The real you and the real me

Never forget that God sees us (you and me) as beautiful, talented, fun, worthy and incredible.  We are his beloved children and God calls us His own.  He, the holy and Almighty God of heaven and earth, can't stop thinking about us and he can't stop loving us!

Remember that God loves you and because of His amazing love and great power we can become a force for good, for positive change and a force for God who loves us.

True hunger and thirst

May you hunger, long, and thirst for God.  

May you search for him, and find that God longs

to fill your every longing and need, 

quench your deepest thirst, and feed you to the full 

from his love & grace.  

Enjoy and be forever satisfied by His mercy, 

truth, justice and His compassion.

Prayers...

Monday
May the Eternal be your refuge, foundation and protection. I pray that in every moment and any storm that you will be kept safe in the arms of His steadfast love and strength. May God, who is almighty and everlasting, satisfy your hearts and bring you joy today and always.  Have a great week!

Tuesday
Trust in the truth that you are amazing and you are loved by God.  May the steadfast love of the Eternal be your strength always. May the divine mercy, everlasting peace, and unending love of God be multiplied to you (Jude 2). Have a great day filled with the love, hope and joy of God's promises.

Wednesday
May you find strength, refuge and joy for the remainder of the week in the presence of the Almighty. May the steadfast love of the Eternal and the joy of knowing Him cause you to thrive like the tree planted by the water. May a most fruitful and joyful week continue for you today.

Thursday

May you discover the amazing taste of God's unfathomable, undeserved, unlimited, explainable, unending and extravagant love - a supernatural love marked by His amazing grace. - Barbara Rainey  

I pray that God's love and grace will be the foundation for the rest of your week, all of your weekend and the rest of your life!

Friday
May God bless you and keep you, make his love shower over you, be gracious to you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24). May He prosper the work of your hands and protect you. May His love satisfy your deepest thirst and lead you into a joy filled new day!


Saturday
Have fun and have a great weekend!  May God bless you and shower you with favor and love.  May you enjoy the love of family and friends.

Sunday
May the Eternal grant you rest from your troubles, labors and worries.  May His power be your strength; His unchanging grace your foundation; His everlasting love your refuge.

What we need for today...

God, today and everyday we need your sure and steadfast mercies.

Today, we need your tender compassion to wash over us.  

May all that we set out to do today be anointed, directed, and covered by  your love.

May my thoughts and actions be guided by the love and goodness of the Eternal God.  

May you, Lord of all, provide all that we need for today!  Amen.

My soul cries out for you...

Monday
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ had, so that you may live in unity and harmony and bring glory to God. Rm 15:5. God be gracious to you and your family. Heaven smile on you and bring you peace. I pray that you will have a week filled with love, joy, peace, and a hope that never fails.  Be blessed and have a great week!

Tuesday
I wish and pray that you will experience a love from God that is beyond all that you could ever imagine or dream of.  I wish you strength to overcome every challenge, and a peace that will transform every storm into an opportunity for your blessing and good.   May God be gracious to you and may heaven smile upon you. Have a great day!

Wednesday
You are an amazing person uniquely created by the love and grace of God to be a blessing. You have been a blessing and I pray that today you will share your goodness and bless someone who needs it. Have a great day! Be blessed and hold fast to the truth that God loves you and always will!

Thursday
Today is a new day filled with opportunities to experience anew the joy, hope and peace that flows from heaven. May the never ending love of God and his awesome power make you victorious in every challenge, and strong enough to seize every new opportunity.

Friday
May the unfailing love and tender mercies of God be your foundation and your guide. May the ever present compassion of the Eternal bring you joy, peace and hope for every moment to come.

Saturday
Remember that God shaped you inside and out. He knitted you together in your mother's womb long before you took your first breath. Offer God your grateful heart, for you are His unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. God has approached even the smallest details with excellence; His works are wonderful; carry this knowledge deep within your soul. Have a great weekend!

Sunday
May you rest in the truth that the everlasting Father has loved you with a steadfast and unshakable love.  Let the truth of His love abide over you and give you the peace you need, and may this day of rest recharge you for the journey ahead.


Blessings to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus the Christ.

Who should we trust...

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:3-6 NIV)

My money is on...

On my ride home on Friday the news updates on multiple channels were all abuzz about various controversial issues.  A "right wing group" was standing firm from it's bully pulpit declaring that they, and they alone were right about some issue.  On another channel, a "left wing group" was proclaiming that they were the moral authority on a different issue.  By the way, what is really is the right wing and left wing?  And who says so?

Anyway, in each of the stories, neither side in the news wanted to listen to or even consider that they may be wrong.  One side in one argument was boycotting all sponsors and companies affiliated with the opposite stance.  And anyone who didn't immediately surrender to their side was on the oppositions side.  No dialogue, no seeking to understand and be understood, and no chance of considering the opinions, beliefs or values of others.

On the the other station, the anchor reported that another group, I can recall if it was left or right, was calling out people as dumb, ill-informed, or stupid for supporting their opponents.  Words like "any intelligent human being" would oppose "xyz" flew from the groups leader with malice and hatred.  Their argument, which was anything but clear cut truth was being pushed as if it was the gold standard.  Actually, the pushed it as if they had gone up a mountain and received it from God himself.  Which we both know didn't happen.  Essentially, this leader considered any dissenting opinion couldn't possibly come from a rational human being, and definitely not a moral human being.

Over and over, channel after channel the news on Friday was too much for me to take.  I can't believe the world has reached a point where issues, nearly any issue, can be so polarizing.  Really?  

Do we really believe that any group of individuals can dare speak authoritatively for God on all matters?  Have we ever stopped to take into account how many times the "left", "right" and other groups say they speak for God when what they say often disagrees with what God himself has said in the Bible?  Do we really believe we can speak in black in white when we are pointing to the log in someone else's eye, but shades of gray when it comes to the speck in our own eyes?  Do we have the audacity to declare something right or wrong, with such a visceral hatred and intolerance one day, while bemoaning the need for grace, mercy, fairness, and equality the next day?  I wonder, do these groups, individuals, and entities who claim to speak for God ever stop and and pray to God or seek to hear God's voice?  

I'm flat out tired of various groups, people and political entities declaring that they and they alone speak the truth for God!  Last time I checked, God was quite capable of speaking for himself and revealing to us His Truth.  Hello Son of Man, Son of God, Messiah, and Savior - the fullest revelation of God to mankind! 

Lately, I've come to the conclusion that if someone is going to be right, my money is on God!

Blessings and love..

The Eternal your God is standing right here among you, and He is the champion who will rescue you. He will joyfully celebrate over you; He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you like a new husband. Zephaniah 3:17

This week the Mighty One will lead you into the safety and joy of His love, and into the greatness that He has prepared for you.  He will rest in His love for you and invites you to rest in Him too.  May your week bring you joy, peace and reasons to praise and sing.  Blessings and peace to you, with love - Cassius

This is how much I am loved...how much we are loved!

John 3:16-18 MSG

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

Pray always!

More often than I'd care to admit, this saying applied and applies to my life.  I think that is why it jumped out at me when I was looking at another artist's blog.  Just like it says, there are far too many times when I only pray when I'm in trouble, therfore I'm often in trouble.  For a long time it seems like the only times my knees hit the floor was in a time of struggle.  Perhaps if I were on my knees more, I'd be knocked down and in trouble a lot less.  If I was on my knees before I opened my mouth to answer, my foot might not have a chance to get all caught up in between my teeth.  If I were on my knees before I moved, I'd probably move in the right direction more often and with greater purpose and certainty. 

God, may I earnestly seek your will and give you praise before trouble arises, more diligently and fervently in the midst of the storm, and with ever increasing passion when the storm passes.  May I stay on my knees in praise and prayer always!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing!

To be happy

Two days ago I was watching a Ted talk given by Shawn Achor.  During the talk the speaker gave a great quote based on some research and observations.  Mr. Achor said,

90 percent of your long-term happiness is predicted not by the external world, but by the way your brain processes the world.

In my words:

Only 10% of our happiness depends on the actual things, circumstances and events of our lives.  The other 90% of our happiness depends on our attitude (optimism, pessimism, or neutrality) about our things, circumstances and events.  To be happy you must have a better attitude about everything!

In order to have a better attitude about our things, circumstances, events, and situation in life we must be connected to the author of life.  We must also trust that the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of all is good.  

Psalm 34:8 ... taste and see that the Lord is good.  Happy is the one who trusts in him!

To be happy...

Blessed to be a blessing!

"If we stand where others have fallen, it's to raise our hands to heaven in praise and to spread our arms as shade for the weary. The Lord enables us to be a tree of rest for others."

—Julie Ackerman Link

We are still standing because we were blessed to be a blessing to someone else.

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength a helper who is always found in times of trouble.  Psalm 46:1 (CEB)

Always means always, when it is God that we are talking about.   What joy it is when I realize that He truly is always present with me.