Barbie dog is either a trash collector or a Starbucks lover first thing this morning! Dogs are man’s best friend…in a world where we cannot choose our family or our coworkers (well not all of them), we can still choose our friends! Jonathon chose to be David’s friend rather than be envious of God’s favor on his life. David wept the most when he had to go away  from Jonathon. Who is our friend? #stickscloserthanabrother- Teresa
I Samuel 20: 40-42 (ESV)

40 “And Jonathon gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.” 41 And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap[f] and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.[g]”

Have you ever been thirsty- really thirsty?  If you watch the netflix documentary, “Tracks”, you will know that our degree of thirst does not compare to this young woman’s feat in the Australian desert. How encouraging to know that there is a source of water that fully satisfies. Jesus provided us with living water. He alone can sate our soul.-Teresa #Spiritflows

 John 7:37-39 (ESV)

37 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

When the crowd sought out Jesus, they were not as interested in his fellowship as his food. Jesus did not disappoint but let them know that he was food! To know him was to have the most satisfying foodie experience yet. God the Father even set His seal of approval on the Son of Man to authenticate him as a supernatural miracle from heaven. Not only was Jesus sent from God but he is God, able to save all who look to Him for propitiation from sin!!- Teresa

John 6:25-34 (ESV) bold added for emphasis

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The stone which helps us is sometimes a memorial stone. It reminds us that we are more than the sum total of our accomplishments. We are more than the record of our mistakes. We are more than the fears projected on us from others, subtly absorbed into our psyche. We are the repentant ones, appalled that we would consider our own efforts as good enough to save us. Here I raise my Ebenezer, tied by God’s mercy (through His son, Jesus) to God’s heart of love. Thank you Father. I set you apart to be my dad, with all the goodness that one word was meant to convey!!- Teresa

1 Samuel 7: 12-14 (ESV)

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[b] and called its name Ebenezer;[c] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

The worldly woman (aka Samaritan woman) had a hard time understanding Jesus’ intention when He broke cultural rules by speaking with her. Then, she understood. He was a prophet and more than a prophet- the Messiah…she believed God’s invitation of love and acceptance for her! No one else was given a more complete description of what it meant to have eternal life. -Teresa  #gentleman

John 4:23 (ESV)-23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

There is an ache in our heart at times when we long to be truly home in heaven, face to face with our Lord. Yet even now, we can take time to wait for the Lord’s presence…and He will bless us with a touch of His glory and give us a word from His heart to ours. -Teresa #Fatherlove

Psalm 130:6 (NIV)
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

bouquet by Ambience Florist

 The disciples on the road to Emmaus saw Jesus, talked with Jesus and ate with Jesus but did not recognize Him in His resurrected body until He broke the bread. At the wedding of Cana in Galilee, He revealed His glory to the disciples after turning the water to wine. The bread and the wine are symbols of Eucharist, a celebration of  thanks chosen in the face of suffering. Ann Voskamp, in her book, One Thousand Gifts, describes the miracles that happen when we recognize God’s revelation around us and in us and truly give thanks.- Teresa

Psalm 100

1Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;[a]
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

This oak tree must have established a tremendous root system to survive the years of drought. When God teaches… disciples… disciplines us, it’s because He wants us to stand strong for Him. Drink deeply of the promise that we are His heritage on earth. In the end, He will not abandon us but assures us of our place in His loving family that begins with eternal life through Christ Jesus. #foundahome- Teresa

Psalm 94:12-19 (ESV)12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,

    and whom you teach out of your law,

13 to give him rest from days of trouble,

    until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;

    he will not abandon his heritage;

15 for justice will return to the righteous,

    and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?

    Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17 If the Lord had not been my help,

    my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

18 When I thought, “My foot slips,”

    your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

19 When the cares of my heart are many,

    your consolations cheer my soul.

 Have you ever considered a field full of wildflowers as an inheritance? Joshua died and was buried in a place like that. Interestingly, Joseph was also buried in his inheritance (Shechem) where he never rested until finally laid to rest (since he worked his whole life in Egypt). Wherever God has provided as your inheritance will be a place of true rest! In the meantime, His kingdom come and His will be done is the theme of our lifesong as we trust His glorious purpose for our lives. -Teresa

Joshua 24:29-33 (ESV)

After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. 30 And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.

31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.
32 As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money.[b] It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

 Hope gives us reason to hang on. Hope deferred make us heart sick. Love fills the gap of hope deferred! Why did the people hang onto Jesus’ every word? Why do we hang onto His word? His truth proclaims how valuable we are to Him. His truth tears down “man-made” religion that lends to consumerism in the world system. Time to stop consuming and start experiencing God’s love. – Teresa

Luke 19: 45-47 ( ESV)

45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.