Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 10/31/08)

Interruption Just May Mean Redirection

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 (Amplified Bible)
17) So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor,
18) And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

I remember many incidents in my life when I have been in the midst of something and all of a sudden things went another way. Things either fell apart or they took on a different venue and it use to bother me, because it seemed as if just when I thought it was safe to trust that I knew what was going to happen and that I could see the end of the road, things switched up. I remember in those times the frustration and disappointment that would befall me in the midst of these situations, was somewhat overwhelming. Recently, I have come to see that when God allows something, whether good or bad to interrupt me it is to get my attention and redirect my steps. It is to get me walking and in a new direction. You see I have a type of personality that I want to mediate, moderate or promote peace, but often it is through self sacrifice. God wanted me to change and not to always accept people using me and people heaping things upon me that were not true or heaping things on me that were contrary to what God said about me. So He began to remove people from around me, and separate me from people and things. If He had not done these things, my direction and my actions would have remained the same.

God interrupt us when we become too comfortable, too complacent and too use to things the way they are. It is when things become routine that we begin to rely more on us than we do on Him. When we do not want to move forward or can not see what God is doing that God will send the wind of change towards us to shake things up and encourage us to move out of things, circumstances and away from people that will hold us hostage to a path that does not challenge us or promote us to where God wants us to be. Often God will pull the plug on our plans to get us to realize it is our plan and not His. He will allow us sometimes to bottom out so we can allow Him to change our course and redirect us, in the way that we should go.

So today when something you plan gets interrupted, stop, take a moment to evaluate what God is doing. Is He trying to move you, guide you or elevate you in a new direction that you would other wise miss if He had not loved you enough to take time to interrupt your moment, your day, your week, your month, your year or even your life! You better recognize, it is all about a new thing, it is all about a new move!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 10/30/08)

If You Are Doing The Same Thing, You Can't Expect anything Different...

Genesis 12:1-3 (Amplified Bible)
1) NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you.
2) And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].
3) And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].

I grew up hearing sayings like "there is more than one way to skin a cat or more than one way to bake a cake." In turn my grandmother and my mother have taught me there is more than one way to get things done. If you learn to do thing one way then you are stuck or enslaved to that one way, that one thought. That is why at my grandmother and my mother's side, I learned to cook by sight and taste instead of measurement and definitive recipes. Learning to cook this way, in many cases we learn to take several dishes and make them into some of the best results that have been stumbled upon. Because the expectation was always to create something better, something that was extraordinary, instead of ordinary.

We often miss opportunities to have something different in our lives because we refuse to move past what we have always done. We want to hold on to how we have always acted, how we have always dealt with things and how we have always talked to people, and yet we wonder why nothing is changing, why nothing has got better, or why things are continuing to decline. Remember Jabez, he one day decided to do something different, He prayed a pray that set him apart from the rest of his family and placed him in the Lamb's Book of Life. The prayer he prayed took him out of the ordinary and catapulted him into the ranks of the extraordinary. The same applies to Ruth, and Esther. They could have been just another name, but instead they challenged themselves out of their comfort zone, to do something that may have been uncomfortable, but it was something that lined them with the will of God for their lives and the lives of others.

We have no idea what is awaiting us, but if we keep on keeping on the way we have been keeping on, we are going to keep on getting what we have always gotten! It is those moments of extraordinary movement to trust God and move into an area that is not familiar and challenges us to rely on God and risk it all to move out of our flesh zone and move into the area of knowing that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can think or ask, that we are ripe to receive the extraordinary! Do it differently, stop serving God on your terms and move to serve Him whole heartedly, and on His terms, so that we can reap God's benefits and God's blessings!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 10/29/08)

Who's Standing By You?

Matthew 28:20 (Amplified Bible)
20) Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age.Amen (so let it be).

In the morning my brother drives me to work. On the way we will sometimes listen to the radio. If I have my choice it is the Steve Harvey Show. With all of the things that happen during the course of the day, I start my day with prayer and a good laugh. Well this morning someone had written in to ask for advice on a situation in her life, concerning the fact that she had married a man that was a recovering crack addict. She told of things that had gone wrong and that she knew that he had not recovered by somethings he was doing. She said she now wanted to ask for a divorce. But the part of her story that caught the attention of Steve and the morning crew was when she asked, did they think she was not standing by her man, in his time of need? Steve's response was "a better question is turn around and see who is standing beside you and who has your back."

