Pray, Obey, And Don't Delay

Faith is both a gift we receive and an action we take. God's Spirit gives us enough faith to reach out to a Father we cannot see.

Even though God wants us to live joyful, contented lives, He sometimes causes discontent or a feeling that something is not right because He does not want us to continue doing the same old things anymore. He wants to prod us to seek Him so He can take us to new levels.

He leads us into that process of maturity by leading us out of places where we have been comfortable in the past. Too much comfort for too long can mean that we are not growing. We cannot do the same things all the time and experience all that God has for us.

No matter how much we may enjoy where we are when God finds us, He will not let us stay there and become stagnant. He has new places to take us and new lessons to teach us. He wants us to be full of life, full of growth, and full of His purposes and plans.

Every day you should learn something new. Every day you should grow. Every day you should be a bit further along than you were the day before.

Don't be afraid to move your feet. Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.

As we continue reaching - continue putting our trust in God as we go through life - that little gift of faith grows stronger, like a muscle consistently put to work at the gym. Give your faith a workout today by doing what you believe God wants you to do. Let God take you to the next level...I promise, the view is breathtaking!

Blessings,
Dalinda

God Wants You To Just Be You

God created everything about you to be unique, and He wants you to build an honest relationship with Him based on who you really are, not who you think you should be or who other people say you should be.

God sees our hearts, and when we become real with Him, He can become real in our life.

We may be able to put on a good mask for everyone around us, hiding our pain and our disappointment, our anger and frustration. But God sees, and His desire is to love us through those hard times.

God wants people to look at us and know He is the one behind our success. I read this statement once: "God leaves glaring imperfections in some of His choicest saints, on purpose, just to keep them in a position where He can use them." How prideful would we be if we could get through even a day without making a mistake? We would become arrogant, and that would prevent God from using us. He delights to use humble men and women who realize their complete dependence on Him.

God is mighty! Without Him, we're nothing! Without God, I cannot blog. Without Him, I cannot encourage others. Without Him, I am a selfish wife. Without Him, I am not a loving mother. Without Him, I am not a friend. Without God, I am nothing!

HIM receiving glory out of this liitle life is way more important to me than....anything else! For my life to be worthy of being set apart as a testament to our Great God....Now, that rocks my socks off more than living a life according to my own convenience.

So just be you....the YOU, God created you to be, and watch Him do mighty things...For His glory!!!

For His Glory,
Dalinda

Is God Fair?

We cannot realistically expect to understand God's perspective, especially when it comes to pain and suffering. If you're like me, when something bad happens, you feel like your pain is unjustified. I say to myself, "It's just not fair. I'm a good person." There is just one major problem with my defense: I'm not good! I'm a sinner.

But the good news is God is not fair. If the wages of sin is death and we're sinners, then we deserve death. We're guilty. We deserve to be punished. To die and suffer eternally would be fair punishment for our disobedience. But thank God, He's not fair. He is just, but He is not fair...PRAISE GOD!

If we know Jesus, He doesn't give us what we deserve. I think that's just pretty dang AWESOME!!!

In Him,
Dalinda

God's Character

Think about what it means to be like Christ. We have it in us to be like Christ, both in character and in our relationships with one another. As He was loving, so can we be loving. As He forgave, so we can choose to forgive. As He stood for truth no matter the cost, so we can stand for truth in our corner of the world.

Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it; right is right even if no one is doing it.

If you have the smile of God, what does it matter if you have the frown of men?

God never forces us to do anything against our will. His love is unconditional. He wants everyone to come willingly to Him, and He will never force us or hold us captive.

The human heart, at whatever age, opens only to the heart that opens in return.

What makes us beautiful to God is when He sees us smiling, treating others kindly, and showing His love through our actions.

Hospitality seems easier when we are with family and friends, but God reminds us to entertain those outside our familiar circle. When you help someone up a hill, you're that much closer to the top yourself.

Remember, it is always best to deal with problems in a loving way....God's way! We work for God, not for human beings. LOVE, IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE!

For His Glory,
Dalinda

The Perfect Date With God

Praying is probably the most important part of life preparation, yet so many people today forget this vital part of the process. It is not enough to know that He is there. We must call on Him daily for His guidance and His strength.

Weakness is natural to human life. We all become tired, grow weary, feel weak at some points in our lives (or several times each day!) Weakness remains part of this flesh we inhabit.

