The feet of His Bride are shod for the walk of her life.    

New American Standard Bible               

Song of Solomon 7:1a “How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
         O prince’s daughter!”

Amplified Bible
Song of Solomon 7:1a “[THEN HER companions began noticing and commenting on the attractiveness of her person] How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O queenly maiden!”

New International Version
Song of Solomon 7:1a “How beautiful your sandaled feet,
       O prince’s daughter!”

The Message                                                                                                                  

Song of Solomon 7:1a “Shapely and graceful your sandaled feet, and queenly your movement—”

When heaven and earth agree, the Bride and Her Beloved celebrate their marriage declaring His Glory among the nations.

New American Standard Bible

New International Version

Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations,
       his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Amplified Bible

Psalm 96:3 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.

The Message

Psalm 96:2-3 Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,
   Take the news of his glory to the lost,
   News of his wonders to one and all!

Mary’s wedding dress was handmade by His hand. Today, surrendering will to Will, I wore the wedding dress He made for me. It fits like armor.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Magnificat

Luke 1:46 And Mary said:
         ”My soul exalts the Lord,
    47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
    48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
         For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
    49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
         And holy is His name.
    50 “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
         TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
    51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
         He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
    52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
         And has exalted those who were humble.
    53 “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;
         And sent away the rich empty-handed.
    54 “He has given help to Israel His servant,
         In remembrance of His mercy,
    55 “As He spoke to our fathers,
         To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

 

 

The Message

Luke 1:46-55 “And Mary said, I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It’s exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.”

 

 

 

I am at a loss for words when I think of Christ. He is beyond description. The kingdoms of this world do not compare to His Kingdom. Visible to those who walk in faith, it must be imagined to see. He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Suffering Servant. His Love is infinite. A thousand thousand wineskins cannot contain it. His Grace unmerited, He died for sinners; He died for me. His Peace, a mystery, “passeth understanding.” Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, He is Immanuel here and now. Laid before the foundation of the world, He is the Chief Cornerstone, Head of the Church. Fragrant as lily of the valleys, He is the rose of Sharon and True Vine. Lamb of God, Our Passover, the Bread of Life, in Him is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am speechless in His Presence. Broken but not crushed, I see the dazzling Resurrected Savior. The Beloved will mend. He promised. He is the Word.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. New American Standard Bible

John 1:1 IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. Amplified Bible

John 1-2  The Word was first,
      the Word present to God,
      God present to the Word.
   The Word was God,
      in readiness for God from day one.  The Message 

They say when a memory is retold, it changes. Between the rust and diamonds of life, I found a pearl: the power of love that produces the memory does not change.

From 2006:

This post, like me, is a work-in-progress. Over the past few days, I have been exposed to the “rust and diamonds” of life, to quote a once popular folksinger. Isaac made another glistening handprint, this time on the window of my soul.

Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied), and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying] 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. Amplified Bible

Throughout this chapter of Proverbs, the “virtuous woman” is defined by her character and capabilities. Her children call her ”blessed”; her husband calls her daughter of virtue. The footnote in the Amplified Bible explains that she has done more than Miriam, ”who led a nation of women to praise God,” more than Deborah, the judge, or Ruth, “the woman of constancy,” more than Hannah, the ideal mother, and the hospitable Shunammite woman, or Huldah, “the woman who revealed God’s secret message to national leaders,” and “even more than Queen Esther who risked sacrificing her life for her people.”

First and foremost, the virtuous wife and mother is a daughter of God, and His daughter is a virtuous wife and mother. 

Proverbs 31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. 12 She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her. Amplified Bible 

“Someone tells me a story of a bishop who lost his wife and child in a tragic accident. And he said to his people, “I have been all the way to the bottom. And it is solid.”

“Does a marriage end with the death of one of the partners? In a way, yes. I made my promises to Hugh ’till death us do part,’ and that has happened. But the marriage contract is not the love that builds up over many years, and which never ends, as the circle of our wedding bands never ends. Hugh will always be part of me wherever I go, and that is good because, despite our faults and flaws and failures, what we gave each other was good. I am who I am because of our years together, freed by his acceptance and love of me . . . .”

“Hugh” is an apt name. It sounds like “hue,” pure color without tint or shade, the color of love. For Madeleine L’Engle, married 40 years, her husband’s acceptance and love exemplified Christ’s.

To my Hugh, I am who I am freed because of your freedom in Christ.

Psalm 89:1 …Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it! I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I’ll never quit telling the story of your love— how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives’ foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world… The Message

I once saw a house that I could live in, a house with a cathedral ceiling, great windows overlooking sand and sea, and a cozy fireplace. It proved  impermanent, nothing like God’s palatial palace of faith, hope, and love.

I arrived at the house veiled in darkness, curtains drawn, the porchlight burned out. Ironically I had just heard a teaching on people groups awaiting the Light of Christ. A friend once cautioned that giving power to others can lead to unlit paths. And so it does. The only reliable Light is that of Christ. His Light and Love go hand in hand. I’m so glad He took mine tonight. 

I Corinthians 13:12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!  The Message 

Matthew 5:1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: 3“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 4“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

 5“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

 6“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

 7“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

 8“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

 9“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

 10“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

 11-12“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

                                                                                                             The Message

I am at my rope’s end, hanging onto Christ.