Devotionals for the Heart: Fine China

Like Fine China
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

–2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)

A few years ago I inherited my grandmother’s set of china dishes.

They are white dishes with simple, white flowers and a silver trim. I love that they are just what I would have picked out myself if I had a chance to choose. I also love that when you look at them through my china cabinet’s glass doors or even set them out on a table, you would think they are all identical. On closer inspection, though, you would see that there are plates, cups, and bowls from two different manufacturers. One set is an upscale brand well-known for their fine dishes, and one of them is a department store brand. While they are both beautiful and have the same color scheme and trim, the two patterns are different yet still complement each other perfectly.

God has created each of us with a human body—a shell with characteristics like hair and eye and skin color, along with a combination of personality traits unique to us. We live in different countries, come from different backgrounds, and speak different languages. When we become believers, our physical characteristics do not necessarily change, but we definitely should become different on the inside. At the point of surrender to the faith, we each willingly choose a new way of living, a new way of interacting with others, and a new way of seeing the world. We must begin to allow ourselves to be transformed to the image of Christ—a work that will continue in us until the day we go to Heaven.

Should we all look alike? The answer is probably yes and no. We will never all be the same in language, worship style, skin color, or even doctrinal beliefs and theologies. However, if we are all becoming more like Christ then we should start to resemble each other more and more in other ways, such as our response to the darkness and chaos of the world and the peace we have during trials.

Our differences are beautiful. They are given to us by God and should be used to strengthen us in our purpose and mission in the world.

All my dishes—the inexpensive ones, the expensive ones, the broken ones, the ones with a trim that is a little worn, the ones with chips in them, the shiny ones and the scratched ones can all still serve up a delicious meal. God has a feast of grace, love, mercy, justice, peace, and kindness ready for us to serve to a very hungry world. So today, let’s gather the Body of Christ together, and set a beautiful table. His banquet is ready. Are you?

Let’s Pray: Gracious God, help me see myself and others as you see us—beautiful members of Christ’s Body, available for You to work through us and with us. Give me a heart for unity with believers. Give me a heart of compassion for the world. Help me find ways to use my unique talents and personality for You and Your glory alone. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two college-age children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting.

~*~
Connect with Glynis:
Website: www.glynisbecker.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckerglynis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlynisBecker7

Devotionals for the Heart: A life lesson about just how much Jesus loves you!

Just for You
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.” – Matthew 18:12-13 (ESV)

As an introverted teenager growing up in church, the worst words I could hear on a youth group outing were “street evangelism” and “tracts”. This meant we had to pair up. Then, with an adult chaperone, we had to go out into the neighborhoods to knock on doors in order to share the love of Jesus Christ with strangers.

I hated street evangelism because talking to strangers terrified me. I was good with words on paper, but not delivering them in person. I finally confessed my fear to my adult helper, who took over with my partner while I watched from the sidelines. At first, I was relieved and then I felt guilty for not fulfilling “The Great Commission” (Matthew 28:16-20). I felt like a failure.

What I didn’t know (or realize then) is that God gives each of us a different gift and talent in order to share His love. Just as not all of us are called to be athletes, doctors, or writers, not all of us are called to be evangelists or pastors either. And, contrary to some beliefs, not all of us have to have a theology degree to be worthy of furthering the Kingdom of God.

God made each of us different, and that means He has a plan for each of us with regards to how His love is shared around the world and in our local communities. He sends some people out to minister to the lost and the broken, and sometimes He sends the lost and the broken directly to us.

In college I choose the creative path of theatre, which forced me out onto the public stage, where I found my physical and singing voice, and the audience came to me. Once I earned the right to be in the spotlight, I felt God meet me each time. Eventually, He gave me unique opportunities to share His love with others. As I got to know people and they got to know me, relationship building led to Kingdom building. Under this principle there is a quote by Teddy Roosevelt that rings true: “People don't care what you know, until they know that you care.” I believe that’s why as a youth I couldn’t just share God’s love with a stranger. It had to mean something first, not just to me, but to the person on the other side of the door.

