Category: loved by God

God is Saying, “I See You!”

Posted on by Evangeline

Do you ever feel overlooked or dismissed by others? Or find yourself telling yourself your life doesn’t seem to carry much value?  Or worse than that, do you feel overlooked by God Himself? Hold on to this…God is saying, “I see you!”

Let go of the kind of thinking that makes you feel ignored and isolated. Because the truth is that God Himself sees you, loves you, and values you. The story of Hagar found in Genesis 16 (Message Bible), gives us reason to be assured of that…

Sarai, Abram’s wife, hadn’t yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “God has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. Maybe I can get a family from her.” Abram agreed to do what Sarai said.

So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took her Egyptian maid Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. Abram had been living ten years in Canaan when this took place. He slept with Hagar and she got pregnant. When Hagar learned she was pregnant, she looked down on her mistress….Sarai was abusive to Hagar and Hagar ran away.

An angel of God found her beside a spring in the desert; it was the spring on the road to Shur. He said, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, what are you doing here?” She said, “I’m running away from Sarai my mistress.”

The angel of God said, “Go back to your mistress. Put up with her abuse.” He continued, “I’m going to give you a big family, children past counting. From this pregnancy, you’ll get a son: Name him Ishmael; for God heard you, God answered you…She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me! Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!”

 

Hagar was an Egyptian slave, and likely worshipped Egyptian idols. And yet, God saw her. He poured out His mercy on her. And He encouraged her. He displayed the attributes of one of His descriptive names, El Roi, the God who sees.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, “how much more” will God see you and do for you? (See Matthew 7:11)  He wants you to hear Him saying, “I see you!”

Hagar chose to not run away from the problem. Instead, she received His instruction and accepted His help. She realized that the God of the universe did indeed notice her and cared about her situation.

I hope you will too.

If you’re needing more encouragement,
consider Christian coaching that helps you focus on the right thing.
www.iHopeCoaching.com

Love yourself

Loving Yourself Because of God’s Unending Love :: Dr. Monica Debro

Posted on by Evangeline

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Monica Debro through a Mastermind group for coaches that we’re members of.  She has a doctorate in Nursing. Every week, I get to see the compassion she has for others. She has a group that ministers to women on Facebook  called “Love Yourself to Life”. I believe one of the most influential things she does is to speak out on domestic abuse.

All of these factors are key in how she views life–that it should always be lived through the lens of God’s love. It’s an honor to have her share her wisdom here.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

I remember being in high school and not liking myself, let alone loving myself. As a teenager I wanted to fit in and be liked by others. Developing friendships was important to me because I thought it would bring value to my teenage life and help me to like myself even more. Well, I graduated high school, still not liking myself much and my actions definitely didn’t show love for self.

Fast forward to my adult years, I’d learned to like myself and if I can be honest, it was mostly because of my accomplishment of becoming a nurse. Little did I know that I still hadn’t learned to love myself. It wasn’t even a thought of consideration and definitely didn’t take up space in my heart’s desires. How could it? There was no thought of loving myself and embracing the second half of the scripture ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:31 NIV. It was easy to love my neighbor and doing for others. However, the “as yourself” part took years to become activated in my life.

My Journey of Love and Self-Discovery

For me to emerge from darkness into His light, I had to make necessary, specific, dedicated, and realistic actions daily.

  • Submerging myself in God’s Word
  • Spending quality quiet time with God
  • Writing scriptures on index cards and reading them daily.
    • This especially helped during moments when Satan was badgering my thoughts.
    • I keep handwritten index scripture cards by my bed to read every night.
  • Reading daily devotionals and affirmations out loud over myself every day
    • Remember, the devil flees at the name of Jesus, so we must speak His name and His Word for Satan to flee.
  • Praise and Worship music
  • Paying attention to my environment, what I listen to and the conversations that I have with others.
  • There were days that I shut off television and social media because I needed to focus on my healing.

Loving myself has been a journey of pain, forgiveness, healing, and restoration. It also involved remembering unhappy times that I’d suppressed deep in my memory. Why was this necessary? God had to uproot what was holding me hostage and not allowing me to see myself as the woman He created me to be. He needed to awaken my inner being to understand the value in loving myself unconditionally. I couldn’t be bound to past sins that had unknowingly been preventing me from embracing Romans 5:8 and God’s unending love for me.

Scriptures for Loving Yourself

God took me on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Through His Word, I discovered who I am in Him and what I can have through Him. Guess what? So can you!  Are you ready to go on a short, not all-inclusive journey of self-discovery? Trust me, there is much more to who God says we are than what I’ve listed below for us.

  • Fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:4)
  • More than a conquer (Romans 8:37)
  • Forgiven (Colossians 3:13)
  • Saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8)
  • Have power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)
  • I have perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3)
  • A light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
  • I AM A Proverbs 31 Woman!

God’s unending love helps me to believe His Word. It helps me to embrace Proverbs 31 even when I go astray from the characteristics of this woman. Reality check! We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). So, do I miss the mark sometimes? Absolutely. And if you’re truthful with yourself, you do too. But as the open scripture says, “While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.” He knew that we would need saving. He knew that a demonstrating of his unending love by sending His Son Jesus would help us to learn to embrace self-love and truly, authentically love who He created us to be.

An Action Plan for Loving Yourself

  • Quiet yourself and your environment for a few minutes. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Calm your thoughts before we shift to the action plan.
  • Identify where you are struggling to embrace God’s love and desires for your life?
  • What is the root cause of the difficulty in believing who God says that you are and what you can do/be?
  • Is there someone you need to forgive, or do you need to forgive yourself in order to love yourself because of God’s unending love for you?
  • Take some time to reflect on these questions. Then write out your best realistic action plan to begin healing in whatever areas is holding you bound. Why? Because You Are WORTH IT!

Along your journey of self-discovery, remember that you are worthy of love and forgiveness. Remember to forgive yourself in the process because God forgave you a long time ago.

Monica DebroDr. Monica Debro, DNP, MSN, RN

Dr. Monica Debro, owner of Love Yourself to Life™, is a leader who is transforming the lives of women through inspirational writings, events, and speaking engagements. She is the host and keynote speaker for The Elephant in the Room and the Love Yourself to Life™ conferences. Dr. Debro also hosts the Always Wear Your Tiara™ event in which women have received intimate breakthroughs in their personal and professional lives.

As a practicing Nurse Educator and Life Coach, Dr. Debro engages in life-changing conversations and action plans to help women embrace the essence of who they are and not allow the past to interfere with their future.  Being transparent allows her to be influential in helping others identify current concerns and develop specific and realistic action steps to heal from their past and reach their goals.

Dr. Debro is a member of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and has been a guest speaker at several domestic violence and community violence awareness conferences. She is the author of Broken Believer No More and Love Yourself to Life. Broken Believer No More has received recognition at the Los Angeles and New York book festivals. Dr. Debro is also a co-author in Grace to Recover: How to Divorce Hurt, Addiction, and OVERCOME Trials with the Power of a Loving God.

 

Monica Debro

silence of lambs

The Silence of Lambs Keeps the Door Open to the Enemy

Posted on by Evangeline

How can the silence of lambs be detrimental to them? When sheep are being attacked, they will make noise to let the other sheep (and the shepherd) know that they are in trouble. If they fail to scream, other sheep can come under attack and the shepherd won’t be aware of the danger the sheep is facing.

Jesus said that He is the Good Shepherd and called believers His sheep (John 10:11, 14). He likened Himself to a shepherd saying that He would go after the one that has strayed off and gotten in trouble. Matthew 18:12 AMP reminds us of how much Jesus cares for each one of us:

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?

It behooves us to remind ourselves of His love and how much He cares. When we are silent lambs, we tend to forget about the amazing ways that He shows up in our lives.

Jesus set the example of not being silent in the midst of trouble, temptation, and struggle. When He was questioned by Satan with words that could fill Him with doubt, Jesus didn’t stay silent…He spoke up! He told His enemy — our enemy — what His Father had already said through the Scriptures (Matthew 4:1-11). That’s the example that we are to follow.

Jesus set the example of not being silent in the midst of trouble, temptation, and struggle. When He was questioned by Satan with words that could fill Him with doubt, Jesus didn't stay silent. He spoke up to His enemy -- our enemy.… Click To Tweet

Speak the Word

Don’t be a Silent Lamb…Speak God’s Promises

When faced with infertility’s opportunities to doubt God’s promises of fertility, we need to speak up! Speak the specific Word of God to your enemy about your fertility! When faced with a health challenge, speak God’s promises of health. If faced with a financial challenge, speak God’s promises of provision. Facing a relationship challenge? Speak God’s promises of loving connection. God has spoken about everything that we face in life and has equipped us well through His Word (2 Peter 1:3). It’s there in the Scriptures. Find what relates to your circumstances and then use it.

In a way, our silence is a means for the devil to keep that door of doubt wide open. Don’t give him that opportunity! Use the Word of God by SPEAKING His Word consistently to remove doubt, to strengthen your faith, and to close the door to the enemy.

