An Expanded View of God

Hi My Loves.

I haven't written about my journey on this expanded knowledge of God for a while, so wanted to write an update, if only for journaling reasons. My knowledge of God now certainly goes well beyond Christianity, or mere religion, for that matter. I don't believe all that's out there, but it is so absolutely true that we each hear God directly. I do hope you know and trust that this is true of you, as well - whether or not those around you agree.

This excerpt says a lot of what I currently believe - there's no one group that God loves or connects with above all...

"This spirituality sees that everything in nature has consciousness, and is therefore sacred. That the proper attitude of a human towards the Creator is gratitude. That all creatures are part of the family of life. And that no matter a person’s age or skin color or national origin, and whether living on Earth or resident out among the stars, the ancient Lakota [Sioux] saying handed down over the ages was entirely true: “Mitakuye oyasin!” Everyone is my relative."

Source: 

https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vida_alien/starkids/starkids05.htm

What a journey of love and well-being this is!

Love, Light and Abundance in all good things.

Crystal-Marie

Does what you Present align with your spoken Values?

Being human, we all fall a bit short of our true values.

If you're attempting to live mindfully or you've made introspection a part of your daily journey, you'll unearth a few more double-standards within yourself than you'd like to find.

Mindfulness

means

you're gentle with yourself

when you discover them, perhaps even laughingly making those little changes as you go along to bring you into greater alignment with what your true values are.

Busy-ness,

however, means

we often miss where double-standards

not only slip in, but often become the 'norm' without us realizing it.

Again, this is not to pass judgement, on yourself or on others,

but to get us (yes, you and me, both of us human) to make the time to step back and assess what we're actually doing. What our lives actually attest to.

A few scenarios on our 'values', just to check in...

Free will

 is absolutely a core value of mine, but... |

Scenarios:

• "...I expect my friends to support my initiatives." Regardless of what they're dealing with, where their values lie at this time.

• "...Of course I expect you to 'follow me back' on social media when I do." Regardless of what's relevant to them? How does it affect you, your newsfeed, your content, following everyone? 

• "...I can often turn a 'No' into a 'Yes' to close the deal". Does this disregard their free will? How do you feel when this happens to you? A bit resentful, if it drains your time, energy, focus?

Everything we need lies within,

but... |

Scenarios:

• "...sometimes clients don't know what they need, so they need to be told or at least guided." Do they really? Do you honour your own views or do Gurus always know what's best for you? 

• "...my advice makes people aware of what's within." Does it really? Is that often true when the tables are turned?

• "...sometimes people need a kick in the pants to move." Do they? Or are they simply not ready to commit? Do you truly, whole-heartedly commit to something you were forced to decide?

You

can

do life and business on your terms,

but... |

Scenarios:

• "...everyone should at least do/have/be <_____> to succeed." If so, then do you really believe 'life and business on your own terms' is possible? 

• "...they just need to implement my systems/frameworks to succeed." As it can't be both, then which is your true value statement?

• "...no one can do it alone" / "...everyone needs a mentor" / "...everyone needs community first." Really assess what your true values are, as they can't be any of these and 'life and business on your own terms'.

Positivity and Authenticity are both important to me,

but... |

Scenarios:

• "...you can't actually be positive when you're authentically dealing with pain." Are you sure? Is it possible that being authentic and positive means you acknowledge all feelings before assessing how to move forward positively out of that experience?

• "...smiley people annoy me. Who's that chipper all the time?" Perhaps we don't know how they got to be smiley all the time. Do you have days where you're so full of gratitude that you can't help but smile? What is your truth here?

These are just a few of the values we often claim to have

that our day-to-day habits suggest are not our authentic values. It's fine if you don't believe these things - regardless of how many people expect you to - and it's okay to own your truth regardless of what others think. If you

do

truly believe these things, you know that these scenarios barely scratch the surface of our running internal double-standard conversations.

If these haunt you, even a little, I hope the following ideas help.

Possible steps forward...

Free will

 is absolutely a core value of mine, but... |

Consider:

 This actually calls for us to make peace with the boundaries of our own arenas. To find validation within, rather than in the actions and responses of others. Clarity on what you have control over.

If your own free will matters to you,

take a second to daydream. Consider scenarios that make you

defend it

and those that make you

celebrate it

. Do you take action most out of obligation (real or imagined) or free will? Now turn the tables in a few situations you've lived in the past few weeks.

In their shoes, how does that feel?

Everything we need lies within,

 but... | 

Consider:

 This invites you to assess whether or not you actually believe this is an absolute or an 'occasional' truth. If it is absolute, are external 'guides', mentors, advisors, coaches, potential triggers or must 'good advice (relevant and timely or not) always be taken'? How many times have you 'started over', because different mentors have given different advice? How much time do you devote to hearing yourself? This is a good indication of whether or not this is truly one of your core values.

Turning the tables:

if you honour that this is a core value of the person you're speaking to, how do you ensure that your conversation is inviting consideration, rather than forcing your perspective on the other person... or

'better informing' them?

