Author: Allison Bramlett

What is Love? There are different types of love. There is phileo love which is brotherly and sisterly love. There is eros love which is a sexual love. Then there is AGAPE LOVE! This is a self-sacrificing and unconditional love. This is the type of love that the Father God has for His children and was demonstrated by Jesus on the cross. John 3:16 “For God so loved (agapao) the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” This is the highest and most supreme love. This type of love can only occur with the help of the Holy Spirit. Many times I have heard people reference if they can even experience or have Agape love this side of eternity and the answer is Yes, you can. 1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love (agape) does not know God, because God is love (agape).” The Father God would never require anything of us that He has not equipped us to do. Agape love is possible. It is possible in your marriage, with your children, and with others. The greatest representation of agape love should be between a husband and wife. It says in the Word of God that a man should love his wife like Christ loves (agape) the church. This is a great place of honor for men. To lead in Love. God’s love is His nature and the expression of Himself. It is possible to have love as your nature. Agape love is always shown by what it does. Love is an action word. I have been so blessed to see an Agape love marriage by my parents. I remember hearing a story when my dad asked the Father God to help him love my mom like He (Christ) loved the church. He said a warm sensation came over him and from then on He has loved by faith through the help of the Holy Spirit. Agape is a love that gives, it does not demand, it does not hold back, it prefers others, it believes the best. It is a 1 Corinthians 13 Love. I have also seen my parents choose to stay in Agape love. They have fought the good fight of faith in Love. This is a selfless love and does not change whether the love given is returned or not. My own marriage is a miracle story. My mother always says we are going from miracle to miracle. Yet I know that when I met my husband there was a birth of an Agape God Love in me. Amazing how sometimes you can close your eyes, feel and hear the wind, and be swept back in time to a sweet memory. Thinking of a fourteen year old girl that heard that still small voice saying there is your husband. I could feel it, hear it, and see it. There he was unaware and unprepared for what the Spirit of God had just done. I knew in my heart it was a yes and the Lord knew that it would not be an easy test. Many times we hear the voice of God and it may seem so impossible or even unimaginable but His word says what is impossible with man is possible with Him; it also says He can do above and beyond what we can ask think or imagine. So that fourteen year old girl loved and lived by faith. That fourteen year old heard the Lord. Today that same girl loves and lives by faith over 25 years later but she still hears the yes in the wind! Listen to the Spirit of God and don’t ever be afraid of yourself or what men may say! Faith and Love! I still hear Agape Love and it is the Love that has held my marriage together. The choice not to keep score, to see the best, to forgive, to die to self, and to fight for love. Love wins and it does not fail. If you need a miracle of love today, just stop and ask the Father to help. I pray for my children today that they will give and receive Agape love. I also pray over marriages to be restored and renewed with fresh Love. If you ever find Agape and you feel Agape fight for it, it is a God thing! 

I enjoy reading. It has always been a hobby of mine. I also enjoy hanging out with my family. My mother that I love bunches seems to always help me out and 99% of the time the saying holds true, “MOM KNOWS BEST!” One of my favorite books in the Bible to read is John. From the very first verse until the end it makes me happy. John 2 is the story of MOM KNOWS BEST. I remember the first time I read it as a young woman and thought wow, Jesus’s mom told Him what to do. It is wonderful to know that Jesus was God and man. This story shows His man side. It is just like a mother to see a need and push their children to fulfill it. She realized that it was time for something to change in His life and ministry. My own mother has been this voice many times in my life and in other lives too. She is such a gracious spiritual mom that sees needs and also sees potential. Just like Mary in this story with her Son. I see myself becoming this type of woman and also see it in my daughter. What a heritage to pass on, Spirit led servants. Today, that is your heritage too if you believe on Jesus. Just like the story there were six water pots, six stands for mankind. We come empty and get filled with His Spirit. Then we have this amazing opportunity to bring others to be filled People draw out and drink from our lives and it will be even better than before. They will be tasting the goodness of God; His mercy, compassion, grace, hope, forgiveness, peace, and the greatest LOVE! My mama does know best because she knows and leads always to Jesus. She chooses to be a woman of faith and forgiveness. Today you are a conductor of love and the best is always Father God’s way of doing things. Don’t become frustrated today when someone is sharing truth with you and pushing you to go ahead in your ministry of Love…. look through your faith eyes and see truth with them.

