Relationships can be both wonderful and difficult – sometimes all in the same day. How we love one another can often times be a challenge.
I’m excited about a new journey Steve and I are taking with a City Group from our church led by Mark and Audrey Alman.
We are going through the book titled How We Love by Milan and Kay Yerkovich (published by WaterBrook Press) with five other couples and six single young men and women.
Earlier this year my counselor recommended this book and I’ve been digesting it one bite at a time.
I’m learning and growing.
I see my communication style in a fresh new way. I’ve found help to iron out some of the difficult areas of my relationships.
I like it so much I’ve been giving it as birthday or anniversary gifts to the people in my life.
Friends, siblings, parent-child, co-worker, in-laws, you name it, your relationship can be more effective after learning these strategies.
This book truly has the capacity to change your life.
Over the next eight weeks I’m going to share what God is showing me about my communication and love styles.
Some things were no surprise, but I’ve learned a few new things about myself.
I hope to encourage you to take a look at your styles.
I pray this new knowledge will be put to work to make your life rich with clear communication.
You deserve a life filled with life-giving relationships.
How about joining me on this journey through How We Love?
You can purchase the book by clicking on the Amazon link below. It contains a workbook to help you apply the life changing principles.
These principles will equip you to break free of negative patterns and enhance your relationships.
But even more interesting are all the tips and tools available on Milan and Kay Yerkovich’s website.
Click here to learn more about this amazing ministry. www.HowWeLove.com
I’ll post my thoughts about our first meeting soon.
In the meantime, how about going to the website and taking the test that gives you an idea of your love style. I am anxious to hear about your results.
Here is a link to this test.
http://www.howwelove.com/hwlstylestest/HWLLoveStyleTest.aspx
It doesn’t take long to take it. At the end you can print out a graph showing your love styles.
Come back to my blog next week and I’ll share more about my results.
God Bless your heart as you learn how you love…I hope you’ll join me in this journey.
Gigi Murfitt
September 2011
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:8-9
Do you see the Father when you look at Jesus?
Our Father is the creator of the universe.
Sometimes we see the loving, caring Jesus but we have a difficult time seeing the Father God who reaches down to touch us through Jesus.
Is it perhaps because our own earthly father did not treat us with unconditional love?
Is it because we felt abandoned by our dad and we believe God will abandon us too?
Is it because we never knew our biological father?
Remember Jesus and the Father are ONE.
Jesus only did what the Father told him to do.
All the unconditional love we see in the caring and nurturing Jesus who went to the cross on our behalf is the Father love of God too.
I pray you will see the Father.
SEE is a theme for me this week. Yesterday in my Bible study we talked about how God sees us for who we really are and loves us. He sees our tears and even stores them for us. He sees our potential.
He sees YOU.
I do too. I see you reaching out and grabbing his hand.
God bless your heart.
Gigi
The idea for this blog post came from the September 21st devotional in God Calling by AJ Russell.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:5
Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8
- Even when I’m left fatherless at age seven? Yes, God is good.
- Even when I feel abandoned and misunderstood as a teenager? Yes, God is good.
- Even when my life choices lead to great pain and sorrow? Yes, God is good.
- Even when our son is born with severe congenital birth defects? Yes, God is good.
- Even when my loving, caring mom falls deep into depression and dementia? Yes, God is good
- Even when life transitions are prickly and challenging? Yes, God is STILL good.
God is not evil. Satan is evil.
I trust God.
His mercy and truth are everlasting.
God Bless your heart with trust in our Good God.
Gigi
https://gigimurfitt.com/
The idea for this blog post came from the September 20th devotional in the God Calling book by AJ Russell.
But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:39
Do you believe God supplies your need? Have you asked Him?
Is your want different than your need?
I try to focus on how God supplies the needs of others and it builds my faith.
But it is the never ending supply I’ve seen in my life that has made my faith strong.
Even in the lean times He has been faithful.
Life is hard.
There are things we don’t understand. But I still choose to believe God is good.
It is when I see who He is in my life that my faith comes alive.
There is not one man – but God – who could be these things to me.
For me, I see God as…
The God – Friend
The God – Father
The God – Savior
The God – Healer of my broken heart
The God – Counselor
The God – Supplier of all of my needs (not necessarily all of my wants)
God Bless Your Heart with rich supply
Gigi
https://gigimurfitt.com/
The idea for this blog post came from the June 6 devotional entry in the book God Calling by AJ Russell. I’m posting a few of the older entries I made in my journal this week. It’s always good to go back and see what God was saying weeks, months and years ago. That’s why I encourage you to journal. I can always find a nugget of God’s wisdom somewhere on the pages of my journal as I pour my heart out to God and listen for His response in prayer.
The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
Are you stressed out? Worried sick? Worn out? Just plain tired?
I feel that way during seasons of change. It takes me awhile to adjust.
But then I remember to rest in assurance that God will give me rest when the world wants to hand me turmoil.
