Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 4/1/09)

Today's Devotional Written By Tracy Koweh Who truly Is Making Her Lord Proud!

What You Don’t Eat……….Could Kill You!

Deuteronomy 8:3 (New Living Translation)

³ Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Yesterday as Lisa and I chatted about the blog, she commented that when she thinks of snakes, she thinks of the enemy. I told her that I too had the same thought originally. Snakes are very scary and 9 out of 10 times they have a negative reputation. They are creepy and slimy and yes God turned Satan into one, but that doesn’t change the fact that God created them. The lessons alone that we can learn from snakes are unbelievable.

 

Fact: Healthly snakes usually have little or no difficulty with shedding and tend to shed their skins in one entire piece.

The same is true for us as Christians. If we maintain a healthy and balanced life in Christ, the process of shedding is made a little bit easier. I believe the reason Jesus was able to die on the cross was because He had such a connection to the Father- - -(because he ate the Word daily), he had the strength to do His will.

 

Fact: The stresses associated with shedding can be substantial. Sick snakes, those suffering from malnutrition, tend to shed their skins in pieces. In fact, many of the pieces remain adhered to the underlying skin and eyes.

This is the part that really struck me. That malnutrition could interrupt the shedding process. Like with the snake, the same is true in our spiritual lives. If we do not feed our mind, body and soul with the Word of God, not only will our shedding being incomplete, but some of our old habits, failures, and addictions will stay attached to us. Its almost as if we are shedding in vain if with don’t do it the right way. The Bible says to be hot or cold, not lukewarm. So why go to the buffet, if you’re not going to eat?

 

Fact: During this period, the snake's vision is impaired, which causes them to be rather unpredictable and sometimes aggressive.

How many times in our lives have we felt thrown in the middle of something and we couldn’t see clearly the end result. The snake doesn’t stop moving because he can’t see, he just moves by faith. Now, although we shouldn’t be (in this instance), a lot of us are like the snake. When we don’t understand what God is doing at the moment, we become unpredictable and aggressive. We become moody, depressed, discouraged, and/or snappy- - - - - -instead of patient, relaxed and peaceful. It’s in the hard times when you have to walk by faith and not by sight.

 

So today as we continue our shedding process so that we can grow, let us not forget to feed our souls. There is no dollar menu with God, but His word is filled with “nuggets” of wisdoms to sustain us. Remember to eat up, and if you can handle it, go ahead and Super Size………………………..

 

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 3/31/09)

Today's Devotional Is Inspirational To Us All...Written By Tracy Koweh, A young Voice Crying Out In This World

Growing Pains

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New International Version)

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

For the next few days the blog will be in a different format, I will post a fact and then expound about it. I’m going to show how deep the process of a snake shedding its skin can be in relation to our daily lives and walk with Christ.

 

Sunday night after writing the blog, I decided to actually watch a snake shed its skin. The process looked very painful. It was as if the skin was being ripped away slowly one inch at a time. The snake was crawling over rocks, dirt, and a combination of debris but it kept pushing. I imagined how relieved the snake must have felt once the process was over. How much lighter he was with the dead weight being gone and never to be worn again.

 

In our spiritual lives the process of growth is pretty much the same. In most cases it’s a slow process of dying to self. It’s a trail of tests, rocky roads, speed bumps, and a combination of spiritual and/or physical attacks, but if we keep pushing the end result is so freeing.

 

Fact: Shedding is the process by which snakes periodically discard the outer portion of their skin. This activity is under hormonal control and associated with growth.

In order for a snake to grow, it must shed off its old skin. The same is true once we accept Christ. We won’t be able to reach our maximum growth if we don’t shed away our pre-Chirst skin. Once a snake had shed its skin, it can not return to it. It can not backslide and go back to its old habits..

 

Fact: Most snakes shed their skin 4-8 times per year. The frequency of shedding depends upon many factors, including environmental temperature, frequency of feeding, amount fed at each feeding, and activity level.

Whoa. 4 to 8 times a year. How much closer to God would we be if we did a self exam 4 to 8 times a year? How whole, delivered, and put together would we be? The factors that influence a snake’s need to shed are the same factors we encounter in our lives. What type of environment are you living in? One that is pushing you towards growth, or one that is stunting it? How often do you digest the Word of God and how much are you eating? Like physical exercise the more you work out the stronger you become. So spiritually how much are you bench pressing?

 

Fact: Young snakes shed more frequently than older ones because growth is relatively rapid in the first few years of life.

Can you remember when you were a babe in Christ? How hungry and thirsty you were? How fast you were growing up in the Word? Even now as a mother, I’m amazed at how fast my baby girl is growing. Its something about the innocence of a child to absorb and soak in everything around them. The older we get the more we know everything and the more we feel we don’t need God as much. The older we get, if we don’t shed our skin, the more set in our ways we get and the harder it is for us to grow.

