So I’m back with some more Trader Joe’s finds! This list h it s short and sweet! I’m obsessed with things they come up with. It’s so thoughtful and the quality is always bomb!
I may be bias, but hey, it is what it is! Lol
1st Up!
Gum! Really Arielle?! Yes, Really! It’s not just any gum! It’s gum base is an all – natural tree sap called chicle. Do you know that a lot of the gum we buy has questionable ingredients? Its important that you do your due diligence and read the back of your gum packages. So, this gum brings us back to the basics. With a minty fresh taste and the cutest little bite size pieces, for gum lovers an health conscious individuals like me, you’ll feel better knowing you are consuming something that is all natural. It’s also completely vegan and get this, it has individual gum wrap stored in its packaging. So you can dispose of your gum so easily, instead of searching all around for something to spit it in or saving the wrapper the gum came in, you just pull out your gum wrap and use it as needed! Thank me later.
P.S. I’m a sucker for the details of a thing!
Numero dos! Yaaasss! Should of been #1 but we’ll leave it here. Haha! Did I mention that I am a chocolate lover, preferably chocolate with nuts, but TJ’s Chocolate Covered Wafer Cookie is heavenly! Like seriously. I’m just going to leave my recommendation here and ask you to take my word for it! It’s only $.79, go buy one and tell me your thoughts! Please and Thank you! ☺️
Last and most certainly not least! Their Super Lemon Room Sprits! It’s so cute! Awesome to keep in your purse and small enough to travel with! Bring it into any public restroom with you when you go and leave your stall smelling better than when you stepped in for the person behind you. It’s so small but it packs a whole lot of power. I keep one handy in my bathroom at home, it stays on our counter top. Trader Joe’s Room Sprits = Total Game Changer! Try it, your life will never be the same! 👏🏽😏🙂
So I’ve been speaking about a repentant heart recently on my page.
It is my belief that within the world, a repentant heart is in great shortage. I believe that it is easy to miss or not take notice of an UNrepentant heart because it can easily be disguised with good deeds or gestures that show otherwise.
First, let’s get into what it means to have a repentant heart.
The best way that I can describe or define a repentant heart in it’s entirety is a heart that is easily penetrated by the word of God.
Penetrate
pen·e·trate | \ ˈpe-nə-ˌtrāt\
1 a : to pass into or through
b : to enter by overcoming resistance : PIERCE
c : to enter by overcoming resistance : PIERCE
d : to gain entrance to
2 a : to see into or through
b : to discover the inner contents or meaning of
3 : to affect profoundly with feeling
4 : to diffuse through or into
To penetrate means to pass through or into, to enter by overcoming resistance, to gain entrance to, to discover the inner contents or meaning of. In order for our hearts to be repentant God MUST be able to enter into it, He must have access to our hearts and be able to move throughout it as He chooses. He must be able to get past all of our reservations and be able to overcome the resistance that we put up. When God is able to do this He is then able to retrieve the inner contents of our heart and show it to us, He is able to show us the meaning behind the things we do etc.
Hebrews 4:12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
You may say Arielle, isn’t God, God? Can’t He just get to our hearts if He wants to?
My answer to you is, yes. If God wants to get to our hearts, He can, at anytime, anyplace, anywhere and for anything. The thing with this is that God can and has access to the heart of a repentant individual in this way but may not always have access to a UNrepentant heart in this way. The reason I say this is because God is not a forceful God(see the story of Moses going to Pharaoh referenced below). He is not a forceful God, never has been and never will be. He gives us free will in all things. Does He instruct us and tell us the way we ought to go? Yes. Can He take this free will away from us at any moment? Absolutely. But that’s just not who He is, He allows us to choose Him, He wants us to willing choose what He has for us and that includes a repentant heart.
Proverbs 21:1 NLT
The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases.
Exodus 9:12 NLT
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen.
(Pharaoh REFUSED, key word, it was still his choice.)
Deuteronomy 30:15 NLT
“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.
Well Arielle, Aren’t or Don’t we all have a repentant heart once we accept Jesus as or Lord and Personal Savior?
The answer to that is, YES, we do! At that moment of repentance we have just that, a moment of repentance and like everything else with God their is levels to this. For the record we are never at our deepest with God, we can always go deeper with Him.
Another word that we can use to describe the levels to repentance is SANCTIFICATION. Now what sanctification, by definition is, to make one holy.
Wait- a – minute Arielle… aren’t we made right with God immediately following our conversion?
The answer to that would again be, YES. The thing with being made right is that it took no work on our part to actually get right. But God didn’t call us to be pretend right He called us to be really righteous. Now what the finished work of the cross does is, it makes us right without our human effort. It eliminates the pressure, weight and burden off of us that sin and death had placed over us. This is why some may say that they “feel lighter” after baptism. It’s because we are actually being set free from the bondage of sin and death. Now back to not being pretend righteous but actually righteous. The reason that we, ourselves, through effort and by work, work towards actually, really being righteous is because we want to continue to please God and stay connected to Him. Sin separates us from God but holiness draws us closer to Him. In order to truly WALK holy we must go through a process of sanctification which is a RENEWAL of our fallen nature by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Is it starting to make sense as to why our hearts must reman in a REPENTANT state?
As a born again believer, we AREN’T SAVED and automatically SANCTIFIED but we ARE saved and automatically MADE RIGHT.
In order to continue walking in this right standing with God we must go through the process of sanctification. Our souls aren’t automatically sanctified once we are saved, we have to renew it! This is where the word of God comes in and if we don’t have a heart posture of repentance we can miss this process (of sanctification) completely or receive very minimal transformation.
Romans 12:12 NLT
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.
This is where missing or not being able to recognize an UNrepentant heart comes in. An individual can DO all of the right things and play the part of a believer very well, by showing acts of kindness, doing good deeds and the like, all while operating with an unrepentant heart. I don’t mention this to be a spiritual detective 🕵️♀️ of any sort, I am more mentioning it for the purpose of awareness. Bringing awareness to the fact that this can actually be a truth in the life of a believer.
1 John 3:9 NLT
Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God
I Corinthians 6:11 NLT
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Now back to our souls sanctification. Our soul (I explained in a previous blog), Is our mind, our will and our emotions.
We must become dependent on God and His word to help us through this process. It will only be completed at death (our soul is made perfect and we await the resurrection of perfect bodies) so be patient with yourself.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
Philippians 2:13 NLT
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him
Our dependency on God to change us from the inside out is a must and in order to do this God must be working with a heart of repentance.
Romans 6:13 NLT
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Romans 12:1 NLT
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.
Romans 8:13 NLT
For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
One reason why some, although they are saved, haven’t given God access to their hearts past salvation, is because they don’t access or reference the Word of God in order to know what they ought to do. A born again believer can do all the right things regarding acts of kindness, and performing good deeds and still not be changed on the inside.
How can you be sure of this Arielle?
Unbelievers do those same things and still aren’t saved nor are they sanctified. We all know what is good to do, right and wrong was placed in us all and we know what is the right thing to do.
