Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 1/1/09) Happy New Year

How You Go Out Is How You Go In...

Exodus 22:29-31(a) (Amplified Bible)
29) You shall not delay to bring to Me from the fullness [of your harvested grain] and the outflow [of your grape juice and olive oil]; give Me the firstborn of your sons [or redeem them].
30) Likewise shall you do with your oxen and your sheep. Seven days the firstborn [beast] shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.
31) And you shall be holy men [consecrated] to Me;

All week people had been asking me, did I have plans for New Year's Eve. When I would answer I am going to spend the first hours of 2009 in church, some people would give me odd looks, others would stand in awkward silence waiting to change the subject. Even my son was surprised that this year that instead of our normal family time at home, where we would usher in the new year with prayer and a toast of sparkling cider, that I had declared I was attending church. For many years going to church on New Year's eve was a given, but it had become habitual instead of something purposeful. So, for the last four years I had chosen to be with my family, instead. As 2008 came to a close I looked back over this year, and if I only shared a quarter of my situation, most would have said I needed to go and pray for change, but instead I had purposed in my heart to go for many other reasons, one being thankful that God kept me through 2008 in my right mind and still with a heart to serve Him. Another reason I choose to be in church was that I realized how I spent the last hours of 2008 and the beginning moments of 2009 would determine a lot for me.

What would be my last offering of the old year and my first offering to God in the New Year? I had chosen and purposed in my heart and mind that it would be "Me." That I would choose God over all others. The significance in that choice was placing God out in front of this year I was entering into. Asking Him to be the one that would guide me through this coming year, and lead me in the path of His righteousness for His name sake and not my own. There is a saying that "how you end a thing is how you will begin another." I wanted to end one of the worst years of my life in God's presence, why because He was and is the most important thing to me, He was the source of my strength and He gave me the will to go on even in the face of some of the worse crisis and natural circumstances. But I also wanted to give God the control and the ability to guide me into and through my coming year. I wanted God to know that I loved Him enough to be obedient by bringing him the very first of my year and offering it to Him, and offering Him the lead through out a year that for most is filled with uncertainty and concern. You see I choose to consecrate myself and the coming year to Almighty God so that He can have His way in my life.

God could have easily taken from all of us this New Year's eve what He wanted, but He would rather we found Him important enough to give it to Him. If only all of us had seen that if we would have only chosen to surrender the first of our year to Him that it would be consecrated, covered and set apart, blessed beyond our measure, but not beyond God's measure. See for me there was no other choice but God, how about for you? What was the thing that was your priority and what did you consecrate yourself and your coming year to this New Years eve?

Words Of Encouraement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 12/31/08)

Offering Everything, But Doing Nothing

Pt II...

Titus 1:15-18 (New International Version)
15) To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16) They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

As I have, I am sure many of you have experienced those who have said they are for you and that they mean you well, or even loved you but their actions exhibited something contrary or something that did not resemble anything remotely close to being in your corner. If you are anything like me you begin to hear the words of these individuals,or read them, but not rely on them, because they do not hold any real value, because there was no real substance placed in their delivery or in their transference. I was speaking with someone earlier and they had received an e-mail, I could hear in their voice how deeply effected they were by this e-mail, they had seen something different, and the tone in which it was written spoke of sincerity, depth and truth. They could see a difference because they had heard words that had been spoken that held no real value or content before. But it was the risk and the giving that was behind the words that told the true story, it was the action that made these words ring true.

When we go to God with our request, our proclamations, vows and commitments, what are in those words? Are they filled with air and eloquent speech or are they devoid of anything but articulation? Have we risked something and given anything to get to God and give Him who we are? Think for one moment if God decided that He would speak to us and promise us things but not infuse it with who He is? What if it lacked His love, power, grace, joy, salvation, deliverance, tolerance and mercy, where we be? We would learn to hear and not listen, because what would be the thing that would give us assurance and faith that we could depend on Him? So if we are expecting God to speak and to back it up with who He is and to give all of himself to us, why shouldn't God expect the same behavior from us when we come to him, or when He entrust His beloved to us? There is no reason He shouldn't especially when we say we abide in Him and He in us.

Are you in the denial stage? Are your words, promises, vows, commitments to God and to others empty and lacking substance and validity? It may be time for you to overhaul your pattern of communication, commitment and relationship, with God first and with those God has placed in your lives. It may be time to stop talking and saying a whole lot of nothing and begin giving in our living and in our speaking. No more empty promise and no more empty words, take a risk and give your words something you have never given them before...you, heart and soul!

Wrds Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 12/30/08)

Offering Everything, But Doing Nothing...

Numbers 23:19-20 (Amplified Bible)
19) God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?
20) You see, I have received His command to bless Israel. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse or qualify it.

Have you ever had someone tell you that they would help you out or that they would do something for you, but because you did not agree to do it their way or because you may have said nothing, waiting to see what they would do, they did nothing? Then later on they were quick to say what they offered to do, or what they said? It makes you want to jump up and say, "what exactly have you done for me lately?" But if you are anything like me you hold your peace, knowing that God sees and hears all of the promises void of substance and all of the words void of worth. What is a promise, a vow, an offering without fulfillment really? It is a lie. I know many may say that that is pretty harsh, but it is the truth, as my Grandma James would say I have to tell the truth and shame the devil. But the more frightening of events is not just when we do this to people, but rather when we give God the same treatment.

How many times have we been in a tight place, or been sick in our body and promised God that we would serve Him whole heartedly, but the minute the crisis ended we went right back to doing things the way we saw fit. I have heard so many people tell God if you would just do _________( and you can fill in the blank), I promise I will tithe or I will be faithful or I will treat my spouse better, or come back into your service, but yet when they feel the weight of the situation come up off of them they forget about their promise, their vow, their commitment. At that point it is easy to return to a place of compromise, complacency and sin. We have lied to ourselves and ask God to buy off on the lie as well. But even with all of that God knew what we would do, before we did it and yet He loved us enough to give us an opportunity to make it right, to add substance to our words and our lives. God is waiting to see whether we would give him a small offering of what He has so graciously and willing given to us. How disappointed He must be with so many of us who choose the path of self preservation, self indulgence and selfishness.

