Embrace God’s Love !!!

Hello everyone… It’s so nice to have you back!  To experience the abundant life. as spoken of by Jesus in John 10:10, one must live life and love it!  These words are not as simple as they appear. Within each word are Godly principles, truths and promises that if followed hold the key to an enriched and fulfilling life. Today our topic is LOVE…specifically God’s love for us... His agape (ah-gop-pay) love. Agape love is the ultimate expression of God's loyalty, purity and mercy extended to mankind. It is the highest form of love  and is universal, unconditional transcending any circumstance.  We will explore our love for God, self and each other in later weeks, as they all are part of the first key LOVE.

  For me, I grew up as a believer, singing songs such as “Yes Jesus Loves Me” - Jesus loves me this I know…for the Bible tells me so.  I learned the scripture John 3:16 and was taught that God loved me because I was His child.  But I really didn’t begin to understand the depth of God’s love until adulthood… until I became a parent.  You see, as a child, I felt love from my parents, grandparents, brothers, cousins, aunties, and uncles.  But unfortunately, when it came to one of my older siblings, I didn’t feel loved at all.  I was physically and emotionally abused for several years and this left me hurt, broken and confused. Then, when I was 13, my mom died suddenly and this made me doubt God’s love even more.

      But as a new parent, one experiences love like never before…and for me, I discovered that I had the capacity to love deeply… unconditionally… selflessly.  This gave me a clearer understanding of the love my Heavenly Father had for me.  I came to realize that the magnitude of His love was far greater than any sin, mistake, fault or shortcoming that I might have. 1 John 4:16 states "God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God. and God in them." Reflect upon and hold on to this truth ( and others found in the link below)

  https://christianpf.com/bible-verses-about-gods-love/

when things get rough, when you begin to  put yourself down, and when you feel unworthy.  GOD’S love for us is unshakable, immovable and strong.  He sacrificed His beloved son Jesus, so that we would be saved from our sins.  When you know you are loved, you feel better about yourself and your  

                                    situation.  Embrace God’s love today for a brighter tomorrow!!!

                                                                         Until next time....

   Remember the 

 

PROMISE AND THE POWER OF

      GOD's LOVE FOR YOU !!!!                                          

TRIPLE L CLUB: 

 Living Life & Loving It

                                         

 Please leave a comment.  

      Next Post Tues 3/26/19       

Too Precious To Take For Granted!!!

LIFE

       Last year for me was like no other.  I brought in the New Year (2018) with the excitement of welcoming my 5^th grandchild into the world.  Plans were already in place to travel to Europe and spend a few days with the new parents and the precious newborn.  However, on the day of my departure, my new bundle of joy still had not come.  As it turned out, he was waiting for his Nannie before making his grand entrance!  Not more than 2 hours after my arrival, his mother and entourage headed to the hospital for the delivery.  She had been in labor all day and didn’t realize it.  Within 5 hours, she gave birth to a healthy baby and I served as a labor coach who witnessed his delivery!!! What a blessing…totally unexpected… but a memory I will always cherish.  Conversely, when my first grandchild was born, almost seventeen years earlier, I knew in advance that I would witness the birth.  However, after waiting in the hospital for a couple of hours under the chilly air conditioning, I left to get a jacket, and by the time I returned, the baby had been born. 

        I’m so thankful to have been blessed with  5 wonderful grandchildren and this part of my life is so rewarding…being a grandparent is one of the greatest experiences one could ever have.  The time spent with my newest grandchild quickly came to an end and I arrived back at BWI around 4am.  About an hour later, I was on the road headed home, happy to have beaten the morning rush hour.  I turned on some music and made a call a friend to let them know I had arrived safely.  That is when I noticed flames shooting up from the hood of my car…all this while I was driving about 60mph on 83!!!!  I immediately went into survival mode, pulled over to the shoulder, removed my seatbelt while grabbing my purse.  When I went to unlock the door, nothing happened…the locks didn’t work.  I tried again and again to no avail.  I kicked the windows on the front, driver and passenger sides several times.  That’s when smoke began to fill the car.  Honestly, I thought it was the end.  I yelled out JESUS and took a deep breath.  In my mind, I wanted my last words to be of Him.  One last time I tried the lock switch…definitely in panic mode, I kicked the door then tried the handle one last time and to my relief, the door popped opened. PRAISE GOD !!!!

