Tag: love

Work Joyfully Unto the Lord

Colossians 3:23 CSB, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,”

This verse is an encouraging reminder to keep our focus on the Lord in whatever it is we are doing. He is the One that we are ultimately trying to please as we live from day to day. Working to impress others instead of the Lord will leave us drained and unfulfilled, because there will always be someone who has more of something. Thankfully, God has a unique plan for each of His children.

Galatians 6:4 NLT, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”

Photo by: Christina Morillo of NY, NY 🇺🇸

I was listening to a sermon recently, and the minister pointed out that when we constantly compare ourselves to others, and compete to get to where they are, we destroy our opportunities to learn from them. People who are competing with others are not interested in learning. They are more interested in trying to figure out how they can outdo other people. They miss opportunities to grow in knowledge, and come together with others to accomplish God’s plans. They also forfeit the peace and security that comes from walking in God’s divine will.

Photo by: Christina Morillo of NY, NY 🇺🇸

Staying focused on the Lord does prove to be challenging nowadays, but the benefits of doing so are priceless. God sees the sincerity of our hearts and rewards our efforts to diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). He’s with us every step of the way! So stay focused as you work joyfully unto the Lord!

Honoring Dr. King

I’ve often heard the phrase, “Freedom Isn’t Free”, and it’s very true. There is always a price to be paid for freedom. I appreciate this day that is set aside to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and I’m thankful for the work he did to help bring justice and equality. He worked hard for what he believed in, and I’m so glad he did, because as an African American woman, I’m reaping the benefits of his hard work today.

Photo by: Flo Maderebner of Austria 🇦🇹

John 8:36, NIV, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

I’m also grateful that my freedom extends beyond this earthly life. Jesus Christ died for all mankind so that we could have eternal freedom. His love knows no boundaries. He loves all of us regardless of race or background, and in Him we are truly free. He set us free from the wrath of sin and gave us victory!

I want to share this post by my big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall Blog called, Reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I enjoyed reading it! Thanks Matt for sharing this with us.

Amos 5:24 NIV, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

What Does Your Mouth Speak?

Luke 6:45 NKJV, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

One of the fastest ways to find out what is in the heart of a person, is to listen to what comes out of the mouth of that person. That explains why we are admonished to, “hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).” God’s Word teaches us, and it builds our character. It also softens our hearts so that we will become sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. When we are seeking the Lord, and striving to walk in love towards others, that will be evident through the words we speak as well as our actions.

Photo by: Rodolfo Clix (from Brazil 🇧🇷)

Several years ago I hosted a home Bible study, and one of the ladies became offended at the “harsh attitudes” of two of the other ladies that were present. She let me know a couple of days later via email, that she would not be returning to the Bible study. I apologized for the incident and invited her to return. She appreciated and accepted my apology. However, she declined to return and used Luke 6:45 as the reason why. She felt the hearts of those two ladies (by the way everyone in the group was a professing Christian) were not pure, so returning would be useless. She said, “Out of the abundance of their hearts, their mouths speak!”

The funny thing is that those same two ladies who offended her asked about her the next week. I let them know she had decided not to return to the group. They were disappointed. It was clear that they had no clue that their attitudes/words were offensive. I’m guessing that I must have missed the conversation that went on between these three ladies. After all there were a few times where several conversations we’re going on at once, (Welcome to Miami!) But anyway, it was a learning experience to be aware of not only what we say, but how we say it.

Photo by: Craig Adderley (from Pennsylvania 🇺🇸)

Being in South Florida, the group was very multi-cultural, so people express themselves differently. Some have stronger personalities than others. But even so, we have to make sure our personalities are in line with the Word of God. Cultural background can’t be used as an excuse to speak harshly to others. We do have to guard our hearts, even against cultural practices that don’t line up with God’s Word. Praying and asking God to help us to unlearn wrong attitudes is a must. He desires for us to be gentle in spirit.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Guarding our hearts should always be a top priority. We must be aware of what we allow our eyes to see, and our ears to hear. When we are born again Christians, our hearts belong to Jesus, and we have chosen to dedicate our lives to Him. He desires for us to have clean hearts that will bring forth good things. Our hearts should be overflowing with God’s love and truth, because that is what will point others to Jesus and have an impact on those around us.

“A persons most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge but a heart full of love, and an ear ready to listen, and a hand willing to help others”. Anonymous

Photo by: Ylanite Koppens (from the Netherlands 🇳🇱)

New Years Tag

God bless you big brother Matt, thanks for thinking of me for this tag! I pray your 2020 will be blessed beyond measure, and that your ministry on and off line will continue to grow for God’s glory! ✝️ I wasn’t planning on sharing a verse, but this verse just came to my mind for you, so be encouraged…3 John 1:2 NIV, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” ❤️🙏🏿

Photo by: Cottonbro (from Saint-Petersburg, Russia 🇷🇺)

1- Share a link back to the person who tagged you.
2- Share a link to the person who created the tag- jesusluvsall.wordpress.com
3- Share a favorite New Year’s Memory
4- Answer the questions of the person who tagged you.
5- Tag whoever you want.
6- Use any picture that you like for New Years.

My New Years celebrations have mostly consisted of going to New Year’s Eve service at church. The service would start around 9:00pm and go until midnight. There would be a sermon, and then the pastor would pray us into the new year. When I wasn’t in church, me and my family would watch the ball drop on T.V., then we would have prayer at midnight to thank God for another year. It has also always been a tradition to have Hoppin’ John or black eyed peas for the new year. But no matter what, I can say I always remember prayer, and thanksgiving being a part of all my New Years. For that, I’m thankful.

