Free At Last

John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and that truth shall make you free.”

Good morning! I hope with sincere gladness in my heart that you have awakened to a new day with positive vibes flowing through every part of you. Even if you are in the midst of your feelings, or you have a sadness that seems unending; position your heart in a place of joy. To overcome any negative aura that has surrounded you, you must first ask God for healing, for solace, for peace. Somebody else may need your strength today to just be at peace, so breathe in and gain control with God’s help! Placing all burdens upon the shoulders of the almighty will lift your hurting soul to heights of needed relief. You will be free at last! If you are just in need of others lifting you “just because”, then be there for them; just because you can. In society today, we need to find ways to be set free! Find scriptures that will set you free from the negative into the world of happiness. Find someone and share a compliment to them so a better feeling of freedom will fill your heart. Sometimes the best medicine for you is to just make someone else feel loved, feel adequate, feel needed! By sharing happiness or positive emotions toward others you have pushed your endorphins to better levels. Even if it is only a greeting of “good morning”, the impact leaves a joy inside the other person that could have a domino effect! Courtesy shown through simple acts of kindness bring out the best in people. Sure there will be scoffers, but, they will keep that thought of “why” in their mind of the action you took! Freedom shared is invigorating. Take time to thank God for the little freedoms as well as the big ones. Opening up to peace and contentment will grant your heart to be free at last!

Scriptures:

Read: Romans 6:22-23, II Corinthians 6:17-18, John 8:36, Psalms 119:44-45, Galatians 5:1,13, II Corinthians 3:17, Luke 4:18, I Corinthians 9:18-19, Isaiah 61:1-2, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 10:9-13, John 3:13, Romans 3:22-23, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:23, Luke 10:25-28

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for granting us freedom from sin and the promise of a home in heaven. Teach us Lord to take one day at a time trusting in you to provide the love and care we need. Help us Lord daily to share that freedom with others so they can open up to salvation that will lead them to be free at last. Place in each of us a kind heart to share even small gestures daily to others. Amen.

Heart On Fire

Luke 24:32, “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scripture?”

Good morning! Thank you for being here reading, learning, sharing. Try to head into this day with an urge to live like Jesus did. Seeking and teaching everyone He met of how God’s redeeming love could give them a life like no other. If we could just fathom our hearts being on fire with the words that would lead a brother, sister, friend to the knowledge of God’s grace! The joy of just wanting to be more like Jesus would engulf our very being and the enthusiasm from wanting to share would ripple through others! There are many who took the path to ministering, preaching, because the fire that God put in their hearts could not be quenched. Billy Graham led a life with a heart on fire for doing the work God called him to do and he said many times, he would not change it for anything! Today can we just fill our hearts with fire for those who have not experienced Jesus’ grace and mercy coming into their lives. Living our lives in anticipation of Jesus’ coming should bring us joy and happiness. Our search for the everlasting Father in heaven should help us live the life God intended, showing others around us that it’s worth it! Just because you are not called to be a minister, pastor, youth leader, Sunday school teacher, deacon in a church, doesn’t mean your purpose is not still important. If you are living a God centered life instead of following the world, you are the only Bible some will ever read! Those who seek God sometimes find him in examples of a Christian’s life! When they come to the understanding of how blessed they could be by following your lead into Jesus’ flock, their hearts too will be on fire for God! Today remember, a heart on fire can kindle a spark in another, and then little by little it will spread!

Scriptures:

Read: Psalms 1:1-2, Romans 12:1-2, Joshua 1:8, Psalms 119:97-104, John 4:23-24, Colossians 3:23-24, Hebrews 12:28-29, Matthew 28:19-20, II Timothy 4:2, Isaiah 6:8, Mark 16:15, II Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:22-24, II Timothy 1:6-7, Hebrews 10:22-25, Psalms 51:12-13, Luke 24:32, I Corinthians 15:57-58

Prayer:

Lord today come and fill us once again with the fire that will continue to burn and spark through us and on to others. Thank you for the gift of salvation that enables us to accept that spark that can lead to flames worth sharing not only by word of mouth, but by the life we live in front of others. Grant us knowledge of how to keep that flame burning daily. Amen.

Can’t Move Forward Looking Back

Philippians 3:13, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

Greetings friends! Today be thankful for the allowance of another day. As we go through our routines of getting up, getting ready, preparing and traveling; let us not dwell on the past. It is not a sin to look back to all that has already happened, and the life lessons learned during that time; but, it is not healthy or positive to go back there and live! Just as we look to the Old Testament to gain more understanding of the New Testament; we need to know that we learn by what we have gone through, or experienced and that knowledge carries over into the future. If we find ourselves stuck looking back to what was, we will lose value of what we have now and what will be in the future. There is peace during grief because finding the memories of the past brings about healing. When remembering those special times try only to see the positive and happy ones. It is always good to ponder on choices in moments when you find you are in need again of working through a similar difficulty. In the days of that wondering, make a list of the pros and cons. Work through how the future will change but also what benefits will be present while reaching forward. Always look back for insight of where you made wrong choices; but for making new decisions, find your strength in God’s word and guidance. He has always remained the one constant whose presence aided in the moving forward. He already knows the direction you must take, but He will always let you use His knowledge to determine the right move to make! So today, let go of negative yesterday and open up to the positive of tomorrow! You know you can’t move forward looking back, now trust yourself to believe it!

