Love Challenge – Self Seeking

Welcome back to this week’s Love Challenge. Today we’re talking about self-seeking. Google defines self seeking as “self-serving, self-interested, egocentric, egotistic, self obsessed, self-absorbed, inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking”

It’s a pretty bleak picture. Someone who is so absorbed with self that they are completely thoughtless when it comes to others. Are there any ares of your life that you are focused on you and only you? Are there people in your life that you are unaware of or ignoring because you are consumed with making things work for you?

Challenge:

Continue to memorize 1 Corinthians 13

Look for ways to serve others

Ask God to show you where you are seeking self

Self Control – Fruit of the Spirit

Hello friends! Welcome back to Weekly Challenge! We’re talking about Fruits of the Spirit right now and today’s topic is self control. Do you reach into the cookie jar when it’s left on the counter with the lid off or are you able to wait until after dinner? I’ll tell you, this is one I struggle with. If I have cash in my wallet, it seems to disappear by the end of the day and I can’t really account for where it went. This week’s challenge will be rather difficult!

Last week we talked about gentleness. Your challenge was to tend to a plant or animal that you normally don’t tend to. That could have been buying a delicate flower plant and keeping it alive for a while or it could have meant dog sitting your neighbors doberman. Tell me how you did with last week’s challenge in the comments below and as always, feel free to print the cards for your personal use. Remember to post this week’s verse in a location you’ll see daily!

Topic:
Self Control

Definition:
N. the ability to restrain emotions or desires or the expression of them

Scripture:
Proverbs 16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Challenge:
Browse the chocolate/toy/clothes/other temptations aisle at the store and purchase nothing.
Continue to memorize Galatians 5:22-23

Feel free to print for personal use

Goodness – Fruit of the Spirit

Hello friends! Welcome back to Weekly Challenge! We’re talking about Fruits of the Spirit right now and today’s topic is goodness. The actual act of being good. It’s a tall order. Even when we do good things, there are often not good motives behind them. You might do something good so that others will see you and think you are good. You might do something good out of guilt or fear. You might do something good simply because it’s a habit instead of desiring to do good. Have fun with this week’s challenge and try to examine your motives while you do it!

Last week we talked about kindness. Your challenge was to show unusual kindness in an unusual place or manner. Tell me how you did with last week’s challenge in the comments below and as always, feel free to print the cards for your personal use. Remember to post this week’s verse in a location you’ll see daily!

Topic:
Goodness

Definition:
N. the quality of being morally excellent

Scripture:
Galatians 6:10 So then, as we have every opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Challenge:
Do something good for someone without them knowing.
Continue to memorize Galatians 5:22-23

Feel free to print for personal use

Kindness – Fruit of the Spirit

Hello friends! Welcome back to Weekly Challenge! We’re talking about Fruits of the Spirit right now and today’s topic is kindness. I love the verse for this week. Paul and some other prisoners were aboard a ship headed for Italy. After a “wind of hurricane force” (Acts 27:14) and the storm lasted for days. They were without food and hope but Paul tells the men that “God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” (Acts 27:24). After 14 nights, they finally found land and swam or floated to the shore of the island called Malta. There, the islanders showed unusual kindness. After a long storm, loss of hope, and a shipwreck, the men finally are shown kindness on a foreign island. Unusual indeed! I would except the natives to be concerned about the 276 people that just arrived on their land and instead they showed kindness. I love it.

Anyways, last week we talked about patience. Your challenge was to choose the longest line at the supermarket and wait patiently. Were you able to stand in line without the distraction of your phone? Did you find the time to make conversation with the people in front of or behind you? Tell me how you did with last week’s challenge in the comments below and as always, feel free to print the cards for your personal use. Remember to post this week’s verse in a location you’ll see daily!

Topic:
Kindness

Definition:
N. the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate

Scripture:
Acts 28:2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They build a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.

Challenge:
Show unusual kindness in an unusual place.
Continue to memorize Galatians 5:22-23

Feel free to print for personal use

Patience – Fruit of the Spirit

Hello friends! Welcome back to Weekly Challenge! We’re talking about Fruits of the Spirit right now and today’s topic is patience. This is a character trait that I used to struggle with a great deal but I think I’ve gotten better over the last couple of years. My daughter has helped a lot with that. I have to be patient with her because she is learning something new all the time and I want her to have the time to learn and enjoy learning. Being married also grew my patience a great deal more than I thought it would. I thought I was patient before we got married. Come to find out, I wasn’t patient at all.

Last week, we talked about peace. Your challenge was to organize a part of your life that is unorganized because God is a God of peace not of disorder. Peace and disorder are at odds with each other. Tell me how you did with last week’s challenge in the comments below. Did you reorganized a drawer? Start a family calendar? Begin a meal planning system? Clear our your Rolodex… er, I mean, Facebook friends list…? As always, feel free to print the cards for your personal use. Remember to post this week’s verse in a location you’ll see daily!

