Keeping Up With The Jone's

Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and everything that is evil. (James 3:16 CEB)

All pictures are taken and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated

Jealousy is a huge stumbling block in many of our lives.  Desiring to have what others have leads to vicious cycle of disappointment and bitterness.  This is why we must be careful not to get caught up in the hype of attaining "things" .  Before you know it you'll begin to purchase things beyond your means, get involved in pointless relationships just for the sake of being in a relationship or even make  business moves for projects that you haven't thought through. We must not overlook the fact that where you are in your life right now is a important  part of your  story.  

God has already supplemented you with everything that you need for where you are now; so when that " I have to have" mentality fills your thoughts take a moment to really think of how God has always met your needs, don't lose sight of the grace that covers you everyday.  You'll  notice that when you begin to list all of the instances where God has come through for you , saved you from the things that thought you wanted   you cannot help but be grateful . So take this moment and  thank God for right now, choose to live life with an attitude of gratefulness  and when the time come for God to move you to the next level you'll have the wisdom and humility to appreciate it more. 


Love,

The Chosen One(s)

God saved us and chose us to be his holy people, but not because of anything we ourselves did. God saved us and made us his people because that was what he wanted and because of his grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began.2 Timothy 1:9 ERV

All pictures are taken by  and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

We were  chosen  by God, let that  statement  sink  in a bit.  The same  God that gave us  Jesus also  molded us with His hands,  authors our life's story  and  calls us  His own. Loved one's may  reject you ,you  may not have  gotten the  job  wanted and friends  may have walked away  but  God is  always  available  to embrace you, encourage you and  set you back on the right track.  His  grace covers us in  every area of our lives and  protects us from  ourselves at times.  So don't dwell on the doors that where closed in your life or the rejection you may have felt in that moment. God  knows exactly where you are and  how He to use you for His glory. So I want to encourage you to take your focus off of  what  could have been but  shift it over to  where  God is taking you.

Love,

You Are Loved

 I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 8:38 (CEB)

All pictures belong to and are edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

So often we  have this image of  God  being  disappointed in us.  You may be thinking  that  you haven't been  perfect  and  that you've made too many  mistakes.  How can  God possibly  see  past all of my short comings and  still love me  as I am?  What we  must keep in mind that God is  the author of our life and we were created by His hands.  Nothing you've done or will do  takes  Him  by surprise. Remember, God is not like man, people are fickle  and as quickly as you are  loved the next moment you can be rejected.  This is not the case with  God  He  has loved you longer than anyone, and deeper than you could even begin to wrap your mind around. So whenever a defeating, condemning  thought pops into your mind  make it submit to  God's declaration of  love for you.   "Nothing can separate us (you) from God's  love!"

Love,

Giving Up Isn't An Option

 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! Romans 8:37(GNT)

All pictures  belong to and are edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

Sometimes  when  plans fall through  we  lose  confidence in ourselves and our abilities, especially  when you've put  a lot of time and efforts in to a project that  is unsuccessful.  You're first thought may be to give up  completely  give up on your dream but I want to encourage you to  keep going. You'll find in so many stories of successful  business owners that they have tried to launch  several projects that have not worked out  for one  reason of another  but in spite of those plans falling through giving up was not  a option.  God has given each of us  purpose in the earth and remember that  the  road to success is  a process that  may take some time.  So  keep going, if  God has given you this  dream then He will see it  through to it's completion.

What to Do With Your Worries

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7(ESV)

All  pictures are taken by and  edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

Life  happens and  we  all  face things in our lives that   makes us  anxious  especially when we  don't have  all the  answer to fix the  situation ourselves. This is when we  must  look beyond ourselves and  our  abilities and  seek  Christ and His abilities. Worry  distracts us  from  trusting  God  fully and it  keeps us  stuck in our emotions. The  tricky  thing  about our emotions is that they aren't  reliable and the enemy  will feed your anxiety with  all sorts of  lies to keep you  stuck in one place.  God  never intended for you to carry all your burdens, in fact  Matthew 11: 28-30 say this.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.  Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (ERV)

So what  should we do with our worries and the  anxiety?   Give them to  the Lord  because  He cares  for you, give it to the  Lord because   He  promises to  give you rest and  relieve you  of all the things that are weighing you down.  God   has given  you His  word but  you must  be  willing to  first admit that you need His help. You don't  have to spend  anymore time  trying to figure things out on your own because  when  you let go  God  will  release from your burdens and replace them with a peace that only He  can give.  When we  are  receptive to His  grace He will fill us with exactly what we need to move forward and win the battle over  anxiety and  worry.

