Here’s some ways I’ve found to show sincere love—loving deeply from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).

Time

We live in a very fast paced culture. Many of us are workaholics. *scrunches face and looks guilty*

Giving the gift of your time to listen, laugh, and just “be” with someone is a gift that leaves warm memories in anyone’s mental scrapbook.

I remember wonderful afternoons of playing cards with my grandmother, fishing with my dad, hiking with my mom, and long, evening walks with my husband. These are the gifts of time I’ve received from people who have loved me and invested their time as a means to show that love.

Challenge: Purposefully set aside some time to do something special with someone you love. Make it cost effective by spending time, not money.

Thoughtfulness

It doesn’t cost much to show kindness to someone. It usually happens in the midst of doing something else— smile for a downcast face, a kind word shared with a friend, or a task completed for someone overwhelmed. Thoughtfulness = giving extra thought on how to best show kindness to an individual.

Challenge: Give the gift of thoughtfulness this Valentines Day.

Prayer

I know how special I feel when folks tell me they are praying specifically for me—especially when they share a Scripture promise that has inspired their prayer. How can you pray for someone in such a way that makes him or her feel loved and valued? Can you write your prayer on a card or send it by email? Can you put a prayer in a fortune cookie or in a bottle and give it to the person?

Challenge: Be creative and get prayin’!

Now it’s your turn: What is your favorite way to show love without spending money? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build a spiritual legacy

Three Free Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas is a post from: Holy in the Daily

Peter Claver

Legacies lie in history, waiting to be unveiled. This guest post by my pastor-husband, Tom Gaddis, unveils the spiritual legacy of Peter Claver (1581-1654).

The Ships

The smell is what hit him first—the stench of death and unmentionable filth, then the heat. Soaked in sweat and descending into the humid dark, the moans of the dying and those sick with dysentery made him imagine what it must be like to be in the bowels of hell.

By the brief flicker of his oil lamp he could now see images—men, women, the dead-shackled together—lying in the slime and squalor built up during the two-month voyage from Africa to Cartegena. Some shrunk back in terror at his approach, while others glared menacingly. But the majority, weakened by the ordeal, just lay uncaring and limp.

Peter Claver, moving through the fetid hold, found the suffering—their bodies bleeding from the lash, emaciated from dysentery, and riddled with scurvy. He did what he would do for the next forty years. He ministered tirelessly—washing and tending their wounds, clothing their nakedness, lessening their hunger with lemons, bread, rum, and jams, and burying their dead.

The Streets

Herded off the ships, Peter would continue his mercy ministries, joining the slaves in the holding pens awaiting auction. Later, he would visit and care for them on the surrounding plantations. In time, with the help of interpreters and pictures, he regularly shared with them about God’s saving love through Christ.

While Peter could not abolish slavery, he did become a nuisance to the city officials and unpopular among the plantation owners by advocating for the rights of slaves to have Christian marriages and forbidding the separation of families.

The clerical authorities often misunderstood Peter. After all, this young Jesuit from the finest college in Spain and a well-to-do family, could have had any number of comfortable ministries among Cartegena’s Catholics. But instead, he chose to minister to slaves, even sleeping with them in their quarters when visiting them at the mines or plantations.

The Shadows 

Though not dynamic or gifted with a charismatic personality—he was known as shy and reticent—Peter Claver was amazingly fruitful in his forty years of ministry. It is commonly estimated that he instructed and baptized some 300,000 slaves. Then after four years of sickness, which forced him to remain inactive and largely neglected, he died on September 8, 1654. He was 74.

He always felt that this fruitfulness was about love. He would say to us today, as he did to his generation, “We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips.”

Now it’s your turn: Today there are some very miserable slaves in our world—slaves of sexual desires, drugs, alcohol, anger, or selfishness.

What are you doing about those who cross your path daily? How is the love of Christ flowing through you to make a difference? Share with us in the comment section below.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

Serving Slaves: The Legacy of Peter Claver is a post from: Holy in the Daily

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com

So you talk to yourself. Everyone does. It’s called self-talk, and it is made up of four different voices clamoring for attention in your head (see last Thursday’s post on Every Christian Has a Multiple Personality Disorder.)

To review, you have four mental voices conversing at any given time:

1. The voice of the Holy Spirit
2. Your new-self voice
3. Your old-self voice
4. Little “thought starters” thrown your way by demonic busybodies

It isn’t easy to tune into our self-talk, let alone distinguish what the current conversation is about. Our new-self usually doesn’t recognize when our old-self is dominating the conversation. In fact, we are much more comfortable with our old-self doing the talking—it feels so much like home, it feels right, and dang, it feels good.  So let’s learn a little about the party going on in our heads.

