love, Jesus, God <3 annabeth istvan love, Jesus, God <3 annabeth istvan

field to french toast

embrace messy process

eggy & sweet, spongy & tasty to eat—french toast breakfast delicacy delivers cinnamon-y & syrup-y goodness!

from flour milled to bread baked, French toast requires time, care, & work, to eventually produce this delightful morning time sweet—a process!

like cooking French toast, our lives are process. we don’t wake up to insta-sweetness. we wade through grief. we battle sickness or even the fight to believe. but when we submit to Jesus, trusting His process, we will find goodness in the end. it won’t always be sweet in the moment, but we can look ahead to the glorious, good ending, & be encouraged.

 

french toast starts with bread.

 

bread starts with flour.

 

flour starts with grains, seeds or roots.

 

making flour is a process. wheat flour comes from wheat berry undergoing cleaning, soaking, separating, milling, sifting, maturing & packaging.

 

like the flour creating process, the book of Ruth in the Bible contains some great wisdom concerning waiting, trusting, & being in God’s will & timing. when Naomi returned to her homeland, with no husband & no sons, she was so devestated that she changed her name to Mara, meaning bitter. what if the story stopped there? her debilitating grief would have been a tragic ending. maybe in the moment, that was all she saw. but it was not the end.

it was the middle.

 

you are in the middle. it could feel like the end. it could feel like life will never get better. but when we surrender & put our trust in Jesus, the best is yet to come.

 

what if we stopped when french toast was flour dust? would that taste very good? yuck, how bitter! wait, keep going. it gets sweeter.

 

once flour is made, it needs a person to purchase it.

then, the next step is baking bread.

 

baking bread involves gathering ingredients, adding proper amounts of flour & its friends, kneading, rising, waiting, shaping, rising again, preheating, baking, cooling. another process.

remember Naomi? her life seemed hopeless, but wait. watch. she may have felt it was over but it was not done yet. her daughter in law began to glean. her daughter in law went to the threshing floor of Boaz, Kinsman Redeemer. there was yet story to tell.

 

if there’s breath in your lungs, God’s not done. it’s not done yet!

 

once bread is baked, we need to make French toast!

step one: wait for the bread to become stale. wait. i’ll say that again—part of the process is waiting!

Naomi, after quite the rollercoaster, eventually became the grandmother of Obed—one of the descendants of Christ! her waiting was worth it.

beat a bowl of eggs till the yolks are broken & blended, & be broken yourself, open & humble. add cinnamon. milk. vanilla. then soak the stale bread. soak, rest, be. fry the bread, both sides, till it becomes rich breakfast dessert! lather in butter, drench in syrup & Walla! ENJOY the fruit of the PROCESS. (& ENJOY the process, too!!!)

so, from field to French toast, from Ruth to Boaz, from your birth to your death, it’s all PROCESS. learn to submit to Jesus & trust Him in the middle. don’t bemoan where you are or despair because you can’t see beyond. but choose to rejoice because the Process Maker is Good! then enjoy where you are when you are, rest.

 

the best is yet to come.

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love, grace, good <3 annabeth istvan love, grace, good <3 annabeth istvan

know + go

know the Lord & walk with Him 🫶

For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.”

Psalm 88 ESV

Do you know how you need healed?

“Yahweh claims the world as his. Everything and everyone belong to him! He’s the one who pushed back oceans to let the dry ground appear, planting firm foundations for the earth. Who, then, is allowed to ascend the mountain of Yahweh? And who has the privilege of entering into God’s Holy Place? Those who are clean—whose works and ways are pure, whose hearts are true and sealed by the truth, those who never deceive, whose words are sure. They will receive Yahweh’s blessing and righteousness given by the Savior-God. They will stand before God, for they seek the pleasure of God’s face, the God of Jacob. Pause in his presence So wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you doorways of eternity! Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through you. You ask, “Who is this King of Glory?” Yahweh, armed and ready for battle, Yahweh, invincible in every way! So wake up, you living gateways, and rejoice! Fling wide, you eternal doors! Here he comes; the King of Glory is ready to come in. You ask, “Who is this King of Glory?” He is Yahweh, armed and ready for battle, the Mighty One, the invincible commander of heaven’s hosts! Yes, he is the King of Glory! Pause in his presence”

Psalms 24

Do you know Him who fills? When you feel the broken, do you try to paste the pieces together yourself? Do you pretend you’re okay? Or do you go to God? Just fallapart at His feet!  He will touch you & you will be well.