1- If you could celebrate the New Year anywhere, where would it be? I’m not sure but hopefully it’s somewhere beautiful with not too big of a crowd.


2- What is your favorite snack food for New Years? I don’t have a favorite snack food for New Year’s. But this year my cousin brought us some homemade ginger cookies and fruit cake that she made.


3- Have you ever kept a New Year’s resolution? If so, what was it? I honestly don’t usually make any New Year’s resolutions. But one year in the past, I think I did exercise for the first 5 months of the year consistently lol.


4- What do you want to do with your blog next year? I don’t have a specific laid out plan but I will keep praying and being lead by the Lord. I love blogging though and want to keep it up.


5- Do you prefer a big party or a small gathering to celebrate? Definitely a small gathering!

My nominees if you choose to participate: 🎉😊❤️

Deandra

Jacquie

Deb

Eileen

Socialimpactor

As 2019 Comes To A Close

As 2019 comes to a close, I’m so thankful for the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit. It’s been a very busy year for me, full of changes, challenges, and victories. My proudest moment this year was seeing my daughter graduate from college in May. Throughout the year, God gave me strength, and allowed me to successfully do what I needed to do. Of course there is always something more that could have been done, but that’s where we get to rest in Jesus and believe that everything that needed to happen, happened. And whatever else needs to happen, will happen in the future, at His appointed time.

Psalm 36:5 NIV, “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”

I can’t imagine starting this new year without the assurance of God’s love and faithfulness. Knowing that He watches over us, as His children, brings the ultimate peace of mind. He holds every moment of our lives in His hands. We don’t have to fret over people, situations, or the disasters that are happening in the world today. We can just trust in God. It’s His grace that sustains us through every twist and turn that life brings.

Proverbs 3:25 NIV, “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,”

Photo by: Miriam Espacio (from Barcelona, Spain 🇪🇸)

I love astronomy and was watching a program last night on black holes. It always amazes me to hear the facts about what is going on out there in the universe. In case you didn’t know, there is a supermassive black hole sitting at the center of our very own Milky Way Galaxy that’s about, 14.6 million miles in diameter, which is about, 4 million times the mass of our sun.

As I listened, I couldn’t help but think of the majesty of the Creator behind it all. He keeps the chaos of the universe in perfect order, including our planet Earth that makes its way around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour!! How much more will He see to it that we, His children, created in His image, have all that we need?

1 Corinthians 2:9 KJB, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

Photo by: Wendy van Zyl (from South Africa 🇿🇦)

I believe that through daily surrender and prayer, God will open our hearts to experience things with Him that we have yet to imagine. Taking time to reflect on the ways God has worked in your life, reviewing the facts of His Word, (and the universe 😁) will keep us reminded of how BIG our GOD is.

I pray that your 2020 will be one where you walk closely with the Creator of the universe, and stand in awe of His presence and creativity as He works in your life daily. I’m excited for you as you continue walking by faith and seeking the kingdom of God. Open your heart to receive all God has in store for you! May you be blessed beyond measure in the coming year.

Thank you for all the love and support that you have given to me and my blog this year, and also thank you for your prayers! I thank God for each one of you.

Photo by: Jonathan Petersson (from Sweden)

God’s Love Brings Healing

Jeremiah 17:14 NIV, “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

“Lord your love just keeps on healing me, no matter how I bruise, if I just trust you, your love just keeps on healing me.” These are words from a song by Deniece Williams called, “Healing”.

God’s love does bring us healing from the brokenness and pain we have experienced in life. There is nothing that can’t be cured as a result of His healing power working in our hearts. Even the damage that sin has done can be repaired by God’s love.

Although at times we do have to endure the consequences of our sinful choices, we’re never alone as we go through the process of healing and restoration. God is always there, sending us the help we need. He places the right people and resources in our paths to help bring healing to our hearts and lives.

Photo by: VisionPic .net

Everyone is different, and so we all process things differently. However, through it all God is faithful. The prophet Jeremiah called out to the Lord for healing. He knew that all He needed was in God’s hand. Life sometimes brings some very heavy burdens our way, but God promised to carry our burdens when we give them over to Him.

Psalm 55:22 NKJV, “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Whatever you may need, cry out to God and expect to see Him bring the healing you need for your exact situation, regardless of what it is. Don’t allow fear to hinder you from calling out to God. Fear tries to convince us that nothing will ever change. There is no situation that is beyond the reach of God’s healing power. There is hope in His love. Allow His Holy Spirit to bring you comfort, peace, and healing today. Like Jeremiah, we can praise Him in the midst of our trials and disappointments because we know His love brings healing.

Merry Christmas

Luke 22:41-42 KJV, ”…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may we always remember His words,

“…nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

These words should be the cry of our hearts too. To do the will of our Father in heaven, should be our life’s purpose. It should be our top priority every day. The story of Christmas, was part of God’s magnificent plan to redeem mankind and give us the free gift of salvation. Free to us, only because of the price Jesus already paid. Jesus died so that we could live, free from sin and shame. He died so that we could live with Him in eternity.

I pray that the reality of God’s love, and the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, would be your foundation today and always. May His presence anchor your soul in comfort and peace. May your heart be filled with joy as you reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. He was born and He lived so that He could die for our sins. The sweet baby in the manger endured unimaginable pain and agony, all because of His great love for us. He was obedient to the Father’s will because of love. May we love and live like Jesus, our Savior.

Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! 🎄 ❤️🎄

Photo by: Dana Tentis