As the summer season ushers in, I’m sure many of you are planning your days. Some of you are probably intentionally not planning your days! There is something so wonderful about the relaxing days of summer. We all need a change of pace and a break from our routines. As I have thought about my summer days spiritually and pondered what to write in my “musings” for the summer blogs, I have decided to revisit a set of letters that I wrote back in 2004. I call them “My Beloved Letters” and they were written as part of a seventeen week Bible Study entitled Living Water during that season of my life. It was a rich time for me in the Word, a time of deep study and sweet intimacy with my Savior and a time when there was an intense calling on my life to write. Through the years I have shared some of them on Restore Retreats, Prayer Journeys and Bible teaching sessions, but not as the whole set in which they were written. I hope to do that this summer. As I begin to prepare my heart for our Fall Retreat, September 30 - Awaken to the Pursuit of the Bridegroom, these letters seem like the perfect place for me to rest in the Word for awhile. And so I invite you to go on that journey with me this summer in the “My Beloved Letter Series.” They really are love letters from the Savior, our Bridegroom, written to you and me. They are filled with Scripture that has been personalized and sometimes paraphrased. These letters were the Lord’s way of teaching me how personal His Word is for me. Each one focuses on a different aspect of who God is or His character as I sought to know Him in the depths of my soul. So each week, I will give you a brief introduction of teaching on the topic and then post the “My Beloved Letter” for you to read and reflect on throughout the week. My prayer is that the Lord will use them in your life to draw you into a place of deeper intimacy with Him. You are His Beloved. Awaken your heart to His pursuit of you! I chose to begin the series with the My Beloved Letter on the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you, but often in the summer I can get pretty carried away with projects that I have on my list. It is usually some sort of “remodeling” or “decluttering” project that I have been putting off doing all year! There always seems to be some area of my home that I think needs transforming a bit. My "to do" list can sometimes get a little overwhelming and I find myself discouraged or just give up. I need the Holy Spirit to guide me and my lists! For others, it can be easy to let the lazy summer months fly by and not live intentionally so that you are growing in your faith . I believe the Savior has something much more fulfilling in mind for us during the summer, if we will simply take some time to savor and reflect on His love letter found within His Word. As I ponder how I will spend my summer days, I am reminded that the Lord has provided all that I need in the Scriptures through the guidance and power of His Holy Spirit. The Spirit knows the secrets to the beautiful life that Jesus has planned for me this summer and in the years ahead. That plan will involve some “remodeling” of my heart and thought patterns so that He can do a work of deep transformation in my soul. He can even guide me in the projects I should tackle and complete. He has the perfect instructions for my life and yours. He sees the finished design of our future and knows the exact path we should take to get there. We simply need to surrender to His work within us. In the Spirit we have the essence of God the Son. He is gentle. He is powerful. He is forgiving. He is faithful. He is merciful. He is just. The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God, the Father. He is holy. He is wisdom. He is love. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. All that we know and proclaim about God the Father and God the Son is true of the Holy Spirit. I wonder if you need some instructions for your life today.... Do you need to discover some secrets that only Jesus knows about your transformation... He longs to make something beautiful out of the brokenness, wounds, or old patterns of your life and the world in which we live. We need a Savior. It is the Holy Spirit of our Savior who can guide us and give us the wisdom we so desperately need to navigate the culture of extremism, terrorism and division in which we live. It is the Holy Spirit that will illuminate the Father's instructions for how to live out our lives each day. He unveils the mystery of the Word of God and makes it come alive! He alone can show us how to live in a spirit of unity and cover us with His beauty, grace and love. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22,23 I pray that you will be encouraged as you read the Scriptures and paraphrases below on the work of the Holy Spirit. When you choose to surrender to His work and power in your life, you will be amazed at the beauty and purpose that will emerge. Jesus in the business of transformation! My Beloved I am waiting for you to come to Me. You cannot conceive all that I have prepared for you because you love Me. I will reveal it to you by My Spirit. My Spirit will search out everything and show you even My deep secrets of life. I have given you the hope of glory, Christ in you. Do you need wisdom? I have given you the Spirit of truth. He will be your Counselor and Comforter, coming alongside you to teach you everything you need to know. If you love Me you will obey My commands. The world cannot accept My Spirit because it neither sees nor knows Him. But you know Him. He lives within you. He is always with you. He will glorify Me and take what is Mine and make it known to you. Stand firm in Christ for I have anointed you and set my seal of ownership upon you. I have placed My Spirit in your heart as a deposit of the unfathomable glories to come. When you received the Holy Spirit, you received His power to be My witness. Do not fear. Be filled with the Spirit. Come to Me and drink. Believe in Me and let the Living Water of My Holy Spirit fill you to overflowing so that you never thirst again. I have poured out My Spirit on you. Be filled with all joy and peace. Trust in Me, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have given you gifts for the work of the ministry, all that you need to serve Me in the body of Christ. Consecrate your body to Me as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing. Remember that your body is the temple of My Holy Spirit. It is My sacred residence. Surrender to Me and I will renew your mind so that you will be able to test and approve what My perfect will is for your life. Live as one who has been crucified with Christ and raised to new life. Live in Me, through Me, and for My glory. Walk as a child of My light bearing the fruit of My Spirit in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Let My Word dwell richly within you and sing with a heart of gratitude. I love to hear you sing my praises! Let the peace of My Son rule in your heart and above all, put on My garment of love. I Cor. 2:9,10, Col. 1: 26-27, John 14:16-17, 26, John 16:14, 2 Cor. 1:22, Acts 1:8, 2:17, Eph. 5:18, John 7: 37-39, Rom. 15:13, 1Cor 12:4-7, Rom. 12:1,2, Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:1-8, Eph. 5:8-10, Col. 3:14-17 NIV Bible You can sign up for Restore's Monday Musings Blog to come directly to your inbox! Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right above and then reply to the invitation email you will receive. Feel free to share them on your social media or email them to a friend. Next Women's Retreat is September 30, 2017 Solomon Episcopal Conference Center Mark your calendars now! We'd love for you to join us! Registration opens June 19th!
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