5/18/2020 0 Comments Psalms 5:3"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." - Psalms 5:3 How do you start your day?
There's not a right or a wrong answer, but just ponder it for a minute. For me, I usually roll out of bed, remake it (somewhat sloppily) and plod sleepily downstairs for breakfast. I'm usually not capable of full communication (as in, talking in full sentences instead of grunts and nods) until 30-60 minutes after I wake up. Can you relate? Or are you a morning girl, up with the sun every day and full of energy from the second your eyes pop open? I don't always start my day in the way that I want to. Some days, I just wake up with a bad attitude, and I have to fight for my joy and positive outlook. The main way that I do that is by praying. Now, I don't have a ton of time each morning for anything elaborate, but I almost always can pray as I roll out of bed, as I make my bed, and as I go downstairs for breakfast. Nothing fancy - just asking God to help me be patient and joyful as I go about my day. This verse talks about listening to God in the morning. It talks about giving our concerns to the Lord and looking up to him for love and guidance. Even if all you have to give God is the two minutes as you brush your teeth, give him that time. Start your morning off wrapped in his love and focused on his plan for your life. That time shows God that he is the most important thing in our life: the first thing we think about and the first thing we do every day. Are your actions prioritizing God or the world? Knowing this, how can you live out Psalms 5:3 every day? Will the Lord be hearing our voices in the morning as we look up to him? Love, A
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5/10/2020 0 Comments Bible verse challengeThe past couple of weeks, we have been giving you several challenges to keep you busy at home. Now it's time for a Bible verse challenge, that is not only fun, but also helps you to spend time in God's word! We're challenging you to look through your Bible and find a verse that contains each of these words: Email us at [email protected] to share the verses you found with us! You could even tell all of your friends about this challenge to make it a friendly competition. Have fun!
-B 5/4/2020 0 Comments James 1:2"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;"
I came to a surprising realization this week. Perhaps it is obvious to some of you. Here it is: Joy is not a feeling. Joy is a mindset. What do I mean? That If we are waiting to "feel joyful" then we will be waiting a long time. Joyful isn't a way we feel. Joyful is the way we can choose to look at the world - through a lense that's always searching for the good and the beautiful. I believe that that is what this verse from James is teaching us: to count everything as an opportunity for joy, even in the midst of difficult situations and in temptations. When we are being tempted, either to sin or to give in to fear, we can be joyful that God is testing us. I know, I know. But, if we want to be a true Christian, then shouldn't we value spiritual growth at all costs - even if we have to withstand temptation, fear and difficulty to get there? Girls, please know that I'm not rattling this stuff off easily. I mean, I am the queen of the negative. Phrases like "all costs" give me a little shudder of fear. However, I know that I want to be a young woman of love, of courage, and of joy that spills over into every area of my life. That will take sacrifice - and with time, I'm learning, and going to learn, to embrace that. So will you join me, as we start looking at the world with a fresh perspective - a perspective of joy? While it might not always be easy, and while it might be downright difficult at times, I trust that the Lord has something incredible to show us in the midst of our temptations and trials if we will only open our eyes to it. Love, A 4/27/2020 0 Comments Calming bible Verses to readHello ladies! I know that right now is a really uncertain time. We all feel afraid and insecure. Fortunately, the Bible talks a lot about feeling afraid and how we don't need to be afraid. Here are a few verses to help give you peace (just click the image to read that post). 2 Timothy 1:7 Psalm 27:14 Romans 8:28 For another calming Bible read, I suggest reading through Psalms 23. It is a really short chapter, but it gives so much hope, joy, and peace.
