Do You Believe God? ...Really?

Do you believe in God? Do you believe that His Word is true?


Believe means to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

So, again: Do you believe in God? Do you believe that His Word is true?

I like how the man who brought his son to be delivered of a demon answered this question. He said, “Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

This man knew there was a piece of him that couldn’t fully grasp that his son could be delivered. Yet his honesty caused him to have his prayers answered in spite of his unbelief.

I think too often we try to gloss over the sides of us that struggle with believing parts of God’s Word. We might believe that He can save us, but we might pause as we wonder if he can really heal… and then there’s that financial thing… Will we really see a difference if we tithe?

We put up a front and try to act confident and assured with other believers. We even put on a mask as we pray to God! We quote all the scriptures and say the “right things” when inside we are filled with distrust and apprehension.

We are just hoping that God with come through. But God doesn’t want hope. He wants belief.

Take a page from this man’s story in Mark and be honest with your Heavenly Father! Be real about your doubts and concerns.

You can pray all you want trying to appear holy and giving God what you think will get His attention. Yet what really gets His attention is the openness of your heart. That’s what He’s looking at anyway. (1 Samuel 16:7)

So, take the time to lay all your cards out before the Father. Ask Him to help you get to the point where you fully believe His word. Ask Him to cover you in those areas where you are struggling, and watch Him work with you to answer your prayers.

Verse of the Day: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23

Thanksgiving Friday!

Good morning, lovely people! God certainly is good. It's Friday, and I feel like singing and dancing!

Now, if you all knew what I was going through right now, I think you'd grant me permission to sit down and have a good cry... BUT I don't wanna cry! I want to sing and laugh because the joy of the Lord has been bubbling up in my spirit this morning.

So, again: God certainly is good!

I'm still thanking Him for saving my life on Monday and keeping me from a terrible car accident. I know my angels were working overtime, but God kept me! Hallelujah!

I'm also thanking God for encouragement. Thank You, Lord, for sending people across my path to speak life to me and encourage me in the gifts that You have placed inside me. I will continue to give these gifts right back to You to show how truly thankful I am that You gave them to me.

Lastly, I'm grateful for answered prayer. I've been praying over some things for a while. I placed the burden at the Father's feet, and He gave me an answer on yesterday. It may not have been what I might have wanted to hear, but He answered! Thank You Lord for hearing my cry! I know all things are working together for my good. (Romans 8:28)

The Lord is strong when you are weak. He is your comfort when you are in despair. God will keep you when you're at a loss about what to do. God will be your friend when no one else is around. He is everything you need, right when you need it. Take advantage of your privilege and reach out for your benefits in God!

Have a blessed weekend, everyone!

Verse of the Day: I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:1, 2

You Win!

It’s like the scene in The Lion King when Scar had Simba hanging over a cliff. Or the one in The Matrix when Neo appeared to be dead. We can even take it back to when Sho ‘Nuff held Leroy’s head under water in The Last Dragon.

All of these characters were at their breaking point. They were fighting their ultimate enemy and seemingly failing.

Right now you are in a battle. Maybe it feels like the ultimate fight. You are facing your greatest trial, and it seems like it’s going to win. Before you give in, let me remind you: You are more than a conqueror!

You are a child of the Great God! You were made in His image and likeness. He gave you the keys to the kingdom. He gave you power over the enemy. Use it!

Don’t believe the hype! Don’t believe the lies the devil’s whispering. If you have to close your eyes to how it looks, shut them tight! Hang in there! If God is for you, who can be against you?

You have to believe God’s Word and stand firm.

Grit your teeth and remember that at your greatest point of pressure, you are about to receive your greatest breakthrough. If you give in, you’ll never taste the thrill of victory and will have to settle for defeat. Why settle when God has already told you that you’re going to win?

So, jump back over the cliff like Simba, find a way to breathe again like Neo, and put on your spiritual “glow” like Leroy. Keep on fighting! You’re the hero in the story of your life! You Will Win!

Verse of the Day: …in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

Btw: I know I have to get some better movie examples. But it's the point that's important, people. The point!

You Are Great...Believe It!

Good Morning, Everyone! Still happy to be in the land of the living!