So many times we pour our heart and soul into people, and when we need someone present to have our back or be in our corner we are devoid of the support that we once exhibited to others. I am not advocating that one should be there for another solely to store up points or favors to be redeemed in the future, but we should want to be a support and a blessing to others because it is the right thing to do. If only we would take the time to love out of our comfort zone, to stop doing and giving only when it is convenient for us, but to do it even when it isn't convenient. We do things for people we work with and associate with when it is convenient and we have the time to accommodate, but when it is uncomfortable and something that will cost us something,it is then, when it means something to have some one's back and to hang in there with them. When it is easy, when it is a no brainer, this is whenwe have the ability to do it in our own strength and power. It is when we are totally reliant of God's strength, power and courage, that it then means something. It is in that moment when it becomes a stretch, and a sacrifice it is then that it resembles Christ and not ourselves.

When we turn to our left who is there? When we turn to our right who is there? When we turn and look behind us who is there? It is factual that God is the one who never leaves or forsakes us, but are we not required to do the same? Should it not be that we are thought of as reliable instead of flippit, unreliable or one who seeks to gain, but offers little in return? It is time to start backing people up and standing beside them, instead of letting them stand beside us and then whenthey turn looking for us we are no where to be found. Make up in your mind to never again be one that is a slacker, stand up and gird up someone other than yourself!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 10/28/08)

Getting Your Figure Back

Jeremiah 24:6-7 (Amplified Bible)
6) For I will set My eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.
7) And I will give them a heart to know (recognize, understand, and be acquainted with) Me, that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.

I remember when I had my first child, I gained about 64 pounds when it was all said and done. After 26 and half hours of labor and a 7 pound 2 ounce baby boy I had lost over half of that. So those remaining pounds were not as hard to get off as they would have been, had I had to lose the whole 64 pounds. With my son I was in good physical condition and I ate well and began to work out as soon as my doctor cleared me. It seemed as if I rebounded and returned to my pre-pregnancy weight right away. With my second child it was different. I had physical challenges during my pregnancy and more serious challenges after the pregnancy. Although I did not gain as much weight, it was more difficult to get back on track and get my weight back to pre-pregnancy weight, after I had my daughter. It was because I was not physically as conditioned because of the stress that my body experienced during the pregnancy, labor and delivery. Even though I had suffered a major physical challenge right after delivery, I had major work to do. As I became determined to get better and to get healthy for myself and my children, I applied something that most of us forget to do in everyday life which is the principle of mind ( belief) over matter. Even though, my body was limited at best, I began to believe that I would recover and believe that I could get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and strength. As I spoke to my body and prayed without ceasing I began to see strength return and then my ability to get back in shape became a reality instead of just a dream.

Many times we forget, that God's eyes are upon us, and that He wishes that we are in health and prosper as our soul prospers. We forget that His thoughts towards us are of good and not evil to give us a future and hope. He desires to give us strength to regain our place in Him. H even desires that we regain, even those things that we may have lost because of our own negligence, or through the negligence of others, or even through testing. He can bring us into a place where we end up better than we were before. But it is about our focus, our mind set. If our mind focuses on our limitations and on what is wrong we will more than likely remain bound to our limitations and our circumstance. But it is when we apply mind our circumstance, spirit or reality, it is then that we begin to live Philippians 4:13, that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us!

Even though life, situations and circumstances may stretch us out of shape and mare us, we have the best fitness plan and trainer around and His name is Jesus. It is through our belief in Him and our yielding to His will that He can bring us full circle to a place that equals or is even better than where we were previously. He can strengthen us and restore us. He can lift us up and condition our life to stand up to even the most rigorous of circumstances. Remember if we put our hearts and minds into God's will and His promises, we can get our figures back, we can regain our place of peace, blessing and safety, through conditioning that comes from believing that God can even when we can not!

