sanctuary, and began to worship the Lord in the middle of hardness, in the middle of that "hell" they were going through, God gave them HIS strategy. And they obeyed that strategy and God delivered them so far out of that place they were in, that even to this day, Jericho can not be found by archeologist! What he said was that no matter how hard, how rough the place we have been in, if we will worship God, in the middle of this rough place, He will give us His strategy of what to do and He will deliver us so far out of what we have been going through, so far out of the place we have been in that our children and grandchildren will not be able to find any evidence of those hard places, those challenges in our life, but by our testimony only!!!! We will be delivered, moved by God, so far out of this place we have been in, and so blessed and serving God that our children and grandchildren won't be able to identify that we were ever in this time of difficulty!!!!!! Glory to God! Haleluiah!

Second: I was talking with a special, anointed man (you are meant for amazing things), about things that are missing from the Body of Christ. Especially in certain areas. Where are the revivals? Where is the Unity of churches worshipping and serving God as one, as followers of Christ. Where are the miracles, healings, salvations that are the foundation and Core of The Word of God. He has been working in us and calling us to more, something greater. He has been stirring us to wake us up (notice the increased earthquakes, tornados, tsunami's, cyclones) He needs us to step up to the plate and move to a new level of trust, a new level of faith in Him. There is a world out there to reach, and putting that first and foremost brings all of the other things into our life that we need and want and that He wants to give us. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added unto you! People need us to bring Jesus to them. They are hurting, they need us to be ready to pray for them to be healed, delivered, set free, dicipled. Our jobs, our "stuff" doesn't matter, it is about putting The Kingdom of God first, putting people first, being His eyes and His hands and His ears and His mouth.....His Heart. To love unconditionally and be His handmaidens and servants and He will draw the people to Him. It is all for His Glory.....not ours. To shine for Him and lead people into the throne room of God so they too can be in and have a relationship with Him. A heart of worship draws people from every walk of life to Him. We have that heart of worship...........

Three: Right along with this, you can see a theme here that God has been revealing, one step at a time. There was another couple that I have known for a while and watched their lives. I was talking with the wife the past few days as well. They have one of those Jericho testimonies. They have been delivered and so far removed from the "hell" that they were going through, that you can not tell, their grandchildren have no way of knowing, where they came from. 12 or 13 years ago, they were seperated, neither were saved or living for God. He was having an affair, and she was just coming to the Lord, just learning about him and was praying for her husband, praying for their marriage. They were in an amazingly difficult and challenging place. A very long story, and tremendous testimony made shorter, she got saved, prayed for him and God brought him back, he got saved, they started going to church together and began to share about the amazing deliverance God had given them in their lives. They began to be a witness and testimony of God's faithfullness and goodness and sharing with other couples and God began to use them to minister to other marriages, to other people about God's faithfulness and deliverance for them. I watched them from the time they were saved to now grow stronger and stronger in the Lord and in their marriage. Together overcoming every obstacle the enemy tried to throw in their way. Committing their lives to the Lord and to each other to work together for the Lord in whatever capacity he called them to, never looking back. They have raised their family and the very small amount of money they have lived on over the years, God has mulitplied to what I am about to tell you. There has never been much money, but because they have walked out "seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you" they have a home, all new furniture, everything they need is met, but on paper it does not make sense. They have been good stewards of what God has blessed them with, so seeking a high paying job is not what is necessary. I have seen this testimony and it lines up with the first two points above. They have walked with the Lord, being a witness and light, giving their testimony and putting the Lord first, and their life is a living testimony of all of these things God has been showing me this past week. I want to be in this place, and have a testimony that glorifies God like this. There is not much money at all, but there is no lack in any area of their lives...........it makes me cry because of His faithfulness.

