Love Letters

Welcome to the Love Letters Podcast! This is where my friends and I come and read the love letters of our lives to show how God's love changes how we love. There is a huge gap between people who know and love God and those who don't but maybe want to learn more about Him. Here on Love Letters, we turn that gap into overlap. And we think God's love is the perfect place to start the conversation, especially now. So whether you've been a Christian your whole life or you've never met a Christian you like in your whole life: you belong here.   This summer, my guests and I decided we wanted to inject God's love into the world so we spent week after week talking about our own realizations and explorations of God's love at work in our lives. We wanted to do more than talk about the love we feel, we wanted to talk about how to walk love out in our lives. Because God's definition of true love is not a feeling, it is an action, a verb.    So each week, my brave friends came on and shared the love letters of their lives. And every episode first tells a story of a life transformed by God's love and also displays how each person became an agent of His love.    If you are just stopping by to check this out and see who this God is and if He has a place in your life, we are completely honored to have you listen in today. We are all really, truly grateful you're here and we ask you to please be our guest and consider this episode a giant sampler platter at a restaurant you've never been to before—little bites of all these things you might never have tried.    And if you are one of our incredible listeners, we are again and completely honored to have you listen in today too. I cannot tell you the loud cheers raised and the grateful tears shed at the encouraging words you sent to my guests and me. Thank you for subscribing so my friends' stories are raised up higher and are able to reach more and more people! Thank you for writing a review so anyone who's swinging by can take a quick glance and see what we're all about here! And thank you for sitting with us and listening and learning along with us. It has been an undeserved gift to connect with y'all in such a meaningful way while we are all so physically isolated because of COVID-19.    If this is your first time to listen or you've been here from the beginning, either way, we hope that every time you come here, it's like hopping in the car and heading out on a road trip with someone new, or sitting next to someone on a flight you only just met. And by the time you reach your destination, but before you grab your luggage from the overhead compartment or stop the car to get out, you realize you've made a friend. Now, they are someone you understand more and respect more because you listened to and considered their story.    As the temperatures drop and summer comes to an end, we cannot end the first season of the podcast without a celebration of all God has done through our friends' lives and throughout the past few months as we fought technology and learning curves and real live nerves to capture these stories and contain and preserve them here for you. Join us today as we take a wide sweep over the first season and look back at how we are figuring out how to fulfill the two greatest commandments He has given to us: to love God and to love others as ourselves.   You can find me on instagram, twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok at @amandafromtx and on facebook @amandafromTexas -OR- on my website at Amanda From Texas [dot] com!

My guests and I launched the first season of the podcast this summer and based it on 2 Corinthians 3:2-3: You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Today, we are going to change things up a bit and actually talk about walking out love in our lives through letters written with ink. And not written on tablets of stone, but on beautiful stationery--which might remind some us we are a long way from the days of writing to penpals on Lisa Frank paper. We are also changing today's episode up because I am joining you in making a new friend! Shannon Hood of AForeverLetter.com is here, in the middle of (or hopefully God-willing near the end of) our longest bout of separation from so many people we love, to give us a tender nudge in the direction of pen and paper. A simple way to love people that goes a long way. As a wife of 15 years, a mother of 5 with number 6 nearly here, an English major, an avid reader with an artist's eye and a huge heart, Shannon will be sharing about a crazy project she dreamed up to write a letter every day for a year. She'll encourage you if you've recently made a big move with your family (so many are making big changes in our lives right now) because she has been there. And she will reveal a gorgeous story about how God cared for her personally in one of her darkest seasons through the letters she sent to everyone else.    God pursues us through the written word. He displays His love for us in books and letters. Today we'll talk Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego in Chapter 3 of the book of Daniel and 1 Peter 5:8. and we'll stop by Proverbs 16:24 for a moment too.    Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls 1776 by David McCullough The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst   Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Daniel 3:26-28   Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 Gracious words are a honeycomb,     sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24   Connect with Shannon! AForeverLetter.com Etsy shop Instagram Facebook Pinterest  Twitter  

