Author: rachelleepallas

Having an attitude of gratitude is not always easy or simple. Often times, we think gratitude is just saying “Thank you” to someone. While thanking people is great, it is not the life-changing kind of thankfulness that we are called to have. We are called to have a grateful heart. It is easy to see the blessings in your life, it is harder to feel blessed in all seasons of life. 

When faced with a task that you may not be very excited about, do you find yourself saying “I have to do this…” or have you learned to say “I get to do this…” We may know that our home is a blessing, but do we treat it in a way that a blessed person would treat it? Our homes, like many blessings, require maintenance and upkeep. The same is true for relationships. Often times we fall into the habit of feeling burdened by chores, volunteering, and helping others. We see these things as items to check off of a to-do list rather than as opportunities to invest in our blessings.

Changing your attitude is not an easy feat. It takes time for habits to form. If you’re not sure where to start, I think keeping a daily Gratitude Journal is a great idea! Pick a time each day to jot down what you’re most thankful for and then spend a little time in prayer to thank the Lord for those blessings. Another great habit to start is when you catch yourself feeling that “I have to…” phrase, try to change it! If you’re thinking “I have to do the laundry” try to remind yourself that access to clean clothes and a closet to store them in are blessings.

As we go into a holiday named for giving thanks, I encourage you to find the difference between knowing what your blessings are and actually feeling blessed by them. “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians‬ 3:15-21

For much of my life, I lived a spiritually split life. I believed in God, knew of Jesus, went to church, and prayed when I was told. I was a believer in words, but not in my heart. I spent much of my earlier life living for myself and keeping God hidden away from all the pieces that didn’t seem to fit into a “perfect church world”. I really thought that I had to fit into a mold before I could live my Christianity out loud. I believed that I needed to be free of any doubts and sins to have a true relationship with Christ. Because of this, I hid from the God who loves me and lived huge parts of my life without Jesus. 

The fact remains, we can’t genuinely hide from God. God knows even the most hidden parts, and He sees you even when you’re not thinking of Him. When we are living a split life, He sees them both. God doesn’t move from us, and Jesus is always in desire of an active relationship with us. Have you been walking that line between light and darkness? Are you turning down your opportunities to walk on water in order to stay in your comfort zone? 

Comfort is the enemy of growth, and God has not created us to live a life grasping for comfort every chance we can. We believe in a God of MIRACLES, a God of infinite wisdom. Most amazing of all, He is a God that offers us an open door. We can invite Jesus and the Holy Spirit into every single piece of our lives. If you still have doubts, if you’re still struggling with your biggest sins, Jesus wants you! We don’t have to wait for that life-changing, constant, freeing kind of faith. That kind of faith can only come from finally running toward Jesus in every single circumstance, no matter how small or dark it may feel. God wants to be in all of it with you.

Song: 

Jesus At A Distance by Casting Crowns

Verses: 

James 4:8; Jeremiah 33:2-3; John 15:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Revelation 3:20

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

God never ceases to remind me that He has got this. It’s been a little while since I’ve blogged, and the honest truth is that I was nervous to start writing again. I’ve been in what some people would call “a rough season” lately. My family has been grieving the recent loss of my father-in-law as well as the continued grief from the loss of my sister-in-law earlier this year. True to the nature of our world, even the smaller things haven’t let up either. It very much has felt like one of those “When it rains, it pours” situations. The saddest part, though, is in knowing that many, if not all, of you, have been through seasons like this as well.

As I stared into this stormy season, I prayed that God would show me the good within the bad. I knew that God was not abandoning us and that He was working good things even in the most tragic times. My prayers were answered. I was able to see a bit more of God’s timing, His good, and perfect plans still holding strong and protecting us. Trusting in Him has never failed to show me that good is there and that even better is coming. Our God’s heart breaks at the evil in our world, especially when that evil breaks our hearts. Out of all God’s creations, He cares most deeply for us. 

There is a song lyric that has been ringing loudly in my head that goes, “There may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning.” God has overcome the night. He has overcome the evil in our world. He is there, strongly present, in the most tragic seasons of our lives. Our Lord does not grow weary, He never stops working for the good of those who love Him. I encourage you to keep praying when it’s the hardest to pray. Pray for eyes to see the good that God has been carrying out in your situation. Invite the Holy Spirit into your pain, into your anger, into your darkest moments. God does not abandon us, He does not forsake us, and He will not fail us. Hope can always be found. Then, when you do find those bits of peace and joy, don’t forget to praise the God who gives unconditionally.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:22

“Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.” Psalms 119:76

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

In light of our “Relationships” theme of 2022, let’s talk about friendships. The Bible has countless insightful verses on this topic. Before diving further, I would like to highlight just a few great ones:

• “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” 1 Thessalonians 5:11a
• “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
• “Troublemakers start fights; gossips break up friendships.” Proverbs 16:28
• “A friend loves at all times” Proverbs 17:17a

Friendships look different for everyone. Some people thrive in large friend groups, while others prefer just one “bestie.” Maybe you’ve even been both of these people just going through different seasons of life. There is no exact “right way” to have friends, but there are definitely some “wrong ways,” or at least some pitfalls to look out for. These pitfalls can include pessimism, jealousy, codependency, and combinations of many other negative qualities people struggle with.

Pessimism is heavy but sneaky. Most of the time, we don’t even realize it is creeping into our lives until it has already taken over. It can find its way to us through our friendships, and in that same way, we can infect others with it. Have you ever been around someone who just seems to drain your energy? They aren’t mean; they’re not even a bad friend, but they just have that quality that leaves you emotionally exhausted by the end of your visit. We shouldn’t avoid friendships like these, you may even be called to pour the love and light of Christ into this friend’s life, but you must be careful not to let their troubles overcome you. At the end of every day, you are still a child of the King of Kings, and no amount of negativity from others should pull your eyes away from your true purpose here.

