The Power of Love Blog Series

Everyone knows about it.

Everyone desires it.

Everyone dreams of it.

What is it?

L.O.V.E

During the month of February, we are diving into different aspects of love... Jesus style. This is the last part of the full blog series I have done.

Faith, Hope, & Love Series

Each Monday during the month, a new post will be released to help us define and find what love really means and how we should be using it. 

Join me here in another journey of self-discovery!!

Book Corner: 'More Than' Discussion

Welcome to week five in our discussion of 

More Than: Abandon Your Labels, Embrace Your Calling.

This week we read Chapter 6 which was about the reasons behind our calling.

As I was reading, I thought about the why behind my various ways with writing. I'm an author of four books with more in the making, the author of several blogs, and I do my own personal journals, too. Of course, the journals are more for personal reflection than for public purposes. Although at times I do use some of the written words in my posts.

Well, the author asks us to write down the why behind our what and to think about what's holding us back and to add that as well.

This is what I came up with...

At first, the why behind my writing was a personal outlet. I used writing as a way to express the feeling inside in a healthy manner. I found that writing in journals help me but also others too. Then, when I figured out that my personal outlet could help someone see that there is life past the hurts and we can actually be happy while living with depression. That's where Silenced was born. There are several places in the book where I took entries from my own journal and placed into Amber's. 

The why behind my writing is because I want to inspire. I want to show someone that there is more to this life than what meets the eyes. I want to help someone see life for what it can be; past the hurt and pain. 

As I thought about what was holding me back, I realized that my excuses were just that.... EXCUSES! How am I ever going to be the person who helps if I don't make the time to fully write and push my work? Yes, at times I get a bit discouraged with my writing when I see another author who started in their career after me making best selling lists. However, I can hear the Lord telling me... "NOT YET"

The very thing to push me forward into this writing is to embrace that this is my time to write and allow the Lord to work with my future for my writing. He's telling me to hold off and not to rush it. My time will come, but I still need to write. 

What is the why behind your what and what is holding you back?

*** Book Corner News ***

Welcome Readers....

I surely hope you are enjoying the book discussions as much as I am. I wanted to let you know what our next book will be since there are two chapters left in our current book. 

Our next read is: 

Breakthrough Faith: Living a Life Where Anything is Possible ($9.99)

About this Book: 

We all experience the impossibilities of life, just like the four men in the Bible who sought Jesus’ healing touch for their paralyzed friend. The question is—how will you respond?

You have two options. You can accept your circumstances as God’s will and simply give up… or, you can break through and receive everything God has waiting for you.

Breakthrough Faith will help you discover…

• You have an enemy: all circumstances are not God’s will
• God is both willing and able to miraculously move in your life
• You already possess breakthrough faith: you just need to activate it
• The mind matters: what you think about God determines what you experience
• Intimacy with the Father ushers you into a supernatural lifestyle and greater works
• Practical keys to activating breakthrough faith in your life: Declaration, Testimony, and Presence

The paralytic’s four friends didn’t give up and broke through the roof to get to Jesus—and experienced the miraculous. You can break through too! Get ready to activate the faith God has given you and break through every impossibility that comes against your life!

Power of Hope: Reclaiming Hope

Life can get pretty stressful and chaotic. Right? I believe so. 

If we don't take the opportunity to reclaim the peace, hope, and calmness life offers, we will eventually be weighed down by the negativity that surrounds us.

Let's take a look at the word reclaim. 

reclaim (v)

• to recover (substances) in a pure or usable form from refuse, discarded articles, etc.
• to bring back to a preferable manner of living, sound principles, ideas, etc.

The most important part of this definition is in bold: bring back to a preferable manner of living! In order to to this we take each part of this series and put them into play. Once we see what hope is and know the meaning, we can find it and embrace it. After we can reclaim it for our lives and live a life full of hope. 

Our focus for the future is to look forward with faith and hopes that the Lord has something great in store for us. We need to live by the fact that the Lord promises us many things and He will come through. For us to completely reclaim our hopes, we HAVE to lean on the Lord for guidance. Some may not understand, however, this is not for us to understand. We can have hope in our future because God is here with us. He wants us to live a full life of greatness. He has set us free and has given us the ability to reclaim that hope so that we may live a joyful life.

The Lord wants us to push away darkness and lies so we are not oppressed any longer. We are not to allow the spirits in the world to discourage or lie to us. Jesus is our hope in the dark times and we must reclaim this! We are precious to Him. It takes one heck of a man to give up His life for those that He loves. This in itself should give you hope. He has joy and mercy in abundance to give us. We must not allow the mayhem or misery of the enemy to steal our faith, hope, and joy. 

When life begins to feel hopeless, lift your eyes and look higher than this world. Look at Him. Look for Him. He is the One who has all power over heaven and earth. He is the one who reigns. 

Reclaim your hope by believing that YOU ARE WORTH IT! 

Reclaim your hope by knowing there is more to this life than what meets the eyes. 

Reclaim your hope by prayer and calling upon the Lord. 

Reclaim hope.

 Reclaim joy. 

Reclaim peace. 

Reclaim your life!

Are you ready to reclaim your life by reclaiming hope in the future and in God?

~




Previous Posts:

What is hope? | Finding Hope |  Embracing Hope

Book Corner: 'More Than' Discussion

Welcome to our fourth week in our discussion. We're talking about chapters 4 & 5 this week in

 More Than: Abandon Your Labels, Embrace Your Calling.

This week we're touching base with finding your life calling.

