To anyone reading this, I’m honored to be writing to you today. I’m honored you’re taking the time to listen to silly-little me! I’m really just an adventure-seeking, people-loving, sass-filled girl who had the most beautiful privilege of Jesus capturing my heart at the beginning of college. It was like our Jesus came and whispered gently in my ear, “Come with me, my sweet daughter. I promise I have something really great to show you.” It was Himself, and boy did He keep His promise. I feel spoiled He has shown me a glimpse of His glory. A freedom so sweet I can almost taste it. This taste (better than ice-cream or chocolate) can only be found in Him…even though the world tries to trick us otherwise. Lately, He has rocked my world (not in the easiest way either) to show me He promises He still is on my side. I’m realizing more that there are many, many scales that still need to be removed from my eyes to see people and the world more like our Maker. And then I think…how neat that the Creator of the world delights in all of us! He fights to show us that He isn’t second best, and He doesn’t want us to settle for second best either. Our Jesus doesn’t desire us to become stagnant and be in search of the “American Dream” when there is something greater right in front of our eyes (those dang scales again). He wants us to dream big and trust Him for the sake of His Kingdom, for His glory. So, I sit here on my two-week summer break from graduate school with big news. I have some really incredible friends—gals who remind me to turn back to the cross everyday. They tell me the good news, the hard truth, and express sweet love reminding me that this world is not my home. They have stood by me as I’ve received this vision to share this devotional with you. They have poured their heart out to you to show Jesus brings life. He wants to give us freedom, and He gives us the tools…The Fruit of The Spirit!!!! Because of this, each girl has written about one of the Fruits for you to cling to and talk about with your friends. Their hearts for this are just like mine… we want you to know in your beautiful soul that Jesus adores you. He is your daddy, provider, healer, advice-giver, best friend, and companion. My prayer for this devotional is that these truths start to transform your heart. My prayer is that Jesus sparks a fire in your heart and allows you to believe He is enough always. So let this devotional be the start to your morning or your in-between classes ‘go-to item’ for the next 28 days. Put this packet in a spot you will continually see. My challenge for you is to enjoy the sweet freedom in Christ. Although life gets really messy sometimes, I’m thankful we have a Savior who adores when we run into His arms. We don’t have to change before coming to Him, we come to Him and He changes us…it is what the Fruit of the Spirit is all about. Love, peace, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, patience, and self-control can all ONLY come from Him. We can’t do it on our own. Praise God for a Savior who freely gives His Holy Spirit to us. Enjoy today y’all—life is precious. Cling to these truths with me. xoxo Kalie Whitehead

Forever grateful for the servant hearts of these gals:

Sydney Allison Alexis Almonte Gracie Carryl

Hillary Casselli Danielle Cayon

Courtney Chapman Sarah Coleman

Suzy Collins Catherine Cramer

Julia DiCesare Melissa Dukes

Brooke Faircloth Mary Katherine Fechtel

Kristi Fritch Robbi-Anne Garrett

Carisa Gidel Ashley Hunt

Emily Lowman Courtney Maines Ashton Mallard Kelsey Martinez

Mary Prakas Meghan Ryan

Emily Szafranski Brittany Wiggs Sarah Williford

Zoe Wilson

And a special thank you to Grace Ann Kerkvliet for the beautiful cover art and Meghan Ryan for proofreading our work and being my go-to girl throughout it all

Day 1: The Fruit of the Spirit But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26 What is the Fruit of the Spirit? God deeply desires to infuse these nine fruits of the Holy Spirit into our personalities. Jesus wants us to enter into a sanctification process (becoming more and more like Himself) so he can mold, transform, and shape us into His image. These attributes can’t be achieved by our good deeds or our own will power. These characteristics come from the Holy Spirit alone. What beautiful news…it’s a gift from Christ! Our Jesus is overjoyed in transforming His children by renewing our minds. As we spend time with Jesus and get to know him better, His thoughts will become our thoughts and his purpose will become our purpose. We will then “bear fruit,” which is essentially becoming like Jesus! The “fruit” will show in our lives as our character is transformed through a relationship with the Son of God. These virtues from Christ bring us true freedom…freedom that is almost hard to explain. As we start, I’m praying your heart realizes how much Jesus adores you. I’m thankful he doesn’t love a future version of a better us; He loves us how we are—dirty, messy, and in need of a Savior. That is why He came to this Earth! He is fighting for all of our hearts. We have an unchanging, unwavering God whose promises are true and an eternal glory coming to us soon. Let’s live in the promise and hope of Jesus!

Day 2: The Beauty of Love “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...” Galatians 5:22 LOVE. Wow. What a word! This is a word that encompasses so many meanings, feelings, and memories (or maybe a lack thereof). What do we love? What is love? Well for starters, I love chocolate chip cookies; I love sunrises & sunsets; I love my family and friends; I love driving around with the windows down on a nice day singing 90s songs at the top of my lungs (sorry everyone). But, when we are talking about love in the context of relationship (not just love of things, places, events, activities) the Bible gives us a very concrete definition for this often very abstract concept: love. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” Great, so we know what love is. Now, let’s look at what God calls us to love. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 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.” [Matthew 22:36-38] We are called to love 2 things:

The Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind. Our neighbor as ourselves.

Quick diagnostic test: how well do we do at these two things? Do you feel like you are better at doing one or the other? (Don’t feel guilty for the ways we fall

short in either of these areas; we are humans and we fall short by nature. Christ will always show us grace). Let’s look at ways to grow in LOVE. Look at the verses from Matthew 22 again: “love your neighbor as yourself.” Think about this for a second. How do we think about ourselves? I’ll be the first to confess that so often I love myself poorly. I am hyper-critical of myself and I magnify every flaw I find. I fall easily into the trap of comparison and I am left feeling like I am not enough. It is difficult to view myself through lenses of love. What would it mean for me to love my neighbor as myself when I love myself so poorly? I wouldn’t want to be that neighbor. Let’s see what the apostle Paul has to say about this: “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself...It is the Lord who judges me.” [1 Corinthians 4:3-4] What he is saying here is that we can’t define ourselves by what others think of us, and we also can’t define ourselves by what we think of us. The only way to know who we truly are is by letting Jesus define us. He tells us the truth about us. And when we are in Him, with His Spirit dwelling in us, we know that who we are is: Loved, Enough, Forgiven, Delighted In, Beautiful, Valued, and the list goes on! We must view ourselves through the lenses of Christ’s love. By letting our love be defined by Jesus and His Spirit, rather than from our sinful flesh, we are able to grow in love for others (and ourselves). But how do we grow in love for God? This is our first commandant: to love God with all our heart, soul, & mind. We grow in love for God when we look to the cross. We must realize that every step Jesus took on His way to His death on the cross was directly out of his love for us. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” [1 John 3:16]. Jesus chose to die the death that we deserved on the cross, he chose separation from his Father; He chose rejection, mocking, condemnation that he did not deserve. He suffered pain on behalf of those same people causing the pain. He chose to suffer so that we wouldn’t have to. He chose US! He was not forced to lay down his life for us [John 10:17-18]. It was due to the overflow of the love in his heart. Jesus paints the most beautiful picture of true love.

He loves us, He loves us, He loves us. We simply have to receive it. Let yourself be loved by the God who created you. When God defines our love, we are freed to love God, ourselves & others well. We are free to see the true value in ourselves and those around us, and we are free to love the God who loved us first.

