The Happy Hammock

4 Essential Values that Children’s Books Teach to its Readers

Children’s books are among the most powerful type of literature. It is powerful in the sense that it touches the hearts and lives of not just kids but also adults. The elements of every children’s novel complement each other forming a picture-perfect whole. They are not only providing kids with entertainment but also lessons that they can apply to the real world as they grow older.

The themes showcased by children’s literature create a different impact to its readers. The books just have a different way of delivering their messages to kids and adults. Thus, the book and reader forms a bond like no other making the latter always crave to turn the pages of the former. With that being said, listed below are among the most common yet important values that children’s literature teaches to its readers. Check it all out!

Love

There are different kinds of love and that is among the things that children’s books teach to kids. Showing your affection to your family, friends, and everyone in the world is never wrong. Some of the great books that promote love are Ralphie the Roach by Ray Sobrino Jr., The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie Jacobs, and more.

Children’s literature has another way of introducing love to their readers. They slowly teach them how delightful to love and to be loved is; but, as the child starts to grow and began being curious, children’s books will start to show them stories that shows loving can be a hard thing to do. A great example of this is the fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen titled The Little Mermaid. The bottom line is that these books for kids are great teachers and advisers of the value of love, making readers learn each complexity of the value one step at a time rather than overwhelming them.

Respect

The word “respect” weighs heavier than it seems. It is just a term that has a very serious and important meaning. With books that teach kids the value of respect, they can definitely grow into better people when the right time comes — well, as long as they instill it deeper in their minds and hearts. You probably have heard about the saying, “respect begets respect” but the interpretation of it depends on the person because every person has different perceptions.

It is great to have something that will teach kids why and how important respect is, because it is really a need when they get older. They will soon come to realize that they have to give value and respect to each and everyone in the planet, not just to the elderly but also to every living and non-living things that reside in the world. Examples of the amazingly written books that feature the value of respect are Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, What if Everybody Did That? By Ellen Javer, Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller, and Let’s Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent and Respect by Jayneen Sanders.

Equality

This value can be easily understood but hard to apply. It is because every person has different mindsets, view points, and environments. In today’s time, it is among the values and societal issues that people are fighting about. There are a lot of campaigns that are happening not just in one country but in all parts of the world. Equality does not only pertain to gender equality but in different aspects of everyone’s lives, such as race, social status, health, and a lot more.

It is already a great fact knowing that children are learning about the value of equality at such a young age. Children’s books about this value will help every kid that feels indifferent or those children that are having a hard time understanding what equality is all about. Among the best books that promotes this particular values are Part of the Rainbow, An ABC of Equality, A is for All the Things You Are, and more.

Courage

With courage, everything is possible. It cannot be denied that people have different levels of bravery as they have different amounts of confidence in themselves. Living in a world where everything is all about taking risks and venturing the unknown can be a little too frightening to handle. That is why literature is there not to scare readers but to teach them to discover all the wonders in the world using their own capabilities, without fear and doubts.

What makes children’s books best for kids is their ability to help children understand that it is okay to take risks, try something new, and go on some adventures. Little by little, kids will slowly realize that they the world is full of beauty that they often under appreciate and that they have that extreme amount of courage in themselves that are only waiting to be let out.

5 Brilliant Authors of Grandpa Stories to Check Out

Can you still remember your moments with your grandpa? What could be your fondest memory of him? Grandfathers are perhaps the best people to spend your childhood with because they will give you the best of both worlds! What is heartbreaking is the thought of having to lose your grandfather. Those that still have their grandpas with them are lucky enough to still enjoy the grandchild and grandpa bond.

But do not feel sad, you can always remember your bond with your grandpa with a smile on your face. There are also a lot of things that will remind you of your good days with him, like food, dates, movies, songs, and books! With that being said, listed below are some of the prominent and brilliant authors of books that revolve around grandfathers, abuelos, grandpas, or whatever you call them.

Todd Parr

Rock Springs, Wyoming is the birthplace of promising author Todd Parr. He was born on July 9, 1962. Parr was raised in Wyoming but transferred to San Francisco later on, and that’s where he continued to chase his dream on being an artist. He was not only a renowned author but also an illustrator and tv producer; but, he served as a flight attendant for a while before becoming a writer. Most of his works are under children’s literature, specifically children’s fiction. The Otto books and ToddWorld are his most popular series but he also has written a lot of stand-alone novels, examples are The Grandpa Book, The Grandma Book, We’re Pregnant, Doggy Kisses, It’s Okay to Make Mistakes, etc. His books won several awards including the National Parenting Publications Award in 2001 for It’s OK to Be Different, Parents’ Choice Award in 2010 for The Earth Book, and more.

