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Motivational Monday

On April 14, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Well today is the last of our miniseries on Easter. Today, I want to talk about something that affects all christian holidays but how do we celebrate Easter as a 21st christian? So, let’s talk about it.

Like most holidays, Easter has become HIGHly commercialized. Everywhere where you turn it’s chicks, bunnies, eggs, candy, baskets, clothes, etc. And listen, don’t get me wrong here. I love all the things. I love that a lot of Easter activities bring families together (like dying eggs!). This is fun and wholesome. But as you are partaking in these activities, this is a GREAT opportunity to discuss the meaning behind Easter.

Easter Sunday is the day Jesus rose from the dead. This is the heart of our Christian faith. His resurrection is more than a miracle. It is the fulfillment of God’s plan to bring salvation to the world. “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” Luke 24:6-7 Jesus willingly gave his life to pay the penalty of our sins so that our relationship with God the Father is restored.

This story is the absolute cornerstone of God’s redemptive story. From the beginning of the Bible to the very end, Scripture points to a Savior who defeats sin and restores the broken. Romans 6:9 says, “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.” This has the clearest and purest expression of God’s love and power. It brings you and I lasting hope because we put our trust in him. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,’” John 11:25. Because we remember the resurrection, we are reminded that nothing is impossible without God. “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:10

So, I say all of that to say…Easter is more than traditions. We need to turn our hearts and minds towards what truly matters this season. Let the children in your life hear you talk about the meaning of Easter and why we celebrate it. I understand the story of Jesus being crucified is not the happiest. But it is. It’s a reminder of God’s faithfulness and grace. When you are talking to these sweet children, remember God gave his only son to us.

This week, you have opportunities. When you’re buying candy at the store, talk to the cashier about their plans for Easter. Use that opportunity to discuss the meaning behind the holiday (and yes, you can do this without it being uncomfortable!). When you are driving the kids to the Easter Egg Hunt at our church this Saturday beginning at 10am (did you see what I did there?), talk about His love for us. As you are sitting at the table with the family eating dinner or lunch, start a new Easter tradition and ask the question for all to answer, “How does the resurrection give you hope and change the way you live?” I think you will be surprised by the answers.

Love you all,

Jennifer

P.S. If you haven’t seen or heard of Empty Tomb Rolls you are missing out! They look delicious AND they are a great way to explain and show kids the story of Easter. I love this idea for Easter breakfast or even as a snack the night before.

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On April 7, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Today I want to continue my Easter countdown miniseries. It’s my goal to cover topics you may or may not know because these are things I learned way later about the crucifixion and resurrection. I had the main points down but some stuff had a ton of symbolism and I’m over here hiding eggs. Just being honest…

So, hopefully you all know that Jesus was resurrected after He was crucified (this was a main point I was talking about 😉). When we was resurrected, a woman was the one to see Him first. Why was that? Let’s talk about it.

Let’s talk about Mary Magdalene or Mary M for short. I really like her. To be fair, I like most (if not all) the stories about the women in the Bible. There is a story to be learned in every single one because God is always purposeful. To catch you up on who she was, she had a special connection to Jesus. Mary M became a different person when Jesus came into her life (like all of us). You see, Jesus cleansed her of her demons and because of this, she was a DEVOUT follower. She loved Jesus with all her heart. Her story showed us that your past does not dictate your future.

The day Jesus was crucified, she was there. As anyone who was a follower, I am sure it was hard to watch (honestly, I am sure it was hard to watch if you weren’t a follower). She stayed with Him until death. After He died, He was put in a tomb with a large heavy boulder as a door so NO ONE could move it. But on the third day after His burial, the women went to anoint the body (Mark 16:1) because they loved Him and wanted to continue to care for Him (Luke 8:1-3). I can hear the conversation now on the way to the tomb, “Mary! How are we going to get in? We can’t move that stone.” Mary M- “I don’t know but we’ll figure it out.” It sounds like something I would do.

