Spring Cleaning for the Heart

5 Ways to Strengthen Your Devotions & Spoil-Someone-Special Recipes

Spring is in full swing and summer is just around the corner -

let’s celebrate with my “SPOIL SOMEONE SPECIAL” Recipes!

They would be perfect for Mother’s Day, a Girlfriend’s Luncheon

or a Spring Gathering, and each recipe can be made ahead of time.

In “A Home to Keep,” you will find three of my “Spoil Someone Special” recipes right out of my Heart & Keeper Recipe Box:

Spring Snack Mix

Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole

Murphin Ridge Inn Quiche

Spring Snack Mix

The quiche recipe is one my husband and I have enjoyed from a lovely Bed & Breakfast we have stayed at in Ohio time and time again.

I have also included my “Welcome Home to Cozy” recipe for Baked Chicken with Bacon Bottom & Wild Rice from Joanna Gaines’ cookbook, Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering. It is perfect for a cozy dinner at home or for someone who needs comfort this week:

• Perhaps someone who has had a job loss, a meal can be a huge encouragement.

• A follow up appointment, long days at doctor appointments can be exhausting.

• The anniversary of a death, the date of a loss is often very significant for those affected.

Of course, we don’t need a reason to reach out at all, but I will remind you of these coming opportunities:

May 15th - Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

May 17th - Pizza Party Day!

June 7th - National Donut Day!

Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Pexels

Spring cleaning, it's that once a year deep cleaning tradition that's usually long overdue and neglected but when done we are so happy with the results. Our homes smell lovely and clean, everything is in its place and things run more efficiently, it's like a fresh new start.  Well our hearts require some deep cleaning and purging just like our homes do.      

Are your windows dingy with distress?  Are your cupboards cluttered with comparison or your bookshelves dusty with depression?   As spring brings the promise of hope, new life and purpose it's time to clean, scrub and refresh our hearts as well!  Sometimes even our thoughts need disinfecting!  Romans 12:2 gives us a squeaky clean picture of how to go about this, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."  Going deeper than a little spot cleaning or light dusting Psalm 4:23 tells us,  "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life."  How do we do that?  One of the ways is by keeping and maintaining our relationship with the Lord on a daily basis with consistent and intentional devotions. 

Here are 5 Ways to Strengthen Your Devotions:

1. Protect your time.  Meet with the Lord daily.  Robert Morgan shares in his book, Mastering Life, “…Our morning devotions are like magnets bending the arc of our whole day.” Your quiet time transforms you and helps you see your day through the lens of God’s Word.

2. Value and respect the Lord, remember He is Holy.  "Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10.  Take a moment to thank Him for who He is.  

3. Worship.  Being in the Word and having a daily devotion is very important to me but I have neglected to make worship a part of that consistently.  When we begin with worship it changes our hearts and reminds us of His Sovereignty, it influences the whole tone of our reading.  Before singing a song or two read a scripture on worship, Psalm 66 is great, ”Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!  Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious..."  The entire Psalm is wonderful.

4. Before you begin reading ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom to help you understand what you’re reading.  We need clarity to what the Lord wants to teach us each day.  John 14:26 tells us it is the Holy Spirit's job to instruct us, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance  all things that I said to you."

5. Prayer.  I love what scripture tells us about prayer!  In Jeremiah 33:3 we read, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Spend time in prayer, wait on Him, it yields rich dividends in the spiritual sense.  I have this little quote written out by my desk that I read often, I hope it will be encouraging to you:

"Morning prayer leads to evening praise."

Sweet Spring blessings from my home to yours,

Linda

Devotion Suggestions:

Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles Cowman

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

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