A Season For Everything- Part Three of Organizing Your Heart

I have experienced many different seasons of my life over the past few years. I went from single to wife to mother and each change brought less independence. My skill list may have changed too but my spiritual gift(s) have stayed the same. God has blessed each of us with spiritual gifts that we are to use during every season of our lives. 1 Peter 4:10. Even though I have less time to use what God has given me, it hasn't deterred me from figuring out how I can serve others in that area. My purpose right now is to raise my children and I will try and use my gift accordingly. Figure out your spiritual gift and then find your purpose or mission.

1 Corinthians 12 talks about the gifts God has blessed each one of us with. A wonderful resource for figuring out your gift is found here: In Touch Ministries- About Spiritual Gifts


Try looking over these three simple steps to get your heart on the right track this new year:
1. Clear your heart
2. Pray about it
3. Find your spiritual gift and purpose (read above)

It All Takes Practice -Part Two of Organizing Your Heart

When was the last time you have a really deep conversation with a total stranger? Maybe once or twice I am guessing, but most people would probably be uncomfortable letting someone in on their most personal thoughts. Why then do we expect to just be good at prayer if we don't really know God or talk to Him on a regular basis? Do we expect to be great at anything without practice? I think some people give up on prayer or go through cycles of prayer for many reasons. We pray for a while when we need something like relief from illness or really want that new job. We make a resolution to start praying more and think our prayer has to last at least 10 minutes or use big words for God to hear it. But in all reality, God just wants to hear from us, period. Making it a habit takes practice and effort.

His instructions tell us to be faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12. He wants us to pray without ceasing. Colossians 4:2 Even when we don't know what to pray for or how, the Spirit guides us. Romans 8:26

Just like any good relationship, one with God takes time and it doesn't usually begin with the longest chat. A quick "hello" or "how has your day been?"  Make today the first of 365 days of prayer. You will quickly develop a lasting relationship and a wonderful prayer life!

-Jessica

Are You A Cat Or A Dog? -Part One of Organizing Your Heart

Everyone knows the differences between cats and dogs. Cats are solitary. They are somewhat selfish, manipulative and hide when they are frightened. They are more attached to their environment than other cats....or people. Dogs on the other hand are pack animals. They are loyal, trusting and reliant. They crave attention and know that their actions dictate their own happiness as well as their masters. They will still do their best even when they don't get a reward each time.

A dog and a cat have completely different mindsets. One is looking for a life of luxury while the other is hoping to serve the best they can. If God could choose a mindset for us to have, I think it would relate more to that of a dog. We need to always be waiting for a sign from Him. Psalm 33:20-22 Always be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve His will. Luke 18:22-24 We need to completely rely on Him for all of our needs and not only run to Him when we are frightened but when we are happy. Proverbs 3:5-6 Sometimes my mindset is wrong and I have to shift from self-focused to serving. God designed us to think on our own and we need to make sure we have the right mindset. Ephesians 2:10

So let's clear our minds and hearts and listen to what God's plans and resolutions are for us this year!

-Jessica

Everything begins with the Heart

Can I tell you this has been a long time coming? A few months to be exact but I am finally here. I am so excited to be able to share what God is doing in my everyday life with all of you. I am not a profound writer by any means and in part I am writing this for my kids. Yes, I know they can't read, but I realized if I am going to be raising my children to rely on God and they start asking me questions about Him or why we should read the Bible, I need to have the answers for them. Or at least tell them where to find them. God says we need to teach our children His commands in Deuteronomy 4:9. Writing this will help me to be accountable for how I spend my time and energy. I am also doing this because the internet and social media are so popular right now and if I can inject the name of the Lord into those in any way and lead even one person to Christ, then this has been a success.

So why should you read this? For those of you who are super organized (not me exactly) I made a list of some of the things I will probably touch on throughout this next year:
1. Prayer
2. Importance of reading the Bible
3. Fellowship
4. Scripture Memorization
5. Highlighting some awesome people in the bible and living today

I promise to keep it entertaining so just stay with me for a while! Shortly my awesome sister Stef will be joining me on here as well, she is full of wisdom and has a kind heart. We hope you will follow us and gain some knowledge and inspiration.

Sometime in the last 20 years of my life I made the choice to follow God. I didn't have that profound moment that some have where one day they opened up their Bible and made the decision that day to walk with Jesus. But that's ok because I know my story is just at important to Him as the person who has risked it all to proclaim Jesus as our Savior. His love is unending and never failing and I want to have a heart that shows that love and compassion towards others. It's true, we think and make decisions with our minds but our actions come from our hearts. Look at the Bible verses Luke 6:45 and Proverbs 23:19. Let's make sure our hearts are full of love and compassion and whatever we speak and do will be good.

Take a moment today, on this first day of the new year, and turn on or open your Bible. Whether its been a few hours or days or years since you last had, God doesn't care, he wants a relationship with you now! When in doubt, a good place to start is always the beginning of the book ;-)

-Jessica