TO BE LOVED!!!

We’ve all felt it. To be loved by someone. There may be no greater feeling than that.

Sure, loving on someone is pretty cool too, but it’s truly something special about being on the receiving end of the ‘four letter word’ "LOVE" that is much more weighty. Am I right?

We spend so much time in relationships trying to prove, earn and show how much we love people that we forget the true experience of any relationship is to know and feel how much they love you! 

Just think about it.  In a relationship, you feel most like your true self when you know a person LOVES you à has your back, has seen you at your worst (and still decides to be with you), allows you to ask silly questions (with no side eyes-lol), and knows the real truth about who and all you are, but thinks you’re an awesome person even the more!  That is when you can allow yourself to experience, in full, what that relationship has to offer and reap those relationship’s benefits.

Well, if you were to apply that thinking to God’s love…you will finally start to understand the key to a relationship with Christ!  We spend so much time thinking we have to earn God’s love, when He knew [before you were born] that there was no way you could possibly achieve that. Why do you think He sacrificed His only son to die in our behalf? Because He knew that we were going to mess up and act up, yet He still wanted to redeem us! Let’s face it…if someone told you on the first date that they were going to cheat, lie and steal from you, would you even bother staying for dessert? Well, not only did God stay with you…He took care of the bill because He loves you that much.

The key to a relationship with Him is in understanding HIS LOVE FOR YOU! When you finally get that, you can be yourself, just as we previously mentioned. Because you understand [and are fully aware] of His love for you, you know He has your back, has seen you at your worst (and still desires to be with you), allows you to ask silly questions (with no side eyes), knows the truth of who you are, who you are going to be and still knows you are an AWESOME person…because He created you in His image! When that realization happens, it is then that you can experience in full what that relationship has to offer and reap those benefits!

Really, it’s not that hard.  Just enjoy knowing that you are so very deeply loved…in an immeasurable way that tops any kind of love that you have felt before. You can’t earn it…it’s just there for you.  Don’t be afraid of that love, just receive it and let it consume you. Rest in the fact that you can’t change it, it just exists and it’s real…it’s a 'come as you are and be loved' type of thing. It’s personal, yes He loves us all, however, you, separated from it all, mean so much to Him individually. That is the true experience of a relationship with God!

***nom nom nom...that is soooo good!*** LOL

Seriously though, if you want to dive a little deeper, I can recommend some good reading to you. I mean, after all...the majority of successful relationships start with learning more about the other, along with communication - same applies to your relationship with God!

Love you all so much!

Ally P

Please click here for your listening pleasure...To Be Loved!!!

Father's Day Reflections

            As Father’s Day approaches, I wanted to share some reflections I had.  I was recently reading Ephesians 6. It was a part of my daily devotion.  I wasn’t even directed to Eph. 6:1-4, but actually verse 12.  However, I couldn’t get pass verse two when I was just completely overwhelmed!  It read:

“CHILDREN, OBEY your parents in the Lord [as His representatives], for this is just and right. Honor (esteem and value as precious) your father and your mother – this is the first commandment with a promise.” – Ephesians 6: 1-2 AMP

Wow…esteem and value as precious…esteem, and value as precious…

Like a true gift, a rare diamond, an heirloom.

I began to reflect on my relationship with my parents. For me, when I thought of my mother, I reflected on all the awesome memories we have had, how she is such a strong woman and the sacrifices she made being the “primary parent” as most would say.  Then I thought of my father, “Esteem and value as precious”, those words ran across my mind again. Immediately tears began to well up in my eyes. 

For the most part, my father and I have a good relationship. There is no doubt that I love him very much. However, our relationship is indeed, unique.  We’ve had our disagreements, difference in opinions, and ‘special’ words to each other, but through all of it…I never stopped once loving him.  This is all due to me deciding to have a heart like my Heavenly Father towards him.  

Not once in the scripture did it say, “Honor your parents, only if they are perfect”, or, “Honor whichever parent has done the most for you”.  The Bible says to honor them. PERIOD.  The reality is, there is no perfect parent…because there are no perfect people.   I don’t have children myself, but from the looks of it, I can already tell that parenting isn’t easy.  However, I do believe in a lot of cases, parents do the best they can, using what they know and learned as children or perhaps lack thereof.   Parents are held accountable to God, not to their children and will be dealt with accordingly.  As children, the same applies; we are responsible for loving them, and honoring them, not raising them. Pretty simple in the grand picture of things?

Please know that I don’t write this as a “Daddy’s Girl” or someone who has had a ‘rose colored’ relationship with my dad. However, I do write it as someone who recognizes that her parents are great; they tried (and succeeded) with raising great children in the best way they knew how.  I know that I can’t blame anything in my life on my father (or mother), because what my future holds was never dependent on him to begin with.  I had days that I questioned up and down decisions that he made, or even if our relationship could be “recovered”.  The crazy thing about it is, whenever, those thoughts came in my head, I thought about how grateful I am that despite all of my mistakes or the decisions I made…I had a Heavenly Father who always kept my relationship with Him “covered”.  Immediately, I would think, if God can love & forgive me in my imperfections and still consider me precious despite my sometimes, blatant lack of relationship and actions towards Him…surely I can display that same love & forgiveness towards my own dad. This mind-set didn't come overnight, but love is powerful...it will come to those who look at it as the only option.

