Acceptance

Let No One Be Left Out

March 25, 2018 By Eva Conner 2 Comments

Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? Maybe you’ve been left out before.

I know this feeling well. For a good part of my life, I suffered with insecurities and feeling left out. It’s not a good feeling. It’s rejection and it’s a very real emotion that can be crippling.

Do you suffer from rejection?

If you can relate, I want to give you some good news. Jesus Christ! Please keep reading and don’t dismiss Jesus as being able to help you. Jesus has such a heart for you and for me.

Jesus has a soft spot in His heart for those who are rejected and down-trodden. Click To Tweet

I know that Jesus can help because He helped me.

Rejection can bring you to your knees in pain. There were times that I would be in a room full of people and wonder if even one person in the room would acknowledge my presence. Even if I were included in activities, I felt like I didn’t fit in very well. I struggled with small talk and socializing. It still is painful for me to talk to people without a specific subject in mind.

Do you want to know when all of it changed for me?

These feelings of rejection and insecurity started to shift the more aware I became of Jesus Christ in my life. For the first time, with Jesus, I fit in perfectly and didn’t feel out of place. He loves me whether I am quiet or if I’m struggling to express my thoughts. He accepts me and acknowledges me regardless if I’m in a room alone or with hundreds of people. He lets me know how very special I am to Him.

And I realized another very important truth as well.

IT’S OKAY TO NOT FIT IN ALL PLACES.

So the next time you are at lunch with friends or co-workers and they are talking about movies and TV shows that you know nothing about, don’t feel left out. Feel loved and cherished that Jesus is protecting you from those worldly things that can interfere with your spiritual growth and your relationship with Him.

We all make choices that either launch us straight into the world or straight into our prayer closets getting to know Jesus a little better.

What a wonderful Savior and Master we serve. He is right there ALL THE TIME waiting on us to WANT to know Him. But sadly, we choose other things that do not bring us closer to Him. However, He still patiently waits for us. He still loves us very much.

Today, what will you choose?

For me, today I choose Jesus. Nothing compares with the sweet intimacy with Jesus. Tomorrow, I’ll have to make the choice all over again.

Day-by-day we choose the world or Jesus.

Some days I do well. Some days I don’t. But the more I experience His sweetness, the easier it is to choose Him.

Do you desire a deeper intimacy with Jesus? Here are some things that help me.

I find a quiet spot wherever I am. I once read that John Wesley’s mother had so many children, it was impossible for her to find a quiet spot to pray so she’d sit in a kitchen chair and pull her apron over her head. Her children knew if mom had her apron over her head to leave her alone. Isn’t that a wonderful picture? No matter where I find myself, I’ve learned to shut off the noise around me.
I quiet my mind by focusing on Scripture. Read the words in the verses slowly, carefully. Chew on them and think about each word. I find that there is not one meaningless word written anywhere in the Bible. Each word has depth and the potential to reveal Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. He is hidden all throughout the Bible waiting on us to find Him.
I practice thanksgiving every day. Thank our Father for His goodness. Acknowledge and thank the Holy Spirit for being our constant Companion and Friend. Thank Jesus Christ for being our Lord and Master.
I play praise music and sing along. It goes a long way in praising God for who He is. It helps me when I truly sing out loud and praise Him.
I try to seek God’s face and not His hand. I enjoy being with God as I would a dear friend. We don’t always go to our friends with a laundry list of things we need. We shouldn’t do that with God either. We need to learn to be in His presence because we want to know Him better.
When He starts to speak, I write it down in a special journal. Cherish and hold dear all that He speaks.

It takes perseverance and commitment to know God better.

If you are married, you can relate to the time you and your spouse spent getting to know one another before you were married. You dated and enjoyed being in each other’s presence. You wanted to know all you could about each other. You wanted to see their heart, right? It’s no different with God. He will show us His heart if we want to see it.

Let’s desire to see God’s heart every day!

Jesus does not want even one to feel left out, rejected, abandoned or alone. This is good news. Share with all!

I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me.

John 10:14

If this word resonates with you, please leave me a comment. I want everyone to hunger for more Jesus in their lives. It’s my desire to share my passion and love for Jesus with everyone. It is the only way to see true transformation.

Stay in the Light and Love always,

Eva

Losing Your Dignity

February 18, 2018 By Eva Conner Leave a Comment

How many moments in a day do you feel special?

