Stella's Word of the Week: Joy

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Have you been counting your blessings this holiday season? I sure have! This is my very first Christmas and I'm excited! From what I've seen, there are a lot of people who forget the meaning of this time of year. Christmas shopping can be annoying, planning for parties and guests can be stressful...but in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Christmas, don't forget the reason we celebrate! Jesus is the reason for the season. Yes, it may be a redundant statement, but it's true! Your word this week is joy! Have JOY this Christmas! Why? Because we are celebrating the birth of a very special baby. If Jesus wasn't born, you and I would be in big trouble. But He was, and because of His birth, we have eternal life and grace that is very much undeserved. Don't lose sight of Jesus this Christmas! When the roads turn to ice, the Christmas cookies get burned and you don't get everything you want for Christmas...just keep right on smiling, because the JOY of the Lord is our strength!

Stella's Word of the Week: Thankfulness

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Were you thinking wise thoughts last week? I hope so! This week we have a brand new word. Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, I thought the word Thankfulness was appropriate. It's important to be thankful all year 'round. There are so many things that God has blessed us with. This week as you celebrate Thanksgiving, remember the word 'Thankfulness' and rather than pointing out the things going wrong in your world, think about the things you've been blessed with. A thankful heart is a happy one!

We're All a Little Fruity

My mommy thinks it's fun to dress me up in cute outfits and take my picture. This particular outfit is one of my favorites. I haven't tried strawberries yet, but I hear they're pretty tasty. Even though I've never had one, I love this costume because it reminds me of a passage in the Bible. A strawberry is a fruit. Did you know the Bible talks about fruit?

Galations 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Just as a vine produces fruit when it's alive, we also produce "fruit" when we're alive in Christ. These are the fruits we should be producing. When you look at a fruit tree, it's easy to identify what kind it is based on the fruit that's hanging from it. People who look at us should be able to tell we are Christians by the fruit in our tree - in other words - by the actions we take and the attitude we have. If you're not producing the fruits listed above, maybe it's time to dig into God's word and water your tree! ;)

Living Water

 

I love playing with empty water bottles. I like the crunchy feeling of the plastic. When I play with water bottles, it reminds me of a passage in the Bible that talks about "living water". In John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well. He asks for a drink and they start talking. In verse 13 Jesus says -

(John 4:13-14)

 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Have you ever been so thirsty that nothing quite satisfies your need as a great big glass of water? When my mommy takes me on walks, she always needs a bottle of water because exercising makes her thirsty. She doesn't want soda or juice, because those drinks aren't as satisfying as water. Jesus is the same way. We can search after other things to satisfy our thirst, but when we drink the living water, we will never be unsatisfied again. If you're feeling a little dehydrated, pick up your Bible! That's where you'll find the living water. Think of it as your personal water fountain, just waiting for you to take a drink! ;)

 

Strength in Numbers

This is my cousin, Violet. We spent the day together a few weeks ago and went to the pumpkin patch. I love spending time with my friends! Did you know that the Bible talks a lot about friends? Making friends and showing love is an important part of being a Christian. The Bible tells us that there's power in numbers.

Matthew 18:19-20
 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
  
Praying by yourself is an important thing to do, but it's also important to pray with friends. When you have a serious issue that you're feeling anxious about, grab a couple friends and pray! We serve a mighty God who wants to hear from us! Sometimes the support of another friend is just what we need to help us feel better! 

 

Stella's Word of the Week: WISDOM

It's Monday and you know what that means! A new word for the week! I hope you succeeded in your weekend challenge of showing love to some one. This week's word of the week is Wisdom!

James 1:5
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Wisdom is a vital tool. The Bible talks a lot about the wise man verses the foolish man. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be a wise man than a fool! As always, what you decide to do with this week's word is up to you. You can pray for wisdom, read about it or whatever God lays on your heart!

Stella's Weekend Challenge!

Happy Friday! I hope you've been having a great week and that you've remembered to think about this week's word of the week. (Love) Along with that, we're also starting a new thing called "Stella's weekend challenge". Every Friday I will give you a challenge to do over the weekend. So your challenge for this weekend is to use this week's word and put it to practice in some way. Since this week's word is LOVE, I want to challenge you to find a way to love some one this weekend. You don't have to make it a huge ordeal. It could be as simple as saying "I love you" to some one. :) There's your challenge for the weekend! Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you on Monday!