Friday, December 29, 2017

Making the New Year Your Best Yet

Hey, Gabriel Girls!

 Happy New Year! If you're like me, you want to make 2018 your best year yet. So, how can we do that?

 Well, here are a few thoughts followed by some ideas for action:
1--Time is a gift from God. How we use the time He gives us on this earth will affect how we live in eternity. It has been said that our life on earth is a preparation for our life in eternity. Did you know that before you were even born, God had written down what He wanted you to do each day of your life? 

 Check out this cool Scripture verse: "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Psalm 139: 16). WOW! Talk about planning ahead! 
ACTION QUESTIONS: 

  • Am I doing what God planned for me to do each day? 
  • Do I know what God planned for me to do each day?
  • If not, how can I find out?
2--Obedience to God's Word will lead me into God's will for my life. God's ways are opposite our ways. We may think we have to know the next step before we take it. God says, "Obey My Word, and I will show you the next step to take."  

In order to obey God's Word, we have to know it. We have to read it and study it. As we read and study God's Word, we then need to obey it by applying it to our lives. Make it your goal in 2018 to study and obey God's Word. As you do, you will begin to see God's purpose for your life unfolding.

ACTION QUESTIONS:
  • Am I reading and studying God's Word every day? If not, why not?
  • Am I obeying God's Word? If not, why not?
  • Am I beginning to discern God's purpose for my life?
3--My relationship with Jesus Christ must take first place above all of my other relationships. God created us for relationship with Him. When our relationship with God is right, then all of our other relationships will be right. 

Jesus Christ is the only way for us to have a relationship with God the Father. So, all relationship with God must start with Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14: 6).

ACTION QUESTIONS:
  • Have you established a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ? If not, you can do so now. Click here if you need help.
  • If you do have a relationship with God through Jesus, is that relationship top priority in your life? If not, why not?
  • What can you do to improve your relationship with God?
Set aside some time to think about this post and to answer the questions. If you do, you will be starting the new year on the right foot. 

And that's a good way to start!
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Copyright 2017 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.


If you enjoyed this blog, please forward it to your family and friends. Spread the Word of God and be a blessing to others! Thanks! 
To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:
  • You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life. If you don't know how to do this, click here.
  • You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
  • You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
    ____________________________________________________
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Sunday, December 17, 2017

Walking the Walk with Jesus by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

Hey, Gabriel Girls!

 How's your walk with Jesus going? Are you keeping in stride with Him? Have you gotten off track? Or have you gotten lost by going your own way?

 Knowing where we stand with Jesus is something we need to be aware of constantly. It's like taking a test to see if we are on track with our schoolwork. The results of the test will tell us if we understand the material and if we are where we need to be in our learning journey.
Photo by Alexsandr Ledogorov. Source: Freelyphotos.com.

 Well, how can we take a test regarding our walk with Christ? What questions should we ask ourselves? What kind of results should we look for to indicate that we're still following Him?

 Here are a few questions to ask yourself. Rank yourself according to the scale below, and place your rank on the lines provided. When you've finished answering the questions, check your answers against the Score Key that follows the questions.

 RANKING SCALE
5 - Your answer is YES.
4 - Your answer is OFTEN.
3 - Your answer is SOMETIMES.
2-  Your answer is RARELY.
1 - Your answer is NO.
  • Do I spend time with the Lord every day, reading His Word, memorizing and meditating on His Word, talking with Him in prayer, and just hanging out with Him?_____
  • Do I regularly gather with fellow believers for fellowship and fun?_____
  • Do I attend church services regularly?_____
  • Am I part of a small Bible study group?_____
  • Do I have a mature spiritual mentor (a woman for a gal and a man for a guy) who can advise me and hold me accountable to God's Word?_____ 
  • Do I serve in some capacity in my local church?_____ 
  • Do I tell others about Jesus?_____

SCORE KEY:
---A score of 30-35 means you are on track in your walk with Jesus.
---A score of 25-30 means you are doing well but have room for improvement.
---A score of 20-25 means you are getting off track and need to re-evaluate your priorities.
---A score of 15-20 means you have gone your own way and should get help in getting back on track.
---A score of 1-15 means you are in danger of losing your way. Talk with your pastor or a mature Christian who will help you find your way back.