Scriptures:

Read: Philippians 3:12-14, Jeremiah 29:11, II Corinthians 5:7, Isaiah 43:18-19, Philippians 1:6, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 4:25-27, Romans 8:28, Joshua 1:9, Luke 9:61-62, Isaiah 41:10, II Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 12:1-2, Romans 12:2-3, Hebrews 10:35-39, John 16:33

Prayer:

Lord today grant us the knowledge of looking forward. Place within us your presence so we can ponder on yesterday but know today is the most important. Help us Lord to seek you when looking at tomorrow. Thank you for the journey with the good and bad, with all the teaching moments you provided. Help us Lord to trust in you to lead us on the right path moving forward. Amen.

Finding Peace In Weakness

Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Hello again! Morning has arrived and we are now destined to take it in with positive thoughts and actions. Let us gather our thoughts to open up to finding peace even in weakness. Lift your voice to praise God for all things good and bad. Let us be more in tune with His presence so that even when we feel we are too weak to carry on, we can. Place your trust in the one who can give you direction, instruction, peace and strength, for He knows you have it already inside your soul. When you let your mind ask questions of why, or how; you are asking for God to come inside and give you peace of understanding. If we are not open to gain more knowledge into what God has to offer, we deny ourselves peace. We become weak in our spiritual awareness, and this is a negative influencer. Here is the opportunity for the devil to gain control and place fear in our hearts. Gain your control back by taking this day to reject what the devil offers and say, “get thee behind me Satan”! Take your weakness, whatever is hindering your growth, and survival; then turn it around to become a force worth reckoning with! Search for strength beyond all comprehension from the God who loves you! Make a choice today to no longer allow negative choices to override your positive ones. Your heart and soul will thank you for the peace that will come to you. Your weakness will now become a strength of hope, faith, trust, peace.

Scriptures:

Read: John16:33, Philippians 4:6-7,13, Colossians 3:15, II Corinthians 1:3-4, Ephesians 5:20, Ephesians 4:3, John 14:27, Psalms 29:11, Isaiah 26:3, II Thessalonians 3:16, II Corinthians 12:9-10, Hebrews 4:15-16, Romans 8:26-27, Psalms 73:26, Psalms 34:17-20, I Corinthians 9:22, Isaiah 40:29-31, Psalms 9:9-10, Psalms 46:1-2, I Corinthians 1:25-31

Prayer:

Precious heavenly Father, come now like never before and enter into our hearts uplifting us to gain control back from the devil! Thank you for sharing your presence within us when we forget all we had to do was ask. Thank you for the strength you can provide to all who just accept salvation and your presence to come into their hearts. Please Lord, go with us daily to work through our weaknesses so that we may become strong; allowing peace to fill us. Amen.

God’s Sifting You

II Corinthians 4:18, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Morning! It is going to be a great day, claim it! Though you feel only coffee will get you to the point of survival today, remember there is someone who will be with you every step of the way. The decisions are upon you to make changes to many things in your life. You wonder why you are having struggles in getting to a point of understanding. In this moment, realize God is sifting you, like the threshing machine separates the edible grain of wheat from the useless straw confining it! You are His valuable grain of wheat in which He needs to remove from the bad and negative parts of life! Many times we need His help to move away from the things of this world that hinder us from finding our true calling. God is directing you to a separation from negative influences and to arrive at a revelation. Sometimes He moves quickly, other times He moves in a slower manner, a teaching moment. He works to keep your heart from pain, but knows sometimes we need pain to gain freedom and peace. If you are feeling like you are at a crossroad and looking every way, without closure, pause and pray! God was waiting for you to ask for sifting! The answer is there, so make the choice to turn to the right way! Today allow God to take you to the threshing floor and sift out all the bad and negative; then accept the positive gifts He offers! You can do it!

Scriptures:

Read: II Corinthians 4:16-18, Romans 12:2, Psalms 51:10, I John 5:1-5, Isaiah 30:20-21, Romans 4:21, Matthews 6:34, Psalms 28:7, I Corinthians 10:13

Prayer:

Lord, we come to you now willing and able to allow you to sift through our lives and hearts. Thank you for providing grace and mercy as we go through this world. Please give us strength in separating the bad from the good so we can live a more peaceful life. Lord, please use us to sow the seeds of your love to others. Thank you Lord for constantly being there when we need sifting! Amen.

Stuck In A Season

Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Hello friends! This is another day to give thanks! We may not see the positive all at once, but it will get better. Just need to turn that frown upside down inwardly and outwardly! Maybe it’s been a rough week, month, possibly the whole year. But we need to reach deep to find that it is only a season for now. In the world there are seasons in nature that we learn to endure; some with pleasure others with dread. When we look close, we realize that in humans we tend to have seasons also. The natural seasons contain four well known seasons: Spring, summer, winter and fall, then the cycle just starts over. Not every country in the world experiences the changes that come in those four seasons. Antarctica has no hot summer, as Africa has no snowy winter; yet they have seasons purposely made for them. Our seasons consist of growth, change and renewal just like in nature. In life we will face birth, death, weeping and joy. The seasons we will endure are the dry season, the waiting season, the grinding season, testing and trial season, spiritual warfare season, and the happy season. The problem with our seasons are that we do not know the exact or particular time they will occur or the length of time that they will last. What we need to focus on is that they won’t last forever if we trust in the promises God provided us. Even in death, the loss and pain won’t be forgotten, but it will be a season we work through. So today, stop doubting the process or the timing. Bring your thoughts to what the outcome can be if we rely on God’s presence with us. If you are sick of being in one season, then work to get through it, change it, grow from it! You can only be stuck in a season if you refuse to move toward an answer! If you feel you can’t do it alone, remember, you are never alone, God is there, waiting for you to move! So, today, make that season be a memory, no more of being stuck!

