i did a thing.

What did I think I was going to be doing this past Saturday night?  

Exciting stuff.  Working on Caroline's transcript that colleges are requesting as she's applying. 

What did I end up doing?

 

Actual exciting stuff. Going to Auburn and getting a tattoo with my 2 oldest kids (one of them got a tattoo, one did not).

[sniveling: the action of crying and sniffling in a feeble or fretful way.]

To quote my very fantastic brother, Lane, "to make a short story longer...."

I've thought about getting a tattoo for a long time...but not just a tattoo for the sake of a tattoo.  I've thought about getting the word "beloved" tattooed on my arm. (For a glimpse into why the word "beloved" click on the "living as his beloved" label to the left)(and listen to the song i am your beloved)

For years, if I've been in the presence of henna, "beloved" was what I had painted on my arm.... I've written "beloved" on my arm in sharpie....my incredibly amazing gift giving husband had temporary "beloved" tattoos made me for me as a birthday gift a few years ago. 

 

So I've thought about getting a tattoo for a while (but, hey, lots of us think about lots of things...) but I wasn't 100% sure of the font or size or exact placement - and my wise sister says that when it comes to tattoos (and possibly other things) "when you know, you know....and if you don't know, don't get it yet."  So I've been not knowing.  

AND my other philosophy (a very important one) is that I wasn't planning to pay for pain.  My plan was to drop enough hints that eventually someone was going to volunteer to take me and pay for it (my top 2 guesses were previously mentioned Amy or Grandaddy)(for the record - I am NOT a hint dropper when it comes to important things)

Fast forward a bit.  Sometime in the past few weeks (maybe months?  time baffles me a bit). I decided that if/when I got a tattoo, it would be the word "beloved" and it would be in typewriter font.  So now I knew....and I was just waiting on my patron....financier...benefactor...

A couple of weeks ago Eli sent me a text that said "Would you want to go get tattoos sometime? I know you've been wanting to get beloved and I think I'd like to get maranatha (in Hebrew)." 

My response: "I'm thinking yes...." (and I am amazed that he is certain of something at 18...took me double + 7 of that to be certain)

Side note (cause I want to say it as often as I can): I really love my teenagers.  I love them.  They are amazing.  I love them.  I like them. I enjoy them. 

Continuing on with the story. Saturday Eli was home from Impact...and was texting with some friends ...and said something along the lines of "some friends are in Opelika getting tattoos...want to go get a tattoo tonite?" The texting continues...."and if we go in the next hour it's free." 

Yes. Yes, I do want to go to Opelika and get a free tattoo. 

So we did.  It ended up being Auburn, not Opelika...close enough...and it was a legit tattoo shop with legit tattoo people.  It ended up being free because the guy (the ridiculously young looking guy in the pictures!) is an apprentice and can't charge for his services just yet.  

AND I love it.  It's just what I was hoping for (though I had a huge moment of doubt in the middle of the night Saturday....it looked really smudged and I thought the free tattoo had ended up terribly....thankfully that wasn't the case when I took the bandage thingy off Sunday morning)

AND I love Eli's tattoo (I'll leave it to him to explain the why behind it if he wants to). 

AND I love how I can have good plans...but God's got better.  I didn't want to pay for pain and I had a plan for how that was going to come to be....ended up that NOBODY had to pay for my pain.  AND it ended up that it wasn't all that much pain.  Seriously.  That was surprising.  The anticipation was far worse than the reality (lots could be said here....I'll save it for another blog...for now I'll just say that I'm glad to have a reminder that the anticipation is far more brutal than the reality).  

Other surprising parts (might not be surprising to anyone else): 1) he used a stencil!  He printed off exactly what I wanted and then sort of stamped it on me and then tattooed over it.  I always thought that tattoo artists were magically gifted with the ability to freehand anything and everything!!  and 2) when they are using a tissue to wipe stuff away during the process, I always assumed it was blood.  NOPE. it was excess ink.  I never saw a drop of blood.

I keep looking at my arm and being surprised afresh that it's permanent. And not surprised that I love it.  There's no other word I want etched on my arm for the rest of my time on earth than the description of who God says I am.  His beloved.  Fully known, fully loved. 

God, who do You say that I am?

This is so simple.  Yet so profound.  I dare you to do it (and am praying that God will open up some quiet time/space in your life to do it).

