Two sizes too small

oh little heart of mine

little

shriveled up 

heart of mine

do not be bugged down by the cares of this world.

come to Jesus

soak in His grace

lay at His feet

let Him refresh you

let Him comfort you

do not agree with the lies of the evil one

do not pay attention to him

he only seeks to kill, to steal and to destroy

do not trust him,

do not give your ear to him

come to Jesus

Psalm 42:1

I was a parched, thirsty, dry land
A torrent of grace You poured out and
quenched my want

Your banner over me is love.

Perfection

Laying here, looking up at the sky through the tree branches...
I let Your grace wash over me.
The wind plays with my hair.
Everything is so quiet.

I can't speak.
I don't want to speak.
I just want to lay here and be still;
swinging from side to side on this rusted metal swing for two,
being cradled in Your arms.

Perfection.

The sun has gone down
but I can still feel its glow on my skin.
The moon has come out to join us.
The coolness of the air reminds me that You are with me;
You have never left me.

"Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad
and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, He hath
cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee:
thou shall not see evil any more.
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou
not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy;
He will rest in His love [He will quiet you with His love]
[With His love, He will calm all your fears]
[He will renew you with His love],
He will joy over thee with singing.
Zeph 3:14-17

BIG

How BIG is your God?

A couple of months ago I received a letter, the content of it has impacted me so much I've decided to blog about it.

The letter was from AIM, and it described all the wonderful work the Lord has been doing through this ministry.  All the women and children that have been helped and restored and successfully reintegrated.  It was a joy to read but that is not what impacted me the most.  You see, it's been 9 months since I wrote the post: "Leave a Message at the BEEP..."  Since then I've been praying, "God, do something amongst the bad guys."

It hasn't been a very bold prayer, it has been more of a whining... and it hasn't always been at the forefront of my mind either but whenever I would think about it, from somewhere deep inside my heart a cry/whimper/groan would go out to Him. "Father, bring Your light".  I would ask this weakly, not really knowing what to expect.  I was a little bit more bold than before (I mean, after all, how can I be unfazed after what He did in January) but still weak, doubt remained.  Yet in our doubt God is faithful. Again I have been humbled in His sight.  I got this letter and when I read that a particular area of their ministry had been reaching pimps, traffickers, and drug dealers; my heart started to race. "Last quarter 81 young men were reached"... and on went the letter with the praise reports of this men... I was floored.

Why is it again that we think there are certain prayers that can't be prayed? Is God not big enough to handle them? Do we think that He not cares? Do we think He wants to put up with certain evils in the world?  Or is He expectantly waiting to bring His children into His work through prayer?

This letter has so convicted me that there really isn't anything too big/broad for my God to handle.  Has God made you aware of a BIG need? Ask Him to fulfill it, He wants to!!! Ask! Ask so that you might know Him better.  Ask so that you get a taste of Him and His majesty as He come and tangibly intervenes.  Ask Him so that you partake with Him (that's what we call communion guys!).  Ask Him so that your joy may be full (John16:24).

He wants to bring you closer.  He wants to speak to you.  He wants to show you His secret counsel (Prov 3:32).  So ask! Don't be afraid.  Draw near to Him today.

Let's go boldly before the throne of our High Priest and ask boldly for big, miraculous, substantial interventions.  He wants to do it.

Wash over me

I see big drops of water rain down outside the kitchen window.
I sit here at the table having breakfast and my heart is glad.
These big drops of water remind me that I have been forgiven.
You have washed over me.
You have given me a new & upright spirit.
You have called me Your child.

Be Free

Are you feeling tired today?

Does the world around you seem a tad more confusing today than yesterday?  Do you feel like you can't possibly go on or give another step?

Then come to Jesus.  He will give you rest.  He will comfort your soul (Psalm 23:2,3).  He will quench your thirsty soul with His cold, refreshing, living water (Jn 4:14; Jn7:37, 38) .  He will calm you anxious heart and bring peace to your troubled mind (Is 26:3; Zeph 3:17).

Do you trust Him?  Believe Him {that's right folks, don't just believe IN Him, believe HIM}  Believe Him 'cause your life depends on it (John 6:63).  Believe Him because He is worthy (2 Tim 2:13).  Believe Him because He loves  you (Jeremiah 31:3)... He L.O.V.E.S. you.  He gave Himself for you. Can you not see?  He gave all for you.  ALL! His life, His blood, His flesh, His reputation, His status... (Mk 10:33-34; Mt 26:28; Lk 22:19; Phil 2:5-8) You shall never find a more perfect, dedicated, committed companion, lover, friend.  In Him we find strength (Is 26:4).  He is the giver of all good and perfect things (James 1:17).  He is life Himself.  Nothing exists apart from Him (Col 1:16-17).  In Him we can do all things (Phil 4:13).

Are you feeling tired today?  Then come cast your cares at the foot of the cross today (1 Pet 5:6-7).  Trade your concerns, burdens, shortcomings and whatever else brings you down, for His yoke and follow Him (Mt 11:28-30).