Day 3: The Beauty of Joy Joy is easy to see in others, especially in extroverts or peppy, upbeat personalities who always seem happy, but not always easy to find in ourselves. So how does a non-peppy person have joy? But that’s just it; joy is not always being happy or upbeat. Rick Warren, a Christian-author (who claims to not be a naturally upbeat person himself), wrote this definition of joy after studying scripture: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” So where does this joy come from and how do I get it? First, I want to distinguish joy from happiness (you may not have even been aware there was even a difference). Happiness is simply what happens to you. It is an external emotion and temporary feeling based on our circumstances. In other words, happiness is a cause and effect theory. Something happens – you get what you’ve always wanted or you win something – and you instantly become happy. But just as quick as you become happy, you can also loose that happiness. Say the gift you received or the shoes you bought with your own money are stolen; your happiness is replaced with anger or sadness. Happiness comes and goes so easily. On the contrary, joy is what is produced in you. An internal emotion stemmed from the Almighty. It is constant; it does not waver. Joy does not come from our own self, but as a gift from the Spirit as is says in Galatians 5:22. With that, let’s dive more into this joy and where it comes from. What better place to start than the Bible? Paul is a wonderful example of how durable and lasting joy is, even when things aren’t always going well. In 2 Corinthians 7:4 he says, “In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.” So where did Paul’s joy come from and how can I find that joy? Joy Comes From the Lord. Throughout scripture we are reminded time and time again that joy does not come from our own efforts, but joy comes from the Lord. First, in faith, which comes through believing God. 1 Peter 1:8-9 states, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see

him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” In this verse we see that joy is a natural consequence, the “end result,” of our faith. It is so glorious and so great; we cannot even express it in words – who doesn’t want this indescribable joy?!? So first and foremost, joy comes through faith. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” Romans 15:13. Through faith we have joy! Joy Is A Gift. We are reminded through Galatians 5:22 again, that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are all gifts, including joy, received from the Holy Spirit. Joy is not something we can work towards or gain, but it is an outpouring of the Spirit on our lives, it must be poured into us – and God wants nothing more than to overflow us with this joy. How beautiful and wonderful!!! Joy Comes Through Tribulations. James 1:2-4 states, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Here we are reminded that trials and “the testing of [our] faith” works to sanctify us and mold us more into Christ’s image. And so, because we are being sanctified, joy comes in these trials. “Count it all joy!!!” To wrap things up, through scripture, we are reminded that 1. Joy comes through faith. 2. Joy comes as a gift from the Holy Spirit. 3. Joy comes through trials and tribulations. God desires us all to live in joy. By accepting this gift through faith and choosing to recognize joy in all circumstances, we are giving ALL glory to God. And what greater joy is that! In the days ahead, pray that God may open your eyes to the joy he has set before you in all circumstances. Choose to find joy by trusting “God is in control of all the details of [our l ives], the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” He has so much to show you!! So, at the end of the day, no matter what our circumstances, we can find joy, because we have full confidence that Jesus Christ has saved our wandering souls and for that we will “REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS.” (Phil ippians 4:4).

Day 4: The Beauty of Peace

Peace out dude.

Isaiah 26:3-4 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts

in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”

Peace, a word used over 230 times in the Bible. But, I like to think of it as way more than just a word. I like to think of it as a place of total and complete contentment in the deepest parts of our hearts. I like to think of it as a fruit only totally capable to receive in our soul through our Jesus. I think that when we lay down all control, when we seek the Truth more than the lies, when we become overwhelmingly aware of what Jesus has ALREADY done for us, when we look to the Creator more than creation to determine our worth, when we realize that we are held completely in His hand, when we exhibit a trust that would never dare to take even one step alone, …that’s where we find the peace that our Jesus intends for our hearts. Yet, when the world tells us to compare, & judge, & hurry, & worry, & do more & more & more, where is this peace, & why can’t we find it anywhere? That’s where our main man Jesus comes in, because we don’t have to chase after this peace. He is there. He is with us, in us, around us in every circumstance, in every relationship, in every decision. When we open our hearts & our eyes & cry out to Jesus to give up our control & anxieties & insecurities; He shows up, every time. To give us a peace that passes all understanding, a peace that we don’t deserve, a peace that He PROMISED on that cross. Jesus never said it would be a life without trials, but that He overcame it, & will continue to fulfill His promises “now & forevermore.”

The world tells us to perform & fail, but Jesus says rest in my performance & LIVE. Jesus, your love is better than life. Let us fix our eyes on YOU. Help us to RUN to you to find this perfect peace, & not to run to what the world says gives it. Jesus we pray your promises will be so real to us that we desire nothing but Your perfect peace in our hearts. Reveal yourself today Jesus. Help us to feel you. Open our hearts to what you are doing in our lives right this second & give us peace in knowing that you have purposed our life when we were in our mothers womb. Jesus, you are GOOD & your perfect love endures forever.

Isaiah 14:24 “As I have purposed, so it shall stand.”

Day 5: The Beauty of Forbearance for·bear·ance fôrˈber"ns,f"r-/ nounformal noun: forbearance 1 patient self-control; restraint and tolerance. If you’re anything like me, you are wondering what the heck is

forbearance? (Hence the inclusion of the definition of it.) When I think of the fruits of the sprit, this isn’t the first that pops into my mind. Probably because it isn’t one of the ones that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside like “joy” or “peace.” But there is a reason it is one of the fruits.

By now I’m sure you’ve faced a season in life that isn’t warm and fuzzy.

Jesus knew life would be like that. He knew that there would be trials and dry periods and times where we are so desperate to figure it all out right that second on our own. But he has given us this fruit of the spirit to practice patient self-control. Not just self-control where we are gritting our teeth and choosing to wait or refrain from something, he has given us the ability to wait out these periods with a peace that comes with patience. With forbearance, we can practice self-control that is free of bitterness.

Some of the synonyms that go with forbearance are endurance and

fortitude. Fortitude is courage in pain or adversity. When we use forbearance, we are also practicing fortitude. This year holds new adventures, new memories, new hardships and new growth. This year, you will need forbearance. You might need it when classes get tough or a relationship goes sour or someone near to you gets sick. And you may very well need it right now as you come to the end of recruitment season.

I vividly recall hating my organization- something I thought was the

greatest thing in the state of Florida. I couldn’t believe what people I called my friends could say about complete strangers- since when did we have the authority to judge these women? These are valid feelings to have. This is a broken part of a broken system in a broken world. The enemy is ready to use this time to not only turn you against your friends and sisters, but also turn you against yourself. Do not give him that

foothold. Instead, turn to the Creator of the Universe and praise Him. He will be so glorified amidst this brokenness if you are open to it. One of my favorite memories in all of college was one morning before rush my senior year. My roommate and I opened our room in house for anyone to pray before the day. One day we crammed 50 girls in that room and prayed. I was astonished at who the Lord brought into that room. Let God surprise you with how He will use this time of darkness for His Kingdom.

When we approach these times in life that are dry and difficult,

forbearance or patient self-control are beautiful things. When things get unclear in our lives, we must recognize what we are so eager to turn to instead of Jesus and choose forbearance. We must allow the Lord to give us that patient self-control to turn from what we want to temporarily fill ourselves with instead of letting Jesus do a great work in and through us. And yes, this takes courage in pain or adversity. As a believer in a sorority, I can guarantee that you will face adversity because of your faith, especially during recruitment. Take courage because Jesus knew this and is ready to stand with you when you stand for him. He is there asking you to take his hand as you wait out the storm.

Whatever lies ahead of you in this next year, remember that the Lord has

given you the power in the Holy Spirit to claim forbearance when you most want to turn to what the world is tempting you with. Claim it every single day that you find yourself in that drought. He is doing a great work in you as you choose him above anything else. And that is something to feel warm and fuzzy about.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to al l men. It

teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to l ive self-controlled, upright and godly l ives in this present age. While we wait for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14

Questions to truly think about: What in your life is challenging your ability to claim forbearance? (For me it is

having patient self-control in the future and a job, health, relationships).

What do you turn to for that instant gratification instead of waiting on the Lord? What are strategies to combat these desires?

Write down at least one person you can share this with to help keep you

accountable in this journey. Some days we have to choose Jesus, and with that choice, we strengthen our forbearance.

Day 6: The Beauty of Kindness

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

When I got asked me to do this devotion and the word chosen for me

was kindness, my initial reaction was “Me? Kindness?? But that is precisely why it

is a “fruit of the spirit.” Kindness is not within me at all. Not without Christ. I am

a born sinner with nothing good in me. The thoughts that go through my head

on any given day (judgments, insecurities, self-preservation at the cost of others)

have nothing to do with kindness. To be kind is to be of a good or benevolent

nature or disposition. So how do we gain this fruit of the spirit?

In the beginning God created man with the capacity to do every good

work the law required. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they fell into

rebellion against the Creator, and so did the rest of us. We as humans are

ultimately sinful and God is ultimately good, and because of original sin, we

cannot be with God, because it would be against his holy nature. We can only

be right with God if the price of sin is paid. Out of his goodness and

graciousness, God created a way to be reunited with his people. We do not

deserve to be saved. We deserve death. But grace is undeserved and unmerited

favor. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in

Christ Jesus our Lord.” God loved his people so much that he became man,

lived a perfect life, and took on the wrath of God, being separated from the life

giver, died when he never should have had to, all for us: rebels against the

throne. Jesus, man and God in one, is the only reason we can be kind. He paid

for our rebellious nature so we could take on his benevolent nature.

