Tag: God

We Are Called to Love Extravagantly

Good morning, Beloved!

I want to share something the Lord has placed on my heart. Let’s start by reading this verse:

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV)

A Stirring from the Lord

Recently, He has been bringing discomfort to my heart regarding how His children are treating others. Even in Church families, we are not living out the Second Greatest Commandment.

I asked the Lord, “Why aren’t we doing as you commanded?”
And He responded: “My children are too busy, too distracted, too exhausted.
You are carrying the full weight of responsibilities that I never meant for you to carry alone. You should be leaning on me and on each other.”

We are overwhelmed by the demands of life—our jobs, our families, our schedules. So much so that we don’t have time or energy for anyone else.

Even worse, sometimes we wear our “busyness” like a badge of honor. As if the more we “do”, the more others will be impressed and the more pleased the Father will be. But busyness is not a Holy excuse.

The Lord does call us to steward many things, but His expectation is that we look to Him for wisdom, strength, and strategy. That we consistently cast our cares on Him and spend enough time in prayer and in the Word to be strengthened and recharged.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)

We should also be able to look to our community, other brothers and sisters to love us, encourage us, and pray with us in our daily walk.

“As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

A Word from Ephesians

Then, Holy Spirit caused me to stumble (literally, I happened to flip to this page) upon Ephesians 5.

1-2 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (Ephesians 5: 1-2, MSG)

And the Lord spoke again:

“My children are loving too cautiously. You want to support people from afar—without becoming too involved. You don’t want to share their burdens, give your time, or your attention.”

We fear that giving to others and loving others will mean less time and energy for our “priorities”. And when we try to do everything in our own strength, we give from a limited supply.

We need to look to the Father for supernatural strength and unlimited supply for stewarding our responsibilities and for the capacity to extravagantly love others.

Love from His Abundance

When He calls us to do something, He always provides the resources. He won’t lead us to do what He won’t see us through. We just need to ask. Spend time with the Father. Sit with Him. Pray. Read the Word. Let Him fill you. And then love others with the Love of Jesus—not from your lack, but from His abundance.

Loving others may be listening, encouraging, spending time in fellowship, helping financially, offering physical assistance, or simply being present. As we step out in obedience, may the Holy Spirit guide each moment so we can discern and love as needed.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. So my heart is full of joy. I will thank Him with my song.” (Psalm 28:7, NLV)

Jesus Loves You Extravagantly,

Alexis

He is the Good Shepherd

Hi Beloved! Wow, it has been a long time!

So much has happened in the last few years. I wrote the blog post below back in August of 2022. It’s a personal testimony about the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness! Since that time, everything has changed again, but I will share my recent testimony another time. For whatever reason, I had this saved in my drafts, but it was never posted. The Lord prompted me to share it now. I pray that it blesses someone.

August 14, 2022

I hope this finds you all blessed. After my last post, life got extraordinarily busy, but it was a blessed year. We sold our house, then while waiting for our new house to be built, we had to move all six of us into a two-bedroom apartment for two months. I also started a new job, my brother got married, we moved into the new house, the kids had to switch schools, and now here we are! I couldn’t have done any of it without God perfectly planning and orchestrating every step. Does the Lord ever give you a particular verse for a particular season? For me last year, it was Psalm 23.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23)

We had originally discussed selling our house this year, in 2022. After our youngest daughter was born, we needed another bedroom and a better layout.  However, in February of last year, the Lord prompted me to move sooner. I couldn’t even imagine packing up to sell at that time. I was still nursing my 10-month-old baby, we had tons of old toys and clothes that I didn’t have time to sort through, we were planning a spring vacation and of course, my brother’s wedding! I said, Lord, no way. I couldn’t possibly. Not with everything else going on right now. My husband also convinced me that we would need to put some money into the house and make updates before it would sell. We didn’t really have the funds or the time, so we thought planning ahead for next year was the best option. However, at the Lord’s insistence, I decided to set up a meeting with a realtor.

We were expecting them to give us a long list of updates to make and a small price tag on our house, once they were complete. Much to our surprise, they said they could sell it “as-is” for a great price!  That was much easier than we thought, but then where would we move? I wanted a new build, but my husband was more worried about location. All the new builds I tried to show him were too far for his liking. He wanted to start with the location, then look for the house. I wanted to get something brand new that we could purchase from the builder. It was definitely a seller’s market at that time. Inventory and interest rates were low and many people were over-paying and guaranteeing appraisals.

