Your Faith. Your Freedom.

I had to share this one with you!

I don't believe the map [

Click for Video of Map

] accurately represents any of the religions, but it sparked the usual discourse on Facebook...

It's Your Belief

A beloved cousin of a cousin wrote

,

"like a virus"

, and my initial reaction was

"so true"

. Then my mind started down the path of, 'somehow, the spread of religion, in almost every instance, lead to wars - or genocide or the loss of another opportunity to see God in a different light - because control is rooted in fear, and no animal... or person... is more dangerous than one that's afraid...'

Then I remembered

that we couldn't feel the joy of liberation if we didn't know the bondage. I didn't want to comment on this publicly, because I finally realized that I don't want to tell people what to believe - I myself rebelled against anyone who told me what to believe, and I've realized that everyone else has a right to guard and grow in their beliefs on their terms, as well. What I share, here, is only my journey.

When I finally realized that

they

, religion

(and frankly schools, governments and now corporations, too) took our free and direct connection with God, spirituality, intuition, self-governance, and decided that only

They

should define that connection, and then build laws around and enforce those laws on that connection (or power or other monopoly)... for All...

I was totally liberated from it!!!

All of it!

I wasn't angry or resentful or bitter,

but liberated,

because I realized that

I have the same power they had!

 Perhaps more, because my power is rooted in actual Love, and not fear! I simply choose to use that power to liberate myself and

remind others that they, too, are equally as powerful!

Many leave religion... or some other group... and fall right into another form of bondage, locking themselves into a "new spiritual movement" or atheism or some other set of rules, because they can't see the pattern. Still, perhaps that is simply a part of their journey.

I am closest to God when I'm closest to myself,

when I can hear and trust my own voice within and share All of that with God... in my decisions, in the joys of learning from my mistakes, in learning that life is the journey, not in the end result... but rooted in the knowledge that we only get this time, this space, this body, right now - and that the freedom to live in and enjoy all of it is exhilarating!!!

I'm learning what a waste it is to wait until we're perfect,

right, 'good', to be happy. When we do, we miss it altogether.

I am so inspired

to put this into words, in an entirely new way. Thank you Richard J. Acosta!

#Inspired

I pray your journey is focused on the positive aspects

of all you encounter. If what we focus on expands, then I will continue to focus on the beauty, the joys, in life. And thank God for them. You?

In Love & Light, Crystal-Marie Sealy. 

My Journey to Love & God - Part 1

Hello Beloved! I hope you feel loved regardless of your current circumstances.

I've been on an incredible journey with God since I've last written you. This is a quick update on my Journey to the Truth, from the

Knowledge of Christ to the Knowledge of All of God.

I thought it was important to share so that you could make a conscious decision about whether or not you'd like to keep reading/following

Love covers All . God is Love

(Facebook).

Yours in Love.

In Love with Christ

Fear versus Love.

In my last post on

the Trees in the garden of Eden

, you'd have started to see a shift in my belief. I believe Jesus Christ is truly my reason for being so aware, so awake, and aware of how loved I am by God, who created us all.

A New View of Jesus

The shift you'd have started to see is that I currently believe Jesus Christ came to let us know that we are

already

Sons and Daughters of God with the same gifts and abilities he had; that we never lost dominion over the earth. He came to let us know that we don't have to

"wait for Him to return"

to walk in that power, but that we

"will do greater things than these"

right now. Sadly, we've run amok

devaluing emotions, intellect and the physical

, so we're not

"free"

in religion to explore the beauty of how these all fit into our spirituality and our relationship with God.

Further, I no longer believe the Bible to be infallible. I do believe that it was God-inspired in many ways, but not that it is flawless. I now believe that authors of the Bible were much like us. Just as we have inspired God-breathed moments, at no time are we completely perfect and representative of the entire body, spirit or soul of God.

Daughter of God Revisited

Feminine energy and the

"male and female"

that God created - and deeply Loves. We often allude, in Church, to the fact that Jesus never shunned women like others did. In fact, that He spent a lot of time with them. Where God is taking me now is opening up a whole new realm of knowledge around the very different, yet equal, importance of the voice of both men and women in getting to know God fully. There's far too much to even begin to scratch the service here. Just a sniff - we have

totally

misunderstood the

"mystery"

of women and have completely reversed (and damaged) our women by enforcing the stereotype that they are 

"givers"

instead of

"receivers"

. That this is how we actually walk as

ezer kenegdo

 (paragraph 6: Genesis 2:18 be translated as

"I will make a power [or strength] corresponding to man."

 & paragraph 7: 1 Corinthians 11:10,

"For this reason, a woman must have power [or authority] on her head [that is to say, invested in her]."

) to our male companions.

More to Learn

I do not profess to have the full picture at all. In fact, I'm sure as I step into a fuller relationship with God, He'll re-frame a lot of what I believe I've learned here. What I will say is, regardless of how you view this, I hope you walk away not worried or sad, but full of joy that you know that God is greater than any error, misinterpretation or anything else we can dream up.

And You? 

Again, this is MY journey. I want to give you the opportunity to follow/not follow this blog/

Facebook page

based on your beliefs. Comments will likely be deleted. If you agree, I'm excited to have you on this journey! If you don't, I'm truly grateful for the part of my journey that we've shared. Thank you!

