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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Read An Excerpt: Chapter 1 & 2

Living Loved (and a give-away!)

 Happy Valentines Day! I hope you know just how much…

You are LOVED

Welcome online study sisters and new friends hopping over from my Encouragement for Today devotion. I’m so glad you are here! In my devotion, Because You are His, I talk about the love of a mom watching over her children – and how God says He watches over us just like that. Not only does He watch over us – HE DELIGHTS IN US!!{ Zeph. 3:17}

And with His love, He calms our concerns, quiets our fears  and speak promises of assurance to our hearts! Scripture says He sings over us, too. I have a feeling the song He sings over you today is written just for YOU, describing the beautiful woman He’s created you to be, while gently leading your heart to know and rely on His love more and more each day.

Oh how I want to know and rely on His love…His unconditional, unfailing, patient and kind Love. How about you? In this short video m message today, I  share one of the most important truths I’ve ever learned about God’s love. I’d love to share it with you. Maybe we can connect over lunch or coffee right here at my kitchen table. 🙂

“Message Notes” are 1to download in a PDF format here or in a MSWord doc here.

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Let these truths sink into your heart today…

You are CHOSEN. You are LOVED. You are ACCEPTED.

(Download His Promises and print them for keeps!?)

Although God may not send His love covered in chocolate or delivered in satin covered boxes, let’s remember today how He left Himself as a Love letter nailed to the cross of Calvary, declaring the depth of HIS unfailing love for us – forever! I pray that you will live in HIS love today today…bringing the empty well of your heart to Jesus –  so He can fill it!

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Living Loved Give-Away



Click “share your thoughts” right below this post and do just that.  In celebration of Valentine’s Day, each one who participates will be entered to win my “Living Loved” give-away which includes 2 copies of my book,  A Confident Heart, a Starbucks gift Card, a Godiva chocolate bar and a “God’s Heart for You” day-bright DaySpring calendar.

For extra chances to win: (Leave a new comment for each extra entry please.)

  • Facebook a link to this post and give-away
  • Tweet a link to this post and give-away
  • Blog about this post & give-away and link back
  • Pin a link to this post and give-away

Oh, and there’s MORE! After you enter to win my give-away, hop over here where I’m a guest in the Blitz of Give-aways at www.RooMag.com today, too!

Comments

  6. Renee,
    I’d like to enter to receive Living Loved Give-Away on all the other links, but I have my own personal reasons why I won’t get on facebook & I have no clue what twitter, pin the link, or blog the link really mean or how it works. I’m just not that connected except through email (I can at least manage that somewhat)
    You have all touched my heart while reading your comments and just knowing that we are all different, yet so much alike in so many areas of struggles, etc. The only thing I’ve learned and that is to trust God, believe in His promises and to wait on Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 has always been a vital Scripture in my life.
    “Trust the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

