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Megan Smalley is the author of Give Grace and the founder of the nationally recognized Give Grace campaign, which helps individuals embrace their sorrow and get through difficult seasons with grace. She is also the CEO of the online clothing shop Scarlet & Gold and founder of The Infertility Sisterhood, a community of women supporting one another through sharing their hearts, fears, struggles, and successes. Megan grew up loving the Lord, but she wasn't truly tested in her faith until she faced a personal battle with infertility. Now the proud mother of three miracle boys, including twins, is devoting her platform to sharing grace with others, encouraging them that the challenges they face are not in vain, and inspiring them to give grace in return. Megan lives in Auburn with her family managing her shop, creating content, and delighting in life's simple moments with those she loves the most. Tune in to this episode where Megan shares about practical ways to make time with Jesus, bringing pain to God, filling your mind with truth and MORE! Visit Our Website for Show Notes: ACupFullofHopePodcast.com Follow A Cup Full of Hope on Facebook and Instagram: Instagram • Facebook Follow Caroline on Facebook and Instagram Instagram • Facebook
If you could use a life-giving conversation right now, this episode is for you! Megan Smalley is here with us to share about her bookGive Grace: How To Embrace The Beauty of Life's Brokenness but in the process we talk about #allthethings that moms feel deeply in their motherhood journeys and how we can show up with more grace for ourselves and others. Megan and I “get” each other. We have a lot of similarities and yet we are not the same. You'll hear that in this conversation as we cheer each other on while being in very different (and yet kind of similar) seasons of life. We talk about what works for us and our families without any expectation that the other's life look, feel, or sound like ours. You'll get insights into what's worked well on our motherhood path and glimpses into the not so glamorous mothering moments. It's a vulnerable and honest conversation that I'm honored to be a part of. Megan's Bio: Megan Smalley is the CEO of the popular online shop, Scarlet & Gold, the author of Give Grace, and the creator of the Overcome Journal. She grew up as a pastor's kid, and while the foundation of faith she was given is so important, it's the fires she's faced that have refined her heart and given her an unshakeable faith. Megan walked a hard road in pursuit of her lifelong dream to have children, and she's now Mom to three boys, who she affectionately calls "The Bad Business Club." Megan's journey to motherhood is only one piece of her story that's given her an important voice in the space of learning to overcome the hard stuff. She encourages women to overcome trials in their own lives and to give and receive grace in the process through her speaking, writing, and inspirational products. She lives in Alabama, ten hours away from her home state of Texas, where she and her husband Blake, a basketball coach, raise their young boys, twins Stisher and Eli and little baby James. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM Elevating Motherhood Links: Website: www.elevatingmotherhood.com Instagram: @loribethauldridge @elevatingmotherhood Patreon: www.patreon.com/elevatingmotherhood Please visit today's sponsors: Join Lori Beth on Patreon! Elevating Motherhood is coming to life over on Patreon! I'm super stoked to let you know I'll be over there more than any other platform connecting with you and other incredible mamas. It's such a great space where we can have deep dive discussions about today's topic and every other topic discussed here on the show. I'll also be hosting virtual classes once a month for moms. April and May's classes are already up and evergreen—they are available for you to watch anytime! Join me for June's Creative Writing Workshop where we'll talk about the writing process, creative outlets & habits, and even how we can document special moments for and tell stories to our kids. That class goes LIVE on Friday, June 25th so there's still time to sign up this month! Go check out the details at www.patreon.com/elevatingmotherhood I'm super stoked to be an ad-free, off social media, no distraction space to connect with you and other moms! It's already been so refreshing and life giving to be able to connect deeper with you all. I'm excited for you to join us!