"A highway shall be there, and a road,  and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness... Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray... And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads.  They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35:8,10)

When my heart hurts I will look to You,
Through my wet eyes and my tear stained cheeks
I will look to You.

When things don't make sense
and nobody cares
I will look to You

His desire is towards me

I am Yours and You are mine.
You lead me besides the still waters.

I am Yours and You are mine,
feeble and weak as I am
You love me,
You love me still

I am Yours and You are mine,
I can't get it out of my head
You are mine...

You are mine
You've given Yourself to me...
You've taken the veil away
and revealed Yourself to me...

You are mine
Your soul You have uncovered for me to see,
graciousness and goodness flow out of Your heart,
unbelievable kindness poured out of Your side.
I am Yours.

I am Yours forever.
You have taken me and paid the prize,
You have captured me and conquered me,
I am Yours.
You have claimed me for Yourself,
I am Yours.
Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
I am Yours.

A Good Day...

Today is a good day to remember,
His grace is enough.
In my weakness,
In my wretchedness,
In my wickedness...

Ghastly and unattractive,
covered with sin
and distracted-
He loves me,
He loves me still.

Today is a good day to remember,
He covers me with His wing.
He washes me with living water.

In Him my lack is filled.
He leads me by still waters.

Today is a good day to remember
that He is good,
and He is my Shepherd.

i can't speak

HE opened my eyes and i saw it,

the most excellent way.

GOD- help me,

help me to walk in that way.

John 8

I came up with no pretension, naked and wild;
hair loosed floating about in the air every which way

i had nothing to give

the Lord looked upon me and I became in His eyes as one who found peace

Groaning of the soul

i cry out to you for you alone are good
i cry out to you for you comprehend my going out and my coming in
i cry out to you and stretch my hands up to heaven for only you can satisfy

You alone are my salvation
You alone are my God

i cry out to you in the darkness
'Blessed be the name of the Lord!'

...the Lord is the strength of my life...

(heart)

Jesus answered...

"I am the true vine... abide in My love"

John 15:1a, 9b

The Great I AM

Then said I, 'Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me...'

..............................................................................................................................................

[Jesus] was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

'The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.'

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down... And He began to say to them,

'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'

Psalm 40:7, Luke 4:17-21

The Sun is Shining

The door closed. So I walked away.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly relieved.

A new chapter is unfolding.

I gasp as I mount on eagle's wings.

The air is cold against my cheeks.

I can see the Sun,

It is rising.

Hurray for new beginnings.

Hurray for the horizon.

Hurray for giving me strength.

Hurray for the secret treasures that lie ahead.

Snip* Snip*

On Saturday I got to work in the garden.... I hadn't been out there in ages!! Why? Well, let's just say it was equal parts uninvited/unwelcome guests of the eight legged variety, and laziness. But anyways, the little invaders are gone and in the spirit of Spring I could hear my poor flowers screaming for help. I would look out my window and shake my head: Oh, Lord, how I've let it overgrow. It was chaos out there, a total mess.

So Saturday morning I went out there with pruning scissors in hand.... Now, before I go any further you need to understand something about me: I HATE pruning plants! I absolutely hate it. I know it is soooo good for them but I can't stand it. They always look so sad and vulnerable, so completely desolate. It breaks my heart every time I see a freshly pruned bush.

I had woken up with a plan. My mom was supposed to work in her garden as well that day, so I was gonna ask her to prune them while I looked away and try not to think of the massacre. But alas, it wasn't the Lord's will. She decided she would have a lie in instead, which left me with no choice but to confront the dirty work myself.

After some extensive weeding I grabbed the scissors. I had been praying the whole time I was weeding (hoping my mom would wake up and come out): "God, why are you making me do this?! You know how much it hurts me." He didn't respond. He just stood there- like a father who has already given instructions and is simply waiting for the child to obey, knowing that no explanation will be satisfactory to a child that doesn't really want to do what she has been told. He had already told me why. He had already shown me how much better it would look, how much the flowers really needed it, how the hedge bush needed to get under control because, apparently, it had decided it wanted to take over the garden and eat up everything else in it! (lol, it's true!)

I looked at the hedge, put the scissors to it and gasped as I heard the first: snip! To my surprise and utter amazement, I did not die... I didn't cry either.... But I felt... wait for it..... relieved. Yes! relieved. What an odd sensation, I felt good. I felt good I was getting rid of this extra weight, that just made things messy and even though it made things look full, in reality it hindered growth. There was a slight sense of loss but it was overpowered by this great wave of relief and comfort that washed over me of being able to see things getting into shape.

I had to tie the flowers to stakes because the wind and weight of the overgrowth had made them all lean to the left so that they were growing crooked one on top of each other. I also got all cut up because the hedge bush, who had looked so tender and innocent when we planted it, had developed thorns! (I told you it was getting unruly, lol)

At the end it looked great (by comparison). Yes, some of the flowers look a bit vulnerable but I know they will be strengthen soon and be more leafy and bring out more flowers than before. Before it was a tangle mess of leafs and flowers where you couldn't distinguish one from another, but now because everything is pruned and in its place I will be able to appreciate it more!

