Living God’s Love

When we think of the word love we think about how we feel about someone close and dear to us.  We tend to think about those that are a part of our lives, weather family or friends.  We think about how we are willing and wanting to show them affection, take care of them, spend time with them and just have fun with them.   How often do we think of those that aren’t so close to us or those that we are having serious conflict with?  Are we as readily to show love and be tender towards someone that we disagree with or as willing to help someone that we are at odds with?  Even further; how often are we able to, at least, simply act cordially towards someone that we don’t particularly care for or doesn’t care for us?

1 John 4:16b (NLT) God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

Because we live so much by our feelings and emotions, it's not always easy to walk in love.  When it comes to family and those close to us it's easier to act out of love even when we are at odds, but with others we tend to live in the moment and off of the current emotion that is driving us.  Sometimes causing us to say or do things that if we stopped and thought about for a moment, we normally wouldn't.  If we are truly seeking God and trying to live a life pleasing to Him, then we need to make a conscience effort toward walking in love daily and with everything that we do. 

God is love…everything He does for us, He does out of love.  Our ultimate goal in life is to be as Christ like as we possibly can.  We must do our best to display His love through our words, our actions and even our thoughts.  I realize that isn’t always easy because we really do seem to live by our emotions.  However, the more we stay in prayer about God transforming our hearts and minds the more we will walkout His love in all areas of our lives. It’s not always something that will happen overnight either…especially if we are used to acting in the moment, but God is an awesome God and can transform even the hardest of hearts. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

This scripture, one of my favorites, teaches us what God says love is.  To me it also says that love is not just mere emotions and feelings, but an action and a choice.  We have to wake each morning making the choice to be kind and patient…to be open to others and their needs.  We have to make the choice to forgive quickly and not count the wrongs that are done to us by others.  We have to learn to hate injustice but, rejoice when truth wins out.  Verse 7 says…Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  This is what God displays to us each and every day and what He requires of us towards our fellow man. 

While this is the way we should already be, sadly it’s often hard for us to walk in love because our flesh gets in the way.  We want our way and sometimes we hold grudges toward those who have hurt us.  Because of certain situations or circumstances we may be walking in irritation which causes us to lash out or even avoid others.  Jealousy and pride are some of the biggest human down falls because we think too highly of ourselves or seem to always covet what someone else has. We even judge others simply because they are not like us.  None of this is of God.  We can break these vicious cycles through meditation and prayer in God’s word.  He can change and transform our hearts and minds to walk in His love not just to those closest to us, but to all that we encounter and even with those that we are disagreeing with. 

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (NLT) ¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. ¹³ May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Rejection or Protection

Sometimes we are rejected by someone we considered a friend and for the life of us we can't understand why.  Sometimes we are forced away from or out of something that absolutely makes no sense to us simply because it seemed to truly be working well.  Sometimes we even love and want to be with someone that either doesn't reciprocate that love and desire back or just wants us around when it's good for them.  Rejection is never an easy thing to deal with…especially when you feel like you have given so much of yourself to that person or situation you're being rejected by.

It's sometimes hard to let go so we try to continue to force ourselves into the relationship or situation.  We keep trying to figure different ways to help, love or communicate with that person.  Too often, we think we are the problem and become down on ourselves or depressed. We might feel like we are being helpful and doing what God would have us to or simple what we think is right, when the truth is either the relationship has run its course or they may just no longer be receptive to us anymore.  It's hard to see this sometimes, but important for us to stay in prayer because this rejection can often times cause bitterness of heart.  Bitterness is a very hard thing to come back from. 

There are times, if we're being really honest with ourselves, we are the problem and it's time to just walk away or let go.  We're trying to be a part of something that is no longer for us or a relationship that we shouldn't be in; causing the other person(s) misery as well as ourselves. 