Fourth: God showed me in the past couple of days, there is no lack in Him, in His Kingdom. There is no lack of finances, there is no lack of spouses, there is no lack of babies, there is no lack of health, there is no lack of restoration, no lack of jobs.....there is no lack of ministry to be done, there is no lack in Him, and we are in Him and we are his children. So as our Father, He wants us to step into the flow that is already there and let Him carry us in all of His abundance and provision to our next step. In seeking Him first, He can't help but keep His word....and all of these things will be added unto us.

He gave me Finding Nemo as an example. The currant that flowed under the sea that Nemo's Dad had to find so it would carry him to Sydney where he could find his Son, was the key. That currant is the kingdom of God and His way of doing things. Nemo's Dad had worked so hard and labored and toiled and done everything he knew and was getting no where; then he was told about that current, he eventually found it and when he did, all he had to do was jump into it and it carried him to where he needed to go. All provision was in that currant, he didn't have to swim, or toil, or fight, all he had to do was let the current take him there. It didn't mean that he didn't have to work and search to get to the currant, but once he got there the way was already made. (God's strategy, Jerhicho, supernatural provision) He had to step into that currant, that flow by faith! It was an amazing analogy that God gave me and I am so blessed.

He has so much more for us than we can even imagine. God is ALL provision! Halleluiah! He is saying to us, relax, trust, surrender and by faith jump into His ever flowing current, where all the provision is, and allow Him to carry us there, where He needs us to be and where we desire to go. We don't have to fight (I'm not talking about keeping our guard against the enemy, because we do have to be Warriors and Princess Warriors where the enemy is concerned), but totally relax, surrender, trust and "be not afraid....only believe", and He will take us there.

I have learned His provision is always there and has always been flowing, I just didn't know how to step into it. He has shown me that we can't ever get our eyes on the "need", because when we do that becomes bigger than everything else and our focus gets off of Him and His "strategy and plan". But when I surrendered, I allowed myself to just fall into it, all of me, lock, stock and barrell! Just like jumping off a cliff and all you can see is clouds below, but knowing and trusting that the parachute is going to open (His hands) are there to catch and carry us to the next phase, the next step in our lives.....but it is always for His Glory and for His purposes. I Praise You Jesus!

Spring.....Suddenly.....Habkkuk 2:2-3

"Can it really happen? Can things in our lives be green again? No matter what our creeds may tell us, our hearts have settled into another belief. We have accepted the winter of this world as the final word and tried to get on without the hope of spring. It will never come, we have assumed, and so I must find whatever life here I can. We have been so committed to arranging for our happiness that we have missed the signs of spring. We haven’t given any serious thought to what might be around the corner. Were eternity to appear tomorrow, we would be as shocked as I have been with the return of spring this week, only more so.

Spring here is really a wrestling match between winter and summer. It makes for a long time of waiting. You see, the flowers are pretty much gone in September. In October, the trees start turning gold and drop their leaves in a week or two. Come November, all is gray. Initially, I don’t mind. The coming of winter has its joys, and there are Thanksgiving and Christmastime to look forward to. But after the new year, things begin to drag on. Through February and then March, the earth remains lifeless. The whole world lies shadowed in brown and gray tones, like an old photograph. Winter’s novelty is long past, and by April we are longing for some sign of life—some color, some hope. It’s too long. Such as can be a promise we are waiting for, manifestation…just like Spring.

I rounded the corner into my new neighborhood, and suddenly, the world was green again. What had been rock and twig and dead mulch was a rich oriental carpet of green. I was shocked, stunned. How did it happen? As if in disbelief, I got out of my car and began to walk touching every leaf. The birds are back as well, waking us in the morning with their glad songs. It happened suddenly. In the twinkling of an eye, and it made my heart sing.

My surprise is telling. It seems natural to long for spring; it is another thing to be completely stunned by its return. I am truly and genuinely surprised, as if my reaction were, Really? What are you doing here? And then I realized, I thought I’d never see you again. I think in some deep place inside, I had accepted the fact that winter is what is really true . . . And so I am shocked by the return of spring. And I wonder, Can the same thing happen for my soul?

