American Underdog

Right behind Hallmark movies, my favorite type of movie is an inspirational sports movie and I LOVE that one is out just in time for Christmas: American Underdog! And y'all, it's the PERFECT movie to take the family to and it comes out Christmas day! It's full of family, football and faith and the whole family will LOVE it! 

American Underdog tells the true story of NFL MVP Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda as they persevere through challenges and demonstrate that anything is possible when you have faith, family, determination and LOVE! Kurt (played by Zachary Levi) went from a stock boy at a grocery store to a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback. The film centers on Warner’s unique story and years of challenges and setbacks that could have derailed his aspirations to become an NFL player – but just when his dreams seemed all but out of reach, it is only with the support of his wife, Brenda (Anna Paquin) and the encouragement of his family, coaches, and teammates that Warner perseveres and finds the strength to show the world the champion that he already is. American Underdog is an uplifting story that demonstrates that anything is possible when you have faith, family and determination.

American Underdog is the kind of movie that you'll leave from feeling encouraged and inspired! And fun fact- my sweet daughter was actually an extra in the movie in the football stadium scenes! So fun!

Disclosure: Many thanks to Kingdom Story Company for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

A Calling (and An Annoucement)

 

I've always said that God gives us every moment of time we need to do all the things that HE calls us to do. We only seem to get in trouble and run out of time when we pick up things that we are not called to or when we don't put things down when He asks us or when He calls us to something new. 

For the past 7 years I've felt called to create and share a scripture writing plan each month. I love spending time in God's word creating the plans and adore hearing of the stories of how the plans are being used by friends, families, Bible Study groups, and classrooms all around the world, even in prisons. I get messages and emails all the time about how people are using the plans and God has been so gracious to show me how He is using my tiny works for His good. 

But for the past year I've felt God telling me it was time to set this calling down and move on to something else. I've had a personally difficult year- full of pain and loss, both mine and those I love dearly. This events of this year have made me think long and hard about the things I've been spending my time and energy on and I feel God calling me to set a few of those things, including scripture plan writing down, so that I have time for the other things He is calling me to do (like finish the devotional book I started writing several years ago). Now I won't lie- setting down things that I love and that I know others love is hard for me and the recovering people pleaser in me has so struggled with this decision. But I love the Lord more than anything else and if He's telling me to set it down, I'm setting it down. The December 2021 plan will be the last that I create and share. 

Psalm 91:15 says: 

He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

The good news is that there are years of past plans, lots of other folks that create scripture writing plans (just Google it), and you can create on your own (just pick a topic, start reading and studying God's word to find those verses!). You can find all of my past plans in a folder HERE which is also linked on my my blog at the top under Scripture Writing Plans. Thank you for using, loving and sharing the plans- it's truly been my honor to compile and share them and thank you for understanding my decision to listen to and follow the Lord's prompting. 

December Scripture Writing Plan: The Birth of Christ

 Happy almost December sweet friends! 

The scripture writing plan this month is over a topic perfect for this time of year: 

The Birth of Christ.

I adore this time of year - the decorations, the excitement, the trees, 

the colder weather, the lights, the fun, the parties, the joy-

I love every single bit of it. 

It truly is the most wonderful time of year!

However, as much as I love it, I find that it is so easy for me to get caught up in 

the crazy hustle and bustle of it all- the shopping, the planning, the decorating 

that comes along with this wonderful Christmas season. 

Unfortunately, in this super busy time of year, 

spending time with God and in His word is often neglected. 

(I know I am often totally guilty of this!)

When all of our focus is on decorating our houses, 

finding & trimming the perfect Christmas tree, making sweet treats to give away, 

preparing & mailing Christmas cards and shopping for and wrapping the perfect gifts-

 it is so easy to lose sight of what Christmas is truly all about. 

It’s only when our eyes are fixed on God and we spend time in His Word ,

when we read, meditate on, and truly treasure the story of the birth of Christ

 that we can celebrate the TRUE reason for the season. 

Jesus.