I have never felt a greater connection to the power of caring about such relationship, than the first time when God used my theatrical talent in church to write and direct an Easter passion play. In doing so, I had to fully rely on God’s Spirit not only to write about His life and death, but to bring it to life on the stage by guiding and directing volunteers from our congregation. People with some – or very little – experience decided to trust me to mold and guide them, and then put the spotlight on them to tell God’s story to an audience that had been sent to receive it.

The first night of a performance I felt as nervous as I did on the days of my old evangelist youth outings. What if I didn’t do enough, God? What if no one comes to the Cross to receive salvation? As our pastor called for the lost and the broken to come forward, no one moved. I felt the walls closing in, but then I remembered that Jesus would have died on the Cross if there had only been one, if there had only been me. That’s how He sees each one of us. That one sheep that broke away from the ninety-nine. He would give everything to go after it. After me. After you.

I felt it in my spirit, God asking me, “Would you do all this for just the one? Put all of yourself out there to bring but one into my kingdom?” I felt the “yes” response to Him in my heart. Suddenly, the audience stirred, and I saw a small boy walking toward the platform. He came up to the cross and touched it.

I fell to my knees and wept with great joy. You see, I didn’t need to bring people to God. I only needed to be available to God right where I was, where I am, and because of Him people will come to His light that shines each time I step out, or sing a melody, or write words to be printed a page or acted out on a stage. Like me, He has a plan for you, to use you right where you are to touch that one who’s searching for their way back home.

Let's Pray: Dear God, you created me for a purpose. Thank you for making me unique and giving me special gifts and talents to use for the furtherance of your Kingdom. Grant me the courage to be your willing vessel. Thank you for using me to show your love to others. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen. 

*Note from Alexis: Mirachelle's message reminds me of the song "Just for Me" by Donnie McClurkin. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.

Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.

~*~
Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan

Devotionals for the Heart: Love

Love Like God
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” 

–Luke 6:32-35a (NIV)

There are plenty of passages in the Bible that take some work to understand but this passage above definitely does not. Jesus Christ is letting us know the rules: “You want to be a Christian? Follow me, do as I do, do as the Father does.”

Jesus is calling us here to be more than just countercultural in how we treat our fellow humans; He's showing us how to reset secular culture to reflect the culture of His kingdom. The world tells us to hate our enemies. We are to love them instead.

But what does that look like, loving an enemy? Is it saying “bless your heart” and ignoring them when they irk or anger us? Is it walking away from a fight? Not suing someone when we could? Not repaying their unkindness with some of our own? Yes, but it’s more heart-deep. We can curb our actions out in the world a whole lot easier than the thoughts in our heads and the feelings in our hearts. It’s easy enough to deny that we hate someone, but harder to not feel that hate, to not have hateful thoughts.

In this world, there are some truly terrible humans. How are we to love them? Billy Graham said, “You cannot pray for someone and hate them at the same time.” There I think we have the first and probably the best way to love those that hate us. Pray for them earnestly. Not the “Dear Lord, please forgive these fools for their foolishness...” sort of prayer either. Pray for them as if they were a loved one. See if you can start with words and follow with feelings.

Remember that every single person on this earth is made in the image of God.

Irrespective of their ethnicity, culture, creed, lifestyle, or habits, they are an image-bearer. All of us have people in our lives who challenge us, even actively hate us. When next faced with that person, try to lead with love (be patient, kind, longsuffering...) and have a Gospel-centered mind going into that interaction. If your particular problem person is not a believer, they’re lost, and you may be the person that God has placed in their life to help them understand repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Wow. That’s both an awesome responsibility and a privilege. How you treat them matters. How you feel about them matters.

