FOCUS: July One Words - 1st One: RELEASE

For the month of July, these will be the 4 One Words for us to "Focus" on:

RELEASE

July 7

PRAYER

July 14

JOY

July 21

MOVEMENT

July 28

<><><>

I will RELEASE the

One Word 

 FOCUS which is
RELEASE
{ta daaah!}
and the devotional's main Scripture Verse is from
Philippians 3:13 NIV

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.

but no RELEASE in that verse
As you know by now, when I prepare this blog post,
I still have not read the devotional yet
sometimes, I do a quick search of the FOCUS: One Word
in the devotional, but not for this week
as I think of the One "Word
RELEASE
and ask God to fill me with His love,
comfort and peace"
However, I will link to my topical search of RELEASE with the definition, etc.
and let you know that there are plenty of verses available with this
One Word: RELEASE
The other verses given for this week's RELEASE devotion are:
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV; Proverbs 28:13 NIV;Isaiah 46:4 NKJV; Psalm 55:22 GW

"Jesus, What I RELEASE, You redeem."

Thank You Redeemer!
<>

Let's RELEASE some of those feelings - old & new - honestly; and allow Jesus into walk with us through these as He redeems & restores our brokenness and reaches into our hearts & minds to set us free as we actually let go.

There is nothing too big or too small or impossible
that Jesus can't carry (and fix).
After all, He's our Burden Bearer! Our Redeemer!
I have much to
RELEASE
(perhaps you do also)
stuff that you've allowed to get stuffed inside
pent up 'old' past baggage
that you thought you
either dealt with then or somehow it disappeared
(but not really)
it was still there and it's time to let it go
RELEASE
empty it out and be filled anew
it might not be the "new year" time of resolution
but we can always resolve & start again
each moment of each day
a new heart 

for the heart of stone
a new spirit
FREE
from the old flesh:
thoughts, habits, emotions, struggles
everything
that you might need to
RELEASE
still
<>
It's OK
it's time to experience
being filled by the
Holy Spirit
breathe old out
inhale new in

HOLD

BE STILL

🙏

{not sure why I chose the C.S. Lewis quote & image, but it's good, so I left it}
Now to read the devotional by Cleere Cherry Reaves (CCR)
to be blessed & encouraged by her wisdom
to see how far off my own blog post on
RELEASE
may be
Nonetheless,
I clearly need to let go of much:
RELEASE and be REDEEMED
by the Spirit's power
in Christ Jesus!
🙏

INDEPENDENCE DAY - the 4th of JULY 2024

On this 2024 
4th of July
please take the time to pause 
and
PRAY for our NATION
my Call to All
(actually I believe it's God's Call to All!)
<><><>
I thought long and hard about this 4th of July as I prayed & decided to share this
 instead of what I previously posted (reverted to draft now for various reasons)

clip from "Independence Day" (1996) ofPresident Whitmore's speech, in this film, came from the inspiration of Robert (Bobby) Kennedy's speech made shortly after finding out Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot

"Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind." "'Mankind.' That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July and you will once again be fighting for our freedom … Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution … but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist." "And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: 'We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive!' Today we celebrate our Independence Day!" "

 I reflected much on our
INDEPENDENCE

May the words of this speech cause you to reflect on how very precious
our democracy of this republic really is

STAY ALERTMark 13:33-37 AMP1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 AMP1 Peter 5:8 ESVEphesians 6:18Matthew 24:42-44Luke 21:36PRAY ALWAYS💙

Again I ask you to consider taking a look at any of the 920 page pdf or project '25 manifestobefore voting in the 2024 election.
We have too much to lose!
We already are seeing
some of this.

[Even Yahoo had this recent article]
We need to make an informed vote in 2024.
Know everything about your candidate before you vote!
"Letters from An American"(a source I read & can count on)
<>
We celebrate the
4th of July
because it's when the 2nd Continental Congressestablished the United States of America(the separation of the colonies from Great Britain)with the adoption & ratification of theDeclaration of Independenceon July 4th, 1776

We do not need 
a king, a dictator, an autocrat!
We already declared our independence from this!
We cannot go backwards!
<>
Let's hope we still move forward and will commemorate
INDEPENDENCE DAY
in 2025
and our 250th in 2026!
Happy INTERdependence Day! 
seems a better word than just
 INDEPENDENCE DAY
because God created us to depend on Him & one another