A devotional thought for your heart

The Priceless Truth
A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

The last time that I was hired as a seasonal sales associate at a mall, my manager asked me to travel throughout the store, making sure that all of the products on display looked neat, orderly and attractive to customers.

One day, while working on a designer display of brand name coats, I realized that a security cord connected the coats so that no one would be able to steal it.

As I struggled to work around the security cord to fluff the jackets and restore order to the display, I realized the priceless truth—we humans are priceless to God! So much so that He put a plan (called the "Gift of Salvation") and a roadmap to life (called The Holy Bible), in place to keep us secure if only we abide in Him. Just like that security cord kept the expensive coats safe, God’s protection keeps us close to His heart. He does this because He believes that we are priceless to Him (Isaiah 43:4) and He loves us. All we need to do is to believe in Him and His Son Jesus Christ then follow (and be obedient to) Him throughout all the days of our life.

God also says that we have an enemy who is a thief (John 10:10) who is the devil and he wants to destroy us! But God is stronger than the enemy and if we choose to stay close to God and follow Him, we will experience eternal life (John 3:16) when He returns to Earth and takes His faith followers home to heaven. Our walk with God is not always going to be like peaches and cream (easy). There will be mountain highs and valley lows. But He promises to walk through the storms of life with us and give us strength to endure.

But how do we fight off the thief who is our enemy? God tells us to submit to Him, resist the devil and the devil will flee from us (James 4:7). So how do you do that? The best way, I believe, is to take God’s advice and guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23-27).

In closing, I’d like for you to listen to a song by 1GN called “Guard Your Heart.” It’s very modern with a timeless message. You can listen to it here.

After you listen to the song, you are invited to leave a comment below to tell me how you plan to guard your heart and stay close to God.

Be blessed by God, dear hearts!

Love,

Alexis

Devotional by Mary Manners: Is Today Really Necessary?

Today, I'd like to re-post a favorite devotional written by Mary Manners! It's about persevering through the trails as you journey through life. I believe you will benefit from reading this devotional.

Meanwhile, please pray for Mary Manners and her family. They are going through a tough time and will appreciate your prayers. God knows the details. Just pray.

Enjoy the devotional!

~*~
Is Today Really Necessary?
A devotional written Mary Manners

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~James 1:2-4~

My dad has always been my hugest inspiration. Long ago, when I was barely a teenager in the early days of my middle school journey, I came home following a particularly rough day to find him sitting on the front porch waiting for me so he could ask about my day. I joined him on the concrete landing and he spent a good hour listening while I vented about the trials and tribulations of being a thirteen-year-old in a cruel, cruel world. I imagined he had no idea what I was going through, since he couldn't have possibly ever been as young as thirteen. Little did I know!

The next day, Dad came home with a small treasure for me—a poster with the most forlorn-looking bloodhound sitting in a washtub full of soap bubbles that had been dumped over his head. The caption read, "Was today really necessary?" 

Dad helped me mount the poster in a place of honor on my bedroom wall, and then we sat together and talked some more. That's when I began to understand the power of adversity in shaping who I am as well as my life's path.

Today, I use the trials of my life—both the small inconveniences that jab like bony fingers along my rib cage as well as the tsunamis that sweep through to wash away any semblance of sanity—to shape and mold my writing. Characters come alive when their story is infused with nuances of my personal trials. In daily tribulations I find a never-ending fount of inspiration. The passion to write the next story burns continuously inside me, and with every detour that comes my way I know that the round-about will lead to another exciting chapter.

My dad succumbed to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma thirteen years ago, but his memory is alive and well in the poster that has traveled with me through the decades. It now holds a place of honor on the wall across from my office desk. Each time I glance up to read the caption, I smile and think, "Yes, today is really necessary and thank you, God, for allowing me another breath, another test…and another chapter."

~*~

Author bio:

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus.

She loves swimming, running, flavored coffee and Smoky Mountain sunsets.

Mary believes everyone has a story to tell, and she loves to share hers. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone.

Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.

