Lyli Dunbar's Blog, page 74

Encircled

“God’s angel sets up a circle

of protection around us while we pray.”

Psalms 34:7, MSG

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Joining like-minded sisters at

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Filed under: Christianity, Scriptural Inspiration Tagged: angels, Christianity, Devotional, God's Protection, prayer, Scripture

31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 31

In late August, my sweet co-worker bought me this lovely plant for my birthday.  She said I needed something green and living in my office.  I smiled at her and told her I had a black thumb, so I should probably take it home and place it in my husband’s watchful care.

Pat is apparently an optimist, so she made me promise to water it once a week and not take it home.  This would be an office plant.

Knowing my track history with all things living, I quickly snapped a picture of the pretty plant with my iPhone so that I could remember it after its demise.

Folks, I promise you I did as I was told.  I watered that little plant and prayed over it.

“Live, pretty plant.  Please live,” I fervently prayed.

A few weeks later, Pat breezed into my office on a Monday morning to chat about some pending business.  She glanced sideways at the plant, and then she shrugged her shoulders and resigned herself to the inevitable.

“Take it home to your husband,” she agreed.

The little plant that could was holding on, but it was less green and less vibrant.  It was not thriving under my care.

I packed the living thing into my car later that day and handed it over to my favorite gardener.   “Pat ordered me to bring it home.  Do you think you can save it?”

My husband cradled the plant and examined it closely.

“It needs sun,” he diagnosed.

He placed it gently by the window where the rays of light could penetrate.

Right then, the Holy Spirit spoke to me very clearly — tell them about this moment on Day 31.  End here.

Tell them they need the Light of the Son.

Without Him, nothing thrives.

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But what happens when we live God’s way?

He brings gifts into our lives,

much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—

things like affection for others,

exuberance about life, serenity.

We develop a willingness to stick with things,

a sense of compassion in the heart,

and a conviction that a basic holiness

permeates things and people.

We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,

not needing to force our way in life,

able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”

Galatians 5:22-23, MSG

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Q4U:  What steps do you take daily to spend time with the Son?

Thanks for joining me on this crazy adventure!  Here is a complete list with links to all 31 posts in this series.  I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.
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31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 30

The purpose of fruit is to nourish the body.  Your fruit must be given away.  You must allow others to consume it.  You can’t hoard it like a miser or let it rot away out of apathy and disinterest.

Do you want to be fruitilicious?  Ask God to show you how your fruit can be used to sustain those in your circle of influence.

Give it all away.

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“Our people must also learn

to engage in good deeds

to meet pressing needs,

so that they will not be unfruitful.”

Titus 3:14, NASB

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Q4U:  What are some practical ways that we can intentionally nourish others?

Come back tomorrow for Day 31 of “31 Days to Fruitful Living.” We will wrap up this most “fruitilicious” series.  I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.














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Filed under: Fruitilicious Tagged: 31 days, Christianity, Devotional, fruitful living, fruitilicious, nourish, serve

31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 29

Sow self-control.  At the root of this fruit is contentedness.    A person who is temperate is not indulgent or reckless; rather, he acts with common sense and with sober-mindedness.

Self indulgence is like a cancer that eats away at your fruitfulness.  Do you want your fruit to be sweet and tasty?  Then, tap into the divine Help of the Holy Spirit and learn to say no to your flesh.

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“An evil man is held captive by his own sins;

    they are ropes that catch and hold him.

 He will die for lack of self-control;

    he will be lost because of his great foolishness.”

Proverbs 5:22-23, NLT

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Q4U:  How do you combat the cancer of self-indulgence?

Come back tomorrow for Day 30 of “31 Days to Fruitful Living.” We will chat about how to cultivate self-control.  I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.














