Tag: seek

what a Word

Karla Lees

Words have the power to bless, uproot, encourage, surgically impact or curse.

Sometimes all in the same day.

And when words are both your primary love language and part of your job, words can pierce far beyond the speaker’s intention.

There is One, however, who knows the power of words.

He not only inspired the writing of His written Word, He is continously speaking life, instruction and hope in the here and now.

For He is the living Word.

God also knows the power of a hurtful, deliberate word, for He spends many resources helping us to see how forgiveness can restore us from their negative impact.

There is one Psalm I turn to when I need a reminder of how much words matter to God.

Psalm 119.

The longest Psalm, it encompasses us from conception and beyond, from pain and hurt to life, from walking a wayward path to one of purpose.

Nor only is His Word is to be our guide, which the psalmist refer to,  but He Himself is to be our guide.

The Living Word as contained within the Word.

For the Word is just a bunch of words if you refuse the Living Word access to you, to change you through His words as He speaks life into you. All the weary, wounded, wary or wandering.

Without the Author pointing out the words He has for you to change your circumstances, meet you in the moment, restore your footing on the Rock…. the Word becomes just beautifully, skillfully written poetry or history.

The Word doesn’t want His Words to return without blessing.

He wants us to hear and see Him in the Word. For it is a reflection of who He is,  what he can do, where He wants to take you, what He has its store for you, and why.

The Living Word poured Himself into His Word….

●So we would know we are not alone when we feel disconnected.
●So we would see His heart when ours has been ravaged.
●So we would hear His direction when we are at a crossroads.
●So we would sense His Presence despite our loneliness.
●So we can taste His goodness when all we see appears to be dark.
●So we can experience Him more deeply as we get to know who He is.

His Word is relevant regardless of your age, stage, looks, quirks, status or race.

As He has made us all, His Word is designed for us all.

Take a hold of the gift He has given us and invite Him to make His Words come alive to you in a such a way you know you have connected with him.

If you need to chew on one or two verse, do so.  Create a graphic, doodle the words, print them out and post them to memorize them.

Allow His Words to come alive within you and bring you back to life.

The living Word is waiting for you within every page of His Word.

The situations may have a historical place in time, but the God revealed and contained within them is beyond time and place, for He is alive!

Invite Him to speak, and wait expectantly for His Words.  God has never stopped speaking His love to us since Eden, and will never stop until each of us are home with Him where we belong.

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Wisdom Seekers

Karla Lees

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 (NIV)

The quest for knowledge can become a fact finding mission without an end, unless you know the right place to search.

I am married to a man who is my complete opposite. As a science brained person, he loves logical progression as he acquires knowledge (a+b=c). As an artsy creative type person, I love to use my senses and intuition to learn. We have been known to frustrate one another because we cannot explain ourselves so that the other gets what we are saying.

As newlyweds this caused a great deal of friction in our marriage.

Until I discovered this verse in James, and realized if we were ever to understand one another, we would need the Holy Spirit to help us communicate.

It takes His wisdom to show us what is behavioral, and what has been hardwired into our design.

God has never failed to shine His truth and wisdom on any situation where I have first waited for Him to speak.  

Heartbreaking, traumatic or at a crossroads—whatever the circumstance—His wisdom was the exact fit for what I needed to know, and for where I needed to go from there.

I can honestly say I am still married today because of God’s wisdom, love, grace and guidance through some very turbulent waters.

Pause and Apply:  Do I tend to leap before thinking? What do I need to bring before God so He can speak wisdom into it?

Prayer:  Lord, You give the gift of wisdom to all who ask. I am asking today. Help me navigate the choppy waters ahead in a way that pleases You.

The post Wisdom Seekers first appeared on Remade.
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My comfort, Your promise

Karla Lees

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I am hurting today.

My body is yearning for relief,
my soul is crying for release.

And the first Word I read today as I open Your Word?

This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise gives me life.
Psalm 119:50 ESV

I choose to believe You answered my heart cry in those Words, for as soon as I read them, I felt peace wash over me.

The peace which passes understanding.

The Promise which endures.

