Here I am with COVID just a week before Christmas. And I am living this message of acceptance and hope because of the Holy Spirit who lives in me.
Are you sick, struggling, away from loved ones, …? Why not reflect and receive from the Holy Spirit for your TODAY.
. . . The two things kept in balance are “accepting our present reality” and “holding on to hope” at the same time….
Read MoreEarly in the current pandemic, the Lord spoke to my heart about how to make it through in peace and rest in Him. I took a peek back at a post He gave me early on. I realize this is something we need everyday in every circumstance of life.
Come and revisit this post with me. You won’t regret the few moments to reflect and receive from the Holy Spirit for your TODAY.
. . . The implication was that this same balance can help us survive this present pandemic crisiS. The two things kept in balance are “accepting our present reality” and “holding on to hope” at the same time….
Read MoreAfter a full year of all the pain and uncertainty and sickness and death and economic upheaval surrounding us in this time of COVID-19, we come back to the inevitable question WHY?
I’m not going to try to answer it. Rather, I’ll take you to the passage of Scripture that helps me a lot. Romans 8. And I’ll tell you why.
Read MoreDo you reach out to those in need? Feed the hungry? Clothe the “naked”? Help the homeless?
Do you pray for the sick? Bring meals to families during health crises? Comfort the bereaved and check up on the lonely?
Do you believe that these acts of service are examples of Jesus’ call to “love one another as I have loved you”… to “love your neighbor as yourself” … to “do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider[ing] one another as more important than yourselves; … not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others”? (Philippians 2:3-4)
Read More…Well, rather than nixing our family Christmas Eve tradition of “Poppi’s Christmas devotions,” my darling husband John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, used what has been happening in our COVID world to share with the grands and their parents (in our hybrid celebration) the glory of the Incarnation.
So here is my favorite “Guest Branch” John, revisiting his message to our family this past Christmas Eve . . .
Read MoreI have told you all this so that you may have peace IN ME.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NLT
God wants us to live in peace, no matter what is going on around us. But during this unsettling time, I have observed so many children of God walking through their days fighting their own lives. As a result, I think many have no peace in their souls.
In contrast, those who have come to a measure of acceptance despite the confusion do have peace because they have embraced Him who is their Peace. And they have embraced their real “today” life.
Read MoreJanet Renner Loyd has been a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ most of her life. Her formal education includes a degree in education from the University of Arizona and also a degree in Bible & Theology from Moody Bible Institute. For more than thirty years, she has been involved in teaching and leading women’s Bible studies, retreats, and meetings…most notably Precept upon Precept and various studies that she has personally developed. Professionally, Jan recently retired from teaching language and writing to GED and adult ESOL students.
About her life, Jan says, “The most important thing about me is my relationship with my Father God through my Lord Jesus Christ. I am forever grateful to Him for His love, mercy, and grace to me and my family and friends...and the world.”
Jan has been happily married to John Loyd for more than forty years. They have two adult, married children and five lively young grandsons.