If you're still on board, you might enjoy reading the application of these lessons in my life, and in the lives of those I'm privileged to walk with, at

protectyourdreams.blogspot.com

Have a great week!

Yours in Love. Crystal-Marie S.

The Trees in the Garden of Eden (Part 2)

In part 1,

I went through

the root fear

we all face and

how we conquer that fear.

We delve into the role of love and fear and

our role as sons and daughters of God.

Why it's so important that we find

our true individual identities

in relationship with God, so that we can be

a stronger community.

If you haven't,

you might want to read it

before getting into the actual trees, but

part 2 will still make sense if you don't.

The Trees in the Garden of Eden

The two trees we hear of in the garden of Eden were the

Tree of Life (#1)

and the

Tree of the Knowledge

of Good and Evil (#2)

.

 Note,

it's not just "the Tree of Knowledge". I'm sure growing up you, too, were taught that when the Word said

"their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked"

, it meant they

suddenly knew too much; things they didn't know before.

Recently, however, God took me on another very visual, very vivid journey, to reveal

this new perspective.

(It is so true that no one knows the whole mind of Christ. It is beautiful that He gave us a lifetime of mystery and relationship with Him to learn it! So amazing, our God!)

All the knowledge we had was shrunk to knowledge of just good and evil.

 In short, I've learned that the Knowledge of Good and Evil shrank the Knowledge of Life in it's Fullness to just black and white, good and evil, perpetual judgement. Get it?

Tree of Life, Tree #1,

revealed to us the

full range of colours,

the role of good and evil in the midst of the rest of life, and

the role of Love

in keeping everything else in place, in the 'right' roles. Perhaps this will help:

Tree #1 (Life)                                                                    / Tree #2 (Knowledge of Good & Evil)

• All colours (which make up white, coincidentally) / Black and white only (oh, and grey *sigh*)

• All: good, evil, beauty, Love, growth, learning       / Good and evil (and constant fear of falling)

• Love keeping perfect balance, harmony                  / Perpetual judgement (fear of falling)

Source:

lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-trees-in-garden-of-eden-part-2.html

You see, Adam and Eve didn't not recognize evil because it was in it's place, when they had only seen Life to the Fullest.

They enjoyed what was good because by contrast evil shows us that good is good - that way good is never boring or 'status quo'. Remember, the enemy fell before they came - they always knew he was always there - but they (and he) always knew his place, until they submitted to him. That is why it's called the Fall. They, we (we would have done the same thing),

fell from the

Full Knowledge of Life

to the mere

knowledge of Good and Evil.

Good news!

This is why

Jesus Christ's

coming, our LORD and Saviour, is just that - salvation - because

He restored to us the capacity to see that, again.

Our gospel is that!

Hence, Love is His message!

 God is His message! God is Love! We utter words and don't hear our selves. Try this: Say it out loud and sit with it -

God is Love!

Are you free now to walk in that?

The Fullness of Life

A huge part of knowing the Fullness of Life, in Christ,

is knowing the place of Good and Evil in that Fullness. It is, then, that we begin living from a place of

restoring our Knowledge of the Fullness of Life.

That means dropping all that baggage - perfection, appearances, joggling balls, fears - and

choosing to walk (doing it, afraid or not) exactly as you truly are,

skeletons and all, right now. You will literally feel it physically: you breath more deeply, more slowly, your shoulders relax (or you finally realize they hurt! Lol), you stand straighter.

You simply are. No pressure.

No burden. You see,

we were not designed to carry all that weight.

That baggage is what came with the Knowledge of (only) Good and Evil.

That baggage is why death entered the equation. All that stress destroys us, and the enemy continues to deceive us into thinking

"oh, that's just the way it goes".

It doesn't have to be. It's why Christ revealed that it is this very body that will be transfigured. Why not start now? First, we have to accept and love our current selves, good, bad and other, before we can go any further. As long as you're holding on to all that baggage, your hands will be too full to walk out of that prison -

the prison you created after Christ died to free us from it.

This is what Christ died to give us.

That is

reconciliation with God

and

walking in Life Abundantly.

I know and honour the fact that this is not likely a perspective you've heard before. I just want you to know that. If you can see it, however, if this has awakened something in you or if it's put together all the pieces of a puzzle for you,

I'm honoured to have been a part of that.

Be & Love the True You

If you truly lived this, being true to who you are,

where you are, at all times, then light will always shine on what needs to change or a new opportunity for growth.

Your truth will illuminate your next level of learning and growth.

As you explore that new area of growth

in freedom, love and faith

(instead of the bondage of doubt, fear of doing wrong and guilt/shame),

you will enjoy it!

You will enjoy learning

"wow! all the time I thought X, and God's revealed Y to be true."

You'll want to learn more, no? Making mistakes is a part of the growth process! Learning from experience rather than the words of others is a part of the growth process.

Being a part of your own growth process is relationship with God!

Your pastor, priest, mentor, counselor cannot have that relationship on your behalf.

You have to live it.

You need to love it, however, in order to keep wanting to do it!

Look back on your life.

We make mistakes and then we see all the "negative consequences" of our action and we think

"I'm paying for..."

Isn't that, technically, blasphemy, if Christ was supposed to have paid? Aren't we supposed to truly repent,

and know that it's been paid for?

Take a look at one mistake you made

that you can see the trail of "consequences" for. I'd like to invite you, now, to 

look at that same mistake, and see what you've learned from it,

what good things came out of what you learned, what good things you've learned about yourself, and how you can use all of that to empower, encourage, others who perhaps have made the same or similar mistakes.