Let’s leave this question for a minute and look at another.

How many moments in a day do you think about Jesus?

These two questions are intricately linked together. The more we know about Jesus, the more we’ll know how special we are. You see, we cannot truthfully and accurately know anything about ourselves outside of our knowledge of Jesus Christ.

A couple weeks ago in my prayer time, God asked me to write down the very first word in the Bible? My immediate response was to recite the first verse in Genesis. “In the beginning…”

He stopped me and asked again, “What is the first word in the Bible?” This time I really listened and answered Him.

The first word is ‘IN.’

He then asked me to write down the very last word? ‘AMEN.’

I asked what this means. Which prompted the third question.

What is in between these two words? ‘CHRIST JESUS!’

IN CHRIST JESUS, AMEN!

This is the message of the Bible. The entire Word of God reveals the person Jesus Christ. His purpose in every word spoken in the Bible shows us a redemption plan that is beautiful and perfect. Jesus is revealed from the very first verse in Genesis until the very final verse in Revelations.

And not only is Jesus revealed but we are revealed as well throughout the entire Word because we are in HIM.

Out of everything He created, He chose us to be His prized possession!

He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possessions.
James 1:18

Think about this more than one minute. This truth will change your life if you allow it to hit your heart. You are Jesus Christ’s prized possession. He came to earth to redeem YOUR life. YOU are so very special and dear to Him. YOU fill His thoughts and His heart. YOU are loved dearly. YOU are valued. YOU are beautiful.

Let’s stop looking left and right for things that only Jesus can give us. Man cannot provide what we need deep within our being. Only Jesus.

Who do you see in the mirror? Start looking for Jesus today.

So let me ask the two questions again.

How many moments in a day do you feel special?

How many moments in a day do you think about Jesus?

The more we allow our minds to think about Jesus, the more we will know how special and valuable we are. When we allow our thoughts to become dominated with Jesus, He will transform us into His very image. As this happens, we will know how special we are and this knowledge will carry us places we otherwise would not go. This knowledge will drive us to our knees in worship. This knowledge will drive us to stand on our tiptoes with arms stretched upward in praise.

This knowledge will remove all dignity.

Dignity is not one of the fruits of the Spirit. Dignity has no place in our life as a precious child of God. Another word for dignity is pride and pride will lead us down a dead-end path. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. If you want to know how special you are every minute of every day, lose your dignity and pride. The world needs less dignity and more rawness.

Our world is in an identity crisis right now.

It’s vital that you and I know our own identity so that we can move out into the world and help others discover their identity. This is the only way we will stop hate and evil. This is the only way we’ll stop school shootings and violence. This is the only way we will stop addiction and divorce.

We must know who we are in Christ.

Our world is hurting. Despair and hopelessness are all around every one of us. There is a relief to this brokenness. It’s for you and for me. Christ died for every single person who ever was, or who is or who will ever be in the future.

NO ONE IS TOO BROKEN FOR OUR CREATOR TO RESTORE.

It is simply not possible for any one person to be too broken for Jesus. There is not one issue or problem in this world that is too big for Him. But we need to understand He chooses to fix the world issues and problems through us. That’s me and you. He chooses to work through us to reach those hurting and lost.

Jesus will enable and empower us to do the work He calls us to do. We have the Holy Spirit residing within us. We are never alone! Therefore, we need to lose all dignity and pride and get to work for Jesus. Let’s share His great love for each person.

Let’s stop judging and condemning ~ this does not show Jesus.

We need more love and less hate. We need to tell people how special they are and how loved they are. We need to do this contantly without ceasing. This is what He does for us.

Let’s get in the Word today and start looking for Jesus from cover to cover. Allow Him to transform your image of YOU. When you look in the mirror, you will begin seeing the beautiful person He created and you’ll desire to share this transforming lifestyle with everyone. This is His way for all of us.

In Christ Jesus, Amen!

Here is my prayer for all of us:

Dear God,

Thank You for today. Out of all creation, You chose us to be Your prized possessions. Help each of us know just how special we are to You. Teach us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and and slow to get angry. Let us always show love in everything we do. Thank You for giving birth to us by giving us Your Word – Your Son Jesus Christ!

