Hello Lovely People! Today's blog post is from a friend over at @saltandlightblog_  I hope you all are as blessed as I was when I read this! Enjoy and leave a thought in the comments! And go give @saltandlightblog_
​a follow!  ~Makyna 
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Hi ya’ll! Makyna asked me to share why I have my blog, Salt and Light, and how I stay passionate for and follow the Lord! I’m so happy to be sharing a bit of my story with you all today!


To start off, I want to explain how and why I started my blog, Salt and Light. I started Salt and Light in the summer of 2016. I had been wanting to start a blog for a while, but was unsure about it. During the spring time, I had written some articles for a friend’s Christian girls newsletter, which she stopped doing a little while afterwards. A little while later, someone I know started a blog, and that reminded me of the desire to start one. So, I decided to go for it! While brainstorming a name, I thought of one of my favorite songs, Salt and Light by Lauren Daigle. Thus, I decided to name it Salt and Light and the name stuck! Since that time, I have been blogging and sharing what Yahweh puts on my heart. It has been such an amazing journey to see Him use my blog to inspire, encourage, and challenge people all across the world! He is so faithful and good to use us as we faithfully follow Him.


The purpose of my blog/Instagram/Facebook is to encourage people, boys, girls, adults, teens, whomever, to follow the Lord with passion and to be salt and light to the world. I believe each and every one of us has so much purpose and potential, if we only choose to live our lives for the Lord. I post encouragement for living out the Word, seeking Jesus, and other things that He puts on my heart.


It’s funny that Makyna asked me how I stay passionate for the Lord, because lately He has been challenging me at a deeper level to have a passion for Him and be unashamed in His Name. The first, and most important way, that I stay passionate for Him is by reading the Word and praying in the morning. To be honest with you, I struggle with doing this first in the morning, because my phone can be such a temptation. I have noticed, however, that when I choose to resist the devil and his tempting, and spend time with my Father first thing, I find joy and contentment. I find my heart finds fulfillment in Him, and it’s such a beautiful thing. It’s in my time with Him that I learn and grow, and talk to the One whom my soul was designed to love.


Another way I stay passionate for the Lord is by choosing to use my time wisely. Again, I am so not perfect at this and struggle so much. One thing I’ve begun doing lately is replacing some TV time with reading good Christian books and watching encouraging Youtube videos, mostly by one of my favorite ministries, Rise on Fire. I also love listening to good worship music, because it really gets my soul pumped up for Jesus! A few singers I really love are David Baloche, Shane + Shane, and Housefires.


Memorizing Scripture also really fans the flame in my heart for my Father. It reminds me of the amazing Truths from His Word and fills my soul with beautiful Truth! And lastly, talking to good Christian friends helps me stay passionate for the Lord and always encourages me!


The last thing I want to share with you all is something God has been personally showing me and challenging me with. In regards to how I serve the Lord, I love blogging, sending letters and texts of encouragement to friends/family, and occasionally doing fun random acts of kindness! However, the Lord has been showing me to use EACH DAY as an outreach. Let me explain: let’s say I’m spending the day at home with family. It might not seem like a chance to reach out to others, right? Well, it actually is! I can choose to be attentive to my family when we’re talking together, and spend time with them, and joyfully do chores and things to help out! Or maybe you’re going to the store for your weekly grocery trip, or to the library to pick up a few books. We can make the most of this by choosing joy and looking people in the eye when we see them and smiling, and genuinely asking them how they’re doing. When we choose to be intentional to love and to reach out to others, the Lord sees that. When we’re willing to be His vessel of love in whatever situations He places us TODAY, He can use us in mighty ways. Don’t be afraid to shine the light and love of Yeshua Jesus! Get excited about who He is and let it show! We were not meant to hide the light He gives, but let it shine. You and I are meant to be salt and light, and why would we waste a day? Use your life and your every day for His glory, whether that be in a simple act of kindness, or a big outreach project. Be faithful in the BIG and small things, and He will see you and bless you for it.
Luke 16:10 // He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
Matthew 5:13-16 // “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.  You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.  Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 

Saltandlightblog: ​https://youaresaltandlightblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/complaining-how-it-will-ruin-you/

Hey lovely people! Happy Monday! Today's blog post is by a friend Lauren Mcroberts. She works with a national movement called #HowToLife . I hope that you are encouraged by her post on how she walks daily with Jesus and her passion that gives her joy to do so! For more encouragement go give her a follow on insta @laurenmcrob
​I hope you enjoy! ~Makyna 


Hi, lovely people! I’m oh so grateful to get to share something so near and dear to my heart with you today.

I’ve known Jesus for all of my life. In fact; you could actually say we’re pretty tight. ☺

To start off, I think when we are struggling with walking along side Jesus day in and day out, we need to remember it’s not something we HAVE to do, but something we GET to do.
The fact that we get to walk in life besides the Giver of Life Himself is something I’d consider a privilege. That’s where my passion lies, simple as that.
Life with Jesus is oh so sweet. And I’m going to share a little bit of what that looks like in my own life and how it may look in yours.
Joy vs. Happiness – when we walk in the things of this world, temporary things, we may be happy for a little bit, but its only when we anchor ourselves in the eternal things, and walk with Jesus, when we experience TRUE joy.

1. Generosity vs. Feeling obligated to give – when you experience the gift of eternal life and salvation through Jesus, you’re going to WANT TO give and be kind to others, not feel like you HAVE to
2. “The greatest of these is LOVE” – Love. Love. Love. Because Jesus first loved us, love should be the number one thing overflowing out of us at all times.
3. Content in Christ – When we know Jesus and walk with Him daily, we will never have a void that we feel needs to be filled. Whether that void be a significant other, money, or popularity, with Jesus, we will not only feel full and content, but in Psalms 23, it says our cup will OVERFLOW. How amazing is that!!
4. Kingdom Vision – We will start to see others the way Jesus sees us. And not only the way we see other people will change, but the way we see ourselves will change as well; we will come to terms with the fact that we are children of the King, worthy, and deemed priceless because of our hope in Jesus.

Those are 5 radical ways to walk with Jesus and how your life will change when doing so.

If you’re struggling to walk with Jesus, or don’t feel passionate to share Him with others, I encourage you to find others who are passionate. Surround yourself with people who live life with Jesus daily. Also, remember that we should consider it GREAT JOY that we get to do life with our Heavenly Father. And not only does He walk beside us, but He goes before us and He will NEVER leave us. 

In Christ and Him Alone,
Lauren 

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