Sunshine Blogger Award – 10

Thank you to the following bloggers for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I’m grateful that you thought of me. I appreciate all of your support.

Inspired Grisele who writes about the topics of, “love, life, relationships, and inspiration”. She keeps things fresh and relevant with her engaging content. Read more about her on her About Me page.

God’s Love who shares her love for God and writes about the urgency of turning to Jesus. She shares videos that will help keep you expecting God’s miracles. Read more at God’s Love.

Something to Stu Over who writes about life, love, marriage and sex. There is never a dull moment as he also discusses overcoming addiction. Read more on his About Me page.

Rules:
• Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them.


• Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger.


• Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 questions.


• Notify the nominees about it by commenting on one of their blog posts.


• List the rules and display a Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post and/or blog site.

Inspired Grisele’s Questions to me:

  1. What is your pet name? Keesha.
  2. How loyal are you? I am very loyal and like to keep my commitments.
  3. Are friends or family the people who influence your life more? Both have played a role in my life at different times, but mostly family.
  4. Are you a breakfast person? Yes, it’s the most important meal of the day.
  5. What is your favorite Camera brand? I don’t have one.
  6. What is your take on baby showers? Are they relevant? Yes baby showers are nice and relevant. I didn’t have to buy diapers for 5 months after my daughter was born. Thank God for baby showers!
  7. How large or small is your family? My immediate family is small but my extended family is very big.
  8. For or against divorce? It depends on the situation. I myself am divorced.
  9. What is the reason for your answer in question 8? I say that because the Bible does give reasons for divorce.
  10. Road trips or flight; which do you prefer? Road trips are fun when you have time, otherwise jump on the plane.
  11. Are you a foodie? Based on the definition of foodie, no I’m not. But I do enjoy trying new foods.

God’s Love’s Questions to me:

  1. What is your favorite fruit? Pineapple
  2. What is your favorite meat? Chicken and fish
  3. Do you like to make your own juice or buy it? Buy
  4. Do you like to bake? Sometimes
  5. Do you like to cook? Sometimes
  6. Would you rather eat at home or a restaurant everyday? Home
  7. Do you like to travel? Yes when I can.
  8. Do you enjoy walks in nature? Yes, it’s one of my favorite things to do.
  9. Do you enjoy camping? No
  10. Would you prefer to live by the sea or in the mountains? Mountains
  11. Would you prefer to live in an apartment/flat, or in a house? I live in an apartment but hope to have a house one day.

Something to Stu Over’s Questions to me:

  1. You have been shipwrecked. It’s only you and one other survivor. What do you do to occupy your time as there are no books or electronics? Talk to the other person.
  2. What is your favorite animal? Share a picture. Papillon
  3. Which blog do you look forward to reading? I look forward to reading many different ones.
  4. Right now, I’m dressing up like the kid from Christmas Story. How to you dress to stay warm? I am probably one of the few people who have not seen that movie. So I don’t know.
  5. Considering the the times we live in, if your son or daughter told you they feel they are gay, what would your reaction be? How would you handle it? I would be surprised. I would still love my child but would continue to seek the Lord and other resources for help.
  6. If you caught your son or daughter watching pornography how would you handle the situation? What would you say to them? I guess it depends on the age. I would offer suggestions for help if it’s an adult child but for a minor I would use parental blocks and talk to them/get help.
  7. Aside from blogging, how do you express to others what is on your heart? By talking to them or giving to them in some way.
  8. Do you believe in the power of prayer? Yes!!! Prayer is our way to talk to God and it changes things.
  9. With all the distractions that can draw your attention how do you stay grounded? By praying and asking God to help me to focus on what is most important.
  10. Would you rather live in the mountains by a river/lake or in the hustle and bustle of city life? Mountains sound nice. I don’t care for big cities.
  11. Are you as tired of the rat race as I am? The last few months have been extremely busy for me. I have been tired. But I’m enjoying some down time since I just relocated. It’s wonderful!

I nominate the following bloggers, but there is no obligation to participate. Thanks so much for your inspiring blogs. 🤗❤️

Bukola

Jeanne

Perth Girl

Deandra

Beverley

Alfiano

Deb

Herry

Jacquie

Matt

Big Sky

Jenny

Truth Team

My Questions to the nominees:

  1. Road trips or flight; which do you prefer?
  2. How loyal are you?
  3. Are friends or family the people who influence your life more?
  4. You have been shipwrecked. It’s only you and one other survivor. What do you do to occupy your time as there are no books or electronics?
  5. What is your favorite animal? Share a picture 😊
  6. Do you enjoy walks in nature?
  7. Do you enjoy camping?
  8. Would you prefer to live by the sea or in the mountains?
  9. Considering the the times we live in, if your family member or friend told you they feel they are gay, what would your reaction be? How would you handle it?
  10. If you caught your family member watching pornography how would you handle the situation? What would you say to them?
  11. What is your favorite color?

I Choose Jesus

I was watching a movie the other day, and in the movie the main character decided that she needed to find her “true self”. So along with that, she decided she no longer wanted to be married. After her divorce, she set out on a journey of traveling, exploring life and other cultures, and various forms of spirituality. One of her struggles was learning to forgive herself for ending her marriage. Since her husband loved her, and never wanted their marriage to end, forgiving herself was difficult. In some ways, I could identify with the lady in the movie. I too had to learn to forgive myself for divorce and other unfortunate things that have happened in the past.

At some point during the movie, the words “I choose Jesus”, came to my mind. As I watched the main character try to figure things out, and try to find peace by finally being able to forgive herself, I again realized how valuable it is to have the love and forgiveness of our Savior. By choosing Him, we choose healing, peace, restoration, and forgiveness. Any struggles we face, even forgiveness towards ourselves, we can turn over to Him. We can choose Jesus to handle our hurts, pains, and sins. Our freedom comes from Him, not our ability to find peace within ourselves based on our own actions. He is our peace.

