The 5 characteristics of God's love that I find myself appreciating the most these days are:

1. God's love is unconditional.
2. God's love is sacrificial.
3. God's love is everlasting.
4. God's love is compassionate.
5. ​God's love is transformative.​

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His love towards us is unconditional, sacrificial, everlasting, compassionate, and transformative. Those truths can be impactful in the life of a believer.​
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Today, let's look at these 5 characteristics of God's love and the Scripture that defines them.

I wish I could say that church me, work me, mom me, and neighbor me are all the same. We all like to think of ourselves as genuine, but sometimes I feel like two different versions of me are necessary.

Society likes to make God inappropriate outside of the church, and sometimes, I inadvertently let that lie seep into my life.
 
I don’t intentionally switch mindsets from Sunday to Monday.

• When I learn about gratitude in my Sunday school class, I don’t leave thinking “I’ll only be thankful until midnight, and then I’ll complain again tomorrow.”
• When God uses the preacher to convict my heart, I don’t tell God “I’m sorry for this sin today, so I won’t do it again until tomorrow.”​

Leaning on the promises of God means relying on the assurances that He has given us through His Word, the Bible.

God's promises are trustworthy and provide comfort, guidance, and hope to believers.

When we lean on these promises and trust in God's faithfulness, we find peace. Peace that passes all human understanding. Peace that sustains us in the midst of difficult circumstances. Peace that assures us that God is in control.

It's important that we read and meditate on God's Word regularly. When we do, we will be reminded of His promises and to deepen our trust in Him.

​Today, let's look at 12 of His promises and meditate on the Scripture where they are found.

The Bible tells us that we are created in God's image. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27). This means as humans we reflect the character and nature of God. This gives us inherent value and worth.

The Bible also tells us that we are all sinners in need of salvation. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This means we have all fallen short of God's standard of perfection. We need a Savior!

However, there is Good News! We have an opportunity to become children of God. John 1:12 states, "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become part of God's family with a new identity as His children.

Every home should be equipped with a library! Don't you think? I know I'd love to have a library. Instead, I have books scattered from the sunroom to the guest room and everywhere in between. But I totally agree with Jane Austen that there is simply no enjoyment like grabbing a good book and curling up in your favorite spot.

Who doesn't appreciate a good book? We certainly do! We've gathered all of our favorite reads from the past year into one blog post and it's PACKED with reading goodness! 

The period of Lent, observed primarily by Catholics and some Protestant groups, has recently begun. Traditionally, it is takes place in the 40 days leading up to Easter and is usually observed through the act of fasting.

Having grown up in a Baptist background, I knew little to nothing about Lent until fairly recently. Several years ago, a friend and co-worker of mine who is a practicing Catholic, shared with me her thoughts and goals for Lent that year. As we talked, I quickly realized how ignorant I was on the subject and immediately wanted to learn more. What is Lent? Where did it originate? What is its purpose? Is it wrong for a Christian to observe it?
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I did a deep-dive into various resources that spanned from biblically like-minded authors to those with whom I had less in common theologically speaking.