For all Your promises come to pass God, for You cannot lie.

What You speak, comes to life.

It’s who You are, not just what You say.

Hope reentered my weariness, and assumed readiness for my day ahead.

I am holding the peace & joy You have so lovingly & kindly refueled within me again today.

Knowing if I rest in You, Your rest will be in me.

No matter what.

If like me, you are in desperate need for Him, draw close….

Come as you are.
Find rest for your soul.
Be filled to overflow.
In His Presence, become whole.
Continue to follow Him all your days.

when seeking knowledge fails to find the answer we want

Karla Lees

We don’t need
more intelligence,
we need more
Presence!

One of my loved ones is seeking all the knowledge they possibly can for a problem which is not easily resolving.

Their belief that more knowledge will solve the problem demonstrates they are missing one small piece of wisdom in all the seeking going on…

They are not seeking the Source of all wisdom & knowledge in all their searching.

Without Presence,
intelligence gathering serves
no eternal purpose.

They are just facts, like a canoe without a rudder. Just there, but not headed anywhere in particular.

Because we are really battling on the spiritual battlefront, not just a physical or mental or emotional one.

And without His Presence,
we will not find the answer we are seeking to win that battle.

I am not saying if you have a medical condition to not seek help. I am suggesting we tend to go to God last, instead of first.

The One who made us should have some idea about how to help us, shouldn’t He?

The One who is all wisdom might have an inkling, yes?

He knows all, and since He does, He knows what we need in the moment, and how to help us get to where He has planned for us to go.

All the fact gathering we can use our time on means little compared to spending time with the One who can reveal in a moment what we can spend years seeking for in vain.

He promises to give wisdom to all who ask Him for it. And reveal purpose to us as we do.

Our answer may not come in our search for knowledge itself, but the Answer He whispers as we draw close to Him in our search.

Discernment and direction are the keys to taking knowledge from your head and putting into practice where it is needed most.

If you, like my loved one, are seeking answers, please consider Him first.

There is a peace that comes with knowing the One who knows you best, loves you the most and has only good plans in store for you- no matter what is going on in your life.

You may not get the answer you were looking for, but He will answer you,
guide you,
love up on you,
comfort you,
teach you,
support you
as you walk together through the step ahead.

There is a freedom which comes with releasing ourselves from the belief that everything centers around us.

When we give Him first place, things fall into alignment with His truth, and we are able to see what we may not have been able to before, because He opens our eyes & ears to see and hear Him when we seek Him.

Not only does He give us wisdom, discernment and an answer, He is there with us.

Presence.

Because facts are just that, facts. Pieces of information.
Cold, impersonal.

Presence breathes life into us.
He brings the truth to life,
breathes new hope in us when we night have to wait,
comforts us when the answer is not what we expected,
delivers us from what may be holding us back,
illuminates the way to go,
battles for us in the heavenlies,
and sticks with us
closer than crazy glue
through it all.

Its time to seek Him first.

And hear the fullness of His plans for you first hand.

That will move knowledge beyond facts into living truth.

Life is always better when we know we are loved and not alone.

The truth is: He is always waiting for us to come to Him, to seek Him, to ask our questions, to pour out our prayers. He is longing to pour out His love and answer us in response.

The fact is: He is waiting for you and I to come. Its our choice whether we fact gather or Presence seek first.

Seek Him first and all you need will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

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Image from Pinterest

go to the source

Karla Lees

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I am an avid learner, as I recently shared in my desire to keep taking courses. I like to study the Word, read how others interpret the Word, and grow through the process.

The image I am sharing today struck me as a great visual reminder of the three key ways to encounter truth, and become wise.

1. Search for It.

We don’t know what we know or don’t know until we begin to search for knowledge.

The world opens up to a child when they grasp the alphabet, and the lining up of letters to make words. Being able to read helps widen our search area for knowledge.

Being a knowledge seeker means we are searching for truth. We want to know the facts. We long to know what is true, in a world that likes to blur the edges of all it reveals to us.   But  real fact is based on truth, and will have a ring of the Holy in it as a result. For God is Truth, and all truth echoes back to its originator.

