Do You Want To Love Him More?

Have you ever felt this way?  I find myself crying out to God that I want to love Him more.  And despite spending time in His word, talking with Him throughout the day, worshiping Him through thought, song, and deed, and trying {and often failing} to obey Him, I find it's not enough.  I'm just so inadequate in my ability to love Him... more.

What I find is:

The more I read His word, understand and absorb into my soul how much He loves me, the more I'm compelled to love Him.  But I find myself still wanting to love Him more.

The more I talk with Him throughout the day... When I'm working, cleaning, pulling weeds, washing clothes, making dinner, the more I'm compelled to love Him.  But I hear that whisper in my soul: more love.

The more I pray for others and myself and ask for and receive His mercy and forgiveness, the more I'm compelled to love Him.  And yet again, I hear: more love to Me.

And then I read Romans 5:5 and I begin to understand.  Of course I feel inadequate in my ability to love the Lord enough.  Because my own ability to love Him will always be inadequate.  

What I realize is that I'm very limited in my ability to love.  Yes, I love my husband, children, granddaughter {I'll be glad to show you pictures!} family and friends with an intense, profound love.  But God?  My Abba Father, Christ Jesus, and Holy Spirit?  

The love I need for my God is so much... more.  It's the kind of love that only the Holy Spirit can pump my heart full of.  Glory to our God!  He is more than able; He is so willing to fill my inadequate heart with His all-I-could-ever-need-ask-for-or-imagine love!

And so today, I ask the Holy Spirit to flood our hearts to-overflowing with His love.  A love that only He can give.  A love that you and I can't 'work on', conjure up, manufacture or practice.  A lavish love that is beyond natural and will enable us to love Him... more and more and more!!

How about you?  
Are you fine where you are?
Do you want to love Him more? or 
Do you want to want to love Him more?
I'd love to hear from you! 
Leave a comment!

Living in His grace,

  Mary  

I'd like to ask you for two quick favors.

1.  Please go to the block of Google Friends over in the right column and click Join this Site. This doesn't subscribe you or obligate you to anything. It's just a way to let me know that you visited Woman to Woman. If you're reading this by email, you'll need to click Here to sign in. 

2.  Please click the Facebook Like button in the right column. (I love seeing your beautiful faces!)

Each woman who stops by(I'm talking about you!) is so precious to our Lord and to me. 
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, emails, and FB messages. 
 It's always so good to hear from you!

A Radical Walk With God

Are you radically determined to walk closely with God?

Picture yourself and your husband (if not married, a friend) walking amongst the hustle and bustle of downtown New York City. You’re walking on one side of the street, and your husband is all the way on the other side. You’re separated by hundreds of nameless people and loud, exhaust-producing cars. How intimate a conversation can you have shouting across the street at each other?  There’s so much he wants to tell you, but you can’t hear him, can’t see him. You know he’s there, but it’s impossible to feel connected. 

What do you do?  Do you push, shove, and do whatever it takes to cross the street, find him, take his hand, hold tightly, and never let go? Or, do you continue your separate walk, knowing he's there, but, either not knowing how to cross the street, or not caring enough to get to the other side.

Does your walk with God ever feel like that? By faith, you Know He’s there, you know He wants to talk with you, but you allow yourself to walk on the opposite side of the street, feeling separated... Why? By what?

Knowing myself, and having counseled and coached many precious women, I can safely say that in most of our lives, there are times when we just aren't walking intimately with the Lord. 

Why do so few have a consistently close walk with God?

1.  The painful truth:  We don't want it enough to pursue it. {Ouch!}
A close, consistent walk with God isn't a priority. We allow 'life' to become more important than our Lord.

2.  We don't know how.  We try, but can't seem to 'get there'.

The reality is, a close walk with the Lord requires an intense pursuit.  We may not begin the pursuit with passion, but through our obedience, the Holy Spirit will enable us to develop a deep and abiding love for Jesus. We must (with the help of the Holy Spirit) become radically determined to walk closely with God.  