Scriptures:

Read: Genesis 8:22, Acts 1:7, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,11, Romans 1:19-20, Isaiah 65:16-17, Romans 8:28,31, I Corinthians 10:13, Galatians 6:9, Psalms 139:15-16, Psalms 104:30-31, 33-34, Psalms 74:16-17, Galatians 6:8-10, Isaiah 40:6-8, Psalms 90:1-2, Psalms 23:4, Psalms 40:1-3, II Corinthians 4:18, Psalms 94:18-19, Psalms 121:1-2, I Corinthians 10:13, II Peter 1:5-8

Prayer:

Dear God, we are in a season of needing you. Thank you God for all the seasons around us, especially the seasons of our life. Guide us Lord as we search through them looking for the right answers by trusting in you. Push us Lord daily to the positive outcomes. Help us Lord to see them as stepping stones of growth in our faith in you. Thank you Lord in your timing for you know what is best in our journey. Amen.

I’m A Survivor

Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Morning friends! Blessings to you today and always! Today is another day offered to us in which we can be a positive example or a negative one! Truth is we never want to be anything negative; nor do we ever want to cause someone else to be negative. Our positive life may be showing someone else that even through the worst moments, we find peace in trusting God. Today try to remember how many times you worked to achieve a goal whether in childhood, in youth, then as becoming an adult. Were there times you placed doubt above faith? Were there not times you just gave up? Eventually, as in everything, we will choose to bring forth the will to keep going! So, you fell trying to ride a bike, but did you stay off the bike or did you push yourself to get back up and master that task? Did you not waste time not studying for a test, failed it, but the next time you realized where your responsibility to pass would lead you? Sure, today we think back on school and know that we truly did not put our best foot forward, but today we are making up for the errors! Somewhere down deep we acknowledge our ability to do anything if we just trust in God to lead and guide! He can open up doors we thought were closed; allowing us opportunity after opportunity to succeed! We can then pull out those feelings of survival! Even in addiction; there are ways to survive if we trust in His promises. IF we push ourselves toward positive success, not to prove to the doubters, but to prove it to ourselves. We are good and wonderfully made, with abilities and talents unknown to anyone until we show them! The only person we need to really get approval from, is God Almighty! When He says, “well done my good and faithful servant”, you will have made it to the destination of a heavenly home! Be a survivor who wants to survive eternity in heaven!

Scriptures:

Read: I John 5:4, Romans 8:37-39, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 41:10, Psalms 46:1, Deuteronomy 20:1,4, I Corinthians 2:14, Exodus 15:2, Ephesians 5:1-2, Exodus 14:14, Psalms 59:1-3, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Hebrews 12:1-2, Matthew 5:1-16, Psalms 73:26, John 11:25-26, Romans 14:8

Prayer:

Dearest Lord, we come now humbly asking for your grace and mercy; for your help in pushing us forward to survival. Help us Lord to see all our potential as you see it. Fill us Lord with your love and peace that will allow an inner strength to burst forth! Help us Lord to do everything your way. Please Lord continue with us daily on our quest to surviving this world and achieving a destination in heaven. Amen.

Hiddenness to Significance

Romans 12:2, “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.”

Good Morning All! Today let us come to be quite knowledgeable in the fact that we are significant! We must never give in the negative aspects of someone saying we are not valuable! A person’s value is determined only by God, and He says if you are made by Him you are significant! We need to find inside ourselves the confidence that has always been there. When you read the stories in the Bible of whom God chose; there wasn’t always the belief in themselves. They believed God could, but they still doubted the God given talents He had already placed inside them when they were created! Today let’s not let fear into our hearts. Let’s head into another day not just knowing we have talent or abilities; but let’s go into it with BELIEVING! Stop hiding behind the voices of others who really are just afraid that you will figure out you are more than expected! “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Phil.4:13 So let today be the day you find the strength way deep inside and face everything with a new confidence. No more hiding in the background! Even if it is your family who delivers that awful statement of how you will not succeed, not prosper, never be anything, REJECT it! Look up the song “Say I Won’t” by Mercy Me; and listen to how through everything you really can! Then look up “Strong” by Anne Wilson! It may take you more than one try, but before you walked, you crawled; before you spoke, you used gibberish; before you swam, you had to jump into the water! Every task and every step you take in life will have a starting point! We can’t prove them wrong unless we take that step! Just make sure you keep God by your side so you are no longer be hidden and others will see your significance!

Scriptures:

Read: Psalms 139:13-16, Matthew 10:31, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:8-10, I Corinthians 4:5, Proverbs 16:3, 5-8, James 4:10, Colossians 1:10, Psalms 34:17-20, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 1:19, Jeremiah 29:11-14, Daniel 2:22, Job 12:22, Psalms 139:1-6, Luke 8:17, Proverbs 25:2, Hebrews 4:13, Romans 15:13, Psalms 56:1-13, Isaiah 26:4, Romans 8:28, Acts 3:19, Proverbs 8:17, Ecclesiastes 7:11-12, I Peter 2:9, Proverbs 19:21,23, Colossians 1:27-29, Ephesians 6:8,10-18, Proverbs 20:5, Psalms 33:11, Proverbs 15:3

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for creating me just as you intended! Thank you Lord for your word that brings insight into how we can overcome any obstacle just by believing. Help me Lord to stop hiding behind the negative words or actions of others. Please Lord help me to reach deep inside and understand that you don’t make mistakes, and every person you created has a purpose and hidden talents. Help us Lord to use those abilities to further spread the word of all you are capable of accomplishing through even the least of these. Amen.

