No Stuntin' and Frontin' Necessary

Believe it or not, we all are highly skilled actors. From our facial expressions, the way we dress, and our tone of voice, we humans have perfected the art of masking how we really feel.

We act professional at work in order to keep our jobs. We act respectful with our parents because... well, they're our parents. We act like everything's good when we're out with our friends because we don't want to bring the party down. We act like we have money when we're drowning in debt. Some of us act holy in church because... Let me just back away from that one. You see I could go anywhere with this.

It is rare for us these days to show our true selves to people. We set up our facades to make ourselves look better to others and keep our negative, embarrassing, or painful feelings to ourselves. Very few people (if any) get the privilege of seeing how we truly are.

Yet there is someone who knows every moment of our lives, and He knows our real feelings. He knows every single minute thought. He's seen every outburst of anger, heard every cry of fear, witnessed every pang of insecurity, and bottled up every single tear.

And He still loves you so much.

Isn't it amazing to know that there is Someone who truly accepts you for you? Not the "stage" you that is the talented actor, but the real you who He created along with your most inward parts. We have no reason to front with Him, He already knows all of us and keeps on reaching out for us anyway.

Take some time to meditate on the fullness and richness of God's love for you today and let Him know how much you appreciate His love.

Verse of the Day: ...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. I Samuel 16:7b

Yes You Can!

Doubt is an insidious little character. It capitalizes on every single opportunity it is awarded to eat away at dreams, hopes, and visions. If allowed, it will tear down the most remarkable of promises leaving nothing left to build on.


If you can think of it, Doubt can crush it. It's up to you to keep a steady watch and break the power of Doubt at every turn. Entertaining even the smallest question it offers can send you spiraling down a path that ends in unfulfillment.

Even Jesus had to go and exercise his mental strength against the powers of doubt when he was tempted in the wilderness. Jesus knew that there was no way that he could work miracles, cast out demons, and heal the sick if there was any doubt in his mind. He also knew that he could not preach with strong authority if Doubt felt comfortable enough to whisper lies into his ear.

How much power does Doubt have over you? Does Doubt feel comfortable enough to take up residence in your mind? How do you handle Doubt when it does try to whisper in your ear?

The word of God says that we have to strengthen our minds and seriously set up roadblocks to the onslaught of Doubt. From the way we live our lives, the words that come out of our mouths, to the thoughts that we entertain, we have to stay in faith and vigilantly, actively keep Doubt at bay.

Remember what the Word says: You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! (Philippians 4:13) If you don't see how you can do it, that's okay. It's Christ's strength that's going to make it happen, so stop doubting. Believe that it's going to happen!

Verse of the Day: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ... 1 Peter 1:13

Just Go With God Already!

So yesterday we talked about questions; today let's talk about answers.

We serve an unconventional God. He does not do things according to logic. He makes sure that when He moves, everyone knows that it was His supernatural power that was working.

In God's awesome uniqueness, He often answers prayers in ways that seem to not be answers at all.

For example, when Samuel was sent out to look for Israel's next king after Saul, Samuel could not understand how little old David could ever lead God's nation. Yet God saw David's heart and had the boy anointed to rule.

The widow woman who was prepared to eat her last meal and die with her son found the answer to her prayers by giving that same last meal to the man of God. God stretched her last to feed her through the rest of a famine.

I myself can attest to God's distinctive answers to prayer. I never would have thought that checking a box on a standardized test would allow me to get multiple scholarship offers that enabled me to pick what school I wanted to go to all expenses paid. I honestly thought about not checking that box (didn't want to be a part of the 'statistic-taking') Yet I did, and that's what happened. It's just how my God works.

Don't allow your own 'logic' and 'sense' to keep you from the answer to your prayers. If God shows you something that you can't figure out, don't worry. God has a way of making everything work together for your good.

Just trust Him and go with it! He can use a shout of praise to tear down a city wall. He can allow three men to walk in fire and live. He can bring the life of a child to a virgin woman. He can use mud to open blind eyes. His voice alone can quiet winds...

I'm sure whatever He's showing you is a piece of cake. You already have your answer, go ahead and believe it!

Verse of the Day: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

Ask Away!

It's Monday morning, and I'm smiling! God is good.

Yesterday I had a good class with my teen ministry about the questions we have in life. At times it seems like all we have are questions and zero answers.

Why am I here and not where I want to be? Why do all these bad things keep happening? When will I arrive at my place of destiny? How am I supposed to reach that loft goal? Is God really listening to me when I pray?

I could go on, and on... and on.

