The greatest example of love was the sacrifice God made for us through his son, Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)

Love is the first spiritual fruit and it is the God-ordained foundation for the way we should live. We learn about love from God and then reflect it to others. God is love! God wants to develop us so that our character mimics His. With this purpose in mind, God poured His Holy Spirit into our hearts to be our guide when we accepted Jesus Christ. [Read more…]

Once we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are then filled with the Holy Spirit by faith. The Holy Spirit dwelling within us allows us to possess the same character traits that Jesus does, enabling us to live life abundantly.  Recieving that we have the fruit of the spirit living within us is a wonderful first step as Christians, but we have to continually re-evaluate, taking action to further develop this fruit within ourselves. This routine “check-up” for our spiritual health ensures that we bear good fruit. [Read more…]

No one likes to experience rejection or to be disappointed, but we all have been there before. The fear of rejection or even dealing with the lingering effects of past rejections can lead us to  pull away, shrinking back from doing things we truly want to do in life out of fear. God never intended for us to live with fear:

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. ( Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

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Staying connected with God can be a struggle when life gets busy. Countless things call for our attention every day, and usually it starts from the minute we wake up in the morning. If we are not careful, sometimes too much time goes by before we even realize that we have neglected our relationship with the Lord.

I know all too well how difficult it can be to stay close to God throughout the day, especially with a little one to care for and with the many things that must be done each day. No matter how busy we are, it’s amazing to know that God is never too busy for us. Instead, He’s patiently waiting for us to come to Him and for us to abide in Him.

I have some simple ways to stay connected to God no matter how crazy the day gets. These are simple tips that help me reconnect. I hope you find encouragement and useful ideas! [Read more…]

Not only do we find joy with having a grateful attitude, but the Lord also finds joy in us having it. Having a heart that is thankful keeps us in a positive state of mind. Deliberately focusing more on God’s goodness- not ourselves- keeps us from negative thinking that can lead to an ungrateful heart.

Our thoughts are so powerful, but words are just as powerful in overcoming negative thoughts that sometimes seem to creep in to our minds. Remembering to focus on what we do have, and not so much on what we do not have keeps the heart grateful. [Read more…]