In this paying of our debt, Jesus rose to heaven to prepare for his return

to us. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my

Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go

to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” When that

time comes, he will come back and restore the world and his people. Where sin

will be no more and “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death

shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore,

for the former things have passed away.”

Jesus does not leave us in this broken world without help. We have the

word of God to lead us. The word of God is so important! It is the tangible tool

that God gives us to make us more like Christ.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting

and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly

equipped for every good work. “

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity?

By living according to your word.”

“The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever.”

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word

was God.”

With the Word, Jesus also sent us his Spirit. The Spirit speaks the Word of God

into our lives daily. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send

in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I

have said to you.” God has given us such a gift in sending part of him to be with

us always.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray

for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep

for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. “

The Spirit prays for us! The Spirit helps us in our own prayers. The Spirit is

consistently helping us become more like Christ “according to the will of God”.

It is such a wonderful gift. The fruit of the Spirit comes from deep and consistent

devotion to understanding the Word of God and deeper knowledge of who

God is. We can only be kind because he was first kind to us. Any spiritual gift

we have is a weakness that God has made strong. Whenever I have love,

whenever I am joyful, whenever I bring peace, whenever I practice patience,

whenever I am kind, whenever there is goodness in me, whenever I am faithful

to do what God has commanded, whenever I show gentleness, whenever I

practice self-control, this is not from me, but the Spirit of God dwelling in me

and interceding for me and leading me to the cross.

Day 7: The Beauty of Goodness Goodness is beautiful fruit that when watered and nourished correctly can be one of the most beautiful evidences of a heart truly transformed by God’s grace. However, I believe it is crucially important to first address two big misconceptions about goodness. The first is that as humans we tend to lean to one extreme or the other with goodness. Some of us may believe that in order to be a follower of Christ goodness is all there is to it. You feel the need to be morally upstanding and charitable. You do good things, really good things. You don’t participate in the daily gossip, you don’t fall into the hookup culture (you don’t even use Tinder), you show your Facebook support of social justice causes, you don’t cheat (not even in classes like Wildlife Issues), etc. You are a morally good person. Isn’t that what goodness is about? There is of course another side of the fence we like to sit on. The side where God’s grace has already covered our sins and “Hey! I’m saved by faith & grace, not good works!” This is very true. I could never post enough Instagrams with Bible verses, or care for enough homeless people to earn my salvation or God’s grace. It can’t be done; there is no earning it. But we are called to live a life according to the calling that we have received (Ephesians 4:1). We are called to live as though we know goodness, because we’ve tasted something sweeter than anything else in the world! God’s really, really, reeeeeeally good grace. In many cases we either want to earn God’s favor & approval by doing good things and being good people (this is moralism, not Christianity). Or we want to continue living our lives completely unchanged; claiming faith in God is enough, convincing ourselves God doesn’t actually want us to change our ways, He loves us as we are! So what am I trying to say? I’m saying that there is a radical middle in between these two beliefs that we can find comfort, joy and freedom in. I need freedom from goodness, because I can tell you that I am not good, I repeat- I am not good. God desires for us to live a life free from performance, free from constant striving, because He wants us to rest in His goodness. God also loves us enough to tell us what’s best for us, what is good for our souls. He tells us that a life transformed by Him will lead us to goodness. It’s a byproduct of His love. Goodness comes from God. Actually,

every good thing comes from God (James 1:17). Therefore, in order to pour out genuine goodness you have to abide in the source of goodness. John 1:1 says “...the word was with God and the word was God.” To produce goodness we have to abide with the source of it, God himself, or, in our case, the Word of God. Pure goodness comes from a heart that is truly being transformed into the likeness of our father. We let His words transform our hearts, we let His Word convict us, change us, and create newness in us. When we let God have every part of our heart, He takes the root of our “not goodness” and leads us into His heart of goodness and grace. There in His presence, there in His word, there in full surrender our hearts can produce goodness that brings Him glory.

Day 8: The Beauty of Faithfulness So why faithfulness? My freshman year of college I was a flake. I was the person whose dependability was limited to calls of “life or death”. The one who committed knowing there was a large possibility I wouldn’t show. Where a “frosted” flake suggests that the individual typically generates a heartfelt excuse, my friends dubbed me with the title of “corn flake.” In other words, my excuses sucked—if they were even existent. To be honest, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with this pattern of living. After all, it isn’t like anyone actually notices or cares if I am a no-show, right? We live in a society where commitment isn’t a requirement, where follow-through is optional. A society where “freedom” is defined in terms of doing whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want. This is the norm. The situations are seemingly insignificant. Why does faithfulness matter? As a follower of Jesus, I came to realize the parallel between my flakiness and my value to the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 2:20-21). In the midst of my unfaithfulness lurked evidence of a self-interested heart. Self-interest, specifically, self-will is an attitude that combats even our strongest desire to live as Jesus. I began to think, “If I lack the discipline to selflessly follow-through on commitments I make to others, God is never going to be able to trust that I will carry out tasks pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Why should He think the state of my self-will would be any different—especially if the task his not in my best interest?” Oswald Chambers once wrote, “The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us.” Jesus understood this. Furthermore, He understood that persistent flakiness in the mundane leads to unfaithful character in everything. "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much,” (Luke 16:10). Friends, if we are faithful to the things of this life, we will be faithful to the things of God. When the discipline of faithfulness matures, it will no longer be an honorable virtue but rather a cornerstone of our existence. When faithfulness becomes innate, we will be wholly available, used by God, moved by the spirit and set free to live abundantly. The fruit of the spirit may be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, but the

purpose is freedom (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus came to give us access to an abundant life (John 10:10). Choosing faithfulness may make all the difference.

Day 9: The Beauty of Gentleness “Come to me all you who are weary and overburdened. And I will cause you to rest. [I will ease, relieve and refresh your souls]. Take my yoke (my teaching, my burden, my call to discipleship) upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle (meek) and lowly in heart and you will find rest and blessed quiet for your souls. For my yoke is wholesome and my burden is insignificant.” Sister in Christ, do you know that we serve a gentle savior? Turn to 1 Kings 19 and read about the way He revealed Himself to our brother Elijah. His voice came to Elijah not in the fire, not in an earthquake, or with the violent wind but in a gentle whisper amidst the stillness. That is meekness. If you look up the definition of the word, “meek” you will find that it means, “controlled power.” Our God is so powerful that as He passed by Elijah, great boulders came tumbling off the mountains, the earth shook violently and everything caught fire. But when it came to speaking with His servant, He chose to whisper. His son Jesus holds that same power. In 3 years of ministry, He healed the sick, raised the dead, bound up the brokenhearted, fulfilled 1,000 year old prophecy, and by His investment in 12 men, changed the entire world and the course of history. But do you know this mighty God- man was also gentle in His power. He set aside His might and His rights as He was led as a “lamb to the slaughter” and was silent like “a sheep before its shearers.” Speaking not a single word in defense or harshness He allowed Himself to be crucified. It was admitted even by His accusers that He could’ve called legions of angels to come to His rescue and exact revenge on the mockers for subjecting the Son of God to such embarrassment on the cross. But in His gentleness He surrendered Himself. He even pleaded with the Father, “Forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” Our shepherd calls us to do the same. The word says that if you walk by the Spirit (by His guidance and in His power), then you will no longer desire to carry out the passions of the flesh but will instead “bear the fruit” of the Spirit! One such “fruit” is gentleness. The Spirit creates in me the very character of Christ! So I am not called to the standard of gentleness that I may attain, I am called to the standard of gentleness that Christ attained. And by the power of His Spirit working in me may it be so! The best way to test if gentleness is being produced in you is to check the motives behind your words, “Am I saying this to build up this person in love or

am I saying it to tear them down. Am I seeking to love them or myself, to glorify God or myself?” A second test is to check for haughty eyes, a gentle person will never look upon another as if they are superior. Oh how that hurts because I know it has been so true of me! How I have felt superior and played favorites. But gentleness, which can only come from a godly humility, knows nothing of favorites. It has no concept of hierarchy. Do you need to become intimately familiar with the gentleness of our Savior? He will not turn you away in wrath. He will embrace you in love. No stain is so deep that our Savior cannot cleanse you. Nothing you have done or will do can make Him change His mind about you. In light of this Gentleman of gentleman, let us also approach one another in meekness. With all humility let us view one another as more significant than ourselves. For a harsh word wounds but a gentle one heals. Bathe everyone you encounter in the gentleness of Jesus.

