Take Advantage of the Quiet Times

After the excitement and bustle of yesterday, I am relishing the relative calm of this morning. I'm actually sitting still and able to collect my thoughts. Right now I can actually focus my thoughts and get my bearings for the day.

The quiet moments provide the best opportunities to hear from God. When God was making Himself known to Elijah, He sent a windstorm, earthquake, and fire. Yet God was not in those occurrences. The Lord came to Elijah in a still, small voice.

It is in the stillness we hear what will carry us through the storms, quakes, and fires of life. When we take advantage of the times of serenity to get before God and hear His voice, we will have what we need when all we hear are the winds whipping around us.

Too often we allow the quietness of life to lull us to sleep, and we miss out on quality time hearing from the mouth of God. If everything is fine around us, we don't press into the Lord's presence as fervently, we don't feel the pull to make sure we hear from Him.

However, when the winds start to blow and the world shakes around us, we are quick to call out His name. In our times of distress, we start to pray more fervently and even go into deep prayer and fasting just to hear an answer from Him about our situation.

Nothing is wrong with crying out to God in our times of need. But wouldn't it be awesome if we already had a word from God that we could hold onto when the storms came? Wouldn't it be a great feeling to have the winds come the day after you spent time conversing with the Father and you have the exact tools to get you through the trial?

Don't let the quiet days keep you from God's company. Continue to go before Him even in the good times.

Verse of the Day: And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him... I Kings 19:11-13a

Afternoon Ti: Strength in Weakness

Today was certainly a "Footprints in the Sand" kind of day. The Lord most certainly carried me through today. It's so great to know that I have such a strong Presence helping me along my journey. Thanks for your prayers!

When we are weak, He is strong. We just have to remember to lean back into His strong arms. Far too often when things get hard we scramble out of our Savior's arms trying to run around and fix things on our own. All we really need to do is trust His guidance and allow Him to take the lead in our affairs.

He will carry us through the greatest of trials and the hardest of challenges. When we are at our wit's end, He has not even scratched the depths of His wisdom. He sees the end from the beginning and knows the exact way we should go. It's up for us to look to God for the guidance we need.

Verse of the Day: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9a

What A Day!

Hello, folks. Today I'm clinging to the standard of the Lord. My cries of "Jesus!" are genuine prayers for His help and support. This is just one of those days. I'm so busy my head's spinning!

I'm steadily reminding myself that God will not put more on me than I can bear. Breathe in... Breathe out... I'll be okay.

How are you today? Hopefully, you're not as busy as I am. I'll check in with you this afternoon, and we'll have our tea then. I'm confessing that my day will end better than it began!

Verse of the Day: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19b

Rising to the Challenge

Yesterday, I enjoyed a powerful message on resisting sickness and disease. It encouraged me in my continuing to stand strong in faith for my father's healing.

That same afternoon, my father had some challenges at home. In the midst of taking care of him, I grew frustrated and was about to have a moment. However, I remembered the words of the message. What was preached flashed through my mind, and I felt the Holy Spirit's nudge.

Here was the perfect opportunity to put what I had just learned into practice. Was I going to give in to the enemy, or was I going to resist him? As much as I enjoyed the sermon during the service, could I translate those encouraging words into my actual life?

It would have been so easy to get angry and give in to my frustrations. Slipping into a state of depression and sadness would not have been hard either. But I chose to rise to the challenge and stand on the word of God. Despite how the circumstances seemed to dictate opposite, I stood on the promise of God that my father is healed.

And the peace of God flooded my soul.

Don't let the enemy steal the word of God. Whatever the Lord has spoken to you, put it to use. Grab hold of it when troubles come. Put your faith to action in the midst of the storm. It's the only way that you will know without a shadow of doubt that the Word works.

Verse of the Day: What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ...Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:14, 17

Thanksgiving Friday!

Good Morning! It's Friday! Aren't you glad to be alive!

I am so thankful for the life of God in my veins. Recently, several of my friends and family members have come down with some serious health issues. But, the Lord IS a healer, and His word stands true. I am thankful today that God is hearing the prayers of the righteous, and they will recover!

This week I'm also grateful that I am able to lend a helping hand to others. I was able to be the voice of wisdom and calm to a couple of the kids I teach and one of my mentees. It feels so great to give back and help the next generation avoid some of the pitfalls that I fell into when I was their age. Thank you, Lord, for wisdom!

This weekend our church is devoting time to fasting and prayer. We are so blessed as God's children to be able to go before God's throne and speak with Him personally. I count it an honor that He hears our petitions and answers us in love. I am more than thankful that I will have the opportunity to spend some extra time with Him the next few days.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Verse of the Day: Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Psalm 20:6

They Don't Know How to Love

Right now the rapper Lil' Wayne has a track out called "How to Love" that's keeping heavy rotation on the airwaves. Being a youth leader, I try to stay up on the current trends and have heard the song. The lyrics are quite poignant and speak about how a young woman's life is in disarray simply because she never figured out the right way to show or receive love.

Hearing this song, I thought about so many issues and problems that are happening in our world right now. Seeing how families are falling apart or never really coming together in the first place... Watching as young people are blatantly joining together just to rob and steal from others... Listening to a young girl tell how she got pregnant and now has to drop out of school...

Lil' Wayne hit the nail on the head: our world really doesn't know how to love.

What's missing is the link to Jesus Christ. He is the perfect example of how to show love. Once we receive His love and experience it's changing power, there should be no reason for us not to reflect that love to other people that cross our paths.

The world is hurting, confused, and angry. Yet are we showing the Love of God? Are we easing their pain,  helping to give a guiding hand, or bringing peace?

We can't just stay in our little corner and shake our heads at how the world is descending into chaos, We shouldn't just attribute the escalation of heartbreak and sin to signs of the imminent return of Christ.

We have to go out there and do something about what we are seeing. There are lives at stake! We know the answer to the questions they are asking. Let's make sure we are providing the example to others of how to love.

Verse of the Day: Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love... Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. I John 4:7,8, 11


For those who don't know the song, here's the gospel cover version.

A Little Too Busy

Lately in my hustle and bustle, I have realized that I haven't been eating as healthy as I usually do. I've been rolling through a lot of drive-thrus, and the last vegetable that I can remember eating was corn: the borderline veggie.

For the last couple of meals, I've felt twinges of shame for the fatty foods I've been ingesting. As I swallowed my order of fries today, I was shaking my head at my own self. I know I'm not doing my body any good. I'll be hitting the grocery store tomorrow... I hope.

At times, I experience the same twinges of guilt from missing my spiritual "meals" as well. The business of one day bleeds into the next, and before long a couple of days have gone by without me spending some quality time with my Heavenly Father.

As I lay drifting off to sleep on those nights, I whisper drowsy prayers asking for God's mercy and forgiveness, and resolve to get in the Word the next day. The next day sometimes comes a couple days later.

But just like a few days of ingesting nothing but junk and fast foods will cause my body to react adversely, my spirit shows signs of neglect when I don't spend time with the Lord. It's important that we keep our spiritual bodies in tune. Spending time in God's presence, reading His Word, and conversing with Him are essential facets of our spiritual health.

Don't let the demands of the day take precedence over your time with God. Your spirit will thank you for it.

Verse of the Day: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Psalm 27:8