Love One Another: 1Peter 1:21-22

²¹Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. ²²You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart.
1 Peter 1: 21-22 (NET)

Jesus, Son of God, was crucified for our salvation. God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him in heaven. Jesus’s victory over death into glory brings trust; we trust in God, He sacrificed His Son to save us. We have faith and hope in God’s promises and His plans for us. With belief, our hearts are open to the truth of God’s Word and His love. We need to embrace Christ’s commandment “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34). When our hope is in Christ, we are born again, and we can love one another earnestly, sincerely, and with a pure heart.

Is your heart open to love one another as Christ loved us?

Prayer; Lord, Jesus create in us a pure heart. Help us to forgive, accept, and love one another. Open our heart to Your truth and direction. Teach us to love one another earnestly, sincerely, and with a pure heart. Like the gentle, glorious beauty of the rose, let us be kind and gentle and spread Your glorious love. Amen

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I believe in the power of prayer and would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺

Grace to the Humble: James 4: 6-7

6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].” 7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.
James 4:6-7 (AMP)

God is asking us to trust Him and follow His way; to resist sin and turn away from self-righteousness and pride. God is asking us to be humble and faithful to repent of sin and receive His grace. For when we yield to worldly pursuits, we turn away from God. When we follow God’s way and stand firm in faith, rejecting temptation, pride, and envy, the devil will flee. God continually gives grace to the humble.

The humble who turn away from self-righteousness receive grace. What worldly pursuit or pride is keeping you from trusting God’s way?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your guidance, forgiveness, patience, and grace. Teach us to be humble, to trust You, and turn away from worldly pursuits. Lead us on the path of righteousness and give us the strength to resist evil. Like the white, open blossoms of the petunia turn toward the sun, let us be open to Your word and turn toward Your light. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. If you would like prayer, I would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺

Live by Faith: 2 Corinthians 5:7-9

⁷Our life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us. ⁸We are sure we will be glad to be free of these bodies. It will be good to be at home with the Lord. ⁹So if we stay here on earth or go home to Him, we always want to please Him.
2 Corinthians 5:7-9 (NLV)

When we live by faith, we trust and rely on God’s Word. We walk God’s path for us, listening to the Holy Spirit’s direction. Faith allows us to trust in the unseen, to rely upon with confidence, Jesus, and God’s Word. When we live by faith, we look forward with happiness to spending eternity at home with our Lord in Heaven. As children of God, living in faith, we want to please God by doing good works, with compassion and love.

When we live by faith, we trust in God. When you are uncertain, distracted, or confused, do you rely on Him?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your forgiveness, grace, and love. Help us to grow in faith and guide us along Your path. Let us trust with our hearts the unseen, and live by faith. Teach us to follow Your Word, to be good Christians, and to help others. Like the bright petals of the coneflower radiate from the center of the flower, let us shine bright in our faith, and radiate Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. If you would like prayer, I would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺

The Light of Your Presence: Psalm 89:15

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
Psalm 89:15 (NIV)

Blessed are those who know the Lord, and follow His way. They flourish in His love and find refuge in His strength. The Lord leads them on the path of righteousness and refreshes their soul. They walk in the glorious light of His presence and receive His peace, for God is with them.

Where do you need the light of God’s presence to brighten and illuminate your path?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we are blessed by Your forgiveness, compassion, and love. Strengthen our faith and teach us to turn to you when we are lost, afraid, or feel alone. As the hydrangea blooms lean on a bench glowing in the sunlight, teach us to lean on You and glow, reflecting Your light into the darkness around us. Lead us Lord, and teach us to walk in the light of Your presence. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

God is Our Refuge: Psalm 62:8

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8 (NIV)

My help and glory are in God
    —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people;
    lay your lives on the line for him.
    God is a safe place to be.
Psalm 62:7-8 (MSG)

Trust is defined as; “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone.” God is truth, His strength is unparalleled, and His people have relied on Him for years. When we pour our hearts out to God, we make known to him in prayer our sorrows, worries, wishes, and troubles. The definition of refuge is; “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.” As David advises, God is our refuge a safe place to take shelter during life’s storms. When we put our trust in God and go to Him with our troubles, God keeps us safe and shelters us.