The next time you’re tempted to lash out when wounded, or ridicule when made fun of, or criticize when criticized, think about the standard that Jesus sets in the verses above. Love everyone. Give freely, expecting no return. Do good to all. The bar is high, and we’re obviously still persevering on the road toward sanctification, but believers see the path as lighted by His Word. When we show love to those who hate us, we shine the light of the Gospel for a world in desperate need of direction.

Let’s Pray: Father God, please help us love, give freely, and do good in all the places in this world where you have sent us. Help us to spread the Gospel with our every word and deed. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Christa MacDonald is a 2017 Carol Award finalist for contemporary Christian fiction. 

She began her writing career at the age of eleven, filling a sketchbook with poems and short stories. After publishing a few short pieces in her college’s literary magazine she took a long hiatus during which she embarked on a few different careers, got married, had three kids, and renovated an old barn masquerading as a house.

Her most recent work, The Redemption Road, finished the Sweet River Redemption series published by Mountain Brook Ink.

When not working or writing Christa can be found ferrying her kids around, reading, or attempting something crafty. She and her family live along the coast of New England.

~*~
Connect with Christa:
Website: www.christamacdonald.com
Newsletter: https://christamacdonald.com/connect-with-christa/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538432676468229/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/33uk329
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CricketMacD
Christa's book publisher: http://mountainbrookink.com/about-us/authors/christa-macdonald/

Devotionals for the Heart: For the Lonely on Valentine's Day

Rejected Love
A devotional by Wade Webster

And the LORD said to Samuel: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” 

–1 Samuel 8:7 (NIV)

The season of love is upon us. At least that's what Valentine's Day means to many folks. But for some of us it's just another day, or one we'd rather skip altogether.

I remember vividly the day of April 14, 2015. I had to have my wife sign our tax forms for what would be the last time we filed jointly. She had moved out over a year prior to this. I was doing my best to pursue her to no avail. Divorce was imminent even though there were no biblical grounds for it. I did the best I could to offer my love to her. I couldn't force her to accept it.

A month and a half earlier I gave a eulogy at my mom's funeral for my six siblings. It was excruciating. I had to hold off my remorse while I traveled from Texas back to Michigan. Then while I prepared my talk. I finally found a moment of semi-solitude in the church during the viewing before the funeral service. The tears and anguish flowed for the woman who gave me life and then devoted her life to her seven kids and her husband who passed on eleven years before her.

I went for a stroll in my neighborhood that evening after I talked to my wife. Grief was mounting again from this loss. This loss that seemed so unfair and unnecessary. Fortunately, I was next to a wooden fence when the grief wave struck. I leaned into the barrier and let the tears flow. They tasted just like the ones at my mom's funeral.

I knew God was with me, as he always is. When I walked a half a block away a thought struck me so I asked God a question. “Is this what you feel like when somebody rejects you?”

The prophet Samuel felt this same rejection when the Hebrews requested a king to replace him. The sting was personal until God assured him that it wasn't directed at Samuel but God himself. When we tell others about the amazing gift God offers through his Son, Jesus Christ, don't take it personally when they reject it. It's not you they're rejecting. They're rejecting God.

For those of you who have a special someone in your life, enjoy this time of love like there's no tomorrow, because there might not be one. Also keep in mind those of us traveling alone at this time in our lives. We long for love, too.

The sting of rejection and loss can be unbearable at times. Give us some encouragement by letting us know we're still important to you. Give us some of your time. Pray for us to draw closer to God during this test in our lives.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Wade Webster lives with is best friend (Jesus Christ) in Plano, Texas. 

His main source of income comes from driving trucks. 

He has a part-time job painting houses on the side...and the front and back and inside. 

He's the author of a book titled 100 Prayers of a Writer.

Connect with him via his official website, wadewebster.com. 

Devotionals for the Heart: Confidence

What is Your Confidence Level in God?
A devotional by Temeka Borden

“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” 
– Jeremiah 32:17 (KJV)

What is your confidence level in God?

Specifically, how confident are you in His abilities and capabilities. How confident are you in His wisdom? As Christians, we should be 100% confident in the Lord, correct?