Words Of Encouragmenet To Start The Day ( Monday 10/27/08)

I Want To Be Down

Luke 9:49-50 (Amplified Bible)
49) John said, Master, we saw a man driving out demons in Your name and we commanded him to stop it, for he does not follow along with us.
50) But Jesus told him, Do not forbid [such people]; for whoever is not against you is for you.

I remember when I was in High school, although I was a cheerleader for some reason I was never really accepted in that click. It always seemed like I was the odd man out. The same thing applied at church. I sang in the choir and I was involved, even though I knew and was friends with the pastors daughter, I was still never considered an "in crowd individual." It always felt like I was never in the know, no matter who I was with or who I was privy to be around at that moment. I have even tried to reinvent myself in relationships to be accepted. I never realized that I wasn't suppose to fit in, in that way. I never realized that God created me uniquely me and that I was already accepted by one that meant far more than the people that did not accept me.

People often give themselves too much credit and too much power. They are placed by themselves and others in a position to make or break others, never realizing that the power they are exhibiting is not authentic in nature, because they have set themselves up to be gods, and we know there is only one true God. I have experienced in and out of ministry people saying "no," and being discouraging when I was trying to help or do God's will, because I looked different and I did not pray the same, or say things the way they said them. When I came back to Christ my nose was pierced, I was made to feel, like I was less spiritual because of this expression. Because it was looked at in that spiritual circles as unacceptable, I was made to feel as if I was less spiritual, while all the while being told that God had a powerful anointing on my life, hum... how confusing. Do you mean God would not use me because I do not look or act like others? That is further from the truth, God chooses and uses whom He wants. He loves us when we are pierced, tattooed and even not even fully delivered.

A people label is far from the label needed to be an asset to the kingdom. It is the label that God places upon us. Man can look at us and say, anything from insecure to toxic, but does that make it so, not really. It is the discernment and Spirit of God only that should place a label on us, and even then as we yield and humble ourselves our label will change. We do not have to worry about being accepted into the beloved by man, if God says, He loves us and we are in right standing with Him. It is all about the what he sees and not what they see. Seek God and find out what He wants from you, what He requires of you, after all it is Him who you want to be down with anyway, why not go to the source!

Words Of Encouragment To Start The Day ( Friday 10/23/08)

God Rules By Love, Not By Force, How Do You Rule? Part V

1 John 4:7-12 (Amplified Bible)
7) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].
8) He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love.
9) In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him.
10) In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.
11Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another.
12) No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!

Recently at work there has been a lot of movement. People are being reallocated to other branches and the team that we once knew, is no more. As we parted today, it was a bitter ending to a day, long dreaded. We were saying good bye to people we had worked with during our tenure at our branch. There were tears flowing and thoughts of days gone by and how we had learned each other, and learned from each other in good and in bad times. But there was also talk of those who were leaving that sadness had alluded their exodus. It was because they did not rule well. The exhibited a force and a presence that would not be quickly missed. As some of the team mates expressed there was no love lost there.

What does the way we deal with those we claim to love and come in contact with say about whose we are and who we really are? How can we say we love God and exhibit everything contrary to who He is? Whether we believe it or not it says more about us then we would actually want people to believe. If God is love and we say we are His, should we not be exhibiting love as well, not just in terms of words, but in terms of how we live and how we treat them. If God is patient and kind, and suffers long, endures all things, believes all things, then is that not suppose to be our mantra as well. It is not the human spirit that should be driving us, but the Spirit of God. Our decisions to be who we are is driven by what is inside of us. If we are founded in God we will be founded and driven to do as God would have us to do, even when it hurts, we will be determined to be in God's will no matter the cost. But when we are driven in self, flesh and sin we are driven to preserve ourselves, our name and our wants and our will. Then it is evident that we are our own and none of God's. It says that we do not know Him, contrary to what we may think, say, or try to delude ourselves into thinking. You see, it is quite clear, God says that if we act in His love then we know Him, we abide in Him, but if we make the choice not to love as He would have us to, then we are not His and we don't know Him and we are not His. Our justification for our behaviors does not hold weight in the eyes of God if it is outside of the will and His obedience. Our rationalization for how we have treated people and the decisions we have made concerning people, are nothing but excuse that we are offering ourselves, others (and in some cases) even God for our choosing to be out of His love and will.