Know the Lord. Become. Belong. Believe. Partake of Real.

What is the food of God?

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.””

John 6:27-40, 47-51, 53-58 ESV

 

What is God saying here in John 6? Ask Him. Receive from Him for yourself. Know. Go. & all out of Be-ing. This, is the life of God.

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love, grace, life <3 annabeth istvan love, grace, life <3 annabeth istvan

lily pad well

there is rest in the quiet secret

the sweet repose of a water lily paints a picture of stillness & rest.

a refuge, for frogs & dragonflies, insects of all families, to pause.

the green leaf only a glimpse of the plant, as long stems wind down to pond bottom where roots nestle, a hidden network. it’s through secret connection the flower floats & flourishes, through this abiding deep below the water, all things flow.

rest is enjoyed, by many, because the water lily is planted, tucked in & secure in a deep place only it knows.

because of this, it grows & it provides a place of refreshment for the world around it.

in all this, its quiet strength is an invitation to you & to me to come & be.

another picture of abiding like the architecture of the lily pad, is a well. A string connected to a bucket pulleys down, drawing on the depths of the springs of water.

like the water lily, may we have secret hidden stems that sweep down, anchoring & connecting us to Life Himself, apart from whom we can do no thing. & from this place of abiding, we enjoy rest & are made into rest for those around us to be refreshed to be renewed, to pause & be a while.

 may the life hidden in us become a living spring, welling up to water the world around us with beauty, rest, & love.

 may we lily pad & draw on Jesus well—today, & each day.

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Jesus, love, life, hope, ride, enjoy <3 annabeth istvan Jesus, love, life, hope, ride, enjoy <3 annabeth istvan

go forward by guide

have more fun!!

rollercoaster.

we get on—for thrill & for fun—& all we know is we’re sitting down, strapping in, in for the ride. then, as we’re uplifted, we drop, fly, roar! wherever the tracks guide. we’re completely out of control, all we can do is sit, go with the flow, & laugh.

isn’t this true—life in God is a little like a rollercoaster. whooosh! we’re going forward in Him, by trust & rest, & it is fun. Joy. Freedom! we don’t have to figure it out. we just need to trust. The Life Engineer made the thing, & on Him we depend!

we only need Oil for the track & no fear. but if our roller coaster car gets stuck in the muck of afraid, we must get oil—by going to Secret Place, where Abba Father Friend will strengthen us, again.

so go.

Trust.

Fly! Free.

The Guide has a plan. sit down in Him. hold fast, buckle. Rest.

& don’t forget to smile.

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Jesus, love, real <3 annabeth istvan Jesus, love, real <3 annabeth istvan

touch my ugly

rainbow caresses

touch my ugly

let Your love light up my coffin

be with me & the cobwebs

 wisp away, my heart remembers

its song

again

& everything new—

from my piano key toes

 to garden brain.

I want to walk with You in the

cool of the day, going forward

together

that’s all I desire:

together.

have my ugly. I let

You in—to my basement

of dark & spiders & dust

fix me. find me.

only You can

make it better

the pain like cabooses crushing

my chest

yet normal

because it’s all i’ve known

yet You

yet, You

touch my ugly

wash my wounds

i’m ready

100% seen

all the way

known

I welcome

You

I’m done

hiding

behind my leaf loin

 cloth

find me

have me

i’m Yours

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joy, Jesus, grace, love, heart <3 annabeth istvan joy, Jesus, grace, love, heart <3 annabeth istvan

pocket

what is within you?

what’s in your pocket?