You 

can

 do life and business on your terms,

 but... | 

Consider:

 If you truly believe this, do your schedule, energy, client engagement process, family engagement - everything about you - reflect that? Does your community honour your business model and preferred lifestyle? This actually affects your health, so think this one through.

Turning the tables:

Do you often tell others to live their lives, or run their businesses differently? Do you find that you have to convince others to invest in your services, or do you connect with those already seeking you?

How do you honour this value system.

Positivity and Authenticity are both important to me,

 but... | 

Scenarios:

 Consider the perspective that 'life balance' means living a static life (never changing or moving), whereas 'life harmony' means giving priority to what you choose at different times in your life - life doesn't stand still. Positive mindset refers to a predominant state of joy or appreciation, and not an eternal state of never having negative emotions. Authenticity demands that you're true to yourself in all arenas. What does that mean for you? Is "Positivity and Authenticity" a paradox or a contradiction for you?

Turning the tables:

whether you believe it or not, it's important to acknowledge that. Then, it's important to acknowledge that (if you honour free will) others may have found the paradox. It doesn't mean they're never unhappy, simply that they've found different ways to manage it. Stay true to your intuition -

you know a false smile when you see one.

Still,

smiling often is not a sign that one is not authentic.

Leave room for others to be who (and where) they are on their journey.

Live and let live.

Whatever your beliefs...

Wherever you stand, I hope to leave you with this.

If we are ever to be a truly thriving global community,

we start by looking within, at what our own truths are. It is strong, conscious individuals that make up a healthy, sustainable community - not a few fear-filled heads or 'leaders'.

What do you think?

Yours in love and light,

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.

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?

God Is Pursuing You. Do You See? My Experience

Bless you, LORD, Your Majesty and Your Love. Thank you for always Loving me, and reminding me of that Love when the accuser comes after me and I hold hands in agreement with him, unknowingly. Thank You for never tiring of pursuing me!

Source:

lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.com/2014/08/god-is-pursuing-you-do-you-see-my.html

Today, LORD, for the first time in a while, I completely surrendered to You, again, and leaving that Church to find alone time with You, You Would Not Let My Spirits Sink! As only You can, LORD:

1. You gave me sunshine, in the midst of a freezing summer.

2. You gave me worship songs during Communion and at the end of service, despite my missing it at the beginning.

3. You gave me Communion and new insight into it's bonding power in You, LORD - into why we say "Grace before meals" - not just to Thank, buy to Invite You to join us! Thank You!

4. You sent me Scott to talk Entrepreneurship, when I thought he'd find me difficult.

5. You sent me www.MellowDeeCanada.com to say Hello and sing "Hallelujah", to remind me of Your omnipotence and unyielding grace.

6. You sent me Smart Set's very cool window display/creative advertising to make me smile and, in the midst of that

7. You sent three (3) 'clowns' who were trying to photo-bomb my Smart Set shot to make me laugh heartily (instead of my usual scowl in response).

8. You showed me the Bible verse (Psalm 34:4 ESV "I sought the LORD and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears") - on the subway.

Items 3-5 happened in the space of maybe 30 minutes! And I know that You simply changed my heart and opened my eyes! You are amazing!

Professional Artiste:

www.MellowDeeCanada.com

God, literally, even my mistakes, You've used for good, and my steps of faith, you have blessed.

Remove the fear that holds me hostage, LORD, and replace it with boldness to walk in the freedom You died to give me; that I might walk in the " flow" that is the Holy Spirit, free of the burden of circumstances, as only You can make possible. Let Your glory be seen in Every aspect of my being, even as You turn my flaws (in Your grace) to healing for others, and draw me into more Conscious Relationship with You.

Smart Set

, Eaton Centre - Jeans-in-a-Tube Display Campaign

I repent, as Your Love overflows in me, of my blindness and my unbelief, and Thank You for the simple yet unimaginably Powerful, gift of Your Presence. I revere You now, and always, LORD Jesus Christ, God My Father, Holy Spirit, and Thank You for being the wind that makes me, Your Eagle, soar for Your glory.

I will be exactly who I am, fully, in each moment, conscious and aware, so that Your work may be done in me, and in those I encounter, in Truth, in Love and in Holiness, so that we will all experience Freedom on You.

Starting Today. Love You, God! Amen.

How has God hugged

You,

today?

Single Christian Women & Marriage

I wasn't going to touch this with a 10-foot pole, because I truly believe in the individual and am saddened by a world - particularly insecure men and women - who take a mega-phone to the streets talking about "why christian girls remain single", without walking half a mile in those girls' shoes.

After a close friend sent me this blog post, "

5 reasons why many christian girls remain single

", my stomach really turned. Some women may be Sarah, but in my experience, that's not most women. I realized that if I don't write this, then perhaps no one will, and too many young girls will wind up further misunderstood and attacked because of this thinking.

Source:

lovecoversall-godislove.blogspot.ca/2014/06/single-christian-women-marriage.html

A Day in the Life of a Christian Girl, Woman

Ages ~5-12

My disclaimer: what you're about to read not everyone's story, but it's the story of many women I grew up with, and have spoken to, to-date.

