Falling in Love with Jesus: Love Birds

Welcome Chanel Nance to the blog! She's an actress, author and a teacher! 

A woman of many talents, indeed! She's here today to share her story about how she first fell in love with Jesus Christ. Here's a clue: blue jays played a main role in capturing Chanel's heart and directing her adoration to God.

Enjoy the life lessons and words of encouragement that Chanel has to share with you today! 

~*~
Love Birds
A Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Chanel Nance

My "Falling in love with Jesus" moment took place while I was in college. Every morning, I would have my personal devotional time with Jesus. During my daily devotionals, I would pray, study my Bible, then reflect on the devotional thought. The most important part of my devotional time is the reflection time. It gives me the opportunity to hear what Jesus has to tell me. After I completed my "Jesus time" that day, it dawned on me that it had been a long time since I had seen a blue jay. I don't know what it was about blue jays, maybe it's their color, but I have been fascinated with them for years. I knew that it was such a minor request, but I asked Jesus to show me a blue jay that day. 

As I walked to my first class, I kept looking up, but I didn't see my bird. I would walk from class to class looking high and low, but I still didn't see my blue jay. I even glanced outside during my classes, and still was unable to see even a hint of blue flash across the sky.

When it was time for lunch, I went to the cafeteria, got my lunch and sat down to eat. I don't remember what I ate, but it was very filling. As I finished my meal, I looked outside at a tree, and then I did a double take. Not only did I see a blue jay, I saw four blue jays! At a quick glance, the sight looked like a beautiful blue flower arrangement stuck in a tree. It was an amazing sight! I just sat there in amazement for five minutes and thought, "God always loves to show off, and I love Him for it." As I came off of "Cloud Nine", I stopped and offered a prayer of thanks to Jesus for answering the small request that I had made.

From that afternoon until today, I still reflect on that experience and it makes me smile just as hard as it did on the day that it happened. A verse that came to my mind that day was Matthew 7:7 (NASB), "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." God has so many things that He wants to give us. Sometimes, all we need to do is ask. If it is in His will, you will get it. Sometimes, He may have something better for you and will give you that. Nevertheless, try Jesus today!

If Jesus can answer my small request, I know that He can and will do anything. He is my First Love!

~*~
Author bio: 

Chanel (Sales) Nance is an author, educator and actress. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, where she studied the art of writing and poetry. She has published one book, Shower Talk. 

She has been published in Insight Magazine, Joy Notes (A publication by Oakwood University's Literary Guild, American Christian Writers, Chapter 27), Mosaic (A publication of Columbia Union College which is now Washington Adventist Univeristy), and on Poetry.com. 

Chanel has a passion for Jesus Christ and shares the many lessons that He has taught her through the poems and devotional thoughts in her book, Shower Talk.  

Currently, she teaches at a public charter school in Washington, D.C.

True Love Stories: My Date with the King

Today, Natalie Monk is sharing her unique take on Valentine’s Day as a single lady: She is celebrating this romantic holiday by going on a Date with the King! No, not the King of Denmark or France—she’s talking about God, the Creator of the Universe and Earth.

Curious to know how that’s possible? Read on to discover the answers to your questions in Natalie’s true love story. 

~*~
My Date with the King
Natalie Monk’s true love story

For singles, Valentine’s Day usually means working late then crashing with PJs, a tub of ice cream, a book, or a sappy movie, a box of tissues, and a large side of self-pity. 

This Valentine’s Day I’m doing something different . . .

I accepted Christ at a young age when I realized He died for my sin because He loved me. We’ve had sweet times of fellowship over the years. But as I grow older and get busier, it doesn’t take much for my devotional and prayer times to be crowded out, for the sparks of my fellowship with God to subdue to glowing embers.

This year, I want to grow closer to Jesus than ever before. I want to seek His face and His heart more than His “hand” or His blessings. I want to respond to Him, serve Him and make time for Him as I would a beau.

With that commitment in mind, I recently made a list of things I want to do to strengthen my fellowship with the Lord.

#1. “Bless the Lord” by giving Him my submission, respect and cheerful affection. From the Bible, I know worship and praise and adoration belong to Him. I know He’s interested in me, knows me better than anyone in the world. He desires for me to want Him to know me and for me to know Him more.

#2. Give Him myself, my thoughts my plans, my dreams, my longings.

#3. Serve Him. To do thoughtful, special things for Him with hidden meanings only the two of us know.

#4. Be proud of and speak highly of Him in the presence of others.

#5. Send Him “love note” prayers like, “I can’t wait to be in Your presence. You make life worth living. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I want to know You more. Tell me how to please you best. I want to carry your love-light in my eyes. I long for you, Beloved.”

