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His Prophetic Plans

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. -Ephesians 2:10 NLT 🌈

I’ve been thinking about sharing this testimony for several weeks. I was recently hired as the Bible teacher for Monterey Bay Christian School. I will be teaching on the topic “Who is God” for the whole 2022-2023 school year! I cannot think of a greater topic to teach! The holy weight of this time has been like a cluster of sacred balsam in my chest, scenting my soul with exhales of heavenly joy.

I hope sharing my testimony creates a place of confident hope and expectation in your own soul concerning the words God has spoken over your life! He is faithful to his word, He is faithful to you! 🙏 (2 Timothy 2:13, Psalm 36:5)

What’s been amazing about this whole journey was all the ways God showed me things beforehand:

“When the Spirit of truth comes…he will declare to you the things that are to come.” -John 16:13 🕊

1. Almost 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with Eden, my husband was busy creating a map out of our future in ministry. Anyone who knows my husband, knows that he frequently hears from God. As he was penning the children’s ministry portion the Lord spoke to him and he sat with me at our friend’s table and said, “The Lord says, he wants you in charge of our future children’s ministry. He told me he wants you to develop a curriculum for discipling children around ages 7 to 13.” My job as the Bible teacher comes with developing curriculum for children in grades 3-8. Talk about accuracy in hearing from God on my husband’s part! ❤

2. Almost 4 years ago, shortly after Stephen and I moved to California for ministry I had two dreams about working at MBCS. I saw the deep blue wall downstairs with the painted eagle soaring in the sky. I saw myself in the staff room near the copywriting machine. I saw myself walking the halls upstairs. The dream felt so peaceful and so real that afterward, I started looking for job openings at MBCS but I never saw any. Eventually, I quit looking and started my own home daycare which I ran for 2 1/2 years. I figured if the dreams were from God, it would happen. And now, it’s happening! 😊

3. About 2 years ago, I went on a “spiritual retreat.” During my time there, a lady walked up to me and said, “I felt the Lord showed me a picture of you…I saw you sitting before children, and you had a filing cabinet, and you were giving each child a book. Each of these books, you had written yourself.” ❤ At the time she shared that with me, I didn’t think I would write children’s books…. but I’ve secretly written two so far and I know there will be more to come! ✍️

4. When I was first hired by MBCS almost a year ago, I took the job as a preschool teacher. I have loved working at the preschool. But during these past 9ish months some things happened where all my early childhood credits were not qualified for the state of California. I felt a bit frustrated but started from scratch again and began taking CA ECE classes. During my time at the preschool, a friend of mine who prayerfully saw the gift of God in me would tell me repeatedly, “you don’t belong here. You should be teaching the Bible somewhere and writing books.” I would brush off her comments, but she kept them up and she prayed over me many times for an opportunity for ministry work that both aligned with my gifts/talents and God’s calling. How amazingly God spoke though her and answered her prayers! 🥰

5. When the principal brought up to me the possibility of being the Bible teacher, I felt it was too good to be true. Even though several people asked for/about the Bible position (people I felt had more teaching experience and were capable/qualified), the principal chose me. And I am sooo incredibly excited and full of joy over having a job position that aligns with the holy passions God placed in my heart: being a part of weekly chapel, facilitating worship, writing, Bible teaching, prayer, teaching dancing, etc. Not to mention the big pay raise 😃

~There are so many more details I can share (including areas where I had to grow/mature). There were so many intricate details, confirmations and beautiful things the Lord did to set me up to bring me to this current place. I can think of few higher honors than to teach children/pre-teens about who God is. MBCS/MBCPS has grown to 200ish students (this is the largest I’ve ever known to the school to be). All I can do is praise God and thank everyone who has been a part of this journey! 😍

Whatever God has called you to, I promise it will be full of joy. His paths for you are full of who He is: joy, peace, life, love, abundance etc. God is good! He is beyond the goodness you’ve experienced. I hope this encouraged you about your future with Him! 🤗

