Daily Thread

“The Lord has done great things for us and we are FILLED with JOY!” (Psalm 126:3) 

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him!” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

   

 

             

I’ve been deeply moved by the verse 1 John 4:18 — “There is NO FEAR in love, but perfect love casts out fear!” I couldn’t grasp the meaning of this verse for so long — but other versions of this verse helped to reveal just how important GRASPING the love of the Father actually is, BEFORE we completely trust Him WITHOUT fear. The NLT says it this way “There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is therefore not yet made perfect in love.” I could insert anything here — fear of punishment, abandonment, of what people might think IF they really knew everything, of judgment, of failure and so on! BUT…the Father truly does know us inside and out — every thought, every sin —intimately — and yet His love for us never ends, and is without boundaries. Oh, how He loves us — how magnificent His plans are for us too! If we could thoroughly accept, recognize, interpret, and perceive this monumental and foundational concept, we would live without fear in our own lives and also be able to love others with immeasurable grace as well. So, let’s dive into the permanent and immovable TRUTH of how His unconditional and sacrificial LOVE NEVER FAILS — and when confidently comprehended, we bear abundant mature fruit that overflows into the lives of those around us!

The First Promise we have is the promise of His continual presence!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. DO NOT be terrified; DO NOT not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you WHEREVER you go.” (Joshua 1:9) 

“The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU nor forsake you. DO NOT be afraid; DO NOT be discouraged!” (Deuteronomy 31:8) 

“Be strong and courageous. DO NOT be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Are you familiar with His presence? Are you intimately acquainted with the voice of your Merciful Father? Do you recognize the tender ways He speaks to you? Are you accustomed to His grace-laced, lavish, and loving ways? Can you tell the difference between HIM and the lies the Accuser and the World whispers into your ear? Do you KNOW, that you know — what HE calls you and the unchanging, unshakable, irrevocable identity-words He speaks over your precious life? Maybe someone needs to hear and receive these Truths today! 

THIS is your reality! THIS is WHO you are: 

Chosen. Loved. Delighted In. Wonderfully Made. Rescued. Delivered. Saved. Freed. Forgiven. Redeemed. New. Transformed. Healed. Whole. Recreated. Restored. Adored. Adopted. Daughter. Friend. Victorious. Valuable. Irreplaceable. Significant. Blessed. Covered. Secure. Overcomer. Conqueror. Purpose-Filled. Wanted. Seen. Known. Understood. Pursued. Worth It.

“Mightier than the waves of the sea is His LOVE for you!” (Psalm 93:4)

“His banner over you is LOVE!” (Song of Solomon 2:4)

“I pray that you grasp how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His LOVE is for YOU!” (Ephesians 3:18)

“You are so LOVED!” (John 3:16)

“I LOVED you at your darkest!” (Romans 5:8)

Hitting home the importance of LOVE, Jesus talks at length about how LOVE is the greatest of all commandments (Matt 22 and John 13). And that you can have all the faith in the world, but without love, you have NOTHING! (1 Corinthians 13:2).

The cross defines the kind of love we are called to live in — unoffended, grace-rich, covered, judgment-free, loyal love! 

“JUST AS I have loved you, you should love one another.” (John 13:34) 

So, I encourage you today to fully believe AND receive for yourself that God loves you NO MATTER WHAT! From a secure foundation in the great gift of His love, we can then go out and love others well AND bring the Truth of God’s loving, merciful, all-transformative-healing Word to someone today! 

Love protects, hopes, and perseveres. Love HEALS! 

The backbone of love is the cross — the foundation of how we love is Jesus and therefore GRACE — the vehicle by which we love others is receiving that grace first and foremost for ourselves, before we can ever extend it to another. 