Well, I always state that if you are human, you will have moments of fear and worry. However, the Holy Spirit who abides within you has a way of comforting you and reminding you how powerful our Lord is.

Life is full of challenges and can have its scary moments. You will be placed in many uncomfortable situations. You will encounter people who are not the kindest, and you will be faced with many big decisions. Thankfully, we don’t have to face life alone, and as with David, we do not have to fight our battles by ourselves.

When I think of confidence—Godly confidence, I think of David. Most of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath and how the Lord used David to slay that “giant.” David was confident in the Lord, and He spoke to Goliath without hesitation regarding what the Lord was going to do.

David’s confidence is an excellent example of how we should see and speak to our trials.

Keep in mind that Satan will do anything he can to get you off track and take your focus off of God. One way he does this is to present the problem you are facing as greater than it is and essentially unsolvable.

However, remember that no problem, regardless of how large it is, is greater than the Lord!

Don’t forget whom you serve. Don’t forget that God is all-powerful! Don’t forget that nothing is impossible with Him.

Don’t lose your Godly confidence. Be 100% confident in the Lord.

~*~
Author Bio:

Temeka Borden, better known by her pen name, Positivity Inspires, is an author, speaker, minister, and servant of the Lord. She was introduced to Christ at a very early age and was raised in the church. Her ministry focuses on encouraging Christians to love God first, to love all people, to continually strengthen their bond with Christ, and to study His Word, and live His Word daily. 

After recently experiencing what she describes as the "lowest point in her life," Positivity Inspires wrote the following about herself to serve as an encouragement and reminder of who she is in Christ:

"I am a child of God. He loves me unconditionally. Although I have my shortcomings, He has blessed me with a desire to do what is right. I have been blessed with many natural and spiritual gifts. I am an author. I am a speaker. I am a teacher. I am a runner. I am a drummer. I am a singer (when I’m in the mood), and I have a strong 'fashion sense.' I am loved. My family and friends are my heart, and I know they will support me no matter what. I am educated. I currently have two degrees (one of them a doctorate), and with God’s help, I will complete a third degree soon. I am a multi-state licensed medical professional who completed a specialty residency, which prepared me for the workforce (and made me a FORCE to be reckoned with). I am a leader. I have served in administrative roles and was successful in those positions because I made a difference (with God’s help). I am ambitious, and I know that with God, all things are possible. I know He is going to do great things through me."

Positivity Inspires loves God and she loves people. She strongly encourages others to show kindness, respect, and love to everyone. Positivity Inspires loves and welcomes diversity and flourishes in culturally diverse environments. She also is passionate about giving back to the community, and her favorite mantras are: "Speak Up!" and "Watch God Work!"

~*~
Connect with Temeka:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/positivity_inspires/
Facebook - www.Facebook.com/positivityinspirespage
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PInspires/

Devotionals for the Heart: A Challenge to love people even when it's not easy

Loving When It’s Hard
A devotional by Victoria Bylin

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NASB)

I work part-time as a receptionist in a large behavioral health practice. 

Every day, I come face-to-face with people in the throes of clinical anxiety, the pain of depression, and a myriad of other thought patterns that cause difficulty and mental suffering. This isn’t an easy place to work, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of the experience. 

I’ve learned a lot here, particularly what it means to be “Jesus with skin on.”

I’m so far from that goal that’s it’s embarrassing, but my word for this year (2019) is "Love."

We use the word "love" so freely and so often that it threatens to become meaningless. We love lasagna and we love our kids. We love our family and friends, but it’s not nearly as easy to love people who aren’t easy to be around. How about the older person fumbling with their phone while trying to add an appointment to the calendar that is somehow locked on the wrong year? That would be me!

Or what about the mother whose worry for her child comes out in misplaced anger? It can be hard to take, but what’s really happening? When her child is suffering, the mother bear in her comes out, and sometimes the claws are sharp.