This does not mean that on the inside we are ok. The Word of God is what washes us and makes us clean. We are to renew our minds (which is a part of our souls) in order to be transformed and in order to transform our souls into actual holiness (what I mean by this is not holiness by faith but holiness accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit living in us). Holiness where we put the work in to be in right standing with God on the inside of us (our desires, mind, will, emotions etc.).
If one is not feeding on the word how can they know any of the scriptures that I have shared above in order to know what they ought to be doing on the road towards sanctification? It is important that we as believers no matter where we may find ourselves in our walk, be in continued prayer, fasting and be active in taking in the word of God.
Prayer
Luke 18:1 NLT
And he spoke also a parable to them to the purport that they should always pray and not faint,
Fasting
Matthew 17:21 NKJV
However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Word of God
2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Some people associate their relationship with God and their process of sanctification with just “feelings” or with their “intuition” but they are never in the actual word of God. This is a dangerous place to be if ones mind, will and emotions have not been renewed. We can make decisions and call it God, when it really isn’t.
I also want to give an example of my personal life. Before coming to Christ I had a major anger issue. After becoming saved, was this anger issue just now gone? Of course not. I was now free from anger but I had to walk out this freedom by taking practical steps.
What were the steps Arielle?
Falling on my knees (and face) in prayer and fasting, asking God to SEARCH 🔦 MY HEART, whole heartedly and sincerely for anything in it that was displeasing to Him. Going to His word (the scriptures) and asking Him to show me what was in me through His word.
This is when He used his word to show me what was wrong with me and to show me why anger was something that was displeasing to God. I meditated day and night on these scriptures on anger, wrote them on sticky notes and index cards until my mind was renewed regarding this area. I still revisit these scriptures and I continue to go to God with a heart of repentance, not for a cheep quick fix of reassurance or when things go wrong in my life, but I continuously renew my mind with His word.
Many people miss this step (something that I believe should be done continually) and then wonder why certain issues arise in their lives.
It is because the deeper rooted issues haven’t been dealt with. They are covered up by good deeds and “kindness” or by the things that look like we are walking in repentance (a clean heart) but God knows what is truly in our hearts, that is tearing us a part. We MUST deal with the deeper rooted issues in order to operate out of a repentant heart.
I recently shared a tweet that I believe is worth including in this blog:
An example of this issue can be found in the story of Saul and David’s relationships. His (Sauls) story is the reason why I made the statement above that an UNrepentant heart is one that can not be trusted. He “loved” David so much but every moment Saul got to try to destroy him (David), he took. I honestly believe that Saul didn’t necessarily want to do these things but he was just operating based off of what was on the inside of him, his unresolved issues, unresolved sin, that his hardened heart would not allow him (Saul) to take to God. Due to pride, his heart was hardened towards God and regarding doing the right things before God and people, and it showed through Saul being tormented as well as through the outcome of his life.
This story can be found in 1 Samuel. I will note some of the scriptures/passages that confirm what I have written above.
1 Samuel 16:14 NLT
Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
1 Samuel 16:21 NLT
So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
Saul tries to kill David at least 12 times:
1 Samuel 18:30 – 19:24
1 Samuel 20:1 NLT
David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”
The real issue here was Saul’s jealousy and his initial disobedience to God, which in turn caused God to raise up another king. Saul was rejected because of SUBTLE disobedience, not open and obvious disobedience, please let that sink in. This is how a man can do “good” deeds out of an unrepentant heart. This is an example of the deception attached to an UNrepentant heart. Please be cautious and Spirit lead in all that you do, the enemy is on the prowl, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8 NLT
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Sauls Disobedience:
Saul SPARED what God told him to COMPLETELY DESTROY. Is there anything in your heart that needs to be destroyed? Have you gone to God with an OPEN and REPENTANT heart asking him to search you? If not, this is a MUST! Completely destroy, with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God everything that God has asked you to so that you can walk in the indispensable power of a repentant heart.
1 Samuel 15:9 AMP
Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and everything that was good, and they were not willing to destroy them entirely;
1 Samuel 15:10-11 AMP
Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” Samuel was angry [over Saul’s failure] and he cried out to the Lord all night.
Philippians 4:13 NLT
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
(… including undergoing continual sanctification.)
: a person who does not eat meat : someone whose diet consists wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products
HERBIVORE
herbivorous
: feeding on plants
So when I first decided to become a vegetarian I didn’t realize that there were so many different types of vegetarians. After doing some research 🧐 I decided to become. Lacto Ovo Vegetarian. What is a Lacto Ovo Vegetarian you ask?
It’s a person who eats vegetables, eggs, and dairy products but who does not eat meat.
So I am a lover of cheese! I love it and just couldn’t see myself giving it up (plus their aren’t any plant 🌱 based cheese options that I’m obsessed with!) So it’s the dairy and eggs consumption for me!
Although, I did swap out my milk and creamers, with almond milk (I like the Silk brand) and coconut creamer (from Trader Joe’s). I saw What The Health and all the mucus found in those things just grosses me out! 🤮
So I completely decided to transition into a vegetarian diet a few days short of a year from today because of the food I cook for Eli. I decided before Eli was born that I wouldn’t introduce him to meat and that if he ever decided to be a meat eater it would be on his own when he was older. When he started on solids and then began to eat regular food all together, I completely realized that I could do this lifestyle. I said to myself “I already cook like this for Eli, what’s it to it?” So this is how my vegetarian journey began. It’s honestly been going great and I can’t say that I regret my decision to become a vegetarian at all. It has been such a good experience. I feel the difference in my body and will grow to be more strict with my diet (the reason I say this is that it is still possible to eat “unhealthily” or choose the unhealthier options as a vegetarian.)
So I’m going to answer a few FAQ’s that I get asked about having gone vegetarian this past year:
What are the benefits to your diet?
Choosing the healthier option of food is all of the benefit for me. Plant 🌱 foods are higher in fiber, the foods I eat contain little or no cholesterol and are low in saturated fats. The nutrients that come from plants, fruits and vegetables help our bodies to work better. Meats contain higher pollutants than plants do and plants are much safer to consume. This would have to be the main reason for me becoming a vegetarian. I don’t trust the integrity of meat in this country too much. Unless I had my own farm and raised the animals myself, it’s safe to say I’ll never eat meat again. By simply washing your plant foods you lessen your risk to be exposed to pesticides and harmful bacteria as opposed to the risk we take with eating meat. I also contribute to the health of the planet 🌎 by having the diet I do. The impact that one person can have on the world by doing their part is amazing! As a vegetarian you may eat fewer calories which can in turn play a role in living a longer and healthier life. Yaaassss! Lol
Is this lifestyle healthier in the long run?
This is a no brainer. Yes! I would challenge you to do a 21 Day Plant Based Diet and compare the way you feel after this to the way you felt before and I am sure that the outcome would shock you! It is also a medically proven fact that the health of those with the lifestyle of a vegetarian is better than those that are not.
Is it more expensive?
