#VerseoftheDay As we continue to walk in peace, one of the things we need to keep in mind is that everything has its season. Ecclesiastes 3 says it best "there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens". Even if you are going through the "beautiful struggle" at this moment, please know that God will make everything beautiful in its time. Stay strong! God will work it all out on your behalf. Be blessed!
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
#MotivationalMonday This week I want to encourage you to take the necessary steps and lose sight of the shore. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says "For we live by faith, not by sight". Although you have the vision to cross the various "oceans" in your life, you must first be willing to muster up the courage to lose sight of the shore. This means moving out of your comfort zone, letting go of toxic friendships and relationships, and move past what is "familiar". Nothing amazing comes out of conformity. It is time to move forward to the next level. You can do! Take the first steps today! Be blessed!
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
Amazing things happens when you begin to speak things into existence … things around you begin to change. Proverbs 18:21 states “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” As we are walking into peace it is important for us to understand the importance to speak peace. We are to speak things as they should be, not as they are.
We have discussed accepting peace from Christ, seeking peace within ourselves and with others, & now speaking peace. Speaking peace over our lives is important. With everything that is going on around us, it is essential that we speak peace daily. In every situation, conversation and thought, we have a choice to promote peace or violence. The language we use plays a large role in either enriching our lives or diminishing it. Are your conversations about ideas or about people? Are you promoting peace with others? Have you spoken positive over your circumstance? Peace is something that Christ provides, but we must be willing to accept, seek and speak it in our lives.
Romans 10:17 says “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ”. In order to speak peace, you must know the word of God and recite it. This means taking time each day to mediate on Scriptures that promote peace. Here are some tips you could follow in order to speak peace:
The language you use every day must be in line with peace. If every time you get into a tough situation and you speak nothing but strife and negativity … what do you think you will reap? As long as we are on this earth there will always be conflict. There will be conflict among friends, family, coworkers, friends etc and even internal conflict …. but it is your job to speak peace in those situations.
Psalm 85:8 states “I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly”. My prayer is that you begin to speak peace over every situation and obstacle in your life.
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
The topic of time management can be discussed in several categories, but today we will focus on marriage. Life gets messy sometimes. We get preoccupied, and lose touch with the things that bond us together in our relationships and friendships. Responsibilities, obligations and distractions can easily pull us in two different directions. We need the Lord’s help to keep the bond of unity between us in our marriage.
The easy route is for us to be self-centered and not consider others. Time is very precious, therefore it is important to make time for the people that are important to us. Giving another person your time and attention is a gift. We need the wisdom to manage our time well so that we’re not ignoring our marriage and other important relationships.
This reminds me of the story between Mary & Martha found in Luke 10:30-42:
As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
This story illustrates how we sometimes get so busy with the things (to do list, responsibilities etc) that we forget about the people. A relationship flourishes because of the commitment and connection we have. Just as Mary focused her attention on Jesus, that is exactly what He wants from us. He wants us to focus on Him and the gift He has given us (marriage). Be a Mary in a Martha generation.
To my followers who are single: Learn time management skills now. Learn to balance work, school, friendships and relationships. It is important that you set a good foundation of managing your time so once you are married it is easier to adapt to ongoing changes.
To my followers who are married: As you are balancing your responsibilities, don’t forget about your mate. Manage your time well so that you are able to spend quality time together. Make time for date nights, conversations and simply being in each other’s presence without the distractions. Put your phones, laptops, electronics AWAY! Manage your time well so that when you are home you are together.
My prayer is that God will allow us to manage our time better so that we can first sit at His feet to get direction, and second our marriage will flourish.
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
#VerseoftheDay The Scripture reading for the August Bible Challenge is found in Psalm 29. My favorite verse from that passage is verse 11 which states: The Lord Gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. Not only are we confident that God gives us strength, but he also provides peace. The peace that He provides surpasses all understanding and will get you through any difficult times. To be at peace is a blessing. With everything that is going on in the world - let's look to God for peace. Be Blessed!
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
The foundation verse of this post is found in Psalm 34:14 … Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. As I began to mediate on how to expand on seeking & pursuing peace, I realize there are two broad areas where individuals are lacking peace. There is a lack of peace with others, and there is a lack of inner peace.
Peace with others
Peace is an integral part of the Christian walk. In regards to having peace with others – it can be rather challenging. Individuals have the potential to hurt us with their words and actions. Even when that happens, God asks us to seek & pursue peace. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). This means that even when someone has “wronged” you – you must still seek peace. You have to be fine with the apologies you never received. Forgive and go in peace!
It is so easy for us to attempt to seek revenge, but we know the vengeance is the Lord’s to repay. We cannot repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because you will inherit a blessing. We must seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:9-11). Do not pay back wrong for wrong, instead strive to do what is good to everyone. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Do not go tit for tat, put up hateful posts on your social media or engage in back and forth arguments with others. That doesn’t reflect Christ. In those situations where you are being antagonized simply remove yourself in order to keep your peace.
