Living Water

It is so beautiful here in Chicago! It's 55 degrees outside! I'm loving it. Thank You, Lord, for this taste of spring!

I love water. All day, every day I have to have water around. You cannot tell me that a nice glass of ice cold water is not the best drink in the entire universe. Can. Not. I will go into restaurants and say "just water" and it's not me being cheap. It really is what I prefer. Hands down.

It's something about water that truly quenches my thirst. Everything else I drink, I have to wash it down with a glass of water afterwards. It's like my throat is not satisfied until some water splashes through.

The Word says that our belief in Christ gives us the benefit of living waters. These living waters enable our spirits to thirst no more. These waters satiate our souls to the very core. There's something about Jesus that makes your spirit satisfied. After tasting of His goodness, you don't want anything else.

We can't be selfish with what we've found, though. We can't just keep it all to ourselves.

There's a world around us that is trying any and every thing to try and quench their inner thirst. They're turning to drugs, sex, money, alcohol, their jobs, their loved ones, their hobbies, other gods, the internet... they're looking all over for anything that will ease their soul's cries.

But they won't find satisfaction until they drink from the living waters of Christ. And we have an unlimited supply!

Take some time to 'quench the thirst' of someone around you today. Make sure you pour out some of the living waters that flow through your soul. What you pour out could very well cause someone to tap into their own constant supply of God's satisfying goodness.

Verse of the Day: He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. John 7:38

Give Me the Truth

One thing I can't stand is a liar. Someone who lies gets no love from me. White lie.. big lie... It's all the same to me. The fact that someone can knowingly tell an untruth is deplorable to me.

I can't tell one for the life of me either. Even when I've tried in the past, my insides get all twisted, my pulse races, and my throat closes up. I have to tell the truth.

Now, I may avoid the truth, or try to lead the conversation away from the truth, but I cannot tell a lie.

God hates lying even more. He is The Truth. (John 14:6) So, anything that is the opposite of that cannot have any place in His presence. He has a place to send all liars - a place no one really wants to go to. (Revelation 21:8) Yet, our world is full of lies.

Lying brings bondage. It brings stress. It breeds distrust. Lying usually leads to other darker sins. The snake lied in order to get Eve to sin. Eve repeated that lie to catch Adam up. And we know where that got everyone.

In truth we find freedom, we find hope, we find security. Truth allows us to trust. It keeps us at peace, and it causes us to be able to connect with others.

Some truths are difficult to swallow. There have been many truths that have caused me a bit of pain. But, I'll take the painful truth over an easy lie any day.

Is honesty your best policy? Do you strive to stay honest and truthful? As God's children, it is our top priority to stay in the Truth.

Verse of the Day: The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Proverbs 12:19

Heavenly Places

Last night and this morning I've been meditating on heaven. Jesus told us,

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2, 3)

This is wild! Did you catch that? God's house is big enough to hold mansions! That's a BIG house!

Even with all of that space, Jesus still wanted to go back and take some time to prepare a spot for us to come and be at home.

Think about how you prepare for guests. You clean up the room... put out the good sheets, towels, soap... arrange little knick-knacks... you put a special gift out to make them smile.

Jesus is doing that right now for us! He's picking out the spot that He knows we'll enjoy... He's arranging things just so... He's pulling out His best items... He's preparing gifts to make us smile... Isn't that amazing? Doesn't that make you feel special?

Jesus is in heaven right now prepping for your arrival.

God has blessed us to be able to experience a life here on earth that is out of this world. Then we have the privilege of going to spend eternity with God in His own house... where He's given us our own place to live and be happy. We are truly His children.

So happy I'm one of His children!

Verse of the Day: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14: 3)

Thanksgiving Friday!

Happy Friday!

Here in Chicago we've gotten some snow. It's not really sticking by me, but at least it looks like February out here.

This week I am so thankful for the power of prayer. Prayer is simply conversation with God, but it does so much! Prayer reminds me of who I am in Christ. Prayer brings peace to my spirit. It gives direction to my footsteps. It allows me to hear from the Lord. Thank You, Father, for giving us the privilege to come to you directly and have talks with You!

I'm also grateful for support. Be it from family, friends, co-workers, teammates... God has blessed me with support on every side. And, even if those faithful people do somehow fall away - I can remain confident that the Lord will never leave me or forsake me! I'm never alone. Thanks, God. That's an awesome feeling.

