Category Archives: Faith

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 4 in God’s Love – Overcoming Obstacles

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Yesterday I wrote about God’s love being unconditional. Whatever we have done or been through, He loves us no matter what. Realising this truth is the first step. Accepting unconditional love, however, takes it to a whole new level.

I’m going to be honest now (when am I not!) This is the bit I really struggle with. I know God loves me unconditionally, but believing it for myself is really hard to accept.

Through experiences in my life I have come to believe I am not worthy of receiving such love. Why would someone love another person when they are “damaged goods”? That’s the way the world sees it, right? If something is second hand, damaged or used, then the value of its worth is questioned.

Overcoming our obstacles

This is what I believe God thinks about me. Why would God love someone who has been used? Would God really love someone who has had something so shameful done to them? After all, if the world sees something marred and rejects it then surely God does too.

Or does He?

This is what the enemy wants me to think. I know in my mind this isn’t true. But when years of hurt overpower what is really true, it seems more believable. Somehow, I need to overcome this obstacle. God does love me. Nothing in this world will ever come between the Love He has for me.

Accepting unconditional love

I love this translation from the New Living Translation. “Not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” What I endured when I was younger was the powers of hell and when I read this line it choked me. It’s there in black and white. My past will not come between me and the love of my God.

“Not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” My past will not come between me and the love of my God. Share on X

Something to think about…

Is there something in your life which is holding you back from knowing the truth? Name it and believe that it is from the powers of hell. Now read over the Bible verse and say it out aloud. Especially the verse “Not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” let this sink into your heart. I know that is what I am going to try and do.

Prayer

Lord, we all have something in our life holding us back from believing the truth that you love us. Help us to overcome these obstacles and move forwards. Help us to sink into the knowledge that you truly love us. There is nothing that will ever separate us from that. Amen.

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 3 in God’s Love – Unconditionally Loved

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Probably one of the most popular ways to describe God’s love is unconditional. Although we may know God’s love is unconditional, do we really believe it? Deep down in our hearts?

When I think of the wrong things I have done, why would God still love me? When I think of what I have been through in life, why would God still bother? If I think of all the times I have rejected Him, why did He not do the same?

Paul is a great example of God showing His unconditional love to someone. When Paul was known as Saul, he sought out God’s followers. He hunted and persecuted Christians like a predator searching for its prey.

Yet God still loved him.

I’ve not done anything like what Paul has done. I’ve not got anyone killed. (Although, I may have thought about doing it!) God still accepted Paul though despite what he has done and what he has been through.

So what does this unconditional love feel like?

The moment I held each of my babies in my arms, I knew then my love for them was unmeasurable. It didn’t stop either as they have grown up. Through all their sleepless nights, tantrums, back-chatting, never ending time-outs, hurts and constant bickering between each other, I have loved them.

I still love them. Unconditionally.

Why?

Because they are my children. They need my unconditional love. They don’t need to do anything in return. I don’t expect them to. I just love them anyway!

That’s how God loves us. Because we are His children. I need unconditional love. Oh, how I need His unconditional love. God doesn’t expect me to act in a certain way to receive His love. He just loves me anyway.

God doesn’t expect me to act in a certain way to receive His love. He just loves me anyway. Share on X

Something to think about…

Write down on a piece of paper all the ways why you think God wouldn’t love you. When finished, take hold of the paper and scrunch it up or rip it into shreds. Throw the paper into the waste basket. (The best action is to burn it, but only if it is safe to do so and it is at your risk).

As you dispose of the paper, remember God still loves you no matter what! He doesn’t hold anything against you. That is why we dispose of the paper. It is no longer needed.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for showing me how much you love me. Thank you for always being there, no matter what. Thank you for never turning away, even when I may have turned away from you. I need your unconditional love. Please find ways to show how much you love me when I need to see it most. Keep reminding me of your love. Amen

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 2 in God’s love – Feeling Secure

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Accepting love from someone can be difficult at times. One of the reasons we may not accept love is because we are insecure. We are not happy with who we are in ourselves. 

It can be hard admitting we feel insecure because we don’t want to feel weak to anyone else. You are not alone though if you feel like this. The feeling of insecurity is a bigger issue than we really know. 