 

Today let us continue the process of shedding off our skin so that we may have room enough to receive all that God has for us. God can’t fit a mansion size blessing, into an apartment size space……………………….

 

Words Of Encouragement To STart The Day ( Monday 3/30/09)

Today's Devotional Is Inspirational To Us All...Written By Tracy Koweh, A young Voice Crying Out In This World

Like a Snake, Its time to shed some skin

Luke 5:37-38 (New Living Translation)

 ³⁷ “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. ³⁸ New wine must be stored in new wineskins.

          Today’s message in the music song comes from T.I. and Justin Timberlake. The song is called “Dead and Gone”. Its mainly about T.I. trying to evolve from his past friends, life and bad decisions. The part of the song that I’ll be focusing on is the chorus. It says “I've been traveling on this road to long. Just trying to find my way back home. The old me is dead and gone”.

 

          I had never actually heard this song until driving home from church this morning. I was still digesting the powerful word my pastor preached on “examining yourself” when the meaning of the song tied in the blog from Friday and the message from the pulpit. Pastor Brown was explaining to us that before we can be delivered from anything we have to be able to admit to it. We have to be able to confess it for and to ourselves and then confront. We have to find out where it came from so we can destroy it from the root.

 

          The part of the message that I loved was that he said there are no valid reasons for staying in dead skin. You can’t use the fact you grew up without a father, or that your mama did it that way, or that you grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Being comfortable in the skin God called us to, requires us to shed the skin of our past self. Like the prodigal son we can do everything under the sun to find happiness, but until we find our way “back home”, nothing we do will truly satisfy us.

 

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior we should become new creatures. So if you are still struggling with the same issues you did before Christ, its time to shed some skin. If people you use to hang with don’t see a change in you, its time to shed some skin. If you still respond to hurt, disappointment, and failure the way you use to, its time to shed some skin. If there is no fruit on your tree or no water in your well, that’s a sign you’re still wearing your old skin.

 

The military has different uniforms for different areas and temperatures that they have to work in. If they were to be in the middle of the desert wearing blue camouflage, the enemy would be able to spot them and take them out with little to no effort. Living in the wrong covering could get you killed. The same is true with our spiritual covering. If satan is looking for an easy target and he can see you- - - -  and not the blood, then he is going to shoot to kill.

 

Today lets take a hard look at the skin we are in and begin to shed off anything that is holding us back from walking in new skins. The Bible says that new wine can’t be placed into old skins or it will burst. The same is true that God can’t pour newness into our old self. We have to become like the snake and shed our old skin as often as possible. One snake can shed its skin 4 to 8 times A YEAR.  Why then, do we feel like once a lifetime,  at the altar is all we need…………..

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 3/27/09)

Today's Devotional Is An Inspiration To Us All...Written By Tracy Koweh, who has Found Her voice...

The Skin I’m In

Psalm 139:12-14 (New Living Translation)

    ¹² but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
   To you the night shines as bright as day.
      Darkness and light are the same to you.

 ¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
      and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 ¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
      Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

          As a mortgage officer I come across families from all walks of life. I’ve done mortgage apps as little as 10K and as large as 850K and the incomes of some of these families blow me away. I had a man who made 90K a year and his wife made 250K. He didn’t seem a bit uncomfortable with that either. He said all of their assets as well as their debts were joint. I’ve met couples where both were bringing in 35K a year and the husband was saddened that he couldn’t make more so his wife didn’t have to work- - -unless she choose to. But there was one family I helped this week that has stuck with me.

 

          I had a wife come in with her 15 year old to apply for a joint mortgage refinance. She gave all the info for her and her husband and then came to the income. She said that he made about 400K with everything combined. I then asked her if she was employed. She proudly said “ No, I am not.” She was the first stay at home wife and mother that I had ever met at work that had such boldness and honor in what she did. Of course it’s a lot easier to be a stay at home when one spouse is bringing in that kind of dough, but my ex-neighbor did it with three kids on an E-4 salary- - - -and that’s not that much.

 

          I later told Lisa the story and she reminisced about when she was able to stay at home and how now the world frowns upon it. There seems to be no honor in a woman wanting to be a homemaker anymore, but have we taken a look at the world we live in now. How our families are falling apart in the streets and in the church. How our kids are losing their minds, virginity and common sense younger and younger. How our women are depressed, stressed and withdrawn. Not all women are cut out or even desire to be a stay at home wife and mother, but the point is to be comfortable and honest with who you are to yourself. I know some women who are just as afraid to admit they don’t want to stay at home and that they prefer to go to work because of fear of what people may say or think.