My prayer is that we would spend this month digging into His word

to learn more about the birth of our precious Savior and keep our hearts 

and minds focused on the joy that is found ONLY in Christ!

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in English and Spanish in the folder HERE.

{Just a reminder, don't try to print the images below or they will be blurry. Be sure to click the link to download a PDF copy!}

November Scripture Writing Plan: Abundance

  Happy almost November sweet friends!

The plan this month is on something God's really been showing me lately:

Abundance

I feel like we currently live in a world where people always want more, more, and MORE. It seems like everyone is rushing around frantically all of the time trying to earn more money, to purchase a bigger house, to get more material things to fill that house, to make more friends, to get more social media followers, to have MORE of literally everything. People are grasping and climbing and hoarding and reaching, constantly striving frantically for MORE. They attempt to control and to hoard and have all the things- forgetting that God is a God of abundance and that HE can and will not just provide, but provide abundantly for His children. 

God promises abundance for us and talks about it over and over again in His word. During His time on earth, He showed us time and time again that His love is a love of true abundance.  Here are just a few examples of times He didn't just provide, He provided in abundance: 

• John 2: At the wedding at Cana, Jesus had the servants fill the jars to the brim. He didn't just provide wine for the wedding feast, He provided an abundance of it. His miracle filled those jars  not with just a sip or two of wine, but all the way up to the tippy top. 
  
  
• Matthew 15: Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes and afterwards there were seven baskets full of leftovers. He didn't just provide enough food to feed everyone, He provided more than was needed- He provided abundance! 
  
  
• Exodus 16: God provided manna from heaven for the grumbling, complaining, hungry Israelites each and every day. He told Moses to tell the people to only gather what they needed each day because He would provide. On the 6th day when they brought in what they gathered, He promised them that it would be enough for that only that day but also for the following day, the Sabbath. Those who were obedient had no shortage of manna, but those who were greedy, had nothing left over. 

God is a God of abundance. He is all powerful, He is unlimited and He can (and will) provide for all of us. He knows exactly what we need and always gives us more than enough. He provides abundance of not just physical things but also for grace when we sin, for hope when we are hopeless, for peace when we are anxious. He provides all of these things so that we may be perfectly satisfied in Him. 

My prayer is that this month we are able to focus on these verses about the abundance of God and be reminded daily that He is a God of abundance. I pray that we are able to clearly see all of the ways in which He favors us, He provides for us, and He helps us. I pray that we are reminded over and over and over again that in Him we have enough. I pray that we are able to keep our hands open to receive all that God has for us, trusting and knowing that in Him we will have all that we need and more! Lord, help us to remember that your abundance is limitless and that in you, we have all that we need and more. 

NOTE: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 

done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.

October Scripture Writing Plan: Rejoice in the Lord

 Happy almost October sweet friends!

The plan this month is on something we are all told to ALWAYS do: 

Rejoice in the Lord

I start working on the scripture plan for a month at the beginning of the preceding month and as I sat to write this today (at the end of September), I had to smile because I'm pretty sure God had me pick this topic because He knew I would need a reminder right about now because I am not feeling like rejoicing right now.  He's good like that isn't He? He always provides exactly what we need, exactly when we need it! 

Probably the most popular verses about rejoicing is Philippians 4:4. 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

I think people struggle with this because they misunderstand it. Although we are called to give thanks to God in everything, we are not called to rejoice OVER everything. Read that verse again. It doesn't say Rejoice about everything, it says Rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoicing in the Lord isn't about our circumstances, it's about our relationship with and our posture towards Him. No matter what my life looks like, no matter what ugly circumstances I am in, no matter what grief I am in the middle of, God will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS be worthy of my rejoicing and praise. 

Giving thanks to God in all things is bowing to His sovereignty and rejoicing in Him is a celebration of it. Our true joy is found solely in the Lord. Not in our circumstances, not in the people in our lives, not our situations, but completely and totally in Him. We must look up to Him and not at the insanity, brokenness, sadness, and heartache going on around us. We must trade our anxieties in for grateful and humble communion with God. We must rest in the peace of God, even when it doesn't make sense to the world, staying rooted and grounded in Christ.  