        There was a couple in a car on the shoulder of the road behind me.  The man yelled for me to get away from my car and come into his.  As soon as  I got in the back seat, my car exploded!!! My angels explained that they had been following me for several miles.  They noticed flames coming from the bottom of the car and knew I was in trouble.  The warmth of the flames gave me an eerie feeling.  I was in shock. The brightness of the flames revealed agonized looks of bystanders who thought someone was in the car and surely expired from the explosion.  I was safe, I was in shock but most of all I was so thankful to GOD for sparing my life.  My grandson would get to know his grandmother after all and God had granted me more time on this earth.

That was January 2018 and towards the later months, I was diagnosed with lung cancer.  This was very shocking to me because I hadn’t really experienced any symptoms.  Everything happened so fast.  Between Election Day and Christmas:  I was diagnosed, tested and scanned more times than I can remember and then finally right before Christmas, I underwent a 6 hr surgery to remove part of my lung.  Again, God blessed me and allowed me to walk out of the hospital 2 days later. No chemo or radiation is needed thus far as my doctor thinks he caught it in time.  You see I have the Big G (GOD) to take care of the little c.  Over the past 3 months, I have had plenty of time to think about all of these events. 

     And one thing that is so abundantly clear, is that Life is So Very Precious… and there are no guarantees.  We should not take it for granted for except by God’s grace can it be taken away.        There’s no time for hatred, pettiness, unforgivness, strife, toxic people, or anything that can depleteor destroy the beauty and quality of the life God has given us.  No matter how you feel or what you are going through, your life is a gift…appreciate it.  Give your problems and troubles over to GOD…He can and will help you.  Forgive others and always be thankful for what you have.  Be mindful that no matter how bad you think things are, there is always someone worse off than you.  The more you focus on GOD and helping others, the smaller your problems will seem.

Until next time... Saturday 3/23 !!! Thanks for your time and input.  All comments are welcome!  Please spread the word.  I love you but GOD loves you best.  

Starting Off Right !!!!

We really appreciate your patience during our "downtime" over the past 3 weeks. I did not realize that I would not be able to enter posts or administer changes to the blog while I was out of the country.  And even though I had an assistant here in the US, there were still technical issues that had to be resolved.  Thank you for understanding and tolerating our growing pains.  With that said I would like to introduce the Triple L Club's new format and pray that there will be no more glitches, thus allowing for consistent posts and comments throughout the week.

During our intro posts, we reviewed the 3 Triple L components Living, Life & Loving It (Live, Life, Love). Each week (on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) you will find a post on one of the Ls for the week.

                                                    LIVE                           

 Living is more than just waking up every morning.  I don't know about you, but some days that very act of getting started is harder than other days.  What keeps you going, or motivated to begin another day?  How do you set your agenda and maintain it throughout the day?  What catapults you to that place of living (for the day) instead of merely going through the motions?  One mistake I've made is not taking those first few minutes upon awakening and acknowledging the source of life...GOD.  Thanking Him for another day to live and experience life is something I should never be too busy to do.  Secondly, it is so important to take the time to remember that everything I face can wait a few minutes...that it is so important to start my day with an attitude of gratitude and reflection: a word of prayer, scripture and reflection (devotion).  No matter how packed the agenda is, this time with our Creator sets the tone for the entire day.   I didn't always do this, and sometimes even now I don't do everything right away.  But I make it a point, before my feet hit the floor, to wiggle my toes, move my limbs, and whisper a word of thanks to GOD for another day! And before get to work, usually during the ride, I commune with God. 

                     

            "All of that sounds good (those images above)…but HOW you might ask…it’s not as easy as it sounds".  As adults, our lives have become complicated with the responsibilities of managing our lives, parenting, maintaining relationships and jobs, and so many other things.  God knows and loves you.  He is here to help you and enrich your life. You are not in this alone!  Start each day with an open mind and a sincere heart, acknowledging Him and his importance to you.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle, but believe me, when you start your day with God, maneuvering becomes much easier. You accomplish more and better equipped to handle the unexpected. Even when things are rough, it’s good to know that the Creator of the universe has your back!  God honors your faith and trust in Him and appreciates your desire and effort in developing a true relationship with Him. Therefore, determine to start your day off right and give God some time...  START each day with GOD!
                                