They get there and bam! Stone moved. You know their initial thought was “woohoo!” and then, “hold up. What is happening here? This is weird and not good.” So she runs and gets Peter and it was then discovered that Jesus was gone. After everyone left, Mary stayed at the tomb and just cried. I mean, I get it. There was A LOT of trauma that she had just witnessed and now, Jesus’s body had been stolen (or so she thought). Two angels appeared and talked to her and she was still upset. And then…mic drop…Jesus was there. He told her He was all good now and He was ascending to “my Father and your Father”. Mary M was ecstatic and went to tell everyone she had seen Jesus. (John 20:1-18)

Great story right? But why did Jesus appear before Mary M? A woman. For context, women at that time were considered less. They were not allowed all the way into the Temple to worship simply because they were a woman. They had no rights. They were second class. On top of her being a woman, she was a FALLEN woman (gasp!). You can imagine when she tried telling the disciples, “HEY GUYS!!! Jesus is alive! He told me to tell you He was good!” You know they rolled their eyes and said, “Sure He did Mar-Bear.” They didn’t believe her (Luke 24:11 and Mark 16:11).

You see, Jesus didn’t see different classes, gender, or race. Jesus only saw people when He walked this Earth. He didn’t care if you were a man, woman, disabled, smelled to high heavens, had an eye hanging out, or wasn’t nice…He was going to talk to you. And in Mary’s case, at one time she was demon filled and Jesus healed her. And then, she followed Him to the end. And she truly loved Him with all her heart. Jesus knew that and He rewarded her with His presence after His resurrection. Jesus valued a sin filled, former demon possessed, second rate citizen who was a woman to share the good news.

If Jesus can see past all of that, why can’t you? We tend to pass judgment when it is not warranted. We are all sinners. My sin and your sin are probably different. That doesn’t make me better than you. We are both sinners. God put us (me and YOU) here on this Earth for a million reasons. But one of the reasons is to learn from and help each other. Don’t forget that when you get frustrated with people. People who are hungry and you think they just need to get a job. Or an alcoholic, who just needs to stop drinking. Or a coworker, who isn’t pulling their weight. We all have a story and maybe if we were more like Jesus, they would/could be a Mary M.

God is so intentional, isn’t He?

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On March 31, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! So for the next 3 motivations, I want to take the opportunity to discuss Easter. Of course, this will be Jennifer style (whatever that is). 🙂

I grew up in a Christian home but we didn’t attend church regularly until I was around 11. Most of you are like ok, great. That’s a good age to retain biblical knowledge. Well…this chick right here could care less at that time. I loved the Lord but I wasn’t interested in history at all. And learning about the Lord is one big history lesson. So it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized four unusual yet remarkable things happened after Jesus was crucified (like that was remarkable enough). What are they and why are they important to us? Let’s talk about it.

The darkness. I think most of us who know the story have heard there was darkness. Jesus was placed on the cross at 9 a.m. (Mark 15:25), then “from noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land” (Matthew 27:45). In the Old Testament, darkness was a sign of judgement. For example, in Exodus when the ninth plague hit there was darkness of Egypt for 3 days (Exodus 10:21-22). After the plague, death came to the first born sons (Exodus 11:4-5). Darkness preceded death. You see, then darkness happened while Jesus was on the cross, our sins were placed on Jesus and Jesus endured the judgement of God. Isn’t it funny how nothing randomly happens in the Bible?

The curtain. “The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). There are two theories as to what this was a symbolism of from God. The curtain could have showed a separation of the Jews and Gentiles. Paul said Jesus tore down the wall (Ephesians 2:14). Or, this could have been a representation of the curtain that separated the holy of holies. Regular ole worshippers (like me and you) were not allowed in and only high priest could go in once a year. Personally, this is what I always believed it represented. BUT! Fun fact- it doesn’t matter which symbolism you believe it represented because the end result is the same. It shows that God has been opened up for all people through Christ. Because it was torn from the top signifies God did it and not a human.

The earthquake. “The earth quaked, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51). After a quick google search, I learned that Palenstine is located on the Dead Sea Fault Line so earthquakes are pretty common in this area. So what’s the big deal right? They have earthquakes like we have tornados. Wellllll….not exactly. Because of the timing and the magnitude, this was a supernatural event. Kinda like when Moses was on Mount Sinai to give His law, “the whole mountain shook violently.” (Exodus 19:18). I can’t help but think these events were related as the demands of the law had been fulfilled.

The dead rose. “The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:52). Hold on a sec?? There were zombies too? I mean, kinda. I don’t think they were gross, stinky and wanted to eat your brains. But, these were Old Testament saints that were dead and then they were alive. I think Paul explained it best when he said, “the dead in Christ will rise”. (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This shows us, as believers, hope.