Karen Katz

Author-illustrator Karen Katz was born on September 16, 1947 at Newark, New Jersey. She is married to Gary Richards and is a mother of one beautiful child. Her books are under children’s literature and are being read and patronized by kids and even kids at heart because of their greatness. Her first book was published by Henry Holt and Co. in 1997 and was titled Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale, which is inspired by the experience of having to adopt a wonderful child from Central America named Lena. She also published a lot of books that are moving lives of readers even until today. Grandpa and Me: A Lift-the-flap Book (2004), The Colors of Us (1999), Grandma and Me (2002), Can You Say Peace? (2006), Peek-a-Baby (2007), Where Are Baby’s Easter Eggs? (2008), My First Chinese New Year (2005), Mommy Hugs (2005), etc.

Lynda Daniele

Author Lynda Daniele studied in Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York and successfully acquired her Bachelor of Arts in Music. She proceeded to get her postgraduate degree; thus, she went to the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts and took a Master of Public Administration. Daniele served as a public library trustee, educated people in Southwick, Massachusetts about adult literacy, and instructed faith formation in her local church. As of the moment, she is serving the Third Order of St. Dominic as a lay sister. Lynda also takes delight and fun in bonding with people and animals close to her heart, such as her family, friends, and Border terrier Molly. When it comes to her literary career, she has written a book called Grandpa Nick’s Bump. The Grandpa Nick stories on Daniele’s Book were inspired by her late husband named Nick.

T.A. Barron

T.A. Barron is the pen name of Thomas Archibald Barron who was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 26, 1952. He is a renowned novelist and has written books of children’s literature, fantasy, and nature. He grew up in Harvard, Massachusetts but moved to Colorado together with his family; so, from spending some of his childhood in orchards, he began fulfilling his youth on a ranch. Furthermore, he went to Princeton University and became a Trustee, he went to Balliol College, and he also got a Rhodes scholarship resulting to him getting into Oxford University. Barron also attended Harvard University where he took degrees in business and law. T.A. Barron has authored over 30 books that have fallen under children’s literature, nonfiction, and fiction. He became the recipient of The de Grummond Medallion in 2011.

Robert Kimmel Smith

The award-winning American novelist of children’s literature Robert Kimmel Smith was born on July 31, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York. It was his mother who taught him how to read. When he was 8 years old, he was inspired to become a writer after he was stuck on his bed because of rheumatic fever, so he entertained himself with books, shaping up characters, and making conclusions to different tales. Among his famous works are The War with Grandpa, Chocolate Fever, The Squeaky Wheel, Sadie Shapiro, Matchmaker, and more.

4 Reasons Why You Should Give Your Life to God

Every person has different definitions pertaining to God but one thing is for sure, He is the ever-loving and most powerful God. He only asked his disciples to obey Him and all things in this world will forever side with you; however, it doesn’t mean that He didn’t plant some challenges along the way. Those bumps on the road only existed to test you if you would continue walking in your path or you would stray away.

It cannot be helped that the temptations already found a way to crawl in your skin, making you vulnerable and unguarded. Take for example author Gregory Mcleod and his story. After following a path of darkness where addiction and other temptations are present, he finally reached his peak and apologized to God of being a complete sinner. That is when the thought “give your life away” by Gregory Mcleod emerged, for He got an answer from God where the Almighty requested that he should surrender his life to Him.

You see, falling into temptations and other ugly things in the world are as easy as counting 123. But being able to save yourself from drowning deeper into sin is not just a walk in the park because it needs courage and will to surrender everything to Him. Thus, listed below are the 4 reasons why it is significant to give your life to Him, your Creator.

He will cleanse your soul

There is no need to deny that at some point of your life, you have been infiltrated with sin and evil. The more you get on the ride to the darkness, the more you need God in your life. You cannot brush off the fact that your once pure soul has been stained by the temptations in this world and you cannot put the blame to anybody but yourself.

Turning your back from your vices and other things that kept you in the dark for quite some time can be a little too much to handle; because, even if you wouldn’t admit it, detaching yourself from something that has consumed a big part of your life is difficult. But when you already muster up all your courage and found your way back to Him, he will then bestow you what you need the most — which is soul-cleansing. You will thank Him for that. Always.

He will grant you forgiveness

The greatest thing that can happen in a person’s life is being granted with forgiveness. The Lord is a merciful God; therefore, asking for His forgiveness is the only way for you to be taken back under His wing. But do not ever think that He abandoned you for he never forsaken you even though you have forgotten Him for some time because you are too drawn into the evil.