Please note that forgiveness is the key to peace with others, however, forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation. There will be times when you cannot reconcile with someone because the trust has been broken. These incidents can include slander, rape, molestation, accusations etc You may not be reconciled with the person, but you can forgive them and be at peace. There are instances where we are not forgiving those who have passed away. You cannot reconcile with those who have deceased, but you can forgive and be at peace.
You will know if someone is at peace and/or is pursuing peace by their actions and by their fruit. Those who are known for rivalries, cursing and arguments are not at peace within themselves, therefore, cannot be at peace with others. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Inner Peace
There are some out there who can easily forgive others and be at peace with other …. but cannot extend the same courtesy to themselves. At times we are our harshest critics. We are holding on to the fact that we made wrong decisions, wrong turns and holding on to hurts from the past.
My prayer is that you will find inner peace. Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. If you keep your trust in God, no matter what you face you will know that He is able to fix all the wrongs. When we are not at peace we are carrying a heavy burden around daily. I love Matthew 11:28-30which says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When we give it all to God, we will truly be at peace. You are not at peace because you are still holding onto it. LET IT GO! As we always say “Let Go, Let God” …. Truly LET GO! Let go of what dad or mom, sister, friend, boyfriend/girlfriend did. You have to find peace within. Individuals may not always come to you and apologize – you must find peace within.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. As I have several times throughout my blog, prayer is a major key. When you are struggling with peace within, you must pray. Seek God through fasting and prayer. Inner peace is a struggle only because you are dealing with inner demons.
To close –I will share one way I judge if I am at peace. Every month my church takes part of communion. If I have any hesitation on whether or not I should participate – that means I am not at peace. It may be an issue of sin or an issue with a person. Keep in mind, the act of taking communion doesn’t make you holy or a better Christian. The main thing is to realize that whatever keeps you from taking communion can keep you from going to heaven.
I leave you with this verse, Romans 15:13, which states: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
P.S. After certain things line up in place I will revisit this topic. More to come!
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
Marriage requires you to be selfless. If you are not ready to put your desires on hold, put the needs of your spouse before yours or die to your flesh daily – you may not be ready for marriage (not trying to burst your bubble, just being honest).
In our society, it is more important to be happy than it is to be holy. Our motives are self-centered and couples give up on their relationship because their “expectations” are not being fulfilled. We live in a time when people walk out of their marriage hoping to satisfy their craving for attention from the opposite sex. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard “Marriage isn’t what I expected”. The question is – what did you expect? Did you expect every day to be a bed of roses? The birds to start chirping once you wake up? Maybe you expected what Hollywood has portrayed. I hear that marriage is “hard work”, but at times we over complicate things. Don’t make marriage (or life) harder than it already is.
We need to look to the Word as a gentle reminder that we do not belong to this world. Romans 12:12 states “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The pattern of this world tells us it is ok to be selfish, to give up and to walk out of our marriages. When our minds are renewed by the Word of God, we will be able to test and see what is God’s will (Hint: His will isn’t for us to be selfish). We are peculiar people; chosen to glorify God. He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
Being selfless may not come naturally, but it is a spiritual muscle we need to work out often. The act of being selfless shows that you are more concerned with the needs and wishes of others than with your own; unselfish. Are you more concerned in understanding the needs and wants of your mate, or are you more concerned on getting your needs met? It is a difficult pill to swallow, however, if you both are concerned of the needs and wants of each other – I promise you things will work out fine.
My prayer is that we have the desire to walk in that light, and be Christ-like servants who give more than we are given. May God open our hearts to give of ourselves without expectation, and to serve without keeping score. Philippians 2:3 says: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.
To my followers who are single – Although you are not married, please find different ways to be “selfless” and build this character trait. This means getting involved in your church and community. You will need to focus on the needs of others around you – family, friends and coworkers. Learn to be selfless now so it comes naturally once you are married.
To my followers who are married – If you have lost focus, it is ok! This is the time to regroup. Focus on the needs and wants of your partner. Ask them questions that will help you derive what makes them happy. Put their needs before yours. It will allow them to see you in a new light, and want to do the same. Live a life that is selfless and willing to understand the needs of others.
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
For this month we are focusing on peace for our August Bible Reading Challenge. The Scripture reading for today is Matthew 5:1-12. My personal favorite verse from this portion of Scripture is Matthew 5:9 which states "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God".
The question is are you making peace/seeking peace or are you entertaining or creating hostility? A child of God is seeking peace, creating peace with others and ensuring hostile situations do not occur around them. Like I often joke around with my mentees- I like my peace with a side of quiet. If anything or anyone is disturbing my peace I completely remove myself out of the situation. It is important that you do not allow people, places, and things to disturb your peace. To take it a step further, it is our duty as believers to be peacemakers. Stop perpetuating hate via conversations, social media, subliminal tweets and/or posts. Focus on creating a peaceful environment instead of promoting strife. Represent Christ in every way possible.
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
