Glory In The Lord
Pause for a moment and consider how good God is. Thank Him for the breath you have, the life you live, and all the blessings you experience.
God is worthy of your praise.
Life isn’t perfect; there’s pain, suffering, and grief we all must endure. We all face dark and tough seasons.
However, Jesus experienced similar trials in His life. He grieved the loss of His friends, endured pain and suffering, and walked through dark times—feeling abandoned even on the cross.
None of these experiences alter the goodness of God. He remains good, present, and strengthens us in our suffering.
That’s why in 1 Chronicles 16:10, the writer encourages us to glory in His name. It means we should praise and uplift God in our lives. Our lips should overflow with praise, thanking God for who He is and what He has done.
What are some things you can thank God for today? How can you praise Him? Perhaps start by listing things you’re grateful for, then praising God for each one.
You might also list challenging aspects of your life. Spend time praying during this Advent season, asking God to oversee your circumstances. Thank Him for listening and being present, even in tough seasons.
Author: vicklea
I love to read! I’m a retired teacher with a spouse of 45 years, three amazing children and nine wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!
Review of Housebroke by Jaci Burton
About the Book
A millionaire and a woman who thinks he’s a house flipper are stuck living in a house together with a menagerie of rescue dogs as roommates, in this heartfelt romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton.
After her ex took all their money and bailed, Hazel Bristow is left broke and homeless. A kind friend whose home is on the market lets Hazel and her foster dogs stay there until it sells. It’s the perfect setup, until her friend forgets to tell Hazel she’s sold the house.
Linc Kennedy is shocked to find Hazel and her pups squatting in the house he just bought, but after some negotiating—she offers to cook amazing meals for him in return for a paycheck—he agrees to let her remain while he’s renovating the place. Linc tells Hazel he’s an investor who renovates homes for fun—he just leaves out the part about being wealthy.
Hazel’s intrigued by Linc. He’s funny, sweet, ridiculously hot, and loves dogs almost as much as she does. But her track record with men? Not great. She worries her trust meter isn’t in working order.
Linc’s never met anyone like the quirky beauty who puts everyone’s needs—human and canine—before her own. He didn’t tell her about his wealth because he’s been burned by women who only wanted him for his money. But with Hazel, he’s never felt more like himself. Now he has to figure out how to tell her the truth without losing her. Because Linc realizes what he feels for her isn’t puppy love—it’s true love.
My Thoughts
An escape into a fun-to-read rom-com is just what I needed during the busy holiday season to take me away to a world of laughter, love and entertainment. Hazel fosters dogs and is basically homeless, living in the home of a friend while she tries to get money together to pay for her own place. Enter Linc, a swoonworthy hero, who has purchased the house she is living in and agrees to let her continue to stay there while he remodels it as long as she will cook for him. What a setup for some humorous scenes since Hazel is a quirky character who has no idea that Linc is a millionaire. I loved the dogs who each have their own personality and become characters in their own right. I also enjoyed the interactions between Hazel and Linc, neither of whom knew enough about the other but both were willing to learn. This is a story filled with heart and humor that is perfect for fans of rom-coms with dogs and a lot of original twists to a clever plot. The pace is just fast enough to keep me engaged and the characters are relatable and lovable.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
About the Author
Jaci was honored with the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award as well as their Reviewers Choice Award. She has been a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best and National Reader’s Choice Awards, and has won The Romance Studio’s CAPA Award four times.
Jaci is a member of Romance Writers of America.
You can find Jaci on the web at the following locations:
Website: jaciburton.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorJaciBurton
Twitter: twitter.com/jaciburton
Instagram: instagram.com/jaciburton
Contact: jaci@jaciburton.com
Available Now! Purchase Links:
Barnes and Noble (Nook)
Intentionally Worship God
Give Him Your Praise
Worship is the act of praising God for who He is and what He has done for us. Throughout Scripture, worship is a central act of the Christian life.
As Christians, we have received so much from God. Through Jesus Christ, we have received salvation and grace. We now have a new life in Christ and are secure for eternity.