 

          God knew and knows exactly who and what He is. He brags about His self and His great works all throughout the Bible. People doubted Jesus and mocked Him but He pressed forward. He accepted who He was, and lived His life according. Reaching your destiny in life, has a lot to do with you being who you are purposed to be. If you’re suppose to be single for the rest of your life, then stop dating. If you’re supposeto be married  then date someone who has the same goals and vision as you. If you’re suppose to have a better job, then better yourself so you can apply and qualify. If you’re suppose to be delivered, stopped going back. If you’re suppose to be free, stop living in bondage. If you’re suppose to be a leader, then stop following.

 

          God knows us from the inside out. He created every strand of hair and every blemish on us. We are created in His image and He doesn’t make mistakes. So whatever spiritual genetic make-up God gave you, accept it and make it work for you. He has equipped us all with everything we need to survive and surpass our greatest hopes and dreams, we just have to get over our insecurities and fears and be who we are destined to be. If you don’t feel comfortable in the skin you’re in, chances are you’re in the wrong suit. 

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 3/26/09)

Today's Devotional Is a Man's Booster Shot, It Gives Direction, Insight and Truth That Men And Women Both Need ...Written By Tracy Koweh, who has Found Her voice...

The Make-Up of a Man

Ephesians 5:25-30 (New Living Translation)

 ²⁵ For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her ²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.^{[a] 27} He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. ²⁹ No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. ³⁰ And we are members of his body.

 

          Today I would like to honor the good men out there. I was reminded yesterday at work that although there are few left in this world, they do exist. Lisa and I constantly joke about how many men try to pick up women at our job. As loan officers we never thought we could be so tempting :o).  Personally, I’ve heard some of the corniest come on lines in my office, but there are two that stick with me.

 

          The first was about a year ago. There was a single guy age 27 who owned several properties that he was renting. I helped him set up some accounts for his tenants and that was it. He then told me that although he owned several houses, he would be happy to have just one home. That was very deep to me. The idea that you could have more houses than fingers on one hand, but that you’re still lonely because none of them are your home. It’s like the man who has millions in his account, but he is still poor because he hasn’t learned that true riches come from what’s on the inside.

 

          The second comment was yesterday. It was from a guy who has apparently been watching me since Dec 07 and wanted to know if I was still with the guy in the Khaki uniform. I simply smiled. Then he said he wish he could have the honor of making me smile like that for the rest of my life. I was blown away. I just said thank you at the time, but after he left my office I thought how wonderful a desire to have- - -to find happiness in giving happiness.

 

          Now, of course I’m not blind to the fact that these were come on lines, but the message behind the madness is truly what God intended to man to be. He is suppose to be the shield, the sword and the savior (lower case ‘s’) for his woman. God created him to be the stronger vessel so he could be the protector physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally. It is his responsibility to make sure his woman has high self-esteem and peace of mind. God gave him a competitive spirit and a will to fight because he is suppose to protect her from the attacks of satan, the world and her enemies. God equipped man with His spirit so that he can be her hero. In her eyes see should see a warrior, a lion, a king. She should not worry because she knows he will meet all of her needs. She should walk in peace because she knows he is her covering and that he would never mistreat, abuse, or disrespect her.

 

          Women have God’s heartbeat but men have his soul, his purpose- - - -He gave man His genetic make up. God is the giver of life and it’s the male organ that gives sperm to create life and his chromosome determines the gender of the child. The way to determine if God is our heavenly Father is by being covered in the blood. The way to determine our natural father is found in the blood. God charged men to follow in his footsteps. He told him to love a woman as He so loved the church.

 

          God protected and provided for his bride. There was no good thing He withheld from her. He didn’t manipulate or use her. He cherished her and showed her off to the world. He lifted her up and esteemed her. He blessed and praised her. He met all of her needs and then some. He covered her with prayer and shielded her from the fires of hell. He delivered her. He comforted her in her darkest times. He forgave her, believed in her, and never stopped loving her. He put her needs before His and sent His only begotten son, to die for her.

         

So if you’re wondering what kind of man you are, or what kind of man you have, just look at the footprints being followed. Are you following after the footprint that God so clearly left in His word, or are you following after the footprints of your past, your fears, your natural father, your homeboys, your favorite TV character, or are you just wandering around in the wilderness. I believe we need each other and I believe that if we could get back to our original make up from the Father, that we could truly have “Heaven on Earth.”

 

To all the good men still out there, keep doing what you’re doing. And ladies, if you have a good one, hold on to him tight and tell him you appreciate him. Whether it’s your husband, man, father, son, brother, uncle or friend let him know that he matters before they become extinct. 

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Wednesday 3/25/09)

Today's Devotional Is a Woman's B-12 Injection, It Gives Clarity, Insight and Truth That Men And Women Both Need ...Written By Tracy Koweh, who has Found Her voice...