When a house across the street from us went up for sale, they received 45 offers! We heard other stories of buyers putting in dozens of offers with no luck. It made us hopeful as sellers, but hopeless as buyers. How were we going to be competitive in this market? With a new build, there are no bidding wars or worries about inspections or appraisals not meeting expectations. However, the biggest downside with a new build is the wait. Some build times were seven to eight months and with the supply shortages due to COVID, they could be even longer. I worried our house would sell quickly, but then we would be moving without a new home lined up.

Our realtor suggested moving into an apartment, which seemed almost absurd at the time. We have four kids and some apartments cost more than most mortgages. We also have a beautiful dog named Pepper and she is considered a bully-breed, so many apartments wouldn’t accept her. There was so much to consider and to worry about, but I couldn’t bear the weight. So, I decided to remove myself from the process. I said, Lord, if this is what YOU want us to do, YOU will do it. YOU will make the way. YOU will open the doors and YOU will carry the worry. Then He gave me Psalm 23. I received it in my heart and believed it. I felt such a peace to move forward. I decided my part would be to move with the Spirit and simply walk through the doors God opened.

We spent a few weeks packing and getting the house “show ready” before it went on the market. Since all of our family was in Denver, we had no help with the packing and nowhere to go during showings. So, we sat in parking lots, wandered around Target, and drove around in circles. I had two babies in diapers and one still nursing. It was early spring, so it was still very cold outside. There were so many showings, so many showings. We were cold and tired, but I meditated on the verse. The Lord leads us beside still waters and makes us to lie down in green pastures.

On Easter Sunday 2021, I received word that we finally got an offer at full asking price! We were so excited! Our first offer was full price. Then, just hours later, our realtor said that the buyer wanted to back out. Luckily for us, they had already signed the contract, so the earnest money was ours. But we were back to square one. I thought, what happened to this seller’s market? Where were all the offers? Granted our house needed a little work, but it was a nice house, with four bedrooms, on a nice lot. However, I decided that I couldn’t worry about it. I told God that I wouldn’t bear that burden. I didn’t have the time or the strength, so I didn’t.

We also had to start the buying process.  I said, Lord, please make this quick and as easy as possible. I then immediately had a feeling that the house would find us, so I didn’t even bother with a search. I knew everything we would see online would have so many offers that it would be impossible. I prayed that our realtor would have special insight and provide us with the perfect house. Then just two days later, I got the call. Our realtor heard about a house that matched our requests. It was a new build (which I was ecstatic about) and it was only 20 minutes away from our current house, in a great location, so my husband couldn’t complain. The only downside was that it was out of our current school district, so the kids would have to switch schools. I knew my teenager would not be happy about that, but we went to see the location and the model home because I had already said that if God was opening a door, I would walk through.

It was perfect – the price, the location, the layout. But again, I didn’t think we could get her on board. She was adamant about not switching schools and I did feel bad, as she was now in high school. So, I talked to her about it and as expected, she was angry and didn’t want to hear the details. I was in a tough spot because I thought it was perfect and I knew it wouldn’t be available long, but I was sensitive to her feelings as well. I tried talking to her later and she refused.

That evening, I called the realtor to let her know we had to pass. She tried to convince me to reconsider, but I said we couldn’t do it. That night, I couldn’t sleep. I had the overwhelming feeling that I made the wrong decision. So, again I said, Lord, if YOU want us to have this house, YOU please change my daughter’s heart and mind. I didn’t think it was possible, as she was so firm in her stance. Then, the next morning, she came to me and said, do you think you could call them back about the house? I don’t want to be selfish, and I want to do what is best for the family. I was stunned!

Does that happen to you? You ask God to move mountains, then are surprised when he does it? I was like, Lord, if that’s not a sign, then I don’t know what is! I called the realtor and by God’s grace, it was still available. We were in! That meant that we had to sell our house in less than a week because we couldn’t be approved unless we were under contract, so the race was on!

