welcome to 2012 ... Love

hello world ...

My word for this year is LOVE.

2012 is the year to enlarge my capacity and understanding of Love.

To discover all that God has for me.  To Grow and Learn more.

 In my reading recently I came across 3 John ... to think that this letter written centuries ago and would be so relevant today ... a new lesson learned for me ... what's important is people and relationships ... building Love ... but first gaining a new appreciation for His Love freely given ...

The elder, 

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 

  Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.  It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 

  Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.  They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.  It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.  We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. 

 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. 

  Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.  Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
  I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink.  I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. 

   Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. 

3 John : 1 - 14

 What I hear so clearly is the Love in the heart of this writer ... truth and love.

A letter of integrity ... of struggles to build community in love ... a foundation in love.

This verse has been such a blessing to me.

Be blessed and be a blessing

Teena

...

... creating a starry sensation ...

Hello world ...

Here are my latest starry postcards ... what I love most about them is the mix of digital printing and collage on top ... this mix of both mediums suits my style ...

Wishing you all a very Sensational Christmas !

May you find a few artsy moments to create your own masterpieces.

Be blessed and be a blessing

Teena

...

... knowing your inheritence ...

 Hello world ...

It is only when I step back and look at the bigger picture can I get a glimpse of what Life is for me ... an understanding that sometimes the here and now can be a distraction ... sometimes the battle with my ego - the me, myself and I, can get out of control ... forgetting that I was created with a heart and hope for all things eternal.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

Ephesians 1 : 18

 Imagine if I truly knew and understood my potential ... if behind my ego I could see God's heart for me and His dream for me ... Imagine if today was the day that all was revealed ...  

Well it is and it always has been ... TODAY  IS EVERYDAY ... an opportunity to grasp again a fresh heart and renewed hope ... a clear strong resolve to be the best I can be for God ...

Be blessed and be a blessing

Teena

...

... heart fill ...

 Hello world ...

I am constantly amazed at the infinite capacity our hearts have!
To keep enlarging and making room to love more ... and more ... ever expanding.

There are no bounds for Love.

There are no restrictions on our heart ... there is a limit to the amount of blood that a heart can pump through it ... but absolutely no barriers to the amount of love we can receive and give.

The heart's ability is endless.

 Created by an eternal Love ...

 And  Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

"Oh that You would bless me indeed,

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!"
So God granted him what he requested.

1 Chronicles 4 : 10

I pray that you always grow in the grace that keeps our hearts soft and tender and open ...  enlarge the territories of our hearts ... to feel more and see more and know more ...

God is Good!

Feel the smile these bring to your face ... now think of someone who needs your love and encouragement ...

Why not drop in to see someone who has been on your mind recently ... or pick up the phone and call them.

Now you have just passed on God's Love ... it's as easy as that ... DONE!

Be blessed and be a blessing

Teena

...

. Don't be Fearful ... BE FRUITFUL .

Hello world ...

Fear is real and alive in all of us ... I am certainly not foolish enough to say that there is no such thing as fear ... or just get over it ... because I have felt fear in both extremes  ... from  the overwhelming, out of my mind fear which controls my thoughts and actions ... to the other end of the scale, where I just avoid answering an email because I don't want to deal with someone.

But I do have a secret weapon that is far more effective against fear.

That is the Blood of Christ.

For those that hear the word blood and go OOh Yuck then switch off the screen ... let me explain ... words can be powerful and the feeling associated with words can bring up varied reactions ... terminology can scare the pants off people ...

To me the words Blood of Christ is like saying, 'let's put on my superhero cape and superhero powers' ...  it's like calling down a protective force-field ... or when The Thunderbird's say"Thunderbird's are Go" ...

So next time ugly fear comes your way, call on the secret weapon that is the Blood of Christ ... my fear fighting weapon.  It calls me home ... brings me back to place of possibility ... where smalls steps can be taken to walk thru my fear ... it reminds me that my God is BIGGER than anything ... !

Fear is not the voice of God ... Fear is not the boss of me ...

Fear is not my friend ... Fear is stopping me from being my best  ... and my best is FRUITFUL ...

And in all of this wonderful wisdom ... it takes a friend to remind me occasionally to call on my secret weapon and don't let fear rule ... how quickly I get consumed by my little fears ... and how grateful I am that God reminds me through my friends ...

Be blessed and be a blessing

Teena

...

... make a difference ...

Hello world ...

I love Max Lucado's challenge ...

"None of us can help everyone - But all of us can help someone."

 'Out Live Your Life' by Max is a great read.
If you need a bit of encouragement to step up and make a difference. This is a book for you.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me.  I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

Matthew 25 : 34 - 36

 Everyday is an opportunity to help someone ... the ability to see through all the distractions of a busy day and make time to say YES to a need ... Jesus has stretched out His Hand to embrace and Love us ... so let's pass on that love to others ... 


Life is about going through the days with our eye's wide open ... stop making the simple seem very hard because all things are possible with God ... we all have what it takes to do this - Jesus.


Who is that person in your life, who is constantly on your mind?  
You know who I mean!  
Reach out! 


Just imagine the story of your life ... imagine it intertwined with blessings from helping people ... how rich that life would be ... how happy God would be that you shared His Love in action ... 


I pray that God puts opportunity in your way ... everyday.

 Be blessed and be a blessing

Teena

...

... what's fresh and new ...

Hello wonderful world ...

I get so exciting when I am creating and dreaming and pondering ... so here are my latest creations.  I have called them the Jesus series and Amen series.  I really love the impact of Black and White and shadowed text.

Lime has been a color That I have been exploring for a while ... it is so unlike me - it almost seems perfect.

Well ... onto my next creating and pondering splurge.

Be blessed and be a blessing

Teena

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