Through a Woman’s Eyes

Proverbs 31:10-12 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁰A capable, intelligent, and ^[a]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.^{(A) 11}The 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

          Monday night after discussing some things and the blog with Lisa, we both realized just how much we as women are valued in the eyes of God, but so under appreciated by mankind. Women have become sex symbols, baby mama’s, and punching bags instead of the sacred territory, adored mothers, and cherished cargo. We have to work out the home and then make a home after hours. We have to carry the child and then go through all of the labor pains.  

 

          I use to wish I was a man…………..they have it so easy. Just wake up and go. But it wasn’t until I became a wife, a mother, and a whole woman that I understood what a blessing it is to be a woman. In the world people say that we walk around with a gold mine between our legs. That statement is so true, however, the gold mine is what God has placed inside of us. As wives/girlfriends/significant others we have the ability to forgive and forgive and forgive the most painful of hurts. As mothers we have the courage and faith to see past the permanent marker masterpiece on the living room wall, the child strung out on crack, the daughter pregnant before graduating high school and know that somehow and someway our baby is going to be okay.  As women we have the ability to touch God like no other creation can. We can get so close to God that we can whisper sweet nothings into His ear.

 

          God made man from the ground and the dirt, but he created us from Adam’s rib. He created us to be a help mate. He made us delicate enough to crack, but strong enough never to break. A woman can endure an imaginable amount of pain in one moment and rejoice in the next. A woman can cry tears of joy, pain and love all at the same time. Everything about a woman is beautiful. Her eyes, her lips, the touch of her hands, her natural scent, her capacity to love, her ability to forgive, her walk, her spirit, her mind and her soul. The things that make us so complex and misunderstood are the things that God blessed us with to be compassionate, strong, and unique.

 

          God didn’t make a mistake when He created woman, we (men and women) just have to get back to seeing the beauty she possesses. We have to remember the purpose and destiny that God originally intended for her to have. We need to see that God placed his heartbeat inside of each and every woman on this planet. She embodies what the Father is all about. Love, forgiveness, and unfailing belief in mankind.

 

          If you know a good woman take a minute today to tell her ‘Thank You’ and that you appreciate her. Treat her like the rare gem that she is. The way a woman can continue to forgive and believe when all others have given up, is the same way God is with all of us. No matter how far away from home we have ran, God is always standing on the porch with His arms ready to receive us again. God looks past our shortcomings and sees into our souls. He sees what He knows we can become.

 

          If you are a woman reading this today, be proud of who you are. Know that you are worth love, honor and respect from others but most importantly from yourself. Don’t settle for anything less than the best. Don’t allow anyone to kill your spirit or steal your joy. As long as God is on your side nothing will ever be able to break you. Cast all of your burdens on the Lord and enjoy the great gift of womanhood. Remember, God put Adam to sleep before He created us, so He could have us all to himself :o). 

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 3/24/09)

Today's devotional Written By Tracy Koweh My Beautiful God Baby...

Like Mastercard…….. True Love is Priceless

John 3:16 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁶For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (^[a]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.

Last night I had the most interesting conversation with a male friend of mine. We were discussing Oprah’s show and Steve Harvey’s appearance as he spoke to woman of all ages, races and martial statuses. One woman on the show was saying that she wanted a man that was tall, had all his teeth (white and straight), could dance or be willing to learn, and the list went on and on, but the one that hit a cord was that he had to be a millionaire. My friend’s first response was “What was she bringing to the table?”  

 

I must say that it hit a very sour note with me. Everything from the tone in his voice, to everything that could be taken from that comment. Is love measured by a dollar amount? Can you truly put a price tag on a relationship? Its funny to me that we will pay $50 easy for a night out at Applebee’s, or $20 to put our clothes in the cleaners, but for the one who cooks for us, cleans for us and looks out for us we give nothing but more demands. It’s so backwards that we pay a lawyer $200 an hour, a doctor $400 for a visit, but we can’t do the simple things for those who defend us, take care of us and bend over backwards for us all the time.

 

How much more does the mother at home teaching and training her children or making a home for her family deserve over the woman who is out of the house bringing home the bacon but doesn’t have enough time to fry it up in a pan? How do you determine how much a person is worth by the amount of money in a bank account? If a plane full of millionaires and homeless people all die in a plane crash, which ones are going to heaven? The ones who are children of God- - -plain and simple- - -whether they could afford a first class ticket or not.

 

America has so lost the Biblical foundation of the world. God gave Eve to Adam to be his helpmate and not his equal. He put  women here to be a support, a comfort, and a safe place. But somewhere we (men and women) have lost sight of that. We have gotten so caught up in how much we make that we are going bankrupt in our spirit. Our families are falling apart, divorce is the norm, our children are shooting up schools, and we are wondering why. It’s because we have stopped investing in the only true valuable thing in this world and that is our spiritual bank accounts.

