God Has Plans For Each Of Us... Learning From The Bible

God gives us many instructions and commands in the Bible. When we read it we can see how to live our lives in the best way. The more we study it the more we realize how much he loves us, and that that is why he is giving us the commands that he is.

God wants what is best for us, his creation. He wants us to treat others kindly, and he wants ut to be successful. He wants us to prosper.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

It doesn't mean that things are going to turn out perfectly all of the time. We can see that by studying the Bible and those in it. We know that they faced struggles. Paul was persecuted for his faith and put in prison, John the Baptist was beheaded, and so on. But God will be with us.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
2 Peter 1:5-7

God's instructions are clear. He wants ut to be kind. To be good. To have self-control and to live the way that he wants us to. God has given us so much, and it is only right to give back to him.

There is so much to be grateful for in life. For our family. For our talents. For freedom. For health. For the food to eat and the clothes to wear. God has never gotten us, and he will never forget us. He knows our needs and he will look out for us and give us what is right. Does that mean that life will always be easy? No. But we can trust in him through everything we face.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

We can be strong in him. Through everything that we face we can know that he is with us. We don't have to be afraid of our enemies. We don't have to worry about anything. We just need to be strong and to know that he is there for us.

God loves us so much and he wants us to see that. He wants to live our lives in a way that reflect him. He wants people to see that we are unafraid because we trust in him.

So, we should all realize how precious it is to read our Bibles. We should draw encouragement from what we read and try to live in a way that honors God. 

By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken

Go To God For Rest... Embracing Peace In 2018

Go to God for rest...

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28

Don't we all wish it was easier to fully embrace the comfort that God offers? He provides us with rest. He knows us and loves us and wants what is best for us. He doesn't want us to fear or worry. He wants us to know him and to trust that he is going to do what is best for us.

God wants to give us rest. And, as hard as it is to accept the help he is offering us, that is something that we all should try to do. To embrace the peace that he is offering. To know that he is going to take care of us.

I need to strive to accept the rest and comfort that God offers me because I know that he cares about me. And I know that the worries of this world will not last forever. This is a temporary life. As often as I get caught up in stress about what is going on now, it really doesn't matter.

What does matter is God. Doing the right thing. Living for him.

So, I should take the rest that God provides because I know that he wants what is best for me. He loves me and wants to make me at my best. When I feel rested in him I will be able to live out my life in a good way. I can share his love with others better when I am not worried or exhausted.

I need to learn to trust in God. To rest in him. To know that he wants what is best for me and that when I follow his lead I will never go wrong.

God wants to give each one of us rest, and I hope that is something that we can all learn to accept as we start out the year 2018.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken

8 Christian Authors To Read In 2018

I love reading a good book. And it's always fun to discover different Christian authors. If you feel that way, too, then read on!

1. Michelle Phoenix. Her writing gets you to think. I enjoyed Of Stillness and Storm because it was thoughtfully written. It is a unique story of a missionary wife and her family.

2. Katherine Reay. She is an author with a unique voice, and I loved her book A Portrait of Emily Price because of how well she described the settings in Italy and how real each of the characters felt.

3. James Scott Bell. His books have been a favorite of mine for years because of how layered the stories are. Just when you think you have the story figured out, a new twist comes into play. I especially loved the Ty Buchanan series.

4. Catherine West. Her writing drew me in right away because of the way she crafts her characters. She puts heart into her writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Memory of You.

5. Katie Ganshert. This author is one whose writing grabbed me immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed A Broken Kind of Beautiful when I read it years ago, and Life After pulled me in with its interesting and sad story when I read it more recently.

6. Tracey Bateman. There are some authors who know how to put just the right amount of humor in their books, and she has done that with Leave It To Claire. I really loved that book, and even though its an older book, if you haven't yet read it you should now.

7. Celeste Fletcher McHale. She wrote one of the more interesting books I've read lately. The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories is set in the south and has great character, story, and heart.

8. Terri Blackstock. She is one of the first great authors I read when I was younger. I love the way that she writes about family, and how her books are full of action. Intervention and the books that follow in the series are my favorites of hers.

Of course, I wouldn't mind if you read our book, too! Check out No Longer Broken for a story of family, betrayal, and forgiveness.


By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken

God Works Everything Together For Good

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

God works it together for good.

It is unexplainable

Good doesn't necessarily mean perfection. Perfection is for heaven. Good means we will grow. Or, at times, the good is something we will never fully see or understand. But God knows what he is doing, and we can trust him to work it out for the best.

Even the bad and horrible things can help us to grow. Maybe we won't see that growth immediately. Maybe we won't ever realize why it had to happen. But God is in control. And he is working it out for good.

I don't understand it all myself.  And maybe I never will.

But I do know that I can trust God.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what is best for us. He knows what we are going through and what we can handle.

God will be with us through everything. There are going to be difficult times in our lives, but we need to trust him to be with us and to work it all together for good.

There is no explaining the bad times. There are things in life that we may never understand. But God knows what he's doing. He gives people free will, and he hurts for us, but he will work everything together for the good of those who love him. So, when terrible things happen we shouldn't believe that God is ignorant. Instead, we should know that he is still in control.

God made the world. It is his. He holds it in his hands. He has love for us, and he is always looking out for us.

Does that mean that good and decent people escape bad things? No. But God's love is real. And when we believe in his love and goodness, it will make life much more bearable.


By Bethany Acker, Co-Author of No Longer Broken