LOVE DOES — love is an action and it is stronger than death! Love DOES stay afloat when things get hard, love DOES encourage when a harsh word may seem like the right thing, love DOES point to Jesus, love DOES wait patiently when things don’t happen on my timetable, love DOES believe the Truth of God’s word over how I am feeling, love DOES die to self, love DOES forgive and then keeps no record of wrongs, love DOES empty its burdens and injustices onto the Cross, love DOES open the pathway for healing. Love loves for the sake of loving and expects nothing in return. LOVE always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love celebrates, delights, and rejoices in being FOR one another! Love is agenda-free, because it’s deeply rooted in the Holy Spirit’s flawless timing that surpassingly exceeds and trumps our own. Love knows that if a human could change another human, Jesus never needed to come. Love knows that people are not projects that need to be completed and perfected in our way/in our time. Love rests upon both grace and Truth. Love knows the power God has to redeem and transform! Love opens the door for the Holy Spirit to come invade, heal, free, and restore! 

“LOVE NEVER FAILS!” (1 Cor 13:8). 

So how do we apply this immeasurable love to others? Especially when they have hurt us? In this day and age —when “cancelled” seems like the go-to response — when being offended, division, criticism and lack of empathy for the other side seems most natural — the Lord clearly lays out for us another way!

If rejection, shame, abandonment and judgment could deeply impact someones life or hold the ability to change a heart — I assume this is how Jesus would have behaved! YET, it’s His MERCY that overcame it all — it’s His KINDNESS that draws people to repentance, it’s His COMPASSION that defeated both sin and death — and it’s His LOVE that overcame it all — for you and for me! So you tell me — which scenario above leaves a powerful & lasting shift? GRACE is the answer — it is an act of obedience that we are called to so many times in scripture so that we can become a conduit for the Holy Spirit, not an obstacle of personal offense. Grace-centered relationships helped radically change my life in a season I can closely compare to the pits of hell. Grace IS what transforms the heart, not the words of the accuser, enabler or condemner. Grace should be our Golden Standard, given endlessly with much encouragement.

'Hate. It has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet.” (Maya Angelou) 

Very few people get judged into life change. Many people get loved into it.

Jesus came to rescue and recover sinners. His ministry was one of a true shepherd. And OH the transformative power of a merciful response when revenge, unforgiveness, hatred and abandonment is appropriate. Remarkable mercy! Never underestimate the power a seed of mercy has when planted into a broken heart! 

“Let’s not be talking more about people’s failures than rejoicing in God’s victories!” (Psalm 48:10) 

Praying you too make an active decision to make what HE did for you, what HE offers you, what HE Promises you, and HIS Truth GREATER than anything that’s been done to you, spoken over you, or the sum of your failures (or someone else’s failures).

Y'all, Jesus CHANGED EVERYTHING! This week, I want to position our hearts to meditate on these Foundational Truths:

MERCY WON!!! — “But when the kindness and love of our Savior appeared, He SAVED us -- not because of righteous things we had done, but because of HIS MERCY!” (Titus 3:4-5)

For YOU, He “loosened the pangs of death” (Acts 2:24), “cancelled the record of debt that stood against you” (Colossians 2:14), “disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15) — His grace OVERCAME it all — for you and for me! His love is stronger than death, His Mercy is what MADE A WAY, His kindness is what leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4) —let’s celebrate Jesus —  knowing the law/judgement could NEVER do what grace could! (Romans 8:3) 

Inserting love and Jesus into any situation, changes EVERYTHING! He IS actively pursuing and working on each one of us—in His timing, in His way — making ALL things NEW, transforming and sanctifying us — some slower than others, but He is! He is Sovereign and trust me He is using it ALL for good for those that love Him. He longs for us to live unoffended by one another’s faults, and to use them as springboards that launch us into loving-action instead!! “LOVE DOES” — love is not passive; it actively makes a way for the Holy Spirit to show up and invade!! 

You can’t out sin the cross, otherwise He’d still be in the grave; but since the bill has been paid in full -- His sacrifice made grace possible and available to ALL, for ALL situations and circumstances. 

Remember — it’s “God’s KINDNESS that leads us to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Not judgement, casting on more shame or condemnation —  which is just supporting and spreading hell’s mission. Love DOES NOT gossip, ambulance-chase, judge, heap on more shame, cause more drama, divide, intimidate, mock, disparage, bully, or instill fear. Love is NOT self-seeking. It is NOT reactive. It is NOT based on emotions or feelings. It is NOT self-righteous. It is NOT anxious. It is NOT passive. It is NOT insecure. It is NOT selfish. It is NOT envious. It does NOT enable.  