I think that the healthier option being more expensive idea is a myth. I find myself spending less money, except for a few items (oils, agave etc.) buying the way I do now than I ever did when I bought meat and all the other unhealthy foods I used to consume. I also made a huge switch and committed to buying all natural products for my body as well. My whole thought process was that I can’t change what’s going in my body and not change what’s going on it and I honestly believe that the thought that the healthier option is more expensive is all in the mind. If you think about how costly all the foods and products you buy, as an individual who isn’t conscious of the way you are affected by it and compare these same products/items to plant based ones you’ll soon find out that there isn’t much of difference in price. Possibly $1 or $2 if that, to be completely honest.
Do you get enough calcium?
Yup! I still consume dairy products (no milk though). Also many foods that don’t come from cows have calcium (beans,peas, lentils, certain nuts, seeds and grains.)
Fiber:
Artichokes
Carrots
Beets
Broccoli
Raspberries
Potatoes
Protein:
Tofu
Edamame
Chickpeas + Variety of Beans
Hempseed
Iron:
Beans
Peas
Lentils
Nuts
Seeds
Leafy Greens
Is it hard?
Honestly, no, it isn’t. I honestly believe that it is a matter of the mind. Your thoughts towards the process of becoming a vegetarian matters. You can do anything if you believe that you can. I also believe that planning out your meals and what you will eat makes all of the difference.
Do you crave meat?
I can only recall 3 times this entire year where I actually felt the urge to want to eat meat. I don’t even remember what type of meat I wanted, but I do remember that the smell of the actual cooked meats were what triggered my desires. I would never actually put meat to my mouth though, I feel icky just thinking about it. I honestly believe that although I had those desires for it, I am completely OVER eating meat. I’m not sure if you’ve ever had the feeling of wanting something but KNOWING that you’d never go back to that thing because it just isn’t for you or good for you anymore, but that is my exact sentiments to eating meat.
Overall I am excited for what the future of my vegetarian life hold. I’m hoping that it gets better and more committed as I grow in my knowledge of recipes and grow in my understanding of the benefit of each food I consume.
So I recently shared a super long post on my page. I felt lead to turn it into a blog. Here you go!
So on Thanksgiving Day my heart was heavy for some time for those suffering on that day.
It started off with me thinking about those with dietary restrictions and how that day might be pretty hard for them. Being a huge foodie, I am glad that I can only imagine how it might feel to really like something and not be able to eat it; because it’s not conducive with ones maintenance of proper health or if eaten it could get one sick.
Then I began to think about those who lost loved ones this year and this holiday just not being the same for them.
Following this my thoughts ran on anyone facing any sort of financial hardship, any loss in general, someone grieving from the storms of life and those whose lives were turned upside down in this year.
I was lead to think about the REAL, and many’s REALITY at that very moment.
On a day where everyone is expected to be super “grateful” or super “joyous” you might not have been. I want to remind you that it is okay to be thankful and to still grieve (a post I saw and couldn’t agree more with from Amy Klutinoty). This isn’t lala land, what you’ve been through is very real and it is ok to feel without having to feel bad about it because it gives implications that this would somehow make you ungrateful.
grief noun
\ ˈgrēf \
Definition of grief
1
a : deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement
I wrote this post to remind you that your present day suffering doesn’t have to be in vain.
You see I honestly believe that we go through things in this life so that we don’t get too comfortable here. Hear 👂🏽 me out.
Every time I go through things that are beyond me, I am reminded that this world 🌍 is not my home. I’m so grateful for this reminder. You see, we often times try our best not to experience any hardship on this side of life. We prepare for our retirement, live our best possible lives on this side of life and make sure that all of our needs and wants are met. We want to live the best life possible, so when bad things come up, they may at times, take us out. We are upset, hurt, angry and all the things at our suffering, but what if this suffering is a reminder to you that your life isn’t only about the things you can see today or even 5 years from today. That there is a place in you that only God can fill, so no matter what you acquire on this side of life you’ll always have a longing for something more.
Not knowing that this something more isn’t tangible, you then pursue something that is in order to fill the void, only to realize that that thing only lasted for a moment and so you are on to the next thing and then the next thing.
I just want to let you know that, that specific void is on purpose. It’s there for a reason and the only One who can fill that place is God.
You’ll never be completely satisfied or complete in this life because you were never meant to be. Over 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ went to go prepare a place for you and I, it you would have Him, that is. Don’t allow your present day suffering to be in vain. What I mean by this is, if you don’t secure your eternal future (the bag) in God’s presence you can run the risk of eternal suffering. You could have gone through all that you did on this earth to go through even more after death.
I am reminded of something that I always do. When life gets really hard or I am going through something that I rather not, as a way of complaining to my Daddy (God), I’ll mutter under my breath, “I wanna go home! 🏠” it’s not even like I plan to say the words, I just know that “home” exist for me and subconsciously I am just never completely satisfied with what this life has to offer. Think about the feelings of going home from a bad day of work. Think 🤔 about how you feel when you open the door 🚪 of your home, the calm that comes over you, how cozy and loved you feel. Ohh how you longed for that moment. Ohh how you long for it on a rainy ☔️ day or when it’s super cold 🥶 outside. This is how it feels to know that this life, right here, ain’t your finale. There is sooo much more to look forward to! Ahhh, it is a great feeling!
You see I know like I know that this place ain’t my final resting place. So as you store up riches for yourself on this side of life, I am busy storing up riches for myself in Heaven. It is wise to do both. It is wise to be equally prepared for this side of life as we are for life after this one. (How would you rate yourself for both? Be honest. It is okay 👌🏽 and very possible to RAISE your rating for either.)
Here is a passage from the Bible that expresses more clearly what I wish for you to understand:
Romans 8: 18-25 NLT
The Future Glory
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
Choose Christ today, while you still have breath and while there is still time. It won’t always be like this and in order to get to that promise you MUST choose, there is no other way, no middle ground, no back doors, no way you can sneak in, and no way around this choice. The ONLY way you can get to the Father is through the Son (Jesus Christ). Choose Him today. Accept Him as your Lord and Personal Savior. Confess that you are a sinner in need of a savior. Turn from your sin and turn to Jesus. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (and you will be saved).
I want to challenge you to think about Heaven this evening. Think about what it may take for you to get there. Think about the fact that there is actually a place where there is no pain, no sickness, no sorrow, all your needs are fully provided for and you live as lavishly as you want to, but stress free. There is actually a place where you can have everything you fight so hard for on this earth, beyond it. There is actually an eternity of overcoming waiting for you, a WHOLE lifetime of victory!
(See salvation prayer 🙏🏽 below!)
Next Steps:
Get Connected + Find Bible Based Church +
Get Your OWN Bible
+ Grow In Your RELATIONSHIP With God + Pray + Be Willing To Be Discipled
So I am super excited 😜 about all of the #QuaratineBabies that ‘el be popping up on my feeds in a few! In honor of them! I created a small list of my Top 10 Must Haves For New Momma and Baby!