2. Make it Live.

Insight is living out the truth we now know, discovered through seeking out knowledge.  If something is true, and we know it, we live differently through encountering it.

As a very young child of 3-4, I broke my money out of my piggy bank and walked to the donut store behind where we lived to buy 6 donuts.  I ate them all fairly quickly to hide the evidence, and I learned very quickly that 6 donuts was way too much food for my childish frame. 

The truth I learned is if I want to do something in secret and am not comfortable telling someone else about it, it isn’t something I should be doing.  (And I will get sick from six full sized donuts!)

Applying the truth through what we learn takes it from being a just a fact to making it relevant to our lives.

But there is still a key element missing to knowledge & truth, which leads me to point…

3. Seek the Source.
Real knowledge and truth comes from the Source of it all, God.
As He is truth, and all wisdom, He will reveal both to use when we ask for help. Discernment occurs when God reveals the truth in a way we could not have discovered ourselves without Him.  In times of heightened stress & emotions,  we can forget what we have learned and applied, and that is where drawing close to the Source is crucial. The eternal God has insight beyond our comprehension, which can reveal way more in one moment than we could spend a life time trying to learn for ourselves.

We will never find truth, knowledge & wisdom apart from God. He not only knows all, He is the starting place for all truth & wisdom. They are Him, integral characteristics of the Almighty amazing complex God we are drawn to.

Need wisdom?
Seeking truth?
Lacking insight?
Go to the Source!

A few nugget verses to check out from the Word about wisdom, truth & knowledge:

Proverbs 1:7; 8:11-21
James 1:5
Colossians 3:16
Romans 11:33

But more importantly….

 

I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

Ephesians 1:17-19

how the weight of His glory can fall like snow

Karla Lees

How much does a snowflake weigh?

Someone who measures such things determined that an individual snowflake weighs 0.02* grams. At that weight it would take 50 flakes to make a gram. For comparison, a Hershey’s kiss weighs 4.7 grams – equal to about 235 snowflakes. There are about 95 kisses in a pound. Using the kiss-to-snow crystal calculator that comes to 22,325 snowflakes/pound.
*this would be the heaviest end of the spectrum. Most are much lighter, weighing from 0.001 to 0.003 grams.

In reality, it’s hard to measure the weight of a snowflake. For one thing, each snowfall is different. Some snow is light and fluffy, and some is heavy and wet. That’s due to the water content in the snow, which is related to the temperature high in the clouds where the flakes began forming, and the temperature of the air they fall through.

Quote from: http://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.ca/2011/01/how-much-does-snowflake-weigh.html?m=1

An individual snowflake doesn’t weigh much in the big scheme of things.  Yet God designed each one uniquely, placing great care in its creation.

And despite its miniscule weight, it still manages to fall to earth, again as part of God’s plan.

Why am I bringing up snowflakes during winter?

Because of last night.

Last night, while worshipping, I “saw” how snow & the weight of His glory relate in how they both fall.

Each snowflake is designed for a purpose, and only fulfills that purpose when it falls with the rest of the snowflakes in the same snowfall or storm.

On its own, it isn’t particularly heavy, but when you add up the weight it forms when it piles up, it can be quite significant.

Each snowflake’s composition is perfect for the design of its fall, the exact amount of water contained within to be the perfect part of the team alongside the other snowflakes….all unique yet made to fall together.

There are two ways snow is a great example of the weight of His glory.

We are all like those snowflakes. And He will perfectly fill us with the right amount of water (living water, His Presence) so we are filled for the purpose we are to live out that day….so we can share it with those around us.

His glory? Its weight falls like the snowflake. Perfectly attuned and made for its recipient.  And when a group gathers seeking His Presence, the weight of His glory gets heavier, as He falls on everyone in the room.  Some can sense it landing heavily, others sense a light touch.  He uniquely meets each of us with the exact right weight, more than enough for us in that exact moment, but never exactly like someone else’s.

Just like each snowflake, God’s Presence falls on each of us how He knows it will best soak in & water us.