 One disclaimer: Perhaps you are a new Christ-Follower and have just started your walk with Jesus. If so, it will take you some time to incorporate the above spiritual disciplines into your life. But you can start right away to spend time with the Lord every day, reading His Word and talking with Him. Ask God to lead you to a good church that teaches the Bible without compromise. As you begin attending church, you will find other believers who will help you to grow in Christ.

 If you need help with any of this, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I will be happy to help you in any way I can.

 Now it's your turn: Place your comments or questions in the Comment Box below. Thanks! 

Please tell your family and teen friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!
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Copyright 2000-2017 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
If you enjoyed this blog, please forward it to your family and friends. Spread the Word of God and be a blessing to others! Thanks! 
To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:
  • You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life. If you don't know how to do this, click here.
  • You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
  • You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
    ____________________________________________________
You can find me on the following Social Media Venues:

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Thursday, November 23, 2017

LOOK, LISTEN, AND LOVE

Hey, Gabriel Girls!

 When I was a young teen, I started a club with some of my high school girlfriends. We named the club The AGCs, which stood for The All-Girls Club–a simple name for a club comprised of ordinary teenagers with an extraordinary purpose: to impact our community with the love of Christ.
Our first project shortly after our founding was to provide a Thanksgiving Day meal for a poor family in our town. The local butcher where my mother shopped for meats provided the name of the family. You see, our butcher was a humble man who, quietly and unobtrusively, gave generously to poverty-stricken families in our area. So he knew those families who could use our help.

The day before Thanksgiving Day, we members of the AGCs busily and excitedly planned, purchased, and packed the meal we would donate to the designated family. On the eve of Thanksgiving Day, in bitter cold weather, we loaded the boxes of food into my mother’s car, and she drove us across town to the family who would receive our gift.
I will never forget that night. In frigid temperatures that made our bones ache, we climbed the three flights of the fire escape that led to the tiny apartment on the third floor of an old, dilapidated house next door to the butcher shop. Laden with a big box of food, I carefully slipped a hand from under the box and nervously knocked on the front door.
My heart pounded and my teeth chattered.
In a few moments, a young woman opened the door. She looked to be in her early twenties. In her left arm, she held a baby.
“Yes?” Her eyes questioned me.
“Hello.” I tried to reassure her with a smile. “We are the All Girls Club and we want to bless you with a Thanksgiving Day meal.”
The woman’s eyes grew wide and immediately filled with tears. “How did you know we had no food?” Her voice quivered. “We were not planning to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.”
A lump rose to my throat. “May we come in to deposit the boxes of food?”
She nodded and then opened the door all the way for us to enter.
We placed the boxes of food on the kitchen table and then, after exchanging tearful hugs, we left.
On our way home that night, we AGCs shared our feelings about what had just transpired. To the last girl among us, we all knew we had just experienced a miracle of love within our own hearts. We had learned that, as Jesus said, it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. None of us would ever be the same.
That young family was only one of many families that still need our help today. Why not start your own club to impact your community? People are in need all around us. To find them, we just have to look, listen, and love.
______________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2017 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA. All Rights Reserved.
If you enjoyed this blog, please forward it to your family and friends. Spread the Word of God and be a blessing to others! Thanks! 
To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:
  • You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.If you don't know how to do this, click here.
  • You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
  • You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
    ____________________________________________________
You can find me on the following Social Media Venues:
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Saturday, November 18, 2017

HOW TO DEAL WITH GIRL DRAMA

Hey, Gabriel Girls!

 It hits you when you least expect it. When you think things are going great with your best friend, all of a sudden she turns on you. She says something mean about you in front of the girls you hang with, or she reveals a secret about you she promised never to share.

 All of a sudden, you explode with ugly words you thought you'd never say to anyone. Before you know it, your once best friend has become your worst enemy.

So, what's going on here? What is really happening in girl drama?  And what can you do when you find yourself right smack in the middle of it?

 1--Stay calm. One of the worst things you can do when involved in girl drama is to let your emotions take over. Heated emotions cloud logical thinking, and what you need more than anything when you're thrust into girl drama is logical thinking. Forcing yourself to stay calm will help you to stay logical. 

