I had a wonderful birthday on Thursday, celebrating 63 years living on planet earth with my beloved husband and my amazing sister-in-Christ, Diane Joffe. Since it was Veteran’s Day, and all three of us are Veterans, we went out to Applebee’s to enjoy our Veteran’s meal. When we returned home, my husband lavished me with two dozen roses, clothes, and a card.

 

 

My precious sister Diane made me one of my favorite cakes. I also received gifts and cards from my sister, Tonyea. And to top off the occasion, I was serenaded by my younger sister Tracy and immersed in the love and well wishes of so many of my spiritual family and friends… I am awesomely blessed! Thank you!!!!

 

 

As I spent time with my Diane this past week, it was so beautiful watching her grow in the wonders of our Lord’s grace and love…I am always in awe! Diane loves Jesus with all her heart and soul. She is adamant about letting go or removing everything that hinders her from knowing and experiencing His life and love for her. It is so amazing how our Father before time began ordained us to be next-door neighbors. It is kind of funny, Diane is Jewish-Italian, and me African American woman. We are so different and yet ONE IN CHRIST; He has knitted us together. We enjoy fellowshipping together. Just the other day as I was leaving her, I said these words. “The next time we spend time together, I want you to search out this one little phrase, FOR HIM, and tell me what it means to you? Yesterday as we met for lunch, she shared her glorious discoveries with me. She could not find the phrase FOR HIM alone, but it was connected to the phrase BY HIM and FOR HIM. One of the scriptures she shared was Revelations 4:11.

 

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honor, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

 

Wow! We were created by God FOR HIM but greater still is this word “pleasure.” She and I talked about what the word pleasure means. Diane said, “It means delight, joy, to make one happy, to bring satisfaction.” Oh yes, it also means to meet another’s desire. Two of my favorite passages of scriptures in the Amplified version of the Bible say,

 

For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. Colossians 1:16

 

 All things were made and came into existence through Him and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. I John 1:3

 

I woke up from a dream one morning, and in the dream I was talking to an elderly man who was transitioning to the end of his life. He said to me “I have no idea what the journey of life was all about.” He loved Jesus, he had accrued a lot of money and material wealth. He had a loving family and friends who adored him, yet he stood perplexed. In my dream, I told him these words, “You were created BY HIM and FOR HIM. Life was about fulfilling the desires and heart of God through you and to experience His infinite love and grace in all of life’s challenges and circumstances as you depended on Him.”

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Today, I pray as you hear His voice, ask the Lord, to make these words a reality in your life if they are not. Life is not about money, people, family, or friends even though all those things are so wonderful. However, when we leave this earth, we will leave them all behind. The one and only thing we will enjoy eternally is KNOWING and EXPERIENCING the wonders and depths of our relationship with our Lord Jesus, Father, and the Holy Spirit. We were born out of the heart of our Father…Besides the Incarnation of Christ, we were God’s greatest design! How wonderful is that?

 

Here are some wonderful scriptures I took from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible.

 

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:1-4

 

Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. I Corinthians 8:6

 

⁹ And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who live for ever and ever,

 

 ¹⁰ The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that live for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

 

¹¹ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou has created ALL THINGS, and FOR THY PLEASURE they are and were created. Revelation 4:9-11 KJV

 

Every day of my life I am enjoying more and more Jesus Christ, The Eternal Life and Lover of My Soul, and my Heavenly Father who loves me deeply and completely! How about you?

 

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Enjoy Christ, Enjoy Life!