Important information about your self-talk

1. Self-talk is so automatic and inaudible that you usually don’t notice it or how it is affecting your moods and reactions to people. Do you think much about what you were telling yourself right before you got angry with someone or had a pity party? I doubt it. Because of this, your old-self thinking goes unquestioned and unchallenged.

2. One little word or mental picture can contain a whole series of memories or thoughts. For example, a simple message such as “The IRS called, ” or “Your ex came by,” can trigger a whole range of emotions and thoughts that must be unraveled to find out what you are really telling yourself.

3. When your old-self is talking, it is typically irrational and almost always sounds right until it is challenged with Scripture truth.

How to manage your self-talk

I have a hard time following a conversation on a verbal level, let alone one going on internally. *eyes cross* I’ve discovered that tuning in to self-talk takes practice—lots of practice.

It’s important that you learn to slow down and notice your internal monologue—eavesdrop on yourself. You have been operating according to your old-self for years, so it’s going to be difficult to “take your thoughts captive” (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).

1. Stop throughout the day and ask yourself what you have been thinking about, especially if you have been feeling any type of negative emotion. Identify what you have been feeling and thinking.

2. Has that inner conversation drawn you closer to the Lord and others, or has it distanced you from God and others? (Hint: distancing is bad.)

3. Ask the Holy Spirit what his opinion is on your thought processes, then listen. Closely.

4. Does your inner conversation line up with the way Scripture instructs you to conduct your thinking? (See Philippians 4:8; Ephesians 4:31; Matthew 15:18-9)

5. Challenge your old-self thinking with Scripture truth and the revelation given you by the Holy Spirit earlier. (See #3)

Your actions and reactions are tied into your inner dialogue. Therefore it would be wise to start monitoring that inner conversation and learn to govern your thought life. Your relationships, and therefore, your spiritual legacy depend on it.

For more on self-talk:

If you find your self-talk consumed with stress because of what another is, or isn’t, doing, see my post on Do You Suffer as a Mental Busybody?

If you find yourself having anxiety conversations in your head, see my post on How to Leave a Problem in God’s Hands and Not Steal It Back.

Now it’s your turn: In the comment section below, share with us what works for you in managing unhealthy self-talk.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

How to Have a Meaningful Conversation With Yourself is a post from: Holy in the Daily

The amazing Debbie Fuller

Really—I’m not kidding! Your hobby can become a way to communicate your spiritual legacy. My mother-in-law gave us a handmade quilt when Tom and I married. She had created it from scraps of clothes once worn by members of the family. Each scrap had a story to tell, and I wish I had written the stories all down, but I didn’t. My bad. I still have the quilt, but I only remember a few of the stories.

Not everyone is as shortsighted as I am. My friend, Debbie Fuller, took her hobby of collecting keys and turned it into a creative means of communicating part of her spiritual legacy.

Debbie and her husband, Foch, live in Vallejo, California. She’s the mother to 3 young men, mother-in-love to three wonderful young women, and grandmother to three gorgeous and brilliant grandchildren. She and Foch have co-pastored North Bay Foursquare Church for the last 22 years.

Besides serving Jesus with an amazing bunch of believers, Debbie says, “My personal passion is photography. I’ve always been our families’ historian. I think I may have taken the job a little too seriously over the years. We have thousands of pictures documenting every birthday, celebration, and accomplishment!”

I recently interviewed Debbie about using her passion for photography and her key collection to create a beautiful, new book titled Unlocked. Welcome to Holy in the Daily, Debbie, and thank you for doing this interview.

What inspired you to write a book about keys?

“It wasn’t my plan to start collecting keys. Years ago I purchased a key as a reminder of my grandmother’s house which held for me many wonderful childhood memories. After that, whenever I came across a unique key I found that I wanted to keep it.”

“God always spoke to me about a specific aspect of the authority He entrusted to us with each key I collected. Over the years people have given me keys knowing I collect them.”

How would you describe this book project?

“I wanted to do something with these keys that would treasure the lessons learned upon receiving each unique key. So I set out to photograph and write about them.”

Who do you hope reads this book and why?

“People who want to grow in their personal relationship with God will glean from this book. The pages beckon the reader to action. Our walk with Jesus is not simply an escape from hell’s fire, but rather it is a growing vital relationship. God has entrusted the keys to His kingdom to us! We need to know what they open and how to use them.”

