Month: July 2018

THE WORD I HEARD – “Just Shut Up and Listen…”


Spiritual Blog - Listen

Matthew 17:4-8 – “Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”  8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.”  NASU

 

I realize that my title is not exactly how this verse is phrased but the meaning was and is clear to me.  Peter, in his exuberance and ecstasy in the moment was blabbering about what they could and should do.  His ramblings and exhortations were heard in the Throne Room of Heaven and it is clear that the Father was not particularly overjoyed with Peter at the moment so He spoke from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”  Before you protest notice that He said of Jesus ‘with whom I am well-pleased’ and that is in contrast to Peter’s ravings.  He also said, “LISTEN TO HIM!”  In East Texas vernacular – “Hush up and listen!”  So, to me, it is clear that the Father was essentially telling Peter and the other disciples “JUst Shut Up and Listen!”

I know you’ve heard it said, “God gave us two ears and one mouth so we should listen twice as much as we speak.”  There is a ton of truth in that adage and one that we would do well to adopt into our lives.  Most of us, too frequently, want to be heard rather than hear!  We have our revelation and want others to hear it.  We feel our importance or need our significance to be validated and feel that to do so we must be heard so we speak.  I’ve been in too many conversations where the other person is so anticipating their opportunity to speak they fail to hear what is being said as they plan their response.  That negates effective communication and opens the door for misunderstanding and misinterpretation.  Here God is telling Peter and the others – “Hearing what Jesus has to say is far superior to anything that you might say or think at the moment so LISTEN!”

It would behoove all of us to be calculated in our speaking and careful in our listening.  I believe that if we are to be effective in communicating truth we have to be not only willing but adept at listening.  It is important to HEAR what is being said not what we think about what is being said.  There can be and often is a world of difference between the two.  It reminds me of the saying that I heard once in a conference on communication where the person speaking said, “I know you believe you think you understand what you thought you heard me say, but I am not sure you realize that what you thought you heard is not what I said or meant.”  Do you see where there could be a problem if we assume or presume we know what is being said without actually HEARING what is being said?  That is so true with the Word and things of God – We need to HEAR GOD not what we thought or wanted Him to say!

Therefore, learn that there are times when you need to just ‘be silent’ and ‘still’ and LISTEN.  The Holy Spirit will effectively communicate God’s Word, Will, and Way to your heart if you will LISTEN!

God bless you as you go through your day! 

Addendum:

I know that God doesn’t speak to you saying ‘shut up and listen’ but He has to me that way before and when I asked why He told me to put on my big boy britches and listen.  I protested more and He asked, “Did I get your attention?”  I said, “Yes sir.”  To which He responded, “Do I need to explain more?”  God does not speak to me in the King James English or using flowery language or sound like He is a professor at Oxford, Yale, Harvard, or Cambridge.  He speaks to my heart in the language I speak.  Just as the Holy Spirit did not divest the writers of the Inspired Scriptures of their own personalities God speaks to us in a uniquely personalized manner.  He knows what will get your attention and speaks thusly.  I felt the need to add!

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WORSHIP MUST COST SOMETHING TO BE VALUABLE…


Spiritual Blog - Worship

2 Samuel 24:24-25 – “Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.” NKJV

This passage illustrates the importance of our investment in Worship.  David had sinned and the nation was suffering.  The prophet Gad came to the king and instructed him to go to a specific place, erect an altar and offer sacrifice on it.  When he arrived the owner offered it for free but David refused, declaring that he would not offer a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing.  In David’s heart (a man after God’s own heart) he knew that cheap worship was not really worship at all.

Worship is a selfless act of giving it is never the leftovers it is the best we have to offer which is ourselves and sometimes that is costly.  This could be classified as one of the great paradoxes of the spiritual life.  Just as we have to lose our life to find it – [Matthew 10:39], and hate our life to keep it – [John 12:25], and humble ourselves to be exalted – [Matthew 23:12], so we must give of ourselves completely and totally to worship of God to receive abundant spiritual blessings in return.  Remember the words of our Lord in Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”  NKJV The question in worship is not “Did I enjoy it?”  “What did I get out of it?” but “Did it please God?”  If our worship touches the heart of God I can assure you that we will find great enjoyment and benefit in the long term.  It’s not how you feel at a particular moment that is the important thing but your relationship and commitment to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that is important.  Too many people are so self-centered that they are only concerned with “What’s in it for me?”