Our response back to God for all of these things should be worship. Praising Him for His goodness and mercy and thanking Him for the things He has done.
We often think of worship as singing songs to God. And within this form of worship, we can do things like clap our hands, pray to God, or raise our hands in awe of Him.
But, singing songs is not the only form of worship. We can worship God in every area of our life. We worship God through prayer and gratitude. We can also worship God by being in awe of His creation.
As the writer of Psalm 47 says, shouting out to God and worshiping God comes from the joy within our heart. As we consider the greatness and goodness of God, as well as everything He has given us, we worship Him out of the joy within us.
Consider during this Advent season how you can intentionally worship God. You can begin by thanking Him for His faithfulness and goodness or any of His other attributes. Express your gratitude for the things He has done in your life and the things He’s given you.
God Is Our Strength and Shield
Taking time to watch this video will be worth your time…we can depend on God because He protects us, delivers us and gives us confidence to move forward. I needed this today and I hope that it blesses you, too.
Sing Praises and Know That God Is Present
The Lord our Warrior
There are many different ways we can think about God. He is presented in Scripture as a God of love and mercy. He is also the Creator as well as our Rescuer. God is even spoken of as a Protector and a Warrior. Most importantly, God is the Protector of His people, those who trust in Him.
We don’t always consider God as a warrior, fighting on our behalf through the various trials and battles in life. Maybe you even remember a tough season when it seemed like God was absent or felt distant. Typically, in seasons of difficulty, it is us who draw away from God, not God drawing away from us.
Scripture says that God is our strength and shield. But it also says that we should trust Him, which means we have to believe He is present and working in the background even when we don’t think He is. Psalm 28:7 says that as we trust in Him, He will help us in our need.
In addition to trusting in God during seasons of difficulty, the Psalmist encourages us to find joy in God, not only through trusting Him but also through singing songs of praise and worship. Singing to God, especially in the midst of tough seasons, has the power to turn our hearts and minds toward God because singing to God is actually a way of building trust in God.
Songs remind us of who God is and what He has done for us in the past, so that we can trust Him in the present. All of this builds our trust and produces joy in our lives.
During this Advent season, and time of reflection, consider: Are you trusting God to be your strength and shield, or are you trying to manage life’s difficulties alone? What songs can you think of that can help build your faith and joy in this season? Every season of life provides a new opportunity to trust God as our Protector and praise Him for all He has done for us.
Abounding in Hope
Abounding in Hope
The good news of Jesus Christ is for all people and nations. This truth is something that Paul continuously reiterated in his letter to the Roman Christians. Paul wanted to make sure they knew that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ has been given access to God through Jesus Christ.
And so, as Paul neared the end of his letter, he encourages the Romans with this prayer: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13 ESV)
What a wonderful promise! God is doing the work of filling us with joy and peace, and as that happens, by His Holy Spirit, we will abound more and more in hope.
Hope for what? Hope in what?
In Romans 5:1-5, Paul describes how those who believe in Jesus are now at peace with God…
“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (ESV; emphasis added)
Because of our faith in God, we hope in God’s glory, and we hope in God’s love.
So right now, consider how God’s love might fill your heart with hope. In what ways can you hope in God during this Advent season?
Do You Have the Mark?
The Mark of a Disciple
Jesus says that everyone will be able to recognize us as His disciples by our love for one another. That means loving one another the way Jesus intended is a way of identifying ourselves as Christians. It is also one way to share the love of Jesus with others.
While culture promotes a selfish way of living, where we look out for ourselves first, God’s Word encourages us to be counter-cultural in how we love others.
We should be selfless instead of selfish.
We should do what we can to put others before
ourselves.
We should look for ways to help one another.When we choose to love others, we show them Jesus’ love. And through loving others, people will recognize that our lives differ from the world around us. We will be able to share the message and hope of Jesus through the love that we show.
Take time during this season of Advent, to reflect on your own life. Do people know you as a disciple of Jesus Christ through the way you love others? If not, what steps can you take to build a habit of love?
