Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 7/31/09)

It’s Not Personal, It’s Spiritual…

Matthew 14:22-23 (Amplified Bible)

²²Then He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent away the crowds.

²³And after He had dismissed the multitudes, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was still there alone.

The other day a long time friend texted me at about 6am. We love each other and have been in each others lives through good, bad and indifferent. We have seen each other at our best and worst. But we do not communicate on a regular basis, but her text simply indicated I had been in her spirit for the last couple of weeks and that she was praying for me. She is someone that knows nothing about my day to day trials and had no idea of what my recent battles had been, but by the spirit of God laying me on her heart, mind and spirit. As we texted during that day, we shared about the battles we were going through and had been through, but she texted something that caught my attention and it was something that confirmed my situation. She stated as she was in the midst of a “fight for her life,” she had pushed back from just about everyone short of her daughter who lived with her. It was nothing personal, but it was a matter of survival, a matter of her focus and a matter of having to keep connected to God, so as not to lose the battle that she was in the midst in.

When Jesus was tempted and tried of Satan He was driven into the wilderness alone. When Jesus was in the midst of His ministry and found himself being persecuted, tried, and tested He would send the disciples away or find a way to go off by Himself to seek the Father. When Jesus was bound for Calvary’s Cross, and His flesh did not want to endure the pain that lay ahead, but His spirit was challenging Him to stay focused although disciples were present with Him, Jesus pressed in and went into the Garden a bit further to be alone with God, to gain strength, courage and maintain focus and the obedience to Father God. He had to press into a place of prayer and worship that only He could, because this was His cross to bare alone.

I remember when my Grandmother was alive, when her body was under attack, or circumstances in her life were being tried she would spend time in prayer alone in her bedroom. She sometimes would sit in her room in the dark, just communing with God. She understood that sometimes when you are fighting for your life, or God is allowing you to be tried by fire, you have to commune with Him in a way that lets Him know that He is the focus and Him alone. When your back is up against the wall often it is the pray of solitude that gets God’s attention and/or allows you to hear God’s whispers of love and care. It is in these times and moments with God that you are allowed to recognize this is your season to study to be quiet, and know that He is God in your life in spite of all Hell breaking lose in your life.

As you go into your weekend know that no matter whether you are the one being tried by fire or one not yet in the fire it is not personal it is SPIRITUAL. It is about Obedience, Growth and Progression, it about the will of God being worked through in our lives, it is about burning out the impurities to be the precious element that God wants us to be. For all of us it is about learning what to do to go through the test and pass it, with flying colors. It’s not about us at all, but it truly is all about Jesus, and the will of the Lord being worked out in our lives!

Words Of Encouragement To STart The Day ( Thursday 7/30/09)

Too Busy, To Notice….

Haggai 1:9 (Amplified Bible)

⁹You looked for much [harvest], and behold, it came to little; and even when you brought that home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of My house, which lies waste while you yourselves run each man to his own house [eager to build and adorn it].

I remember when the horrible Columbine Massacres took place and the news was reporting that these young men had planned most of these horrific events from their bedrooms, in their parent’s homes. I remember being someplace and hearing someone ask the question, “How is it that their parents didn’t know what is was going on right in their own homes?” At the time I did not think much of that question, I just took as conversation that was taking place in a normal course of trying to rationalize a tragedy. Recently, as our pastor began to preach on fear in Sunday morning service it seemed that I began to experience some things that brought me back to this question but not in the way you may think. I recently have had time off from work, but when I was working I was stressed with school, work, home and trying to make it church and many other obligations and things that had required my attention. I barely found my self with time to think or really time to let God deal with some issues that have plagued my life for years. But now as I had time to pray and sit still, I could hear very clearly even when I did not want to. One day last week during my prayer time I asked God to begin to expose things in me that were hindrances in my life. The first one He dealt with was the spirit of fear, (probably because our Pastor has been calling God to deal with it). He began to show me how long I had lived enslaved to fear, not just in one area of my life, but in so many different areas, I feared being rejected, I feared health challenges, I fear being abandoned, I feared people’s responses, I fear disappointing people and so many other areas (that I would be here all night listing). But if this had been a problem for so much of my life and it was such a vast entity, why had I never noticed how large it actual was. I had always realized it was there, but never to the magnitude it had become. The answer was simple but yet complex, I had become too busy taking care of people, things and business to hear God as He had try to say that this thing had become a sleeping Giant that had engulfed and devoured certain aspects of my life.