When I leave work, my frustration is sometimes sky high, a reminder of just how human I am. I’m so grateful for God’s forgiveness for my own failings. We’ve all fallen short—all been that demanding person—and it’s that awareness that reminds of how great God’s love is for us.

I’m not advocating being a doormat. Loving difficult people doesn’t mean we let them run rough shod over the circumstances. Sometimes love demands firmness and even fierceness. The person who takes cuts in the line still needs to wait. But we can all be kind while we live, work and care for others.

Here’s the bottom line: We don’t know what that difficult person is experiencing. That lesson was driven home to me when I worked in a dermatology office. A woman came in with her teenage daughter for a new patient appointment. It was prom season, and the daughter’s acne was flaring badly. It was a busy practice, and they had waited several weeks for that slot.

Mom charged through the waiting room with her phone pressed to her ear, tapped on the glass window, then opened it. In short, she broke every rule of doctor’s office etiquette, and I was judging her left and right. Forcing a smile, I did my job.

As she fumbled with her insurance card, this is what she said into her phone: “Yes, I heard you. Tell mom I’ll be there as soon as I can. The ICU on the second floor. Yes . . . Yes . . . Tell dad I love him.” Her voice cracked, and so did my heart.

We don’t know what others are dealing with. We can’t see below the surface. But God knows, and he loves us. It’s a privilege to extend that love as best as I can.

~*~
Author Bio:

Victoria Bylin is the author of 18 traditionally published romances. Known for tackling difficult subjects with great compassion, she delights in stories that shine the spotlight of God’s love on ordinary men and women facing realistic challenges. 

Writing has always been a part of Victoria’s life. As a child, she wrote hundreds of letters and scribbled in journals. As an adult, she worked as a freelance journalist and editor before taking on the challenge of fiction.

She had one goal when she started her first novel: to finish a book-length manuscript, good or bad. That first effort will never see the light of day, but it led to a second manuscript and a sale to Harlequin Historical. Since then, she has written westerns and contemporary romances for both mainstream and Christian publishers, with Together With You winning the 2016 Inspirational Readers Choice Award for Best Contemporary.

Writing is a joy and a challenge for Victoria, but faith, friends and family matter to her far more. She’s a wife, mom, proud grandmother, and a dog-mom to a wacky Jack Russell Terrier. Originally from California, she and her husband currently make their home in Lexington, Kentucky. When she’s not writing, Victoria enjoys long walks, travel, and dark chocolate.

~*~
Connect with Victoria:
Website: https://www.victoriabylin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Victoria.Bylin.Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaBylin
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/victoria-bylin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/568102.Victoria_Bylin

Devotionals for the Heart: Lessons learned on love for God and animals

On ruling well and loving Fido: Honoring God through National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

If I’m sick, the rest of my family will steer clear and let me sleep, but not my cat. She’ll sit on my pillow and gently knead my head, purring loudly as though she alone can drive the illness away. Instead of me caring for her, dumping food in her dish and scratching her kitty-chin while she gives me sweet-eyes, the tables turn and she’s Mama Cat, tending to her neediest kitten.

My mom’s cat was her superhero when she battled aggressive cancer decades ago and chemotherapy knocked her flat in bed. Today a survivor, she still talks about how Rusty was right there every day, never leaving her side.

It’s not just cats. Dogs and even hamsters and bunnies have this uncanny sixth sense like they know on a wholly different level than we humans do when their loved one is ill and exactly what they need to get well. My cat even looks at me differently when I’m sick like she sees right through me and straight to the illness beneath my skin like she’s some fierce guardian angel there to battle on my behalf with The Evil Flu or The Dreaded Sinus Infection.

It’s both stinking cute and incredibly comforting.

The love we have for animals—and our animal friends have for us—is a beautiful thing and, I’d argue, a biblical call. As Christians, we know Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21), and we are commanded to love God above all and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-49).