Day 10: The Beauty of Self-Control

"A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."

Proverbs 25:28

Reading this verse nowadays it is easy to drift past the huge implications of the

text since it doesn’t seem to apply to modern times.

If we put it in context, however, we see that back in ancient times walls were

built around famous cities and kingdoms, such as Jericho and Babylon, with the

original purpose of being a structure able to resist a prolonged siege or

bombardment.

These walls were the kingdom’s first line of defense. Do you remember the

famous legend of Troy? The one where there was a battle between the Greeks

and the Trojans and the Greeks presented a wooden horse as a gift? Thinking

back to about 10th grade English class (TBT I know), I remember reading how

their defeat took place when they were tricked into letting their enemy

inside their walls, and cringing wishing they could’ve realized the danger. I

heard this story and thought, how come they didn’t check the wooden horse?

How could they let it in and be so careless? Thinking, get it out, get it out!

But the deceit of the Greeks was ultimately brought to light when the warriors

emerged from the horse and Troy had no form of defense to soften the blow, no

time to assemble the troops, no method of resistance, for they were being

attacked from within.

The Greeks were unable to defeat Troy till they entered through their gates, for

their walls were fortified and strong, the only way to enter was to pass inside the

gate.

In the same way when we think of the Lord leading the Israelites to victory over

the city of Jericho we know that in order to defeat them their city walls had to be

brought down.

“When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the

trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone

charged straight in, and they took the city.” Joshua 6:20

So then, if I am a city without walls when I lack self-control then how destitute

and in danger am I? In danger of being utterly destroyed with no line of

defense, no way to come against the things that have disguised themselves as

Trojan horses and made it past my gates.

The gravity of the lack of walls is severe, so severe that it is equivalent only to

that of a man who lacks self-control. If the absence of walls can bring whole

kingdoms to ruin then who am I to believe that I can function without self-

control, that I can adequately defend myself.

When we think of temptation we often think it is “too strong” that I

can’t possibly resist the pull of what I think this activity or thing will give

me. Remember though, the Trojan horse was a gift, from the outside it looked

wonderful and pleasing but it held only sorrow.

The reality of the matter is that when we let in those Trojan horses we have

no idea what lies inside of them and the damage that can be done to our hearts

or body from letting it pass through the gates.

Self-hate, perfectionism, loneliness, depression, fear, anxiety, etc., these things

don’t parade around your walls asking to be let in; they disguise themselves in

order to break into the stronghold.

BUT, this is where the good news of our Savior breaks through and invades bad

places.

We have been given the armor of the spirit and the promise of the Lord that,

“HE will be the WALLS OF FIRE around us and the glory in our midst.”

Zechariah 2:4-5

Our walls are no longer made of stone but the Lord and his mighty power arm

us. In order to stand firm we must take up this armor we have be given

(Ephesians 6).

Pick up the truth and buckle it around our waist

• Truths that we are beloved, beautiful and wonderfully made, that we are

new creations and have good works set apart by the Lord for us to do.

Put the breastplate of righteousness over our heart

• The fact that we are justified and found to be free of guilt by the sacrifice of

Jesus on the cross in our place.

Wrap our feet in peace

• We are able to walk forward in trust that the Lord goes before us and is

fighting for us and has prepared the way, that he is the lamp and light to our

path SO we WALK in peace.

Put on the helmet of salvation

• Our mind and thoughts are on things eternal because we know that we can

overcome the world and its trials because the one who did just that sustains

us.

Take up the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit

• We fight in the power and the mercies that are new every morning from the

Lord, not in our own strength.

This is now our armor, our walls, and our impenetrable fortress. He calls us to

rest because he fights on our behalf. He leads us beside still waters and restores

us and we no longer have to labor and toil to keep things outside of our walls.

Instead we walk in step with the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, and know

that as we take up our cross, as he did, and surrender the things that seem to be

great gifts but only hold hurt, we can walk in self-control and peace of mind

knowing that we are fortified AND that if the Lord is for us who can be against

us.

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both

now and forevermore.” Psalm 125:2

“For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and

brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the

princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.”

Jeremiah 1:18

Day 11: The Beauty of Love God is LOVE & God is thinking about you this very second.

The Bible makes a few things very clear, one being, God is love and he pours that love out on to us. He started to show his love by thinking of you, taking the time to create you, morph you into the very unique and beautiful women you are. Our Father didn’t stop there, He wanted to insure that we could spend eternity with Him yet He could see our imperfections and knew that we needed his help. So he preformed the greatest act of love, he sent his son to earth to teach us, lead us, and die for all of our imperfections so that we could bask in God’s love forever. That is the story of the ultimate act of love. Yet, I sit here thinking of my past few days, have I acted like God has given me life, shown me such great love? I have taken pity upon my self, questioning God’s intentions. Three days ago I was rushed into the Emergency Room, terrified, in the hours prior I had gotten the worst headache imaginable, my hands and feet went numb, I was completely nauseous, and I could not form intelligent sentences. Confusion flooded over me and nothing I said made sense. Being a nurse, I tried to rationalize what was going on and all I could think was “I am having a stroke, I am too young and too healthy to have a stroke.” I have never felt so alone; no one could understand what I was saying or what was happening. I tried to say words but nothing that was coming out of my mouth matched the words in my head. Seven hours later, after blood tests, a CAT scan, a MRI, a little morphine, a chest X-Ray and a lot of waiting the doctors decided I had a Complicated Migraine, basically a migraine with extra symptoms that seem like a stroke. The next few days I continued to fight headaches and fatigue, I was tired and frustrated. Through exhaustion God called to me and told me to stop, stop trying to get stronger on my own, to lean in and let him carry me. In a small, clear voice God told me “I am thinking of you.” He had been there whole time, he was there in the ER holding my hand and loving me telling me he was in control, I just needed to listen to him. The whole time, he was thinking about me.

Remember that truth, God - The Maker of Heaven and Earth - the one who tells the sun to rise and the moon to shine; HE is THINKING ABOUT YOU! Why? Because he loves you so dearly. His love is a greater love then anything we can fathom. We seek love in the idea of the perfect husband, the support of friends, the idea our bodies can look “perfect” one day, those things will always fail us. So we need to start leaning into the only truth that will never fail, our perfect Heavenly Father loves you each and every day. He looks in at you when

your Grandfather passes away, or when the doctor tells you bad news, or when you fail an exam, or feel ugly in everything you put on, he looks at you and says, “I am thinking about you, and I love you.”

When we embrace that truth, it is life changing. God commands us to love our neighbors, everyone you encounter, just as Christ has loved us. Take a second and think about that. Loving like that is impossible without the strength of The Creator. God wants to take your hand and show you how to love like he does. He wants you to ask him daily how you can love more. It is not enough to take Christ’s love in and hold it to yourself, you must make that love such a part of you that with every step a little love dust stays behind and with every touch you leave an imprint of Him.

But remember, The Creator, your Father, is thinking about you and loves you.

Day 12: The Beauty of Joy Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fi l l you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I never truly understood what joy meant until I fully and completely gave my life to Jesus Christ. I found myself on my knees of a farmhouse in rural Croatia singing to the Lord with all I had. The Lord had placed it on my heart that I am nothing without Him. I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness that God would send his Son to be sentenced to death for us who are so unworthy of redemption. Yet, He wanted to us to spend forever with us in His kingdom. HOW AWESOME! I was completely humbled and filled with pure JOY. He is so merciful to give us such a wonderful gift. It was there on my knees that I surrendered my entire life to whatever He had planned for me. No more worrying about the future, just taking it day by day knowing that the one who created me already had my days pre-planned. He knew when I would slip up, but already had another path for me to take so I could still follow His plan. He is the painter of His beautiful masterpiece: us. And on the bottom of that masterpiece is his signature, making each of us individually unique but together complete all for His glory. (Sometimes I wonder what his signature would look like). Before, I had everything that should have brought me happiness: my family, money in my bank account, great friends, attending a great university, etc. Yet, there was a gnawing at my heart that wanted more. And this “more” wasn’t just about material things. It was when I was continually overflowing this the love and grace and mercy that Jesus has to offer us. I didn’t find this happiness in a Gainesville bar, at the mall, or on my date functions. I found it in God’s word. Throughout my freshman year, I thought that I could do everything on my own. But now I find joy in knowing that I have Jesus on my side forever, through every moment in life, and He loves me enough to never stop pursing me. Even on my worst days. For me, joy is knowing that I no longer have to rely on myself. I can put every tiny detail into our Maker’s hands and trust that He will make His will be done. I am a speck in the vastness of His grace. I can try to map out every step of my life, but it will ultimately be His plan. His way. In HIS time. Not mine. And when

that plan is revealed, I will be overwhelmed with joy because when I was confused/discouraged when things did not go my way, God was smiling down telling me to be patient. He was reminding me of Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” You see, when we start to plan our days, we feel anxiety, worry, and a sense of urgency. But he says in 1st Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” How wonderful is it that the creator of this universe loves and cares for each one of us so much that he wants to take on our pain, our worries, our sorrow, our guilt? He will never disappoint. He will never leave us. And unlike humans, he will NEVER stop loving us. Even when we go astray, He finds a way to bring us back to Him because He wants us to know Him. Ultimately, I have found the greatest freedom in following what God’s word says. And it is not easy! It’s so difficult. Some people won’t understand and many will persecute you. Romans 8:36 says, “For your sake we are killed everyday; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” But I’m encouraged because we are promised that our works will not be in vain. So I encourage you to take up your cross and fall completely and utterly in love with God and the plan that He has for your life so you can experience joy, too. Every. Single. Day !