As I wrap up, I want you to stop and study the absolute parallels of all these events. Not to make light of any of these events, but they were so thought out. I get chills when I see that nothing is by accident. It is fascinating that God is so intentional. He is showing us time and time again. It’s like he’s fanning a CVS receipt saying, “I got it right here! On this date at this time!” It’s almost like he knew we would need proof…

As we prepare for the upcoming season, it is so important for us to reflect on what God has given and continues to give to us even though we don’t deserve it. I mean, hello…we need receipts. Like, His son dying by crucifixion for our sins is not enough. So, what did He do? He scared everyone! He had to put some “umph” behind this crucifixion to get our attention and to prove He loves us more than…anything. Prove to us…do hear how silly that sounds?

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On March 24, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Spring is HERE!!! Guess what else is here? Pollen. 👎🏻 I know, I know. I should be grateful and I am…but everything is just so….yellow. And, I am a loud sneezer. Anyway, we are NOT talking about pollen or my less than quiet sneezes today. Today, I want to talk about friendships but not in the happy go lucky traditional, motivational way. I want to talk about friendship breakups. Is it ok? Let’s talk about it.

I think most of you know me as outgoing. When you’re outgoing, you tend to naturally meet people easily. And I have met A LOT of people and I have had the honor of making A LOT of friends. Some of these people are “just friends” to “they know so much about me it’s scary and they better stay quiet about it”. But have you ever made friends with someone, developed a relationship with them and then (for whatever reason) you decided you were no longer compatible? Or! Have you been the friend that was broken up with? Unfortunately, I have been both. Both situations are hard for different reasons.

If you read up on ending friendships, people are conflicted if it’s ok as a christian. We are taught to be kind and patient. To help those who are suffering and to love them unconditionally. And all of that is absolutely true. But the Bible also teaches boundaries. When you draw boundaries, that doesn’t give you (or them) the right to be mean or rude. So, in saying that, I believe it IS ok for friendships to end.

Some friendships are seasonal. In the summer of ‘99, I met a group of girls who were seasonal friends. Literally, one summer we were inseparable and had a BLAST! Because of them, I met Jon! After that summer, we parted ways for one reason or another. It wasn’t a harsh split. We had just…moved on. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 sums it up perfectly. Some friends might last you a lifetime and some might be for a season. I have never, ever seen or heard from these girls again. In fact, I can’t remember their last name. But because of them, I met my love. I understand why God led me in that season.

Some of these friendships are a little more complicated. When you parted ways, it wasn’t because “you just moved on”. It’s because you or them realized you were not on the same page morally. We have all had this friend. You love them. They are so much fun! Until they aren’t. One day, while you are laughing and having a good time, you suddenly see something that’s “not cool”. Then you notice other things they are doing that just don’t align with your christian beliefs. When you see this, you stop and think about all the times you laughed or went along with their bad behavior. You realize YOU have allowed them to compromise your beliefs. 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us of these friends. Even someone with the best character can be impacted by the company they keep.

And then there are times, God leads us to do something different. Have you heard the saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees”? Well, we can be pretty stubborn. We may think this friend is GREAT! But God, right? He knows. He has a way of leading us in different directions when He sees we are not prioritizing Him. Wanna know how I know this? Matthew 15:38 shows us Jesus drew a boundary and was very aware of how he was investing His time.

As I am wrapping up, I know there are other verses that support the contrary. Again. You are not wrong. But I would encourage you to read not just one verse. Read the context. When you have a friend breakup, this doesn’t mean you have to go out in a blaze of glory. No, you can’t call them a name when they call you one (I know, I know. I struggle too). In fact, walking away peacefully and prayerfully is one of the most loving ways to end a friendship.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On March 17, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Yesterday, we had our annual Soup-er Missions Fundraiser. Every year the OutReach Team looks at different mission opportunities. Then, we allocate the funds from the soup-er fundraiser to those opportunities. Each year, we have a speaker come to discuss what we are supporting that year. This got me thinking about missions and how important they are. So, let’s talk about it.

To start with, I am on the OutReach Team. How many mission trips have I personally been on? None. That’s right. Zero. It was only somewhat recently that I have felt a calling to do mission work. I am not sure how, when or where I will go but I do plan on something one day. I feel certain God will let me know when it’s the opportunity He wants me to be a part of. But, being on the OutReach Team, it has opened my eyes on the importance of being a part of a church that is mission minded.