When reality hits you and the need for God grows stronger every single day, you will come up with the only decision that can make your life better — which is to give your life to Him. What you need to do is to come to Him and confess your sins, worries, and regrets. He will never hesitate to forgive you for you are His people who was once lost but now found the way to walk on His path.

He will bring you spiritual awakening

Enlightenment can be frequently taken for granted by everybody, including you. Its common definition is the overall understanding of a particular event. It is usually associated with the movement that happened in the past, which was called as the Age of Enlightenment. But in this context, we are associating it with religion. Hence, enlightenment is the thing that gives those disciples of God a better grasp on His will and power.

The moment you step into the world of temptations, the chance of abandoning your spiritual roots will come into view. It is the common story that every Christians has because the cycle of it is unending. You are baptized, raised, strayed away, spiritually awakened, be one with Christ. So, if you start to question all your wrong decisions and even those that you deemed to be right, He will be by your side slowly making you spiritually awake.

He will walk with you

Walking alone into the unknown evokes fear and uncertainties. The moment you embark into the journey of your lifetime, which is also the time when all the ugly and deception try to hinder you from reaching the end. You have to put all your worries aside and ask His guidance because if you try to trust your guts, knowing that you are prone into temptations, you are most likely to be attracted by the evil.

Whatever lemons the worlds gives you and no matter how far away you have strayed from His will, always remember to come back to Him. He will welcome you with forgiveness and open arms. Also, He will remind you that you are His people and that you will never be forsaken; instead He will walk with you in whatever path that you choose to follow.

4 Things You Can Get From the Church

Regular church attendance continues to decline, so is church membership. According to data from Statista, as of January 17, 2020, 29 percent of Americans never attend church or synagogue, compared to 23 percent of Americans who attend every week. According to a 2019 Gallup Poll study, only 42 percent of millennials attend church – the lowest generational percentage. Even more generation X individuals attend church, at 54 percent, down from 62 percent in 2000 and traditionalists at 68 percent, down from 77 percent. The same Gallup study also revealed 19 percent of Americans do not have a religious preference, up from 8 percent in 2000.

Even though the statistics might make it seem like fewer people are attending church or more people are walking away from Christianity, there are still many Christians who seek the joy and comfort of a church family. They still find church essential to their lives because it is where they live out and share the Gospel and ministry opportunities that enable them to use their spiritual gifts to touch other lives.

But really, what is church? Do we really need it? What can we get from the church?

In The VIP Christian, a book by Ajenifuja, Abraham Joseph for The VIP “New Wealth”, the author defines church as:

God manifests His glory in the church, which is the body of Christ. Followers of Jesus are living stones, the building blocks that have the Spirit of Christ in them. As the Spirit cannot be separated, the body of the Spirit is one body that includes all people all over the world who have confessed Jesus as Lord and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. It is this Body, whether locally as a church that meets regularly or as the invisible global Body of Christ that is the manifestation of the glory of God in Christ.

The church is the lamp of God on earth because the glory of Christ is in her. When the church is being truly faithful to her call to love and accept people so they can be rescued and redeemed through the blood of Jesus, she will manifest the glory of God. The Bible says “Christ in us is the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This means that Jesus, the glory of God in us, will only shine as each follower of Jesus Christ works out their salvation as a faithful witness of Jesus. The church is the visible expression of the eternal glory of Christ in the world, calling all people from all nations, color, culture, language, ages, gender, and socioeconomic status into the beauty of His eternal glory in Jesus and asking people to “turn from godless living and sinful pleasures . . . and live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God” (Titus 2:11–14).

As Christians, we all need a place to meet with fellow believers who will help us grow spiritually, and what better place would that be than the church. We should value the need for church, which is dedicated to our spiritual and moral growth.

What can we receive from the church? Here are four things:

Teaching of God’s Word: While it is possible and important to grow in knowledge of the scriptures from individual study and reflection, we need to come into fellowship with others to study God’s Word and receive encouragement, as well as encourage others, to live life in turn with His Word. The need for fellowship with others to study and receive God’s Word cannot be better emphasized in Acts 2:42, “… they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Friendship: “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” Proverbs 27:17. Our faith is shaped not only by our own knowledge of scriptures but also our relationships with fellow believers. Our friendship with fellow believers will help us grow in Him and understand what His Word really means with others.

Accountability: Through the church, we are rooted in our accountability to God. The church itself is a community of believers and part of the larger society. Depending on our relationship with and/or standing in the church, we get help in identifying moral issues. From the church, we seek counsel and intercession to avoid sin before it consumes or ruins our lives. We share our lives with the church to keep ourselves rooted in God and far from sin.

Encouragement: Why we need the church? Because the scriptures say, “… let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near” Hebrews 10:25.It is through our relationship with fellow believers in the church that we receive encouragement and support of others to abide by God’s Word, as well as the calling and opportunity to fulfill His Commission.