Is God your refuge, do you reach out to Him when you are lost, afraid, worried, or troubled?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank You for your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your guidance. Teach us to trust in You, to go to You with our concerns, and to remember in all situations that You are our refuge. As the white cross-shaped bracts (flowers) of the dogwood tree brighten spring days, let us remember your sacrifice on the cross, and brighten the world by spreading Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

I would like to thank Dawn Drawing Closer to Christ and Jacquie JOY COTTAGE for nominating me for the Kennedy Award for Excellence. I highly recommend Dawn’s and Jacquie’s blogs they are inspiring, full of God’s love, and spirit-driven.

God With Us: Deuteronomy 31:8

⁸The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

The Lord is with us, he goes before us, he never leaves us, and He surrounds us with unconditional love. Take time to rest in God’s love, and let go of fear, worry, and discouragement. Do not fear God, is with us, and He cares about us. May your New Year be blessed with hope, faith, and joy.

What do you need to let go of and let God handle?

Prayer: Dear Lord, loving Savior, we give thanks for your help and compassion for us. Teach us to be bright and open like the poinsettias, reflecting Your love and compassion. Help us not to worry, instead to realize that You are always with us and will never leave us. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Have a Healthy and Happy New Year – 2020!

– Jeanne

Faith: Hebrews 11:1-2

Heavenly Blue Morning Glory

^1-2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.
Hebrews 11:1-2The Message (MSG)

Faith, to me, is personal a relationship with God. I think I’ve always had faith, but at times my faith was immature. It was more about what I wanted than trusting God. During my early years, I didn’t feel God’s love for me even though it was there. As I have grown and matured in faith, I now feel surrounded in God’s love. My faith has changed me from being needy and feeling alone, to basking in God’s love and wanting to share it. To me, faith is trusting in God, our firm foundation, our hope for things to come. Faith does make life worth living.

How firm is your foundation in faith?

Prayer: Dear Lord, teach us to put our faith in You. Help us to faithfully build our foundation on You and Your word. The beautiful colors of the “heavenly blue morning glory” look like the sun radiating out into the clouds and sky. Teach us in faith to reflect the radiating love and compassion of Jesus Son of God. Thank you for making our lives worth living. We praise you. Amen

Confused: Proverbs 3:5

PJM Rhodendron – Early Blooms

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ISV)

Often when I find myself confused, trying to figure out why things aren’t going my way, or things aren’t following my well-laid plans. I realize that I am relying on my understanding. Currently, the PJM rhododendron in my backyard is blooming, because autumn sunlight and temperature have fooled it into thinking that it’s spring. The spring flower bud has opened and the blooms have appeared, but it’s autumn. Often, I also get confused, not allowing myself to seek God and ask for His direction, to let Him guide me to make my paths straight. My goal is to learn to trust the Lord with all my heart.

Where are you confused, and need God to set your path straight?

Prayer: Dear Lord, teach us to trust you with all our hearts. Like the PJM Rhodendron, with its red autumn leaves and unseasonal pink blossoms, we are often traveling a confused path. Lord, we acknowledge your loving guidance and wisdom and ask You to make our paths straight. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

Delight: Psalm 37: 3-4

3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness
⁴Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37: 3-4 English Standard Version (ESV)

Today delight in the Lord and do good. Praise His name and dwell in the land of faithfulness. Trust the Lord. When we delight in the Lord, He fills our heart with compasion and love.

What way do you delight in the Lord?

Prayer: Dear Lord you are our delight you bring sunshine and brightness to our days. Like these blossoms cluster together, help us to gather together to do good. The flowers are exuberance in color and form let us be exuberant in praise to God. In Jesus name. Amen.

*Special thanks to Matt at https://jesusluvsall.wordpress.com for nominating me for Sunshine blogger award. His site is great, new content daily, plus a lot of diversity, compassion, and fun.

*Special thanks also to Jacquie at https://joycottage.blog for nominating me for the Liebster Award. Her blog has great content, plus many thoughtful and encouraging articles.

Peace and Joy: Romans 15:13

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.
Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Trust in God, give Him your worries, listen to Him, and love Him. This brings hope. Today, may this hope from God fill you with joy and peace. May you walk in trust with Him and feel His love.

When do you feel God’s peace and joy?

Prayer: Dear Lord, let our trust in You, be bold and bright like these blooms. Like the shiny leaves glow, let us shine with joy. May our peace grow and blossom. Thank you, Lord, for your grace and abundant love. In Jesus Holy name. Amen.