May we each heart-check ourselves and ask the Lord to help us love others the way He loves us! Unconditional. Unchanging. Unending. Love endures ALL things and bears all things (1 Cor 13:7) — truly leading to LIFE, healing, wholeness, abundance, and joy! 

Have you experienced this type of love? If so…have you then shown others this type of love? For — “FREELY you have received, so go and freely give!” (Matthew 10:8)

“Above ALL else, LOVE EACH OTHER DEEPLY, because LOVE COVERS a multitude of sins!” (1 Peter 4:8) “Hatred stirs up conflict, but LOVE COVERS over all wrongs.” (Proverbs 10:12) To cover is to forgive. To cover is not the same thing as to “cover-up” — that is enabling and suggests you should hope for amnesia to be able to move on from hardship or conflict. NO! God’s love is clear and complete and calls us to follow His template in how we are to love others: it calls a wrong a wrong, but it doesn’t ask them to pay for it! Love has the miraculous ability to forgive and “keep no records of wrongs” because it is anchored in the magnificent truth of what Jesus did for US on the cross! His love covered every one of our sins — so who are we to withhold that type of love from another person who has hurt us, done the wrong thing or screwed up? 

“Love forgives ALL things, bears ALL things, endures ALL things!”  (1 Cor 13:7)

“ALL THINGS”! Wow y’all, this 1 Corinthians 13:7 type of love is pretty powerful AND pretty clear! It’s the type of love we saw demonstrated, displayed and modeled for us by our own Savior and Rescuer — Jesus. Undeserving, unconditional, unable to earn, mercy-rich, compassionate, grace-filled, understanding, unending, non-condemning. His love becomes our greatest defense! There must be a reason for this blueprint He so generously gave us. There must be some massive heart-result it has on others to promote this effective model of love for healing, change and transformation. We just need to apply it to how we love others. In all seriousness, we need to start seeing people that screw up as heart-sick and hurting, and to stop seeing them as a problem or something to avoid, reject, gossip about or label. 

Love conquered the World! Not judgment. Mercy triumphed over death. Not condemnation. Grace IS what OVERCAME it all in order to transform hearts and lives. Not abandonment. Forgiveness made a way for all. Not pride or self-righteousness. 

Jesus’ love is patient with us — it never utters the phase: “UGH! Are we still dealing with THIS?” And our love shouldn’t either. The Lord has SO much for us IN the waiting though, in the choosing of forgiveness— in the middle of the mess and storm and resentments—we just can’t get tripped up and bogged down in being offended while we wait. God’s way is set up for our protection and it’s set up to bless us! Waring in prayer and interceding on behalf of your lost and hurting friend or family member IS what He calls us to do. Living unoffended and loving others defended by the covering of the Cross is the key! Scripture says those that look to the Lord for how to live are “radiant”, “refreshed”, “wise”, “joyful” (all from Psalm 19)! Who has been around those types of people and you just cannot get enough? It’s contagious!! “I’ll have what she’s having” — so to speak! Oh the radiant beauty that covers a woman who chooses to surrender her understanding to the Lord and walk in obedience to Him!

“It is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11) 

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2). 

"Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) . 

“A friend loves at ALL times!” (Proverbs 17:17) 

“We love because He FIRST loved us!” (1 John 4:19). 

“Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times? “No, Jesus replied, not seven times, but 70 x 7.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

“Encourage one another and build each other up!” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 5:14)

”It’s because we have each received radical spiritual generosity that we can be radically generous with those in need!” (Tim Keller)

Put your grace-lenses on gals— for love keeps no record of wrong. It didn’t keep a record of wrong for you, why would we keep it for others? No, love doesn’t give you a lobotomy, but God says He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west — why can’t we give that same gift to others?

