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

Too often we separate what we love to do from what we feel we should do to honor God. Yes, there are times when we need to think more about the needs of others than about what our desires are. Through deeper communication with God, we find we can combine the two and become a joyful, obedient servant. Based on the personal experience of a friend and 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

There are many reasons why we can’t forgive another. Often it isn’t because of the wrong doing – sometimes it may be a case of pride preventing our lips from forming the words, “I’m sorry.” Based on a personal experience and Matthew 18:21-22: “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”

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)

Sometimes we want to do the right thing, or what we perceive is the right thing. This experience reveals how saying “no” actually opened up a new and exciting “yes.” The reason for this change? My “no” was a reaction to my tunnel- view of what my capabilities were. My “yes” was a response to God’s all-seeing vision of what my potentials were. Based on a personal experience and Matthew 19:26: Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

There are often times in our lives where try as we may, we just can’t seem to “get it right.” This young boy’s reaction to his dilemma is a lesson for all ages. Based on a personal experience and John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We are all gifted with special talents. Some of us haven’t uncovered what these talents are. Some of us are content to use them for narrow purposes. Open your heart and mind to see what wonderful things God has planned for you! Based on a personal experience and 1 Peter 4:10: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

We love for others to see us when we are putting our best foot forward – but what are our actions conveying when we’re unaware of who is watching and listening? Based on a personal experience and Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Loving and serving others does not bring grace; grace produces the spirit to love and serve others. Grace comes through believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Based on a personal experience and Ephesians 2:8: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – ”

This devotional is the result of a God-wink. A God-wink is “an event or personal experience, often identified as a coincidence, so astonishing that it is seen as a sign of divine intervention, especially when perceived as the answer to a prayer. Based on a personal experience and Luke 11:9: “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; know and the door will be opened to you.”

Whether it is in writing stories or living my day-to-day routine, the path I have set out often wanders from the original plan. As long as I trust God, the journey will run more smoothly. Based on a personal experience and Isaiah 26:4: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

We are what we say and do. When we are successful, it is too easy to take on the attitude of pride at these accomplishments. God is due the pride; we receive the joy. Based on a personal experience and Isaiah 64:8: “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Seasons of sadness, sickness, and trouble are promised to all of us. As Christians, we are not exempt. We don’t have a special vaccine to keep away evil or rough roads. What we do have is the promise of strength and comfort in Jesus Christ. Based on a personal experience and 2 Samuel 22:2-3: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.”

Change is difficult, even when it is welcomed. New ideas, places, and circumstances are exciting but too often shadowed in uncertainty. Trust God – He’s there for whatever you need. Based on a personal experience and James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Grandmother was a professional seamstress. Granddaddy was a builder. She worked from designs, fabrics, thread, and a variety of accessories. He used empty spools that had contained her thread and anything else he could find. He had no blueprint – the end product was a result of his imagination and unused items scattered around their house. In Granddaddy’s world, everything was precious and had a purpose . . . and so it is in God’s. Based on a personal experience and 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old one has gone, the new is ...

Once I learned, and am continually reminded to relearn, that I am not in control, life becomes more manageable. I do have choices over some things, but often even when I feel I’ve made a practical decision, situations zoom into treacherous waters. Based on a personal experience and Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and by petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Are there people who annoy you just by their presence, people who “rile” you up before you even encounter them? Or shamefully, when you hear a bit of bad gossip about that person, does your heart take a little leap? Perhaps a closer look at yourself will reveal a solution. A devotional based on a personal experience and Proverbs 14:30: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones,” and Matthew 5:44-45: “But I tell you, love your neighbors and your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun...

Many people do their jobs without praise or recognition for their efforts and contributions to ensure our daily lives run smoothly. Based on a personal experience and Ephesians 6:7: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.”

What kind of treasures do you seek? The answer to that question will tell you what is most important in your life, and therefore your heart. Based on a personal experience and Matthew 19:21: Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”

Life often seems to dole out a disproportionate amount of rough patches to smooth sailing days. Much of what we do is to manage or do damage control to what is unfolding around us. What we can do is to make intentional efforts to seek out those good things that lie there and let those warm feelings be what touches our hearts. Based on a personal experience and Lamentations 3:25: “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.

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.”