A few days later, by God’s grace, we received another offer that was a bit lower than asking, but we accepted. I was relieved, but then immediately wondered about the inspection and the appraisal. What if they found something? What if it didn’t appraise? Then again, I decided no. NO way. I don’t have the time or the strength to worry. Lord, you wanted us to sell, so please work it out.

Our sale was closing in May, but the new house wouldn’t be ready until July. The Lord blessed us with a two-month wait for our new build instead of seven or eight, but we still needed a place to live. I said, “Lord, you know what we need – something with a short-term lease and no dog breed restrictions that is in our area.” A tall order, but I knew God could do it! Nothing is too hard for God and with him all things are possible. Sure enough, within a week, we found a place that would be ready two weeks before we closed! Our applications were approved, and we were set!

The house sale went better than I could have hoped. The buyers asked for NOTHING after the inspection, which is very rare, and the appraisal came through for the purchase amount, even after another house down the street didn’t appraise. It was amazing! God is so faithful!

Our Lord is so incredible, He arranged for a new build (for me), in a great location (for my husband), with everything we wanted and needed, in our price range, that would be ready within two months, an apartment that accepted our dog, that was in our price range, and in our area, that allowed short-term leases, and a house sale for a fair price with no inspection requests! AMEN!

Why am I telling you all of this? Because if the Lord did it for me, He can and will do it for you! You can trust Him. I could have been so worried and stressed through it all, but I decided to trust Him and remember that He is a good shepherd. When it’s God’s will, nothing can stop it from taking shape in your life. When God opens a door, nothing, no man or devil can shut it. His plans will be fulfilled! If the Lord gives you a verse for a season, meditate on that verse day and night. Whatever you are facing today, be encouraged to know that the Lord will work it out and the outcome will exceed your expectations!

For this year, the Lord gave me Romans 8:28, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord will accomplish!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Jesus Loves You,

Alexis ❤️

You Are The Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Beloved, I hope you are having a blessed day! As I discussed in my last post, the purpose of Jesus going to the cross was to end the separation between Man and God. Sin separates us from God because of his righteousness and holiness. God cannot be in the presence of sin. It is physically impossible. Sin will be overcome by his holiness and die. The bible says, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When sin occurs, blood must be shed as a payment. During Yom Kippur, the Jewish people would sacrifice unblemished animals and that blood would pay for their sins for one year. They always had a High Priest, who would perform the sacrifice and enter a sacred space in their temple, which was called the Holy of Holies. This is the place where God would physically dwell and only the High Priest was allowed to enter and only once per year.

This area was separated from the main part of the temple by an enormous veil. It was approximately 60 feet high, 20 feet wide, and four inches thick. The High Priest had to follow the sacrificial ritual exactly, in order to pay for the people’s sins and make it out alive. The High Priest’s clothing had bells that would jingle as he moved and the people on the outside would tie a rope around his waist to make sure they could pull him out, should he perish inside. Since they were sinners, they could not go in to get him. They would die in God’s presence. So, as long as the bells were ringing, they knew all was well. God would judge the High Priest based on the ritual he performed and if God accepted him, he also accepted everyone he represented. Everyone would rejoice once he emerged, as they knew they were accepted and forgiven by God for another year.

This was the process until our eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, sacrificed himself as a payment for sins, once and for all. God judged and accepted Jesus as our High Priest, so he also accepted everyone he represented. Beloved, that includes me and you! The best part is that the precious blood of Jesus covers our sin forevermore, not just for one year. The exact moment Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:50-51). God himself tore the veil and declared there is no more separation between Man and God! Sin cannot separate us because we are seen as righteous in the eyes of God.

Because of his son’s sacrifice, we are forgiven, we are worthy of all his blessings, and we are joint heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of Heaven. Beloved, the Lord wants you to draw near to him. He will not judge you based on your actions, as he has already judged your High Priest. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what you will do in the future, you will never lose your righteous standing with God. His son’s sacrifice will always be bigger than your sin or mistakes. Jesus SO loves you and he wants you to take advantage of all the amazing blessings he paid for on the cross, in this life and the next. Beloved, I pray that as you read this blog, you will have a revelation of who Jesus truly is. Please feel free to reach out with prayer requests or questions. I would love to hear from you!

Jesus loves you,

Alexis