Can you?

I'll ask the questions from the image in

Part 1

, again:

Source: 

lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-trees-in-garden-of-eden-part-1.html

Write me or comment and let me know your thoughts?

I truly believe that as we discover our purpose in Christ, through relationship with Him, our lives will be the examples that empower others to do the same.

The Trees in the Garden of Eden (Part 1)

To those of you who've been following me consistently for some time, I'd like to say thank you for reading. You know that before 2014 the tone of my posts has been to

ask why, to encourage

and, at times, to

admonish us for hurting each other.

2014, however, was

life-changing for me

.

God broke through so much fear, that now I see so much of it where I never saw it before in our Church. I'll get into that in today's post, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on my new direction.

[P.S.

Part 2

actually gets to the trees. ;)]

The Deepest Fear

This fear that God broke in me was

not the surface fears

- fear of man, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of unforgivable sin, fear of not being righteous, fear of not trusting God, fear of unbelief - the list is long.

Those are not the worst fears.

The fear that God dealt with in me is invisible until He shines His light on it.

It is fear of the unknown.

The surface fears above are somewhat knowable, but fear of the unknown is a greater obstacle, as the unknown can lead to ALL others!

Once God broke me free of it, it was all I could see in the Church (the body) around me.

Our sermons are so full of

"no", "the law"

and living within

a very small, but widely approved, box,

that none of us feel safe enough to

find out who we

individually are in Christ,

so that we can be

a stronger community.

The body of Christ is us. If we each have a purpose in Him, we will not all look alike. We cannot. Your stomach, baby toenail and lymph nodes do not, cannot, be the same if you are going to live. Why can't we understand that in the Church? It's time to stop holding hands with the enemy and singing,

"you're right, accuser, we'll just stay under this bushel and never shine, because you're right, accuser, it's vein, prideful, and will lead us astray"

! We're not 'wusses' in Christ!

We're sons and daughters of God in Christ!

Source:

lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-trees-in-garden-of-eden-part-1.html

Conquering Fear

I kept saying above that God broke me free of it, but the truth is

I broke free of fear in God's strength.

We can do nothing without Christ, but

He does nothing until we take that step in faith.

As soon as I said,

"enough! I don't know what this block is, but I'm over it!"

, He literally said

"Finally"

in a fit of immeasurable joy,

and opened my eyes to a host of amazing wonders!

It's like He could finally hold my hand and run with me!

I can keep up because I'm no longer heavy with fear! Don't you want that? Don't you want to know Your God on every level? Are you willing to take the risk and step out in faith to find out?

Do you trust Him to take care of you wherever you go?

You and I both know there's something holding you back.

If you're not shining, if you can't say the words "I love, love, love myself" and

ooze nothing but joy to overflow,

if you can't walk by different religions without feeling sad, then something IS holding you back and, perhaps, you don't know the power of Your God! Perhaps.

Fear is only conquered when we truly trust God,

when we love ourselves as He loves us,

so much so that we can't help but

share that love with others,

and teach them to do the same.

Darkness cannot exist when light is present. Fullstop.

Fighting darkness and fear is a waste of time and energy. Light! Be light, be love, focus on the good, and that will overflow to cast out the negatives.

Food for thought:

all those people we judge - 'backslidden' brothers and sisters, other religions, cult groups, sociopaths, criminals, other Christians with different perspectives -

can only be changed by personal encounter with God. Not a word you utter means anything without that.

Plus, you don't know enough to know that you're absolutely right about everything you believe, so stop worrying about it and stop fighting it.

Love them instead, but first, love yourself!

If it was not God's will that any should perish, why do we focus so on who will perish? Why don't we become, as individuals, a safe space for all to come and be, and be loved? Why don't we do that, our part in Love, and let God do His work? Let us focus on love and light. The details will be worked out by God. You'd be surprised to see true Serendipity, which is His.

Your Powerful Mind

Let me tell you what I've learned about Love - I'm still learning.

Love, not courage, is the opposite of fear.

That is why it is the gift that is above all others.

Love frees us so we can see more clearly.

We are not anxious, worried, distracted juggling multiple "what if" thoughts. We see clearly what is in front of us, even in some small part the way God sees, when we see in Love.

The battlefield is truly in the mind.

It is why the New Testament is so focused on

renewing your mind!

All the gifts in Corinthians - love, tongues, understanding, faith, knowledge, interpretation of tongues - are there!

It is the battlefield because

it is what we, in God's image, create with!

The

heart, mind

and

tongue

are what we're cautioned about, because they are the most powerful aspects of our being. The heart and mind both feed thoughts and feelings.

Our hearts and minds,

produce emotions (love and fear) and feelings (joy, sorrow, hope, anger).

Our tongues,

the words we speak, form the declarations and contracts we seal (with God or the accuser) to create what we see. We may want to, but we can't avoid the responsibility of being creators if we are made in the image and likeness of God.

If you don't wield your mind and heart, regardless of how much you say you surrender to God, the enemy will.

Surrendering to God is empowering, not oppressing.

The scripture

"I become less that You (God) might become more"

does not mean that you disappear. In the Holy Spirit, you'll learn that

'the old you becomes less, that the new you - in the true image of God in Christ - becomes more'

.

