Here are some gifts that the LORD has given to others and then shared in my life. May they bring us closer to knowing Him and His amazing love for us.
The Bible
God's Word to us is daily bread. Let's see what God has planned to feed us each day. He is our life!
I would also recommend the 'Life Application Bible' for it's explanations, maps, character studies, summaries and more.
Jesus Calling, Jesus Lives and Jesus Today
These books are so helpful in understanding God's promises of unfailing love, kindness and compassion! He desires a real relationship with us, and has made the only way through His Son Jesus! These books help me understand how God loves me personally and receive the freedom and grace in His Son's gift. Written with one side as God speaking in a personal, loving letter, and the other side giving the Scripture referenced.
Streams in the Dessert
This is the perfect resource for realizing that, "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future" (Ecclesiastes 7:14). God knows everything and is always pouring out His love into our lives, weather in the Dessert or not. During these growing times, I'm glad and rejuvenated to remember, "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" (Jeremiah 29:11). He knows His-Story! Just consider how Joseph was sold into slavery, but then God alone rose to him be the leader of Egypt and saved his family as well as all of Egypt from a seven year famine! God has good plans for you too! Listen to where He is leading. It will be well worth the story.
akiane: her life, her art, her poetry
God is amazing! I would really recommend getting this book and learning about what He is doing in Akiane's life. You can also check out the site here! I was astounded at His love as I read through this book. I would say it is written prophetically, in that God uses the biography, paintings, and poetry to speak directly to us. God is so good and loves us so much! 'Thank You God for the beautiful paintings and all of the work You do through her!'
Walking with God in America
This beautiful and God-centered book was given to our family by a true friend and sister in Christ, Carol Steele. God has kindly blessed us with her friendship, and through the years led us to meet weekly and pray! We listen to what God has to say, and write down any words, images, or Bible verses He puts on our hearts! And He has so much to say and so much love for us all! It's always an amazing treat! I pray, you too, listen to what He is saying!
Also, one night, when I was praying which printing company to use for the He Art cookbook, my mom suggested the company who printed this book, Wai Man Book Binding. Thanks be to God, because a few phone calls later, and they were helping me out. I have loved working with this company and would highly recommend them. I would also recommend the other books by Ken Duncan, including: Where Jesus Walked and In the Footsteps of Paul.
The Blue Letter Bible
A very helpful online Biblical concordance! Streams in the Dessert
This is the perfect resource for realizing that, "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future" (Ecclesiastes 7:14). God knows everything and is always pouring out His love into our lives, weather in the Dessert or not. During these growing times, I'm glad and rejuvenated to remember, "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" (Jeremiah 29:11). He knows His-Story! Just consider how Joseph was sold into slavery, but then God alone rose to him be the leader of Egypt and saved his family as well as all of Egypt from a seven year famine! God has good plans for you too! Listen to where He is leading. It will be well worth the story.
akiane: her life, her art, her poetry
God is amazing! I would really recommend getting this book and learning about what He is doing in Akiane's life. You can also check out the site here! I was astounded at His love as I read through this book. I would say it is written prophetically, in that God uses the biography, paintings, and poetry to speak directly to us. God is so good and loves us so much! 'Thank You God for the beautiful paintings and all of the work You do through her!'
Walking with God in America
This beautiful and God-centered book was given to our family by a true friend and sister in Christ, Carol Steele. God has kindly blessed us with her friendship, and through the years led us to meet weekly and pray! We listen to what God has to say, and write down any words, images, or Bible verses He puts on our hearts! And He has so much to say and so much love for us all! It's always an amazing treat! I pray, you too, listen to what He is saying!
Also, one night, when I was praying which printing company to use for the He Art cookbook, my mom suggested the company who printed this book, Wai Man Book Binding. Thanks be to God, because a few phone calls later, and they were helping me out. I have loved working with this company and would highly recommend them. I would also recommend the other books by Ken Duncan, including: Where Jesus Walked and In the Footsteps of Paul.
The Blue Letter Bible
Door of Hope
The church I go to in SE Portland. Check out the teachings as well as the music!
Brian Wahl's Worship Tutorials
A true blessing; see 'Song Videos.'
After meeting with some dear friends to sing worship, God really put it on my heart to memorize some guitar songs. I've always enjoyed playing along on the guitar, but He was telling me to get some favorites under my belt. I went online and typed in 'Amazing Grace guitar chords' because of the story behind that song, and felt God's grace with me lately. With that search, I saw the images, and the first one I clicked on went here. 'What an amazing blessing, God! This is the perfect site and You knew all along! Thank You!'
On this site, Brian Wahl gently demonstrates how to play hundreds of modern worship songs as well as traditional hymns. His teaching style and visuals can help any level of guitar player learn for the next time they meet with their friends, so they can worship God together! Praise God for leading me here, and for the site.
