faith..it isn't always easy

Guess what?!
I got my PICC line taken out after almost 6 months!!
My doctor decided that I'm doing well enough to take it out. Hallelujah!
I was so excited...well, I'm still excited!
Now, this doesn't mean I'm done with treatment, unfortunately.
I'm on a strong cocktail of oral antibiotics to eliminate the cyst form, l-form, and biofilm of the Lyme bacteria, which I'm already starting to feel pretty rough from it.
At times, it feels like this journey is never ending, BUT I've never been so close to the finish line and I'm stoked. My goal is to be able to start working part-time (I learned my lesson from working last time...patience & don't push it) this fall.
I'm especially excited to be able to take a shower without a plastic sleeve on my arm (to keep the port dry). Oh the little joys of life! Actually, this is a BIG joy.
On top of that, I'm feeling really motivated so I'm going back to an almost 100% raw diet, detoxing like crazy (infrared sauna here I come!) and start slowly with Pilates [eek!]. My immune system is still weak so hopefully by doing these things, it will strengthen and help my body heal faster.
Whew, this is a full time job...that's for sure.
If you'd like, please continue to pray for me...I would really appreciate it!

Anywayyyyy....

I've been reading the Gospel of John and two things have stood out to me:

1) Jesus said, "truly, truly" a lot!

2) People, including His disciples really had trouble believing that He was the Son of God.

It makes me wonder if I were there to walk the same streets Jesus walked, witness all the miracles, would I have believed? 

I'm not sure. I would hope I would have believed. Here we are today, not able to experience Jesus' life here on earth (although His Holy Spirit lives with us) and at times it's really easy for me to believe, but why were there so many people who didn't believe even when He was right in front of them?

What was the barrier that was keeping them from believing?

Maybe it was...
fear
intelligence
hurt
disappointment
judgment
false preconceived ideas
or simply not open.

Nicodemus, in the third chapter of John, asks Jesus how he can be born again. His lofty intelligence made it hard for him to believe the "born again" concept that Jesus was teaching. Just like Nicodemus, our intelligence can get in the way of our faith, while other times it can help us.

In chapter four of John, the Samaritan woman at the well was stumped by Jesus' actions. Jews and Samaritans weren't allowed to interact with one another. She didn't understand why a Jew would ask for water from her. After Jesus told her that he was the Messiah, she went out and told about what had happened. She questioned if He could really be the Messiah. Other Samaritans began to flock to Jesus and soon realized that He was the Messiah, not because of what she said, but by what they had experienced. The Pharisees didn't believe either because they believed that the Messiah would obey the Law by keeping the Sabbath holy, would be a political leader and would bring judgment. Instead, He healed people on the Sabbath, didn't care about politics, and practiced forgiveness.
Preconceived notions prevented them from believing.

Later on in the tenth chapter, Jesus told many parables (stories) to prove to the Jews who He said He was...the Messiah. He didn't just tell one story, but several stories. He didn't say, "You don't get it...I give up trying to explain to you." He tried to show them with His miracles and present them with words, but they didn't believe. They demanded that He would simply tell them and He tried, but were they actually listening?
Were they truly open? It doesn't seem that way to me.

I think we all struggle with these barriers during our lives. Our brain, preconceived notions, and narrow-mindedness along with other reasons, tend to build up walls around faith. When these walls are built, its hard for faith to be freed. Faith can't be boxed in. We can't let these issues suppress the beauty and power of faith. We must let faith run free..

It makes me think of skydiving. Although I've never done it, I'd like to try it one day. I can imagine that while your standing at the edge of the plane, you must feel a wave of emotions...good and bad (I would think mostly bad haha). If you don't jump, you're enclosed in this little plane with walls of anxiety. If you jump, although it may be difficult, you are released from those nauseating emotions. You're free. Towards the end of your flight, it may get bumpy, but you land and, I can imagine, you feel a sense of relief.

I think that's what faith is. It's a risk that allows you get past yourself, be freed from those barriers and rest in relief that you have someone walking along side of you.

Reason for the Season

Good thing there are "12 days of Christmas" or this post would be really late for a Christmas post!