He is.... Priscilla Shirer    (Video Link...Please Listen)

                                                    
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        Thanks for joining us.  Next post Thursday 3/21/19.  Please enhance the LLL community by adding a comment below.  Until next time...
                             Keep Living For God !!!

What Is Your Life's Blueprint?

Welcome again to the Triple L Club (LLL - Living Life & Loving It!!!) as we further our study of the Keys to An Abundant Life.  In previous posts, we discussed the two keys, Love and Life. Today we will cover our final key:

LIVING - are you living or merely existing going through the motions? Does your life have a meaning, a purpose, a direction, a destiny?  Are you here for a reason or are you just along for the ride?  Is this world a better place because of you or do you go unnoticed?  Are you passionate about anything or passive about everything? Do you make a difference or are you taking up space?  Don't get it twisted... It doesn't mean making an impact that changes a city, a nation or the world.  This is not everyone's fate. However, little things mean a lot. 

       These questions I’ve posed are not to make you feel bad or inadequate,  rather they should be used to serve as an ongoing indicator of the quality of life you are living.  To be honest all of us fall short and miss the mark from time to time...more often than not In fact, there is no way, in our own strength and humanness that a person can live a meaningful life each and every day.  But with GOD’s help and guidance, our lives become much more powerful!!!

    In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech at Barratt Jr. High School in Philadelphia entitled “What is Your Life’s Blueprint?” http://youtu.be/aDaGhmaWmo4 He explained that in order to have a life of purpose and power, it must be built on a solid and sound foundation or blueprint. Dr. King encouraged students to use 2 critical blueprint components to construct their adult lives. I have added a 3rd component for your consideration as we may be in a different life phases, already being adults, of rebuilding, renewing and restoration.  They are as follows:

       ➤ A deep belief in your own dignity, self worth and significance

       ➤ The determination to achieve excellence

       ➤ The ability to overcome fear, anxiety and negative influences

 

      Generally speaking, blueprints are developed by an architect who provides the overall plan and design for a construction; while engineers are responsible for implementing the design safely and efficiently.  In life terms, think about it this way: GOD is the architect of our life...He formed us in our mother’s womb (Ps 139:13-16), created us from dust (Gen 2:7) and Has a perfect plan for our lives (Jer 29:11).  Then He gave us, the engineers, the guidance (Holy Spirit) and instruction manual (Holy Word) to build our lives. But unlike any other architectural structure known to man, no matter how damaged or worn out our lives become, they never have to be sold, flipped, torn down, imploded or destroyed.  They can be completely salvaged and restored because of God’s love for us. Through salvation (believing in and accepting His beloved Son as Savior), we can be completely renovated...indescribably better than before…(Gal 5:22-23) to the most magnificent design…a true masterpiece… that of a life in Jesus Christ!!! (2 Cor 5:17)  In Him, not only can we live the abundant life here on earth (John 10:10), serve as a beacon of light and hope in this sometimes dark world (John 8:12) but most importantly, draw others close to him for years to come (Mat 5:16). And if that weren’t enough, GOD will never leave us (Mat 28:20b)... we will then spend eternity with Him!!! (1 John 2:25). I know this is so much to take in… But it’s truly good news.  

You see, no matter where we are in life...THERE’S HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER DAY !!!  Shine brightly & continue to seek the ABUNDANT LIFE!!!

FYI: We’ve been experiencing a technical glitch that is preventing you from posting your comments.  Thank you for your patience as we get this resolved.

Until next time….. Tuesday 2/26/19

Life Has A Purpose… DISCOVER YOURS and Walk In It !!!