You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. -Psalm 16:11

~If you feel inclined, I would warmly appreciate prayer for me that I would: truly hear from God as I teach and prepare lessons about Who God Is. That I will be sensitive to the ways God wants me to speak, interact and reach out to the students (May I always be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit). Please pray for the kids to know God personally, to receive his amazing love, to have a real encounter with Him (that the world can’t take away) and that they would see Him as He truly is. Above all, pray that God’s kingdom will come and that his will be done over all the staff, and families that attend MBCS. May all his good purposes prevail and may we always be lead of Him. 🙏👑

xoxo

~These professional and fun photos were taken by the amazingly talented Pairs Anderson. You can find her on ❤ : https://www.instagram.com/parisandersonphoto/

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His Rejoicing Love

“The LORD your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. -Zephaniah 3:17 AMP

The way God loves is just sooo deep, sweet and especially personal ❤. For many years I didn’t know He was like this.

This evening as I was having one on one time with Him during a long drive, I began to become enraptured in worship. I sang to Him. As heartfelt music played in the background, I sang loudly with the passionate emotions bubbling with me, “You are my hallelujah (my praise, my joy 💛)!” Just as I was becoming in awe that He was mine, I felt a holy pause in my soul and it was like He sang these same lyrics to me, “You (Ashley) are mine… hallelujah!” It was like He was rejoicing over the fact that I am his. As if He were giving himself kudos and congratulations for winning me. It reminded me of the Bible verses in Zephaniah that talks about God rejoicing over us in his love!!!

I almost pulled over on the side of the road as tears rose to my eyes from his affectionate love and I felt the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit in the car with me.

Years ago when I was in Bible college, I closed my eyes and I saw a Man coming toward me with speed. He was running with all his might and strength (picture a scene with Tom Cruise running in one of the mission impossible movies). The sun behind Him was glorious and He was silhouetted in golden light brighter than fire… everything behind Him was washed with radiating sunlight. Every blade of grass, all the waters of the lake beside us, every strand of wheat was glowing like glimmering auburn stars.

Somehow I knew, this was Jesus just after He rose from the dead and walked out the tomb…there was a joy in Him that was powerful (the Bible says in Hebrews 4:2, “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross…” (we are a part of that glorious joy). As He ran, He flung his arms open and declared, “You are Mine! I have you now! I have won you! I love you! You are finally Mine!!!”

The scene reminded me of what Jesus might have described when He told the story of the prodigal son in a parable that was meant to reveal the nature of God…the Father ran toward the sin-stained son in that story, threw his arms around him and wept from overwhelming love (which was a cultural disgrace for an elder/old man of wealth to run back in those days…especially since he probably would have to hold up his robe to keep from tripping).

When I pictured Jesus running toward me in that vision, I felt I had to open my eyes and end the vision before He got any closer. His love was too powerful, too pure, too passionate, too holy, too amazing and I wasn’t used to it (I felt like a person born blind having to gaze upon sunlight for the first time…the brilliance was too bright, too blindingly good and splendid ☀️ ).

I think of why Mel Gibson named the movie about Jesus’s suffering, The Passion? Did he name it that to describe the passionate, excruciating pain of Jesus’s suffering, lashing, crucifixion, persecution and eventual death? He certainly captured the pain more than any movie producer I’ve known. Seeing scenes from the movie was almost too unbearable and I would turn away or close my eyes on certain parts. But even deeper, I’m beginning to see that there was something more powerful than the pain Jesus suffered on the cross that He was looking forward to. It was joy. It was the joy of having us 💛. His love was greater than the greatest human suffering.

The Father’s love for you is greater than any suffering you’ve experienced on earth 🌎👑!

So much goodness! Dear, beloved Jesus 🥰!

Recently these lyrics from Steffany Gretzinger’s song 🎵 More To Me, have left an imprint on my heart more sweet than a steaming bath of incense:

“All of the others

They don’t matter

You are everything

All of the others

They come after

You mean more to me

You mean more to me.

Let me set a table

For the One that I love

This is my desire

All I have is ready

To fulfill Your longing

What do You desire?

I wanna know

Let me set a table

For the One that I love

This is my desire.”

(Steffany Gretzinger, Chandler Moore) © 2020 Watershed Worship Publishing / Ivory and Ink Publishing (ASCAP) (admin. at WatershedMusicPublishing.com); Chandler Moore Publishing Designee (C) 2020 Provident Label Group LLC, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

The Lord’s love for you is truly endless! May you forever drink deeply of his love and bask in the wonder, power and warmth of it.