God's love cannot change how we love if we don't know God. The most effective way to know the truth about Him is to study His Word. My dear friend Brooke Sparks is here today to tell us what happened when she decided to followed through with a long-time prompting to go back to school and study God's Word at Dallas Theological Seminary.    As a dedicated wife, mother of four children, and active member at her church and in her community, Brooke honored all her roles with grace and Christ-like love. I hope our conversation today is a great encouragement to any seminary student or college student and to their families, to those whose lives have been upending by the coronavirus and are possibly going back to school at older ages, and to any mom or dad who needs support as a homeschool parent, especially if you're in school yourself or overwhelmed with your current workload.   As an author, speaker, and Bible teacher, Brooke is always a blessing, especially to groups of women on retreats or at gatherings. If you are interested in having her come speak to you and your circle, you can contact her on her website at brookeyoungsparks.com.   Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell LIT by Mary Karr Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb  Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge    Dream Big by Bob Goff Stop Calling Me Beautiful by Phylicia Masonheimer   The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 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 overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23 I have hidden your word in my heart     that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11   But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 A wife of noble character who can find?     She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her     and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm,     all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax     and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships,     bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night;     she provides food for her family     and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it;     out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously;     her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable,     and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff     and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor     and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household;     for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed;     she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate,     where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them,     and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity;     she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom,     and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household     and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed;     her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things,     but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;     but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done,     and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:10-31 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Corinthians 20:12   #1. The one-minute pause from John Eldridge: ask God for wisdom and union with Him. #2. Have a routine, not a schedule. #3. Only put four things on my to-do-list. #4. Count the costs   He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17   Not to us, Lord, not to us     but to your name be the glory,     because of your love and faithfulness. Psalms 115:1   Books by Brooke Sparks: Forty Days with Our Savior Peace Like a River Between the Gardens   Contact + Follow Brooke: BrookeYoungSparks.com Instagram Facebook   Find Amanda below to win a copy of Between the Gardens: @AmandaFromTX on Instagram Amanda From Texas on Facebook

In Part One, Simone Monroe shared almost 40 years of leadership expertise with us about callings, ministry, and careers. We defined what true leadership means and we identified things you need to know before you start volunteering in your local church.    Now in Part Two, we discuss the roots of ministry burnout, discover how to know if we are serving out of who God created us to be, how to say no easily, and at the very end you'll hear details on how to win your very own copy of the book Simone Monroe and Bobi Ann Allen co-authored called, Own Your Everyday Influence which can be found at everydayinfluence.org. He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" John 9:25 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7   Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23   So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Mark 12:33 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10   Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 "Save ur energy. Guard ur time. You're not supposed to be willing to die on every hill. Just the ones that God has called YOU to. Those are the ones we need u to climb to the pinnacle so that u can plant the stake of truth in the ground. Be wise. Be prayerful. We need u." -Priscilla Shirer   So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 1 Samuel 16:11   Visit me on instagram @amandafromtx and facebook @amandafromtexas for details on the Own Your Everyday Influence Giveaway that ends this Friday, August 28, 2020!    

As Christians, as Christ followers, we are all called in Matthew 28 verses 19-20 to “therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” We talked about the global aspect of spreading the gospel to the nations in the last episode with Angela Perritt, but today we are going local, real local, to focus on developing yourself as a disciple--as a dedicated follower of Jesus--first, before you begin any mission. Simone Monroe is here to teach us about how to love God and love others as ourselves, by leading well in all areas of our lives.    She has so much wisdom to offer us that you're going to need a pen and you're going to need to come back for part two. There was too much goodness to squeeze into one episode.   In Part One we talk about callings, ministry, and careers, we define what true leadership means, and we identify things you need to know before you start volunteering in your local church for the first time.    And in Part Two we will discuss the roots of ministry burnout and discover how to know if we are serving out of who God created us to be and how to say no easily. At the very end you'll hear details on how to win your very own copy of the book Simone Monroe and Bobi Ann Allen co-authored called, Own Your Everyday Influence which can be found at everydayinfluence.org. Today we will be all over the Bible with your new friend Simone from Alabama, so roll tide and come sit with us.   The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom John Maxwell Simon Sinek : TED Talk Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek Brene Brown   For you created my inmost being;     you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;     your works are wonderful,     I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you     when I was made in the secret place,     when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;     all the days ordained for me were written in your book     before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16   For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10   And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