Simply write "God, who do you say that I am?"  at the top of the page and try to listen as He speaks.  Write down any words, phrases, pictures, song lyrics, or scriptures that come to mind.  Listen to the one and only opinion that Truly matters.  

And if you aren't hearing anything, that's ok - you're ok!  Maybe you could invite someone to pray with you and together listen to what the Lord may be saying (and I hope it goes without saying - but I'm happy to say it anyway - I would be more than HONORED to be that person. email me, we'll figure it out  diannacash@yahoo.com)

Surely there will be more to come. 

Prayer Night #2 - September 2019

Random assortment of thoughts for you tonite. 

1) It's been fun having the cafe open this week before and after prayer night.  A few of my favorite parts:

• Laura Lea's encouragement, kindness, presence and all-around awesomeness
• The coffee maker has been cooperating. 
• The uncommon generosity of one of the "most-talented-but-would-rather-remain-anonymous-doesn't-want-credit" bakers
• My delightful friend Katherine made a strawberry cake...the whole thing sold - piece by delicious piece. 
• The conversations at the bar.  Oh so similar to what used to happen every Sunday morning on the Africa Mercy.   Those conversations are life-giving and refreshing to me. 

2)Here are thoughts that were in my head and heart/what God was talking to me about tonite (some from worship, some from Colossians 3):

• Our God is WORTHY and TRUSTWORTHY
• Set your mind on things above.
• "Christ is my life."  Is He?  Is He truly my life?
• Pursue the things over which Christ presides (Col. 3:1 MSG)
• LET Christ's peace rule in your heart.  Allow it.  Let it.

3)And a little identity activity for you if you're interested: 

Sometimes the lies (from ourselves, from others, from the enemy) are so loud that we can't hear the Truth about who God says we are.  

2 questions to ask:

• What lies am I believing about my identity/who I am?
• What is God's truth in regards to that lie?

Take 2 cards/pieces of paper.  On 1, write the lie that you've been believing.  On the 2nd, write God's Truth.  Destroy the card with the lie (think lots of ripping or maybe even burning in a safe and smart way).   Take the 2nd card with you - every time the lie tries to creep in, read the Truth. Tell that lie to go back to hell where it belongs.  It's ok to talk dirty to the enemy.  He's a jerkface and a liar.  We don't have to be polite with him.  Read the Truth. Believe the Truth. 

Surely there will be more to come. 

Identity - a playlist

It's prayer week at CCC!  I really like prayer week.  Something significant happens when we intentionally come together with the purpose of hearing from God.  So much could be said here...but that's another post for another day. (I think I actually have a rough draft of a blog about prayer week at CCC...the what and the how and the such and such...)

In honor of prayer week I'm going to try (try!) to blog each evening...either an activity that could help us in our quest for true identity...or thoughts from the night....or, as is the case tonite, a helpful tool.

So...just in case you aren't able to make it to the prayer room at CCC and need a playlist of songs that remind you of who you are - of who HE says you are - here's one.  There's a variety of genres and artists...and the songs stretch over a few decades...so if you happen not to like one, just click on another one.  You may even want to listen with a pen in hand...jot down the words/phrases that stand out...draw pictures that God gives you.  Let Him remind you of who you are.  I don't think this blog is going anywhere...so feel free to listen to a song and then come back in a few days or a week and listen to another one...

I Will Change Your Name (Cross Ties)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyCAIA3mIMI

You Say (Lauren Daigle)

https://youtu.be/sIaT8Jl2zpI

No Longer Slaves (Bethel)

https://youtu.be/f8TkUMJtK5k

Who You Say I am (Hillsong)

https://youtu.be/lKw6uqtGFfo

Friend of God (Israel Houghton)

https://youtu.be/UI0cgUKMqRs

God Loves Me (Veggie Tales)

https://youtu.be/3ch239kCT3Q

Child of God (Vineyard)

https://youtu.be/cNeNGN2q-r8

More Than Conquerors (Rend Collective)

https://youtu.be/2p8_4NbrcKA

More Than Ashes (Tim Reimherr)

https://youtu.be/no9ZIOiAjhY

You are my Treasure (Chris Tomlin)
https://youtu.be/FVS3BLLQgh8

I Like Me (Kirk Franklin and Da Truth)

https://youtu.be/05lddfyhf3s

Come Out of Hiding (Steffany Gretzinger)

https://youtu.be/XFkDqQtfs0w

Refrigerator Art (Allen Levi)

https://youtu.be/JvIU9ZLKfjQ

The Anthem (Jesus Culture)

https://youtu.be/YIoZNqUQAGE

Fun fact: this last one is one of Nick's favorites...kind of like his fight song.

