HELLO heart partners! A VERY warm welcome to each of you reading…Have you ever studied the word ABIDE?? Or are you familiar with the BIBLE verse which includes “ABIDING?” Let’s take a look at the definition of, “ABIDE: to remain, continue, stay…and I love this aspect, to remain stable or fixed in a state.” Now, let’s look at the words of YESHUA in John 15:1-7 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He trims so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ABIDE in Me, and I will ABIDE in you. The branch cannot itself produce fruit, unless it ABIDES on the vine. Likewise, you cannot produce fruit unless you ABIDE in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who ABIDES in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not ABIDE in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and is dried up. Such branches are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned. If you ABIDE in Me, and My words ABIDE in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” Tree of Life Version

So, I heard the most passionate sermon I have ever heard about ABIDING, and many things STRUCK me…first and foremost the deep heart question for myself, “DO I ABIDE with YESHUA?” If so, what does that look like in the life of an everyday JESUS FOLLOWER? Here’s the MILLION DOLLAR question, “DO I TAKE YESHUA WITH ME INTO EVERYTHING I DO AND SAY?” I know, I know…that is impossible DK as we are not perfect, and life is hard, and the world is…well the world, and I cannot ABIDE 100% because I work, and I have these friends that don’t believe….ETC…. OKAY, I HEAR each and everyone of you and your heart’s cry to be able to UNDERSTAND HOW TO ABIDE…Let’s dive in…

Don’t we all desire for the LOVE OF OUR LIFE to ABIDE with us wherever we go? Aren’t there so many times you just wish that LOVE could ABIDE with you at work, or in a heated discussion, where you feel so less than everyone else? Do you ever just wish that LOVE would ABIDE so strongly that he or she would FIGHT for YOU, RESCUE YOU? I get it!!! I have been there so many times in my life…but GUESS WHAT? HE WAS THERE! JESUS has been and will always BE THERE…HE ABIDES…but what about ME? When I clock into my job, DO I TAKE YESHUA with me? HE of course is ABIDING, but am I? When I go out and spend time with my friends, HE OF COURSE is ABIDING, am I? HMMM…these are critical questions to ask yourself, and to be HONEST with your truth about ABIDING. YOU SEE, ABIDING is an ACTION word…it’s something we need to DO…and when we NEED to DO SOMETHING that requires thought, planning, and execution! Let’s take for instance writing this to you right now…DID I ask JESUS to ABIDE with me, and to speak through my heart and hands to each of you, to bless you, to encourage YOU? I DID!! WHY? Because without Yeshua, I may not write HIS HEART to YOU, or I may write from a fleshly perspective, which ultimately will not help a living soul! HE knows my heart for each reader, it is to be an encouragement to you, and to relate to your struggles, so we can GROW together! Therefore, ABIDING with HIM to write is paramount to my purpose!

Let’s get real…My work with the GOLDENS requires complete ABIDING for me to be the very best for them in their final season of life on earth! Last Friday was a perfect example, when I realized that I was physically fatigued, and if I was going to serve my GOLDENS and end my week succeeding in Yeshua, then I needed extra help! I actually asked one of my FAITHFUL GOLDENS to pray for me, and ask Jesus to strengthen me…she happily prayed, and then said, “HE IS WITH YOU, YOU ARE STRENGTHENED!” OH the POWER of ABIDING and the POWER of PRAYER, BELIEF, and TRUST! I must be honest, it was a long, and harder day, BUT, I was strengthened, and I felt the POWER of JESUS in me as I carried on, to serve and love in my purpose! At one point in the day, a GOLDEN had been out for an appointment, and when she returned, she asked, “DID YOU MISS ME?” My heart skipped a beat, as I reflected on JESUS asking me that question instead…”I wasn’t in your sight for a few hours…did you MISS ME?” AMAZING to ponder, as I realized that many of us would answer NO! But, why? Well I believe we have not had great examples of ABIDING…demonstrating the tenacity to STICK with each other NO MATTER WHAT!! Well, YESHUA is STICKY, and HE desires to ABIDE with us, and US with HIM! HE promises to, “NEVER LEAVE US OF FORSAKE US!” So, what about ME? Can I ABIDE with JESUS in everything, and ALL THINGS I do and say?? I am positive I will have some, “not so great” moments, but one thing is for sure, after reading HIS HEART WORDS in several translations…my heart DESIRES to ABIDE with HIM more than ever! He is MY #1!!

So, how about YOU??? Are you willing to work on YOUR ABIDING?? I encourage you today to take a deeper look at how you move through your days and nights…SEEK YESHUA, and He will lovingly prune those yucky branches, so you can choose to ABIDE, and SEE HIS FAITHFULNESS in your life!

LET’S ABIDE, and work on this together…because we all know WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER!

PRAYING for HIS GRACE and GUIDANCE as YOU GROW NEW BRANCHES!

SHALOM,

DanaKae

THANK YOU Pastor John, from JOY CHURCH MEDFORD! AND DEEP GRATITUDE to my CREATIVE SISTER!!!