We get so inundated with living, working, and being there for everyone else we can blindly walk past elements in our lives that are eating us alive. We allow ourselves to be substantiated by a job, our ability to be in everyone’s corner, our picking up the pieces, or being the life of the part that we rarely slow down to let God deal with those boils that are festering and enslaving us. When we say we love God do we really mean it? So many of us figure a hit or miss prayer, or an occasional drive by of worship, or even us playing gospel music in our car substitutes for a good old face to face with the Father. A face to face, where He shows us who we are warts and all, where He is allowed creative licenses to rework His own creation. For many of us we would rather not we would rather keep moving a light speed, getting things done, so we do not have to hear God calling us to the alter to really become that living sacrifice. Well it is time; it is time to let God do what needs to be done to get us where He needs for us to go. It is time to slow down and let God deal with the issues that are at hand and in heart. It is time to slow down and talk to Him about truly creating in us a clean heart and renewing in us a right spirit that reflects His Ways and His attributes.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 7/29/09)

Today’s Devotional Written By A Young Woman Who Is Determined And Dedicated: Tracy Koweh

Whose Behind those Shades Part II

Hebrews 4:12 (New Living Translation)

¹² For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Financial Institutions all around the country have adopted a new “NO HATS, NO HOODS, NO SUNGLASSES” policy in an attempt to warn off potential robbers. When the policy first rolled out at my job, there was so much chaos around how to get the word out. The implementation took weeks to finally become effective. We didn’t get how those 6 small words could make such a huge difference.

Well, one of our greatest marketing assets is a plasma TV inside each branch. Two of the many slides that show on the plasma are of the same man. The first is a man wearing a hat, hoodie and sunglasses. The slide immediately after is the same man without anything covering his face. The words on the second slide read, “We love to have face to face time with our members”. The difference in the slides are mind blowing. It’s amazing how much of a person’s identity can be hidden behind a few articles of material.

In our spiritual lives we have HATS, HOODS and SUNGLASSES, disguised as smiles, scriptures, and fake faith. We have learned to exist with hidden true identities. Although every person in the world can’t see what’s behind the tinted lenses, God sees straight to our heart. No amount of make-up or attire can mask us from God.

Today as head into hump day, let’s begin to show our true identities. It will save us a lot of wasted time to just be our true predestined selves. Today let’s remove the cover up, and experience a little face to face time with God.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 7/28/09)

Today’s Devotional Written By A Young Woman Who Is Determined And Dedicated: Tracy Koweh

Take off the Sunglasses Part I

Luke 12:2-3 (New Living Translation)

² The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. ³ Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

Here in Virginia we have been having some crazy weather days, but this past weekend had to be one of the hottest ever. The sun was shining so bright that it was perfect for rocking sunglasses. I personally love the design of “shades”, and own several pair. However, I hate to wear them; they make everything seem so dark and dim. They change the true color of the scenes around us.

In our spiritual lives we sometimes were sunglasses over situations in our lives. We can see what’s going on around us, but we have let sin dim our light. We have let fear, doubt, and distractions darken the vision that God has set in place for us. We walk around believing what we see is true……….only we’re not seeing the situation for what it really is.

Yesterday, I received my third form of contact from Kelly since our “public” break up in April. From the sound of things you would not have known the true nature of our break up. It was at the point I realized Kelly has been walking around for 3 months wearing sunglasses. He could see, but his picture was all wrong. So to finally put the whole thing to rest, God removed the sunglasses for him. I emailed him and an entourage of others, an entire documentary almost of our relationship- - -with the whole truth.

God finally shut all the rumors he had said about me down. I had let it go in April. I had left him and the situation alone and God wouldn’t let me say a word. Kelly slandered me so much because he knew I would never have my day in court, but my God. When they say what’s done in the dark will come to light, they mean it.

Today as we start another day, let’s remove the spiritual sunglasses off of our eyes. Let’s be open and honest with God, who sees our true colors anyway. Spiritual sunglasses (like natural ones) are for people the LIGHT is too strong for.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 7/27/09)

Today’s Devotional Written By A Immensely Blessed Young Woman: Tracy Koweh

I Can Back It Up……………

¹⁰ Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.” ¹¹ But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” ¹² I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.

Today’s message in the music comes from Beyonce’s song “Ego”. This past Saturday night, me and 10 other women went to a comedy show for Ladies Night out. We laughed and danced a bit between comics. One song that we heard was “Ego”. We immediately all began to sing the famous chorus line “I walk like this, cause I can back it up.” After the song went off, we all agreed that although the majority of us hated the song….1. We all knew it and 2. We all loved that part. This was funny because our ages ranged from 28 to 46 and we were from different races.

Then Sunday at church my phenomenal pastor spoke about the type of man Nehemiah had to be in order for people not to doubt the God in his life. He taught on how that sometimes we have to be “bad” enough in who God created us to be, in order for us to handle some situations on our own. That pop quizzes from our past should have put enough pump in our ego and character to take us through some final exams on our own. In the story, Nehemiah stood firm in his position and his faith. He knew what he knew, and no one was going to persuade him otherwise.

Sometimes tests, situations, and people come into our lives to try to discredit the very reputation of God we’ve been trying to build up. Some people are sitting on the sidelines waiting for us to fail. Some people are sitting on the porch making wages on how long we’ll be able to last. In some cases it’s out of pure spite, but sometimes it’s to discredit the Christ that’s within us. If they can make us quit or give up then they will try to say that God doesn’t exist or that we never really were in relationship with Him.

