Category:Love Stories

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

We were on our way home from school one day when my son was 12, and he said,

“Mom, there are some things that I know that you don’t know.”

“Yes, that’s true,” I replied. “But there are more things that I know
that you don’t know than things you know that I don’t know.”

“You’re probably right.”

Conversations with The Lord

There’s no “probably” to this One. He always knows more than we do. But we rarely ask Him anything except, “Why?” And because He never answers that question, we think He doesn’t talk. How silly is that?

What does He want you to know?

Today, I asked The Lord, “What do you want me to know about The Cute Boy?”

His answer came quickly.
And what He said was beautifully surprising.

He loves to answer “What” questions. Just so you know.

• What do you want me to know about ______?
• What does this mean for our relationship?
• What do you want me to do?

Now those are Great Questions!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13

It’s simple. You want something to be different. Yet nothing changes, no matter how much effort you put into it. Each day is more discouraging than the day before.

Whatever you think about (whether negative or positive) will be magnified, not only in your mind, but in your heart and your actions as well.

No one wants bad stuff to happen.

So why is it so hard to focus on the positive in yourself and in others?

• Coercion is a passive process. You don’t have to do anything different. It’ll just happen automatically … because you allow it.
• Choice is an active process. You must get involved, be proactive. Choice requires energy, learning, and a willingness to try something better.

You are caught in a battle between Two Kingdoms.

The ruler of one kingdom wants you to be like him. And he constantly works on your mind and your emotions. His intent is to kill, steal, and destroy. He uses coercion: the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats. He wants you to become a slave to sin and is determined to get you to

• default,
• doubt,
• derail.

The King of Kings created you to be like Him. And He offers gentle encouragement and Endless Love. His intent is to help you enjoy an abundant life in Him. He gives you the choice. To become a slave to righteousness. His deepest desire is to help you to …

• reset,
• refocus,
• be restored.

Choose this day Whom you will serve. How?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Click here to learn more about how to get a Quicker Turnaround in your life.

Joseph had dreams of who God created him to be. And I think I know a little of how he felt being kept from its fulfillment for such a long time. He must have gotten his hopes up on more than one occasion. Only to be dashed to the ground again. Such as when Pharaoh‘s Chief Cupbearer forgot about him. (Genesis 40-41)

“When two full years had passed …”

Can you imagine the wait? Joseph surely must have felt discouraged a time or two. Yet despite his circumstances, he just couldn’t shake his faith in the Promise of God.

I know that feeling.

My circumstances are not at all what I expected they would be at this point in my life. In fact, they are quite the opposite of what The Lord has said He has planned for me.

[callout]Yet I believe His Word more than I believe what I see around me.
And my trust is fully in Who He is for me.[/callout]

In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but The Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9