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Scripture Reference - Matthew 5:13 The Bible is full of promises for those that stay in the will of God and follow according to what He wants us to do, but...what happens when we don't stick with God's plan? It becomes, as the title goes, a recipe for disaster. This post was inspired by a normal night for my house; we were preparing supper and dad nearly put too much water in the gravy. Mom happened to be nearby and she explained that if you put too much water in the gravy, it would dull it down and the gravy would lose its taste. In the same way, if we put too much external influence in our lives, we are risking watering down our faith. If we stray from the plan that God has for us, we are headed down a road to destruction. Today's Scripture goes along with this point. When our faith is watered down, it doesn't look very appealing to those around us. We may get discouraged and put down, but God will give us the strength to keep going on. God will equip us with whatever we need to follow through with any given task. When you mess up a recipe, not only is it unattractive on the outside, the taste may not be very good either. Carrying on with a God-given assignment will flavor our lives and let people know that God is the center of everything we do. I challenge you this week to find a way to flavor your life and point people to the Lord.
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Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Scripture Reference: James 2:1 One of the biggest problems in the early church, surprisingly enough, was not arguing over the modes of worship or fussing over the budget; it was favoritism. It was showing partiality towards those that were "different". People despised the poor and exalted the rich, and vice versa. But James advises and warns against such attitudes. When all is said and done, we are all equal in the sight of God, so why do we treat each other any different? In my personal study time, I am taking a course on the book of James, and it just so happened that we started on James 2 a few days before I was to write this post. Isn't it amazing how God works? So I'm going to share two things from my lessons and help us come to a conclusion about what God says about showing partiality. Let me ask you a question...if God made a distinction between our clothes and His "clothes", where would we stand? We actually wouldn't! We often forget that we do not have a place on the judgment seat; we have a place in front of it, but not on it. As said earlier, we are all equal in the sight of God. We should be thankful that we have all been put in the same family regardless of status or wealth. If we go back to today's reference, we can clearly see that James is pretty much saying, "You can't hold the gospel AND show partiality". We can't claim the name of Jesus if we are sticking with a certain status or hanging around with a certain crowd. We must all love each other, which is the root of what God asks us to do in His Word. If we love each other, we fulfill the commandments! All of them! No wonder Paul emphasized on that. Look at your life. Is there any aspect of your life that you need to let go of in order to humble yourself? Do you deem yourself better than everyone else because you hang out with the "holy" crowd? Ask God to help you let go of partiality so you can "hold the gospel" with clean hands. Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
In October 2017, I took a dive into a completely different world than I was anticipating when I got my Esthetics certificate a few years earlier; freelance writing. Think you know what it takes to write? It's not as simple as sitting down and writing for a client. It's a process and I'll take you through what I do as a freelancer. Fortunately, I already have a lot of background in writing so that wasn't really the issue. My issue is being consistent and getting rid of the "that's good enough" attitude. I always strive for improvement. Freelance writing is about knowing what your client wants and delivering the best that you can offer. This might require a little research on your part to get accurate information, or doing some simple reading on their website to see what they're all about. Most of the writing I do is for bloggers, marketers, and small start-up businesses so it usually doesn't take me very long to do the research part. When I write for a client, I look for their voice. Sometimes I'll visit their website or blog so I know what kind of message they want to convey. If I'm writing for a casual fashion blogger, I'm usually light-hearted and funny; on the other hand, if it's a marketing business, I may go a little more formal and corporate. Then the actual writing begins. This can be painstakingly long especially if you have other aspects of life you're tending to. I've improved enough to write at least two or three articles a day when I don't have a lot going on. Writing for these people is not the same as writing on your own blog; this is someone else's life and you have got to be as professional as you would be in an office setting writing for a press release or magazine. It takes a lot of self-discipline to pull this off. I had to figure out a good schedule and stick to it. Naturally I'm not going to be doing a six hour work-day but I have to set aside a good chunk of my day to put out my best effort. It also takes patience. Sometimes a client responds immediately, and other times you may wait a month before getting paid. Think you have what it takes to be a freelance writer? Good luck and write away! Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Scripture Reference: 2 Timothy 3:16 Today I'm going to share with you some of my favorite tips for studying the Word of God. This mainly applies to the beginner who doesn't know where to start, but a seasoned Christian that needs to get back to the basics might benefit from these tips as well. Be sure to share with me your favorite ways to study and what you personally incorporate into your quiet time. 1) Remember whose Word you're holding in your hands. It's not just a book; it's God's Word. Take a moment before opening it to really think about that. Be reverent towards it and expect to hear from Almighty God. 2) If you struggle with where to begin, try looking at something more practical like the book of James or learning more about who Jesus is in the book of John. Both are very easy to digest and you can glean so much from it. 3) Because God's Word is full of guidelines for daily living and amazing information in general, it's best to keep a journal or notebook nearby. You'll want to jot down anything and everything the Lord reveals to you prayerfully. I personally have a journaling Bible that allows me to write everything down right there on the page itself. Mark your Bible; it's extremely rewarding and much easier than losing a journal. 4) Dive into Bible study classes or find a study guide to help you along. Be wise about what you choose though because many teachings are misleading and will take you down the wrong road. Seek counsel from godly friends and church leadership to assist you in finding the right tools. 5) Find a Bible reading plan. It sounds too easy, but honestly, it is. Taking a few moments each day to follow that plan will get you into a habit of studying regularly. There are tons of resources online that will suggest the best reading plan for you. In fact, there is a wide variety of plans to choose from such as for busy moms or the struggling student; find what suits you and stick to it. What is your favorite tip out of these and what do you use if any? |
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