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Photo Credit:  Patrick Nijhuis

Filed under: Fruitilicious Tagged: 31 days, Christianity, Devotional, fruitful living, fruitilicious, self-control

31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 28

To cultivate the fruit of gentleness, one must surrender personal rights.    The meek wholeheartedly offer themselves to an awesome God in reverence.  I love how Pastor Chuck Smith explains it:

“The word meek can probably best be defined

by putting a hyphen in the middle of it: me-ek.

It is again looking at myself in the light of the Lord

and realizing that I am nothing.”

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“Happy are those who claim nothing,

for the whole earth will belong to them!”

Matthew 5:5, PHI

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Q4U:   How do you define meekness?

Come back tomorrow for Day 28 of “31 Days to Fruitful Living.” We will chat about how to cultivate gentleness. I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.














Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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I am joining The Nester and like-minded sisters for this crazy challenge:

Photo Credit:  Alicia Jo McMahan

Filed under: Fruitilicious Tagged: 31 days, Christianity, Devotional, fruitful living, fruitilicious, gentleness, meekness

31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 27

Sow gentleness.

Meekness is strength under the control of the Holy Spirit.  A gentle person exercises personal power without abuse.  This fruit is infused with grace.  One who is gentle has received grace and understands the importance of humbly extending it to others.  Meekness requires a submissive spirit that trusts that God is good.

When I was a young believer in my teens, I remember thinking that meekness was not going to be possible for me.  By nature, I was highly boisterous, strongly opinionated, and easily annoyed.  Meekness must be for pastor’s wives and missionaries, I thought.  Surely, God did not expect me to be a doormat.  I was a lion, not a lamb.

Now, 30 years later, I look back and smile.   I realize that God is a God of order.  He is in charge, and I am not.  Throughout my life, God has patiently allowed me to experience turmoil, disappointment, and pain.  At each turning point, I had to make a decision — would  I trust that God is sovereign and good?  If so, then I must submit.  I must obey.  I must walk forward trusting in His grace.

Today, I may occasionally roar, but more often I just choose to follow and let God do the roaring.

If you allow God to tame you, you will be a docile lion for God.

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“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel

but must be kind to everyone,

be able to teach,

and be patient with difficult people.

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.

Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts,

and they will learn the truth.”

II Timothy 2:25-26, NLT

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Q4U:  Do you roar or do you follow?  How has God developed meekness in you?

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Come back tomorrow for Day 28 of “31 Days to Fruitful Living.” We will chat about how to cultivate gentleness.  I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.














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Photo Credit:  Mario Alberto Magallanes Trejo

Filed under: Fruitilicious Tagged: 31 days, Christianity, Devotional, fruitful living, fruitilicious, gentleness, meekness

31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 26

Do you ever feel like a piece of fruit on a juicer?   Do you feel manhandled, squeezed, and pushed in opposing directions?

Some days, I just want to say “enough.”  No more.  Stop.

But, I am reminded that m Savior endured much — He endured much more than I ever will.

Jesus was a finisher, and as His disciple, I am called to be faithful until the end.

The fruit of faithfulness helps one to remain.  A faithful person understands that the present suffering will result in a greater glory ahead.

The faithful are willing to be squeezed and poured out.

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“But I will rejoice even if I lose my life,

pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,

just like your faithful service is an offering to God.

And I want all of you to share that joy.”

Philippians 2:17, NLT

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Q4U:  Are you willing to be squeezed and poured out?

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Come back tomorrow for Day 27 of “31 Days to Fruitful Living.” We will chat about sowing gentleness. I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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I am joining The Nester and like-minded sisters for this crazy challenge:

Photo Credit:  Peter Kortleve

Filed under: Fruitilicious Tagged: 31 days, Christianity, Devotional, faithfulness, fruitful living, fruitilicious

31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 25

All right, I know that this picture is of a potato.  A potato is definitely not a fruit, and we are talking about fruitful living.  But, the more I delved into the word “faithfulness,” the more I realized that faithfulness is a rare fruit.  I am reminded of Proverbs 20:6 (NIV):

“Many claim to have unfailing love,

but a faithful person who can find?”

