Tag: Christianity

It’s All About Love – 4

(2 Thessalonians 3:5, NIV), “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Love Connects

Connecting with people is more of a challenge today. Although we have email, texting, and social media right at our fingertips, real interaction with people has faded away. In order to have meaningful healthy relationships, we must be intentional about spending quality time with people.

Hebrews 10:25 NLT, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

As Christians, we definitely must put forth extra effort to be aware of those around us who need encouragement. We should also be willing to go beyond our inner circle of familiar people, so we can reach out and touch someone who is unfamiliar. Even if that someone looks different, speaks different, or acts different from us.

Love Forgives

Although difficult at times, we must forgive people who hurt us. Not forgiving will keep us in bondage. A person with an unforgiving heart is not walking in love. We must decide to forgive, and then trust God to help us to walk in that forgiveness.

Mark 11:25 NIV, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Ephesians 4:32 NIV, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

It’s all about love

It’s All About Love – 3

(2 Thessalonians 3:5, NIV), “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Yesterday I mentioned that love gives and love trust. I also mentioned how people can hurt us, which breaks our trust in them and/or God. It’s one thing when people disappoint us, but what about when we feel God has failed us?

Here are a few reasons we may feel God failed us:

  • He didn’t work in a situation the way we thought He should.
  • We lost someone or something and we feel He could have prevented it.
  • We feel in general He is just not being fair.

Since God is the Source of true and lasting love, how do we move forward when we struggle to receive His love? It’s worth asking ourselves this question, because receiving His love is what empowers us to love Him and other people.

Ways to move forward in our relationship with God:

Prayer & Repentance are key factors in healing from a broken relationship with God. Communication is important in all relationships, it’s the same with God. Expressing our frustrations, hurts, and worries to Him will help us. 1 Chronicles 16:11 KJV, “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

Seek Counsel from a fellow Christian, your pastor, or a therapist. When we share our experiences with one another it brings healing. Knowing we are not alone in our fight for faith brings strength to keep going. Be careful not to seek counsel from ungodly people. Psalm 1:1(NLT),“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.”

Meditating on Scripture will renew our mind so that we will have the mind of Christ. Scripture is not just words on paper. It is living and active. Hebrews 4:12 NIV, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

God has a divine will. His will is good. It’s hard sometimes because we can’t see what He sees. He never promised us that life would be easy. He instead chooses to grow our faith. Remember He is patient and kind. Find joy and peace in His faithfulness. He knows what we need and when we need it.

He loves you.

It’s all about love

It’s All About Love – 2

(2 Thessalonians 3:5,NIV),“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Really when I think about love, one of the first things that comes to my mind is “trust”. Love and trust are closely connected. But before I can get to trust, I think it makes sense to mention this…

Love Gives

God loved the world and gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). He loved and then He gave. There is no way to truly show love without some type of giving being involved. When we love, we give. We give of ourselves and/or our resources. Usually when people begin to feel unloved , it’s because they are not being given something they feel they need or want.

One of the things we give to show love is trust.

Love Trust

Have you ever trusted someone and then they disappointed you or broke your heart? The ill treatment could have come from a family member, a friend, a coworker, or even a company. After all, some people spend years working for a company then they get let go. That’s definitely broken trust! Of course a company is run by people, so once again it’s people that have hurt us.

When our trust has been broken, it becomes a hindrance to our ability to love. When we trust people, especially people we love, and they break that trust, it hurts. Can you relate? Has someone you love ever broken your heart, or disappointed you?

Psalm 118:8 NLT,“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people.”

It’s good when we have people in our lives we can trust. However, we should always trust God first above anyone or anything. Why? Because people aren’t perfect, and things aren’t guaranteed. But God is. He doesn’t make mistakes. So why do we sometimes struggle to fully trust Him, and receive His love if we know He is mistake-free? Most likely because of the people we have encountered throughout our lives. Their imperfect performance has given us an imperfect view of God.

We can’t always trust people, so therefore we feel we can’t always trust God. We ask ourselves questions like, “What if I trust God and He doesn’t come through?” We wonder if He understands the urgency of our needs. We want to trust Him, but fear of the unknown gets in our way.

1 John 4:18(NIV),“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

God loves us perfectly we don’t have to fear Him.

Love gives and love trust. Fear can hinder trust, which then hinders our ability to give and receive love.

It’s all about love

It’s All About Love – 1

(2 Thessalonians 3:5,NIV),“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

About a week ago, I awaken around 3 o’clock in the morning. I was wide awake. I didn’t feel sleepy at all. So I decided I would just use the time to pray. I love early morning prayer because everything is quiet and still. I don’t always do it as consistently as I should, but when I do it, I love it.

During my conversation with the Lord, I could sense Him saying to me, “It’s all about love.” This statement has been resonating with me ever since. I can’t stop feeling as if God wants us as Christians, to never forget that the true foundation of our relationship with Him is…LOVE. Who we are and the things we do, rather for God or for people, it should all be about love.

(2 Timothy 3:1,KJV),“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

We are living in perilous times. God knows that in order to persevere, we need a strong foundation that is rooted in His love for us. Otherwise, we will succumb to the pressures we face daily.