Today my guest is Megan Smalley. She is an infertility advocate and mom of three miracle boys. She released her debut book Give Grace in March, and in it Megan shares her journey of infertility and lessons she learned along the way to help others accept grace and heal during life's toughest trials. At twenty-seven, Megan was told IVF would be her only chance to have a biological baby. Tragically, after he first round of IVF, Megan did not become pregnant after transferring their only three embryos, and their savings was completely spent. Two years later, Emily's team at her online clothing shop, Scarlet & Gold, rallied together and helped put together the Give Grace campaign to raise money for another chance at IVF. The team designed products inspired by Emily's story to sell, and paid for them to be produced, so that one hundred percent of the profit could go towards a second round of fertility treatments. Emily and her husband were given the answer to their prayers with one more chance to try IVF, and this time they welcomed twin boys. :+) This Show is Sponsored by... Lovevery is an incredible play kit box, that provides quality, developmentally appropriate activities for babies and toddlers, all curated by experts. Cooper got his 0-12 weeks box filled with engaging things like a wooden mobile, black and white flash cards, and black and white play mittens. If you're looking for a great gift for your baby or toddler, or someone you loved, definitely check out Lovevery Play boxes. For free shipping, go to www.lovevery.com/EEP. And... Uncommon Goods is the place to go for thoughtful, original gifts for everyone in your life. When you shop at Uncommon Goods you're supporting artists and small, independent businesses. Uncommon Goods looks for products that are high quality, unique, and often handmade or made in the US. They don't sell products made with leather, feathers or fur. It's a Brooklyn-based company that's all about giving back. With every purchase you make at Uncommon Goods, they give back $1 to a non-profit partner of your choice. They've donated more than 2.5 million dollars to date.To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/EMP. Don't miss out on this limited time offer! Uncommon Goods is out of the ordinary. And... 5 years ago, Felix Gray realized - Our eyes weren't meant to look at screens all day – and designed glasses to make daily screen time more comfortable and the workday more productive. Felix Gray lenses filter 15x more Blue Light that can make screen time tough on eyes and disruptive to sleep.Get yourself a pair of glasses made for the 21st century and designed for modern, hardworking eyes. And, the amazing things is the Felix Gray can also make you these great glasses with your prescription! Go to www.FelixGrayGlasses.com/EEP for the best Blue Light glasses on the market. Free Shipping. Free Returns. Free Exchanges.
I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Megan Smalley today, as she has such a sweet gift of putting things that are hard into words that make sense! Megan Smalley is the author of Give Grace: How to Embrace the Beauty of Life’s Brokenness, the CEO of the online clothing shop Scarlet & Gold, and the founder of The Infertility Sisterhood, a community of women supporting one another through sharing their hearts, fears, struggles, and successes. Megan vulnerably shares her story about her journey through infertility, IVF, becoming a mom, and learning how to grieve & celebrate along the way. She is on a mission to empower women to give themselves grace and advocate for what they need during seasons of waiting and beyond. I admire her strength, authenticity, and encouragement, and I know you will too! Follow Us on Instagram:Kathryn @kcollChelsea @chelseaallegraHeart + Sole @heartandsolepodcastSole Fitness @sole_fitnessJoin our Facebook Group! "Heart + Sole Podcast Insiders"Follow Megan Smalley on Instagram: @megansmalleyShop at Scarlet & Gold HERE!Purchase her book, Give Grace, HERE!Sign up for the Sole Online Training App!Use coupon code 'SOLE20' for 20% off your first month!!Support the show (http://www.solefitness.com/sole-store)
EP 156 Help Your Team Hurdle the Challenges of Change Thrilled you are here - Congratulate you on – being here – embracing change yourself – Ready to replace, eliminate and conquer the challenges you’ve faced with your teams. Here’s the truth – to make your biggest, boldest impact in the world you need to get the most from your team you need a productive team Breathe in the possibility and breathe out the doubt! I’ve had the privilege of doing this work for almost 30 years and have been witness to the transformation of teams in all kinds of industries……Often leaders are so much closer than they realize……change can happen swiftly with intentional action The saying – Sometimes we are the most frustrated when we are just 3 feet from the gold. I don’t think there’s ever been a time when we humans were bombarded with so much change. And this last year….well, how many times did we hear, it’s unprecedented? Here’s a little stat – see if you can wrap your brain around this. Over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every single day, and it's only going to grow from there. It’s estimated that 1.7MB of data are created every second for every person on earth. I don’t know about you, but I can’t even begin to fathom how much data that is? How much is