Book Review: Know Your Worth

How to “Know Your Worth”

A book review by Alexis A. Goring

Jessica Vaughn’s debut book, Know Your Worth: Conquering Your Past for A Powerful Future, is a gem!

She’s not shy on sharing her story from her heart, holding nothing back. Jessica’s honesty and transparency in sharing scenes from her life journey and lessons learned can truly make a difference in the reader’s life.

The first pages of the Introduction highlight Jessica’s experience in working in retail and how that work gave her “roughly four years of management experience.” So she was able to retire from her retail job in her early 20’s and open her first business as a fitness coach before 30. Jessica says that God used her experience in retail to prepare her for her work as a fitness coach. It’s not the first credit Jessica gives to God. She credits God for all of her successes. She shows that no experience in life is wasted, it’s all a part of God’s plan.

The author believes that God can use any experience to strengthen you, grow your character and help you become who He’s meant you to be in this life. A key example of this is a common theme throughout the book—relationships. Jessica talks about her failed relationships and the lesson she learned. She reveals her insecurities and shows her readers the value of knowing your worth and how it makes a difference in how you present yourself to this world.

A key quote from the book is found in Chapter 2 when Jessica says, “Everyday people are searching for a place to fi t in. Killing themselves for rank advancements, pay increases, more stuff, and so on. We want to feel loved and treasured, and we want to feel belonging. Your purpose in this world is far beyond anything you will ever be able to comprehend.”

Jessica talks about the importance of not being afraid to take a leap of faith. She quotes the Bible verse of Matthew 17:20 about how a mustard seed of faith in God can move mountains. A standout quote from Chapter 3 reads, “You will never be able to love yourself if all you do is listen to what everyone else has to say about you instead of what God has to say.” Such a quote resonated with me because I struggle with focusing more on what everyone has to say about me, everyone except God. It was a relief to know that I’m not the only one who struggles with that and I found inspiration in reading Jessica’s story about how she overcame that struggle. It gave me motivation to overcome it in my life too.

Another inspiring point was made in Chapter 4 where the author says, “Staring at the moon brought me to this thought: God is constantly working in our lives. We may never feel the move or the shift—we may never even see the progress we are making—but we have to remember He never leaves us. He is always bringing to my attention that when He is working it doesn’t always mean that things will be happy-go lucky. In fact, He could be forming you right now in His hands, and it may hurt just a little. God is moving in our lives even when we don’t feel Him or see the answers to our prayers. God’s promises are real, and when we find our confidence in Him—when we know who we are—then we can rest in His promises for us. We will know that, even when we don’t see our success right away, we will not grow weary and we will not worry. We must keep moving forward!”

The reader will move forward through this book in one sitting because it’s just that good! Every page leads you to wanting to know what happens next just like when you read a good fiction book. Only, this isn’t fiction; it’s real-life and that makes the story even more inspiring!

One of the take-away messages I received from reading this book is the value of “positive self-talk.” Jessica writes, “Your thoughts will change your life. Whatever you believe about yourself comes to light. Whatever you believe in your heart will show in the way you treat others and how you choose to walk around. So, let me ask you: What you are constantly telling yourself regularly?”

After reading that quote, I’m determined to speak words of life not just to other people, but over myself and I’m eager to see all the wonderful things God does in my life as I focus on His blessings and speak faith not fear or complaints.

Ultimately, this book is a great how-to guide. It shows you how to know your worth and see yourself as the priceless treasure of a person God created you to be. It shows you how to overcome negative thinking and gain a positive mindset. It shows you how to evaluate your relationships and let go of ones that are bad for you. It shows you how to have faith in God and trust Him with the outcome. Most importantly, it shows you how to never give up because God is always working in your life.

I’d recommend this book to everyone and anyone who doesn’t realize their value and needs to know their worth not in society’s status quo, but through the eyes of the Creator of the Universe who loves you endlessly and knows your worth.

*The author provided a complimentary copy of her book "Know Your Worth" in exchange for an honest review.

Devotional by Mary Manners: Is Today Really Necessary?