Someone once said to me "Rejection is sometimes God's protection".  Since I've heard that it has really sat with me and even helped me through some tough situation.  Since hearing it I have added a word, to say.."Worldly rejection is sometimes God's protection".  I've added the word "worldly" because God Himself will never reject us if we are truly seeking Him.  However, He will sometimes allow certain things to happen, that may feel like rejection from others or the world. 

There are many reasons that He will allow this to happen; maybe the relationship is bad for us or one sided.  Maybe the course the person is taking or the situation is taking will be a spiritual hindrance to us.  Sometimes the things/people we feel rejected from are distractions from the path that God has from us and as a result He will allow a road block to come between you and that person/situation.  When this happens we have two choices…we can keep fighting to stay or we can stop, refocus, pray and ask God to direct our paths to where He wants us to go. 

1 Peter 3:9 (NLT) ⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.

I do realize that this is not always easy…I have this thing were it kills me not to be liked by everyone.  I feel like I have to be doing something wrong and I need to fix it.  If I feel like I'm doing my best to help, I have a hard time letting go and want to do my best to be of some type of assistance.  When the truth of the matter is, it's time to move on….possible for my benefit or even the other persons.  This doesn't mean that I have to completely give up, but often times the best thing I can do is to be silent and pray.  Bottom line, in my opinion, is that if it's going to be so…then God will make it so if I am seeking His will above my own.  Truth of the matter is I don't always know what's best!  So, it's time to let go in the physical but, keep it/them lifted up in the spiritual.  God will surely take care of the rest.

Remembering to be Thankful

Sometimes I think we are so busy striving for more, better or higher that we forget to live where we are now.  I’m not suggesting that we don’t strive for better, for ourselves and our families, but that we don’t torture ourselves by always looking for the next best thing.  When we do this we are forgetting to be thankful for what God has blessed us with right now.  Almost as if we are saying…"Gee thanks God, but I have better in mind."  We too often take for granted the blessings that are right in front of our face because we are too busy seeking "better". 

I am finding that I am not only guilty of this, but am actually battling it now. I’m not a very materialistic person and want more "things", but I often get caught up in thinking this or that should be better.  To an extent I believe this is ok, but when I allow it to consume me to the point that I'm not living where I am…then it becomes a problem.  I spend a lot of time thinking of what I need to fix or what I'm doing wrong and I feel that I, as well as my family, suffer from this.  I'm not taking the time to enjoy who I am or what God has blessed us with. 

Proverbs 17:22 (NLT) ²² A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

If we are honest there are many things in all our lives that we would do better or would change, but it can be a painful thing to constantly be thinking of all that is wrong or could be better.  On top of that, God wants us to live a life full of joy.  The last thing this world needs is miserable Christians.  We can’t be witnesses for Christ or win people over if we are walking around unhappy because we don't have more. Trust me, I do realize that we all have hardships and by no means am I saying that we shouldn't strive to do or be better for God; but in my opinion there has to be some type of median where we are still loving and enjoying what He has blessed us with. 

Psalm 33:21 (NLT) ²¹ In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

We have to learn to find the joy where we're at.  By doing this, I believe that, we are exhibiting many great things.  First, we are showing God that we are grateful for all that He has done for us.  Second, we are expressing a trust in God that we know He will never leave us and that His best is truly yet to come.  Finally, we are walking out a life that will show others that no matter what is going on right now there is true joy in God. 

My goal is to wake each morning remembering to thank God for all His blessings and to truly stop and take a look around at how He has kept me.  I realize that some things could and should be better, but I'm not going to dwell on them.  If I'm focused on His goodness and living my life daily with joy and thanksgiving for Him, He will help me to change the things that need to be changed.  Christ is our true joy and we have Him no matter what our current status or situation is.  We need to learn to live in His love and He will guide our steps to the best instead of better. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) ¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Fasting to hear God

Joel 2:12 (NIV) ¹² “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Sometimes in order to break free from something or to really hear from God it takes more than just praying and asking God to help us.  I don’t doubt that we talk to God here and there asking for help with this or that and thank Him here and there, but how often are we really ready and willing to sacrifice ourselves to hear from Him?

