Mark 12:29-30 begins by telling us that we need to love the Lord our God will ALL of our HEART. The first thing I hear is that one’s heart has to be open. But what if one had to close his/her heart for protection? And what does He mean by ALL? He means the whole heart, every component, and paying full attention. Through the power of the Holy Spirit the heart can be opened and He will show us how to surrender it completely to God. In order to make this happen, one has to spend time with Him. Doesn’t one want to spend time with the people he/she loves, i.e., our children, parents, spouses, and friends? He is no different! And when one spends time with Him it has to be without distractions and He doesn’t want the time together to be rushed. One has to have enough time to receive and absorb His love. When that happens an extreme make-over takes place. Think, pray, meditate and journal on how different your life would be and how different all of your relationships would be if you practiced this on a daily basis. I love Joyce Meyer’s saying, “Confirmation comes from the outside world…transformation comes from your internal world through Christ.” Where do you want to invest your time?

With love,
Sharron Thurlkill, M.Ed., LPC
Lutheran Counseling Services