It's Spring Time

Today begins the Holy Week and The First Day of Spring....

Spring signifies growth, new beginning and resurrection. What a significant collaboration!

What are you holding unto? "Whatever you are holding unto holds you down" _ Tweet
Sin? Unforgiveness? Material possession? Hurt? Hatred? Procrastination?

For Those Who Feel Unloved This Valentine's Day

The Valentine holiday of love is here, and for many, Valentine’s Day means feeling forgotten or unloved or lonely. The love theme behind this day can get buried under all the pressure, expectations, and mixed emotions.

Stephanie Rische, in her post “For Anyone Who Feels Underloved on Valentine’s Day,” says: “If this is a hard holiday for you, I won’t pretend there are any magic words that will make it easier. But I want to say these words anyway, to let you know that you are not invisible. You are not alone. And even when it doesn’t feel like it, you are loved. If you’re feeling loved already, God is inclined to pour out even more love on you—the excessive, abundant, extravagant kind. And if you’re having a rough Valentine’s Day, I think he’d like to just sit there beside you and let you know you’re not alone.”
It can be challenging for that to feel real when everyone around us seems to be receiving bouquets of roses and boxes of chocolates or other sentimental gifts, but the Bible gives us endless reminders of His perfect love for us.
Pam Kanaly shares ten verses on Crosswalk.com that remind us, no matter our relationship status, that Jesus is our truest love:

But I Don't Feel Thankful....

What do you do when your life is going south?  What do you do when it is “THANKSGIVING” and you have just lost a loved one… or just lost your job… or just lost your marriage? Surely you cannot be expected to give thanks… can you?

November ends today and we all know its "Thanksgiving" month. It's a time to reflect and to consider all the ways we've been blessed. It's a time to give out gratitude to God for our families, our home, our health and our jobs. Ultimately, to count our blessings and hold close the ones we love.

I appreciate that perspective because I think that there is a lot to be said about a heart of gratitude. It's important to take the time to thank God for all that is good in our life.

But what if giving thanks meant more than just counting our blessings?

What if being thankful meant surrendering our struggles and trials too?