1. Bassinet – So we absolutely loved our Halo bassinet. We practically lived in our living room on our super cozy sectional couch the first 3 months after Eli’s birth! It was just super easy to keep him in the bassinet and to commute back and forth to the kitchen to warm bottles etc during that time. In the day, it was also super easy to transport the bassinet into our bedroom and back into the living room at night. We inserted the bassinet right over the couch and our bed when it was time to sleep or nap. Eli slept in his bassinet for the first 3 months of his life until he was able to start scaling it and for this reason, it became unsafe for him to be in while he was awake. He was early with everything (sitting up, crawling, scaling, walking, you name it, he did it early.)! I preferred a bassinet for this time of Eli’s birth because of its convenience, it was easy to get around. Even when we purchased a crib we went with a mini one with wheels, which made it easy for us to get around the house while Eli was still in it in the event we wanted to keep a close eye on him.
2. Baby Bullet – OMGoodness! My baby bullet has been my everything for Eli! I was this super health conscious mom after having Eli. I knew I didn’t want to offer him anything processed, any meats or fish, and nothing packaged. My family is big on making baby food from scratch and I stuck with the tradition. It really is so simple. It makes no sense to buy food that has been on shelves for forever when you can make the same exact thing in your bullet. You know where everything going in that baby bullet came from and you also know that it was made with integrity for that small tummy that you are caring for. I literally didn’t give Eli a fruit or veggie pouch from the store consistently until after he was 2. He’s always eaten fresh food and this is something that I plan to do with all of my little ones. It’s so worth it and such a joy to know that you can do this for your baby. It isn’t time consuming at all. Remember these words: My Baby Bullet Is Life! … Lol. No seriously!
3. Hats That Fit – Newborn Hats – Invest in them OMGoodness! Can I tell y’all about the epic fails I had in this department! I’m such a particular person. So to have 0-3months hats that fit my baby big and only a handful of newborn ones was a big no-no for me! We needed hats that fit at all times and at all ages! Again, I come from a family that would say “where is that babies hat?” if your 10 year old doesn’t have a hat on 🙄 so naturally I was crazy about this area as well. I learned really fast to stock up on hats that fit and match each outfit. It was a prepared thing for me. I know the way we like things so I always wanted to be prepared regarding having those things. Hats (specifically, the right sized hats) was something that I was so grateful about being on top of.
4. Boppy – Eli still sleeps with his! I low key think he’ll have a Boppy until he’s 5 or until he demands a regular pillow! It’s amazing! I am the B O P P Y Advocate Queen! You need you one! That is my favorite thing to recommend when people ask what they need and if you invite me to your Baby Shower this will be your gift! I just believe in its functions and purposes so much. It serves as a nursing 🤱 pillow, a back support for baby when they begin to sit up and an actual pillow that cups their body frame when they sleep. I loved that it kept Eli a little propped up after he went down for a nap after drinking a bottle or breast milk. Now don’t do as I do regarding having a pillow so young (in the crib), because medically or educationally speaking your child should not be in the crib or in their sleeping area with a pillow until about 3 years old, so we technically didn’t follow those rules.
5. Some Sort of Soothie – Eli’s was his pacifier and blanket! Your kid needs one. It’s great to have you to soothe them but it is even better 😉 when the can soothe themselves. Ok, ok, ok! I gave in to the soothie (pacifier) because it worked for us! He was taken off of it, a little after 1 and I was satisfied with that. He still goes no where around nap 😴 or bed time without his blanket. He uses it to rub on his face which is so funny to me, because a funny story about this is that his uncle used to do the same thing when he was younger. How creepy, right! Lol Genes 🧬 are strong boy!
6. Onesie, Bibs & Socks – Those are all one ☝🏽 item if you ask me! They are! It’s like YOU NEED THEM! Life or death here! Haha! Need I say more?! If so: Bibs you will fly through them when eating, teething or any other time from birth to 10months depending on the speed of your little ones development. Socks, get so dirty along the way, or lost, you just gotta keep reing-up! Onesies get stained, poop 💩 goes through ‘em and all sorts of things! It’s best to keep a lasting supply of these also.
7. Bottles, Pump & Nipple Cream – Again, these all count as one item to me! Taking care of your nipples are so important! They go through so much as you breastfeed. Lather them in the Nipple Cream that works best for you. A good breast pump helps you remove excess milk 🥛 that remains in your breast, it’s so important to do this. Things like infections and mastitis are caused by not taking the proper care of your breast while breast feeding. Do your part. Bottles and a lot of them! Storage bags for your milk are also important. It’s best to set yourself up for success and get you a schedule for feeding, pumping, breast care and all the things relating those areas.
8. Schedule – speaking of schedule! I would not of surly been in deep trouble had Eli not been on a schedule by month 3. Consistency is key and just believing that you can stick to it is equally as important! Our lives were better because of it, more calm and we felt like we had more control over things because of Eli’s schedule! I highly recommend sneaking in a routine by the middle of month 2!
9. Gift Cards – Ask people to gift you with gift cards if you are unsure of all you think you’ll need after baby comes!!! This was a huge help for us because as you go along in you parenting you notice or discover things that will make your life easier or things you’ll need for the baby. Having those gift cards enables you to just pick up what you’ll need whenever you need it. VS. putting so many things on your baby registry that you really won’t need and won’t find this out until after you have the baby. So now you are in long return lines at the stores, exchanging things you never needed for what you actually do. Save yourself the hassle, outside of the necessities, put gift cards on your registry!
10. Cozy Clothes – For Momma! You’ll be spending a lot of time indoors and in discomfort for some of the time The worst thing is to experience the discomfort after birth in uncomfortable and wrong size clothes. Plan ahead! Get you some comfy but cute clothes that will fit your after pregnancy body. You need comfort those first few months. Your body may feel so different and you may not feel like yourself right away. You just had major surgery or major body alterations! Stay cozy and enjoy the process to recovery!
*BONUS ITEM*
11. Bottle Warmer – Keep it by your bed or on the countertop! I actually didn’t get this but noticed all the difference it made in my infants room as a teacher! Total game changer when you are caring for 8 children who are all hungry at the same time all day long. It makes prepping bottles easier, warms quicker and if you leave it running 30min before you intend to use it, you don’t actually have to wait for it to heat up. The bottles stay warm for some time after warming it this way and it just works! Get 👏🏽 you 👏🏽 a 👏🏽 bottle 👏🏽 warmer 👏🏽 !
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.”
Romans 14:1 ESV
“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”
Romans 14:1 KJV
“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”
Disputable:
1. giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
2. open to question or dispute
3. not established as a fact, and so open to question or debate.
I love that the New International Version of the Bible as well as a few others mentions the word “debatable”. I want to touch on that for a moment. There are so many topics in life that are debatable, not only are their topics in life that are debatable, some of these same topics and others can be debatable in the Bible as well. Although God has fully seen and heard it all and there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), the Bible, itself isn’t always clear on every matter under the sun. There are strict instructions about some matters and others, not so much. There are also topics that may not be mentioned but we can imply God’s heart, thoughts etc. by using other scriptures to come to an educated conclusion about those topics.
I love that the Bible is written this way. I believe that the Bible expresses our limitations clearly to us regarding every topic it NEEDS to be clear on.
I also believe that many confuse topics where we have a clear and concise decision on them according to the word of God with topics that are debatable or to use an even better word, situational (Luke 14:1-6), and the Bible refers to these topics based on the situation, as examples and/or, in or with specific context, for a specific purpose.