Day 13: The Beauty of Peace I didn't even understand what that meant for a long time. It's when everything is going smoothly, right? Then why do I still sometimes feel anxiety when I can't pinpoint what is wrong? I know now it's because I've lost the Spirit. I've driven Him away with my uncleanliness coupled with my lack of repentance. Peace is impossible without the presence of the Holy Spirit. He can be present in the middle of chaos. In war. When your family is screaming at each other. When you get news your mom has cancer. Also, when there are 200+ sorority girls in one room during Round One of Rush. There is a secret to being "content in every situation (Phil.4:12).” I will never forget my first car accident. I was driving home from Gainesville in the rain and used the first hour to pour out every corner of my dark heart to the Lord. There is something divine about praying through every little thing going on in your life. Then, another car t-boned me at a stoplight. I have never experienced such a peace as the car was hitting me. My heart was too busy rejoicing in the goodness of His plan to be frightened. Sometimes in the middle of my day I look up and think, “where ARE You? Why am I struggling so much?” Out of exasperation I turn to Him and remember, “He will keep in perfect peace he whose mind is fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).” But our hearts are deceptive. If we get in shape, find the right boyfriend, and take a good Insta photo there will be peace. No. Peace is what happens when our minds are fixed above. It is understanding the Lord is on your side. It is knowing His power - but also knowing His love. Power without love is scary; power with love is assurance. This semester, peace is possible. But it's going to take waking up and choosing to believe God is who he says he is - the Father of each of your friends, the provider of your strength, and the source of indescribable light which you are asked to shine to every person who walks into your life. And you will shine if you are immersed in and focused on His presence. Jesus said, "my peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you..." This is His desire - for you to walk with the victory of the cross. Are you taking hold of that prize? Our focus on the world is the only barrier. The Prince of Peace has his arms continually open! What can you surrender to the Creator of the world that will allow peace to overwhelm and consume your heart today?

Day 14: The Beauty of Forbearance Patience… Now here is a word that makes me cringe. This is mostly because I’m a planner, a get-er-doner, an over-analyzer. Waiting in the midst of the hurriedness of life is not my thing. But patience as the Bible teaches is more than just calmly waiting while your roommate takes their sweet time getting ready. Patience that the Spirit offers involves endurance during difficult circumstances. It is the ability to rest peacefully in Jesus despite uncertainty. Lamentations 3:25-26 says “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” We do not have patience in waiting for nothing. It is only for the hope of Jesus that patience is exercised. We wait and rest in patience for the salvation, or goodness, of our God. He is a good Father and knows what we need. In Matthew 6 Jesus reminds us how God beautifully cares for the flowers so how much more is He holding us in the palm of his hand? It says, “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you- you of little faith?” He made us and knows our needs and our hearts intimately. He is faithful and will not withhold any good thing from his child. It is because of these truths that we can have this “hopeful patience!” He is trustworthy and we can wait on him even when circumstances are uncertain and hard. The fruit of patience as a result of resting in Jesus will not only bless your life but also spill over to others. This patience reveals itself to others in the form of grace. Because you are in hopeful rest in Christ you give others the freedom to be as well. How refreshing!! Ephesians 4:2 says “Be completely humble and gentle, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” When we are patiently relying on Jesus we are dependent on the cross of Christ. This is the ultimate symbol of love and grace that Jesus freely offers us. What true love! The Spirit gives us the ability to patiently and humbly love others because we ourselves are being continually pursued with the patient and humble love of Jesus. Patience is nothing we can do or “muster up” but is a gift, a fruit, of relying on the Spirit of God. This is something that only comes from seeking Him and resting in his truths everyday. In the midst of trying times it can be felt, experienced, and poured out! Recruitment is a perfect opportunity! When times get stressful and overwhelming in your house rest patiently in the continual hope of Jesus and look for ways to love the girls around you with this patient grace.

We are in this together y’all and Jesus is good. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Reflection:

• What difficult or uncertain circumstances are you trying to face on your own?

• Share those worries and your heart’s concerns with Jesus and ask him to help you to rest in him with hopeful patience.

• Pray for opportunities to share this grace you received by patiently and gently loving others today.

Day 15: The Beauty of Kindness “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such thing there is no law.” –Galatians 5:22-23 Be kind. This is something we were all encouraged to be growing up. Whether it is from our parents, elementary school teachers, or our dogs (sorry I couldn’t think of a third). Truthfully though if anyone taught me how to care for others It was my first puppy snickers who would snuggle up to just about anyone. There’s nothing better than receiving or giving an act of kindness. Whether it be a thoughtful note, baking a friend their favorite treat, or just listening and showing concern for a how a person is doing. Everyone ends up with this warm feeling and you just want to go hug people! What’s better than that? The issue comes in when we looked to these people as an example of what kindness looks like lived out, because they all come up short. We learn that we would always come up short too. We would learn that no one was capable of being kind all of the time. That the concern we had for ourselves would always triumph over our concern for others. And others concern for themselves would triumph over their concern for us, or that’s at least how we feel. The warm feeling is gone and once again we feel like we are not enough. For the millionth time we don’t measure up. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…” We live in a fallen world that is tainted by sin, so of course we are going to come up short in the kindness category. We cannot look to ourselves or to others for the perfect example of kindness because that is not one of our natural characteristics. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” –Titus 3:4-5

Luckily, kindness is one of God’s characteristics! God showed us the perfect act of kindness when He gave us the gift of His son, Jesus. We were so undeserving, but God saw our brokenness and sent us His son to give us freedom. We have freedom from the pressure of never measuring up! I would say that gift is better than a sweet note or fresh baked goods! The notes get lost and the treats get eaten, but God’s perfect gift of kindness is eternal and can never be lost or run out! I am so thankful that kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit! When we rely on the Spirit to bring out kindness it takes all of the overwhelming pressure off of us! Something that I have been finding lately is that through being thankful for this gift, the fruits of the Spirit our brought out in our lives. Because it’s not us who can bring out these fruits, it’s because of the perfect act of kindness from God that we can be free from the sin of this world and be capable of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control! “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” -2 Corinthians 9:15

Day 16: The Beauty of Goodness To me, the other fruits of the spirit are more easily defined, but the quality of goodness made me stop and think. What does being “good” even mean? Aren’t we all sinners? The spiritual fruit of goodness allows sinful men to do good and be good. I believe that the quality of goodness comes from desiring to be more like Jesus, down to our very core. It means to have the essence of God’s nature. God loves us so deeply, and he has poured that love into our hearts, allowing us to pour into others’ hearts. The spirit of goodness allows us put His love into action! Being fruitful requires action, and through love, we must serve one another. Let me ask you…what originally lead you to Christ? Was it being told to change your ways? Or was it seeing His love put into action? Can you think of that person that drew you to Jesus? What was different about them? Most people say they were drawn to Jesus because of the love and goodness they saw shining through a Believer! How powerful is that! Let the Holy Spirit shine through you, so that everyone can see His glory and goodness! At the University of Florida, I went through a time of complete disappointment, tragedy and heartbreak. My circumstances were so draining, and I started to feel like I lacked any energy to love and serve other people. Doing “good” suddenly felt exhausting. Finally, I realized it was because I was trying to do it on my own, and apart from him we can do nothing. I came before Him in desperation, and I asked Him to radically transform my heart. Something glorious happened at that moment. God did more than give me energy to love and serve, but he healed my heart! God poured love into my heart, allowing me to pour that love into others. He made my soul desire to be more like Jesus, allowing me to put His love into action! Giving the love of Christ to another person is the greatest joy on this Earth! Just remember that every good thing comes from above, and we do not have the capability to do it on our own. We must come to Him, and He will transform our hearts, allowing us to do what is good, and put His love into action! 3 John 1:11 - Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does evil has not seen God.