I don’t mean your jeans or purse, but the space available. we’re all, in a sense, pockets, in that we hold finite, numerable amounts. pockets.

what’s in your pocket? what’s in your heart, your mind, what occupies your space & time? what’s in you?

 the Bible says out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. what’s in you will come out. what’s coming out of you, & therefore what’s inside? if you’re saying some not nice things, like complaining, worrying, gossiping, being mean with your mouth, go to God. because that is an indicator of an area of your heart that needs touched by Yeshua. out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks it says. be aware.

 what’s in your pocket? if in your literal pocket, you have, say a phone & keys, would there be space for sunglasses? probably not. what is there—the phone & keys—occupy the available area, not allowing something else like sunglasses in. in the same sense, we have limited heart real estate. you can’t have space for it all. if your heart is occupied by clutter—worldly noise & the din & chaos of here— you won’t have space inside for Heaven.

we must empty ourselves, to make room for Him.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

heaven belongs to those who recognize their need to be emptied.

for every lie there is a truth. for every piece of junk occupying room in our hearts, there is a treasure longing to take its place.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV

we must identify the lies & in their place, look for that which is true.

we must allow ourselves to be undone, unraveled & start completely over. square one. only then can we be full of good & God.

 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-8

take some time to inventory. what’s within? pray—talk to God. listen. seek. ask. see & let the Lord deal with your interior. let Him empty out those pockets of earth trash wrappers & manmade things, so you can have room for Him to make His Home within.

 

Lord, would You empty us. flip us upside down & empty our pocket of everything crammed in there! please! all the lollipop wrappers & lipstick, old gum wads & crumbs… the junk, trash, trauma, sin, flesh, evil, me-me-me-me-me… empty us so we can have space to receive anew. we want heaven—YOU! get all the room in us. become our home. be our heart. we just want You.

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Yeshua, love, free, holy, happy, dance <3 annabeth istvan Yeshua, love, free, holy, happy, dance <3 annabeth istvan

dancer of my dreams

juicy love story more beautiful than sunrise

flush fresh air

lungs gasp flowers—

first time!

lily tulip rose tune

music erupt

toe smile

I know you

this hug home—

my best Friend,

God!

each inside joke

between us

secret laughter

sparkle sprinkle confetti

the salt to my soup

rain to my fields

my gills in ocean

bread to my sandwich

oh! You!

I can’t explain love

but love’s my life

my reality

I experience You every second—

knight rescue,

dragon drooling last breath

because You

came

delighted in me

dream too good to be true

fairy tale realized

You’re the snow globe I’m never gonna leave

my safe space my husband and security

I LOVE YOU

You don’t get in accidents

You don’t spill or change

the only One i’ll never have to forgive

my Lover is perfect

Hallelujah, earth friend! find your gold with me—the live forever hidden treasure box, it exists!!

 the only thing—treasure is a person not a thing. make Him your one thing & life will change. daily puking will disappear. you’ll never need to walk on your elbows again—no more orphaning

you’ll be safe for first time. from drowning to dancing, that’s what King does, who King is

let’s get lost in the maze of His gaze

escape to other space

there’s nothing like being loved by the universe breather

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found, free, love, fun, happy <3 annabeth istvan found, free, love, fun, happy <3 annabeth istvan

FUN 🎉

the God of the universe wants to play with you

tummy blender hill bender hair dryer screaming higher, rollercoaster adrenaline. black & white abc’s absorb tea steam bathes in afternoon sunlight cat on lap, book lover dream. tall friends of brown & green lead eyes up with their branches waving in breeze fresh air canyon view flowerswild & sparkly dew, hikers paradise. board game night camaraderie around the table laugh till snort, pee—the gang’s all here. travel high flying jet to new everything exotic cuisine like cuy bright geometric patterned shawl funky music hola que tal? adventure junkie delight.

 

what’s your idea of fun?

have you thought of the Presence of God, as fun?

the bible says in psalm 16 that in His presence is fullness of joy. better than the most desirable & enjoyable thing imaginable, is Jesus.

God is fun.