 

I’m so thankful that God gives to us because He loves us, and not because of what we give back to Him, because we will never be able to match His giving. Lisa told me once that love is a lot like physics in that “opposites do attract.” In most  relationships/friendships people bring different things to the table. All parties involved have different strengths and weaknesses that they bring, but by working together the unimaginable can be attained. If you threw a dinner party and everybody showed up with green bean casserole, how much of a dinner party would you have?

 

God loved us enough to think we were worth sacrificing His one and only son. His grace, mercy and love are available to each and every one of us. God sees our heart, not our yearly salary. If God sent you a bill for all of the services you received from a loved one, how much do you think you would owe?  So before you measure someone’s worth by their financial status, take a moment to make sure you’re not losing something that is truly…………PRICELESS.

 

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 3/23/09)

Today's Devotional Is Message In The Music Written By My Talented And Committed God Daughter Tracy Koweh

“Cool” as Ice

Philippians 4:6 (Amplified Bible)

⁶Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

Today’s message in the music is from the very talented Anthony Hamilton and his latest hit “Cool.” The song is about a couple who doesn’t have a lot of material things but are overflowing in the thing that matters most- - - - - -love. The chorus says “Quit your worrying baby. Quit your worrying girl. Quit your crying lady. We can conquer the world.” and then hook says “If you're cool, then I'm cool, then we're cool”.

 

What a profound thing to say, that if the woman (the church) is cool, the man (The Father) is cool and so then the relationship is cool. He wants her to know that as long as they have each other they can conquer the world. He goes through a list of things they don’t have and then immediately follows up with the things they do have. If they can’t afford to go to the movies, he tells her they can afford to rent one and watch it at home.

 

So many times in our life, job, relationships, and our even our walk with Christ………. we get so caught up in what we don’t have, that we miss the important things that we do. We are so caught up in the job we hate, we miss the blessing that unlike millions in the world we still are working. We are so focused on the sickness in our bodies, that we forget the fact that we are still alive to fight another day. We constantly think about the person that hurt, abused, or abandoned us that we can’t remember and see all the people who love us, stuck around and believe in us right now. We are so busy wondering why God blessed Sister Love with the voice of an angel, that we don’t realize He has given us the gift of dance, love, or laughter.

 

Sometimes our problem is the standard in which we choose to measure our lives. Some of us think we will find happiness,if we find our soul mate. Others believe it will come with the promotion or the job. Some are waiting for the mansion, yacht and matching Benz’s in the driveway. Others think its based off of the number of kids they have or the number of people they help.

 

No matter how much money you have or don’t have. No matter how many kids you have or don’t have, degrees you’ve earned or not earned. No matter how much you can bench press or how many miles you can run. The only way you’ll be able to conquer the trails and test of this world is if you are “cool” with the Father. If He has your back, nothing will be able to hold you down for too long, before He steps in and pushes you back up.

 

So quit your worrying and stop your crying. Turn it all over to God. Where you are weak, He is strong. Where you are lacking, He is in abundance. Where you are struggling, He is striving. Next time you feel the heat turning up in your life, add some ice cubes of prayer and faith and let God “cool” things off for you.

 

 

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 3/20/09)

The Message In The Music Marathon Continues, This Weeks Devotionals Are Being Written By My God Daughter, Who Has Been An Amazing Blessing In My Life, 

Tracy Koweh...

I’m on My Way to “Get There”

Mark 10:27  (New Living Translation)

 ²⁷ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God

 

Today’s music message comes for Boyz II Men and their very encouraging song “ I Will Get There”. Although the song was written for the soundtrack to the movie “Prince of Egypt”, it could be used as a soundtrack to our lives. One of the most profound lines in the song says 'Cause I know no limitations. And I'll reach my destination, I will get there!!!’ What a powerful declaration.

 

            Today as I was reading through a series of encouraging quotes I came across one that hit a major cord with me. A quote by Diana Schart Hunt said- - -- - Goals are dreams with deadlines. How profound is that? I almost began to cry when I read that because where I am in my life right now is no where near the place I had planned I’d be 10 years ago. Most of my goals have been pushed to the back burner and some I’ve totally forgotten about.

 

Until a few weeks ago I had allowed where I am to depress me. I was so stressed out focusing on what I did not have. Dwelling on where I was not at and the dreams of mine that I had not yet fulfilled. And then it hit me. I’m still alive. I still have the chance and the power to “get there.” Although my circumstances and encounters with others have taken me off course, it doesn’t change my final destination. It’s like driving out of town and coming to a detour. It doesn’t mean you won’t get to your destination, it just means it might take a little bit longer. It means you have to find another way to “get there.”

