5 Ways to Scripturally Combat Negative Emotions

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

The temptations from the enemy have not changed since mankind fell. He whispers through TV, radios, and electronics with headlines, debates, opinions, advertisements, and entertainment that compete for our attention with engraved invitations to participate in the banquet of worldly living.

Words can come from our own minds due to past experiences. Other people may say things that don’t intend harm, but we can take their conversations the wrong way and create assumptions that hurt our hearts.

How do we resist letting these thoughts grab our minds?

Why Do We Fall Into Envy and Jealousy So Easily?

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Why do we fall into envy and jealousy so easily?

Envy or jealousy: that green-eyed monster that can plague us to the point of stress and depression if we allow the talons to grip our thoughts.

Why do we fall into envy or jealousy so easily?

Is there a difference in these two words?

Condemning Thoughts Cause Mental Bondage - Excerpt from New Book Sustaining Life’s Victories

 

Condemning thoughts cause mental bondage - How to sustain life's victories

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Do you struggle with guilt and shame? Do thoughts plague your mind with accusations of past sins or missed opportunities? These attitudes can place us in a soulish prison that we can’t escape on our own. Condemning thoughts cause mental bondage. We need God’s help.

Condemning thoughts can cause us to shy away from talking to God or reading our Bible. I have done this many times. Whenever I would do something wrong, I would wallow in remorse and not feel worthy to approach God’s throne. But this is when we should be running into His arms.

We aren’t worthy to approach His presence in ourselves. But we are worthy to approach Him because of Jesus. Jesus makes us worthy.

5 Remedies for Fear

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

I could say, “Have you ever been afraid?,” but that would be a silly question.

Of course, we have all faced fear at some time in our lives. The news we hear daily from various sources promotes anxiety.

The “what-if’s” can plague our souls. World events and political division can create chaotic thoughts of disaster.

Fear is an enemy to our mental stability and physical health.

Why Are We So Easily Deceived by Temptation?

 

Why are we so easily deceived by temptation?

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Why are we so easily deceived by temptation?

Sin attracts us when we are deceived into thinking something that appeals to our senses is good. The danger lies in not recognizing if a desire is right or wrong.

5 Ways to Control Our Response to Offense

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

An election year is always a prime soup of opinions. Everybody has one. Political arguments, polls, speeches, and spin can stir the pot with a lot of spice, some more fiery than others.

Heated conversation can be found in a host of places from restaurants, stores, and sadly even church.

 Even when we think we are not affected a mood change can be a key we are letting coals of anger or depression grow in our emotions.

How Can We Return America to Godly Values?

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta 

 Last week our nation experienced another close call that could have been a tragedy.

An assassination attempt on our former president, Donald Trump, ended up in victory for him and our country. Although he was hurt his life was spared.

I believe this was divine intervention of protection on him.

We may ask, “How and why did this happen?”

7 Scriptures to Cure a Sleepless Night

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta 

The lights are out. The house is quiet.

Yet sleep evades us.

The mind wanders and finds things we hadn’t even thought about for years or invents possibilities that haven’t happened yet.

There are some physical things we can do that will relax our bodies such as limit screen time, avoid foods that disagree with our stomachs, and stay away from violent movies and TV shows that raise emotional responses.

But the minute the room is dark and the TV is off, even if all these physical requirements are followed, thoughts of disaster still race through the space of our brains like a rocket on a mission to the moon.

3 Ways to Overcome Guilt and Shame

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

 Ever since Adam and Eve took one bite of fruit humans have dealt with guilt and shame.

God warned Adam.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:15-16 NKJV)

Redeemed from Regret and Condemnation

 

“I do not know Him!”

Peter’s words of denial echoed across the High Priest’s courtyard into Jesus’ ears. The one who boldly proclaimed only hours before that he would go to prison or die with Jesus now shriveled with panic before a servant girl.

The compassion in the Savior’s eyes when He turned and looked at Peter shattered this disciple’s wall of defensive fear. Remorse and embarrassment moved him to run away and weep bitter tears.

Strength for All Seasons, A Mom's Devotional

 by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

I need to tell you about another book that was just released. This one, by Julie Lavender, is a devotional for moms of all ages. Moms of toddlers to adult kids will be able to identify with these devotions.

Reading these short stories has resonated with me. Julie has the ability to connect with us on a personal level because as the mother of four children, she knows what our days can be like.

There are 52 devotions, one for each week of the year. They are short enough to read in a few minutes but they pack a punch and can help anyone, whether a mom or not, with the daily challenges we face.

As parents, we can be attacked with the plague of regret over mistakes we make while raising our children. One chapter of Strength for All Seasons focuses on encouraging us to look forward instead of living in regret. We have all been there. We can gain encouragement from biblical characters who made mistakes. God always redeemed those failures for His glory.

Julie tells us, “Instead of dwelling on our past mistakes, God wants us to look ahead at what great things are to come. Paul the former persecutor of new Christians, said, in Philippians 3:13 (NIV), ‘But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.’ God has good things planned for us. Let’s leave regrets in the past where they belong.”