God supports you in the midst of your challenges because once you have asked Jesus to be your Savior, He is always right there with you. It’s up to you to not be silent about His presence, His promises, and His power.

So, let this be the last day of your silence!

how you see yourself

How Do You See Yourself– As Victim or Victor?

Posted on by Evangeline

Our circumstances can influence how we see ourselves…maybe we let them have too much influence. Often, we’re a beautiful swan but we think of ourselves as an ugly duckling.

So many times I’ve heard women say things about themselves that were self-denigrating. It’s a clear indicator of how they see themselves and what they believe about themselves (Matthew 12:34). However, it doesn’t align with how others see them. And it definitely doesn’t align with how God sees them.

“For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”

How about you? Do you see yourself the way God sees you?

Do you see yourself as a victim of your circumstances or do you choose to take the viewpoint of a victor?

If you’re unsure, maybe these simple questions can help:

  • How well do I receive compliments?
  • What do I say about myself in my quiet thoughts?
  • How do I respond to negative thoughts that arise in my mind?

God values you and loves you immensely. He created you to live the life of a victor. That requires a thought-life that is intentionally positive. One that resists negativity and is full of gratitude. Out of love, Jesus came and gave His life for you so that you could enjoy life and live it in overflowing abundance (John 10:10-11).

So I ask again, do you see yourself the way God sees you? He sees you as a victor. If that’s not your self-vision, what’s holding you back from doing so? ♥

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

How to Deal with Panic Attacks

Posted on by Evangeline

panicSometimes, when we feel alarmed about an issue in our life, we can draw hasty conclusions that are wrong. Some people will even begin to suffer from panic attacks.

The Bible tells us that David experienced this. He wrote in Psalm 31:22 [NLT], “In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the LORD!”

Infertility can make you feel that way, especially when it has lasted for a while. It’s as if God doesn’t care, like He’s purposely turned away and cut Himself off from hearing you. But that’s a deception straight from hell. The devil’s mind games and antics are always meant to make us draw away from God because he knows the solutions to our problems are ALWAYS found in drawing near to God.

David did eventually see the folly of his panic-inspired thought that he was cut off from God. He chose to draw near to God. He made a decision to encourage himself in the Lord by remembering God’s love for him. David told God, “But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.”

God passionately loves us and will never turn away or cut us off. As believers in Jesus, we can be fully confident of this in any situation. Jesus said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always.” [Matthew 28:20 NLT]

Here are a couple of Scripture passages that serve to remind you that you are loved by the only One who can do everything necessary to turn your situation around and replace your panic with peace:

“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.” ~Daniel 10:19 NLT

God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope. ~2Thessalonians 2:16 NLT

Photo courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

Thanks to F-words, I’ll Be Rockin’ It For the Rest of 2014

Posted on by Evangeline

Earlier this year, I attended a retreat that I hoped would help me gain more focus in business-building activities and in personal matters. As an activity, we wrote on a smooth stone the one thing that would be our target for the remainder of the year. I wrote, “FINISH” on mine because I was finding that there were a number of things in my life I would start but didn’t finish.

A couple of months passed and as I thought more about how to finish the things that I start, I realized I also needed to target some other issues as well. Going through this thought process brought other “F-words” to mind. No, not the bad “F-words.”  🙂

I wrote the new F-words on stones and placed them on my desk as a tangible reminder of what I’m doing—FINISHING STRONG!

Here are my “F-words to Live By” for the remainder of the year:

My "F-word" Rocks
My “F-word” Rocks

In June, I decided I’d put some energy behind one of these words each month for the remainder of 2014. Hopefully, as I do so, I’ll be building some good habits along the way. This month, I’ve been concentrating on Fellowship.

Fellowship= sharing; participating with another; constant companionship; communion

My desire is to fellowship more with friends and family, as well as, and most importantly, with Holy Spirit.

I became more intentional about spending time with my daughter while she’s home from college for the summer. I’ve been intentional about getting together with each of my sons, individually. Making sure that I schedule date nights with my hubby became a priority again. Phone calls to extended family members who live back East have become more frequent, just so I can say, “I’ve been thinking about you.”

But how would I target fellowshipping with Holy Spirit?

How would I increase that time and experience more enjoyment out of it?

I made a decision to just do it. I started using my afternoon PIT Stop everyday to spend “extra” time with Him. I made a list of things I wanted to be sure to do with Him.

F-words Fellowship Card
My F-words “Fellowship” Card

 

Just like I scheduled time with each of my children, with my husband, and, for the phone calls, I put God on my schedule. I made an appointment with myself so that I could not only talk to God and read the Bible, but to also hear from Him.