It's pretty amazing how the holidays can make us so busy AND exhausted!

Aside from the hustle and bustle of the season, I had a great time with family and I hope you did, too!

In this series, we first talked about getting the nerve up to ask hard questions.

Then, we talked about being open and willing to hear the answer, whether we like it or not.

Once we have the answer, what do we do with it?

We either take a step of faith and believe in it, or we do nothing with it. 

In "Letters from a Skeptic", Ed asked hard questions over a span of 3 years. 

Although his questions were full of doubt, he was still open to what his son had to say.

After 3 years of discourse, Ed's belief had changed.

From a belief of agnosticism (a god cannot be proven or disproved), Ed came to believe that there is an all-loving God who sent His son, Jesus Christ to be in relationship with us and to save us. 

From this belief, hope was born.

Just like Ed, Mary and Joseph, as well as the shepherds and Wise Men, had a similar experience.

Although they were presented something hard to imagine, they were willing and acted on it. Because of this, they were given hope in return. 

For Ed, his belief gave him the hope of eternal life and relationship with Jesus Christ.

For Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and Wise Men, (as well as others), they received the hope of God here on earth, aka Emmanuel (God with us). 

Belief is the reason for the season, not Santa, candy canes, or presents. We do things because we believe. We celebrate because we believe. When we believe that God came to earth as a baby boy born in a manger during a genocide, so that we would be made right with God and be in relationship with Him, we are given the ultimate joy and hope that no one else can offer.

This belief is the reason for the season.

So it's clear that asking hard questions, being open, and stepping out in faith to arrive at a belief is definitely worth it!

Later, we'll discuss a few specific questions from Letters From a Skeptic.

journey

I had an epiphany last week...

Dave and I were driving back to my house and I turned down a certain street.

Dave said, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going the shortcut", I said.

"This is a shortcut?" he said, "you have to go through all these stop signs."

I then declared, "Well, what about all those street lights and traffic on your 'shortcut'? This is the fastest way!"

 

A few days later we were riding with my parents on the way back home and my dad turned down a different street.

Mom said, "I just don't understand why you go this way...the speed limit is lower and there are all these speed bumps!"

Dad replied, "Well, I don't understand why you go the other way, this is definitely faster...there's no traffic."

"I go through the lights on the main road and I think it's the fastest," Dave said.

I joined in and said, "Yeah, our (mom & I) way is definitely the fastest, but go the way you wanna go...we'll just be home faster!" ;)

 

It reminds me of picking a route on a gps.

 

Because of these discussions about who's way is better, I realized that it can be likened to our faith journeys, as well as life in general. We can't expect for everyone to go the same way as we do. Some people may need to sit at a stop light for a little while, while a slower speed may be better for others. It's okay for that one person to wrestle with the many questions about God and it's okay that another person may put their faith in Christ quickly. It's okay that one person may have read the whole Bible in one year and it's okay that another person may need ten years to read the Bible. It's okay that one person may have experienced their first mission trip at the age of 15 and it's okay that another person went on their first mission trip at the age of 70.

 

Everyone is different. We all have different ways to learn, different experiences, and different personalities. So of course, our walk with Christ may be different than others. We can't expect for everyone to follow in your footsteps of 24 years of Sunday School, 5 mission trips, and 3 times of reading the whole Bible all the way through. If we all had the same faith journey, I think that would be boring. We should focus on our similarities, learn from our differences and respect our unique experiences.

 

We should never look at another person's journey and feel inferior or superior. Reminding ourselves that our journey is just as good as everyone else's. Just like my route works for me, but my dad's route works for him.

Maybe I should have ended the conversation with my family by saying...

"It's okay that we all go different routes, at least we all end up at the same place."

That's all that matters, right? 

 

 

Bible Reading Plan

Today: Isaiah 59-63

Tuesday: Isaiah 64-66

Wednesday: Jeremiah 1-3

Thursday: Jeremiah 4-6

Friday: Jeremiah 7-9

Saturday: Jeremiah 10-13

 

 

 

pleasure

I hope everyone had a great week!

 

What do you find pleasure in? What makes you satisfied?