  7. Renee,
    For most of my life (45 yrs +), I longed to be loved & to be happy. As a child, I believed in those fairy tales, you know, like..”the knight in shining armor would ride up on his great white horse and rescue me from this dysfunctional lifestyle. I even believed that I was going to find my true love & we’d fall madly in love, get married and live…happily ever after.” Remember?? Well, reality hit me pretty hard when I turned 17 yrs old, pregnant and didn’t want to tell my family because I knew how they were going to react. “You made your bed,,,so now you have to live with it!” My knight in shining armor became my husband (only because his parents refused to pay for another unwed mother he had gotten pregnant & made him take responsibilty by him marrying me. He cheated on me while I was carrying our baby & yet I couldn’t go back to that house because I didn’t want to hear how such a failure I was. But to come right down to it, I just didn’t want to go back to that house because it never really was ever a home. Thought that my marriage would get better after our beautiful daughter was born & that I was finally going to have my own family & my husband was going to truly love me & we’d live happily ever after. Two years went by & I gave birth to a handsome son.
    I spent most of my time with my children. We’d laugh, play & just love each other & they depended on me for everything. I’d tuck them in bed, read to them, & kiss them goodnight. Later on, I’d sneak back in their rooms & just watch them as they slept. Praying that God would keep them save & sound. Afterwards, when I knew that they were fully asleep, I’d slip out just as quietly as I sneaked in their rooms in the first place. Then it was my time to relax and sleep with one ear open…just in case. Unfortunately, my marriage lasted only five years & I didn’t have the courage or confidence to fight for my children & I reluctantly gave up my most precious babies (ages 2 & 4) to their father because I was convinced that I couldn’t take care of them and they’d be better off with their father. I was reassured that I could see them any time I wanted to,but, of course that was a lie as well. I did have visitation rights & majority of the time, my ex didn’t show up with my kids at the designated area he’d chosen & I would wait for hours & hours. I would get depressed & then I turned to drugs & alcohol to ease my pain. I was then addicted for over twenty-five years & I just couldn’t seem to get off that road of destruction I stumbled on. I didn’t want to go on with my life anymore (too hard for me to deal with especially without my children whom I loved so much & yet wanted only the best for them). After attempting suicide at least three times, I really didn’t want to die, I just longed for my children back in my arms & to love them & never let them go ever again!!! I was so angry at God, my family & everyone else who I felt had betrayed me or caused me pain. I did get a second chance with my children and I was so blessed to have them in my life, yet my fears minus confidence couldn’t hold up when my children couldn’t forgive me for leaving them. Nothing I could do or ever say to them would ever make them believe that I loved them & missed them with all my heart & hoped that they would forgive me. My son didn’t even remember me & my daughter, four years ago asked me never to get in contact her ever again. Even though I gave myself to Christ over fifteen years ago & He delivered me of drugs & alcohol, my addictions to sex, healed me of cervical cancer (caused by STD), and so many things. He has walked me through my past & even now as I struggle now & then with thoughts of my children & wondering how they’re doing, God has been healing me of so many circumstances through forgiveness of all who have caused me pain. Yes, there are still consequences that I had to pay & I know that God is still working in me to help me forgive myself for the poor choices I’ve made in my life. It is an everyday process.
    This study has helped me so much (even though I haven’t made any comments until now). I’ve chosen not to stay a victim…but to know that I have victory (in any situation) through Jesus Christ. Amen
    God has blessed me after twenty-five years of being divorced with a wonderful, godly man & I know that he loves me very much. My husband knows that I love him very much & he doesn’t mind being my second love because…Jesus is my first love and I know that HE CHOSE ME; HE LOVES ME; I AM ACCEPTED!
    My husband & I celebrated our 14 year anniversary on Jan 2nd and God willing we’ll have several more (even through the ups & downs because we know that God is the center of our marriage)
    I’ve been praying for you all…God Bless You Thanks for listening

  9. Its such a wonderful thought that God loves us no matter what day it is, and that his love is never failing. heres something cool to try, when my husband and I took premarital classes at our church last year the pastor and his wife suggested we do this some time to be reminded. In your bible turn to 1corinthians 13 starting in verse 4 everytime it says the word love put your name in place.

  10. #3 question…..Yes I have limitations and weaknesses that makes me doubt that God would want to use me. I was always painfully shy, and bullied as a child. I feel as I do not have anything to offer others or any thing that God would want to use me for. Even though I was always a good student, I sitll feel inadequate when it comes to being smart enough. Through this study though, I can feel God louder than before telling me that I can do things but only thru His power working in me.

  11. I am enjoying this bible study and look forward to sharing it with others. Hope you had a great Valentine’s day!

  12. Renee, I’m curious, what Bible version are you using for the Proverbs 19:22 verse? Several versions don’t use the term unfailing love but rather kindness or loyalty, which makes it confusing for me. They say “what is desired in a man” vice “what a man desires.” Please forgive my ignorance and thanks so much for putting this book out. It has been a life changer for me.