Strength is more than just the physical meaning. It is a characteristic of God. God uses whatever we have and whatever we are for His good purposes. But by admitting my weakness, reveals vulnerability...vulnerable to needing Him. And I ( maybe others, too) forget I ALWAYS need Him.

It's hard to find solitude in today's world. Like me, most moms rush from dawn to dusk, checking off to-do lists, shuffling kids and playing "Beat the Clock" with their speedometers pegged. However, it is only when we slow down and find focus in the quiet moments of solitude that we can clearly see the road ahead and hear God's voice. We need this time. When we take time to pray, reflect, and just be, we are better equipped to deal with the detours and speed bumps of life.

Our weakness, given to Him with trust, uncovers grace-filled love.

Life is meant to be enjoyed; each day is our red carpet opportunity to shine for Him. What a better way to greet the day than surrounded by beauty, encouraged by God's Word, and blessed by the silence ... It is the perfect date with God.

In His Grace,
Dalinda

Why Churches Split

If a person with authority administers his authority in a Godly way, it becomes a protection and safety net for those under it. However, it is clear today that a lot of people don't know how to use their authority with responsibility and LOVE...Please note, I emphasized the word LOVE!

If you have been taught to fear, you can be taught to be bold, courageous and confident. We allow fear to become a monster in our thinking, but it is one that will quickly back down when confronted. Fear is like the school bully. It pushes everyone around until someone finally challenges it.

Fear is one of Satan's traits. And, most of us know, one of Satan's favorite places to hide out is in the church.

The fear of rejection by the pastor is a powerful motive in a church where the office of the elder is almost raised to the level of the pope. Popish demeanor reveals pride in the heart. Pride is also one of Satan's traits.

No elder in a church has been called to chart the timetable of growth in grace. It is not the place of the elders to demand. Sheep cannot be whipped and driven into conformity with pastoral wishes. When believers are taught to actually hate another believer simply because he dared to challenge the pastor, you do not belong to a Christian church...You belong to a cult!

The devotees who remain in churches like this are literally afraid to speak to someone who leaves their local church. They may have been close friends for ten years, but it makes no difference if the people are on the pastor's "No, no" list. Let us never take that horrible attitude and cut off fellow believers.

If you have a pastor who has driven families out of your congregation only because they dared to disagree with him...You belong to a cult! Churches that are basically a cult run by paranoid pastors will begin to be known for what they really are and they will split.

We need to keep in mind that God's commands are loving. God's people, in their hearts, know the difference between loving discipline and a paranoid use of personal power. "Lording over the flock causes church splits." - Pastor Walter J. Chantry

If you choose to stay in that church, you will have to shut up and obey the "duly authorized eldership" and totally dry up spiritually. You will be sinning against Christ by allowing your pastor to be Lord of your conscience...and believe me, that is a grave sin!

The next time some key families leave a church, don't be too quick to believe that the "duly authorized" pastor and his devotees were right and the people who left were all "rebels against authority." It just may be that the pastor was a power mad paranoid that he began to think of himself as the infallible voice of God. It is possible that the power structure of the church can be wrong!

I do not know of a single church split that was caused by a "bunch of rebels." Granted, some paranoid preachers may have made that claim, but anyone who took the time to find out both sides saw where the trouble lay.

It is high time you realize who you are and act accordingly! You are a child of God! It is the duty of a true child of God to get out from under any ministry like that. If you choose to stay under such a ministry out of either fear or false sense of loyalty, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

Blessings,
Dalinda

Sin Is Sin, Period...And We Are All Sinners

No one is innocent in the sense of being sinless, except Jesus Christ.

Sin effects permeate everything, and the suffering we see all around us is a direct result of that sin. But God did not leave us here to suffer pointlessly.

Sin - We are the screw ups!

It has been said that there is no sin so great that God will not forgive, but there is no sin so small that it does not need to be forgiven. Sin is sin, period.

There is a fast food chain in the area in which I live that had an incident where a young man spit in the drinks of a customer. Needless to say, the customer pressed charges. I frequent this particular fast food chain quite often for coffee and have not stopped because of this incident.

The past two days the place was a ghost town since the story made the news a couple of days ago.I have to admit that if it were my personal drink that was spit in, I would not ever step foot in ANY of the restaurants of this food chain. But, it wasn't my drink. I mean really, what are the chances that this incident would ever happen again at this exact same restaurant?....Slim to none. My point is this, yes, this young man made a wrong choice by spitting in the customers drinks, and he did get caught in the act by a surveillance camera, but the thing that bothers me is the reaction of the community....a lot of their frequent customers stopped going there because of this. They are being judgmental. All the while these people that stopped going are sinning everyday as well. They may be sinning differently than the young man, but they are still sinning. Sin is sin, period.