Love,

What Will I Have to Give Up?

 If any of us confess that Jesus is God’s Son, God remains in us and we remain in God. 1 John 4:15 (CEB)

All  pictures are taken by and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated

Do you  feel that  God is tugging on your heart to accept Jesus as your personal savior but  feel a  bit hesitant? Feeling this way isn't uncommon and everyone's reason  vary. For some it  may be their family background  and not being brought  up attending church or encountering believers who where more rigid and more judgmental than compassionate.  What those who may identify with those two examples have in common is that they are apprehensive because of what they think they may have to give up. 

 The truth is some things  will  change but they will change for the better! Choosing  Christ  requires  a  change in  our  hearts and a  shift in your thinking.  We  don't have to  fit  a  certain mold or wait until the time is  right. God  will receive you  just  as you   are  in whatever  condition you're in. Salvation is a  free gift  that  God has  graciously  offered to everyone  who  will receive it.  As  we  cling  to him  God  promises to  remain in us, this  means that we  don't have figure things out on our  own because  with Him we have everything that we  need to grow and  live  life to the fullest. Things will not always be perfect, but with  God living on the inside of you the circumstances of life won't break you.

Today  I want to  invite you say this  simple  brief  prayer.   Dear Lord I  have tried things on my own but  I  know now that I need you.  So  please  come live in my  heart.  I believe  that  Christ  died for my sins and I accept  Jesus as   my  Lord and savior. I believe that I am  saved and that you  now live in my  heart.  In  Jesus' name -Amen

If you prayed this prayer  welcome to the family.The creator of the  universe now lives within you! 

Love,

How to Be a Accountability Partner.

 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. Proverbs 28:13 (NASB)

All pictures are taken and  edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

Having someone in your  life that  you can  be open and honest with  and  who will also  keep you accountable is important.  We all need someone that  we  talk to about what's  going on in our lives and it  plays  a key role in our recovery from  the sin that weighs us down. Today I want to share three ways  to be   a  accountability partner.

1.Listen  First, then  respond:

An immediate  response  isn't always  required.  Often times having  someone  that  is willing to just listen is  really helpful.  From there  really think about  all that you've heard. There is nothing worse than receiving  empty  advice from someone who  hasn't  really  taken the time to think about  what they were saying.  Instead  pray with them and  when the  Lord  gives you words of encouragement then  share it  with them. 

2.Create A  Judgement Free Zone:

When  you are   sharing  your issues with  sin or  a painful    circumstance  you  feel  really vulnerable.The last thing you need is  someone to  make you feel  worse.  So  keep in mind that there is a difference between  condemnation which does more damage than  good.  Being there to hold someone accountable means you don't  excuse or  gloss over  the sin but  you partner with your friend or loved one   to be  free from the  sin  and move  forward.

3.  Trust:

Trust is  a  very  important  foundation to build upon when  being an accountability  partner. The  information  that  someone  is  sharing with is   not  to be taken lightly or broadcast to everyone you know.  Remember  you are  being  trusted  with   sensitive  information and sharing information like can break  the bonds of your relationship.  Now in cases  where  the information you've heard includes  issues where they are  harming themselves , or  harming   then it's  a good idea to get some help with the situation.

In the  body of  Christ it  is important to form these relationships in order to  grow. The  benefits of  having or  being  someone's  accountability partner  are  incredible. You are able to pray together, and  you will  have the support system  that you need in your walk with Christ . 