 2--Take stock of the situation. Once you've calmed yourself down, you can take a look at what's really going on. You can acknowledge that you're angry and hurt, but you can also give your anger and hurt to God. You can ask Him for wisdom as to what to do next. You can try to understand the reason your friend turned on you. You can honestly ask yourself if you had anything to do with it or not. Sometimes we unwittingly contribute to girl drama by something we say or do. But if you honestly didn't have anything to do with the drama, then simply ask God to heal your hurt and to show you what to do next.

 3--Meet in person with the friend who hurt you. This may sound like a really scary thing to do, but it is one of the best ways to restore a friendship. In a nice way, tell your friend that you were deeply hurt by her actions. Ask her the reason for her behavior and then listen carefully to her side of the story. You may learn some surprising things.

 4--Apologize if you contributed to the drama. If, in some way, you contributed to the drama, apologize and ask forgiveness. A humble spirit is one of the best ways to restore a broken relationship.

 5--Forgive the one who hurt you. If your friend was entirely at fault, tell her you forgive her. If you had some responsibility for the drama, ask her to forgive you. 

 6--Have the courage to walk away from the relationship if it continues to be toxic. Sometimes the best thing to do is to leave a relationship when it is harmful to you. Don't ever be afraid to do so. Any "friend" who continues to hurt you is not a friend at all. 

 7--Learn from the drama experience. Girl-drama experiences can teach us a lot about ourselves. Ask yourself what you learned from the experience. How can you avoid a similar experience in the future? How can you help someone else going through girl drama?

 8--Choose your friends wisely. Some girls are true friends; others are not. Choose only friends whose qualities you want to emulate. You will become like the friends you hang with.

 9--Finally, remember that Jesus will always be your friend. He promised never to leave you nor forsake you. And He will never, ever hurt you!

 I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you have handled girl drama. Please write your comments in the box below. Thanks!
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Copyright 2017 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

If you enjoyed this blog, please forward it to your family and friends. Spread the Word of God and be a blessing to others! Thanks! 
To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:
  • You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.If you don't know how to do this, click here.
  • You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
  • You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
    ____________________________________________________
You can find me on the following Social Media Venues:
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Saturday, September 16, 2017

ARE YOU DRIFTING AWAY FROM THE LORD?

Hey, Gabriel Girls!

 If you've been watching the news lately, you've seen the results of Hurricane Irma. As I viewed the very sad pictures on TV, I was struck by the way houses, cars, and personal belongings just drifted away, carried off by the rising waters. Those objects had lost all of their anchoring and could not resist the power of the water.

 The scene made me think of many Christians who have lost their anchor and are being carried away by the destructive waters of sin.

 Are you one of them?

 If so, listen up so you don't get carried away altogether until you are totally destroyed. I'm going to give you three tips for keeping the flood waters of sin from drowning you.

 1--Admit that you've turned from God and have followed the road of sin.

 2--Repent. Right now! Yes, stop reading and repent. This means making a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction from your sin.

 3--Run back to God. When we sin, we shouldn't run away from God but toward God. He loves us and is the only One Who can forgive us and restore us to fellowship with Him.

 As you take these three simple steps, you will be re-establishing your anchor in the only place it will hold you safely: in the arms of your Heavenly Father. As long as you remain there, you will never have to fear that the rising waters of life will overtake you. 

 Here's a Scripture verse for you to memorize:

 "Surging waters cannot quench love; floodwaters cannot overflow it. If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love, the offer would be utterly despised." --Song of Solomon 8: 7
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Copyright 2017 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhDm MFA.  All Rights Reserved.

 If you enjoyed this blog, please forward it to your family and friends. Spread the Word of God and be a blessing to others!

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Saturday, August 19, 2017

SOLAR ECLIPSE: A WARNING FROM GOD

Hey, Gabriel Girls!
If you live in the good ol' USA, you know that on Monday, August 21, 2017, our country will be experiencing a total solar eclipse. The eclipse will traverse the entire United States from the Northwest to the Southeast. 
This is an event of major significance in that it is a warning from God calling us to repentance, both as individuals and as a nation. The eclipse will occur only over the United States and over its expanse, meaning this is a message specifically for America.  So, we must take special heed!

The  Bible tells us that God speaks to us through the signs in the sky (Genesis 1: 14).  The question is: Are we listening?

God issues these celestial warnings out of His infinite love for us. He is saying that if we don’t repent, we will bring judgment and great suffering on ourselves because we have disobeyed His commands. (See the Book of Revelation).