We are loved and cherished. Today, show each of us in a special way how very loved we are. When we realize our identity in Jesus, then we are empowered to share that with everyone. Thank You for Your good and perfect gifts.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen♥

Stay in the Light and Love always,

Eva

Bible Lesson for June 30, 2016

June 30, 2016 By Eva Conner Leave a Comment

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13

So many times we get caught up in our emotions instead of truth. We need to understand that following God and His ways is not based on our emotions. It is based on a decision that we make to follow Him. If we relied on emotions, we would always be standing on rocky ground. We would never know the reality of our salvation. One day we would feel that we were saved and the next we wouldn’t. It’s just not the way God wants us to walk through life. He wants us to walk in truth and truth is truth. You and I cannot dispute or argue God’s truth. It is not up for discussion. It is black and white. Period!

Love is the highest fruit that the Holy Spirit wants each of us to cultivate. And love is NOT an emotion. Love is a decision. Forgiveness is not an emotion. It is a decision. You cannot live life waiting to “feel” forgiveness over something or someone. It will never happen. You must make a conscious decision that you are forgiving the person who wronged you. And when you forgive, you decide to love. As the Scripture above states, love keeps no record of wrongs. No Record. That means you cannot choose forgiveness today but tomorrow throw it back in the person’s face. You cannot walk with God and not have love in your heart for everyone. God died on the cross for that person who hurt you. God loves that person just as much as He loves you. We, in our fleshy nature, are not capable of this type of love. But when we allow God control of our lives, He is more than capable of these things. You decide. Do you want to walk in bondage and constantly have turmoil in your life? Or do you want to walk in peace and truth and love? It’s very real and it’s very attainable. Just seek Him.

Bible Lesson for June 24, 2016

June 24, 2016 By Eva Conner Leave a Comment

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11:9-13

Jesus speaks and we listen. Or at least we should listen. These words speak so much life into us. We need to know who our Father is. He is our Papa and He is a good Papa. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts. He wants to give us all the good and perfect gifts that only come from Him. The Holy Spirit is the BEST gift we can ever get – period. And then to add icing to the cake, the Holy Spirit gives us gifts that put it over the top! The fruits of the Spirit include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits come through the Spirit and do not compare to anything that we can cultivate on our own. And these fruits are not possible any other way. Only through the Spirit. And we only get the Spirit by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Period. Nothing. Else. Don’t let the enemy deceive you. Don’t believe that our Heavenly Father is holding back because He’s punishing us. He is NOT a punishing God. He is LOVE. He is LIGHT. We ask, He answers. We seek, He is there. We knock, He is at the door. He is good. All. The. Time.

Changing Seasons

November 14, 2015 By Eva Conner 2 Comments

I live in a state where we have changing seaons – fall, winter, spring and summer. I love them all. In the fall, the leaves change to beautiful colors and nature starts to pull into herself as she prepares for the harshness of winter. At times, I find myself doing this as well. When things get tough, I pull away and go within myself as a means of protection. Is this what God wants us to do? I don’t think so. God created us for fellowship with others. When we allow others into our darkness, suddenly things aren’t so dark anymore.

God brings people into our lives to help us through the seasons we go through. Life, death, marriage, divorce, illness, toddlers, teenagers, loneliness, depression, darkness, light. God knows perfectly well the people we need during the current season – the people who will be uplifting, edifying, loving, supportive. Friends come and friends go. Sometimes it is with heavy hearts that we see friends leave our lives. Sometimes it is with relief. God knows who we need in our lives to strengthen our relationship with Him and to bring Him glory. Trust in the Father if you are walking through darkness. Trust that He will bring people into your life that will bring you into the Light who is Jesus Christ. Jesus also wants to be our friend. What greater Friend can we have than Him?

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

He is our Comforter, our Shield, our Rock, our Peace, our Life and our Light. Let Him in. Open the door and see Him standing their smiling with open arms. Come to Him as you are – broken and in need of His special touch to put all the pieces together again. Let people in as well. Learn to fellowship and grow in Christ by allowing others into your life. When you let others in and open up, you will learn that you are not alone. Others are going through similar trials and tests. It is amazing what fellowship with others can do to your outlook and perspective.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Dear God, thank You for today! Thank You for the gift of each other. Please bring people into our lives to edify, build up and glorify You. Bring people into our lives that will strengthen our faith and help keep us on the straight path. Thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ, our true Friend. Keep each of us in the Light and the Love that is only found in Him. In His holy name we pray. Amen.

Stay in the Light and the Love always,

Eva