The manifestation of the part of God that only You can carry,

because of what He created You to be. So surrendering to God means freedom for You to wield your mind!

God has empowered you.

Fear or Love?

If you can't hold every thought captive,

use your feelings as an indicator

of whether or not your thoughts are positive. If you've surrendered to God, you have nothing to worry about. Good feelings - joy, peace, calm, contentment - come when we remember that we are righteous (even if not always right) in Christ. When you're angry, afraid, resentful, jealous,

what are your thoughts?

Now, beware that bad feelings were created by God (just as physical pain was)

to let us know when something is wrong. Don't ignore them,

 but put them in their right place, deal with the cause, place your burden at God's feet and then turn your thoughts back to what is good.

Spend most of your time on the good.

Energy invested in negatives is energy positives don't have access to. Let it go, for your sake.

You see, you can't do any of this if you don't love yourself.

This is why I ask you to

choose - fear or love?

What you choose for yourself is what you will choose for, and impart to, others. You can choose. In terms of complexity, thoughts are the most difficult to manage. Feelings are easier, but still fairly complex if you're at work or in the midst of a task. Emotions, which actually chart the direction of our thoughts, love or fear, are easier to detect. If you can detect your feelings, do so. If your heart starts racing, you're not breathing deeply and it's not accompanied by a smile, perhaps your thoughts are infused by fear.

Turn it around. Infuse your thoughts with love.

You can choose to stop, make yourself breath - envision inhaling love and exhaling fear

- and choose to think, and put your energy into, good thoughts. "Nothing is too big for God, who has entrusted me to be right where I am right now, in Him", "things always work for good, for those who love God", "if there is power in my words, I declare that all is well starting now".

Think about the good thoughts that empower you, and think those.

That's why the Word is our sword.

Write your good thoughts for a week, and see what you learn about yourself!

You might empower others!

Try It

I think there's a lot to chew on here.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

After you try this, listening to your feelings,

click here to read part 2,

where I finally get to the

Trees in the Garden of Eden.

What Do Your Words Create

We've been taught 

"

Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a destiny

"

. I suspect that this proverb is found in teachings across cultures globally. The point is, like it or not, 

we're not on autopilot.

 If we want change, 

we have to change our minds.

Renew Your Mind.

Thoughts & Feelings

Medicine, science and your own experience (even if you've ignored it) have all made it clear that 

your thoughts can heal or harm your physical body.

 Thinking about things that 

we fear will happen,

 for example, creates feelings of 

anxiety, anger, despair, self-doubt, depression and negative stress.

 These cause heart failure, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and more debilitating unmentionables, which over time become chronic ailments. "The power of life and death lie in the tongue..." (

Proverbs 18:21 ESV

). If we already know all of this, 

why have we done nothing to change it?

Thinking about positive things, things that 

we want to happen,

 our past miracles or good things that are happening at the moment, literally bring healing. The bible says that testimony builds faith. Faith brings joy. Your own testimony enhances the faith of others, yes, but it builds your faith as well. On a 'practical' level, if you will, when you feel joy, 

you breathe deeper, your muscles relax, you have an involuntary smile and your heartbeat is less erratic.

 All of this sends more oxygen to your brain, fosters cell repair, releases endorphins (that creates a 'happy loop') and reduces the stress on your heart, respectively. In miraculous terms, have you met a cancer survivor or someone whose tumor just disappeared? I have - 

it rocked my world.

What do you want?

 Restored health? Love? Financial freedom? More consistent inner peace? More supportive community? Why not 

start thinking about what you want,

 instead of what you don't want? I'd never thought of it that way, but I heard this guy, Greg Braden, say 

"Who taught us to think about what we don't want instead of what we want?!"

 It was suddenly so obvious what needed to change. Perhaps we won't track all our thoughts, but we can all stop to acknowledge how we feel, how we're breathing. Feelings tell you where your thoughts (conscious or subconscious) might be. 

Let's start there.

Emotions versus Feelings

Let's make this a bit easier.

 At any given moment, we're dealing with a myriad of feelings. It's no wonder so many of us ignore our feelings! At the base of it all, however, our feelings are fed by one of 

two emotions - 

Love or Fear.

 Fear is the opposite of Love.

 Courage is merely a manifestation of love - ask most parents. Every feeling we have is rooted in fear or love. Now, it won't always be obvious what you're afraid of, or what you love, that's driving the feeling. You know, however, that negative feelings are driven by 

fear, which holds you back,

 and that positive feelings are driven by 

love, which empowers you.

 If you can believe that, which would you choose?

Positive feelings create positive outcomes because 

we attract what we think about.

 It may be draining to 

"hold every thought captive"

(

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 ESV

) for examination, but 

you are almost always aware of how you feel

 - good or bad - even if you can't place a finger on how or why. If the cause of your 'bad' feeling is coming from within, then assess what thought(s) contributed to that, make it a positive thought. Look at "I hope I'm not late" as "everything is running smoothly so I'll be on time".

Note:

this does not advise that you are governed by your feelings, merely that you use it as it was designed to be used - as an indicator that something is amiss, or that all is well.

Food for thought:

 Wars are borne of fear. Courage, as an element of Love, seeks to protect, defend. Love in all its elements (generosity, kindness, hope) finds a place for all.

