"DO YOU NEED A FATHER'S LOVE?"

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is...Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad.

TRUE TO YOURSELF

Posted on Feb.8,2011 @ focusontheheart.org
"hope for the heart" page

What do you think about yourself and what makes you think it's true?

But Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 19:14

I'd like for you to open your minds up to a thought process that has been studied for many years. Growing up we may have been told that children are to be seen and not heard or to sit down and be quiet. Then when we brought our report cards home that reflected that we had a real problem with public speaking, our parents told us to be courageous; stand up and speak out! It is these mixed messages that have caused many children to grow up with the mixed messages about themselves that have virtually held them back in every area of their life.
We find ourselves in the trap of thinking,"I believe I must be this way in order to survive." This is basically the results of past programming. Moreover, "I hate myself for feeling the way I do." Even as an adult, we create our own report cards as we compare the things we own, who we think we are and our successes to everyone else. This actually becomes a factual reality in our minds to determine our belief in ourselves; good and bad! The problem is that this isn't anywhere close to being true to reality or yourself, especially when we consider the great truths concerning what Jesus said to His disciples about the children and people.
We'll grade ourselves on what we've accomplished compared to our neighbor.....C+; what we own compared to our coworkers.....A-; who we've become compared to others with the same education....D. That is when we begin to hear the whispers of those voices that remind us, "Won't I ever learn? Why do I feel this way? You should have known better? Why do I always mess up?". That's our very own self-judgment accounting system. It keeps us thinking about what should have been or how I should have known better. Living in the past causes us to develope beliefs about ourselves and has a huge impact on our future decisions.
With the very high divorce rate in our society today, some children say that they will never get married because their parents divorced. It is the experience of the pain and feeling of guilt that has cause these children to believe that it is a mistake to get married. They don't believe that they will be able to have a lasting relationship based on this feeling. As soon as we hold some false idea about ourselves rather relying on a direct perception of what's really happening, we inevitably give rise to anxiety and fear. We create suffering of our own through the repetition of our confusion. It's like pushing a wheelbarrow with a flat tire. It rolls, but a little rough and slow. We keep thinking that something is wrong, but not sure what's causing the bump.
That explains why the disciples were so sure that Jesus had not wanted the children in the way that day when they began to tell the parents who had brought their children to take them back. See, we often even think we are doing right when we act based on our beliefs that were developed according to our experiences and traditions growing up. The fact is that Jesus had the divine ability to understand the needs of every child that day! Don't you think that the disciples learned something new that day as well? We all need to be willing to learn; to keep our minds open to the reality of the truth rather than living our life based on the things that we have been told about ourselves. Jesus wants us to put aside the past experiences and come to Him as a child again. By the way, this was so important for us to remember that Mark and Luke also give an account of this day in history so that we could be enlightened thousands of years later. (Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16) Doesn't it only make sense that Jesus addressed His followers as children as He was ascending into Heaven? I believe it is a fact that we are to be known as His children and Jesus gave us a commandment that we can trust will never leave us feeling like a failure or comparing ourselves to others. Be His child, open your mind to the truth about yourself and your children starting today! Learn to be really TRUE to yourself!

"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. " ~ John 13:33

FAMILY PRIORITIES

We all share some very important priorities!

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." ~Proverbs 22:6

Like yourself, I love my family more than anything else in this world and it's my desire that they all be as safe, happy, healthy and as prosperous as they can be in everything that we do; at home and in the public circle. We can all admit that it is a day to day challenge, but most days it goes pretty well considering all that could happen that doesn't. I hope that you are able to experience some harmony as well, whether you are married, separated or divorced. I know that it is possible to find harmony regardless of your status, if we just don't give up trying! It's our responsibility as a parent to be aware of everything that could eventually have an impact on our families. Particularly those things that pose a threat to our peaceful existence and steal our joy. We also must realize that those threats could come from outside the home, but they can also come from within our homes, hearts and histories.
We have people coming into our world from all walks of life. There are teachers, coaches, family members, schoolmates, influencing peers and others. Some have good intentions and some do not. These people all have different priorities and moral standings that may differ from your own and they can have a tremendous effect on how our children think about life, feel about the world around them and how they behave right now, as well as the way they will act as adults. The media is also a powerful source that can undermine morals and values in even the strongest of families if we don't purposefully take care to control and counteract those messages. We must make sure that we aren't threatening our families from within by our own lack of adjustment, poor priorities and an absence of leadership. We should also make sure that we aren't using negative products and techniques of our own upbringing, if you find this in your past as a child growing up. We're not the only influence in our children's lives so we need to make sure that we are the best and the most persuasive influence.
Some people think that family life is a thing of the past, but I'm here to tell you that the family is even more important today than in the past generations and it's erosion is totally unacceptable. It sometimes seems like a fight. Well, it's a fight that you can and must win! As a parent, the power is yours to set your child on a course for success. You may not be feeling very powerful as a parent right now, but if you will find the courage to rise to the challenge, I know that your child can and will be blessed beyond belief. The Word of God tells us that a child will remember. When? It says that they will remember when they are older! So don't become discouraged or give up trying! God will give you the patience, long suffering and even peace when we lay carry our children to the Lord in prayer.
Do you wish you knew how to decide what's good and what's not good for the children in your home? I'd like to end with a few verses that will help you to see a little more clearly how to judge the good from the bad influences. I memorized these verses for a class I was taking a while back and it really made a difference in how I decide what is clearly wrong for the children and for some, even the grandchildren.

"Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scorner. But his delight(his joy is found) is in the law of the Lord; and in his law does he meditate day and night.(all the time) And he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also will not wither; and whatever he does will prosper." ~Psalms 1:1-3

Isn't that awesome stuff parents? Tomorrow we will talk some about the tree planted by the rivers of water. I'd really like to share something unique that God showed me about the trees that grow along a river. So join me tomorrow for my life application with this particular tree and how it applies to you and your children. Until then, keep your chin up and your knees bent as you seek the Lord for strength and guidance!