The Voice of Love

This afternoon I was watching a seven-year-old boy. He was intently working on making valentines (for next year) and wasn't keen on me being involved. So I was standing in the kitchen, not sure what to do, and picked up a library book lying on the counter. It was a romance novel, and like most, was pretty hilarious. It involved a handsome ranch-hand, a  pretty widow and her little non-verbal daughter all  being stalked by a creepy man named Hernandez... and would you be surprised to hear there was a wedding in the last chapter?

One little paragraph really stood out to me, though. Near the end of the story, the little daughter begins to get her voice back. Her mother realized that while it was one thing to talk to her daughter and know she understood what she said, it was so much more wonderful when her daughter could reply. It was hearing her daughter's sweet voice that brought joy to her soul.

I'm sure you'd agree it is vital to listen to God's voice, but I think we often don't realize just how much we're missing when we don't use our voice to speak to Him. 

In these last bits of  Valentine's Day, why not share your voice with Him, the lover of you soul? Surely there's no better way to love our King, our friend, our brother, our Prince, our bridegroom.  

"Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God". Ephesians 3:17-19

P.S. Thankful for two years of Walking in the Light! Thank you for being a part of the adventure...

All of Christ

God works through individuals, conquering some heart, and through that heart He pours His purpose like a mighty river. The Lord makes His conquests by keeping His saints in utter dependence upon Him, making them live by faith. There is to be none of self in His program, but all of Christ instead.

-M. Taylor, Streams in the Desert

Who Are You, Anyway?

I was helping at my church's youth group one evening, and noticed someone had written a message across one of the chalkboard walls. "Be yourself", it said. I pondered the words. Isn't that just a tad cheesy and over-used?

From some reason, however, that little phrase has been stuck on my mind all week. I  don't know about you, but I find myself constantly trying to be better at something, look the right way, say things to meet other's approval, work on a characteristic, and pretty soon, I am trying to be someone our Creator didn't make me to be.

Sound familiar? If so, then why not join me at the feet of our Lord, and allow Him to shape us, rather than always, constantly trying to be someone else.

So, with a full and joyful heart I heartily say, Be Yourself!