a quintillion?? Clearly – change is a given – Before you start to feel stressed by this notion let’s stop to remember what our phones were like a few years ago. Depending on your age, you can think back all the way to when phones had a dial and were attached to the wall. A little farther back and an operator played an integral role in connecting you. Look at all the change you’ve survived! If you are old enough……you can recall a time when you had to go to the library to do research for a paper. And if your topic was extra technical you might even have to go to the basement to work with a special librarian who’d retrieve the musty, dusty reference you required from a locked room. Look at the change you’ve maneuvered. Ask someone to switch from Coke to Pepsi and you’ll witness change aversion in action. My Change Story – Moving 45 minutes away We recently moved and I was shocked at my own response to change. I hadn’t anticipated it. I always look objectively at my own reactions to marvel, assess and take note. I learn from my own experiences so that I can share with others. The move was only 45 minutes away but that required learning a new area, finding the grocery store I liked, testing out times and routes to work around traffic. I no longer had routines in my home and, as an efficiency junkie I was struggling with decisions about where to keep things. Where should each item find its home? I was tired and felt out of sorts. I found myself exploring my new area in a tight circumference around my home. No desire to expand my horizons until I had a good lay of the land close by. It was unanticipated…..but this is what can happen when we move through change. So, how can you help your team move through necessary change at work? Here are some key strategies: Give Grace but don’t accommodate – to expect that all will happily move towards change is setting yourself up for frustration as a leader – A realistic expectation is that people will be challenged…. It is innately difficult for humans to undergo change – some will have an even tougher time. Amygdala – Lizard brain function to keep all of life constant – doesn’t say no change – makes up reasons that feel like factNot trying to turn you into a counselor and don’t expect to fully take on the role of helping them get to a place where it’s comfortable….BUT acknowledging it’s NORMAL will help both you and them…..So….acknowledge = empathize but move on -= the train is leaving…..Do they have any relevant concerns Get Input – Example IT department – end users trying to give me all this input during the training Veterans – For yourself OR to share with your leaders - you may see the end result – have higher level ideas immediately – new less experienced may take longer to get there…..let them go on the journey with you – takes a little extra time but can build buy in Give them the chance to give input – don’t jump on ideas as wrong immediately – let it play out = help them take the journey to where you are = teach – Otherwise you may silence them – they will feel like their input has no value = And they DO have value -= new perspectives = make sure it’s not your challenge with change stopping you from considering alternative ideas And……if you immediately think that idea is no good – is your Amygdala taking over? Reality check initial thoughts about new ideas. See this often in family businesses when the next generation enters – there is conflict between old school and the new generation who wants to make a mark – but may be bringing new and great ideas learned from school, outside experience – which hopefully they have had Communication Back – thank them for input – AND share at least general details about what was decided and why – if their input could not be used – ideas not implemented – were they considered? Share that – share why they were not used or had to be tabled. Review & Revise - Prep for hiccups and future change – most change happens in waves – it does and it SHOULD… Change should include a checkup – how is it going – hiccups are opportunities for more tweaks – often organizations skip that step too – Communicate up front to create the expectation that it will not all be perfect – expectations equals easier to deal with - AND something you can say to quiet those with louder amygdales Provide opportunities for feedback AND ideas Whining is easy Pointing out problems is easy Saying this will never work is easiest of all – Encourage or even require employees to provide solutions – if they see an issue, what ideas do they have to resolve it or make it better? why decisions were made – Learn the Delegation Strategies I’ve shared with THOUSANDS and get your team to do what you need! Grab a copy of my EBook, The Six Simple Steps to Great Delegation DefeatTheDrama.com/DelegationSheet Kirsten Ross Vogel is an author, podcast host and CEO of Focus Forward Coaching where we help leaders defeat team drama to 4X productivity, wow their customers and improve their bottom line with simple, actionable strategies, systems, communication hacks and mindset shifts. Ready for some individualized help for your leadership challenges? Grab a spot on my calendar and let’s discuss how I can help you transform your leadership and your team. DefeattheDrama.com/Call
Maintain your Circle of Trust in these Very Weird Times. Know that you can Differ from your Friends and still Love them! Have Grace and Give Grace!