This may sound contradictory but after all the pruning and all the weeding, and the setting of things right, the garden looks more 'whole' than ever! It is only by God's grace that in losing we gain!!!

Why am I sharing ALL of this with you? Because sometimes there are things in our lives God wants to get rid of, or things He wants to prune back, but we keep putting it off. We put it off because it is inconvenient at the time, we put it off because we are afraid, or we put it off simply because we can't be bothered to put in the effort we know is going to take. But I want to encourage you: DON'T PUT IT OFF ANY LONGER. Whatever sense of loss you think you will incur, whatever wounds you think you can't handle, it is all swallowed up in His magnificent grace- you will actually loose nothing but gain everything. Do not believe the lies of the devil, who keep you looking full and thriving when in reality you are hurting and stunt in your growth. Allow the Vinedresser to snip away with His skilled hand... perhaps immediately afterwards you will feel/look bear but in reality you will be whole. Do not coward away from His hand, He knows what He is doing, and He will give you the rest and peace you so long for.

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Mt 16:25

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Mt 11:29

Thought you should know...

God is so freaking AMAZING!!!

I am studying through the book of Galatians, and I feel like my heart is going to burst with wonder... I haven't even finished chapter 2.

Something Worth Remembering...

Is Your Mind Stayed On God?

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You."

Isaiah 26:3

Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant's life. If you have never used your mind to place yourself before God, begin to do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to Him and be saved (Isaiah 45:22).

Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be 'bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with all that happens in nature- the rising and the setting of the sun, the shining of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking, but always be used in service to God.

"We have sinned with our fathers...[and]... did not remember..." (Psalm 106:6-7). Then PROD YOUR MEMORY and WAKE UP IMMEDIATELY. Don't say to yourself, "But God is not talking to me right now." He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

- Oswald Chambers,

"My Utmost for His Highest"

All in All

I am not always who I want to be, heck, sometimes I'm not even who I should be... but I do not let those thoughts bring me down. We are all works in progress. The Master is not yet done with us. If I look at Him I take heart because I know the completion of who I am does not depend on me. He is the one that does the work... All I have to do is abide in Him- and even then He is the One who gives me the strength to do so.

There is nothing and no one that compares to Him. If you let Him, if you invite Him, He can and wants to be your all in all.

God bless you today my friend :)

Whatever it is that you are going through today... Whatever it is that you are struggling with... it is not too hard for Him to handle... It is not too dark or awful for Him to reject you. He loves you. He wants to be with you! He knows about it and He is hurting with you... Let Him come in to your life, He cares. You are important to Him. His word is truth and He won't let you down... even if some of His children have :/ His children are not perfect, but He is. Trust Him!

He says: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love..."

If you would like someone to pray for you please feel free to send your request to: God.listens.always@gmail.com

**Prayer Request are strictly confidential**

Leave a Message at the BEEP...

A couple of months ago, I got this intense prompting to pray for girls in/in danger of sex trafficking. Specifically, that they would not be touched, defiled. I prayed fervently but in my prayers I remember thinking: "why am I praying for this? isn't it a bit of an empty prayer? isn't it like praying for world hunger to end or to have world peace? isn't this request to broad/not specific enough? aren't I wasting my time? How would I even KNOW if it gets answered? Isn't this just going into God's answering machine?"

Things like these happen to me every so often. As I spend time with God and pray He will put things in my heart to pray for... and sometimes they are very random requests.

As I prayed for this girl (s), I really wanted God to do something. I want all these girls to be saved from the clutches of darkness. I needed to know God could interpose Himself between the girl(s) and those who wanted to hurt them. I am not talking about restoring them (He can/ wants do that too) but I was praying for divine intervention that they would not have to go through the pain and the suffering... the devastation. I was praying for a conservation of innocence.

I remember finishing praying with my heart still wrung for this girl(s), whispering under my breath: "God, please! I know you can do this! I know you can avoid this tragedy that happens everyday!" But at the same time thinking: "Will I ever know if my prayer has been answered? Is it worth praying for things one might not see an answer to whether they came to pass or not?"

Months went by and I got a newsletter from Agape International Missions (AIM), a ministry that reaches out to women and children involved in human trafficking. As I opened the letter and started to read I couldn't believe my eyes. The letter told the story of a little girl who's virginity was about to be sold by her aunt but was rescued by AIM instead; and how the parties involved in scheming such grotesque plans were arrested and prosecuted. The little girl was not touched and is now at their safe house, experiencing God's love and safety.

:)

I was in awe... I almost couldn't breath... all I kept thinking was: "WHAT?!"

"I heard you", that was His reply...... that's all He needed to say.

So take heart my dear friend! Take heart at His promises. Take heart that He hears your prayers and answers your requests, even if you can't see the answer. God is listening to you. He is listening to you right now! Every word you say, every thought you think. He cares about you beyond your expectations. He is great!

God is GOOD!!! And He loves YOU!

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If you want to learn more about the work that God is doing through Agape International Missions, visit their website www.aim4asia.org