Until next time, be blessed with his mighty grace, perfect peace, freeing truth and redeeming love.

For similar words of inspiration, check out my book, Visions of Celestial Love:

“Visions of Celestial Love is a book of inspiring quotes and beautiful prose about God’s unconditional love for mankind. The insights of this book help us to understand that it was the Father’s great love for us that made a way for us to have life together with His Son, Jesus Christ. Through it we get a glimpse into the true meaning of Christ’s sacrifice of love expressed through His death, burial and resurrection as God’s magnificent gift of grace to us. His blood made it possible for all those who put their faith in Him to have fellowship with His Father again. 

I am confident that at the completion of this book, you will also seek after God with your whole heart and want to be in His presence forever.” —Alice Paige, True-Heart friend of author

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The Loving Worship of His Heart

“The truth of the gospel is intended to free us to love God and others with our whole heart. When we ignore this heart aspect of our faith and try to live out our religion solely as correct doctrine or ethics, our passion is crippled or perverted, and the divorce of our soul from the heart purposes of God toward us is deepened.”- Brent Curtis ❤

Father has been teaching me so much in this season about how important it is to walk in love. I feel like I get this lesson every few years and I have a feeling my whole life will be marked by it. Every time I dive into this lesson with Jesus, I get a deeper taste of how unified love is with God’s heart. It’s His heartbeat. And it doesn’t look like what I’ve been taught. Love looks like the life of Jesus. I’m starting to see His willingness to be crucified for us as a worship song…the clearest image and example of godly love. An act that yes, was for us, but ultimately an act that was like kneeling in the dirt with His arms up in shout-full praise and worship to God. His death brought forth life for us. 🌈

The command to lay down my life (selfishness and ego) is becoming attached to this eternal song in Jesus’s heart. I can almost hear it ringing from the cross, like music with His pulse as the drumbeat. A life truly surrendered and given to God. A worshipful marriage at the heart level. A unification that is so strong and powerful, that our identities become interwoven. A seal so permanent that it is more binding than two metals being molted together. A constant cycle of being loved and then loving in return until it leads to washing feet. Until selfishness is constantly denied. Until the ego is washed with truth. Until there is not just “me” but there is “us.” Until His Holy Spirit inside of me begins to do the work and I lay down whatever crown on my head at His feet in perfect knowledge that no one can boast in His presence…because the strength to perform is from Him living within (grace). It was never dependent upon my strength. Heaven’s miracles are all from His grace and truth -John 1:17. 👑

I’m realizing that the love of Jesus is not passive, mousey or weak. It’s not sickly sweet (it doesn’t allow for abuse). Yet, His love is not so hard that it cannot be moved. His love is not cold, religious or lifeless…rather it’s powerful truth and healing grace. It’s wisdom and self-control. It’s giving and wholehearted. Like a blend of ocean and mountain it’s hard to describe but it can be felt. It’s simply…perfect and beautiful. 🙏

1 John 3 & 4 ❤

It’s as simple as falling in love with Him.

I pray God takes you deeper into His heart. I pray you are taken inside the closest alcove of His friendship. And I pray He shows you His amazing love for you. I also pray you develop a closer relationship with Him. Like Esther was invited inside the treasury of the king before meeting with him in her preparation, may the Holy Spirit open up to the treasury of God’s heart and may you adorn yourself with the eternal jewels and characteristics that are most important to your Heavenly King. 

xoxo

For more words like this, check out my book, Visions of Celestial Love (A devotional book about the heavenly and fatherly love of God):

“Ashley’s book, Visions of Celestial Love is just that; a visionary work of epic proportions. It is glimpses into a loving and remarkable relationship with the creator of the universe.

You are invited to Dive into stories of love and compassion, healing and provision, loss and recovery, profound grace and faith. Ashley draws us in with her descriptive prose and unique style of writing.

There are so many stories to relate to in this book and I’m sure you will find your own story among the many that are told here. So, find your favorite spot, your favorite beverage, and curl up with “Visions of Celestial Love”! -Amazon Reviewer

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The Source of All Holy Pleasure

Why do men try and be their own god? How can the created know or surpass the Creator? Why do men worship nature, science, the created order, physical possessions, and knowledge when God is the One who founded and thought of all those things?

