Some days I wake up and immediately realize that it may not be my best day ever. I slept through my alarm; the dog won’t stop barking; my child is screaming because she wanted the pink Pop-Tart not the blue Pop-Tart; the hot water isn’t working; my car engine light comes on; and, this is all before 8am. The list could go on and on. Now, my reaction could be one of two things- I can go with my human gut and pull my hair out at every single negative detail, or I could use the greatest tool God gave me to combat the “sky is falling” mentality. That tool is Love.
Women’s Ministries is presenting a challenge to people across the world—the Love Challenge. Samantha Snipes, Director of IPHC Women’s Ministries, says it like this: “This will be a day when everything we do is initiated in LOVE and everything that happens in the day goes through a LOVE lens.”
You pick the day to challenge yourself! Before your head hits the pillow at night, start the preparation in your mind, telling yourself that when you wake up in the morning you will take on the Love Challenge. The moment you wake up will start with a conscience effort to do everything in love. It may mean breathing through your nose and reacting in a calm manner when your kid drops his applesauce on the ground. It may sound like honking your horn a little less when 8am traffic cuts you off. Those biting words directed towards the co-worker who has something rude to say may subside. It could feel like a win by the end of the day when you complete the challenge. Don’t just settle for one day. Challenge yourself further and make it a habit to take the love challenge every day. Love can make all the difference in you and the lives around you.
Lindsey was born and raised in Oklahoma. She graduated from Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in 2007 with a degree in Counseling and a minor in Bible. After graduating from SAGU, Lindsey served as a Community Outreach Pastor in an area Oklahoma City church. She has helped plant a church in Dallas, TX as a Kids Pastor and has been on staff at Harvest Church in Sand Springs, OK, as the Children’s, Outreach, and Media Pastor. Lindsey met her “dreamboat” and now husband, Jared, and they married in July 2010. They soon welcomed their fun-loving baby girl in the fall of 2011. Lindsey loves to travel with her family, blow bubbles with her daughter, cheer on the Texas Rangers with her hubby, and cuddle with their dog, Frisco.