I believe that true worship is from the inside out!  It comes from the inner reaches of my being and emanates outwardly and heavenward.  It involves the entire being, body, soul, mind, and spirit.  It is a total giving of oneself to the Lord.  It is truly laying one’s life on the altar of sacrifice for the Lord to do with what He will in whatever way He chooses.  That’s where the costly part comes in.  It is resigning as the center of your universe and making Him the King of your life.  It is taking all the focus off you, your problems, needs, desires and placing all your being and energy on Him!  I will go so far as to say that is the only acceptable worship to God. It is not how loudly you praise or how high you jump but how much of your heart and life you lay on the altar of worship and sacrifice.

May the Lord move your hearts this day that you “Worship Him in Spirit and Truth” and walk into the blessedness of His presence through genuine and true worship!

Blessings as you continue your week in Him.

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HOPE THAT WILL CHANGE US…..


Spiritual Blog - Hope

Hebrews 11:13-16 – “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” NKJV

Not to be political in my devotional message but to use a phrase popularized in previous electoral cycles, “Hope & Change”.  I want to talk about a “Hope” that will “Change” us spiritually and in so doing affect every aspect of our lives.  That is the theme of the text we used in Hebrews 11, often called the “faith” chapter of the Bible.  It is here that we find a list of people who lived, heard the promises of God but did not see the “total fulfillment” of those promises during their earthly lifespan.  Yet, what they heard and saw so radically transformed their lives that they are still impacting us generations later.

Consider with me briefly a few pertinent points:

  1. They all died holding on to their Faith.
  2. They had heard the Covenant Promises and although they did not see them become total realities in their earthly lifespan they could “see” them through the eyes of faith.
  3. Their faith gave them “total assurance” that they were real and that confidence caused them to declare that they were “strangers & pilgrims” on earth. This world was not their home, just a temporary dwelling place.
  4. They were seeking a homeland that was other than the one they were living in.
  5. Had they engaged in “looking back” they would have had the opportunity to “go back”. Back to Egypt or in our case back to sin.
  6. Their hearts convinced them that there was a “better land” beyond the blue that they would reach at the end of their journey on earth and they lived in “total commitment” to God focused on that country.
  7. The result of that commitment and faith was that God was not ashamed to be called their God, calling them His children and prepared a city for them.

We too are possessors of the same promises and if we possess the same faith and commitment we too are inheritors of that City!  That’s why I love the old song “Looking For A City.”  I especially love the chorus:  “Looking for a city, where we’ll never die.  There the sainted millions, never say good-bye.  There we’ll meet our Savior, and our loved ones too.  Come O Holy Spirit, all our hope renew.”  That is exactly what Paul meant when he declared when talking about those who have passed from this life in 1 Corinthians 15:19 – “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” NKJV  We have a hope that if we really “see” it with the eyes of our spirit it will “transform” us so that we will NEVER be the same and will TOTALLY and FULLY commit ourselves to the Lord and seek Him “first & foremost” above all else.  We will live in a PERFECT PEACE, knowing that no matter what may come in this life it is “temporary” and we have a heavenly destiny that is eternal.  Just a small glimpse of the glory awaiting us should be enough to anchor us to that BLESSED HOPE!

 It is my genuine desire and prayer that the Lord, open your spiritual eyes so you can see just a little bit of what He has in store for us once our time on earth is through.  I am convinced that if that happens NOTHING can shake you from it and TURN your heart from Him.  That “Hope” will bring about a “Change” that you will alter your forever and you forever!  May God bless you and keep you!

Thank you for your love, concern, friendship, and prayers!  God Bless You Richly is my prayer and desire!

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LEARN THIS AND LIVE WITH CONTENTMENT AND GRATITUDE…


Spiritual Blog - Contentment

Matthew 20:1-16 – “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  2 “When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.  3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went.  5 “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.  6 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’  7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’  9 “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.  10 “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.  11 “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,  12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’  13 “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘ Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?  14’Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  15 ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’  16 “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”  NASU

I posted something recently about “Fairness” which seems to be a buzzword in political circles these days along with “Redistributing the Wealth”, making the “Playing field level”, and everyone “Equal.”  This whole postulation misses something important from a biblical perspective that touches every aspect of life.  I want to briefly address that here.