Good Courage

Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Greetings friends! Thanking God for another day of blessings! Today is a day for finding courage in all things. Maybe yesterday we found someone or something very intimidating. But today we are going to ask God for the ability to have good courage through those little things. Confronting is easier when done in prayer and supplication first! We must build up an immunity to the negative things around us by shifting to finding the positive that will change that negative! The old saying is “kill them with kindness”! Anyone who thrives on intimidation will be dethroned when their acts are not acknowledged but pushed aside by kindness. Find the good and push the negative away! By relying on God’s love and direction, our courage will blossom. Maybe it is pain or sadness due to uncertainty that has come into your life. There is no way to get over those feelings of loss; only to get through and survive the pain. Accepting with a realization of one day seeing the positive of the situation will be an ongoing endeavor. God can give strength when you have nothing left to give. He can give peace when you feel there is no end to turmoil. When you feel you are broken into a million pieces, He can apply the glue to mend and remake. Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Through all of life’s ups and downs, God can and will mold you back into a vessel that continues. Remember that it’s not just about courage, but it’s about the “good” courage! Fight with grace, empathy, mercy, understanding and your battle will be won for eternity, all because of your Good Courage!

Scriptures:

Read: Psalms 27:14, Proverbs 14:26, Psalms 34:4,17-19, II Corinthians 4:17-18, II Chronicles 15:7, Joshua 1:6-9, Isaiah 41:10, Ephesians 6:13-18, II Timothy 1:7, Acts 4:31, I Corinthians 16:13

Prayer:

Lord, today we want to thank you for everything; the trials, the pain, the sadness. We want to praise you in every storm and in every triumph. Thank you for being there in everything; guiding us to true good courage of endurance. Thank you Lord for granting us the ability to receive you in our hearts. Lord, please keep providing your grace, mercy and understanding. When we are broken, use your hands like the potter to mold us back into your vessel. Dear Lord continue to help us to grow in good courage. Amen.

Overcoming Barriers

Psalm 31:24, “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”

Good morning friends! Today let us not forget that being positive brings positivity to us! Try to not let any problems become greater because you are over thinking the solutions! Daily every person alive will be susceptible to changes, whether good or bad, that may cause obstacles to arise in their life. The way we endure or push through them depends on how much courage, resilience, and strength we have. This will not only be a physical battle but a mental and spiritual one as well. Every individual God chose had barriers placed in front of them or they had natural flaws. They were doubters, they were fearful, they were weak, they were sinners, yet, God gave them the abilities to do what needed to be done so their faith would grow. Sometimes our barriers are just excuses that we have built up to look like obstacles! Check yourself! Are your barriers really a hindrance to your succession? Why not start today on how you can overcome the obstacles in your way by starting with removing the excuses!  Let’s ask God to provide the necessary means for working through those excuses so that our real barriers will be just a piece of cake! You can’t make the hurdles if you don’t jump! God offers the guidelines; you just need to familiarize yourself with them! Read His word, study His word, apply His word; many life lessons are shown in His word! Asking is but an easy conversation with the Father; with Him you can overcome the barriers.

Scriptures:

Read: Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 6:5, Psalms 18:29,32, Psalms 73:28, I Corinthians 15:57-58, I John 4:4, James 1:6-7, Mark 11:23-24, Ephesians 3:17-21, Ephesians 2:14-17, Proverbs 3:5, Psalms 31:24

Prayer:

Father, today we want to thank you for the barriers because they help build our faith and trust. Thank you Lord for providing your word with guidelines that cannot fail us. Teach us Lord to rely more on you while we are defeating the enemy. Help us Lord to take each day as a new step to overcoming whatever may be in our path. Amen.

From Dusty Roads

Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”

Hello Friends! This morning let’s be thankful with another day! Let’s find ways to travel along this journey and the roads we will need to forge. Concentrate a few minutes on the routes you take to work, walk/jog for exercise, and then think about the reasoning for which you chose those paths. Truth is, it doesn’t matter what the path is made of for your feet to be used to get from one point to another. If we venture to go back to creation, we find that God used the dust of the earth to form man. Dust or dirt has a significant value. All gardeners and soil specialist, understand the importance of good soil for vegetation growth; which in turn, provides foods, building products, drinks, etc. The dust of the earth provides paths to our journeys in enumerable ways. From dusty roads to cobbled streets, to cemented sidewalks or asphalt roads; we search for the right path that will ultimately help us to reach our destination. God created the earth so that creation would all work together bringing life to all things. Our paths today should be chosen with care, planning, then mapping the way. We especially need to rely on everything around us because we all work together developing the right paths. God leads us to the crossroads in life, but we have the choice of which way to turn; He gave us a guide to help in that choice. The impact of who we meet along the path, and to whom we share the journey, will help in the growth of our lives. Take a dusty path just to bring you to the knowledge of where you began. Maybe choose a different path because the one you are on isn’t the right one! Pray to God and ask for the good directions. It is the same as taking the knowledge of those who have already taken that path then found the better one that will give us insight into what lies ahead! Though their journey was different, they still have experience that will help guide you on your path! So today, don’t pass up the dusty road just to jump ahead, there may be something valuable down that path!