I have realized that only when we can offer God who we are, and really give it; that we can offer anyone else anything else and actually give it. We need to stop perpetuating the lie that has been the vow, the empty promise that gives nothing to God and to others. Instead try saying little and being about the Father's business, doing what He desires of us. Try submitting to Him and yielding all to Him everyday, so when we are asked to give to individuals it is not just our words that are heard but our actions that are seen!

Written By Tracy A Koweh

Hello All. Today I would like to start a series I call “Message in the Music Mondays”. For the next couple of weeks I will write the devotional based on a “worldly” song. If God can use a prostitute, a whale, and a donkey to get a message to the world, I’m sure He can use a few lyrics as well. To start it off is, Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”.

Whose reflection do you see?

Genesis 1:27 (Amplified Bible)
27) So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

“Man in the Mirror” is such a deep and moving song. Its about changing the world, YOUR WORLD, by starting within yourself. It’s a song about searching your inner most parts and taking a true look at the real you. Its so easy for us to point out what’s wrong with everyone else around us, but it takes a real man or woman to admit to their faults, recognize a need for improvement, and then apply some actions to bring about a change.
Yesterday in church our Pastor asked us to look back over this year and see our harvest. He said that if you were counting your riches, houses, cars and things----- you had already missed it. The real harvest was the lives you touched. He asked how many lives did you bring into the kingdom. Had anyone who knew you, became a better person for no other reason than the fact they had you in their life? Did you add to or subtract from the lives God placed in your hands? Did you give back or only get yours in 2008?
It’s funny how we measure ourselves based on the way the world sees us and not by the one who created us. God has left clear instructions on who we are to be in His Word and we have lost sight of that. Men are no longer men anymore, and women are trying to play both man and woman. Men are suppose to be what Christ is to the Church. Her provider, her protector, her best friend, her savior; he is suppose to lay down his life her. Women are suppose to be the bride waiting on her groom, she is suppose to be his rib, his support, his greatest cheerleader. But somewhere along the way, men have learned to protect themselves and women have been taught to take care of herself and put a little something to the side. We are no longer trying to build each other, instead we are tearing us other down trying to get to the top.
If we don’t start to get back to what God has destined us to be, we will one day look into the mirror of our soul and not recognize the face staring back at us. Take these last few days of the year, and ask God to show you the areas of your life that you are lacking in, and then make a game plan to do better next year. Purpose in your mind that a year from now you will have been a blessing and not a curse in the lives that God has graced you to be apart of. Let’s live our life in 2009 so that the reflection looking back at us in the mirror is not ours, but a pure image of Jesus Christ.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 12/26/08)

What Gift Are You Giving?

John 3:16-17 (Amplified Bible)
16) For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
17) For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

Around this time of year many offices and churches participate in something called Secret Santa. One of the greatest complaints of people that participate is that people never follow the list provided as to what their likes and dislikes are. It appears many Secret Santa's just get whatever it is that they want to get, without any thought to what the person they are assigned to serve may really desire, want or need. I had a man in my office this week that said he had been married for over 25 years and he knew that the only way he was able to stay married was that he had made up in his mind to give himself whole heartedly to his wife and to the marriage. He relayed stories of times good and bad, but ultimately the sacrificing of himself he said to obedience to God and to being committed everyday to his wife and his marriage had been the thing that kept them together and relatively blissful. I sat quietly and listen to his story and asked, "do you mean you gave yourself as a gift to your wife and to your marriage," he said "I never thought about it like that, but yes that is true."

We have opportunities to give everyday, to those around us but more over to God. What is it that we are giving? What gift do we choose to present to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Do we give small bits and pieces of ourselves over to God in hopes that what we give will be blessed and enough to satisfy Him? Or are we half heartedly giving ourselves over to God as we struggle and wrestle with Him and the things that He asks us to do? For many of us we will never know what it is to fully be committed to anything because we have never challenged ourselves to commit wholly to God. We find ourselves regifting parts and pieces of ourselves to God that we have given to Him before, without any thought that it is ALL to Jesus we need to surrender! God was so gracious and kind to give us His son, Jesus, why, because it was the thing we needed most. He sacrificed what was most precious to Him to give us a gift of pure love and sacrifice one that would cost Him. Are we giving anything that cost us something, anything at all, or does God get the left overs or what lies on the surface of our existence?

It may very well be time for us to evaluate what we give to God and the reasons we are giving. Are we giving just to say we did something, or are we giving to God out of the love we have for Him and our desire to please him and give Him something He needs from us? Realize this fact, until we give to God all of us whole heartedly and without pretense will we know what it is to give to those he entrust us with and those who He may assign to us. It is time to read His list and give God something He is requesting instead of just what you want to give Him.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 12/25/08)

This Christmas...

Luke 2:16-20 (Amplified Bible)
16) So they went with haste and [by searching] found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger.
17) And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning this Child,
18) And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them.
19) But Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings), weighing and pondering them in her heart.
20) And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

This Christmas season has been different than any other. Our family usually celebrates Christmas in a ginormous ( giant and enormous) fashion. We all love to give and to celebrate the Holiday's with fanfare and often great expense. This year was a year of transition. I personally have gone through many different things that have left me in a place that I have never quite been before. I financially was not in the place to do all that I normally do. As I talked with my children in reference to what this Christmas would and would not be, both of my children looked at me and said they understood. My son said "mom, I wanted to do something for you I am so sorry, but whatever we do or don't get it's okay." My daughter at a later time came to me as sat in my room in my own personal turmoil and said "mom, Christmas is about so much more. It is about family and most importantly Jesus' birth." Nothing like a child to bring it home for you. Although, this was common knowledge for me, her articulation of these values allowed me to know I had done two things right. I had raised two great kids and I had instilled God into their lives and value and principles that glorified Him. What a gift and what an amazing blessing.

How many of us are in a place this Holiday season that we have never experienced before, whether it be financially, spiritually, socially, emotionally or mentally? We have so many preconceived notions to what should and should not be and what makes a holiday beautiful. But is it remembering how blessed we are in so many other ways. It is drawing near to God as He draws near to us. It should be about doing what is right in spite of how we feel. It is applying all of God's promises in order for us to see a brighter and clearer future. It is not just concentrating on today, but being able to see what happen yesterday, with objectivity and perspective, seeing today with appreciation and being able to see what God has promised to be in our future, and believing Him in spite of our today. The tenderness of a touch, an encouraging word that has been spoken and hand up when we have been down, what a blessing and a gift that God has given us in the vehicle of these intimacies that we have lived and experienced.