Today as we prepare to enter another week, let us enter it with a new and fresh EGO. Not being pumped up on how big or bad we are, but being pumped up on how big and bad the Christ we serve is. This week let’s walk boldly and confident in Christ, knowing that with God all things are possible and with His strength when we stand up to the enemy………………….we can back it up!!!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 7/24/09)

Today’s Devotional Written By A Young Woman Who Is Inspired: Tracy Koweh

Ripley’s Believe It or Not….

Hebrews 11:1 (New Living Translation)

¹ Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see

I’ve discovered that the break room in my office has turned from gossip central to talk about Him town. Yesterday a co-worker and I were conversing about how you have to pretty much be crazy to be a Christian. Nothing in a normal mind can fathom the miracles in the Bible. Science would say it’s impossible to live inside of a whale’s stomach for days and then simply be spit out on land. People will say it’s impossible to touch a flame and not get burned, yet along be tossed in a pit of fire and come out unharmed.

We discussed how if we tried to make sense of the Bible while living here on Earth, would we surely get frustrated and give up on our walk. I love the title of the TV show “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”, because that’s the exact attitude God has. You either believe Him or not. You have to have faith to believe that Jesus not only raised a man from the dead, but that he too died and rose again. You must have faith in Christ to believe He died so that we may live a life with a direct lifeline to the Father.

If our everyday lives we do crazy things without even thinking. We turn on the shower and trust water will flow from the pipes. We drive through tunnels and bridges and trust that we won’t drown or fall over. We turn the key in the ignition and trust that our car will start. We do these things not seeing where the water is coming from, if the cement holding the tunnels/bridges together are secure, and without looking under the hood before turning the key. How crazy is it for us to trust in all of these manmade things, and then question God.

Today as we head into the weekend let us begin to just TRUST God. Even when we can’t see Him or understand Him. The choice is yours to make……….Believe Him or Not.

Words Of Encouragement To STart The Day ( Thursday 7/23/09)

Today’s Devotional Written By A Young Woman Who Is An Example and Inspiration: Tracy Koweh

Are You Contagious?

Hebrews 10:25 (New Living Translation)

²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Jaida started preschool a few weeks back, and although she loves her new environment, she hates waking up in the morning. When she was in daycare I would drop her off at 615am still asleep and in her pajamas. Now, the time hasn't changed but the routine has. She has to wake up, get dressed, brush her teeth and get her backpack and be in the car ready to go. Morning has taken on a whole new perspective for her.

So anticipating some resistance, I decided I'd take a unique approach starting from day one. Even though I'm normally just as tired- - - - when I wake her up, I'm jumping and shouting. I'm so excited about her going to school and being a big girl, that within 5 mins or so, she's moving about and smiling. Sometimes we don't realize how contagious we really are. If you hang around negativity long enough, you'll become negative. You hang around people going nowhere and happy about it, pretty soon you'll be front seat on the train to no where too.

Jesus was in the presence of all types of people. All colors, religions, ages, and genders.........but at the end of the day he had his disciplines. His close circle was filled with, although imperfect people, men who shared his heart.

Today as we wake up to a new day, let's wake up with a grateful heart. Let's determine to catch the Jesus bug, and spread it all around. Be contagious...................but be something, people want to catch.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 7/22/09)

Today’s Blog Written By An Insightful Ever Maturing Young Woman:

Tracy Koweh

Face Your Fears

Psalm 55:4-5 (New Living Translation)

⁴ My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. ⁵ Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.

Yesterday at lunch, a co-worker and I were discussing how the sight of cockroaches literally causes of to freeze dead in our tracks. No matter what we are doing, the sight of such a small creature has the power to completely immobilize us. She even told me that at 8 months pregnant she fell down some stairs, trying to avoid a cockroach she saw OUTSIDE in a window.

This story, and so many like it, reminds me of our daily lives. Things as small as a cockroach, causes us to lose all control. We do things for people because of fear of losing them. We lie about our status and position out of fear of what people will think. We compromise our values, morals, and beliefs for fear of being alone.

Jesus was never afraid to be who God had purposed Him to be. God has not given us a spirit of fear and therefore when we will feel it rise up, we should already know where it’s coming from.

Today as we are faced with challenging situations that force us into new places and take us out of our comfort zones, let’s rely on our spirit man to give us the strength to face our fears head up. Squash those cockroaches disguised as stress, people, family, bills, work, and anything else that causes you to become completely paralyzed. Stand up, Stand tall, Stand still and let God do it.

Words Of Encouragment To Start The Day ( Tuesday 7/21/09)

Today’s Blog Written By An Insightful Ever Maturing Young Woman: Tracy Koweh

Role Reversal

Philippians 2:15 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁵That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guiltless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world,

Before I got divorced, my ex and I decided to go through marriage counseling. It was very hard, but one of the easiest assignments turned out to be one of the hardest and most hurtful. It was role reversal. We had to imitate how we saw the other person. Man was I shocked at some of the ways my spouse had saw me.

The other day as I was going about my normal routine of things, I thought how would a counseling session with Christ go? How would Christ imitate me? Would it be a hurtful look in the mirror, or a refreshing show to watch? Would Jaida be allowed to watch, or would I need a warning- - -inappropriate for children?