From the time you wake up, to the time you go to bed, you're taught that you must keep improving. You always have to be better, quieter, smarter, stronger, more humble, kinder, cleaner, more lady-like (no clear definition there), the

Proverbs 31 woman

. Without ever saying it, they teach us, essentially, to be a doormat.

You wake up thinking about the mistakes you will not make today, and go to bed ashamed of all you did wrong that day.

Ages ~12-18

Then, out of nowhere, puberty begins, and you have to "learn to say 'No'". No one quite explains the application of this 'learning to say No', when all our upbringing is about 'meeting with everyone's approval' or, essentially, "saying 'Yes'" to everyone. In fact, you've always been disciplined for saying "No". "No" is a word reserved for the rude, impolite, ill-trained among us. Still, that's the expectation.

Yet, we are to continue to be above everyone's reproach, which essentially teaches us that everyone's opinion of us is valid and important, further teaching us to assume that everyone's mind is sound enough to have a valid opinion of us; opinions that we must keep positive at all times. How do we "be" all of this and say "No", again?

Ages ~19 Until We Reprogram Ourselves

The answer? We don't learn to '"be" all of this and say "No"'. Hence, we have a society of women walking around "

addicted to approval

" and willing to do anything to get it - from everyone. Remember, 'doing anything' ranges from isolating ourselves so we never sin, to delivering on the depraved desires of society's most perverse minds, all in the hopes of one day receiving that approval. For the purpose of this blog post, we'll look at those prone to "isolating ourselves so we never sin" - as these tend to want perfect husbands.

Even God says that humans are insatiable. As a result, we cannot ever please everyone. We can't even please one person! Many don't know, and may never learn, this. Even when we know this, it takes time to undo years of programming.

The result: our families must also be 'above reproach' to the world. Our husbands, therefore, must have the same goal. The double-standard we raise our society with, however, means there are few men who were raised with this kind of burden. Men are then encouraged, by older men and women alike, to label their female peers: Frigid, B--tch, Crazy. Do you see where the devil has succeeded in destroying the family? Can you see where it starts?

Worse, with the constant fear driving Christian society to "keep boys and girls apart", Christian adults are learning about each other from media, books, misinformed adults and everything except conversation. We cannot relate to each other.

Are You Getting The Picture?

THAT is the challenge single Christian women face. Many of us will not get out of that loop. Can you imagine constant fear of losing God's love, your salvation, fear of going to hell, all because you 'slip up'? Marriage is also the one thing you can't 'undo'. Try living with that burden on your shoulders before you walk around spitting fire at 'single christian women'!

The Solution

So then you understand even more the soothing waters of the river of life that stems from Christ, for a woman who's lived the life above. "You mean I'm loved regardless?!" We still don't grasp it, but it's a flicker of hope! Jesus Christ means more to us than anything!

Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)

We're called to please or answer only to God. In fact, He doesn't even call us to please Him. That's impossible. He calls us to surrender (

Matthew 6:24-34 ESV

), so He can

shower us with His Love

, which is what changes the desires of our hearts.

To Future Husbands

You can wallow in the insecurity of rejection, or you can decide whether or not this girl is worth it. Pursuit is not "aye girl. I like you." Particularly for the girl above, it is hard work. And unlike you, Jesus was willing to do it. You have had the good fortune, some of you, to grow up accepted as you are. Find a way to teach her what that feels like.

Remind her that marriage is not about marrying the man who is better, more intelligent, stronger, more humble, kinder, cleaner, more manly. Help her, through relationship, to see that marriage is about partnering with your provider and protector, who is very much human, and needs her to help him excel. Just as she needs you for the same.

Encouragement & Caution

Pray for each other. Prayer truly is powerful. This is what conquers the enemy and his attacks against our families. Pray, and keep praying in faith.

Young Men

I am not saying to take abuse. If someone is always calling you "no good", and critiquing you, you might have to run.

However, do not run because it's hard. Decide that she is worth it, and commit. You show her that you love and support her regardless of anything, and the person you pursued because of whatever intrinsic qualities you saw, will reciprocate. Place no conditions on your love for her, and she will reciprocate. She truly is worth the fight.

That is how I found my husband-to-be. He is not what I dreamt of, but he's so much more. I was swept off my feet by a man who emulated God in ways of love that I could never fathom. He has loved the unloveable in me, and nothing speaks louder of love.

Young Women

Likewise, do not suddenly drop all of your standards and say "God can fix anything, so I can marry anyone and God will make it work."

However, stop running the course they put you on. Turn of the recording of "I must be perfect", He must be better" and the other nightmares that reel on in our heads. God is not going to punish you for marrying a man with 'more flaws than you have'. God will use your strengths to uplift (not criticize) him in those areas, and (believe it or not) vice versa. Trust me. God really only shows us what we can handle. We have far more flaws that we will ever see all at once. He is just kind to us about it because He loves us.

Please, please, when you turn it off, try to stop seeing all that's wrong and needs fixing - with him and with yourself - and ask: Can I build a life in Christ with this man? Are his values the same, even if we falter? Just as he sticks with you, stick with him. He's worth it.