Welcome back to The Triple L Club (LLL)-Living Life and Loving It, where we are discovering the Keys to An Abundant Life as given to us by Jesus Christ (John 10:10). As we take this journey of reflection and growth, it is important to understand each LLL component and use it as a foundation for our quest for a more enriched and fulfilling ABUNDANT LIFE.  Last time, we talked about LOVE and how important it is to love God, ourselves and others.  Today, we will discuss our second component: LIFE.

LIFE - How do you view your life?  Is it a gift that you cherish, appreciate and nurture or do you take it for granted by abuse, self indulgence, or ungratefulness? Do you allow others to control your thoughts, emotions and experiences or do you choose to preserve and protect the precious life that you have?  Do you acknowledge the Giver of this gift, or do you ignore this fact by being unappreciative of the fact that you wake up every morning?  No matter what you think or feel, your life means something, or you would NOT still be here. There is a true purpose for your existence and it’s much bigger than you or me. The more you learn to appreciate it, the greater the quality of your being.  The greater the quality, the more purposeful it will be for you and others.

Ask yourself (and answer honestly), what is most important to you in your life? One might say family, security, wealth, power, comfort, respect, education, peer acceptance… and the list goes on and on.  I contend that the most important things in life are those things that money can’t buy such as:  inner peace, joy, health, family, positive relationships, security, passion and purpose.

         How often have you beaten yourself up because you haven’t “arrived”, you aren’t where you thought you would be, or you compare yourself to friends and/or relatives and in your opinion fall short of where you should be?  To make matters worse, society often projects deceptive portrayals such as the super mom, the mighty multitasker and the artful accomplisher who succeeds at everything! It is human nature to want more out of life and to feel bad about these things.   But rather than to fall for these unrealistic standards, seek God’s truth and guidance as to where you should be and how to get there. Don’t let the world define your success… FIND YOUR FULFILLMENT AND LIFE’S PURPOSE IN GOD!!!

       I’ve been there...trying to please everybody else, listening to others and trusting the world’s standards for my life.  I found myself unhappy, disillusioned and just plain tired. I was going through the motions and burning myself out as a single mother of 3.  Then I decided to find out what GOD said about my life. I found Proverbs 3:5&6 which offered a better perspective for me. It states “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path.” Trusting God may be a difficult thing to do at first, but it makes life much easier and fulfilling.

I liken it to driving a car with cruise control. You set the commands and trust the car to maintain a certain speed until you decide to make a change.  Trusting GOD is like having cruise control for your life only better; giving him complete control through trust and faith - as if you turned on cruise control and sat in the back seat!!!  There’s freedom and joy in handing over the reins to GOD, the ultimate giver of (youe) life. Who is better qualified to mold and develop your life into one that will bring you and others joy while fulfilling His purpose on the earth !!!  Our ultimate purpose is to glorify GOD through our life while sharing His love and helping others. He honors trust and faith and will bless you with unspeakable joy and peace that passes all understanding.

    Other scriptures that I found to confirm this Truth are:

“We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those He has called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)

“You, Lord, give purpose peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.  Trust in the Lord forever; He will always protect us.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Live your Life and Love It!!!

Thanks for joining the Triple L Club Community.

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments

Next Post Friday 2/22/19

Love, Love, and More Love

     On Wednesday, we celebrated Valentine’s Day.  This is a time for many to feel loved by special people in our lives and to spread love to others.  It unfortunately can also be a time of sadness and disappointment if love is not demonstrated in a way that makes a person feel appreciated... Valentine’s Day love can be something not to celebrate  if we don’t have the proper perspective. GOD IS LOVE.  His agape love transcends that of the world.  And that is the love I choose to celebrate… it is unconditional, never ending and empowering… Thus it is the first component of The Triple L Club (Living Life & Loving It) I’d like to discuss.

    Each component of LLL is important in and of itself.  However, realizing the maximum quality of  the abundant life is when all three entities effectively function independently AND interdependently throughout our daily lives. Therefore each component (Living Life & Loving It) will be examined individually, exploring how it is working and identifying what level of functionality we are achieving in our life journey. Only when all three are performing at maximum effectiveness, is LLL (Living Life & Loving It) truly realized.  

LOVE - Love GOD, love yourself and love others.