You know I couldn’t let the State of the Union pass without giving my observations, right?

I was pleased that all of the attendees chose to mix up their seating in a show of an effort to change their ways and show a greater sense of unity. However, I hope they don’t just make moves in appearances alone but actually choose to change the way they interact on a regular basis.

What really stuck out to me was President Obama’s call for more American innovation and global leadership. Contrary to popular belief, we do have the biggest economy, we do have the best colleges and universities, we have produced some of the most impactful inventions and processes that have revolutionized how we live (Facebook, anyone?).

Despite the hardships our nation is currently going through, we are a nation of greatness. We hold the keys that the rest of the world wants. We set the trends that the rest of the world follows. We are still a world leader!

We just have to believe in ourselves again. I’m so grateful the President reminded us of this fact.

The devil likes to trick us into doubtful thinking every chance he can get. We go through trials or periods of difficulty, and we start looking at the doubts and indecision the devil holds up in our view.

Why should we continue to trust in God? Why should we keep working towards the goal? If God was really with us, wouldn’t we be overcoming not failing?

The devil is one crafty serpent. Yet, we must keep remembering who we are in God. We must keep His words of promise before us always. God never fails, it’s up to us to continue to believe on Him.

So, don’t let difficulty steer you off course or deter you from pressing forward. You are still great because the great One lives in you! You can still reach your goals in God!

Verse of the Day: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19

Last Night Jesus Saved My Life!

Saints, I've got a testimony!

Last night I was driving home from work on a busy expressway going about 65-70mph. I was in the far left lane and started to merge into the right lane. There was a car in my blindspot that honked, so I made moves to get back into the left lane.

At that point my car started swerving back and forth. In my attempts to get control of my car, it spun out. My car did a 360 plus a 180 ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC!! - The whole time I was screaming the name of JESUS!

After the first 180, I was literally staring at the lights of oncoming cars and just knew I was getting hit! I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact.

My car continued to spin and came to a stop facing the wrong direction in the far right lane. I opened my eyes to see a car coming to a stop less than 10 feet from my vehicle.

I was able to do a three point turn to get out of the way and had a moment on the shoulder of the highway. My whole body was shaking and tears of joy were streaming down my face.

God just saved me from death right there on 290! My vehicle was not touched, I was not hurt, I didn't hurt anybody else... You can't tell me that the name of Jesus doesn't have power! You can't tell me that God doesn't deliver!

Hallelujah! I'm alive and well!

I could have easily been hit by the oncoming traffic. I could have easily spun the other direction into the median! BUT GOD! Hallelujah!

Let the Lord be magnified! Thank you, Jesus for saving me!

God is still on the throne, Saints! The same God that delivered me from danger is listening to your heart's cry and is answering you just the same. Keep trusting and believing because He is working it out for you!

Verse of the Day: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91

Perpetual Prayer

This year is proving both exciting and challenging for me. I have so many great things on deck that I’m getting ready to start, yet I keep coming across situations that are throwing some wrenches in the game plan.


Despite my disappointment with having to deal with challenges, I am still kind of grateful for them. Coming up against blockages have pushed me to use more of my faith and recalled the scriptures I’ve been meditating on back to my memory. I have been using those verses to bolster my faith and encourage myself in the Lord.

I’ve also found myself conversing with God on a more regular basis throughout the day. I used to consider a time of prayer as shutting myself in my room and spending time in concentrated prayer for a significant period of time. Now I see that I am having constant talks with God as I encounter different situations.

I’m asking Him more questions on the spot, and I’m really listening for answers. I’m realizing now what the scripture meant that said to pray without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:17) In order to make it, you’ve got to have a continuous flow of prayer going!

I’m further realizing the value of staying in the word and prayer. You never know when you’re going to need a ready word, and there’s not always a Bible around as we go through the day. Yet we have the Holy Spirit to bring things back to our remembrance, and we should be using that privilege to the fullest!

So, don’t despair when you encounter challenges and difficulties, they are prime opportunities to exercise your faith and show you how much you’ve grown in God! Keep meditating on His Word and keep the lines of communication open between you and your Heavenly Father. You are still an Overcomer!

Verse of the Day: But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. Acts 6:4

Thanksgiving Friday!

