"With His Love
He will
CALM
you"
Zephaniah 3:17
{I moved the Verse Image for this to below}
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When I cannot sleep
(which is too often)
I literally plead with God
to help me sleep
and then
I fell upon this verse
that I'm sure I've read many times
but make it into my
"Breath Prayer"
[remember that book by Jennifer Tucker]
at least that's how I found out about this practice of taking & turning scripture verses
into "breath prayers" of
Inhale & Exhale
Helps
a whole lot
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2024
is quickly coming to a close
and I have so much still
to learn about my
One Word
CALM
and
I am still finding more books
with
CALM
and
not enough time to read or finish
yet
like other "One Words" you never
really finish with them
however
you don't have to
nor do you have to continue with them
as your FOCUS for the
next year.
They just continue with you
as you progress
forward
with
the new year
and a
new One Word
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For today
I just want to share two more books
that I've added to my
CALM
books
[one as a sample for now & the other in my
Kindle Unlimited trial period]
"CALM Your Anxious Mind"
by Carrie Marrs
{similar title to one of the last books I shared}
"Clear Mind, Peaceful Heart"
and the other one:
"A Deeper Kind of CALM"
by Linda Dillow
[she's written another one also on this]
"CALM my Anxious Heart"
but I chose the first one I listed for now
Since both of these are new authors for me,
and one was highly recommended
with another book on another topic
that I tucked away for now;
I will have to adjust & read slowly
to gather as much as I can
about being
CALM
in my mind & in my heart
so much easier said (written) than done
Trust me, even after this full year
I've just skimmed the surface
with much work to acquire this
CALM
along with the Peace it brings
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Here's a very
Powerful truth taken right away
from the first devotion of the first book
"CALM Your Anxious Mind"
| ... (God) "He can ground you. He can bring powerful truths to mind, CALM your breathing, send helpers."... |
"God, help me sense Your Presence right now."
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[image credit: You Version images]
And then the second devotion is for Zephaniah 3:17 (the verse image in the beginning of this blog post) and the one that became my "breath prayer".The title of this devotion is: "His Heart's Wrapped Up with Yours" ... yes 🙌🏼 and "with His love, He CALMS me" ... quiets me ... wraps me securely.
At this point in my life, I can only imagine the wonder and awe of such all-encompassing Love that subdues all fears and insecurities that "wraps me" - "wraps my heart with His" but He does & He has, ever since the very beginning and every so often, I can pause and recall that first love, that first moment, with such complete awe that it actually does/did take my breath away and every time that I spend special moments with Him again and again, I am enthralled that His divine Love has remained all these years - steadfast, faithful and so powerful that "nothing can separate us" (Romans 8:38-39; 35) that closeness - do you sense the awesomeness of such closeness? entwining His heart with yours.
If you breathe this verse as your prayer, often enough, I believe you, like I, can find the CALM in His Love. For God is love.
And in Him, hold your breath - now let it out, because He loves you; rest in the CALM and sense His Peace enveloping you; and all your thoughts, all your restlessness from all you face, let it go - yes, release & let it out and find your place in Him; totally wrapped - like that 'babe in the manger', wrapped in swaddling clothes - God with us, Immanuel - who came to us, wrapped Himself, His Godly self, in human flesh, out of Love. Divine love. That can take a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh that loves & He CALMS our hearts with His as we surrender and invite Him IN (just like the INN, we need to make room for Him!) JESUS Christ, who we celebrate this season for this very reason. Love came down, so that we might love in return and show love to one another - just like Him.
This Christmas (a week from now) invite Him in(n)! {long ago, I wrote a blog post on Room in the Inn, La Posada, it's probably one that I drafted}
You still have time to prepare Him room, but He'll come and love you just as you are, because He's waiting and wanting you to come and wrap your heart with His forever, by just believing & receiving all Jesus came to earth for ... to redeem each of us. It's one grand gift that you cannot afford not to open this year! This is my continual prayer for you and all your loved ones to receive Jesus Christ, Son of God, son of man, who died so you might all live eternally with God. His Presence is the best present you can ever receive! Open your heart to His. Unwrap this once and be wrapped forever in His Love that keeps giving and giving! Wrap ourselves in Hope, Joy, Peace and Love - HIS - redeeming Love that brings Him through us to one another and restores the CALM in us and around us.
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Post note: I realized now after this published that I should have written a blog post each week during Advent, similar to this one and one coming on each of the Advent themes, since LOVE is one of the four; along with Hope & Joy (not done) but getting ready to do one for Peace. Who knows I may be inspired enough to go back and stick the two I missed into the previous blog posts? or just add them in between CHRISTmas Day & the New Year, as we close 2024.