It's not an occasional stroll. It's a radical-lock-arms

don't-let-Him-out-of-your-grip walk!

"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: 
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  
Micah 6:8

God has a no-bounds, radical love for us. And by His grace, this is what He wants for you and for me: 

To Be in His Word, or
Meditate on His Word

"...for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."  Acts 17:11

"Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."  Acts 20:32

To Give Thanks and Praise

“Be joyful always; give thanks in all circumstances, 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

To Pray Without Ceasing

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, 

present your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6

To Confess Our Sins and Forgive Others 
"Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love,  

Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins."  Psalm 51:1

To Surrender Our All

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you;  Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life–and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.”  Romans 12:1

To Listen For His Voice

“Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

To Believe Him and Soar

“Great and mighty things He has for me, things my eyes cannot see.”  Jeremiah 33:3

"This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only 

blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.  
Genesis 6:9

Where are you with the Lord, today?  Are you walking in close fellowship,
or are you on the other side of that crazy-busy street?  
How close do you want to be?  

 I'd love to hear from you! 

Living in His grace, 

Mary

My dear sister, I'd like to ask you for two quick favors. 
1.  Please go to the block of Google Friends over in the right column and click Join this Site. This doesn't subscribe you or obligate you to anything. It's just a way to let me know that you visited Woman to Woman. If you're reading this by email, you'll need to click Here to sign in. 
2.  Please click the Facebook Like button in the right column. (I love seeing your beautiful faces!) 

Each woman who stops by WtoW (I'm talking about you!) is so precious to our Lord and to me.  

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, emails, and FB messages.

Are you new to this blog stuff?  You can leave a comment by going down just a little further, right under the 'social media' bar.  You'll see 'comment' ... it's small and easy to miss.  

I look forward to hearing from you!

'Daily' source:  Professional Life Coaching 201 Series p. 45 

Picture Source: 1, 2 

Worry-Free Living

Worry and fear can be all-consuming.  I know.  I’ve been consumed at times.  They can cleverly weave themselves into every thought and make even a “good” day feel gloomy and grey.   

What are you worried about?  Paying your bills? The health of someone you love?  How your children are turning out?  Will you keep your job?  Retirement?  Stop for a second and put words to your fears.  “I’m worried about___________.”  

Worry and fear can lay siege to our thoughts, grab our peace, hurl it into a prison cell and slam and lock the door, leaving us wringing our hands wondering what in the world we’re going to do.

 

Can you imagine a day without worry or fear?  Just one day where faith in Jesus would replace the fear you struggle with:  your finances, job security, health, marriage, children...  It’s hard to take that mental journey, isn’t it?   Stop and think how different your day would be if you weren’t lugging around those heavy worries.  The weight lifts, your stomach stops churning, your mind isn’t entangled with those troubled thoughts.

Jesus knows our nature as fearful worriers.  He knows how life-destroying fear is.  And because he cares so deeply for us, the Gospel contains numerous imperatives to “fear not”, “take heart”, and “have courage”.  Jesus knew it was something we’d need to hear time and time and time again. 

How in the world do we ditch the worry and fear? 

Fortunately,  Jesus didn’t just tell us the answer. Because we are of utmost importance to our God, our Father sent us an Advocate!  Yes, the Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of everything Jesus said!  But wait, that's not all! Then... Jesus gave us His peace.  Wow!  He has provided everything we need to live a life free of worry and fear.  It's ours for the receiving! 

How do we receive His peace?  We choose to believe His word is true, and embrace the One who was sent to continually point us toward a sweet, trusting relationship with our perfect Jesus.

Please read this! It's so awesome!

^“ 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 
 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 
I do not give to you as the world gives. 
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 
 Matthew 14:26,27 (NIV)

I pray that the Lord will help our hearts be free of worry and fear! 

Love and blessings, 

Mary