Why do men worship their own pleasure even at the cost of hurting others when God is the source of all beautiful, enjoyable, pure, healthy and wholesome pleasure?

Men seek power, fame, sex, and wealth to fulfill them when God offers these as blessings through wisdom to certain people at certain times. Yes, God gave our skin sensors so we could feel pleasure, God gave us taste buds so we could enjoy food, God gave us wine, God gave us majestic mountains, green rolling hills, birds of color, rainbows, sky, rivers, good families, bountiful oceans teeming with life, honey, emotions, music etc.

God isn’t boring. He’s not dull, He’s not hateful, and He’s definitely not anti-fun. He’s the One who has blessed us with all these wonderful things to be enjoyed in their proper context. Not to be indulged in without thought, and certainly not to be enjoyed more than Him (thus making that thing your god).

Everyday I realize I need a humility check. I know nothing without God. My weakness is my greatest strength…because He fills my weaknesses with His strength. The pride of man is one of our greatest downfalls. God is the only One who can give man the eternal joy man craves. He is our greatest pleasure, and when we come to that conclusion we can enjoy His blessings as just that…blessings, and not gods. God is most beautiful ❤

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To Be Fully Alive

"The glory of God is man fully alive." -St. Ireneaus

This has been one of my favorite quotes of all time.

Ever since I first heard it I’ve wondered, what does it mean to be fully alive?

To have no dead part in you?

No sick part in you?

No unhealed part in you?

No bitter root in you?

No envy in you?

No insecurity in you?

But to live with eyes alight and flooded with truth. To live with a heart moving with the love of God and nothing else. To have the breath of the Spirit of God rushing through every corridor of your body, spirit and soul.

What does that look like?

It must have looked something like the garden of Eden, where man could actually walk with God our true Father, and our Creator. The only One who can heal every part of us and knows, even beyond our own knowledge, exactly what we need.

What’s it like to walk with someone who knows you more than you do?

So many people want to be known, long to be known and understood and loved despite the fear of the risk of being truly seen.

But we don’t just want to be seen by anyone, but by someone who is special and not just this… but great. One who is able to heal, to restore..to breathe heavenly life in us.

We all long for our Maker.

What’s it like to see the One who knows you most and talk to Him in His fullness?

It must feel like being fully alive. It must look… like Jesus (the most accurate view of the love of God put into human flesh)♥

-For more inspirational words, subscribe!

“Ashley Thompson’s book, Visions of Celestial Love is just that; a visionary work of epic proportions. It is glimpses into a loving and remarkable relationship with the creator of the universe.

You are invited to Dive into stories of love and compassion, healing and provision, loss and recovery, profound grace and faith. Ashley draws us in with her descriptive prose and unique style of writing.

There are so many stories to relate to in this book and I’m sure you will find your own story among the many that are told here. So, find your favorite spot, your favorite beverage, and curl up with “Visions of Celestial Love”!

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The Radiant Joy of His Resurrection Living In You

Happy almost Resurrection Day! This is truly a time to be joyous as we reflect on the great goodness, love, kindness and mercy of God! He paid the highest price for your salvation. He spared no expense in redeeming you so that you could be his child by the new birth (you share his spiritual DNA). You are also his child in name (you are adopted into his family). He wanted to open up the treasuries of his heart and the kingdom of heaven to you so badly that He gave his one and only Son so that you can forever taste the joy of heaven .

Recently Father God has been encouraging me to gaze upon the breathtaking glory of his generous heart and the radiant light of the gospel. This gazing has caused me to be in a state of wonderment, like a child who expects little for Christmas but awakens to discover a living room full of shimmering presents circling a festively dressed tree.  

There are so many more presents that we have yet to experience from the wooden cross at Calvary. There are so many gifts and blessings of grace that gushed from heaven like a waterfall after Jesus ascended from the grave and rose to sit at God’s right hand. This waterfall of blessing is so copious and powerful that I dare say we could not stand under the weight of its sweet, crashing waters all at once. 