Disciple Up #170 Reaching the Breaking Point My commentary on my July Column of Parker Stripped From Parkerliveonline.com By Louie Marsh, 7-29-2020 I've been thinking about writing this column for quite a while now. But I've kept putting it off. In fact I actively looked for reasons not to write it. But it keeps coming up in many of my conversations and I see it all over the place, nearly everywhere I look in fact. So for better or worse I decided it was time to talk about the proverbial elephant in the room. I say elephant in the room because I'm far from the only one who's seen this. But most of us don't seem to want to either admit to it or deal with it. So what am I talking about? Just this: The impact from our national shutdown, isolation from others, national unrest and the shifting “facts” we hear from day to day are taking a huge toll on almost all of us. And its well past time we admitted it and began dealing with it. Let me take just one recent conversation I've had as an example. A friend of mine had been commenting on how the people he worked with seemed have much shorter fuses than they used too. They were kind of grumpy and tense and just generally below par. This led to them to act in ways that a few short months ago he was sure they wouldn't have. I told him I'd seen a lot of that. Not only in other people but in myself as well. I said that being cut off from real, in person, socializing; not being able to hug or touch our loved ones and friends, was beginning to warp people in bad ways. I don't think any of us are thinking as clearly as we should be. Many of us, especially those of us who live alone, rarely if ever get to hug or touch another human being. We've been told for years how important human touch is and now we are finding out just how right all that information was! This warping applies to our emotional states. Some people I know are more aggressive (if you don't believe me just review your Facebook or Twitter feed, if you have one, and you'll see what I mean). Others are quieter and depressed at their inability to do what we've always taken for granted. Like go to a store or hop on a plane or just visit friends. If you still aren't sure I'm right about all this try this little exercise in depression – try doing some long term planning. Good luck with that! (I confess that's one of several things that really bugs me!) Our world has changed in so many ways so quickly that we can't really keep up. On top of that we have no trustworthy assurances when things will get back to normal, if they'll ever get there at all! This uncertainty hangs over all our heads like (here's another old cliché alert!) the Sword of Damocles. And like that fabled sword we don't have any idea when it will fall, how it will fall or where it will fall. To many of us it seems to be falling right now. So what do we do about this on a personal level? How can I respond to this and, hopefully, find some much needed relief from all this pent up stress and pressure? Below are a few ideas to use as a starting point. 1) Admit that this really is bugging you. You are being affected and this is a real issue for you. (Starting a 12 step program for those dealing with 2020 Syndrome might not be a bad idea.) You can't deal with any kind of problem or issue if you refuse to admit that it's there. 2) Give Grace to everyone around you, including yourself. So we aren't at our best right now. Instead of blaming or shaming or lashing out why not take a different approach? Why not offer some grace, some forgiveness, some understanding to others and yourself? We all need it, so we should all be giving it to others. 3) Make a life for yourself. How you'll do this depends on your opinions on a variety of issues like masks and vaccines and a whole list of topics I'm not going to discuss here. My point is use your creativity and find a way to do meaningful, important activities and strengthen relationships in spite of all the road blocks strewn across our path. 4) Take the long, historical, view. For many Americans this will mean you'll actually need to read some good history books. Remember we aren't the first people to face a pandemic, and we certainly won't be the last. Our ancestors faced far worse plagues with far less to fight them with, and they survived. If we can learn to look at life from a longer and wider perspective it'll do us, and everyone around us good. I realize it's easier to write these things than to do them. I also know they are just a start. But everything has to start somewhere, so why not start now to deal with all of this and see where that road takes us? VERSES WE NEED TO TAKE SERIOUSLY: 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17 (ESV) 1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3 (ESV) 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:13-20 (ESV) 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:1-6 (ESV) 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:7-12 (ESV)