Love,

Changing Seasons

 I will pour out water for the thirsty land and make streams flow on dry land. I will pour out my Spirit into your children and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3 (NCV)

All  photos are taken by and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs Unless otherwise stated.

At some  point in our lives we have  all experienced  a   dry season  where  we  feel like we  are in  a  cycle of  disappointment  and things   don't come together the way we would like them  to.  It can be hard to  imagine that  all the   hard things we have had to  deal with  has  a  purpose.  But in spite of  how  you feel in  this  moment  or what it looks like, every  obstacle that you've  faced  is a  vital   piece of  the puzzle  for where you are going.

Sometimes   God   allow  certain  things to unfold in our lives to get our attention , move  us to a point where we reevaluate  our  motives and   begin  to put our  hope back in  Him. What  we must  realize is that  God  never   promised that  our walk with Him would  be easy and that  once we  became  saved things would  just  automatically  flow into place.   What He  did  promise  is  to never  leave us nor  forsake us. So when  we really  begin to trust His   plan for our lives  we  will succeed. He will make a way in spite of  what  things  look like.

So when you find yourself  at a  crossroad don't begin to   despise  the path you're on   but  seek  God  relentlessly  and   pray your  way through  every obstacle.   God  is bigger than  anything that we will ever   face.  He  wants to  see us    succeed  but we  must be willing to  give  up our will in exchange  for His  because it is  the only way to  true  victory. When we  really  lean on the  Lord  He  will  pour into us in ways we  couldn't begin to  imagine.

O God, my God! How I search for you! How I thirst for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. How I long to find you! Psalm 63:1(TLB)

The test we  face are not  meant to  break you  down but  they are meant to build you up.   Change your  outlook  on   the  seasons of your  life as a  opportunity    to  pass the  test and  get that much closer to  your purpose. Don't  give up now. There  is so much more  ahead of you.  Ask that  God would replenish you as you become weary and  guide you along the   way and  He will  meet you at the point of your faith.

Love,

He Makes All Things New!

18 “Remember not the former things,nor consider the things of old.Behold, I am doing a new thing;now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19(ESV)

All Pictures are  taken and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless  otherwise stated.

The  new  year is always  a time where we begin to  reevaluate  ourselves where we are  and where  we would like to  be.  We  come up with our   2015  game plan. We  join a  gym, we  begin to   clean up  our   diets and  we make  all these  plans to make  major moves in the new year. But as  soon as the   enthusiasm  begins to  diminish so does  our  motivation to see those plans through.  The truth is  nothing  will  change for the  better in our lives if  our heart hasn't changed.  

Real  change  can only  take place when we begin to allow  God to renew our  minds.  If we  are  holding on to  the very things that God wants to  free us  from we  become complacent  and  begin to fall back into old  habits. I  don't know about you but  I don't waste another year  going around and around   in the same  circle, with my own plans. I don't want to  get so comfortable in the  wilderness when I know that  God's intention for me is to reach the promise  land.

As  we move  forward into the new year I want to  encourage you  to leave  all the  toxic habits. friends and   relationships   from  2014 where they belong -behind you.  Moving forward    into 2015  resolve in your mind that  God is  doing  new things in your  life and  commit  to  allowing  Him to  change  your heart in the  areas that  are  keeping you  stagnant and  chase after  God  and His  propose  with  all that you have.

An Open Letter For  You:

I'd like to take   a  moment to thank  those who have  taken the time to  read and  share  my blog.  It really  does  means  the world to me. I've  posted   over  90+  blogs and I am excited about what  God is  doing in my life and being  able  to share what I've  learned with you.   I believe that everything  that  has  led  up to this point  in my life was  worth it and I am  honored that  God  is  pouring His wisdom into me.  My  desire is to  serve and move forward into my purpose and I know that  by the grace of  God  things will begin to fall into place.

I believe  that there  is  a  purpose for every  season  of our lives  and  I know that  where I am right now will prepare me  for  great things in the  future.  God  has  been so  faithful and I  cannot begin to thank Him enough but  I will spend my life  trying.  I  don't have everything  figured  out but I am going to trust  God for my  next steps.