[

Side bar:

 I believe in intuition, so if you're feeling 'bad', look around first to make sure there are no threats. The threat doesn't have to be obvious. If your gut says move, then move. Regardless of how rude it may seem. Move.]

Decisions & Commitment

Globally, spiritual movements teach 

"be specific when you ask"

; "no one who is double-minded receives from the Lord...ask and you shall receive"; "believe and then receive (stay open to) what you've asked for"

 and 

"if you can imagine it, you can have it";

 believe and you can receive 

"immeasurably more than you can imagine".

The point is, if you are to ask, believe and receive (

Matthew 7:7-8 ESV

), you have to first 

decide on what you're asking for

 before you can see it (

James 1:6-8 ESV

). Trust that God orders your steps, particularly as you trust Him, in stepping out in faith, rather than fearing what can go wrong if you get what you want. If you make your decision from a place of love, true love, then you've automatically infused that decision with self-care while being considerate of those impacted by that decision. 

Ask, commit to that specific "ask",

 expect to receive it, then release it to God and go on living.

"No", "Don't" and Your Ask Words

"Ask" essentially means praying.

 The challenge is for us, as Christians, to get to the stage where we understand what God means when Jesus says "ask boldly". We must stop 'begging' in prayer, and walk as empowered sons and daughters in Christ. Once you decide to ask boldly, focus on positive words. Truly,

ask for what you want;

not for what you don't want. Asking for what you don't want brings to mind... what you don't want... and all the feelings that come with thoughts of what you don't want. It takes energy (brain space) away from thoughts of what you do want and the feelings that those thoughts come with. 

Mother Teresa said she will not attend an "anti-war" rally, but she'd love to attend a "peace" rally.

 Are you getting the picture? 

"No"

 and 

"don't"

 have no weight in our brains other that to 

produce negative feelings.

 Those words do not eliminate what follows, they merely attach a feeling to them. 

What are your "ask" words?

 Instead of "I don't want debt" or "I'm not in debt", perhaps say "I have a lot of money" or "I'm always in the black".

Note:

It is not a sin to want wealth to overflow when it is overflowing for God's glory. Money is only a problem if it replaces God in your life.

The present tense

 also helps when you're asking. 

"I will"

 often, keeps us in the 

"one day in the future"

 frame of mind. That perspective doesn't drive us to get up and get, because 

it's not a priority.

Speaking as though it already is,

 puts us in a place to 

expect, act, believe and receive, now.

 We start preparing to receive it. 

What will you do with it? Where will you put it? When will you have time to enjoy it?

 We are conditioned to think that doing that means we're lying to ourselves; we're not. You want it and you're going to make it happen. Full-stop. Infuse it with love, and see what happens. (P.S. It helps to be persistent.)

In Closing

Once I committed to changing my thinking,

 all of 2014 was, to me, evidence that this is true. Essentially:

1. Stop! Stop the rat race, the "oh no" conversation and the "I really don't want" thoughts.

2. Breathe deeply. Choose not to rush and do just that for 2 minutes (the whole 2 minutes).

3. Dream. If 'reality' wasn't a ceiling, if no one could 'laugh'... What would you want? Expect it.

4. Feel. What would it feel like to have your dream life? What would you be able to do? See it.

5. Gratitude. Smile in gratitude for what you have now. Really feel it. Thank instead of Begging.

6. Plan. In that grateful mindset, what steps do you need to take to get to your dream? Write it.

7. Act. What steps can you take today? Take at least one step. Even if it's just to think positively. Start.

In all of this, 

start with your mind.

 Start everyday focused on 

1-3 good things

 in your life, 

1 dream

 and 

what those things make you feel.

 Hold on to that all day. 

What do your words create?

[Adapted from:

"Your Thoughts, Your Future."

at

protectyourdreams.blogspot.ca

]

An Amazing 2014 in Christ

I wrote a similar post on protectyourdreams.blogspot.ca, this year, but I thought it was worth duplicating to share this with you. Many said that 

2014 was both terrible and awesome at once.

 I can truly relate. That means, however, that we've all grown in some way. You may have learned that 

you're more resilient than you thought,

 or that there are more efficient ways to do something or quite simply that you'll do something very differently moving forward. Whatever you learned this year, I'm sure there is a positive perspective and takeaway, if not a few. Would you be willing to share what those were?

I believe none of our experiences are for naught. They're all necessary to help others advance too.

Source:

protectyourdreams.blogspot.com/2014/12/seasons-greetings-2014-review.html

My 2014 Eureka Moments

I don't know where to begin, but I'll aim for a list of 12 lessons I've learned this year, that I hope can help you find greater efficiency, balance and joy, in all areas of your lives.

1. If you enter every situation with Thanksgiving in Christ, believing it as you say it, you'll be surprised at how it will be turned around for good. Whether that's based on a change in perspective or a miracle, it's good.

2. Lesson #1 above has led to a series of serendipitous moments that I could not have dreamed up myself. From people to opportunities to new mindsets, our words to manifest our experiences.

3. In being true to myself, as I embrace the lessons above, I've also been a great source of inspiration without even realizing it! People have been moved to love and intrinsic purpose, after listening to me gush on about what I've been learning and how it's helped me.

4. Money is a friend, not a foe. This year, my mindsets around money have changed to understand that as a friend, financial wealth empowers me to be even more generous. When I am financially healthy, it is far easier for me to help others achieve the same.