It is clear from scripture that God cares most about two things. These two things are 1. Our devotion to Him and 2. How we treat other people.
Matthew 22: 37-40 NLT
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Galatians 5:14-15 NLT
For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
If I could add a 3rd thing and keep it in the same order I would say that God cares that we love what He loves and hates what He hates as well. He wants us to call what He calls wrong, wrong and what He calls right, right, but the way we do this matters to Him. There is a pastor on Instagram by the name of Sean Fenner who I follow and he gave this simple, short and amazing message about being people of convictions AND compassion, as a thing that is all encompassing, not just one or the other but both, in harmony. There is a great need for people that can be both at the same time. This is such a tender time in history, where I believe that we, as believers must be people of conviction who are FILLED with compassion at the same time.
Kindness for example, is a topic that the Bible is completely clear about, but this topic may not be enforced or highlighted like the topic of no sex before marriage is. When not obeying either of these clear and concise mandates can equally cause the same amount of harm to one life or another.
Topics like having tattoos, aren’t spoken about much in the Bible but the scriptures that do mention tattoos show that this topic is in fact debatable or situational. I heard a member in the body of Christ say something one day and I thought what they said was pretty encouraging. They said that the things that God (the Bible) is loud about, we too should be loud about and the things that the Bible is quiet or doesn’t speak much about we too, should take the Bible’s lead on those topics.
Either way, I believe it to be extremely important to search the scriptures regarding a matter before we hold anyone in contempt of disobeying the Word (or God) if, in fact they actually, have not disobeyed scripture.
Using myself as an example, I will make an attempt to show you how to study or S E A R C H the scripture for the correct interpretation, context, meaning, ruling given by the word regarding a topic.
The first thing I wan’t to say is that we cannot go to scripture with an attitude of an accuser or the attitude of ‘the accuser’ and expect to receive the correct revelation regarding scripture. Satan clearly shows through his attempt to tempt Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) that scripture can be used to accuse, beat up the conscience of, or hold an individual in contempt if it is interpreted (the wrong way) or manipulated by the aggressor (or someone that may not know any better) in order to produce a specific result.
See example below:
Matthew 4:6 NLT
“If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
– In this moment satan takes the scripture out of context to get a specific result (the result he wanted) from Jesus. This specific scripture is found in Psalm 91 and this specific psalm’s theme is “God protection in the midst of danger” God hasn’t promised us a world free from danger but He does promise His help whenever we face danger. satan uses this scripture irresponsibly, in order to get a certain result from Jesus and not for the purpose it was intended. This scripture is one that if used correctly can be used as a means of comfort, reassurance and as a promise to us when we choose to make the Lord our refuge. This is not a scripture that we can use to test God’s protection plan and it’s accuracy.
We have to approach the word with a clean heart and mind. It is recommended by many that one should pray before reading scripture. Some of the benefits that I have experienced from praying before directly going to scripture is that you can carve out your intentions of reading scripture through your prayer. One can pray against distractions, pray for a clean heart and a clear mind. We can spend time with God in prayer asking for forgiveness of our sins before we actually get into the Holy Scriptures. We can ask for guidance and God’s leading in our study. We can pray that we’d be transformed by our findings and so much more. It is best practice to pray before getting into the word of God.
Here’s a link that speaks more about the benefits of prayer:
I wanted to use myself and one area that I consider myself weaker in the faith.
Alcohol is the topic. In order to know why I consider myself someone with weak faith regarding drinking alcohol you would have to know a bit about my past, so here goes. I started drinking alcohol when I was a teenager, about 16 years old to be exact. I wouldn’t stop until I was 21 and was a born again believer. I wasn’t an occasional drinker. I drank every time I went out, which was, Thursday to Sunday and sometimes Thursday to Monday, every week, for years! I loved the smell of alcohol and the taste of it on my tongue. Drinking alcohol was just what I did and it had become apart of my lifestyle.
I didn’t stop drinking alcohol until I started walking with God. It was actually the first thing I fasted from. So naturally, after having such a strong desire for drinking and getting drunk, after being saved, I stayed clear of alcohol all together. I literally had my first glass of wine in like forever (9 years), this summer when we spent about 4 weeks in the Hamptons. I won’t ever make drinking a habit or something that I even do occasionally, because of the past and my experience with alcohol in general. Regarding the topic of drinking alcohol I would be considered weaker in faith, or someone whose faith is weak about drinking.
Now the question is …
What does the Bible say about alcohol?
This is the question we should ask about every topic. What does the Bible say about this? We ask this question in order for us to honor God. We ask this question in order for us to be one with God, to know what is right and to do it. How can one honor God if they aren’t sure about what it takes to honor Him. We first have to learn the word of God, know it and get familiar with what the Word of God says about specific topics.
The Bible speaks about the last days and says that there will be mockers of the word who deliberately forget all that came about by God’s word.
2 Peter 3:3-7 NLT
Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
Our conscience is of its greatest value when the word of God is deposited in it. When we know the word of God and have the right heart posture our conscience can be relied on, but if we just have “feelings”, “sense in our spirit” or “can read people”, outside of studying and knowing the word of God, our consciences may in fact be deceiving us. The word of God is transformative and according to how much of it is in us, should transform us into its image.
Romans 12:2 NLT
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.
John 1:1-4 NLT
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
Back to the topic of alcohol drinking. So some say that it is completely not okay for a believer to drink alcohol, others say it’s okay as long as the person doesn’t get drunk, and others say that it is okay to get drunk as long as the person doesn’t sin. There may be other things people (or believers) say about this topic but these are the main ones I’ve heard and have heard over the years of me being a Christian. So, what are we to believe?
What the BIBLE says about the topic. Full stop! Period!
Can I just choose one scripture about drinking and hold everyone and every situation accountable to this one scripture?
No you can not. It would be irresponsible if you haven’t done your research 🧐 and studied scripture in it’s entirety to come to a full understanding of what the WHOLE Bible says about that topic as well as search 🔦 for the heart of God regarding the topic, according to scripture.
You CAN NOT jump the gun regarding your reference to scripture! You MUST know undoubtedly and your conclusion after studying must be undebatable before you can hold any member of the body of Christ to a specific standard or accountable to your conscience or a violation of the word of God that you “believe” they have committed.
I believe this to be so important because Jesus Christ specifically died for that persons freedom from sin so it is important that we fact check before we begin to start to throw stones to weigh them down, become a stumbling block or to blog them down with guilt or shame that isn’t even merited.
(Reading Romans 8 in it’s entirety is a great place to start regarding this topic.)
Romans 8:1-4 NLT
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
It’s like as a believer, forget about the person for a moment and think about the undeserved
sacrifice and price Christ paid for that individual to be free, or for you to be free. We make it like His work was in vain when we carelessly accuse another individual of violating His decrees and then act like we’ve done nothing wrong.
This is why satan is called the accuser of the brethren because His entire MO (modus operandi) is to discredit the work of the cross, so we deliberately join forces with him and his demons when we stand as an accuser of our brothers and sisters in the “name” of “correction”. This is not correction, it is an accusation and the harm we cause when it is a false accusation is shameful for the entire body of Christ, not just that member.