Although I am aware it doesn’t always have to be food that you fast, that seems to be what I feel lead to fast when I do.  I will also be the first to tell you, while I pray a lot; fasting is not one of my favorite things to do.  I’m very fond of my food and all of the lovely tastes that they bring.  However, I will also tell you that some of my most clarifying moments and clearest guidance from God have come only after fasting for a time. Huh, as I wrote that, I’m wondering to myself what holds me back from it so much knowing that it brings more clarity when I do..??

When we fast, we are sacrificing something in order to hear or get clarity on something from God.  We are showing Him that we want to know what He wants in a particular area of our life so much that we are willing to let go of, or at least for a short time cut out, something we love and enjoy doing. 

Matthew 4:4 (NIV) ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

The intent or purpose of the fasting is so that the time you would be spending eating, instead you would spend it praying and focusing on why you’re fasting.  Each time our natural desire for food or hunger pain arises; we need to remember the importance of the fast and realize that we do not live by bread alone.  We need to realize that our true source of life and survival is God and His guidance, plan and purpose for our lives.  Turning away our plate for a specific amount of time is a very small sacrifice compared to the sacrifice that God gave for us and is certainly worth hearing a word from God on our lives! 

In my own life, I know that I do not fast enough and sadly when I do I don’t always complete them for the time that I have set aside.  This is something that I want to change.  I have also realized that in the past when planning or preparing to fast, I am more able to hear from God and complete my fast, if I pray the day before.  Asking God to help me focus on Him at this time and to clear my mind and heart to hear what it is that He will say to me on the area that I am fasting about. 

I’m not saying that I think we have to fast all the time, but I do believe that it is a necessary part of our growth, hearing and focusing on God and His will for our lives.  It’s not always about what God can do for us and how He can bless us, but more importantly about what we should and are willing to do for Him.  He loves us better than we ever could ourselves and first and foremost it is owed to Him that we live our lives for Him and secondly to be very diligent on hearing what He has to say to us.

Learning to Love Myself

For whatever reason, (not sure if I’m still seeking the reason(s) or if my knowing and willingness to change it is enough), I’ve never really known or loved the "me" that God created me to be.  Instead I created a "me" that I saw in the world and through other people.  I would look at other people and think this person was much smarter than I was, or that person had a better style, or this person was so outgoing they were more fun to be around…even down to my very loud and obnoxious laugh.  Often I condemn myself for not being like others or what I thought I should be.  Because I felt this way, I never really liked or believed in myself.   

Sadly, this behavior or view of myself has carried into my adult life and, at times, I still try to fashion myself into what I think I should be instead of accepting what God created me to be.  As a result of living this way I have built up walls to protect myself, walls that not only keep others out, but also keep me trapped in.  It has caused me to smother the good qualities that He has blessed me with.  I spent too much time trying to fit in or be liked or thought I was being so helpful to the point of not taking care of myself.  Because I felt so low about myself, I didn’t take the time to develop my talents or gifts…or at least I thought I hadn’t. 

Recently, I have cut a lot distractions and comparing myself to others out of my life.  Now, I won’t lie and say that I’ve been able to let it all go yet…but, I’m becoming more comfortable with who I really am.  Some days are harder than others, as old habits die hard, but with prayer and God's healing I am learning to love and accept me for who I am in Christ. God doesn't make mistakes and He certainly can't lie; and never has He ever told me that I am worthless. 

Ephesians 2:10 (VOICE) ¹⁰ For we are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago.

While what I see in others is truly beautiful, it is also for them.  I don't have to emulate what I see in others because the qualities that I posses have a purpose for my position in the Kingdom of God. My eyes are finally being opened to see that much of what I have been doing, most of my life, is what and who God has really created me to be.   I am a very loving, forgiving and compassionate person that loves to pray for and with anyone.  I have a true desire in my heart for everyone to know God and do my best daily to allow Him to use me and my life to be a blessing to someone else.  And my laugh, although loud, is genuine and just plain me.