Other fun facts: the kirk franklin one is probably my favorite on the list...and the veggietales one always makes me cry.  i LOVE that God loves us whether we've made all the right decisions or whether we've messed up in all the ways.  He really loves us.  That's our identity:  loved by God.

Surely there will be more to come. 

thoughts from sunday's sermon - identity. beloved. hidden.

I had lots of thoughts during church yesterday morning and wanted to share them here.  These aren't really my notes from the sermon - but are things that came to mind during the sermon.  (I guess one could call those sermon notes - just wanted to clarify that these aren't really notes directly from what was spoken in the sermon) (I  must admit that I was pretty excited that my thoughts during the sermon had to do with the sermon - that's not always the case...)

We've started a new 4 week series at Christ Community on Identity (sermons can be found at ccclive.org - along with all kinds of other information about the life and happenings of CCC).

Identity is easily one of my most favorite topics.  If we all truly truly knew who we are in God...if we could all live as His beloved...man oh man.  That would change EVERYTHING!  We'd never feel insecure...we'd never compare...we'd never compete...we'd never be jealous...we could celebrate others...we would not worry or stress or strive...we could live in freedom and help others do the same...we could be loved and be love...

I want to live as His beloved.

The title of this 4 week sermon series is "Fully You"...though the phrase that came to my mind is "Fully His"...when we are fully His, we can be fully US (I can be fully me...you can be fully you...) When we know who God is (not perfectly, that's not possible!  He's so incredible to let us keep learning more and more and more about His character and love)...then we can hear who He says we are.

Questions to think on:

• Who do you say God is?
• What kind of God is He?
• What does His voice sound like in your life?

Side note: if our picture/sound of God is one of condemnation or harshness or stern overbearing, we probably need to spend some more time with Him...

While the sermon series is titled "Fully You" the title of the message was "Come Out of Hiding"...which immediately made me think of Steffany Gretzinger's song with the same name.

Just think on some of these lyrics for a minute...

Come out of hiding you're safe here with Me
There's no need to cover what I already see
'Cause I loved you before you knew it was love
Now rid of the shackles, My victory is yours  

You can read the full lyrics here if you'd like.

I am beyond grateful that we are safe with Him. No need to hide.  He sees us - everything about us!  AND HE LOVES US.  He knows my selfishness and my self-centeredness...He knows my propensity to get overwhelmed and frustrated and my ridiculous quickness to criticize and compare.  He knows me.  All of me.  AND HE LOVES ME.  (and it's true for you, too.  He truly loves you.)

And it's His Love that matters.  It's His opinion that matters.  It's always been His opinion that matters.  It's always been His Love that matters.

Allowing myself to be defined by my own opinions or the opinions of others is just faulty and unpredictable and unreliable and, in the words of Kid President "it's just not right." (#2 in this fabulous video) (you're welcome)

So now the question is:  

• Who does HE say that I am? 

This song could help you think on that.

• Who are you, TRULY?  
• Who does He say that you are? 

You can google "Who does God say that I am?" - and there are lots of resources and references and tools and sermons that are helpful  OR (and this is what I would recommend we all do) we can ask Him directly.  Just ask Him.  And sit and listen as He tells you who you are.  

Another one of my favorite questions to ask Him is, "God, what are your thoughts towards me?" That one is especially helpful when I'm feeling not so great about myself.

One of my final thoughts from yesterday's sermon goes back to "hiding".  Even though He's drawing us out of hiding - He says there's no need to hide from Him - He does say that we are hidden with Christ in God. So if you ever feel the need to hide, hide with Him.  Hide in Him.

And maybe in that hiding spot we can listen as He tells us more and more about who He is and who we are.

Surely there will be more to come.

in the middle (and outskirts) of difficult...aka "I'm not ok"

First off, it's difficult to write about difficult when you're in the middle of it.
----------------------------
Let me interrupt myself -- I wrote most of this post in early December (which you're going to find ironic when you read the rest of this).  And there's nothing in me that really wants to hit "publish" on this particular post.  But then there's something in me that knows this is significant....and this whole blog has always been about obedience.  So when He asks me to hit publish, hit publish I shall...