When the weight of His glory falls heavily, as a heavy snowstorm can cause traffic to come to a standstill, so does time seem to come to a standstill.  The air gets thick, charged with power and spiritual electricity as He enters the room in His majesty.

The weight of His glory
falls snowflake by snowflake
until the full weight
of His tangible Presence
descends:
soaking in,
cleansing,
refreshing
as Heaven
meets earth
in a fantastic
exchange.

Unlike how we have no control over the snowfall, we can ask God to come to us.

His word promises He will come when we seek Him:

Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit.

 -Jesus, Acts 1:8

He will come when we seek Him. Exactly how & the when is up to Him.  Who He falls on with the weight of His glory? That depends on us:

Read the Word.  The God you find described there is real, and wants a real relationship with you.

Take some time to seek Him every day.  Even a five minute break can be used by Him to refresh you.  An extended period of time where you just seek and wait for Him? Even better. Even in the midst of being about His business on a short timetable, Jesus still made the time to spend with His Father:

As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.

Luke 5:16 MSG

Worship Him for who He is.  He loves to be praised, and promises to live where He is honored & lifted high:

Yet you are holy,enthroned on the praises of Israel, Your people.

Psalm 22:3 ESV

Thank Him for what He has done. For making you His. For caring for you. For the blessings He has already poured out on you and the ones He promises are to come:

I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Jeremiah 29:11 MSG

Believe He will come:

Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a mustard or  poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.

Matthew 17:20 MSG

Just like the snow, which continues to fall, so will the weight of His glory when we keep seeking Him.

It may feel like a snowflake landing on your nose. It may be  like a tingle or charge of static electricity. It may feel like a heaviness on your shoulders. It may feel like a heat wave, a fresh burst of wind, bubbling up joy or a peace unlike any you have ever known.

He will come. Just as sure as winter will always come again!

(PS. Here is a great song to hear to help set the atmosphere to seek Him: Weight of Glory)

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Image from: http://www.kidzworld.com

freedom in belonging

Karla Lees

When you know where you belong, you open up a freedom you may not have known you needed, let alone wanted.

I was always on the outside looking in, I felt, as I was growing up. A fish out of water, or a black sheep standing in sharp contrast to the flock of white ones in the same field.

You know how you just can’t put your finger on that nagging difference or missing part, and that thought sticks with you until you can resolve it?

Kind of like that, a piece looking for the rest of its pizzle.

That reality whispered into the recesses of my mind fairly regularly as I grew up. It took on a whole new aspect when I moved to Quebec, and came back to Ontario six years later fluent in French to a small town that was filled with almost anyone but another French speaking person unless they were a teacher!

So through primary school into middle school into high school, this feeling I don’t quite fit continued to hang around…unless I was singing, playing an instrument or writing. Even so, I played almost anything I touched, which spoke to my giftedness but isn’t as common in a small town.
I read ferociously, loved to learn, wore glasses and suffered through 3 years of retainers and 4 years of braces. I made friends, especially with fellow musicians & artsies…but still felt like a misfit. I was sensitive, but not sure why.

When it came time to head to university, I felt I wasn’t ready for “it” yet, so I headed to a differently structured high school for a year, and discovered something shocking.

At this school, I first experienced feeling like i fit. The structure and classes and fellow students- 90% made for me. I began to hope that after high school, I could find my place in this world. Closer to where I was meant to be.

But getting to know yourself better doesn’t necessarily help you belong.

I spent a few years wandering after high school. Unsure of what I wanted to do because I didn’t know yet who I was.

Then I met Jesus, and the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

I have a few gifts that are not as common, and one of the “side effects” is feeling set apart. Like all of us, I am hardwired to hear God’s voice. For me, at times, quite clearly. The Word shares how this is known as the prophetic. Which ties with that sensitive feeling I had struggled to come to grips with.

And in the bible, most of them were known as being “odd or misfits.” They didn’t quite fit, having one foot in the heavenly places with God, and the other here on the earth.

When you tell people you made a decision based on God’s telling you to go that way, you tend to be looked at funny, and avoided by those who don’t know what to do with you as a result.