So often we go through life living and acting as if we are the only thing in the world. We don’t stop to think of how our actions, words, or deeds affecting the people around us. We don’t take the time to step in the shoes of the man or woman next to us.

Today as we begin another day, let's make sure we are living in such a way that if someone had to imitate us, it would be pleasing to God.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 7/20/09)

Good Morning Love…It Is My Favorite Love Song…

Psalm 63:1-3 (New King James Version)

¹ O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.

Today’s Message in the Music is John Legend’s “Good Morning.” I recently heard this song, and it struck my very soul. The lyrics in the first verse are “Good morning, Good morning love, It's my favorite love song, I waited all night long, Before you get into the shower, Before you worry about your hair, Baby give me one more hour, I want you to stay right there, I don’t wanna lose a moment,” I began to think of my mornings. I began to think of how many mornings, I had missed saying Good Morning to my first love, because I was not purposeful in my efforts to express my love. But I could also remember the times when I was so in love with God that nothing and I mean nothing stood between my times with Him.

All of us can relate to being in love with someone at one time in our lives or another. We go to bed with the individual on our minds and they are the first thing that we think about when our eyes open. We crave the very essence of the individual. We can’t wait to see them smile or hear their voice. When we were Newlyweds they never looked bad to us not even first thing in the morning, they were still so cute, or beautiful. It was hard, a near impossibility to break away from them and want to embark upon the normal drudgeries of the day. We did not want to lose a moment with them, especially first thing in the morning, before we started our day. We wanted them to know that they had our full attention, even if it was just for that moment before you began work, or our normal responsibilities. What a wonderful blissful feeling. For many of us it was that feeling that carried us through our day and made our days palatable and gave us the ability to function.

If an individual can make us feel that way, and they have imperfections and issues, how much more can God, who is perfect and without issues make us feel? There is a song by Jonathan Butler that comes to mind and every time I hear it, it catapults me into a place of worship, tears and remembrance; it is entitled, “Falling In Love With Jesus,” it is in that falling in love with God, through His son Jesus that affords us the opportunities of intimacy, it gives us those motivators that push us to want to seek Him out before we do anything else. When we fall in love with God we realize the benefits of not losing those precious, irreplaceable moments, first thing in the morning that can set the time and the standard for our day. We do not realize that God wants us to seek Him first, He wants us to love on him first, and He wants to have our undivided attention before the pressures of everyday life come into greet us. He wants our untainted, focused love.

Today, is already begun, but purpose in your mind, your heart, your soul and your spirit to get back to being in love with God, not just loving Him, when it is convenient or when we have time. But we should purpose in our hearts to be intentional with our love and how we show God that we love Him. Let Good Morning Love, become our favorite love song to the Father. Let Him Love you and you love Him in the first moments of your day. There really is no other way to start a day, but being loved by the best lover there is…God through His son Jesus!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 7/17/09)

Turing A Mole Hill Into A Mountain

Numbers 13:30-33 (New Living Translation)

³⁰ But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

³¹ But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” ³² So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. ³³ We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Throughout my life I have met many individuals that have made lifetime decisions based upon momentary issues or events. When I say momentary I do not necessarily mean events that happened in one moment in time only, but things that may have consumed a period of time that was not consistent, but for some us if we are honest it really was something that happened in a moment. I myself have been guilty of allowing a time, a space, an event, and a person to consume me to the point where they became an element that could make or break me (no one should have that kind of power but God). How could this be, how could I have allowed this to become such an issue? It is based upon my perspective in the moment or moments after an event has taken place. I had taken something or someone that should have been a mole hill, a lesson a learning experience and made it or them into a Mountain, a life changing event. I took my eyes off of the one who was truly important to allow and afford these people and events to be magnified in my life to a point where they consumed me and even blocked out my “Son.”

Recently, as some of you know I did encounter some things that were life changing, and have been life altering, even if temporary. One day after this major event in my life, I lay across my bed and prayed. I began to see my life and how many times I had allowed things and people to take me some place that they should never have been able to take me. I began to see how I had made giants out of things that were really grasshoppers. I had accepted defeat when God had promised me victory. You see when your life is altered and you do not have certain things or certain abilities that you once took for granted you begin to see what is really important. You begin to thank God for being able to eat, not complaining about what you have to eat. You thank God you can see the sun shine and the rain instead of complaining about the heat and the inconvenience that certain types of weather can bring. You worship God for all that He moved out of your life instead of complaining about who did not stay. You begin to see all the love you have instead of seeing all those who do not know you, could never accept you or appreciate who God made you to be. You begin to realize that all the little aches and pains were nothing because you still had the ability to feel.