But who’s to say God doesn’t want us to love our animal neighbors just as we do fellow humans? While humans are made in God’s image for His glory, the rest of creation is also made for God’s glory and pleasure, including animals of the forest, fish of the sea, and our beloved pets. In the Book of Genesis, God created animals, fish, and birds. He saw it was good, then created man and woman to care for them.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground’” (Genesis 1:26, NIV).

But “rule” doesn’t mean control with brutality. Rulers don’t get to say “my way or the highway.” Good rulers, godly rulers, are to lead with love and kindness with an end-goal of modeling our ultimate ruler, God. Just because animals are not created in God’s image doesn’t mean they are not important to God, and I believe we are obligated to nurture, respect, honor, and care for them with the same sort of loving care our Father God gives to us.

This week (the first full week in November) is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. It kicked off yesterday, Nov. 4. Animal shelters are places where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals are kept and, often, rehabilitated. Some also help sick or wounded pets and wildlife. While not all shelters are equal, I’ve never seen a shelter or encountered a shelter worker that doesn’t love and care passionately for animals.

In honor of our furry (or scaled, or winged) “neighbors,” I urge you to take a moment today to think about how you can love them in a way that honors God’s love for us, as well as think about how you might be able to love and honor animal shelters, who are tasked to care for these creatures. If you are able, consider adopting an animal from your local animal shelter, or donate or volunteer your time.

After all, God is love. Let’s follow suit.

~*~
Author bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism.

Learn more about her fiction and read her blog at http://jessicabrodie.com/shiningthelight.

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Unfailing Love for You

Unfailing Love
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

Think of the many ways God daily shows his love for us. When you are going through a period or season where you think he’s not there, you need only take a moment to pause and look around.

One of my favorite things to do when I’m in that situation is to take a journal or notebook and go sit somewhere, preferably outside or near a window. I love a coffee shop or location where many people will be coming and going. I then pray for God to clear my mind of all those things on my perpetual To Do list for this short time. Can anyone relate to that long list? I then thank God for the things he is about to show me. I suggest you give this a try. Find a location with a great view and lots of busyness. Pray. Then sit back and watch.

Look out the window at the sky. Is it bright with sun or gloomy with rain clouds? You realize God made both of those for us, right? He made the sun to warm us up as well as to bring a smile to our faces. Yet he also made the rainy days to water our surroundings—the trees, grass, flowers, and bodies of water. Without those things, we would not have shade, fruits from the trees, grass for animals to eat, flowers to enjoy and water for so many reasons. He thought of so many big and little details. That’s love. Write your thoughts in your journal about that.

Next, look around where you are sitting and notice the people. Some may be sitting alone and others may be with one or several friends. Do you see God’s love in both of these situations? The person alone may be taking a break to rest or have food. The group may be catching up with each other and enjoying one another’s’ friendship. God created all of those things—rest, nourishment and fellowship because he knew we would need all of them. That’s love. Write about a time or times when you have experienced these things.

Now, back to the point that I made above—feeling like God isn’t there. When there are times when I feel like God is so far away, I make myself do this exercise. I begin to ask God why I feel it. And I close out the chatter in my mind and wait for the Holy Spirit to show me where these feelings are coming from. Once I get my mind quiet and shift my attitude a bit, I begin to see that God’s love is still all around me. It’s in the sky, the grass, the little girl swinging her feet as she sits with her mommy drinking hot cocoa at the coffee shop. Aren’t whipped cream mustaches the best? It’s when I remember the things that God has brought me through. That’s love. Write those in your journal.

People will come and go in our lives. People will both uplift and tear us down. But God will never do this because of his rich, deep love. Though we may not be the best we can be with our attitudes, actions or words, God still loves us. No matter what we do or don’t do. That’s real love.

“Let your face shine on your servant, save me in your unfailing love.” 
~Psalm 31:16 (NIV)

Remember when you feel very distant from God, it is you that has moved away—not God.

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years. She is a mom to their grown daughter Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. 

She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.

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Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com