This will be  my  last  post of  2014  I'm going to  celebrate and  ring in the New Year  with a grateful  heart and  a lot of  prayer. I hope that you  have a  safe and   happy time wherever you are  and that you will  be  blessed  beyond measure in 2015!  I'm  praying for  you and I love  you. 

 God  Bless!

Love,

Open Communication

In my trouble I called to the Lord.I cried out to my God for help.From his temple he heard my voice; my call for help reached his ears.                               Psalm  18:6 (NCV) 

All  pictures are edited and  taken by   Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

I  don't  believe in luck or   happenstance;  But   I do firmly  believe  in sincerely  seeking  God through  prayer  and  the Lords  ability to meet me  at the point  of  my needs.  We are   blessed beyond measure   because the Lord has opened a  line of  communication  with us through  prayer.  We  can confide in Him with our  deepest  concerns; we can  trust Him with our heart, our   pain as well as  our weaknesses  and His love remains the same.  



He  never views  us  any differently  because of the areas we fall short in. His  compassion  is simply amazing. When  we come before the  Lord and  pour  our  heart  out  there is  no  need  to  clean things  up and    project ourselves in  a certain light  because  we are  concerned about   how  God  will react  to our pain.    The  Lord  accepts us  just  as  a loving  and  kind Father  would and He  cares about the things are on our hearts.


One of the  great things  about  the Lord is  His  ability   to completely  turn things around  in our life: There are no   big  jobs in His eye's, the question  we should ask ourselves is   if  our  faith is too small?  Do we   trust  the  Lord  enough to  be really  honest about  where we are and admit  that  we  need   His help?  There is  no  weakness in  admitting  that   you need help so don't  allow your  pride to keep you stuck in one place when God is  more than willing to take on your issues and  move you forward.



Why  spend so much  time trying to sort through your own issues  when you could  be  spending that  time   at the  feet of  the Lord.  Give your worries to  the  God and leave them there in His capable hands.  Today I encourage you  to  receive   His  peace and His  joy which  will sustain you.  Remember  that  his  peace and his joy are  things that will never diminish and  you can   rest  knowing that He has everything   thing handled.


Love,

Your Praise Matters

46 Mary said,“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!47 In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. Luke 1:46-47 (CEB)

All pictures are  taken and  edited  by Lesli Allyn Blogs  unless otherwise stated.

When  I think about  all the  things that  the Lord has done for me over the years,  even   up to this  point  I find  it is  impossible not  to be in  awe  of His  love  and  provision over  my life.    I've  come a long way and I  recognize that  I couldn't have  made  one  step forward without His  hand   guiding  me along the way. I am  far  from perfect  but  perfection  isn't my  goal. My   desire is  to  live for  God with the best of  my abilities  and  rely  solely  on Him to fill in the gaps in my walk with  Him.

 As  much  as we  appreciate  God  we  must  also take the time  out  to  actually  express to  Him how  grateful we  are .  We  can do this   through  worship, prayer,   the way we  live our lives and  how we serve  others.  In the same  manner that  we would like  to know that our works are  appreciated  we  should  also  extend  our  gratitude   to the Lord  and  give Him  the glory  that  He is  deserves.  

Have you  taken the time out to really think about  how  different your  life would be if  God hadn't  stepped in  at the  right time  and   shifted things around in your  favor?  Many of  us  aren't where we would like to  be in life but  on the  other side of that, things could be far worse and  the  Lord has never  for one moment  stopped being  faithful.  His  timing  is  incredible  and  there absolutely no one  who   has  such a  passion  to  see  us   live boldly  within your  purpose and thrive. 

With the   kind of support that we have  in  Jesus  we  should  never withhold  any   praise to Him. He has  been faithful   even  when  we  haven't  been nearly  as  faithful to Him . The  Lords  love is amazing , everlasting  and  deeper  than  we  could  ever begin to    imagine.  So I  encourage you reflect on  how  amazing  the Lord has been  to you  and  take  some time out   to   purposefully   express your  love and  appreciation for   God's works in your  life. 

Staying Connected

John 15:5(NCV) 5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing.  

