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!

BEE a Team!

Have you ever heard a swarm of bees in their nest? It's a loud and powerful noise. Bees do an important job for our environment. Imagine if a bee had to do all the work on its own. That would be very hard and would end in disaster. Just like bees work together, we should work together too.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 -

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

There may be times when we are at odds with those around us, but it's important to stick together. As Christians, we are all working toward the same goal. You may have times when you get stung, but if you stick it out, the end results are as sweet as honey! ;)

Say What?!

I'm a baby, so that means a lot of strange things get put into my mouth. I love chewing on anything and everything I can get my hands on. Did you know that we're supposed to be careful about what's in our mouth? The Bible talks about our words.

Ephesians 4:29 -
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Wow, that's a pretty powerful statement! It definitely makes you think twice before you open your mouth. So, just like I need to be cautious about the things I put into my mouth, we all need to be extra cautious about the words coming out!

I've Got Peace Like a River

I love my sleep. Sleep can solve a lot of problems, but sometimes I find it hard to sleep. When my mind is wandering and fears are flooding my spirit, it's hard to have peace. Have you ever tried sleeping when you're not at peace? It doesn't work out too well. What does the Bible say about peace? It says a lot. But my favorite verse on the subject is

Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I am in awe every time I read this. Think about it. The peace which transcends all understanding. That means it's SO peaceful that we can't even fathom the feeling. So God's telling us right here that even when things are a mess, even when the storms are raging and we are beside ourselves, we can still have peace! I like to picture an umbrella. The wind is blowing, the rain is falling, the thunder is crashing...but God is our umbrella that protects us from all of that. Do we still see the storm? Yes. In fact, you might even be in the middle of it. But if you have your umbrella of peace, you're not going to get wet! ;)

LOVE

Hello friends! It's been a little while since I've posted and I apologize for that! Things have been a bit hectic around here, but I'm back and ready to share God's love with you! We're going to start something new called 'Stella's Word of the Week'. Each Monday I will post a new word. This word will be one that is found in scripture. What I want you to do is think about this word all week long. This week's word is - LOVE.

Love is mentioned all over the Bible, so I'm not going to give you a long list of every verse that mentions love. What you do with the word of the week is entirely up to you. You can make it a part of your devotion time where you look up verses with this word or you can make a goal for the week to show extra love. What you do with it is between you and God.

When I hear the word love, my mind goes immediately to the "love chapter" (1Corinthians 13). Love is a very powerful thing. It says in the Bible that God IS love. How cool is that?! If we show love, then we're being like God. That's definitely something I want for my life! So, there you go, your word this week is LOVE. Think about it, read about it, live it. LOVE!