If we earned our own love/grace/forgiveness, there would be no Gospel — no deep need for Him. Withholding love/grace/forgiveness from others can show our lack of complete understanding of what He accomplished for you. I say this not to condemn, but to convict. Convict why we apply our own rules to our broken situations and choose to withhold forgiveness from others — that’s where we then bear the fruit of bondage — one of strongholds that rip apart our own souls and further steal way our ability to heal. If you have been hurt or betrayed, it’s ok to grieve and feel the pain that’s been inflicted upon you. I pray you would seek out wise counsel and potentially Christian counseling to help sort through and sift out all your wounded emotions and from where they stem. Forgiving someone does not mean saying what happened was ok! The opposite, in fact! Forgiveness of others equals freedom for you — the beginning of victory, healing and rebuilding in your own life! It’s the best gift you can give to yourself! Praying we are each women who surrender what feels right in the flesh and follow God’s life-giving path instead: “Make allowances for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Col 3:13) The offense you are holding on to today has already been covered — died for and paid in full — fully forgiven. Don’t fight a losing battle. But instead, press into the Lord for hope, victory, restoration and in how to supernaturally forgive and move forward bondage-free. 

So…go love the heck out of someone this week! Trust me, it will be way more impactful FOR BOTH OF YOU than walking in bitterness, judgement, hatred or unforgiveness! 

Praying this vibrant LOVE NEVER FAILS Necklace will serve as a tactile prompting and visible reminder to you or to anyone you gift this to, of just how loved you really are, what loves TRULY entails, and the importance of loving ourselves and others well! And you know, sometimes in this life, we each have to be carried to the feet of Jesus — to the Healer —for fixing, restoration and recovery. Grace-donor meets grace-recipient. Live unoffended and love defended by the covering of the cross! Go be a tool of grace in the hands of our gracious Savior today!! Bring the truth of God’s loving, merciful, all-transformative-healing Word to them today! Show your friend just where to go.

Click HERE to shop our Love Never Fails Heart Necklace!

️THIRTEEN YEARS️!

Here is our wedding photo from 2008 and our vow renewal photo from 2018 — my Lord — all that transpired within those 10 years would astound you! I’m considering writing a book to tell of ALL the Lord’s extraordinary deeds! Too many to count!

In 2008, we were babies — literal babies (24 years old!) and babies in our faith, unfortunately. We were young, wounded and naive — so many buried hurts and gobs of baggage — we were full of so many unresolved past-struggles and pent-up pain — planted deep inside  — boatloads of grief we both denied and hid from ourselves and from one another. Stuffing pain was our hallmark and compartmentalizing was our m.o. Yep, paving the way for disaster. We had no idea what would be coming for us in the future, but we were super enthusiastic to be married — blissfully unaware of what it would ultimately take to have a fabulous marriage, oh so passionate about one another and madly in love! Friendship was the basis of our relationship — since we met when we were 4 years old, we’d been “friends first” for a lifetime! Little did we know, that our strong bond of friendship (all 27 years of it at the time) would come into play and become the only literal cord that would hold us together during the darkest, most nightmare-ish years of our marriage.

Those of you who don’t know me or our redeeming love story, might be thinking what an odd anniversary post! Ha!! The grim details of our story — which once upon a time I wanted to bury in my backyard and never discuss aloud again (you see my shame was defended by a bodyguard of lies), God would move mountains to miraculously heal us and bring about an overwhelming sense of honor for what all God had done in our lives! A scandal-filled, traumatizing, and humiliating story was turned into a JOY story! It was the miracle of miracles it seemed — like bringing the dead back to life — that was us — and it’s now our greatest delight to share our redemption-tale with everyone!

Sometimes Jesus has to tear the whole house down, in order to rebuild it in the right way! (He’s a carpenter after all!) That’s our testimony — something incredibly beautiful and powerful and remarkably redemptive blossomed out of a burnt-down pile of rubble! This story boasts of Jesus and in His mighty power — to save and to transform — to just what all He is capable of in a life! Our story reeks of human depravity and our great need for a Savior. Thank God we have one! I hate what happened, but I love the God-story we get to go and tell! What a gift! You see, that’s just how God works…come to Him with your disaster, your trash, your screw-up, your issue, your wounds, and He will turn it into something you’ve yet to imagine! The exceptional grace of how He works ALL things together for good and how He uses your own evil to save you. Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. No, He came to bring life to the dead, to heal the sick, and to give sight to the blind! (And I was all 3 y’all!) I was on a highway to hell as fast as I could get there — the type of evil that all of hell rejoices over — addictions, strongholds, bondage, pride, believing lies and so many wounds! BUT…His blood breaks the chains! Jesus came to set the captives FREE! Me!!