God is so good! We have had another week to give God glory, honor and praise!

So many things have been going on this week around me, and I have seen the faithfulness of God. I am thankful that God has continued to stand by my side. When I thought all was lost, the Lord made a way where I couldn't see one.

I am also grateful for my family being with me. I had a friend lose a loved one this week, and my heart aches with them. And as I pray for my friend, I am thanking God for the opportunity to appreciate the loved ones I have still with me. If you haven't said "I love you" to your folks this week, go ahead and get it in! Tomorrow is not promised...

God is a good God all the time! Whether we're going through joy, heartache, laughter, trials, promotion, or defeat... one thing remains the same: God's love for us will never fail. He is wise in all of His ways, and He will never put more on you than you can bear.

So, despite what we might feel, God still deserves some thanksgiving coming out of our lips. Praises to Your Name, Lord God! All the glory belongs to You!

Be blessed, Everyone.

Verse of the Day: God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Psalm 46:1, 2

Open the Door Already!

Right now I am attending school online to obtain my Masters Degree in Christian Leadership. I am enjoying the classes, but I have been praying and believing God for the finances to pay for it all. I don’t want to drain my savings, and I would appreciate not adding on to my student loans.

This morning in my regular internet reading, I came across an opportunity to win a scholarship. All I have to do is upload a picture of myself and write a short essay. Easy as pie, right?

I sat and looked through some of the entries already posted and started downgrading myself right on the spot. I went from “Oh, this is an easy $20 grand to win!” to “Well, the runners up get $2,500…” There are some really beautiful women in the running.

I looked at the situation with my natural eyes and automatically told myself I couldn’t win. I almost talked myself out of even entering. Ain’t that something?

Yet, as I looked at the contest rules I remembered my prayers for funding. Who’s to say that God can’t move on my behalf even when it’s partly based on a beauty contest? I may not consider myself a model, but God did create me!

Often we pass up opportunities for God to bless us or our prayers to be answered simply because we don’t see how it could work. Some of us even sit down with, talk to, and get to know our answer, yet we still let it slip by out of our own disbelief that it’s for us!

God is holding the answer to many of our prayers and knocking on our doors... Let’s let Him in already!

There’s a reason why you got that bright idea. God allowed you to meet that particular person. It’s no coincidence you ran across that information. That dream keeps coming in the night on purpose.

God’s knocking. Open up the door, and position yourself for the blessing of answered prayer!

Now, I’m not saying that this contest is the answer to my prayers, but I’m certainly not going to let it pass by without putting my name in the running. That action of faith could be all God needs to bring about my answer.

Verse of the Day: Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

Make it A Priority

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve resolved to get in shape out only to let my plans fall to the wayside. Those times I do start rolling, I only slack back off again after a short amount of time.

I’ll go a couple of days exercising in the evenings after work. Then one day I’ll forget, the next day I’ll be tired, and the day after that I’ll have a meeting… Soon, I’m back where I started never fulfilling my desire to get back in shape.

The same theory rings true in my times with the Lord. I’ll decide to spend more quality time with Him, only to wind up being swept away by my day.

I plan to wake up earlier in the morning only to shut off the alarm, roll over and doze off without even sitting up. Plans to read the Word while on my lunch break get pushed to the next day since a co-worker wants to go out to eat. Conversations in prayer scheduled for the commute home get paused to hear an interesting news story on the radio, and before I know it, I’m getting off the expressway and two minutes from home!

Right now I’m bringing in the new year with fasting and prayer. This time of separation and dedication is only underscoring how my days are so filled with ‘other things’ that take up my time with God.

I find myself actively shutting down plans and little pop up distractions in order to fit time with the Lord into my day. The effort I’m putting into prioritizing my time of fellowship with God is alerting me to the fact that I need to put some guards in place now to keep up these times when my fast is over.

Hopefully you too have guards in place that keep your daily devotional time with the Lord sacred. If you’re like me and are easily overrun with other things, put your foot down and make your time with God non-negotiable. You know yourself better than anyone else. Do what you need to do in order to make that time a first priority.

We can’t let the cares of this world keep us from the One who cares about us most of all.