We will be in wonder at God’s grace for all of eternity as we worship Him in the next life. We will never run out of reasons to praise Him.

I wrote something of modern psalm of praise as I rejoiced in the Lord. I hope reading this psalm below will help elevate your soul to a place of jovial thanksgiving and faith!

This grace is supreme, this goodness unimaginable. The glories of the Gospel sometimes appear to me as a fictional tale…spun by heaven’s heart. Such celestial thoughts of light and love.

How could such a wealthy God conceive man in His heart and birth us with His words? “Let us create man in our own image.”

Such high and lofty promises of reconciliation and oceans of immense inheritance.

All things are yours in Christ? (1 Corinthians 3:21-22)

Seated with Christ in heavenly places? (Ephesians 2:6)

Accepted in the Beloved? (Ephesians 1:6)

Adopted heirs? (Romans 8:7)

Your words are crystallized honey my Father. Your Presence and this peace of having my sins all washed away is never ending joy. You say in your Word it was your good pleasure to present me blameless (above reproach) before You in love.

Man’s religion is a heap of ashes compared with your Gospel God.

As C.S Lewis so beautifully and succulently penned:

“If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak….We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” 

~I pray your soul is refreshed by my thoughtful reflections of staring into this glorious, everlasting grace that has so liberally and lavishly been supplied for us all! May you find yourself in a state of supreme joy and spiritual bliss as Resurrection Sunday dawns not only in your church service but in your soul like a eternal sunrise. May you experience all the good things Jesus died and rose again for you to have. May your fellowship with our Father be freed to reach new heights of peace and closeness. May the wings of your soul taste the sweet expanse of heaven’s skies and may you never land.

His joy is for you!

His life is for you!

His love is for you!

Blessings and love,

your sister in Christ Ashley

~For more faith-encouraging words like this, check out my book, Visions of Celestial Love on amazon by clicking here:

“Ashley Thompson’s book, Visions of Celestial Love is just that; a visionary work of epic proportions. It is glimpses into a loving and remarkable relationship with the creator of the universe.

You are invited to Dive into stories of love and compassion, healing and provision, loss and recovery, profound grace and faith. Ashley draws us in with her descriptive prose and unique style of writing.

There are so many stories to relate to in this book and I’m sure you will find your own story among the many that are told here. So, find your favorite spot, your favorite beverage, and curl up with “Visions of Celestial Love”! -Amazon Reviewer

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Longing For Your Arms

“Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me.” -Song of Solomon 2:6 AMP

Father, I’m in one of those moments right now.

You know where I am and you come to find me.

It’s a place I’ve been many times since knowing you.

It’s the moment where my heart longs to sit inside a cozy cottage centered amid a jade glen with emerald climbing vines and flowering wisteria decorating the walls.

I want to enter into this place you’ve created inside of me. (Luke 17:21)

I long to gaze upon a burning, crackling and humming hearth and smell sage and cinnamon blending together. The vibrant flames of gold, orange, and ruby red glimmer and mix together like precious pieces of treasure–each beautifully unique and eye-catching.

I’m longing for your arms to embrace me.

I’m longing for your tangible touch again.

I’m longing to enter that sacred place in my heart where the Word becomes flesh. (John 1:14)

This holy place where heaven meets earth.

This special place where eternity enters time, and this shared space becomes divine.

I’m thirsting for this place where you set a table before me, where you enter my soul with words filling like the last Supper–your words are sweet bread to my tongue. (John 6:51)

Where my heart is poured upon with the fragrant oil of your Holy Spirit and He coats my skin with radiant love.

I long to rest in this place where incense covers the soil of my inner being like dewy mist in a lush garden.

Oh Abba, I desire you.

I wait for you like the watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:6)

I am sick with love. (Song of Solomon 2:5)

I seek to gaze upon your heart.

I seek to be hidden in the deepest alcove in your chest.

I desire to be secured inside the core of your being.

I want to walk with you inside of your heart.

In your heart I find the beauty of heaven and earth.

An immense beauty,

A glowing light.

A translucence more captivating than a million rainbows in a hazy sky.

A vast beauty more breathtaking than the expanse of every azure sea.

A mystery more spectacular than the starry constellations.

Your love is the safest place.

There is no fear in your love.

