Put Your Love on Display

I'm back from vacation! I'm rested, relaxed, and refreshed! I had so much fun seeing all of my family, and I can't wait to go back again.

In the midst of all of the hustle and bustle, love was on full display. There was love for family, love for friends, love that sacrificed, love that gave above and beyond, love that spoke up, love that was silent... It was an all-out lovefest!

It's easy to show love to family and friends. It's not hard to show kindness to people we like. The true testament of our faith comes when we reach out to strangers. Our love really is shown when we give it away to those that others feel are 'unlovable'.

Jesus told us that the world would know we were His followers because of the love we displayed. He constantly spoke about love and forgiveness. He taught that keeping the peace should be our highest priority. To Him, we couldn't give an offering without making sure that things were made right between people who had offences with us first! (Matthew 5:23, 24)

Are people able to see your Christianity through the love you display? Can they tell you're a follower of Christ from how you treat them? Would someone be able to observe you throughout the day and see the love of Christ shine through?

Make sure your love is on display today!

Verse of the Day: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35

Throwbacks!

Hey Everyone! Hope you enjoyed your weekend. Right about now, I'm driving back from my trip to Louisiana, so I decided to post some of my favorite old posts for you to enjoy today. One thing that's great about the Word: it never gets old!

Been feeling blah lately? Click here for some JOY!

Trying to get rid of a bad attitude? Click here to learn how to lose it!

Need to turn that dream into a reality? Click here for some motivation!

Been running here, there, and everywhere? Click here to learn why you might wanna slow down!

Still waiting on something God's promised you? Click here to strengthen your patience for the answer!

I'll be back on the post tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Friday!

Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good! His mercies endure forever and His truth endures beyond time!

I'm so glad it's Friday! Right now, I am enjoying family and friends in New Orleans. It's my grandmother's birthday celebration, and I'm glad I got a chance to come down and celebrate with her. I haven't been down here in ages! Thank You, Lord, for family. Thank You for blessing me with such a great group of people to love.

I'm also thankful for rest. It didn't really dawn on me until a few days ago, but I am tired! I need to rest! This vacation came right on time. I've been so busy with things here and there that my body was screaming for a break. Thanks, God, for the opportunity to vacation.

So, what are you thankful for today? How has the Lord blessed you? Make sure you give God some praise today!

Verse of the Day: O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy... Psalm 107:1, 2

Family Time

After God created Adam, He realized that it wasn't good for Adam to be alone. Adam needed a family. He needed a wife to be his helper, and he needed children to fulfill God's command to "be fruitful" in the earth.

Cunningly, the family was where satan chose to strike first. Initially, he caused Adam and Eve's union trouble when he tempted Eve in the garden. As soon as God questioned their decision to disobey Him, Adam threw Eve under the bus blaming her for the whole thing. Then, when the pair had children, satan was able to use Cain's jealousy and turn it into a murder between brothers.

The rest is history.

All throughout the Bible there are stories of how families betrayed each other... how jealousy ripped families apart... how greed caused rifts between parents and children... how favoritism wreaked havoc... how pride brought pain...

The devil knows that if a family is able to remain a strong unit, they can do great things for the Kingdom of God. If a family is in harmony, they can spread more love and joy in the earth. If a family is whole, there is one less group of people who are too distracted with drama and negativity to pay him any mind.

God designed families. He purposefully put together families to bring Him glory.

Think about it: He chose Mary for a reason. He knew that she would accept the great task of bearing the Messiah. God chose Joseph to be Mary's husband knowing that he would do the honorable thing by her when she revealed that she was pregnant and not by him. When they worked together in harmony, they were able to facilitate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Think about your family. There's a reason why you have the mother, father, sisters, brothers, grandmother, adopted parents, guardians, etc. in your life. It's no accident how you ended up the way you have.

The devil would love for you to focus on the family dramas - the slights, the attitudes, the forgetfulness, the grudges - in order for you not to have a fully functioning unit. He would love for you to bemoan the fact that you come from a broken home. He would love for you to focus on the abuse you suffered at the hands of a loved one. Satan would love for you to continue the bitterness toward your siblings that keeps you apart from them.

But God wants to use you and your family to bring Him glory. He wants to turn all the negativity around for your good. He wants to use the hurt to bring healing. He wants to transform the chaos to peace.

Today, bring your family up before the throne of God. Ask the Lord to show you what He had purposed when He gave you the family that you have. Ask Him to show you how to begin to heal whatever pains are there. Ask Him to show you how your family - as messed up as it may be - can bring His Kingdom glory.

God loves family. He wants all of us to enjoy our families. Yes, things may be difficult and trying, but all it takes is allowing the Lord to step into those difficult and trying spaces... Then you will see the glory of God.

Verse of the Day: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Know Where You're Going?

In studying the life of Jesus, one thing I love was His focus. Jesus knew His mission, did what He had to do to prepare for His purpose, and when His time came to shine, He went full steam ahead.

Jesus knew from an early age that He was on Kingdom business. As a young child, He spent His time in the synagogues and temple talking with the priests and religious leaders of the day. Jesus was well versed in Scripture and even had His teachers in awe!

Jesus didn't rush into His calling either. He followed the timing of the Lord. Jesus didn't start His ministry until He was about 30 years old. That leaves a significant amount of time where Jesus was in the background, hidden, preparing for His destiny.