Verse of the Day: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us... Hebrews 12:1a

Praise in the Pain

It’s easy to praise God when things are going well. If the sun is shining and the birds are singing, we can easily enter into God’s presence giving Him glory, honor and praise.


However, it is in the moments of pain, hurt and discouragement where we often shut down our adoration to our Father. Our Amen turns into Why and we begin to question, doubt, and pull away from the One who we were trying to get so close to before.

We begin to wonder why the God who loves us so much would allow such devastation in our lives. We feel our discomfort and can’t comprehend why our Father would allow us to be placed in such a precarious position.

Instead of pushing in and talking to our Father, we pull away into ourselves and begin to disconnect from Him.

Can I let you know that it is in those moments of pain that you have the potential to get the closest to God? It is in your times of struggle that you can be nearest to Him?

Just like a mother wraps her arms around her child when they are in tears, our Heavenly Father is waiting to wrap His arms around us and show us His love when we are hurting.

We just have to take the initiative to get into His presence to receive His love. We may never get the answer as to why we went through certain trials. But we can get the answers of how to endure, overcome, and grow from them. We can get the comfort of His loving embrace.

I’ll never forget the revelation I got from the story of Job. At his lowest moment, after losing everything, one of the first things he did was get into God’s presence. (Job 1:20) I believe that those moments of worship saved Job from cursing God and failing his test of faith.

Just as much as we trust and believe God when we are experiencing His blessings, we should trust and believe in Him when we experience trials. Despite the heartache we may feel, God is still the same loving and magnificent God, and He deserves our utmost praise at all times.

Verse of the Day: I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Reflection

Today happens to be MLK Day, and I'm off work. I thought about taking off from the blog as well, but I figured we all still need a "cup of tea" today. So, let's utilize this holiday for what it was intended.

If there ever was a person who inspired, it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His role in our nation's history caused all people, classes, races and creeds across this world to scrutinize their treatment and perspective of other human beings. Through him we were asked to be better citizens, show a greater degree of respect, and stimulate ourselves to live our lives with purpose and dignity.

All of these attributes underscore our Christian faith. As believers, we should be aiming to hit the goals Dr. King preached about anyway. Jesus became and revealed the Truth, and Dr. King challenged us to actually walk the path and live it.

So, today as we reflect on one of our nation's greatest leaders, let us challenge ourselves to live up to the dream that Dr. King worked so hard to have realized.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.  - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Verse of the Day: Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)

Thanksgiving Friday

Praise the Lord! I hope you are letting the glory of the Lord shine all around you today!


God is great and He is greatly to be praised! There is no one who compares to our God! There is no one who can match His marvelous ways!

I will sing of the greatness of the Lord forever. All my days shall be filled with praise.

No matter the situation. No matter the circumstance. No matter how I feel… God still deserves my praise!

Last Sunday I was teaching my teens out of Romans 12:1. We were discussing presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. What leapt out at me was the end of the verse: which is your reasonable service.

Giving God our all is the least we can do to show gratitude for His Ultimate Sacrifice in sending His Son Jesus to save us! Thinking of how much He gave should make it easy for us to bring Him our praises no matter how much we think things are going wrong, need fixing, and are lacking in our lives.

We have eternal life because of Him. So, let’s give Him praise! Hallelujah!

I am excited today, and I pray that you catch the fire! God is so good. When you meditate on His goodness, you can’t help but feel your spirits lift. And I’ve been meditating on His goodness this morning.

So, Lord, I thank you for allowing me the privilege of offering my life back to you! I know that I’m an unworthy vessel, but you have counted me worthy since I have accepted your Son.

I thank you that I can approach Your throne and fellowship with you on a personal level. Thank You for granting me unlimited access to Your presence.

Lord, let Your glory continue to flood my heart, mind, spirit, and body as I go about my day.

Verse of the Day: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. Isaiah 60:1

The Art of Patience

I am still working on developing the art of patience. Yes, the art of patience. This fruit of the spirit is definitely a skill. If you were born with it, consider yourself gifted.

Being a visionary, I have so many dreams, ideas, and plans that I know God has placed in my spirit. I know that God’s purpose for me is greater than the spot where I am right now.