The prophetic can be a lonely place to be, just you and God.

But here’s the thing.

I found my place after those years of searching:

I belong to God.

What a price He paid for me, to buy me out of my broken, lonely, lost in the pit of my despair. He set my feed upon solid rock, whispered words of love, and clothes me in fresh white forever robes, naming me Beloved Daughter of the King.

I belong to Him, with every fibre that’s within me.

But I also belong with Him.

Spending time in His Presence reminds me that though I walk on this earth, it is not where I belong. My place is heavenly, in the courts of my King, in the arms of Jesus.

For now, I need the constant reminder of Spirit whispers, reminding me who I am to Him.

So although I have a great family, wonderful church & friends, good jobs- I don’t belong here. I never really did, for He designed us to be with Him.

So whether I feel like I fit is no longer relevant.

My heart is already tied to His, and wherever He is, that’s where I belong.

Home is where the heart is.
You have my heart, God.
And one day
You will welcome me home
forever, and I will live
where I have longed to be,
eternally where I belong!

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God-feeling

Karla Lees

I just had a God-feeling. I try to pay attention to those.

#TheMercifulScar

Hearing His voice doesn’t always look like one would expect.

Take Moses for example.

Moses, the one who saw God’s face, and was visibly changed so all the Israelites knew it was him?
His father in law Jethro had to tell him to slow down and share the work load. You would think Moses might have heard that directly… but like us, maybe Moses was too wrapped up in his work to hear it.

Take Paul.

Well raised, gifted with education and position, Jesus had to get his attention by blinding him before Paul could hear His voice.

Take Joseph.

God spoke to Him through an angel in a dream, telling him his wife was expecting the Messiah, and then a second dream warning Joseph to take his family and make a run for it into Egypt.

A donkey speaking to Balaam.

A hurting woman drawing water from a well.

Coins in a fish, enough to pay Peter’s taxes.

Three rooster calls worth of denials, but I will build My church on you, Peter.

There have been many times where I have been surprised by the source God uses to speak to me.

A timely bible verse as I read the Word.
A song coming on the radio that exactly addresses a concern or is an answer to prayer.
A letter in the mail, email in my inbox and tweet of encouragement.

But sometimes it is a bible verse that comes to mind in the heat of the moment, when Holy Spirit speaks to us.

Jesus did so when the enemy tempted Him in the desert. He responded to each of the three temptations with the Word- even though He was fully God & fully man all in one.

If Jesus relied on His relationship with the Father & Holy Spirit for the right direction, help to stay the path ahead, words of knowledge & the words to speak, we can too.

Listen for His voice. As you ask Him to speak to you, don’t be surprised by the three results:

1. God will speak to you. He answers all who call our to Him, and ask for wisdom.

2. God’s reply may not look or sound like how you think His answer will come. Keep your eyes and ears open.

3. The counterfeit will try to sneak in past your defenses. If it doesn’t agree with the Word, it isn’t from Him. Meaning if you get a sense of doubt for any reason, wait and ask God to reveal whether it’s from him or not. One good indicator is its fruit. Like the snake in the garden, be wary of what sounds to good to be true if you have no sense of God in it.

Tuning in to God is a process. The dial may slip from time to time as you seek the right frequency, but as He is constant, you will be able to hear Him as He speaks to you. when you hear or sense a prompting, don’t be fearful. Be open for His answers to come, but cautious in confirming it by lining it up against the truth we do have, the Word, and Holy Spirit.
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What three things to do when I need rest?

Karla Lees

I am not the Energizer bunny.
But I still try to keep going and going.

My batteries wear out, and need recharging.

Sometimes way earlier than I am aware of, and sometimes the energy completely drains until I collapse.

I am learning to listen to God daily about my day, so it doesn’t fill up just with what I want to do in it, but how He wants me to spend my time.

There are three things on the checklist I now follow to make sure I am getting enough rest.

1.Get honest.

If I am pooped, trying to ignore the early warning signs leads to more serious time off coming down the line. I am no use if I am completely out of commission, so acknowledging if I am getting weary is step one.