Scriptures:

Read: Psalms 25:4, I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalms 119:105, Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 7:13-14, II Peter 3:9, 17-18, Isaiah 35:8, Hebrews 12:1-2, Hebrews 12:11, Jeremiah 6:16, Ephesians 2:2-8, Ecclesiastes 3:20, Genesis 2:7, Proverbs 4:18-27

Prayer:

Lord, today we thank you for every road forged years before our time. We thank you for using the right paths to bring your people closer to you. Help us Lord to find the right paths by using your guidelines in our lives. And Lord, when we fail or take the wrong road, please forgive us and bring us back to you so we can travel more easily and arrive at your promised destination. Amen.

Hope Deferred

I Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

Morning! May this new day be a blessing in every way! Today let’s focus on being hopeful, having hope, or needing hope! Many times the obstacles of life jump out suddenly and without warning. No matter what they are, we need to be hopeful in positive outcomes. But we also need to be happy in knowing that our needs may not come when we want them to! All prayers are not answered immediately and definitely not exactly how we asked! Our hope should be in the fact that God hears us, receives us, meditates with us, then He decides how the answer can benefit the most. Just like the bank can defer a payment and place it at the end of the payment cycle; God may defer your answer until He knows you are absolutely ready for the outcome. Many times our needs are deferred because there may be one of those needs more necessary than the one we put first. God will always know your needs and His timing is everything. Hope can make our faith stronger. We need to keep a feeling of expectation and desires for a certain thing to happen but; we must keep a feeling of trust in that it will happen. This is what hope is! It is necessary that we defer things sometimes to allow growth in other things. Having faith and trust in God gives us the ability to understand that having hope deferred will lead to hope accomplished! So today keep being hopeful, keep trusting in the process! The outcome will be worth the wait!

Scriptures:

Read: Romans 8:24, Psalms 42:5, Romans 12:12, Proverbs 13:12, I Peter 3:15, Jeremiah 17:17, Psalms 146:5, Psalms 23, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 40:31, Micah 7:7, Romans 5:1-5, Romans 15:4-5,13, I Corinthians 13:13, I Peter 1:3, Isaiah 41:10, I Peter 5:10, I Thessalonians 1:3, Colossians 1:5,10-11,27, Ephesians 1:17-18, Galatians 6:7-10, Psalms 33:8-9, 20-22, Psalms 130:3-7

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for deferring my hope at times so I can be increased in faith. Thank you for knowing my needs long before I know there is a need. Help us Lord to wait on you. Be with us daily as we may have something deferred. Help us Lord to accept that good things do come to those who wait on the Lord and His instructions! Amen.

A False Balance

Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Greetings friends! Another morning has come; the sun is rising up to light a new day. Today let us focus on whether we are in balance with ourselves, our lives and with God! Many times we hear the word balance and we focus on scales and weights, but it is so much more. We can align our lives using the same methods as math or scales or weights! To be balanced one must have equal parts on both sides, which is also like our lives. Does the good outweigh the bad? Do I have enough prayer warriors on my right to overcome the naysayers on my left? Do I have enough trust to build my faith? Are my blessings more than my failures? Are my strengths more powerful than my weaknesses? Finding balance is part of the journey in this life. Learning to focus on the instructions God gave in His word gives us education in our minds to grow in balance. Putting the negative or false balance aside and working toward the positive balance will be just continued steps on our paths that will lead to the ultimate reward in heaven. Bringing your focus back to God’s instructions allows you to build lasting choices that will bring positive outcomes. Make sure when you make choices you have allowed God to speak to you so that your balance doesn’t falter and tilt to the left when it should be more to the right! Being content in who you are, what you have, and who you are sharing with, leads to positive balance. Strive for more but not at the expense of losing who God made you to be! Sure, you can have a mansion, but if you are alone, the significance of balance will be empty! You can be the CEO, but don’t deny the team that holds that company together, there is no “I” in team! Move today away from false balances and focus on true balance!

Scriptures:

Read: Colossians 3:17, Proverbs 11:1, Leviticus 19:35-37, Hebrews 13:5, Proverbs 16:11, Deuteronomy 26:13-16, Ecclesiastes 3:1, Matthew 6:33, Romans 12:2-3, Philippians 4:8,11-12, Luke 10:27, Philippians 2:3, Micah 6:8, II Thessalonians 2:16-17, Romans 15:4-6

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for another day! Thank you for giving the best instructions on how to balance our lives so that the outcomes are positive. Please continue to help us to listen and heed, then share the word as you have laid it out for us! Push us daily to find the right balance and being content in all that we have and are. Help us to know that the best part of having is sharing! Amen.