We hear the word love a lot. We see many expressions of it everyday. Sometimes we may even think we have it (love) all figured out, and then we find out differently. I will take some time to explore love in general over the next several posts. Since it’s the foundation of our faith in Christ Jesus, looking at it more closely is beneficial. I don’t know exactly where this will go, but I’m just going to “trust” the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ to guide the process (Hebrews 12:2).

It’s all about love

 

Because Love Rose

He died, but I’m so thankful that He also rose. Because the tomb is empty, we have victory. He defeated death, therefore we can have life. True life. Abundant life. We are free, because Love rose.

Matthew 28:6 (NIV), “He is not here; he is risen, just as he said…”

We serve a Risen Savior! He doesn’t just give us love, but He is Love.

May the joy, power, and love of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Have a Blessed Resurrection Sunday!

Jesus Lives!

The Mystery Blogger Award 2019

The Mystery Blogger Award 2019

Renee/Heart Tokens has presented me with The Mystery Blogger Award.

https://hearttokens.home.blog/2019/04/19/the-mystery-blogger-award-2019/

Thank you Renee! I really appreciate you nominating me for this award. I am thankful that we connected and I have enjoyed your blog posts. They have been an encouragement and inspiration to me.  I pray that God will continue to use you to speak truth through your blog, and that the gifts and talents He has given you will continue to be a blessing to many. Thanks again for giving me this opportunity!

Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion. – Okoto Enigma

Rules:

  • Put the award logo/image on your blog
  • List the rules.
  • Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
  • You have to nominate 10-20 people
  • Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
  • Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question
  • Share a link to your best posts.

3 Things About Dawn:

  • I love taking walks, especially in the park. It gives me time to pray and reflect. Other times I will call someone and talk while I walk.
  • My favorite two foods are pizza and french fries.
  • l like to sing.

Here are the questions asked of me to answer:

1- If you could see yourself through the eyes of those who know you well, what advice do you think they would be bold enough to give you, good or bad? Be more spontaneous, don’t over think things.

2- What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten? Souse Meat. I used to eat it growing up, but now I don’t think I could eat one piece, especially looking at the ingredients. Haven’t had it in many years.

3- What is a pet peeve of yours? When people are petty, put others down to build themselves up, and spend too much time competing with others instead of focusing on God’s plan for their own lives.

4- What advice would you give the younger you, knowing all that you know now? Value yourself. Take time to get to know yourself and develop yourself.

5- What is your favorite idiom, if any? It’s a small world.

Here are my questions for those who choose to participate:

  1. If you could have dinner with anyone who would it be and why?
  2. Do you prefer silver or gold?
  3. What is your favorite season and why?
  4. If you could go on national TV to discuss any topic what would it be?
  5. What is one of the most important lessons you have learned in life?

Here are a few of my best posts:

https://drawingclosertochrist.com/2019/04/02/no-need-to-worry/

https://drawingclosertochrist.com/2019/04/05/stay-connected-to-the-true-vine-prayer/

https://drawingclosertochrist.com/2019/03/04/but-the-gift-of-god-is-eternal-life-part-3/

I’m giving this award to the following:

https://changedbyhimblog.wordpress.com/

https://sandmoos.wordpress.com/

https://theontimeone.wordpress.com/

https://devotionsofgrace.home.blog/blog/

https://bubbleeffectblog.wordpress.com/

https://uyamaetim.wordpress.com/

https://christianmommas.com/

https://www.blessingsbyme.com/

https://mercifullybrokenblog.com/

https://josephsdailywalkwithjesus.wordpress.com

https://jesusluvsall.wordpress.com/

https://graceandpink.home.blog/

Thank you for encouraging and inspiring me with your blogs. You do not have to participate, but if you do…have fun! You can even choose to pass it off to someone else if you want. Thanks again. May God continue to bless your blogging journey! Dawn 😊

 

Fruit of the Spirit: SELF-CONTROL

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!

SELF-CONTROL. We can control ourselves through the power of God’s Spirit working in us. We can say no to our old ways and yes to the ways of Christ.

Romans 6:6(NIV),“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

Although we have a new nature in Christ, we must help it to grow by filling our hearts with God’s Word so that we will not fall into sin (Psalm 119:11). We have to make our growth in Him a priority. Whatever we feed the most, will grow the most. If we feed our flesh more than our spirit, it will be more difficult for us to follow God’s ways and practice self-control.

Through The Holy Spirit, we can control our thoughts, words, and actions. When we stop and think about it, we begin to realize just how much we have to practice self-control on a daily basis. I’m sure we all have areas where we need to discipline ourselves, and be more self controlled. I know for me, trying to make sure I am honoring God with my eating habits takes self-control. It’s easier for me to eat unhealthy foods than it is for me to avoid them and “eat responsibly.”

I’m glad we have the attribute of self-control. We can stand firm against the things that try and get us to go against God’s will for our lives.

1 Peter 5:8 (NHEB),“Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

***Please share your thoughts about your journey with self-control in the comments.