 

Sometimes we can’t see ahead to the future because we are concentrating on the past. We look at how the people who contributed to our detour have moved on and in some cases are doing great. We sulk in the opportunities missed or thrown away instead of looking for and making new ones happen. It’s not an easy thing to do- - -starting from ground zero- - but it’s not impossible either. The Bible says that ALL things are possible with God and so if we just have a little faith we will “get there.” Maybe not the same way we (with all of our infinite knowledge) had planned, but we will get there and be stronger than when we first set out on the path.

 

Even though detours are not the most convenient things in our lives, they are set up to protect us- - --  -maybe from a dead end, a blocked street, or a dangerous road condition. We may never know what the detour was protecting us from, but as long as we have to be in the car a little bit longer, we should learn to enjoy and appreciate the safety and the new scenery. If you get out of the drivers seat and give God the wheel, you will “Get There” ………….because God is like ALLSTATE, you’re in good hands with Him :o).

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 3/19/09)

The Message In The Music Marathon Continues, This Weeks Devotionals Are Being Written By My God Daughter, Who Has Been An Amazing Blessing In My Life, 

Tracy Koweh...

Who’s Your Umbrella?

 

Mark 4:35-41 (New Living Translation)

  ³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.  ³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” ³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  ⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

 

   Today’s music message comes from New Edition and their classic hit “Can You Stand the Rain.” Although the main theme of the song can be found by simply listening to the words of the chorus, the opening line says its best “On a perfect day I know that I can count on you. When that's not possible, tell me can you weather the storm?”

 

      Today was the first day in almost a week that the sun came out in Virginia and you would have thought God himself was handing out free money at my job. People were so happy and excited that the sun had come out for a little while and that the rain had finally stopped. I heard members commenting on how good they felt, and how the day seemed to just fly by - - - - - - unlike the past two dark and gloomy days.

 

       I started to think on my different relationships, jobs, and situations in my past where things got tough and I gave up. I think back now and wonder how much stronger I’d be had I roughed through the storm. I wonder how much closer to God would I be, had I trusted him to get me through the trials that were before me. Instead I stepped out on my own and out of His will and it took me a long time to see the SON again.

 

        In the natural, if you’re standing outside and it starts raining you can put on many types of rain gear, but nothing blocks more rain than a good and reliable umbrella. If in the right place and position, an umbrella can protect you from the wind and the rain. The same holds true in our spiritual lives. If we allow Jesus to be our umbrella and we set Him in the right place and position in our lives, He too will protect us from the storms. He will block the rain and the wind from harming us.

 

     The problem comes when we only want to serve God when it’s bright and sunny in our world. When things start to go wrong (in our minds), and changes happen that we don’t like we want to run and hide indoors all day. I can’t think of one rainy Sunday that I’ve went to church and the attendance of members was not lower than normal. People let the rain keep them from God, and that’s when we should be running to get under the shelter of His almighty wings.

 

      God created the Heavens and the Earth, so there is no storm too great for Him. The question is, can you weather the storm? The answer is yes because every storm in your life has been pre-approved by the Father. Anything that comes against you has already been given the green light by God. He allows you to be placed in positions where He is the only one who can bring you out. Don’t fear the storm, rather look for the quiet calm center that is Jesus Christ. You can let the rain drown you, or you can stand up tall under your umbrella and keep on stepping. The rain on the outside can’t touch you, if you let Him reign on the inside. Have a good day, and stay dry…………………….

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 3/18/09)

Message In The Music Marathan Continues, This Weeks Devotionals Written By My Very Talented God Daughter Tracy A. Koweh

Two is Better than One

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 (New International Version)

⁹ Two are better than one,
       because they have a good return for their work:¹⁰ If one falls down,
       his friend can help him up.
       But pity the man who falls
       and has no one to help him up¹¹  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
       But how can one keep warm alone?

     Today’s message comes from the chorus of “It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. The chorus says “It takes two to make a thing go right. It takes two to make it outta sight.”

 

I recently just got back from visiting my grandparents in St.Louis and I remember being taken back by the words my grandmother spoke. The conversation we were having was with my male cousin who had just broken up with his girlfriend of 5 years and the mother of his two children. He said she had a problem with communicating and didn’t think it work. My grandmother told him that this year June she would celebrate 57 years of being married to the same man, and that he did not know how to communicate. That hit me hard. All these years I had pictured a marriage of bliss and love, but it was broken. I began to think of all the things my grandmother held in over the years because she knew my grandfather would not open up his heart and mind to her.

