Tag Archives: Truth

Another Form of Worship: Stepping Out and Loving People

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As my feet hit the pavement my mind immediately began to relax. With my worship music in my ears I couldn’t help but think that maybe my runs are a way to worship God. It’s a way for me to drown out the world and focus on Him. It’s literally a way to run the race set before me. 

As the sidewalk turns my eyes lock on an older woman in what looked to be her late forties using a walker. Her face showed pain and just ahead of her was a little girl riding a bike with tricycle wheels. As hard as the woman tried, she just couldn’t keep up so on my way back around the trail I saw her up ahead, sitting on the bench while the little girl she is with burned the rest of her energy. 

As my feet began to continue past the lady my heart said something completely opposite and honestly, kind of scary. “Go pray with her”, that little voice inside me whispered. As excuses began to play over and over in my head about how random and offensive that might be to the woman, another thought drowned them out.

“What if I don’t?” What if all that woman needed was a little bit of socializing and prayer to feel better and I let myself bail because I was too scared. What if I refused to do something God has clearly told me to do?

That moment I realized, that I wasn’t thinking of the woman in need. I was only being selfish and thinking of me. 

I immediately stopped and turned around. With my head down, I awkwardly walked to the woman and introduced myself.

“I’m going to ask you something a little weird,” I said. “Is there anything you would like me to pray for?”

With a shocked look on her face, the woman answered with an abrupt, “Yes” and she began telling me about the painful situation she is currently going through.

It turns out this brave woman’s back has gotten so bad that no doctors will work on it. From observation I could tell that the woman was trying her hardest to be there for her granddaughter, but with the recent conversations she has had with many doctors, and an extreme amount of pain, Trish didn’t know if that was possible.

After our conversation and prayer, I left but as I was running back home I realized that Trish wasn’t the only one that got something out of our conversation.

Run the Race of Endurance

{These graphics are free for you to enjoy}

You see, When God speaks sometimes what He asks is a little scary to us. My situation with that woman made me realize why that is.

We think,

What if I fail?

What if I’m offensive?

What if what God said, really isn’t what I should be doing?

Do you see the correlation with all of those thought’s?

It’s the letter “I” 

In the midst of stepping out it’s easy to forget that it’s not all about us. Matthew 6:27 says it best by asking all of us if our worries add a single moment to our life..

It doesn’t… Instead worrying takes away time we could be using to benefit the kingdom of God.

Jesus commanded us to tend His sheep (John 21:17) and on that run I realized that one of the ways I can worship God is by putting aside the doubt, doing what He asks of me, and loving those in need.

~ Lovelle ❤

Jesus is Our Gluten

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I wouldn’t be surprised if I were nicknamed “The Queen of Carbs” because, out of all of the types of foods I consume, foods that are rich in carbs make up the majority. Not long ago I had to change my diet for health reasons and the result was taking gluten out of my diet which pretty much eliminated all breads and anything with flour in it.

Gluten is an ingredient found in wheat and what it does is even more interesting. You see, gluten puts the “fluff” in bread. This ingredient helps the food keep it’s shape and represents sort of a glue, which helps hold the food together.

Needless to say, giving up brownies and bread was not easy. Gluten is in all the good food! One day as I was watching my husband eat a really good looking homemade waffle (I must admit I was a little jealous) God whispered a powerful statement in my heart…

Bread of Life

{These graphics are free for you to enjoy}

It’s easy for me to crave carbs and gluten, but am I really craving what’s important? I’ll be honest here and say there are days when I pick up my Bible out of habit. There are times when I go to church because “it’s the right thing to do.” As ashamed as I am to admit it, quite a few sermons go in one ear and out the other. I want to crave God as much as I crave gluten.

When Jesus made that powerful statement in John 6:35 He meant so much more than simply never being hungry or thirsty. He was saying that HE ALONE is the one who shapes us. He is the glue that holds us together and it is only through Him that we can truly live.

As cheesy as this sounds, Jesus is our gluten. God needs to be a part of everything I do and I need to crave him more than I crave anything else. Yes, I love carbs but there is also something even better that I can crave and digest without getting fat and that is God.

Unlike gluten that tends to shape my thighs and stomach through unhealthy foods, God shapes my spirit and mind. Every day He molds me more into the woman he designed me to be.

