When a dog stares at you, he is seeking attention. If we just look at Rags, his tail begins to wag! I know that a dog never pretends to be more than they are. They were made by God, just the way they are, to show us His unconditional love. I imagine that Jesus is loyal, playful, and also longing for us to make contact.  Rags is grateful for any attention. The innocent purity of our animals helps us in every relationship. Our pets do not wonder why we love them. They just wag their tail in happy delight for as much time as we give them. They love us on our good and bad days, just like God. Rags was created to accept us with all our flaws. If we could only love, like a dog does.

Just imagine if you looked across the room at your dog, and you see his tail wagging. You know those eyes are just waiting for yours to look into them. Most often, we cannot resist but to speak to our furry friend. We are quick to give them our undivided attention. Now, just imagine that Jesus was across the room. Believing He is ever with us, this should not be hard to imagine. With His eyes watching you, do you choose to give Him great pleasure and talk to Him, or do you just ignore His stare? Just sayin, we are compelled to give our dogs a walk, a bone, a glance, a word, some play time.  Are we equally compelled to make Jesus happy throughout the day, by saying “I know You can see me and hear me. Thanks for all YOU did so I can live eternally in Your Presence!”

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34 —-Our good Father commands that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. As we grasp the depth of His love, we are compelled from within to love our Father with all our mind, heart, body and soul. So why not take a walk, bring your dog, and just talk to Jesus as you walk. “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1

The reality is that when we chose to believe in Jesus Christ, our Father sealed us, He anointed us and gave us His word and our faith —-to hold on, and to suffer in His name and for His glory. We are the servants of God Almighty and by His grace, by the working of the Holy Spirit’s power, we are able to stand strong. The God who created all things, by His foreknowledge, our Father knew that even though He preferred that none should perish, that few would choose Him and enter the narrow gate. In His multi-faceted wisdom, according to His eternal purpose, in Him we have boldness, courage and confident access through our faith in Jesus. Our salvation awards us the great privilege of approaching our Father unhindered. Sin no longer separates us from His holy Presence. As His sons and daughters we have an open invitation to cry out, and to go behind the curtain to His mercy seat. Our Lord Jesus made a Way for us to enter into the Holy of Holies. His plan includes eternal life, without tears or persecution, in His magnificent Presence, forever with Him on a new earth. Hallelujah!

Remember that He took the runt kid of Jesse and transformed David into a king. He took a kids tiny lunch of a few loaves and fishes and fed thousands with leftovers to spare. Over and over in Scripture, God chose the lowly, the unlikely, the underdogs, the least experienced and brought forth an abundance. Holy Father God, thank You for seeing the value in the little that I have to offer. Oh Father, I humbly ask that You make my little more than enough. Multiply my talents that I may be a greater blessing to many. Thank You for giving me unique gifts and abilities. Help me to use them to connect with others at a heart level. Give me eyes to see what you see in others. Increase my faith so that I can stand strong in the face of fiery trials. When we realize the extent of our Father’s love for us, we are humbled by His lavish grace, patience and mercies and we choose to suffer well for His name’s sake.

Matthew 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” For just as the prophets and believers before us were persecuted, so shall we be. We are the light of this world, and it is our choice to shine and proclaim our love for Jesus, even as we suffer. Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” AMEN the blessings of God are not things— the blessing of God is His daily FAVOR and His Way of using us to encourage others to HOLD on, even in the fire. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Hallelujah ❤️

“God has knowledge of me, He knows all my secrets. No matter where I am God sees and knows my thoughts. God knows where I have been and where I am going. My ways are clearly seen by Him. Every word and thought is recorded by my Father. From my conception, God has had His hand on me. Knowing that You have put Your hand on me, is greater than my understanding. There is no where I can go from Your guiding hand, for You are in every place. If I go into the heavens or under the earth, You are there. If I am blown by the wind over the seas, You are there. No matter where I am Your hand is there guiding me. Even in the darkness, You are there guiding me. Your hopes and dreams for me, the number of them are great and many. If I numbered them they would be more than the sands of the sea. The designs of evil go against Your hopes and dreams for me. Thank You for Your protective hand. Cause my heart to break for what breaks Yours, to hate whatever You hate. My wandering thoughts are tested by You. Let the secrets of my mind surface and be uncovered that I may examine them in Your presence and confess anything that is unclean. Guide my steps into the way of eternal life.” Psalm 139 personalized.

“I am holding you by your right hand…do not be afraid; I am here to help you.” Isaiah 41:13  How do we feel His hand holding us? Our Father transformed me, a worm into a butterfly! “For I am about to do something NEW. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 —His living word comes to life all around us, we just need to open our spiritual eyes.

Before God struck Saul blind on his way to Damascus to kill Christians, Saul believed in all that he was taught by his famed teacher. Not one human could convince Saul that what he was taught did NOT mirror God’s heart. His prideful knowledge of the Scriptures secured his confidence that Jesus was NOT the Messiah. Saul stood firm on all that he believed to be true about God. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you.”

“He has made everything beautiful in His time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 ❤️ Hallelujah and Amen – Saul was transformed as He personally experienced the power, grace, mercy and perfect love of God. The once prideful Saul was blinded and led into town. He had nothing to do but contemplate his ways in darkness. Once Saul embraced that he was a sinner, he was baptized by the Light and the revelation of who Jesus is, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the great I AM. Dare to peek inside your heart and discover who God loves. We do not recognize who Jesus knows and loves unless we have taken the time to look within. AMAZING “for He chose us ‘in Him’ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” Ephesians 1:4

❤️ Beloved of God, walk with God and just talk to Him