Back in January of this year, my husband, daughter, and I packed all of our belongings into storage and moved to Hawaii as my husband oversees a project here for work for most of this year. While we miss our family, friends, and church on the mainland, we have loved being here and feel incredibly grateful for this adventure! It has been a wonderful opportunity to live in a such beautiful place. But, it has also been a time where we have been pushed out of our comfort zone and stretched, especially culturally and spiritually. 
 
We thank the Lord that we so quickly found a church family here in Hawaii that has warmly welcomed us and sought to love and serve us as we have transitioned to island life. Our pastor here recently finished a series on Godly habits that has really impacted the way I think about spiritual disciplines. ​

If you are following along with us, over in the private Sweeter Than Honey Facebook group, you know... You know we're about to enter 52 days in the book of Psalms on April 29, with this Bible reading plan and devotional. If you're not already following, you can join the Facebook group here.

Last year, we did a unique thing as we journaled our way through the book of Psalms and recorded the prayers of David. I now have a journal packed full of 52 prayers I can go to at any time. This was so popular that we now have a stand-alone version of these 52 days in Psalms. I'd love to share that with you today! I find Psalms to be another book, like the book of Proverbs, that seems to be timeless in its wisdom. In the book of Psalms, you will find chapters applicable to every person and every season of life. For that reason, Psalms is likely the most popular book of the Bible.

Have you ever sat down to watch the news or read the headlines and ended up just turning it all off because it is so depressing?

There is so much evil in our world today. The world, the flesh, and the devil make it very difficult to see avenues of victory in our Christian lives amongst all the evil.

Instead of focusing on the depressing nature of our world and the evil contained in it, may I share with you today some hope?

John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue share the following ten encouraging truths in their book Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. These truths are meant to aid believers in their life to seek victory over evil instead of giving in to despair and defeat. Let’s look at these truths and draw some applications for our lives today!

The book of Psalms is typically divided into five parts. These parts are sometimes referred to as "divisions."

​The divisions are:

1. Psalms 1-41
2. Psalms 42-72
3. Psalms 73-89
4. Psalms 90-106
5. Psalms 107-150

It's believed the division of five parts is influenced by the structure of the Pentateuch. Psalm 107 begins the final, or fifth, division of the book of Psalms.

For the longest, I claimed Psalm 107:2a as my life verse. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..." It was my goal to "say so" because I have been redeemed!

We recently celebrated Easter—a time when our hearts are turned back to the amazing Gospel story of Jesus.

For a little while, everything that is truly important comes into focus as we picture the cross and the empty tomb.
​
And then we dive back into our week where we juggle…

• Housework
• Grocery shopping
• Meal prep
• A messy family
• Work projects
• Relationships
• Volunteer work
• Business meetings
• Church ministries
• And a never-ending to-do list

This passage speaks to the various seasons of life. Seasons such as a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to uproot.

To love like Jesus, we simply begin by following His example and His teachings found in the New Testament. By studying His earthly life, we note one very important characteristic. He loved His Father! When reading about Jesus' life on earth we see His love for others was rooted and grounded in His love for the Father.

We can follow His example of loving God by prioritizing our relationship with God. How do we do this? One way we do this is by spending time with Him in prayer. Another way we prioritize our relationship with God is through our worship. A third way we deepen our relationship with Him is by reading and meditating on His Word—the Bible.

Prayer, worship, and reading God's Word, give us a greater understanding of His love. Through these practices, we will gain a better sense of how to love as Jesus loves.