Finally, I'm thankful for this blog. I know that you all are blessed by reading it, but just know that I'm blessed by writing it! This blog is keeping me disciplined, it's forcing me to dig deep into the crevices of my faith, and it's allowing me to use my gift for my Father. Thank You, Lord, for blessing me with a gift that I am able to use for your glory!

What are you thankful for today? Send up some thanksgiving!

Verse of the Day: Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. Psalm 95:2

Total Surrender

I'm back! I apologize for yesterday. Now, for some Morning Ti...

When Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, they gave up their entire lives to be with Him. They left family, friends, jobs, hometowns... Everything was dropped with no questions asked in order to follow the Savior. As a result of their surrender, they went on to lead lives that witness the miraculous work of the Messiah, they were able to work miracles themselves, and they turned the entire world upside down with their evangelism.

We too are disciples of Jesus. Yet many of us answered His call only to hold on to everything we liked and selfishly wanted. Jesus may not be calling for us to give up families and jobs now, but He does want us to give up our will for His.

Many of us selfishly choose to still participate in sinful behavior after we've accepted Jesus as our Lord. We choose to ignore the wants of the Father deeming them 'unattainable' or something that we'll work on later. We continue to turn a blind eye to the Bible's commands self-righteously claiming that we're doing the best we can or even pulling God into it saying that He knows our hearts.

We cannot just accept Jesus as our Savior, stay the same, and expect God to be pleased. Jesus Himself said that you can't serve to masters. And when you refuse to give up your will, when you continue to allow sin to remain in your life... you're trying to serve two masters.

As Christians, we are no longer the masters of our fate. We no longer have control over our lives. When we commit to Christ, we place our lives in His hands and give Him permission to do what He wants.

Today let's remember that we've given our lives to Jesus. He's the Captain of our ship. He's the Master of our domain. He's the Conductor of our symphony. Our will has to die. Our desires have to take a back seat. It's His way.

As we allow Him to lead, guide, and direct us, He will take us places that we could never even imagine. Too many of us are still stuck in the ordinary because we refuse to let Jesus take us to His extraordinary. Let's stop thinking we know what's best and allow God to take us to the miraculous.

Verse of the Day: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24

Ttyl...

I'm kind of in a press right now... Have a deadline for work and way too much work. So, no Morning Ti today. The least I could do is leave you a verse of the day to think about, and I'll be back later. Hopefully for some Afternoon Ti?

Verse of the Day: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25

Weak Spots

I did a post a while ago about old demons. I was talking about how the devil uses the same thing with some of us to get us snared in his trap and off of our purpose.

With all of the coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral and my spirit's tug to send up prayers constantly on behalf of her daughter, I couldn't help but think of how the enemy works. Seeing all those people of faith, hearing their testimony of Whitney's drive, grace, and talent... you could not help but be moved. You could not help but mourn the spirit that was snatched away.

We all have our weak spots. We all have a place where we struggle. It may not be drugs, but it might be pride. It may not be an abusive relationship, but it may be fornication. It may not be alcohol, but it may be gossip.

Whatever our weakness, the devil is looking for any opportunity to make us fall. He's looking for any spot where he can get in and take over. He's constantly searching for a way to cut us off. (John 10:10)

As believers, we have to remain vigilant against the attacks of the enemy. We have to constantly stand guard against his attacks. We have to feed our spirits the Word of God, spend time in fellowship with the Father, and walk out the revelation He gives us. We have to recognize when the enemy's coming our way. We have to choose to walk away from sin.

I know how difficult it can be to live right. Sometimes it seems so easy, so 'harmless', so trivial... Yet, no matter what the sin, it pays in death. (Romans 6:23)

I'm glad Whitney knew Jesus. I know, despite her struggles, that she is in heaven. We all can learn something from her story. The enemy is no respector of persons. If he can get one of us, he's going after us all. We have to stay on the wall, saints. We have to remain anchored in the Lord. We have to stay under the covering of the blood of Jesus.

Verse of the Day: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour... 1 Peter 5:8

Thanksgiving Friday!

This week I'm thankful for others.

I'm thankful for being a member of the Seton Sting! Our basketball programs are Off. The. Chain. These girls and boys are talented and on their way to doing big things at state! I'm happy that I get to be part of such a great team. Thank you, Lord, for bringing me to Seton!

I'm also thankful for my family. This weekend I get to celebrate with my mother. She accomplished her goal of getting her Bachelor's Degree, and I am so proud of her! She has stayed faithful and kept up a good work. I'm thankful to God for the awesome example I have in my mother.

