Over the years I’ve found that reading Bible verses out loud builds my faith and creates a peaceful atmosphere.

Here are a few Bible verses for PEACE; as you read them may they bring freedom to your mind and comfort to your soul.

~ W E E K L Y   G I V E A W A Y ~

Congrats to last week’s winner:  Leigh Ellen

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The post Bible verses for PEACE appeared first on Danise Jurado.

On the first day of college, excitement fills the air with dreams and expectation for the future. No one is sitting in that classroom thinking, “I want to fail.”

She is dressed in white, his eyes never leave hers as he watches her walk down the aisle toward him.  Neither one of them are thinking, “I hope this marriage ends in divorce.”

A tiny pink bundle of joy looks up at her adoring parents with the eyes of an angel.  As they hold their precious little one for the first time their hearts are bursting with emotions of every kind.  They’re not thinking, “I want to disappoint you.”

It’s okay to desire success.

None of us ever start something hoping for fail at it, but I’ve learned that sometimes in life we have to carefully redefine our idea of success.

Continue Reading This Post Here >>  The Gang Magazine “Are You An Overachiever?”

I am so honored to be a regualr contributor at over at The Gang Magazine.  Hop on over and finish reading this guest post with “The Gang”… Hope to see you there!

Blog Link Ups: #Raralinkup  Testimony Tuesday  Coffee For Your Heart  Thought Provoking Thursday

The post You Are Enough appeared first on Danise Jurado.

Depending on the way we ask it, this question can be either positive or negative.

“What if?” can be a launch pad that fuels innovation and creativity for future dreams.

On the other hand, it can be a daunting question filled with genuine concerns and uncertainty.

Worry never changes anything, it only causes stress.

Although I know it’s not profitable in any way,  why is it that I still allow worry to creep its way into my thoughts?

God whispers sweetly to my anxious heart and reminds me of His wisdom…

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” – Luke 12:25-26

The truth of these verses melts away my anxious thoughts as I recognize my feeble humanity compared to His majesty.

I reach for faith instead of worry.   I free fall into His grace, knowing that He will catch me every time.

And my soul finds peace.

Weekly Giveaway:  Congrats to last week’s giveaway Carly !

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blog link ups: Testimony Tuesday  #RaRaLinkup  #TellHisStory  Coffee For Your Heart  Thought Provoking Thursday  Blessing Counters  Dance With Jesus

The post How To Be Free January: Worry appeared first on Danise Jurado.

God so patiently and carefully leads us all into new territory.

With every baby step we take on the unfamiliar path… FEAR is there to greet us.

Although fear is intimating, it has no power in the presence of our mighty God.

God holds our trembling heart near to Him as He reminds of His promise…

“There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear…”  – 1 John 4:18

Fear tempts us to quit… God’s love makes us brave to persevere.

Fear makes us insecure… God’s love anchors us in our true identity.

Fear creates problems in our relationships… God’s love teaches us how to maintain healthy relationships.

Fear threatens to steal our joy… God’s love touches to the depth of our heart to spring up a well of genuine happiness.

Fear looms at night with unsettling thoughts, keeping us from the rest we need… God’s love guards our mind with peace and blissful sleep.

Fear will try to find a way to keep us all from the fulfilled life that God promised… But God’s unfailing love is always so much bigger than any fear we might encounter.

God’s courage calls to us to dig deep, with faith beyond the angst we feel, to a place where we can dare to believe in victory over it.

What lies ahead of us on the other side of the fears that hold us captive?

LIFE…  A life filled with God’s freedom!

This week, no matter how fear might try to hold you back – remember that your God loves you and BE BRAVE.

~ Weekly Giveaway ~

Congrats to Samatha !! She is our winner from last week!

You Could Be Next!

To enter for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card just leave a comment on this post!

This giveaway is now closed

Blog Link Ups: #RaRaLinkup  Testimony Tuesday  #TellHisStory  Coffee For Your Heart  Thought Provoking Thursday  Blessing Counters

The post How To Be Free January: Fear appeared first on Danise Jurado.

I pray that your New Year is filled with every good gift from God!

My weekly inspirational posts for the month of January will follow the theme of “How To Be Free January”

Although we can define God’s freedom differently depending on our personal needs at the time, there are some similar battles and victories that are common to us all.

The first whisper of freedom God reminded me of this year is… Be You!  Be free from comparing yourself to others.  You are not better or worse, less or more than anyone else.

Christ completes you.

“and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.” – Colossians 2:10

In Him, we are all uniquely and fully equipped to be the best we can be personally.