Giving In To truth

John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Welcome today! Thank you Lord for this new day! Heading into the day with positive vibes and feeling good no matter what is coming. Like most days, we have to be truthful to ourselves in many aspects of our lives. Sometimes the acceptance of what is real finds us hiding from the truth. We block out the truth sometimes because we feel we cannot face the honesty, face the humiliation, face the consequences, face the admission to being wrong. We have forced ourselves to live in the untruth so that we no longer know what the real truth is. We have let the world control who we are on the outside so that the true self is hidden down deep inside. In every situation that a lie is formed, there is never a good outcome. God sees all, knows all, and the consequences will be bad every time. Many say, “oh it’s just a little white lie”, but there are no colors to untruth! If you have misled someone into a belief that is not true, you have not only condemned yourself, but them too. When God gave that eighth commandment to not bear false witness, He truly meant it. No good comes of sin in any form, not even lies! If our lives are not filled with God’s truths, something evil will take its place and infest our lives so that we are no longer worthy of heaven. Rev. Billy Graham said, “It is Satan’s purpose to steal the seed of truth from your heart by sending distracting thoughts…The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is: though they both may have good and evil thoughts, Christ gives His followers strength to select the right rather than the wrong.” Knowing Christ within our hearts encourages us to show Christ-like behaviors on the outside. The truth is; it is better to give in to the truth and reap the rewards, than to not, and be destined for hell here and in the afterlife.

Scriptures:

Read: John 14:6, I John 1:8-10, I John 3:18, I Kings 17:24, III John 1:3-4, II Timothy 2:15, Ephesians 6:13-14, James 1:17-19, John 1:14, 17, John 16:13, John 8:31-32, John 17:17-19, Proverbs 12:22, Psalms 25:5, 10, Psalms 145:18, Ephesians 1:13-14, I Corinthians 13:4-6, Psalms 15:2, Ephesians 4:15, I Corinthians 13:4-7, Psalms 13:5, Psalms 119:160, Proverbs 30:5, Psalms 86:11, Psalms 51:6, Psalms 43:3

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, come into our hearts and bring peace and understanding. Please Lord, help us to live in the truth, and to start now working hard to always tell the truth, especially to ourselves. Help us Lord to accept the guidance of your saving grace, but most importantly, please except our humble request for forgiveness. Open our hearts to spreading the truth, so others can accept you before it’s too late. Amen.

Train Up A Child

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Hello today! Oh that today, every word we speak would be the words someone, somewhere would need to hear! Our lives are made up of so many things that we have been taught throughout our life time. Each individual has an ancestry of a family tree that originates thousands of years ago. Your love for Italian foods may be because there were ancestors who originated in Italy. Possibly your taste for spices came from Thailand, Portugal, Mexico! The list in your heritages can be endless. Such things hold true to how you are raised in your home with the teachings of religion, character, respect, etc. All the things you saw adults doing, partaking in, habitually done; play a very significant role in how your own life as an adult will be. We all had rules passed down from generation to generation. As God provided a set of rules to His people thousands of years ago; He didn’t take lightly the reasoning for such rules. He already knew that without a set plan of guidance; the world would ultimately fail. The same in any business, education building, government building, etc., without guidelines there would be no order, only chaos. Following examples of discipline has accentuated growth in every aspect of continued life. We all failed at some time because it was just more intriguing to break the rules. But in hind sight, we always come back to what we were taught. The saying “to train up a child”, not only involves children but also adults. You had to learn to succeed, or to continue on life’s journey. Once you achieved your goals, you then want your children to succeed and in so doing you go back to what you were taught, and shown! We all know that though we fight rules or training, we most definitely don’t forget! The elders knew what they were doing and it worked; so the old saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” applies! Truth is, we understand the New Testament teachings must have the Old Testament to complete the knowledge of training! We know what we know because someone took time to follow the rules and then to keep passing them down through generations! God’s word has never changed and it’s profound teaching leads to eternal life in heaven. So today train yourself, then train others by following the rules He provided!

Scriptures:

Read: II Timothy 3:14-17, Deuteronomy 32:46-47, John 6:63, Romans 10:17, Philippians 4:8-9, Psalms 119:41-44, James 3:17, Psalms 111:10, Ephesians 6:1-4, Romans 8:28, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Proverbs 29:15, Proverbs 22:15, Psalms 127:3-5, Psalms 32:8, Proverbs 13:24, Mark 10:14-15, Hebrews 12:6-8, Proverbs 20:11, Colossians 3:20-21, Psalms 34:8-14, Psalms 78:5-7, Proverbs 3:1-7

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for your guidance, for your commandments, for a book full of training! Thank you for ancestors who gave their all to continue your teachings into every generation! Please Lord keep providing your love, grace; but most of all your knowledge that helps us as we continue through life until we reach eternity with you. Amen.

Offending a Brother

Luke17: 3, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”

Morning! Awaking to a new day! Breathe in the fresh air along with fresh feelings. Daily we go through our feelings of being wronged at some point in our lives. Some people have more times than they wish to remember. Especially those who were bullied; by classmates, friends, co-workers; even family. In many cases you had to become stronger than the offense. Many times you were the observant one; always seeing the wrong, but not standing up for that person, in fear of being brought into the same torture. But, the gist of it is, the bullied are better in numbers! Taking the stand helps you to achieve courage. It allows others to know there are those who feel your pain too! A little encouragement is like a round of applause. Those who are degrading others will, in due time, reap what they have sowed. Most bullies are formed at home where they are bullied, ignored, abused. Even the rich, who thrive on bragging of their possessions, have no real home life. They long for family with hugs, high fives, congrats, time spent with them. When we gossip about or ridicule anyone; rich, poor, middle class, fat, thin, ugly, pretty; we have offended God. He sees all, knows all, made all. His rewards become absent because we disobeyed. His sorrow becomes great because we forgot, or refused to love others as He loved us. We shouldn’t love someone because of what they are, who they are, what they have; but because God made them just like he made us! If we were all the same we would be robots! Our uniqueness is our gift from God! The next time someone takes time to make you feel inadequate; stop, breathe, then smile big and say thank you! Tell them God sees your ugliness but still loves you! Know that in that moment you have overcome the biggest obstacle on your journey! Just think of the reward God has waiting! If you see someone being offended, step up and kindly encourage them to keep going; they only need to please God! Take time to remember what the consequences are when you offend your brother! I’d rather receive rewards!