5. My intuition is not just 'in my head', it works with Christ. It is a very real aspect of my being that has, to date, never (seriously) steered me wrong. I've attracted like-minded entrepreneurs, just by trusting my gut. It takes practice when you've ignored it for so long, but try it.

6. Love is the opposite of fear. We all believe it's Courage, but courage is merely a product of Love. This year, I've learned to focus on what I'm pursuing in Love, rather than dwelling on what could go wrong as I pursue it (fear). What would it look like for you to live this way?

7. Self care is not selfish. Self care is the wise setting of boundaries to ensure that you remain whole as you pursue your dreams which, inevitably, will help others. We are of no use to anyone if we are burnt out or spread thin. We can't do anything well if we're doing everything.

8. When I am taking care of myself, even when it means saying "No" from a place of love to someone or something, I have created a safe space for them, too, to do the same. No one is forced to do what they don't want to, or really can't, do.

9. Lesson #8 also no longer comes with guilt or anxiety about letting others down or fear that something or someone might fail because I said "No". I completely understand (most days) that this "No" sets clear boundaries for me to be able to be at my best when I do say "Yes".

10. Lessons #8 and #9 became real to me when I viewed them through the lenses of my Time, my Goals, my Space, my Perspective, my Pace of life and decision-making, my Feelings, my Preferences, my Comfort Zone and Stretch Zone*, and other aspects of life. (*Your stretch zone refers to moments where you risk stepping out of your comfort zone to try something new. You shouldn't be coerced to enter this zone; it should be your decision. The Panic Zone is that beyond your stretch zone. If you're in the panic zone, you're not ready. It's fine to step back.)

11. I've always known this, but never put it into words. I make decisions from a place of conscious awareness of why I'm making those decisions. Decisions are no longer based on false time-pressure or peer-pressure or any kind. When I've made decisions this way, I know I am committed to those decisions, to seeing them to fruition.

12. I'm now more comfortable knowing that I am not to be all things, at all times, to all people. I know that my part is important, but I am free to stay balanced, true to myself, as I do my part.

Some of you may have heard me rave about some or all of these, already, but those are my 2014 - year of Eureka Moments - lessons. I know I'm not alone though. 

Willing to share yours?

Wishing you, your loved ones and everyone you encounter, love, joy, healing and prosperity in every area of life.

See you in 2015!

Best, always!

[Adapted from:

Protect Your Dreams

, December 22, 2014]

The Healing Power of Love

Good morning, Beloved.

May God in Christ bless you and keep in the guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit as you embark on your new journey.

Hear me as I say this, brothers and sisters:

We are on a new journey.

 It's time to stop waiting for the fear to subside before we act. Understand that

courage

is

taking the risk, despite fear, by faith, driven by

love

. What purpose are you procrastinating about, putting off, for fear? Why don't we choose to be finished with fear. Break up with it. Tell fear you'll no longer be holding it's hand as you step into the unknown. Then simply stop agreeing with and walking in fear.

Throughout your life, and in the Word, you'll see that the

opposite of fear is Love.

Literally. The opposite of fear appears to be courage, but only because courage is the manifestation of love in action. It is love that drives us to want and pursue what is best for those we love, regardless of the price. I caution, though, that fear is an equally powerful motivator. This is why it is so important

which one you foster a relationship with.

Recognizing Fear

Many of us have grown so used to fear that we don't recognize it in our lives. It snuck in and insidiously slipped into all kinds of crevices we're yet to uncover.

It often masks itself as love,

in the form of parents, spouses, peers, who control, manipulate and do whatever it takes

to keep us from harm

. Please know that I do not say this so we can judge. We have both been those people and been influenced by them. Fear says things like:

• "the reality is <insert why you can't>"

• "know your limits"

• "if you do that, <insert negative outcome> will happen"

Fear says, often without saying it, that "you can't". I want you to understand that it is often those who love us that say these things (or who we love that we say these to), and who we listen to. Understand also that, while their love is what fear used to make them confuse

holding us back

with

protection,

 the one driving is still fear - not love.

We

should

know our limits. God set boundaries for sleep, eat, work, mourning, alone time, so we learn self care.

Boundaries help us stay whole so we can achieve the impossible.

 Boundaries give us a "No", so we don't spread ourselves thin, but boundaries do not say "you can't".

Note: To those of us (I've been there) who've knowingly or unknowingly

"tell the truth in love"

: In light of all of this,

is love really the motive,

or do you just need to get it off our chests? Love is pretty direct and it literally never hurts, us or others. Love invites us (and others) to face truth in a safe place - and the truth often hurts - but love is always the cushion. Ask yourself: if not love, what is the real driver? What fear is the driver? Fear of 'seeming ashamed' of God? Fear that the person might hurt themselves? Fear that leads to impatience, anger or doubt? You may truly love that person, but was love really at the root of that action?

Fostering Love

The relationship with Love, then, has to be redefined. We need to make the time (boundaries - time away from being all things to all people) to sit with our thoughts, face our fears and identify all the areas where

we've confused fear with love.

As you do that, you'll begin to see all the ways you've held yourself back, held others back or allowed yourself to be held back by others.

(Read the section "Love. Nothing else." below if you starting getting angry with, or judging, yourself or anyone else.)

Choose to love yourself in every moment of realization. Do not attack. None of us learn these lessons until we're ready.