~ Lovelle ❤

Six Ways to Live a Healthy Life Inside and Out

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6 Ways to liveA HealthyLifestyleInside

As I stated in my previous post, I have always struggled with respecting and honoring my body. I used to be overweight, and this caused me to disregard the importance of a healthy lifestyle. I was wrong because I didn’t take care of the body I was given. Since then, I have lost eighty pounds and although I take care of my body’s health, I find myself disrespecting my body through my words and thoughts.

That’s where the Bible comes in. It turns out my friends were struggling with the same thing so after looking through scripture we have found six ways to live a healthy lifestyle inside and out.

1. Physical exercise–

 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
~ 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is so important because it displays the care we feel for our Creator’s work. Running was one of the ways I got in shape, and this verse is one of my favorites. Exercise takes discipline. I have to make myself get off the couch and work out. I have to commit to do it on a regular basis. 

2. Eating Healthy-

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
~ Romans 12:1-2

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.
~ 1 Corinthians 6:19

Lisa TerKeurst explains the importance in an amazing way in her book Made to Crave. Her outlook is that we were all made to crave. Sometimes there are things we shouldn’t crave though and for me, it’s food. One of the ways I can give my body to God is by eating healthy. This means not eating when I am hungry and avoiding a lot of junk I don’t necessarily want or need. Eating chocolate once in a while is not a bad thing by any means but food and cravings shouldn’t control you.

3. Studying your word-

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.
~ 1 Timothy 4:8

My friends and I are big believers on the importance of exercise. We also know that sometimes, exercise can aid our Spiritual discipline. Striving to live a Godly life is a workout and discipline of it’s own. Just like exercise, reading our Bible and praying should be done on a regular basis.

4. Kind words to yourself-

Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
~ 2 Corinthians 10:12

As I stated in my previous post, one of my biggest struggles is comparing myself to others. If I don’t fit the mold I see in others, I tend to knock myself down through comments like, “you’re fat” or “you need to work out more” and this is wrong. I may or may not need to work out more but that is based on staying healthy and honoring God with what I do with my body that he has given me. It’s not based on trying to fit the mold of others.

5. Keeping your security in heaven

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.
~Proverbs 16:1

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
~Proverbs 16:24

As poor college kids, my friends and I know how hard it is to keep finances and other worldly items from becoming our security and we know the consequences of that. This life has no certainty. The only thing that stays the same is God and he will take care of us.

6. Kind words to others-

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
~Ephesians 4:29

Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
~Proverbs 16:24

A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
~Matthew 22:39

Let’s be honest, girls can be pretty hateful and that hate often occurs through words. Little whispers of gossip and slander are not kind or necessary and hateful words to someone’s face aren’t either. You can never take back what is said. I don’t know a single person that hasn’t been really hurt by hurtful statements. The Bible says that this is wrong so it shouldn’t be done.

There are a lot of things that my friends and I want to improve on this year. We believe every day holds a chance for growth. We know that these six basic principles will help aid us in the process of our personal refinement. We hope these can help you too!

What are some ways that help aid you in living a healthy lifestyle inside and out?

~ Lovelle, Karley, and Cathy ❤

What My Wedding Meant to Me

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On January 3rd, 2015 I experienced my wedding day and it was something I will hold close to my heart forever. You see, I come from a family of mostly shotgun weddings. Abstinence was non-existent and elegance was foreign. So as I looked at myself in the mirror with my white dress, make up, and well-designed hair I just couldn’t seem to look away.

Feel Pretty

“Lovelle, do you feel pretty?” my bridesmaid Lindsey asked me.

“Yes” I said in amazement. “Yes, I really do.“

My wedding symbolized so much more than marrying the man of my dreams. My wedding symbolized the redemption of a horrible past and God’s unfailing love. 

My white dress symbolized purity, a concept that was hard to accept because I was sexually abused. God really showed me the meaning of the verse in 2nd Corinthians 5:17. He says that those who find Christ are a new creation. Their old life is gone. They are made new…

My husband symbolized a broken cycle and true love with a person God chose specifically for me. As both of our families joined together and prayed around a corner (to keep from seeing each other before the wedding) I couldn’t be happier because even before we said “I do” we were able to start our new life off with a focus on God.

Family Prayer

I think one of my favorite memories though was the father daughter dance. It wasn’t even two years ago that I was without parents. I remember being on my knees praying to God. All I wanted was to be loved.

I never thought it was possible, but God answered my prayers by giving me two amazing parents and I can honestly say they are better than even my wildest dreams.

They were worth every bit of abuse.

They were worth the long journey of pain.

They were worth the confusion and every horrible situation I faced.