I am hoping that as I become more comfortable and open I will, without fear or reservation, reach out and speak about the goodness of God.  I know that I will have some good and bad days, but with continued prayer and trust in God I will stop doubting myself.  If I fall or fail, then I'll have to do my best to get back up and try again without condemning myself.  Lately, I have had such a strong desire to be a part of something in our church and/or community.  I'm praying that as I grow I will soon be able to shed this shyness and fear to become a part of some of the ministries in our church. 

  We all have things about ourselves that we would like to change and some of it may need to be changed, but despite what our minds may tell us we are beautifully and wonderfully made.  We are all different for a reason and it's time to cast out the self hatred and doubt and embrace the "us" that God created us to be.  Pray and ask God to heal your wounds and open your eyes to the beauty that He sees in you!

Psalm 139:14 (NLT) ¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Continued Self-Revelation

If you read my blog on Pride, you know that God revealed some not so nice things to me about myself.  After praying intensely about it, I now want to be purged of anything that is within me that isn't pleasing to God.  I want to be all that He has created me to be first for Him and the furthering of His Kingdom.  Second for my family and myself and thirdly for anyone that He blesses me to come in contact with.  I know that this is not going to be an easy process.  I felt like a truly horrible person when I realized that I can be prideful and stubborn sometimes.  However, I realize that He showed me this not to hurt me, but to help, heal and better me. 

Now with that being said, I am praying that God will GENTLY show me the things that I need to change within myself as well as how to change them.  It's one thing to want this and pray about it, but another thing entirely to actually try and live it.  So I've come to a place where I'm surrendering it all to Jesus.  Any anger, pain and heartache of my past I lay it all down before Him.  All my insecurities and the walls that I have built up I release them to Him…to shape and mold me any way He sees fit. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

I will read, pray and reflect daily on the things that He reveals to me and how He guides me to change them.  I've never been the best at writing things down, but I will do my best to write them down as He shows them to me.  I believe that if I can do this, when I become discouraged or confused, I will have something to remind me and redirect me back to my purpose.  I'm also praying that God will help me to always be open and honest about what I am going through, not only with myself and my family, but with you too.  There can only be growth with acceptance and in order for me to accept it, I have to be honest about it. 

Through this time of reflecting and growth I pray that my life's experiences and testimonies will help someone else.  Too often we go through things and think or feel we are all alone, but we are not.  There is always someone out there who has gone through something similar and we can be a light to show them that there is sunshine after the storm.

Whew, honestly, even just saying this gives me a bit of mixed emotions.  I'm joyful because I'm opening up more to God and I know that good will come from this.  At the same time, I will also say that I am a bit nervous because it's not always easy or the most pleasant to totally SEE yourself.  I feel His leading in this season of my life so I won't allow fear to hold me back and cause me to revert back into myself.  He has greater for me and my family and I will push through with my focus stayed on Him. 

God's Will above My Own

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) ⁴ Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

I think many people know of or have heard this scripture a time or two before.  God loves us beyond anything we could ever comprehend and wants nothing but the best for us.  He wants us to be happy and have all that our hearts desire.  Sometimes this can cause us to pray and ask for things that may not exactly be in our best interest.  Sometimes we pray for things to make our lives easier or for things that feed our fleshly desires instead of feeding our spirit.  Often times we even pray for things that we truly believe are good for us simply because we may not have thought far enough ahead or of all the people that it may affect. 

At times I am one of these people; sometimes things just get too hard and I want an easy fix, sometimes I think I know best and sometimes I just want something period…so I pray.  As I'm maturing in my spiritual walk and growing closer to God I'm realizing that I don't always know best…even when I have my family or whoever else's best interests at heart.  While I always knew that God sees all, it's now really beginning to set in.  Nothing catches Him by surprise and if we allow Him, He will guide us and make His path for our lives known to us. 