Ironically enough we stand back on so many occasions and the first thing we see is all the wrong done to us, instead of all the right, which is. Why do we do that? Why do we see things differently than what God has already ordained them to be? In many cases it has to do with the fact that we have refocused ourselves on events, and people instead of God. We have chosen to put more emphasis and value on, jobs, houses, money, and people, instead of our relationship and obedience to God. If we would look away from everything that we deem as large, overwhelming, or significant, and refocus for a moment, pray and ask God to allow us to see as He sees, when we looked again at all of those life events, possessions and people and although we may have an appreciation for them we would be able to put them in perspective, and see them as things that are small in the grand scheme of God’s plan and in most cases. We would be able to see that the people that have been moved out of our lives were for our making not our breaking. Those things that we do not possess may not be there until we appreciate what we already possess, or for some of us, what may have taken us away from the very presence of God. For moments that we perceived as wasted on people or things that we label as hurts received, instead should be seen as lessons learned, obstacles overcome and strength gained.

Someone a while ago told me that all things were about perspective, well He was right, but the thing that is often missed in that is it is not our perspective that is the stick by which we should measure, but it should be God’s will and our obedience, that is our guide and measuring stick. It is in all things we should be giving thanks, what are we thinking on, it should be the brighter side, the lighter side the Godly side of life. The one that says God has made me an overcomer. The one that states the blessings of Abraham are mine; the ones that outline us as the head and not the tail above and not beneath, the lender not the borrower. We should appreciate the smiles of our children, the touch that we can give to empower someone else, it should be so much less about us and more about extending a hand to help, understand and bless another, you see, you have to know there is ALWAYS, someone worse off than us! Whether it is a broken promise, a word not spoken, a thank you not received, look at it and know that it is only a small thing, when you have so very much to be thankful for inspite of who did or did not do, say, or come through for you, as long as God does, not much else really matters. Thank God for where you are, where He has brought you from and where it is that He is taking you, don’t dwell on the things you can not change, the people you can not change, make love or respect you, or the things and even relationships that did not work out, realize God is in control and it is all working out for your God. Take off the magnifier and look at life again I am sure you will see all those issues, circumstances, and hurts are not as large as you once thought that they were…

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 7/16/09)

In The Thick Of Love...

Romans 12:9-14 (New Living Translation)

⁹ Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ¹¹ Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. ¹² Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. ¹³ When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (New Living Translation)

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Have you ever had to drive on a day when it was foggy, or on a day when it was dark, raining extremely hard and the wind was blowing the rain in such a way that your visibility was impaired? I believe all of us have probably experienced one of these or both at one time in our lives or another. During times like this a range of emotions may take place, you might become concerned or scared that you can not make it to your destination, or that something or someone may prevent you. You may become frustrated because you have to adjust your speed to accommodate the conditions in which you find yourself. You may become confused because the conditions themselves are hard to predict. For some people, even adversity, though does not bother them and they are unphased by the changes they are experiencing. I know that when I have been caught in the midst of these types of situations I have felt pressure, but then I recognize that even in the thickest of fog and the most adverse of weather that God is with me, and all I need to do is ask him for His help to make it through, and He has not failed me yet!
When we are involved in relationships, we inevidable hit the "thick of love." That place where it is tight, stormy and it is nearly impossible for us to see the next minute, none the less the future. We find ourselves trying to stay the course and reach our destination, but the fog or the stroms have given us cause to pause, or in some cases to pull off the side of the road. I have heard people say that they found it hard to speak, touch or be in the same place with an individual that they were in relationship with. It is in these times when frustration gives way to reservation, which will many times gives way to giving up, and getting off the road, in it's entirety, because it is too thick and too uncomfortable. If only we could understand that love does not desolve in the fog, nor does it dissinegrate in the storm. When love is built on God's principles it is weather proof and it can handle any stormy scenerio.
Think for one minute if in the midst of our issues God decided we weren't worth the love that He has for us. What if Jesus decided that the price of loving us was too great and He refused the cross? What a state we would be in, what a mess our lives would be in. If we are in Christ and He is in us, and we understand what abiding love really is, because we have learned to embrace the love God has for us, it is in that recoginition that we can begin to love others, even when they may be at their worse or their best or anything in between. Love is not this frail and ailing emotion, it is hard core and durable. It is tough and it is resistant and resilant. You see when love is faced with a challenge it rises to meet it and endures to the end.
Who better would know the challenges of love or the heart and character of those we are encountering, then Our Heavenly Father. Why not use the greatest resource to learn how to love in the thick. For when God comes in and becomes the apart of the skills we possess and the source we seek, we will find that the road becomes easier to navigate, the persons we are in relationship with becomes easier to abide with, and the distantion we are heading towards becomes reachable. Today, as you may find yourself in the thick of love, know that nothing is impossible with God. God's love is the unstoppable, unceasing, love that will give us the wear with all to stick in through the thickest of LOVE.....

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 7/15/09)

I Will Stay With You!

Romans 8:35-39 (Amplified Bible)

³⁵Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?

³⁶Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

³⁸For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,

³⁹Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I sat tonight listening to a song, that was about love and how that particular type of love afforded someone strength to stay through the ups and the downs, and when no one else was around. Immediately my mind went to God's love for us and how no matter what He has staying power. He loves us even when we up and when we fall. God's love has the ability to be present in the worst of times and in the best of times, ( it is not like human love that has a tendency to falter and not stay). When we are in a good place, God is there, but He is also calling to us when we decide to take a turn that leads us off the path that he has chosen. I have learned to recognize that even in our sin, stubbornness and disobedience, when grace and mercy step in, that is God being ever present for us, and with us.