When those who know you look at you, and hear of your actions, behaviors and decisions, who do they say you belong to? Whose will would they say that you operate under? Can they see your obedience to God and do you operate in God's love even when it is tough to do? If the answer to these and other questions points to you rather than to God, you might want to take a moment and finally let God speak to you about your love walk, and what He requires of those who proclaim His name rather than their own!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 10/23/08)

God Rules By Love, Not By Force, How Do You Rule? Part IV

1 John 4:18-19 (Amplified Bible)
18There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].
19We love Him, because He first loved us.

I was talking with a friend months ago and they were relaying a stories of a marriage gone wrong. As the story unfolded it spoke of unrest and a time in the person life where uncertainty was an everyday occurrence. Never knowing when their spouse would enter the house, what would be the mood of the day, or the complaint of the day. If they were spending time with the children and the spouse came home everyone held their breath waiting in hopes that it would be a good night. As they waited for the first words to be spoken, to determine the temperature of the house, every one's heart was pounding and their minds raced with fear, dread and anticipation,of what would come next. This was an every night occurrence for almost 7 years of the 15 years they were married. As I listened I wondered how, or why that would be.

When love is matured through Christ it is a love that can bring peace into an otherwise non-peaceful situation, it is settling and completing. It can soothe and bring calm, it does not walk in with demands and orders of the day. God through us can bring comfort and wholeness. The people that we claim to love should not be in fear or anticipation of what negativism we will bring into the house, work environment or any place we go. Our Goal should be to love as God's loves us. To be in service one to another. Love is not self- serving it is all about those whom the love is directed at. We can sway and guide an entire family by the love that we show if it is steeped in the Word Of God and His Will. We can give balance to an unbalanced situation with the way we approach and deal with those around us. If we can allow ourselves to see through the eyes of Christ.

Are we loving in word or in deed? To love in name only or words only will show it self in everyday living. Do those you love desire your presence or avoid it. Do you bring an heir of incompatibility to your home or are you the one that is like a warm soft blanket on a cold winter's night. Do you provide comfort, warmth, and a place of solace, or do do you bring a attitude of sterility, discomfort and rigidness to your family. We should be reliable and integral part of any place we enter, who we are should reflect whom we belong to. We can and should be bringing a love light, to guide in times of darkness and to provide warmth when things are cold. God supplies us with all of these, isn't it time for us to pass the peace, and pay it forward! Love because you will to not because you have to!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 10/22/08)

God Rules By Love, Not By Force, How Do You Rule? Part III

Psalm 52:7-8 (Amplified Bible)
7) See, this is the man who made not God his strength (his stronghold and high tower) but trusted in and confidently relied on the abundance of his riches, seeking refuge and security for himself through his wickedness.
8) But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in and confidently rely on the loving-kindness and the mercy of God forever and ever.

I remember an incident in my life that I have never shared with any one, that brought me to such a place of humiliation and shame that it was hard for me to see myself of any good use to any one for a long time. This incident made me wrestle with my identity not just as people see me but my identity in God. I had an occasion where I was told by someone I loved dearly that I owed them an apology. I was okay with that even though in my heart I knew I had not done what I was being accused of. But for peace sake I was willing to apologize and let God handle the rest. But I was then told if I did not apologize in front of two people that were very near and dear to me and cherished me, my apology would not be accepted. My heart was torn, I did not know whether this was still the right thing to do, but I opted to err on the side of caution and do what I viewed might have been the right and humble thing to do, and do it. I cried through it, but managed to get through it, only to be met on the other side of the apology with if you were going to cry through it then why do it? If I was struggling with it then why bother? I felt betrayed, berated, and I felt in that moment less than a person.