Scriptures:

Read: Matthew 18:6-7, 15-16, John 4:11-12, Proverbs 18:1-24, I John 13:34-35, I Corinthians 8:12-13, Mark 9:42, I Peter 5:6-10, Luke 17:1-4, Matthew 5:22-25, Proverbs 19:11, Matthew 5:38-42, Galatians 5:19-26, I Corinthians 13:4-7, James 1:19-20, Proverbs 17:9, Hebrews 12:14-15, Ephesians 4:13-15, Matthew 6:14-15, II Corinthians 12:10, Ecclesiastes 7:20-22, I John 5:4-5, II Thessalonians 2:2-3, I Peter 2:21-24, II Timothy 2:22-26, Proverbs 16:18-32

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for creating me just as I am, with all the quirks and imperfections! Thank you for guiding us every day to live as Jesus did, seeing the inside of someone and not the outside! Help us Lord to see the bullied and come to their aid. Help us Lord to forgive those who mock and pray without ceasing for their souls to become saved. Teach us continually to love our brothers, sisters, just as they are. Amen.

Whirlwind of Distress

Joshua 1:9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid; neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

Good Morning! Time to get started on this day that the Lord has provided. The best way to start the day is to have positive thoughts pushing out any negative ones! There will be days when it feels like there is no end to difficulties in life. Your heart will resound with feelings of distress, pain, foreboding; when the despair of everything crowds into your mind, heart and soul. This is a time to sit back and gather yourself in a prayer room; a place with just you and nobody but God. A time to grasp hold on all the negative things that have just taken over. In Mark chapter 4, Jesus slept during a storm on a ship while the storms raged around Him, but His disciples lost their faith, chose to wake Jesus for help; then Jesus spoke Peace be still; the storm ceased; but He asked them, where is your faith? Though storms rage around you, are you faithful enough to believe God can help you? You will need to start praying, and thanking God for all the blessings you have received over time. Just take time to ask for peace, hope and love to be poured out from God. Take just a few minutes every day to gather your thoughts; before work, at lunch, or after work. Don’t just take time, MAKE time! I once had a conversation with co-workers on prayer. They talked of not praying enough; or when is the right time. I asked them, how can you not pray? I told them, I pray when I wake, I prayed over my children to carry them through the day; I prayed on route to work, prayed at work, then on the way home, in the evening thanking for the day, and ended with bedtime! I Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” It isn’t about finding time to ask God for help, it is about making the time! God is everywhere, and in every moment! To receive; all God said to do was ask! So, when the whirlwind of distress starts whirling you around like a tornado; just stop, breathe, then pray! The peace you will feel, will be the release of burdens and your whirlwind will become calm!

Scriptures:

Read: Psalms 107:6, 19-21, Psalms 118:5-9, Psalms 120:1, Philippians 4:6-7, 19-20, Isaiah 35:4, Matthew 11:28-30, Proverbs 1:27,33, I Peter 5:7, II Samuel 22:7, Psalms 91:9-19, Revelation 21:4, Romans 5:1-5, Psalms 23:4, Psalms 73:26, Romans 8:38-39, I Chronicles 16:11, Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalms 34:4-5, Lamentations 3:22-24, Hebrews 4:16, Genesis 28:15, Psalms 57:11

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for your presence in every single moment. When the winds rise up around me, please Lord, come and fill me with your grace, and your strength and say peace be still. Help me God to find my quiet place, where I can just give you my burdens, so I can feel the winds take them away. Help me Lord to know that you are everywhere and that I can pray without ceasing anywhere. Thank you God for being just a prayer away. Amen.

Finding Wisdom-Getting Understanding

Psalms 3:13, “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.”

Morning! We have endured another night, and awakened to a new day! Today maybe we have felt like we are just not as smart as our co-workers, our classmates, our family members and even our friends! In truth, everyone has the ability to gain knowledge whether through books or life experiences. I believe that seeing and experiencing gives people a truly deeper understanding of how things exist, live, breathe, function, etc. The dictionary can give you a definition of a word, but did the person writing that really see, feel, experience that word? No one has to be the same, God intended on differences so we could co-exist and gain insight into wisdom. Hating math doesn’t mean I can’t count! But it also means that I do not relate to mathematical expertise nor the reasoning of letters and numbers placed together. Someone else was given that love of math, but it doesn’t make me less wise! We can be knowledgeable in what we feel is interesting to us, but also have wisdom to know that there are other things we can have learned along the way that can coincide with other people’s knowledge. I cannot do electrical work, architectural design, or mechanical engineering. This doesn’t mean I do not have the ability to learn those things but that I chose a different path that would accentuate my inner soul! So what if I can’t tell you pro athlete’s names, numbers, stats! That is not my interest, even though I love sports, and watching sports! The next time you feel inadequate, remember God gave you a different talent, different interest, different goals for a reason so you could travel the path He provided. You may be showing someone else how understanding God’s word, and living for Him is more important. Truth is you may be the example of wisdom and understanding God needs to show another that they are worth something; they are loved just as they are, and the rewards at the end of this life through Him, exceeds all the wisdom we attain here on earth! So today, be positive, find a little new wisdom and let God give you the understanding!

