The Love of God

Hey there Friend!

Today we decided to do something a little different. We have decided to share with all of you one of the most important pages of our February edition of our Christ-Centered gratitude journal. February brings Valentines Day, a day we think about love and relationships. What about the relationship we have with our Savior? How do you feel his love in your life. I believe our next journal will be really fun to explore how you feel God's love. Read the following excerpt taken from the journal below:

The Names of Christ

God loves us perfectly, he knows exactly who we are and what we struggle with. He knows how to succor us and how to lift us. He knows what we need before we ask for it and he wants us to seek Him and to trust Him.

Jesus Christ our Savior was sent to this earth by his loving Father as a gift to each of us. Heavenly Father was willing to sacrifice his only begotten son so that we can have a chance of returning back to him. Jesus Christ was willing and he offered to do it out of his love and compassion for all of us. His gift to us is the greatest gift we will ever receive.

Because God loves us he has given us many things. Some of those things include commandments, the ability to make
covenants, families, friends, scriptures, miracles, and so much more. In this journal we will explore different things that help us to see the love of God in our lives and to feel of the tender mercies that he shows to us, especially in our times of need.

For this journal I decided reach out to you to find out how each of you feel the love of God in your life. I surveyed many of you through social media in various ways and asked how you feel God's love in your lives. Asking this question has been really rewarding and fun. I loved hearing how you all feel God's love in your lives. There were many who said that they just can't narrow it down. Others said they don't thank there Heavenly Father enough for all the ways he shows them that he loves them daily. Each of the questions in this journal have been inspired by all of the answers I received.

Creating gratitude journals has had me asking myself why do I keep creating more and more Christ-centered gratitude journals? The answer came pretty quickly, true joy comes from the Savior, Jesus Christ and His gospel. His light is what shines as a beacon of hope to a world where confusion, contention and uncertainty runs rampant. Through Him all things are possible. Through Him peace and joy are capable and available to us.

So why gratitude? Gratitude changes your perspective of life. It can shift your focus from lack to abundance, it can help you wake up each morning thinking about the positive things in your life that come because of the Savior. It can help you remember when everything in life seems bleak there is always something to be grateful for, there is always something worth fighting for.

Sister Susan H. Porter said, “God’s love is not found in the circumstances of our lives but in His presence in our lives.” In Ephesians 5:20 it says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” There are at least 50 references just in the Bible that talk about giving thanks to God. God wants us to thank him in all things because with Him that all things are possible.

If we want to feel God's love more in our lives I believe it starts with us. It starts with seeing the things he has already done for us. Then it takes consistent effort to learn of Him, to listen to His words, and then to act. In D&C 19:23 it says, "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." Sometimes walking means enduring pain, still moving forward when someone we loves passes on, still showing up for the people you love when you're hurting inside, working hard when you feel like giving up, and so many other things. When things feel bleak and the world seem to be too hard to handle having the faith to keep on going will carry us through. God's hands are always stretched forth. All wrong will be made right. God knows best what we need and if we will trust Him and move forward with faith we will find the peace we are searching for.

Blessings,