Happy Friday!
Due to our upcoming family vacation, “Top 6 Saturday” is “Top 5 Friday” today 
. I hope you enjoy this week’s tips on loving more completely, trusting in times of tension, growing strong through sickness, learning to wait patiently, and how to listen to my latest audiobook, Orchid Unshaken!
Take a Love Challenge
I saw this yesterday on the Instagram account, @iansimkins, and absolutely love its hard-hitting exhortation to evaluate our hearts and the way we love and honor God and others:
“‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.’
“He said, ‘Now replace the word love with your first name.’ In my case, it would read: ‘Ian is patient, Ian is kind. Ian does not envy…’
“Then he said, ‘As you read through these with your first name, make note of which ones seem the least true right now. There’s a good chance those are the things God wants to work on in your life.’
“I never forgot that.
“If it’s impatient, unkind, envious, boastful, proud, dishonoring, self-seeking, easily angered, always keeps a list of wrongs, it’s probably not from Jesus.
If it doesn’t protect, is always suspicious, sees no light at the end of the tunnel, gives up at any inconvenience, it’s probably not the kind of love he invites us to embody.
“If we grow our organizations and platforms but have not love, we are only a loud gong or clanging cymbal.
“If we write great books and speak at great conferences but have not love, we are nothing.
“If we earn all the degrees and receive all the accolades but have not love, we gain nothing.
“For God, love isn’t just the VERB He does, it’s the NOUEN He is.
“Love isn’t just the verb we DO, it’s the noun we BECOME.”
Which aspects of love need improvement in your life? I encourage you to pray about them and ask God to help you demonstrate love more fully each day.
Don’t Be Tense About Tension
Instead, acknowledge that any resistance or friction you may be experiencing in your life could very well be a sign of God’s sanctifying power at work. Instead of worrying and being anxious, thank God for the opportunity to lean hard into Him and to grow in patience and humility as you trust Him and obey in all circumstances (see Philippians chapter four).
See the Upside of Illness
Funny how our spiritual health is a lot like our physical health; “illness,” that is, trials and affliction, makes us stronger for the battles still ahead. Our souls and spirits need hardships in order to develop the strength, stamina, and resilience that are crucial for our spiritual race for the prize (see Philippians chapter three).
Wait, Wait, Wait…
Listen to This!
The second book in my Christian’s women’s series, The Orchid Series, is available to listen to on Audible! You can check it out here! Here’s the summary:
After her fling with Wes, the good-looking, church-going cowboy, Charlotte is focused on reconnecting with her husband, Derek, and leaving harmful habits, guilt, and shame in the past. When Derek proposes that they start fresh in his hometown, she thinks it’s a wonderful idea; she doesn’t have the heart to tell him that the reason why is because she still thinks about Wes and the kiss they shared at her doorstep.
In her new town of Caddo Springs, Charlotte quickly realizes that new surroundings don’t necessarily erase old concerns, or old insecurities. In fact, Caddo Springs is proving to be rife with problematic people and situations, including Derek’s passive-aggressive mom and his former girlfriend, a beautiful, exotic, nauseatingly nice woman whom his parents adore and seem to wish he’d married instead.
Far away from her mentor, Poppy, and the Orchids who formed her rock-solid support system back in Bluebonnet, Charlotte feels vulnerable, adrift, and more afraid than ever that her marriage won’t survive. Her faith challenged and her strength waning, will Charlotte’s armor withstand her latest battle, or will she wave the white flag of surrender?
Orchid Unshaken is a relatable, faith-building story of forgiveness, grace, and bright new beginnings.