Do you find pleasure in worldly things? Or do you find satisfaction in the one who made you?

Sometimes I can get caught up in the things of this world, but I'm constantly checking myself...focusing on the truth that I can only find true satisfaction in the One who made me.

It is only when I align myself with Christ that I can find true pleasure and satisfaction in this life. That indescribable satisfaction found deep within our souls can only grow from the seed of life...Christ.

 

So I stumbled upon this video journal by Tenth Avenue North and thought it was too good, not to share with you!

Check it out!

 

 

 

 

Got my thinking cap on

 

I don't know about you, but I like to think.

My thinking cap is almost always on.

The 'what-if's  tend to boggle my mind.

The 'I wonder's like to creep in.

The 'I wish's tend to take over.

I mean, I'm not the only one, right?

 

It's not that I dwell on the past.

I know that the past is past, but when it comes to the future, that's a whole other story.

My mind just loves to jump ahead, but my feet just can't keep up.

I think that's pretty normal for us, human beings.

If only, we could see ahead.

If only, we could find out what's next.

I'm always thinking about the uncertain.

What about you?

 

I don't think it's necessarily a problem to think about the uncertain future that lies in front of us.

However, when it starts to take over and the thoughts turn into worries, it becomes a problem.

 

The truth is, God holds us in His hands.

In His hands, not only does He hold our present, but He holds our future.

This truth should create an overwhelming excitement in our hearts that allows us to be certain in uncertainty.

Jeremiah 29:11 - 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"
 

If it all depended on me, I wouldn't be able to be confident in the unknown, but knowing that God has it under control is such a relief! I hope this amazing truth gives you relief and creates a yearning to be in God's will, because it is never too late to put your faith in Him!

 

I love what Oswald Chambers says in "My Utmost for His Highest", "Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in - but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him."

 

Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!

Reading plan for the week:
Today: 2 Samuel 4-7
Tuesday: 2 Samuel 8-12
Wednesday: 2 Samuel 13-15
Thursday: 2 Samuel 16-18
Friday: 2 Samuel 19:21
Saturday: 2 Samuel 22-24

 

 

imperfect people hangout

What is church to you?

Is it a building?

Is it a group of people?

Is it a place where you can lift your hands in praise and worship to God?

Is it a place that makes you feel like an outcast?

Is it a place where you find fellowship with other people who share your same beliefs?

Is it a place where you feel judged for who you are?

Is it a place where you feel welcomed?

 

I think we can all agree that we have defined church on our own terms based on our experiences.

Unfortunately, if we have had bad experiences in church, then most likely we see the church in a bad light. If that's the case, going to church may not seem appealing.

However, if you've had good experiences in church, then it is safe to say, you are probably willing to go to church, if you aren't already.

 

For those of you who see church as a judgmental place where you feel as small as grasshopper, let me just say, I've felt that way, too.

 

Instead of getting angry with the church, vow to never go back, and turn away from your faith, remember that no one is perfect...even church people.

A church building doesn't consist of people who never sin, but is simply made up of imperfect, believers who want to follow Christ with the accountability from others.

 

No one should be turned away from the church for any reason.

The church should be a welcoming place where people can come together to encourage, motivate, and learn from each other.

It should be a safe place where flaws are welcomed, gifts are used, relationships are made, and all glory is given to God.

 

Maybe you feel out of place at your church or maybe you've given up on church...perhaps you can try again by keeping in mind, that even church leaders can mess up. Maybe you can visit a new church. Either way, don't give up on faith because of imperfect people.

 

God hasn't given up on you so don't give up on Him. He wants you to grow in His grace. Finding a church where you feel welcomed, encouraged to use your gifts, and challenged to grow deeper in God's word is an important part of strengthening your journey with Christ so that you will be used by Him for His glory.

 

Bible Reading Plan

Today: Judges 19-21

Tuesday: Ruth

Wednesday: 1 Samuel 1-3

Thursday: 1 Samuel 4-8

Friday: 1 Samuel 9-12

Saturday: 1 Samuel 13-14

 

Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!

lost dog

You ever feel like a lost dog?

Alone and scared with no place to go?

Longing for food and shelter?