I just want to wake up tomorrow and be there. I want to get up from my knees in prayer and walk into the manifested promise in the next moment.

However, this is not reality. Purpose takes patience to be fully developed. A process has to be implemented to ensure that things are not done prematurely.

No one wants a premature blessing. That’s just inviting a struggle. That’s just opening the door for the dream to die.

So, I’m working on patience. I’m working on slowing myself down, pausing to get my bearings, and taking the steps I need to take in order to go forward.

As much as I want to run into the future, I have to learn to be content to take solid steps. I have to put my full trust in the Lord’s timing to bring me to where I want to be at His proper moment. It’s only then that I will be able to appreciate the fullness of all the vision that I see right now.

It takes a lot to put yourself in check and slow down. Yet I believe that getting the promise will cause all of it to be well worth the wait.

Verse of the Day: But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. Romans 8:25

Shhhhhhh!

We are a plugged-in, noisy society.

We drive around in our cars with the radios on blast. We walk through the grocery store talking on our wireless headsets. We enter our homes and flick on the tv after dropping our coats. We work with our Pandora stations pumping through our computer speakers.

If we actually sit down for a moment in silence, our minds race a mile a minute or we drift off to sleep.

Yet, it is in the stillness and the quiet that we can hear God’s voice. It is those moments where we shut off all the noise of the world and focus in on Him that we can hear God’s words of life for us.

Often, I’ve even had to turn off my worship and meditation music just so I could quiet my mind down even further to hear what God was saying.

God’s speaking all the time. We just have to take the initiative to tune our ears to His station and listen to what’s being broadcasted over the spiritual airwaves.

When is the last time you sat in stillness before the Lord, and heard God speak? Can you remember the last time you were silent or still?

We cannot let all of the gadgets, media, and other distractions surreptitiously steal away all of our time.

Make a choice to turn off the radio on your ride home from work and instead listen to heaven. Cook dinner tonight conversing with God instead of your girlfriend. When you roll over to sleep, cut the tv off and fall asleep to the still small voice of the Spirit.

There is so much that God has to reveal to His people. We just have to silence the noise so we can zero in on His revelations.

Verse of the Day: This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15 (NLT)

United We Stand

It’s heartbreaking for me to watch the direction our country is going in. Our news programs are packed with stories of violence, scandal, and greed. The shows that fill our television airwaves capitalize on fistfights, mayhem, and debauchery. (Yes, debauchery.) The songs our children hear on the radio highlight fornication, selfishness, and the love of money.


In a world that’s been educated to look out for personal gain, we are becoming further disjointed as a people. There is a lack of respect, a lack of care, a lack of unity that is bringing us to destruction.

Even in the body of Christ, the fissures are apparent. People are looking for their blessing, their miracle, their financial breakthrough, their spiritual promotion. We are so busy seeking our own gain that we’ve forgotten about our mission: the lost.

Our Lord told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:39) He taught us to be humble before Him as little children. (Matthew 18:13) The Word also speaks of living peaceably with mankind. (Romans 12:18)

Somewhere along our journey, we’ve let those things fall to the wayside. It’s gotten to the point that we don’t even acknowledge strangers on the street.

We all can make strides to become a better body of believers. We are supposed to be fitly joined together, working in harmony for the Kingdom of God.

It’s not about our personal glory. It’s not about what we can gain. It’s about how we can use the tools God has given us to reach a world that is dying by the second.

We can do so much more for the Lord if we can put aside our personal aims and look to unite together with one voice. Jesus said if we seek the Kingdom first He’ll add all those other desires to our lives anyway.

I believe that it’s only a truly united church that will be able to overcome the great darkness that is trying to envelop our nation. Only a united front will be able to combat the strongholds of sin that have taken root in our land.

As we put our personal desires to the back, we can move God’s agenda to the front, and then we can go forward as a body and change the world!

Verse of the Day: ...walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1b-3

Personal Pets

I’ve never had a pet. My mother always said that our family was too busy to properly care for an animal. Which, looking back, was probably true. That didn’t stop my sister and I from asking for something furry and cuddly to love on.

I always wanted a kitten. A ginger striped kitten. There was something about the quietness and serenity of cats that appealed to me.

