I just want more of Jesus.......a heart's cry!!!

I just want more of Jesus. I want all of Him touching all of me. All my life is in His hands. All my life in Him, all of Him in all of me. I just want Jesus to flow through me. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, won't you be to me, everything I need. Jesus, you are all I want in life. Only you can satisfy me, solely. Only you can fill me, only you can love me so completely, so lavishly. I long for your voice whispering your love to me. I long for the tender word, I long for YOU, just YOU! How can I live apart from you? If I can't be with you, I don't want to be- period- at all without you, ever! I don't want to live this life apart from you!
Jesus you are the only one that has ever loved me right, you are the only one I can cling to and know that I am accepted and loved and cherished! It's true! Thank you for showing me your love, I need more of your love all the time, I need to be saturated in it again and again, not just in words but in actual tangibleness. I am so glad you come not in just words, but in reality, in nature, and in power!! You are so kind! You know my desperate need for your tender touch!! How good it is to be loved by you! How sweet it is to be loved by you! How lovely it is to be in Your presence, to be joined with you, seated with you in the heavenly places. Oh what a rich inheritance you have made possible for me!! Your love is the best, it's better than anything this world has to offer!! It's like everything that is good and wonderful and pure multiplied by the billions. And I want to sense it even more! I want to be so convinced beyond all measure of your amazing love for me!! Behold You are beautiful, my beloved Jesus, truly delightful! You have captivated my heart! You have won my love! You have captured me, completely. Never will I be the same!! I seek you with all my heart, help me to not grow weary or faint, but to be filled with strength each day to seek you with hunger -give me more hunger for you!!

Father's Love Letter.....

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad.


'Father's Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2008 www.FathersLoveLetter.com'

HE LOVES ME........

I think the greatest thing ever, ever, ever, is knowing that God loves me, fully, wholly, and completely. Not based on what I do, but because He is a Lover! God is all about relationship, not service and favor, but relationship, fellowship and unity.  

I am growing in my trust of God more and more, because I know first and foremost that He loves me and that He is a good God. Full of grace and mercy!!! 

I love the story of the prodigal son. There are so many awesome truths in it about God and how he relates to us. The prodigal asked for his inheritance, the Father gave it to him, probably knowing how he might choose to use it. He didn't say no and he didn't give him guidelines on how to spend it. Amazing! Then the son goes out leaves his generous loving dad and goes far away, parties, blows all his money, then experiences hardship, has to get a lowly job caring for pigs. The pigs were better fed than he was. It finally dawns on him, out of dire need, that perhaps he could go home and ask his dad for a job. He knew he screwed up and his dad should probably disown him, so of course all he could possibly ask for was to be a hired hand. So he heads home and the dad must have been watching and hoping his son would come because he saw him heading down the path to home from a distance. So he hiked up his robes and ran to greet his son. So thrilled to see him alive and well. He flung himself upon him and embraced and kissed him. Not once did he mention to his son his poor choices, nor did he lecture or reprimand him. NOT ONCE!! Isn't that amazing! The son was all prepared for it, but it never came. Instead the dad threw a huge party and gave his son his cignet ring (which resembles the Father's authority, his seal of approval and ability to make decisions in his name, so he was giving that over to his son, a symbolism for how God gives us Jesus own perfect righteousness and authority over the devil and to the kingdom) and his most dignified robes. (which is interesting because often in this day and age if a child had gone out and done all that the parent would be humiliated....I also think the robes are a picture of how God gives us robes of Christ's righteousness!) This father didn't care about his own status or how ridiculous it may look to others how much he loved his son and didn't care to point out his faults or disown him because of his foolishness. I just love this picture of the Father! Who wouldn't want a dad like Him?!! 

He was just so happy his son was home. How do you think the father/son relaltionship was after this? Do you think the son was confused as to why he didn't get in any trouble or have any consequences? Do you think he began to want to know his dad and be with him? 

Then there's the part of the story of the older brother, which I never looked at fully before. The older son finds out that his brother is back and dad is throwing a party for him with the fatted calf (which is apparently significant in that culture, far more than we understand). The brother gets pretty ticked off. He refused to celebrate with everyone over the return of his brother. But the father approached him and asked him what was going on. He gets quite indignant, and says how he has been serving his father faithfully all these years and never disobeyed him and yet dad never even gave him a goat to celebrate with his friends. He goes on to say how his brother went off and squandered his money on prostitutes and yet dad throws him a big party. 

Then the loving dad tells him that he has always been with him and all that is his(the dad's) is his(the son's) -back up, remember the beginning of the parable when the dad divided his property between the sons- the dad gave them both equal share and the one son blew it all, and the other son carried on like he never got it at all - anyway, he goes on to say your brother was dead and now is alive and once was lost and now is found. 