       It doesn't matter who you are, what background you have, or how much you have, the thing that we all can do is LOVE. Loving others is something anyone can do, and is something everyone should do. But it is very difficult to love others if we don't love ourselves. Sometimes it can be hard to love yourself, but only you can control how much you are loved by yourself. I can give you some encouraging truths, but it's up to you to accept them and dwell on them.

    

I may not know you personally, but because I know God, I already know the following things about you about you:

1) You are loved by the Creator of everything. He loves you so much, that he sacrificed His perfect and Holy son for YOU (see John 3:16)

2) You are fearfully and wonderfully made! (see Psalm 139:14)

3) You were created with a purpose; you are part of God's glorious plan (see 1 Timothy 4:4)

4) NOTHING will ever stop God from loving you. NOTHING (see Romans 8:38-39)

    On Valentine’s Day we made it a priority to love and treat our loved ones. Starting TODAY, you can do the same thing to YOURSELF. I encourage you to read more about God's amazing love for you and to also make a list of things that you love about yourself. Yes, this may seem like a simple task, but if you take the time to write out why you love yourself, you are able to think more about loving yourself. And it's great to keep this list somewhere where you will see it often, like next to your bed or taped on your bathroom mirror. This way you will constantly be reminded of how AMAZING you are. I hope that you are able to love yourself and God more, which will help you love and serve others.

Remember, I love you but GOD LOVES YOU BEST!!!

KEEP LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE…

THE ABUNDANT LIFE !!!

Thank you for joining us today.  Please share your thoughts & comments with the Triple L Club (LLL) Community.  We appreciate hearing from you from you! Until next time… Tuesday 2/19/19.

This Is YOUR Season

Welcome to The Triple L Club: Living Life & Loving It!!!   I must first give all honor and glory to GOD for the numerous trials, tests and eventual testimonies that have created my incredible life experience and the inspiration to do this. My GOD is AWESOME and  oh so FAITHFUL !!!

Secondly, I thank GOD for allowing me to meet the seasoned women of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church (in Baltimore, MD) many years ago. Their “seniors” group was called the Triple L Club and I can distinctly remember thinking that although these ladies were nice, it was definitely  a group for old people.  These “saints” welcomed me and my children into the church family and were very instrumental in loving me back to wholeness, after a devastating divorce.  Their never ending patience, encouragement and support was almost as powerful as the wisdom and agape love they shared.  At one of the lowest times in my life, GOD sent these “ministering angels” to my rescue…Mrs. Hart, Mrs. Barber, Mrs. Simms, Mrs. Lassiter and Mrs. Calhoun to name a few…I’ll never forget them and they will always hold a special place in my heart.

Within a two year period, I lost my dad, my job, my home and my brother…following the unfortunate end of a twelve year marriage!  If that weren’t enough, I experienced a very serious illness and had to maintain a household as a single mother of three.  Despite these challenges, I never lost my hope or my praise…I KNEW GOD and  believed He would never leave me nor forsake me.  I kept telling myself that I had to be strong for my children and held on the fact that the joy of the Lord was my strength.  Yes, there was plenty of pain and loneliness, but GOD smiled on us and brought us out.

   

Life goes through seasons of change.  Just keep on living and you will undoubtedly witness it’s ebbs and tides (if you haven’t already).  But thanks be to GOD He gave us His only begotten son, JESUS CHRIST.  In John 10:10, Jesus declares:  “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance”.  This scripture is the focus and inspiration for this blog and the foundation  for being a member of the Triple L Club: Living Life & Loving It (LLL)

     

Each component of LLL is important in and of itself.  However, realizing the maximum quality of  LLL is when all three entities effectively function independently AND interdependently. Therefore each must be examined individually, exploring how it is working and identifying what level of functionality you are achieving in your daily life.  Only when all three are performing at maximum capacity, is THE ABUNDANT LIFE truly realized.  Everyone has different levels and performance combinations.  Thus, this exploration requires honest reflection, an open mind, a willing spirit, self acceptance (void of condemnation) and a sense of surrender with a genuine desire  for change.  I hope that embarking on this journey together will allow us to find that perfect place of peace, power, purpose and growth.

LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!

 UNTIL NEXT TIME: SATURDAY 2/16/19