Why is it that God comes to us and He uses words like beseech, encourage, wish above all things. It is with a loving hand and a Father's heart that he guides us into all truth, yes He will discipline us but He always supplies a Balm to heal it. He encourages us through His love and sacrifice to do what is right He never makes us feel as if our gift of love, obedience and sacrifice is never enough. This is not to say that God does not challenge us, to come up higher or to do better, but He reminds us first that He loved us when we were in our sin, and He loved us in spite of our sin and He died for us while we were yet sinners. God does not take pride in humiliation or making a spectacle of us. In the book of Hosea, He wanted us to be able to relate to the love that He has for us, and how even though we prostitute our spirits, our emotions, and our lives to other things other than Him, He is always coming back in the picture showing us how much He loves us. God shows himself in this way because He is trying to get us to come full circle and see Him for who He is and realize that His love doesn't hurt, it does not bring disdain or dishonor, it covers, it heals, it restores, it encourages, and it sacrifices to ensure the very life of those He loves.

Think about how many times your love has been hurtful and demanding, misunderstanding and intolerant of another. How many times have we all looked to save our own necks and left those we say we love, in sinking ship or a failing state. What if God's love turned like ours? What if the very love we gave was what we received, how would we then feel? Would we at that point be able to stand under the pressure and the weight of our own actions? It is not hard to govern through the attributes of love it is all in the choosing. So what is it that you have chosen today for others, but ultimately for you as well?

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 10/21/08)

God Rules By Love Not by Force, How do you rule? Part II

Jeremiah 31:3 (Amplified Bible)
3) The Lord appeared from of old to me [Israel], saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.

I noticed when I was training the little dog ( the younger of the two dogs), when I would yell at her she would just run for cover. Sometimes she would just openly defy me. But I noticed when I began to praise her and reward her for doing what I wanted her to do, she conformed to my wishes and behaved in a manner that was more acceptable and conducive to us living harmoniously. I can hear some of you laughing and snickering at the thought of reasoning with an animal, but God reasons with us, and we are lesser than He is.

God exhibits patience and kindness with us in spite of our stubbornness, pig headiness and just all out defiance. When we were yet in our sin Christ died for us, He gave Himself as a ransom for you and I. He was the one that was sinless and in a place of perfection and yet He step out of eternity which was perfect to step into present tense to save a soul like yours and mine. Why, what was the motivating factor? It was His love for us. His love is the conforming factor in salvation it is the one thing that motivate us to come to Jesus and get in right standing with God! God has the ability to just stop thinking about us and we would cease to exist, but instead He loved us enough to move out of who He was and make Himself lower to bring us into a place of commitment and safety. My father some years ago, designed T-shirts, and he took some flack for one he designed, that said, "love your wife into submission." But he had found the key to all things, and that was loving someone enough, or more than yourself, and proving to them the importance of who God made them to be in your life moves them into a place of willingly submitting and most times being able to see the benefit and the enhancers that you bring to the relationship.

So many times we want to take and have our needs be met in every relationship we enter into, but when is that God can expect us to give Him the love that He deserves. Also when can those who God places in our lives expect the same? Love conquers ALL, not some, All! It is not subjective to the people or the circumstance, Love especially the exhibition of God's love covers and overcomes ALL, and not just some of the time, but all of the time! Loving for all the right reasons will help you rule with all the right intentions!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 10/20/08)

First I want to apologize to my beautiful God daughter in the last devotional I said I had 2 children by birth and 2 by choice, well I do have 3 by choice and she is one that I have chose to love as my own since she was 13 years old!

God Rules By Love Not By Force, How Do You Rule?

Romans 5:21 (New Living Translation)
21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I have learned a lot from being a parent, a sister, a daughter, a wife and a person, but none as much as the being a parent. As I have been blessed to raise children, and help raise others and guide and direct others and be a friend to others, I have noticed something that directly affects the response of those who I have ruled over or have interaction with, it is the way I have ruled. There are several ways that one can be enabled to rule, one way is by legitimate power, meaning that the power you possess is yours by right of the position you hold, like a parent. There is coercive power, that is you possess the ability to inflict pain or punishment on people and that is the power that you have over them. Then there is a reward power that is power through the perception that you have the ability to give positive consequences or take away negative ones. There is also expert power which you have indirect power because you possess expertise in a particular area, or task. There is referent power which is the power you possess by and through whom you are associated with. That is the power we have through Christ Jesus. It far exceeds and is far more beneficial than any other source of power named.