I’m thankful we have the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to help us choose Jesus. When our trust in Him overrides our own understanding, we position ourselves to experience the victory that comes when we choose His will over our own. We choose Jesus when we accept Him into our hearts and lives. However, everyday we have to choose to live for Him by letting His Spirit guide our actions and decisions. When you choose Jesus, it changes your life.

Photo by: Artem Saranin

Live, Laugh, Love

“Live, Laugh , Love” is a very popular phrase that I see in many places. A couple of weeks ago, I saw it on the back of a car. I researched a little online, and read that the phrase originated from a poem called, “Success” written in 1904 by Bessie Anderson Stanley. The first line of the poem reads:

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much…”

The poem of course is based on Ms. Anderson’s personal opinion of success. However, the Bible is definitely not silent on God’s instructions for success. Check out these Bible verses about success.

Based on the phrase live, laugh, love, I thought I’d share a few verses about living, laughing, and loving. Through Jesus Christ, we can do all three.

Live…

Philippians 1:21 NIV, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

When our hearts are submitted to Jesus Christ, that is when we truly live. We give up our sinful ways and the ways of the world to pursue the heart of Jesus. We see people through His eyes of compassion, and want them to know the comfort and peace of His everlasting love. We begin to see life from His perspective and find great delight in getting to know Him more each day. We want to serve Him because we love Him, and we have security because He loves us. To live…is to live in Christ.

Laugh…

Psalm 37:12-13 NLT, “12 The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. 13 But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.”

Photo by: Nappy

It’s natural to laugh when things are lighthearted and funny. But what about when life is not so funny? When trials come against us or our loved ones, and we feel hurt and pain. When people do you wrong, you really want to just cry. There is a lot of evil and injustice in the world today. So many seem to be getting away with all kinds of foolishness. There are many unanswered questions and unresolved issues. But this verse always makes me laugh. It’s funny to try and imagine the Lord laughing. Knowing that the Lord will bring justice brings joy. He laughs because He has a plan to destroy the evil one and those who choose to be used by Him. Sometimes we need to just laugh. Laughter is good for our souls.

Love…

John 15:12 NIV, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Photo by: Phong Bùi Nam

God loves us, so we are called to love others. He is love. He set the example of love for us. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we will better understand love. We will learn to love and reverence Him more. Then he teaches us how to love ourselves in a healthy and balanced way, and grow in our desire and ability to love others. The Holy Spirit has been teaching me that love must be at the root of all we say and do as Christians. Without love life is worthless. So love! Because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Hearts — Theology of a Newfoundland Housewife

Have you ever listened to your own heartbeat through a stethoscope ? It is fascinating, and a reminder that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image ! I listen to my heart sometimes before I begin my morning devotions. This reminds me to stay in the moment with the Lord, to rejoice, and […]

via Hearts — Theology of a Newfoundland Housewife

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Give As God Leads

1 King 17:13-15 NIV, “13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land. 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.

This story of Elijah and the widow is such an encouraging reminder of God’s faithfulness to supply our needs. When we obey His instructions, He will personally make sure that our wells never run dry.

I admire this widow, because she was a woman of great faith who gave from the little she had left out of obedience to the Lord. She didn’t allow fear to hold her back from the blessings that God had waiting for her. It reminds us that when God ask us to give of ourselves, it’s because He has good things planned for us.

Photo by: Pixabay

Once the widow was faithful to obey God, she and her family had food for the rest of their days. It’s the same for us, there is no way that we can lose when we are giving what God tells us to give. When we give for the sake of Christ, there will always be some type of harvest. We don’t have to fear lack at any time. God will replenish and restore us in ways we can’t even begin to imagine.

It’s important to obey God even in the little things because He can use our small acts of obedience to make a significant difference in our lives and the lives of others.

Saved By Grace

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT, “8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Saved by His grace! There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It is a free gift that has been given to us by God through Jesus Christ. It can be difficult for our human minds to comprehend the idea of something so precious being free. However, our debt has been paid, and all we have to do to receive it, is confess and believe (Romans 10:9).

Photo by: Patricia McCarty

There have been many times in my life that I have struggled to forgive myself for my sins. I go back and forth with myself, wondering how I could have failed so miserably. But Jesus paid our debts in full. No amount of guilt, shame, or unforgiveness against ourselves will take away our sins. Only His blood can wash away our sins.

Just receive what Jesus has freely given. It’s feels good to know that long before we even existed, God had good things planned for us. He has always had us on His mind and in His heart. He desires for us to live an abundant life filled with His goodness and mercy.

Continue On In Christ

Galatians 3:1-3 NLT, “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”

When I read verse one, I like to replace the name Galatians with my name. That way, I can remind myself that I cannot live for Jesus in my own strength. I need His Spirit to work in me and through me to accomplish God’s purposes.

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the means by which we are able to apply the principles of God’s Word to our daily lives and do good. When we work for the Lord, we are contributing toward His eternal purposes. Our motivation for doing good should be the same as our Heavenly Father’s, to see people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Photo by: Bess Hamiti

Don’t be discouraged when you have days where you fall short. Refocus and remember that you began with Christ, and so you must continue on through Christ. It’s His grace that sustains us.

The Lord does reward us as we serve Him, but our greatest rewards are in heaven. Can you imagine the ecstasy of seeing Jesus face to face, for all eternity? Oh how joyous it will be.

Continue on in Christ.

Photo by: Skitterphoto