My dear writer friend Mary Manners pays her first visit to my blog today as our official devotional writer! As I mentioned in a previous post, Mary will contribute one devotional to the blog every month starting today! :)

Traditionally, the posts will be published on the last Monday of every month.

I hope you will enjoy visiting with Mary. She has a wealth of wonderful wisdom to share that I believe will encourage you in your journey through life. 

Enjoy! :)

~*~
Is Today Really Necessary?
A devotional written by Mary Manners

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."~James 1:2-4~

My dad has always been my hugest inspiration. Long ago, when I was barely a teenager in the early days of my middle school journey, I came home following a particularly rough day to find him sitting on the front porch waiting for me so he could ask about my day. I joined him on the concrete landing and he spent a good hour listening while I vented about the trials and tribulations of being a thirteen-year-old in a cruel, cruel world. I imagined he had no idea what I was going through, since he couldn't have possibly ever been as young as thirteen. Little did I know!

The next day, Dad came home with a small treasure for me--a poster with the most forlorn-looking bloodhound sitting in a washtub full of soap bubbles that had been dumped over his head. The caption read, "Was today really necessary?" 

Dad helped me mount the poster in a place of honor on my bedroom wall, and then we sat together and talked some more. That's when I began to understand the power of adversity in shaping who I am as well as my life's path.

Today, I use the trials of my life--both the small inconveniences that jab like bony fingers along my rib cage as well as the tsunamis that sweep through to wash away any semblance of sanity--to shape and mold my writing. Characters come alive when their story is infused with nuances of my personal trials. In daily tribulations I find a never-ending fount of inspiration. The passion to write the next story burns continuously inside me, and with every detour that comes my way I know that the round-about will lead to another exciting chapter.

My dad succumbed to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma thirteen years ago, but his memory is alive and well in the poster that has traveled with me through the decades. It now holds a place of honor on the wall across from my office desk. Each time I glance up to read the caption, I smile and think, "Yes, today is really necessary and thank you, God, for allowing me another breath, another test…and another chapter."

REFLECT: God is the master of the universe. He hears our every cry and knows the deepest desires of our hearts. His plan is for good, not to harm. Trust in this and carry on.

PRAY: Dear Lord, please help me to trust in Your will and Your plan for my life. Help me to be fearless in each trial and heartache that comes my way, knowing fully that you hold the paintbrush for the universe, and with each careful stroke You form the path of my existence.

A Message for MOMs:

Purposed to put a smile on your face :)

Dear friends,

When you find treasure, share it, right? ;)

I would like to share these pearls of wisdom, this priceless treasure of blog posts, by a few of my favorite writers online, with you! Yes, YOU! :)

My prayer is for God to speak through the written works of these inspired writers to bring your heart closer to His endless love for you and bringing a smile to your face if you're having a bad day would be nice too! ;)

Happy reading!

Love,

Alexis

P.S._ And of course, here are the works:

Blog: In the Name of Love

Author: Bianca Juarez

Post:

Some thoughts on faithfulness twenty years later…

http://blog.inthenameoflove.org/archives/3259

~*~

Blog: Lysa TerKeurst

Author: Lysa TerKeurst (of Proverbs 31 Ministries)

Post: And I had the perfect comeback

http://lysaterkeurst.com/2012/05/and-i-had-the-perfect-comeback/

~*~

Blog: Grace with Silk

Author: Valerie Sisco

(Guest) Post on (in)courage website:

Less, More, Enough

http://www.incourage.me/2012/05/less-more-enough.html

~*~

Blog: The Mom Creative

Author: Jessica Turner

(Guest) Post on (in)courage website:

The Power of a Phone Call

http://www.incourage.me/2012/05/the-power-of-a-phone-call.html

~*~

Blog: Holley Gerth

Author: Holley Gerth of DaySpring Cards and (in)courage co-founder

Post:

“Things Our Hearts Forget: You're Carried”

http://www.holleygerth.com/heart-to-heart-with-holley/2012/5/11/things-our-hearts-forget-youre-carried.html

-- the end (for now) --