What do you hope people walk away with after reading your book?

“I hope people walk away feeling personally challenged to use the keys that have been entrusted to us. I also hope the reader will do away with fear and intimidations that keep us living small and hesitant to take risks.”

How does someone approach a particular hobby as a way to communicate a spiritual legacy?

“God places desires in our hearts. I think those desires are given to reveal more of who Father God truly is. He’s more personal than we realize. In every little aspect of life, God is speaking to us. We just need to tune in and listen to Him.”

“I would suggest that you ask God to open your ears to hear what He’s saying to you through your personal passion(s). He will speak to you the way you hear—in your language! Enjoy the journey of growing in love with your creative Creator.”

Thanks Debbie for sharing. You’ve combined your passions for photography and keys to create a beautiful book that leaves a legacy with your children, grandchildren, and the folks you serve.

Click here to preview Unlocked, Debbie’s beautiful book. Once you have landed on her Unlocked book page, click the bottom right corner to enlarge the book for better viewing of each page. The appealing photos give a face to each key and story of Debbie’s message. (Unlocked is also available for purchase, just in case you were wondering.)

Now it’s your turn: What hobby do you enjoy that might become a means of communicating something of your spiritual journey? Have you shared it with others and if so, how?

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

If you enjoyed this post, please pass it on by clicking one of the Be Sociable, Share! buttons below.

How a Hobby Became Keys to a Legacy is a post from: Holy in the Daily

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com

I hate to have to tell you this, but you have a multiple personality disorder—an old you and a new you. I know—people have been telling you that for years, but you just didn’t want to believe it. Actually, it’s in the Bible:

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22—24 niv).

There you have it—you have to “put off” your old-self and “put on” your new-self. Sounds like a script for a Stephen King novel to me.

Changing your old-self into your new-self begins in your mind; in the way you think and process information. Why is this important? Well—if you don’t process information correctly, your relationships will suffer. (Just ask your spouse.)

At any given point in time you will have four voices going on inside your head and they will usually all sound like your own voice. Yes, I know—weird. These four voices make up your inner dialogue, called “self-talk.” They are:

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit resides deep within your spirit and is always alert to what you are thinking and feeling. He desires to communicate and fellowship with you all the time. Although his voice will sound like your own, it will carry a note of gracious authority and will always speak according to scriptural truth. Often you won’t even hear his voice, but will sense in a moment what he is thinking or feeling.

Your “new-self”

This is the new you! This is the spirit part of you that was totally recreated at salvation and it is also the soul part of you that is being renewed in your thoughts, emotions, and will areas.

This new you thinks according to Scripture and acts like Jesus. When your new-self is in communion with the Holy Spirit, you will find God’s power working life within you and affecting all your relationships.

Your “old-self”

This is the old you that dominated your life before you came to know Christ—your old ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. You know, that ugly part of you that you’d like to forget. The truth is, your old “you” still wants to dominate!

Unfortunately, it is part of your sin nature and is connected to your body. Your old-self will be a part of you until you get rid of your body at death. So… you will be dealing with the old-self part of you for a long time.

You have to constantly treat your old-self as if it were a dead, shriveled up, ugly thing that should be buried (see Romans 6). Any part of your thought life that is still thinking according to your old-self habit patterns will work death within you and will contaminate your relationships.

Demonic voices

Sometimes a demon will throw a thought into your mind aimed at your old-self. It will usually sound like your own voice in your head, but it isn’t because it is speaking something contrary to Truth.

What you do with this “thought starter” is up to you. You can recognize it as false, rebuke it, and refuse to give it any place in your self-talk, which is an internal action of your new-self.

Or you can grab onto the thought starter and incorporate it into your inner monologue, which is what your old-self will do (bad decision). The resulting inner conversation will work death in you and in your relationships.

Let’s summarize:

• You have four voices in your head competing for your attention at any given time.
• The voices you ignore will eventually dim, but never completely go away.
• The voices you pay attention to will determine your choices and actions.

So what will it be? Your new-self and the Spirit Holy, or your old-self and those pesky little demonic thought starters that can ruin your day?

Tune in next Thursday, and I’ll give you some tips for managing your self-talk.

Now it’s your turn: What’s your signal that you have given your old-self too much place in your thinking?

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

If you found this post helpful, please pass it on.