He wants to have fun with us.

have you ever spent more than a half hour around a young child? If so you’ll know their world is quite different from ours! Their world revolves around laughter & play. Good Dads love to wrestle with their children, chase them & be the tickle monster, make blanket forts, & pretend.

 

a childs entire existence can be summed up into the word FUN.

 

so if we’re the children of God, we are waking up to playing with our Dad.

 

He rescues us because He delights in us (psalm 18:19)!

 

 “Yahweh your God is in your midst, A mighty one who will save. He will be joyful over you with gladness; He will be quiet in His love; He will rejoice over you with joyful singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

 

“in the wilderness you saw how Yahweh your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’”

Deuteronomy 1:31

 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:12-13

 

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

Philippians 4:4

 

He loves to play with His kids. when we’re resting, we’re enjoying Jesus. when we’re enjoying Jesus, we’re resting. there is rest available today. it’s in the eyes of love. in the arms that carry you & the laughter—oh it’s in the laughter!

enjoy Jesus today, as Jesus enjoys you

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God is love, love, i love you, romance, abide <3 annabeth istvan God is love, love, i love you, romance, abide <3 annabeth istvan

pillow talk

God is good, the best ever!

You’re not like the others. You’re not like the sand, shifting and eroding, ebbing and flowing as tide comes and leaves. or star—born, sparkle, implode. breath, comes, goes. there’s grace laced throughout Your royal robes and burning eyes, leaving no trace of former scars or lies. You love to forgive, You love to forget—You don’t count my mistakes, or look at my forsaken state of mind. but call me beloved, found, Yours… all along. this false reality—me me me—ice melting beneath, nowhere to go but sink, is taken in a blink. when You look at me.

 

and taken, I am. Your gaze undoing every corner and crevice of things I thought I knew. unraveled, a puddle of yarn and knelt knees. I can barely stand that You would look at me. this love, so intense. I feel like rowing away. yet I’m drawn ever sweetly, stayed. can’t make sense of this, don’t even wanna. i’m this beckoning fits my longing like a gloved hand. here we are, together. I never knew I missed You till we met. this Sun never stops shining. this Guide never stops giving. this God never stops pursuing. i can’t get away from You, why, why would i want to? nowhere else to go. even if I leave, You love.


You don’t leave. day 693, still. the same. unchanged. unmoved. like gazing at fire licking air on crisp night, I stare, at You. You don’t get old and You’re never boring. like Christmas morning or my wedding day, how can this elation stay? yet You elaborate, showing me more, then more, somehow more love. right here, so present. how do You be this way? so unlike all the other lovers, who left, never stayed. who left me hungry, wanting. chip bags full of empty, air. staring into vacant stands. reaching for green paper to buy another new, same disappointment. an island of misery. why did no one ever tell me I could be free, for free? given everything—You.


*this is an excerpt from my book, Microwave the Moon. i hope it blesses you! Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/040vdod

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Yours, Yeshua, connect, trust, abide, remain, love <3 annabeth istvan Yours, Yeshua, connect, trust, abide, remain, love <3 annabeth istvan

connection = life

bungee well—

abide in the vine !

when a person bungee jumps, they’re depending on the cord to keep them connected, to keep them alive! we, too, need to live connected, to remain in the vine.

stay strong in connection, keep yourself in the confines of love. know connection is life. Jesus, thank You for being our lifeline. we are nothing without You! please keep us, help us want You. teach us Your ways & may all we do flow out of connection & communion with You.

for without You we perish.

but with You, we soar. so have all of us & more. have this life You gave us, & let the love You’ve shown us be multiplied through fruitful abiding.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you

John 15:1-7

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stewardship, gift, love, encouragement, happy <3 annabeth istvan stewardship, gift, love, encouragement, happy <3 annabeth istvan

frog finesse

lily circle green bump leaps—flying through  air, flinging her whole self forward with one grand thrust—a royal proclamation of God’s creativity, wisdom, and beauty.

no one jumps like the frog!

zoom in on these propelling frog legs, made with denser muscle fibers and other special features that make a frog capable of leaping like no other creature on earth. frog, known for her strange leg strength, sings or rather croaks a frequency of God’s glory that no other animal created can.