Or maybe you just don't feel wanted...even loved?

Check this story out...

Luke 15:1-7

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him (Jesus) to listen to Him.  Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’  I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." 

The point is, you may feel like a lost dog/sheep, but the good news is, you don't have to have a sad ending, you can have a happy ending to your story.

Some people have kicked you to the side and have forgotten you, 

but Jesus has not forgotten you.

Some people may not want to be your friend, 

but Jesus wants you.

He didn't choose the popular crowd over you,

 but He's looking for you.

He's searching for you. 

He isn't going to give up after a few minutes or a few hours or a few days.

He won't give up ever because He wants to bring you home where you belong...with Him in Heaven.

So what do you do?

Are you going to run away from Him? That would be silly.

Are you going to run toward Him? That would be the best decision you could make.

The truth is, Jesus isn't coming back until all His sheep have heard about Him.

Matthew 24:14 says, " This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."

If you are lost, I suggest that you run to Jesus.

He's waiting with open arms.

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

If you aren't lost and are secure in your faith in Christ, please tell people about it.

Invite them to church. Eat lunch with them. Give them a Bible. Pray.

Don't let lost sheep continue to be lost. Help them to find their way to the Shepherd.

Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!

fear and regret

I think most people would agree with me that a common fear is to live with regrets.

Maybe a person is nearing the end of his life here on earth and he regrets never going skydiving. 

Maybe a person is nearing the end of her life and she regrets never going to nursing school.

Maybe a couple regrets never traveling the world before starting a family.

I have secret that will insure that you will never have regrets...

In class, this past Tuesday, something the speaker said really stood out to me.

I thought I would share it with you.

Really ponder it.

Here it goes...

"You will never regret when you live by faith.

You will regret when you live by fear."

Go on ahead and read it one more time.

I have never thought of that way.

Have you?

If we live by faith, believing and obeying God's will...we will never regret.

You can't regret God's work.

He has a plan for your life and it's better than any plan you that you will ever come up with.

So you can trust that if you follow His will, your purpose in life will be fulfilled, God's glory will be revealed and you will live with no regrets.

If we live by fear, we will have regrets. No doubt.

On a surface level, if you really have the desire to skydive, but you're scared to follow through so you don't do it...you will regret that at the end of your life.

On a deeper level, if you feel called to go overseas to spread the Gospel and you don't because you're afraid...you will regret it. 

Living by faith isn't always easy. Putting aside your control and letting God have control can be pretty hard for us, humans. However, if living by faith gets hard, but you stick with it, God will surely give you joy in return. Sticking with it, is the key. 

Oswald Chambers says in his book, "My Utmost for His Highest", " Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let's apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against-tribulation, suffering, and persecution- are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. 'We are more than conquerors through Him' 'in all these things'; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn't know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4). 

So it's rather simple, if you push past your fears and live by faith, you will live a life with zero regrets. You may not completely understand at times, but living by faith will create a regret-less life filled with abundant joy.

Which will you choose - fear or faith?

Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!

A whole lot of offerings

So today's reading was Leviticus 5-7. Once again, a passage that would normally bore me was actually another eye opener. Yesterday I talked about the construction instructions for the tabernacle and today I read about many different offerings.

In this passage, God is telling Moses what the people should do when they sin. As I was reading, I was getting a little overwhelmed by all of the rules. It's basically a long to-do list. I was thinking that if I lived back then, there would be no way that I would be able to follow all those rules, much less remember them! I mean that's a lot of work to do when you mess up.

For instance...

"So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. He shall also bring his guilt offering to the Lord for his sin which he has committed, a female from he flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering..." Leviticus 5:5-7. 

Did you catch all that? 

Yeah, lets just say I was a little lost. 

From the sin offering to the burnt offering to the guilt offering to the grain offering...

that's a lot of different offerings to keep up with! Not to mention all the different animals.

While reading this long to-do list, a sense of thankfulness came over me.

Do you know why?

Because when I mess up, I don't have to go find two young pigeons and bring them to an altar and  wait for a priest to make atonement on my sin! 

Thank goodness because I don't know how I'd catch two pigeons! It sounds like a lot of work if you ask me.