I'll be honest. I never thought my life calling was where it ended up being. Shoot, at times I still wonder if I'm on the right path, headed in the right direction. I believe that our life calling is the one thing in God's plan that wraps all the small "unimportant" events in our lives to. They help build us up for the big stuff. Our gentle spirits would not be able to handle it all at once, so the Lord uses an entire lifetime for us to make our way to that standpoint. 

I believe that in order to find your life calling, we should be in line with the Bible and reflect back to it often. The more we dedicate time to God's Word, the easier it'll be to hear his life directions. In addition to reading the Bible, I feel we should take a lot of time in prayer, calling out to the Lord for direction and help with seeing our purpose. 

Once we ask and listen, we need to act on what God's speaking of. I love what the author says about this. It's powerful. Here read it for yourself again. 

"Callings aren't found sitting at home hoping, dreaming, and wishing that you'll figure yours out. It's about getting out there, getting involved, and being vulnerable." (pg 36)

While we open up to God, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to Him and He can work wonders within us. As a result, we can do wonders in the world.

****

I love how the author references baking bread in Chapter five to life. I never thought of it the way she explains and I agree with a lot of what was written. I find myself in the kneading of the dough within my life. I'm prepping my bread while the yeast is rising. 

As I was reading about the sugar and salt within our lifestyles, I find that I am more sugar. I have always been naturally kind, loving, and compassionate. Before I read this book, I always saw that as a flaw. I've said many times in the past that I am way too caring and I find myself caring too much. My sisters are salt and when I see people reacting to them, it makes me feel that friendships come much easier. When you're the sugar in life, I feel some think of you as the person who feels too deeply or takes things to heart. Thus, making them a "drama queen" or "wanting to be self-centered". 

After this chapter, I've promised myself to nourish this part of me and not think ill of it. It's a gift that this world could use more of. 

When the author started talking about her writing, I honestly felt as if she were talking about me. I'm going through the same thing right now. For two years (2012-2013) my fingers were hammering at the keys and I was creating worlds within my books quicker than I could keep up. Since I self-published my daughters story, life always seems to get in the way of my craft and I push it to the back burner. I've let myself slip. I have eight or so unfinished manuscripts hanging out; waiting to be finished for the world to read. I try to sit and write, but I find it hard. 

Since the start of the new year, I've got back into blogging and I've made some plans on a few of the books which need completed. Since reading this chapter, the author has inspired me to get back at the keys and write. It doesn't have to be perfect writing/plot lines. However, it needs to be something! 

****

My favorite quote within this week's reading was in Chapter 5. 

"The baking process of our lives includes the tests of our character and our opportunities to practice." (pg 52)

What did you take from this week's reading? Did you discover anything about your personality that you need to embrace or make changes to?  

Power of Hope: Embracing Hope

When we show faith, we're showing we have hope for our future.

We are showing we're strong enough to let go of what was to embrace what is and what will be.

In order for us to find and embrace hope, we need to let go of the control we want for our lives and hand it over to God. He's in control and I promise that He will do what is best for our lives. All will go according to His divine and wonderful plan. 

When we are embracing hope, we are embracing Jesus. Jesus can be and will be our hope in the future. When we take a hold of His hand and we allow Him to lead us in this life, we can be assured that He will lead us to the satisfaction of our hope. He won't ever leave us behind. 

When we embrace hope, we are embracing life!

Our stories are still unfolding, so don't judge life based on an unfinished chapter. Christ is not done with us, yet. 

Even after losing my daughter in 2013, I have found a way to find and embrace hope in my future. I have endured pain, disappointment, and heartbreak, but I never let go of my hope. I fixed my eyes on Jesus because I know He will never fail me. As He will never fail you.

I believe I am a work in progress who is loved by The Most-High.

At times, the best fight we can give is to stand on our faith and push back with our hopes. But if we must fall, we should do so, directly to our knees to call out to the Lord in prayer. Our battles have already been made into victory by the cross. We can do the dance of victory because God has our backs. His grace, his love, his peace.. will forever be restored within us when we reach out and embrace our hopes in Him.

Are you ready to embrace your hope? 

a Child's prayer for gratitude

Through our child's life, we focus on their education, health, and well-being. We give them the materialistic objects within life that we think will make them happy. If you take a look around while out in public, you will probably see a child holding an electronic of some sort. Sadly, this is as far as their attention goes.

In an age where parents shower their child with their love in varies ways, I must ask this;

Does your child know, truly know, gratitude?

A child isn't wired to automatically know the important of gratitude or even understand it. We're instructed in the Bible that we are to give thanks in ALL things. It doesn't point out if this is only for adults because it's not. It's for all of us to learn, live, and express. 

The first step of this is by teaching our child manners and enforcing them. We're in a movement where a lot of parents don't worry about it or care. Gratitude isn't something that will come with age or maturity. We, as parents, have to CHOOSE this lifestyle for our children and TEACH it to them. If we don't focus on teaching our child how to be grateful and actually mean it, what are we doing exactly? What is it that's taking on more importance? 

I want to challenge you. If you're interested in helping your child learn and live gratitude, make a list of things that will help them grow with an attitude of gratitude. Here are some examples below.

1. Always use your manners. (Please, Thank you, You're Welcome) 

2. Smile and don't frown, Jesus wants us to turn it around.

3. Be happy with what you have by showing your care, pick it up and put it away so you'll have it for another day!

4. Notice when others are nice by acting in a gratitude filled manner. Be thankful!

5. Always say, "I love you." (In the morning, afternoon, and at bedtime.)

6. Do not worry about tomorrow and set your eyes on today.

7. Encourage someone with a kind word. 

8. Refrain from complaints.

9. Help out when you can by doing chores. (Be happy you have a home to clean.)

10. Remember to thank God for everything. 

What attitude of gratitude would you add to the list?