Every Christian Has a Multiple Personality Disorder is a post from: Holy in the Daily

Without warning our busy schedule paused for three minutes to watch a proud, mother duck lead her six ducklings across the road. A sense of wonder lifted my heart as the little parade waddled into the bushes. Big grins mirrored ours from the opposite car. All of us had shared a moment we would not soon forget.

Sometimes all it takes to catch the Holy in the Daily is a pause and a wonder. Grab that cup of coffee or tea, sit back, and enjoy this short clip of wonder from the London Symphony Orchestra and wild life cameraman and travel journalist, Dylan Winter.

Now it’s your turn! What’s one Pause and Wonder moment you’ll never forget?

If you liked this post, pass it on. I’d love for you to spread the wonder.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

And…. in case you are interested, my Building a Spiritual Legacy newsletter goes out this Wednesday full of great links and tips. You can sign up for it here.

Sometimes All it Takes is a Pause and a Wonder is a post from: Holy in the Daily

So I’ve gone back to what I know and value. I can do the work of getting my books up in ebook format, updating my website and blog, and learning the ins and outs of social marketing, but none of it will mean diddly-squat if I neglect this one, foundational ingredient for success in business:

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8 NIV).

First bit of work, which is more important than any other work I do for my business, is to meditate on God’s Word during the day and let it marinate in me during the night.

OH, but there’s more! (I copied that line from the Magic Bullet Online Marketing Course ad.) The next condition is that I have to be strong and courageous—unafraid in the face of economic hardships and a huge amount of competition. *looks for the nearest blanket to hide under*

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

Are you feeling overwhelmed yet? Ready to drop this like a hot potato and purchase that online millionaire’s course mentioned earlier?

Let’s break this down, shall we?

My responsibility:

• Memorize, meditate, and marinate in God’s Word.
• Obey the instructions I find written there—think them, do them, and let them adjust my attitude and my actions.
• Don’t let my self-talk go the direction of discouragement and fear. Grab onto the Word that has been marinating inside of me and let it be what motivates me—not fear.

God’s responsibility:

• He will be with me wherever I go—through all the twists and turns of running a business and learning new things.
• Fulfill his promise of making my business prosperous and successful.

So the questions now are:

Will I mind my part of the business and let God take care of his?

Can I keep my mental musings out of his arena of responsibility and focus on mine?

I have a little book of flip cards where I write down all the promises God has for my business. Joshua 1:8-9 heads the pack. I read it, recite it, pray it, and muse on it everyday. Amazingly, the Spirit Holy will bring those words up to my memory when I’m tempted to let discouragement invade my mental musings. (I think that has something to do with the Spirit being the guard of peace around my heart and mind mentioned in Philippians 4:6-7.)

So, what you have found helpful in marinating in God’s Word, and how has that influenced your business? Inquiring minds want, and need, to know.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

Discover the Christian’s Secret to Business Success is a post from: Holy in the Daily

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com

Change translates as “healthy” in my book, especially when it comes to a Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake. Two years ago I began making changes in my way of cooking that allowed me to live gluten free, sugar free, and dairy free.

The one catch–I didn’t want to feel like I was missing out on the feast of life. I haven’t. Besides enjoying a whole new way of cooking, I’ve lost fifty pounds. Yes, I’ve had to adjust old recipes and learn how to pronounce “xylitol,” but the payoff has been worth it–more energy, less sugar cravings, and a healthier lifestyle.

Last Friday I took a plate of Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes to a friend’s home as my part of the dinner contribution. It is from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Spunky Coconut Cookbook by Kelly V. Brozyna. *nod and grin to highly recommend* I’m a stevia girl and very seldom use agave as a sweetener, but this recipe is my exception. It is amazing! Really–I fully expect it to be on the menu at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Yes, you may have to spend a little money at the health food store, but don’t let that hinder your chocolate craving cooking endeavors. Most everything will keep for months in the freezer (“flours”) or in the refrigerator (Chocolate Raspberry liquid stevia). And, of course, you are going to make this chocolate cake again, aren’t you?

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Mix together with an electric mixer:

3/4 cup coconut oil, liquefied (I use coconut oil in almost all my baking. Just melt what you need in the microwave and solid becomes liquid.)

1/2 cup organic cocoa powder

Add:

3/4 cup agave

6 room temperature eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp Chocolate Raspberry liquid stevia (a small bottle will last a year, and you know you will want to make this cake often!)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 brown rice flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Beat again. Then pour into a greased, coconut floured Bundt pan or springform pan. Bake at 325 for 34 minutes OR fill 18 muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 15 minutes.