Tell people no when I have enough or too much on my plate as it is. I struggle with this one too as I don’t like to say no to work when part of my job is freelance, but my yes needs to be reserved for the best decisions, not all of them.

2. Get enough sleep.

This has become a hard one for me, as my husband’s snoring had become an issue, and driving my daughter to catch the first train on weekday mornings are leaving me more weary than usual as I struggle to find a new normal routine for getting things done and a healthy sleep pattern.  I now have to be in bed earlier than I want, so if it can wait until tomorrow, it may have to if I need sleep.  If I am off and feel tired during the day, I feel no guilt now in taking a nap.

3. Get enough rest.

This refers to my spirit. Taking time to read the Word, worship, walk & listen for His voice, wait & seek His Presence…this brings peace and quiet to me within, which is where I need it most. This is the part of me that needs rest the most. The part that depends on God 100%.

You can always bring peace with you when He lives in you, but you can’t always find it if you look to the world to provide it.

These three things help me find true rest for my soul, and re-energize my hope.

When I filter my day through them, I find I get more accomplished in a week than plugging away in exhaustion and survival mode.

What tips do you have to add more rest to your day?

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let Him decide

Karla Lees

Max Lucado- Let Him Decide

There is an old song that still echoes in my mind from time to time “Take everything to God in prayer.”

Most of us, if we are really, really honest with ourselves, go elsewhere first.

To a touchable breathing live person.

One we already know will be there for us, to listen, comfort and be with us.

Why do we run to people instead of God?

For me, I honestly have felt I wasn’t important enough to bring my little things to Him. Why would God care whether my favorite shirt ever is missing from my closet since Mother’s Day when I last wore it? (which is absolutely true, by the way!)

The bible tells us the truth from a different perspective.

Jesus valued me, you, us enough to give up His life on the cross so we could truly live.

You don’t die for the ones you don’t love.

You give your all for those you love.

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The Bible says God has numbered the hairs on my head, knows each tear I cry, has prepared a place for me to be at hone with Him,  provides for me, made me and understands me beyond my comprehension.

If someone loved you like that, wouldn’t He be the first person you would run to when the news comes you can’t bear on your own? Your loved one becomes seriously ill? You are afraid your marriage won’t make it? You didn’t make enough on your last pay cheque because your child was sick and you may not have enough to make ends meet?

Priscilla Shirer teaches about God meeting us beyond our beyond in the Faithful, Abundant & True teaching dvds.

Our beyond is based on how we dream and think.

God’s beyond is based on how He dreams and wants to bless us beyond our beyond.

Priscilla gives a few examples, but I will share the one that made the illustration come alive for me.

You are away from home for the weekend, and your teenager has promised to clean their room before you come home. That is your beyond.

You walk in the front door, and not only is their room clean, but they cleaned the whole house and dinner is in the oven. Reeling from shocked joy, you head to your bedroom to put your suitcase away, and there is a bath drawn, hot and bubbly, and waiting for you to hop in and relax.

That would be beyond our beyond. Exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can imagine. (Ephesians 3)

God is waiting for us to bring Him our cares, hopes, dreams, stresses, grief, pain, hurt, ailments. All of it.

When my kids get hurt, I don’t ignore them, whether it is physically or verbally. Words can cut in ways blows cannot, with bullies coming in all shapes, sizes and guises.

The momma in me riles and I want to protect my child as much as I offer them comfort. After they are feeling better/calmer, then I am willing to offer my wisdom if they ask for my help.

God is the same.

As much as a person is able to be of comfort, God is able to see the whole picture, beyond what I share to what is really at the heart of the matter.

Nothing is too small to bring to God.

Let Him decide if what is bothering you is important to Him. I know you will be surprised by His answer. He is more than able. He is the best listener, comforter and peace giver in any circumstance. He offers not only the best advice, but helps us make the changes with His strength. He is always available, forever alive and has seen in all, literally!!

“Ask and it will be given to you.
Seek and you will find.
Knock and the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7

So God, about my favorite top that is missing? Can you help me find it please?  Thanks! I love you too.