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Issue No. 2
 
February  2008
How Cherished are You? Let Him Count the Ways   
     Are you a woman who looks forward to Valentine's Day each year...anticipating the special God Pursues book covermoments that your loved one will create for the two of you? If so, how blessed you are. Valentine's Day is certainly your day to praise God for the love of your life! But if there's not a  "special someone" in your life, or if you're just tired of being disappointed from unmet expectations, you're not alone. Granted, romance is not something the average male specializes in. In fact, many men struggle with how to convey their feelings in a way that their wife or girlfriend will understand and appreciate. But what if this year you took the man in your life off the hook? What if this year you focused not on the disappointment that the "Day of Romance" tends to bring, but on the Author of Romance, Himself,  and what He's been trying to show you day in and day out about how cherished you are in His sight.     
     Look at the tender words God says, in His Word, to and about His people:
  •  He calls you unforgettable: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15).
  • He says He has always loved you and always will: "...I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3).
  • He says His love for you is greater than anything you'll  ever find on this earth: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). And then Jesus did just that -- He laid down His life for you...one He calls "friend." 
  • He promises He'll never leave you: "...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5b). 
  • His Word says nothing will be able to separate you from His ever-pursuing love: "... neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39).  

      Those are a few of my favorite verses that I've highlighted in my Bible so I can turn to them over and over, like re-reading portions of a love letter that resonate with my heart. 

       Do you need a love like that?  It's yours for the asking. Do you need to be pursued like that? You are.  Do you know another woman who would like to experience love like that? Share with her the wonderful news that it can be hers, too. And go boldly into Valentine's Day, my friend, because of how loved and cherished you are in the eyes of the Living God!

For more on the many ways God pursues your heart, see my book 'When God Pursues a Woman's Heart' at my website: www.StrengthForTheSoul.com

 
 
 
 7 Ways to Show God You Love Him This Month
 
 
     God goes to the extreme when it comes to showing His love for us.  Sometimes He stops us with breathtaking beauty as a reminder of what He created for us. Other times He provides for us, but we don't recognize it was Him. He may, at times, hold us close to His heart like a Daddy comforting a child, or cheer us on when we need encouragement. So what are some ways we can show God we love Him?

     Jesus said "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15). So if you're living obediently, you are first and foremost showing God that you love Him. But what are some creative things you can do this month to show God that He is first in your heart? 

1.  Find something to thank Him for every day. Throughout the Bible, God commands us to be thankful. He thrives on our thanks. Show Him your heart of gratitude by finding something every day to be grateful for. 
2.  Tell Him three things you will trust Him with this month. As your "spiritual husband" (Isaiah 54:5), God wants you to take everything to Him and trust that He'll provide and come through for you.
3.  Let Him recycle some baggage. Give God something in your life that needs to go (a complaining spirit? a situation you're not happy with? a grudge against another person?) and let Him turn it into something beautiful.
4. Praise Him for something unpleasant in your life. First Thessalonians 5:18 says "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you."  It's easy to praise during the party. But find some pain to praise Him in and you'll touch His heart.
5. Set aside time for just you and Him. I was feeling lonely the other day around lunchtime, so I whispered a prayer: "God, let's do lunch together." Simply acknowledging that He was there and focusing my thoughts on Him became a peaceful  lunch date with God.
6.  Sing to Him -- for no reason at all. Do you remember singing when you first fell in love? Singing lifts our hearts and lightens our load. Sing to Him as a way of saying "I love you."
7.  Do something nice for someone else. And let it remain a secret between just you and God. Jesus said if we love Him, we'll obey His commands. And then He said it was His commandment that we love one another. Love Him by loving others. Sometimes love is shown in even the smallest ways. 

Want your love for God to show to others? See my article "Contagious Love: Passing on Your Passion for God" at my website:  www.StrengthForTheSoul.com.
                   Where's Cindi speaking next?
 
Feb. 15-17: "When God Pursues a Woman's Heart" Retreat, Murrieta Hot Springs, CA
Mar. 1: "Discovering Your Dream" Conference, The Harbor Church, Hastings, MN
Mar. 7-9: First Presbyterian Church Women's Retreat, Ayres Hotel, Laguna Woods, CA
Mar. 15-16: "Refresh, Refuel and Re-energize" Retreat, Brasstown Valley Retreat Center, GA
April 5: Southwest Baptist Conference, Del Mar Marriott, San Diego, CA
May 10: "Discovering Your Dream," Visalia First Assembly, Visalia, CA  
 
To book Cindi for your event, (or for more information on any of these events) contact her at cindi@strengthforthesoul.com
Save 20% Save 20% on the retail price of Cindi McMenamin's books (plus free shipping on orders of 5 or more books) when you order online at www.strengthforthesoul.com.