Speak Love

"Speak to each other with psalms,hymns, and spiritual songs singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord."  Ephesians 5:19

This verse really spoke to me today.  Here lately I have been feeling like there is so much anger around me. I see it on my social media, see it on TV, and I have even had a little in my own heart.  Sometimes I feel like people judge one another too harshly.  We expect others to be perfect and always know and do the right things.  The truth is, none of us are perfect and the truth is, none of us always know what to do.  Sometimes we make decisions in life that others are not happy about and simply do not benefit everybody involved.  Truth is, that's a part of life!

Lately, I have been praying for more understanding.  I don't want to be that person that is constantly criticizing others or constantly finding fault in others.  What's the point?  All we do is destroy relationships and break hearts that way.  Sure, somebody might make a wrong choice or somebody might hurt you but to have true understanding and love is to have peace and I want that peace so badly.

It starts with how we treat one another, how we speak to and about one another.  It's tough.  Sometimes it's easier to "vent" about somebody and talking bad about others, for some reason makes us feel better about our own lives and our own situations.  Stop it.  Really, all we do when we talk badly about others, is build our own anger up and destroys the relationship.  Even if the person never hears what you say.....it WILL slowly destroy that relationship.

Speak love to and about one another.  That is the only way we will ever be pleasing to God when talking about somebody behind their back.  God doesn't like us to speak ugly about one another because He loves each and every one of us.  God WANTS unity and desires that for our lives.  It hurts His heart when He hears us speaking ill of one of HIS children.  It doesn't matter the hows or the whys because He knows that none of us are perfect and He has taken the nails for our bad choices and wrong doings so to judge somebody else is never acceptable to Him and we are never justified in this act.  As Christians, we are to hold one another accountable for things but make sure you are still doing it IN LOVE!

So, try something new today and everyday here on out, speak only love about one another.  If you feel yourself about to speak hate or ugly, then just hush it.  Don't let the words come out of your mouth. Keep practicing this and before you know it, your heart will match your thoughts and your thoughts will match your mouth.

Be blessed today y'all!

High Five For Friday ~ Fall Is A Great Season To FALL In Love.....

High Five Number One ~ This week has been a crazy week of change.  I left my job at Covenant to start a new job working from home.  Definitely bitter sweet.  I left a group of girls that I adored working with and I have been praying like crazy that they find a replacement for my position quickly and that the burden is not too heavy on them.  Even though leaving was a hard decision, the last couple of days have been stress free and I can truly feel the effects stress was doing to my health and body and spiritual self.  My cardiologist has told me several times to eliminate as much stress as I can from my life and I strive on that.  Little did I know, my job at Covenant was probably the biggest stressor in my life.  Stress eliminated!

High Five Number Two ~ Yay for time now!  I have had time for my Bible study every morning since I left that job and time to catch up on my blog!  Wow!  I used to write in my blog almost daily if not daily at the VERY LEAST weekly!  That stopped for a while.  Writing is something that makes me happy so it feels good to be back at it.

High Five Number Three ~ Fall weather has peeked it's BEAUTIFUL face this week and I hope it lasts.  Living in Texas, it can be fall one day and back to summer the next, so I'm hoping this will last for a while......at least until winter. ;)

High Five Number Four ~ The weekend is here and I'm looking forward to it.  Not sure what is in store but I'm sure it will be lovely!

High Five Number Five ~ This week, my amazing boyfriend really came through for me.  He is so amazing and I'm so blessed to have him in my life.  Everyday spent with him is a blessed day and I thank God for him every morning!  He is answered prayers that's for sure!  :)

Understanding Your Own Anger

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." Psalm 4:4 (NIV)

The first thing to understand about anger is that it's not a sin to be angry.  There is a difference between rational anger and irrational anger.  There is a difference between handling anger the biblical way and handling anger the worldly way.  There is a difference between keeping our peace and giving into our flesh. 

Anger is not always bad. It's unhealthy to suppress anger.  What is bad; however, is being angry at the wrong situation or wrong person.  80% of the time when we get angry at something, deep down we are really angry at something else.  Ask yourself, "What am I angry about? Why am I so upset? What is really the root of my anger?" 