Do you know of anyone who could use some encouragement right now? Please feel free to send her this post. -B 4/20/2020 0 Comments Romans 8:28"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 If you read B's post last month, then you have already heard the freeing words saying that fear is a lie. Do you know what else is often a lie? Doubt. Doubt sneaks into your mind and it lies to you about God. it tricks you and distorts your picture of the world, because it's a close cousin to fear. Doubt is the opposite of faith, the opposite of trust, and the opposite of hope. To put it simply: misplaced doubt is poison to your relationship with God. I don't know about you, but I sometimes doubt that there is good in a situation. My circumstances can seem so difficult that I lose hope, faith, and trust. Instead of concentrating on the positive, my brain dwells on the negative, which is an invitation for doubt to seep in. That is how this verse fits in. Romans 8:28 says that all - get that - ALL things work together for good for you. We don't have to look at our circumstances through the crippling lense of doubt. We have the option to go through life looking for everything good and everything worthy of God, and trusting that even if we don't see a positive now, God's plan is bigger than our own. There will be good from this - good in the midst of disaster, disease, and doubt. Our God is a good God - he has so much in store for us, if we will only look for it. Thanks for joining us! With love, A 4/6/2020 0 Comments job 19:25“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth.” Job 19:25
This verse nourishes my soul in a way that I need right now. Can any of you relate? In this rapidly-changing time, sometimes the most important thing we need is something - anything - that remains the same. We crave something positive to break the monotony of bad news. In this verse, we find both of those things. In the image, I circled the word “liveth” because our savior, our redeemer, our God, is alive. He won’t die, he won’t leave, he won’t abandon you - not now, and not ever. His love is constant in the midst of every circumstance. Our God is just as alive today as he was yesterday and as he will be tomorrow. Take heart and find joy in the fact that he loves you and that he is alive. In the end, we will get to meet our God and he will give all who believe in him their reward. Since we are only one week away from Easter, it seems like the perfect time to declare: He lives! With Love, A 3/30/2020 0 Comments Colossians 3:2This verse is a special verse for me because it is such a powerful reminder. We live in a very materialistic world that only values the things of this world. Although there is nothing wrong with finding pleasure in things, we should be careful that our pleasure doesn’t outweigh our pleasure in pleasing God. We should be ECSTATIC about a friend becoming a Christian, or when you finally memorize that Bible verse you have been working on. If you are a Christian, every time you do something that pleases God you are laying up treasures for yourself in Heaven.
If you are not a Christian, please talk to your parents or pastor about becoming one. It is a choice you will not regret. Love, B P.S. Want a cool craft to go with this devotion? Check out my craft post about making a Colossians 3:2 magnet. 3/23/2020 0 Comments 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (KJV)
Last week, B showed us that fear is a lie. This week, I want to build on that by talking about how to survive - and thrive - in difficult circumstances. In the verses above, I believe that God is giving us a toolkit to weather the storms we face. When we feel like the world is uncertain or when we are ready to give in to fear, I believe that we should still take joy in that situation. We should continue to pray diligently. Tough times don't mean that we need to walk around crying all day! Instead, we can show the world that we have joy and hope in every moment - not just the happy ones. Do you need to make time today to pray? Do you need to find something to take joy in today? Do you need praise God? Your joy comes from the Lord, and he will never allow it to be stolen from you! Make time - in the middle of your storm - to care for your soul by praying, worshipping and finding joy. Love, A 3/16/2020 0 Comments 2 Timothy 1:7"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7
There are many problems we are facing today, problems that many of us fear, but God tells us that he does not give fear. When we are in trouble God gives us power, love and a sound mind to help us through our difficulties. Fear is a lie. It creeps into the back of your mind and start whispering thoughts of doubt and worry. It moves stealthily around and tells you that God will fail you. It says that you are not prepared and you are doomed. Fortunately for us, fear has weakness that you can use to squash it. The best part is, God gives you everything you need to do so. All you need is power, love and sound mind. If fear says “God will fail you.” you can say “God loves me.” When fear says “You are not prepared.” you can say “God has power.” Sometimes fear will try to disguise itself and seem harmless. It will say “You don’t need to be afraid. Be careless. Have fun! You can’t get hurt if God is protecting you.” Although God is protecting you, he also gave you a sound mind so that you can make wise decisions. If you are ever unsure about the right thing to do, talk to your parents and pray to God. If you are God’s child, you have everything you need, so stop living in fear! -B 3/9/2020 0 Comments Matthew 5:16“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
I know that in previous weeks, we’ve talked about letting your light shine, but the way that this particular verse expresses it resonates with me. In this verse, Matthew encourages us to use our gifts and talents in a way that other people may see them. Great, right? But the verse closes with “and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” This is still great, but it (at least for me) much harder to live out. God has given us gifts not to hide them, but to use them for his glory. When people see us writing, speaking, drawing, serving, acting, inventing, and singing, they should see what we are doing. But instead of giving us the glory and the praise for that, they should give it all to the heavenly father who gave us these gifts. How can you give all the glory back to God for your gifts and talents? Love, A |