Whether you regularly attend church or struggle to attend (maybe because you feel disconnected or isolated because of certain churchgoers’ perceptions), know that your spiritual life will become richer as you worship God and study His Word alongside others. If you are an active churchgoer, step up your game and get involved in ministry or mission. If you have been out of church for a long time, you could be simply looking for a new church to call home. Why not visit a few churches and ask God to show you home?

7 Things About Famine in Ethiopia that You Should Know

The Horn of Africa remains to be a part of the planet enduring food shortages as a consequence of famine and war. Ethiopia, a central part of the region and its challenges, has more than 7.8 million citizens living in food poverty. This is due to the combined impact of declining food productivity over the years and long-standing ethnic tensions that have worsened quality of life. This situation is especially harmful to the community that is dependent on agriculture farming. Byron Conner’s book “The Face of Hunger” documents the issue in explicit detail.

Countless rural farmers and their families are suffering from hunger. Low rainfall over the last two years has contributed to catastrophic harvests. And now, when rain has resumed in certain places, the effects of the lack of rain are continuing to be a problem. Small harvests indicate that many low-income households do not have enough food and are unable to consume healthy food on a daily basis. Furthermore, households are not in a position to afford simple commodities since there is no revenue from the selling of crops.

Economic troubles, famine, and severe weather are undermining years of progress to the point that roughly 237 million sub-Saharan Africans are now critically underfed, more than any other area. In Africa, as a whole, 257 million people are suffering from starvation, which is 20 % of the population. Subsequent drought conditions and bad harvests in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Angola are starting to take its toll on farm growth and food prices are increasing. During the last three rising seasons, areas of Southern Africa have recorded the lowest precipitation since 1981.

In this article, we’ll highlight 10 of important things you should know about the famine in Ethiopia.

Children are affected the most

Kids are among the most severely affected during famine. The shortage of nutrients stops them from progressing physically and psychologically. If children are incapable of getting nutrition which they need to grow, they are much more likely to contract diseases.

Upwards of 2 million kids were afflicted by the drought with 303,000 infants under 5 years of age having been reported as chronically undernourished, and 36,750 individuals have suffered from Acute Watery Diarrhea, a waterborne illness that may be fatal.

Irregular weather and calamity have exacerbated the issue

The repeated disruption of rainy seasons has rendered it difficult for most African farmers and herders to sustain their livelihood. Typhoons and floods have also doubled the need for health assistance in Eastern and Southern Africa, particularly in Ethiopia.

While the international number of individuals suffering from malnutrition has declined by 31 per cent since the year 2000, the health and nutrition crisis in sub-Saharan Africa has intensified in the last three years due to these irregular conditions.

It’s generational, and the cycle continues

Recurrent drought, war and turmoil also contributed to serious food shortages. cMost areas have been dealing with chronic poverty for decades, and there is a lack of governmental control and community service programs to aid the poor communities.

The accelerated period of prolonged drought is plunging the same populations into famine again until they have the opportunity to rebound enough from the previous one.

Not all food crises are famines

The term famine pertains to an acute shortage of food. But it’s not only that — it really means the worst possible situation for a food crisis, so it has a specific description utilized by the health sector.

Bear in mind that not all food shortages are considered famines. A food crisis evolves into a famine when there is very little food in the area that it results in wide-spread starvation, malnourishment, and fatality.

Weather is usually a main culprit

The overall pattern in food scarcity rises is largely attributed to environmental factors. Low rainfall over the past few years has contributed to poor harvests. And at moments where there is rain in certain places, the effects of the lack of rain are proving to be a protracted problem.

Widespread poverty further fuels the problem

The extreme consequences of famine and drought arising from extended periods of food shortages, particularly in rural areas, are directly linked to high rates of unemployment, where more than half of the population survive on less than $1 a day. Moreover, considering that 80 % of the population reside in rural areas where fertility levels are large and smallholder agriculture is the foundation of the economy, the shifts in weather patterns have a significant effect on growth and the community in these areas is unable to deal with the change.

Efforts are in place

Given the severe food insecurity problems, Ethiopia is making an attempt to eradicate starvation by addressing the low productivity of smallholder farmers via measures that allow large expenditures in agricultural research and development, particularly in terms of making improved crop varieties and breeds accessible along with improved agricultural practices. In addition, attempts have been made to provide timely exposure to high-quality supplies, such as reliable fertilizers.

Africa has undergone drastic improvement as a consequence of its fast-growing markets and increased food growth, which has halved the amount of malnourished citizens on the continent. Therefore, given the challenges that Ethiopia has encountered in the past in achieving food needs, reaching the Sustainable Development Goal, which implies eliminating all aspects of hunger and poverty by 2030, is not an unreachable target.