But then as I continued to hear the words of the song, God spoke to me and questioned me (as He does in such a God like way), "will you stay with me, through your ups and downs, are you with me when no one else is around or when people are around." Recently I have been challenged in several different areas of my life, everything from my physical person to my job. The things that have happened could have made me question my relationship with God and where God was in all of this, but instead it has done something totally opposing to what would have been a normal reaction. It has caused me to view my relationship with God differently and to value my relationship in a way I had not done before. This things have caused me to do more to preserve our relationship. I have also recognized that whether in the midst of crisis or in the days when almost all seems well, I will stay with God. There is a determination to walk with Him, in-spite of what I feel like. I have purposed that my relationship with God will not decrease or lessen, nor will the love that I have for Him. You see God has been good to me, and He has held up His end of the relationship even when I have not. So is it too much that even when I am going through and He is silent that I would still give Him praise and worship Him, because of who He is? Not by any means!

For many of us there is something, someone or a combination of the two that have been causing us not to stay with God. It has caused us to walk away in elements and areas of our lives. For some of us we have abandon God in our hearts, although our lips still utter His name. Isn't it time we make up in our minds to stay with God, to hang in their in our relationship with Him through His son Jesus Christ, as He has done so many days and nights with us. Even in this season as the heat is turned up in so many of our lives and that it seems like we can not see a dawning of a day that does not bring some sort of challenge, it is our responsibility to stay with God, through the ups downs and all arounds. You and I may realize it or not, but it is a privilege and it is a Blessing, to stay while we are going through, because God never allows things to come without a reason. Today is a good day to evaluate our staying power, in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and adjust our level of commitment to God and all that means.Isn't it time that we are as true to Him as He is to us? It is time to say to Him, "yes Lord, I will stay with you, through it all!"

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 7/14/09)

Today’s Devotional Written By One Who Is One Year Older And Years Wiser: Tracy Koweh

Four Little Walls

Psalm 51:6 (Amplified Bible)

⁶Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.

I have a married friend who has a beautiful family, house, garden and two dogs. They all go to church together and the kids for the most part, are very well behaved. One child is from a previous marriage, but other than her skin tone, you'd never know.

Well, the closer we became, she began to confide in me about some things going on inside the four walls that had become home. I couldn't believe the stories of spousal abuse and alienation of her oldest daughter. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the intense daily stress that entire house was under. I have no idea how they maintain such a "perfect picture" on the outside.

Now, I'm not saying that they don't have a good marriage, and that things have not gotten better. But I am saying that it’s amazing how much we hide and cover up. Even when we go to church; we smile and say the right things, when really we are broken on the inside. People may be fooled by our Oscar winning performances but God is not. He sees straight to the heart of the situation.

Today, as we begin to leave our four walls and go about our day, let’s start to peel away the dead and infected areas of our lives. Let's allow the exterminator that is the Holy Spirit to get rid of any terminates that many be lurking in the walls. Happy House Cleaning.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 7/13/09)

Today’s Devotional Written By One Who Is One Year Older And Years Wiser: Tracy Koweh

He’s the Best

2 Chronicles 2:5 (New Living Translation)

⁵ “This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods.

Today’s message in the music comes from Drake’s “Best I Ever Had”. It’s a message to his current lady that she is better than any other woman he’s ever encountered. Yesterday was my birthday, and it was full of surprises. Some good and some not so good, but what I realized is that no matter who or what came my way, God truly is the “Best I’ll Ever Have.”

In our lives people will disappoint us and hurt us. Some will do it with cruel intentions and others will do it unintentionally and sometimes unknowingly. As humans we get hurt, and we hurt others but that doesn’t keep us from going back into certain relationships or situations. We give so much of ourselves trying to please men and women in our lives that we forget to turn back to God to replenish us.

If we could just put all of our faith, trust, dreams, and hopes in God, we would be able to fully enjoy life. I woke up yesterday determined to do things differently this year. I had made up in my mind that nothing or no one would ruin my day……….and I stuck with it. I had told God that He was the best I had ever had and would ever have, so there was no point in me letting trivial stuff or situations get the best of me.

Today as we prepare to start another week, let’s remember that there is nothing greater than or bigger than our relationship with God. Let’s remember that no matter how awesome, caring, or loving a person may be……….they can’t top God. Once you’ve had top of the line, ordinary just won’t do May today be the start of the best days of your life.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 7/10/09)

A Reflection Of Thankfulness

Ephesians 3:20-21 (Amplified Bible)

²⁰Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--

²¹To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

My Grandma James use to say to us her grandchildren, if God never does another thing He has already done enough. I use to think, why in the world would you not want Him to do anything else, and why is it enough? Today, I understand the meaning of what she was saying, and trying to get my young, immature mind( at that time) to comprehend. As I awoke this morning, I was a year older, and it was today that I usually sit back, and look over my life. As I did, I understood the magnitude of things that God had kept me from, brought me to, delivered me from and elevated me above. Today I could open up my mouth and my heart, and with my Spirit in full agreement recognize that even though I am far from where I want to be, and I do not have all of the resource that I need to have, that if God never did anything else but sit on the throne and receive my praise, and consume my worship He had certainly done enough! God had been faithful to me, when no one else had, He had loved me when others choose not. He used me when I was more than unworthy of the call He had bestowed upon me. He had snatched me from the hands of the enemy when He sought to kill me, when man had been an instrument in the enemy's plot and plan. You see truly God has done more than anyone else, and even on a day that I just awake and I perceive everything has gone wrong He did more than most, He kept my mind and my life, in His hands.