"Forever and ever? That’s it? That’s the “good news”? And then we sigh and feel guilty that we are not more “spiritual.” We lose heart, and we turn once more to the present to find what life we can. Eternity ends up having no bearing on our search for life whatsoever. It feels like the end of the search. And since we’re not all that sure about what comes after, we search hard now. Remember, we can only hope for what we desire. How can the church service that never ends be more desirable than the richest experiences of life here? It would be no small difference if you knew in your heart that the life you prize is just around the corner, that your deepest desires have been whispering to you all along about what’s coming. You see, Scripture tells us that God has “set eternity” in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11). Where in our hearts? In our desires.

The return of spring brings such relief and joy and anticipation. Life has returned, and with it sunshine, warmth, color, and the long summer days of adventure together. We break out the lawn chairs and the barbecue grill. We tend the garden and drink in all the beauty. We head off for vacations. Isn’t this what we most deeply long for? To leave the winter of the world behind, what Shakespeare called “the winter of our discontent,” and find ourselves suddenly in the open meadows of summer? Suddenly ready to embrace all that God has for us, bursting out with newness of life and sharing that life with others, especially that special one.

We are faced with decisions.............

Wow, so many times we are looking for one thing, and then when something different comes, we dismiss it so easily. We've all done it. Maybe we should take a much closer look at what we didn't go looking for to see what God is up to.....in what way is He romancing us, what is the bigger story here, why don't we just choose to enter in?


"We are faced with a decision that grows with urgency each passing day: Will we leave our small stories behind and venture forth to follow our Beloved into the Sacred Romance? The choice to become a pilgrim of the heart can happen any day and we can begin our journey from any place. We are here, the time is now, and the Romance is always unfolding. The choice before us is not to make it happen. As G.K. Chesterton said, “An adventure is, by its nature, a thing that comes to us. It is a thing that chooses us, not a thing that we choose.” Lucy wasn’t looking for Narnia when she found it on the other side of the wardrobe; in a way, it found her. Abraham wasn’t wandering about looking for the one true God; he showed up with an extraordinary invitation. But having had their encounters, both could have chosen otherwise. Lucy could have shut the wardrobe door and never mentioned what had happened there. Abraham could have opted for life in Haran. The choice before us is a choice to enter in." (The Sacred Romance)

Today's Message from Pastor Dave

globechurchpod.com/2008/04/27/service.aspx

It was a great message. If you want, you can click on the link above and listen to the podcast. One of those messages that takes you back to basics and the reality of what we are really here for. A reminder that really ministered to me and helped me get my mind off of me was about serving one another. True Servanthood. Dave was talking about serving one another and what a different place this would be if we had the attitude of "how can I better serve this person, instead of what can they do for me or have an ulterior motive." Having a heart truly burning for souls and serving them, helping others by serving them, mowing the yard of the lady next door or the neighbor out of town, not because it is convenient, but because it is serving them and showing them you want nothing in return. That makes them want the Jesus that lives in us. He truly helped me with a better perspective on marriage as well. He said that he and Kristy have arguments, disagree, just like anyone else, but the one thing that God has done for their marriage, even when they wanted to walk away, was remind them that marriage is about serving the other person, always, and not "whats in it for me". Death to self again... Now we realize that when we serve each other or as the word says 'prefer one another', then our minds our not on us but how can I bless this mate God has given me. I got excited just looking at that from a new perspective and starting to think about all of the ways I could serve and be a blessing to my husband when I get married. It's going to be an amazing time for sure! Anyway, listen to the Podcast I know God will bless you.

Also here is another great view of that perspective from The Sacred Romance:
Seeing from a Different Perspective
04/27/2008
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"Entering into the Sacred Romance begins with eyes to see and ears to hear. Where would we be today if Eve had looked at the serpent with different eyes, if she had seen at once that the beautiful creature with the charming voice and the reasonable proposition was in fact a fallen angel bent on the annihilation of the human race? Failure to see things as they truly are resulted in unspeakable tragedy. From that point on, the theme of blindness runs throughout Scripture. It’s not merely a matter of failing to recognize temptation when we meet it; like Elisha’s servant, we often fail to see the drama of redemption as well (2 Kings 6:15–17).

