Mostrando resultados por autor "Janice Alonso" en Todas las categorías

Sometimes we feel that God is ignoring us . . . that He is not answering our prayers. In an experience I had teaching three-year-old Vacation Bible School at my church, I learned I was asking the wrong questions. Based on a personal experience and Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Too often we go for an all or nothing attitude, and unfortunately, it’s the nothing we walk away with. Whether your mountain to climb is losing weight, learning to play an instrument, or tackling a mound of paperwork, seeing a task in small parts makes the job ahead look less daunting. Based on a personal experience and Proverbs 19:2: “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.”

“They” have always been with us . . . “they” will always be with us. Who are “they?” The Bible tells us “they” are the least of these, and it is our responsibility to care for them. Based on a personal experience and Matthew 25:45: And Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth. Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

I tutored a woman to help her get a high school diploma. With a higher degree, she felt she would be eligible for a promotion. Her words, after receiving this hard sought-for degree, are an inspiration to us all. Based on a personal experience and John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Getting places has become a lot easier with the invention of navigation systems at our fingertips. Not only has driving been made less confusing, but we can now use smart phones to guide us when we are on foot. The Bible provides us with its own navigation system . . . and it never needs to be upgraded . . . Based on a personal experience and Psalms 119:33: “Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end.”

Slowing down . . . many of us have certainly learned the meaning of these two simple words during Covid-19. The idea for this devotion came at a time in my life that was very hectic. Many look for God’s words in a loud and stern voice; often, it is the soft and small voice that is telling us what He wants. Based on a personal experience and 1 Kings 19:12: “And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

I am blessed to have had many stories published, but there are still some of my pieces that don’t find a “home” the first time they are submitted. I edit and rewrite these pieces and send them out once more. Often they are accepted on a second try. Then, there are those stories that just don’t fit in anywhere . . . Based on a personal experience and Matthew 28:20: Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Sometimes we’re just not ready to move on. We love our job. Our family relationships are running smoothly. The annual doctor’s appointment couldn’t have gone better. Then the day comes where changes have to be made and our stomach churns and our thoughts become fragments. Change is inevitable, but anxiety doesn’t have to be a part of that transformation. Based on a personal experience and Ecclesiastes 3:1: “There is a season for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Families have different ways to celebrate. Sometimes we celebrate agreement; just as often, we celebrate to agree to disagree. For over forty years, we have had a Family Beach Week. In 2020, due to Covid-19, it looked as though no one would be going anywhere. Based on a personal experience and 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

When my first grandchild was two and a half years old, she noticed Bert was not among her Sesame Street stuffed animals. Even though her favorite character, Elmo, was there, she was concerned for the missing Bert. Based on a personal experience and Luke 15:31-32: “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again: he was lost and is found.”

The Bible is filled with directions on how we are to behave in our Christian journey, through examples of how Jesus lived and wants us to follow and lead. Reading and believing God’s Holy Word is a great beginning. Carrying out His plan through our actions is the way we move forward. Based on a friend’s personal experience and Matthew 22:37-40: And Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the...

I watched as four Monarch butterflies emerged from their cocoons. Three opened their wings, lifted upward, and floated away. The fourth could not. Try as he may, his wings wouldn’t unfurl . . . Based on a personal experience and Philippians 4:11-13: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him...

Living with family and friends whose minds are slipping away is devastating to those of us left in the shadows. We long for those days when they recognized us and we had meaningful conversations with them. Based on a personal experience and 1 John 4:16: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” ( 1 John 4:16)

It is easy for me to pray for people who are in distress or have been wronged by others. Praying for those I feel are the evil doers is difficult. Even more difficult is forgiving these individuals who bring pain and suffering to others. One Sunday, God brought me face-to-face with a man whose behavior had been so bad, I had vowed that I’d never forgive him. Based on a personal experience and Matthew 6:12: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

In early 2019, I went from a large purse to a medium-sized purse. I downsized because the needs in my life had changed, and I was having neck and shoulder soreness from the purse’s weight. When I emptied the contents on the bed, I found I was hauling around too many unnecessary things. In life we, too, carry around unnecessary burdens that weigh us down, causing us to be tired, resentful, or discontent. God offers to carry these loads for us. Based on a personal experience and Matthew 11:30: Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

No matter where we go or if we shelter-in-place, God sees us. He’s there to offer guidance, and He’s there to extend grace. Based on a personal experience and Hebrews 4:13: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”

Have you ever felt so downhearted over a mistake you’ve made that you thought God couldn’t possibly forgive you? Think again. We are humans – we make poor choices – it’s our nature. God sent His Son Jesus to save us through grace . . . we can’t do it alone because . . . well, we’re human. Based on a personal experience and Psalm 34:8: “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Peace, tranquility, and calmness of mind, body, and soul . . . most of us long for these things yet never carve out the time and place to relish their deliciousness. If there is one gift that quarantine has given me, it is the opportunity to seize those times and intentionally clear out a place for them to unfold in the future. Based on a personal experience and Genesis 1:31: “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”

Every day holds small experiences that not only bring joy in the moment, but create a photo album of memories to comfort us in our days ahead. And, as our old delights fade away, God replaces them with experiences even more wonderful than we could have ever imagined. Based on a personal experience and Luke 18:17: Jesus, said, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Do you ever feel like you are trying hard to live a good and faithful life yet feel you are not doing what “you’d really like to do?” Perhaps all you need to do is look at your situation from a different point of view. Based on a personal experience and John 15:1-4: Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can ...