Many churches nowadays are pulled in MANY different directions. There are different programs, needs and decisions that need to be made. Because of this, it is easy for a church to just retreat inward. Because let’s be honest, that’s the easiest thing to do. But if you look at the Bible, church is meant to be outward facing. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Being mission minded is so much more than meeting once a month to talk about global missionaries and what they are doing. It’s more than discussing and planning trips. And I think when people hear the word missions, they think global. And yes! That is correct! But it’s also a worship service. It’s our youth group. It’s community outreach. AND!! It’s about global mission efforts. Why is this essential in our church?

Well first, it reflects the heart of God. God has always been focused on redeeming people from every single nation. In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples that they would witness “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Notice in that scripture, it covers local, national and global.

Speaking of globally, we are able to engage with churches all over the world. You see, missions are not just about helping those who are lost. It is also about building relationships with other Christians worldwide. We have connected with many people/churches and we are able to see how they worship (from a cultural aspect). We stay in contact with missionaries who are on the front lines of spreading God’s word in countries who are less than thrilled with them being there. It helps me to appreciate what I have and shows me I need to be diligent about spreading the word here in the US.

Lastly, this about the next generation. I want to arm and empower our kids with the word of God. The Youth Group and Kreek Kids have a great time when they get together. Yes, there is a lesson every day they meet. But they are shown the importance of outreach. Just the fact they are there and they are engaging in the group, they are products of outreach. They take that back home. They take that to school. They are armed with the knowledge to make good decisions.

Missions are so much more than I can write today. And frankly, I don’t feel I am doing it complete justice. I know we hear about missionaries and what they are doing but comprehending it is difficult sometimes (because we aren’t there and it’s hard to understand that people don’t have a right to worship). We are spoiled in that respect (and thank you Jesus for that!). But when you think about missionary work being in your own church…you see the waves it creates globally. It’s up to us to be on the boat that creates those waves.

Love you all and see you next week,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On March 10, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends!! Today I want to talk about something very different than my norm. BREAD MAKING!! I know, I know. This isn’t a cooking show! But stay with me here. Let’s talk about it.

Most of you know by now, I really enjoy cooking. And I especially enjoy baking. Being a diabetic, baking and diabetes don’t exactly go hand in hand BUT that’s why I have many people willing to take these carbs off my hands. Recently, I have REALLY gotten into making bread. Without going into too much detail, I have been reading up on what preservatives are in our food. And I have seen first hand how long store bought bread lasts versus homemade bread. So this year, I made a pact with myself to make more of our bread (notice I didn’t say all because…that’s a lot).

After making several different types of loaves of bread, I was ready to try sourdough. It was REALLY intimidating to me. There are so many “rules”. I tried a couple of years ago to start a starter and I failed miserably. I was so defeated because I really babied it! But this time, I felt like I could do it. And I did!! It took weeks for the starter to be a good, viable starter. And then, there is the breadmaking part. Did you know that it takes 24-48 hours to actually get a loaf of sourdough baked so you can eat it? It has to be stretched and folded and hang out in the fridge before you can bake it or it’s no good. Needless to say, it’s…way more than I thought. But deep down, I really love it. And this weekend, I was reflecting on what this process has taught me.

To start with, you really need good quality ingredients. Since this bread was started because I was concerned about what is going into our bodies, I did research. In fact, I devoted a crazy amount of time in studying up to make sure I was getting the most nutritional, first rate bread. Am I that devoted to the ingredients I put into my relationship with the Lord? Let’s just say, I can do better. With equal parts of time and effort and a dash of attention, our relationship can bloom (like yeast) into something that never stops growing.

Not only did the starter take weeks to be ready to bake with, but the entire bread making process is time consuming. And, I’ll be the first to admit, I am not a patient person. But all of the best things in life take time and preparation. You see, there are a lot of times in bread making that it looks like nothing is happening. But then you see a bubble in the dough, you then realize your hard work is paying off (this bread is going to make it!). Kinda like how God works in your life. You are rocking through life and you think He’s absent, and then suddenly His plan starts to unfold. And you realize He was working the whole time. Like your starter..

Lastly, when I make bread, it makes 2 BIG loaves. Sure, I can freeze one and hopefully it will be good later. But you know as well as I do, it won’t be as good as it is when it’s fresh. So, I always give one away. Usually it’s a neighbor or coworkers but this weekend it was taken to my momma. I intentionally baked it for her and then hand delivered it to her. I stayed and visited with her. She really appreciated my efforts and I, of course, just appreciate her. But that bread, which is nothing more than flour and water, was shared with someone I love. It brought us together. It doesn’t matter if it’s my mom or a stranger, we share a smile and a bond when I give it to them. Whether they recognize it or not, this act is how Jesus taught us to live. With love, kindness, mercy and a need to serve others.

