Note to Self

"I would rather die right now than live a life of oblivious ease in so sick a world"

~Nate Saint, Missionary
(Found in a river. Spears piercing his body. In South America.)

How Deep is your love

God saved us by his grace when you believe. And you can't take the credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for good things we have done, so none can boast about it.  Ephesians 2:8-9


When receiving a gift you don't hurry and give someone something in return. You say thank you. You admire what someone took the time to give you and with a grateful heart you appreciate it.

BUT GOD...He gave the ultimate gift. Out of the greatest of love.

"How deep the Father's love for us.
How vast beyond all measure."

We can't wrap our minds around how much He loves us.

"That He would give his only Son.
To make this wretch His Treasure"

No greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

"How great the pain of searing loss
the Father turns His face away"

God so Loved the world. He gave his only Son.

"As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory"


God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children to glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through His suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

Beloved. Be Blessed. Be at peace.


Until I figure out the ins and outs of this.. you will have to forgive my lack of tech knowledge.

https://youtu.be/1vmY2ztb5xc


Eph 2:8
John 15:13
John 3:16
Heb 2:10

Note to self

"Everything that happens in this life (good and bad) God uses it and ties together".....for His good pleasure.

~Sam Perry


I love this. It reminds me that God put me where I am. He takes what I have been thru..the good the bad and the ugly and He works it for His will and His glory and It is all for His good pleasure! So when troubles come...we need not fear. He is for us. So who can be against us.

I am waiting here for you.

A narrow gate is hard to get thru. And Jesus refers to this in Matthew 7: 13-14. You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it.  There is a church on every corner. Especially here in the south. Every one believes. Every one knows Jesus. Everyone say bless your heart. I am gonna pray for that. And, I know, who am I to judge?

FEW FIND IT.
 It is a matter of the heart. Would be followers can say all the right things. Do the the right things, IN PUBLIC. But their hearts are black and corrupt. Their souls do not belong to Christ. They talk the talk but can't walk the walk. I have experienced both.. people that went to church all their life and never surrendered to Jesus and when they profess their faith after 10-20 years you look at them and think WOW. I thought they were a Christian. And those that knew the right words but secretly did not follow God and His desires. But the fact is you do not know the condition of the persons heart. OR. Do you? Not but a couple verses down from the gate is the fruit.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

Your fruit is your actions. What do you do as a result of your choices.  If you are known by your actions. What does your fruit look like?  Character was never built on good intentions. I can desire to pray, read the Bible, help those in my community. BUT if I do not DO it. What does that say about me. My intentions are good.. but my actions. Well they tell the truth of the matter.
As I discipline my body, heart and soul to train it in the way it should go I take time to get to know God. And when I get to know God. It is like Romans 5. We develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. Our reactions change. We are joyful during trials. We smile while being persecuted. We don't desire to sin. We don't encourage our flesh. We desire God and what He wants. We are blessed. Sometimes physically but EVERY TIME spiritually.
He never promised us easy. But He DID promise He would never leave nor forsake us.

So let's not just read and pray let us get out there and Do what it says! REACT to what God has revealed and taught. An outward expression to an inward growth.

James 1:22-27  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.  If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.


If we stay on the path and grow, focus on becoming like Christ then when it comes time to walk through that narrow gate. We won't even notice that it was narrow. We won't see a gate. We will see our Savior standing there with His arms opened wide.  Pulling His Beloved into His arms. 

I AM a masterpiece.

Ephesians 2:10

We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, So we can do the good things HE planned for us long ago.



The first thing I tried to gloss over is the word masterpiece. I was going straight for "good things He planned for us".  And God is so good! He brought be right back to what HE wanted me to see.  What HE wanted me to learn. Not what I said.. Oh this is an easy one. I know what He is saying to me. And quickly I get  "NO Laura. Let's look at this instead."

Masterpiece: an artist's BEST piece of work.


WE are God's masterpiece. GOT it.

You are God's masterpiece. TOTALLY.

I am God's masterpiece... Am I ?

I can name hundreds of people that I would say are God's masterpiece. Why am I not on that list?
He says it right there. And yet I am doubtful He means me. I doubt who I am and forget who He says I am. I see my broken pieces and HE sees the healed ones. I see the imprisonment and HE sees the redemption.  There is a point in time that we have to see who we are to Him. Not the self loathing and self hating But reminding ourselves that WE are a masterpiece. To be able to say to YOURSELF

I....... I AM HIS MASTERPIECE.
I am Chosen.
I am Blessed.
I am Forgiven
I am Valuable
I am NEW
I am Redeemed.
I AM LOVED


What part of you do you doubt? And what does GOD say about you? Ask Him.

My hope is that you see that you are HIS masterpiece. And today, I am going to remind myself that I am also His masterpiece. He formed me. He knew me. He knows me. He calls me blessed. He has set me free, made me righteous, an heir. I am Beloved.



Here are a few verses to remind you.