Comparison is so destructive to God’s plan of fullness and freedom in our lives.  It can leave us with a warped perspective; either thinking too little or too much of ourselves.

The freedom to just simply “Be You!” releases each of us to discover the depths of fullness God has for us and empowers us to love others completely without either judgement or jealousy.

Run your race.

As this new year unfolds before us, may we run with perseverance the personal race that has been marked out for us by God Himself, our eyes fixed on Him as He leads us, not being distracted by those who are running in the lanes nearby.

“….let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…”  – Hebrews 12:1-2

~ Weekly Giveaway ~

It’s back!  It’s the first weekly giveaway for 2016!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post to win a Starbucks gift card!

This giveaway is now closed

Blog Link Ups:  #Raralinkup  Testimony Tuesday  #TellHisStory  Coffee For Your Heart  Thought Provoking Thursday  Blessing Counters

The post How To Be Free January: Comparison appeared first on Danise Jurado.

Each one of us has our own current status quo.

On our journey to live a fulfilled life in Christ, we will all be faced with mindsets trying to tell us that it is okay to settle.

The Holy Spirit reminds us of the majestic God we serve.

He encourages us to reach beyond our current condition, further than we ever thought we could; leaving a life of status quo and walking by faith into God’s territory where all things are possible.

Living beyond the status quo means we must be willing to face the limits we have placed on ourselves, and then, with God’s strength, run straight through them.

“For the Spirit that God gave to us does not make us timid (fearful), but gives us POWER, LOVE and SELF-DISCIPLINE” – 2 Timothy 1:7 

Fear is one of the main reasons we are tempted to stay anchored to the existing state of our lives.

God has provided all we need to face our fears and emerge into the people we were created to be.

The Spirit God has given to us has equipped us with…

Power:  The same power that rose Christ from the grave, lives in you.  God’s greatness is in you.

Love:  You are cherished and loved deeply.  No matter what opposition you may face; you can overcome it, knowing that your God loves you and is always with you.

Self-Discipline:  One of the most powerful fruits of the Spirit of God within us is self-control.  As God leads us, He teaches us and prepares us.  We grow and learn as we listen to His wisdom and partner with Him.  Through the refining process of self-discipline we develop the godly character we need.

Have you been hearing that soft, yet challenging voice of God calling you to step out in faith?   Take the step… He is with you.

~ Weekly Giveaway ~

Congrats to last week’s winner:  Melanie Redd  !

YOU could be next!

Enter to win a Starbucks gift card – just leave a comment on this post!

Blog Link ups:  #RaraLinkup  Testimomy Tuesday #TellHisStory Coffee for your heart  Thought Provoking Thursday  Blessing Counters  Dance With Jesus

I am doing a Christmas time book signing at Family Christian Book Store on December 12th in Stevenson Ranch, CA.  If you are in the area, I would love to see you there!

The post Living Beyond the Status Quo / Weekly Giveaway appeared first on Danise Jurado.

There is a pang inside of us desiring to be truly satisfied and free from the heavy weights holding us down.

If we try to ignore this yearning deep inside our heart, we’ll only be tempted to find fulfillment in way that ultimately disappoints us.

Temporary distractions and “fixes” offered by the world are enticing but they only satisfy on the surface.

I’ve found that immediate gratification is typically a counterfeit for the powerful, life-changing freedom that can only be found in God.

They dangle themselves in front of us everyday; entertainment, shopping, eating, social media, hobbies… none of those things are bad, yet all of them temporarily numb the pang in our heart to be whole.

When I am willing to listen, I can hear that soft, compassionate voice of the Holy Spirit saying…

“Don’t settle for things that give you instant gratification.. I am right here willing to give your heart true wholeness and freedom.” 

Overcoming instant gratification begins with listening with our heart for the voice of God and let Him lead us to true fulfillment.

Can you hear him?  He is standing at the door of our hearts.

“… I have come that they may have life and have it the full.”  – John 10:10

May our week be filled with less counterfeits and more of HIM.

Live Fulfilled!

Love, Danise

~ Weekly Giveaway ~

Congrats to last week’s winner: Tai East  

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Enter to win a Starbucks gift card just leave a comment on this post!  This giveaway is now closed

Blog Link Ups:   Grateful Heart   Testimony Tuesday   #RaraLinkup   #TellHisStory  Coffee For Your Heart   Thought Provoking Thursday   Dance With Jesus  Blessing Counters

The post Overcoming Instant Gratification appeared first on Danise Jurado.

God is such an amazing dad!  He gives us so many tangible blessings to enjoy in this life – and I am thankful for each and every one of them.

Sometimes the temporary things of this world can distract or even hide the true eternal blessings that we have in Him.