I noticed in my pursuit to rear and train my children that often it was the calm and rational me that would get the results needed for conformity then the mom that yelled and screamed, threaten, lacked understanding and patience. Although I must admit there were times that method was needed, but by far, open communication and a cool and loving persona prevailed over threats, distance and lacking patience. When we are under pressure and we are already going through things, what if God yelled, screamed, threatened or judged us, what do you think would happen? Often when pressure is applied to an already fragile, and confusing situation that kind of pressure only worsens the persons behavior or response. We then end up yielding the response we did not want instead of the one we wanted. My grandma use to say you can get more bees with honey then with vinegar. It is that soft answer and the willingness to be quiet and pray, that will often bring us and the other person into God's will. To sow patience, long suffering, care, temperance and love into those around us, rather than a stiff dose of payback or intolerance, is what God desires ( remember that love your neighbor, thing I think God meant that). If God treated us the way we treat people, most of us would be in a world of hurt and trouble, and some of us not among the living. Often if God repayed us the way repay, or treat people we would be destitute, or our reputations ruined and many of us would cease to exist. Thank God for Him ruling with Grace and love.

But why does that grace exist for us. In any case God is giving us an opportunity to seek his face and get right before him and get it right with those we have hurt, mistreated or dealt harshly with. But often we think because we ask for forgiveness, we think that is where it ends. In the Bible it talks about leaving our gift at the alter and making peace or making it right. God encourages us to do what is right by one another, to love the unlovable ones and to treat those who even treat us badly with kindness and to pray for those who use us. For most of us we can not imagine that, but it is an act of submission, and act of humility. It takes putting our will under the blood and under the shadow of the almighty. It also takes loving God more than we love us, and desiring to preserve our status and relationship with Him more than preserving our own life as we know it.

Do you rule with an iron fist or a loving heart. Do you value God more than yourself? Can you love, forgive and rule with the referent power the power that is fuel by the Holy Spirit and ordained by God, the choice is ours, but know that as we give it and in the way we give it shall one day return unto you again! Realize we are picking our own brand of justice.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 10/17/08)

He Wears My Love Like A Tailored Garment

Proverbs 31:10-12 (Amplified Bible)
10A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.
12She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

As a wife, my husband never had to buy his own clothes. I knew what looked good on him and I went to great lengths to ensure that what I purchased for him enhanced his being and made him feel like the Gift of God that I felt He was in my life. Even if I did not do for me, my goal was to ensure that he looked good and that he reflected me well. It did not just stop with his outer appearance but it stretched to how he was viewed in the marketplace. I could have written the song "Cater to You," sung by Destiny's Child, because I was living, it, far before the song emerged on the scene, breakfasts at 5 am, lunches packed, bath water run, surprises at work, love notes and surprises packed in his luggage when he had to leave to go on temporary duty else where. He was the envy of his co-workers. I remember one Valentine's day when I made baskets for everyone that he supervised, one woman cried and said that they never had a boss that cared for them like that and thought enough of them to do something like that. My job was to make him look good even when things were not good.

Have you ever seen a man walk into your place of business or in church and you did a double take? Not because you were lusting, but because the suit he had on was tailored to fit him so well that he was fine or sharp, even if he was not handsome. That is how a man should wear the love of his wife. He should walk in a room and there should be no doubt that he is taken care of, loved with a Godly love and unconditional love. He should emmit satisfaction, regardless of what may be going on at home. Remembering that your husband is a reflection of you, and the love that God has for him here in the earth. People should look at him and never know you missed a beat, even if you have. He should be accented with your grace and adorned with your love and care, He should carry the with him the label of love that you have written upon him. Your love should cover Him because you have spent time in prayer on his behalf. He should prosper and his borders should be expanding because you are the teacher, care giver, support, confidant, friend, and lover. All of that should be balanced with accountability, to be the man of God, the priest and the King that God is calling him to be. He should know that you are His friend , but that you will give him truth and honesty and that even in his most vulnerable of times you will not lay him to waste in the streets or on the phone lines, with friends. That you will bear him up in such a way that he never knows weakness,because you become strength for him.