John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. Matthew 5:16 – Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Ephesians 5:7-14 – Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Day 17: The Beauty of Faithfulness

Have a little | Faithfulness “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in

God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” ~ Habakkuk 3:17-19

there are many times in our lives where we may not be able to see the work of the Lord in our lives. Those times when the Lord’s plans doesn’t quite coincide with our own. Those moments when He may do something completely unexpected, leaving you bitter, surprised, and confused. Many times we do not understand but we try our best to. During these times, it is important to cling to what you know, to stand firm on what is true. “For we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God:

those who are called according to His purpose.” ~ Roman 8:28 while your ground my be shaking and your vision may feel blurred, know that the Lord our God is heavily at work. It is often times in these moments of silence that the Lord is teaching you a life-changing lesson, preparing you for the beautiful journey He has planned out for you.. so take faith and prepare your heart.. faithfulness. It is more than just a word, it is an action. Faith in prayer, faith in devotion, faith in the work of the Lord. Faith. That while we may be in a moment of testing, our King and righteous Savior is at work. Faith that he knows what He is doing. Faith in His rescue. Faith in His plan.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ~ Isaiah 55:8

Day 18: The Beauty of Gentleness

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the clothing you wear—but let your

adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious (1 Peter

3:3-4 ESV)

If you’re reading this devotion you’ve most likely made it through one of the toughest weeks of your life: Recruitment. Throughout this process, I found myself being consumed with my appearance and never feeling quite good enough. I was seeking fulfillment outside of Christ and came back empty-handed each time.

Our society typically confines the standard of beauty to a person’s outer appearance, but God defines it on much broader terms. In his eyes, beauty is the gentle and quiet spirit that points every man and woman around her to the one who is most beautiful—Christ. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to take care of myself, but I must not allow my physical appearance to consume my thoughts. Instead I must seek time to spend with the one who knows me best and allow him to produce the fruit of the spirit in my life.

As a type A planner, leader and somewhat control freak, I often struggle with this particular fruit. Mostly because I used to think gentleness was synonymous with being weak and shy. In my opinion, these were not desirable qualities because they were not “leadership” qualities. Scripture, however, requires gentleness in being a Godly leader. Christ is declared to have been gentle, so that we may freely submit to his authority (Matthew 11:29) Therefore, the fruit of gentleness is actually a call to be fully surrendered. If I only rely on my own strength, I will never bear fruit. I have to call upon Jesus in order to become the woman of God he wants me to be.

As he molds my heart, I still must be patient and mindful of my actions. Whenever I get passionate about a subject, I often forget to listen. That gentle and “quiet” spirit fades away and I’m left wishing I could take back the words I said (Proverbs 12:18). In order to avoid these setbacks, we can apply a few practical habits of a gentle woman. A woman who embodies gentleness is quick to listen, slow to speak (James 1:19). A good habit to build is to watch what we say, as well as the tone and approach of how we say it. A gentle woman guards her conversation. It is void of gossip and slander. She does not hold grudges or pent up anger

towards those who may have done her wrong. Overall, she has no hate or dishonesty in her heart. A gentle woman is truly beautiful.

It is not just her gentle and quiet spirit that makes her beautiful, but rather it is the outflow to the transforming life of Jesus Christ. We should not seek behavior modification for our glory and people-pleasing desires. We should seek behavior modification because our identity is rooted in Christ and we desire to look more like him.

Currently, the Lord is still teaching me how to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Each day I must remind myself to relinquish my desire to control and lay everything down at his feet. For in my weakness, he is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:8—10). He is the most beautiful.

Father, thank you for your gentle hand guiding me through the mountains and

valleys of each day. Help me surrender as you refine my soul. Rid my heart of my sinful ways and teach me how to walk in your will. Let my life bear fruit so others

can see your beauty. Amen.

Day 19: The Beauty of Self-Control “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” Proverbs 25:28 NLT Going through all the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and…self-control. Well, it just doesn’t sound as fun. Other translations of the Bible refer to it as self-discipline (I know, it sounds worse this way). I don’t know if it’s because it requires the word “self,” or if it’s because it seems to be the opposite of the others. The fruit of the spirit does not come through our own self-efforts, but through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Waking up in the morning, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the day ahead. We make a mental checklist of all the things we want to control that day—our to-do lists, studying, eating healthy, and even our future plans. However, if we get to the end of the day and don’t get them done, we are left frustrated with ourselves. Why is this? Why do we struggle for so much control and always end up disappointed? Self-control or discipline is not something we can just try hard to get, but rather something we can trust God for. When we aren’t spending time in His Word, when we aren’t spending time with Him, we lose the greatest part of following Him: His presence. When we constantly try to control our days and our lives, we are pushing out God because we think we can do better than His plan. By trying to hold tight to “self-control” we are actually losing control of the promises He has in store. In order to gain the fruit of the spirit, we have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit Himself. The only way we can have self-control is by giving up ourselves and giving Him control. Why is self-control a fruit of the spirit? Without the Spirit working self-control out in us, it’s much easier to fall into the temptations of this world and easier to not abiding in the Lord. When we are apart from God, we cannot bear all the fruit of the spirit because apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). In the day-to-day, what does this look like? It can be something as simple as starting your day by surrendering it to God. You could look at your planner and pray that God directs your to-do list or even finding someone who you can talk and pray with about it. A lot of days I still wake up bogged down by my never-ending list of to-do’s, but freedom is not found in me controlling my life. Only the Holy Spirit working in

you and bearing His fruit is truly going to satisfy your life. In this satisfaction we are able to live in the freedom of our true identity: daughters of Jesus Christ. Self-control starts with letting go of control. For further reading: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 9:24-27, 10:13 1 Timothy 1:7 John 15

Day 20: The Beauty of Love In Galatians 5:22-23 we are told, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Paul starts out his letter on the fruit of the Spirit by stating that love is one of the quality traits we should bear as followers of Christ. It is no coincidence that “love” is the first trait listed in the fruit of the spirit. In fact, all the fruit of the Spirit are held in place by love. Why is it that love is so important in the life of a Christ follower? Why would love be so important to be listed first among the fruit of the spirit, mentioned so many times throughout the scriptures, and spoken of so often by Jesus Himself? Because without love, everything else is worthless. What is love? It is easy to say what love is not. But what is it? Is it simply intense affection? Is it liking a guy a lot? In 1 John 4, we’re told that not only is love from God, but God Himself is Love. In a great act of love shown to man, God sent His only Son to become one of us. He loved us so much, He died for us. He died for you. That is bigger than affection. That is bigger than just liking you. He loves you. Jesus came in love to drive sin away. He came for you. He came for me. He came for each man because of His love. Understanding the true meaning of love is something that I struggled a lot with coming to college. I convinced myself that I could find it in all the things of this world that college has to offer. However, the Lord made it blatantly clear that these worldly things were the last place to search for love in. I soon discovered that finding love in these places was only temporarily satisfying and ended up leaving me feeling more alone and hopeless than ever. Fortunately, we serve a God full of mercy and grace who wants to bring us out of this darkness and cover us with his unconditional love. This is a love that is overwhelmingly satisfying and never runs out on us. This is a love that all we have to do in order to receive it is through giving God our hearts and resting in the truth that his love is more than enough! Today, I challenge you to be a person who walks in love. Start your day out by asking God, “How can I encourage someone today?” Don’t wait until you feel like it. Go out and love on purpose. You will be amazed at the joy it releases in your soul! Focus on learning to love as Jesus loved, and then all the other fruit of the Spirit will follow.