When I started this bread making journey, I just wanted to see if: 1. I could do it and 2. I wanted to know what I was eating. I never expected to make parallels between breadmaking to christianity. Sure, eating and making bread is talked about all throughout the Bible. But I didn’t really see the comparisons until I was in the throes of being patient! Also it’s crazy how very few limited ingredients turn into nutritional, beautiful, tasty bread. When you really stop and think about how we are to live, it’s really not hard. In fact, the ingredients are pretty limited. We overthink and become intimidated which sometimes causes us to give up prematurely or not start the process at all. When it comes to breadmaking, it’s just flour, water and time. You are not losing much. But think about what you lose if you don’t knead your relationship with the Lord…

Love you all and see you next week!

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On February 25, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! I hope you are all doing well. If you have missed it, Pastor Scott has been preaching a series called, “Good Stories From The Good Shepherd”. It’s REALLY good. If you have missed a week or two, no big deal! Just look on Facebook and all his sermons are there waiting on you to watch them! I highly recommend them.

You are enough. Love yourself. You are perfect just the way you are! Do these saying ring a bell to you? In our world today, we hear these a lot. You see them printed on notebooks, shirts, hats etc. mostly targeting young women. Are these right? Are we enough? Are we perfect just the way we are? Should we love ourselves? Let’s talk about it.

This is the part of my motivation where I tell you a story about me. But this week, I have been in a situation where I have sat back and watched someone spiral downward. I’ll be honest, being someone on the outside looking in, it’s heartbreaking. I want to grab them and yell, “Get it together! Stop this nonsense!” And to me, it is nonsense. Because I care about them. This person’s family cares about them. This person’s neighbors care about them! We all love this person. They just don’t love themself. Because of this situation, I’ve really had a long hard look at myself.

While growing up as a christian, I was always told to love God and love others. It was pretty clear cut. But Matthew 22:37-39 states, “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Did you see that last part? Love your neighbor as you love yourself. This got me to thinking. The grace I show others is directly related to the grace I show myself. In the way I care for my mental, physical, and emotional needs will also be the way I invest in caring for the needs of those around me. The way I learn to have compassion on myself is the way that I would have love and compassion for others.

We all know the song, “Jesus Loves Me”. And as a christian, we don’t doubt His love for us, right? And the Bible clearly states we are to love others, right? Well, if we are going to do what Jesus tells us to do (which is love others) don’t you think love has to come from within?

Now, John MacArthur has a different take on the verse above. He states in The MacArthur Bible Commentary, “Contrary to some contemporary interpretations, it does not mandate self-love. Rather, it contains in different words the very same idea as the Golden Rule. It prompts believers to measure their love for others by what they wish for themselves.” Many believe self-love takes the focus off loving God and pursuing Him. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Well, Jennifer…what is the right answer?

Well, after looking at all sides of the Bible, I think it’s a balance. I do believe all the, “You are enough” sayings are silly. Because, that’s false. YOU are not enough without Him. YOU are not perfect just the way you are. YOU need to seek Him for…everything. But do I believe God wants us to not love ourselves to the point mistreating our body? Absolutely not and there is scripture to back that up. I believe loving yourself enough to know YOU can’t do this alone is the balance.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On February 17, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Thank you for letting me have an off week. It was my birthday and Valentine’s week so it was a busy week. One of the many reasons I love the month of February is because it is centered around love. We talk about love a lot in these motivations but today I want to focus on christian love. So, let’s talk about it.

Most of you know me in real life (unlike the internet one! 🙂). In real life, I have (more than) a few tattoos. I have the word “love” tattooed twice on me. Once on my left ring finger (for my love, Jon) and the second is a bible verse. 1 Corinthians 16:14, “Let all that you do be done in love.” I got this verse for many reasons. But the first and foremost reason was to be able to witness to nonbelievers. This verse speaks to me. If everyone did everything in love, this world would be a great place. I think even nonbelievers would agree, right?