Here are examples of healthy, merited and not harmful correction in the Bible:
Galatians 6:1 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
Matthew 18:15-17 NLT
“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
2 Thessalonians 3:15 NLT
Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.
Acts 18:18-28 NLT
Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.
Now, How do we search the scripture to find out what the Bible says, in fact about alcohol and drinking? :
Let’s say we knew a few scriptures off hand before even going to scripture.
I’ll use one fact that I know personally, which is Jesus’s first miracle in the Bible was turning water into wine. Based off of this well known miracle I can imply that alcohol isn’t bad, or something that God rejects because if that were the case Jesus would have never created wine 🍷 as His first miracle. I can also imply that in the eyes of God, there may be places where alcohol is more accepted than others, like celebrations, feast and parties etc. These are all things that I can gather from reading the text regarding Jesus’s first miracle.
I didn’t include details from commentary in study Bibles, cross references of scripture, parallel passage, and the context of the scripture, but I can use these to support my thoughts about this scripture, if, in fact they actually do.
Arielle, can we stop here? Can we just start saying “Hey nothing is wrong with drinking alcohol. Have as much as you want. Drink whenever you want because there is nothing wrong with it. It was Jesus’ first miracle!” NO I CAN NOT. That would be extremely careless of me.
Could is say? “Well I got the response I was looking for, I’ll just stop here for my study on what the Bible says about drinking alcohol?”
Not if that is not all the Bible says about it. We have to SEARCH the scripture, not just stop at the answers we are looking for to back up what we think about a topic.
So, where do we go from here?
We have a little bit of knowledge but not much, so what else can we do?
We can start a search of all the scriptures that mention the topic we want to find out more about.
The one we are researching now is: Alcohol
What else does the Bible say about alcohol or drinking it?
Let’s search 🔦
1. I personally go to the back of my Bible or Google it.
2. I write ✍️ down every scripture that is pulled up and they are usually provided in the format of a list.
3. I start to go through EVERY single one, with an open heart, allowing the word to convict and correct me regarding that topic in any way I may need it.
4. I open my heart to transformation and my mind to be renewed. I let God know that I know nothing and that He knows everything. I also let Him know that He has full right to change my way of thinking about any and EVERY topic through His word. I let Him know that more than wanting to be right, I want to know WHAT IS RIGHT and this is where the process of renewal and transformation begins.
5. In my search of the truth, reputable articles, writings and references may pop up and I also take these things into consideration when coming to a conclusion about a specific topic.
Alcohol:
I won’t be going through every scripture on this blog but I will cover a few.
Alcohol/Wine can be used to gladden hearts:
Psalm 104:14-15 NLT
You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use.You allow them to produce food from the earth — wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 NLT
So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!
Matthew 11:18-19 NLT
For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.” – Listening to God requires us to change the way we live. We take the cynical and skeptical route when we rather not adapt to what He says about a topic and choose to override Him with our own views. Jesus’ life challenged those in His generation and because of that no matter where He stood regarding the word of God they opposed Him. It is easy to remain comfortable in our way of thinking and all the while be rejecting Jesus and His views.
A little alcohol can be used as a source of healing:
1 Timothy 5:23 NLT
Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.
There is a problem with drinking alcohol when it turns us into drunkards and leads us astray or away from being full of the Spirit. Drunkenness is considered the work of the flesh:
Proverbs 20:1 NLT
Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls.Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.
Proverbs 23:29-35 NLT
29-32
Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks.
Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
Ephesians 5:18 NLT
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Depending on your position in the Body of Christ (Deacons) you shouldn’t drink much wine:
1 Timothy 3:8 NLT
In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. – We (all believers) should follow guidelines that are consistent with what God says is true and right.
It is okay to choose not to drink if you believe you might cause another person (believer) to stumble by doing so:
Romans 14:21 NLT
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.
I hope the list of these scriptures and some study of them helps you to understand that the more scripture you know or study about a specific topic, the more accurately you can judge whether it is a approved or disapproved by God, what He expects of you based on that topic and the heart He has towards the subject at hand. Stopping at one scripture and basing your entire belief of a topic on that does a disservice to yourself and others. Search 🔦 the scripture, in it’s entirety, it is full of wisdom and it profits you so much!
So now, although I am weaker in my faith regarding the topic of alcohol, I cannot enforce where I stand regarding it on others because that wouldn’t be Biblical. I can share where I stand and why, but I can’t send anyone to hell because they don’t choose to adhere to my personal conscience and convictions. It doesn’t work that way.
I’d like to leave us with a scripture and some
suggestions (from the commentary of my Bible) for wherever you may stand, weaker in one topic or another, or stronger, this can be something that you can apply to your life.
Romans 14:1 NLT
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
Stronger Believer –
• Don’t be proud of your maturity
• Don’t flaunt your freedom
• Act in love so you don’t cause a weaker believer to stumble
Weaker Believer –
• Take your time
• Pray to God but don’t force others to adhere to your stipulations
• It hinders other believers when you make up rules to how everyone ought to behave
• Make sure your convictions are based on God’s Word and not an expression of your opinion
Pastors & Teachers –
• Teach correctly from God’s Word
• Helping Christians to understand what is right and wrong in God’s eyes and to see that they can have varied opinions on other issues and still be unified.
I honestly believe that we truly underestimate the love that God has for us. He is a good good father. There is nothing that can ever separate you from His love. God loved you while you were in your sin and He loves you when you come out of it. He’s loved you from the beginning of time and before you were even a thought to your parents. If you believe that no one loves you, I want to let you know that God does and His love for you never changes, it never waivers, it is indefinite, and you can take that to the bank.
John 3:16 NLT
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
I Am His (Before & After Salvation)
You are called a child of God once you accept your place as His child and His heir. Among many other things, once we are saved we are now children of God. We are co-heirs with Jesus Christ. When God the Father looks at us He sees God the son. He sees us without spot, without wrinkle and without blemish. God sees you as His. You are His child and this title shows the great love He has lavished over you.
1 John 3:1 NLT
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.
Psalm 24:1 NLT
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
Romans 8:17 NLT
And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
Ephesians 5:27 NLT
He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
I Am Worthy (Before & After Salvation)
God rejoices over you with singing! He loves you dearly. You are His beloved. He calls you worthy. He calls you righteous, you belong to Him. God takes great delight in you. He is the Lord your God and He is with you.
Zephaniah 3:17 NLT
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Isaiah 43:1 NLT
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
I Am Purposed (Before & After Salvation)
Before God formed you in your mothers womb, He knew you. He ordained you to be all that He planned for you to be. God knows you and He has a purpose for your life. The Bible tells us that God has numbered the hairs on our heads. Now tell me, if God would find purpose in each and every hair on your head as to give each of them their own number, how much more intentional is He about what He has designed and purposed you for? He loves you with and everlasting love, believe it!
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Luke 12:7 NLT
And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Who Does God Say I Am Once I Have Accepted Jesus Christ As My Lord & Savior ?
You are now IN CHRIST !