We sometimes look at other moms and dads and think they are perfect, at least more perfect than we are. I experienced this when my boys were growing up. When I homeschooled them, in my mind the other kids fared better than mine and their parents were better teachers. When my sons attended public school, my thoughts played other games with me for different reasons.

God doesn’t want us to compare ourselves to others whether in parenting or other issues of life. We need to look to Christ for our identity and only use Him as the standard for our lives.

We can be successful parents when we look to Christ and live according to His character.

I know you will enjoy reading this book which is available on Amazon. Don’t forget Christmas is coming and this would make a wonderful gift for a mom.

Join the conversation and share your thoughts.

Strength for All Seasons, A Mom’s Devotional (click to tweet)

https://www.amazon.com/Strength-All-Seasons-Devotional-Powerful/dp/0593690230/ref

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay 

3 Ways to Prepare for the End of This Age

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Recent natural disasters bring to mind the signs of the times Jesus talked about. Hurricanes carve paths of destruction across miles of land. Volcanoes erupt and decimate all in their paths. Drought and floods kill people and animals.

Each year the earth suffers violent weather patterns. We prepare as much as possible for power outages, scarcity, and damage because we want to protect property and lives.

But the most important part of our lives to protect is our spiritual condition. With Halloween right around the corner, we are reminded of how evil is glorified in the world today. Images of devils, ghosts, and vampires cover lawns and store windows.

The signs of the times can indicate the return of Christ is near. And even if His second appearance is years away, we don't know when we will be leaving this earth in death. 

Here are 3 ways we can prepare for meeting the Lord.

A Place at His Table

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

@jeanniewaters44

Have you ever thought about how many times God invites us to enjoy communion with Him through the rich offerings He presents?

6 Scriptures to Help Combat Negative Thoughts

 

by Barbara Latta

The temptations from the enemy have not changed since mankind fell. He whispers through TV, radios, and electronics with headlines, debates, opinions, advertisements, and entertainment that compete for our attention with engraved invitations to participate in the banquet of worldly living.

Other times words can come from our own minds due to past experiences. Other people may say things that don’t intend harm but we can take their conversations the wrong way and create assumptions that hurt our hearts.

How do we resist letting these thoughts grab our minds?

What Does Falling From Grace Mean?

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Grace is the Lord’s gift of favor and mercy given to us for salvation because of the sacrifice of Christ. We are given eternal life, the fruit of the spirit, and power over the enemy of our souls because of what Jesus did at the cross. We accept His finished work by faith not by something we do (Ephesians 2:8).

What did Paul mean when he told the Galatians they had fallen from grace?

What To Do When We Feel Our Lives Don't Change

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

After two years away from home, I was anxious to get my hands in the dirt again and plant flowers and vegetables. I was probably overly anxious because I started a little too early while the weather was still cool and my efforts were fruitless. The air was still too cold even for some cool weather crops.

Divine Appointments

 

by Barbara Latta

I inhaled the strong aroma of coffee and looked forward to the filled mug that would provide a taste of one of my favorite brews. I had anticipated a visit to our favorite coffee shop since rising one morning a few days ago. 

My husband, Ken, and I entered the building, a restored historic structure with gorgeous hardwood floors, huge ceiling beams from original wood, and stucco walls with crumbled spaces that exposed the old brick underneath.

When we walked in the door we expected coffee but never anticipated a divine appointment.

How Can Christ be Both the Lion and the Lamb?

 by Barbara Latta

I have enjoyed the recent days of unseasonably warm February weather. In Georgia, we never know what we will see each day. Winter in the south can feel like that season only lasts a few days while some years the cold doesn’t want to end. Lately the wonderful upper 70’s and sunshine has spoiled me thinking spring is really here.

But according the Farmer’s Almanac, our last frost date is around March 30 so I know cold air is still in my future.

All my life I have heard the saying, “If March comes in like a lamb it will go out like a lion.” Wind and storms are in the forecast for the next few days so this must mean March of 2023 will arrive like a roaring lion of unpredictable weather.

This analogy reminds me of how Christ is the Lamb of God and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. How can He be both?

What Does Perfect Love Mean?

 

by Barbara Latta

We see many examples of sacrificial love from unselfish people. Men and women have died defending others. Parents have given up comforts, financial security, and their lives for their children.

But this human devotion still is not the perfect love 1 John 4:18 speaks of. Because no matter how much a person does for another one, that love can’t cast out fear.

Remembering Abraham Lincoln's Words of Thanksgiving

 

by Barbara Latta

Our country just held an election in the middle of much chaos and strife. Whether the results were what you hoped for our not, we need to remember that God is our Savior, not politicians.

If every position were held by a person of godly integrity, we would still need to remember that these are only humans who will always have faults. We should always look to our Sovereign Lord as the one we depend upon.

During the turbulent Civil War years of America, Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation. As you read these words, try to remember what was happening in the land and what this leader faced trying to hold a broken country together. Lincoln’s words of gratitude are still relevant today.