This is an illustration by the Lord regarding the “first” being last and the “last” being first and the truth that Salvation is NEVER EARNED based on performance, work, actions, deeds, etc.  We have seen the flames of class warfare being fanned to inferno heights over the past few years and it is growing dangerous.  We have seen an entitlement mentality develop and grow that depletes society of the drive and desire to achieve and excel.  It is a prescription to mediocrity in every area of life and foreign to the Bible and its teachings.

Consider this story for it encapsulates the problem in a nutshell.  Some were hired for an agreed wage at the early hours of the morning and at different times during the day others were hired with only the commitment to do what is right by them.  Some were hired at the last hour and no specific amount of money was designated.  The money belonged to the owner of the vineyard.  It was his option to hire the workers, and his privilege to pay them whatever he deemed right and equitable.  Everyone had agreed to the conditions and the pay at each stage of the process so nobody had a complaint to lodge although we see that they did.  Those who worked all day were paid the same as those who worked only one hour.  It exposed envy, jealousy, and a focus on “my rights” failing to understand the value of making a commitment and that the owner of a business had the right to determine the rate of pay.  Jesus’ larger message was that although someone might come to Him for salvation at the last stages of their life they would receive Eternal Life the same as someone who had come to him in their youth.  Did that make Him unjust and unfair?  NO!  If I know the conditions, the pay agreement, the working conditions, and I contract to do the job what I’m paid is what I should expect and if the owner does something different for others that is not my concern.  It will only cause – envy, jealousy, greed, bitterness, and division between me and those I believe were treated better than I and toward the owner of the enterprise.  If I translate that to Salvation then I would adopt the idea that because I came to Christ early in my life I should somehow receive more ETERNAL LIFE and more GRACE than someone who came to Him in the late stages of their life rather than rejoicing that they also came to Him.  If my boss is generous who is to say he will not, in time, be generous toward me for my faithfulness and loyalty.  But, even if he is not I agreed to do a job for a wage and a time frame I have no complaint.  He could give away every penny he has and it is not my right to complain.  That is totally between God and the owner.

If you believe that you deserve something that someone else has, for which you have not labored you have crossed into jealousy and envy and that is sin.  If you believe that someone who has had success through their efforts or the family into which they were born should be punished and they should be forced to share that with you, you have crossed into envy and jealousy and that is sin.  Truthfully, your anger is not so much at them as it is at God because you are expressing that you believe He has not treated you “fairly” and that is a dangerous place to live.  No wonder Paul said, “I know how to abound and how to be abased and have learned to be content in whatever state I find myself.”  He knew that God was not only His Source but would NEVER forsake Him!  Life is not measured by what I possess, how much money I have in the bank, or the recognition I received publicly.  It is in my RELATIONSHIP with Him.  I desire to learn to live free of all envy and in complete contentment with His provision at the time of His provision KNOWING that He is my Source and WILL NEVER forsake me or fail me.  I rejoice in what I have in Him and at every opportunity, He brings before me.  If your opportunity is seemingly more lucrative I rejoice with you.  If it is less, I weep with you, but I trust God to guide my footsteps into the pathway that I should tread and know that at the end of the day I will be able to REJOICE in His Goodness and Provision.

May you have a blessed weekend!

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NOT MIND OVER MATTER BUT HAVING A SPIRITUAL MIND…


Spiritual Blog - Mind

Ephesians 4:23-24 – “…that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and  holiness of the truth.” NASU

Romans 12:2 – “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” NASU

From time to time when I hear teaching about the thought life I almost feel like I’m in a “metaphysical conference” and being taught “mind over matter” and other forms of “mind control”.  I’ve had experience with that to a degree in my training in Vietnam and had the ability to totally block out pain so I could function for a time regardless of the injury.  As I came to Christ I stopped practicing that technique because I considered it bordering on the “metaphysical” and did not want to align myself with anything of the demonic world.

Yet, it is clear from Scripture that the Bible teaches us to take control of our “minds” or our “thought lives” and we are instructed to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  We are instructed as to the importance of “renewing” the mind, which is largely “thinking the thoughts of God”.  We are replacing our carnal, worldly, earthly, natural thinking with thoughts that are inspired from the heavenly realm and from the perspective of God’s Omniscience.  It is “transforming” and allows us to “guard” our thoughts, “recognize” the intrusion of things foreign to the things of God, and exercise “discernment” when things look good on the surface but hidden beneath are elements of destruction.