No worry.

No anxiety.

No stress.

No selfishness.

Your love for me is personal.

Your love for me is priceless.

Your love for me is the source of my life.

My security.

My surety.

My eternity.

My peace.

My harmony.

My self-worth is solid in your love.

Oh Father, I’m longing for your embrace.

For your warm arms to wrap around me.

I long to feel your heartbeat on my back.

To nuzzle my face under your chin.

To fall asleep wrapped up in you.

To be with you is to truly be free.

To be with you is to be with pure love.

“Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent].” -Psalm 131:2 AMP

~If you enjoyed this poem, check out my book, Visions of Celestial Love (a modern day book of psalms and prayers):

“Ashley presents us with a true cornucopia of modern psalms, personal testimonies, and short stories. She has set out to reveal and unravel some of the most complex heart issues mankind faces in our quest of understanding what true intimacy with God really looks like. Prepare to have your soul massaged and worked on as you read Visions of Celestial Love.” — Jeremy Minard, Servant King Apparel

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The Breath of Love

Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness… -Genesis 1:26 AMP

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. –Genesis 2:7

How precious do you believe you are to God?

Every single one of us are so loved by God. He has, does and will love us with everlasting love. In his eternal wisdom and mercy, He planned our salvation and our admission into his heavenly family.

Recently Jesus showed me that when He released his last breath and gave up his spirit on the cross…that it was like God (Triune) breathing breath into Adam’s/my/our body and then Adam becoming a living soul…a son of God.

We have become children of God by putting our trust in what Jesus accomplished on the cross. (1 John 3:1)

There is so much wonder in the what Jesus did on the cross. There is so much love and so much grace.

I felt like Father told me that He has never stopped looking for Adam. He looks for Adam in unbelievers today. He lovingly searches for them so He can breathe his Spirit breath into them like He did for us.

He has never stopped wanting mankind to live in fellowship with Him in a heavenly place (once called Eden), now called the Kingdom of Heaven which is near us and in us by his Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

Like He breathed into Adam…He breathes his Spirit, his love, his very life into us.

There’s more glory and love from God that He wants you to experience and receive…there’s so much more 😇.

The Father’s love is boundless.

His plan is eternal.

His wisdom is magnificent.

I hope you continually increase in the experiential knowledge of his amazing love for you. He had you in his mind before time began. (Romans 8:29)

Father God has your face imprinted on the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:16 AMP). I know it’s tradition for some people to tattoo the names or faces of loved ones on their bodies. God has shown his love in yet another way, by putting your face on his palm. And while I’m not sure if this looks exactly like our human example of a “tattoo” it does mean that you are “ever before” Him. He is mindful of you.

Jesus displayed the greatest love, in giving his life on the cross for you. (John 15:13) . And He bears the marks of his love for you on his wrists.

When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.… -Matthew 27:50-51

If you would like a compilation of words on the Father’s eternal love for you, check out my book, Visions of Celestial Love, by clicking here. It is filled with the things Father has shown me. His love for you is deep. He woos you with transformative grace, steadfast compassion and cleansing truth

“Ashley Thompson’s book, Visions of Celestial Love is just that; a visionary work of epic proportions. It is glimpses into a loving and remarkable relationship with the creator of the universe.

You are invited to Dive into stories of love and compassion, healing and provision, loss and recovery, profound grace and faith. Ashley draws us in with her descriptive prose and unique style of writing.

There are so many stories to relate to in this book and I’m sure you will find your own story among the many that are told here. So, find your favorite spot, your favorite beverage, and curl up with “Visions of Celestial Love”!” –Amazon Reviewer.

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Abba Father

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” -Romans 8:15 NLT

It took me a while to call God my Abba Father. Like most Christians that I’ve meet, I mentally acknowledged that He was my Father and I would even attribute that title to Him in my prayers…but I did not know Him in the sweet, warm and assuring way a child knows a loving father. I would not have run into his arms like a little girl would do if her father came home and bent a knee so he could scoop her up.