Day 21: The Beauty of Joy You know that feel-good feeling you have after you spend time with the Lord? It’s like a runner’s high (I’m assuming, I’ve ever actually ran far enough to experience this so called runner’s high, but bear with me.) This feeling is something that only our Father can give us, it’s joy. I used to think I couldn’t be joyful in hard or difficult situations, but this isn’t the case at all. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” 1 James 2-4 Isn’t this crazy? We’re supposed to be joyful that we’re experiencing trial? Hold up, Jesus. How could a trial of any kind be a good thing? In John 16:20-22, the Bible says, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” This verse is so promising. Life is not going to always go our way, in fact it shouldn’t. We have to continuously pray and trust the Lord’s faithful plan, and that in His plan, we will find joy even in the tough times. “Rejoice always, pray continuously, and give thanks in all circumstances.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Joy is the coolest thing. It’s like a weapon we use against the enemy. He HATES when we spend time with Jesus and experience the joy of the Lord. I think it’s pretty dang cool. 1. When Jesus gives you an answer that you don't want, do you ignore it? 2. When is the last time you thanked Jesus for a trial? 3. How does your perspective change on difficulties you face in everyday life after reading these scriptures? Hey Dad, It’s really hard when difficulties seem to knock on the door at the most inconvenient times. My own perseverance in trusting You can so easily slip when a new challenge is staring me in the face. Yet that is exactly what You have asked of me; that I will allow my weak points to become the very entry point of Your strength and power. Thank you for difficult situations, thank you for

continuously reminding me that Your plan is far greater than my own. Today I pray that I will rejoice in Your blessings, and find strength in the very entry point of Your strength and power. Thank you for not calling me to simply survive, but that you call me to flourish, to find joy and receive Your power in my life and I persevere in trusting You. Thank you for being patient with me when life gets busy, thank you that your invitation is always open to come hang out. I want a Jesus-high, not a runner's high, because running is one of those trial things, right? You are the greatest Father, teacher, and friend. I love you Dad. Amen.

Day 22: The Beauty of Peace Peace. It allows all the Fruits of the Spirit to come alive. Let’s take a trip to the grocery store. Typically, supermarkets are divided into five main sections: a bakery, pharmacy, meats and seafood, on-shelf items and produce. Out of each of these departments, which section most likely offers the healthiest food options? Unfortunately, the bakery is not correct answer. Across the board, the produce department serves the healthiest food options, including fruits and vegetables packed with protein, vitamins and free of pesky pesticides. Now, let’s take a trip to the New Testament. In Galatians 5:22-23, we stumble upon this verse: “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Our lives are like grocery stores, full of options and choices, some of which are healthier than others. In college, we tend to feed ourselves with bakery items—items that are sweet and satisfying at the moment, but leave us hungry and dissatisfied in the long run. Examples of these items include gossip, vanity and people pleasing. Until we nourish our bodies with the fruit of our Lord God’s Holy Spirit, we will never be fully satisfied. We remain hungry, seeking more, demanding more, and wearing out our immune systems. I struggled with people pleasing in college. I couldn’t say no to others, for I was afraid they would think me incapable, rude or uncaring. As a result, I began to measure my self-worth in people’s thoughts and opinions. My sinful actions blinded me, convincing me that I would only find true happiness and joy in the judgmental eyes of mankind. I was tormented by my sin, experiencing joy and love that was only fleeting. At the end of my sophomore year of college, I cried out to Lord for help. I was exhausted; I felt alone; and my mind was weak. I asked the Lord for forgiveness and for Him to nourish my body with the fruit of his word. In that moment, I was satisfied. I felt peace. The Lord taught me true love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are only attainable through Him.

Humanly things, or bakery items, only leave us empty, and the Lord offers us refuge. I am still on my journey to completely free myself from the lies and falsities of others. But the Lord is so faithful. He has washed away my sins and encourages me daily. Without him, I would be lost, for he has brought so much peace into my life. The next time you pass the produce department in the supermarket, think of Galatians and the fruit of the Spirit. The Lord is here to fill your soul with his presence, and He promises you everlasting health, happiness and end to hunger.

Day 23: The Beauty of Forbearance Hearing someone tell me to “be patient” is usually followed by me doing the exact opposite. Being patient makes me want to cry, or crawl in bed and hide, or run away from my problems, or scream in frustration. As juvenile as those reactions may be, it all stems from the fact that I just want instant gratification, instant solutions, and instant happiness. All the time. Needless to say, patience is not something I exercise often. When I initially think about being patient, I always imagine waiting around for something to happen, or waiting to get something I want, or waiting for hard times to get better. Waiting. It’s inconvenient and infuriating. I don’t know about you, but I hate waiting. And that’s what I always associate with patience- a whole bunch of waiting. But what if we looked at patience from a different perspective? What about the idea of patience as more than just waiting around for something to happen? What if we looked at patience as something less static and more active? When I looked up the word “patience” in my bible’s concordance, the two words I found were “endurance” and “hopeful”. It took me some time to realize that patience is not mindlessly waiting out tough circumstances until they subside or evolve. It is accepting that God will often times test us and put us through situations we may not understand in order to stretch, grow, and mature us. James 1:2-4 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” We have this idea in our minds that going through hard chapters in life is a bad thing- like God is punishing us or that He is angry with us. On the contrary. Romans 5:3-4 states “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Patience is being consciously aware of the strengthening process God is putting us through, and finding hope in the fact that he wants the best for us. How hard can it be, right? Wrong. So wrong. This is a hard thing to grasp, especially considering the season of life we’re in. College is an ever-changing, often stressful, pivotal time in our lives. There are going to be a lot of trials, some short-lived, and some long lasting. “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” –Jeremiah 29:11 The key to enduring these trials is to completely and unconditionally put your hope in the Lord. God is love in its purest form, and perfect love does not cause people to lose hope, be harmed, or decrease. Once we begin to see that God’s plan for our lives is bigger than what we can grasp, we can begin to put our trust in Him. We can allow him to grow us and strengthen us- even if it means remaining hopeful in trying times. Once we understand that God desires for us to live hopeful, healthy, whole lives, we can see that our suffering is intended to get us to a better state, not worse. And finally, once we see that God is always going to lift us up, if we allow Him to, then it makes the trials so much more endurable. So keep pushing on and remember that, despite the challenges we face, there is a good Father, redeemer, and loving God who desires to see us through as stronger, more mature, and full of life. And next time you think about patience, make hope, not waiting, the first association. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” –Hebrews 11:1

Day 24: The Beauty of Kindness During this time in college, especially as sorority women, there are many expectations and pressures put on each of you. Whether it's in beauty, popularity, academics, boys, etc., we can find ourselves striving to live up to all the standards the world has for us. And this often leads to a competitive spirit within us. We want to prove ourselves, prove our worth and value. And in turn, we may try to uplift ourselves by putting others down. We knock other sororities and sometimes we even talk negatively about women within our own chapters. Jesus demonstrated kindness with every person he met throughout His life and calls us to kindness multiple times in the Bible: Ephesians 4:32- Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Colossians 3:12- So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; But we cannot simply become more kind-hearted by mustering up our own will to do so. The way we treat others, talk to them, and talk about them, springs up from what we actively believe in our hearts about their worth. Kindness springs from the belief that every woman you encounter, within your own chapter, a different sorority, or outside of the Panhellenic system, is uniquely, beautifully, fearfully, and wonderfully made by a Creator God who loves them unconditionally. As He also does you. "If man really is fashioned, more than anything else, in the image of God, then clearly it follows that there is nothing on earth so near to God as a human being. The conclusion is inescapable, that to be in the presence of even the meanest, lowest, most repulsive specimen of humanity in the world is still to be closer to God than when looking up into a starry sky or at a beautiful sunset.” -Mike Mason My prayer for myself and each of you reading this is that by seeking The Lord and diving into His word, He would stir up truth within us about our own worth and the worth of everyone around us. He deemed us worth dying on a cross for and "He who knew no sin, became sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) We can rest in that and find confidence in the love and grace of a perfect God, so that our nature to

compete with other women may be put to rest and we can let Jesus shine through us in our kindness.

Day 25: The Beauty of Goodness The fruit of the Spirit is goodness. What do you think of when you hear the word goodness? The first thing that comes to my mind is when I was a kid and my parents would tell me to ‘be good’. They would use this phrase when we were headed to my grandma’s, in a grocery store, or being left with a babysitter. But I never knew exactly what my parents expected when they told me to ‘be good’. Maybe your example of being good is having a 4.0, following the speed limit, not getting drunk, fill in the blank... But what exactly does it mean to be good? The first place in the Bible where something is called good is Genesis 1. “God saw that the light was good” (verse 4). Why was light good? Because God said it was. The reason God has the authority to say what is good and what isn’t good is because goodness is God’s character. God, by nature, is inherently good. Psalm 34:8 tells us: "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” He is the foundation of goodness and of everything good. He did not obtain it from another source. But as for us…we cannot obtain goodness on our own. Romans 7:18-21 says, And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin l iving in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of l ife—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong (NLT).