    • It’s from the New International Version (©1984) – but I just checked other versions and it does read differently. I use NIV more than any other.Not sure why they are so different. This I know, what I desire more than anything is God’s unfailing love – it’s what I crave, deeply desire and long for. And all throughout scripture unfailing love is what God’s promises and what is asked for from Him. I always find it is so important and rich to consider the whole counsel of God’s word. 😉

      Hope that helps some!

    • @Annette the Hebrew word is checed which in the original language means goodness, kindness, faithfulness according to Stron’g Concordance. The Gesenius lexicon explains the word this way, “in a good sense, zeal towards any one, love, kindness, especially of men among themselves”. Hope this helps explain the different choices made when translating.

      • Wow, thanks! I love looking at verses in various versions because it helps me to get a deeper understanding of the meaning of the verse.

  13. It took me far to long to realize that God was the only one who could give me the security I sought in other relationships. What a blessing every day to know I am loved! What a blessing your book and study have been as I continue this journey each day.

    • God is love and He loves us all unconditionally…..isn’t that reassuring to know??? I think that is amazing seeing how flawed we are, but He still cares for each and everyone of us.

  16. Hello! This is my first time posting during this study. I read the book with Melissa and was too “raw” to really participate. I guess the fact that I am typing now shows a measure of healing. I am processing (still working on it after starting a year ago) with my counselor, some horrible, severe, childhood sexual abuse that happened 35 years ago.

    For years I carried the feeling of being used, tainted, not good enough etc. to convince myself that if I was worthy of God’s love, he would have stopped the abuse.

    My struggles aren’t over but I feel, for the first time, there is hope and that perhaps, like Renee, God has a plan for me too!

  17. Rene, I your invitation to respond to thought regarding the position that we ought not stand against things but stand for Jesus Christ. You have a wonderful ministry but I would like to point out that it’s not an either or proposition. We are to do both. I believe that many Christians today are afraid to take a stand for what is right, what is true, and God’s command to hate evil (Psalm 97:10). Furthermore, Jesus came not only to bring healing and comfort, but to bring differentiation between those who believe and those who don’t (Matthew 10:34-35). If we do not take a stand for truth and righteousness, we have failed to follow God’s commands. Doing one or another is incorrect. Sharing the Truth in Love-God’s love is the correct way to live. By ignorning being loving is wroing, but so is failing to take a stand against evil and stand for traditional marriage, etc. is wrong. Anyone who reads their Bible can find many additional references to back my assertions up. Thank you again for your wonderful ministry. God’s blessings to you and your ministry. Steven Garofalo (National Apologetics Training Center)

    • Thank you so much for taking time go leave a comment. I whole heartey agree!! Are you referring to my radio show about how Christians are often more “known”‘for whY we stand against than what we stand for? That is the only place I can recall addressing that topic. If so, my point wasn’t intended to imply we don’t stand against what is wrong. Just that I wand to others to know what I stand for — Jesus grace forgives love humility hope wholeness rihteousness Christ-centered and God -honoring relationships and all that Jesus lived and died to stand for ;-). Hope that helps clarify my message. Again thank u for taking time to visit and share your concerns.

  18. Renee: You have an amazing gift with words. Thank you for sharing your story (so much like mine) and bringing glory to our Father through the icky in our life! We are loved more than we can ever imagine, enough to die for!!!

  19. Just wanted to share a verse that came to me while reading this chapter:

    2 Corinthians 10:5
    We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

    This verse really helped me see that our doubts and insecurities are not something that God will take away; instead, God wants to REPLACE them with His truth about us, His promises to us, and His unfailing love.

  20. How do I know that what God said to Gideon in Judges 6:14-16 was not said to Gideon only? How do I know it is a promise to me? How do you determine what God is saying to others in the Bible is something that He’s also saying to me?

