WINNING WITH THE WORD

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.

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Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.

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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 30, 2023, and this is Episode #5 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “You Are Loved!”

In my 77 years on this earth and my 50-plus years of ministering to people both as a Life Coach, a Licensed Minister, and a friend, I have discovered that an underlying root of all sin and suffering is the belief that one is not loved. Because all of us were created to love and to be loved, this false belief leads us to look for love in the wrong places, and when we do, we always end up in trouble.

The need for love is a universal need. We find it in every person of every age and nationality. We find the need for love throughout human history, as expressed in our literature and our historical documents. We find the need for love in every child as he trustingly reaches out to those who care for him.

The need for love is a need we cannot deny or escape. Yet so many of us try to do just that. The need for love is a need placed in our hearts by God Who created us so that we would look to Him to meet our need for love. 

The sad thing, however, is that while the need for love never goes away, the wrong ways we try to fill that need backfire on us and, instead of love, we experience suffering and sorrow. Broken relationships and broken hearts.

When babies do not receive the love they need, their souls become warped. They learn that they have to perform to be loved, or that they are not worthy of love, or that they are unloveable. These soul wounds continue to fester as the child grows up, making his adult relationships fraught with problems.

Moreover, when one does not receive the love he needs as a child, he begins looking for love in the wrong places. For instance, in drugs, alcohol, food, illicit sex, pornography, or crime.

Perhaps you yourself find yourself in such a situation. Perhaps you have looked to the wrong sources to get the love you need. If so, let me offer you hope.

No matter what you’ve done or where you are in life, there is One Who loves you and will always love you, no matter what. That One is God. He made you because He loves you, and He continues to love you despite the way you may have messed up your life. He wants to heal you and restore you. He wants to show you how much He loves you.

You see, my friend, all healing begins with the knowledge and belief that God loves you! Until you truly know and believe in the depths of your heart that God loves you, you will remain stuck in your bondage. Until you truly know and believe that God loves you, you will live a life of continual regret. 

So, you may be asking, what am I supposed to do? How can I know and believe that God loves me?

Well, the first thing is to ask yourself if you truly want to receive God’s love. Some people don’t, you know, and that is tragic. For only God’s love can save you. But if you truly want to receive God’s love, it is there for the taking. God never stops loving you. While you are on this earth, He never stops offering you His love. But it’s up to you to receive it. 

God’s love is best expressed through a Person. That Person is Jesus Christ. When He came to earth to die for You, He demonstrated the enormity of God’s love for you. Love gives. Jesus gave His very life to show you He loves you.
There is no greater gift that a person can give to demonstrate His love than his very life.

So, my friend, I ask you. Are you looking for love in drugs, alcohol, food, illicit sex, pornography, or crime? If so, you are looking in the wrong place. There is only one place to find love, and that is in God. Why? Because God is Love. His very nature is Love. His very essence is Love. All love originates in God and ends in God. 

You can receive that love now by receiving Jesus Christ, Love Himself. Just prayer this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I have sinned against You by looking for love in the wrong places. I ask You to forgive me as I turn away from those wrong sources of love. I want You alone to be my Source of Love, for only You can give me true, lasting love. So, I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. I receive You as the Lover of my soul. Thank You for saving me and for loving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.

If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of looking for love in the wrong places, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting love journey with Jesus.

Before you leave, please check out my new featured books: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.

The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.

A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith. This story is now also available in audiobook format. 

Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.

All three books make great all-occasion gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon. 

Purchase your copies here:
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE

Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:

SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST

SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.

Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support. 

Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!

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Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:

NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel

A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.

CLICK HERE to get your copy now.

 

New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children

An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.

CLICK HERE to get your copy now.

 

 

 

 

To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
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Copyright 2000-2023 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 info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

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Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.