God’s Love in Constant

Father

Remembering this will help you to bend in life rather than break. God’s love is a constant in your life. You just forget because of past pain and false beliefs. It is important to understand that God’s love is not defined by the way humans love. So, refrain from projecting your limitations and the limitations of others onto God. In spite of your feelings of scarcity at times on this journey, the abundance of God’s love remains constant.

Too often as human beings using only about five percent of our brain capacity, we will limit our perceptions of God based on our experiences with other humans.

Have you ever had a negative encounter with someone who claimed to know God, and you then misplaced your disappointment and frustra­tions from their actions onto God? Perhaps you even disengaged from your own pursuit of knowing and loving God as a result of another’s negative witness. God’s love is very different from how you love as a human being. This is why it is so essential to connect to God in our experience of loving in this world. Our love is limited. God’s love is limitless. Our love will often contain criteria and is conditional, God’s love simply is and exists beyond reason, condi­tions and requirements… it is unconditional and constant.

A verse from Isaiah 50:15-16 sums this chapter up beautifully: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” It is grounding and peaceful to remember that you are remembered constantly by love it­self.

For God so loved us that He gave His only son to set us free into the glorious freedom that comes from knowing the One who held nothing back to win our love. As Mother T. reminds us, we are like a fish in water, no matter where we swim we are engulfed by the love of God. God’s love is constant.

Because of His Love,

Lauren

PRAYING DOCTORS

Praying Doctors

May and June are the traditional months for graduations and  celebrations of great accomplishments.  We know that the definition of commencement means ” a beginning or new start”,  but many times we look at graduation like it’s the end.

I was blessed to be in this photo with a group of doctoral students and we took the time right in the middle of the reception ceremony to praise God for the beginnings and responsibility he had given to each of us.

Although my physical and mental body worked hard for this doctorate degree the honor comes with great responsibly.   My vehicle is education but each of us has a unique God give path to begin.  We are to develop and prepare ourselves for the work and greatness that God has in store for each of us going forward.

I write this to say, that God gives each of us great responsibility no matter what your job or path is in life.  We just have to take that purpose or path we are on now and work to achieve great things in life using it to spread the message of Jesus Christ. No matter what you are celebrating are commencing, remember that it is through him that all things are possible.

Lets us not  forget the accomplishments that we achieve and be so for every humble of these gifts, so that in turn we are able to give back to others through our achievements!

~Dr. Stella

 

 

Is Your Marriage Strong Enough?

Screen Shot 2015-03-08 at 7.22.33 PMShortly after doing a soft launch for my latest book, Love Differently – Stay Married, I received numerous emails and phone calls from entrepreneurs who wanted the book.  One such email came from a young woman who said, “I’m ready to throw in the towel (this was a newly wed) and pour myself back into my work unless your book helps us make it work.”

According to her new husband, this entrepreneur never stopped pouring herself into her work. He did have an expectation for her though and that was to find the right balance between being a wife, and being with her work. If she couldn’t do it, then he wanted her to close her company.

Being Highly Driven

Entrepreneurs who are highly driven to succeed, without Christ, are often notorious for putting their work before their spouse, family, friends and even themselves.  This can lead to a path of:

  • Too much time away from the spouse or family
  • Little understanding of each others needs
  • Not sharing in the household burdens
  • No boundaries to show where work ends and marriage begins
  • No one championing or uplifting when affirmation is sought
  • Not being there for emotional or physical connections are desired

To whom much is given, much is required.

When spouses’ join together as a team, or take their vows in a covenant, they become one ‘flesh’ the Bible says. They ultimately share the burden of everything; work, View More: http://lacifrazierphoto.pass.us/cunninghamhousehold chores, parenting responsibilities, schedules, finances and more. They are each others best friends and soul mates.  They are their mate’s champion and teacher.  They see that work-life priorities are something that takes time to learn and they choose to be patient while their partner builds new skill sets. This is a healthy perspective for any marriage, but particularly as a spiritual entrepreneur who often holds themselves to a higher standard than most.

It wasn’t until after 2 years of taking a Sabbatical with God, studying human behavior, healthy relationships and marriage, that I became a life coach in 2005. While working with couples from all over the world I discovered that those who were traumatized by unhealthy relationship examples in their past were at risk for repeating unhealthy patterns in their future.  It truly didn’t matter if they owned a business, worked for someone else, were Christ-followers or Athiests. If a person’s perspective about relationships is unhealthy to begin with, then running a business only adds to the present perceived trauma for them.

History repeats itself

I didn’t believe that history would repeat itself in my own marriage.  I trusted that we would do things differently than our parents did right from the start. I was right, in the beginning, while everything was new and different.

We both came from divorced and divided homes however, so eventually I heard him repeatedly say, “I fix ‘things’ not relationships.” and he often heard me say, “We’ve got to fix things right now.” Within these two limiting beliefs, history had already repeated itself.

Detach from the outcome

The most important lesson I learned in marriage was to detach from the outcome. I learned this lesson one sunny morning while sitting at the breakfast table. I heard in my spirit, “What would happen if you were to surrender your husband to me today and let go of the outcome instead of trying to steer him where you believe he ought to go?”
It literally took my breath away.