When you look at your husband is his suit fitting too tight, too loose, or is it tailored to him perfectly? Have you upheld him in the city gates even when you have lacked physical presence? Do you pour into him in prayer, love and service, even when all is not right in the world? If your husband's britches are baggy or too tight, it is time to take him to the fitting room and get him suited up, for the day, and suited up for the journey, so he can style and profile your love for him! Adorn him so that he is dressed for success in marriage and in the work of the day!

Words Of Encouragment To Start The Day (Thursday 10/16/08)

Writing A Love Letter On Her

Ephesians 5:25-29 (Amplified Bible)
25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word,
27That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].
28Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
29For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church,

My daughter and I were walking through the mall the other day, and we passed by a store that had a t-shirt hanging up. The t-shirt caught my eye because of it's stunning and brilliant fuchsia color. But what I read on it was even more eye catching, it said "write a love letter on her arm," immediately in my spirit I heard a man can write a love letter on His wife, for all to read. Wow, I thought to myself, that is a thought. When we arrived home and I began to sit and meditate on the words that had pierced my heart and spirit I began to see just what God was saying. He was saying that a man has the ability to write on his wife by his actions and his words towards her and people that encounter her will be able to read that love letter, plainly.

I remember meeting a couple at my place of business the woman was all smiles and she walked with a confidence and a peace that is not always seen in every married couple. As she looked across the lobby, she caught her husbands eye, she smiled and her face lite up like a Christmas tree at the height of the season. He stood waiting patiently for here to finish conducting her business. When she approached her husband he said to me isn't she gorgeous, she blushed like a school girl, he went on to say that she was as beautiful as when they met. They walked out hand in hand, They had been married nearly 50 years. He had written on her. He had fed her words that wrote on her soul and esteemed her persons. He had given himself to her whole heartily, without reservation. God instructs the husband to love his wife and to give himself to her and to cherish her and esteem her as his own body. When a man cherishes his wife he is able to find the holes in her and to fill them. He is able to consult God on her behalf and find ways to esteem her and to fulfill her spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. He builds her up through the Word of God and by feeding into what drives her which is her emotions. A husband will be successful in his endeavours to write a love letter on his wife when he is able to feed her soul and secure her emotions. When she feels as if she is the most important person, only subordinate to God, the letter in beautifully written, and eloquently articulated.

For every woman that is waiting on a man, and for every woman who has a husband, what should you be looking for? For every man that is a husband and everyone that desires to be one: do you have the ability to write a love letter upon her heart and soul, are her soul and her emotions being feed by your words and actions? Are you feeding her soul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and securing her emotions, by the blood of the lamb? Are you filling her up with the Word of God and anointing her with the oil of Gladness? Do you pray for her more than you pray for yourself, and do you see her as God's perfect reflection of His love for you, and if you do not why not, what can be the thing that is giving you writers block? Go back to the source and let God give you eyes to see and ears to hear, what you should be writing on her heart and what people should be reading as they encounter and interact with her.

Words Of Encouragment To Start The Day ( Wednesday 10/15/08)

Focused On The Business At Hand...

Colossians 3:1-3 (Amplified Bible)Colossians 3 1IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. 3For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.


In the mornings while it is still dark outside I get up and take our two dogs out. One dog is 13 years old and usually moves slower and takes his time, I call him the big little dog. The second dog has just turned a year old and is usually full of energy and vitality, I call her the little little dog. But at that hour of the morning the roles seem to be different. The younger little dog moves slower and is methodical in her search, but she is all about the business, where as the big little dog wants to run up on the other dog and sniff her and disturb her, from the chore at hand. Most mornings this results in some tension and growling and the little, young dog snapping at the older dog. Even though every morning is the same the older dog still continues to distract her and she will have none of it, not even for one morning.
So often we become unfocused, undisciplined and far removed from the business at hand. We seek the peace of the present day and this earth and we miss the fact that earth is not our home. Our business at hand becomes the pleasures of this world and the compromising to ensure that we are comfortable emotionally, physically, and mentally, forgetting that while we do this we are causing our spirit stress and opening ourselves up to distractions and the bait of Satan. Why were we created? We were created to worship God and to serve Him. So why then, is this for so many of us not the focus and the business at hand? Why are we allowing people, situations, circumstances and things to distract us from doing what God wants from us. As we look around us a see things and we hear people saying what we do and do not deserve, we negate to consult the Father and follow after the voice of the world. We give into to having our attention pulled from God to self and or the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. It is a me, my, mine and I party going on and god is not invited.
What is going to put us back to the business at hand? What would make us refocus our attention and our will back to God? Will it take an experience like Job, will it take a Damascus Road experience like Paul. For all of us it takes a crucifixion like Jesus. We must die to the flesh and live to the Spirit of God. We must prioritize the will of God over our own ( all with pray and supplication), and submit ourselves to the will of God, not just for a morning, but everyday, all day!