Now, I love my husband. I do. But the easiest love is my son. Sure, he gets on my nerves but in my mom mind, the love you have for your child is the closest you will ever experience to pure love. It’s the closest love we can experience as how our Father loves us. Every person on Earth is a child of God whether they are a believer or not. Our God created everything you see. Look around…everything. And He did this for YOU. He did it for me. He did it for all of us. YES! Even those who hate Him. AND, He gave us HIS only son. Can you imagine allowing your child to use his life to pay for our salvation when we could care less about it? I can’t either. This love is agape love.

Agape love is the desire to do good for others, even enemies, and is not based on feelings. If you are anything like me, it is hard to separate feelings from doing good. I can’t tell you how many times I have to walk away to just think. In my younger days, I erroneously just reacted. I am definitely not perfect but I can tell you I have mellowed as I have gotten older. This more mellow Jennifer usually allows the opportunity to consult with God and ask questions. There are times I listen and there are times I don’t because I allow emotions to get in the way. I say this all the time, it’s because I’m human. Let me be clear when I say, that is no excuse for bad behavior. It’s just important to know that’s how God made us. Why did He make it hard on us? I don’t know exactly (I’ll ask when I get to heaven) but I feel certain it was a way to constantly seek Him.

Then, there is unconditional love. I think unconditional love and agape love are very similar but different. Unconditional love is what I believe is the closest most of us come to agape love. Let me sum up unconditional love. Jesus. Jesus helped. Jesus loved. BUT, Jesus also held people accountable. Unconditional love doesn’t mean allowing people to live a sinful life without you calling them out. It is your duty as a christian to tell them what they’re doing is wrong. This isn’t being judgemental. This is love. Remember, be careful of your delivery. When Jesus called people out, He did this with love and not hate.

And then, there is forgiving those who need to be forgiven. As a friend, I am going to tell you some bad news. People will hurt your feelings. They may do it intentionally or unintentionally. But when you are on the receiving end of that hurt, intentional or not, it hurts all the same. It will be up to you on how you deal with that hurt. As a byproduct of that hurt, it will shape you. Will you become bitter and angry? Or will you let go? What I can tell you is God is there to help you through it. And once you DO forgive, that is love. To just put it in perspective, can you truly love someone who hurt you bad enough to not forgive them? I know I couldn’t.

Love is hard and complicated because we have feelings. Love is an emotion that is hard to control. Love is the backbone of who we are or who we want to be. I used to say God tests us but I think God stretches us like a muscle. When a muscle is used and stretched for the first time in a long time, it hurts. It might hurt to use that muscle after it’s been worked but you still do it because you have to go about your day. Hopefully, you have used that muscle enough to where you don’t injure yourself too bad and need surgery. But with a little ice or a little heat, you are usually just fine. God wants to be our day to day life. He is our ice and heat. And if it’s too bad, He’s the only surgeon I want.

Love you all (and I promise I do!!),

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On February 3, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! I am so glad you are here reading Motivational Monday! Today, I want to address something I wrote in last week’s motivation. Something I wanted to delete but I knew I needed to address it this week…so, as painful as it is to leave it, I did.

Last week, when I signed off from my motivation I signed it as, “Love, Jennifer AKA Just some girl trying to get into heaven”. It was brought to my attention that it could be misleading to some of you reading these messages week after week. You might think, “well if she’s unsure then I’m unsure.” Well, I’m here today to make sure that I clear the air as much as possible. So let’s talk about it.

There are times when I am asked about a subject that I believe to be gossip. As you all know, I am NOT perfect and there are many times I will engage. But, I have tried to be better about being more intentional in my faith. Therefore, if I am feeling uncomfortable and I don’t want to say anything negative, my go to answer is, “I don’t know. I’m just some girl trying to get into heaven”. That’s my way of saying, “I prefer not to answer because it will be ugly and I need to do better.” Do I think that if I had engaged in the question and was ugly, I wouldn’t get to heaven? No. Do I think I’m not going to heaven because I am a sinner? No. In fact, I KNOW I am a sinner and I KNOW I’m going to heaven.

You see, our acceptance into heaven is not how good we have been. It’s not how many times we attend church, how much we tithe, how kind we are people or how many people we turn to the faith. Yes, God commands us to do certain things as christians. And yes, we should 100% do them. But, if you are like me, you realize the more you study the Bible the more you see how imperfect you are. You have to understand that sin separates us from God. Therefore, to get to His dwelling place, it won’t be on merit. Look at Ecclesiastes 7:20, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” By His own Word, He knows we are inherently sin.

