Good day dear readers. Life got a bit out of hand so I’m late posting again, but at least it’s still Friday; my target day to post! This two-way journaling with the Lord is getting quite interesting. Let me share some things from it.

Yesterday Mandisa tweeted:

“We need to have a war chest of Scripture to FIGHT life’s challenges. What Scripture are you claiming over your life today?” [#BetterTogetherTV@mandisaoffical]

Immediately this Scripture came to mind: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:17. I declared I do not have any fear for I claim God’s power, God’s love, and a sound mind. The rest of my evening was victorious!

SO, what Scripture are YOU claiming/declaring over your life today?

Our focus for our Watertown Women’s Connection Prayer Connection [affiliated with Stonecroft Women’s Ministry] this month is Gratefulness. In that vein, I shout out a heart-felt thank you to all the Veterans as November 11th approaches. Happy 13th Birthday to my nephew Ethan that day also!

In Life Group, our leaders said their adult children were talking about all the people cutting themselves, the suicides and drug addictions. I shared a thought and my leader told me to write it right down: “We haven’t invested in the little ones and the families are not being families so they have no love resource to draw from so they have no identity.” We who have accepted Jesus as Lord of our lives should find our identity in the Father’s love. If we don’t have that identity and love, how can we share with others to help them establish their own identity and worth? Pastor Nsamba [George William] from Ghana spoke in our church a couple weeks ago. He shared a new movement in the Body: Bring One. He and other leaders had planned huge gatherings to share the gospel. All the time and money brought some salvations, but never brought many into their churches. When they caught the idea of Bring One, each member found a friend, relative, neighbor, co-worker to bring and the churches grew exponentially. He stressed that we need to nurture our love relationship with the Lord, and start relationships and love on the people around us, then we’ll have opportunity to invite them to church. The Spirit is in the church, so if we bring one, they will encounter the Living God and be changed. It’s emboldened us to deepen our relationships and to love others more so we have people we can bring into church and into the Kingdom. Can you Bring One?

I’ve gone back and re-read some journal pages and found some common themes: I’m precious, loved, a dear one to Him. He tells me to draw closer, come deeper into Him, deeper into His love. All things come out of love and relationship. As I deepen my relationship with Him, I deepen my relationship with those around me. As I experience more of His love, I have more love to lavish on others. Let’s look at what the Word says of God’s love and the benefits of us sharing it:

…that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; Deuteronomy 30:20

…to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

[ Walk in Love ] Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Ephesians 5:1

I’ll finish with Matthew 22:36-40:

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great[est] commandment in the law?”

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Since God IS love; love is His person/nature. The Word of God in the Bible is all about His love for us, the love He gives, the love He wants us to give. Brothers and Sisters, as God has loved us in Christ Jesus, we also are to love. One other thought: Holiness means ownership. Holiness means you are owned by Him as 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, we were bought with a price; so glorify God in your body and spirit, which belong to God. Walk in love and you will draw many to Him; draw closer to Him and find yourself in the will of God! We need EVERYONE–are YOU in???