Regardless of what life does to you or what you do to your own life! The Promises in Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28 are always fighting and working on your behalf! You can lose everything else in your life, but you cannot lose these things. Cling to His Grace, His Sovereignty, His love, and His Promises that will NEVER fail you, turn on you, abandon, or betray you. His love will NEVER fail you -- even in the most horrific, season of suffering — He’s the hope that will NOT disappoint. Bask in His unrivaled faithfulness — for He was faithful — even unto death — faithful beyond being forsaken, forgotten, rejected, abandoned, and betrayed. And yet, He still came and died for His accusers — withholding nothing from us! For He is “famous for His faithfulness”! (Psalm 100:5) Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but rather to shower you with kindness and compassion! Knowing full well that the fruit of mercy grows into the beauty of celebrating the forgiveness of sins, deep relationship with Him, abundant-life, purpose, healing of wounds, removal of shame, security, deliverance, and fullness of joy! For “He DELIGHTS to show mercy!”(Micah 7:18) And He’s THE ONLY one full of grace that lavishes us with a LOVE that surpasses measure, transcends reason, and conquers death. He DELIGHTS to take the broken things and raise them to glory AND He uses us to then carry His victory! He conquered EVERY circumstance at the Cross of Calvary — and because of that Truth — He now joyfully trades our ashes for something new, beautiful and victorious! He alone eclipses every hopeless, despondent and most impossible of situations and turns our defeat into triumph! Experiencing this level of unconditional, unsurpassable, indestructible, overcoming-love in my own heart and in my marriage, changed Ellis’ and my life forever!  

“Those who walked in darkness, have seen a GREAT LIGHT! Oh, those who lived in the land of deep darkness, a LIGHT has dawned!” (Isaiah 9:2)

We don’t have to live with this amount of disfunction, offense, isolation, shame, or brokenness. We were made to be restored — to the fullest extent of the definition! If you are in desperate need of GOOD NEWS and HOPE today — click here to listen to our full story on Jamie Ivey’s The Happy Hour Podcast!

We serve a resurrection-minded Father, the literal NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES — the name above your issues, above your marriage problems, above your fear, depression, anxiety, shame and wounds. He takes hopeless situations — like ours — and breathes life, wholeness, and miraculous healing into them! Beauty from ashes IS His Gospel and His specialty— it’s what He masters in, and we are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)! Praise be to our God!

Ellis and I stand TOGETHER today, miraculously HEALED and FREE — here to passionately “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!” (1 Peter 2:9) — who turned our “graves” into blooming, fruitful gardens and longs to do the same for you! Undeserved, yes — but oh so TRUE! Bring him your “nothing,” your failures, your strongholds, your disaster — and watch what grace can do on your behalf!

“He was sent to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim FREEDOM for the captives to sin, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor! To comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair!” (Isaiah 61:1-4)

“He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a ROCK making my footsteps FIRM. He put a NEW song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; MANY will see and trust in the Lord!” (Psalm 40:1-4)

If you’ve got a past like mine, no more beautiful or hopeful words have ever been uttered! Throw off those grave-clothes and those chains, get those eyes to look UP, and step into your NEW-adored-purpose-filled-prodigal-shame-free-victorious-identity! God’s got big plans for you, sister!

Fast forward to 2021 — yep —this-side of disaster, Ellis and I have something we never dreamed possible! It took many years, but our marriage is 10,000 times what it was before — our old selves seem like a shell of or a shadow of what we have now with one another — and the THE ONLY WAY something like that is possible is by coming to Jesus for help! Jesus + an AMAZING Christian Counselor (who’s specialty was in trauma and addiction) + 12-step program + magnificent community around us + prayer warriors + we had hit rock bottom and had no hope in ourselves = FREEDOM, NEWNESS, HEALING, FORGIVENESS and RESTORATION!