Isn’t that awesome?!  I do consider my mother and father a gift. I honor, esteem and value them.  I love them past their imperfections, as they do me.  I must also add, that as we honor them – we bring out the ‘greatness’ within them as parents.

So, instead of focusing on what our parents didn’t do (especially fathers), just thank God for them. Rest, and know that you aren’t responsible for their decisions, you aren’t held accountable for their actions, your future isn’t based off of what they did or didn’t do and understand that they aren’t perfect. Have the heart for them as God has for you – He considers you to be extremely valuable, so much so, that He used your parents to bring you into this world to be amazing in your own unique way. If only for that reason alone, God used your parents mightily, and honor is due there. 

These are just my thoughts I reflected on. With that said, Happy Father’s Day!

Love you all!

Me and Dad circa '88 

(He even let me do his hair LOL...now that's love!)

Positive Decisions Birth Positive Changes

I have come to know that change happens when people make a decision to. Point blank.  The keys to many things in my life were given the minute I DECIDED to make changes.  Let’s have a moment of truth. What is the one thing (among many) that you have been praying for? Now, if you were to write that thing down on a sheet of paper, and list all the things that it requires to obtain it…you may find that there are some critical decisions you need to make.

I’m not saying this to put anyone in “check”, but more so because I have recently had to make some vital decisions. Traditionally, when I wanted a change, I would believe God for it, speak over it…then hope for the change to occur.  Those points are valid, but we have to take an introspective look and address the root to many of our issues - issues that cause us to stay in the same place of no growth, no change. We then must choose not to live that way anymore, to become disciplined in that area: not to buy that, not eat this, not go back to him, not call her, save this amount, give this away, leave this place, etc.

  We have probably learned about making wise decisions the hard way. It’s often human nature to let things get down to the wire before we decide to make necessary changes - Gosh, that is so tiring, not to mention dangerous!  My prayer for myself is to start making wise decisions in a proactive manner.

We have heard stories of success and overcoming – the woman who finally left her past, the guy who said it wasn’t too late to go back to school, the family member who started their business at age fifty, our friend who ran that 5k or when we finally stopped caring about what people thought about us. All birthed through positive decisions.  They don’t come easy, but remember…we have God on the inside of us…so who can be against us? 

We are bright, beautiful, talented people, who don’t like to waste time. Most of the people I know, always have something they are working on, places they have to go, and things they want to accomplish. Let’s make these decisions now so we can make a CHANGE, achieve our goals, …then on to the next one…’cause we never finish growing.

***Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding. – Proverbs 4:7***

P.S. I would love to hear from you too! It’s all about a conversation and learning from each other’s growth. If you have a blog…post it!

CrAzY FAITH!

(Originally written March 25, 2012)

Wholeness and Restoration

Today I got a laughable email. It was from a family member who said that the doctor gave a report that the illness attempting to maintain in their body had spread. As a child of God, a person of faith…a liver & doer of faith, I don’t except or own this report.  Healing is our right as children of God! We can go to God boldly declaring it, and receiving it and owning it!  It’s not something we consistently have to ask for; it’s something that once we receive it, it’s ours!!!

I’m selfish when it comes to my family. I asked the Lord today for the complete restoration of healing to come upon my family.  In God’s Word it says in Psalms 91, that “with Long life will He [God] satisfy us and show us His salvation.”  I read the entire chapter, which is not to be overlooked, that says that, “He who dwells [continuously] in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty,” it continues in verse 14, “Because we have set our love upon God therefore will God deliver us, set us on high because we know and understand His name – have a personal knowledge of His mercy, love, and kindness – trust and rely on Him, knowing He will never forsake us, NO, NEVER!” AMEN!

Like many have in church, VBS, etc. I took a spiritual gifts test not to long ago, that stated my gifts are spiritual wisdom and…faith! I have always had strong faith – I don’t doubt God.  Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean I don’t have to continuously get in a place of reminding myself of His Word.  I just know that on His Word I can consistently trust. He has NEVER, EVER, EVER let me down, or pulled the rug up from underneath me. He’s never turned away from me, and he has ALWAYS kept me and made a way of escape, even when I literally was crying in bed thinking, “how am I going to make it out of this.” 

When I say I’m selfish when it comes to my family, I mean this, I know that this world will pass away, but as long as I’m living here, I stand on His Word which says with long life will He satisfy us with. So, I expect, and whole-heartedly know that my family and I will live long lives, in health and wholeness (nothing missing, nothing broken). 

My Prayer

“Lord I receive the healing on behalf of my family. Send laborers in our pathways that not only teach us about Your Word, but hold us accountable to sharpen each other so that we may carry out what it is You have for us to do.  I thank You for their healing restoration and wholeness.  I thank you for salvation for all of them to come into the knowledge of truth - how you are a loving father who died for us and rose again! I thank you that health runs in my family, we are health conscious, and we only eat things needful for our bodies. We are healthy to carry out the plans You have for us. We repent for anything we have done, and ask that You give us Your wisdom as to how to live from here on out. As always we are whole, in You spiritually, physically and emotionally. I call all these things done in Jesus’ Name, and receive them now. I am forever mindful to give You, and You alone, all the honor, glory and praise. Amen!”

I pray that you all reading this are inspired and active to live God-like faith in everything you do. He made these promises for us to stand on, and we just need to continue to dwell in the secret place.  Why would we not want to?

In His service- 

Allison