extravagant love

This is the heart of the Father - extravagant love. Love that is lavish, boundless, limitless. Love as a mighty, rushing river and a gently flowing stream. Love that energizes and exhilarates. Love that liberates and empowers. The Father delights to lavish His extravagant love on us!

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Father's love!

revolution

Last week in Los Angeles, I came across an interesting marquee on Hollywood Boulevard, just across from the famed Grauman's Chinese Theater. As I read the message, I couldn't help but think of the revolution the Holy Spirit is bringing on the earth - a revolution birthed in the Father's heart - a revolution of love. What are the foundational precepts of this revolution?

1. Our love for God and others originates in the Father's loving heart for us! (1 John 4:19)

2. As we embrace the Father's loving heart for us, we are empowered to love as He loves! (Luke 10:27)

3. As we love with the Father's love, our world WILL be changed! (1 Corinthians 13:8)

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Father's love!

freedom

"Jesus was truly free. His freedom was rooted in his spiritual awareness that he was the Beloved Child of God. He knew in the depth of his being that he belonged to God before he was born, that he was sent into the world to proclaim God's love, and that he would return to God after his mission was fulfilled. This knowledge gave him the freedom to speak and act without having to please the world and the power to respond to people's pains with the healing love of God."

- Henri Nouwen

Live free! Live in Father's love!

father's blessing

This "blessing" was prayed over Henri Nouwen by his spiritual mentor:

"May all your expectations be frustrated,
May all your plans be thwarted,
May all your desires be withered into nothingness,
That you may experience the powerlessness and the poverty of a child, and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son and the Spirit."

What an apt description of the blessing I have received from the Father over the past 12 months. What a stark constrast to the blessings we often seek from the Father. Thanks to Wayne Jacobsen for sharing this on The God Journey podcast - my favorite!

- Lindsay

Live free! Live in Father's love!

father's gift

"Uncommon love is the Father's gift to us in Christ. We are to be loved in a way that is healing, releasing and uplifting. In His love we see ourselves as the Father sees us. He sees the best in us. He loves our potential. He has a plan for our freedom and our welfare that is wrapped in His goodness and kindness. He has dealt with our past and He owns our future. Today while it is still called today let us live in the present moment, filled and surrounded by uncommon love."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!

living relationally

"I love the term ‘relational’ when it speaks of how we live this walk. To me, it means to live out of relationships—the first one with the community of Father, Son and Spirit, and then to share that experience of community with people in our lives.

"I notice the term, however, is now being used by people to describe house church, small groups, or even large congregations that set to be more focused on relationships. People even write me telling me they want to be more relational so they are going to start a small group in their home.

"Living relationally is not about whether or not you go to a specific group. Living relationally means you recognize that God is a God of relationships and works through our relationship with him and our relationships with others. Those who are relational make room in their lives for relationships. They get to know their colleagues at work, their neighbors down the street and find time to encourage other believers, whether they are or are not on a similar journey. And when they find brothers and sisters who share their passion and hunger for the kingdom they take time to let those relationships grow, whether it is through face-to-face contact if that is possible, or even on discussion boards and email if it isn’t.

"Being relational is an active lifestyle, looking to engage relationships, even at the most rudimentary level to anyone that crosses their path. It may only be a greeting in passing at an airport, or a conversation in the grocery store line, but it says that people are important to Father and to me and I’m going to make room in my lives for others, and watch what God does with the relationships he gives me…

"Don’t go this alone, or wait quietly in your home for fellowship to break out. Just live each day open-handed and gracious to everyone you can, without any agenda, and watch what God will do through you to bless others, and through others to encourage you."

- Wayne Jacobsen, Living the Relational Journey

Live free! Live in Father's love!

endless love

“'Love one another as I have loved you.' Not just a command but a glorious possibility. It tells us the extent of our freedom. Such love makes God glorious. He shines with love. He radiates with the splendor of His love and when we are touched by the magnificence of such love our selfishness is burned away. It is wonderful to be loved in return but our hearts are no longer defined by what we receive. Love is who God is and who we are becoming in Him.

"Think of it. A life full of possibilities in the endless love of the Father. His love is enthralling. It captures us, ravishes our heart and then joyfully commands us to do the same. We have permission to love outrageously.

"In God, all things are possible."

- Graham Cooke, "Uncommon Love"

Live free! Live in Father's love!