Needless to say, Elisha’s servant suddenly saw from a whole different perspective. I (John) think it’s safe to assume he also experienced a bit of emotional relief—a recovery of heart. What for him had undoubtedly been a harrowing encounter became an exciting adventure.

The apostle Paul experienced an even greater surprise on the road to Damascus. Thinking he was doing God a favor, he was hell-bent on crushing a tiny religious movement called the Way. But he had the plot and the characters completely confused. Paul, known at that time as Saul, was playing the role of Defender of the Faith, when in fact he was Persecutor of Christ. It took a bout of blindness to bring things into focus, and when the scales fell from his eyes, he never saw things the same way again. Paul later explained to the Romans that human sin and suffering are the result of foolish and darkened hearts, brought on by a refusal to see the Sacred Romance. It should come as no surprise that his most fervent prayer for the saints was that the scales would fall from the eyes of our hearts so that we might not miss the Sacred Romance (Eph. 1:18–19). (The Sacred Romance , 145–46)



Have an awesome week!

Releasing the Heart is no easy project......

You know, it's always easy for us to say "trust God" and we work at it more and more every day. But it's not as easy to do. We grow in that, it's a process. We want to trust Him completely and never give anything we have taken to Him a second thought....but the truth is, we almost always give it a second or third or more thought. I know I am working on walking in more trust with Him especially in certain areas. I needed to hear this today.



"Remember, the purpose of this thing called the Christian life is that our hearts might be restored and set free. That’s the deal. That’s what Jesus came to do, by his own announcement. Jesus wants Life for us, Life with a capital L, and that Life comes to us through our hearts. But restoring and releasing the heart is no easy project. God doesn’t just throw a switch and poof—it’s done. He sends his Counselor to walk with us instead. That tells us it’s going to be a process. All sorts of damage has been done to your heart over the years, all sorts of terrible things taken in—by sin, by those who should have known better, and by our Enemy, who seeks to steal and kill and destroy the image bearers of God. At best, “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). Certainly there’s been a bit of that in your life. “Even in laughter the heart may ache” (Prov. 14:13), which is to say, things may look fine on the outside, but inside it’s another story.

We’re told to “trust in the LORD” with all our hearts (Prov. 3:5), but frankly, we find it hard to do. Does trust come easily for you? I would love to trust God wholeheartedly. Why is it almost second nature to worry about things? We’re told to love one another deeply, “from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22), but that’s even more rare. Why is it so easy to get angry at, or to resent, or simply to grow indifferent toward the very people we once loved? The answers lie down in the heart. “For it is with your heart that you believe,” Paul says (Rom. 10:10). And in Proverbs we read, “The heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out” (20:5 NASB). Our deepest convictions—the ones that really shape our lives—they are down there somewhere in the depths of our hearts.

(Waking the Dead , 113)

The Year of Completion

I have been hearing for a few months about this year of 2008. You can feel it, you can sense it, you can almost touch it, what God is doing, it is so tangible. It's like being in a thick fog, and you can hear all of the sounds around you, you can smell everything and even almost reach out and touch it, but you can't quite see it.....yet. Several people have been sharing about the start of Passover and what that means. I was blessed to be a part of a Seder 2 years ago and it was so special for many reasons. I met some very special people there for the first time and we learned about The Lords supper in a whole new way. I was honored to serve my table, it was very humbling. It was like washing the Lords feet, only I was serving my brothers and sisters.....very special.