Do you know why I don't have to do that?!

JESUS!

God sent His son, Jesus to be my sin offering.

I think God realized that it's hard for people to keep up with all these rules. Some of them probably didn't follow them or maybe they couldn't remember them,  like me. 

God was so gracious and merciful to send His son as a sacrifice.

We don't have to offer up different things like animals and grain to be forgiven of our sins, Jesus already took care of that on the cross.

Of course, when we sin we should confess to God and repent, but there's nothing else we can do that will make up for what we've done. 

Jesus is the answer. 

What's even better is that God didn't say, 

"Okay, I'm going to send my son, Jesus, only if you do this for me." 

There were no if's or but's about it.

He sent His son, Jesus, as a gift.

Meaning, He freely gives the gift not because we deserve it, but because He loves us.

Amazing.

 This passage full of laws reminded me how blessed I am to have received the gift of salvation through Jesus.

I didn't do anything to deserve it, but since I believe in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I have received the gift of eternal life. 

It's not about works, unlike so many other religions, it's all about faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

All I can say (and I hope you agree and will say with me)...

Thank you God, for sending your Son as a sacrifice for my sins. You didn't have to, but You did and I am so thankful. 

If you have questions about this precious gift or if you have any prayer requests, please email me!

Day 30 In Him we find...

 

Wow- I can't believe it's been 30 days already!! Thank you so much for following along with me in my first series! I hope it has been a blessing for you, as much as it has been for me! I had been praying about this series a few months before I decided to do it and I even wrote out the 30 topics before hand. Guess what?! I didn't even use all the topics I had planned. God revealed to me so much more. That's how awesome He is!

 

Before I reveal to you the last topic, I figured I would do our last, final recap of what we've found in Him:

faithfulness

healing

freedom

holiness

grace

confidence

endurance

Heavenly Father

sacrifice

rest

conviction

repentance

refreshment

lovingkindness

power

everlasting love

wise counsel

transformation

refuge

joy

abundance

provision

fellowship

boldness

glory

truth

stability

comfort

purpose

 

Last, but not least...

*drum roll please*

 

In Him we find eternal life when we believe in the truth that He sent His one and only perfect son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead three days later to prove that death has not overcome.

 

When we believe in that truth, we are saved from condemnation in hell. We are given the most precious gift of eternal life with Him in heaven. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." When we die, it is not a time of sorrow, but a time of celebration. We get to spend eternity with Jesus in paradise. Revelation 21:4 says, "and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." We don't deserve it, that's for sure, but He has given it to us anyway, as a gift if we accept it.

 

Ephesians 2:4-10 says it beautifully, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

 

There is absolutely no one else who can give you the gift of eternal life. Don't even try looking elsewhere, because you won't find it. It is the most amazing gift you can and will ever recieve. It's better than your dream car, dream house, and whatever else that you dream of, because guess what? Those things don't last forever, but when you believe in Jesus, you will spend forever with Him. We can't even measure eternity, because it goes on and on and on and on and on....etc...you get the picture. 1 John 2:17 says, "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." Nothing gets better than that. I always hear young people say, "I wanna live forever!" Well, that isn't gonna happen without a relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

In Him we find eternal life.

 

Just because this series is over now, doesn't mean that these are the only things that we find in Him. The list continues. He has many wonderful characteristics that my 30 day blog series could not cover. I hope my series was just a snapshot of a few of the amazing things we find in Him. I pray that you continue to find more in Him and praise Him for who He is. If you have any questions or prayer requests, please let me know either by comment or email!

Check out http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/22-inspirational-bible-verses/ for bible verses about God's promises!

 

Stay tuned for my next series! Thanks again for stopping by!

 

Today's scripture for read-your-Bible-in-a-year plan is Acts 27-28.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 24 In Him we find...

Has anyone ever said to you, "Just be bold!" I know a few people who have told me that...several times.  Maybe you don't like attention or you're afraid to stand out. Maybe you doubt your abilities. Maybe you're afraid of the outcome. Maybe you don't have a problem with being bold most of the time, but maybe when it comes to your faith, you tend to blend in with the crowd. 