My prayer is that this month, regardless of our circumstances, we are reminded that He is the author of our story and the keeper of our heart. I pray that we are reminded to rejoice IN Him for He alone is worthy to be praised and rejoiced over ALWAYS!

NOTE: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 

done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.

September Scripture Writing Plan: Holiness of God

 Happy almost September sweet friends!

The plan this month is one I so enjoyed working on, 

Holiness of God

1 Peter 1:15-16 says: 

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 

 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

 This command (not suggestion!) in 1 Peter is simple. We aren't commanded to be all knowing or all powerful like God is, but to be holy like God is holy. 

Isaiah 6:3 says: 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Did you notice that Isaiah didn't just say holy one time, but three? It's the only attribute that is repeated in this way which tells us it is important. It wasn't enough to say God was holy, he had to repeat it three times for emphasis. It's like what I do if I am explaining to my husband that "I saw a huge, huge, huge spider!" to get him to understand how big it truly was. In the same way, "holy, holy, holy" is meant to stretch the boundaries of our imaginations. Whatever we think of when we hear that God is holy, He is more holy. He is an entirely different category of holiness and is much holier than we could ever imagine. 

So what does it mean that God is holy? I love this quote by AA Hodge about holiness: 

“The holiness of God is not to be conceived of as one attribute among others. It is rather a general term representing the conception of God’s consummate perfection and total glory. It is His infinite moral perfection crowning His infinite intelligence and power.”

RL Dabney once said that holiness isn't a single attribute but instead it's a result of all God's perfection together. Every representation of God, every manifestation of God, every revelation of God indicates His perfection. When we think of God's holiness, we should think of his utter separation from sin because everything in the creation is affected and influenced by sin. God's holiness isn't an aspect of who He is or what He does, it is the essence of who He is. Every single thing He speaks, thinks, desires, and does is holy in every way. 

He is holy in forgiveness. 

He is holy in justice. 

He is holy in love, 

He is holy in mercy. 

He is holy in power. 

He is holy in sovereignty. 

He is holy in wisdom. 

He is holy in grace. 

He is holy in patience. 

He is holy in anger. 

He is holy in faithfulness. 

He is holy in compassion. 

He is holy. 

How can we become holy? Holiness only results from a relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and accepting His gift of eternal life. If we haven't placed our faith in God's Son alone to save us from sins, then our pursuit of holiness is futile. 

My prayer is that this month, as we read and write these verses about the holiness of God, that we are truly overwhelmed by His holiness and the gift of eternal life that He alone can give.

 

NOTE: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 

done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.

August Scripture Writing Plan 2021: Names of God

Happy almost August sweet friends!

The plan this month is re-post from many, many years ago and 

 is one that I so enjoyed researching and am so excited to share with you!

The Names of God

Our God is amazing and incredible and mighty! There is absolutely NO WAY we can fully understand or describe Him. We can’t wrap our tiny human brains around all the things He is & does. He loves us more than we can ever begin to comprehend. God is the Creator of the universe and everything in it. This God of ours is Jesus who became flesh AND also the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. He loves us so and longs for us to know Him. 

One of the best ways to get to know Him more deeply & intimately is to learn some of the many names He is called in scripture. These are not mere titles assigned by people but, for the most part, but His very own descriptions of Himself and as such they reveal aspects of His character.

For the plan this month each day lists two different names of God as well as scriptures to explore and learn more about our Savior, Lord, and King. My prayer is that we are able to take a few minutes each day to learn more about Him and His great love for us. That we are able to fix our minds and weary hearts on the Lord and be surrounded with the steadiness and consistency of God's love in a world where nothing is steady or consistent. 

Suggestion: Read the verses each day in several different translations and look up the definition of each name in a dictionary like the ones listed on Blue Letter Bible HERE. 

NOTE: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 

done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE

July Scripture Writing Plan 2021: Freedom

 Happy almost July sweet friends!

