Reflecting back on these wonderful memories reminded me that no matter what language we speak or struggles we experience, our amazing Creator understands us at all times.  As sons and daughters of the King, we have been rewarded with a special gift.  We’ve been given a direct line with the one who made us.   We can cry out, sing, whisper, shout, and call upon the Lord anytime we are alone or with one another.   Then we can find comfort in knowing we’re always guaranteed God will listen and He will respond back to us with love.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

What has the Lord taught you about communicating to Him?  What are you currently praying about? How has prayer been an important part of your spiritual journey?

I find it amazing that our Creator’s hands enjoy shaping and molding each of our lives into His exquisite masterpiece.  This beautiful transformation process takes time, faith, courage, and love.  Sometimes we may experience pain and hardship as we’re being developed.  However, we can still choose to put our hope in the Lord because we’re promised His strength will be made perfect in weakness.  If we commit to growing and following our Creator’s plan for our lives, He replaces our stress and fears with His mighty power.  When we surrender our lives to Him, we allow Him to be the Potter and we become the clay in His creative hands.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:6-7).

Are you observing God’s fingerprints in your life?   How are you depending on His promise of strength as you are being molded into His masterpiece?

When we commit to our journey towards maturity, I learned we put our faith in action by confidently following God’s dream for our lives and trusting He will supply for all our needs.  ”Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews11:1).  ”In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).

Have you made the choice to live by faith and trust God?  How are you putting your faith in action?

Recently my husband’s uncle received a heart transplant.   Through the prayers and love from many people, he gained courage to undergo the surgery and perseverance to endure the pain.   I was reminded that growing both emotionally and spiritually involves continuously learning how to give and receive love.  The Bible is filled with numerous, beautiful verses that teach us love is essential for maturity.   If we meditate on scripture and make the commitment to grow, I’ve discovered God will use us to make an incredible difference in this world and it will always include the healing power of love.

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (I John 4:11-12).

What has God taught you about love?    How has the power of love helped you physically, emotionally, or spiritually?

In Genesis 1:27 we are told, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” As we grow, we will discover creativity is within each of us.  We were all born with the desire to create, construct, design, build, and make things.  While we enter the New Year with a longing to establish fresh goals, I pray that we remember our creative gifts can be an amazing expression of our faith. Whether we are blessed with the ability of solving problems in unique way or given the skill of taking beautiful photographs, may we demonstrate Spirit-led creativity in any new task or project we are assigned.

Do you believe creativity is within each of us?  Have you asked the Lord to help you create goals for the New Year?  How do you plan on using your creative gifts for God and others?

This month I’ve heard more and more wonderful stories of the Lord supplying people with hope in the midst of their pain and hardship.   It helped me gain a deeper hunger and thirst for my Savior and my desire to grow greatly intensified.  I’ve learned if we wait to receive the Spirit’s direction and then trust Him to guide us, we will be rewarded with hope and a future.  If we are willing to do what He wants us to do and glorify Him every step of the way of fulfilling His plan, God will do extraordinary things in our lives.

As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth this holiday season, I pray that our testimonies will be a powerful display of God’s amazing work and our lives will be proof of His eternal love and hope.  “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you will over flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Have you set your hope in God?  How are you encouraging others to put their hope in Him?

Although it saddened me to see my precious son have to go through this trial, the Lord reminded me that this was an awesome opportunity for both of us to grow emotionally and spiritually.  As I encouraged him to pray with me and read God’s Word to help us cope with the disappointment, we began to have an eternal perspective on the situation and my son was rewarded with strength to press on.

This temporary world may sometimes give us pain, grief, and hardship.  I learned we will succeed in moving forward together when we continue to lift our eyes up to our Savior and shelter ourselves with His eternal promises.  “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

How has God helped you gain endurance, perseverance, and strength to continue following His plan for your life?  When you face trials, which verses have given you hope to press on?  How are you helping others to move forward in their lives?

My father-in-law is a quadriplegic and has been in a wheel chair for 17 years.   This month he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and had to undergo surgery to remove a tumor.  He may not feel like a hero, but he has modeled for me what it truly means to continuously seek the Lord during extreme pain and discomfort.  Throughout each difficult trial, I have watched him continue to glorify God and firmly rely on His power and His amazing promises.  Most importantly, my father-in-law’s commitment to grow in his faith has inspired me and many others to draw closer to our Perfect Hero, Jesus Christ.   His remarkable testimony reminds me that I can always say with complete confidence, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

Are you seeking your Perfect Hero and Savior?  As you grow, are you noticing the incredible people in your life who are displaying courage and bravery?

My mother had the incredible opportunity to travel to South Africa on a mission trip this month.  She and a team of other believers followed God’s call and shared the love of Christ with numerous children.  If my mother had let fear stop her from going on this adventure, she would have missed being rewarded with the most meaningful, amazing moments of her life.

Our Heavenly Father promises, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).  We can choose to surrender our plans to the Lord and trust that He will give us the courage to try something different.   Whether it’s traveling to another country or simply signing up for a new class, we will be able to witness a beautiful miracle, gain tremendous emotional and spiritual growth, and experience God’s power at work in us.

In what ways are you stepping out of your comfort zone to follow God’s call?   How is His power being made perfect in your weakness?

This month I celebrated my birthday.  Experiencing peace and joy as I turned one year older would have been unachievable without the power of love.  I’m very thankful the Lord answered my prayer by surrounding me with people I adored on that special day.

The Bible encourages us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:29).  I’m continuously striving to grasp the depth of God’s perfect love and discover how to develop Christ-centered love in each of my relationships.  When we open our hearts to our Creator’s extraordinary love, I’m learning we will enjoy His presence and yearn to change into the remarkable men/women He desires us to be.  As our passion for Christ grows, we can allow Him to work through us and rely on His genuine love to pour out into our relationships with people.

Do you feel surrounded by God’s amazing love?   What are you discovering about His love?   How is the Lord encouraging you to practice it with others?