Father Dance

Its funny to me that the one thing that I thought I would never have in my wedding, God proved to be so. As I took my Dad’s hand and danced to our song I began thanking the Lord for the many gifts He had given me. When the song ended I grabbed my Mom and we all began to cry. We cried because we knew that this wedding wasn’t about us. It was about God, His ability to answer even the craziest of our hearts’ desires, and His ability to redeem.

In the past, I never really understood the significance of a wedding but now I do. It was the best day of my life and it was so full of joy. I want to relive this moment for the rest of my life.

My marriage was a celebration to God for everything that He has done. It was His love that saved me and it was His strength that sustained me. This wedding was proof that everything that was taken from me, God, in his love, redeemed.

~Lovelle ❤

My Lesson From a Homeless Woman

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She pushes a shopping on the sidewalk of a busy road with a torn jacket that doesn’t look very insulated in the thirty degree weather. Written all over her face is sadness.

You don’t have to look very long to see that this woman has had a hard life. 

Suddenly, her face lights up and she looks down at a little dog in the front of her worn out shopping cart with a smile. As I observe the situation I see the dog with a nice collar dressed a pretty sweater and the dog is wagging her tail with excitement.

Unlike all the people in the cars driving by, who didn’t even glance at the woman for a second, the dog looked at the woman with adoration and love.

As the light turned green, we continued on our way, and the woman disappeared behind the miles ahead of me but what I had witnessed in those couple of minutes taught me something.

Just like that dog, I want to look at people with the love and adoration. I want my life to be the hands and feet of Jesus and I want to do whatever I can to tend for his sheep.

Beauty in everyone

{These graphics are free for you to enjoy}

That may mean giving a simple smile to a woman who was obviously ignored or possibly even donating some of my clothes to those who go without.

It could be opening up my heart, having a shoulder to cry on, and an ear that will just sit in silence and listen.

It’s funny to me that you could see that beautiful woman lived without so much, but when she smiled, you could see peace and contentment.

Contentment is learned not earned, and you could see that is how that woman lived her life.

Never disregard your surroundings because sometimes those who are counted as nothing, can provide us with the most important lessons.

God is Holding You Up in the Muddy Water

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When my fiance David was three years old he went to the pond with his grandfather. The pond wasn’t very clean in fact, It was so muddy that you couldn’t see the bottom even though it was only a couple of feet below the water.

Like most three-year old kids, David became curious about the pond and he wanted to go closer to the water.  David took his hand away from his grandfathers safe grip and moved his little feet closer to the edge of the pond. The consequences of his curiosity hadn’t crossed his mind.

Those rational thoughts were clouded by curiosity and unfortunately his coordination wasn’t very good. David had stepped a little too close and lost his balance. His little feet fell out from under him and he slipped into the dirty water below.

As he stood up in the water he began to cry hysterically, because he was wet and muddy and gross. Before he took those steps, he was clean but now, he was stuck in the muddy water and was immersed in filth.

When David’s grandfather saw him crying, he didn’t pull him out. Instead, he selflessly jumped in, walked to David, and held that little boy with his strong and protective arms. He softly whispered words of peace and wisdom into David’s ear until he calmed down.

Only then, when David had relaxed, did his grandfather carry him to the edge of the pond and help him out.

I think in life we get things mixed up. We naturally assume that God is here to take us out of our filth, but we forget that when it comes down to it, He is in the filth with us. The selflessness that Jesus had on the cross  when he took on our sin is a perfect example of that.

Muddy Waters

{These graphics are free for you to enjoy}

 Just like David’s grandfather, Jesus disregards our sin and steps into our situation because sometimes, we aren’t supposed to be rescued from our filth. Sometimes the dirtiness is a learning point that we need to grow closer to Him.

It’s in the nastiest moments that we can feel God’s presence most… ❤

The House That Built Me

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It’s four am and I can’t sleep.

As I look at the bags piled up by the door tears begin to run down my cheeks and the realization of what’s to come floods my mind and emotions begin to fill my heart.

Today is the day that I leave the nest.

Today is the day I leave my home.

I remember the day I moved in like it was yesterday. The memories of this place will be forever etched in my mind because my home was my birthday present from Jesus. After three years of moving constantly, thirteen times to be exact, my prayer was answered.

I walked through the doors with a trash bag full of belongings and a painful past that followed me everywhere I went. I had never lived in a place that didn’t use the words, “this is my house!” and wherever I went I walked on eggshells.

I lived in constant fear that I would be kicked out. When I moved in I realized that here I was safe. I was loved and taken care of and the best part was that no one would take that away.