Together, we celebrate the GIFTS His love never fail to deliver to us! For loving us past the point of betrayal, for pursuing us in spite of our rejection of Him, for giving us the assurance of redemption beyond our stories of regrets and mistakes, for providing new life after the failure, for granting us prodigal celebrations when abandonment was warranted, for gracing us with hope that floats in a storm in spite of the most difficult of circumstances, for turning hopelessness and despair into JOY and revival, for lavishing us with undeserved blessings when destruction was justified, for being our defender when we stood isolated and broken, for bestowing on us mercies that are new every morning, for trading our pain for a spirit of rejoicing and healing, for gracing us with a story to go and tell of His great fame, for blessing us with freedom from the law, for crowning us with the confidence of being made brand new in Him, for delivering on ALL HIS PROMISES every single day, and for remaining steadfastly and passionately devoted to us to the end!

We REJOICE in JESUS and the GIFT His life, His rescue, His sacrifice perpetually brings to our family!

So, we do not just celebrate today, although we FULLY enjoy it, we rejoice EVERY DAY — and may that never ever end — reveling in ALL God has done and is doing! Praise HIM for His healing of our hearts, His redemption over our home, and His restoration of our marriage! Thankful He graces us with JOY where despair once reigned! How magnificent His power, how carefully planned are His purposes, how miraculous is His healing, how joyous His redemption! Praying our story shines a SPOTLIGHT on THE Healer!!!!

Happy 13th Anniversary to us!

So — if gratitude is rooted in knowing what’s yours in Jesus and what you’re promised and assured in the midst of hardship…then — knowing the Truth and receiving it as applicable for yourself and for your circumstances will be founded upon trust — upon our surrender and sheer unmitigated faith in our God to deliver, defend, rectify, resurrect, redeem, restore, purpose and heal. It comes down to this — it’s simply WHO He is.

So, lay claim at the feet of Jesus who CAN and WILL accomplish His good purposes for you! Find HOPE in His proactive ability to overturn this dark scene!

This thanksgiving, I feel the Lord is telling each of us to come join Him at His table. No matter where you are today, I encourage you to simply pull up a seat at His table. I know this year has been toppling over with chaos, uncertainty, disasters and casualties. But, even if you are angry with Him or are confused or are filled with doubt — trust me, God isn’t afraid of your feelings — your emotions don’t scare him. God doesn’t invite you to the table so you “behave” or “act properly” — He invites you because He longs to have a relationship with you. This isn’t about “religion” — our God is a God of relationship — and we all know relationships aren’t based solely on the good times, but strengthened in the hardest of times. He doesn’t long to commune with you only in the benevolent seasons. So, even if it’s filled with yelling and screaming and crying — He welcomes you. So pull up a seat at His table! You’re encouraged to “wrestle” with it all in His presence. He already knows what’s going on inside your heart — might as well tell Him. 

We do battle AT HIS table y’all — simply resting in His presence— now more than ever! We developed these Truth bracelets to serve as a reminder of where to run when things get hard, overwhelming, difficult, or seem never-ending! This virus seems to have taken so much from us and who even knows what else is at risk into 2021! But, the Lord knows and all He asks for is our trust! He continuously brings us back to the Truth — the life-giving, uplifting, encouraging, hope-filled, transformational TRUTH — which trumps any statistic or circumstance! His Word is more permanent than anything you may be facing. His character is more solid than anything we can find earth-side. He ushers in comfort, renewal, and peace as we surrender to Him. For His yoke is easy and it’s light — not heavy! He reminds us to take it day by day — AND that He doesn’t change day to day. Reset, rest, and go to His reliable table to do battle — a safe, enduring, consistent place to wrestle with the fear of the unknown, disappointment, and grief! Coming to His Table can look like quiet time with Him, just being still in His presence, devotionals, podcasts, or worship music — just come TO the table. Psalm 23:5 says that “He has set before you a table” — a table brimming, overflowing, dripping with nourishment, intimacy, fulfillment, life, joy, unchanging security, blessings, sustenance, renewal, restoration! A place where you come in weary and leave refreshed! Where you come in disheartened and leave ready to persevere.  Find hope, lasting encouragement and non-circumstantial peace at His Table! Every table set before us is "feast" -- an opportunity -- a time for growth -- to grow in love, in faith, in knowledge of Him, in perseverance, in joy!

