Sacrifice, the act of giving of oneself for another. In Hebrew, this word is Korban, which signifies “an offering that brings us closer to God.”  Our heart will have a hard time sacrificing, if our heart has a hard time receiving love. Sacrifice is an overflow. Not necessarily of the physical that we have, although that is sometimes the means,  but rather our heart of gratitude for another. A home cooked meal when exhaustion is setting in, a cloak laid down for a king, or the greatest sacrifice of our Saviour laying down His life for us.  

God's provision does not always come in the exact way we may think, but if we step back and look for the ways that God is providing for your every need, we will learn to be thankful in every circumstance. God is so good and faithful. He knows your exact needs even when we don’t, So hold onto the things that are true: God loves you, He is your provider, and He has abundant provision for your every need.

Jesus...the crux of the salvation story. The pillar of the Christian faith. Why Jesus? Why believe in a God you don’t feel you know, and a faith you don’t understand? Would you listen if He prodded your heart? If you fully believed He saw you right where you are at with all your brokenness and baggage and yet still loves you. There is a biblical account of a Samaritan woman, searching for love, filling her life with empty relationships. Her void in her heart was as deep as the well she sought water from. Yet, Jesus saw her, offering her wholeness, despite the emptiness she felt. Would you allow Him a second of your time to reveal to you, that He loves you despite all the wrongs that you have ever done?

Give the gift of showing Christ to others this Christmas season, by showing kindness to those He loves. Join me on these 24 Intentional Acts of Kindness!

Do we even fully grasp the significance of a God who is willing to meet us where we are and love us? We are so frail, so broken; from the least to the greatest, we are as dust. The sad reality of our humanity is that even those who loved God with as much as they could, struggled with remembering their humble place. Provision, love, faithfulness, mercy... God has never lacked in any one. His very essence is love, and His character has no flaws. Why do we seek for lesser things? Why do we allow ourselves to wander when God is all we need as our daily bread, and our fullness of life?

Each day we have moments where we desperately need God’s forgiveness and grace. Wake up calls to our imperfections and depravity. Perhaps like me, you remember a season that you realized the depth of this chasm. God's grace and mercy was not just the cherry on top, but the necessary glue to keep you together. We sometimes get so comfortable that I think we forget the love we had at first for the God who gave us hope. That elated feeling of peace and joy, when we tossed all our garbage aside and said, "I trust You."

There are people in our lives that grace the doors of our heart, and leave unforgettable impressions. I can proudly say I carry the namesake of mine. My grandma, Svanhild Kristoffersen, was strong and reserved, living a life of love for Jesus with her...

Sin corrupts our heart and draws our praise and focus away from a loving God. The people of Nineveh struggled with this depravity. Their harsh forms of dominance and control permeated who they were. Sin consumed them, and overflowed for all to see, blinding their eyes to truth. They worshipped false gods and goddess’ in order to fill their desire for worship, but this idolatrous lifestyle only drew them further away from the one true God.

My journey with God began before I could say “mama”, and today as a woman I have let Jesus into my heart. I am Shannon, a mom, wife, cook, maid, coffee barista, friend, daughter, sister, and child of God’s Kingdom. Below is my walk in faith, and a heartfelt testimony that God is real! He stands by you through thick and thin.

Each day brings with it new opportunities to learn faith and trust in God. Kids sprinkle in more of these opportunities as we rely on God with their safety and provision (can I hear an Amen). Yet kids can also teach us...

I look at those around me, from the Believers who sit next to me in the pews, to the non-Believers who have never felt the presence of God's love wash over them. Yet, as we mingle in the world, the lines are blurred. It's kind of hard to tell anyone apart. Is there anyone who looks different? Who sets themselves apart with convictions in their heart that screams that there is a God? Or do they look and act like everyone else? Does your desire to fit in cause you to be stuck in the elementary teachings about Christ, forcing you to mull over the same struggles you've had for years? This begs to ask the question why?