It's so important to understand the why of anger and to really understand where the anger is stemming from.  Anger itself, is never the root problem. There is always a deeper issue. Anger is simply an emotional reaction to one of three primary emotions. If you want to understand your anger you've got to find out which of these three you are feeling.  Maybe it's one specific emotion or maybe it's a combination of all three. It's important that you know this because it's much easier to deal with the roots than it is to deal with anger itself. When you get angry it's either because:

You are hurt - either physically or emotionally. 
You are frustrated - Things don't seem to be turning out the way you want them to. When you're angered by frustration, ask yourself two questions: Would getting angry change the situation? Is it really worth being upset over? And am I really frustrated with this person or situation or just projecting my anger and frustration in the wrong direction?
You are fearful - you feel threatened or insecure.  Lots of times, insecurity sparks jealousy and jealousy sparks anger.  What are you really fearful of and work on that and stop projecting that fear onto others.

When you focus on the real cause, it's easier to control your anger.

The fact is, you can't eliminate hurt and frustration and fear from your lives. Those emotions and feelings are inevitable. But you can learn to deal with these things without becoming upset and angry and lashing out at the wrong people and situations. Anger is a choice. And when you get angry, it is because you've chosen to be angry. 

Change is a part of life and sometimes it starts within ourselves.  

Peanut Butter Delights Recipe

Ingredients


1/2 cup butter

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 cups crisp rice cereal

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons shortening



Directions

In a large mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar, peanut butter and crisp rice cereal together thoroughly.

Roll into small balls and set aside.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Coat the small balls in the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for several hours.

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Roasted Garlic And Chicken With Broccoli Salad

- get 4 Garlics and cut top of each garlic and place in a pan

- poor olive oil on garlic
- salt and pepper the garlic
- strip the rosemary
- put stems of rosemary in a different pan
- season 4 chicken breasts with salt and pepper
- poor some olive oil in pain with stems
- place chicken in pan
- sprinkle rosemary on chicken 

bake in oven 400 degrees for about 45 min to an hour
- then you want to remove the garlic and cut out the cloves
 - place the cloves to the side.....we are going to use those in a bit

Now to start the broccoli salad.....

- cut up the broccoli - spread in a pan
- stem mushrooms and chop
- spread the mushrooms over the broccoli
- cut up 2 tomatoes and spread those in the pan
- poor olive oil 
- salt and pepper
- squeeze a lemon over the salad and place this in the oven for approximately 20 to 30 min or into it's baked to your liking (everybody likes this different)

Now to start a Garlic spread for the roasted chicken.....

- get your roasted garlic that you placed to the side
- add salt and pepper
- lemon juice
- a touch of rosemary
- mix in olive oil
- smear this on the your roasted chicken and place in the oven for another 10-20 min.  

When all is ready add the Broccoli Salad on top of the chicken and it's WONDERFUL!

There is not a whole lot of measurements on this recipe as this is one of the recipes I just do as I feel, so you should try that also.  Follow your cooking heart and you won't go wrong! =)

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Love Is Unconditional

Here lately I have been questioning "forever love" and it's true existence in this life.  I've learned over the years that we all have a choice for this type of love.  However, the choice is not always ours to make.  Sometimes one half of the relationship wants to make it last forever and the other half wants out.  I don't know what it's like to be married but I hope one day I do know and I hope one day I will know exactly what forever love is.  I don't know if I will get married and wake up in 30 or 40 years to a partner who wants out.  All I know is that I can't and will not give up on the hope that there is a relationship that will outlast any trials and tribulations life brings.  I refuse to let go of that dream that there is that one person who I will find in life who will stand by my side, and I his, through anything and everything and do it holding hands.  I have to continue to pray that I will find somebody who will always choose to say yes to me unconditionally and no to a love with conditions.  

I won't always make the right choices and I won't always wear a size 3 (clearing throat or 5) and I won't always be pleasant and neither will life.  So, all I can hope for is that the person I choose to love will also choose to love me unconditionally.  I know love is a gamble.....it's a big big chance we take but I am in this to win it.  I am in this life to have the life that God intended on me having no matter what the risk and I certainly intend on having the type of marriage God intended.  The world has turned love and marriage into a  temporary season.  Marriage is not a season we go through, it's a life long commitment we make to God.  We are to love our spouses the way God loves the Church and that is unconditionally!  

"Love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love."

"Unconditional love will not be swayed by time or circumstance."