I made memories and had tender moments with many precious women. Sometimes, I laughed so hard I cried. I found community and I learned how to trust. It was here that I moved past the mindset that the only way to get through life was to survive.

My home taught me what grace is. I learned that I am good enough and I don’t need to earn peoples love. It was here I faced my fears, and I stopped running from my problems.

It was in these sacred walls that I found healing. 

I feel like I’m on top of a mountain succeeding after a long hard climb. I can take a deep breath because it’s going to be okay.

I have survived.

I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t scared of what’s to come. Life seems so uncertain still, and at times, it’s still hard to accept the fact that I am loved. One thing that I know for sure is that God is here and He will guide me in the unknown.

House that built me

{These graphics are free for you to enjoy}

Home is where the healing is and Saving Grace will forever be the house that built me.

Conviction through God’s control

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Have you ever felt like your just not good enough? Like no matter what you do, it always ends up being failure?

For those of you who don’t know me, name is Lovelle and I am my biggest critic. I find myself constantly writing mental lists of what improvements I need to make. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad thing… Until the list get’s so long that you become overwhelmed and every time you screw up you beat yourself up about it. It’s so easy to hold that list of improvements so close to your heart that it consumes you. It’s all you can think about. Your mind frame becomes “I have this list. I know what I am supposed to do and since I am aware there is no excuse for not following through.” All is fine and dandy until you mess up. Once that happens it all goes down hill. You begin criticizing yourself about how you should have known better.This my friends is the start of a vicious cycle the devil likes to put us through. This cycle is called guilt. Once this cycle starts it can easily get out of control unless we lean on God.

Guilty feelings are those constant thoughts that weigh you down and make you feel like you are not good enough. Guilt makes you feel horrible about yourself and these feelings hold you back. Guilt doesn’t show you how to improve, it just clings to your mistakes and because of that it makes it impossible to get past your mistakes. God doesn’t speak to us through guilt, he speaks to us through conviction.

Conviction is that feeling in your gut that you get and it makes you feel like you are not doing the right thing. It’s that thought in your head that comes when you are saying or thinking of something that isn’t what God would want. The thought says “that wasn’t right.” Conviction doesn’t weigh you down and make you feel unworthy. Conviction helps you turn from your ways by correcting you with love. Conviction speaks correction through truth and encouragement with Gods word. Conviction helps you keep going and it reminds you that we all fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). It reminds us that even though we fall short, every day we have an opportunity to be better.

The fact is, God WILL correct you, but once you have asked forgiveness your mistake is gone. He doesn’t want us to sit and feel guilty about it. He wants us to learn from it. I had forgotten that until the other night. The list of mess ups had gotten so huge and when I got into an argument with someone I really cared about I broke. I remember walking outside to go for a run because running always makes me feel better. As I walked out with a saddened heart a thought popped in my head that said, “Why am I even here? I’m not doing any better. I just keep screwing up.” Then I heard Gods voice so soft and gentle say to my soul, “but you are. The last time you got into an argument you yelled at them. This time you walked away and took your space.” It was so simple but it truly meant so much. As I began to run God began speaking to my heart. I realized that I had been putting a lot of emphasis on the improvements that I thought were needed and because of that, I had forgotten all of the improvements that I had made. God had been showing them to me but I was preoccupied with my own opinion. It was then that I realized that I needed to get rid of my list. Instead of making my own lists I needed to let God make the lists for me. He will show me by loving Conviction not guilt caused by my mistakes. Apart from him I am nothing and when I try to take my life and mold it into my image the end result will be guilt because of my failure.

As I ended my run I promised God that I would not let the guilt that had been weighing me down cause me to run away from the purpose he has for me. Instead, I promised to run as fast as I could towards him. In that moment I realized that as long as I was running towards him, the purpose he had for me would prevail.  As I continue running towards him I know that he will change me into the woman I am designed to be and he will use me. God knows my heart therefore he knows my intentions were good. My ultimate desire is to please him and I will make all the necessary changes needed to do so but when I take control by trying to change myself without consulting God then he can’t do his work in me. If you, like me, are your biggest critic then I encourage you to look to God and ask him to change you because he will. As you change I also encourage you to keep this verse in your heart:

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that was revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

~Romans 8:38-39

Don’t let the guilt and mistakes the devil likes to overwelm you with make you feel separated from God. Run as fast as you can towards him because his arms are open wide and he leaves this promise: Nothing can separate you from my love. The best is yet to come.