Lastly, I'm thankful for the new people God has placed in my life. Having them around has brought me lots of laughter, times of serenity, and some great memories. It's harder these days to find good, quality people, but God has stocked my life chock full of them. Thank you, Lord, for my circle of greatness!

What are you thankful for this week? How has the Lord blessed you? Why don't you take some time to give Him some thanks and gratitude?

Verse of the Day: Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

Learning From Peter

Peter is one of Jesus' more interesting disciples to me. He was the one who recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. (Matthew 16:16) Peter cut off a soldier's ear when they came to arrest Jesus. (John 18:10) Later on that same night, Peter was also the one who denied Jesus three times. (John 18:15-27) Jesus commissioned Peter then three times by asking Peter if he loved Him. (John 21:15-17)  Peter was the one who preached the first sermon after the Holy Spirit came on the early Christians. He was the leader of the apostles. (Acts 2)

We can learn so much through all of Peter's ups and downs. One thing we can learn is the power of God's redemption. Peter was known for his anger and language. Yet God was able to turn his fierceness into a passionate love for Jesus, and He molded Peter's sharp tongue into an ear-grabbing tool to lead people to the cross.

We can also see through Peter that no matter how we may mess up, Jesus is always there to forgive us. We may "deny" Him through our behavior, we may reject Him with our ways, but when we turn to Jesus with contrite hearts full of love, He is waiting to receive us again.

No matter how we may have acted before, when we fully surrender our lives to God's will, He can take us and still use us for greatness in His kingdom. Don't let your past mistakes keep you from your glory in God. Don't allow negativity to keep you from being used in the kingdom. Allow God to redeem you and mold you into a force to be reckoned with on His behalf.

Verse of the Day: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Real Love

Love is a wonderful thing.

It fills people with euphoria... gives hope... restores strength... provides security... can last a lifetime...

Yet so many people never experience true, lasting love. Most of us go through life experiencing short spans of love scattered over the years of our lives. This is mainly because true love takes a lot of work.

Real love calls for sacrifice... expects forgiveness... requires selflessness... and works best with compromise. Not too many people can maintain love's high call of duty. Giving love takes a consistent effort. It asks us to forget wrongs that we would rather remember. Love tells us to do for another what they sometimes won't do for us.

Yet we have the pleasure of knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior; we know what it's like to get real love. We feel His loving hand guiding our every footstep through life. We see all of the amazing things that He does to keep us smiling. We experience His unconditional forgiveness each time we mess up.

The same real love we get from Christ, we should be pouring out to those around us. The same amazing love that overlooks our every sin should be pouring out of our hearts into the lives of someone else who may not know God. It's when we extend the true love that goes above and beyond that we cause others to want what we have.

So today - whether you have a Valentine or not - take some time to show somebody real love. Let the love you get from Jesus cause you to make someone else feel loved beyond measure. Give someone a great day just because they came across you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Verse of the Day: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

What Are You Leaving Behind?

With Whitney Houston's passing along with some other famous people, I've been thinking about legacies lately. Whitney's talent and vocal abilities far transcended her apparent difficulties in life. Don Cornelius' genius in music television overshadowed how he left this earth. Both of these people used what they had and left behind them something bigger and greater that will keep on living despite their absence from earth.

So, now I'm thinking about my own legacy. What would be left behind from my life that could continue on if God called me home today? Would people be inspired by the life I lived?

We are all given measures of talent, moments of opportunity, and potential partners of purpose. It's up to us to grab hold of all that we have and turn potential into promise. We all have greatness we can achieve, but we have to make use of our time here on earth.

Now, we may never see as grand a stage as Whitney Houston. We may never have a reach that exceeds our small circle of family and friends. Yet, it's the seeds that we plant, the wisdom that we give, and the way that we live our lives that leaves a legacy that can impact generations to come.

I'm able to sit here and blog with you all right now because of a whole lot of people's courage, genius, and drive to succeed. Hopefully, someone is inspired by my words and can run on and be an inspiration to someone else.

You will never know how impactful your life will be. The important thing is that you are living your life in a way that you are leaving positivity in your wake. Jesus transformed the lives of everyone He touched. Even those that didn't believe He was the Messiah were impacted by Jesus' life and ministry.

Make sure you capitalize on the time God has given you. Don't just exist, leave a legacy.