However, it would take a lot of effort for smallholder farmers to deal with shifts in environment, such as famine and floods, as well as support from government and non-governmental organizations to push for a long-term solution.

Crying for Help? 3 Reasons to Ask Help from God

Have you ever asked help from God?

It is so said in the book Sitting on Jesus’s Lap: Life on Earth by Troy Louis, “Help is a word that is being used more and more, without any accountability or action. Maybe a hundred years ago, people were reluctant to ask for help, while now the outcries for help are much greater.

“What is going on in today’s society that’s causing this cry for help to be used often? Is it just a common word that people use so freely? Or is it because we have an extremely high out cry for help from all the problems we have on earth? Is anyone listening? Does anyone care? Is it doing me any justice? Or is the cry for help being taken in vain?”

How do you feel about asking help, especially from God? When things are not going right for you in life, do you ask help from God? Why or why not?

In life, we want to be masters of our own destiny and our every situation. Many of us hate to ask others for help because we cling to the “I can do it on my own” mentality. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want to be turned down or feel like a burden to others. Or probably it’s because we want to control everything – and we believe we can control just anything.

However, we often realize not all of life is under our control, such as a job loss, a child’s illness, a downturn in the stock market, conflict among family members, or a pandemic, all of which are unfortunate and unforeseen events that make our emotions cry out in despair, “God, help me!”

Or… do we?

We all need help at some point in our lives. Yes, asking help is hard but we can’t always choose to grin and bear it and pretend everything is fine. You can’t go sulk in your room, cut yourself off from family and friends, throw yourself a pity party, and then fall apart emotionally.

Why would you suffer silently? Why do you think your problem is too insignificant for God to care about?

It’s never a sign of weakness to ask God for help, rather it’s a sign of trusting God, He who will come to our aid, He whom we believe will answer when we call Him for help. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

So, why should we ask for God’s help?

With God, we are never alone in our troubles

Our prayers for help are too overwhelming to speak, especially when our emotions overflow. There are times that pain is too much for us to handle. Nevertheless, amid the groaning and tears, God understands us — and we are never alone. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17).

Whatever your need is, pray to God and be joyful that He will help you go through your problems. Humbly acknowledge your total dependence on Him. God hears you and He will help. “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me” (Psalm 57:2).

God loves us

Isn’t it a good feeling to know that God loves us? Because He is our Father. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13).

As our Father, God loves us. He loves us and wants to help us through our challenges. His love is constant and beyond words for His children, ever wanting to help even more than a loving earthly father desires to help his children. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:11-13).

Knowing that God loves you, will you still hide your need from Him?

God created us with a need for help

As mentioned earlier, it’s never a sign of weakness to ask God for help, especially when He created us with a need for help from another person — or Him. Do you remember why God created Eve for Adam? “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).

Therefore, asking help from others, particularly God, isn’t admitting failure but recognizing the way He created us, that we are to receive help and provision from others and not become wholly self-sufficient.

Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the midst of uncertainty, we should believe in the good news, that with trust in God, we are never helpless. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Don’t be ashamed to ask help from God today. Have faith He will answer in His perfect timing.

7 Keys to Maintaining Sexual Purity

Do you honor God with your body?

Perhaps the greatest temptation that is known to humankind has been around since biblical times: lust… the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:14-15)

Every Christian who claims to have read the Bible should be familiar with the story of young and handsome Joseph in the Book of Genesis 39:1-20. Potiphar’s wife persistently attempted to seduce Joseph. Understanding the consequences to his soul, he refused and fled out. He was falsely accused of rape and thus imprisoned, but God took care of him and rewarded him for his faithfulness and righteousness. In Joseph, we find a great model of sexual purity.

Compared that to King David, who did not fare well in his battle with lust, as told in 2 Samuel 11, when he saw Bathsheba, the beautiful wife of Uriah the Hittite, bathing on a nearby roof. He allowed his sin of lust to turn into an active pursuit – the sin of adultery. This sin then led to another sin, which is the sin of murder. To cover up his sin of adultery, David had Uriah killed in battle. Thus, David did not only become an adulterer but also a murderer. Even though forgiven by God, he paid a horrible price for his sin.

In an X-rated world where sex has been cheapened and evil things (such as pornography, sex gadgets, group sex, prostitution, same-sex relationships, and others as mentioned by author Marilyn Taplin in her book A Law From Eden), pervade society, what can you do to keep yourself pure in body and mind?