This Christmas, don't look at the things that are or are not under the tree but look at the love that surrounds us, the children that have grown and been touched by our hand and teachings, the lives that God has allowed us to influence and touch along the way. But more importantly than anything else, "This Christmas, think about the ALL Knowing God, who sent His ALL together sinless son, to save an ALL together lost soul, like yours and mine. Remember what has already been given for you and I and what we have already received! His Love, His Life and His Legacy!

Today's devotional is written by my God daughter Tracy Koweh. Blessed, Strong Woman Of God!

A One-Way Street can't hold Two-Way Traffic

Mark 12:33 (New Living Translation)
33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”


Sititng here to write this blog, I'm reminded of the day I turned onto a one-way street driving in the wrong direction. I remember the fear and panic that I felt when I realized how dangerous of a situation I had gotten myself into, becuase I wasn't paying attention. The street was so narrow, that had another car attempted to come down the road, we would have collided because there was not enough room for both of us. The road was not designed to hold more than one car. The engineerer of the road had purposed it to carry traffic in only one direction. In order for two cars to travel on that road, modifications would need to be made or else things would have to remain the way there were. It wasn't after I was out of harms way that I realized................................a one-way street couldn't hold two-way traffic, and that trying to force it could end in a fatality.

In our lives we encounter many different types of relationships. Some good, some bad, some healthy and some that are very dangerous. Some times we connect with people who just drain us and never pour back into us. Some times we stay in relationships/friendships/ jobs because we hope and pray it will get better. Some times we are stuck where we are becuase we are under contract for a certian period of time. But sometimes we are connected to people to grow us, to mature us, to strenghten us and to give us the opportunity to show the love of God.

God loves us all whether we love him back or not. He does not love us with conditions or except us only when we are doing what He wants us to do. Some of us are in relationships that only go one-way. One person is always giving, going above and beyond, thinking outside the box and giving of themselves selflessly and the other person simply reaps all the benefits. This can cause a person to hardened their heart and become angry. It can cause a person to lash out and act out. It could even cause a person to shut down, close up and become very bitter. We often are so quick to point out when we are not being given what we feel we just deserve, but have we taken the time to measure our relationship with Christ.

Do we only go to church on good days, when its sunny, and the everything is alright in our world? Do we only pray when we get bad news or we find ourselves in trouble? Do we have a two-way conversation when we speak to the Father, or do we just run down our list of wants, desires, and needs? Do we take a moment after we pray, to listen to his answer, and truly hear his heart? Do we give everyday or just on Sunday? When was the last time you sent a love letter to God, spent a night alone just the two of you, or simply showed Him how you felt without waiting on Him to give you something first.

I can only imagine how much God hurts when we love Him on our terms. When we only talk to Him when we need or want something from Him. How it must anger Him that we spend hours and hours online, texting on our phone, and talking to people about things that have no real meaning, but we can barely get out a 5 min prayer. How it must make his blood boil that we can spend thousands of dollars going into debt this Christmas season and not remember to give a gift to the true birthday boy. As the year comes to an end, let us all purpose in our heart to expand our streets to accomodate a two-way commute. If we can't have a whole, healthy and fullfilling relationship with the Father, we will never be able to have it with another human being.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 12/23/08)

Something Are Just Better Left...Unsaid

James 1:18-20 (Amplified Bible)
18) And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].
19) Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.
20) For man's anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].

Recently I responded to an e-mail to an individual I had difficulty communicating with, so in an effort to ensure that I was wording my e-mail appropriately and that my e-mail lacked emotion and stuck to the facts, that I was living under, I took a big step back, prayed and waited. I read and reread my response to ensure that it was nothing but factual. I also had people read it to ensure I stuck to what I felt my required mandate was. When I felt peace I sent it. When I received this person's response it was as if I had blatantly went on an attack, or I had said something to be intentionally offensive. At the end of a section of bitter diatribe, there was a line that said "I do not know why I said this because this was not the point of this e-mail." So if that was not the point why go there? Why say things that are counterproductive and irresponsible? It is because we want to hurt or get the last word in, or we can not give up what we perceive our right to be right is.

Why do we often choose to say things we know are not relevant or things that will hurt or maim? It is an act of our will. We take our need to vent, our need to express our opinion, anger, or emotion and we let it run free, without taming it or bring it under subjection. God's will is for us to encourage, support and uplift, if there is any correction, instruction or rebuke that is done, He wills that His love be out in front and His words be the balm that soothes the very heart and soul of those we encounter. Daily we are faced with opportunities to say things, one way or another or to silence certain behaviors, and actions that are not pleasing to God, but it is still our choice whether we go the way of the cross or the way of the flesh. God will never force us, but as my Grandma James said through out our lives, "it is only right to do right." The words we sow, we do not realize are words that we are released in the atmosphere and we are giving them life and place. It is important to choose wisely and to tame the unruly member that so often takes us to places we should not go.

As you encounter, people, situations and circumstances, whether they be at home, at work, at church or at play, choose with wisdom the words that you speak or write. Let God's love and wisdom be your measuring stick for the things that flow from your mouth, your heart and your pen ( or in most cases these days, our finger tips). Don't let emotion, pride or any other element take you to a place where you say thing that would be better off left unsaid, or unread!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 12/22/08)

This devotional is written by Tracy Koweh, my God daughter, A Blessed Woman of God!

