Tag: Jesus Virtues

Some Recent Musings Bringing Life to Me

On By Mark FrancisIn Encouragement, God Virtues, LongingLeave a comment

Over the past months, these thoughts are working their way into my heart and experiences as key truths for the journey ahead…may they awaken life within your own. I also welcome the chance to discuss further with you — reach out to connect.

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The truth that you are fully loved and that without end, burns within our hearts like a fire. To make this known to you in the most profound and intimate way is one of the passions of the Holy Spirit…and she will never stop. I want every blind spot in me consumed by this fire…

Our capacity to embrace and experience brokenness and pain without the immediate need to resolve it brings the heart of humanity close for union. Do we dare? As Jesus came to climb into the very same for us, He invites us to join Him in others…

Death never had the power over Jesus either before or after He became one of us. Yet, He embraced it to show us resurrection life is greater. What’s more, He embraced it as the final fruit of our violence towards Him and arose to proclaim that our worst is no match for His essence – Love: that abiding presence filled with joy over our lives. We have never been separated, despite what we may think. Instead, He had held on with a smile as true love does. May I become the same…

Resist underestimating the power of offered encouragement. Our personal “courage” tanks in our hearts can never be too full, and in fact becomes the difference between experiencing victory over defeat in the life situation we face. Offer generously and to everyone…the difference will be more than we can imagine…

What we condemn for punishment reflects parts of our hearts still blind and believing redemptive love is not greater. Nothing is beyond Jesus’ desire and power to transform. All He needs is our trust and cooperation…

We, yes each of us, have a truth of who we are as crafted by our Creator. Our life journey is discovering this truth and living from it. Experiencing peace-filled fulfillment and joy comes from living from the truth of who we are. We don’t create this, we find what’s there and live life from there…

Beauty, wonder and mystery impact each other without losing their individual uniqueness. They reflect an expression of agape flowing from the relational reality between the Trinity of which we are included. We can underestimate at times the impact and key each of these realities can have in experiencing the truth of our lives. Few words can capture the absolute presence each brings and how they bridge the eternal with the temporal…

Capacity for Mystery

On By Mark FrancisIn God VirtuesLeave a comment

What does mystery mean to you, especially as it connects with Jesus and His Kingdom? Early in my journey, I valued the pursuit of “knowing” Jesus, His ways and His intentions. Actually, I still value this very highly. However, I also realized along the way that in many cases, I was not leaving any room for mystery in this pursuit. I actually thought the more I pursued, studied and inquired, the less mystery I would have to deal with. What I found was the opposite and I will tell you I’m grateful. Jesus is incredibly mysterious — not just in the obvious of what He does. He is also mysterious in the “who He is” part of His heart and character. What I mean is how mysteriously radical He is in the real-life application of His heart in our experiences. For example, the mystery of His powerful and penetrating love surpasses any words we can contrive to explain it. Pictures, while coming closer, still fail to capture the fullness of its impact. No, its in the day-to-day flow of love’s life that we come face to face with the mystery of its source, its core truth and its designed impact and significance. To love like Him is to dwell in mystery. Maybe my life can capture a small part of this same mystery…I hope yours does too!