God’s Word is a compass to direct our steps and a love letter from the One who created us.

One day we will step from this side of eternity and enter a heavenly realm that is no longer limited and temporal.

On that day we will know and experience all the beautiful, eternal promises of God in a tangible way.

Until then, we live in a temporal world and have to choose to believe by faith in the eternal blessings.

No matter what your temporal circumstances might be reflecting in your life…

Believe… that you are stronger than you might think you are.

Believe… that Jesus is closer than you might realize.

Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20

Believe… that you are lavished with love from an awesome dad, who loves you.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” – 1 John 3:1 

~ Weekly Giveaway ~

Congrats to last week’s winner:  Dolly@Soulstops

You could be next!

Enter to win a Starbucks gift card – Just leave a comment on this post!  This giveaway is now closed

Blog Link Ups:   Grateful Heart  Misadventures Monday  Testimony Tuesday   #RaraLinkup   #TellHisStory   Coffee For Your Heart   Thought Provoking Thursday   Blessing Counters  Dance With Jesus  Coffee For Your Heart

The post Believe Now What We Will Know Then appeared first on Danise Jurado.

“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. ” – Albert Einstein

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill

Does anyone else feel like they need a little attitude adjustment after reading these quotes?  I do!

Recently I came down with a bad case of grumpiness…

Overall I feel like a faith-filled, happy person; but I was really convicted the other day while reading a Twitter post of all things.  It simply said:

“If you are happy, please notify your face… Smile.”

I thought about the busyness of the past couple of weeks and all the things that have been weighing heavy on my mind and then I thought about the expression that must have been on my face recently.  Yikes.  :/

“Help. Me. Lord.”

One of the best ways I have found to change my attitude is with gratitude.

Being thankful for the gift of life and the blessings we have in God’s promises can turn a heavy heart that is weighed down with burdens into a genuinely joyful and smiling heart.

Do you occasionally struggle with a bad case of grumpiness like I do?

Maybe it’s time to remind our face just how happy God has made us and smile with a heart filled with gratitude.

Here’s a thought we can all be thankful for ~ You are God’s one of a kind, beautiful creation and He loves you…

Have a week filled with a thankful heart and lot of smiles!

Live Fulfilled!

Danise

~ Weekly Giveaway ~

Congrats to last week’s winner: Kathy Anderson!

You could be next!

To enter for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card just leave a comment on this post!  This giveaway is now closed

Blog Link Ups:   Grateful Heart   Misadventures Monday  Testimony Tuesday   #RaraLinkup   #TellHisStory   Coffee For Your Heart   Thought Provoking Thursday   Dance With Jesus   Blessing Counters

The post My Attitude Adjustment appeared first on Danise Jurado.

No child should be separated from their loving parents due to poverty.

Over 50% of the children in our foster care system are removed from their parent’s home; not because of abuse or true neglect… but because of poverty.

Can you imagine the devastation of these parents and children?

Sadly, there are children right here in America who have loving homes; yet they are separated from their family simply because they live below the poverty line.

The Dream Center in Los Angeles works with the local social service department to help at risk families stay together.

Since The Dream Center Foster Care Intervention program started several years ago, thousands of loving families have been kept together or reunited.

How do they do it?

The Dream Center gets a list of families along with items the family needs from social services and they fill that need.

What kind of things do these families need?

Basic things that most of us take for granted; beds, dressers, refrigerators, food, diapers, clothing…

The Dream Center team pulls up in truck filled with items needed and with hope of Jesus to share.

So, how is it that we are helping children in poverty at Disneyland, you ask?

I have been asked to join a fundraising team for the Carousel of Possible Dreams at Disneyland to help these children stay united with families who love them.

On November 12, 2015 our fundraising team will ride the carousel at Disneyland 50 times to raise money for The Dream Center Foster Care Intervention Program.

Donations of ANY size will help tremendously!

Would you consider sponsoring me as I raise money to help these families?

Click Here to see the Carousel of Possible Dreams Fundraising Page

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:40 

I pray that you are abundantly blessed this week!  May God shower you all with His grace, mercy and protection.

Love, Danise

~Weekly Giveaway ~

Congrats to last week’s winner:  Su Ann

You could be next!

To enter for a chance to win a Starbuck’s gift card just leave a comment on this post!  This giveaway is now closed.

Blog Link Ups:   Grateful Heart   Misadventures Monday   #RaRaLinkup   #TellHisStory   Coffee For Your Heart   Thought Provoking Thursday   Dance With Jesus

The post Helping Children in Poverty at Disneyland appeared first on Danise Jurado.