Bitterness Will Sour Your Blessing

Genesis 18:22-26

22) The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23) Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24) Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25) Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
26) And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

As I sat to write this devotional tonight I had an entire different revelation of this scripture. I immediately assumed God wanted me to write about the feelings Christians get when we feel betrayed by God. When we question “How God could bless others who WE know are not serving and worshipping Him.” I was ready to go, when the Lord asked me what qualifications are needed for Him to bless someone. He asked why we as Christians feel God needs our okay or input before He chooses to bless someone.
I recently went through a very long and difficult divorce. I was praying, fasting and doing all the “right things”, but God was pouring out blessing after blessing on my ex. I was so confused, frustrated, and angry. I wondered if God had somehow confused the two of us because we shared the same last name. I cried many of nights asking God what He was doing. Why did he feel the need to punish me after everything I had already been through? But it wasn’t until I stopped crying over what I didn’t have and started rejoicing over what I did have, that I realized I benefited from those blessings.
In the above scripture God was willing to spare an entire city if he could find just 50 righteous people. How many people are being spared simply because you are in their life? How many people are being blessed because they are connected to you? God will raise up your enemy right in front of you, and in a blink of an eye He will have them place the Keys of the Kingdom in your hands.
Some times God blesses people because of who they are to Him. Some times God blesses people because of who they are connected to. But sometimes God just blesses people because He can. Because He is God and He can do what He wants to do with His stuff. We do not know an individuals personal relationship with God no matter what we feel we know about them. Each of us has to answer to God for our actions, so let’s rejoice in each others blessings, and leave the judging and punishing to God. Had Hillary Clinton known Obama would one day hold the key to her future, she probably would have run an entirely different campaign. We have no idea what God is setting up for us in the spirit, but if we allow ourselves to get side tracked, we might miss out of the greatest blessing of our lives.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 12/19/08)

Today's devoyional is written by Tracy Koweh, my God daughter a true blessing, a womn that God is raising up to speak a word in due season!
God can Show ‘em
Better than you can Tell ‘em

Proverbs 20:22 Amplified Bible
22) Do not say, I will repay evil; wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue you.

Proverbs 20:22 New Living Translation
22) Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.


I remember growing up as a child and hearing my mother say, “Baby, some people just have to learn the hard way.” As I got older I recall becoming “some people”. I remember the lessons that I had to learn because I simply would not listen to the testimonies of people before me. I guess I didn’t believe the warnings that people tried to tell me. I knew who I was, and what I wanted to do and no one was going to stop me.

Now that I am a mother I find myself saying some of the same things to my 20 month old. She is so head strong at times I think, she’s going to learn the stove is hot one day because she is going to put her hands in the fire. I’ve learned that sometimes her experiences teach her a whole lot more than my mere words can, and most times it shows her a lot quicker.

When it comes to our spiritual lives and our daily encounters with other people sometimes we just need to shut up and let God be our mouth piece. There are some people who will never hear us, receive from us, or understand us. We can talk until our lips can not move anymore, and at the end of the day, they still won’t hear us. As Christians we often want the world to know whose we are and how good the God we serve is, but God doesn’t need our lip service. He needs us to stay focused and faithful to Him. Trying to please man or prove something to him will only defer us from our destiny.

If we just let God do what he is doing, and use our tongues to Praise Him and not defend ourselves, He will raise us up for all of our enemies to see. When Judas betrayed Jesus, Jesus didn’t go after Judas physically or verbally, he went straight to the Father. Remember, Jesus knew all along that Judas was going to betray Him, and He did not ONCE try to talk him out of it. Jesus prayed about it and gave it to God. He carried His cross ( in front of thousands of spectators and haters), but He only looked up to the heavens for His rescue. God did raise Jesus up……………………………but Jesus had to DIE first. Have you died to self, so that God can raise you up?

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 12/18/08)

The Encourager In Us All...

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (Amplified Bible)
11) Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.

Today a woman walked up for me to help her, and as she began to speak she was very apologetic, about the amount of things she needed done. I told her not to worry, for it was all apart of a days work and that it was my pleasure to help her. She went on to explain that she had been the care giver for her mother and she had been handling all of her affairs, and I replied "what an honor that all your siblings entrust you with this and that you can honor your mother with this while you have her." At that point her face sadden and she looked as if she would cry, she said in a whisper "I just lost my mom, recently, and it it still so fresh and I miss her so much." I looked at her and expressed my deepest sorrow and sympathy for her. She apologized again and said "I guess I gave you more than you ever wanted to know." I told her, "I believe God places us in places for a reason, and I have a heart and an ear to hear," for that is what I was here for as well. She reiterated the fact that she missed her mom so much. I began to encourage her to remember all the good that her mother had given her and left with with. And that her mother was still with her. She thanked me for taking the time with and giving her the kindness and care that I had. I told I only did for her what I would want someone to do for me, if I needed it.

How many opportunities during the course of our day are we afforded to encourage someone we may encounter? How many times have we missed God using us to encourage someone in need because we were stuck in the midst of our own circumstances? Did you know that your words could be life to someone, they could be the lift or the encouragement to someone to make it one more day, one more hour, one more moment, one more step? If only we would see past how bad our day is, or how rough our life is to extend ourselves to be a blessing to someone else. God has given us all the ability to see others at the point of their need and encourage them to live or not to give up. Did you realize your smile could be all the encouragement that someone would need to know that someone cares?

Today as you go to work, or where ever you find yourself in the course of the day, ask God to help you to seize the opportunities to be a blessing and an encouragement to those you encounter. Whether you offer a smile, a word of encouragement, a cup of coffee or a warm coat, do it with God's love out in front. Let the encourager that lives in you be heard and seen, for you may be the person that keeps a brother or sister from giving up or going under!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 12/17/08)

What Are You Hearing?

Romans 10:17-18 (Amplified Bible)
17So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).
18But I ask, Have they not heard? Indeed they have; [for the Scripture says] Their voice [that of nature bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world.

I remember hearing people during the course of my walk say, " it is not necessary for me to go to church, it is just a man or women giving their opinion." My grandma James knew more of the Word Of God than most preachers and unless she was sick or the weather prevented her from getting to church she was in church every Sunday, even when her arthritis was hurting her and even when cancer had begun to take her body, she would go to hear the Word of God and be around the people of God. But it was not just the value of what she received that was her great commission and joy, it was her passing that information on to her family and friends as they entered her home. You would never cross the threshold of my grandmother's house without having prayer or receiving an impromptu Bible study or a word of knowledge or word of wisdom. She heard the word and it resonated in her life, and it caused her to be an instrument of change, healing and miracles, because she heard the word and had faith enough to believe not just for herself but for all of us as well.