In order to get to heaven, a person must first understand they are a sinner, and unable to justify themselves before God on their own. To be saved, all you need to do is believe that Jesus is Lord, that He died as the perfect sacrifice for their sins, and He was resurrected. Once someone has faith in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit secures that person’s salvation until Jesus returns. “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). One of my daily prayers is, “Lord, please forgive my sins I have committed today and in the past. Lord, please also forgive the sins I will commit in the future.” I like to have all my t’s crossed and my i’s dotted. 🙂

Heaven is a magical place with pearly gates, and golden roads. If it wasn’t God’s place, I would think there would be HIGH security but…He kinda knows EVERYTHING that is going on. With that being said, you would think surely, there’s more to it to get in, right? Nope.

Thankfully, it is NOT based on how kind we are or how much we give. Want to know why? For every good, there’s at least 2 sins that outweigh it. I am so thankful that God knows us (because of course He does). He wants us to be in His kingdom forever. He’s our Father. He knew there was no way we were getting to heaven on merit. Hence, Jesus. Jesus’s sole purpose was for us. One man paid the price for ALL of us. Incredible.

So, if I led you astray with my sign off last week, please know that was not my intention. And please know that I am so far from perfect. Maybe that was supposed to happen just for this motivation, right?

Love you all,

Jennifer

AKA Just a girl who is thankful she’s forgiven

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On January 27, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! As I was thinking about what to write today, I was hit in the face with a subject idea (thanks to my best friend 🙂). Judgement. Who is supposed to pass judgment? So let’s talk about it.

When I was younger, I used to judge others pretty harshly. I honestly don’t know why because I never thought of myself as better than anyone else (truly). I guess, in my mind, right is right and wrong is wrong. As I have aged, I see there is a lot of gray in that black and white. Maybe this is easier for me to see because I have my own past. And in this past, I needed people to see my gray and not judge me. But, here’s the funny part, I DID need them to judge me. What I needed was grace, love and accountability. And to hold someone accountable that involves judgement. And those closest to me did and they helped change me (which I am forever grateful).

Following Jesus is simple, but not easy.

Matthew 7:1 simply states, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” That’s pretty direct, right? But let’s look at the verses after that, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:2-5.

If you read Matthew 7:1 and nothing else, it seems pretty clear. But when you keep reading, you realize Jesus tells listeners how to approach someone who is behaving poorly. If you skip down to Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus says that we can discern the true character of people by observing the fruit they bear. So, can we judge or not? Because, as a Christian, I feel like I am in a trap. If I judge someone, I’m a hypocrite but if I don’t then I am not spreading the true gospel. Personal opinion here, but this feels like the devil is doing his work perfectly. We are doubting ourselves and we are allowing Jesus’s own words to stop us.

Judging is looking at another person’s action in such a way that you are pronouncing guilt on them. But what if that person has told you they were guilty? They are coming to you needing guidance. During his time on Earth, Jesus lived what he taught, and he regularly (and rather assertively) addressed people’s harmful choices. So it wouldn’t make sense for him to prohibit us from using discernment in our relationships or the world at large. I believe when Jesus used the word “judge” he referred to condemning others or treating them with judgemental contempt.

Let’s go back to Matthew 7:3-5 above. Jesus’ words suggest there is a time and place to speak up when you see a problem. Like Jesus, we can call out wrongdoing in ways that do not condemn or diminish anyone else. But notice that it isn’t until the final line of his metaphor that Jesus says anything about assessing another person’s behavior. The majority of his instruction is about the important first step of self-reflection. This is where I used to fall off the wagon on the whole “judging others” thing. My self reflection was TERRIBLE!!

Recognizing, acknowledging and addressing our own failures is a very humbling experience. And if you have ever been in a situation where you are lost (mentally and spiritually) but you emerged on the other side…then you know. You were humbled to your core. From this place of honest humility, we are less likely ro judgmentally condemn or think less of others.

This week, as you are watching the news or listening to a friend/family, pay attention to your thoughts or words. Notice when judgement escapes. Where is this coming from? This is where self reflection comes into play. Likewise, if a friend is telling you something that is wrong, then stand up and say something! If they are your friend, they will appreciate you (maybe not right then but later 😂). It IS ok to hold people accountable for their sins. Mine did. They listened, loved me and showed me grace. And because of this accountability and love, I chose to come out the other side.

Love you all,

Jennifer

aka just some girl trying to get in heaven