the frog’s ability to jump unique & unusual is given from above just like from above an unusual & unique way is given each & every one of us.

everyone has some sort of special strength!

maybe great ideas come easily to you, or you’re able to fix anything. maybe you can pick up other languages without trouble, or you’re really good with numbers. maybe you can paint murals or run marathons. maybe you can make anyone feel at home by being friendly or you can improvise music.

we all have a frog leg.

if you’re not sure what your unique capability is, ask those in your life. they’ll know.

whatever your frog leg is—that attribute custom cut to you—use it well for the glory of God. can you whip up a mean pie? then bake your heart out. can you crack home runs? then win the derby. can you sing like an angel? belt it.

whatever your gift, don’t neglect it.

use it!

and remember, whatever your file cabinet of excuses could be (no time, i’m a mom, not good enough, inexperienced, no money, etc), God’s Grace is on you to leap!

imagine a frog who never jumped. now that would just be wrong. God didn’t give the frog hind legs for nothing!

so jump!

give God your all with what He’s given you. steward that special something to be what He gave it into the earth to be. don’t quench the image of God in you but let what He deposited into the earth through you be sown.

for the glory of the Son, shine!

let your gift leap!!

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here, God, creates, love <3 annabeth istvan here, God, creates, love <3 annabeth istvan

how many times has God changed field’s pillowcase?

beetle toesocks, turtle shell patters, cloud designs—WOW

how many jellyfish jig dance recitals has God choreographed?

how many waterfalls gush in secret, cascading down cliffside mountain crag, hidden and glorious?

how many stars He’s named!

how many times has He vacuumed earth dew back up to Heaven, only for it to fall again when clouds unglue? how do lightning bugs lead dragonflies at night? how to be whale’s doula, or the tulip’s joy.

how many ant parades He’s led, how many birds’ songs He’s composed, how many baby birds He’s coaxed out of their nest for their first time to fly, or sunrises He’s painted, storms He’s sketched…

we really are ignorant of all these grandiose and important daily miracles! yet God conducts it all, from His beauty for His glory.

daily these hidden mysteries, of wonder and awe, are created and cared for by God—from whom and for whom all things live and move and have their being. & daily these hidden mysteries escape us. yet He still does them, all for Himself.

of all God’s endless secret beauty on earth, the most amazing to me is that the evolving hairs on your head are all numbered.

the tears you’ve wept, kept in His bottle.

the details of you, fully known and fully loved.

so let the God of detail and universe, ocean and atom, come after you. let Him hug you to life. because He lives and loves and longs for you to love Him, too.💙

Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food? Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does? Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth, when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young? Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger? Job 38

The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in Heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. Colossians 1:15-20

God perfectly knows Himself and, being the source and author of all things, it follows that He knows all that can be known. And this He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn.

AW Tozer

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”
Psalm 139:1-18 ESV

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identity, redemption, love, hope, life, Jesus <3 annabeth istvan identity, redemption, love, hope, life, Jesus <3 annabeth istvan

celebrate

God dances

from pit to party, God touched my life.


depression to dancing, weeping to wonder. from so covered in ashes that I was unrecognizable, to becoming beautiful.


God is good; I am living proof.

happy in God

touch the love of God available to you, too!

the shift you’re looking for is right in front of your face.

there are shoes we wear, called seasons, & every sole has its story. thankfully, with Yahweh, even the broken bits get blessed—nothing wasted, everything redeemed.

whatever you’ve been through—we all have shattered—you’re one cry from fixing. one tear drop from all those pieces being a mosaic! just go to your Maker, look to Dad. He’s with you, in this, right here.

never be afraid.

& if you’ve read this far, know God loves you. He alone heals, He alone forgives, hugs, guides! whatever you need, wherever you are, surrender.

that breath in your lungs is opportunity. surrender to the One who breathed breath life into you & see—

He is light.

He loves you.

He is good, real, here.

may the same brokenness made beauty in my life, be given to you, too. may you see. may you dance. & may all the sad become untrue. if He did it for me, He can do it for you!

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