myspinon Love & Relationship

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:16

The lifelong lesson on love we begin learning from our very beginning is inevitable. Whether we're open to relationships or not, nobody is ever excluded from the reality of being loved or unloved. Nor would we want to be. It's what we we're made for after all. Love is a natural source in life, the very DNA of our soul.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27

We are wired for love. Wired to seek out and infuse ourselves into as many relationships as we'll allow ourselves to be in. When I try to fathom this gift of love through relationship that our father never held back on when he created us, I'm easily overwhelmed.
If my understanding of love so far, is what I know and feel to be love, then imagine the love he feels for Us.

We love because he first loved us.
1:john 4:19

Experiencing the pain of rejection can easily play a part in how we interpret God's love for us. I struggled to understand God's love for me personally, because of previous experience I had in all sorts of what we call 'normal' human relationships.

Finding the faith over time, to accept Christ's unconditional love for me 'unsurprisingly' revealed some truth to live by. My relationship with him is different to what I know and have learned so far. It really is a one off, unique to any other, and always will be. His powerful words in the bible is where I find reassurance and continue to learn what his Love is all about.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:35

I've been reassured that Jesus is not going to bail on me when I stuff up. No matter the extent. His word says so and his relationship with me proves it.

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:39

I'm also reassured that Jesus will not get tired one day of my stuff ups one day and quit loving me because it's too hard.

I hope every relationship I'm in, I love and do my best to keep it afloat and ship shape through every storm. But i know as hard as I try, I'll never be as good to those I love as God is to me. But with his help, I can come as close as I can get!

I've been a christian for a few years and what a relief it is to know these days that I am in a relationship with someone that is as solid as a rock, immovable forever and ever!
Best of all this someone is my my Creator, my Saviour, my Father, my Comforter, my Healer, my Friend...How could I not feel the need to replicate a love that loves me like that.

What an advantage we have to believe, what an example we have to follow. If we want the best for our loved ones, Jesus Christ is where we'll find love's original source, the very truth to actively support our best intentions.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

1 John 4:7

I'll forever be modifying this fine art of maintaining a loving and healthy relationship, but with the love and relationship I have with Jesus I'm in the best position to learn.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4 :12

Lord,
your abundent love feels like nothing I've ever given or received.
I know your love is where I'll find fullness and truth to my being.
I pray I bring you glory by sharing your love with the people around me.
I love you Lord and I am thankful for the relationship I have with you.
You love is amazing! In your name I pray Jesus,
Amen.

myspinon Choosing Hope

I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side. I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.
Acts 2:25

Manus and I are relocating this month. I've been psyching myself up to it for about 8 months, since we made the decision.
I was reluctant for a good while...took me ages to get the courage up just to get on my knees and say, with an open heart "Lord, if this is what you want for us, then help me to accept it, and help me to feel at ease in my heart about it, then I'll know it's from you."
And so a time of transition began...

We're down to the last of our days on the south side of town. I grew up here. My family are close by, my church family means a lot to me. I'm going to miss the people I love like mad!
You would think we're moving overseas! The reality is it's only an hour and 15 away...

I could dwell on the fact that finding a new Church isn't going to be easy, and making new friends can be overwhelming, being really honest here :) Or the fact that we haven't been approved for the property we've applied for yet.. that's a biggie.
But you know what, I choose not to dwell. Instead, I'm choosing hope.

My relationship with Jesus has come a long way since I prayed that first prayer about the move...I've had days where the hope within me is no where to be seen or felt. But my God hasn't let me down...
He is all the company I need to comfort me in a strange, new place. What an ultimate friend I have to stand by me and lead me into new friendships and a new church family, the right residence and the right neighbourhood.

Knowing I never have to be lonely is exciting- In fact, knowing Jesus will be all I have (except for my wonderful hubby & kids) for a while is exciting! I don't know where he's going to lead us, I don't know what my new friends will be like, but I can't wait to see what surprises my bestest friend has in store for me!

We haven't even moved yet and I'm thoroughly enjoying trusting my God with all I have.
It's so much easier to have faith and hope than anxiety. This I know, because "anxiety was here" not so long ago.

It's been an amazing journey getting to know my Creator intimately. I won't lie to you, it's been a real battle to stand against my old self and trust and believe in this man, and the power he offers to change my life.

I remember when I was first saved, one of my first prayers was "Lord, I'd go to the end of the earth and back for you. Just say the words and I'll do it." I guess 75 mins out of my comfort zone is a nice little warm up.
The more I get to know this great love of mine, the more I truly believe in that prayer... and the more I inch, bit by bit toward God's purpose for me, the better.

It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God.

Lamentations 3:26

He changes the seasons and guides history
Daniel 2:21

God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.”
Romans 1:17

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13

My God of hope,
Please fill me up with joy and peace so that my life
is filled with the life giving energy of the Holy Spirit.
Let me brim over with hope in every season!
In your name I pray Jesus,
Amen.