With rest comes peace.
With peace comes joy.
My worry for the future is given over to the peace giver.
Then His power flows through me and the peace flows like a river.
The Bible tells me in Isaiah 30:15 that “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.”
Quiet confidence works for me.
How about you?
Today I’m praying that your weary soul will find rest. In Him.
God Bless Your Heart,
Gigi
https://gigimurfitt.com/
I am thankful for the way this book has guided my daily quiet time. It seems to be just right for the season. The idea for this blog post came from my devotional journal titled God Calling by AJ Russell published by Barbour Publishing. This blog post was transferred from my other blot and was originally written 9/15/2010
I was privileged to receive a complimentary advanced reader copy of The Betrayal by Jerry B. Jenkins from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Click on the book cover to view at Amazon.com where you can check inside the book for a sample
I didn’t read book one (The Brotherhood) in the Precinct 11 series, but I don’t feel I missed a beat in picking up on the story line in The Betrayal.
I would have enjoyed learning a little more about what happened to Detective Boone’s wife and child in the first book. I want to know how he met and fell in love with Haeley.
From the beginning I knew there was something not quite right with the way the whole assassination attempt of the key witness in the biggest sting in Chicago history went down. The book title hinted that someone was going to betray the main character.
The plot took a few twists as Jerry B. Jenkins led us on a journey to discover which character leaked the information on where they were going to hide the police department’s key witness. If someone gets to this key witness, the case will be toast.
There were several times when I thought it could be any one of the characters. I was never really sure until the end.
I enjoyed the relationship of Detectives Boone and Jack Keller. They worked well together as they solved this difficult case of figuring out who the betrayer of their trust might be. Trusting the wrong person could prove to be fatal.
Danger, suspense and intrigue kept me turning pages.
If you enjoy suspense, crime investigations and a little romance added in, I think you’ll enjoy reading it too.
I like the fact that Jerry’s comes from a long line of family members who are (or were) police officers. I’m sure the stories his family told him helped bring the authenticity about the police department to the story.
I enjoyed The Betrayal – A Precinct 11 Novel and plan to go back and read The Brotherhood while I wait for Jerry’s next book.
Watch for more book reviews in future blog posts. Please leave your comments below.
Thanks much.
Gigi Murfitt
So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 (The Message)
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!” Mark 9:24 (The Message)
Believing can sometimes be difficult when the circumstances of our lives are far from what we expected.
We want to have faith for something different but the scene is playing unfamiliar and uncomfortable.
So what does God ask of us in this situation?
- To trust.
- To believe anyway.
- To look beyond our circumstance and see His power.
- To believe He is our Helper and our Savior.
- To trust Him as Lord over every single one of our challenges.
Ask Him like the father did in Mark 9:24. “Hey God, I’m having my doubts. Can you please help me in my unbelief? I want to believe but I’m struggling right now.”
He hears your cry for help in your unbelief. His power will help you believe more and more.
Just ask and trust He’s working on it.
Absolute trust.
Can you do it? I think you can and I’m praying for you now.
God bless your heart that cries out to God for strength and power. Just ask Him.
Gigi
https://gigimurfitt.com/
The idea for this blog post came from the devotional book God Calling by AJ Russell published by Barbour Publishing. I highly recommend it as a daily devotional tool to spur you on in the things of God.
Good morning friend!
I hope you feel God’s love for you today. He is a generous giver of love.
I am reposting some of my blogs from the season of my life where I journaled through the God Calling Devotional by AJ Russell.
It was such a sweet season and as I re-read my journal, the message touches my heart again. God’s word is like that! It is alive!
I’ve been busy finishing the manuscript for my son Gabe’s book – My Message is C.L.E.A.R. – Hope and Strength in the Face of Life’s Greatest Adversities – so I haven’t been blogging as much lately.
It has been an amazing journey writing the book with Gabe. I can’t wait for you to read it.
But now I am back at blogging again!
Today I share my thoughts on being a Generous Giver.
Day 252 A Generous Giver
For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. John 6:33
Could you use some of these gifts?
We receive them from the most generous gift-giver of all – Jesus.
They are available to us when we stay grafted to the Vine.
He came that we might live life abundantly.
Staying connected is the key.
Are you living an abundant life filled with joy and peace?
Good for you. That makes me smile.
If not, then tap into the source of abundant life by connecting with Jesus through the Bible, prayer and hanging out with other like-minded people. It’s the best gift ever.
We can’t make ourselves loving and kind. At least not long term. We need to plug into the love of Christ which flows through us and out to those we love.
Plug in my friend. There is an abundant source of life and love waiting to touch your heart. It is real. It is good. It makes life worth living.
God Bless your heart with the generous gift of joy and peace.
Gigi
https://gigimurfitt.com/
The idea for this blog post came from the September 11 entry in God Calling by AJ Russell.
I pray for you every day….let me know of your particular need in the comments below.