Good morning, friends! 
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https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/454202-divine-presence
Are you feeling alone, unseen?
I know it’s such a hard place to be. I have been there.
I want to encourage you that He sees you and He always has. His eye has never left you.
Whatever season of life you find yourself in right now, God is there with you. He’s been there before you and He will stay with you.
You can trust Him with you. You are safe, you are loved, you are His masterpiece.
Psalm 91:4 NIV
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
Up early, drinking that beautiful first cup of morning coffee, I savor being alone before the demands of the day start fussing and insisting on attention. The soft light from a few brightly glowing candles is soothing and peaceful.
As I listen to the world wake up, I notice how easily the candlelight sways and pulls toward any disturbance in the air. The little lights struggle to stay lit, bouncing and fluttering with the whims of the draft. They are helpless to move, shift, or regain equilibrium on their own.
Watching the brave dancing of the candlelight brings to mind Psalm 91. Aren’t we often like these confident candles? We burn bright, strong, and lovely when things are calm and no disturbances surround us. We are proud and sure of ourselves and our world.
But…drafts happen. Gusts of change, storms of conflict, gales of fear, and the cold winds of diagnoses come, often suddenly, leaving us ill-prepared and helpless. We blow around in the confusion and anxiety, fearful that our light will snuff out; that we won’t stay steady on our own.
Sitting at my kitchen table, hot coffee warming my hands, I remember the times I’ve been tossed, thrashed, and shaken by gusts and gales that blindsided me. The feeling of being lost, alone, and defenseless is such a frightening and lonely place to be. But I also remember His voice echoing through the chaos and breaking through the whims of the wind, as I simply breathed His name – “Jesus, help me.”
When you call out to Him, even if your voice is but a raspy whisper, Jesus hears. He is there in the gentle brush of feathers along your cheek and the hush of being wrapped up tightly in wings of safety and peace. He is there as the scent of heaven surrounds you. You are sheltered, protected, and delivered from the chaos and debris that the world and wounds of humanity throw fast and hard.
Jesus is faithful. Jesus is good. He is the one who rebukes the fickle winds of chaos that always come as part of living on Earth.
We can’t save ourselves. He came to do that. Emmanuel, God with us. Always. Everywhere.
You are His treasure. Peace be with you.
Photo credit: Luidmyla Shalimova
Angel encounters…
Have you experienced one? I would love to hear your story!
This angel encounter of mine is one of my most memorable.
The excerpt is from Angels, in my book, Divine Encounters...
“Several years ago, my son and I were on a road trip. All
was fine and low-key until it wasn’t. A car passing us suddenly
lost the entire driver’s side wheel. It shot straight in front of
our car, bounced, and flew backward, heading directly for our
windshield. We were in the fast lane with a guardrail to the
right and the swerving car with the missing wheel to the left. In
slow motion, I watched in terror as that wheel shot straight at
us. At the absolute last moment, it veered completely opposite
its trajectory path, physically impossible, as if something with
an incredible amount of force pushed it, and the wheel hit the
guard rail and stopped. My son and I would have been killed or
gravely injured that day had angels not intervened and brought
that spinning tire under God’s control. The divine among us.”
Photo credit: Andri File
I’m curious…
Have you had a divine encounter with Jesus?
There are so many ways He reveals Himself to us, as intimate and diverse as there are people.
in dreams
in divinely planned connections with another
in the quiet beauty of an alpine meadow
on the beach as waves crash & toss
in a moments of deep prayer
in the early morning hours on the patio
in the pages of His word
I love that He knows us so well that each encounter we have with Him is so deeply intimate, personal, and perfectly timed.
How about you? Where have you had an encounter with Jesus?
Photo credit: Turuncu Salak
We lovers of Autumn have a sixth sense about us, a knowing when that first revelation of summer’s end has arrived.
It is felt on the skin in that barely discernable nip and twinge of air, charged with the slightest chill; awareness that the atmosphere has changed just a smidge.
Autumn’s scent is unique and mischievous. Earthy and deep; wise, pungent, and bold in the way brown leaf tips, restless trees, and fading flowers bend and drop to the Earth, daring the one watching to stop them; to impede the ancient progress of a slow, yet lovely descent into quiet and rest.
That spritely spurt of wind, which tosses and dances fallen leaves and finished flowers round and round, is delightful. What is it about piling up crispy, browned leaves then dashing them about, flinging them from orderly piles into random and untamed flurries of color? A new beginning; a tossing and mixing up of the old, lazy routine into something new; a plan to disrupt the status quo and wait patiently through the winter, as that plan takes form and substance. Somehow the chaos of it is lovely and energizing, part of the ritual. It is one more wild streak before the settling and simmering of autumn moves on to the mystery and silent brooding of winter.
The discerning observer will witness Nature’s response to the shift from the indolent, dog days of summer to autumn’s call to let go. The song of quiet purpose and intention, as Mother Earth whispers it’s time to fold in, cozy up, and allow rest to perform its miracles and the deep, sweet slumber of winter to wait in the wings.
There is something inspiring and invigorating in this call to purposeful letting go, an anticipation. Is it the definitive color changes and that unmatched fall scent in the air that feels like a new beginning? Is it the crisp sensation of fall air as one breathes it in?
Welcome Autumn! Come and show off your colors and dare us to think about the dead or dying places that we need to let fall; not with sadness or fear; but with anticipation that a season of silent regrouping, where new life starts to bud, will soon break free with the coming of spring. It’s coming, and it will be glorious!
Photo credit: Christina & Peter
Thankfulness. There’s something beautiful and healing about being thankful, and not just with the big ticket things. But with deeply personal, gentle surprises and delights that you know Jesus planned just for you…
*the way the breeze brushes your skin
*the coziness of a coffee shop on a blustery day
*the whisper of His voice through a splashing stream
*the gentle purr of a fluffy white cat sleeping across your shoulders
*the peace that falls on you as you sit in the Redwoods
*the quiet beauty of a summer night stargazing…
When I recognize that these little things are hand picked by Jesus to bring me joy, smiles, and contentment it makes them all the more precious and special…just for me simply because He loves me. He loves you, too.
Photo credit: Valentin S.