Interruption over, back to what I wrote in December....
----------------------------
I've decided it's human nature to wait until you're "better" to write/share/tell about the tough time you were having...maybe we don't like to not be doing so well - or maybe the "not doing so well" takes so much out of us that we don't have much leftover for sharing.  Or maybe it's just scary to not be doing well. Or maybe there's fear that if I admit to struggling, the struggle will just come exploding out like those little trick springy snake things that we used to stuff into cans as kids (and maybe, definitely, all of those things are true for me right now).

But I'm in the middle of it.  And I want to write about it.  But I don't know what to say.

It baffles me a bit because I love authenticity and I'm more than willing to admit that I struggle...

(sidenote: in a conversation with a friend we were talking about not having it all together - and i said that those are my favorite kind of people...those that don't have it all together - and some of my least favorite are those that pretend to have it all together when we really know no one has it all together.)

But it's not easy to say....

• I am struggling.
• I am not doing well.
• I don't have it all together.
• I am hurting.
• I am sad.
• I am dissatisfied and selfish and discontent.
• I am disappointed.
• I am dealing with feeling anxious more than ever before.
• I miss the ship more than I ever thought I would.
• I am frustrated. 

Not easy to say...and hard to look at in list form...But that's what I'm feeling.

Now comes the part when I should write about how I am satisfied in Jesus and He's all I need and He gives me joy and peace and purpose.  And, while all these things are true - so very true - and I really do believe them...I don't want to slap a Holy band-aid on something that needs a better solution.

The kittens are a good distraction.
Christmas preparations, another good distraction.

But ultimately I don't know that I'm ok or how to be ok.  And putting this out in a blog post feels like a cry for help...which it is not.  If you want to pray for me, feel free.  If you want to offer words of encouragement, those are always welcome.  But please don't feel like you are "supposed" to say anything...or that you "should" say something (life goal:  don't should on yourself and don't should on others).  Just be with me in this.  And for those of you reading this that are "with me" - thank you (and don't beat yourself up if you didn't realize that I'm not doing ok...it's ok!).

Really, so much is ok that we may not be sure is ok...

----------------------------
So now here it is March 2 and life feels better....and I'm close to hitting publish on this post...but I'm wondering what "ok" really even looks like...and realizing it may just be ok to not be ok....

In the past few weeks God has been grounding me (again...deeper...further...) in His love.  He has been so kind to remind me of His love - and my identity as His beloved.  He has been reminding me that He is faithful and trustworthy - and I can truly put my trust in Him (not in myself...not in Nick...not in the church...not in "ministry"...not even in my relationship with Him - ONLY IN HIM).

One song has especially been significant:

especially these lyrics:

I will build my life upon Your love. It is a firm foundation.  I will put my trust in You alone and I will not be shaken.  

So maybe i'm not ok...but that's ok. I am loved by a never-failing, always faithful, trustworthy God. And that's more than ok.  Even when those words have an empty feel to them, they aren't empty.  They are Truth...Cause it's not about my feelings....it's about His love and faithfulness.

I've yet to figure out how to fully share when I'm in the middle of difficult...maybe someday.  For now, thoughts from in the middle of it with some follow-up thoughts must be sufficient.

Abba's Child - quotes from chapters 4-6

Second installment of quotes from "Abba's Child" - all quotes from Brennan Manning unless otherwise noted!  

Chapter 4

It is important to recognize these self-commentaries for the mind tricks they are.  They have nothing to do with our real dignity.  How we view ourselves at any given moment may have very little to do with who we really are. - Gerald May

Only reckless confidence in a Source greater than ourselves can empower us to forgive the wounds inflicted by others.

I am reluctant to push God off His judgement seat and take my place there to pronounce on others when I have neither the knowledge nor the authority to judge anyone.  No one at this table has ever seen a motive.  Therefore, we cannot suspect what inspired the action of another.

We are sons and daughters of the Most High and maturing in tenderness to the extent that we are for others - all others - to the extent that no human flesh is strange to us, to the extent that we can touch the hand of another in love, to the extent that for us there are no "others."

The compassion of God in our hearts opens our eyes to the unique worth of each person.

I felt that to acknowledge their [prejudices] existence would give them power.  Ironically, denial and repression are in fact what gives them power.