I believe that when they are utilized appropriately, questions can be a helpful additive to our faith-walk. When we ask our questions of the right party, we have opportunities to gain wisdom, build relationship, and show the reality of our hearts.

The Bible lists several times when the disciples asked Jesus to clarify his parables and statements. Jesus always obliged letting them in on the wisdom behind his words. Had the disciples not asked their questions, they would have stayed in confusion.

When the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon (I Kings 10), she came to witness his famed wisdom personally. Yet through the process of posing her hard questions and having them answered by Solomon, she developed a relationship with him to the degree that she blessed him with riches and praised his God.

The entire book of Job is peppered with the questions he had while going through his great trial. He cried out to all who listened about his perplexitiy and confusion. He didn't understand what was going on, and his questions reflected the anguish of his heart.

We will always have questions about our lives. Not all of them will get answered. Don't be afraid to ask your questions. Being courageous enough to ask the questions opens up the door for knowledge and understanding to come in.

Verse of the Day: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

Thanksgiving Friday!

Today is Friday, and I'm happy to be alive. These days are whizzing by, folks! Make sure that you make the most of them.

With all that's going on, I'm still thankful to God for His love, His direction, and His peace. They are priceless gifts that I wouldn't trade for anything! It's so good to have a shelter from the storms of life.

Lately, God's been talking to me about some things I can do now for His Kingdom. It's so exciting when God shows you new doors He's opening up for you. I am definitely setting aside some time this weekend to get before His throne and listen to more of His thoughts about what I can do for Him. Love it!

I'm thankful for all of you who are still coming here daily to be fed from the Word of God. I appreciate your support and pray that God blesses you in your endeavors.

Have a great weekend!

Verse of the Day: Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Remember When You Fell in Love?

Love is a funny thing. It can sneak up on you unawares. Love can drive you to do things you never would have done otherwise. It can bring two people together to share their entire lives with each other. Love can make someone risk everything just to stay in its embrace.

As blissful as love can be, it takes work and dedication to keep its flames burning. Without proper care and maintenance, love can fizzle out and leave a previously burning heart cold.

It's easy to fall into a routine of saying "I love you" and doing things for someone you love out of habit not affection. If you don't stay on top of things, you could easily look up to find resentment, boredom, or distraction taking up residence where love once lived.

One way to help fan the flames of love is to remember how you fell in love in the first place. What was it that made your heart skip a beat? What flipped on the switch of love for that person?

Sometimes the embers of our love for God may grow a bit dim. With the routine of life, other distractions, and missed times of intimacy with Him we may find ourselves interacting with God out of habit not out of genuine affection.

So, today take some time to fan the embers of your love for God. Remember the moment that you fell in love with Him. Reminisce over the time where your heart skipped a beat thinking of Him. What about the Father makes you smile? What did He do for you personally that sealed the deal of your love for Him?

Remembering specifically why you personally love God will help you continue to stay in love with Him. You may have let God into your heart, but once you gave Him ownership of your heart, it turned into a different story. Keep those flames of love alive. Don't let them die out.

Verse of the Day: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us... 1 John 3:1

You Can Stay Full of Joy

I don't know what it is, but I've been feeling a bit blah lately. Maybe it's the gray clouds in the sky. Maybe it's work. Maybe it's the fact that I really don't understand this new class I've started this semester. It could be a host of other things that aren't that great that are going on in my life.

Yesterday, I had enough of feeling blue. I reminded myself of the fact that the joy of the Lord is my strength. I shook myself and chose to change my mood.

It's easy to allow the occurrences of what's going on around us to affect what's going on inside us. I'm amazed sometimes at how quickly my own mood can change. There I was singing a happy song, feeling great, and something (usually it's a someone) just breezes through and ruins my sun shiny moment.

Sometimes we have to choose to rise above the negativity that would love to pull us down. We must remind ourselves that since we have the Lord, we have His joy. One of the definitions of joy is a source of happiness.* God is a constant source of happiness!

No matter what's going on, no matter what we face, we always have a source of happiness on the inside. It's just up to us to go to God and grab hold of His joy.

Just thinking on His attributes and meditating on His goodness is bound to bring a smile to your lips and a twinkle to your eye. Remembering His bountiful blessings and His renewed mercies is always a way to shift our perspectives and focus.

So, don't allow yourself to wallow in despondency. Don't give in to the frown that's trying to invade your face. As you stand in the midst of adversity, fight to maintain your source of strength. Remember that you have the joy of the Lord.

Verse of the Day: ...neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10b

*Dictionary.com