I have travelled the world and in my quest to find a church I have learned to listen for understanding and listen to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to me. I have learned that hearing a Word from God that increases my faith is integral to my growth and development as a Christian. There is a saying that says, "You are what you eat." What we allow to go into our ear gates, what we consume will dictate who we become in the area of faith. If we are being taught the word and we are learning to rightly divide the word of truth, we can grasp God's character and understand who he is and what he can do through us and for us, if we only believe. You ever notice that when you are around negative people, you begin to think and act negatively. It is the same thing in the area of faith if we hear it and it gets in us we have a tendency to be able to have the faith to see our prayers answered and things manifest in our lives.

Examine what you are hearing. Are in you in a place where your faith is increasing or decreasing? Are your ears attuned to the Word of God, and are your lips imparting that word that fortifies the faith in yourself and others, or does it tear it down? It is time to hear what God has said you can have, if you only have the faith to do so. Faith really does come by what we hear, or what we don't hear. ensure you are hearing what you need for your faith to grow and survive!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 12/16/08)

If you Have The Faith To Believe...

Luke 17:5-6 (Amplified Bible)
5) The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith (that trust and confidence that spring from our belief in God).
6) And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.

Tonight as we drove back from our visit in New York, we had just come across the Delaware Memorial Bridge. As I pulled the car into the toll booth to pay the toll, the car shut off. I took a deep breath after paying the toll and turned the key again. Still nothing. After sitting for minute or two more I tried once more. still nothing. At this point there was a line of cars behind me and the toll booth attendant told me to put on my hazards and she called for assistance. I felt my heart pounding and my head begin to spin a bit. My nerves had seemed to get the best of me. Here we were hundreds of miles from home or anyone we knew. The supervisor from the Transportation Assistance Department arrived on the scene and pushed the vehicle over to the side of the road, out of the way of traffic. After he had done this, he informed us that they did not provide any assistance and that he would only supply us with a number to a tow company. Once he had done this, he left us their to fend for ourselves (transportation assistance that provided no assistance, go figure). I called the tow company found out the cost they told me to call a garage to see about servicing before they came. I did, while I was on hold waiting for someone to pick up, righteous indignation rose up in me and I grabbed the stirring wheel and began to pray, just as I finished my prayer, the phone disconnected. I began to get frustrated, I dialed the number again, as it began to connect I heard in my spirit, I thought you just prayed and told me that you believe that I could do a miracle. I hung up the phone, I turned the key and the car immediately started. I began to cry and thank God for His faithfulness. Sufficed to say we made it all the way home with no further issues.

So often we are looking for God to increase our faith, or in some respects God is wanting to deal with our issues in the area of faith and events, begin to happen. We are tested and tried, how will we handle things when they come our way? Will we panic, will we allow our emotions and thoughts of dread or fear to overtake us, or will we allow the greater one that abides inside of us, handle it? We pray about things and we say we trust God with it but yet we persist in doing things to rectify the problem instead of allowing God to be God and make it right on our behalf. God is often waiting for us to trust Him enough to show Himself strong and make manifest just what we need in our particular situations. If we would have the faith to believe what we are asking God for and praying for, maybe we would see things come to fruition in our lives, but instead we often pray and pick right up with the same behaviors that exhibit the lack of faith in which we really live.

Isn't it about time we pray in faith really believing God for an answer. Really trusting Him to do what we are asking of Him to do that is within His will. God is still is the miracle, healing, delivering, answering business. He still hears us when we pray, if only we would stop and hear Him when He is answering. If you have the faith He has the power, let Him move for you today!

Words of Encouragement to Start the Day (Monday 12/15/2008)

Hello all. I am Lisa's God-daughter and I posted today's blog. I am so very honored to be a part of Lisa's life and I'm very grateful for her example on being obedient. I had a few ideas of how I was going to spend the last moments of my night, but God had something else in mind. Glad I could be a blessing to Lisa while she is enjoying her mini-vaction. May you all have a blessed week and Happy Holidays.

Not Blind, But Still Can’t See

Mark 8:22-25 (New Living Translation)
Jesus Heals a Blind Man
22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. 23 Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?” 24 The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” 25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.

Have you ever been in a situation where it seems like the whole world can see what was going on, but you couldn’t? For whatever reason you were blinded from the truth of the matter. Your heart, emotions, past, or fear would not let you see what was right in front of you. It could be anything from the wrong relationship/friendship to a character flaw in yourself.

So many times in life we go through things not knowing why. We stay in places when we know God has told us to move, because we don’t want to get out of our comfort zone. We don’t apply for the promotion because we don’t want the extra responsibilities that come with the position. We don’t let the relationship/friendship go because we are afraid to be alone- - -but is better to be happy and alone, than with someone and lonely. In some situations we leave, when God has told us to stay because the pain and uncertainty is more than what we feel we asked for or deserve.

The Bible says that we are destroyed by lack of knowledge and therefore, what we don’t know can hurt us. What we don’t face head on, could be the very thing to slap us in the face later in life. The one person we won’t turn our back on, could be the one to stab us in the back years to come.
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There is only one way we can walk on a lighted path, and that’s if we take the time to walk with THE LIGHT, Jesus Christ. I had a conversation with a very special friend this morning, and before he could tell me something had happened to him, I asked “was he okay”. He wondered why that would be the first question out of my mouth. The answer is simple, he is someone I’m connected with through the Father. He is someone I spent countless hours praying for and asking God to allow me to see him as He saw him. When you take the time to see how God sees, the sky is the limit. God will never manipulate you, lie to you, or give you false hope. He says what He means and does what He says He will do. So the next time you feel like you’ll flying in cloudy skies, step back and let God be the pilot.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 12/12/08)

Surrendering To His Will and His Way

Part II...

1 Peter 2:11-12 (Amplified Bible)
11) Beloved, I implore you as aliens and strangers and exiles [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, your lower nature) that wage war against the soul.
12) Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock].

I heard someone ask a question years ago, who are you when no one is looking? Most people like Peter, deny Jesus or deny his teachings through their behaviors, words and deeds. But when it suits them or when others are looking, they have a tendency to act according to the crowd they are around, or they act in what is considered the acceptable behavior of the day. A friend of mine recently, said of me that I am "vast." This individual's inference had to do with my expressiveness, my ability to paint a picture that fills in every detail, and leaves no stone unturned and no detail uncovered. If you talk to my family they will tell you I talk a lot, a whole lot. They say I am very expressive and very emotional. I am who I am, no matter who is watching or who is not. I care deeply and I am secure enough to express that.

