Monday, July 21, 2025

LOVING GOD AND BEING LOVED BY HIM

God loves to be loved, and because we're made in His image, we love to be loved too. He designed us to desire Him. His tugs within us draw us to Him. We crave close communion with Him, desiring to be fully embraced by Him. The only one who can truly satisfy the human heart is the one who made it.

God desires close communion with those made in His image, with heaven hidden deep in our hearts. He is nearer to us than we think and richly present in all our moments through out the day.

The deepest yearnings in our hearts are for intimacy with God. That feeling of homesickness is a longing to join Him in our heavenly home and live for eternity with our Everlasting Father. There's a God shaped hole in the heart of every person which cannot be satisfied by nothing else except the Everlasting Father.

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

To MEDITATE on God's Word is to call to mind — mull it over — reflect on it — ponder it — dwell on it (and in it) — and apply it to oneself. It's spending enough time in God's Word until you recognize what God may be speaking to you personally. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the watchful eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.

Christian meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire in prayer as a way to find closer union with Christ.

Blessed is the one who meditates on God's word. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and whatever they do prospers.

My advice:
~ Read from your daily devotion ~
~ Read a Verse of the Day text ~
~ Keep a journal of what became significant ~
~ Close with a word of prayer ~

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

RECOGNIZING GOD'S VOICE

About 17 years ago, I used to do daily 10-minute meditations to see if I would get a word from the Lord. If I heard something, I would write it down and date it. I did not always get a word from the Lord, but I tried to make myself available just in case God had something He wanted to say. I would set the microwave timer for 10 minutes and go sit in complete silence until the buzzer went off. While, I was really just seeking to get a word from the Lord, this exercise actually trained me to recognize the voice of God a lot more clearly.

Hebrews 5:14 (KJV) - Those, who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

We can think God's thoughts, and He can hear our thoughts. God's thoughts rise up within us as a still small voice, and the sound of a gentle whisper in the quietness of a humbled heart. Like newborn babies learn their parents voices, we can train our senses to discern the voice and thoughts of God.

TRAINING EXERCISE
— Set timer for 10 minutes —
— Sit quietly with pen and notepad —
— Write down what God says —

You may not get something every time you do this. That's part of the training exercise, because when you do hear God's voice, you'll immediately recognize that was Him.

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Monday, July 14, 2025

SERVING WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE

Clear Conscience:
inward cleanness and peace,
with no guilt and no regrets

When the Israelites brought their gifts and sacrifices to God as sin offerings, it cleansed them of the sins they had committed, but couldn't give the worshiper a clear conscience for those sins.

However, the blood sacrifice of Christ Jesus does much, much more. Christ offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice without blemish to God. His blood cleanses us from sin, and gives us clear consciences so we can worship the living God.

1 Peter 3:21 (RSV) Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Sunday, July 13, 2025

BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED

The chief priests, elders, officers, and all the council pressed Pontius Pilate (the Roman governor that ruled in Israel) to sentence Jesus to death for blasphemy. Pilate brought Jesus before the judgment seat to be tried, and then concluded that he found no fault in Jesus, and sought to release Him. The Jews pressed him even more and threatened to report him to Caesar. At that point, Pilate delivered Jesus to be scourged and crucified. That scourging fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy... by His stripes, we are healed.

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. (John 19:1)

I gave My back to those who struck Me. (Isaiah 50:6; also Matthew 27:26)

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. (Isaiah 53:4; also Matthew 8:17)

By His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5; also 1Peter 2:24)

Believe and receive.

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Friday, July 11, 2025

SERENDIPITY

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and a song came to me from back in the day (more than 10 years ago). I couldn't remember who the artist was but I just started singing in my head the small portion of the song I could remember. Eventually, I fell back to sleep.

When I awoke this morning the first thing I did was google those lyrics to see if I could find it. Nothing was coming up. I search everything, but got nothing.

Finally, I thought I would see if perhaps the song might be saved in the music app on my tablet. Boom! There it was! I've had it on repeat a lot all day, and it has blessed my soul. I said to the Lord, "This is one of those occasions when you seek for something so long and heavy that by the time you find it, it bears significant value."

I thought I would share it with you.
Enjoy!

You Are
Vocal Artist: David Daughtry

There is not "one" word in the English vocabulary that fully describes the Lord. We can say that He is holy, amazing, brilliant, glorious... and many other appropriate adjectives, but they don't fully describe all of God. Simply said... to Moses God said, "I Am." Simply said... I agree, "Yes You are."

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

YOU'RE AS OLD AS YOU FEEL YOUNG

Popeye's father, Poopdeck Pappy was trying to repair a broken down boat, and Popeye told him he was too old and needed to slow down. However, Poopdeck Pappy responded by claiming he was "as young as his son".