Keep God’s law, most especially the Seventh Commandment (“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14). The Bible warns us against lust, even in our desires. Christ says in Matthew 5:28, “… I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Anyone who gives into their lust will suffer the prescribed punishment, as told in Leviticus 20:10: death. Pray that God gives you the strength to resist temptations and keep His law in your heart.

Make a covenant with your body. Know that your body – all your parts from top to bottom – is the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He created it good and precious from the start, just as He did with sex. Did lust just creep into your body? Recommit your body to God (Romans 12:1-2) and strive to honor Him by saving physical intimacy for your future spouse. You can start today by dressing modestly, avoid obscene entertainment, and rejecting all forms of sexual deviation.

Avoid temptation. You should keep away from people, places, and situations that can stimulate impure thoughts. Run from sexual impurity (Colossians 3:5, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 2 Timothy 2:22). Eliminate the source of lust or anything that causes you to lust so you may avoid eternal damnation. Be ready to part with anything that causes you to sin (Matthew 5:29-30). Exercise self-restraint and control by bringing your body, mind, and emotions under God’s control.

Respect the opposite sex. Treat the opposite sex with dignity, honor, and godliness (Ephesians 5:25-28). May your needs for sexual intimacy be met by your spouse alone. Whether you’re single or married, never look lustfully at another man or woman or a fellow man or woman. Above all, resist any sexual advances from another man or woman or a fellow man or woman.

Foster healthy and positive relationships. Are you married? Strive to make your relationship with your spouse the best it can be. Pursue fun, healthy activities that could help strengthen the marriage. Are you single? Then seek opportunities to be around others in a wholesome, non-sexual environment.

Save sex for marriage. Sex is a marvelous gift from God and it is to be honored only through marriage (Hebrews 13:4). God created sex as good and holy, and it is good and holy when enjoyed as God intended. Maintaining sexual purity is about honoring God and becoming pure in body, mind, and soul. Waiting until marriage is necessary for your commitment to God and, of course, a great marriage.

Love God more and more. The most important thing you can do to maintain sexual purity is to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind (Deuteronomy 6: 5, Luke 10: 27). How? You can start by reading the Bible, meditating, and praying everyday. Read, study, and meditate on passages that deal with the subject of sexual purity. Strive to live a life free of lust.

Maintain your sexual purity so you may be able to serve God as the consuming priority of your life.

4 Tips for Living and Growing in God’s Presence

Throughout Christian literature, there is no other topic that is more strongly advocated or relied on as more essential than the nature of recollection or of living in the presence of Christ. Its key purpose is not uncertain. What is essential is, how do we evolve or flourish in the loving presence of Christ in this existence?

Like everything else in the Christian experience, it’s simply thought and practice. When reading books about it or doing research, we will not instantly become spiritual. Because the Lord is Spirit and since we are spiritual beings primarily since we have a consciousness and a will, whatever this custom of existing in the presence of God entails, it may also imply being joined with Him by the two arms of our soul which are the will and the mind. On a side note, Raymond Quattlebaum’s The Color of Love is a book of poetry and romance, in which the landscape of life by Quattlebaum is described. In it, the author talks of life in the presence of God.

Why is that sometimes, even when we think we’re doing everything wright, we at times don’t feel the love of Christ more than we should? He is there, after all, and always is with us. How do the distractions from daily existence mask out the voice of God? How do we build a life in the glorious presence of God? In this article we’ll discuss 6 spiritual tips for flourishing in God’s presence.

Train yourself to understand the world through a continually God-conscious perspective

As we look through the prism of the reality of God, expressed specifically through His Word, it all comes into clearer, better focus. Then, we can see that all is interconnected and intertwining — that the universe is not divided between the spiritual and the secular, but there is a single life, and God is the Lord of it all. He’s as evident on Monday morning as we travel to work as He is in a prayer meeting on Sunday morning. Jesus understands, and is ever-wise in knowledge of history, the present, and future; as we individually prepare ourselves to see just that He does, we should follow the things that He desires and try to thrive before Him as our predominant observer. In our lives we should have a whole new vision, as God always enriches this physical existence of ours. To do this, we must:

Observe quiet time, recollection, meditation, and ample self-bible study

Christians are usually urged to invest more time in meditation and studying the Bible alone each day. It’s a positive idea- Jesus himself promoted this. However, often times people see this period as sufficient with God, and as something that’s detached from the rest of their daily life; they essentially end up leaving God on their nightstand and disregard Him throughout the whole day. Living this kind of life is much different from genuinely walking in the Spirit, dwelling in Christ, persevering, praying and rejoicing the way the Scripture entails.