Verse of the Day: Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever. 1 Chronicles 28:8

Thanksgiving Friday!

This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Despite all the stress I'm under today, in spite of the illness I am fighting against, no matter what things I am having to face.... God is still worthy to be praised!

Lord, I am thankful for your love. I'm thankful for your many blessings. I'm thankful for you giving me this day to be alive and participate in life.

I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for my friends. I'm thankful for this job you've given me that I enjoy.

Father, you've blessed me so much, and I am so grateful for everything! Help me to be a blessing to someone else. Help me to remember to show love. Help me to be the best I can be for you.

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

Who Do You Look Up To?

Today's a little busy in my corner of the world. I've been running around this school all morning! Thank you, Lord, for the ability to think on my feet!

Joshua had a stellar role model in Moses. Joshua served Moses from when he was young. In serving Moses, Joshua got to see how God miraculously led Israel through the wilderness. He saw how Moses interceded on behalf of the people. He learned how to lead. He discovered how to stay humble while standing on a large platform. He also saw the consequences of disobedience to God.

As a result, when it was Joshua's turn to see with the eyes of the spirit and go forth in his calling, he was able to connect with God and deliver the correct report. Joshua was a stellar student and was able to lead Israel along the right path after Moses' death.

Who do you look up to? Who inspires you to move forward in your purpose? What principles are you gleaning from the mentors in your life?

We all can learn something from someone else. Even someone else's mistake can help us to do better. If you don't have a quality man/woman of God who you can look to for guidance, you need to find someone! If you have that person in your life, be a good student and learn all you can!

God has placed someone ahead of or above you to help your way become smoother. Through their example you will learn what to do. Don't be like those other Israelites who missed out on their Promised Land experience because they never learned their basic lessons. Make sure you are a part of the Joshua generation that has learned how to follow after God!

Verse of the Day: And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses. Deuteronomy 34:9

God's Got Ya!

Yesterday we talked about our unconventional God. Because we serve a God who loves to do the extraordinary and because He promised us that He would never fail us, there is no situation that we could ever face where we should be fearful of losing. Whatever situation we face - no matter how crazy it is, no matter how much of a long shot it might be, no matter who we are coming up against - God is going to make sure that things work out in our favor. (Romans 8:28)

As a result, we can face everything with confidence. We can rest assured that we are safe and secure. Whatever big, ugly devil that tries to rear its head, we can just laugh in its face and send it back to the pit in the name of Jesus. God Almighty has our back.

From our human nature, things may appear grim. Our brains may not be able to calculate how we'll get out of our dire situation. Experts may be pointing to the 'evidence' that we should throw in the towel.

BUT GOD...!

Remember Who has the final word! Remember who holds the world in the palm of His hand. Remember the One Whose promises are sure. Remember the One who turns the heart of the king whichever way He chooses. (Proverbs 21:1) Remember the One who sparked life into every being on this planet. (Acts 17:24-26)

He's the same One who loves you beyond measure. He's the same One who sent all He had so you could be saved.

So, stand confidently assured in the face of trouble. Stop worrying and fretting about how things will turn out. You win! Your Heavenly Father won't let you fall! The more complicated the situation, the more glory God is going to get turning things around.

Don't lose hope. Don't let go of your faith.

God's got you.

You can be confident of that.

Verse of the Day: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ... Philippians 1:6

Unconventional God

We serve an unconventional God. He doesn't do things normally. He likes to be creative. He loves to show off His power and might.

When He wanted to bring forth His chosen people, He selected a previously barren couple who were well into old age. In looking for a leader to help deliver His people, He chose to use a scared young man who only had 300 men to fight with him. God plucked a shepherd boy off the country hills and turned him into a mighty man of valor and Israel's greatest king.

Our God can take nothing and turn it into greatness.

What situation are you facing? What's looking impossible in your world? The very thing you think can never come to pass is the very thing that God may use to show off His spectacular power. Your crazy situation can very well be an amazing testimony in the making.

You serve a God that can do anything with anyone! Plus, He's always looking for opportunities to show off. He's just looking for someone who believes that He can make it happen. All God needs is your faith.

Don't let your circumstances tell you that you've lost. Don't allow your surroundings to say what you can't do or who you can't be. God Almighty is your Father! The King of Kings is your Lord! You can do and be anything.

Verse of the Day: Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 1 Corinthians 1:27, 28

Let The Lord Be Magnified!

