Bloom with Jesus!

I have recently become friends with Leah as a result of my first book. We have never met in person. I’m in Ohio and she lives in New York. I love reading her blogs and seeing how her faith is strong through the many struggles in her life. In spite of these struggles she is always focused on Christ and His goodness. Just so you understand the bigger picture, she is recuperating from some back problems. Her mom has cancer which has spread, and her son also has some special medical problems. You could easily say her plate is full! In spite of all these health issues surrounding her, her creativity continues to flow and she helps others with her encouraging words. She continues to praise God with all of her heart and soul. Today God was really urging me to pray for Leah. When she lives two states away, I obviously can’t go give her a big girlfriend hug, but praying I can do. I asked God to give her comfort and peace today. We later chatted online and I learned that she was traveling to her...

  So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2 (MSG) I visited a different church Sunday and the pastor closed with the scripture above. I am familiar with this passage of scripture but not from The Message. As I followed along, I highlighted the reference so I could focus on it later. As I reread the passage again it occurred to me, the reason this scripture spoke to my heart is ...