Thankfully, over the years God has slowly, patiently, tenderly and steadily ushered me into the safety of his arms. Years ago I was sitting on my sister’s couch in her room and I was looking up at the ceiling as I talked to God. I began thanking him for adopting me into His Family. I thought I was doing pretty good with my thanksgiving…I thought I understood his love and the whole adoption thing, but I didn’t discern the depths of his affection…so He stopped me. “Ashley,” He said, “you were always my child.” After He said that, I realized, He always meant to adopt me. In His heart, I was always His. This is true of you. He always loved you as a child.

Years after that I was reading the book of Hosea and God began writing poetry to me. I heard Him whisper inside my heart, “you are a reflection of all my affections.” The instances where his love has caught me off guard and wooed were so numerous that I finally began to allow my soul to marinate in the anointed, fragrant waters of his heart.

I’ve learned that it’s okay to call Him “Daddy” even when I’ve messed up. I’ve learned to lean into his warm chest and relax at his touch. I’ve learned that He just wants me…no strings attached. There’s no need to fear that his love will ever let go.

Like Hosea, He chases me even when I’ve been unfaithful and I finally stop trembling for fear of Him but I tremble at his goodness: But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the LORD their God and to David’s descendant, their king. In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the LORD and of his goodness. -Hosea 3:5

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

I melt from the fire of devotion that blazes in His eyes.

One night as I lay in bed…my pillow wet with tears as familiar condemning thoughts sought to uproot what He had planted in my heart (the seeds of His faithful devotion to me), I thought I saw a glimpse of Him at the foot of my bed. His eyes wet like rivers and verse after verse flowed over me like warm spiced waves:

“How can I ever give you up? My heart recoils within me. My compassion’s are kindled together!” -Hosea 11:8.

I realized it hurt Him deeply that I doubted his devotion. I realized it pained Him that I was in pain (Hebrews 4:15). This realization of his steadfast and faithful love toward me produced such trust and personal love for him in my heart. This personal love for him became the sweetest source of peace for me as I drew close to him with my heart. I finally rested in his arms and I soon began to worship him with my soul.

And so He became the Lover of my soul, my God, my Father, my Friend…everything that I trust. My resting place. My secure Rock. My King and the only One that I bow down to in reverence. So for love of him, I’ve learned to love his truth, his righteous ways, his eternal Word. Love has captivated my heart forever.

I pray that no matter what season of life you’re in right now, that you would allow yourself to be deeply loved. I pray all your days will be swept up in the arms of your heavenly Daddy. His arms are the safest place you will ever be. His devotion and affection for you is undying, pure, powerful, healing and faithful. May your world be lite with his love more than the sun’s rays lights this planet.

~For a book on discovering the divine love of God, check out devotional book, Visions of Celestial Love. May your heart be blessed with eternal words of beauty, grace and peace:

“Ashley presents us with a true cornucopia of modern psalms, personal testimonies, and short stories. She has set out to reveal and unravel some of the most complex heart issues mankind faces in our quest of understanding what true intimacy with God really looks like. Prepare to have your soul massaged and worked on as you read Visions of Celestial Love.” — Jeremy Minard, Servant King Apparel

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Sun and Raincloud Glory

There’s a scripture that says clouds of thick darkness surround Him. Lightning goes before Him and consumes His foes. He veils his brightness like the rain clouds veil the sun 🌞. (Psalm 97:2-3)

Yesterday I saw rays of sunshine pierce through thick castles of pearly white and silvery grey clouds still echoing with the weighty blessing of another promising downpour. I couldn’t help but be captivated and try and stare at the shafts of brilliant gold, fiery light that had escaped the clouds…even though it hurt my eyes to stare.

I think this is why God sometimes covers Himself.

I am reminded of when God visited Israel on mount Sinai and thick dark fiery clouds descended as the mountain trembled and the people, not knowing His goodness and love cowered when they saw a part of His beaming glory. (Exodus 34:6)

I want to be like Moses and climb the mountain, unafraid of the fire and beauty and splendor of His majesty because I know, while no man can see God and live…I know I have already died because I’ve seen Him.in Jesus. (Exodus 33: 20)

“If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

And His light, power, presence is my home.

I hope my recent thoughts on this rainy week blesses you as much as it did me…may our faces shine like Moses and even more so may our hearts shine 💛 like the Son of righteousness because we are His. And we can taste and see that He is good. (Psalm 34:8)