#6. Make plans to be alone with God, without distractions or busy worries to take my mind from Him.

#7. Re-read His Love Letter (The Holy Bible) to me.

#8. Write with Him, share creativity together, and be sure He approves of my work.

At the end of this list, I wrote, “If God were my ‘significant other,’ I’d want to spend Valentine’s Day on a date with Him.”

Then it hit me. Aha!

When this Valentine’s Day rolls around, I’m going on a date with the King.

Here’s the plan:

I’ll take my Bible, my journal, Beverly Seward Brandon’s Bible study sheet on the husbandly attributes of God (read the full list of attributes by following this link,

http://sweetsouthblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-valentines-day-date-with-king.html) and a book bag filled with:

· Come Away, My Beloved by Francis J Roberts,

· Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand,

· A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George,

· Lady In Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debbie Jones

· Morning and Evening by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and possibly

· Girl Talk with God by Susie Shellenberger.

I’m going to dress nice and hope the coffee shop will have some type of red velvet hot cocoa or something Valentine-y to go along with the occasion.

I had initially planned to have this date at home. I’ve been known to exhibit inordinate social cowardice on Valentine’s Day—like hiding at home in my PJs browsing Pinterest just so I don’t have to see other couples holding hands and kissing in public.

This time, though, I feel God wants me in public for a testimony that He is enough to satisfy the longings of every soul. Probably no one will ask (usually people keep to themselves in our mid-sized town) but if they do, I’ll tell them about my date and use it as an opportunity to tell them about my Date. Hehe. See what I did there?

This Valentine’s Day, I’m throwing down the gauntlet. I challenge every single person to dump your PJs and Valentine’s Day self-pity. Grab your Bible and favorite devotional and get to know your Creator. Let Him be the Lover of your soul. Who’s with me?

~*~

Author bio: 

A farm girl from the time she could shimmy under a string of barbed wire, Natalie Monk writes award-winning historical romance spiced with southern humor and small-town oddities. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and is currently revising her second manuscript.

Natalie is a homeschool graduate from North Mississippi, a piano teacher, part-time portrait photographer, certified wedding planner, and devotional speaker. She loves sweet tea, reading, girl talk (usually about books), porch swings, and watching old musicals and action movies with her family.

~*~
Connect with Natalie:

Twitter- @NatalieDMonk

Facebook - www.facebook.com/nataliemonkauthor

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/nataliedmonk

Blog - sweetsouthblog.blogspot.com

Website - defangyoursynopsis.blogspot.com

31 Days of Prayer: Because God is worthy to be praised

Why should you not only pray to God but praise Him? Because He is worthy to be praised!

We're talking about the One who wakes you up each morning and starts you on your day (no, it's not your actual alarm clock that gets you out of bed, it's God deciding to give you another day to live). We're talking about the King of kings (yes, God is the Ultimate Boss), the Lord of lords (no authority supersedes God's sovereignty). We're talking about the Creator of the entire Universe who despite His busy schedule, still makes time for you! And not only does God make time for you each day, He invites you to worship and study His Word (The Holy Bible), spending time in devotion with Him each and every day. 

As you spend time with God, you will discover day by day just how wonderful He is and you will find yourself praising His Name. The heavenly angels praise God continually (Isaiah 6:3) because they know God is good. They realize how magnificent is His power, how boundless is His grace, how unconditional is His love for ALL of His creation. And yet here on Earth, we mere mortals so easily fall into the trap of going about our day and going into our rest at night without spending more than five minutes with God. 

A Christian minister once said sometimes we have a drive by relationship with God meaning, we wake up in the morning and go, "Hi God!" then as we rush out the door, we say, "Bye God!" And that is the extent of our communication with our Creator for that time. I can relate. I know what it's like to feel too rushed in the morning to spend time with God and then too tired at night to open the Bible, read a devotional book and spend time in praise and prayer with God, which is why I'm writing this post.

If you've fallen into the drive by devotional pattern like I have, today I encourage you to slow down, take time for God because He's always willing to make time for you. 

Dear God,

I pray for You to rebuke the spirit of rushing that settles in over our lives. Please lead us into spending more time with You. Heavenly Father, I ask you to reveal yourself to us in so many ways that not only to we feel compelled to praise You but we take our praise to another level by telling others about what You have done in our lives. Lord, I plead with You to give us faith that moves mountains--especially if that mountain is blocking us from spending time with You. Finally, I pray for all of Your children around the world--those who know You already and those who do not yet know You. My hope is that all of humankind will learn why You, dear God are worthy to be praised!

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen.