Spiritual Growth

The Power of Belonging to God

Posted August 18, 2021 | xochitldixon

Suggested Reading: Psalm 100

“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3, ESV

As a teen, I got one pimple on the tip of my nose once a month. Only one. Only once a month.

God had blessed me with a clear complexion, so that one pimple would go away in a few days. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop dreading the arrival of that flaw I was certain everyone would be staring at when talking to me.

Over the years, I learned how to focus on other flaws, other failings, other things that made me feel insecure.

I truly didn’t understand what it meant to feel accepted and acceptable, until I discovered my place in the heart of God.

When I realized I belonged to God, I began to understand and believe that He created me with love, on purpose and with purpose, that I was accepted and acceptable simply because I was His . . . and that He called me good because He made me in His image.

This realization didn’t lead to arrogance. Instead, this truth brought me to my knees in gratitude and taught me how to see others through eyes cleared by God’s grace.

Belonging to God empowered me to love Him, the only perfect One, and to love His imperfect creations ̶ others and myself ̶ with a full appreciation of God’s sovereignty in designing every person, place or thing in His glorious creation.

How did we lose sight of celebrating the creativity of God?

Why did we begin defining normal, determining a standard for beauty, doubting our worth as God’s image-bearers?

As I explored this question, God led me to Psalm 100.

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:1-2

The psalmist invites God’s people to celebrate Him, to worship or serve Him with gladness . . . with contentment.

God is beckoning us to honor and acknowledge Him as we approach Him, draw near to Him, with joy.

This display of closeness hints at an established relationship developed enough to be rooted in trust.

“Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

The psalmist turns our attention away from self to God and His unchanging character and role as our Creator.

By establishing we are created by the one we belong to, the psalmist declares we are acceptable, valuable, and intimately tended to as followers of God.

After affirming the surety of our belonging, the psalmist reminds us of our purpose, our inherited gift of intimate and mutual relationship.

We can rejoice in all circumstances because we have access to the One True God at all times.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4

Hallelujah!

God gives us an open invitation to a victorious life of celebrating Him with gratitude for who He is and always will be, for all He’s done and will do.

Why?

“For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

God is good and His love, His kindness, His steadfastness lasts beyond our personal space, through the lives of those yet to come.

We are acceptable and accepted simply because we belong to God and have value based on His qualifying traits not our own.

Embracing these truths causes sparks to fly as our love for God is ignited.

Hallelujah!

Loving God, please help us love You completely and trust You courageously as we settle into our place as Your beloved children.

Help us accept that we are valued because of Your unchanging goodness as our loving Creator.

Help us see others in the same light of this truth, especially when we struggle with the differences that threaten to divide us as Your precious and purposed family.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In this week’s article for the Representation Matters Series, Dorena Williamson affirms the power of belonging and realizing the extent of our worth as God’s beloved created ones.

She shares a personal story about her sweet little girl who picked up a book that God used to help her see herself as He saw her . . . likeable, acceptable, purposed and perfectly placed in this world He designed with His limitless creativity.

If you’ve ever doubted your value or struggled with insecurities, if you’ve ever faced others who deemed you as less-than, seen others as inferior or felt unseen or inferior, please take a moment to thank God for creating you and loving you . . . for creating and loving those who are different from you.

When we feel like we belong, we will begin to understand that God intended all of us to belong and to be represented in light of His truth and love.

ColorFull, GraceFull, and ThoughtFull are three of Dorena’s first children’s picture books that celebrate diversity through inclusion and positive representation.

In October, Dorena will be releasing The Celebration Place, a story that will “give children a window into the beauty of diversity in our church experiences.”

To check out Dorena’s article, “The Impact of Representation,” and to subscribe to her blog, please click here. To connect with Dorena on Instagram, please click here.

The Representation Matters writers will be sharing a special announcement and hosting a giveaway at the end of this August series, so please stay in touch.

If you have received this article in your email inbox, please DO NOT REPLY. Instead, CLICK HERE to leave a comment below the original article on my website and join our conversation as we seek to be more rooted in God’s Word while growing with God’s people.

I’m looking forward to growing with you, Blog Family!

Seeing My Neighbor (Anniversary Book Giveaway Recipients Announced)

Posted August 11, 2021 | xochitldixon

Suggested Reading: Mark 12:28-34 and Luke 10:25-37

When the pandemic started, someone asked if I thought God was testing the Church.

I smiled. “No,” I said. “I think He’s dispersing the Church.”

During our conversation I explained how God had equipped the Church to fulfill His mission. In the New Testament, the Greek word for Church (ekklesia) means “an assembly,” “to call out,” or “the called ones.”

“Church” was never intended to be defined as a meeting place or time.

The Church is a living organism made up of living organisms ̶ God’s image-bearers, believers in Jesus who are commanded to love God and love people.

Though I didn’t attend a service in-person during the pandemic, God provided plenty of opportunities to assemble with His people online.

He also presented me with opportunities to talk to people in person, as we honored the social distancing boundaries and wore masks as an expression of love toward our neighbors.

As the Lord called me out, I spoke to my neighbors, the people God loves who lived in my neighborhood, the people I’d only waved at in the past . . . sometimes as I rushed to worship Him with other believers at Sunday service.

I slowed down and saw my neighbors as I walked to the park, shopped at the grocery store, smiled with my eyes, and sent air-hugs as we stood six-feet-apart.

I saw my neighbors as they walked or drove by our home.

Seeing my neighbors led to praying for my neighbors, as God taught me to truly love my neighbors as He loved them and me . . . selflessly and sacrificially.

How had I lost sight of my mission as a disciple of Christ who desired to be obedient to His calling?

I found answers by reflecting on the responses of two men, one in Mark 12:28-34 and the other in Luke 10:25-37.

In Mark 10, a teacher of the law approached Jesus and asked which commandment was the “most important” (v. 28).

Without missing a beat, Jesus said:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (vv. 30-31).

This man answered wisely, knowing Jesus had simply affirmed what was written in the Scriptures (what we now know as the Old Testament). The Bible doesn’t tell us what that man did after his conversation with Jesus. I like to think that he went out and fulfilled his calling, to love God and people.

In Luke 10, another man approached Jesus. This expert in the law wanted to “test Jesus” (v. 25).

When he asked what he needed to do to inherit “eternal life” (v. 25), Jesus asked him to interpret the law (v. 26).

Correctly, the man repeated what we have come to know as the Greatest Commandment (v. 27).

Jesus called the man to fulfill his mission: “Do this and you will live” (v. 28).

Sadly, this expert of the law seemed to be looking for a loophole in Jesus’ command. I sense a hint of sarcasm when I read the man’s response in verse 29: “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus gives the man a clear image of how to love God and people when He shares the Parable of the Good Samaritan (vv. 30-35). He then asks the expert in the law to identify which person in the parable reflected the heart of a neighbor toward the injured Samaritan (v. 36).

“The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him’” (v. 37).

“Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (v. 37).

Like this man, we are called out of our comfort zones to go and do likewise. We are called out of our self-centered pits of despair and discontent. We are called out of everything that hinders us from loving God by loving our neighbors selflessly and sacrificially.

God calls us to Him, to be transformed by His unconditional love.

He calls us to love our neighbors by turning away from everything that distracts us from seeing our neighbors, especially those who are different from us, less privileged than us, or carefully shoved out of our field of vision so we can forget about the things that make us feel uncomfortable or don’t personally affect us.

When everyone goes back to Sunday services, I pray we enjoy the fellowship as we grow closer to God and each other.

However, I also pray we remember that the buildings are not “the Church” and the times we assemble together for weekly services are not the main objectives of our mission.

Times of assembling with believers are meant to equip and encourage the Body of Christ to become more spiritually-matured disciples who are ready to be dispersed, so we can fulfill the Greatest Commandment and the Great Commission . . . wherever God leads us in person and online.

Loving God, thank You for empowering us with Your Holy Spirit who enables us to know You and love You.

Please help us see all of our neighbors, especially those who are different from us and those we are more comfortable ignoring.

Empower us to love our neighbors the way You love them, selflessly and sacrificially, unconditionally and compassionately, intentionally and genuinely.

Show us how to love with our words, our actions, and our attitudes in person and online.

Please remind us that You never asked us to change our neighbors, to make them more like us, or to expect them to fit into our vision of acceptable.

Make us more like You, Jesus, so we can reflect Your character as we reach out to others and point them to You so that You can transform them through the power of Your Holy Spirit, as You are transforming us.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As I ask God to help me see my neighbors so I can love my neighbors, I’m excited to be a part of a group of authors who celebrate God’s intentional diversity and inclusivity.

Throughout the month of August, I’m working with Dorina Gilmore-Young, Tina M. Cho, and Dorena Williamson to help others see their misrepresented and under-represented neighbors in the pages of children’s books.

This week, I would like to introduce you to Dorina Gilmore-Young, the author of Cora Cooks Pancit.

When asked about the lack of representation of BIPOC characters in Children’s literature, Dorina writes:

“We have tasted progress, but we have not yet arrived. Representation still matters. As an author, an educator, and a mother of three brave girls, I want to be part of carrying the torch.”

Dorina’s family has teamed up with Dr. Lucretia Berry, founder of Brownicity, to present a membership program called Global Glory Chasers. Each month they highlight a specific country and introduce a list of books, movies, music, and recipes to help families learn about different cultures.

To read Dorina’s article in the Representation Matters Series, “Mosaic Voices: Why Representation Matters in Children’s Literature and Beyond,” click here.

To learn more about Global Glory Chasers, click here.

To follow Dorina on Instagram, please click here.

We have a special announcement to share at the end of August, so I hope you’ll stay connected.

I look forward to growing with you as we seek to love God and our neighbors together!

Congratulations to the recipients of the Anniversary Giveaway!

Michelle Vegara, you will be receiving a signed copy of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

Karen Condit, you will be receiving a signed copy of Different Like Me.

I will email the winners to request mailing information.

Thanks to all of you who took time to read and respond.

Stay tuned! We’ll have another special giveaway SOON!

If you are reading this message via email, please DO NOT REPLY to this email. Instead, CLICK HERE to leave a comment under the original article on my blog. You will have to scroll down to the end of the article to join the conversation.

Thanks for being a part of my blog family!

Taking a Spiritual Inventory

Posted June 15, 2021 | xochitldixon

***

I don’t know when the complaints started seeping into my mind and spewing out of my mouth.

I’d experienced cabin fever during the harsh winters and the too-hot-and-rainy summers in Wisconsin. I’d grown accustomed to the loneliness that comes with living with pain and limited mobility. I’d even managed to thrive during the mandatory isolation during the pandemic.

But when God answered our prayers and brought us back to California, the obstacles we faced triggered an unexpected bout with irritability. My husband caught the bug, too.

Our journey has included more than a few challenges, but the Lord has provided for us in amazing ways since our return.

So why did we allow frustration to spice too many of our conversations? Why did we gripe a-little-too-much about the negative aspects of apartment living?

Last week, The Lord answered those questions with a gentle prick of conviction.

I mentor two beautiful teenagers via Zoom. We meet weekly to pray and study the Bible.

After finishing the book of Matthew, I had planned to lead them through the book of Romans.

God had other plans, better plans, a bit more uncomfortable but absolutely necessary plans.

I challenged the girls to read through the book of Galatians, one chapter a day. I believe in teaching in the trenches, so I also read a chapter each day.

When we get comfortable with reading Scripture, we can be tempted to forget that each word is God-breathed, infallible truth from the heart of our sovereign and good God.

As I read Galatians 5, the Lord reminded me of the heart-transforming power of His Word.

He affirmed my desperation for constant connection and total submission to Him.

He also pointed a spotlight on my sinfulness.

“If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:15, NIV)

I couldn’t deny that I’d succumbed to the “acts of the flesh” (v. 19). Discord, dissensions, and factions (v. 20). Yep. There they were. In my own home. Caused by my own attitude.

Being isolated from people didn’t affect me as much as realizing I’d severed my own connection with God.

Plunging myself back into His loving arms of grace, I repented then asked God and my husband to forgive me. Then, I said a prayer I hadn’t uttered for years.

Lord, please make me more like You.

I needed some fruit, some ripe and fragrant fruit of the Spirit that would make me look more like Jesus.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

So when the neighbors didn’t follow the apartment complex rules, when my husband snapped at me, when something didn’t go as I planned, I had a choice.

Would I react in frustration? Would I lash out in fear? Or, would I respond like Jesus?

If I depended on my will, my strength, my ability, I would never be able to respond like Jesus. So, I needed to reconnect with my Power Source.

The apostle Paul charges us to “walk with the Spirit” so we “will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (v. 16).

But how? How could I walk with the Spirit if I wasn’t connecting with Him constantly?

Reading through Galatians with those two teenagers reminded me to go back to the basics, to return to the foundation of my faith ̶ an intimate relationship with God.

I desperately needed to approach God like a child again, with innocence and willingness to trust, with a longing to please Him, with a reliance on Him to provide everything I needed.

I began praying through the Scriptures each day with a hunger I haven’t felt in a long time.

I invited the Spirit to be my strength, to guide my steps, to change my heart and mind so that He could empower me to walk in alignment with God’s Holy Word.

I’d like to say I immediately checked my attitude at the door, but I would be lying.

I did, however, feel convicted when I allowed sin to seep into my attitude, my words, and my deeds. I did become quicker to apologize when I messed up and acted in the flesh. I started to respond with more compassion and understanding.

The process of transformation takes time and the power of the Holy Spirit.

God affords us all the time and power we need to become all He’s planned for us to be.

We do not have to do things in our own strength.

We can call on God immediately when we’re in need.

We don’t have to complicate our spiritual lives by trying to look more spiritual.

As we lean into God’s loving embrace, we can listen for His heartbeat and know that we are loved, cherished, and purposed for His glory.

We are empowered by the Holy Spirit, who lives in us. So we never have to be disconnected from Him. Never.

As we invite the Holy Spirit into our daily living, breathing prayers and praises throughout the day, we can ask Him to take a spiritual inventory.

To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise!

Spirit of God, thank You for being our Power Source. Please increase our ability to love selflessly. Make our joy contagious. Give us peace that transcends all understanding. Let forbearance and kindness seep into our relationships. Change our character so we can reflect goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as we honor You with our attitudes, our words, and our actions each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

***

Dig Deeper

I am asking the Holy Spirit to increase my self-control so that I will be quicker to listen, slower to react, and wise with the words and attitudes that I allow to impact my relationships.

If you were going to take a spiritual inventory, what fruit would you want the Holy Spirit to cultivate in your life?

***

Do You Really Believe God Loves You Unconditionally?

Posted March 31, 2021 | xochitldixon

What Does God Consider Priceless Worship?

Posted January 29, 2021 | xochitldixon

Suggested Reading – Mark 12:38-44

As the woman’s words nestled into a deep crack in my scarred heart, I had no idea they would cripple my thinking for years.

Your work has no value. Your words are worthless.

When I closed my eyes, those messed-up mantras morphed into the real fear this woman’s cruelty stirred up.

You have no value. You are worthless, insignificant, inferior.

As I wrestled with discouragement, God gently nudged me to move forward in obedience, to keep sharing His truth and love to the ends of the earth.

God reminded me that only He could determine the worth of His creations and all they offered to Him through their faithful service and acts of worship.

Even though I was still writing with a limp caused by the wounding words of a person I barely knew, I started my Facebook Author Page and began sharing God’s truth and love through mini-devotions, prayers, and graphics.

In His loving and humorous way, the Lord encouraged me while I encouraged others who were battling discouragement or debilitating doubt.

No one should have to wonder if the love-offering they are placing into God’s hands is enough . . . if they are enough.

Writers are not the only ones who struggle with insecurities, doubts, and fears that can keep us from serving God courageously, faithfully, confidently, and obediently.

God has gifted His people according to His perfect plan and uses each of us according to His perfect pace.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)

So, if God created us and intended us to do the good works He planned for us in advance, then why would we wonder if what we have to offer Him is good enough?

As I considered this question, I thought of a poor widow in worn clothes walking through a crowd of rich people, adorned with jewels and New Testament name brand outfits.

Scripture says Jesus watched the people “putting their money into the temple treasury” (Mark 12:41, NIV). The widow “came and put in two very small coins, worth only a few cents” (v. 42).

The poor widow didn’t drag her feet, bow her head in shame, or peer over shoulders to compare her offering to anyone else’s gift.

She simply walked into the temple, prepared to give what she had already determined to give, and worshiped the Giver of all good things.

She minded her own business, because she remained focused on her Father’s business, and “put in everything ̶ all she had to live on” (v. 44).

Jesus made sure his disciples realized this poor widow had “put more into the treasury than all the others” (v. 43).

They didn’t have to be great mathematicians to realize God’s math doesn’t work like the numerical system of man.

Jesus didn’t say the offerings of the rich people were worthless, but that their offerings were worth less than the widow’s sacrificial gift.

Why?

Could it be the widow’s humble posture of confidence?

She didn’t care what anyone said about their perceived value of her gift.

She didn’t announce the sacrifice she made.

She didn’t seem to want any attention drawn toward herself, which is in stark contrast to the image of the “teachers of the law” that Jesus shared in Mark 12:38-40.

Jesus said they “like to walk around in flowing robes” and “have the most important seats,” using prayer as an opportunity to show out and show off. Their offerings may have been substantial in amount, but the substance of their hearts lacked compassion and humility (v. 40).

Jesus measures the motives of the givers, not the amount or type of the gifts offered.

Our loving Lord knows the deepest intentions of our hearts, whether we’re worshipping Him with a financial offering or by using the time or talents He’s entrusted to us so we can serve Him.

The person who prays for a hurting friend and the person who pays a hurting friend’s rent are both valuable.

The person who makes people feel loved with a smile and a kind word and the person who passes out meals to the homeless every holiday are both valuable.

The person who helps a neighbor in a practical way and the person who faithfully volunteers overseas or commits to a consistent schedule to impact their community are all valuable.

And yes, the person who shares a hefty sum of money, the person who shares a small sum of money, and the person who cannot contribute financially so they serve in another way to support God’s Kingdom work and help those in need . . . each of these people are valuable.

No gift is too small or too large to give in the name of Jesus and for the glory of Jesus when our focus is fixed on serving God and others.

So, what does God consider priceless worship?

Anything we willingly and cheerfully give to please Him, to show our gratitude for all He’s done and all He is, to express our total devotion to Him, to honor Him, and to shine a light on His sovereign goodness, faithfulness, and love.

In today’s Pause for Prayer video, Heart Lifter Series Episode 1, I share the story that inspired this post and helped free me from debilitating doubt fed by the harsh critics in the world and in my head.

Click here to see how the Lord used my story, “Priceless Worship,” to encourage millions of readers around the world, proving that He can use anything and anyone in ways we never dreamed possible.

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Committing to Truly Loving and Following Jesus

Posted January 19, 2021 | xochitldixon

As I watch the divisions in the United States and within the Church widen, I cry out to the Lord.

My personal problems seem so small as I weep for the Church, asking God to reveal my wickedness, to purify my heart and mind so I can live in alignment with His life-transforming truth and love.

Still, I’m wrestling with God as I witness hate infesting communities and dividing people.

I watch in disbelief as well-known Christian leaders, blinded by idolatry, add checkmarks on evil’s scorecard by condoning, excusing, minimizing, and contributing to the sins that make folks want to run from Jesus instead of to Him.

I don’t want to drive people away from Jesus.

I don’t want to stray from Jesus, either.

So, I began to ask God a simple question:

How can I truly love and follow Jesus?

My search led me back to the basics.

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

Jesus Himself said that loving Him is synonymous to obeying Him (John 14:15). He clearly declares the theme of love with the greatest commandment, too:

“Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

As I studied Scripture, I began to realize that truly loving and following Jesus results in the Spirit-empowered obedience to sacrificially love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Selfless and sacrificial love protects “our neighbors,” all the people God created and loves, more fiercely than we protect our earthly rights, our biased opinions, our political beliefs and affiliations, our traditions, and our need to be right instead of being right with God.

Christ followers cannot love sacrificially or selflessly if we’re content with cowering in the dark corners of our comfort zones, hiding behind apathy, indifference, or approval through silence to avoid conflict or criticism.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus commends the Good Samaritan for having mercy on his fellow man and commands His disciples to “go and do likewise” (v. 37).

Oh, Lord. Forgive me! Change me and make me more like You, merciful Jesus.

How often have I chosen the sin of indifference, refusing to love someone with my words, actions, thoughts, and attitudes?

How often have I chosen the sin of idolatry, placing myself above You and everyone else?

The more I studied the Bible, the more I discovered God’s repeated emphasis on loving our neighbors as a commandment not an option:

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” (James 2:8-9)

When we choose to truly love and follow Jesus, we can begin a wave of healing that ripples through our homes and into our communities, in person and online.

We may not experience physical restoration of a relationship or guarantee an offender’s change of heart when we’re the ones forgiving and choosing to love, but we can rely on God’s just and merciful love to work in and through the most painful circumstances.

Though the road toward change and healing will not be easy or short, our mission as Christ followers is clear.

If we say we love Jesus, we are commanded to love all people as Jesus loves us ̶ selflessly and sacrificially ̶ because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

As we live for Jesus and love like Jesus, we can draw people to the hope we have in Christ and make disciples of all nations by being true examples of disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:16-20).

Love will always prevail because our victorious God Himself is love.

But as I cry out to Jesus today, I’m praying He’ll change my heart and transform my thinking so that I can prevail by living a victorious life in Christ ̶ truly loving and following Jesus, which will be evident in the ways I love others who are different from me, who believe differently than me, and even those who refuse to love me back.

What a glorious day it will be when God uses our loving obedience, our genuine and selfless love for Him and others, to draw others closer to Him, to inspire others to dig deeper into His Word, and to encourage others to delight in His love as they enter into His eternal Kingdom!

Hallelujah!

Lord, thank You for loving us, forgiving us, and empowering us to love and forgive others. As we watch the atrocities unfolding right before our eyes and grieve over the blatant hatred destroying lives, it is ever apparent that we need You, Lord.

Please reveal our wickedness so we can repent, turn away from our sins, and represent You while living as foreigners on this earth.

Help us place offenders in Your hands, so that we can be freed to make a difference in our world by refusing to be indifferent.

As we rest in the surety of Your constant presence, give us all we need to seek peace, celebrate diversity as we stand in unity, and love selflessly, sacrificially, and generously all the days of our lives, starting today.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

***

Who, besides Jesus, loved you into the Kingdom of God?

The Lord used so many people to love me as He prepared my heart to surrender to Him. However, I would like to thank Ms. Virginia, Winona, Barbara P., Cendy, and Miriam for loving me like Jesus before I’d even seen a “real Bible,” and while I was deliberately unloving and unlovable.

Who is God asking you to love into His Kingdom as you share the Gospel with them?

How are you loving Jesus by loving others in the against injustice?

***

As I seek to fall head over heels in love with Jesus more and more each day, I am reading through the Bible in a year with the Our Daily Bread reading schedule. If you would like to join me, please let me know in the comments section or send me a message.

For more biblical encouragement, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Please join me in loving our littlest neighbors by ordering extra copies of Different Like Me to share as gifts today.

I would appreciate your help spreading the word about Different Like Me, too.

One easy way to make a huge impact is by writing a short review on Amazon today. All you have to do is share what you like about the book and if you would recommend the book to other readers.

I look forward to being rooted in God’s Word as we grow closer to God’s people together!

***

Give the Gift of Radical Forgiveness for Christmas

Posted December 24, 2020 | xochitldixon

(Suggested Reading: Luke 23:32-43)

As Christmas approaches and our world continues seeking some sense of normalcy during this pandemic, some people are not social distancing from family because of the virus. Some are grieving over unresolved family conflicts. Some have given up on broken relationships long before the pandemic. And some are licking their wounds and widening divisions over differing opinions on masks, politics, and tension caused by racism and an idolatrous sense of nationalism.

Instead of singing carols about Jesus’ birth, some are crushing hearts with careless words and graphics shared on social media.

Not many of us can escape the crossfire.

The enemy doesn’t have to work hard to divide God’s people when we do most of the legwork work for him.

As I prayerfully prepared to write this Christmas article multiple times, I couldn’t get past the first paragraph. After a few personal attacks I endured over the last year , I’d allowed resentment and bitterness to take root in my heart.

How could I write about celebrating the birth of Christ if I couldn’t obey the Greatest Commandment ̶ to love God and to love my neighbor as I love myself?

The Bible clearly explains God’s command to love our neighbors includes all people who are created in His image no matter what their beliefs, differences, or sins.

When I truly love my neighbors, I’ll treat them as Jesus would treat them.

It’s easy to love the kind neighbors, the neighbors who agree with me, who encourage me, who understand me, who stick up for me, who don’t rub me the wrong way.

But Jesus calls me to love the neighbors who need the most grace, the neighbors who are as depraved and dependent on God’s mercy as I am.

How can I do this if I allow pride and hurt to fester until gaps of resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness feel too wide and too deep to repair?

I cried out to God, trying to justify the list of people I had tucked in the dark corners of my unforgiving heart. “What do You want me to do, Lord?”

Forgive.

But I’m angry.

Forgive.

But I’m tired of forgiving when there seems to be no remorse, no repentance, no willingness to listen to learn or even empathize.

Forgive.

But I’m still hurt.

Forgive.

But I’m afraid to get hurt again.

Forgive.

As I wrestled with God, He reminded me of the countless times He’d extended undeserved mercy toward me and led me to Luke 23:32-43.

While Jesus hung on the cross, He willingly submitted to the nails that pierced His hands and feet. As an atonement for my sins, He paid the insurmountable debt my wickedness earned.

What does this have to do with Christmas?

Our loving Savior intended on offering us radical forgiveness before He left His heavenly throne, put on flesh, and allowed Himself to be wrapped in swaddling cloth and placed in a manger.

During Christ’s earthly ministry, He had countless reasons to hold grudges, to become bitter, to seek revenge, to refuse to forgive . . . especially when He chose to endure the suffering on the cross.

But as He looked on the ones who cheered for His execution‒those who mocked the King of Kings without remorse or repentance‒Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NIV).

The ones Jesus loved, the ones Jesus asked the Father to forgive weren’t remorseful . . . at all.

In Total Forgiveness, R.T. Kendall states that “[asking] the Father to forgive them showed that not only had [Jesus] forgiven them and released them from their guilt, but also that He asked His Father not to punish them or take revenge on them . . .” (p. 3).

Though I’ve read this book over half a dozen times and have read through the Bible yearly since 2005, I still choke up when I consider the words Jesus cried out while hanging, bruised and bloody, on the cross . . . paying the price for my sins.

Am I truly willing to love with such selflessness?

Are you?

When we think of Jesus in the manger, we cannot forget Jesus on the cross.

So this year, would you join me in asking God to help us give the gift of radical forgiveness for Christmas?

No more pleas for payback.

No more daydreams of dishing out a cold bowl of revenge.

No more harboring resentment.

When we ask God to help us release our offenders into His loving and merciful hands, we can trust Him to work in and through their lives as He continues working in and through our lives.

The more we pray blessings over our offenders, the more God helps us see them through His eyes of loving grace . . . and the more peace reigns in our hearts.

When we offer radical forgiveness, we’re not condoning, minimizing, or even forgetting an offense. God is righteous and just. He is full of compassion and understands our need to process, heal, and sometimes close the door on a relationship.

But when we place the offense and the offender into God’s trustworthy hands, we no longer have to carry burdens that don’t belong to us.

We can choose victorious freedom through right relationships with God and others instead of insisting on being right, gloating in someone else’s remorsefulness, or demanding apologies before forgiving.

As imperfect humans in desperate need of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, we will need to forgive others and ask for forgiveness all the days of our lives. We’ll need prayer and encouragement every step of the way.

Radical forgiveness requires an ongoing commitment to surrender to the Holy Spirit but begins with the choice to love Jesus and love others like Jesus loves us.

Will you give the gift of radical forgiveness for Christmas this year?

Lord, thank You for forgiving us and for empowering us to forgive. Please prepare our hearts to receive and submit to Your truth and love. Show us our wickedness and lead us into the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). Help us recognize, confess, repent, and turn away from our sins. Please help us reconcile, even if restoration of a relationship isn’t possible, as we embrace the peace and freedom of living in radical forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I ordered a revised and updated copy of Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall, a book God has used to help me understand what forgiveness is and isn’t, as well as what He says about forgiveness in the Bible.

I’ll be reading Total Forgiveness as I read through the Bible in a year with the Our Daily Bread Ministries reading schedule, which is posted with each day’s devotion starting on January 1, 2021.

Please let me know if you are going to join me in reading Total Forgiveness and/or if you are going to join me in reading through the Bible in 2021, which only take 15 minutes per day (30-45 minutes if you read slow like me).

I look forward to growing with you!

Merry Christmas!

To inhale God’s truth, exhale prayers and praises, and rest in God’s presence, please join me for Pause for Prayer: Thriving through the Wait by subscribing to my new YouTube Channel today.

When We Can’t Seem to Catch a Break from Life’s Hardships

Posted November 26, 2020 | xochitldixon

I didn’t even notice when the complaints started overtaking my thoughts.

Expected stress accompanied our move from Wisconsin back to California, but unexpected disappointments increased my grumbling capacity.

After hunkering down in a hotel for the first three weeks as we searched for a rental, we finally found a new apartment. Third floor. No elevators. Community living definitely required a few adjustments, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The furniture dealer didn’t deliver our recliners on the promised date. My struggles with pain management escalated as I adjusted to working with a new doctor. The perfect Thanksgiving feast I expected with both of our sons ended up being a quiet meal with our youngest son and his fiancé.

As the list of things that went wrong and things that did not go as I expected grew, my negativity nourished my complaining spirit.

I snuggled Callie and pouted as I prayed.

Can we catch a break from the hardships, Lord?

In His loving patience, God gently turned my eyes back to His Word.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

How am I supposed to rejoice or give thanks in these difficult circumstances, Lord?

On the surface, rejoicing felt impossible and giving thanks felt fake.

Until I took a closer look at what the apostle Paul was saying to the church of Thessalonica.

When I read each phrase separately, I missed the point.

I couldn’t rejoice always unless I prayed continually, which would lead to giving thanks in all circumstances.

When I focused on God, not myself or the temporary circumstances that affected me on this side of eternity, I could experience the biblical meaning of joy.

Acknowledging God’s constant presence helped me recognize the ways He was working in and through my life, in and through my relationships, and even in and through my trials and suffering.

My prayers became more focused on God, on His promises and His faithful goodness.

As His truth cleared my vision, I remembered all the Lord had done during my transition.

God had answered my prayers by allowing us to move from Wisconsin back to California.

He provided the funds for us to hunker down in a hotel with excellent customer service and given me plenty of opportunities to share His truth and love with the staff and fellow patrons.

Though many families were displaced by the fires and the pandemic, God led us to a gated community that would be safer for me to walk Callie when I wasn’t feeling well. My service dog learned how to navigate those three flights of stairs quickly.

Our furniture didn’t arrive before the holiday, but the Lord provided two temporary chairs that I could use for video interviews after the pandemic.

My struggles with pain management didn’t improve, but my family and countless prayer warriors continued supporting me.

On Thanksgiving, I video chatted with my amazing niece and nephew (Eliza and Emmett) before enjoying a tasty meal with our youngest son and his fiancé.

As the list of things that went wrong and things that did not go as I expected took back-seat to the blessings God showered over me, my capacity for rejoicing increased.

I stopped pouting and practiced the privilege of interceding for friends who were hurting, which helped me view my complaints with an eternal rather than an internal perspective.

Life isn’t going as any of us expected in 2020. But not one moment surprised God or threw him off His game plan.

Though we may not always feel like smiling or cheering, we can experience joy that supersedes our ever-changing circumstances when we rest in the center of God’s will for us ̶ an unceasing and intimate connection with Him, our unlimited source of strength, peace, hope, and joy.

Counting our blessings as we wait on God may sound trite, but I’ve learned it’s hard to keep grumbling when my heart begins bubbling up with gratitude.

Faithful Father, please help us to recognize and rejoice over every blessing that comes through being intimately connected with You.

***

What is the hardest part about viewing life with an eternal perspective when faced with difficult circumstances?

How has God blessed you in the midst of a tough season or situation?

***

For more biblical encouragement and Scripture-based prayers, check out Pause for Prayer: Thriving through the Wait, a video series on my brand-new YouTube channel. Here is the link to Episode 1: God Holds Us.

Pause for Prayer: Thriving through the Wait Video Series Begins Today

Posted November 21, 2020 | xochitldixon

I’m excited to announce the second season of Pause for Prayer: Thriving through the Wait, which you can find on my new YouTube channel.

I need 100 subscribers before I can receive a custom YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my videos, please help me beat that goal by subscribing to my YouTube channel and encouraging others to do the same. Thanks in advance for your prayers and support. I can do nothing without God or your ongoing encouragement.

