Beautiful Freedom

“God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday , one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love . Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.” ~Ernest Boyer, Jr.

The truly beautifully fierce woman has an otherworldly strength derived from a source beyond herself. She’s plunged in fully to the forgiveness and love of Christ, and He holds her heart so completely that she’s reached true contentment. Her identity is forged through abiding in Him, and her courage is displayed by her commitment to Him and His cause. He is her driving motivation and propels her by the wind of His Spirit. Her passion is stoked by His fire. She is no “halfhearted creature” but is drinking deeply of Him and experiencing infinite joy. She is a warrior at heart—not violent or aggressive—but tempered by humility. She’s a soft warrior; fleshing out the beauty of fierceness in her daily life. Loving God and others with sacrificial devotion. This is the kind of fierceness I’m talking about when I said I love to see a fierce woman in action. I strive for this ideal. Check her out in the characteristics below.  Characteristics of a Beautifully Fierce Woman : Her identity and

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him [Christ] who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13 Discontentment can be dangerous. It can drive us to hasty decisions or unwise actions we later regret. A desire to be someone we’re not, a wish to be somewhere we don’t need to be or a motivation to have something not ours--can easily derail our life. Why let our discontentment obsess over the thrill of the chase, when contentment patiently waits on the joy of all Jesus has for us. Contentment has a way of cleansing our motives. It moves us closer to Christ’s heart.  Contentment is the ability to endure hardships or handle prosperity. If we are never satisfied, always in want of a little bit more, we are set up for disappointment. M

Be Satisfied with Me by St. Anthony of Padua Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, To have a deep soul relationship with another, To be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But to a Christian, God says, "No, not until you are satisfied, Fulfilled and content with being loved by Me alone, With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me. With having an intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone. Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship, That I have planned for you. You will never be united to another Until you are united with Me. Exclusive of anyone or anything else. Exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, to stop wishing, and allow Me to give you The most thrilling plan existing . . . one you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, expecting the g

A Prayer for Enjoying the Sabbath Rest of the Gospel May 25, 2014 | Scotty Smith       Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest .  Heb. 4:1-3          So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest.   Heb. 4:9-11      Heavenly Father, on this Lord’s Day morning, I rejoice in the magnificent paradox these Scriptures present: We’re to  strive  to enter your  rest . What a glorious irony—work hard to rest well, stay restless till we rest fully, work hard to cease working.      Yet no real surprise, because the gospel contradicts the fundamental way I’v

Well as I drag my feet in completing my thesis one giant leap of a chapter at a time, I wanted to share with you some of the first chapter and the purpose behind writing my thesis on image - precisely being made in the image of God. This is something I do not believe we focus on or understand the power of being His creation made in His image. Here goes nothin... Irenaeus once said, “The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God.” [1]   The beginning of Genesis testifies man being made in the image of God. Isaiah 43:6-7 points out the purpose, “I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” [2] God created us in his image to best glorify himself. Sinclair Ferguson stated, “In Scripture, image and glory are interrelated ideas. As the image of God, man was created to refle