Some of these same people are going about their day committing adultery, robbing someone, cursing someone out for cutting in front of them on the highway, throwing trash out their car window, and many more that I could list, but it would take all day to list them. All if these sins committed and the people committing them don't even blink an eye, yet they judge others because they sin differently than they do. WE ARE ALL THE SAME! WE'RE ALL SINNERS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A SAVIOR!

Jesus had much to say to the Pharisees of His day. They had polished performance, kept the laws, followed all the rules and regulations, and were proud of it. They also had a judgmental attitude toward others, did not walk in love, and showed no mercy. Jesus called them whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bones (Matthew 23:27).


Matthew 7

Judging Others

 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
   3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Walk in love; walk in mercy.

God's Grace is given to overcome sin, not to permit sin: to provide a means of forgiveness for sins, not to provide a credo to excuse sin. Our forgiveness shows what we think of God's forgiveness.

Having been forgiven by God on the basis of Jesus' payment for our sin on the cross, how can we do any less than forgive one another?

Blessings,
Dalinda

Getting Even Is The Rule Of The Jungle...Giving Grace Is The Rule Of The Kingdom

The process of forgiveness is not so much about the how, rather about the why. We forgive because we have been forgiven.

Forgivenness is about setting someone free and finding out it was me. I forgive because Christ has forgiven me. Not because the person who hurt me deserves my forgiveness. God is completely righteous, just and holy, and He will not sweep anybody's sin under the rug. So the next time we're tempted to think that somebody is getting away with something, let's remind ourselves that nobody ever gets away with anything. Let's trust God to assess consequences in His own time frame and not worry about being the ones to try to make sure it happens.

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get all dirty and the pig likes it.

Love is forgiveness; it does not hold a grudge. It is not touchy, easily offended, nor is it fretful or resentful.

By keeping record of things that others have done to offend us, we fill ourselves up with poison. Bitterness makes our life attitude, words and thoughts bitter.

God wants us to be motivated by love. It is not what we do that impresses God; it is the "why" behind what we do that He is concerned with.

Grace and Peace,
Dalinda

In A World Of Cheerios, Why Not Be A Fruit Loop?

The Bible says we are to be imitators of Christ, not each other. Therefore, our ambition should be to imitate Christ...not the girl with the buns of steel standing beside me glistening instead of sweating.

Be yourself and not like everyone else.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our uniqueness is determined both by who we are and who we are not, by our abilities as well as our limitations.

Our world has so many misconceptions of true beauty. It's not a noxzema smooth face every morning. Heaven knows, I still get blemishes at age 40! It's not tighter, firmer abs either. It's a beauty that's so transparent that others see Jesus in you, working through you: A beauty that causes others to wonder what's different about you.

I want to be more like Jesus and less like the world. So in a world of cheerios, why not be a fruit loop?

When God says something to you in your heart or when you read something in the Bible, you should say: "I believe it." If He says to forgive my enemies, even though it doesn't make any sense to me, I believe it - and, instead of going to beat them up, I am going to do what He says.

I know I have weaknesses and imperfections, but I will not be stopped by them. God likes that kind of determination. God can gain glory for Himself through those who will not let their personal weaknesses get in the way of God's work in them.

God Himself is our strength, our success, and our victory. He doesn't just give us strength, He IS our Strength. He doesn't just give us the victory, He IS our Victory. Yes, we make an effort to keep peace, but we dare not make an effort without depending on God's power to flow through us - failure is certain if we do.

Are you a cheerio or a fruit loop?

I am a fruit loop and darn proud of it!

Blessings,
Dalinda

If I Keep My Eyes On God, I Won't Trip Over My Own Feet

Ever have one of those days where your day is so jam packed with stuff to do that you feel that you are going to pull your hair out? Well, today is one of those days for me.

If the Lord didn't do it all in one day, what makes me think I can?

I usually have my quiet time with God in the mornings as soon as I drop my boys off at school. But this morning I did not have time because of all the stuff in my day. First of all my youngest son, Drew has two mean looking bites, of some sort, on his body; one on his chest and one on his leg. So being the normal Mom that I am, I got out of bed worried about Drew. I was focusing on my problems, not on God...bad start already.

I've trained myself to start each day by giving God the first fruits of my time. He did not get that this morning and boy can I tell a huge difference in myself, my day and in how I am handling the day's stress. The tone of my day was set as soon as I didn't give God the first fruits of my time.