It’s hard to be faithful.  Being faithful is kind of like “eating your veggies.”  Sometimes, you have to do what’s good for you, rather than what you like.  And nowadays, this world is all about instant gratification — we leave behind our jobs, our marriages, our churches, and sometimes even our faith because we grow tired of “eating our veggies.”  We’d rather eat candy.

A faithful person is dependable, reliable, sincere, loyal.  A faithful person keeps promises.  A faithful person is trustworthy and true.  A faithful person stands on principle.

The fruit of faithfulness springs from faith in a God who is unchanging.  Because a faithful person is firmly persuaded that God is Sovereign, this fruitilicious individual will stay the course — even if the road ahead is filled with potholes and hazardous turns.

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  Dear brothers and sisters,

we can’t help but thank God for you,

because your faith is flourishing

and your love for one another is growing.

We proudly tell God’s other churches

about your endurance and faithfulness

in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

 And God will use this persecution to show his justice

and to make you worthy of his Kingdom,

for which you are suffering.

II Thessalonians 1:3-5

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Q4U:  Do you agree that a faithful man is hard to find? How do you cultivate faithfulness?

Come back tomorrow for Day 26 of “31 Days to Fruitful Living.” We will chat about the characteristics of faithfulness. I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.














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Photo Credit:  Nick Ballesteros

Filed under: Fruitilicious Tagged: 31 days, Christianity, Devotional, faithfulness, fruitful living, fruitilicious

Renewing My Mind

When this world tries to tell me that I am not enough, then I will remember that God says

I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14).
God is enthralled by my beauty (Psalms 45:11).
God has given me everything I need for life and godliness (II Peter 1:3).
I am more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8: 37).
God has promised to complete the work that He started in me (Philippians 1:6).
The Lord is my Helper.  He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5-6).
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
God’s power is displayed through my weakness (II Corinthians 12:9).
I am new creation, complete in Him (II Corinthians 5:17)
Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
God is able to do more than I can ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Q4U:  What Scriptural promises do you cling to when the world tries to tear you down?

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Filed under: Devotional Tagged: Christianity, Devotional, God's faithfulness, Scripture

31 Days to Fruitful Living — Day 24

Can I be honest?  I don’t like to be good.  The fruit of goodness requires me to extend myself to others — and sometimes I find that uncomfortable.   I know that the Bible says I am supposed to meet the needs of the poor and hurting and the downtrodden, but some times I don’t want to.  I’d rather sit on my couch and watch HGTV.  I’d rather go to Starbucks with my friends.  Id’ rather take a nap.

Cultivating this fruit will require sacrifice.  I am going to have to say no to myself — to my selfishness, to my pride, to my prejudice, to my needs.  Goodness puts others first, regardless of whether they are “nice” or “pretty” or “deserving.”  Jesus didn’t come to meet the needs of people who had no needs.  He came to save the lost and heal the brokenhearted.  This is messy business.

Today, I read Emily’s story.  She let a homeless woman take a nap in her car.  I found myself wondering if I would have looked the other way.

Lord, help me see people the way that You do.  Cultivate goodness in my selfish heart.

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“Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone.

If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody.

Don’t insist on getting even;

that’s not for you to do.

‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.’

Our Scriptures tell us

that if you see your enemy hungry,

go buy that person lunch,

or if he’s thirsty,

get him a drink.

Your generosity will surprise him with goodness.

Don’t let evil get the best of you;

get the best of evil by doing good.

Romans 12:17-21, MSG

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Q4U:  Is this an area you struggle in?  How do you intentionally cultivate the fruit of goodness?

Come back tomorrow for Day 25 of “31 Days to Fruitful Living.” We will chat about sowing faithfulness. I may have a black thumb, but I am determined to learn how to cultivate my spiritual life.














Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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I am joining The Nester and like-minded sisters for this crazy challenge:

Filed under: Fruitilicious Tagged: 31 days, Christianity, Devotional, faithfulness, fruitful living, fruitilicious