​See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God.        1 John 3:1
 
Good morning, dear one,
            This week I want you to lavishly love on yourself.  It is my guess that you have neglected to put your needs first for a long, long time. And you are worn out.  Burned out.  As Christians, we put a high priority on service.  On loving our neighbor. On nurturing our family and friends.  And while loving and serving is so important, the truth is that once in a while you and I need to take a time-out.  A time to refresh.  A time to re-start.  A time to set goals that will bring joy to our heart and put a skip in our step.  Take time this week to examine your life.  Is it well with your soul?
            We are God’s beloved children.  Jesus said,” I came to bring you joy, to the full and overflowing, enough to share.”  That is how I want you to serve—from a full heart.  Those of us who are parents would not want our children to live lives of dullness, drudgery, and toil. God wants us, his children, to live up to our full potential.  To explore our own talents.  Your soul will jump for joy when you put time into something that is important to you.  You are amazing and capable and so very loved.  Value your time.  Spend it wisely.  And remember, you deserve tender, loving care.  Treat yourself to a relaxing bubble bath.  Bake your favorite cookies.  Try meditation and allow yourself to relax.  You are so loved by our Father.  Treat yourself kindly this week.
                                                         Encouraging you to be your best,
                                                                                          Linda

​Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:        Ecclesiastes 3:11
Good morning sweet one,
                Yesterday was the first day of fall, my favorite season of all.  Love, love the crisp air, yes, even in Palm Harbor it was a little cooler. Love the changing of the leaves and hope to convince Jim to take me north to see them again.  Change is inevitable, in nature, in all of life.  For most of us, change in our personal lives might seem scary, or maybe, you are one of those adventurous people who thrive on the edge.   Usually, I like to view change, consider it, run for cover, peak out again, and take a first baby step toward something new.  But to embrace the new, we must let go.  This week, I ask you to ponder:      “What in your life is done? What is over?                                                                                                            What relationship is over?                                                                                                                                             What outdated belief do you need to let go of?                                                                                                     What are you clenching in your hand?                                                                                                                What do you need to let go of to truly embrace the new that God has already prepared for you?”  Be brave.  Life is exciting.  Let go of the old.  It may hurt for a while, but just beyond the pain is where miracles happen.   Hold hands with hope and take a leap of faith,                                                                                  Linda                                           

God is faithful: He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Hello Dear One,
          This week, my message is not light.  The subject is temptation.  A few weeks ago, someone I love very much was faced with temptation. And rather than turn away, ran forward into the pitfall of hell with difficult consequences. So, just a word to those facing their own demons.  Remember:  The time to deal with temptation is immediately when it rears its ugly head.  Nip it instantly!! Let’s look at King David’s story:
          In the spring, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army… But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around the roof of the palace where he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. David slept with her. She became pregnant.  David was nervous that his sin of adultery would now be found out. The King called for Uriah to come home so that he could spend a night with his wife Bathsheba and cover up the sin. However, Uriah refused to sleep with his wife while his fellow men were off fighting. David was filled with anger that his plan did not work. When Uriah went back to war, King David sent a note to the army commander with instructions to have Uriah put at the frontline and to withdraw so that he would die. 2 Samuel 11
          Wow, how insidiously temptation escalates into sin. Using David’s story, the time for him to turn away from temptation was when he first saw a naked woman from a distance.   Don’t think about a second step.
Temptation              Escalation               Escalation              Painful Result
A taste of cake       a piece of cake        more cake           weight gain                                                                              One drink               a second            a third                 DUI                                                                                           A quick retort         hurt feelings                                       broken relationships      

                                                                                                                                                                                             If you succumb to temptation, remember, there is always redemption.  You are not broken forever. God will not leave you nor forsake you.  Praying for you always, Linda

​I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6
 
Good Morning dear one,
 
          I love each and every one of you.  With my weekly little message, I pray that I plant seeds of hope and encouragement.  However, helping people climb the mountains in their lives is always a group effort. Each of us can be an encourager: “Come on, you can do it.”  “I’m here for you.”  We can do our part as God leads.  Sometimes our planting of seeds can seem to fall on rocky ground.  Maybe the person is in a hard place where the seeds are not received. Maybe the person we are attempting to help is not open to new growth just now.   We may not see the outcome we had hoped and prayed for. But, oh my friend, don’t give up.  An Apollos will take over and water and nurture the seeds you planted.  And God is waiting for just the right moment to intervene and help the plant grow.  The truth of this gardening metaphor is that the seed must struggle and desire earnestly to grow.  The person you are trying to encourage must hunger and thirst for new life.  And you and I are just a part of the process.  So, don’t ever stop planting seeds.  Stop looking for desired outcomes and trust the process is working.  Maybe it is time to release your hold on another seed and fertilize and refresh your own growth. Maybe it is your time to be fallow ground to prepare for the next planting season.  God is the Lord of all.  Trust the process.
                                                 Your farmer friend,                                                                                                            Linda