A few years ago, my mother preached a sermon encouraging the church to allow the Lord to be magnified in their lives. I was meditating on this as I had to deal with a pretty challenging morning.

Allowing God to be magnified means that you make the Lord bigger in your life. You spend more time thinking of Him, reading His word, giving Him praise, talking about Him, sharing His love, living as He would want... Every area where you acknowledge the Lord, you turn up the volume.

When you allow the Lord to be magnified, it causes those around you to notice Him too. Often we tend to condense the Lord in our public lives. We don't talk about God too much because we don't want to be labeled as "super saved." We skip opportunities to witness for fear of other folks reactions. We shirk back from giving God praise to avoid getting curious looks.

But Jesus told us Himself that if we lifted Him up, He would draw all men unto Him. (John 12:32) We have a chance to have a perfect record where evangelism is concerned! All we have to do is magnify and lift up our Savior. He'll pull them in.

Magnifying the Lord also encourages us. It allows us to remember the greatness and splendor of our God. Giving Him greater space in our thoughts and behavior gives Him more opportunities to bless us and show us His mighty works. It brings us closer to seeing the fullness of who He is.

So, let the Lord be magnified in your life today! Let His love shine bright! Let His greatness be known everywhere you go! Lift up the Savior, and watch Him save and deliver those around you.

Verse of the Day: O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:3

Thanksgiving Friday

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Hope everyone had an awesome week. I am just grateful that this week is over. Glad that my today and tomorrows are better than what has been.

I'm thankful this week for cooler heads... They always prevail. Just being able to sit back, take a minute, breathe, and say a prayer helped me out this week. Thank you Lord for wisdom! Without it, things might have gone a bit more awry.

I'm also thankful for growth. I was so proud as I ministered last week with my friends. Just watching them go forth in God's anointing was amazing. I've been with them since I was a pre-teen, and God has brought all of us a mighty long way! Thank You, Jesus!

Lastly, today I'm thankful for rest. I have a whole day of doing not a single thing tomorrow! I am so excited to be able to rest, relax, and relate. Seems like I've been running non-stop since Christmas! Thank you, Father, for a day of serenity.

What are you thankful for today? Let the Lord know!

Verse of the Day: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Solid Rock

Today... is a day.

I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord... (Psalm 121:1, 2) And I need that help today!

I pray all of you are having excellent days so far. Pray my strength...

God is good. Even in the midst of all of the busyness and things that have to be taken care of, God is still good.

It's nice to just take a minute and pause and think about the greatness of God! He is our rock in the midst of stormy seas. When everything around us is chaotic and troubled, we can cling to His steadfast love. It is so reassuring to have Him ever-present. It's heartening to know that no matter what or who starts acting up in our lives, our Father will remain steady, constant, and faithful.

When the disciples were on a boat that was being walloped by a severe storm, they feared that they were going to die. They were amazed that Jesus was resting peacefully on the boat. After they woke Him up, Jesus questioned their faith. And then He commanded the storm to cease. (Mark 4:36-41)

Don't forget Who's riding with you on your ship! The second you see God freak out - then you can freak out. As long as He is at peace, you can be at peace. And you already know God will never freak out. He will never be flustered, disoriented, or apprehensive. He knows it all, and He knows our glorious everlasting future.

Take heart. You are on solid ground. Things may be shaking, but you will not be destroyed.

Have a great day! (I know I feel better!)

Verse of the Day: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8

Keep It Up!

This year we opened up talking about purpose and achieving progress in the destinies that God has given us. How have you been doing this past month? Are you still making progress? Are you still working towards your goal?

It can be easy to slip back into complacency. Working a vision is hard work. Remember, however, the great benefit! You are working toward your glorious purpose in God. You can't afford to stay where you are. Where you're going is much higher than your current place. Don't you want to go up?

King Solomon took seven years to build the temple. (1 Kings 6:38) Esther was in preparation an entire year before she ever laid eyes on the king. (Esther 2:12) Paul spent around three years after his conversion to learn from the Holy Spirit before he stepped into ministry. (Galatians 1:15-18)

Don't get discouraged in your time of preparation! Don't let the solitude, menial tasks, and foundation building keep you from completing your goal.

This time of blood, sweat and tears will be repaid with times of laughter, satisfaction, and joy! Keep pressing, keep working, and keep following the voice of the Lord. Don't get weary; your harvest is great!

Verse of the Day: He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Proverbs 10:4