Despite my lack of physical pets, I've had a couple of pet sins that I liked to keep around that had no business in my life. And if you look closely at yourself, you’ve probably got some personal ‘pets’ hanging around too.

Let me explain. You know that stronghold that’s been over your life for as long as you can remember? That guilty pleasure that you occasionally dabble in from time to time? Those practices that you keep that make you cringe whenever your pastor brings them up in his messages?

Yeah, those. You know what I’m talking about. I consider those to be some personal pets that need to be put down.

It could be Gossip. Porn. Fornication. Lying. Stealing. The pets come in all shapes and sizes and forms. All they need is a happy home, and they’ll stay as long as you let them.

Many of us can kick out other sins with a quickness, but take great strains to keep our little ‘pet sins’ hanging around in our lives. We take them out and stroke them, feed their desires, and give them attention.

But those pet sins that we dote on are actually eating us out of our heavenly house and home. They’re snapping up our blessings and blocking out the room that we need to grow to greater heights in God.

It’s time for us to take a stand and put out those personal pet sins! No matter how attached to them we’ve become, we have to stay strong and turn them loose. We can not put anything above our relationship with God.

Yeah, our fleshly hearts may hurt having to let go of things that we found pleasure in. However, the joy we will feel as God renews and refreshes our spirits will more than compensate for the loss.

Verse of the Day: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. I John 2:15

Thanksgiving Friday

Well, the first full week of the year is over, and we have 51 more to go!



I pray that you are still experiencing excitement and motivation over what 2011 has to offer! Let’s continue to press toward the mark for the prize and not get discouraged. (Philippians 3:14) We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)

I am so thankful for all of the possibilities that are out there for me! There are so many opportunities, open doors, and blessings just waiting on me to encounter them.

I’m also grateful that God is giving me wisdom to not bite off more than I can chew. Since I’ve come to the realization that HE is ultimately in control, I can rest assured knowing that He will guide my life in the right directing with the right timing.

This week I’m also thankful for a renewed sense of God’s love. This is helping me to try to lead a more loving life showing love to the people around me. It is also encouraging me to share the love of Christ with those who have no idea who He is.

Let’s continue to have a stellar year! God bless you!

Verse of the Day: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100

Choose To Lose the Attitude

Can I be a bit transparent today? Thanks.

I can catch a negative attitude pretty quick. All it takes is something happening that is not according to plan, and I’m liable to get in a sour mood.

I like things to be neat and orderly… in their proper place… running on schedule. So, when things are helter-skelter… in disarray… late… I tend to get frustrated and aggravated which causes me to slip on a negative ‘tude.

Now, they say the first step in recovery is recognizing you have a problem. So, I believe I can be rehabilitated. Lately I’ve been keeping myself alert to my changing moods and emotions, and I have started to rein myself in when I felt the urge to go there.

Yesterday evening I had one of those moments. Nothing even really happened to set it off. I was just sitting and thinking about some things that were happening in my life that I felt were not right, and I started to dip into a negative and depressed state of mind.

Thanks be to God I was on my way to having my study time! The scriptures that I looked over spoke directly in to my bad-attitude-self!

I took a break from reading and gave myself a good talking to, handed my worries to the Lord, encouraged myself, and chose to be positive and happy. I literally had to slap myself with the joy of the Lord.

Sometimes life’s happenings can cause us to be discouraged, but we don’t have to take on the bad attitudes, feelings, and mindsets that try to latch onto us with that discouragement. We can choose to be positive. We can choose to be joyful. We can choose to take God’s Word to heart and apply it to our very situations.

Our God loves us so much! Let me repeat: Our God – the Master of the Universe, the Creator of the World, the King of Kings – loves YOU so much! His love will not let you fail. You’re not going to lose. You’re destined to win!

So no matter what seems to be falling apart, running behind, or missing in your life – God is still in control. He’s going to make sure that you make it to your destined end. Don’t let your attitude slip because of what you see. Constantly remind yourself that God’s got you – the one He loves – safe in His arms.

Choose to believe that, and you can’t help but have a great attitude about life!

Verse of the Day: Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God… John 14:1

Out With the Old, Time for Some New!