Do
Representative of Christ
I don’t know about you but I am a little fed up with people who say that they represent me in Congress or in the state legislature, but infrequently have they actually asked me how I feel about things and voted the way that I would vote. Maybe it’s because they don’t really know me?
As Christians, we are called to be representatives of Christ to a lost world. We can do that because we know Him through His Word and He knows us because we are His. If we are truly Christians, He communicates with us daily and we should be communicating with Him all day long. Then, we go out into the world and open our mouths and our representation of Christ may not be so obvious. In today’s world of technology, we can just sit at home and represent Christ, or not represent Him well, as the case may be.
Look at this verse carefully. It doesn’t say, “and when you know the Father is listening” or “when you are around other believers.” It says whatever you do or say. That means in person and online. I used to post a lot of things on Facebook that would offend some people because that particular meme or graphic represented my beliefs. Now, I post scripture and about books and family. Not politics to a random audience online who only sees what I post and judges me by what I am posting. I ask myself now before I speak (online or in person) if what I am saying is a good representation of Christ or if I should just keep my mouth shut. More often than not, the Spirit tells me to clam up and keep my personal opinions to myself because they are not edifying Christ.
How about you? Are you ready to make a commitment to be a good representative of Christ wherever you are and whatever you say or do? A new year is coming and it would be a great resolution to make, and one you could actually keep with the help and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be good representatives of Christ, not the ones whom He will one day turn His back on and say He never knew us.
God’s Covenant Is Forever
If you are reading this and think that you don’t know what a covenant is, I am almost sure that you do, but you may not have used that exact word. A covenant is another word for a binding agreement, a contract or a promise. Anyone who is married has entered into a covenant relationship with their spouse, for example. God entered into a covenant with Abraham when He promised that his seed would be as numerous as the sand. He entered into a covenant with David when He promised that someone from his lineage would be on the throne forever. And He entered into a covenant with us when He sent Jesus to die for our sins; our part of that agreement was to accept the sacrifice. God does not make promises lightly because he always keeps them. Always and in all ways!
God has promised us unfailing love…we cannot escape this promise if we just hold on to it. We have to listen to find life. To what do we listen? To God speaking to us in His Word. Within the cover of the Holy Bible is where all of His promises and His covenant agreements with us can be found. You cannot know what they are unless you read and study His Word. What if you suddenly discovered that you owned valuable property but had never been shown the contract so you were unaware of it? That is what it’s like to never claim the promises of God’s Word. They are meant for each of us, His children, but we have to know them and know that God’s love has provided them for us.
God is faithful. We look around at mankind and see few examples of faithfulness. Most people who call themselves public servants are actually just serving themselves and their own desire for glory, fame and riches. God doesn’t need our worship. We need Him because He is the One we can count on to always be faithful and to always keep His covenant. God is still working out His purpose in our lives every day. We need to help Him fulfill the best for our lives by getting in step with His plan, not insisting that He bless the plan that we have come up with ourselves. God is a faithful, covenant-keeping God and for that I am eternally grateful.
To Be Like Christ
Growing To Be Like Christ
We imitate those we love. As all of us grew up as kids, we imitated those around us so that we could learn and grow. During that process of growing, we naturally gravitate towards certain people we want to be like.
Jesus says something similar in John 14:21: those who love Him are those who obey His commandments.
Now, let’s be clear. Jesus is not saying you must obey Him before you can love Him. We see elsewhere in Scripture that Jesus loves us freely before we do anything for Him. But what this verse is saying is that the ones who love Jesus are the ones who will obey Him.
If we truly love Him, then we will desire to follow Him. More than that, we will strive to be like Him. Jesus never commands us to do something He wouldn’t do. Most of Jesus’ commands are grounded in His actions and character.
So, in order to grow into maturity and Christ-likeness, we should follow Him and obey what He says. And in order to obey what He says, we should start with loving Him.
As you spend time reflecting during this Advent season, how can you better love Jesus?
As we continue loving Jesus and keeping His commandments, our lives will be transformed.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 