  21. In discussing questions 1-3 today, Renee, I would like to share that Question 3 was the one that really stirred something within me. While this request I made of God to “unsettle” me and walk with me through the healing process in chapter four continues, I’ve begun to realize in answering Question 3 of chapter five that perhaps the two weaknesses I think of first could be the very things that God wants to use me to help others with. I have fibromyalgia and try as I may to not allow it to control me, there are days that it is impossible to get around it. Last chapter as Jesus walked through the healing process with me of discouragement over it all, I committed to praise God more for the good days and focus less on the bad. I’ve also been overweight for a lot of years…50 pounds overweight. That has in turn made other issues harder to deal with…the insecurity of “measuring up”, not being able to accomplish as much as I’d like, etc. On January 11 I started reading Lysa’s book, Made to Crave and God is helping me to live a victorious life over this sin of gluttony that I’ve lived with for 20 years. As I’ve read Chapter five and answered question three, I am beginning to realize how He can use me to help others who may have been having some of the same struggles. I can come along side them and encourage them that He is always there for us…the Light that we need to shine on our pathway. Thank you so much, Renee, for being such a beautiful instrument of His grace.

  22. Dear Renee, the Lord is taking me down some long stuffed down damaged places, my parents also divorced when I was 8. My life was a lot like yours growing up. I realize that my feelings like “I’m not good enough for “those people” to like me, “I’m not good enough to apply for that job”, etc come from those feelings of worthlessness as a young girl. When I read on pg 89 about the lack of child support thing, I was surprised at the violent emotion that brought out in me. Hurt and anger. My Mom in her frustration would ask me (the oldest) to call Dad and ask him to send money. We were very poor, Mom only earned $64 dollars a week and there were 3 of us kids. (That was in the 60’s so it was more money than that sounds like now.) I am looking forward to the Lord healing me and showing me my worth to him. The Lord a few years ago, led me to the scripture about Gideon, being a Mighty Warrior, I too read that and went, did the Lord just call me “Mighty Warrior”? I pray and intercede for my family, and loved ones for their salvation, deliverance and restoration. Thank all you girls for being out there. God bless you all in every struggle and hard thing you are going thru.

  23. Thanks for the gentle reminders that it’s not those we please on earth, but our Heavenly master whom loves us unconditionally!

  25. The Lord’s love makes every day seem like Valentine’s Day. So sweet, pure and fulfilling. Thank you Renee for providing us with your wisdom and this study. Your Sister in Christ. Karen

  26. So thankful for this book and message of gods love. Readibg it everyday and speaking gods truth has brought me closer to him. Thank you!

  27. I love the way you can speak to my heart and things make sense. Thank you so much for spending your time helping me to walk with Jesus everyday!

  28. It’s sometimes hard to really believe that God loves “just me” even if I was the only one! It’s also an amazing concept to hold onto. Some days I’m really good at it and others like this month, not so much. Thank you for encouraging us.

  29. I am learning that God loves me unconditionally and forgives me of all my sins and that I be confident through him and him alone. I find myself struggle eadh and every day with this because I have nevr felt this kind of love before. I have been expect this kind of love from my husband and I am struggling to just let God love me. I keep reminding myself that God loves me because he sent his only begotten son to save me from my sins.

  30. God’s showing so much of His love today and many days. I love how He moves and shows us… often so unexpected, but always so perfect. I know I don’t really grasp the “length and width and depth” of God’s love, but I try to open my heart to him. It strikes me like lightning from time to time. So immeasurable.

  31. What a sweet message to be reminded of…that I am absolutely loved by my Father, no matter what!
    The apple of His eye!

  32. As always a perfect message; I needed to hear that tonight. I know that I often look for acceptance and validation in the wrong places. Thank you for the reminder to look up and not down when life gets a little rough.

  34. Thank you for your encouragement. The mother’s love example you gave really helps. Knowing that God loves me and delights in me completes me, and completes everything. I pray that we will always remember this truth.