Topic:
Patience

Definition:
N. the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset

Scripture:
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Challenge:
Choose the longest line at the supermarket and do not distract yourself with your phone or other device while you wait.
Continue to memorize Galatians 5:22-23

Feel free to print for personal use

Peace – Fruit of the Spirit

Hello friends! Welcome back to Weekly Challenge! We’re talking about Fruits of the Spirit right now and today’s topic is peace. Our verse says that God is not a God of disorder but of peace. That tells me that disorder and peace are at odds with each other. Therefore order and peace go hand in hand. This is an excellent time to look at order because about right now, you’re forgetting or giving up your New Years Resolution. Order will help you achieve those goals. Being more organized may even be one of your goals! Take a small step this week. Keep going!

Last week we talked about joy. Your challenge was to set the verse to a tune and sing it to yourself four times. Bonus points if you sung it someone else! Tell me how you did with last week’s challenge in the comments below. Did it help you stay joyful? As always, feel free to print the cards for your personal use. Remember to post this week’s verse in a location you’ll see daily!

Topic:
Peace

Definition:
N. freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 14:33a For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

Challenge:
Organize a part of your life that is unorganized.
Continue to memorize Galatians 5:22-23

Feel free to print for personal use

Thursday Stories

Hello again! Today’s brave story is a beautiful account of God building up a family. Suzanne and her husband Adam have two adopted children and one on the way from China! I hope this story excites you to step out in faith!

Stories from San Antonio (and China!)

Waters crashed beneath his feet, but in that moment of trust, Peter didn’t even notice. His eyes were bravely fixed on the one who calms our fears and carries our burdens. Suddenly, distractions over came him, and his eyes were drawn away from Jesus, down to the waves. Fear enveloped him, and he was sinking.

Have you ever felt like Peter? Boldly stepping out in faith, only to momentarily lose sight of Him and scream out, “Wait! What was I thinking? Lord, save me!” as you realize you are standing on water with no boat or support. The hand of Jesus reaches out to catch you, as He says, “‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?'” (Matthew 14:31b, NIV)

How quickly we sometimes step out in faith but just as easily forget about Him.

Adoption is an amazing journey of faith and trust. There are moments that are easy because you clearly see the hand of God, but at the same time, there are decisions to be made that are incredibly difficult or scary. And then are moments in the journey when fear, disappointment, or doubt can creep in and pull your focus away from the Lord. You begin to sink, only to realize you must cry out to Him for help.

Choosing to follow God’s call to adoption was easy in theory. We said, “Yes, Lord! Adoption will be our plan A.” Our hearts leaped with excitement at the thought. We pushed forward, but as the country paperwork phase began, mounds of documents started collecting on my desk, and I began to feel as it I would never get finished. I can honestly say that now, on our third adoption, it doesn’t get any easier.

With each new adoption we step out into uncharted waters, initially excited at what God has in store, but inevitably, at some point, I let the crashing waves distract me and pull focus momentarily away from the One who asked us to water on water in the first place. Questions and impatience creep in trying to pull my focus from Jesus. How do we pick achild? Is this my child? What if God asks you do something CRAZY that you never thought you would do like adopt an 8 year old boy?!

The good news is that even when we let things pull our focus in the wrong direction, God is there ready to grab hold of us and pull us out of the water. Even though we doubt at times and our faith may waiver, He will forgive us and help us to bravely push on. Hopefully, we gain a little more faith before the next wave hits us. With each adoption, while I have been distracted at times, I can look back and remember how His timing is always perfect and His plan far exceeds my finite imagination.

So when God asks us to travel into uncharted waters for Him, step out bravely in faith knowing and remembering all that He has done for us and how everything we do should bring glory to His name. He is faithful. He will not forsake you and will be there to carry you.

“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,’
‘As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.'”
declares the Lord.
(Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV)

 After struggling with infertility for 5 years, God led Suzanne and her husband Adam to His Plan A for their lives—adoption! Their daughter came into their lives in 2011 from the Fujian Province, China. Their son joined their family in January of 2013 from Shanghai, and another little girl will be joining their family in 2015 from the Hunan Province. After a career in politics, Suzanne is thankful for God’s provision in their lives that now allows her to work part time as a Pilates instructor while home schooling their children. You can follow their adoption journey and life on their blog, Surpassing Greatness.

Weekly Challenge – Fruit of the Spirit

Hello friends! I am adding a new series to my blog here. It’s called Weekly Challenge. Each week, I’ll introduce a topic and a verse. I’ll then present you with a challenge for the week. I encourage you to print out the verse for each week and tape it up somewhere you’ll see daily. I plan to do the challenges myself and I’ll keep you updated on how they go for me! Throughout the year, we’ll be doing 6 different mini series. I’ll spend one week introducing the new mini series then a few weeks afterwards digging deeper. Our first mini series is Fruit of the Spirit.

Topic:
Fruit of the Spirit.

Definition:
a term that is used in reference to 9 attributes of a Christian from Galatians 5

Scripture:
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Challenge:
Memorize Galatians 5:22-23

Let me know in the comments below how you’re doing on your challenge!

Feel free to print for personal use