What a concept, huh?  Isn't that what we all want?  Isn't that what we all desire with every ounce of breath in us?  Even the hardest of hearts just wants to be loved.  It's not just the feeling or action of being loved either but it is the ability to trust somebody.  It's hard to put yourself out there and risk being hurt.  So, who doesn't want to find that one person that through all the garbage in life can just give that one amazing magical most needed thing in the world.....love.

So, if you are currently married, look at your spouse today and recommit yourself to fall in love over and over and over again with without conditions.  If you are single, keep the faith and know God has AMAZING plans for you and your heart! 

Loves Is Not Jealous

"If you're not careful, jealousy slithers like a viper into your heart and strikes your motivations and relationships."

I learned a while back what jealousy can do. It eats at one's soul and can literally change somebody's personality.  Jealousy takes away our peace and our love from others and replaces it with darkness and evil.  Jealousy literally will slither like a viper into our hearts and kill amazing relationships.   

"If you don't diffuse your anger by learning to love others, you may eventually begin plotting against them. The Bible says that envy leads to fighting, quarreling, and every evil thing (James 3:16, 4:1-2)."

So many quarrels between people are rooted from jealousy. I look back on many of my arguments with girlfriends and I realize that one or the other rooted these arguments through jealousy. Love is about cheering one another on through good times and supporting one another through bad times. Life isn't a competition. Life is a gift to be shared with people we care about, so why allow envy to take place in our relationships?

I have learned over the years that NOBODY'S life is perfect.  We are all blessed in different ways and we all have struggles of different kinds.  One person might struggle with school but is amazing at playing a sport while that person who is good at a sport struggles with school and vice versa.  Stop comparing yourself to other people and love them and most importantly love yourself. Most of the time envy would not take root if one had security in themselves.  

So, how does one let go of the envy if it's already there?  Simple, take it to the cross.  God already knows that ugliness that is going on inside and He wants you to come to Him and willingly hand it over to Him.  He knows your struggles and He knows what is already going on inside so just be honest with yourself and Him.  Share your heart and why you are feeling the way you are feeling and then hand it all over to Him.  Trust me, the relief you feel when you do this is AMAZING!  Not only have you handed your cares to our amazing Father but you also allow room for love in your heart to come back in.  Jealousy pushes that love to the side and takes over.  Don't let that happen.  Give it to God to handle and walk away feeling at peace and loving again!!!  


Love is about encouragement and support. Love is happy for another's successes and not jealous. I dare you to not be jealous today!!!!  Love is waiting just around the corner for you!  

Love Believes The Best

"Love believes all things, hopes all things." 1 Corinthians 13:7

I will first start off by admitting.....this is an amazing challenge for me and something I have really struggled with my whole life.  Even as a Christian, my mind tends to wonder into the negative fields of doubt and insecurities.  This is a place that satan loves to take me and I have had to constantly seek God on ways to avoid this nasty playground.

"Love chooses to believe the best about people.  It gives them the benefit of the doubt.  It refuses to fill in the unknowns with negative assumptions."

I tend to think the worst in certain situations and a lot of that comes from insecurities.  I sometimes get the "they are all out to get me" mentality and become very protective of myself.  I easily shut down in certain situations and will just think the worst.  Although, I am typically a positive person, it's amazing how negative I can be when it comes to the thought of being treated badly.  I am quick to walk away and avoid negative situations instead of facing them head on.  Sometimes walking away is a good thing and this is when we need His amazing discernment and wisdom.  We need to know when to stick around and when it's time to walk away.  Often times, if we just change our perception on situations and circumstances, so many arguments and so much negativity can be avoided.

"It's time to start thinking differently.  It's time to let love lead your thoughts and your focus."

You must develop the habit of reining in your negative thoughts and focusing on the positive attributes of the people in your life. Love believes the best.  We all make mistakes but that should never overshadow the amazing qualities that we see in our loved ones. Love should always be the main opinion we have of somebody.  Love should be the first thing we think of when in the middle of conflict.  Love can end a battle and we should all work on ending our battles before they even begin.  Love, is the only way we can do this.  He loves us and has so much amazing mercy and grace for each of us.  Can you imagine how awful it would feel if God expected US to be perfect?? So, why do we expect perfection from others?  

We shouldn't.  

 I dare you to believe the best in people and in your circumstances today!