Just as Mary let the Holy Spirit dwell in her to bring about God’s dreams through her life – plans that were larger than she could imagine – let’s do the same and remember in this season and in the upcoming year that with God, nothing is impossible.

He is a God of miracles, marvels and great love for you and I, represented in the present He sent to live among us – God incarnate, love personified…

May your dreams be merry and bright this season and in the New Year!

- Julene Fleurmond, Editor of Dream in Soul & SOAR

Word: The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Luke 1:26-38 – Read More in Context

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

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Matthew 17:19-20
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

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Matthew 21:21
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

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“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11

The Passion 4 Christ Movement’s Official Poet Janette…ikz shares a beautiful piece during P4CM’s Lyricist Lounge 4 on “Waiting” on love. She has an amazing way with words and I’m sure you can relate to her waiting woes. Check out www.P4CM.com for more poems and the date of the next Lyricist Lounge.

SOAR and Dream in Soul Creative wants to know what real love means to you, whether it be the love of God, romantic love or the love we are called to have for one another on earth. Share your thoughts and you could be featured on SOAR’s Valentine’s Day Special.

One entry will win a Real Love T-Shirt from Dream in Soul Creative! Please submit by February 13th. You must also be a member of the Dream in Soul and SOAR Facebook pages to enter!

Entry Questions

1. What does love mean to you?

2. Why have you decided to wait for real love? If you are married, can you share a little about what it meant to wait for the right person and give advice to young people on waiting?

3. Can we use your first name, initials and/or picture? (Your answers can be anonymous if you’d like)

Send your answers to envibrance@gmail.com.

Above, Evelina Solis of Sol2Soul is wearing the Worth the Wait T-Shirt in light blue, based on John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (Click here to view other styles and colors of this shirt).

Photo Marina Marston Photography

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints,

To grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever…”

Ephesians 3:16-20

Read More In Context

John 5:9-17

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

17 This is my command: Love each other.

Read more in context

Check out these short clips from SYSN.org where Kierra Sheard shares what she loves about God’s word, and what the Bible says about not wasting our time in worrying about what others think of us.

In September Kierra released “Kiki’s Mixtape” and is working on starting her own clothing line called Mamajik. You can follow her on Twitter @KierraSheard.

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (New International Version)

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