Romans 12:2 (NLT) ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

With my growth and as I get older, I’m realizing that I really want nothing more for my life than God’s will.  Even if it means I have to struggle sometimes, grow through pain or walk out some really uncomfortable situations.  These hard times are temporary…but, His plan for me is eternal life with Him.  So instead of simply praying for the desires of my heart, I pray that my heart and mind be aligned with God’s will for my life.  By doing this I know that He hears me and will help me turn from my fleshly desires to my spiritual needs; He will transform my mind.  This helps me to hear His sweet small voice and the choices and directions that are best for me and my family.  My frank way of putting it is…I’m getting just too dern old and my family’s lives are just too precious to me for anything less! 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV) ¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.

I do admit that this is not always easy…nor His path for me always plain to see.  This is one of the reasons that scriptures tells us to pray without ceasing.  Our prayers are our direct communication line to God. By being constantly in prayer about everything, we are staying spiritually connected to God and open to His guidance.  We are keeping Him on our mind and striving towards the life that He has planned for us.  Staying continually in prayer also helps to keep the chaos of the world from taking root in our minds, therefore allowing the Holy Spirit to guide, refresh and restore us daily. 

To be in His will is sometimes a struggle and a daily conscience effort.  It also certainly does not omit us going through trials and tribulations, but it is still one of the most important choices we can make.  My prayer for us today is that the desires of the world do not over take our desire for the Lord.  I pray that our love for Him will grow stronger and stronger with each passing day and that He will bless and keep us along our journey.   Amen!!

1 John 2:16-17 (NLT) ¹⁶ For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Pride---Self-revelation

Proverbs 16:18 (NLT) ¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

Pride can seriously be an ugly thing...it can make us do things we wouldn't normally do, say things we know we shouldn't and keep us set in our own stubborn ways. Pride can cause us to sin with our mouths, our hearts and our actions.  We can become so prideful and think we need no help, not even the help of the Lord.  Now we would never just come right out and say that, but our actions say it loud and clear.  We can come to a certain point in our lives over and over again because we are too caught up in believing that we know best to seek God's guidance.  We think too much of our plan and won't hear anything anyone has to say that would go against what we have set in our ways to do; causing us to think too highly of ourselves. 

Pride can make us say things that we shouldn't, out of anger or even in spite because we refuse to see our own errors and have become too accustomed to our old ways.  There are times that call for an apology on our behalf, but we are too stubborn to allow the words “I’m sorry” to pass our lips.  Instead we would rather argue or keep silent till it blows over, but will be furious if on the other end and the apology is owed to us. Too often we repeat the same cycle over and over again because of pride and we are either pushing people away, hurting them or just destroying relationships altogether.   

Romans 12:3 (NLT) ³ Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

God has been revealing some things to me about myself and this is painful to admit, but I have to be honest with myself if I am truly going to allow Him to change and use me. For a very long time I thought I was one of the most humble people I knew...but, truth is I am also a very prideful and stubborn person.  I have a hard time admitting when I'm wrong and sometimes even to say that I am sorry.  It's hard for me to ask for help, so my actions show that I think I can "fix" it all myself.  Sometimes I feel like I'm a good person because I haven't done this or that and others have or because "I" have worked so hard at keeping my marriage together and opening my heart to people that most wouldn't have even thought to. 

The truth of the matter is; too much pride in oneself is a sin…it's one of my sins.  I didn't do anything in my life in or through myself; God held together and restored my marriage.  God healed my heart towards those people and caused me to forgive and love beyond anything that I could have ever of done by myself.  He is the one who kept me from some sins that I see others do, while at the same time He kept them from sins that I have done.  I am no better or worse than anyone else…my sins stink just like they all do!!

I have also realized to some extent; at times it's almost as a defense mechanism, because for as long as I can remember I truly feel like I didn't/don't amount to much.  I don't have any special talents, never really been good at anything specific and don't think I'm very intelligent.  Basically, I have spent much of my life attempting to be like other people because I didn't see much in myself.  Now, I'm certainly not making excuses for my behavior…I'm just realizing that because of this I'm afraid to admit when I'm wrong or need to change because I don't want others to see me for what I see in me.  I don't want to admit to wrong when all I see in myself is wrong. 

