Be The Light!

By: Melissa Baker

It is really important to reflect and walk in who we are. Our faith in God is strengthened when we remember how perfect His love is for us. Once we know who we are, we must choose to do something with it. God has equipped us to be a light and to share His love with others. God strengthens our faith when we seek Him, so that others can experience His love through us. 

I know, it's extremely difficult to be the light of Jesus in EVERY situation, but we must strive to do so. Even if we are having a bad day, or just don't feel like being nice, people are looking to christians to show them Jesus. If we fail to show them Jesus, they won't even want to know Him. We have to show the love of Jesus to others, even when we don't feel like it, and ESPECIALLY when we think someone doesn't deserve it!

We have to allow God’s Word to reveal our identity in Christ. In Ephesians 2:10, it explains to us who we are created to be and what we were created for. God identifies us as "His masterpiece, created for good works." The Bible says to be generous with our lives and actions, so we need to be learning and growing in how and why we serve. 

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10

You can spread the light by telling a friend or someone you know about what God is doing in your life. Be extra kind to someone who is not so nice. Try to do something a little extra for someone who normally does things for you. Love the unlovable. In this world of darkness, be the light of Christ!

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:14-16

Have a great day and be the light!

The Fruit of the Spirit

By: Melissa Baker

Love- God loves each and every one of us so very much! Because God loves us, we need to love others as well.  1 John 4:7-11

Joy- True joy comes from God. You can experience true joy regardless of your situation. The Joy of the Lord is our strength! Psalm 28:7

Peace- We have true peace when we have a relationship with Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Patience- This is one area that can sometimes be the most challenging to demonstrate. however we must try our best to have patience. Colossians 3:12-15

Kindness- The importance of kindness is something we are taught when we are kids, but we sometimes forget just how important it really is to be kind. Jesus showed kindness to all people, so shouldn't we? Ephesians 4:32

Goodness- God created this world and everything in it. God wants us to experience the goodness of his creation. Let's slow down and experience God's goodness around us, and seek only the good things. Amos 5:14-15

Faithfulness- Everybody wants faithful people in our lives that will be there for us and that we can count on. Let's chose to be the kind of faithful person that we would want in our own lives. God is always faithful! And we can always count on Him! 1 Corinthians 1:9

Gentleness- Jesus was a great example of gentleness. Gentleness is something that is actually quite powerful and is the thing that can attract the most people to Jesus. In a world full of harshness, lets remember to be gentle. Philippians 4:5

Self Control- This can really be a struggle for a lot of people. Self control allows us to take over our actions and thoughts instead of just acting on our feelings alone. Proverbs 25:28

'But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There
is no law against these things!'

Galatians 5:22-23

Have a great day!

Holiness: Set Apart for God

By: Melissa Baker

Holiness. What does being holy really mean? And how do we go about becoming holy? Fortunately for us, Jesus gives us a pretty good idea of what living out holiness all boils down to. 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me."

Matthew 16:24 NIV 

There are three things that Jesus tells His followers to do:

First, He says Deny yourself. If you are wanting to live a holier life, then you have to realize that this world is not all about you. I know, it's sometimes hard to wrap our minds around that one. But I think what Jesus means here is not just giving up soda pop or a taking a week off of social media or games on your phone. Jesus means the radical change that lets the will of God flow through you. And that if God wants to move through you, then you are not going to try to stop Him. It means that at every moment, you are letting God lead you in doing the most for Him.

Second, Jesus says to pick up your cross daily.  This means that just as we give in to the things God wants for our lives, we are also giving up the things that hold us back from Him. Like those little sins that keep coming up. Like those thoughts that we have that tell us we aren't good enough or that belittle ourselves. Like the dreams we have that we will make something of ourselves, instead of something of Him. This one is probably the hardest one to do for many people. We don't like to be told what to do, but if we are going to live a life for Jesus,  then we have to play by His rules. 

