Lara Love's Blog, page 401

When the Truth Helps - DAILY INSPIRATION

Ever heard the expression, "sometimes the truth hurts"? The truth sometimes really does hurt, but that very same truth can be an enormous help. Such was the case this afternoon when I asked a precious friend of mine if she would be honest with me about something. Then I asked if she would share her heart about something very important to me - something very near and dear to my heart. I knew this would be hard for her. She has such a big, beautiful heart, that I can only imagine she would not...

Surrounded by Angels - A TESTIMONY

When I plopped down into a not-so-comfy classroom-style wood chair in a women's small group at a church I had only visited once just a few days before, I had no idea what to expect other than to learn a little about the book the women had been studying. The last thing I thought would happen is that I would open my big mouth, speak about something extraordinarily hard to talk about, ask for prayer, and find myself surrounded by a group of passionately praying women with hands laid on me just l...

BOOK REVIEW: Awesome Inspirational Fiction!

If I were a woman of few words, which I am quite clearly not, I would sum up author Melody Carlson in a single sentence: she is one God-loving, amazingly gifted author with multiple series of books for teens that are totally outstanding, inspiring, entertaining, funny, moving, and life-transforming all at once. Okay, so I couldn't even keep my one-sentence summary to a few words. Then again, in the case of reviewing a bunch of her books I've read and am still reading, why would I be sparing w...

The REAL Definition of a FRIEND - DAILY INSPIRATION

A childhood friend gave me a big, colorful poster to put on my wall that gave an interesting definition of a friend. Not only can I remember little of my childhood, but I can remember nothing of the poster other than its purpose to define a friend. I do remember how I considered this girl my best friend, and I also remember how she gave up our friendship when another little girl gave her an ultimatum to choose between me and her. Off she went. I am not sure if there is any perfect definition...

The Ultimate Lie Detector Test

I should take a lie detector test - daily. Not just any old lie detector test. But the ultimate lie detector test. And not because I tell lies, for the truth is that I hate them and I don't tell them. I really need to take the ultimate lie detector test daily because I'm a sucker for believing them - even when the lies are dangerous and potentially deadly. But then deception can be deadly, can't it? At the very least, it's dangerous, right? So why do I keep falling into the trap of believing...

Stripped Naked - of Pride - DAILY INSPIRATION

When I began to ask God fairly regularly over a period of time to clothe me with humility as the Bible talks about, the last thing I expected is that He would strip me naked. But now that I think about it, it's best to get undressed before getting dressed in something new, right? And that's precisely what I had to do. Before God could clothe me in humility, He had to strip me of pride. For I was cloaked in so many layers of pride, unbeknownst to myself mind you, that I could not possibly have...

Are You a Royal Prince or Princess? - BIBLE TAKEOUT

I have often through the years heard believers in Christ proclaim how wonderful, and important, it is to receive and partake and enjoy the incredible blessings of being so-called royalty because we have been adopted through faith in Jesus Christ into the Kingdom of God. "We're royalty! We're princes and princesses!" people have told me, encouraging me to see myself as God's princess and to therefore thrive and to appreciate the gifts of being royalty. They have encouraged me to see myself as...

Two Churches, My Mirror, One Love - DAILY INSPIRATION

Two churches. Just miles between them. Yet a world apart. I visited both last Sunday and couldn't believe the difference between the two. What I was able afterward to put my finger on as what may account for the difference between the two churches has made me take a good hard look at myself in the mirror. And it just may make you do the same.

photo courtesy of openclips via Pixabay.comThe first church had a quiet, almost somber, death-like feel to it. The second church seemed vibrant, joyful,...

They Hurt Me - DAILY INSPIRATION

"So what are you going to do?" my sister in Christ asked me. She was asking me how I would handle a yucky situation.

How often do we run into situations where someone does us wrong? Where someone treats us unfairly? Where someone offends us? Where someone falls short of showing us love, mercy, and compassion? Where someone makes our lives harder, difficult, challenging? Where someone does something that doesn't fit with our plans? Better yet, how often have we done this to others? How, then, w...

Walking the Talk - Inspiration

It's relatively easy to talk about the Word of God, isn't it? Going to church, studying the Bible, memorizing scriptures, talking it up, well, how hard can that be, right? But what happens when the testing comes? Does the talk become a walk, or is the talk just that? A whole lot of talk. I will never forget when my father in Christ teased me about my walking. "What's the name of your ministry?" he said. "Walk by Faith Ministry," I told him. "Then you might try doing that," he laughed. How cou...