Author: Vanessa Taylor

Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise [from the dead].” Martha replied, “I know that he will rise [from the dead] in the… Continue reading Increasing Faith

“Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts! And in love he chose us before he laid the… Continue reading Beloved

“Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands; you have dirtied them in sin. Cleanse your heart, because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other.” (James 4:8 The Voice) REFLECTION  To date, I’ve had… Continue reading Come Close

Strength and dignity are her garments;she smiles about the future. (Proverbs 31:25 ISV) REFLECTION  A loved one recently commented on a recent photo of me, where I was looking rather stern and serious, and he kindly reminded me that I have a lovely smile. The irony is that when the photo was taken my heart… Continue reading The Ministry of Smiling

“Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! How beautiful it is when we sing our praises to the beautiful God, for praise makes you lovely before him and brings him great delight! Yahweh builds up Jerusalem; he gathers up the outcasts and brings them home. He heals the wounds of every shattered heart. He sets his stars in… Continue reading The Wonder of Worship

I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all… Continue reading Living Love

I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear, because she showed great love. People who are forgiven only a little will love only a little. (Luke 7:47 ERV) REFLECTION  When I committed my life to Jesus Christ my keen awareness of my sin and the gift of forgiveness I received from… Continue reading The Gift of Forgiveness

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked… Continue reading Accepting Love

You can know a tree by the fruit it bears. You don’t find figs on a thorn bush, and you can’t pick grapes from a briar bush. It’s the same with people. A person full of goodness in his heart produces good things; a person with an evil reservoir in his heart pours out evil things. The… Continue reading Focus + Flow

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge… Continue reading Living Hope