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is by far my favorite film. As a child, my family and I would watch it every Thanksgiving while the turkey was cooking. I love every part of it; God's colors, scenery, characters, story, lyrics, music, everything! In an interview with the ever-graceful Julie Andrews, she describes among other amazing things, 'it is about joy.' I completely agree. God gives us freedom and life through His Son. Singing and dancing are a part of that life. Thank God for His freedom. Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18).
And there is so much more on freedom in the Bible. We read in 2 Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Here is the Blue Letter Bible Search result for freedom. Look how amazing God is and how much He loves us. He sets us free to be in love with Him! (Also, try looking up joy! Praise the LORD!)
The Lion King
Recently, I really felt like watching some Disney movies. My friends were singing along one day to The Circle of Life, and I didn't know the lyrics. Well, God had something special in mind! It was the first Disney movie I had watched in years, and I sat down in great anticipation, ready to venerate the animators, song-writers, and God's lessons. I felt like He said to watch the movie through Symba's eyes. Af first, I felt this was a little prideful; being He was a main character. But God was telling me! As I watched the movie and looked at Symba's understanding of identity, it all became clear when Rafiki showed him his reflection. As Symba looked harder, he saw his father. Rafiki said, "Your father lives inside of you." This is just what I need to hear from the LORD! Then, Symba saw his father among the clouds and his father says that Symba is His Son. This is amazing! Surely, the writers were Christians, and surely God had it planned for me to remember this truth: God is with us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always in us, counseling and guiding us, pointing to the Father. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Corinthains 6:19-20). And Jesus says, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26).
Also, God is our Father and we are His sons through faith in Christ Jesus. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26). In the time that this was written, the firstborn son would receive the inheritance from the father. Since Jesus is God's Son, and He took our place, through faith in Him and His work, we become sons. Mufasa says, "Remember, Remember, Remember . . ." God would like for us to remember that we are His sons too, and that we are set free, given grace, are loved by Him as a Father, and more. If we know this, then we realize more about God's love for us, and when we know that God loves us, we love Him and others more, naturally! We aren't swayed by lies that threaten our identity or any truth about Him. Praise God for speaking to all of us through sonship, through Jesus!
Faith Like Potatoes
'Where there's love, there's hope!' This is so true thanks to Jesus! And how amazing is it that He led me to this verse just yesterday: "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us"(Romans 5:5). He always pours our His love on us, and He gave me that verse, so that He could share it with you now! He is so amazing! (May you also read more about this verse in, 'GOD pours out HIS LOVE in us!')
Truly, with His Holy loving waters and His Son in heart, and I can almost taste His fruit of faithfulness. Based on a true story, this movie tangibly displays how we can eat God's love. We can really taste it! "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him" (Psalm 34:8). I love the thick and filling weight of this movie. It is another of my all-time favorites. Even the authentic South African accents are thick, and real. I would actually recommend watching it with subtitles for I tried to get along, but there is so much more! And there is always more with the LORD! (See, 'Breakthrough 12: There is always more faith, hope, and love in the LORD!') God showed me so much about His love and faithfulness, kindness, and provision in this very well-made film. He really is so good! It is a well nurturing feast, in Him.
God has taught me that He is all about LOVE! God is LOVE! "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). By simple child-like faith in Jesus, we have God, real LOVE inside of us, by the Holy Spirit! His love is always enough! He compels us to love Him first and others as ourselves, as seen in the greatest two commandments: "Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). He does this in us through His strength and goodness! "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Colossians 1:29). This 'struggling' in Him is actually resting in His energy. God does the miracles and gives the Love, all we do is rest in Him by faith! For rest in God is victory! (Matthew 12:20; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4) He is amazing! He is always enough!
God's lessons to Heidi of, 'the simple power of love in action,' to 'stop for the one in front of you!' changes lives! God has already changed my life and healed me and others so much by watching 'Mama Heidi,' and reading His Holy Spirit inspired words in 'Compelled by LOVE'; it is by far one of my favorite books! I'm simply amazed by all that God is doing. People blind from birth are receiving their sight, those who were made deaf are hearing, the poor who have been crippled are walking, and most importantly, God is bringing His Kingdom to earth; people are being saved by Him and realizing that He is their loving Dad - all in the Name of Jesus! I highly recommend checking out the website, reading 'Compelled by LOVE,' and being blown away at more of how awesome God really is! He is our Papa, loving God! He loves you!!! (Also, please read a summary of my favorite section, in the He Article, 'Breakthrough 11: John 17:20-21; One with the Father!' It gives some of the most life-giving truths from God I have ever read! With the LORD there is complete forgiveness and freedom! And something else He taught me is that, 'Whoever comes to Him, He will forgive!' Through beautiful Jesus, it's just by simple child-like faith in Him that we are with our God!) Praise Him! God is good! God is here! God is LOVE!!!!!!!
♥ God loves you! He inspires your life!