We know God has called His followers to love Him and to love others. But if you truly believe in our one and only God and His one and only Son and Spirit, it's pretty daunting to think about what it would mean to love Him back.  He tells us in 1 John 5:3, “For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands.” We learn to keep His commands by reading them, by studying His Word in community, by praying for the wisdom and the strength to obey Him. And when we obey Him by loving others, His love is made us complete in us as He tells us in 1 John 4:12. If you don't know much about what God says about love, then you are going to love today's episode as we dissect what it really means so we can live out true love in our lives.  My prayer is this episode gives you specific ways to take action on all the stirrings in our hearts lately to care for people living in oppression, isolation, and even poverty here in our country and all over the world. Angela Perritt, the Founder and Director of an international women's ministry called Love God Greatly is here today and we hope her story cracks your heart open to care for women across the globe by setting them free with God's gift of free grace found in His Word.  If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook @amandafromtx, then you read a little bit about the beloved time I spent as a writer for Love God Greatly where I met so many beautiful translators, all selfless and full of joy. I also met and learned from the stunning, Edurne Mencia. We mention her in this episode but she left more than a mention of an impression on our hearts as she tragically passed away one year ago. We cannot thank her enough for her pure example of loving the Lord. This one's for you Edurne.     No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12 BSF, or Bible Study Fellowship can be found here.   Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28: 19-20   “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-5 Visit this wonderful ministry at LoveGodGreatly.com to find the reading plans, download all free Bible studies, and become a facilitator for your town study group!   Pre-order your copy of the Love God Greatly Bible HERE! Do it now!   After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Revelation 7:9   Visit my website at http://www.amandafromtexas.comto sign up for my newsletter so you don't miss out on our next giveaway!  

Christy Gandy is a Jesus follower, a recovering people-pleaser, a mom, wife, and woman with a deep desire to use her gifts boldly for the church. And last fall, before our world got flipped upside down, she launched a business that fills a need we have to love people well at a distance.  Love Well Collective was created for you to have a place to find unique, curated boxes of love delivered to whomever you want to encourage right now. Let the people in your life know you care by selecting a box Love Well Collective has put together, or create one of your own. They can do all the work and you can get all the credit. Giving and receiving these bundles of joy are one way we can refresh one another in this desert of a time of social-distancing and staying at home as much as possible. Love Well Collective is a great reminder of Proverbs 11:25 as is, I hope you agree, my conversation with Christy too, “A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:5-10 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don't need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don't need you!” 1 Corinthians 12: 14-21   Follow Love Well Collective on Instagram @lovewellco.shop! And come shop their website at lovewellcollective.com!  And don't forget to sign up on their website so you can know about special sales, coupon codes, and be the first to hear about new products! Book mentioned in the podcast:  So, You Found Yourself in the NICU, Now What? by Terri Harding

Here on Love Letters, we walk love out in our lives. Today we are going to discuss how, actually how, we can fulfill the second greatest commandment to love thy neighbor through meals and memories made at home with one of my nearest and dearest friends, Melissa Tate. Melissa is a food writer, home maker, hostess, gatherer, encourager, supporter, and believer. Today she is going to share how she developed a heart for hospitality and guide us in practicing hospitality ourselves as in Romans 12:13. We are going to talk about how she slowly transitioned from her stable job to branch out and stretch her creative muscles as an entrepreneur. If you're dreaming new dreams in your life or you're dreaming new dreams for your established business, either way, you'll be inspired by hearing from her.  She is also going to tell us her favorite wedding idea of all-time, drop some bits of wisdom for those in the hospitality and event industry to energize y'all while everything is shut down, and even bring great advice for married couples who are spending way more time than usual together.  Melissa's work as a food writer, event planner, and food photographer has been featured nationally, on ABC News and Good Morning America, and locally on WFAA and in D Magazine. Now she is a monthly food writer in Blue Ribbon News and Living Magazine.    Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13   Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:3-9   “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:34:40 Tate Farms Summerfield at Tate Farms Photo Wagon Tate Fair of Texas Bread and Wine MelissaTateTX.com  

My friend Linda is here today to share what she has learned about forgiveness. Her story brings me closer to God every time I hear it. We were supposed to record this episode prior to the fourth of July, but things kept happening that prevented us. Honestly, I was frustrated, until I learned why God wanted us to wait. He was doing something that weekend and now she's able to share about it for the first time with us. I hope her story challenges you daily to forgive people in your life like it does me.  I love y'all and want to give you a warning that we are talking about hard things on this episode. We will be touching on suicide and talking about domestic violence. If those topics are too sensitive for you, I hope you'll listen to another Love Letters episode instead. But if you want to hear how to forgive despite immense pain, then pull up a chair, even an old rocking chair, and a glass of iced tea and come sit with us while we let God's love wash over us today through verses in Matthew, Ezekiel, Ephesians, and John.   The Sacrament of Happy by Lisa Harper Help for Domestic Violence Victims ReEngage Marriage Ministry Josh Howerton on Forgiveness   Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26   Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'” Ezekiel 37:4-6   Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32   The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 Visit my website www.amandafromtexas.com to subscribe to my newsletter so we can make the most of this life together!  