Top with Coconut Whipped Topping:

Blend together in a blender:

1 can coconut milk (not “lite”)

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp xylitol

5 drops Chocolate Raspberry liquid stevia

1 tsp xanthan gum

(store in the refrigerator)

If you try this recipe and find yourself telling your friends about this chocolate goodness, please come on back and tell us about your experience. I know I’m not the only chocolate craving, sugar free glutton out there!

And, if you haven’t already, zip on over to The Spunky Coconut blog and check out more of Kelly’s awesome recipes.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

Change Translates as a Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake is a post from: Holy in the Daily

Eternal Foundations logo

Everyone builds a spiritual legacy even if they don’t plan to. Each of the twelve disciples built their legacy as they walked and talked with Jesus and spent the remainder of their years spreading the gospel across the known world. Even Judas left a spiritual legacy; negative, yes, but a legacy we note and from which we learn what not to do.

A positive spiritual legacy is made up of things we do and say that make a difference in other’s lives and draw them closer to Jesus in some way. The people we influence may only meet us one time, or they may be folks we live and work with for years. They might remember our name, which is important if they are family, but our name may not be something that impacts them at all. We know we’ve made a difference if our words and/or actions leave a small imprint of Jesus in their hearts.

Saint Paul said it this way when he wrote to the Corinthians:

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:2, 3 NIV).

Usually years are needed to build a spiritual legacy because so much of that legacy is made up of the impact we have on people as we slowly change into the image of Jesus. Folks watch us. How we interact and respond in life circumstances, how we spend our money, where we hang out, the way our time is used, the kindnesses we do in Jesus name, and the way we treat the people around us–all these are things that impact those we love and those we stumble across.

What to expect in 2012

This year you will be seeing more posts that relate to building your spiritual legacy. It’s what I do with my life: help people build their spiritual legacies. The post categories will remain the same as we explore how to grow in Jesus, how to make a difference, and how to laugh and enjoy the life entrusted to us by the One-Who-Gave-His. I hope you continue to hang around and grow with me.

One addition to this blog will be a monthly interview with someone who is building an inspiring spiritual legacy. This month we’ll be hearing from Debbie Fuller who has found a unique way to use her key collection to communicate part of her spiritual legacy. She’s an amazing woman, and I look forward to sharing her interview.

I’d love to get to know you better this year. I have so enjoyed connecting with those of you who have made yourself known to me, and I look forward to building a relationship with so many more. You can always leave a comment on one these blog posts, or you can join the conversation at one of my following haunts:

1. Monday through Friday I share a daily tip on building your spiritual legacy and a quote to help you find the Holy in the daily on my author Susan Gaddis Facebook page. Just click “like” when you arrive on my page to receive the tips on your home feed. It’s also a good place to hang out and dialogue with others who are building a legacy.

2. If you frequent Twitter, I share tips and links that help you build your spiritual legacy @susangaddis. I use the hashtag #buildalegacy. Mention that you found me at Holy in the Daily and I’ll follow you back so I can get to know you.

3. If Linkedin is your kind of place, I’ll look forward to connecting with you there.

4. You can sign up to receive my monthly Building a Spiritual Legacy newsletter via email here.

5. And finally, if you’re looking for resources and haven’t checked out my books yet, visit Eternal Foundations. There you’ll find details on:

Ebooks to help you deposit a legacy within your children or grandchildren: Eternal Foundations for a New Generation

A book to help you leave a legacy through prayer: Intercessors, God’s End-time Vanguard: How To Pray Effectively for the Things That Matter Most. Available in paperback ($9.95) or ebook ($2.99) at Amazon.com, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Sony, Kobo, Smashwords, etc.

A book on how to leave a legacy through healthy relationships: Help, I’m Stuck With These People for the Rest of Eternity: Christian Advice on Healthy Relationship Characteristics and Making Relationships Work. Available in paperback ($9.95) or ebook ($2.99) at Amazon.com, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Sony, Kobo, etc.

So there you have it–what to expect in 2012. I look forward to the journey together.

(And Oh, I almost forgot–I’m going to be doing some remodeling of my website and blog design soon. So please be patient when you find things a little messy. Thanks.)

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

How to Build a Spiritual Legacy You Can Be Proud Of is a post from: Holy in the Daily

 If you received this post via RSS or email and cannot view the clip, please visit my Holy in the Daily blog to get your New Year’s inspiration.

How have you changed in the way you view the less fortunate? Share your story with us in the comment section below.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

Will You Make a Difference in Someone’s Life This Year? is a post from: Holy in the Daily