This year is going to be like no other in all its Glory. A year of completeness and fullness of God's promises in our lives like we have never known. I am in such expectancy with my face toward the Lord as He fills my heart with love and wonder and Himself. He has revealed such surprises, such wonderful surprises. I'm still processing it all to see what He will do. He is the love of my life and He will bring the earthly love of my life when His time is right, of that I'm sure. What the Lord has taught me about praying for others, is to pray for them to come to the place of making the best decision for them, not for me. I admit I have been selfish at times and I repent of that, it was not what I intended. It has changed my prayer life and I am so thankful for that. It's easy to be selfish, we all do it, it's not bad to want things for your life, but if it involves another, always pray for their best interest, not your own. Thank you Lord for reminding me of that. When emotions are involved, it's easy to think of ourself....

I've been blessed with hearing new music that has touched my heart, Sleeping at Last, NeedtoBreath, Matt Wertz, to name a few. I was listening to TD Jakes today on Growing in the Favor of God. Much needed for me to hear right now.

My heart is overflowing and the songs keep coming out on paper. I am amazed and give God the Glory. I will have a new song to post soon. "There's so much I'd love to say, but I'll save it for another day when hearts are ready to receive and with open arms we can believe.....are you ready............are you ready? I'll hold your hand as we cross the promised land, are you ready.......are you ready. Two hearts they beat as one you see, where God is the light that shines so free, are you ready........are you ready?"

God loves us so much, He always has our best interest at heart. I love you Lord and I love you all.

I've Moved!.....

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have moved, first move anyway. I don't have my computer hooked up yet, so, I have limited computer time on my roommates computer. I move again May 3rd to my new roommate condo situation for a while. So watch for posts and if you need to get in touch with me email me or call me or text me. Have a great one!

God's Heart for Relationship

"The vast desire and capacity a woman has for intimate relationships tells us of God’s vast desire and capacity for intimate relationships. In fact, this may be the most important thing we ever learn about God—that he yearns for relationship with us. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God” (John 17:3). The whole story of the Bible is a love story between God and his people. He yearns for us. He cares. He has a tender heart.

Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isa. 49:14–15)

I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. (Jer. 24:7)

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. (Matt. 23:37)

What a comfort to know that this universe we live in is relational at its core, that our God is a tenderhearted God who yearns for relationship with us. If you have any doubt about that, simply look at the message he sent us in Woman. Amazing. Not only does God long for us, but he longs to be loved by us. Oh, how we’ve missed this. How many of you see God as longing to be loved by you? We see him as strong and powerful, but not as needing us, vulnerable to us, yearning to be desired."

Awkward Love

It was funny that I got this devotional today. The Lord reminded me once again, who He has made me and how He has made me. It's not easy being a woman sometimes; but being Redeemed Eve is where God wants us and needs us to be and to stay....for others and to draw people to Him.

"Honest communication in love is the only way to live and grow in friendships. There are ebbs and flows. There may be real hurt and disappointment. But with the grace of God firmly holding us, it is possible to nurture and sustain deep friendships. We are designed to live in relationship and share in the lives of other women. We need one another. God knows that. We have only to ask and surrender, to wait, to hope, and, in faith, to love. We must also repent.

For a woman to enjoy relationship, she must repent of her need to control and her insistence that people fill her. Fallen Eve demands that people “come through” for her. Redeemed Eve is being met in the depths of her soul by Christ and is free to offer to others, free to desire, and willing to be disappointed. Fallen Eve has been wounded by others and withdraws in order to protect herself from further harm. Redeemed Eve knows that she has something of value to offer; that she is made for relationship. Therefore, being safe and secure in her relationship with her Lord, she can risk being vulnerable with others and offer her true self.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable . . . The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love.... is Hell." (C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves)
(Captivating , 181–82)

Obedience

Big topic for sure. Sometimes we cause ourselves so much heartache and pain. You know, when God tells you something, and you know it's true. You know you heard His voice, but you keep acting like you didn't and keep putting off what it is He told you. Why do we do it?