Our entire Christian lives must be conducted in God’s love and strength, not only for a few minutes, or even just an hour at the start of your day. It’s as if we decide to grab a little piece of divine nutrition and pray it will help us sometimes; instead we ask why we’re so tired and incapable of living when God calls us. In order to fully experience the fruitful existence in which Jesus welcomed us, we must always be more mindful of Nature, in every situation and interaction, even as he was. We need the normal, concentrated quiet time, but we must still carry our knowledge of and devotion to Christ into our more frequent “occupied moments.”

Take time to really think deeply and reflect on the Lord and His presence.

If we want to nurture residing in God’s presence, we need to set our perceptions to think about Him. We need to put Him before our eyes. We have to look to Him with the strength of our faith-enlightened spiritual contemplation. First, we have to perceive the Lord with that faculty whose main purpose is to see God. Either we must consider Him with the peculiar force we possess, or we must acknowledge others that we’d like to talk of.

Obviously, it takes some work, particularly to avoid worrying less about other things than Christ. Yet we will take the chance to make sense of or, if possible, build circumstances that then are occasions to be “thought-complete” with Christ, where our hearts are complete with Christ. What we have to be persuaded of is that we have the ability to transform our minds to anything we desire.

God must be in our wills

We must function thoroughly in the love of Christ. Obviously, merely talking about God is not even functioning in the love of God in the manner we feel we need to be doing as Christians. And God must be in our will, particularly. Here we have the solution of Christ himself to foster this Influence of God. Along with other matters, at the Last Meal, He said, “If anyone loves me, he must hold my promise,” meaning that we must follow His will, “and my Father will embrace him, and we will go with him and build our home with him”

Within this quotation from the homily of Christ at the Last Supper is the best way to live with our wills in God’s presence, with the guaranteed promise of His receptive abode in our souls. It simply and unequivocally indicates that we must always say respond to the will of God in our lives, as much as possible.

What should we do when we feel exhausted and there’s still work to be doing or ends that need to be met? We obviously ought to do something. When we’re nervous and unsure about the ultimate result (we might just have unsuccessfully attempted it in the past) but we’re sure it’s the will of God, so we’re doing it. More often than not, we cannot comprehend whether this has occurred to us or to those we hold dear to us, however we must say: ‘Thy will be done.’ Each time we join in faith, to commit ourselves to The Lord’s will, when the ‘yes’ can be quite reluctant; or if we work out the will of God by doing so, we reside in His embrace, in the most powerful of all presences: the unity of love, where both the giver and the receiver are present. In this instance, what’s ours is His and what’s His is ours.

4 Interesting Facts About the Book of Revelation

Nothing truly compares to the complexity of the Book of Revelation. Most people seem to ignore this essential part of the bible thinking that it’s too complicated, or because it’s scary. Although Revelation can be challenging to comprehend and can produce more uncertainties than answers, avoiding this book is to skip the most strong and significant discovery of all: Christ Himself. A thought provoking and eye-opening perspective towards the end of days can be found in Apocalypse Here and Now: Are You Ready?, a book by Betsy Fritcha on Voice of God and other aspects of the Revelation.

The prophetic Book of Revelation, full of intricate symbols and dramatic descriptions of aggression, describes the vision of God for the Second Coming of Christ and the judgment of Lucifer in the lake of fire.

When we check biblical dates, we learn that Adam existed about 4,000 B.C. The seventh generation of Adam would have Enoch existing somewhere around 3,300 B.C. It was before the flood, yet according to Jude, Enoch has also prophesied about the end of days — over 5,300 years prior.

Despite being a significant part of the Bible, The Book of Revelation is still a mystery to many believers throughout the world. In this article, we’ll shed some light on 5 interesting aspects of this particular book that you may not have known before.

Both testaments of the bible, Old and New, talk of the end of days- not just The Book of Revelation

Some members of the Catholic Church presumed that the Old Testament is irrelevant as of 2019. They think the Old Covenant is of no repercussion, since we are under currently the New Covenant. Yet in Matthew 5, this argument is invalidated by Christ. Enoch lived for Christ for three hundred and sixty-five years, and Hebrews 11:5 states that, “He was not caught, for Christ had given him away …” He disappeared in a moment. Fast forward to 852 B.C., where Elijah foretold during the rule of King Ahab of Israel, how are these two prophets alike aside from their trust in Christ?

The word “Rapture” is not mentioned in the original scripture

Throughout English interpretations, what certain people refer to as rapture is a particular interpretation of the word “captured / captured” throughout I Thess. 4:17. The English term ‘rapture’ comes from the first person plural passive of the Latin term ‘rapio/rapere’ (drag back, grab, capture, take off) and is ‘Rapiemur’ in the Latin version of the Vulgate. [The English word ‘rape’ also comes from rapio/rapere, so one could assume that even ‘rapiemur’ is not equivalent to ‘rapture’]. This Latin expression, as was included in the Latin version of Vulgate in I Thess. 4:17, is also derived from the Greek phrase “arpagēsometha,” the second future passive term for “harpazo,” as implies to catch / seize / carry away / snatch / get, or ‘steal’.