Scriptures:

Read: Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 4:4-5, Mark 12:33, Philippians 4:7-9, I Corinthians 13:2, Psalms 49:3, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Daniel 2:21, Proverbs 2:1-6, Proverbs 1:5,7, Proverbs 11:30, II Timothy 3:15, Proverbs 8:11, James 1:5, Ephesians 5:6, Romans 12:2, James 3:13, 17, Matthew 7:24, Philippians 1:9-10, Romans 11:33-35, Proverbs 15:2, Proverbs 16:16, Psalms 90:12, Proverbs 10:8-9, Ecclesiastes 10:2, Proverbs 8:22

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for giving us the means of understanding. Thank you for allowing us to gain wisdom through experience, through education, mostly through your guidance in your word. Help us Lord to overcome the negative thoughts of inadequacy and to understand that we don’t need to be like others. Go with us daily Lord, pushing us toward the moment we will see you face to face. Help us Lord to understand gaining knowledge in what you teach outweighs all other knowledge. Amen.

Drink From the Right Well

John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Morning to everyone! Today we want to find the right well with the right water! Every day we find satisfaction in so many types of drinks! From coffee to tea, to sodas, milk or milkshakes, even flavored water! But do we realize that these types of drinks only satisfy the craving? The thirst? What if drinking from the right well means something so much deeper than simple cravings? We want to drink from the well that will fill us with the everlasting thirst quencher! Many times in the Bible God provided sustenance and water for his people; whether on a long journey, through an endless drought, or because it served His purpose at that moment. So, did Him supplying that need at the moment quench their thirst or just leave them wanting more? Reminds me of Home Alone when Kevin ask the thieves, “Do you guys give up, or are you thirsty for more?” Their thirst for revenge outweighed better thinking! Often God revealed His purpose or life lessons by using parables. Once you read through them, decipher the text, then a whole new realization appears! When we keep searching on our journey through life, we are seeking an inner filling that will be deeply invigorating! In Psalms 55 and in Matthew 11, God reveals that He can handle anything you have weighing on your heart/life. With Him you can find a peace that will enable you to drink from His well. He can provide the instructions that will complete your inner thirst and you will no longer need anything else! Today let us drink those other liquids for cravings of the body, but focus on the real thirst of our hearts and souls! Let’s drink from the right well!

Scriptures:

Read: I John 4:4, 19, Isaiah 12:2-3, John 7:37-38, Revelation 22:1-2, 17, Revelation 21:5-6, Isaiah 58:11, John 6:35-40, Isaiah 44:3, Revelation 7:16-17, Isaiah 41:17-18, Psalms 63:1, John 3:5, 16, Isaiah 43:21

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, today we want to thank you for the well of real living water! For your grace in providing the right well for us to be filled with your ever-loving presence! Lord, please keep filling us with your words, your guidance; so we can never thirst again! Take us through our journey with your grace and love. Amen.

The Wise In Heart

Proverbs 10:8, “The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.”

Hello! Top of the morning to you! Blessed with another day! Would really like to talk on being wise in decision making. Every day we make the old saying “we learn something new every day”, be absolutely true! Being wise can be fun and inspiring but also serious, or beneficial. Sometimes it can be categorized as common sense, or book sense. One is learned as an experience, life lesson; the other is only acquired through reading, extensive study, or research. The most commonly used should be common sense, but not everyone has that intuitive, or gifted ability! Truth is, you can have both, but how do they play a part in the wise of our hearts? Because shouldn’t all wisdom be trained or learned from your heart? No, our hearts are vulnerable and may chose through feelings and not knowledge. God gives us the opportunity to surrender our lives into His guidance. He gives us the ability to use our hearts to decide on feelings, emotions, empathy, humility, and to also aid us in learning the right kinds of wisdom. Think of something you decided to do, but you didn’t weigh the pros and cons of what the consequence of that decision would be! Did you use your heart or just your mind? Sure, we can have fun and adventure; but use the wisdom you’ve been given to plan it out! Also, relationships are hard; and we can’t always stop those heart felt feelings. But, again, praying and seeking God might open our eyes to see a few common sense things that could make it better, or cushion the fall if it breaks! Find peace in knowing you don’t have all the answers, YET! There is always more to learn! Always strive to gain more by being wise in your heart!

Scripture:

Read: Proverbs 1:5,7, Proverbs 8:11, Proverbs 11:30, Proverbs 3:5-6, II Timothy 3:15, James 1:5, Ephesians 5:6, Romans 12:2, James 3:13, 17, Matthew 7:24, Philippians 1:9-10, Romans 11:33-35, Proverbs 5:2, Psalms 90:12, Proverbs 10:8-9, Ecclesiastes 10:2

Prayer:

God, today we want to thank you for giving us that heart that allows us to make decisions by trusting in your guidance. Also, thank you for giving us the knowledge to know we need to use your guidance, strength and love to endure those decisions. Please keep pushing us to look into your guide book for answers, and to always know you can get us through anything. Help us to keep our hearts so full of you that any decisions will be made good. Amen.