Worthy Wednesday: Pattern

PATTERN
: the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pattern

Cravings of impurity and debauchery. Idolatry, hatred, and discord. 

Jealousy, fits of rage,  and drunkenness... 

Things the world does over and over. The mess our flesh drives toward again and again.

Except.
That is not our pattern to follow.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 

faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Galatians 5:23 says, "Against such things there is no law."

Lord, mold my life according to these.


with love and prayers,
Megan Besing
www.meganbesing.com
Trust in the Lord with all your heart 
and lean not on your own understanding; 
Proverbs 3:5 NIV

.

Worthy Wednesday: Love Your Enemies

Really?

I have to be nice to people who hate me?

Great.

If I'm being honest, sometimes it's hard enough putting a smile on my face for those who actually tolerate me, but this, this is hard stuff. And no, I can't cover my ears and pretend I didn't hear it. Jesus taught this. Jesus lived this. Remember Judas?

Betrayal=Enemy

Jesus knew Judas Iscariot would be the one, the very one who would betray Him. 

And yet...

Judas was still a member of Jesus' earthly inner circle--One of the twelve.

He taught him, shared meals with him, spent time with him, provided for him, 

and

LOVED him.

ENEMY=LOVE

Not only am I required to be nice to my foes, but I am to LOVE them.

love: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person
:unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love

This is NOT natural human behavior, but takes effort, practice, and 

most importantly, Jesus.

Without Him it would so NOT be possible.

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 (NIV) 

This verse doesn't read: For God so loved the world, excluding Judas and anyone else who betrays or hates Jesus, that he gave....

NO, He: 

LOVED the whole.entire.world.

SALVATION is offered to everyone.

When someone bullies me, betrays me, oh, you better believe that I DO have me some strong feelings, however I'm striving for those to be strong feelings of affection. 

And that's HARD!!!

Do you have someone who makes your life...difficult?

LOVE and PRAY

(or maybe pray first :) )

Pray for their Salvation. 

That God will bless them. Use them. Show them mercy, as He does you and me.

LOVE=FORGIVENESS

Is it hard?  Is it doable?  Is it worth it?

YUP.

with love and prayers,

Megan Besing

www.meganbeisng.com

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; Proverbs 3:5 niv

Worthy Wednesday: FIRE

Hot. Smoke. Don’t Touch.

Destruction.

My first thoughts of fire run toward its negative aspects.

BUT…

Warmth. Cooking. Family Fun.

Survival.

1 Peter 1:7 compares our life trials as…FIRE.

trial the act of trying, testing, or putting to the proof.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trial

Hardships. Struggles. Losses.

Life Happens.

But WHEN we remain strong (because God will provide strength) we will be refined…

like gold.

You see, the costly metal doesn’t come out of the ground in a perfect-shiny-bar form. No, the gold-bearing rock must go through a process. A process that involves heat…why? 

To remove. To refine. To be made into pure gold--into that perfect-shiny-bar form.

1 Peter 1:7 (NLT) These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

So when the world is heating around you...chin up buttercup. You're being molded. And the end result will be worth it. Because you see, we are worth far more than gold.

1 Peter 1:9(NLT) The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

with love and prayers,

Megan Besing

www.meganbesing.com

Cue the Confetti. Let's Celebrate!

Cue the Confetti.The Sparkles. The Glitter.

My newest favorite author's 

who just so happens to be my awesome mom

debut comes out Friday!!!

Orphaned and widowed, eighteen year old JUBILEE STALLINGS clings to her southern Indiana farm as her only refuge. The wilds of Gibson County are just being tamed in the year of 1850, and Jubilee ekes a meager existence. But when RAFE TANNER, a cousin of her abusive dead husband, shows up with the deed to her property, Jubilee’s dream of her own home dissolves.

Rafe, stinging from his ex-fiancée’s rejection, offers a business marriage, throwing him and Jubilee together in an effort to make the farm successful. But scars from the past keep her in constant fear of her new husband. The pair masquerades as a love-struck couple at Rafe’s family farm, enduring the romantic notions of his family and the jealousy of his ex-fiancée.

Once home, Rafe realizes his newfound love for Jubilee, and sets out to court her. Meanwhile, Jubilee fights demons from her past as her husband reveals his interest. Can Jubilee let go of her distrust and pain to embrace God’s plan of true love and finally find a place to belong?

Pre-order from Amazon now.

Peggy Trotter has been writing something for over 30 years, but had never published. The empty-nest syndrome set her to groping for a new direction, and wow, did God answer! Year of Jubilee, a Christian Historical Romance set in southern Indiana, debuted on April 10^th of 2015 through Prism Book Group. A second, a Contemporary Romance entitled, Reviving Jules, will follow on Oct. 9^th, 2015 as well. She loves to reveal God’s miracles through the world’s underdogs and mix in a little love and happy endings.

She finaled in the Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest in 2013 in the inspirational Category, and is a 2014 ACFW Genesis Winner in the Novella Category. Seldom does she stand still, but when she does, it’s to praise her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Creator of all gifts and Bestower of all blessings!

She’s a small town Hoosier native who teaches 1^st and 2^nd grade at a small Christian School and writes Christian Romance in her spare time. God blessed her with a wonderful husband who cooks and helps clean while supporting her crazy dreams. She has two incredible grown kids, one fabulous son-in-law, and two rays of sunshine, commonly called grandchildren.

You can catch up with her at peggytrotter.com or at diamondsinfiction.blogspot.com.  Follow her on https://twitter.com/Peggy_Trotter, https://www.facebook.com/PeggyTrotterAuthor?ref=hl, https://www.pinterest.com/pegtrotter/, Pen in Hand, Google, and Linkedin.

with love and prayers,

Megan Besing

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 

Proverbs 3:5 NIV