What makes the Kingdom come is heartfelt compassion:  a way of tenderness that knows no frontiers, no labels, no compartmentalizing, and no sectarian divisions.  Jesus, the human Face of God, invites us to deep reflection on the nature of true discipleship and the radical lifestyle of Abba's child.

Chapter 5

As systematic theology advances, the sense of wonder declines.

Jesus did not die at the hands of muggers, rapists or thugs.  He fell into the well-scrubbed hands of deeply religious people...

Obedience was the expression of the love of God and neighbor, and therefore any form of piety that stood in the way of love stood in the way of God Himself.

...safe in the shadow of God's love.

Being accepted, enamored, and loved by God comes first, motivating the disciple to live the law of love.

Chapter 6

Without deliberate awareness of the present risenness of Jesus, life is nonsense, all activity useless, all relationships in vain.  - Don Watkins

All day and every day we are being reshaped into the image of Christ...nothing is irrelevant to it, nothing is without significance in it.

Jesus...the incarnation of all the Father's feelings and attitudes toward human kind.

The miracle of the gospel is Christ, risen and glorified, who this very moment tracks us, pursues us, abides in us, and offers HImself to us as companion for the journey!

Contemplative awareness of the risen Jesus shapes our resemblance to Him and turns us into the person God intended us to be.

Jesus, rather than self, is always the indispensable core of ministry...the moment we acknowledge that we are powerless, we enter into the liberating sphere of the risen One and we are freed from anxiety over the outcome.

This book is significant for me. I feel like I'm on the edge of something beautiful...like I've been circling around it and tasting of the goodness...and now He's inviting me to jump - free falling in His perfect love.  (which sounds pretty but is really a scary, scary picture...but that's just where I want to be - entirely surrounded, controlled, lost in His Love...want to jump with me?)

Abba's Child - quotes from chapters 1 - 3

I love it when God gives just the right book to read at just the right time.  Just one of His many kindnesses to me lately.  I've been a big fan of Brennan Manning for a long time - and have known about "Abba's Child" for a while...but haven't ever read it (though I've recommended it to others...that's risky business: recommending what you haven't read!  but I believe in Manning that much!).  

The library had a really great book sale a few months ago...the day we went, you could buy a brown paper grocery bag and fill it for $5.  Abba's Child (the above copy!) was just one of the treasures we put into our bag (if I had to guess, I'd say we got about $200 worth of books in that blessed brown bag!).  So I'd heard of the book...and even had it on my shelf...but still hadn't read it.  And then, about 2 weeks ago, I felt that gentle nudge and heard the sweet prompting of the Holy Spirit saying "start reading Abba's Child."

And what a delight it has been. What a gift to be reminded of my place as His beloved.  

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the first 3 chapters...all are from Manning unless otherwise noted.

Chapter 1 
We cannot assume that He feels about us the way we feel about ourselves - unless we love ourselves compassionately, intensely, and freely.

When I relapsed, I had two options: yield once again to guilt, fear and depression; or rush into the arms of my heavenly Father - choose to live as a victim of my disease; or choose to trust in Abba's immutable love.

Whether you understand it or not, God loves you, is present in you, lives in you, dwells in you, calls you, saves you and offers you an understanding and compassion which are like nothing you have ever found in a book or heard in a sermon. - Thomas Merton

...acknowledge out utter nothingness before him.

They are more displeased with their own shortcomings than they would ever dream of being with someone else's they are sick of their own mediocrity and disgusted by their own inconsistency.

Being the beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.  -Henri Nouwen

We learn to be gentle with ourselves by experiencing the intimate, heartfelt compassion of Jesus.  To the extent that we allow the relentless tenderness of Jesus to invade the citadel of self, we are freed from dyspepsia toward ourselves, Christ wants us to alter our attitude toward ourselves and take sides with Him against our own self-evaluation.

If I make anything out of the fact that I am Thomas Merton, I am dead.  And if you make anything out of the fact that you are in charge of the pig barn, you are dead.  Quit keeping score altogether and surrender yourself with all your sinfulness to God who sees neither the score nor the scorekeeper but only His child redeemed by Christ. - Thomas Merton

dare to live as forgiven men and women

Chapter 2

His heart is buried with Christ in the Father's love...

We are made for God, and nothing less will really satisfy us.

Prayer is essentially...the breathing of our own deepest request to be united with God as fully as possible. - Jeffrey Imbach

Whatever is denied cannot be healed.

Come to grips with our selfishness and stupidity...