A “renewed mind” is a mind that is focused on God first and foremost.  It is completely obedient to His desire, will, and purposes.  It enables us to put on the “new self” in righteousness, holiness, and walk in His truth.  It enables us to walk not in conformation to the mindset of the world but to march to a different drummer, The Holy Spirit and walk pleasing to God in all things.  It enables us to see, know, discover, prove, and pursue the will of God and walk in a state of Peace that the world neither understands nor can provide.

Our minds are somewhat like computers and the old adage “garbage in, garbage out” is completely appropriate.  If we feed our minds garbage then we will find our lives filled with the debris of this world and cluttered with things that hinder our walk in Christ.  If we fill our minds with the things of God we find that we are able to stand against and resist the temptations of this life and walk in harmony with His Word, Will, and Way.  We do this through prayer, study of His Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and actively standing against things we know and recognize to be foreign to Him, His nature, and character.

I have no interest in “mind over matter” but I am interested in having a “spiritual mind” that honors Christ and walks in obedience to His call and purpose.  May you find that as you feed your spiritual man you find your mind being renewed day by day and your thought life become clearer, your peace becomes stronger, and your understanding of spiritual things becomes greater!

Blessings as you pursue His purposes for your life.  Have a beautiful day as you walk with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings!

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WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP???


Spiritual Blog - Gap

Ezekiel 22:30 – “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.”  NASU

The Lord asked me the question found in the text recently.  I asked, “Are you looking for ONE MAN/WOMAN or do you need or want many?”  He said, “I AM LOOKING FOR ONE, but desire MANY.”  My heart told me to inquire further and find out more details as to what it would mean to “stand in the gap” for the Lord and determine if I could count on myself to be that volunteer.  Of course, counting on myself, only meant “would I have the commitment and determination” not that I could somehow do it in my own strength because that is an obvious fallacy.  Without Him, I can do nothing!  Without Him, I’d surely fail.  Without Him, My life would be hopeless.  Like a ship without a sail.  But “with Him, in Him, and through Him, I can do ALL THINGS.”

In a battle line, to stand in the gap means that you may face incredible odds and may be required to give your life to protect those within the perimeter.  You are the first face the enemy sees when it launches its attack.  You are likely the first to become a casualty of war.  You will be called on to “continually stay alert” often with little to no rest.  You will not be able to “take a day off” from your duties of being a “watchman on the wall.”  You will have to brave the elements, the enemy forces, the barrage of missiles launched from behind enemy lines, and the lies that attack from without.  You will have to resist the temptation to feel that you are the only one and that the cause is hopeless because sometimes you will find that you see NO ONE on the battlefield with you.  Your only source of strength, hope, and comfort is the Lord’s presence through His Holy Spirit.  That is powerful and enough but the “gap stander” occupies a lonely place and one that gets little, if any, recognition or thanks.  It is a commitment to do whatever it takes to defend that which you have committed to defending.

I felt that the Lord was asking on two fronts for someone to “STAND IN THE GAP”.  One front was the “spiritual” – Standing against the unending onslaught of demonic forces launched out of hell on mankind.  Standing against complacency in the Church and standing for revival, renewal, and restoration!  It is the task of an “intercessor” who will “pray without ceasing” and “keep watch” by night and day to give warning and to bring the weapons of God into play in the battle through the vehicle of prayer.  The other front was “natural” – I would say political but let’s just say “natural” or “human”.  We are in a battle not only in America for the restoration of our nation but the world is at stake.  If we are not ready to give up the battle and concede souls to the enemy then it is a call to each of us to ‘STAND IN THE GAP’ and intercede for God to move and bring about restoration so that we have a continuing base to launch out into the deep and bring in the harvest of souls for the Kingdom.

I felt that the Lord was also telling me to revisit my willingness to go out in a more expanded role than I have in the past few years.  To accept more invitations to go to churches and tell them what I am hearing the Lord speak to my heart.  To accept invitations to more conferences to share what I am seeing in my spirit about the days in which we live.  To become more involved in both the spiritual and natural scenes to effect His purposes on both fronts even more than I have.  Then, I humbly cried to the Lord, “Here I am, send me.”  I volunteered!  I am now asking, will you consider volunteering too so that we have multiplied thousands standing in the gap and making up the hedge to bring about Revival, Renewal, and Restoration to this land and this world?

