Hope Victorious

  UNBURDENED I am not weighed down by my shortcomings, mistakes or regrets I am forgiven, accepted and free to be myself UNHINDERED I am not underserving or disqualified from the best possibilities; not by others or even by myself. My potential is great, the promises over my life shine with hope. UNTETHERED I am not defined, limited or restricted to my past, my present abilities, circumstances or the expectations of others. I am free to dream, to soar free. I allow myself to wonder, to be curious, to grow and become. UNMEASURED I am not held to a scale determining my worth or potential. There is no room for fear of rejection or inadequacy. I am accepted, approved and loved. My worth has been determined and I live free of constant evaluation. Love has set me free. Love is a force within me. My choice to accept myself, to set myself free from the weight of failings, and fears meets the force of acceptance and love I receive.   I am freed to live an

  Love is meant to cover, to be a canopy that shelters and shields the places of lack and shortcoming. Love is not ignorant of pain, weakness or betrayal. Love is not perfect and does not ignore or pretend. But love is a decision made in advance of how to respond to those failings, those places of pain.   In the midst of instruction for living honorably and in light of the coming of Christ, Peter gives a series of instructions and admonishments of how we are to relate to one another.  After several sections of wisdom, we have this instruction:  “ Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 NASB  I love how it is captured in the Passion Translation:  “Above all, constantly echo God’s intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins.”   1 Peter 4:8  TPT  Sin literally means “missing the mark” as in an arrow missing its intended target.   Places of sin are where our behavior or words fall

  Love has formed me – it has also deformed me I was made in love – yet love was nearly my undoing I have been dearly loved   and I have loved dearly Love has given life and song to the deepest places in me My unspoken dreams have birthed my greatest joys because of love   Love has set me free But I bear the scars of love as well Why is it that those who love you most can also hurt you the most deeply? Love is a risk; with cost and reward The risk of pain, betrayal and loss I have paid dearly for loving and being loved   Even those payments have had their return I have been one to take the risk To love and love again To forgive and trust again To believe that love is worth the risk I have tasted richly of the reward of loving and being loved