I had a recent experience that caught me in just this place, somewhat. The Lord was leading me to do something I had been needing to do, and I kept putting it off and putting it off. The more I put it off, the harder I was making it on myself. He has already told me the end result. He has already told me some very specific things about the situation.........why are we not as quick to move sometimes when we Know that we Know that we know He has our very best interest and plans at Heart. His Heart. Jeremiah 29:11

Lord Jesus, I love you so much, and I ask you to help my unbelief, forgive me for not obeying as quickly as I should, I repent of my moments of distrust.

In Defense of Discontent

I had to post this, it was too profound, and if all of us would admit it, it's where we are.

"By the grace of God, we cannot quite pull it off. In the quiet moments of the day we sense a nagging within, a discontentment, a hunger for something else. But because we have not solved the riddle of our existence, we assume that something is wrong—not with life, but with us. Everyone else seems to be getting on with things. What’s wrong with me? We feel guilty about our chronic disappointment. Why can’t I just learn to be happier in my job, in my marriage, in my church, in my group of friends? You see, even while we are doing other things, “getting on with life,” we still have an eye out for the life we secretly want. When someone seems to have gotten it together, we wonder, How did he do it? Maybe if we read the same book, spent time with him, went to his church, things would come together for us as well. You see, we can never entirely give up our quest. Gerald May reminds us,

When the desire is too much to bear, we often bury it beneath frenzied thoughts and activities or escape it by dulling our immediate consciousness of living. It is possible to run away from the desire for years, even decades, at a time, but we cannot eradicate it entirely. It keeps touching us in little glimpses and hints in our dreams, our hopes, our unguarded moments. (The Awakened Heart)

He says that even though we sleep, our desire does not. “It is who we are.” We are desire. It is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our existence. Absolutely nothing of human greatness is ever accomplished without it. Desire fuels our search for the life we prize. The same old thing is not enough. It never will be."
(The Journey of Desire , 10–11)

Glorious Weekend....

I was in East TN this weekend and it was the most wonderful weather! I was so happy to see the sunshine. My parents and I took a ride in the new car God has blessed me with and I stopped and took some pics along the way. It was so beautiful. God was showing out today, giving us a taste of Spring and Romancing us. It was Glorious! The thought of Spring is exciting itself. I rings of all things new, everything blooming, new life, fresh starts, old things are passed away and all things become new. Love is in the air in the Spring as well. Just watch all of nature.

Valentines Day

 
 
Hope you all had a great Valentines day. My friends The Lowry Sisters, had a bunch of us over to their place and it was a good time as you can see from the pics. We were hamming it up for the photographer and itt was great to see my old friend Mike again! The Garlic Cheese Ring I made went over well, and the taco bar was a big hit. You guys have a great place!

Definitely, Maybe

I went to see this last night, and it was a good night. I liked the movie, I liked everything about the evening. The movie kind of put a mirror up in front of my face and made me think about things I had not let myself think about before....well, not as deeply as I have thought about before. It is a Valentines movie and takes us on a journey of one man and his serious relationships and the discovery of how that one constant, that foundation, that rock that he always turned to when everything else went wrong, was where he wanted and needed to be all along. Sometimes circumstances happen, maybe we're not ready at the same time, we have to learn some things before we know that we know that a very special person in our lives, can really turn out to be the very special person.

Who knows, relationships are not black and white, they can get muddled sometimes, all kinds of variables come into play. Maybe she realizes what a great guy he really is and wants to go to the next step, but maybe he doesn't realize what a great girl she really is, so she keeps her mouth shut and moves forward. Or maybe, he recognizes what a great girl she is, but he doesn't really know what to do with her, maybe because he thinks he is really looking for something else, a different package maybe (emotional or physical). Maybe he really does love her, but he has not either recognized it yet, or won't admit it to himself. Such is this movie. Art really does imitate life.

This one was close to home, and it really does have me pondering. Sometimes we don't see the forest for the trees, but then maybe, one day, the forest parts to reveal that one tree. Go see the movie, you will be glad you did. I truly had a wonderful evening.......Happy Valentines Day!