I remember in Sunday School a song we used to always sing called His Banner Over Me Is Love. It has a clear message that God loves us unconditionally and it is like if He could wave a banner over our heads 24/7 He absolutely would. The banner would broadcast His pure, never ending love for us for all to see. He is that crazy about you and me. You see, God's love is a form of love that you cannot experience anywhere else. It is pure and called agape love. Through a quick internet search, agape love is explained this way. It is a Greek word that represents the highest form of selfless, unconditional love there is. It is not dependent on what a person is or does, but simply a love that loves someone exactly the way he or she is, period. Agape love is an unfamiliar concept it seems these days. Instead many people feel they must earn love, and feel often fearful of falling from grace and losing love from the ones they care about most. Many people I have interacted with have a hard time believing that God could love them at all, let alone unconditionally. I have chatted with people that have felt that they have sinned too much, have made too many mistakes or poor choices, or fallen so far off the beaten path that there was no hope for them. They are "too far gone" in their eyes. If you are one of those people I cannot stress enough how absolutely wrong that thinking is. Jesus is here for all of us. He cares about all of us, not an elite few. There are only two types of people as my beloved Grandpa Sudds would say: sinners and sinners saved by grace. We are ALL deserving of his agape love, no matter who we are or what we have done. Are you a Christ follower my friend? Do you even realize how much Jesus longs to have a relationship with YOU? He could have made us all little robots, who automatically served Him but instead He gave us freewill. He wants us to come to Him freely, unreservedly and accept this new life and love that only He offers. Won't you accept Him as the Lord of your life today and experience a life and love like you have never known? He is waiting for you with open arms. Please don't wait any longer. Tuck that in your heart today ❤️and repeat this prayer below if you would like to become a follower of Jesus. Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that you are God and are able to forgive me of my sins. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and become my personal saviour. Come into my heart and change me into the person I am meant to be. Help me to live for you from this day forward. Thank you for coming into my life and thank you for loving me as I am. In Jesus's name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Tags: salvation, accept Jesus into your heart, agape love, God's love, unconditional love, love of JesusCopyright: © 2025 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)
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“Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there." (Old saying) Charlie Brown has Snoopy. Scooby Doo has Shaggy. Woody has Buzz Lightyear and the good old Fonz has Ritchie Cunningham. Okay by the latter example I am really dating myself, but my point is: where would we all be without true friends? True friends are what keep us going through the hard times, keep us laughing in the good times and keep us from losing our sanity during the craziness that is our lives some days. If you have those types of people just described in your circle of influence, then consider yourself very blessed. BFFs are what we call best friends nowadays. I hear a lot about this in my classroom. I remember when I didn’t even know what that acronym meant, but now it is very commonly heard. I have a very sweet student who calls me "Miss Naldi." My last name is Romualdi, so it is close, but not quite. I had to smile the one day when she said "I am not calling you Miss Naldi anymore." I inquired about what she planned to call me going forward thinking she finally got my name correct. She replied "I am going to call you bestie." So cute! It is easy to see who is friends with who in a small classroom. It is also easy to see who may be feeling left out or lonely. It is quite painful to witness at times. I try to be very aware of this and set up scenarios where I select the partners, pick teams and provide a setting of inclusion. I remember when I went to school this did not always happen. We were asked to pick a partner, or pick teams and the same kids were often left out or picked last. You could see how painful it was for them. I am so glad we are making positive steps to move away from those types of practices today. I love the James Taylor song “You’ve Got A Friend.” My good friend Rosie and I sang it together in high school. It was one of my proudest moments and fondest memories of high school. If I do say so myself we had a great duet going on with some lovely harmonies. The words say “You just call out my name and you know wherever I am, I’ll come running to see you again! Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call and I’ll be there! You’ve got a friend!” Those lyrics speak to the power of those true friends who will drop everything to come and help us. Those types of people are very precious and valued. I hope you are blessed to have some of those gems in your life. I am very fortunate to have several in that special category. Good friends come in all shapes, sizes and age categories. Some of my closest friends through the years have been very different from me, yet despite our differences we formed amazing bonds and still found we had very much in common. We developed a kindred spirit that still continues to this day. Be open minded when it comes to new friendships. You never know who might just walk into your life and become one of your closest and dearest friends. Friends are truly one of life’s greatest treasures. Let your “besties” know what they mean to you today. Believe me they will appreciate it and you will feel great that you let them know how you feel about them. In Proverbs 18:24, the Bible talks of Jesus who is the “friend that sticks closer than a brother.” Personally I have found that to be so true in my walk with Christ. Sometimes people can disappoint us because they are only human, yet Jesus will always be at our side if we are open to His leadings. Tuck that in your heart today ❤️and repeat this prayer below if you would like to become a follower of Jesus and know the feeling of having a friendship like you have never known. Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that you are God and are able to forgive me of my sins. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and become my personal saviour. Come into my heart and change me into the person I am meant to be. Help me to live for you from this day forward. Thank you for coming into my life. In Jesus's name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Tags: friendship, relationship with God, true friendsCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) 2nd edition, © 2014, 1st edition ( You've Got a Friend)
In Lamentations 3: 22 - 23 it says: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. It is such an incredible thought to ponder that God's mercies are new EVERY morning. With each new day, God gives us a fresh dose of his grace to face whatever the day may hold. He never grows weary of us, or tired of offering his grace on a continual basis. In this verse it speaks of the never changing nature of God's love as well. It is described as steadfast. You can count on it and put your trust in it. God's love is so different than anything we are used to here on earth. It is so refreshing. He loves us unconditionally. NOTHING we could ever do would make God loves us any less or more than he does right now. Some days are very difficult. It is so reassuring to know that with each new sunrise, we have a chance to make a fresh start in Christ. God can give us a fresh start at any time, but truly every day we have on this earth is a gift. Knowing that God is faithful and stays by our side reminds us that together with God, no matter what the day may bring, we will face it head on, hand in hand together. Tuck that in your heart today! Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of each new day. Each new day has such potential. Help us to never take for granted the wonderful life you have given us. May we not count the days, but make the days count for the cause of Christ and the furtherance of your kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen Until next time, Dana AuthorDana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, author, social worker, blogger and speaker. She has a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement. She lives in Canada with her husband and two grown children. When she is not working in the classroom or writing, she enjoys drinking coffee, watching Netflix and reading great books. Tag: God's faithfulness, God's mercy, gift of a new dayCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana/ walkingintheword
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could be carefree like when we were little kids? My students make it their personal mission every day to get one of the three blue chairs we have in the classroom. It seems because these chairs are different than the other burgundy chairs, they are deemed somehow "magical" or more special. One little guy this week even called himself "the chosen one" when he happened to luck out and get a blue chair for the day. Funny what we prioritized or worried about back then, seems so trivial now. Stress is relative they say, yet somehow as adults we long for the "good old days" when life just seemed well, a whole lot simpler. It is easy to feel overwhelmed on a daily basis. This is why the Bible clearer instructs us to seek help to carry our burdens. In 1 Peter 5:7 ESV it says to "Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." This is good news because the heaviness that you feel ... that weight in your chest that makes it hard to breathe... does not have to be handled alone. You can share it! Cast your anxieties on himWhy do we try to go it alone when it is clearly not necessary or part of God's plan for us? Think of your worries or stress like a very heavy backpack. You will never feel relief by ignoring it, denying it, covering it up or believing the lie that dealing with that heaviness is just the way it is going to be for you, forever and ever AMEN! You only truly get relief from that heavy burden when you lay. it. down. Where you lay it down though, is key. Putting it at the foot of your bed, or at the front door only to be picked up again and again, makes no sense. Instead, I encourage you to lay it at the foot of the cross. Jesus took all our anxiety, stress, needs and brokenness upon himself when he died for us on the cross. He has it all handled and he will help us manage and solve our problems when we partner with him. He cares for youGod's love is beyond anything we can imagine. No love on earth can even remotely compare. He loves us with an agape love, which is unconditional. There is NOTHING you could do that would cause God to love you any less. He is ALWAYS ready and willing to welcome you with open arms. You are loved. You are chosen. You are valued. If you are full of anxiety or have a heavy burden, come to Jesus. He will help you and love you with a love beyond your comprehension. Tuck that in your heart today. Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you that your word instructs us to cast all our cares on you. You have big shoulders, and you can handle it. Help us to trust you and fully comprehend how wide, how long, how high and how deep, your love truly is for us. In Jesus' name, Amen Sending you a virtual hug, Dana
Copyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana/ walkingintheword
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