When we are wholly submitted to God we become consistent in our behaviors, whether in the public venue or in private, whether in a public arena or all alone. When we are humbled by the presence of God in our lives we portray His character and His attributes, we find ourselves on a more consistent and even keel, rather than up and down the behavioral scale, with people never knowing what to expect of us. We become a light in an otherwise dark situation, we become the model of transparency. People that know us are seldom surprised by things they hear concerning us, because our behaviors have a foundation, whose maker and builder is God!

Submission is, as submission does. If we abiding in Christ and we are yielded to all that He is and all that He represents, we will find ourselves yielded even to the point of death, the death of who we are molding ourselves to be and we find ourselves living to what God is and who He is making and growing us to be. It is about time we do more than sing about it, and really "Surrender All!"

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 12/11/08)

Surrendering To His Will and His Way...

Job 22:21-23 (Amplified Bible)
21) Acquaint now yourself with Him [agree with God and show yourself to be conformed to His will] and be at peace; by that [you shall prosper and great] good shall come to you.
22) Receive, I pray you, the law and instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart.
23) If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up; if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents,

I was engaged in conversation with my God daughter about life, love and relationship, and she said something that caused my spirit to leap and my heart to be filled up to over flowing, but it also caused a time of reflection and introspection. She said "sometimes we just need to move out of God's way." Oh my, what a joyous moment that was to hear that I was free from the responsibilities of God's duties, (not that I could handle what He does anyway). In her words was hidden a profound truth, a freeing and powerful word, that could transform lives if one would only adhere to and live those truths that should be self evident. If only we could surrender, and humble ourselves to the will of God.

As we live, life we have a tendency to want to control and mold, people, circumstances, love and even our relationship with God to fit our bill. One of the important truths is that to reap the benefits of God's love is to place ourselves in a place of vulnerability to Him. To submit all of who we think we are to Him, so He can reveal truth on the inner most parts of us. If we can only move our preconceived notions, our past hurts, our intolerance's and our mindsets out of God's way; it would be then, that we could find peace and blessings but more importantly we can be endowed with the ability to be a blessing. We often are too busy struggling with and wrestling with God and others, that we can not find peace or a see God's very presence in the situations we find ourselves in. All we see is the people, the situation, the injustice, the discomfort. We never go beyond the surface to explore the depth of the situation, because we never find ourselves in a posture of humility, submission, or even God's love and truth. We have made our own truths and carved out our own deliverance, at this point there is little to no room for God to have a say. Can it be that God is waiting on us... to move out of His way?

Today as you pray consult God to what things you still have your hand in that have failed or that are failing. Look at your life through the eyes of God, not the eyes of man. See what areas you have refused to yield, because you think your life is a Burger King commercial ( have it your way). Why not give it up, to get it all. Step aside to step into your destiny. Bow down, so that you can be raised up. Surrender it all so that you can gain it all, God's way. In this way peace and joy will follow us!

Worsd Of Encouragement To STart The Day ( Wednesday 12/10/08)

Doing It Right The First Time...

1 Chronicles 15:12-14 (Amplified Bible)
12) And said to them, You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.
13) For because you bore it not [as God directed] at the first, the Lord our God broke forth upon us--because we did not seek Him in the way He ordained.
14) So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.

My children use to get so upset with me ( and they still do), because if they are assigned a chore, a school assignment or a task and it is not done to my specifications, or correctly, they are tasked and told to redo whatever was originally assigned. There has been many a day that I have dumped drawers and pulled everything out of the closets, and stripped beds, marked up papers, just as my mother had done for me, thanks mom. In both cases the statement that always hung in the air following these episodes was, " you should have done it right the first time." My children's refusal to take the time to apply effort and or time to the task at hand often results in them repeating a process that would have otherwise been completed successfully had they followed directions, asked for clarifications, or just completed the task with some pride and honor.

This is often a carry over to, or from our spiritual lives. We often do not apply time and effort to completion of the task that are assigned us by God. If God gives us someone or something to care for we are good as long as "we" feel we can handle it, but when things become uncomfortable we break and run, why, because we do not take the time to consult God how to take care of things and get the job done right the first time. When God calls us to a ministry or He gives us a gift to steward we won't consult Him, instead we act as if we can handle it, and often make a mess of it or misuse it not for God's glory. We want to only come to God only after we have done things our way, applied our wisdom, and knowledge to handling the situation; possibly cased ourselves and others a whole heap of grief and discomfort. If only we would make the choice to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, a servant, the creation instead the creator. It is then we can understand who we are , what our place is and who's wisdom and ways need to be applied to our everyday living and our everyday giving ( of ourselves).

Today as you may be inspired, encouraged or called to a specific task for God and His kingdom, today would be a great day to start to invoke the wisdom and direction of the one asking you to complete the assignment or task. It is best to get it right the first time, so that we can give our very best, remember He already gave His very best for us. Give all of you, because remember he already gave all of Himself! Whose task is it any way?

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 12/9/08)

What You Do'in That For?

Psalm 113:1-9 (Amplified Bible)
1) PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
2) Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever
3) From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
4) The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens!
5) Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high,
6) Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth!
7) [The Lord] raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill,
8) That He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people.
9) He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

My God daughter called me the other day to discuss an issues she was having. She was trying to figure out what made her look, react to and attract certain types of people. As we began to explore the subject matter, she came to some stunning revelations. She realized that she attracted a certain type of people that all fell into a particular category, but the specifics of their situation were vastly different. As the discussion progressed she realized there were certain elements that were tied to the personality of these individuals that caused a certain reaction in her. By the time we were finished with our conversation we had answered the questions that were perplexing her and we had answer some she did not know existed. There was a sense of relief and freedom because their was an understanding as to why certain behaviors existed and why she even unknowingly attracted a certain type of person.