 

      I thought what an accomplishment and what a price to pay at the same time. My grandparents have managed to stay married longer than some people live. They have been through ups and downs for more than half a century but how much happier and fulfilled could they have been had they both been 100% present. How much closer could they be, if they had been able to just talk to each other?

 

    I remember growing up a single child and riding on the sea-saw at the park. The problem I had was that I needed someone else to sit on the other end or I had to ride it by myself - - -and that required so much more work, energy and time and it really wasn’t much fun.  But the funny thing is that even when I found a friend, sometimes I still had to do most of the work. The sea-saw is most enjoyable when both parties are pulling their share of the load. So even though it was functioning with two people, the maximum level of enjoyment was not being reached.

 

   Our relationship with Christ can be seen in this way. If we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior are names are written in the book of life and heaven will be our final destination. But how much more of life we would have if we pulled our share of the work in our relationship with God. If we prayed AND waited to hear His response. If we paid our tithes and destroyed the curse of the enemy from being over us. If we praised and worshipped Him, just for who He is and not for what we need from Him.  How much time, energy and unnecessary hurt and pain would we save our self from? How much more peace, love, and joy would we have with us each day.

 

   Accepting the Lord is an awesome thing, but living for and with Him is outta sight. Don’t settle for good when you can have greatness. Don’t accept good enough, when you can have the very best. And most importantly don’t leave God hanging, when you can hang on to Him. 

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 3/17/09)

Message In The Music Marathon Week Continues Written By The Anointed

 Tracy Koweh...

Sleep Tight

Ephesians 4:25-26 (New Living Translation)

 ²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. ²⁶ And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”^[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,

   Today’s Message in the music comes from a young artist by the name of Ne-Yo. He has a song on the charts right now titled “Mad”.  The song is about not going to bed mad at his girl. He asks if they can make it right before they fall asleep, because He can’t sleep through the night with pain in his heart. I have been listening to this song faithfully since I first heard it on the radio a few weeks ago. I love the meaning behind the words, but it wasn’t until this past week I began to allow to take root in my life.

 

    As some of you may know I am 27 years old. My biological father has been in and out of my life pretty much for 27years. Well, we have recently begun to go down this father/daughter road again and he was actually doing very well. He would call at least once a week. He remembered my daughters name and even started to leave me songs on my voicemail. Well, a few weeks ago he said that he wanted to mail me a package. I waited and waited just to humor myself and it never came.

 

   Now let’s fast forward to present time. I’ve received two voicemail messages requesting my last name. The first message just made me very upset and it immediately put me into my “things never change” mindset. I vowed I wasn’t going to go down this painful road again. I was angry, disappointed and mad, but then I remembered this song and realized that life is just too short. So what if he didn’t know my last name (cause it has changed a few times), but the amount of energy I used to be mad and set in my old mind-set was time my package could have actually been in the mail. I had to make the conscience decision not to let something so small in reality become so huge in my fantasy.

 

     So many times in our lives we take things and people for granted. We say and do whatever we want to whomever we want, because we think we will have another phone call, another visit, another day to get it right. We throw each other under the bus when trouble comes, and we throw each other away like rags when we feel we have no more use for them. In the past year I have lost two very dear people who I wish I had one more chance to tell them I loved them. One more phone call just to see how they were doing. We made plans after plans to see each other, but because we knew we had plenty of time ahead, we kept canceling and putting it off. Well, we didn’t then and for some of us- - - -we don’t now.

 

    The same holds true in our relationship with the Father. We put off truly giving our life over to him until we get all of our ducks in a row. We set a age limit to when we will give up the night life, to live with the Light. We tell God we’re going to serve Him, just as soon as this or that happens. We are going to start tithing as soon as we get out of debt. We are constantly bargaining our lives away because we think we have more time. Well, no one knows the hour or the day that they we will lay down and never wake up, or the day they may wake up and never make it back home to get in their bed. And just like the Ne-Yo can’t sleep at night, if we are not in right relationship with the Father, we should not be able to sleep comfortably either. There should be a wrestling in our spirit to get it right while we still have the chance.

 

    So, today let’s not “go to bed” without making sure we are in right standing with God first and foremost, but also check out your personal inventory. Did you offend someone that you need to apologize too? Did you forget to tell someone how much they mean to you? Did you miss an opportunity to bless someone? If so, make it right before it gets dark, and the street lights of your life come on for the last time.

 

 

Words Of encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 3/16/09)

Written By My Beautiful God daughter Tracy Koweh

I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

Jeremiah 31:3 (New Living Translation)

³ Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
   “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
      With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

  This week will be Message in the Music Marathon. I’m not ending the series just yet, but God gave me so many songs this morning doing our prayer time, that I decided to dedicate this week to just that. Today’s message comes from the great Micheal Jackson and his song, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.”