When the time came for Jesus to start His ministry, He made sure He followed the proper steps. He knew that He had to commit to fasting and prayer in order to prepare Himself. He also went through temptation from the enemy proving the strength of His convictions to fully follow God's plan. Jesus also was baptized by John the Baptist prior to going forth in ministry.

And once Jesus went into ministry, He was fully committed to fulfill everything that was being asked of Him. Jesus travelled from town to town preaching the gospel. He healed all that came to Him. He subjected Himself to the sneers and accusations of the haters. He mentored twelve men who would become His legacy after His death. Jesus stayed in constant prayer with the Father. And even though He did take time to rest, He was always ready with the Word of God for those who came to Him in need. Jesus walked out His purpose to the point of death knowing that He would be resurrected on the other side.

Jesus was a man who fully understood His call, purpose and destiny in God.

Studying Jesus' life inspires and challenges me in my purpose as well. Do I fully understand my purpose? Do I know my next steps? Am I able to withstand temptation when it comes? Can I remain faithful to the call in the midst of haters? Will I be able to stay true to the call even in times of pain and heartache?

Jesus is our pristine example of how to live a life walking with the Lord. He had such a relationship with God that He knew His exact steps and the exact timing of His life. Can you say the same? Do you know what season you're in? Are you walking in step with God's plan?

Don't just live your life without purpose. Don't allow time to pass you by without walking in your destiny. Whether you're planning, positioning, preparing, or walking it out, your purpose in God should be known to you. As you follow God's instructions for your life, you will make the impact He created you for in the earth.

Verse of the Day: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23

There's Nothing Too Hard For God: Believe It!

There's a popular saying in the church that goes, "There's nothing too hard for God." We Christians like throwing that phrase around. We say it with our chest puffed out because the phrase reiterates that the God we serve is so powerful, nothing can stop Him, nothing can beat Him, nothing can make Him fail.

Yet, when problems come our way - I mean serious problems - why do we get so fearful? Why do we worry? Why do we stress wondering how we're going to make it through? We're the same folk who boast that our God can do anything, but our 'big' problems make us shake in our boots.

Do we really believe there's nothing too hard for God?

When you believe something, you're at rest. You're at peace. Right now, I'm believing that my chair is going to continue holding me up. I'm not worrying about falling on the floor in the next moment, I'm not stressing out about how to make this chair strong enough to hold me. I'm at peace. I'm not even thinking about it. I believe in the strength of this chair to hold my weight.

If we can put simple faith in a chair, how much more should we be able to put faith in our God? If He told us something, why should we not believe Him? If He made a promise, who are we to think that it will not be fulfilled?

Still, we do it every day. We face a problem and try to take it on by ourselves because deep down we're not fully sure that God is really able. We look at the size of our challenge and get intimidated. We forget how great our God is, and we succumb to fear. We worry instead of standing on God's Word.

Today, take a moment and check your faith level. Do you really believe that God can do it? Be honest. And if you don't believe, bring your doubts to God! He is so loving and will honor your honesty. And then He will prove His Word to you. He will show you that, yes, He can handle it.

There is nothing too hard for God. We just have to give Him an opportunity to showcase His strength.

Verse of the Day: And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27

Souls in the Balance

By now you've probably heard about the theater shootings in Aurora, CO. Yesterday, there were memorial services and prayer services to remember those that were killed and pray for the injured. Our President even put his agenda on hold to go and see about those hurting in that city.

In the midst of all the news coverage and happenings surrounding this matter, one thing keeps bugging me: somebody knew. Someone knew that the alleged shooter, James Holmes, was off. Someone knew that something wasn't right with him. Someone saw that he was not in his right mind.

Yet no one said anything. No one did anything.

As believers it is practically our job to notice those who are outcast, rejected, hurting, and alone. It is our responsibility to show love to the unloved, to give to those who have nothing, to be friends to the friendless. We are to spread Jesus' love to everyone we see who needs it.



Marc Piscotty for nbcnews.com



The question is whether we are taking the time to do something about the people we see who are in need.

 Are we reaching out to those that we see hurting? Are we going out of our way to show love to someone who needs it? Do we reach out to those who we see are all alone?

There are souls in the balance.

True, not everyone will accept the love of Christ. Not everyone will respond to a caring act. But someone will. There's someone who is just waiting on someone else to show that they care. There's someone who wants someone else to notice that they're hurting. There's someone who doesn't want to feel alone anymore.

That's where we come in. When we show God's love, when we follow the Holy Spirit and reach out, when we take on the mind of Christ and pay attention to someone in need... we can turn things around. We can change someone's life. We can rescue someone from despair.

Who knows? Our small acts of kindness could lead a person to the Lord. Our smile or hug could save someone from the grasp of suicide. Our love could ease the hurt of someone who was planning to hurt someone else.

We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Are we doing our jobs? Does the world reflect our Christian actions? Is our faith impacting those we come in contact with?

We can't just live our lives in a bubble. We can't ignore the pain and hurt in the lives of those around us. We were given too much to be selfish. We were shown too much love to keep it all to ourselves. We have to start reaching out. We have to start living the life we claim. There are souls in the balance.

Verse of the Day: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18, 19