The plan this month is over something that is a huge gift from the Lord:

Freedom

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

John 8:36

No doubt you've heard that verse before but what does it mean? It means that as Christians, we have assurance of salvation and true freedom from the penalty and power of sin. This freedom was bought and paid for by Christ who died on the cross for my sins and your sins in order to set us free. We are free from condemnation, we are free from having to be good enough to earn our way to heaven (thank goodness), we are free from fear. Thankfully, unlike the freedoms we have as Americans, this freedom we have as Christians can't be revoked by anyone or anything and our eternity is 100% guaranteed. How amazing and awesome is that?

Unfortunately though, many people view this freedom as the freedom to do whatever they want. Jesus didn't die on the cross so we could do whatever we wanted but so that we could do what He created to do. Jesus died so that we could walk in relationship with God, so that we could obey God and choose His will for our lives. Freedom in Christ does not give us permission to sin. It gives us the opportunity to serve and glorify the Lord and shower those He created with His love. Freedom isn't the right to do what we want, but the ability to do what we ought!  I love this quote from AW Tozer which I think sums it up:

Christian liberty is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. 

AW Tozer

My prayer is that this next month, as we write these verses about freedom that we are reminded that we are set free and that this freedom comes with responsibility. That we are able to experience true freedom in Christ by studying His word, knowing Him, walking in His ways while we focus on service to Him and to others. That we are reminded what God has done for us in Christ and that we love and obey Him with the full assurance that God WILL make good on His promise and we will spend eternity with Him!

I: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 

done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE

June Scripture Writing Plan 2021: Friendship

 Happy almost June sweet friends!

The plan this month is over something that I think is one of God's greatest gifts:

Friendship

When I speak to women’s groups I always talk about my sweet friends (because they are AMAZING and PRECIOUS and such a huge part of my life and my story). I am blessed to have friends that continually remind me of God’s promises and plans and truth and point me to Him- always. They show up in good times and bad and make me laugh so hard I almost pee in my pants! Every time I speak about my friends, I hear the following statements when I finish speaking from those in the audience:

• Gosh, you have such exceptional friends!
• You sure are lucky to have friends like that.
• I wish I had friends like you and like your friends.

 
And what I always respond with is that I believe the best way to have amazing friends is to read what God says about friendship and loving others, and then DO IT! I tell them to practice being the friend they long to have in order to grow precious friendships. To show up for their friends- in good times and especially in bad times. I always remind them that the most important thing is that God must be at the center of those friendships because no matter how fabulous and wonderful a friend is, a friendship is between two imperfect people who will fail and mess up and let each other down at some point. Friends who remind us of what God says in His word and points us to Him are truly the biggest gift. 

 
God designed us for friendship, but friendships can often be difficult to navigate, and they definitely take work and love and care. I believe community is essential and Christ-centered friendships are truly key for us to live out the purposes God has for us. Friendships are a large part of how God wired us and what brings us joy because He uses our friendships to accomplish mighty works in and through us and because he designed us to support, love and encourage each other.

Think about friendship as a beautiful flower. If you buy a new pot of roses and bring it home, give it the right amount of water & sunshine, prune it and take care of it, it will grow beautiful and produce tons of beautiful blooms and bring you great joy. But, if you buy a new pot of roses and bring it home and set it in a dark closet, never watering or giving it sunshine, it will no doubt wither and die. You can’t expect beautiful blooms from something you don’t care for, nurture and love- it’s just not possible- and it is the same for friendships.

I pray that this month as we read and write verses on friendship, we are reminded that our friendships should bring honor and glory to the Lord and that we should always point each other to the truth and salvation only found in Jesus. I pray that we are reminded to hold friendships loosely and let the Lord direct them. I pray that we are reminded that friendships in the end are not about us but about glorifying God and displaying the love of Christ to those around us. I pray that this month we would thank God for our friends, praying for each of them by name and asking Jesus to accomplish His perfect will through these relationships and that through them Jesus Christ would be glorified and His kingdom advanced.

FYI: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 
done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.

May Scripture Writing Plan 2021: Spiritual Warfare

Happy almost May sweet friends!

The plan this month is over something that's not fun to talk 

or think about but something that's super real and so very important: 

Spiritual Warfare

There is a very real and very dangerous enemy that we should NEVER forget or take lightly- Satan. Ephesians 6:12 describes this enemy and this battle (also known as spiritual warfare) of ours: 

 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

This verse is a great reminder of spiritual warfare which is the leveraging of everything that God promises against everything that opposes God’s purposes. God is a God of purposes and a God of promises. Purposes to redeem the world and promises to judge wickedness. Purposes to grow his beloved children into maturity and promises to unfailingly manage and steward that process. Purposes to love us, to save us and to glorify His name, and promises about our lives and about His great and holy character. Satan and his spiritual forces oppose every single bit of God's purposes and promises. He opposes all of God’s purposes for salvation and redemption, as well as His every single promise for accomplishing it. 

Satan battles every single day for the hearts of men and women, trying to turn us away from God and separate us from Him. Satan is crafty and sneaky and sophisticated and he works constantly to rule this world. He schemes against us and he HATES those that obey and follow Christ. He is always watching and waiting for us to have our guard down so that he can attack. Because of that we must be alert and ready at ALL times. Because Satan is so wicked and spiritual warfare is so scary, people often want to just ignore both completely but that's so dangerous. Why?  

Because...

1. Satan is powerful. He's strong and if we aren't careful and watching for his schemes, he can (and will) overpower us. 
2. Satan is a predator and an opportunist. He is on the prowl. He is constantly waiting to pounce on those who are unsuspecting and destroy them. 
3. Satan is not our friend. He HATES us because God loves us. He knows the power of God's love and works relentlessly to drive a wedge between us and God. 
4. Satan is sneaky and strategic and deceitful. He will lie and cheat and steal to destroy us. He wants us to believe lies about God, about ourselves and about what's really important and true. He doesn't show up with a red face, pitchfork and horns but disguised as something tempting and attractive. He doesn't just use our weaknesses to trip us up, he will also take something we are comfortable and confident in and use it to trip us up. 

In order to battle Satan we must be aware of what God's word says about spiritual warfare. We must recognize that spiritual warfare exists and know what God's word says about it and about Satan. My prayer is that as we write these verses this month we would become aware of Satan's devices and schemes and his plans for our destruction. That we would be reminded over and over again that we have no reason to fear him because Jesus has overcome this world but that it's up to us to be aware and pay attention. That we would stay alert to Satan's deceptions and close to the throne of the Lord. That we would spend time in God's word which is TRUTH, so that we can stand it up against the lies of Satan. 

FYI: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 
done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.

April Scripture Writing Plan 2021: Hospitality

Happy almost April sweet friends!

The plan this month is over something I LOVE- Hospitality!

Hospitality is often thought of as inviting people over to your house for dinner but honestly hospitality is not about a perfectly cleaned and decorated house and fancy platters of food. To me Biblical hospitality is about serving and loving others through Christ and making them feel loved and valued and cherished, anywhere. And I think it's super important to remember that hospitality is not something optional for us to do, it's actually something that God calls us to do!

1 Peter 4:8-10 says:  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

God calls us to first love Him and second to love others. When we love and serve those God places before us, we are honoring and serving Him. When we love others, we are showing our love for God. He loves us wholly and completely and unconditionally so when we love and serve others through hospitality, we are also serving God. When we open our hearts as well as our homes, we're practicing Christian hospitality.

The good news is that Christian hospitality doesn't have to be perfect or expensive or elaborate or Instagram worthy. So often people focus on what they don't have instead of focusing on sharing the blessings of God that they do have.  They often think that when they are older or have more money or a larger house or more time they will be more hospitable. But friends, that's not what God's word says! 

And here's some good news: God CAN use people like you and me to touch lives- right now!

It doesn't matter if we rent or own a house or lease a tiny apartment or live in a trailer.  It doesn't matter if we have fine china and crystal or paper plates and Solo cups. It doesn't matter if our house is spotlessly clean or a huge chaotic mess. When it comes to hospitality here's what we have to remember: People gather with us and come to our homes to see us and spend time and fellowship with us- not to inspect and evaluate our homes. 