I am truly an American. I’m not a die-hard patriotic. I can’t recall all the details of our nation’s history. Yet, the culture, thinking, and ways of this place have seeped into my soul.

I am normally concerned with those things that affect my little microcosm world. If it doesn’t affect my family, my friends, my work, or my interests, I really don’t want to be bothered with it. Yes, being a Christian has widened my scope to some degree, but when it all boils down: I’m concerned about ME.

This year, I’m throwing that bad mentality out the window! There is a world out there that is lost and dying, and someone has to go out and let them know the truth. No longer can I sit in my church and pray that they somehow miraculously stumble into my path. I have to go out and stumble into theirs!

So, I am looking at some volunteer organizations to get involved with. I am investigating some charities (outside of my church) to support financially. More importantly, I am going to keep my spiritual eyes, ears, and my physical mouth open to what the Holy Spirit is leading me to do.

Usually I am in my own lane, zooming from one place to the next, barely taking notice of the swirling populace around me. No more! It’s time for me to slow down, pay attention, and go outside of my comfort zone. Too many people don’t know God!

I encourage you to take some internal stock as well. If you’re already out spreading the Good News – great! Help some of us come up to that higher level with you!

If you are like me, I challenge you to figure out how you can be more of an active witness for Christ on a daily basis. Christ told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel, but too many of us are sticking to our own tiny doorstep. (Mark 16:15)

Let’s make this a year of outreach and evangelism! They’re out there… Let’s go get ‘em!

Verse of the Day: Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:32, 33

Try, Try Again

You’ll never fail if you don't stop trying. One of my favorite ministers of the Gospel, Joyce Meyer, said this on her broadcast the other day. Her words struck me and made me pause.

So often I have allowed failure to come into my life just because I gave up trying to succeed. I allowed a setback, fear, and my thoughts of what others could think to cause me to quit.

Yet it is those who are tenacious and persistent who reap the rewards of attaining their goals. The ones who dig their heels in and keep focused despite the surrounding atmosphere eventually win the prize.

You don’t have to look far to discover stories of successful men and women who had to overcome countless rejections, setbacks, and roadblocks in their journey to dream fulfillment. Many businessmen, athletes, celebrities, and ministers have had to deal with the pain of blocked progress.

However, these people chose to try again. They chose to ignore their past and even present discouragement. They instead picked themselves up and began again.

We all are on the road to success. We all have the potential to reach our goals and obtain the happy, purpose-filled lives that we envision. We just have to make the choice to continue to move forward. We can’t let our present situations dictate our end story.

Don’t give up! Keep working on that dream, keep trucking towards that goal! You haven’t failed yet! As long as you’re running towards the finish, you’re still in line for the prize.

Verse of the Day: And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:15

Living Proof

A great number of the Christian community enters the first few weeks of the year in prayer and fasting. We set aside the beginning of the year to seek God’s direction for our lives, pray for others, and hear what He would have to say to us.

Often we come away with rich words of wisdom and have a clearer picture of God’s will for us. What we do with those revelations can be the hard part. We start off so excited and ready to fulfill the call of the Lord, but we can wind up throwing in the towel when adversity and trials enter our paths.

This morning in my time of devotion, I read Romans 12:2. I’ve read this scripture many times before, yet this time the words struck me with their meaning.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The word prove especially caught my attention. When something is proven, it’s truth and validity is established. Prove also means to give demonstration of by action. (Dictionary.com)

We all are in the process of proving God’s will whether we are aware of it or not. Once we accepted Christ, we became living examples of God’s will at work in the earth. Every promise that God laid down in the Bible is supposed to be evidenced in our lives.

Yet many of us do not experience the full fruition of God’s will in our lives. Why? Because we don’t apply the first part of the verse!

We are to transform ourselves by renewing our minds. We are to make our minds brand new through our study and application of the Word.

Many of us study, but how many of us apply? – And when I say apply, I'm not just referring to the things that are easy for us, but the hard actions as well!

Once we take on the resolve to fully renew our minds, our lives will be transformed, and we will experience the joy of living in the perfect will of God. We will prove to the world that God’s Word works! We will be able to draw more people into the Kingdom when they see the evidence of God’s Promise walking in the earth.

Verse of the Day: ...Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)