Then, while Popeye was sleeping, Poopdeck Pappy totally completed rebuilding the broken down boat, and woke Popeye so he could see the fantastic results. He boldly confessed to Popeye, "you're as old as you feel young," The concept was clearly demonstrated through Poopdeck Pappy's actions, and his bold response to Popeye's claim that he needed to go sit down somewhere.

Deuteronomy 34:7 (NLT) Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.


To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

Monday, July 07, 2025

SIMPLE BIBLE STUDY METHODS


I.    OBSERVATION OF THE TEXT
  • What do I see?
  • What does it say?
  • What are the facts?
  • Whose speaking?
  • Who is being spoken to?
  • What issues were the recipients facing?
  • What is the relationship of the speaker and recipient?
  • Where is it taking place?
  • When is it taking place?
  • How does the context fit into what comes before and after it?
II.    INTERPRETATION (What does it mean?)
  • Look up the cross reference Scriptures, using Scripture to interpret Scripture
  • Consult trusted Bible commentaries
  • Write out anything that seems confusing for future research
  • For clarity, write down the point you think the author is making
III.    APPLICATION (Make it Personal)
  • How is the passage relevant for me?
  • How am I falling short?
  • What can I do to specifically apply this truth to my life?
SOURCE:    Pastor Stephen G. Brown, Greater Life Church - Dallas, TX
                    https://www.greaterlifedallas.com

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Sunday, July 06, 2025

MY TYPING DILEMMA

I took my first typing class in the tenth grade in high school, but I sucked at typing. When we did typing speed tests, I would pull off 20 words per minute, while the the rest of the class was averaging 30-35 words per minute.

My typing teacher was insistently trying to talk me into dropping her class, but I didn't want to. It was very discouraging.

A few weeks after school started, the school district realized that I should've been bussed to a new school that had opened, but I was somehow overlooked. They got me situated with a new schedule at the new school. I attended typing class at the new school and seemed to do much better. I was still slower than I wanted to be, but not way behind the rest of the class.

As I advanced to my senior year, the instructor for Vocational Office Education (VOE) also just happened to be my typing teacher. I was able to participate in this program. This was an after school work program where I was able to attend 3 classes in the morning and go to work in an office setting in the afternoon (gaining much needed experience).

After I graduated, I knew that I wanted to go to secretarial school and make that my career, which definitely requires typing skills.

Years passed and I still struggled with my typing speed, even in secretarial school. When I interviewed for secretarial jobs, my typing speed would sometimes not pass the requirements.

One day, my mother asked me to run an errand for her over to my Aunt Paula's house. As she and I were talking, I told her about my typing dilemma. She encouraged me not to type by the letter, but type by the word. She said, "As you type, don't spell out words, just type the words you're reading." I began doing this, and practiced diligently. My typing speed increased dramatically.

If I had listened to my tenth grade typing teacher and dropped typing class, I would've never been able to pursue my 20-year secretarial career path. I would've failed at my love of writing because typing is a major requirement for writing.

Whatever your niche is, hold tightly. Don't lose hope. If that niche is God's will for you, it will certainly come to pass. Though it might tarry, wait for it, because in the end it will speak, and will not lie. When the appointed time comes, it will manifest (Hab. 2:3).

Let God's Will Be Done
Plant your mustard seed 🍯 and watch it grow.

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

MORE THAN ENOUGH

Bible Characters That Were Unsure of Themselves:

🔹 Moses said, "Who am I?"
🔹 Gideon said, "Why me?"
🔹 Jeremiah thought, "I'm too young."
🔹 Esther considered her approach could get her killed.

In spite of their doubts, God’s faithfulness never wavered. God can turn doubt into profound spiritual certainty, with victories you never thought possible.


Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.


To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

Saturday, July 05, 2025

A LOVE-RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

There are five basic things we can do to have a closer relationship with God.
  1. confess sins everyday (Ps 51:17)
  2. read the Bible regularly (Josh 1:8)
  3. pray (Mk 1:35)
  4. go to church (Heb 2:12)
  5. live and walk in obedience to God (2 Cor 10:6)
I found the above list when I googled how to build a love relationship with our heavenly Father. I am not disqualifying any of these 5 things, but I'll just add my own 5 pieces to the list.

My answer to building a love-relationship with our heavenly Father:
  1. Make God your all in all (1 Cor 15:28)
  2. Submit to God. Draw near to Him and He'll draw near to you. (James 4:7-8)
  3. Become rooted and grounded in love by letting Christ Jesus dwell fully in your hearts through faith in Him (Eph 3:17)
  4. Pray that God will give you a heart to know Him (Jer 24:7)
  5. Seek God with all your heart and soul (Jer 29:13; Deut 4:29; 1 Chron 22:19)
Philippians 3:8 (The Voice) And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday's garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it's nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him.


As we continue to develop our relationship with Christ, we find that living with integrity honors Him, and the love we have for Him desires to please Him in all we do.

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove