365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 285

After cooking all morning, I took a break and pulled up Netflix. I watched a movie called Unconditional which I highly recommend. The basic outline of the story is about a young woman whose husband was murdered and how she comes from the brink of suicide to a new life and faith found again. There is a beautiful visual that is told in the movie which is really about God. God is the sun who is always shinning, never gone, always there but storms come in and cover the sun up. We often at these times feel God has abandoned us, that he is not there, you don't feel his presence. But we have to rise above the clouds and we will see he never leaves us and is always there. I think we ride up over the clouds on the wings of an eagle that is the Holy Spirit. So next time you feel a storm covering your life, ask the Holy Spirit to take you up above the clouds.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 28

My brother and sister-in-law adopted not one but two children a few years ago. They have struggled over the last couple of years with issues that each of the girls has but have shown an amazing amount of perseverance and strength that comes from their love. This love they have for their adopted children and biological children is the same, unconditional.  The adopted girls are a part of the family. God has adopted us into his family. His love was so great that he sent his only son to earth to dwell among us, teach us and become an example for us of love. Love is sacrifice. My brother and sister-in-law could have gone on with their lives with their two boys but because they love God, they did what he called them to do in adopting these two girls. This has been a tremendous sacrifice for them as a family. But there will be un-told blessings because of their love and sacrifice. God sacrificed his son in love for us. Jesus sacrificed himself in love for the Father and us. We too must learn to sacrifice in order to fully love. Whether it be a sacrifice of time, control or whatever, it needs to be done with a heart of love not a heart of bitterness, frustration or anger. What can you sacrifice that will show your love for your family, friends and neighbors? Holy Spirit, give us a desire to live in love and show our love through sacrfice. Amen.

1 John 3:1  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.