Reflecting His Friendship

I learning that Life's trek takes on a variety of challenges, storms, peaceful sights or rainbows, yet races forward like a steam engine. Each scene creates emotion, an effect on the soul, and leaves behind a variety of memories.
The Guide's companionship offers an awesome quietness of soul as I gaze beyond the horizon, and steadily leads me gently over rough and jagged terrain.
I've learned that the empty pages in a journal may speak even more loudly than many words on a screen. My personal hard copies are full of praise for His faithfulness and goodness, although often tear-stained pages show my struggles to follow without fear.
Yet, for more than a year I've enjoyed many hours of refreshing JOY in solitude oasis, PEACE and rest beneath His everlasting arms, and found a quiet GENTLENESS develop in following Him.

Encouraged by the Prayers of Blessing from a fellow hiker, I began to flip through my handwritten journal of Affirmation Prayers.
What pleasure I've found in the beams of sunlight which have brightened my summer trek with simple biblical words such as 'clothed', 'pleasing', 'once for all time', 'perfect', and, most of all, "FRIEND". My hand has become more comfortable clasped my Father's welcoming hand, and bathed in a deeper sense of confidence, my steps have found sure footing on the rugged path a culture continues to carve on this mountain path.

These Affirmation Prayers are statements of TRUTH directly from the Word of God which I have made my own by thanking God for each of them and applying them to my daily life. This is the walk of FAITH. Each prayer is a new step of believing God's declarations. All these passages are confirming my bold belief in His intent for me to know Him personally and intimately in unbroken and intimate relationship.

Admittedly, these months have been lonely. Gray shadows tugged my spirit forcing determined slashes through the tangled underbrush of a deceitful culture. Snags and scrapes made me recall an epic burdened pilgrim side-tracked by interlopers and destroyers of faith, yet my 'Faithful' comrade witnessed deeper gratitude in affirmation prayers.
Conversations with the Father became more confident as I repeated His Son's precious words of promise. I heard him whisper his bold declaration, "You are my Friends" (John 15:14) and turned many times to my Friend's recorded requests for me in the Garden prayer. (John 17)

Father...Friend...Access.
Being a child of God means ACCESS into His throne room any time and for any reason!
He is my Father. He is my Friend.

"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...There's just something about that name...
Master, Savior, Jesus...like the fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...Let all heaven & earth proclaim
Kings and kingdom will all pass away, but there's something
about that NAME!"

Oh...how I praise His precious name!