Hospitality is all about relationships and making people feel loved and valued. Hospitality puts people first—their comfort, their enjoyment, their needs—and invites them into our lives. Hospitality is not worrying about the clutter on the dining room table as we order pizza to be delivered. Hospitality is not about spending hundreds of dollars purchasing food for a gourmet, 9 course meal but instead it's about intentionally creating a place where people feel welcome and experience love, acceptance, and the presence of the Lord- even if it's just sharing a big pot of leftover vegetable soup along with some crackers. 

When we practice hospitality, we have the opportunity to touch lives in a personal way. We just have to be bold and willing to share what we have with those God places in our path- even if what we have is not a lot. God has not only given us the roof over our heads, He has also given us the love and wisdom needed to open our homes and hearts to others.  My prayer that this month as we read what God has to say about Biblical hospitality and serving others, that we think of ways to invite others to join and fellowship with us. That we truly see who God places in front of us and figure out ways to have them join us so we can share God's love with them. 

(Note: You'll notice that six of the days have only the verse that the piece of armor is mentioned in as the verse for that day. My hope is that you will write that verse several times and then spend time trying to memorize it!)

FYI: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 
done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.

My Brother's Keeper

 One of the many things I've missed during the days of Covid is going to the movies. I am so excited that movies are both returning to the theater and being released for folks to watch in their home! I was super excited to watch My Brother's Keeper this past week and it was truly fabulous! 

My Brother's Keeper is written/produced by Ty Manns, a veteran and father of active duty sons. The movie features important, hopeful messages on the reality of PTSD in returning war veterans and features Keshia Knight Pulliam (The Cosby Show), T.C. Stallings (War Room, A Question of Faith), Joey Lawrence (Melissa and Joey), and Robert Ri’chard (One on One).  You can read more about the movie here:  https://mbkfilm.com/  and watch the trailer below. 

Be sure to go see MY BROTHER’S KEEPER when it comes out in theaters or host the film at your church through the Faith Content Network! 

Giveaway: Enter & Share the My Brother’s Keeper promotion now and you’ll be entered to win 1 of 20 The Greatest Warrior Bibles, and to join an exclusive fan call with the Stars of My Brother’s Keeper! Enter Now:  http://bit.ly/3dHDp94

Disclosure: Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

March Scripture Writing Plan 2021: The Armor of God

Happy almost March sweet friends!

The scripture writing plan topic this month is all about

THE ARMOR OF GOD

I think it's easy to forget that this world is not our home and is truly a spiritual battlefield. Every single hour of every single day we face a spiritual war and an enemy who is real and evil and who wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10). This enemy is ruthless and cunning and evil and super crazy determined. Thankfully God has given us His Word and His Spirit so that we will have the wisdom and protection we need to stand up against the enemy. No matter how cruel or vicious or cunning the enemy is, he can never chain our spirits that have been set free by Christ. Praise the Lord!

In Ephesians Paul gives us a blueprint for how to win this battle, telling us to be strong in the Lord by first clothing ourselves with God's specially-filled and supernaturally strengthened protective armor and then secondly, to stand firm in it. He tells us to put on the full armor of God and then goes on to describe what each piece is. (It's important to remember that at the time that Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians he was under house arrest and was guarded 24 hours a day by Roman soldiers!)

In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul writes: 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

In these verses Paul describes six pieces of apparel that can help Christians in their spiritual battle: 

• Belt of Truth
• Breastplate of Righteousness
• Helmet of Salvation
• Shoes of Readiness/Peace
• Shield of Faith
• Sword of the Spirit

The plan this month takes each of these six pieces and includes verses that help us understand what that piece of armor means and how we can use it in our lives today. God has a plan for our lives but unfortunately the enemy does too. We are so blessed to have specific instructions in God's word to follow that includes everything we need to stand strong. The battle is real sweet friends, and we must be ready!