Screen Shot 2015-06-23 at 2.03.55 PMI stared into the cup of hot chocolate I was stirring (this was before I removed sugar from my diet) and I realized the marshmallows weren’t melting.  The cup wasn’t hot enough so I got up and popped it in the microwave. As it was heating, I leaned against the stove and crossed my arms. I knew I need to respond to that question. I said with a little resistance (okay maybe a lot of resistance), “I guess I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done that before.”

The microwave timer went off and I opened the door to take my cup out and that’s when I heard, “The health of your marriage is a direct reflection of your personal walk with me.”

I look down at the marshmallows to see they were a bubbling white blend of goo. “A direct reflection.” I repeated to myself.  That statement held a lot of weight for me and still does to this day.  If my walk with God is about obedience and love, then what am I doing in relationship to my spouse?  I didn’t know it then, but it would take me years to answer this question because change takes time. It takes effort. It takes lots and lots of patience and practice before your heart melts just like those marshmallows, and you truly become one.

If you contemplate on your own marriage, and find that it isn’t the greatest reflection of your walk with God, take heart. It’ll help you to know that we ALL experience those times when we’d rather control our way through life. Its human nature. But when we allow ourselves the time to sit at Jesus’ feet, we realize we can fully let go of the outcome because there is no longer any need to control or protect.  Ultimately, that is where we all want to be.

To know Jesus better can only happen one way, just like with our spouses. By spending time getting to know him.  You can find Free Bible lessons right here.

While I admit that Christ-like principles won’t appeal to everyone, it will be a HUGE leap for motivated couples who want to put God first in their life. I trust that if you’re still reading this, then you will love differently in order to stay married, so that when those rough times come, you too will be able to say, “Yes, my marriage is definitely strong enough.”

Always Love,

Kellie

An Act of Forgiveness & Protection Prayer

 

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I am heart broken and sadden with the tragedy this week in a South Carolina Church.  It is so sad to see Satin’s work and how being processed with evil can cause such harm.

What bring me joy is the tremendous amounts of forgiveness that these victims families had for their assailant.  This is a true testimony of faith and forgiveness.  They acted on Gods word even in the mist of this great tragedy.  Satin did not win with this one!

Protection Prayer

Heavenly father, I ask that you console those affected by this tragedy, I also ask that we are as strong when asked to forgive.   I pray ( Psalm 27 and 91) that noting like this happens again and that you protect our ministries, churches, and families.

~Dr. Stella

You Are Enough.

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You are enough.

Three simple words that have the power to change our daily lives. When we come to truly believe these words, we are free to fully express ourselves and even come to love ourselves. All too often we find ourselves throughout the day glancing in dismay at a bathroom mirror, or hopelessly staring at another man or woman that possess a physical attribute that we ourselves wish we had. Why is that? Why do we seek to compare, to change, to perfect?

We treat our own bodies as if they are broken. We come to believe the lies that if we were just skinnier, just stronger, just a little bit more, then we would be happy. And here lies the problem. We come to believe that our self worth, our happiness, lies within our own grasp. We believe it is something that must be attained and earned. We forget that we are not perfect because society says so, but we are perfect because our Father says so. We are not worthy of love because we look a certain way, but because we have been handcrafted for love, by Love.

Our self worth and dignity, and herein our happiness, lie not in something that we can attain, but in someone who has created us, loves us, and wants the very best for us. This very person has also proven that we are worth dying for. Today I invite you to try believing in this truth. Believe that you are loved, you are smart, you are beautiful, you are strong, and you are enough. Then sit back and watch the beauty that will unfold as you truly begin to live. Any time that you need a reminder simply look at a crucifix, for there in the eyes of the man hanging on that cross, you will find just how much you are truly worth.

In Him,

Kaylin <><

What Has Mastered You in Life?

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“A man is enslaved to whatever has mastered him.” 2 Peter 1:19

As you reflect on your own relationship with the world, what has mastered you in your life? Is it your environment? Opinions and reactions of other people? The need to be seen, acknowledged, and recognized?

Is it your behavior? My clients, who are seeking freedom from compulsive behavior, will often say, “I just can’t help myself.” This reveals a type of personal enslavement due to allowing some food, substance, situation, or person to master them over time, which in some cases results in a biological addiction.

The stress hormone is linked directly to your emotional state of mind and heart. Extended emotional stress often leads to personal enslavement, which usually walks hand in hand with unhealthy outlets. The key to freedom in situations like this lies in your ability to accept where you are at, accompanied with a desire for positive personal transformation and a choice to take a step in that direction.

Dear God, I choose this week to align my thoughts, words and deeds with my highest good and the good of all concerned. Through the power of the Holy Spirit I ignite my ability to choose my responses to life remembering that I hold the key to victimization and empowerment AND what I chose to think about sets in motion my reality. 

All things are possible for me, shrinking back and allowing myself to be burdened by the yoke of slavery to unhealthy masters is not how you created me to show up in this life. I choose you and all things good, right, true, beautiful and praise worthy.

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

God Breaks the Bars of Enslavement

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The definition of being enslaved is to cause someone to lose their freedom of choice or action.  The thought of losing freedom in any form is cause for alarm, because it limits ones ability to be free and to produce the increase that God has promised.

“And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them.” —Ezekiel 34:27

God has promised us increase by breaking the bondage of doubt, depression, fear, stress, inability or anything else that lessen what is ours.  Acknowledge that you are free and that you can secure your land and all that is promised through Jesus Christ.

Know the he is lord and watch how he breaks the yokes in your life!

Thanks be to God!

~Estella