In 2015, it was revealed in a YouGov survey that over a third of people in the UK are unhappy with their own weight and body image.

Does this surprise you? To be honest, it didn’t surprise me. Why? Because I am part of that statistic. 

There are many reasons as to why we suffer from insecurity. One of the main reasons could be due to experiences we have received in our childhood. To name a few:

  • Bullying
  • Not receiving encouragement from our parents
  • Failing in exams
  • Being rejected
  • Childhood trauma
  • Losing a loved one
  • Not receiving love from a parent

If we want to enjoy the love that God wants to give to us then we need to come to terms with our insecurity. Easier said than done, right? It means that we need to admit we are insecure and try to pinpoint where it stems from. 

If we want to enjoy the love that God wants to give to us then we need to come to terms with our insecurity. Share on X

This is half the battle. 

For me personally, I experienced years of childhood trauma. This was then followed by bullying throughout my education, up until I left college at 18. I felt rejected. Exams didn’t go well either and I always felt like I had fallen short. I couldn’t live up to expectations from people around me. 

Insecurity has been around in this world since Adam and Eve, believe it or not. They didn’t want to face God because of the insecurity they felt when the realised they were naked. It didn’t stop with them either. 

Even the great leaders in the Bible felt insecure. Moses is a great example. He ran away to the desert when he felt insecure where he lived. When God called him from the burning bush, Moses replied:

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:7-11)

How do we overcome these insecurities? 

It’s not easy and it will be a long journey of retraining the mind to what is true. We have a Great Resource to which we can turn to gain confidence. God’s love. By realising how much God loves us, in time we will be able to overcome our insecurity and accept it.

We have a Great Resource to which we can turn to gain confidence. God’s love. Share on X

One of my favourite Bible readings to demonstrate this is from Zephaniah. 

A friend sent me this verse when I needed to hear it most a few years ago. She suggested I should substitute the word you with my own name to make it more personal. So I did. It made such a difference with how I accepted these words for myself. 

Something to think about…

Why don’t you make the verse your own? Write the verse out on a piece of paper and stick it somewhere prominent, like on the mirror – somewhere you will see it every day. Use the below example and change the underlined name for your own. See what a difference it makes in how it makes you feel more secure. I would love to know if it does. 

“The Lord my God is with Lynne, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in Lynne, He will quiet Lynne with his love, He will rejoice over Lynne with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Prayer

Lord, help me to see that I am loved and accepted just as I am. You take great delight in me despite what I have been through. Help me to feel secure in your love. Amen.

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

31 Days In God’s Love

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Last year, for the first time, I took part in the write for 31 days challenge. Bloggers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every day in October. I have decided to take part in the challenge again this year – and it will be a challenge!

If you have read previous posts you will realise I am a little busier than usual. The topic I have chosen to write is one I have found difficult to grasp. Especially in the current season I am in raising little ones. I will be spending the next 31 days in God’s love.

Through experiences and relationships with other people, a lot of us grow up not believing how much God loves us. This can be through a range of reasons:

  • Hurt from other people
  • Choices we have made
  • Broken relationships
  • Feelings of not being worthy

There are so many references to God’s love in the Bible it can be overwhelming. But then I guess that’s what God’s love is really like – overwhelming! I want to focus on the following over the next 31 days:

  • God’s love is steadfast and unchanging
  • God’s love can comfort
  • God will reveal His love through Jesus Christ
  • God pours His love into us through the Holy Spirit
  • Once we know how much God loves us, we are then compelled to love one another

In spending the next 31 days in scripture, I want to go deeper in the knowledge that God loves me. I don’t want to just know this in my mind though. My prayer is that I feel God’s love deep down in my heart. I am also praying this for whoever comes on this journey with me.

Will you join me in delving deeper over the next 31 days in God’s love?