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
1 John 3:14-15 NLT
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
I took the portion of “ Who Am I, In Christ?” from Joyce Meyers’ Website because I felt like it summed things up so beautifully! I’d like to add that I’m so glad for the work that was done by those that came before me in the faith. It has been such an honor to watch their faith in action and glean at the things they have accomplished all for His glory!
I have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
The Spirit of God, who is greater than the enemy in the world, lives in me (1 John 4:4).
I have received abundant grace and the gift of righteousness and reign in life through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).
I have received the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my heart enlightened, so that I know the hope of having life in Christ (Ephesians 1:17-18).
I have received the power of the Holy Spirit and He can do miraculous things through me.I have authority and power over the enemy in this world (Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:17-19).
I am renewed in the knowledge of God and no longer want to live in my old ways or nature before I accepted Christ (Colossians 3:9-10).
I am merciful, I do not judge others, and I forgive quickly. As I do this by God’s grace, He blesses my life (Luke 6:36-38).
God supplies all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
In all circumstances I live by faith in God and extinguish all the flaming darts (attacks) of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16).
I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ Jesus who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).
I am chosen by God who called me out of the darkness of sin and into the light and life of Christ so I can proclaim the excellence and greatness of who He is (1 Peter 2:9).
I am born again—spiritually transformed, renewed and set apart for God’s purpose—through the living and everlasting word of God (1 Peter 1:23).
I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works that He has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).
In Christ, I am dead to sin—my relationship to it is broken—and alive to God—living in unbroken fellowship with Him (Romans 6:11).
The light of God’s truth has shone in my heart and given me knowledge of salvation through Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
As I hear God’s Word, I do what it says and I am blessed in my actions (James 1:22, 25).
I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me (Romans 8:37).
I overcome the enemy of my soul by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).
I have everything I need to live a godly life and am equipped to live in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).
I am an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (1 Peter 2:9).
I am the righteousness of God—I have right standing with Him—in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; I belong to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19).
I am the head and not the tail, and I only go up and not down in life as I trust and obey God (Deuteronomy 28:13).
I am chosen by God, forgiven and justified through Christ. I have a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness and patience (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12).
I am redeemed—forgiven of all my sins and made clean—through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7).
I have been rescued from the domain and the power of darkness and brought into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13).
I am strengthened with all power according to His glorious might (Colossians 1:11).
I humbly submit myself to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7).
I press on each day to fulfill God’s plan for my life because I live to please Him (Philippians 3:14).
I am not ruled by fear because the Holy Spirit lives in me and gives me His power, love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
Christ lives in me, and I live by faith in Him and His love for me (Galatians 2:20).
Who Does God Say I Am As A Child Of God?
Think about any decent parent. They don’t have to be extraordinary. They don’t have to be mighty. They don’t even have to be exceptional. Think about any parent and their thoughts towards their own children. They have great thoughts towards their children and great plans for them too! Any parent would think like this. They don’t have to be the best parent in the world. If you observe a parents heart towards their children you’ll, most times than none, observe that what they truly want for their child is more than what they themselves had. They want their child to receive more out of life than they did.
Now, imagine the heart of the perfect, extraordinary, mighty, exceptional God we serve. He is better than us in every meaning of the word. So imagine God as a father. He is the most amazing and best father that we could ever imagine. We probably couldn’t even fully be able to imagine the type of Father He actually is. You are His child and you belong to Him! He loves you with an everlasting love. His love for you never runs out. Now, when describing God I always go back to the word love, because that’s who He is. He created us out of love, and love is a motivating factor regarding His thoughts towards us.
I Am Blood Bought
Galatians 3:13-15 NLV
Christ bought us with His blood and made us free from the Law. In that way, the Law could not punish us. Christ did this by carrying the load and by being punished instead of us. It is written, “Anyone who hangs on a cross is hated and punished.” Because of the price Christ Jesus paid, the good things that came to Abraham might come to the people who are not Jews. And by putting our trust in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit He has promised. Christian brothers, let me show you what this means. If two men agree to something and sign their names on a paper promising to stay true to what they agree, it cannot be changed.
I Am Chosen
John 15:16 NLT
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
I Am Royalty – Holy Priesthood
1 Peter 2:9 NLT
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
I Am Set Apart
1 Peter 2:10 NLT
“Once you had no identity as a people;now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
Romans 12:1-2 NLT
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.
I Am Christ Bride
Revelations 19:7 NLT
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
I Am His Beloved
John 15:9 NLT
“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
1 Peter 1:22-23
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God (emphasis mine).
Have you ever wondered what God thinks about all of humanity?
This blog is written to tell you just that. What are the thoughts of God regarding all of humanity?
This information shouldn’t be hidden or kept a secret from any of us. The thoughts that God thinks towards all of humanity is very important, He is our creator and created us for a specific purpose.
Human Race:
Genesis 4:14 NLT
You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wander. Anyone who finds me will kill me.
At this point, the Bible only mentions 4 people; Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. Cain had just killed his brother and was worried about being killed because of the punishment God had given Him because of what he’d done. His words indicate that there were more people alive on the earth than just the four that were mentioned.
God gave Adam and Eve instructions to fill the earth. They had numerous children.
Although only four people on the earth had been mentioned in the Bible thus far, there were still more present.
Genesis 1:28 NLT
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground. “
God always intended for humanity to rule over the earth and reign over every living thing. Along with this, He also always intended for us to be responsible in doing so. He gave us instructions with the thought that we could accomplish the things He designed us to. God has complete authority over the earth but has also delegated his authority to the human race. I just want to pause and say that I honestly believe that this is such an honor. To know that the creator of all the universe would entrust the earth, it’s animals and it’s maintenance into the hands of humanity.
This says to me that God trust us to be responsible. He trusts us to handle this planet and the animals on it with care. If you look around you and pay attention while you are doing it, you’ll see all that God has created and how detailed He truly is. Look at the ridges of the trees, look at your fingerprints, there are no two people with the same fingerprints. Look at the sand and the sea. Can you count the grains of sand? Can you tell where the sea ends? Do you know the names of each star? (Psalm 147:4, Proverbs 8:29)
God is intentional and all that He has intended for you and I is no different. God saw that all He created was excellent in every way. God made you for a good reason; you are extremely valuable to Him. (Genesis 1:31 NLT)
Both man and woman is the greatest of all of God’s creation.
Genesis 1:27 NLT
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God created man and woman in His image; neither man nor woman is created more in the image of God than the other.
Human Nature:
Romans 6:5-6 NLT
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
Human nature wasn’t always sinful, but due to the fall of mankind (Genesis 3) it became sinful. In my opinion, the word “sin” has actually become a “sin” to use around all people, even believers. What I mean by this is that, speaking about sin has become extremely offensive to others, to the point that if a person does speak about sin they are looked at as though they are condemning others. I hope that this notion will be altered by this blog after your reading of it. Since the fall of mankind, sin has become human nature, something that we just do as humans. If you think about it, even toddlers naturally do wrong, many times they have to be taught to do what is right (Proverbs 22:6). It is not abnormal to be a sinner but it is also not good to remain a sinner.
The biblical definition of sin:
(n) moral evil, transgression of or rebellion against God’s laws
Jesus Christ:
Son of God; also became human.