There are times when people have problems assessing why they should praise God, especially when things in their lives seem less than praise worthy. We are caught in a cycle of behavior but not understanding why we are there. We go to church and when the praise leader or the pastor asks us to participate in praise we do it so we do not stick out like a sore thumb, but when we are alone, we rarely know the meaning of praise and why we should engage in it. We have no idea why we are attracted to but a non participant of praise in the personal areas of our lives. We have no clue that our lack of ability to find a place of praise, on our own attracts highs and lows in our walk with God and we find ourselves in a rotation of instability with God. But when we can see, when we can recognize the significance of what drives us, and what are the underlying factors of why we do and should praise God, we can evolve to find a place of praise and a place of peace. We can see God's worth and His glory. We recognize that through the vehicle of praise we can live a life that does not waiver in the face of adversity and among the winds of change.

Today is a good day to figure out where we are and whether we even know what a place of praise is between us and God. If we can see the importance of God in our lives, we will want to praise God, regardless. We will carry a spirit of praise and we will attract the attention and presence of God. It is time to figure out what we need to be doing and get it done. It's for our progression, our growth and our good!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday)

Are You Going To Praise Or Pout?

Psalm 42:5 (Amplified Bible)
5Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.

My daughter came to me with some news, as she relaid this story, I found myself becoming agitated. For any other person I would have been happy, joyful and even ecstatic, but because this person had hurt me deeply and done some things to make my life tough and very painful I became angry. In that moment I looked up to the heavens and said, "Lord , I praise you, I worship you, I pay my tithes, I give my offering and I am living the life before you, that you requested of me, and yet, you are allowing this person to be blessed, it is not fair, and I do not understand." As I uttered my last few words, I could hear in my spirit, that the blessing comes because of you and not in spite of you. Then I was reminded it is all in how you look at it. That God could be testing me and how I would respond in this situation. As my anger diminished and my head cleared, I began to realize that things happen for a reason and we do not always understand God's reasoning and His timing for things. This evening as I sat on my bed I could hear, well are you going to praise me or are you going to pout? I laughed, because I knew God was giving me the answer to my deliverance and the key to my intended break through. So I just wanna stop to say "God I just want to Thank You!"

So many times we as believers are faced with injustices, challenges and trials in our lives. We are striving to live holy and it appears that the unjust, and those lacking integrity and God's truth in application in their lives are benefiting from our prayers, our foundation, our time and even our resources. We often want to get mad with God and with the person who is seemingly benefiting. But there is something that we are missing in that response, it is God's foresight and insight. We have no idea, what God is up to. If we are looking at a spiritual manifestation, through natural eyes, it will frustrate us, aggravate us and cause us to lash out irrationally. It will cause us to remind of God of all we think we are doing and have together, and cause us to over look all that God has still yet to do in us, or what he might be trying to bring to us. In our haste we waste time, energy and effort being upset and becoming unglued and unfocused by events we have no control over anyway. My Grandmother use to sing a song and the words were, "Hallelujah any how never let life's burdens get you down, when life's trials come your way lift your head up high and say, hallelujah any how."

What is God waiting on a praise response to in our lives? We can miss our opportunity to receive all God has for us because we choose to pout instead of praise Him through it. It is time to get refocused and to get God back in our line of sight so we can say , no matter what Lord, I just want to thank you Lord. I may not understand it Lord, but I thank you, for what you are doing. It is time to take a praise break and a break from pouting! It is about time to open our minds and visualize God's goodness, open up our hearts to receive the fullness of God's love for us (understanding He wants to give us the best), and lastly opening up our mouths and praising Him for all He has already done, what He is going to do, what we understand He is doing and even what we do not understand! No matter where we find ourselves know God is working it out for our GOOD!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 12/05/08)

Are You Suffering From Malnutrician?

Deuteronomy 8:3 (Amplified Bible)
3And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

I remembering being up late one night and a commercial came on, yes it was a "Feed the Children" infomercial. They were introducing these wonderful children that had not enough to eat and did not have the medical care necessary to sustain life. There was of a baby barely holding on to life and flies swarming around the child's face. Your heart just sinks to now that, this child lacks the nutritional substance to sustain them, and it is likely if they do not receive food soon they will die. As I watched these images I can sense in my spirit these words coming forth, "how many of us are suffering from spiritual malnutrition. How many of us lack the spiritual nutrition to sustain life?"

More often than not, we are suffering from spiritual malnutrition and we do not even realize when it set in or that we are dying as a result if it. We go to God for so many things, but how many of us seek Him because of who he is, and not for what He can do for us or give us. Our focus is the natural so much more than it is the spiritual. In Matthew 6:33, it reads "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." If we could just grasp the magnitude of feeding our soul and our spirits first before we are aspiring to fill our homes, driveways, and even refrigerators, we would have so much more. If we would learn to eat of the tree of life, the bread of life and the things pertinent to sustaining us spiritual, we would live, not just spiritually, but that God would pour out unto us the blessing that are relevant to sustaining us in the natural. If we would learn to read God's word, to have a real love relationship with Him and to apply obedience to things we are asked to do. It is then we would experience the joys of being fat and happy, instead of lean and very mean ( and not in a good way).

It is time to start eating the whole scroll. The scroll that leads to righteousness, and being fully persuaded that God is and should be the one in control of our lives and the one who we get full on first. Don't sit there with all that you need to sustain you right in front of you and you not eat of it!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 12/04/08)

I Can, I Will, I Must, Pt II...

Job 13:14-16 (Amplified Bible)

14) Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hands [incurring the danger of God's wrath]? 15) [I do it because, though He slay me, yet will I wait for and trust Him and] behold, He will slay me; I have no hope--nevertheless, I will maintain and argue my ways before Him and even to His face. 16) This will be my salvation, that a polluted and godless man shall not come before Him.

Today a man came into my place of business for help. His face was filled with gentleness and with sorrow. He seemed as if he had so much on His mind, a he sat down and began to discuss the nature of his business it became clear to me that he was not just here for business as usual, but for business as unusual ( The God kind of business). He relayed a story to me that made my heart sink into my feet and my mind reel with concern and wonder. He told a story of a wife with cancer, who had lost both breast and most of her hair. A wife that had work all day everyday for 25 years, but in the last 8 months she could only work a half a day, most the days when she could even work. He spoke of a wife that he loved and cherished, but had allowed her illness to consume her and wish him dead and ask for a divorce. But even in the midst of this he said I am here to protect "our future." I am not here to hurt her, and I am not giving up on her, I only need to ensure that we both have a future. He said I will take anything she dishes out, because my perspective is that I love her and that I did not get married to get divorced, and I will stand with her and see her through this. As I listened in amazement, wonder and concern, the man broke into tears. It was truly overwhelming and pain flooded His heart. I prayed and asked God to give me what He wanted to say to this precious man that sat before me. God poured out scriptures and words of encouragement and trust. The man thanked me for my obedience and reminding him of the scriptures he knew to be true. As he left my presence and the building, he thanked me for going above and beyond my job and giving of myself in ways that others, surely would not have.

