The Colors of Fall

I found a wonderful devotional the other day that I needed to share since this is fall.  I am a lover of fall and the colors it brings.  This wonderful piece by Julia Bettencourt reminds us what the colors of fall say about each of us.   

The Inviting Colors of Fall Julia Bettencourt

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" But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost" 2 Corinthians 4:3


Many people are drawn to fall colors. Fall colors are warm, vibrant, extraordinarily rich, and energetic. I wonder how appealing I am as a Christian? Do other people gravitate to me because I am a warm, vibrant, and inviting person?


Red
When I think about the color of the fall leaves, red is my favorite. There's just something about the trees that are full of red leaves glistening in the sun. It's just extraordinary. They stick out and you notice them.

Red brings up the thought of passion. No matter where we are in our Christian walk, I think we all could do with a little more passion for Christ. We should stick out in a good way. We should reflect all that brilliance of Christ.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Orange
The color orange is so beautiful in the fall. We see it in not just the fall leaves, but in those beautiful pumpkins as well. Orange reflects warmth and symbolizes thoughtfulness and sincerity. As Christians that's something we should portray. We should be that warm inviting person that cares about others.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

Yellow
The yellow color of fall makes me happy. Yellow conjures up joy and cheerfulness. I don't really think that if we aren't cheerful as Christians, other people will want what we have.

If we have Christ, we should have joy in our hearts and that joy should reflect out through us. It's listed right there in Galatians along with the other fruit of the spirit that we should be bearing.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,gentleness, goodness, faith,Meekness, temperance:against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22,23

Purple
Some of the colors we see in fall are the shades of purple. Leaves we find in the purple family are so striking. Purple is the color of royalty. As Christians, we are royalty in Christ. Our behavior should reflect that royalty. We should be striking as Christians.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:16,17 Brown
If we didn't have all that brown in the midst of the bright fall colors, I doubt if they'd be so brilliant. Brown represents stability and it anchors all those other beautiful colors of fall. In Christ, we have our anchor. Others can see if we are living for Christ and depending on Him in our lives. It comes out in our actions and behavior.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6,7

Conclusion:
Showing Christ through our behavior is so important in our witness to others . Our "colors" do matter. How we act and behave is what people see when they look at us. I hope I grow to have a beautiful, warm, and inviting life in Christ. I don't want Christianity to be hid from the world because of me. I want to portray vibrancy and warmth so that people will want to get to know me and learn about Christ through me.

So, what colors are you projecting?
Copyright ©2001-2013 Julia Bettencourt
Scripture References are from the King James Version.
www.juliabettencourt.com

Embraced By God Blog Tour

ISBN - 139781426741340

Publisher:  Abingdon Press

Price:  18.95

About the Book:  “Have you ever wondered, “Does God really love me?  Do I really matter to Him?”  Rest assured that each and every question you have is of great concern to God.  He is not far away or unconcerned.  He has not forgotten about you.  He is concerned about what’s going on in your life, and He is as close to you as your very next breath.  He loves you.  As a matter of fact, God loves you just as much as He loves His own Son.   In the pages of this heartwarming, thoughtful, and life-affirming 21-day journey, award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and teacher Babbie Mason reminds you, when you know you are loved by God and that you are in His eternal plan, you’ll never again wonder if your life matters.  You can start off heading in the wrong direction and still end up in the right place because you are embraced by God!

About the Author:  Babbie Mason is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, author, creator of the Embrace: A Worship Event for Women ministry, professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs. Babbie has been honored perform for Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Steve Forbes among many others. Babbie performs a holiday special at Carnegie Hall every year. Babbie lives near Atlanta on a farm with her husband Charles.

Click here for more information.

Click here to buy the book!

Embraced by God is a 21-day encounter that shares the unconditional love of God. "If you watch what the media says as to where we should find our identity--" says Babbie, "--money, beauty, power and technology--you'll just be confused about who you are and what your purpose is. As a culture we are trying to buy or sell what can only be administered to the soul by Jesus."

Celebrate with Babbie by entering her Nook Tablet Giveaway!

One beloved winner will receive:
A Brand new Nook Tablet with Wi-Fi
Embraced by God by Babbie Mason
Babbie's Embraced by God Music CD
Babbie's Embraced by God Notecards

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/5/12. Winner will be announced at Babbie's "Embraced" Facebook Party on 3/6. Babbie will be hosting an evening of chat, music, laughter, and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, Embraced by God music CDs and Notecards, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club.)

So grab your copy of Embraced by God and join Babbie and friends on the evening of March 6th for an evening of fun.

Want to check out what other readers are saying?  Visit the blog tour dates by clicking here.

My Thoughts:   I love a good bible study for my personal use, but I don't like do use them  for review on my blog, mostly because I have so little time and read non-fiction books regularyly dealing with my class.  When I do get the chance to read I want something that is light and mindless.   But when this invitation to join this tour I knew I had to join this tour.  I love Babbie Mason.  I have seen her in concert.  I have been touched by her powerful witness.  I was all in on this one.  I just prayed that they would choose me to be a participant, and they did. I did not get the book in enough time to do the 21-day challenge, but I becgan as soon as it arrived and I have loved every minute I have spent in it.  I am really looking forward to finishing this book and applying it to my life. It was so very encouraging to me to be told that I am an heir and loved by God, just like He loved Jesus. Then, to EMBRACE those words–that was so very humbling!!  I want to warn the readers that this excellent book is not a mere short devotional book.  It is a 15-20 page study.  It is not something that can be done lightly at all.  It is a powerful book and very well-written.  Thank you Babbie Mason for enlightening me....and allowing me to be Embraced by God.

Disclaimer:  I received Babbie Mason's Embraced by God for free from Abingdon Press to give an honest opinion of what I read.  The opinions I stated were 100% my own.