I've realized that I'm not going to get through the day peacefully if I don't spend time with God.

I've learned to use the best part of my day to give God the best part of my heart. Giving God the first moments of the morning helps keep my priorities straight for the rest of the day. Don't use this gift of time with God to meditate on your problems.

God wants to hear us say, "Lord, I don't know how You're going to do this. I don't care how You do it. I know it's going to be right. I trust all my circumstances to You. My times are in Your hands. You are my first priority in life."

Psalm 31:14-15 says, "I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God. My times are in Your hands.

I'm not capable, but God's spirit in me is very capable. I need God. That's it. When I choose to live this truth, everything else falls into place.

Humbled,
Dalinda

Be A Sermon Walking, Not Just A Sermon Talking

Are we turning His House into something it shouldn't be?

Is church all about showing off our musical abilities? Is it about showing off our great fashion sense or newest outfit? Is it about bragging about all the ways we "blessed" others that week? Or is it about worshipping the Living God?

Do you know what God really wants from you? We might think that God requires us to do a lot of church work, read the Bible through the year, or do a certain number of good deeds. Although all these things have their place, we may do them and still miss what God considers to be important. Any of these actions done without a right heart are simply formalism and meaningless to God.

God wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully.

God's requirements have a lot to do with how we treat people. We are to do what is just, love mercy and kindness, and walk humbly with our God.

People do not need to be pressured to perform perfectly; they need to be loved and accepted.

We should never view ourselves as better than other people. Before you get on your soapbox, make sure your laundry is clean...Do not judge me because I sin differently from you.

Too many of us have a Christian vocabulary rather than a Christian experience. - Charles F. Banning

You cannot preach what you practice until you practice what you preach.

It's all about worshipping Jesus and honoring Him and not about putting ourselves on display.

Humbled and undeserving,
Dalinda

God's Got This

It thrills me to know that God is our guide through every day of our lives. How wonderful to know we have Someone to guide us and ensure that we get from one destination in life to the next.

Why would you walk in your own strength when you could ride with the Spirit?

God's will makes us uncomfortable only as long as we are not pursuing it.

The quality of your life, the direction of your day hinges on whom you're putting first: you or God. Placing God first in all you do secures a spot in the center of His will. Can you imagine a better place to be?

I am grateful for being reminded that God is in control and I should let go of my expectations.

We complicate things way too much! It's not ours to worry about. God has changed my perspective on life...It isn't my life, it's His. When you let Him in, He'll change your life forever.

"This God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide [even] until death (Psalm 48:14)

What's so cool about pursuing a life in Christ is knowing, "God's got this."

In His Perfect Love,
Dalinda

It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful (Celebrating 15 Years Of Marriage)

Today I am praising God for 15 years of marriage to my best friend, Jody. Daily I praise God for my husband. My marriage is far from perfect because we are not perfect, and we don't have to be, because Jesus has made us perfect through His sacrifice on the cross.

Do any of us remember what we were like in 1997? Wow, that was a long time ago! :) I was working as a waitress at Applebee's while looking for a job teaching, and still living at home with my parents. Jody and I were dating. We dated for 8 months, then got engaged and married 7 months later.

Jody and I were married 15 years ago today, so many things have changed since then. Throughout everything that a marriage brings, I never regretted that decision or that day once. God has blessed me with a man who loves God and loves me - in that order.

Long lasting marriages are rare today. Preserving marriages are ultra-rare. Now more than ever, I don't take us for granted.

It's not that we haven't had any trials. We've actually been through some really rough times. Losing both my parents, my mom to cancer and my Dad to heart disease, was a very hard time for both of us, both physically and emotionally. All of this and many other countless trials, while trying to raise our precious boys and have time for each other.

God has been incredibility gracious through all of our trials, reminding us of His great love for us and strengthening our love for each other.

Over the years, we have been blessed with so many wonderful friends, but we never forget that the friendship that deserves our highest attention is ours.

Today, many marriages don't make it 15 years. In fact, lots of people will go through 2-3 during that time. Jody and I take no pride in these years as we know our 15 are a testimony of God's grace shown to us. Without it, we would have wrecked this thing a long time ago.

Marriage is hard. Marriage takes work. It is a daily laying down of your life for another person, everyday, day in and day out, selflessly. A successful marriage comes to those with the fiercest determination to never give up.

What do think makes a lasting marriage?