I know there are times, when it's comfortable for me to blend in with the crowd. There are times when I don't speak up about my beliefs when I should. Trust me, I'm not proud of this. I know it's something I need to work on, because I'm reminded by God's Word that as followers of Christ, we should be bold. We should be bold in our actions and in our words, just like Daniel, Moses, Paul and many others in the Bible.

In order to be heard in a world full of sin, we must speak boldly. We can't be shy when we speak about what God has done in our lives. God is bold, so He deserves to be spoken about boldly. Now, I'm not saying go scream down someone's throat, but be bold and strong with what God has given you. Acts 14:3 says, "Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord..."  Everyone deserves to hear the good news of Christ so we need to make sure they hear it! 

You may think that you aren't good with your words or you don't know what to say, but let me remind you, that God will make sure that you are equipped. He can use you no matter what. He can make you bold. Psalm 138:3 says, "On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul." If you struggle with being bold, go to God and ask Him to make you bold. Get ready because He will definitely give you opportunities to be bold! No doubt about it. 

In Him we find boldness.

Proverbs 28:1 - The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Day 16 In Him we find...

You, my friend, are loved with an everlasting love and you absolutely HAVE to know about it! So you might have been wondering when I was going to talk about love. Well, today is the day that I felt moved to write about God's love for us. I'm not going to write much, because I think the Bible says it clear enough. So I'm going to show you just a few verses (trust me, there are A LOT! Feel free to pick up a Bible, you'll see what I mean) that describe God's love. Soak it in. Read each verse a few times and don't forget, God sent His only son to die on the cross for your sins...if that isn't love, I don't know what is.

via

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Notice it says, "world"...yeah that's how BIG His love is.

Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Word.

Romans 8:37-39 - "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Seriously?! Yep, seriously...nothing can separate us from the love of God. Chew on that.

1 John 3:1 - "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." He calls us His children, He doesn't have to do that...but He does.

1 John 4:9-12 - " By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us." He loved us first. We didn't have to love Him first and He still saved us from our sin through Jesus. When we love, He lives in us.

Check out this song that I've heard a million times today (it's my favorite jam at the moment, no joke).

Group 1 Crew - His Kind of Love

If you want to listen to another song about God's love, check out Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture.

Say with me.. GOD LOVES ME WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE.

Don't be shy, let's say it one more time...GOD LOVES ME WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE.

If you ever feel unloved (which I hope you don't), say this to yourself, pick up your Bible, and feel the love.

In Him we find everlasting love.

 

Today's scripture for read-your-Bible-in-a-year-plan is John 16-18.

 

 

 

Walking in style

Well, today is Halloween! I'm not too excited about it, because it's my first Halloween without candy. Halloween without candy?! It's a travesty, I know, but I'm on a sugar free diet and I have to deal with it, especially since I cheated a few days ago and got sick. Not going to do that again. Anyway, since today is Halloween, I wanted to dress my pup, Lola, up in her ladybug costume (but Ma couldn't find it) so her Halloween handkerchief will have to do. By the way, if you've seen pictures of her in previous posts, you may not recognize her (she went to the groomer...I prefer her fluffy...I think she does too...it's much warmer).

 

 

So enough of all that Halloween stuff. Today I went to read my Bible on YouVersion and the "verse of the day" was one of my favorite verses. I thought it was appropriate that I'd share it with you. "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."Micah 6:8. Gosh, don't you just love that? I love straightforward verses. It lays 3 things out that He requires us to do. Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God. Notice that these three things are actions. They  require movement. Act. Love. Walk. God doesn't require us to sit and let Him do all the work. He wants us to be active. He wants to work through us (even though He's big enough to do it all on His own). It's only when we follow these requirements that God's love is shown through us, while being strengthened in Him at the same time.

That's what I call walking in style.

Are you walking in style today?

 

Today's scripture for the read-your-Bible-in-a-year plan is Luke 10-11.

 

If you are struggling with these three things, please pray this with me.

Dear God, I know I may mess up, but I want to live my life for you. Help me to act justly, love mercy, and to always walk humbly with You. In Christ's name, Amen.

 

Have a great day & be safe!