My prayer is that this month we will be reminded that God alone holds victory over sin and death and our hope is in HIM. I pray that we will spend time this month learning about these tools God has given us so that we can put on His armor, stay alert and stand strong. That we are able to hold His Word as a weapon against the enemy's nasty schemes and have the wisdom and discernment to recognize his traps and snares and stand strong against his evil plans. I pray that we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as we learn about these great pieces of armor and reminded that with the Lord Jesus Christ, we are guaranteed victory! 

(Note: You'll notice that six of the days have only the verse that the piece of armor is mentioned in as the verse for that day. My hope is that you will write that verse several times and then spend time trying to memorize it!)

FYI: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 
done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.

Vegetable Gratin

I served this recently at a family dinner and it was a HUGE hit! I served it with lasagna but it would go well with just about anything and it super easy to put together. I love that it can be done ahead of time! 

Topping:

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/3-1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley 

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme 

Gratin:

Try to find the three items below similar in size:

• 2 medium zucchini squash 
• 2 medium yellow zucchini 
• 3 to 4 plum or Roma tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, thinly sliced or diced

1/2 medium bell pepper, halved and thinly sliced (I used orange bell pepper)

3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions: 

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with oil; set aside.

Make the topping:

Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix until combined and set aside.

Make the gratin:

• Cut the zucchini, squash, and tomatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds. Place in a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook about 1 minute more.
• Transfer the onion mixture to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Place the zucchini, squash, and tomato slices on the onions, arranging them on their sides and alternating the slices as you go. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the vegetables are tender and the edges and topping are browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Make ahead: I made my advance and refrigerated it, but didn't add the topping on until I was ready to bake it.

February Scripture Writing Plan 2021: Be Bold

 Happy almost February sweet friends! 

The scripture writing plan topic this month is all being BOLD!

I don’t know about you, but I want to live and speak more boldly for Christ to friends and family and strangers God places in my path.  But here is the thing: being bold is SCARY. Often super scary. Why? Because it requires us to be vulnerable, to put ourselves out there and to be firm in our beliefs, regardless of if we have the same beliefs as someone else or not (and especially if not) and to risk rejection and even ridicule.  I think most of the time when we aren’t bold (even when God calls us to be) it’s because we are scared and honestly because we are fearful of being embarrassed.  Sometimes we are fearful because we don’t know exactly how to say what we believe, we worry because we didn’t go to seminary, we don’t have every Bible verse memorized, we don’t know every historical reference in the Bible and we can’t read or speak Greek.  Because being bold is scary, it is usually easier to just keep wishing we were bolder, to admire and envy bold people and to follow them on social media, to read and be inspired by biographies of bold people, watch movies about bold people and do Bible study after Bible study about being fearful than it is to step out and actually BE BOLD. 

I for one am guilty of all of the above. But here is the good news: Not knowing everything or being fearful does NOT disqualify us to share the love of Christ. Thank goodness! Sweet friends, God created us for purpose, not perfection. He is eager to do things in and through us, but we must decide to take the risk to step out and be bold!

Boldness feels and is risky but only when we do it on our own. When the Lord has called us and is leading the way, we can follow Him without fear, knowing that the outcome is always in His capable, mighty hands. God takes ordinary, flawed people like you and me and help us to be bold to fulfill His purpose and calling. Of course, God knew we would struggle with this and because of that there are tons of stories in the Bible of people being bold for Christ as an example for us. These are a few of my favorites: The Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10), Queen Esther (Esther 1-4), John and Peter (Acts 4) David (1 Samuel 17) and Paul (Acts 28). God calls us to be bold. God is pleased with us when we do something different and step out in faith, knowing that He will lead us and walk with us. When God resides in us and works through us, His strength and power sustains us. 

My prayer is that this month as we read and write verses about being bold, we stop being fearful and instead are bold (even in fearful situations) to act despite our sweaty palms and pounding hearts. I pray that we pursue boldness and do whatever it takes to declare the gospel to every single person the Lord calls us to and puts in our path!

FYI: I make all plans 31 days long so that they can be 
done any month-not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in the folder HERE.