Are you aware of the direction your heart is leading you? Ultimately, the actions we partake in stem from what is in our heart. From there, our actions can become habitual, and then lead us to where we end up in life. Aside from circumstances out of our control, we have the choice to determine what leads us. When you have a foundation that is rooted in Christ, and an understanding of your purpose, you are able to be guided by His Holy Spirit and depart from your flesh. Consistently checking the purity level in your heart makes you aware of whether or not you are being led to glorify God in all that you do.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2

HOW’S YOUR HEART?

Reading through John 15:1-8, the Lord recently showed me the difference between the cutting of a dead branch, and the pruning of a good branch. I learned that when it is time to prune a tree there are the main branches, and off of that little branches will grow out of it. First, God must cut off any main branch that isn’t fruitful. Then with the remaining that are good, He prunes (to prune means to trim any undesired twig or little branch no longer needed). Currently, I’m in this season of cutting and pruning. I found this revelation to be so encouraging, because even though cutting can be hard and feel like surgery, I’ll be left with the good branches that will become more fruitful. I’m so blessed to have a Savior that cares so much that He would even take the time to nurture and tend to me so well. He is the perfect gardener, and anything that must be cut off is only for our benefit and growth.

Having a relationship with God means constantly checking your heart. In all that you do, your goal should be to please Him and with that you may start to feel more convictions that lead you away from who you once were. It can be uncomfortable, but it’s good to embrace the new identity God gives you. Paul says multiple times, that coming to Christ means departing from your old ways and putting on a new life. This means your identity is now set in God; when you have this new identity, you are forgiven and you’ve now been made holy and pure. But remaining holy and pure is a constant. It is a process of sanctification that takes work. Not work based out of religion, but based out love. God loves us so much and gives us everything we don’t deserve. When you receive a love like His, you can’t help but reciprocate it to the best of your ability by choosing to no longer sin.

Though pruning hurts, it’s good for us all. We can have confidence in God that when we put our trust in Him, He leads us to more than we could ever imagine. If you are aware of things you might be doing that are breaking God’s heart I encourage you to pray about it and ask God to give you strength. Anything God asks or requires of us, He gives us the strength to do it, we don’t ever have to operate out of our own ability. If there are sinful things you know you are partaking in, the good news is, He gives you a way out of it. And if you feel like God is leading you to step out of your comfort zone and be bold, guess what, He gives you the strength to do that as well.

I hope this encourages you to think about what’s seated at the throne of your heart. Some questions to gauge how your heart is at are as followed:

1. What atmosphere do you carry when you walk in a room? Are you carrying His peace, His joy, His undeniable presence that shifts the atmosphere of a room?
2. What emotion are you constantly being led by? Fear, doubt, anxiety, frustration? Are you letting those emotions become thoughts, and those thoughts become words?
3. Are you speaking life and encouragement over yourself and others? What’s your prayer life looking like currently, are you seeking God in all things?

Lastly, we are all in this together. We all need community to grow and help each other out. We can encourage one another, we can check each other’s blind spots; and there is nothing greater than being surrounded by other people who love and serve God- who you can pray and worship with. Take inventory of how you’re stewarding your community.

Scripture I Held Onto:

– John 15:1-8
– Proverbs 15
– Romans 12:2
– 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
– Titus 1:16
– 1 Peter 3:1-2

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The Month Of February

February is the month of love and a lot of people often talked about relationships. But this month for me has been a reflection of what was in my own heart. Being single, I love that I’m able to focus on my love for Jesus, my family, and my friends. But it’s been interesting getting to the root of some issues I had been having, which I learned were a heart issue. Transparently, I dealt with a bit of frustration this month. So many miraculous things were happening and prayers were being answered, yet I couldn’t shake the frustration of just wanting to be in a new season of life. To my detriment, it sent me in a short spiral that I’m so grateful didn’t last long.

The Lord reminded me that new seasons are met with new responsibilities, new things to steward, and new warfare I haven’t yet experienced. Soon after that reminder a friend of mine sent me a blurb from a book she’s reading that asked the question, “what disappoints or frustrates you the most? And whatever it is, may be an indication that that is your true hearts passion. This helped me reprioritize what was really important and to check my heart and my motives. I’m grateful for the season I’m in and I should focus on stewarding what has already been given to me. I pray my experience this month would be an encouragement to you reading this, and to take a moment of reflection with God to check your own heart and motives. Be truly led by God and not your emotions!

With love,
Cera ♡

Poem Of The Month

Love’s as Warm as Tears

Love’s as warm as tears,
Love is tears:
Pressure within the brain,
Tension at the throat,
Deluge, weeks of rain,
Haystacks afloat,
Featureless seas between
Hedges, where once was green.

Love’s as fierce as fire,
Love is fire:
All sorts–Infernal heat
Clinkered with greed and pride,
Lyric desire, sharp-sweet,
Laughing, even when denied,
And that empyreal flame
Whence all loves came.

Love’s as fresh as spring,
Love is spring:
Bird-song in the air,
Cool smells in a wood,
Whispering “Dare! Dare!”
To sap, to blood,
Telling “Ease, safety, rest,
Are good; not best.”

Love’s as hard as nails,
Love is nails:
Blunt, thick, hammered through
The medial nerves of One
Who, having made us, knew
The thing He had done,
Seeing (what all that is)
Our cross, and His.

– C.S. Lewis

February Favorites

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