If you ever want to know what God intended humanity to look like you can look at the life of Jesus Christ. He is the perfect model human. He is our example; the way all of humanity should think, look and be is embodied and displayed through the life of Christ. Reading about His life is extremely liberating to me.
Matthew 1: 21-23 NLT
And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet. “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God is with us.’ ”
Jesus Christ life is that of the perfect teacher, the perfect example and the perfect sacrifice. He is completely God and completely human and because of this that makes Him completely perfect.
The Perfect Teacher:
Jesus’ life shows us how God thinks as well as the way that we should also think.
Philippians 2:5-11 NLT
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Perfect Example:
Jesus’ life is the example of how we should live and His life is also what gives us the power to live in the way that we should.
1 Peter 2:21 NLT
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
The Perfect Sacrifice:
Jesus came as a sacrifice for all sins and his death was the only thing that could meet God’s approval for the removal of sin.
Colossians 1:15-23 NLT
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
John 1:14 NLT
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Jesus is God’s one and only Son, He is unique and one of a kind, different from everyone belonging to God. His life was the ultimate sacrifice given for our sins and is currently the ultimate example to our lives. May we follow in his footsteps and learn to live a life of unfailing love and faithfulness.
So whenever God gives me a specific topic to study I go straight to the back of my Bible to find every scripture pertaining to that topic.
With the topic of “God’s Love For You” my approach was no different.
I found 58 scriptures that had the word LOVE in it from the NLT Version of the Bible.
In the book Song of Songs love is described as a fire and possesses the quality of passion (the word used is jealousy). It says that love is the brightest kind of flame and that many waters cannot quench love.
Song of Songs 8:6-7 NLT
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.
1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
Love last forever. It is something that never goes out of style and is something that can never be used up.
1 Corinthians 13:8 NLT
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
1 Corinthians 14:1 instructs us to make love our highest goal. According to God, love is the greatest of all human qualities. God will never instruct us to do something that He wouldn’t do Himself, and loving is no different.
Love is an attribute of God.
1 John 4:8 NLT
But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Love has and always will be an action word. We show our love by what we do. Love is and always will be unselfish.
1 John 3:16 NLT
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
Jesus gave.
Jesus gave.
Jesus gave.
Action. Love is action.
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. The greatest act of love is the giving of oneself for others. God did that. There is a scripture that is famous to the world and it goes like this:
John 3:16 NLT
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
For God so loved the world, so much, that He gave.
God not only loves but He “so loves”. He so loves you. He so loves me and this love is eternal. It can never run out. It never runs dry. It is constant and it is consistent. It is forever.
There is nothing that you could ever do (and when I say ever I mean EVER) do that could separate you from the LOVE of God. He is perfect and so is His love for you. You are the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8), valuable, precious and honorable in His sight (Isaiah 43:4).
Romans 8:38-39 NLT
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 is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In The Beginning
The Account of Creation Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
God chose to create. God did not need to create anything. He didn’t have to create the universe, the stars, the moon or even you and I. The reason He did is because, God is love. As mentioned before, love is expressed through action. Since God IS love, He created you and I, and this world as an expression of His love. Love is best expressed towards something or someone. We are the someone’s that God has chosen to express His love to. God chose to create us so that He could love us. How big and beautiful is that thought?
God Is Patient
Read the story called Abraham Intercedes for Sodom. It is found in Genesis 18:16-33 NLT.
I look at this story as just another love story that tells about God’s great love for us. He desperately wants for us to do what is right and is extremely patient with us, given our human frailty. In this story, Abraham is found pleading with God not to destroy a city if He were to find only 10 righteous people in the ENTIRE city. Think about the city of New York alone. As of July 1, 2019 there were approximately 8,336,817 people in NYC. I’m sure that we could easily find 10 righteous people, probably on one block (if we were on the right block). God was willing to to spare an entire city and its surrounding villages if he could only find 10 people living right. The city ended up being destroyed because He didn’t find 10. It just reminds me of a scripture that says that God does not desire for any of us to perish (2 Peter 3:9 NLT). He created us in order to show His love towards us. He loves you and I more than we’ll ever know.
Genesis 19:24 NLT
Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.
God is patient with you and I. He allows us time to get things right. He walks us through our faults and shortcomings. God reasons with us and doesn’t rule (although He can if He wanted to) over us with an iron fist. He is always enduring and the Bible teaches us that His anger is only for a moment.
Psalm 30:5 NLT
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NLT
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged
The enemy wants you to believe that God doesn’t love you the way the way that the Bible teaches He does, so that he can trick you into believing a boat load of his other lies. Don’t take the bait. Cling to and run into the loving arms of Jesus again and again. No matter how hard you’ve fallen God is always standing with His arms opened wide waiting for your return. He loves you with an everlasting love. Receive it!
So, when I was younger I would always say that I would never kiss my children on the lips. I thought it was inappropriate. This is something that I never thought I’d do even into adulthood.
I also never thought I’d have a boy child first even though I always planned and wanted to have one first. I wanted a boy first so that he could protect his sisters. I had just assumed that I would have a girl first because of how my family has had their children.
The reason I was always uncomfortable about having a boy was because of the thought of having to clean their private parts and the yucky boy stuff that comes along with having a boy child. I always thought that young boys were a bit yucky even into adulthood. Lol.
I’m just being honest. I grew up with a younger brother and him and I were really close. So I’ve seen first hand how some boys can get. I said “some” because I’m sure that this is not an across the board statement, it’s more of a statement that says “Most boys are known to be messy.”.
I mentioned this to say that sometimes God puts people in our life to change us, to expand us, to take us out of our comfort zone and to change the way that we approach other people. To stretch us, to shake up our vision, to broaden our reach and for us to be comfortable with the differences found in others.
Eli is extremely lovable. He kisses his Momma on her lips and sometimes even with his mouth open. Ha! He loves climbing all over me, which is another area I have always struggled with. I’m the type of person that says there’s a time for affection and there is a time where you keep to yourself. This may just be me and the way I see things, but hey, this way goes out the window whenever Eli is around. Lol.
Eli’s personality completely contradicts everything I am and I believe that this is also completely ok.
I’d never say that he wasn’t meant to be my son because of it. I’d never ask for a redo regarding the child distribution process because of it. I love my son and I love our differences. It makes our relationship fun, it makes our days beautiful and also challenging at times. But, I am certain that God didn’t make a mistake by giving him to me. He is my blessing, a gift from God and I mean that in the most literal way.
I think that sometimes we think people have to be just like us in order for us to function around them or operate in unity and harmony amongst them and this just isn’t the case. God created us all differently for a reason. So that we could operate in our God given purpose uniquely and independently. I am not saying that we should be an island but I am saying that whatever God designed you for, you have all that you need to accomplish it, independent of anyone else. With that being said; when what you have joins or comes along side what someone else has, your differences can add to each other. We can make each other better by challenging the other to see thing in ways they’ve never seen them before, so that both parties can grow. We also make each other better by operating in our authentic, best version of ourselves. The you that God designed you to be.
Stay encouraged!
1 Corinthians 7:17 ESV
Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
TrulyArielleA 