Third, He says to follow Me. Being holy is not easy; it is not something for the weak or faint of heart. You will have to deal with people who will be totally against everything that you do, everything that you stand for, and everything that you are in Christ. You will face the devil, who wants nothing more than to see you not just fail, but to see you fall on your face and refuse to stand back up and fight. You will have to fight against your own selfish thoughts, ways and desires. We must follow Him at all costs! But Jesus has already showed us that it can be done! 

"I have told you all of this so that you can have peace in me. Here on Earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

John 16:33 NLT

You can overcome this world too! Jesus has set the example for us to follow. God himself has come down from Heaven to personally show us how to live a holy life, and He promises to help us through the many trials that we will face. So what does holy living look like for us? What does denying yourself, picking up your cross daily and following Jesus look like in our lives? When we look at what Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, being holy in following Jesus all comes down to one word: Choices.

In order to be holy we have to make choices. Sometimes choices can be silly and sometimes choices can be fun, but Jesus requires that we make choices that are much more serious and challenging than, say for instance, a bad haircut. All three of the things that Jesus said for us to do in Matthew 16:24 mean nothing if we don't choose to do them!

You can either serve God and deny yourself the position of first place in your life, OR you can choose to do it all just for yourself. 

You can either take up your own cross and put away the things that hold you back from God, OR you can set your cross down and decide to let your own thoughts and desires run your life. 

You can follow Jesus, OR you can follow the ways of the world, the things that look good, smell good and taste good, but in the end lead to unhappiness. 

Ultimately , holiness is all about making the choices that bring you closer to God. You can be as close to God as you choose to be, but the closer you are to God, the more fulfillment and joy you will experience in your life. Let's choose to be holy.  Let's choose to follow Jesus even when it's hard. He is there to help us every step of the way, because He has been through it all before. God calls Christians to live holy lives, not just for themselves, but to be a light for the entire world to know Him and be holy as well.

The Rest We Need

By: Melissa Baker

Rest. We all need it, yet it seems like we never do it. We are all so busy, going nonstop that we forget to rest. We have work, church, school, our kids sports, extra curricular activities, etc. All of that can wear us down very easily, especially if we don't learn to balance everything. This world is chaotic enough without us making it more complicated with our schedules and to-do lists. A lady by the name of Alli Worthington once said "We have to start breaking busy before the busy breaks us." Isn't that the truth! If we don't learn how to rest and take a breather, we will never accomplish anything other than being busy. We need to take a break. We need to rest!
There are several different types of rest. Spiritual rest, physical rest and mental rest. Jesus modeled all of these types of rest. YES, even Jesus needed rest! So if Jesus needed rest, don't you think we need to rest too? First, Jesus modeled spiritual rest. He took time to be alone with God. In Mark 1:35, it says "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed." He knew this was extremely important because He needed to hear God's voice. He needed to rest in God's presence. If you make time to pray and rest in God every day, you will be renewed and refreshed.
Jesus also modeled physical rest. He fell asleep on the boat with the disciples in the middle of a storm. Mark 4:38 says " Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him , "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"Even when others were desperately needing his help, Jesus was willing to take a nap and get physical rest. He knew the importance of physical rest. If we don't get the proper rest our bodies need, we are irritable, grouchy and our bodies suffer. We are supposed to take care of the bodies that God has given us.
Lastly, Jesus modeled mental rest. He was not afraid to step away from the crowds. He was willing to go to the other side on a boat, away from everyone who so desperately needed Him. Jesus was clear on what God was calling Him to do, so the needs and desires of others didn't distract Him from the mental rest He needed. Lets remove ourselves from the busyness and chaos and mentally rest.
God doesn't want us to be constantly exhausted and overwhelmed. How can we accomplish all that God is calling us to do if we cannot physically or emotionally function. We cannot function properly unless we have all the required rest our body needs. We need spiritual rest (time with God), we need physical rest (our bodies literally still) and we also need mental rest (time away from the chaos). God wants us to slow down and use our gifts and talents without the worrying or the busyness. We need to fully rest in God. When we do this, our bodies will be energized and our minds will be clear and open to what God wants us to do.  So today, be sure to get all the rest your mind and body is begging you for. Only then will be at your best. And that is what God wants from us, our very best!