  • Day 2 – Feeling secure
  • Day 3 – Unconditionally loved
  • Day 4 – Accepting unconditional love
  • Day 5 – I am worthy
  • Day 6 – Processing God’s love so far
  • Day 7 – Trusting God
  • Day 8 – The Father’s Love
  • Day 9 – A Love Letter from God
  • Day 10 – Blocking God’s Love
  • Day 11 – Reckless Love
  • Day 12 – Disciplining Love
  • Day 13 – Signs of God’s Love
  • Day 14 – Loving Me for Who I Am
  • Day 15 – Listen to Music
  • Day 16 – God’s Love is Found in your Village
  • Day 17 – No More Fear
  • Day 18 – Believing Our Worth
  • Day 19 – He Has A Plan
  • Day 20 – The Woman at the Well
  • Day 21
  • Day 22
  • Day 23
  • Day 24
  • Day 25
  • Day 26
  • Day 27
  • Day 28
  • Day 29
  • Day 30
  • Day 31
Book Review, Faith, Five Minute Friday

Challenge Is An Understatement

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Challenge is an understatement

Every single day there is a question someone always asks me. It doesn’t matter if I am walking my kids to school, going shopping, or having a routine visit to the doctors. It’s always the same question…

“Are they twins?“

My devious brain wants to reply back with a quick quip…

“No, actually, they are quads but the other two are left at home”.

Instead, I just smile and nod my head. I’m hoping I can get to where I need to go before the next question gets asked…

“They must be hard work. Aren’t they a challenge?“

A challenge is an understatement - looking after twins

When I respond with the fact my babies are actually children number four and five, eyes open wide with shock. I say looking after my other three children when they were younger was more of a challenge than the twins. (I had a three year old, a 23 month old and a newborn by the time my son was born).

How hard is it really?

Often, people ask how hard it must be. My response has been to disagree with what they have said. I bravely put on a smile and make out everything is hunky-dory. However, deep down inside is a completely different story.

Yes, my twins are a challenge. Yes, it is hard work. I don’t want to admit that though. Who wants to admit they are struggling? And when people ask if it’s hard work, do they really want to hear the truth?

Challenge is an understatement

I underestimated how hard looking after twins was going to be. Twice as hard doesn’t even come close to it.

“Having twins is not twice as hard—it’s exponentially more difficult”

Natalie Diaz, author of What To Do When You’re Having Two and CEO of Twiniversity

I knew what to expect with having three children previously…the sleepless nights…the constant screaming…the never ending feeds. Well, I thought I knew what to expect!

Sleepless nights are taken to a whole new level when two babies are crying. The constant screaming is like having surround sound with the volume turned up! And as for the never ending feeds…I never realised how much milk would be needed. And what goes in must come out, right? Well, let’s just say babies seem to have a way of doubling everything that goes in!

It may be a little bit more than twice as hard, but the blessings I have far outweigh the challenges. I get double the smiles and twice as much love. This is what I try to remember when the going gets a little tough. I’m getting a little help to remember this truth by reading through Becky Keife’s new book “No Better Mom for the Job”.

As a floundering mama with bags under my eyes big enough to prove my lack of sleep, I made a choice to stop fixating on a deficit I had no power to change. After all, God is pretty set on the whole twenty-four hours in a day thing. Instead I decided to concentrate on what was fully within my grasp: my ability to give thanks.

I started to retrain my focus from what stressed me about being a mom to what blessed me.

Becky Keife, “No Better Mom for the Job”

Can I suggest that if you need a little encouragement, go and pre-order Becky’s book? Raising little ones is not easy. In fact, it’s down right hard work. Sometimes it feels like it’s a lonely job. Am I right?

You are not alone

Becky writes about the ups and downs of being a mother to three spirited boys, and I love how she makes me feel like I’m not alone in the job anymore.

You’re probably thinking right now that you haven’t got time to have a shower these days, let alone sit down and read a book. You don’t need to worry. Becky knows too well what it’s like raising little ones, so she has recorded an audio version of her book too! You get to hear Becky’s sweet voice for yourself.

No Better Mom bonus

As a parent I love receiving bonuses, so this one is a fab bonus…If you pre-order Becky’s book before October 1st you get to receive the Audiobook for free! How awesome is that? Order your copy on Amazon or other online retailers today then head over to NoBetterMomBook.com to redeem your FREE AUDIOBOOK preorder bonus!

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This was originally written for the Five Minute Friday Community, where a number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt and write to our hearts content, but only for five minutes (or there abouts). 

I couldn’t stick to five minutes on this one though. The word prompt though was “challenge”. You can click here to view what other people have written.