First and foremost, I think a lasting marriage takes a Christ-centered marriage, forgiveness, humility, and determination to stick it out.

In marriage, God uses our differences to complete us. He brought us together to balance us out, to fill in the gaps, to sharpen us and make us better than we were.

You know there's nothing really remarkable about love at first sight. It's the people who can look at each other year after year, after year and still love each other, now that's remarkable...And it's only because of Him...the sustainer of EVERYTHING!

Thank you God! You gave me a good, godly, very handsome, kind man...all wrapped up in one package.

I didn't know marriage could be so beautiful!

In His Magnificent Grace,
Dalinda

A Sincere Heart

Following the rules and really following Jesus are two totally different things.

Remember, chasing anything other than God is emptiness and does not profit or deliver. Empty is a heavy load to bear.

A heart full of God's love is way more rewarding than anything this world has to offer.

Prayer is an acknowledgement of our need for God.

I'm glad God doesn't require perfect speech from us when we address Him. In fact, with God, there is no such thing as perfect speech. What God cares about is our heart. We can use the most flowery language ever heard and still fail to reach God's heart if our heart isn't right toward Him. Or we can use language as simple as a two-year-old's and connect immediately and passionately with God's heart.

My point is that we don't have to address God in a certain manner for Him to hear us. We would actually be pretty arrogant to think we can cause God to hear us by praying in a certain way.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus clearly stated that what impresses God is not someone's manner of praying, but the person's heart.

And when we don't know what to pray, God Himself prays for us! How amazing is that? When my Dad was close to the end of his life he tried praying the Lord's Prayer, but couldn't remember all of the words for lack of oxygen to the brain. He got upset because he couldn't remember. I reminded him that he didn't have to worry because the Holy Spirit would pray for him.

"We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Holy Spirit himself speaks to God for us." -Romans 8:26

God knows your heart. So let's stop worrying about what we're going to say when we go to God in prayer. Let's put our greater efforts into making sure our heart is right before Him.

When we pray, things change. Sometimes prayer brings about a change in our circumstances, but prayer always brings about a change in our hearts.

In His love,
Dalinda

Yielding To Jesus

The life of discipleship is not about comfortable pews and golden crosses; it's about a clash of kingdoms. It's not about protecting ourselves; it's about signing up for the war. Imagine standing before the throne of God one day and telling Him, "Sorry, Lord, I would have done Your will, but it wasn't safe."

Human nature is to avoid carrying crosses at all cost. We seek safety, comfort, security, and pleasure, often at the expense of doing God's will. We are not willing to pay the price of impacting the world.

Speaking up for Jesus does not always win the crowd's favor here on earth, but it does ensure His approval in Heaven, where it matters most! And remember, if you meet opposition, maybe it shows that you are doing something that counts.

Giving your life to God is a sacrifice. But the most important thing a believer has in their lives is their relationship with God, and no sacrifice we make on this earth can be any greater than what God has already sacrificed for our salvation.

To be a slave to sin is a slavery that will only bring us misery and grief. But to be a slave to Christ means that His goodness will overcome us; bringing us life, and joy that we will be able to find in all circumstances and that will never be taken away.

So let my life become a testimony of my Savior's grace and love. Oh, this is my hearts cry - to stand before the Father one day and hear Him say, "Well done." - this is my heart's cry.

Because Jesus is worthy of my whole self and so much more.

For His Glory,
Dalinda

God Has You In This Season For A Reason

Losses, layoffs, deaths, sudden changes - life takes it's toll and you begin to be afraid that the road of life has turned into a dark and dangerous dead end. Unexpected detours happen. Tough times have their seasons. But the seasons change, and what you thought was the end of the road may turn out to be only a bend in the road.

Be careful about what you think and what you say during your times of trial and tribulation. The attitude you have while in the wilderness determines how long you stay there. - Joyce Meyer

This is no our world, so we can't live however we want to live and expect the sponsorship of God of the universe. This is God's world.

Pain. We all have it in one form or another. Is it possible to find purpose in our pain?

I've know many people who have battled cancer over the years...one being my own mother. She battled endometrial cancer for 16 months until she was healed in Heaven...Praise God! I have watched my mom and countless others suffer the ravages of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, seen them lose and regrow their hair, and have been amazed at the radiance in their countenance as they have time and time again acknowledged the presence and power of God to comfort and heal them. Even though their faith has been tested because of their illness, the faith of countless others has been strengthened because of the way these faithful people of God have journeyed through the valley, giving testimony to God every step of the way.