As a society, we live busy, hurried, loud lives, rushing from one place to another, or one thing to another trying to allow our feet to catch up to our agenda. Even when we have time to pause our minds are cluttered. It would take a big theatrical display of God’s majesty to stop us in our tracks, in order for us to really pay attention to God. Yet, God is not a puppet on display. He is the God of the universe that deserves our attention.

In America, you rarely see someone without clothes because they don't own any. Some voluntarily go that route, but that's another issue. Due to our prosperity, we almost cultivate an environment of greed and acquiring excess material just because we can. This should not be. Whether you are blessed with much, or little, if you can stay focused and grounded on the basic principles of giving you will be amazed how much more your joy will feel complete.

We serve a God of the impossible. Do you truly believe this? As you say your prayers, do you pray within the realm of possibility or impossibility? Do you realize that God’s abilities go beyond your situation, limitations, and even other people? Fears and worries creep in when our faith is limited to what we can do within our own ability, ultimately accepting a limited view of God.

I know what you are thinking… trivial. In the big scheme of things, saying blessed instead of lucky has nothing to do with salvation, however, for me it's something I make a conscious effort to do. Here's why. With each word we say we are making a statement. What our beliefs, ideologies, and passions are. Luke 6:45 says, “Out of the heart the mouth speaks.” The power of the tongue is very influential.

Sometimes we get so busy that we forget that God desires our love. He prefers a simple card that comes from our heart, rather than a thousand eloquent words with no meaning behind them. God wants us to sit at His feet and listen to Him. He wants us to stop rushing from His presence, in order to do things that breathe temporary value, because even the good things, if not done with God in the midst of it, will not have lasting value. They will be a chore list to get done, rather than an offering of love.

Little clothes, big clothes, I fold the basketfuls of laundry that are always awaiting me. The dishes that once enveloped my sink are put away. The house is picked up to the best it will be for now. There has been many...

Sadness, the aching of a bleeding heart, the kind that sometimes seems unfillable? A void. A stillness in the air that echoes in your heart. Have you ever had days like this?

The snow has already fallen, the Christmas decorations are hung, and thoughts of what Christmas truly means fills my mind. A time of reflection of our Savior, a time of peace. Yet the true meaning of Christmas sometimes slips away as commercials and the "me" mentality take its place. We write lists of what we want, and what will make us feel special.

Where is God? The question emanates from those around me. I see their longing, their desire for peace, the feeling deep down that there is something more. But they still haven’t experienced the life changing power of Christ and wonder why? The assumption soon rises perhaps it is what it is. I can’t dwell on something I can’t change, so I will just enjoy this life, and hope everything works itself out at the end. Unfortunately, we can’t wait till the end to make amends with God. We have to make proactive steps now to receive His presence and solidify our hope in what is to come.

Life doesn’t always seem fair. We struggle with seeing the big picture because we are so fixated on our current struggle. We feel overwhelmed and wonder why God would allow us to walk through this. But God will use even the darkest moments of our life, and breathe purpose into them, if we let Him.

We lay a prayer before God, a prayer for healing, financial stability, or perhaps for the salvation of a loved one. Whatever the case may be, these prayers resonate in our hearts. We sit; we wait. We check the clock and calendar for time passed on unanswered prayers. Maybe being still and patient is what is required of you, but sometimes God wants us to put our money where our mouth is. He wants us to establish our faith by an action.

Sharing my faith and convictions can sometimes get discouraging. Not everyone is going to share the same mindset or come to the same conclusions in life. Yet God gently reminded me that everyone is going to be held accountable for there own choice. I cannot make that choice for them. This personal choice cannot be forced but lovingly and patiently shared. I always tried to grasp this concept, yet God really sent the message home when my son struggled getting in the pool.

I have to admit that I've been in a funk lately… Ok for 2 years on and off. We moved to Western, NY about 2 ½ years ago. A week after we moved 6 hours from all our family and friends we found out we were pregnant with our first child. No family, no friends, new beginnings.

In a world where we desire tangible or scientific proof to validate what we believe, why would we believe anything by Faith? Many things require faith whether we like it or not. Everyday things, like stepping into a car, flying in a plane, or even going to sleep.