“My fellowship with God enables me to gain a victory over the evil one.” 1 John 2:14b (MSG)

Guess what happened! I began to feel less anxious about things in my life. I’m experiencing greater peace about the challenges I face because I know He’ll get me through them. I’ve begun to glean more wisdom from Him through His Word. Maybe the best thing is that I‘ve grown to really look forward to that time with Him because I’m excited about what He’s going to show me about His love for me! I protect this time from the distractions life throws at me.

Want to join me on this quest of filling each month with an “F-word?” You can. Just make a decision to do so (which means cutting off all other options and excuses). Then let me know you’ve joined the movement.

What are some of the things you do to fellowship with others and with God? Please share!

Next month’s keyword is FOCUS. I’ll be sharing my thoughts about that in August.

Yes, I’m joining the F-word movement!

I Got Distracted

Posted on by Evangeline
Image courtesy of Idea go/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Idea go/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I got distracted last week.

On Saturday, 7/27/13, I woke up with a “little ache” in my lower back. By Saturday night, nausea and a headache had set in. Relief did not come even after using the pain reliever and heating pad. With no appetite, I endured the weekend of feeling yucky, eager for the doctor’s office to open on Monday morning.  I was fortunate to get a same-day appointment. Diagnosis? Just a viral infection that “should pass in few days”.

During the eight (8!) days it took to finally feel better,  I watched TV (most of the time). My body ached for almost a week, yet the achiness did not serve as a reminder to do what I knew (focus on Jesus). Tiredness  and headache set in and I didn’t persistently look to a different source of strength after I took the pain reliever . Nausea swept through and I did not seek out alternative nutrition for the part of me that was not sick—my spirit. The headache, back ache, tiredness, nausea each became a physical distraction that I allowed to keep me from pursuing the spiritual solution to my problem.

Thankfully,  I’m feeling much better today. Looking back on this past week,  I did not follow what I’ve encouraged others to do so many times—get in the Word of God, find my answer to the problem at hand, and focus on the answer. I got distracted by the symptoms and the TV.  I feel like I wasted a LOT of time last week.  No writing, no working on goals, no online posts, and certainly no chores or exercise got done. Admittedly, I didn’t feel like doing much of anything. I didn’t even feel like strengthening my spirit by reading God’s love letter to me (the Bible).  But God so lovingly strokes me with His gentle, fatherly hand and tells me, “It’s okay, I’m still here with you.”

Proverbs 18:14 (NKJV) encourages us that, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?”  Within the Word of God lies the answer to every problem we can ever experience in life. I know that. I teach that. But, I got distracted by my circumstances.  Has that ever happened to you?

Today, no more beating myself up with thoughts about what I should or could have done in the midst of that illness. All the “Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda” in the world won’t change the past nor help in moving forward. Now is the time to praise God that He kept me through those eight days and will continue to do so. Now is the time to read and marvel about how His power and favor work in my life. Now is the time to realign my focus so that I continue to look to the One who loves me and does nothing but good on my behalf.

I’m looking forward to a productive week where I handle distractions in a much more effective way. Are you?

Rest Fuels Hope

Posted on by Evangeline

Sometimes, during the struggle, it’s hard to see God’s love. BUT…

God IS Love and He, like the father of the prodigal son will always be eager to run to us, no matter the barriers that have kept us at a distance. He has already done everything necessary, through Jesus, to remove ALL the barriers so that we can rest in His love. Today, continuously choose to rest in Him because He continuously seeks to impart His love to you, in you, and all around you.

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at it’s destination full of hope.” –Maya Angelou

Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

His Love is the BEST

Posted on by Evangeline
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

God’s love is the BEST! There is nothing that compares to His love for us. Even as we attempt to show our love in return to Him, it does not begin to reach the height, depth, and breadth of His inexhaustible love .

Here are some good reminders:

Image courtesy of gubgib/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of gubgib/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ephesians 3:17-19-“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” [NLT]

John 17:23-“I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” [NLT]

Romans 5:8-“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” [NLT]

How will you enjoy and bask in His love for YOU today?

He’s Like Allstate

Posted on by Evangeline

God is like Allstate. You’re in good hands with Him.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:7 [NLT]

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” ~ Psalm 40:2

“The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.” ~ Psalm 111:7 [NIV]

“For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” ~ Psalm 92:4

YOU’RE IN GOOD HANDS WITH JESUS! Whatever you put in His loving hands will be blessed. He is trustworthy to handle whatever you’re facing today if you’ll place it in His hands.

What distraction/burden/worry will you decide to give to Him today?

GOOD HANDS
(Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images)