The Romans utilized Patmos, situated off the coast of Asia Minor (current day Turkey), as a prison colony.

The isle of Patmos has been honored for about 2,000 years as the location where Saint John, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, penned the Holy Book of Revelation. The spiritual vision of St. John was reflected in the Book of Revelation, sometimes called the Apocalypse, the last of the 27 biblical books in the New Testament.

There have been numerous biblical dreams of him, which are claimed to have been an allegorical representation of the many repressions and horrors suffered by the early Christian Church and the promise of the final victory of the Church of Christ and its saints. At the start of his narrative, St John confirms the omnipotence and omnipresence of God in the popular verse: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” said the Lord King, “who is and who was and who is to be, the Almighty.” [Version 1: 8] Version 1: 8]

The Rapture could happen at any time

Here one moment, then you’re gone. No indication beforehand. The church disappears as well. The dead in Christ shall rise immediately, and any who are living who have been purified in the blood shall be swept up along with them to follow the Lord into the sky. Pause to reflect of this event — whatever you do, because you adhere to God, you’re going to be gone in a fraction of a second. Collected together made whole and raptured to follow the Lord in the air. “And so, we shall still be with the Lord.” Think about the fall-out and the ensuing turmoil that the rapture brings to Earth.

We’re not provided the date and exact moment as to when God’s going to rapture the world, but we’re told that it’s going to come like a thief in the dark. No one else except God decides the moment. We’re going to be ready, anticipating it, and listening for the roar and the trumpet.

Maintaining Balance: The Role of God in Your Life

There may be or may have been times that you noticed an imbalance in your life while there are also moments that you feel that there is something missing. Although there are many underlying reasons pertaining to the hollow that you are feeling, it is already certain that one of the factors of it is God. Circumstances that shake your faith down to your core are unavoidable, resulting to the dismantling of your belief in God little by little.

The imbalance in your life can create a growing impact. You will not notice it at first for it is only in the size of a pizza slice but the more you disregard it, the more it will consume the whole box. The extremity of this disparity will make you long for a solution or a cure. Some may aid the disproportion in their life by reading a couple of Christian books — such as Are you Hungry for God? by Marianna Albritton, In the Shadow of God’s Love by Leelia Cornell, and Apocalypse Here and Now! Are You Ready? By Betsy Fritcha, to find slowly earn back the missing pieces. However, the chances of filling up the void are still at lower rate.

To maintain the harmony and balance in your life, you should know how crucial God’s role to it. Life is a mixture of good and evil but with God on the center of it all, no evil can surpass the amount of good. For better understanding, here are some Bible verses that will inform you on how vital God’s role to your life is:

John 14:6 – “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The verse above means that He is everything. The more you resist believing this fact that His truth is essential to life, the bigger piece in your life will fall to the pit of darkness. You will not find the cure that you are looking for if you will not submit all things to Him and accept that His truth is your truth and He is the most powerful God. Once you start believing or putting back your faith in Him, which is the only time that you will realize that He is the cure that you need and His ways are definitely the right ones.

Isiah 45:7 – “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.”

The Lord is great and powerful. There is nothing that he cannot do for He is the creator of all things. Since the world is already made up of good and evil, please know that there is no being that is better than Him. It is clearly said in this verse that God can bring you both peace and calamity. It is all in His will. Thus, if you are currently experiencing a lot of storms, then it is because He is testing you. The darkness and calamities will soon pass and will be replaced by calmness and tranquility; hence, everything is still in harmony.

John 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

It simply says that without Him we are nothing. We are directly connected to God. The more we believe in His ways and follow His will, the bigger the tendency that you can continue living peacefully and productively. You will be the offspring of His greatness and mercy, and with that you will be drawn away from temptations and evils. That is why it is important that you put your faith to Him because He will always be the most powerful and almighty. He will keep you safe and make your life harmonious as you want it to be. Hence, abide in Him and He will bless you with anything that your hear desires.

Matthew 6:33-34 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

There is nothing to worry about when you have faith in the Father Almighty. The bad things that are pushing you to the edge will soon vanish when you seek His kingdom and His ways. You will never have to suffer from the fear of being infiltrated by evil or being drawn to temptation, as long as you turn your back from the ugly and return to Him. Your worries and anxieties on what’s about to come will not again consume you because He will constantly remind you that you already did enough for today and tomorrow should not be worried about. The most important thing is that you continue seeking Him.