All photos  are  taken and edited by  Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

In our day to day  life   we are  faced  with so many  things that  are  competing  for our   attention.  We can be distracted  by   so  many things like     relationships ,   work , or  our social  lives.  It's  easy to become consumed with those things and  as  a  result we begin to neglect  carving out  time to spend with the  Lord.  This is no  coincidence.  The  enemies  mission is to keep  you  distracted.  He  knows when we put off time with   the  Lord  we  miss out  on  valuable  moments where God   pours into us granting us   wisdom  and the discernment that we need to navigate through life.

Staying connected  to  the Lord  and  His  word is the  only thing that  will sustain us  throughout life's up's and downs.   When we partner  with God's will and rely  on  Him as  our  main  source  it  doesn't  leave  much room for the  enemies  plans.   We are  better  equipped  to  stand firm on  our  faith  and we  won't  be  easily   shaken when the unexpected happens.  Spending  time with the   Lord   gives us  endless access to  His  resources.With Him there is nothing that  life  can  throw our way that  we  cannot   power  through because of the  foundation that the Lord has  created in our heart  through  quality   time spent with Him.

Without  God  pointing us in the right  direction  we  have nothing  and we  are  basically  a  walking  target for failure , when we  trust the  Lord  with our  time and  really  tune  in to  His  leading there  is nothing that  God cannot  do  in   us  and through  us.    God  has  a wealth of  knowledge and  wisdom that He  wants  us to  take advantage of  so I  you encourage to  be  deliberate  about   spending time at the  feet  of the  Lord. 

  Find  a time  that   you can  tuck away to  a quiet  place  to  talk to  the  Lord and study.  I know  we   all have  a lot on our plates  especially with the holiday  season and you may be  thinking  that you  don't  know where you'll find the time.   The truth is if you  find that you don't have time  to  spend with the  Lord   you are  simply too busy  and you need to change your priorities.  When you feel that  tugging  at your heart  don't   ignore it,  the  Lord  has  something  far more  important  for you than  anyone  else  has to offer.  Whether  it's first thing in the morning,  on your  lunch  break or  at night before  bed.  Today  make a  plan  to  spend time with Christ.  It will be  the  best  decision  you've  every made.

Love,

The Gift of Grace

 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.  Ephesians 2:8-10 (NCV)

All photos  are taken and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated. 

The  Gift  of  salvation is  something that   we  sometimes take  for  granted , the  depth  of  Christ love  for us is  truly  amazing.   It is   easy  to  be  disconnected from the  word  and gloss over key points that we  really need to digest but    I want to  encourage you to take the time to   really  think about   what  it  looked  like for  Christ  to put His  life  on the line  in order  to  save ours.

Wisdom is  recognizing  our  dependence on  God  for  everything in our lives; From our  next  meal to the  our next  breath, we  cannot  take  credit  for  anything that we  have. it's  because of   Lord  that we have  the privilege  to  walk out  our purpose.  Nothing  just happens   chance  the  Lord is always  actively  working   in our  lives and     pouring out  His  grace  to us  each and everyday.  I don't know about you but I need  His  grace each and every  day.

10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.  -Eph 2:10

Because of the  grace that  God  extended to us it   is  important for  us to mirror that  same  grace towards other that  haven't  quite  matured in their  walk with Christ.  I know that I have  been guilty  at  one point or another  of not  being understanding  of those  who were  struggling in areas  that  I  wasn't.  This is  why it  is  important to  surround yourself with other  believer  who   you can draw wisdom from  and  who will also hold you  accountable.  We  need  one another , we all need  a support system in  our lives to keep us  motivated. 

God  has  a plan and  a  purpose  for  each of our lives,  how  awesome is it to know that we are important enough to  the Lord  that  He  has  placed  a calling  on our lives.   There is assignment  that  only  we  can  walk out because  He has   chosen us .  You may  not understand   the purpose  for  every  twist and turn on the road  to your purpose but  what you can be sure of is  that God  will   complete the work that He  began in you .  Keep pushing forward , remain  humble  and  continue to trust His timing.

Love,