“Come Home” are two of my favorite words to hear and to say. It reminds me of the story in the Bible in Luke 15. The story of the Prodigal Son coming home… My daughter loves the saying “come home”. We have always said home is where the heart is. Home is not truly a place but the people you love. We believe it is never to late to return home. You are not a son or daughter by worth but you are a son or daughter by birth. That is how it works in God’s house…. We are His by birthright, believing on Jesus and becoming a child of God. Father God wants to do great things for you. The prodigal son did not feel worthy to go back to Father’s house and said I could just live like an employee, but the Father was full of unconditional love and was saying “Come Home! ” and live like a child. Shame says I no longer can be what I was or want to be because of what I have done, but Father God says I can work all things to your good. The prodigal danced in this story because He realized the Father loved him and he was welcomed home, it was not because of anything he had done or not done. You can dance today knowing that the Father God loves you and is saying “come home.” Read the story of the Prodigal today and see the logical older son and the radical loving Father. The challenge of serving the Lord is dancing for Jesus when it looks illogical and foolish. The Father’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. The Father God is running to you today. Remember transition and trouble make for the best transformations.

Life begins when you get out of your comfort zone and true life is simply submitting our will to God’s will. When we look at things from our physical, earthly perspective we miss the big picture. Real living! What or who has your attention today? What are you focusing on? Our focus needs to be on God… knowing Him, trusting Him. If you are thinking I can’t approach God (maybe it is out of your comfort zone) it is because you don’t know Him or trust Him. He is Love! He is a safe place! Today you can be honest with God because He already knows the truth. We sometimes accept things that are counterfeits because we have not truly lived outside our comfort zone and waited on God’s best. It is important to realize that knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. I can know about Abraham Lincoln but I don’t really know him and have a relationship with him. In life it takes us getting over ourselves to have relationships with others. It is a choice to know your spouse, children, friends, coworkers, family and the list goes on. It is also a choice to let someone know you. Strength comes from waiting on God’s way and living beyond your comfort zone. Today let go of your past. Don’t drag it around and quit carrying other people’s luggage too. Let the Love of God help you really live. Zephaniah 3:15-17 tells us how the Lord feels about our past. It takes God’s vision to see yourself and others for who they really are. Put on your spiritual glasses. Realize that choices today can affect your future and choose life. Psalm 16:11 says You will be known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Serving God is the greatest adventure. You have a purpose. You have a destiny.

My comfort zone has really been stretched these last few months. Our son is now living away at college. I am homeschooling my beautiful daughter. There are financial pressures. The point is everyone has things that come up in life that cause us to be pushed and pulled. The important part is being led by the Spirit during these times. Trusting the Father and keeping on your spiritual glasses of faith, hope and love. The Holy Spirit has been such a comfort, teacher and guide to me. I am constantly learning more about the Father God and His love! It is a choice to know Him. The Father today is chasing you with Love and it is zone you want to live in. Choose the God zone today. When you get in His zone and take His name, Jesus, it changes your destiny.

Here are some pics: just for fun

Faith works through Love. These two things help you lead. Loving people is messy business. My son is going to college this weekend. He is the fish that is leaping out of the bowl. It seems just like yesterday he was in the back seat of my car pushing the seat with his muddy feet from baseball practice. He was messy. I would look back say put your feet down, sit still and we will get something to eat at home. Today I miss the mess. I realize that the mess meant that I had an energetic boy not a messy car. I also realize that it was my pride that wanted my car clean and probably my husband too. I also realize that laundry, dishes and other messes just mean that we live there. Those messes are now messages. Jesus gave messages in messes.