Please take this warning to heart and warn your family and friends.  This is not something to take lightly and to brush off.  Your eternal destiny and theirs are at stake.

Many Biblical scholars and other Christians believe that the Lord’s return for His Church in an event called the Rapture is at hand, and that this eclipse is meant to prepare us for the Lord’s return.  Only those who have been born again will be removed from the earth and will escape the great Tribulation which will soon come upon the entire world with the rise of the AntiChrist. Those who have not accepted Christ as Savior and Lord will be left behind and will endure the Tribulation. This will be a seven-year period of horrific suffering and oppression such as the world has never seen.

You do NOT want to be left behind! If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, accept Him now as your Savior and Lord and spend eternity in His Presence. Here is a simple prayer to be born again:
“Lord Jesus, I come to You now just as I am—broken, bruised, and empty inside. I’ve made a mess of my life, and I need You to fix it. Please forgive me of all of my sins. I accept You now as my personal Savior and as the Lord of my life. Thank You for dying for me so that I might live. As I give you my life, I trust that You will make of me all that You’ve created me to be. Amen.”
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ. Please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorioministries.com. I would like to send you a booklet to help you get started in your walk with Jesus. 
Now, it’s YOUR turn: Are you listening for God’s voice as He speaks through His signs in the sky? Are you looking up for the imminent return of Jesus Christ for His Bride? How are you preparing for His return? 
If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend. Thank you! Please tell your family and friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!
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Copyright 2017 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD.  All Rights Reserved.
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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

5 Ways to Grow in Christ

Hey, Gabriel Girls!

 I trust you’re having a great summer! No matter what you do this summer, don’t forget to spend time with Jesus.

 Of all your relationships, your relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important relationship you will ever have. It will last forever, into eternity. So don’t you agree it’s vital that you keep working on that relationship?

 If you don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I urge you to establish one. Click here to learn how to do so. 

 Okay, now let’s talk about five ways to grow your relationship in Christ:
1) Dig deep into God’s Word. God’s Word is the Bible. The Bible and Jesus are actually one and the same, so if you dig deep into the Bible, you will be digging deep into Jesus. Why is this important? Because the better you get to know Jesus, the more you will be like Him, and the more like Him you are, the better your life will be.

 Check out Psalm 119: 1-3: Happy are all who perfectly follow the laws of God. Happy are all who search for God and always do his will, rejecting compromise with evil and walking only in his paths. 

 If you want to be truly happy, follow Jesus! 

 2) Pray.  Prayer is a two-way conversation with God. He talks to you, and you talk to Him. Be sure to do twice as much listening as you do talking, however, because God is far smarter than you are. :)

 I keep a Prayer Journal of my conversations with God. It’s really cool to go back and read over the things God has spoken to me over the years. Most of all, keeping a Prayer Journal will remind you of how much God cares, especially when you’re going through tough times.
3) Obey what God tells you to do. How do you know what God tells you to do? The best place to find that answer is in the Bible. God has written down all that He wants you to do. It can be summed up in two commands found in Luke 10: 27: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Obey these two commands and you’ll be just fine. :)  

4) Meet with other Christ-Followers. We all need the support of others on our journey with Jesus. Fellow believers lift us up when we are down, and vice versa. The Bible says this about meeting with fellow believers: Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near (Hebrews 10: 25). We do not necessarily have to meet in church buildings, because we are the Church. But we should meet regularly with other Christ-Followers, especially during these dangerous times right before Christ’s return.

5) Tell others about Jesus. I am so thankful for the young woman who told me about Jesus and about my need to be born again. Even though I thought she was crazy at first, I eventually realized that she was telling me the truth. Were it not for her courage, I would not be writing this blog post today. 

So, be bold in your witness for Jesus Christ. You have the truth, and by sharing the truth with others, you will prevent many from spending eternity in Hell.

There you have it: 5 Ways to Grow in Christ. Now all you have to do is put these 5 ways into practice. You will be amazed at how much your life will change for the better!

Now, it's YOUR TURN: What ways do you practice to grow in Christ? Please share with our fellow Gabriel Girls!

You can post your comments in the box below. Thanks! We're eagerly waiting to hear from you. Your opinion matters!

TWEETABLE:


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Copyright 2016 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:
  • You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.If you don't know how to do this, click here.
  • You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
  • You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
    ____________________________________________________
You can find me on the following Social Media Venues:
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