How often do we stop and just thank God for what He has already done for us? For most us we do not, we thank God for what we are asking him to do today or tomorrow, but rarely if ever do we stop and praise Him for what He has done. God has been better to all of us than we ourselves have been to ourselves or one another. He has kept us when we did not deserve to be kept, and did for us when even when we did not do for Him. For all of us God's Grace has been and continues to be sufficient for us, it continues to carry and sustain us, but because we are so busy looking around the next corner, to the next car, the next house, or the next job, the next wife, husband, or wind fall of cash we are not stopping to thank God from where we came and what He has sustained us through, even if it is something we feel set us back, we should thank God inspite of, because we do not know what that set back, or step back took us out the way of or kept us from. God has established a purpose and a plan for all of us, but it is His plan, to be established and worked,in and through us. If we could just see our way clear enough to thank Him for what He has done and who He should be to us, I am sure that we would be able to see that God will do anything but fail us, and that we are complete in Him!

As we enter the weekend, and we have a moment to reflect. Reflect on what God has already done in your life. Thank Him for all He has done for you, praise Him for the blessings He has already bestowed upon you. Thank Him for all the prayers He has already answered, and the ones He didn't answer, without thought, for what comes next. If we can see what He has done, He can do what we can't see. Unselfishly give to God for all He has done for you, because as you give to God, won't he ultimately want to give again to you, anyway( even though he does not have to). We can never out match God in Giving...So be grateful and thankful for where you are and what He has done for you, it is the thing that charts God's response for the future!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 7/9/09)

Today's Devotional Written By A Gifted and Blessed Young Woman Tracy Koweh....

The Legacy I Leave

Mark 8:27 (Amplified Bible)

²⁷And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, Who do people say that I am?

These past few months we have been overwhelmed with celebrity deaths. It feels like it has been one a week; now I’m fully aware that many others had past away as well that we will never hear about. The thing that as blown my mind away is the legacy these people have left behind.

Yeah, the TV stations recall their addictions, mistakes, affairs and falls in the public eye, but somehow they all turn back to the good. They remember the charities that donations were made to. They speak of the type of family man or woman the person was and about all they did in the community. It’s funny that we celebrate people after they are gone. Our Lord and Savior wasn’t truly recognized until after Cavalry.

What better place could we have been in, had the people in Bible days recognized the true gift they had been given? They could walk and talk and touch Jesus in the flesh. Instead they chose to gossip and plot against Him. Like MJ, McNair, Farrah, and so many others who have passed on, we all make mistakes and we all will continue too, but we should live a life so sold out to Christ that when we pass people remember the lives we brought to Christ, the souls we saved, the miracles we performed, the illnesses we healed and the blessing we were.

Today as we begin to start our daily routine of things, let’s begin to live the life of the legacy we want to be left in our name. When we die, there should be no question, if we are in heaven or hell.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Wednesday 7/8/09)

Today's Devotional Written By A Gifted and Blessed Young Woman Tracy Koweh....

The King of Life
John 3:5-8 (New Living Translation)
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.[a] 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.[b] 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The windblows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

Yesterday was the memorial service of Michael Jackson, The King of Pop. Since his passing June 25th the media coverage of this sad event has completely dominated the tv stations. From interviews, videos, tributes, and trail coverage, Michael Jackson legacy has begun to shine through. Its amazing that when he was alive how much negative media coverage he received. He became known as Wacko Jacko to many and a child molester to others. No matter what people thought of him, at the end of the day he was one of the greatest performers of all time. The legacy of his music will live on forever.

What won't live on his Micheal Jackson. He didn't rise from the dead in three days, and he won't be rising again. Its amazing to me the amount of money, time and tears people who never even met this man have spent, and shed. No matter how many hit records he may have sold, he can not give uslife. People have completely sold out flights and hotel rooms to see this man in a coffin, but we don't have enough love for God to make it to church because its raining in the morning. People pass out while attending his concerts, but will sit lifeless in church under a heavy presence of God.

Like the next person I enjoyed Micheal's music but at the end of the day he was still just a human being of flesh and bone. There are reports of suicides over this man. People have given their life for a man who can't heal, fill, or save them, but God has to twist our arms to pay our tithes. America and lost its focus and we has Christians need to be careful not to follow suit.