How many of us could say that when circumstances that put the pressure on the very nature of who we are could stand and trust God? It is easy to trust God when we do not require of Him, but what about when our very life depends on it, where is our trust? Human nature has us leaning to human means, to rational thought and temporal solutions, because these are often things we can touch, smell, and see, they are tangible. But when we are in the pressure cooker and life seems to be serving up a heaping bowl full of sorrow, discomfort, trial, testing and tribulation, how easy is it to see with the eyes of faith and believe what we can not see, or even rationalize how it can come into being or manifestation. Proverbs 3:5-6 says "5)Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6) In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." It is not for us to concentrate upon on what makes sense to us, but trusting in God and allowing Him to order and direct our steps and our very lives, the way that He would have them to be. Although we are challenged by circumstance, if we are in a trust relationship with God and we have all of our confidence in Him, it is then that it is easy to stand through the most menacing of circumstances and the most trying of times.

When life strikes at you with uncertainty, upset and harshness, strike back with unyielding trust in God and unwavering faith in who God is and who you need Him to be in your life. Place your trust in one who will always be able to sustain you and keep you in ALL of His ways!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 12/03/08)

I can, I Will, I Must...

Job 13:14-16 (Amplified Bible)
14) Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hands [incurring the danger of God's wrath]?
15) [I do it because, though He slay me, yet will I wait for and trust Him and] behold, He will slay me; I have no hope--nevertheless, I will maintain and argue my ways before Him and even to His face.
16) This will be my salvation, that a polluted and godless man shall not come before Him.

As I watch my daughter go through certain trauma's and drama's with so called friends (some days watching this thing unfold is like watching a soap opera) and I try to understand "why we even need to go there." I do see clearly and understand that it is a trust issue. It comes from my daughter innocently trusting people with her whole heart and believing that the way she loves and cares for them, they would do the same in return. Every time I have given my heart in a relationship of some sort I have trusted that I would be okay and that the individual receiving my devotion would respect and cherish it as I have done them, but never, and I do use the word never was that the case in return. Placing our trust in people often yields us pain with no chance of reward, or benefit. People will mistreat us even when we do not deserve it, just because, but they will also leave us in our most dire of situations uncovered and in a place of that is unjust and filled with lack, but God never does.

So many times we come to a place with God we do not understand why God would allow us to go through certain things. There are incidence when we even realize that God could have prevented that situation and we become angered at His unwillingness to divert things, away from our lives. We simply stated do not see the necessity that is in trusting in Him. We fail to see that trusting God means a way of escape and plan of salvation, an offering of hope. Instead we focus on what pains, what discomforts, and what injustices have been done. We grasp at people and things to comfort us and to try to give us some consolation instead of just trusting God. To trust God means we can look to Him and see past all that is impossible, to look into the eyes of love and see it being returned unto us again. To trust God when all else looks bleak is to to gain a strength that will help us make it through another day (some times even another hour). To trust God when the pain is overwhelming is to know that God is a miracle worker and He can heal whatever pains or ails us.

That trust that we have given to friends, family and other sources, often is misplaced. We often trust them , more that we trust God. We give into them a trust and reliance that says, I give you my all and I do not expect you to hurt me or cause me pain, so why do we not give God that and more. He is however the God who never fails us, He is the one who promised never to leave us or forsake us. Make up in your mind today that no matter what, goes right or wrong you are going to trust God! Your faith and confidence will be His!

Owning Your Relationships, Pt II...

Psalm 4:5 (Amplified Bible)
5) Offer just and right sacrifices; trust (lean on and be confident) in the Lord.

I was at work and a young woman walked up as an older woman walked up, they both were heading for the same place at the same time. As I looked at the younger woman as she approached and saw there was only one person available, I saw the frustration and the aggravation settle in as she yielded to allow the elder woman to get help before her. As she got to me and I began to greeted her and asked her how I could help her she sighed and gave me a half smile. My only response was God knows what we need when we need it. She looked up and said you are right. She began to relay the fact that God had been working on her in the area of patience and that she had gained some but she had not obtained all that she needed and she was well aware, of that fact. She said this incident reminded her that God was in the midst and still working on her, and it reminded her of where she had come from and where she needed to get to.

Often times we want to equate our frustration to things or the events of the day or in some cases the events of our lives. As we go through things we question God's loyalty towards us and why He would allow us to continue to see the same test or to have to visit the same refiners fire again. It is mainly because we have not brought God all that we all, warts and all. We act as if we have something to hide from Him and that he is incapable of seeing anything that we do not allow Him to see. We act as if God should be thankful that we go to church once a week, and that we give anything, whether it is tithes, offering, time or talent. We act as if we are doing God a favor. But in actuality we have not learned to bring God our all and trust Him with everything, even those things that challenge and cause us discomfort. It is not a our job to pick and choose what we allow God to work on, or to clean out of us, or teach us. It is not our job to set boundaries for God, but it is our job to humble ourselves and to make ourselves aware that we have far from arrived at the place of glorification.

We are a work in progress. Isn't it time that, we take ownership for who are in Christ. If we are to be overcomes, is it not our place to surrender to the trial and trust God to take us through. If we are to be one who is a leader, are we not responsible to become a follower first. If our aspiration is to be more like Jesus, is it not our responsibility to own obedience, and to pick up our cross and carry it. What we put in is what we get out of relationships. What we allow God to put in, is who we become. Today ask yourself, who is responsible? Who sets the tone for my ability to gain and learn and put on more of the things of God? If you are looking at every one but yourself it is time to look again. We all need to be starting with the man or woman in the mirror! How much can you offer to gain glory of God?