 

  Last Friday Lisa wrote a beautiful blog about a conversation that we shared earlier in the evening about a veryspecial man in my life. What she did not say in the blog is that I am actually no longer in that type of relationship with him anymore. He is still very much the love of my life, and we do still talk every day and every night but right now our hopes and dreams for the future are just not the same, so as hard as it was we agreed it was time to let it go.

 

   Well, that was two weeks ago today and I have no idea how to stop loving this man. No matter how much I feel he may have lacked or wronged me at times, my love for him goes so much further than that. No matter how scared I was at times for the closest we shared and the attachment I saw growing between him and my daughter, my love for him was stronger than that. I’ve never really been one to dwell on a relationship gone south. I’ve always picked up and moved on, but its just something about this one that I can’t.

 

  The part of the conversation that Lisa left out [probably to stay alive :o)], was when I shared I don’t know how to not love him. I don’t know how not to wake up and want to call him first thing in the morning. I don’t’ know how to not call him first when something great or something terrible happens in my life. I don’t’ know how to plan my future and not see him in it. Lisa jokes that we are the strangest “broke-up” couple she has ever known, and if others knew they would think the same thing, but that’s because they can’t understand the bond between us. I’ve been married twice but he was honestly my first real love. The first man I have thought was truly worth hanging in there for. Where I am weak he is strong and vice versa. We complimented each other like peanut butter and jelly :o).

 

   So I asked God what was I suppose to take from all of this. How was I suppose to pick up and start over, and God showed me how so many of us have this same type of love relationship with him. No matter how many times we mess up, He doesn’t know how to not love us. He doesn’t know how to not care about His children. He doesn’t know how to not give up on us. His grace and His mercy saves us over and over and over again. Sometimes we appreciate Him, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we are selfish and ungodly, but He still blesses us with His gift of life. Even we when don’t see eye to eye with Him in regards to the course of our destiny, He loves us. When we make the choice to turn our back on Him and do our own thing, He is always there with open arms to receive us back. It’s a beautiful thing to have a love so great, and such a tragedy to let it slip away because we don’t have the faith to step out and trust.

 

This week may you go a little bit deeper in your love relationship with the Father. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, thought, or said- - - - - - -God’s love will always be a simple request away. Step out on faith and let Him be the one you just can’t stop loving today, and watch your life be enriched like your mind wouldn’t believe.

WordsOf Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 3/13/09)

If It Is Not Right WiTh You It Is Not Right In My World

John 15:4-10 (Amplified Bible)

⁴⁾ Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

    ⁵⁾ I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

    ⁶⁾ If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned.

    ⁷⁾ If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

    ⁸⁾ When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.

    ⁹⁾ I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love continue in His love with Me].

    ¹⁰⁾ If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love.

      Tonight I sat and talked with my God daughter.  It was our night to catch up after weeks of life happening and us not having a moment to sit face to face to conversate.  Our conversation usually is light and funny, informative and bridges the gap between the last time we spent time with the present. Tonight was no different, until we began to talk about relationships. We were having exchanging comments and then she made a comment about this young man that she is seeing now, this man that she loves, where the love she feels is translated in her conversations about him and in her eyes when she speaks of him, in her tone when she says his name and in the delight when she relays a story about them.  Her comment was "Mom I know it is different, I know it is love for real, with him because when thing are not right between us things are not right with me at all."  She went on to to relay that before in relationships things could be wrong and she could continue on, but with him, things virtually stop.  In that moment I could hear in my spirit shouldn't that be the feeling that we get, when things are not right with us and God then things should not be right in our world?

     For so many of us, it is the latter example, the example that things are wrong with with our relationship with God, but instead of us feeling a twinge of conviction or a yearning to get back to God we continue on living or life without missing a beat.  Our life is ill affected by our missteps and mistakes with God.  When we are out of alignment with God we do not even notice, because for many of us we are desensitized to God and our hearts are hardened.  We do not pray, we do not worship or for many more of us it is not the aesthetic things, it is that we do not listen for God's voice and follow after NO OTHER.  We become bound and determined to do things according to our own standard, believing that God will forgive and overlook our willful disobedience and our choice to live our lives not according to His will but according to OUR WILL.  You see when we really fall in love with Jesus we want to please Him at all cost and we will do just what He tells us to do no matter what it cost us, we will obey, we can say just as Jesus said in the garden Never the less not my will but yours be done.

      Has your love waxed cold, tired or just rebellious?  Most us would answer with a resounding no.  but if we are ill effected by our relationship stands with God then something is surely wrong.  If we know that there are places in our lives that God does not live, that God does not dwell and that has become the norm and we have become okay with that, I think we need to know what is abiding in there.  For I know if things are not right between God and I then it is highly doubtful that things will be right in my world.  That is how I know He has my heart like no one else...