We may not know what’s being served up for us next, but we do know WHO we serve. I challenge you to get to know Him better. We must truly know Him before awe, reverence, respect and trust can develop. Yes, we remain in the middle of this mystery — but thankfully, we are walking with “The Author” (Hebrews 12:2). Walking with the One who knows, the One who is always and incessantly working on your behalf behind the scenes, the One who remains unconditionally faithful! The One who turns seas into highways (Exodus 14), graves into empty tombs (John 11, Luke 24), Jericho-style-walls into rubble (Joshua 6), chaotic storms into peace that passes all understanding (Mark 4:35-41), and brings us from deserts of desolation into the promised land over-flowing with abundance (Ezekiel 20:6)!

“For the Lord is always good and ready to receive you! He’s so loving that it will amaze you — so kind that it will astound you! And He is famous for His faithfulness toward all. Everyone knows our God can be trusted; for He keeps His promises to every generation!” (Psalm 100:5)

He keeps His promises to every generation! He keeps His promises in the middle of a global pandemic! He keeps His promises in the face of political division! He keeps His promises in times of insurmountable suffering! He keeps His promises when evil seems to be overcoming good!

For He was faithful — even unto death — faithful past the point of betrayal, beyond being forsaken, forgotten, degraded, rejected and abandoned. And yet, He still died for His accusers. He is “famous for His faithfulness”! (Psalm 100:5)

“For His faithfulness is like a shield!” (Psalm 91:4)

“Through faith, we are shielded by God's power!” (1 Peter 1:5)

“And let us hold unwaveringly to the HOPE that we confess! For the One who made the promise is trustworthy!” (Hebrews 10:23)

“FAITH is the assurance of things hoped for — but the conviction of things not seen! For we live by faith, not by sight.” (Hebrews 11:1 & 2 Corinthians 5:7)

When we focus our hearts on to what we’ve been given in Jesus — whatever season we may be in — choosing an outlook of gratitude can usher in the Lord to do great and mighty things in your life! Take time to look up today — to the Giver of all good things and hold tightly to this Promise: “As we continually GIVE THANKS to God we are building a gate -- a place of entrance and access — for the King of Glory to come into our current situation!” (Psalm 24:7) 

“I will GIVE THANKS to the Lord with my whole heart — I will never cease to declare and tell of all your wonderful deeds!” (Psalm 9:1)

“For from His ABUNDANCE, we have all received, GRACE upon GRACE!” (John 1:16)

“Oh, TASTE and SEE that the Lord is GOOD!” (Psalm 34:8)

So yes....”In everything, give thanks!” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) — Because our GOD is good — and He is good ALL of the time. And in spite of all we see and all we’ve experienced — God IS at work! Because it’s WHO He is, because it’s WHAT He does, because it’s WHY He came, because His faithfulness toward you is eternally UNENDING — powerfully, continually and magnificently working and able to bring about GOOD — because HE said to TRUST Him — and there’s simply no other way! No one, but YOU Lord!

Come what may, but NO MATTER what — my God remains on the Throne! Here at GT, our prayer and heartbeat is FOR REVIVAL —for you, your family, our city, our state, our nation, our world! These Truth Bracelets are just a small way to continually remind you throughout the day to have hope and to fall into grace!

Feast on Him this season— and let’s shift our focus onto His attributes, provisions, and faithfulness. Come as you are to His rescuing arms, to a beautiful and plentiful place of true and lasting hope, peace and new mercies!

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is GOOD, His faithful love ENDURES forever!” (Psalm 118:1)

Click HERE to shop the collection!

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone of you,

No matter what season of life you are in, be encouraged that Jesus came here to “transform the Valley of Trouble into a DOORWAY of HOPE!” (Hosea 2:15) 