Proverbs 11:2 (NLT) ² Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

My husband and children suffer from my pride; I have a hard time saying sorry, I can't talk about how I feel and I often bottle things up and walk around all woe is me.  Coming to this realization is very painful…for many reasons.  I hate to think that the thought of me believing, even for one moment, that I am better than anyone else.  I hate that I can't accept when I am wrong and that I have a hard time apologizing…I hate that my husband and children suffer because I shut down for fear of them thinking that I am not a good wife or mother.  I want to say that this is not really what my heart feels or wants for myself…but, can I really say that when this is how I have acted for so long???

He loved me enough to open my eyes to this so I have two choices…I can either change it or ignore it. This is going to be a very hard, painful and long road, but I am determined to allow God to change me. I will pray daily that He purges my heart and transforms my mind.  I need to do this; first for God, then my family and myself and also for all those that He blesses me to cross paths with.  My prayer is that He will forgive me as well as any of those that I may have hurt or offended; that He will continue to open my eyes to my wrongs and help me to change them.  I truly want to be all that He has called me to be not only for myself but, to prayerfully be a blessing to someone else! 

The Importance of Fellowship

Many times people shy away from church, for many different reasons.  Reasons from having a bad experience, to feeling like Christians are stuck up to thinking they don't need to go to church to have a relationship with God.  I do not doubt that some of these things can be true.  However, like with everything and everyone in this world there will be things that you many not totally agree with or like.  There are going to be people you encounter that aren't truly acting as Christians and churches that have some bad apples, but that doesn’t mean you cast the whole lot aside. 

We have to learn that with every good and blessed thing, there is some bad that is trying to weasel its way in.  We can't allow a certain situation or person to stop us from finding a church home to fellowship, worship and strengthen our relationships with God in.  We need spiritual guidance from those that God has blessed to preach and teach.  It's also an act of obedience to God and keeping the Sabbath day Holy.  It's a community of people who are supposed to uplift, encourage and also to hold each other accountable to God's Christian standard.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (VOICE) ²⁴ Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, ²⁵ not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the day of His return approaches.

For the last three years I have attempted to do my best with going to church on a regular basis. I will admit, for most of those three years that mainly consisted of just church on Sunday.  Over time I came to a place where I longed for Sunday to roll around so I could be in God's house.  To fellowship and praise God among other Christians and to sing and rejoice in His goodness.  For most of that time I was attending the same church, but never became a member.  There were a few reasons; ultimately God told me that when I started attending there it would not be my church home.  That place would come latter when we all attended church as a family with daddy in the lead.

I have a very good friend who would continually tell me that I needed to belong to a church, to be a part of one or more of the ministries and to attend a bible study…something other than just church on Sunday.  Now, while I agreed and understood why she kept telling me this, I still waited and was a bit distant in church.  Not because of the church, people or the pastor…I would have to say that it was mainly because of self.  I allowed my own fears of stepping out of my own personal existence or space to stop me from becoming a part of something that would truly help me grow.  However, inside I really started wanting/needing more than just the once a week Sunday worship service to grow.    

1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT) ¹² The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

  

Over the last couple of months my husband, myself and the kids have been attending a new church and we absolutely love it.  Its bible based, filled with the Holy Spirit and the word is brought forth each Sunday with fire and purpose.  All three of my children have talked about how powerful the sermons are and how much they like the new church.  The growth in my husband has been wonderful and I too have seen changes in myself and my walk with God.  Along with Sunday's service and bible study, Brian and I have also started attending a couples/love language class.  It is not only blessing us, but causing us to branch out of our normal quite existence.  It really is a blessing to be a part of a community that loves the Lord, seeks to learn about Him and that wants to serve Him.  They love, encourage and support each other…just like we do with our own families.  They are a family!