Have you felt this way? Paul comes to the realization that even when he tries to be good He can’t keep it up for very long. Eventually we fail to “be good” on our own. This isn’t to say we can’t have good traits or do good deeds, but goodness is not in our character. So your probably wondering how can I be good? How can I have goodness that's talked about in Galatians 5? I believe we can find the answer in Luke 18:19. Jesus tells a young, rich ruler, “No one is good –except God alone”. The key to being good is that our goodness has to come from God, not ourselves. We can talk about good people and good things in terms of human standards, and our expectations for them, but when it really comes down to it, God sets the ultimate standard and expectations for goodness. God’s goodness goes beyond what is legally right, goes the extra mile, and gives what is needed and what will benefit, build up, and bless others. Here is the truth of God’s goodness: God has come in the flesh for you, died on a cross for you, rose from the dead so that you can have His holiness. That through putting your trust in Jesus and surrendering your life to Him true goodness can flow out of you. Are you trusting in God? Are you surrendering your life daily to God? My commission to you as my sister in Christ is to keep yielding to the Spirit in order to inhibit goodness. Keep seeking God and letting His qualities be developed in you and flow through you by His Spirit.

Day 26: The Beauty of Faithfulness “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

− Hebrews 11:1 Faith requires us to be convinced that what we believe in is true, but just knowing the truth is only half of faith. God's word must be hoped for, embraced, sought after endlessly! It’s so difficult at times to put our faith in Jesus, not knowing what’s lies before us. Sometimes, we just feel so weak and have such little faith that Jesus is truly working miracles in our lives. Each and every one of us will face trials, whether that’s a break-up, a family member passing, failing an exam or a class, struggling with body image issues, the list is endless. This is why each and every day, we need to plant ourselves into the word so that the little faith that we have, increases abundantly. Then, those things that we struggle with can be handed over to Jesus, and with a deeper faith we know that he is turning those trials into triumphs! Romans 10:17 says “So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” Faith isn’t just a word; it’s a work of the Holy Spirit. You’ll never just wake up one day and say “I’m putting all my faith in Jesus today!” Nothing but the word of God will grant you with the faith you so desperately desire. “So the other disciples told him [Thomas], ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’…Eight days later…Jesus came and said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, place it in my side…Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’

− John 20:25-28 At one point in my life, I was that girl who said “I’ll see it when I believe it,” just like Thomas. I basically put my faith and hope in everything but Jesus, seeking anything tangible I thought would make me happy. You know, trying to make friends that were pretty, buying the cutest clothes, turning to my boyfriend when something went wrong, making sure I have the most perfectly toned body, and

constantly seeking approval or recognition from someone. I put my faith in all of those things thinking they would give me the satisfaction I desired. Let me tell you something, those things will NEVER BE MAKE YOU HAPPY! Jesus is the only one that will satisfy your needs. Once I gave it all to Him, my life really changed. Now, I can rest knowing that in any situation I’m in, Jesus is shaping me and molding me into a stronger, wiser, more faithful woman of God. Faith is so powerful, ladies. Be faithful in everything you do. When you feel weak, turn to the truth. His word will change your life. Peace & Blessings

Day 27: The Beauty of Gentleness I am not a gentle person. I am not a crier, and my friends would never describe

me as “emotional”. Yet, only by the grace of God am I able to learn the true

definition of gentleness through scripture.

So what is gentleness?

The term gentleness is hard to understand and extremely difficult to apply in the

everyday life of a sorority girl. Some may view “gentleness” as being shy,

amiable or soft. Yet Christ decided to define gentleness differently. The bible

says “No one who has ever walked the earth has had absolute power except our

Lord Jesus. However, Jesus did not exercise His strength in an abrasive manner

or use it to bully others. Rather, He tempered His strength with gentleness. He

stood for truth when it was appropriate” (John 4:1-6).

This is amazing news! Jesus has called for us to “stand for truth when it was

appropriate” via gentleness and what better way than during recruitment/

college. Many of you will face trials in your houses during the next few weeks in

terms of judgement, insecurities, and gossip. Not to mention, the start of a new

school year means another start leading to graduation and future plans… which

comes at a heavy burden. Jesus calls us to practice gentleness not only as an

action but a way of life in how we interact with people and show the love of

Christ in our everyday lives. As I face trials and stressors of the world, I have to

remind myself to “Temper my strength with gentleness” by repeating these

words redundantly in my head.

In times of stress, use the verse/ quote below to renew your soul. Breathe. And

remind yourself to “Be Still”.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take

my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and

you will find rest for your souls”

Matt. 11:28–29

“I choose gentleness… Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise

my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I

make a demand, may it be only of myself. ”

Max Lucado

Day 28: The Beauty of Self-Control Self-control. It is the fruit of spirit that looks a little more intimidating and unachievable but it is also the fruit of the spirit that influences and impacts every aspect of who we are. Self-control is not a natural state that our hearts are prone to wander too. In fact, our hearts naturally want indulgence, excessiveness, and “freedom”. But God’s word says that when we experience the Holy Spirit, a fruit of that is self-control, and for that very reason alone, it is something we deeply crave. When I think about self-control, it makes me think of saying no to the 30th cookie I am offered that day, or resisting the snooze button for the 4th time that morning, or successfully avoiding a conversation of gossip and slander, or setting a boundary in a relationship and being victorious in not crossing that line. Self-control is something we are constantly at war with, even when we do not realize it. Throughout all of college, I have walked through seasons where the self-control that comes from having the Holy Spirit is evident and effective, and seasons where it is no where to be found and I am left sitting in a pile of messy sin. In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says: “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. “

This has been a verse that I have clung to in seasons of joy and in seasons of trial. God talks about the self-control that he desires for us over and over again, and it is only through him and the Holy Spirit that we are able to access this. What I love about this verse in 2 Timothy is that self-control is paired with power and love, and is in replacement of fear. How often do we experience fear? Fear of man; others opinions, reactions, thoughts, etc. Fear of failure; will we get into the grad program, will we get the position, will we please our peers and family? Fear is the thing that traps us and causes us to be selfish and prideful and be consumed with thoughts of US only. When we are in fear, we are constantly thinking about ourselves, instead of setting our eyes and minds on things above. In this verse, it says God did NOT give us a spirit of FEAR. A spirit of fear is not from the Lord and is something we should learn to recognize and walk away from, refusing to let fear hold a grip on us. Sounds easier said then done right? But that is the beauty of this fruit of the spirit. In self-control, the kind that flows

from the Holy Spirit, we are able to step out of a spirit of fear, and into a spirit of power and love. When we feel that we have no self-control, that we are unable to say no to the sin the tempts us or we are unable to say yes to what Jesus is asking of us, we need to stop and recognize that God is calling us to live in a spirit of POWER & LOVE that includes having self-control. In order to take hold of the Holy Spirit and see the fruit of self-control in our lives, I have tried to do something similar to the following, which helps me realize the areas I am lacking this fruit and helps me step into the freedom that is offered to me through choosing God over self. PRAY. Lord, you desire for me to live in full freedom, in full surrender to your perfect and pleasing will, even when it is unseen. My heart is prone to wander. I desire to know answers and have control over all things, but you are the creator and perfector of all things. Steady my heart Lord, to see you and to know you. Help me to see the fruit of self-control in my life. I desire for every fruit of the Holy Spirit to be seen in me; show me what parts of my heart I am not giving to you. Where in my life am I not allowing your spirit to give me self-control? Areas in my life where I am not experiencing self control: (relationships, friends, alcohol, gossip, self-image, etc…) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When we allow ourselves to recognize these things, it brings them to the light and lets God begin to work to heal them, change them, and take control of them. For some of us, it may just be one thing, and for others (like myself), it is a laundry list of areas where we lack self-control. Once we are able to recognize these things and areas, we are able to surrender them to Jesus. PRAY. These are the areas where I lack self-control Lord. I know that it is only through your spirit and power that I am able to experience freedom from my own sinful desires, so I lay these things at your feet right now. I pray that you would take them and replace them with truth, with love, with power, and with freedom. I ask that in seeking the fruit of self-control, that I would see the fruits of LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, & GENTLENESS as well. I am fully yours Jesus; let your will be done in my life. !