  35. I too like Jennifer found myself today feeling somewhat low. I am struggling with weight loss and no matter how hard I follow the diet plan my weight will not come off. I have come to the point that the weight consumes me and strips me of my confidence and joy. This message reminds me that I have to fill myself with Christ and his love and until I can get past replacing other things for him there will continue to be that struggle. Jesus is the living water and he is also the bread of life. We often replace “the bread” for other entrees accepting “the bread’ as an appetizer when in actuality “the bread’ should be the main course…… Jesus “the bread of Life”.In Bibilical times bread was often the main course unlike our meals today
    (although I could make it my main course) in which bread is an appetizer or a side dish. Jentzen Franklin recently had an excellent sermon on this. Just like our meals today our spiritiual lives have taken the bread of life and turned him into a side dish, an appetizer when he should be the main course of our lives. I pray that we each can reach out and accept him for all he has to offer and allow him to fill us instead of looking to food, others or things to bring fullfillment and having a little of Jesus on the side, May he become our Main Course…the selected entree of our lives!

    Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

  36. My verse for the day is I John 3:16a “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.” That is so profound and eloquent there is nothing I have to add. Thank you, Jesus, for showing us what love is!!

  37. I fully believe that once we realize, experience, believe and understand how loved we are it begins to change everything in our lives.

    • Amen Amy! Today my 16 year old daughter posted on her facebook….”Spent another great Valentines with my main man…..Jesus” Just like falling in love changes us falling in love with Jesus and realizing he is our main man brings life changing experiences! His love is awesome!

  38. Renee, I cannot tell you how much you have helped me at this time in my life, my heart, my confidence and my sef esteem has been crushed by my peers. God has lead me out of the wilderness and is healing the wounds of my heart.there are times my mind is flooded with the good things that I have done over the years and I feel that God is reminding me that in spite of what others say or think , that IAM a good person because HEis always there with me and I LOVE HIM so very much HE created me in HIS image and that LIGHT of truth is slowly breaking the darkness of rejection and failures healing the wounds of my heart. For the first time in my life Iam being still for God to speak to me and Heis using you and your ministry to do that. Love Ya Renee and Thank YOu so very much for allowing God to use you in such a wonderfully awesome way.

  40. God’s unfailing love is truly unfailing. I testify today with an aching heart, missing someone so much who already in his eternal home, that God is good because He is Love. Dwelling in that truth sustains me this day and everyday.

  41. I just want to thank you Renee for doing this online study. We do not have a woman’s ministry in our Church and I miss the fellowship of Women! I do not have your book but I have gotten a lot from your videos and from the comments that have been left. I can hardly grasp that God chose me (I still struggle with always being picked last for the baseball teams in school!) Loved by God..I am looking forward to the day when I can be as confident as John who referred to himself as “the disciple that Jesus loved” Not because he was more important than the others but because he had such assurance of that love…thanks again for all the reminders of his Love!

  43. Zeph. 3:17 is one of my most favorite verses!! Its been a tough day for me personally, but I loved receiving the encouraging reminder that “we are loved!” It is so true, so wonderful, the love of the Father. Blessings to each of you 🙂

  44. I have to admit that even though I am doing the Confident Heart study and trying to fill myself daily with His promises, today being Valentines Day I woke up with expectations about what my husband might do today and felt myself feeling disappointed when things weren’t exactly as I had seen them in my mind. Why do I (we) do this?
    Thank you for the reminder that our source for happiness, fulfillment and the greatest love of all is found in God and the precious gift of Jesus.

    Blessings to all and Happy Valentine’s Day!

  45. It’s a good reinforcement on a day like today that the world is celebrating as Valentine’s (love) Day. Oh how He loves me so. Thank you Father for loving me the way you do. Nothing or no one can fill your shoes.

  46. As the old song goes, we often are ‘looking for love in all the wrong places’. Earlier today, before I viewed this video, I was wrestling with this exact thing. God does indeed work in mysterious ways and I do so love it!

  47. Thank you Rene – Valentine’s day is never my favorite day of the year, but you’re reminded me of so much with those promises from God. Just what I needed today.

  48. I read my verses from this study this morning, what a wonderful reminder of how much God love me. I wish I always felt I was worthy of His love. I have already decided it will be necessary to reread this encouraging book over and over.