From November 21, 2020 to December 21, 2020, I’ll be sharing new videos daily on YouTube that can stand alone or be used as you read the thirty-one chapters of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

During each Pause for Prayer video (5-15 minutes each), we’ll dig deeper into God’s Word, seeking to know Him and trust Him with every moment of the wait.

I’ll be reading selected Bible verses, offering biblical encouragement, and leading a Scripture-based prayer as I explore the challenges, the purposes, and the rewards of waiting.

As we continue trusting God with every moment of our lives, we can walk with confidence in His character, His truth, and His love as we thrive through the wait.

To watch Pause for Prayer: Thriving through the Wait Day 1, November 21, 2020, please click here.

To watch Time to Grow, a message I shared during an Our Daily Bread Ministries chapel time on May 20, 2020, please click here.

***

I have wonderful news to share, too.

Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace was awarded second place in the Selah Awards, hosted by the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and placed as a finalist in the Cascade Awards, hosted by the Oregon Christian Writers Conference.

To God be the glory!

I enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with the sisters who joined me for Flourish: Thriving through the Wait.

I’m thanking God for every person who participated.

Special thanks to my fellow author and speaker Mabel Ninan, who facilitated the chat and organized the giveaways, and my wonderful sister in Christ, Amy, who took Callie for her morning walk so I could reserve my strength.

Congratulations to the recipients of the five exclusive giveaways I offered during the event: Becky Heartsfield, Kathryn Robinson, Tamara Glover, Dora Jean Benson, and Carmen Perez.

Some of you have asked how you can pray for me and how you can support me as I continue sharing God’s truth and love to the ends of the earth.

I’ll need your help spreading the word so I can keep spreading God’s Word.

How can you serve alongside me?

PRAY and praise the Lord with me daily!
Subscribe to my blog (link on my home page) and my YouTube channel.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (links on my home page).
If you enjoy a blog post, a graphic, a social media post, or a video, please share those links on your social media platforms.
When you share a post, tag me so I can give you a shout-out and interact with your family and friends in the comment section.
If you’ve read Waiting for God or Different Like Me, please write a short review on Amazon then share the link to purchase Waiting for God and/or Different Like Me.
If God encouraged you through any of my speaking events or writing workshops, please let me know so I can share your testimony/comments on my speaker page.

I’m looking forward to being rooted in God’s Word as we grow closer to Him and each other over the next few weeks.

Last Day to Register for Flourish: Thriving through the Wait (FREE Live Women’s Zoom Event with Xochitl Dixon)

Posted November 13, 2020 | xochitldixon

Are you feeling tired, frustrated, discouraged, stuck, lonely, or simply longing for a deeper connection with God and other women?

If you answered yes, you are not alone.

Please PRE-REGISTER for Flourish: Thriving through the Wait by Friday, November 13, 2020 at 8 pm (Pacific).

If you pre-register and attend this FREE LIVE WOMEN’S ZOOM EVENT, you will be eligible for a chance to receive one of two signed copies of Waiting for God, or one of two copies of God Hears Her, an Our Daily Bread bestselling compilation.

You will also be eligible for a chance to receive the Mega-Giveaway, which will include: a signed copy of Waiting for God, a copy of God Hears Her, and a signed copy of my first children’s picture book, Different Like Me, with some fun swag.

I look forward to connecting with you after the message.

Father God, please prepare our hearts to hear from You and surrender every aspect of the wait into Your capable and compassionate hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

***

Flourish: Thriving through the Wait

Saturday, November 14, 2020 Agenda

Check-In: 9:45 am to 10 am (Pacific)

Welcome and Message: 10 am – 10:45 am (Pacific)

Fellowship and Giveaways: 10:45 am – 11:30 am (Pacific)

Closing Prayer: 11:30 am (Pacific)

***

If you registered in the month of October or before for Flourish through the FBCVV Women’s Ministry, you do not need to register again.

If you haven’t registered yet, please click HERE and fill out the form.

Registrants will receive the Zoom link and instruction via email and will automatically be entered for a chance to receive one of the exclusive giveaways I’ll be offering during this FREE LIVE Women’s Zoom Event.

***

I will be recording Flourish: Thriving through the Wait for those who are unable to join me for this event. Stay tuned for more details on this blog and on social media. If you haven’t joined my blog family yet, please visit my home page and subscribe today.

***

The Power of Belonging to God

Seeing My Neighbor (Anniversary Book Giveaway Recipients Announced)

Taking a Spiritual Inventory

Do You Really Believe God Loves You Unconditionally?

What Does God Consider Priceless Worship?

Committing to Truly Loving and Following Jesus

Give the Gift of Radical Forgiveness for Christmas

When We Can’t Seem to Catch a Break from Life’s Hardships

Pause for Prayer: Thriving through the Wait Video Series Begins Today

Last Day to Register for Flourish: Thriving through the Wait (FREE Live Women’s Zoom Event with Xochitl Dixon)

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