HOPE that cannot be stolen and is fully reliant on HIS NATURE —not on what you can offer, bring to or do for Him. Through thick and thin, highs and lows, mistakes and triumphs, failures or feats…this means God remains a fiercely-loyal Promise-keeper to you! “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ALL ‘YES’ through Christ Jesus!” (2 Corinthians 1:20) It’s the template of the Cross — victory from ashes, triumph emerging from loss, what looks like the end is actually the beginning — that’s unwavering HOPE! His Victory on the Cross cannot been revoked, altered, replaced, or changed — He overcame it ALL — so that now…who we are in Christ and what is promised to us through Christ cannot be taken from us no matter the circumstance or challenge. It’s untouchable and simply never at risk. Even in the midst of a global pandemic — your identity in Him — what He did for you and how loved you are — endures eternally! His Promises override, outweigh, supersede and trump any and all circumstances you may be facing! 🏻 Circumstances are ALWAYS changing, but the Lord God our ROCK is the ONLY thing that is unchanging, immovable, imperishable, unshakable, foundational; the only One who never fails us and is steadfast in delivering on all His promises! May the posture of our hearts be to FEAR NOT...because, GOD!  #hopeisntcancelled

His mercies are new every morning. His promises always hold true. He is faithful even when we are not. Jesus came here to meet us where we are, to make us whole, to bring HOPE to the hopeless, to bind up the broken-hearted, to give us a spirit of JOY instead of mourning — to heal, revive, rebuild, redeem and restore us.

Praying you look to THE ONE who NEVER changes to provide you with a “peace that passes all understanding”, with wisdom, comfort, rest, encouragement, joy, protection and SO MUCH HOPE! Praying these Truths wash over you fresh today!

“May the Lord Himself — the Lord of PEACE — pour into you His peace in every circumstance and in every possible way. The Lord’s tangible presence be with you all!” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

This collection of wearable-reminder Truth-bracelets seemed particularly important and timely during this challenging, strife-filled, chaotic, grueling, dividing and uncertain season in our world today. The Lord specifically placed 5 words so palpably on my heart for this project! LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FAITH and HOPE! Some reflect fruits of the spirit, some reflect His nature, some reflect the greatest commandment and each bracelet encompasses things we each crave, need, want and must pass on to a lost and hurting world!

Collection verses:

-“May the God of HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you trust in Him, so that you may OVERFLOW with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

-“You can have all the FAITH in the world — FAITH that can move mountains — but WITHOUT LOVE, you have NOTHING! (1 Corinthians 13:2)….”And now these three remain: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. But the GREATEST of these is LOVE!” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

-“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing LOVE for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of PEACE be removed — says the Lord — who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)

-“LOVE does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always HOPES, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:6-7)

-“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the protective shadow of the Almighty! The Lord is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust! He will shelter you with His wings, FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS IS LIKE A SHIELD — a protective wall! No harm will overtake you; no illness will come near your home. For He will command His angels concerning you — to guard you in all your ways!” (Psalm 91:1-2, 4, 10)

-“The Lord your God is in your midst; He is a warrior who can deliver! He takes great delight in you; He renews you by His LOVE; He shouts for JOY over you." (Zephaniah 3:17)

-“A new command I give you: LOVE one another, JUST AS I have loved you! By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you LOVE one another.” (John 13:34-25)-“But this I call to mind and therefore I have HOPE — the steadfast LOVE of the Lord NEVER ceases; His mercies are NEW every morning; great is HIS FAITHFULNESS!” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

-“For you shall go out with JOY, and be led forth with PEACE!” (Isaiah 55:12)

Each bracelet comes accompanied by a custom-made, GT-original, watercolor calligraphy scripture card. These bracelets were created to encourage you towards God’s truth as tangible reminders of who our God is, what is yours through Jesus and who you are in Him! Our hope is that you gift these pieces to yourself and others this coming Christmas season! We recommend stacking all 5 words and bracelets together + using each verse card as daily encouragement — whether you put them on your refrigerator, mirror, dashboard, or bedside — let His Truth and life-giving words wash over you anew each day!

Each verse card is overflowing with florals in the same way God has a flourishing path and abundant purposes in store for your life as well! We pray these pieces prompt, propel and spur you on in your one true identity and in your daily journey to meet with the Lord for relationship, renewal, and a reset onto His life-transforming Gospel of Grace!

Our Truth-Bracelets are made with stainless steel gold beads along with enamel letter beads. Bracelets are elastic and will stretch to fit women of all sizes and ages.

Join us in celebrating the launch of our gold-beaded TRUTH Bracelets!

Click HERE to shop the collection!

We can’t wait to unpack all these treasures in the Truth these coming weeks,