Pursue the Best Things in Life by Robert Ricciardelli

In our pursuit of the finer things in life, we often miss the finest things in life. While we work hard to earn enough money to get us the the things we think matter the most, we become too busy to enjoy and sometimes even take notice of the things that really matter the most. Assess your time and pursuits, and do not settle for the good things in life when you could be enjoying the best things in life.

Choose Spirit Directed Living by Robert Ricciardelli

God empowers His people to live a life that is directed by His Spirit. The soul of man can be led by the things of the Spirit or its own mind, will, and emotions. A soul directed by self can lead to many problems for them selves and everyone around them. When one submits their whole life to Spirit and Truth, they transform life around them, reap eternal rewards, and establish a life well pleasing to God.

Becoming Food For the World by Robert Ricciardelli

Jesus became broken and the blessed bread of life for the world. He was chosen, obedient, and lived the sacred journey for the world. He lived His life as a Son, fully pleasing to the Father. As we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, we now live as ambassadors for Him. We commit to conform to a life in His image. We too want to live as people chosen, blessed, and broken, and thus becoming food for the world.

Giving and Receiving Joyfully by Robert Ricciardelli

We need discernment in giving and in our ability to receive. We give as we should but may miss what we need to receive to keep on giving. Generosity pleases God, but pride may not allow others to bless us in return. When we keep giving without receiving it is not sustainable. There is a time to give and a time to receive, and we need the reciprocity of both to remain healthy and joyful in our giving.

Healers Listen and Commit Wholly to Others by Robert Ricciardelli

Helping others who are suffering does not mean we need to share with them are own personal suffering because sharing our own pain is seldom useful to the wounded in need of healing. Healers can listen to a person in pain without having to speak about their own wounds. We can empathize with them attentively and lovingly, completely committing ourselves to serving them and their needs. We become more whole in leading others to wholeness.

Harnessing our Wounds for Good by Robert Ricciardelli

We can harness our own experiences of loneliness, depression and fear, and become a gift for others as we embrace God's healing presence. If our wounds remain open and bleeding we cannot help others. But as the love and caring progresses, we can love and care for others. When we experience the healing presence of God from others, we can discover our own gifts of healing, and build strong bonds of unity.

Empowered Wounded Healers by Robert Ricciardelli

We all get wounded, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. We do not have to hide the fact that we have been hurt, but we can use our wounds through God's grace to serve others. God can take us from the shame that might come to becoming healers even in our woundedness. Jesus' humiliation, rejection, and suffering brought glory and empowerment to followers who can now bring healing to others.

From History Lessons to History Makers by Robert Ricciardelli

What we have learned from history is that we do not learn from history. We continue to do the things that have not worked and yet make excuses for why they still don't work. We are creatures of habit and sometimes are the last ones to get the clue that we must change. We are created for a purpose to become history makers to the glory of God. May the future look back at us one day and smile.

From Inspiration to Impartation by Robert Ricciardelli

Information is great for the mind, and inspiration is wonderful for your heart, but impartation impacts both the mind and the heart. Impartation from God is transformational to your innermost being and your spirit is changed forever. Seek after wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration, but even more so, desire for the Lord to impart to you more of Himself. The deposits of His divine nature will empower you for eternity.

Lovingly Waiting For Their Return by Robert Ricciardelli

The father of the prodigal son was a parent that never quit praying for children who had gone their own way. Both sons went away from the father's heart, one through choosing to leave, and one through envy and bitterness. So the father waits and loves until the children make the choice to return home. We likewise must be like this father, like our Father in heaven.

Community of Trust by Robert Ricciardelli

Trying to build community in the absence of trust is impossible. People become guarded and cautious in everything they say and do. Communication becomes a way to protect oneself, avoiding risk rather than expressing themselves. To  build community as God defines it is to create a safe place where people can share in the atmosphere of love, honor, and freedom. Transformation and destinies are realized in such a place.

God is Not Interested in Your Comfort by Robert Ricciardelli

God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making you more like Him than He is in making your life happy. We can be happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in wisdom, stature, and favor, before God and man. All things, even the toughest of things work together for good towards the goal. The goal is Christ-likeness

Welcoming Them Home by Robert Ricciardelli

We welcome home those that have lost their way by embracing and loving them. We meet their needs by feeding them, clothing them, and making them our honored guests. We do not demand explanations on why they left, but show our joy that they are with us again. Love and forgiveness from the heart allows for the past to be wiped clean. What counts is the here and now, in the homecoming of our brothers and sisters.

Father Grows Us to Be Like Him by Robert Ricciardelli

When we abide and are at "home" with God as His children, what then? As His eternal children we become like Father and become fathers ourselves. Sons have to become fathers; daughters have to become mothers. Growing up and becoming like God is seeking to live His perfect standards of love and compassion, by His Spirit. We must fin and welcome home our lost brothers and sisters in the way our Father welcomed us home.

You Are Already Home by Robert Ricciardelli

Going home is a lifelong journey. Home is where the heart is, and it is who we are in eternity now and eternity's future. Along the way there are parts of ourselves that wander off or get stuck from truly "being" home. At times we can truly feel lost or alone. Even when home seems far off, Jesus walks and talks with us on the way. If we listen carefully, we will find that we are already home while on the way.