God is in the business of creating beauty from pain. If we will allow God to work His purpose through our pain, then many will see and believe in the One who sustains and strengthens us in the midst of our suffering.

The pain God has allowed to come into your life could be the very gift He uses to bring another soul into His Kingdom.

Blessings,
Dalinda

We're All The Same

We're All the Same! We're All Sinners in desperate need of a Savior....He knew who'd we be.

God wants to do reconstructive surgery on the heart of each one of us. We all live lives of quiet desperation, yet getting trapped in the mundane was never God's intention for our life! He wants us to not only LIVE victoriously, but to display that victory so others will be drawn to Him!

I'm striving for holiness and coming up WAY short. Praise God - He's made up, not the difference, but the sum total. GRACE THAT IS GREATER THAN OUR SIN!

Oh what a God we serve! He is totally amazing! His love knows no bounds....and because of that ours shouldn't either.

Have a blessed Easter!

In Him,
Dalinda

Become An Encourager

Do you want to make an impact in the world around you? Become an encourager!

Everyone can become an encourager. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to have it all together. You just need to care about people. You don't have to do anything big or spectacular. The little things you do every day have the potential for a much greater impact than you can imagine.

Life isn't always about who we keep in touch with. Sometimes it's about who we touch along the way.

Flattery is the use of truth, half-truths or lies to secure something beneficial for ourselves. Encouragement is the use of truth to build-up someone else. In other words, flattery and encouragement differ in integrity and intention. The flatter will use whatever is needed (truth, half-truth, lies) to get what he wants. The encourager only uses truth to build-up another person.

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad." Proverbs 12:25

The heart of encouragement is to communicate a person's value. When we help people feel valuable, capable, and motivated, we often get to see their lives change forever. And sometimes we get to see them go on to change the world.

If you just take time to encourage people, you can make a big difference in the world.

Blessings,
Dalinda

We Can't Be Guided Unless We Are Prepared To Walk

A walk is made up off lots of steps. With each step, we make progress toward our destination. We don't take steps accidentally; we take each one because we choose to take it.

"He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." Isaiah 2:3

If you want to walk in love and give love a place of priority in your daily life, you will have to make lots of decisions to do so. And most of these decisions will involve the way you choose to treat other people.

One of the greatest things I learned about love is that you have to do it on purpose. You don't wait for a feeling to motivate you; love is allowing God to operate through you to bless and encourage other people.

We can't be guided, unless we are prepared to walk!

My challenge to you is to go out there and take some leaps of faith, trust that God will provide the correct outcome and live your life without fear.

The Blessed Sustainer of all things....God never stops teaching the willing heart.

Faithfully His,
Dalinda

One Of A Kind

God has created us to be different from one another; and He has done it on purpose. Each of us meets a need, and we are ALL part of God's overall plan.

God chose me before I ever did anything wrong AND before I ever did anything right! IF YOU REALLY TAKE THIS TO HEART, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

When we struggle to be like others, we not only lose ourselves, but we also grieve the Holy Spirit. God wants us to fit into His plan, not to feel pressured trying to fit into everyone else's plans. I can cancel the audition because God has designed me for my part, and I never really had to try out. I realized that I can stop auditioning for my friends, my family, my church members, my critics, and even my children because God custom designed me for the part He wanted me to play.

God is carefully teaching us through the circumstances He permits in our lives. He has lovingly crafted a curriculum for each one of us. No one has the same schedule, classes, or lessons. It is tailored exactly for us. What a beautiful thing!

In His Grip,
Dalinda

His Work In Progress

One of the best things about learning to hear God's voice is that it is progessive. It is not a skill we master; it is an unfolding relationship we enjoy. As the relationship unfolds, we learn to communicate with Him more often, more deeply, and more effectively; we learn to follow the Holy Spirit more closely; we learn to pray with more confidence; and we learn to hear His voice more clearly.

I am His work in progress. There is no progress unless there is change.

I often forget that the process is the point. The process of seeking God and knowing Him is the goal.

My life isn't perfect, far from it, actually. That fact used to bother me, but now I've come to accept and appreciate this truth. I understand that it's the little irritations that keep me close to God. Sometimes we need a little nudge, a gentle poke to get our eyes off our comfort and back on His Grace.

I am thankful today for change. I am thankful that although it's not always a comfortable process, change can bring light to our darkness and make us more fully alive. And I am so very thankful that God thinks I'm worth His effort to change me.

In Him,
Dalinda