Today as we celebrate a kings legacy, lets make sure we are celebrating the KING of life. The King that gave his life so that we may have a seat in heaven. I wonder how many people would have registered for a ticket to see King Jesus. How much money would Cavalry have spent on security and accommodations? Would we have sold out the venue for our Lord and Savior? There is only ONE way to get into heaven.......and its through the blood. Its okay to love the king of pop, but make sure you KNOW the King of life.

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Tuesday 7/7/09)

In The Furnace, But Never Alone....

Daniel 3:19-30 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and his facial expression was changed [to antagonism] against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated.

²⁰And he commanded the strongest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

²¹Then these [three] men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics or undergarments, their turbans, and their other clothing, and they were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

²²Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame and sparks from the fire killed those men who handled Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

²³And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the burning fiery furnace.

²⁴Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [saw and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered, True, O king.

²⁵He answered, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods!

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the midst of the fire.

²⁷And the satraps, the deputies, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered around together and saw these men--that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed; neither were their garments scorched or changed in color or condition, nor had even the smell of smoke clung to them.

²⁸Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him! And they set aside the king's command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

²⁹Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, and language that speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses be made a dunghill, for there is no other God who can deliver in this way!

³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

As I lay down to sleep last night, and thoughts of the past week, came to mind, I was filled with a mix of emotion, but yet my spirit never wavered. As man played God with my career and in some respects my life, I had been afforded one of the most life changing spiritual experiences of my life. As I resolved within myself the defining lines to which I would never cross, I was touched in a way that I had not seen come my way in quite sometime, my body was now under assault. My spirit was thriving, but my world ( in the natural), seemed all but thriving, it appeared to be in the midst of a relenting battle, that sought to take my life and my conviction, but yet my spirit would not yield. Last night, it dawned on me that I was in the the furnace and the king, those in charge had ordered the furnace heat to be hotter than I had ever experienced. What was I to do? Was I to stand alone, or would I have help? That is when God reminded me of the story of the three Hebrew boys that refused to yield and worship any God but their God, the true and living God. What had been their fate, what had been their outcome?

Even in those times in our lives when all hell seems to be breaking loose and it appears that demons that you did not know existed are now at your front door, God is there. But it is our choice whether we will yield to the pressure and serve another God or whether we will stand in faith knowing that God has not left nor forsaken us, even when we do not see or sense Him there. You see when we are walking into the flames and it appears that every circumstance and every situation that is contrary to God and His promises is coming against us; it feels like we are alone and it may even look that way, but if our trust and faith is in the one true God, when people are looking at us even in the midst of the furnace, even in the midst of the situation that they had a hand in creating they will see you and another, and that other is God. He will not allow the embers to singe us, nor the smell of smoke to even rest upon our garments. He will make those who are our enemies rise up and call out to us, and even in some cases to bless and exalt us.

But when the threat of the furnace comes how do we react, do we fold, under the pressure, do we doubt God's ability to rescue us, or even see us through? It is our choice to believe God or not, to stand with Him or not. If we choose Him, He is sure to bring us through and to bring us out at a higher level then when we went in. Is our mantra, "for God I'll live" or is it "for God I'll live when it is convenient for me, and when it is not uncomfortable?" The enemy sees your destiny and if he can get you to relinquish it just with a bit of heat he will. But if we can just stand, realizing that we do not face the flames alone and we are covered with the flame resisting blood of the Lamb, we come out more than an overcomer. We will come out an overcomer that has shown the world that we stand for something, and we don't fold for anything, and that we never walk alone, not even in the midst of the hottest flames!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 7/6/09)

Please Forgive Me For Not Posting a devotional Thursday or Friday I was rushed To The Hospital...All I can Say Is But God!

Today's Devotional Written By Tracy Koweh A Gift To God's Kingdom!

God’s Google……….

Hebrews 4:12 (New Living Translation)

¹² For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

The internet can be a very dangerous and scary place for people who abuse it, but in the right hands it can be a life saving tool. There are a million search engines to help you find just what you are looking for. You can find videos of people, pictures, articles, criminal records and the list goes on.

With the world being so crazy lately, it has been advised that you “google” a person before getting into any type of relationship with them. On the radio the other day there was a report that companies will “google” a qualified applicant and use what they find to make or break a job offer.

This morning as I was googling a particular person I’ve recently come in contact with, I was very amazed at how much he had accomplished in the world and his community. It showed me another layer of this person in a few minutes that it may have taken me months to discover on my own. Well, as I was going through the many links I thought “what if there was a God’s Google”?

What if you could go to a site and check out someone’s TRUE spiritual profile. Instead of how many friends they have, it would show how many lives they brought to the kingdom. You’d be able to see if they were a faithful or conditional tither/giver. What if there was a list of sins committed in the past 12 months posted as a blog? What if you could see if they were a dead beat dad, a loose woman, a molester, a praiser, a prayer, a faker, or the real deal all in the click of a button.

Today as we head into the weekend let’s work on cleaning up our spiritual page, because although there is no God’s Google on the internet, there is one in heaven. When you get to the gates and Gabriel pulls up your profile on the big screen, what do you want it to show? You and only you, control what’s uploaded on your page.