Taking Up Our Cross by Robert Ricciardelli

Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow Him. We do not need to look for it as it is a part of our life in this world. But are we willing to take it up, to accept it as our cross? Maybe it is a health or family conflict to no choice of our own. Freedom comes through Christ for many burdens, and there will always be challenges in this life, but we can take up these crosses and follow Jesus with them.

Shared Life in Strength and Weakness by Robert Ricciardelli

Do not share in someone's strength, if you are unwilling to cover their weaknesses. That is not relationship, does not promote goodwill or community, and most of all, does not please God. What pleases God is our love for one another in action, and in promoting life in one another. That we do draw off each others strengths but also cover each others short comings. We do not quit each other, and seek restoration and healing when a brother falls.

The Road to Success by Robert Ricciardelli

Society tells us in so many ways that the road to success is being on top, dominate the competition, and seek fame and fortune. The way of Jesus is radically different. It is the way not of upward mobility but going low in humility that leads to promotion from God. It is serving and preferring others beyond ourselves. Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing? Because it is the way to the Kingdom, and eternal glory.

Words Speak Forth a Life by Robert Ricciardelli

As children of God we must give words to what we are living. Without words our lives lose vibrancy and creativity. When we see God in all of His glory, our hearts want to speak about Him. When we encounter special people in our lives, we want to share about them. When we are surprised by joy, we want to announce it! Through words we internalize what we are living, and the words speak forth a life worth living.

Love Wins Every Time by Robert Ricciardelli

Love wins! People care very little about your doctrine, but care very much about your love. Doctrine can lead to Love, but Perfect Love defines all truth. Love speaks louder in action than in words. Do not be defined by your doctrine, but transform your lives and the world around you through Love. At the end of the day, and at the end of all days, Love remains. In every battle you face, always remember, Love wins.

Your Life Speaks Louder than Words by Robert Ricciardelli

You are a witness for God and a living sign of God's presence in the world. What we live is more important than what we say, and words often reflect how a person is living. When we love from our hearts, our hearts speak words of love. When we are grateful, grateful words proceed. When words do not match our lives, we are viewed as hypocrites. May our lives give us the right words and may our words bring forth life.

Abundance Overflows Through Givers by Robert Ricciardelli

To be fed, you must feed, and to be filled, you must fill others. To really be satisfied in life, you must allow God to assimilate Himself in you and through you in satisfying others. Surely, "Give and it shall be given" is true and reciprocity is God's universal principle. God fills the His "Givers" with abundance and satisfies them with His goodness as they pour out His love to meet the needs of others.

We Are the Glory of God by Robert Ricciardelli

Spirit led life gives witness to an overcoming life through the eternal fusion of our spirit and the Spirit of God. This witness as beloved children should involve every aspect of our lives. Whatever we eat or drink, and whatever else we do, we do it all for the glory of God. We are the glory of God when we give visibility to our freedom and communion with God, and the manifestation of Himself through our lives.

Love is Not a Feeling by Robert Ricciardelli

Some think of love as a feeling. Feelings of love is life-giving, but real love cannot be based on feelings. We may never learn to love well, if we wait on feelings of love. Genuine love comes from God and empowers us to think, speak, and act in loving ways to make that love known to the world. When we "do" love, even when others do not respond it, we will discover that our feelings catch up with our acts of love.

Steps of Love, Steps of Life by Robert Ricciardelli

We can choose love by sharing bits of love whenever there is an opportunity. A smile, an encouragement, an embrace, a helping hand, a visit ... all these are little steps of love. Each step brings light that navigates us and others through dark times. It does not always remove darkness, but can take us through it. As we take many steps of love, we will discover a beautiful and long journey well pleasing to God.

Real Love That Heals by Robert Ricciardelli

Void of love we die. For many people, love from parents, family, and friends can come in very broken and limited ways. No human love is perfect love, and sometimes human love does not look like love at all. We can be healed from the wounds of human love by trusting in God's unlimited, unconditional, and perfect love, that is not far away from us but is the gift of God's Spirit dwelling within us.

Abba Father's Love is Foundational by Robert Ricciardelli

Christ restores our relationship to "Abba, Father", that is to be the foundation in all of our relationships. Abba means "Daddy", and expresses trust, belonging, and most of all intimacy. It does not mean authority, power, and control, that the word Father often evokes. Abba implies an embracing and nurturing love that transcends all the love that comes to us from our fathers, mothers, siblings, spouses, and lovers.

Claiming God as Father and Source by Robert Ricciardelli

When we call God "Father" we enter into the same intimate and empowering relationship with God that Jesus had. That relationship is called Spirit, and that Spirit is given to us, and enables us to cry out to Him. It is a cry of the heart, claiming God as the source of who we are. It is the claim that the Spirit makes in communion with us. It is the claim of oneness with Him it is the claim of love.

Afflictions Come; God Overcomes by Robert Ricciardelli

Count it all joy when afflictions come. Walking uprightly in the sight of God is never easy, but patience, peace, and endurance along the way will increase. Remain pliable to love and the directives of God while developing a resolve that overcomes the assaults and rejections of others. At some level the attacks and insults will not cease, but healing, strength and His abiding love will abound.

Who Are We? by Robert Ricciardelli

Who are we? We are not what we do nor are we what others say about us. The Spirit of God in us reveals our true identities. As God's beloved, freedom has come to us from the bondage of worldly success, fame, or power. Christ restores us from slavery to relationship as a highly favored child of God.  All who are guided by the Spirit of God are children of God. Who are we? We are God's beloved sons and daughters!