Larry and Drew talk about the very real struggle pastors and church leaders face with the on-going stresses of making decisions."Decision fatigue is the biological effect of continuously flexing one's decision-making muscles. The more choices a person makes throughout the day, the more challenging each one becomes for the brain. Eventually, the brain begins to look for shortcuts."Decision Fatigue Signs:-Procrastination-Impulsivity -Avoidance -Indecision- Seek the Lord and His wisdom first- Seek wise counsel – there is safety in a counsel of many (church/Community) - Seek the safety of your people – the most loving thing you can do.- Be willing to be wrong – If you have to punt – change directions, apologize and move forward.- Do ALL you can for due diligence – CLEAN, LEAD, COMMUNICATE, Give GRACE, receive Grace- Give decisions back to your people – ultimately they make their choice on return and risk.- Rest in the decision you’ve made and given to the Lord (Phil. 4:6-7 pray and have peace)
Schools are closed. You need help teaching our kiddos. You’re here for answers, tips, tricks, schedules, and resources. If you find yourself needing to educate your kids at home for a while unexpectedly, I get that you might be in a bit of shock. It’s overwhelming. I think a lot of that overwhelm comes from this idea that just a day ago we had a predictable schedule in place and knew what we were good at…we’re good at being a parent, we’re good at our job, we understood our current roles and then were handed another one: the role of teacher. Not knowing how to formally teach our kids can make us feel like we’re really bad at that or we’re going to fail at it. Those are very unsettling feelings. The overwhelm is so real for so many people. Please know that you’re not alone in those feelings, that they’re valid, and that there are many people out there who understand. And those of us who want to help you rise up, find your confidence, and move through this overwhelming time feeling understood, resourced, and supported. So many of us are searching for coping mechanisms among all of the heightened emotions. Humor, frustration, unhappiness, venting, even panic—these are all real emotions that real people are feeling. It’s really important to acknowledge how you’re feeling. Name the emotions without shame. Know that they are normal, acknowledge them, and then use them as information to move forward. None of us want to live in those feelings of frustration, overwhelm, and unhappiness. Please know that if the sources of your overwhelm stem from childcare, money, job, or food concerns, I wish I had the resources to immediately help you and calm your mama heart. I hope that there are friends, family, and local resources that you can reach out to now to help. I don’t think it’s too early to start accepting offers for help from school boards, food banks, churches, local organizations, and people who have been posting on social media that they want to be there for you. Believe them. Use them. Lean into your community. This truly is turning into a time of coming together even while we are apart. Here are my top 14 tips for parents who are finding themselves doing all of life at home with their kids, including educating them. 1. Don’t Try to Recreate the Classroom in Your Home 2. Create Your Own Schedule 3. Try Time Blocking 4. Remember School is Supposed to be Do-able 5. Alternate Activities 6. Keep Records 7. Give Grace (and then more grace) 8. Go Outside (a lot) 9. Know That Resources are All Around You 10. Mindset is Everything 11. Lean Into the Process 12. Lean Into Your School’s Resources 13. Communicate with Your School Community 14. Take Care of Yourself You are strong, you are capable, this is temporary, there will be ups and downs, those are normal, we’ll get through them together. For more show notes & all links mentioned in today’s podcast, go to www.elevatingmotherhood.com
GETAWAY EPISODE COMING YOUR WAY TODAY! I'm coming to you today from Catalina Island! I got to tag along while my hubby worked on a show + soak up some amazing sun!! I didn't realize how much I needed a break. Like a by yourself, no one talk to me, let me just lay here in the sun reading a fiction book. {I haven't read a fiction book in 2 years!} To see some of the pics from my journey, click here! p.s. Reviews mean the world to me! LEAVE A REVIEW FOR ME HERE AS A BDAY PRESENT! 32 LIFE LESSONS AT 32 1. God First 2. Prioritize Health 3. Work 4 Days A Week 4. It Will Never Be Perfect 5. Release Expectation 6. Meditation 7. Daily Ritual 8. Limit Your Friend Time 9. High Vibe Only 10. Social Media Is AN Aspect Of Business 11. The Body Follows The Mind 12. Capture Your Thoughts 13. Put Your Blinders On 14. Go Into The Submarine 15. Create, Then Rest 16. Celebrate Every Win TAKE A BREAK + CHECK OUT CLICKFUNNELS This link is my affiliate link which gives you a 14 Day Free Trial!! 17. Write Love Letters To Money 18. Give Grace 19. 99% Of People React In Their Wounds 20. You Know Better 21. Ask For Opportunities 22. Act Immediately On Your Ideas 23. Be Rigid 24. Connect With Your Students 25. Post Honestly 26. Build A System 27. Set Aside 30% For Taxes 28. Give Back To A Cause You Believe In {Samaritans Purse, Recovery Of Children} 29. Be A Friend 30. READ! 31. Have Your Guilty Pleasures 32. Grow Flowers + Save Bees! I hope you really enjoyed this episode - I'd love to know what you think!! Leave a review right here, darling. Thanks for listening!