Jesus in John 9 makes miracles out of messes. Many times we want to cover up the mess in our life and act like we don’t have any. In this chapter in the Bible there is a blind guy. People are wondering what kind of mess his parents were in or he was involved in for such things to happen in his life. Jesus says the mess is here so I can clean it up. He spits in the dirt and makes a muddy mess. He then spreads it on the guys eyes and tells him to wash it off. The man is healed by the mess. When I read this I get excited to know that Jesus can take a mess and make a miracle. He does miracles in our life because He loves us.  He leads us with love.

So don’t get frustrated with the mess, just keep leading with love.

great relationships don’t just happen by accident. a great marriage is never an accident. Things always start out by “Falling in Love”, but you have to make the decision to “stay in love”! This means you grow in your love. So many people end up falling out of love instead of growing in love. great relationships and marriages are done on purpose! This is a choice you make for life not for moments. this means you choose to stay married and work at growing in love. also remember that connection is much greater than perfection. nothing is going to be perfect but choose to stay connected and committed. it is a choice to build a better marriage. all of this is only possible if your marriage is Christ centered. a Christ centered marriage is a never give up and there is no plan B, that is right i am stuck with you and you are stuck with me. when i said till death do us part i meant it. for me to stay focused my first love had to be God’s Word. without it i would not be able to give love, forgiveness, hope, mercy and much more. it is understanding how much the Father God loves me and that Jesus demonstrates that love so that i can also give it. so if you are feeling confused today about relationships reading this blog was not by accident but was for a purpose to encourage you that you can make it and that God has great plans for your life. take the Word challenge and read the Bible. if you are feeling not loved i challenge you to read a love letter from the God of all creation written for you. then remember to grow in love.

One of my dear friends shared a daily devotional that she was doing with me. She said it reminded her of me. Now let me begin by saying when someone says this reminds me of you there is that moment of terror, but this one turned out to be very encouraging. It was about marriages and relationships. It spoke of how many times we treat our relationships like rental property instead of as home owners. It encouraged having an owner’s perspective for your relationships to be successful. My dad has also shared this same thought with me and many others before too. The point is that an owner’s mentality shows commitment regardless the situation or circumstances. Rather than being dismissive or passive with problems and considering moving, an owner becomes aggressive and sacrifices to face and mend the problems. Owners restore and repair while renters just move. Today you are faced with the opportunity to restore or to run. I encourage you to work at your relationships and see the mighty hand of the Lord restore. It says in Ezekiel that when you speak life over dead things and old things they can live again. Let faith arise in you and speak life over your relationships. Nothing is impossible for God! Let the Holy Spirit be the carpenter of Love in your life…..

I am so excited to begin my blog journey. It has been a desire of mine for years and with the help and inspiration of my dear friend, Shelly from loveledmehere.com, I am taking the blog plunge. I have been sharing my life with others for years as a wife, mom, friend, sister, daughter and Pastor. Covenant Church Douglas, Ga is where I get to hang my hat. This year I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 20 miracle years.

I have learned that in life you can be three different things: victim, volunteer and/or Victor. We have chosen to fight for our futures, our family and each other and be Victors. A victim is always blaming someone else for what is happening in their life, a volunteer does not care who they affect but chooses to do what ever they want no matter what, and a Victor chooses to live by faith and see the best is yet to come. It takes Love to live victoriously! Also, Love never fails: 1 Corinthians 13! I also know it takes Faith to Forgive but that is another blog…. I though about quitting many times, but then I noticed who was watching. I want my children to follow me in love and living victoriously.

Choose today to take the rear view mirror off of your past. Stop being a victim. Stop being a volunteer. Start being the Victor, the Father God created you to be. It is a choice to fight for your future. It is a choice to fight for your family.