Jealousy blinds us. It robs us of our self-love and security. A friend that is blinded by jealousy spends a lot of time worrying and anxiously wondering if they’re liked, valuable, or worth spending time with. These insecure thoughts only feed our jealousy. The beautiful thing about friendships is that God brings them into our lives with purpose and for just a specific season most of the time. Rarely do you find a life-long friendship that has managed to stay close-knit the whole way through. Jealousy lies to you, and it tells you that you won’t be okay if a friendship falls away or if it is even just placed on a temporary hold. The truth is that we shouldn’t want to tightly hold on to friendships that God isn’t pushing us to. Long-time friends can become acquaintances; long-time acquaintances can become our closest friends, and so on. Trust that our Lord knows what is best for all of us and that He is working a plan for our good, even if we don’t see the big picture yet.

You’ve had good and bad friends throughout your life, but you’ve also been a good friend and a bad friend to others. While we are all sinfully human, the hope is that we are all working diligently every day to learn how to better show Christ’s love to one another. When thinking about Godly friendships, I have only a few recommendations. Give grace freely to yourself and everyone you interact with. Repent for how you may have wronged others in the past. Pray for God’s will and guidance in your current friendships and the friendship that are still to come. Allow yourself to grieve friends whose presence you miss in your life. Trust that following God’s plan and sharing Christ’s love is enough to be fulfilled in your life. No matter what season we are in, the light we offer in our friendships can remain unshaken.

Verses for further study:

1 Peter 4:8-10
John 15:12-15
Proverbs 22:24-25
Colossians 3:13

Song for inspiration:
God is Good by Francesca Battistelli

I have never met someone who didn’t feel far away from God at least one time in their life. We go through seasons of hardship, busyness, and change that can leave us feeling like we are doing life on our own. In my own life, I’ve been told by many people, “If God seems far away, guess who moved.” This quote always sparks two feelings in me: guilt, but what quickly follows is overwhelming gratitude.

The Guilt
We can read in 2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” The guilt that can be felt when we are far away from God is meant to be a feeling of sorrow that drives us back to the arms of our Lord. When feeling guilty, we are called to reflect, repent, and make changes that will keep us on the path that God has made for our lives. A guilty conscience is the Holy Spirit’s way of putting conviction on your heart. Guilt does not have to stay with you forever, though. When we bring our feelings of shame and regret to our Savior, He takes them from us, no matter how heavy it is.

The Gratitude
God always longs for a relationship with us, but coming back to the Lord after trying to live on your own can still feel impossible. How do we accept His love and forgiveness after being surrounded by guilt? Psalms 103:12 says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” We were never created to live in guilt and shame but to bring it to God in prayer so that we may be forgiven. If the creator of the universe has been so generous to remove our sins so far from us, then we must be willing to as well. We all fall short of God’s glory, but we also have opportunities to be forgiven and made new. The Holy Spirit walks with us in our journeys, and it is only when we deviate from our path that we feel far from God. Our gratitude is that we are always welcome back to a relationship with Him, no matter how many times we stumble. We are always one step away from coming back to our home in Christ Jesus.

Prayer
Dear Lord, I thank you today that you have never left me. Thank you for your unconditional and never-ending love. God, you know my deepest struggles and the sins that have caused me unbearable amounts of guilt in my life. I ask today that the Holy Spirit be louder than my doubts and stronger than the fears that may lead me farther from you. I long for you, Lord. Please forgive me for my wrongdoings, and remove my sins far away from me. Please help me walk the path you have laid out for me and only take steps that bring me closer to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song
One Step Away by Casting Crowns

Bible Verses for Additional Study
Romans 3:23-26
1 John 1:9
2 Corinthians 5:17

In my life I have identified myself in many ways. I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. At one time or another I have also been a student, a nurse, a volunteer, and many other things. Something I have noticed when using these labels and titles over the years is that a true sense of identity seems near impossible to hold on to. While social media offers us a way to stay connected, it also plays a role in why so many of us struggle to feel secure in who we are. Behind every corner is another person posting or bragging about their newest title or achievement. Seeing other’s lives through only a highlight reel can very easily distort our idea of what identity and connection are truly supposed to look like.

So, where can we find our identity? How can we feel confident in being the woman that God created us to be? The world tells us that the answer is complicated, but with Him it is simple. The answer is found in faith. When we ask Him, “What is my identity?” His answer is a resounding, “You are the daughter of the King of kings!”

Even with an identity firmly rooted in being a cherished child of God, there’s still work to do. We’re called to connect. Before we can connect with others, we must invest in a connection with Him. We do this by inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives and walking with Him always. Walking daily with our Savior may look different to each individual woman. For many, it looks look like daily devotional in the Word. For others, it may look like worshipping God through song on the commute to work. It can also look like an evening prayer each night where you can bring all the day’s blessings and heartaches to the Father in conversation. Whatever your daily walk with Christ looks like, an important thing to remember is that we are fiercely loved by the Creator of the universe, and He whole-heartedly desires a personal relationship with each one of us as individuals.

Below you’ll find a prayer, a song, and some wonderful Bible verses to help you further embrace your identity in Christ and begin today’s walk with Him.

Prayer:

Lord, I pray that you would open my heart to see that my true identity is found in you. Give me the strength and the passion to stand in Your truth, and to walk with You daily. Help me to let go of the ways that I have tried to establish myself within this world. Help me to see myself the way that You see me. Thank you, Lord, for this unique identity I have in You. Help me to continually strengthen my relationship with You, every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song:

Can’t Live a Day by Avalon

Bible Verses For Additional Study

John 1:12; Genesis 1:27; and Galatians 2:20