Beefcake #26 I am kinda in a hurry. I need to get to my meeting, but I still have to pick the kids up from school, grab dinner, and drop them off at the house. I feel tense, and my brain feels scattered. It's moments like this when I should pause, and take deep breaths....but who has time for deep breaths when you are busy freaking out? The kids are eating in the backseat of the car when Andie tells me, "Daddy, my tooth hurts." Well crap. Can't she see that I am in a hurry? Ain't nobody got time for that. Now is just not a "convenient" time in my life for someone I love to have a problem. As we arrive home, thank God, Amanda is pulling in the driveway. She will know what to do, and be able to guide me in the right direction. She takes a look and gives a directive. "We will give her some Tylenol and call the dentist." Damnit. What if the dentist can't see her? What if it gets worse in the middle of the night? Do I call her usual pediatric dentist or my dentist? What time do they open? When should I expect a response? Do I make an appointment, or just show up at the office? This is going to throw off the dentist's schedule immensely. Suddenly, I am not only worried about my daughter, but I am worried about putting out the dentist by having him arrange his schedule for the unexpected. I don't like this feeling. I am really not the person for anyone to be reliant upon, especially when that person is as precious as my seven year old daughter. Upon arriving to my meeting, I had some time to share about what it was that had me so disheveled. Before I could finish my story, I had a couple of older men having a laugh at my account of the predicament which I faced. One gentleman in particular had this to say, "I know where you are coming from. I am capable of turning this fly on my coffee cup into a buzzard on a light post. It doesn't matter how big of a problem that I want to make it out to be, one thing's for sure, neither the fly nor the buzzard is going anywhere, until I move the cup." He then grinned and said (in the deepest of country accents), " And another thing, I'd imagine this ain't gonna be the first time that your dentist friend ever had his schedule interrupted cause an achy tooth." I couldn't help but laugh. Some people have that gift. It's the gift of perspective, and I'm glad to be on the receiving end of it. I get busy. I get worried. I lose track of the problem at hand, because my emotions are inflated because it affects someone that I love. I think it's important for me to be aware of my actions and emotions when faced when these types of situations, but I think it is more important to be cognizant that people all around me are dealing with these situations all the time. If someone is acting irrationally, there could be a perfectly logical explanation for their illogical behavior. Give Grace. Peace, Love, and all things Beef related, Beefcake My name is Wilson Horrell, aka "Beefcake". I'm a junkie turned sober that found CrossFit, running, and community to be my new addiction. I have no education or experience as a writer, and almost zero knowledge of grammar. I love sitting in front of a computer and spitting it out on paper as it goes through my brain. I hope you enjoy reading, and feel free to reach out or comment at anytime! I would love it if you subscribed to this blog HERE. Thanks for reading!
Omar speaks to the Jesus Field Community Youth Group about the importance of looking at situations from other people’s perspectives and seeking to understand the struggles that they are going through, rather than simply passing judgement on them. The post 018: Don’t Judge, Give Grace appeared first on Bravo-DelaPaz.
City Church AC Pastor Dallas R. Billington 11:00 AM Lead Like Jesus - Part III: You Have to Give Grace
Phil continued our study of the book of Acts and looked at generosity in the early church. To view Phil's slides (in PDF format), click here. Introduction • Working through acts could not ignore the generosity and giving • Generosity and Giving were very evident in the church in Acts • It is to be a part of the life of the church today and is • No preaching this because it's an issue, but for our encouragement • We have always been a generous church Acts 2 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47 ESV • In this passage, this blue print for what the church should be like we see that there was not only a willingness to bow generous but acted on it, so those that had sold their goods, land or property to help those in need. • It was not an act done under duress, or any command from the apostles • It was not a requirement to be able to be part of the community of believers • It was a heart response to the Holy Spirit and seeing the need around them “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” Acts 4:34-35 ESV 3 points I want to make 1. Generosity demonstrates the heart of God and his love for us • God did not spare his only son - “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32 ESV “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 ESV • Gods desire that that we should lack no good thing • Gods heart for us that if we have need we can ask because he is willing to provide all we need 2. Generosity shows our love for one another • The same love they had received from the father was expressed by their willingness to sell up and to give to those in need • The early church understood that ultimately God owned everything they had, so they were able to hold onto things in a proper way—with a loose hand. • Their Encountering of a radically generous God created a radically generous people. • “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 ESV 3. Generosity expresses love for the lost, poor and needy • In the acts 2 passage it seems there is a link between generosity and salvation • This newly radically generous people who gave to those in need had a amazing affect on the community around them. • In the context of them being fully devoted in every way, God added to their number those who were being saved every day • There are lots of churches, but not nearly as many that are making a the most of an opportunity to make a difference in their community. Through looking at the early church, we see how their generosity made them to be a world changing church. • We too are affecting people's lives through our varied projects want to continue to do so. There's an added dimension to this, it's not rules or regulations, There is a Grace to Give “Grace leads us into the exciting adventure of faithful giving, and of proving the goodness of God and his ability to make grace abound to us so that we are always sufficient for every good work” Terry Virgo
Practical Tips How to Give Grace to the Critics A great life is revealed by great relationships built around us. Then here comes criticisms. It's much easier to respond to praise, it's criticism that usually affects relationships in a negative way if not handled with care. How then can we maintain healthy relationships in the midst of criticisms. Find out in this week's message by Pastor Tim Warden.