Romans 3:24
John 1:12
1 Cor 1:30
2 Cor 5:21
Gal 5:1
Eph 1:11
Col 3:12

A warrior spirit

You are not alone.

How sweet are your words.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Lazy people take food in their hand but don't even lift it to their mouth.

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!



When preparing for a race or fitting in to that new smaller dress we take the time to prepare our bodies to endure what ever goal we have set for ourselves. We watch what we eat. Exercise more. Drink more water. Count calories. Take large amounts of time and effort to get things right. And yet when someone suggests we spend a hour in prayer and/or reading the Bible. We say there is NO way. I do not have time. We give in to laziness. And so our spirits stay weak. Our souls do not grow. We are not trusted with the hard stuff, the 'meat' of spiritual growth. We barely trust GOD the creator of heaven and earth with the next 'personal issue' we have in our life. Because we do not know Him. He is not some deity we visit on Sunday for 1 hour on the dot. He is a living and active part of any ones life that chooses to allow Him in.
YOU choose.
You choose if you want to walk the path that God has written down before time began. Do you hear that Beloved? He knew you before time began. He knew your name. He knew what you would struggle with. He knew your strengths and weaknesses.
He knew YOU.
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  He gave up His Son for us. And freely gives to us. Why do we choose to stay in spiritual infancy? Are we such a stubborn people that we are unable to see that one of the greatest gifts we could ever receive is a book with God's words, Plan, and Path right there before our eyes?? Showing us over and over again our great need for Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness. We are not abandoned; we are adopted Children of the Most High. And just like courting a love interest. We want to get to know every single detail about that person. We want to get to know them on every single level. We desire to see that person, to spend time with them, to hear their voice, smell them walk into the room. We are infatuated with them and learning all about them. And here the Lover of our Soul. Wants you to know everything there is to know about Him. And gives us gracious words like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to our hearts. Consider this day. Take time to get to know the love of your life. And little by little you will hunger and thirst for your Lord's righteousness. And you will be blessed and filled! 

Be blessed Beloved. Be filled. And walk in the way of the Lord.


Psalm 119:103
Proverbs 1:7
Proverbs 19:24
Proverbs 9:10
Psalm 34:8
Acts 4:24
Hebrews 4:12
Song of Solomon 6:3
1 John 4:6
Matthew 5:6

Brennan Manning

Matthew 7:6

"Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you."


“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you."

Not very long ago I could read this and think. Don't waste your knowledge on 'pigs' or the unholy. Don't give wisdom to people that would not even appreciate it. After going thru a desperate time in my life where everything was stripped away from me. Where it was literally just me and my children. God, in his perfect timing, expressed his great love in this verse. Seems far fetched and yet God can AND WILL speak thru, in, over, out of anything. 

I had indeed wasted what was holy on people or person who was NOT. Why.  I have a good heart. And I see that in others. That they could potentially BE who God created them to be. But there is one problem with that. People do not choose the right path. They do not choose good. Their free will is more for the bad. 

This verse lived on my tongue and was brought to my attention in everything I did. I kept telling God. I UNDERSTAND. .I get it. I GOT it. Let us move on. But We did not. Until I asked what am I missing?!?!!? And what I was told, vividly.... I had cast myself. Wasted myself. Thrown myself to someone that was NOT good. That I indeed was a pearl. I was not intended for pigs or dogs. That I had been trampled and attacked in every way that one could be. And God Reminded me. LOUDLY. "Laura, You are a pearl. Not a regular pearl. You are MY pearl. Do not cast yourself. Waste yourself or throw you self to someone that will only devour you."  Like satan who comes like a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy so do people that are in our lives.  
 Today Beloved, Look at your life. Who or what have you allowed to trample you? You are HIS pearl. Do not waste yourself on things that are unholy. Live this day and every day from this point on for HIM. 

What is required to be called husband

The list is long if I listed them one by one. But that would not show you the depth of the importance. They may just appear as word on a page. So let me show you what I mean. And what they mean to me. To be my husband there are a few things you should be aware of. And I will be as thorough and punctual as you should be. I expect you to be alert to events taking place around us. So you can have the right response. This means you will have to be attentive giving our relationship your undivided attention. Making yourself available even when you are ‘too busy’. This will cause you to be compassionate and bold. Because it will take your investment and confidence to endure thru some of my emotions, tears and fears. Your strength and faith will be what I rely on in the hard times. Not to mention your wisdom and discernment. Which can only be mustered by your diligence and obedience to God, Our Father. But this can only be done by humility, determination, enthusiasm and meekness, which you see in Jesus, Our Christ. Your patience which can only be used with self-control will be what the children and I will watch. Your joyful heart should increase day by day as you take the initiative to show us how to use forgiveness with one another out of reverence and loyalty to God and us. Dependability will be what you pass on to your children due to your gentleness as God’s Man. For it will cause you to be generous as your Heavenly Father is. Thriftiness shall not occur while giving your love to us. And truth will be the word you speak at all times making you a man of Integrity and Justice. For no one will be able to question your sincerity when it comes to your wife because you are sensitive to my needs. You will be resourceful, creative, hospitable when wooing me. Your discretion will be seen thru your sensitivity when I am feeling down. You will make me feel secure and uplifted with the words of your mouth. Giving the God of Creation thanks for me with a grateful and sincere heart. You will show me flexibility when I want something other than what you had planned perhaps even some tolerance will be required. But because of your deference and persuasiveness you may even be able to show me your decisiveness. Most women may not like such strong behavior but I find it wonderful. And your Love and Virtue will be held in such High Regard that no one. Not one would call it into question. For your contentment will be written across your face. Your love for me will be unable to be hidden. Your heart is and always will be connected to this woman. The one God binded together with you. Are you that man? She has been praying for you!