It's uncomfortable doing this at first, but once you do, you will be so liberated, so powerful, that no one will be able to hold you back anymore. This is why Love is the strongest weapon. As you develop those muscles (it takes time), you'll start recognizing fear and love immediately, and you'll be empowered to choose - every time. When you slip (we're human), you'll recognize that this moment is what Christ died to free us from. You'll immediately release yourself from the guilt and shame, take only the lesson, and keep moving forward. When you learn to be that gracious with yourself, you'll be able to extend that grace to others.

Fostering this love first within yourself is important. It has to be powerful in you for it to consistently be effective outside of you, in any environment you might enter. Loving yourself this way lets you:

• Set clear boundaries for you WHILE freeing others to do the same. You can say "No" when you have no energy or no time without saying "sorry", and you become a safe place for others to do the same.

• Have healthier relationships with friends, colleagues, family, because you're no longer afraid of being your full self (imperfect and beautiful in your humanity), true to yourself, WHILE extending the grace for them to be, as well.

• Set any goal for yourself and, by faith with action, achieve every one in the midst of many mistakes, regardless of how many times you hear "you can't" WHILE proving to everyone, even the nay-sayers, that they can too.

You can only be effective in loving others this way, if you first love yourself this way.

It takes some level of self-awareness, which you need some alone time to achieve. It is only when you're free of all the skeletons, when they're bared and you're okay with it. When you can, in every area of your life, be yourself, you invite others to the same.

THIS is the starting point.

Ground zero. The base of any ladder you choose to climb.

It is from here that we find and start (uninhibitedly) pursue our purpose.

Our purpose is a manifestation of love - success

at work, self care, relationships, in our own lives give us a platform to teach others to do the same.

Love is patient, kind...

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

is all true.

This means you never 'make' someone see. We couple love with faith and let things take course naturally.

One additional aspect of this is that we speak things into being as sons and daughters of God. Enough of us agreeing with the enemy about what we see on the news, even in our lives.

The power of life and death lie in the tongue.

We say with 'certainty' the negatives we see, but beg God for good things, while doubting (remember

James 1:6-8

). Take the certainty you apply when you believe the evil you see, and retrain your spirit, soul and body to apply it to good. Stop begging, and go boldly as Jacob did and make it happen.

Declare it in faith, instead of begging uncertainly.

It will come. Sit and picture (see, smell, taste) what that good will look like, and speak it. Do it from a place of peace, rest and Love. Not anger. Try it! :)

Love. Nothing else.

Remember, we're not judging others.

Very often, they really didn't know better - even if they knew they were controlling, they didn't know why. Moreover, you will keep meeting people like this until they all learn what you've learned.

Don't go after them for closure, because very often, they can't give it.

They'd have to first realize what you just realized, then they'd have to battle pride (also a brainchild of fear) to give you closure. Release them from the hurt and anger they've caused, forgive right away, so you're not in bondage to that moment anymore. Forgiveness is about healing you, moving you forward.

You see,

the world needs the real you

free of fear, full of love, to heal. You need to believe, though.

Are you ready?

Sharing God (Part 2)

In

part 1

, I examined the

challenges of persecution and how we address it,

in light of my own experience with those I love in the "New Age" or "Universe" movement, as the Church often refers to it. I spoke about Love, as it pertains to Christ, and touched on the appeal of this new movement to 'the youth' who are leaving the Church.

Here, I delve into the

similarities and differences

between the teachings of Christianity and the "New Age or "Universe" movement, and some considerations for how we can be

living examples of the Love of God in Christ,

through the Holy Spirit. Examples to 'the young people' and the world at large.

Source:

lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2014/11/sharing-god-part-2.html

Christ and the "New Age" Movement

So many in the Church have risen up forcefully against the "New Age" or "Universe" movement. I can understand why. Still, we should pay attention.

Similarities

Here are some of their beliefs that we share:

• Love yourself. It's the only way you can love someone else. (Matthew 22:34-40 ESV)

• The world needs us to be all that we were made to be. (Matthew 25:14-30 ESV)

• Love is what everyone needs. Everything good comes from this. (again, Matthew 22:34-40 ESV)

• Be generous. Give when you can. (Matthew 25:31-40 ESV)

• Bless and you will be blessed. There's good in everyone. (Romans 12:14-21 MSG)

Differences

Here are a few places where we greatly differ:

• There is no right or wrong

• There is no absolute truth

• There is no God. 'God' is each of us and the collective us.

We can see where things begin to go awry in the absence of God in Christ. 

The enemy always uses a little truth to make the lies credible

 and our enemy is no fool. He's done a phenomenal job, right?

What's missing? 

The one thing that we all seem to miss when we raise this 'discussion' is

Salvation.

We know this is a matter of Life or Death.

We know this is precisely why the enemy has built in the element of "no right or wrong":

1. People were not designed to bear guilt, shame, feeling 'wrong' all the time. It's why we get sick.

2. Christ died to free us from all of that, reconcile us to God once and for all, so we can be whole.

3. "New Age" has to include all religions, which don't all free us, but they still have to 'free us'.

4. To do that, either everyone has to be 'good' or nothing is. So "New Age" just eliminates it.

As we should know by now, however,

ignoring something doesn't mean it no longer exists.

"Right and wrong" or "good and evil" is no different. Subconsciously, we all know this.

Eventually, Christian or "New Age", we all have to face it.