I think the father may have thought his younger son may never return, who knows how he mourned for him. He never stopped loving him or wanting him. But the same thing with the older brother, he was always with him but chose to remain as a servant instead of viewing his dad as a generous loving dad, he just "served" and "obeyed" him. 

It is an interesting contrast between the two brothers, is in not? The one only cared about his passions, and the other only knew how to be dutiful or religious. Neither one understood how much their dad loved them. But both were important to him. I think it is the prodigal who stood a better chance of gaining an understanding of his love though, because he knew he screwed up and didn't deserve the treatment his dad gave him. He probably was in shock and hopefully amazed by his lavishly gracious dad. Whereas the older brother thought he had to live a certain way, I mean after all he was doing it all right. He was angry that his brother got better treatment, when all along he could have been enjoying his part of the inheritance, but he never did. He somehow thought he could earn his father's favor, or he should have received it because of how he chose to serve and obey his dad. But you know what, I think the dad just wanted a son to be in relationship with. He already had servants. Anyway, that is my long drawn out version of this parable and I am sure there are more things that can be drawn from it. I just love this parable, I never get tired of hearing/reading it. The father portrayed here is so loving and so constant!!  At times I have filled the shoes of each son, the prodigal and the older brother. I am so grateful that my Father loves me the same no matter what and he really just wants to be with me!!! Not only that but he has given me such a rich inheritance in him!!! Amazing!!

A thank you note.....

Thank you Lord, for your fresh daily mercies, I never cease to be amazed that I wake up every day, to them! 

Thank you Lord, that you love me so much, so much more than I can even fathom! Thank you that your love is better than anything, and that your love never ceases and that your love keeps me safe, that your love covers over my multitudes of sins. Thank you that you loved me so much that you sent Jesus your beloved Son, as an offering a sacrifice for my sin, and that it pleased you to bruise your beloved for me! Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus for your love! I cannot grasp it in it's totality, but I am amazed and I praise and thank you!! Thank you for all the benefits I receive because of your great love and your most unselfish sacrifice for me! Thank you for taking my sin and giving me your righteousness! Thank you that I now have access to my Daddy in heaven, and can call him Daddy, because you have made it possible for me to be called daughter!!! Thank you for giving me newness of life in you! Thank you that by your stripes I am healed!!! Thank you for continually interceding before the Father on my behalf!! Thank you that your blood continues to cleanse me, forever!! Thank you for never leaving me or forsaking me!! Thank you for your compassion and mercy!! Thank you for your awesome goodness and your lavish grace!!! 

Thank you Holy Spirit that you are my personal living comforter, like a little child who clings to his/her blankie for comfort, so I shall cling to you! Thank you for your tangible presence in my life!! Thank you for constantly encouraging me that I am so secure in Christ, and that the Father always sees me perfect forever! Thank you for your gifts! Thank you for your power! Thank you for your weighty glory!! Thank you that your power is alive inside of me in the very core of my being!! Thank you for not condemning me, EVER! Thank you that you do not point out my faults, but always gently and graciously remind me that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, what more can I say but Thank You!!!!

Making Music Together.....

I just read a fabulous little story, painting a picture of the Father's love and faithfulness that really touched my heart. I was struggling a bit over a letter I had written to someone, thinking did I say that wrong. Did that part sound offensive? Did I sound arrogant? Honestly my intent was to be loving and respectful, but did I sound like a fool? On and on it goes, the second guessing of myself that only torments me. So I read this beautiful story, which I have heard recently elsewhere, and it was such a refreshing reminder of how God can redeem anything we do. He will never allow, what we think might be mistakes or mess ups to hinder His ultimate purposes. He causes all things to work together for good. Isn't that amazing!

The story comes from my monthly GraceVine newsletter, sent out by Steve McVey. 

A mother once took her son to a Padrewski concert. After they were seated, the mother was temporarily distracted by talking to a friend. Taking advantage of the chance to explore, the little boy walked away. He went through a door marked, "No Admittance."

When the house lights dimmed the mother turned to see that her son was missing.  About that time, the curtains parted and the spotlight was focused on the grand piano on stage. Seated at the keyboard was the little boy, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what had appeared to be a terrible blunder into a creative masterpiece. The audience was overwhelmed by the beauty of that moment. The moment had been redeemed. 

Whatever your situation in life may be, you don't have to worry. Your Father's eternal arm's are around you, working to accomplish His purpose for you. He will create a masterpiece of your life. You don't have to worry that your performance isn't as good as it should be. Trust Him and He will work with you where you are. In union with Him, the two of you will make beautiful music together. (all italics from Steve McVey's article)

I just love how God is - He is for us and He uses us in ways we never thought possible, because He wants His grace to be known more than anything and for that we should give him all the glory!!