JOYOUS ONENESS

It is with great joy that I share with you that my second book, God’s Love Illuminated: Treasured Thoughts to Inspire Walking in God’s Abundant Love, received the Henri Award at the Christian Literary Awards in Arlington, Texas, on March 18, 2023 from Joy and Company. The Henri Award is chosen by a panel of judges who are given the task of reading the books in a certain category and voting on the one they feel is most deserving. The judges can be from different parts of the USA. God’s Love Illuminated was in the Non-Fiction: Victorious Living category.

God’s Love Illuminated
Henri Award recipient
Non-Fiction: Victorious Living category

 

What a wonderful journey God has orchestrated in my life since He put people in my path that led to the beginning of my website  8½ years ago, which has given birth to a  trinity of books in three years. I am in awe of Him, especially as it was never anything I planned to do. Continue reading “JOYOUS ONENESS”

DO NOT JUDGE

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were not so quick to judge one another, or even better yet, did NOT judge another?

We all have our own story, our own baggage, our own burdens.  All of these things contribute to the person we are today. And, no two of us have had the exact experiences.  These things may not be apparent to others and often times people may never know what we have been through.

Wouldn’t it be such a freeing thing that if you had an honest question about something, that you would be free to ask that to someone, and not have to worry if the person was going to think you were dumb or strange for asking your question?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we just accepted everyone as “normal” and a child of God, instead of making them feel so strange or different? Maybe they would never feel anxious or depressed ever again!

Or, if we wanted to try something out of the ordinary, that we could be free to do that without fear of repercussion?

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Photo courtesy of Celestine Chua under Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA/2.0)

One day I had some honest questions about something, and I commented to the person that they were probably wondering if I was for real, meaning they were thinking, how could I not know the answers to the questions?

What a blessing and shock to me that the friend replied they did not judge me. That sure was an eye-opener to me! I am so thankful for that attitude that was shared with me. I never heard that response from anyone before. The friend referenced they felt that God did not want us to judge one another.

So, the next time you encounter someone who has a question that you think is something they should know,  try not to pass judgment on them, but help them feel better about themselves and respect them with an honest answer.  It may go a long way to improve their confidence.

Or, if you catch yourself starting to judge someone because they might not think exactly like you, think about how God made them special and that we are all unique in our own way, rather than passing judgment on them.

Luke 6:36 says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.”