Freedom to Simply Be

To Christians, it seems ridiculous that someone would pass up Christ's sacrifice in favor of ignoring the existence of "good and evil", but if we move past our fear of questioning, we'll see that

right after Jesus tore the curtain to give us direct access to God, we let a few members of the Church build it right back up, again.

We almost immediately gave up our "freedom to simply be" exactly who we are before God, so that He could heal our hurts and release us to freely Love.

We too have been deceived.

The "New Age" or "Universe" movement has given that back, or has given the appearance of it.

Like the Church, however, you have it "as long as you agree with us".

Hence the persecution of the Christian philosophy. (I can only speak of my experience, but perhaps others feel it as well.)

The point is that

all human organization suffers from the politics of fear, control and manipulation.

How do we resolve that? As Christians, we have to

allow people to "get there when they get there".

No more, "you have to..." and quoting the Bible as a form of control to make those around us conform to our ideas of who God is.

We have to celebrate diversity,

share the word, starting in Christian community, and simply let people learn, respond and grow as they will. In all the parables,

God in Christ is always the only one allowed to "separate the weeds from the wheat".

It is only in relationship, through example,

that we open the door for Christ's Love and Salvation (not our Words, but the Holy Spirit, Himself) to reach anyone.

Did you come to know God because you were told, or because you had your own personal encounter with God and God's Love?

Don't force it. Let others enjoy the God-given freedom to Simply Be.

Are you free to Simply Be?

The root cause of our behavior as Christians is our own perspective of ourselves.

Do you love yourself as Christ loves you and has called you to love others? Do you really? So many of us believe it's

vanity or pride

to enjoy ourselves -

our physique, our features, our brains, our passions, our spirit (do you know your spirit?), our emotions, our unique person.

So much so that we dare not look to closely at ourselves. Well, then...

how on earth are you supposed to know what to take to God for healing if we don't know ourselves? (Hint:

It's not by what others tell us.) That's not personal, intimate relationship with God. If you are "not supposed to" stop to love and enjoy yourself,

how are you supposed to love others as you love yourself?

 Aah. Do you see?

That's exactly what we're doing.

We're harsh self-critics, and so that's how we love the world. Are you willing to change that?

Speak Love.

It's the language we all speak, or are learning to speak.

Share Christ simply by being, but first, you have to learn to Be.

Only then, will He flow naturally in your conversation. How does He flow naturally? It's situational. You'll have to take the time to know yourself first.

Not the "photocopied Christian self"

most of us know, but

the individual Christian self

that God has called You to be in this world.

Know how YOU hear God,

so you'll hear Him in each situation, as you respond. Know your unique passions, call, purpose, so you know exactly how you fit into Christian community, and the larger global community.

Persecution by the Church against You

As I write this, I recommend that you go back to

part 1

, which addresses

how to deal with persecution in Love.

We have to first learn how to

love those "at home" before we can go out and love the world.

In much the same way as we have to learn to love ourselves before we can go out and love others.

We speak of persecution in the world, but I invite you to consider another kind of persecution.

Boundaries destroyed. Perspectives obliterated. Voices silenced. Based on good intentions,

but founded on fear, groupthink (

definition

) and a limited perspective of Love,

we the Church (knowingly and unknowingly) have forced diversity out.

The very diversity that Christ built into the individual beings that should make up the complete and healthy body of Christ, a body that truly reflects every single aspect of possibility that is us, in the image of God, we've shut it down. Today, the very small part of the body of Christ thrives in our Church(es) is represented by a small representation of the character of God. With good intentions,

the small 'majority'

are men of a certain age who've been domineering enough to

bend the will of those who could have represented the rest of the character of Christ.

Those men and the women who agree with those men.

This is not a call to attack them. It is, however, a call to step out of bondage and seek God yourself.

Your Journey of Freedom to Simply Be

I'd like to invite you on a true journey of freedom.

A journey of self-exploration in your being, rather than in rigid fear and logic. I challenge you to explore this world that God put us in.

You were born exactly when you were supposed to be born, into the right generation.

You are exactly where you were meant to be at this time (

Psalm 139 ESV

), in your spirit, body and soul (i.e. your mind, your will, your emotions).

This will be your platform for future inspiration. You'll be surprised.

I invite you to step out empowered by the love, faith, hope and joy of Christ,

not driven by fear of being wrong or deceived. Read the Word, know God in Christ, but KNOW God in Christ, in the fullness of who He really is. He made everything on this planet - spiritual and physical - and we cannot have dominion over what we do not know or understand.

Explore with God in Christ as your guide.

The world has, perhaps, followed the Spiritual things of God in Christ that we have avoided for fear of encountering demons and demonic deception. If so, then they have benefited from

where the revival of God in Christ has taken them and desired to take us

- on a walk of self-discovery so that we are more effective in Loving as God in Christ loves. It is time to wake up, Church. Open your eyes to what God is doing all around us.

Let Him do that in us, too. Walk in the fullness of Christ.

Already Redeemed. Already Free to Simply Be

This is what God wants for all the world (

Isaiah 1:18 ESV

)

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool"

. You see,

we are already free to be.

We just have to know it, walk in it and share it by

Simply Being.

I pray, quite simply,

that today you begin the journey to find, know, love you, in Christ and, thereby, to know and love others, truly, on a deeper level. Amen.

Thanks for reading.

Are you on this journey? Share your encouraging experience!