Reduce Me To Love

I have some promising job leads-I don't want to go into details now, but I will when I know more. I feel like I may finally be on the verge of landing a job, and that is exciting! God has really led me through this journey, and I am thankful-I am just ready to see what is next!! I am finally staying well, too-which rocks! I thought last week it might be coming back, but thankfully I thwarted (that's a fun word) it away!!

Well, for the first time since I was, oh 3 or 4, I am actually not in school this semester, and it has been glorious so far. I have actually been able to read books I WANT to read for pleasure-wow, imagine that!! ;) Of course, I cannot just read one book at a time, so I am in the middle of 4 or 5 books, but I have found a lot of meat in them, and want to share some of what I am learning. This is from a book by Joyce Meyer titled "Reduce Me To Love: Unlocking the Secret to Lasting Joy":

God conquers evil with good. He does that by pouring out His limitless grace upon us so that if we see sin, His grace becomes greater than our sin. Just as it is impossible for God not to love, it is impossible for us to do anything to keep Him from loving us.

God's love is the power that forgives our sins, heals our emotional wounds and mends our broken hearts (Psalm 147:3).

Once you realize that you are loved by God, not because of anything you are or anything you have done, then you can quit trying to deserve His love or earn His love and simply receive it and enjoy it.

Start by confessing that God loves you. Say it out loud several times a day when you are alone. Speak it out into the atmosphere and get used to hearing it-get comfortable with the thought of it. Bask in His love, soak in it and let it saturate your soul-your thinking and emotions. Imagine the glory of it, "God loves me!"

Once your heart is filled with the knowledge of God's love, you can begin to love Him in return. We love Him, because He first loved us...

Having God's love in us, we can give it away. We can choose to love others lavishly. We can love them unconditionally as He has loved us.

Everyone in the world desires to be loved, to be accepted. The love of God is the most wonderful gift we are given. It flows to us, and then it should flow through us out to others.

Amen!