May God be with you as you continue your journey through this temporary thing we call Earthly Life.  Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King!  Blessings!

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ACCEPTABLE DEBT…


Spiritual Blog - Debt

Romans 13:7-8 – “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.  8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”  NIV

Although it would be appropriate to address “debt”, especially in light of the massive mountain of debt that the Federal Government has burdened the American People with, in this very hour or address personal debt that’s not what I want to focus on in this devotional.  Those are also matters of integrity but a subject for another time and place.

When we think of “debt” most of the time we think of the “bills” and “obligations” we have incurred in order to live or live in the style of life we have chosen.  Yet, this passage speaks of other “debts” that are equally, if not, more important in the scope of our relationship with the Lord.  Before, I address those let me say, “it is NEVER right to not take care of those obligations we committed ourselves to”, so I am not suggesting that in what I’m saying.  My point in this is that there are some “debts” that run far deeper, and we sometimes fail to even realize what they are and their importance.  The bills rolling in every month are ever-present reminders of our obligations but these debts of which I speak are not always so obvious.

Respect:  The apostle Paul addresses this as a “debt” to be paid.  Have you ever considered that “respect” could be a debt?  I didn’t think so!  I firmly believe that “respect” is earned and although we may disagree with our parents we still owe them “respect” if they spent their lives attempting (with success or not) to provide for us, teach us the right paths of life, and protect us from the evils of this world.  However, it does not have to be just parents but how about:  the military, police, teachers, preachers, or those who have devoted their lives to serving God and man.  One way to address the payment of that debt would be to “remember” them at special times and on special occasions, but how about just out of the blue sending them a card, letter, phone call, or gift to express our appreciation for them not just what they do but them.

Honor:    Wait, I have a debt of honor?  If there is someone in your life that has played a significant role in helping to shape and mold you they are due “honor”.  The Bible teaches us to “honor” or fathers and mothers and in so doing we will live long lives.  Consider those whose unwavering integrity has impacted not only your life but untold numbers of others.  Find a way to “honor” them to fulfill the debt of “honor”.  Could I suggest that you “become” the person that they have demonstrated and in so doing HONOR THEM!

Then the apostle by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us that there is to be no outstanding debt except the ongoing debt “to love one another.”  When you consider the debt that we have “to love” based on the LOVE OF GOD exhibited toward us in the sacrifice of Jesus, how could we, not seek to pay this debt regularly to whomever we are able.  It may be painful to “love” because we may not like what the object of our love says or does on any particular occasion.  They may be like fingernails on a chalkboard to us because they either do not understand why or what we have chosen for our lives and may even rightfully point out some flaws in our thoughts or actions.  We like to be “affirmed” we do not normally like to be “challenged” or even “questioned.”

Love is a choice!  It is not an emotion!  That is not to say there will not be emotions attached to it but in and of itself it is not an emotion it is a conscious decision on our part.  God chose to “love us” and because He first loved us we can “choose” to love others.  We owe that debt not only to others but to God!  Obeying that directive and choosing to love will not purchase our salvation but it will enhance our relationship with the Lord because it transforms our hearts.

I’ve had and even have people now who find it difficult to love me!  In some of those cases, I know why and in others I am clueless but know it to be a reality.  I may not like everything you do or even want to spend time with you but I can choose to LOVE YOU! Our personalities may clash and our views of what should or should not be done spiritually, naturally, economically, etc. may be diametrically opposed to each other but I am still able to LOVE YOU!  If you remember in the Book of Acts the apostle Paul found himself in such a situation that his ministry team split up and went separate directions.  Did that mean they didn’t love each other, NO!  It meant that they recognized that they did not agree completely and the Bible is clear that “two” cannot walk together unless they are in “agreement”.  It would only cause tension and be detrimental to those involved and those they are trying to reach.  He didn’t criticize those departing and even recommended them in his travels but it took years for God to mellow both sides to the point that they could link up in a common effort.  Don’t allow the devil to defeat you if you find yourself in that situation but also do not allow him to rob you of the benefit of LOVE!

May your Sunday be the best you’ve ever had and may the rich blessings of the Lord flow out of an open window in heaven upon you and all that you do on this day!  I treasure you and the opportunity to share my heart with you daily! 

Blessings!

 

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