The art of gentleness toward ourselves leads to being gentle with others...

You belong to Me and no one will tear you from My hand.

The longer you spend time in the presence of Jesus, the more accustomed you grow to His face, the less adulation you will need because you will have discovered for yourself that He is Enough.  And in the Presence, you will delight in the discovery of what it means to live by grace and not by performance.

Chapter 3
...the highest spiritual development was to be ordinary...

...the story of an ordinary man whose soul was seduced and ravished by Jesus Christ.

Define yourself radically as one beloved by God.  God's love for you and his choice of you constitute your worth.  Accept that, and let it become the most important thing in your life.

Encounter God in the ordinariness....in our simple presence in life.

You are the beloved, and all I hope is that you can hear these words as spoken to you with all the tenderness and force that love can hold.  - Henri Nouwen

The indispensable condition for developing and maintaining the awareness of our belovedness is time alone with God.  In solitude we turn out the nay-saying whisper of our worthlessness and sink down into the mystery of our true self.

Our identity rests in God's relentless tenderness for us revealed in Jesus Christ.

...in my brokenness, in my powerlessness, in my weakness that Jesus was made strong.

At certain times in our lives, we made an adjustment in the course of our lives.  This was one of those time for me.  If you were to look at a map of my life, you would not be aware of any noticeable difference other than a slight change in direction.

...an ordinary evangelical man who had encountered the God of ordinary people.  The God who grabs scalawags and ragamuffins by the scruff of the neck and raises them up to seat them with the princes and princesses of His people.

Has the thunder of "God loved the world so much" been so muffled by the roar of religious rhetoric that we are deaf to the word that God could have tender feelings for us?

...being alone with the Alone, experiencing the transcendent Other and growing in awareness of one's identity as the beloved...

Failure to recognize the value of mere being with God, as the beloved, without doing anything, is to gouge the heart out of Christianity.  -Edward Schillebeechx

unexpected blog post drafts, living loved, and getting it from our heads to our hearts

i found a few blog post drafts that i had forgotten all about....finding drafts of blog posts is like finding $5 in your coat pocket when you put it on after it's been hanging in your closet for 3 seasons.  or like finding a mini-snickers in your purse that you thought you'd cleaned out (that happened today).  or realizing that you have more on a giftcard than you thought you did!  pure gift.  thought i'd share some of what i found...

this link is to an article all about head knowledge and heart knowledge and truly experiencing the Love God has for us.  the article meant alot to me when a friend shared it - and it meant alot to me when i re-read it earlier today.

this link is to an interview with brennan manning (he'd make my list of all time favorite humans if i was to make such a list) about living as God's beloved.

And THIS (the following 6 paragraphs) are some thoughts I shared with my friend who shared the first article with me...i'm not sure when i wrote this (sometime in the last 2-3 years while we were on the Africa Mercy - during one of our summers in Durban) but it's all still very much true. 

...that article resonates with me in so many different ways.  

i was waiting for a “quiet moment” to read the article- when i could give it my full attention and heart - because i had a feeling it was going to be special.  so i came in from my run this morning - (a super early run right on the beach here in durban..we carpool over there, run and get back in time for people to get ready for work) to a quiet cabin (it feels like a miracle when children are sleeping and it’s past 7:00am!).  so i showered and fixed a cup of coffee and sat with the Lord and this article.  

what kay wrote is so much of what i’ve felt/have been feeling.  i love it when God gives someone else words to help express what’s been in my head and heart - and, of course, it’s comforting to know that i’m not the only one thinking/feeling this way!!

that “how does it get from your head to your heart?” is such a recurring question.  i love how she used the phrase “the gift of a nervous breakdown.”  there have been moments when i’ve wondered if i’ve been close to something of that nature…i’m definitely feeling more broken than i can ever remember feeling…but i also feel more sure of His love and acceptance of me than i can ever remember feeling. 

i love that Love is here.  in the mess. in the real. in the good. in the bad. in the everything that is dianna...Love is here.  i still don't know how to fully live in it…but i’ll keep trusting. 

"Love believes in me…and it never lets me go.”  that’s beautiful!

maybe something in one of the links - or in my rambling words - made you think or caused you to ask questions or provided some peace or reassurance.  feel free to share any findings/questions/encouragement with me... diannacash@yahoo.com 

may we all experience the love of God today - in all of its mysterious, unfathomable fullness.