In this current state of isolation and disconnect in our world, where maybe some things are breaking down or shutting down in your life, we are here to inject some love in the overlap where people who love God and people who don't meet. You are in for a very special treat today with an episode about finding direction and purpose, about restoration—taking things in your life down to the studs and rebuilding—and about connection. How people can change the trajectory of our lives for good and how Jesus heals with touch.  My friend Meshali has been through a journey with God who restored who room-by-room, bit-by-bit through the gutting and restoration of an 1886 farmhouse. You'll never look at a renovating a home or an episode of Chip and Joanna the same again after you hear what God did in her life. The 5 Love Languages For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we askor imagine, according to his power that is at work within us Ephesians 3:20   See, I am doing a new thing!     Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness     and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 Magdala, Isreal Follow Meshali on Instagram and subscribe on her website! Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @amandafromtx or on my website. And click here if you want to make the most of it with us!  

With a Bachelor's Degree in Technology and Curriculum Instruction and a Master's in Technology Integration, Amber Teamann focuses on transparent, collaborative leadership as the principal of Whitt Elementary School in Wylie, Texas. She is one of my dear friends and I am grateful to share her wisdom and energy with you today. Amber Teamann led her team of 70 students and over 600 students and their families through a global pandemic with grace. And in the absence of a pandemic playbook to help when people would panic, the core values of leadership were (and still are): Relationship Communication Authenticity Collaboration Realistic Expectations Connection Faith Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Amber has so many resources to offer educators and administrators as we head into a brand-new school year with unknown conditions to navigate.  Book: Lead with Appreciation Website: Technically Teamann Twitter: @8amber8 Facebook Group: Principals Staff Appreciation & Motivation The blog she mentioned about grace: Expecting vs extending grace as a leader A blog specifically for principals in a pandemic: Strategies to avoid the principal panic in the pandemic     

Jennifer Green is a Christian and an Enneagram teacher. She has spent years exploring her faith by removing the flawed lens she saw the world through and also learning how to teach the enneagram to Bible study groups, church staff, corporate settings, school staff, and more. She sees one way we can remove the old self, as described in Ephesians 4:22-24, is to identify the personality we have created. When we discover our number on the enneagram, we can identify specific patterns of sin that keep us from Christ-likeness. The goal is to make room for the Holy Spirit in us to respond instead of us reacting to the world around us out of our personality.   I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7   The Road Back to You Self to Lose, Self to Find Suzanne Stabile Teaching on Loving Others Email address for Hope Fellowship Enneagram class: enneagramathope@gmail.com Jennifer on Instagram Amanda on Instagram

Like marriage wasn't hard enough for some of us before coronavirus, self-quarantining, N95 masks, social-distancing, and shelter-in-place orders. Phil and I had both been divorced before we got married. We were not good at marriage. But God moved in and taught us what marriage is by showing us His design for it. He changed everything and, for us, it started with forgiveness. If you are interested in attending ReEngage (the marriage ministry we talk about) then please visit their website to find a church near you who offers it!   Trust in the Lord with all your heart     and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him,     and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Ephesians 5:22-28   To read the blog post of mine about marriage that went viral, visit my website by clicking HERE. Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @amandafromtx or on my website. See you every Monday this June, July, and August as we test-drive this ride to hear stories and see God's love in our lives.

Here on Love Letters, we are going to do more than talk about the love we feel, we are going to talk about how to walk love out in our lives. And we are going to explore what God says about love and what He does in love, what He tells us to do with our love, and discuss how- actually how- the practical ways we can fulfill the two greatest commandments He has given us: to love God and to love others as ourselves. Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @amandafromtx or on my website. See you every Monday this June, July, and August as we test-drive this ride to hear stories and see God's love in our lives.