Lara Love's Blog, page 369

Fighting Discouragement - DAILY INSPIRATION 3/6

When a friend told she was fighting discouragement, my overriding thought was how few people knew the extreme extent to which I have been dealing with discouragement myself. Daily, sometimes hourly. Not in small ways. In huge ones. I was being constantly bombarded from the one end with the thought of quitting, whether it be ministry, writing, caring for the dogs, etc., or once in a while even life itself. On the other end, I was being pelleted with thoughts of how utterly insignificant and fu...

My Childlike Friend on the Potter's Wheel - Daily Inspiration 3/4

A friend of mine is diagnosed with something the world often looks down and frowns upon. For a long while, I looked down upon my friend for another reason. I had studied the Bible for years; she had just begun. I desperately wanted to please the Lord; she was just finding her way in her walk with Him. I used big, fancy language; she often had little to say. I tried to point her in the right direction with changes I felt God wanted her to make; she resisted. As much as I loved my friend, I oft...

Which Way Are You Facing? DAILY INSPIRATION 3/3

Which way are you facing? Are your heart and face turned toward the Lord and to His Word, or do you have your back facing Him as you worship other gods? Is your trust in Him, or is your trust in alcohol, drugs, sex, food, friends, television, anorexia, pornography, prescription drug abuse, your job, money and wealth, whatever, whomever, living with your boyfriend or girlfriend, prostitution, adultery, even yourself? Are you seeking God daily in His Word and as you spend quiet time with Him, o...

Receipts for Donations for 2014

Due to an exceedingly full plate with directing Walk by Faith Ministry coupled with trying to squeeze in little slices of desperately needed rest whenever I can get a chance, I am not able to keep up with everything as well as I would like - including receipts! I keep extremely careful records, but do not have a staff or volunteers to help with figuring out and mailing out receipts. So if you are in need of one, please feel free to get in touch and I will do my best to respond as quickly as I...

Are You Afraid of Doorways? DAILY INSPIRATION 2/28

I had a dog once who was afraid to walk through doorways. I could not help but think something awful had happened to her as she walked through doorways. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe she was just afraid of them. Perhaps she had been severely punished for going to the bathroom indoors rather than outdoors and then was shoved out the door. Or perhaps she was punished for trying to come inside. I have fallen short enough through the years with the dogs, not to mention with people, to understand the re...

A Blind Man, the Subway, and a Lesson for Us All - Daily Inspiration 2/27

When I heard the true and indescribably poignant story of a young man who went blind whose friend told him he shouldn't feel sorry for himself but instead should get on with his life and pushed him to ride his city's subway system by himself without the ability to see, I was moved beyond measure by what transpired and knew instantly what God was trying to show me as I heard the story.

photo in background found on Internet with no known attribution.
If you are the photographer, please contact Wa...

I Stood in the Shadow - DAILY INSPIRATION

I stood in the shadow and could not reach the light all round me. I shivered in the cool of standing away from the sunshine. I was down. Discouraged. Frustrated with why I kept falling into the same sin. Wondering why I could not break free - not even close. Then I saw the light. Literally. I saw the Light. I heard the Lord speak into my heart. Repent. I thought I had repented of all I had done wrong again; I had not. For I was believing Satan's lies again, and my belief in his lies was the r...

What Are You Doing with Your Dirty Laundry? - Daily Inspiration 2/24

If your washing machine has ever broken and you have made the awful mistake as I did of dumping the sopping clothes into a laundry basket and waiting a few days until you got your washer fixed to properly clean the soiled load, you will undoubtedly learn the stinking lesson I did. Don't do it again. I had to wash the same load over and again to get the stink out. I am reminded of a young woman who rented a room from me who excitedly decided in what was her first experience living away from ho...

Victory in Your Battles - DAILY INSPIRATION 2/23

Just when I was on the verge of being devoured once again by the devil, not to mention totally unable to see that he was behind the fierce struggle in which I was engaged, God took me scuba diving into a much deeper study of four verses I had studied countless times before. This time, I rose back up to the surface with a precious pearl of wisdom I knew would help me secure the victory I needed and desired.

photo in background from pixabay.com
First, God calls us to humble ourselves. We cannot h...

Falling Upwards - Daily Inspiration 2/20

Which way do you face when you fall? Maybe an unusual question, but your answer might just help you determine if you're headed in the right direction. I used to spend most of my time when I fell facing downward. Discouraged, depressed, disgruntled, down, full of self-condemnation and harsh judgment of myself. I can still easily fall prey to this. In fact, I have been falling a lot recently into one particular sin I desperately desire to be free from. But I find I am learning to face upwards w...