Words Of Encouragment To Start The Day ( Tuesday 10/14/92)

Strange Twist And Turns

Jeremiah 3:20-22 (New Living Translation)
20 But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
21 Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “My wayward children,” says the Lord, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”

This weekend there was some events that reminded me of words that were spoken many months ago. The words we sure do take some strange twist and turns rang clear in my head. As the clanging of those words stormed my head and drowned out my very thoughts, I could hear God speaking over the roar of those words, He said not so, it is all about choices that are void of my guidance and direction. As I stood there almost stunned and those words diminished in thin air to the voice of my master, my Father, my heart. What did He mean, why now did he allow me to hear his words. The words came again clearer than the first time. I excused myself to go and have a moment to pray.

So often we want to chalk up the twisting and turning that our lives take to just events, moments in time, but instead God is staying if you would only acknowledge me the strangeness would dissipate and the twist and turns would be something that would become a guided trail, that the Father ( God ) has designed and can lead us through. But without His consultation we do not see the road and the path that has been chosen for us, we say things happen and we learn to lean to our own feelings, thoughts and understanding without much thought, or understanding for the call that God has placed on us. For so many they leave marriages, relationships, jobs, ministries, and situations because they seem challenging, impossible and impossible to grasp or understand. That is primarily because the call of God that has been bestowed upon us is not understood, we do not understand that God has called, anointed and appointed us to this situation; and because we lack understanding we lack commitment and focus. We lack obedience and discipline to do what God has asked of us, which is to seek him first and to operate in the gifting and calling that God is requesting of us.

What is it that we have viewed as a twist or turn in life that was never meant to be that way? What role or call have we decided of our own will and volition to abandon? It is time to come home to God and to His will. It is time to enter into obedience to the call on each one of our lives. Not just because God told us to, but because we love God so much that we want to be in right standing and obedience towards Him, first and foremost!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Monday 11/13/08)

Be Careful Of Your Imaging

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (Amplified Bible)
4) For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,
5) [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),

Have you ever psyched yourself out of something, or psyched yourself into believing something? I believe all of us at one time or another have done this. Our thought life is powerful and it often controls our behaviors and responses. Our state of mind and the way we think of people and situations will lend themselves to the success and or failure to relationships, events and tasks that we set out to accomplish. Starting a new job, we may feel overwhelmed and under qualified, but if we allow that thought to reside in our mind and then move into our heart, our ability to be successful can greatly diminish, and success can become unattainable.

Our image of others and the world around us will cause us to make wrongs, right and rights wrong. It is what we allow to become rooted in our thoughts, that takes precedence over ability to even do what is right or what is acceptable in God's sight. It is vitally important that we begin to understand that if we let our thoughts control us, instead of God's will, plan and design we will end up putting ourselves and others in a frame that does not fit, and once that process begins it is difficult at best to get away from or out of the habit of viewing them that way or treating them a certain way because of what we have convinced ourselves of.

Who is controlling our thoughts, are we or are we renewing our mind by the Word of God? Are we looking to God to cleanse our thought life and give us His view and vantage point? Our image of people and events should only be judged and determined by one who does not judge by carnal means but by spiritual inspiration and guidance. Isn't it time to let God show us what the real deal is instead of allowing the enemy to determine who we are and who we become, or who others are and who they become to us? It is time to seek God out to purify our minds and hearts, so that our image of others, situations and ourselves is not skewed by sin and thoughts not yet brought into captivity!