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

Have a great day!

Where Jesus Slept: Review and Giveaway!

By: Melissa Baker

This is an adorable book. It tells the story of Jesus and has colorful pictures that the reader will cherish. I truly enjoyed reading this with my kids and they were reminded once again of the true meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate. Where Jesus Slept is a wonderful book. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to share the story of Jesus with their family at Christmas time.

About the book:

“This is the bed where Jesus slept. This is the straw that lined the bed where Jesus slept.” From here, the story builds with each spread, adding a new element and explaining the relationships among the participants and witnesses to the first Christmas. From Jesus sleeping sweetly to the wise men bringing gifts, this charming book reminds readers young and not-so-young of the joyous event we celebrate at Christmastime. Children will love the delightful illustrations and the engaging repetition in this cumulative tale.

    Format: jacketed hardcover

    Trim size: 10x10

    Page count: 32

    Retail price: $16.99

    Reading age: 4-7

 About the author:

Norma Lewis is the author of ten books. She lives in Grand Haven, MI, with a marmalade cat named Scalawag. They both love spending time with her six grandchildren, ranging in age from three to twenty.

Illustrated by Katy Hudson.

And Now for the Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Celebrate Jesus (& the Christmas Blessing Giveaway!)

As I look around our home, I see decorations. I see our Christmas tree shining bright and the holiday decorations surrounding me. The shimmering bulbs, presents under the tree, and colorful and festive decorations galore. I even have Christmas candles that are pine scented to bring back that "Christmas smell". With all of these things filling my house, not one of these could completely fill my heart. Not one of these things can bring me the joy of Christ. Not one of these things can save my soul. Yet we fill Christmas season with gifts, decorations, lights, snowmen and Santa. All of these things are great to celebrate with the kids, it makes the season more magical and fun for them. Yet the majority of the world doesn't even hear or say the name of Jesus on Christmas. The world makes Christmas about the gifts, parties, decorations, and feasts. When most people think of Christmas, the first thing they think about is either gifts or Santa. But how would you feel if on your birthday celebration, not one person acknowledges or celebrates YOU. It saddens me to think how Jesus feels knowing the majority of the world is glorifying this Santa character and not Him. Don't misunderstand me, our family celebrates Santa, hands out gifts, and puts up all the decorations. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these things. But we need to celebrate Jesus as well. We need to celebrate the birth of our Savior more than we celebrate Santa coming to our house. He is the TRUE reason for the season!

So this year, I encourage you, go out of your way to celebrate Jesus this year, make sure your family is rejoicing in this Christmas season, filled with joy about our savior. Let's be just as excited about Jesus as we are about the gifts we are receiving or giving. Celebrate our savior Jesus. And let us not celebrate only what He has done for us but who He is as well. It's so easy to get caught up in the worldly reasons for this holiday. Let's put Jesus back in Christmas! Let's not forget the reason for the season. JESUS!!

And now for the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules: No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited by law. Open to US & Canada residents only. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or associated by Facebook. By entering this giveaway, you agree to release Facebook, Woman to Woman Ministries and all participating bloggers of all liability. Contest ends at 12:01am EST on December 15, 2014. Winner is randomly chosen by Rafflecopter and will be emailed.

Please stop by and visit our participating bloggers!

Woman to Woman Ministries

Jenifer Metzger – Sweet Blessings

Shari A Miller – Living A Legacy

Melissa Baker – Live ~ Laugh ~Love

Our Goodwin Journey

Becoming A Strong Woman of God

Write the Vision

Coupons and Freebies Mom

Joy Dare Blog

All Our Days

Mama’s Coffee Shop

Beauty in the Mess

Homeschool Encouragement

Kayse Pratt

The Pocket Occupational Therapist

C Family of 6

The Focused Homemaker

Faith & Good Works

Awakened Anew

Kara Chupp

Hearts for Home