50 Character Qualities of Christ used.

Get Serious

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Chosen Of Mine

Here I am so close to you
Know My voice, I'll never leave you
For I have loved you since before
The sands of time were made

I love you still and always will
You're chosen as Mine
My Father wants to bless you now
Receive from Him all that you'll ever need
Come spend eternity with Me
My heart's full of love for you

I love you still and always will
You're chosen as Mine
Cries in the desert, My child I hear them
Tears in the valley, My lovely I count them
You're so precious, you were on My mind as
I died
Here I am so close to you
Know My voice, I'll never leave you
For I have loved you since before
The sands of time were made
I love you still and always will
You're chosen as Mine
Cries in the desert, My child, I hear them
Tears in the valley, My lovely, I count them
You're so precious, you were on My mind as
I died

I love you, as I died for you,
because I love you still, always will
You're chosen as Mine
I love you, I love you

by Joanna Haverkamp...Hill Songs

TwistedTogether-

A wise man once said "Take your circumstances and God's Character and twist them together"

And when things are going great it is easy to do. But when things are a mess and you are tired of cleaning it up. You seem to forget or think your circumstance are to big for God's Character to cover. Was His Character not big enough to cover Jacob, Abraham or David? What about Ruth, Peter or Paul? Or Jesus. Who was God's Character living, dying and raised. Raised! No mis-placed body, No "He just walked away". RAISED. Was dead.. NOW Alive.

And so my circumstances in comparison are a bit smaller. And yet they're not. Not to Him. His Daughter needs protection and His Character is all over it.

He is My Shield
He is My Refuge
He is Gracious
He is ever-present even when I forget
He is Peace
He is Jealous. For me. NOT of me. But for me. My dad that protects me. That showers me with love. That reigns me in with discipline. That sings to my soul. That dances with my spirit. And provides my portion and my cup.

His Character twisted with my circumstance is enough. And each day He reveals more and more of the path that has been laid before me. And the fog is clearing. And the rain is letting up. And I realize I was never alone in the woods with the fog and the rain running from the wolves. I am walking thru the woods, Holding His hand. As He shows me the way. I can hear the wolves howling. I can feel the rain on my face. BUT. My Father is protecting me..every step to the meadow.

Note to Self

Trust and Faith go hand in hand. They are even similar in their descriptions. They can not be separated. Even though some will only have faith if there is perfection in this world and all goes their way... we as Jesus Lovers have faith and trust in the middle of turmoil b/c we look to God and His Sovereignty.

Note To Self

Get in touch with your most sincere Self, unconditioned by the world. Then operate every single moment in your life from this core of who you really are. Never say or do anything that isn't bless by this instinctive purpose.

Note To Self

"only you can determine the moments that define you"

~Katie Hnida

Our lives are affected by what happens, but NOT controlled by it.
In the turbulent world in which we live we hear so much about how people are affected by life and their situations. Good and Bad. And it is easy to blame others. But at some point we have to say...I am who I am. And I will be me no matter what. We have to be strong enough to change for our own good. Strong enough to say what we like about ourselves. And strong enough to stand up and acknowledge our own self worth.

How can we invoke change if we hate who we see in the mirror?

I choose each day to look at myself and say I am Laura. I am a strong, confident, beautiful mother. I believe that I am great b/c of the One in me grows me to be greater than myself. I am able to do more in my life than I expect. I am able to mold and shape the lives I have been entrusted with. I am able to love and live with out fear. I am willing to lift up and not tear down. And I will start with me. I will allow God to mold me even if it hurts. I will allow Him to change what I need to change w/o wondering if someone else will like me for it. I am shaped by my life, by my experiences, by my past, and even by my future. BUT I will not allow it to shape me into the grotesque. I will acknowledge what God wishes for me to learn in the grotesque and allow it to shape me for.... Good. Faith. Hope. And most importantly love.

Still the raging storm....

When I think I'm going under
Part the Waters, Lord

When I feel the waves surround me
Calm the seas
When I cry for help
O Hear me Lord
And Hold out YOUR hand
Touch my life, Still the raging storm in me.

Lord, Still the raging heart.

Show me the peace the passes all understanding.

You alone. Are what I need.