 
Inspirations:

A collection of articles that God has inspired me to write thoughout the years.

Written and Illustrated by:

M. Bakera

Foreward

This book is dedicated to everyone who has given me the courage, strength, and determination to keep going, and not to quit.

I Thank God for everything that He has done for me. My church family, friends and family. I love you!!! 

This book is a collection of articles from 2007 to 2011. I have received comments about how much these articles have helped others, and I thought that I would put them together in one book for you.

I hope that you enjoy them, and they Bless you as much as they have Blessed me!!! 

M. Bakera
Introduction

My experiences with God have been wonderful and inspiring. Let's see, I grew up going to church all the time, but I did not understand the meaning of having a "relationship" with God. I was pursuing the entertainment business full-time, but deep in my heart I knew that if I did not listen and give my life over, that I would lose it and end up in hell. There were no fireworks or alarm bells, just a sweet and simple decision to give my life, career, dreams, and hope to God. I thanked Jesus for dying for me...That was the beginning of the best days of my life!

Now, if I told you every time that Jesus has touched my life, there would not be enough books to contain it. Every day, I see God's love poured in my life. Please understand that I do not mean that I do not experience challenging times. I have been delivered out of many. What I am talking about is the small things, not the earth-shattering, lightning bolt, gust of wind moments. Those do not happen as often, but oh, the sweet moments that I enjoy with Jesus frequently.

My relationship with Jesus is "a relationship"! I tell Him my deepest fears and hurts, and He tends my wounds and encourages me. He gives me small tokens of His love throughout the day. I will "just happen" to get a really nice parking spot when the lot is crowded. These are not coincidences! They are God!

If there is one thing that I can say to encourage you about the love of Christ, it would be to completely trust Him. DO NOT be afraid to get out of your comfort zone!

Jesus does not just want you to thank Him for what He did. He wants to be your lover and companion! I could just write, "Jesus wants to love you.." and leave it that way, but that is not the entire truth. Jesus is building a place for His "Bride!" One day He will come, swoop up His love, and take her home. Jesus is passionate for you! Don't ever forget that!

Watch and seek for God's love because He is right there with you every day, all the time!

Be Blessed and Prosper, my family and friends!!! 
Table of Contents

Choices

One Purpose

One Voice

A Humbling Moment

It Will Never Be...

Here's a Thought

When We Are Weak, He is Strong

How Far Will You Go?

Dancing Dream

Age

Running the Race to Romance

Encouraging Words from a Friend

Making a Difference

What Kind of Clothes are You Wearing?

What is Your Purpose

Drive Thru Christianity

Keep Dreaming Your Dreams

What Are You Building

An Empty Cabinet

Letting Go and Letting God

The Sand in the Storm

Empathy, Why Does it Cost So Much

The Way It was Supposed to Be???

Ebenezer Scrooge or Mr. Potter, Which One Are You?

What Will It Be Like

Who Should You Be

Is It the End or Just the Beginning!

Dreams

A Silly Shoe Story

"Saving" a Document???

Playing with Light

Can I have a Side Order of Hypocrisy Please

Giving Instead of Receiving

A Man and His House

One Day at a Time

Midnight – A Work in Progress!

St. Elmo's Fire

Are You Esther or a Tomato Plant?

Timeless

Fear of the Unknown

Choices

We all have choices everyday...What are you going to do with yours? Are you going to live, or are you going to die? What dreams in your life have you left by the wayside?

Tonight, I was reminded of the choices that we make every day, and their consequences. Why does it feel so easy to be in a comfort zone, when the truth is most likely the place that is now "comfortable" to you now, was probably very much "uncomfortable?

It amazes me how easy it can be to fall into a comfort zone, and not even realize that you are there and in it...For me, for example, it is very easy for me to become "used" to doing something or being around certain people, or participating in certain activities living in my own little world, utopia...forgetting about everything else.

How dumb is that?! How ignorant of me to behave that way...The reality is that people have to go out and step forward in order for things to get done, but the secret is this...the bigger the dream, the more people that God wants involved...

We were not meant to live in a way where "we" can handle everything ourselves and not need anyone. The Bible clearly states that...If you look at any of God's callings on people's lives, it took more than one person.

Yes, maybe one person was traveling and preaching the good news, but....that person was blessed by others who served the minister, or helped with the bigger dream...

I believe that the 5 loaves and 2 fish is a classic example of the way people are "supposed" to interact with each other. It wasn't about the fish...it was about companionship, sharing and caring...coming together into one body of Christ!!!...Jesus knew what He was doing when that happened...

Now, I look at the dreams that I have in my heart and others...Whenever my dreams come to the point of not knowing the end of it (which is constantly)...no matter how many times God has been teaching me this lesson....I still want to figure it out, and think that I am helping God out by letting Him work through me....What a dis-service and insult to Jesus!!!!...

It is a privilege to let God work in your life, and when He places me in situations where I hear His words coming out of my mouth...I get awestruck, and humbled...Why would Jesus who is perfect and knows all things,...why would He trust man to carry out His work....That gives me hope enough that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13), and that even though I do not understand where He is taking me, I do know the end result...That it is all about Him...and I "choose" to follow Him no matter the price...

No matter if the path that He is leading me is seemingly odd and different...That there is nothing tangible in this world except the love of Jesus...and that is enough for me!!!...Just like when you pour a cup of coffee, and when you have had enough you say when,...my prayer is that the cup never stops overflowing in mine and everyones' lives...

We must be stronger than ever before, and stop caring so much about what other people think. Do not believe the lies that others have placed in your heart. You are not a nobody! YOU ARE SOMEONE!!! SOMEONE WHO HAS THE GIFT TO TOUCH AND CHANGE LIVES!!! DO NOT FORGET THAT!!! YOU ARE "MORE" THAN A CONQUEROR!!! BREATHE IN GOD'S WORD AND DO NOT LOOK BACK!!! Let Jesus be the light in your life and let Him lead your path!!!

Be Blessed and Prosper, me and my family and friends!!! 

One Purpose

What is the reason that you serve God? Is it to show love and honor our Lord, or is it a way to draw attention towards yourselves???

Tonight, I heard an excellent message from Billy Graham...It was broadcasted tonight, but the original recording must have been at least over 30 years ago...

He spoke about the Ethiopian man in the Bible. He spoke about how one man made a difference. I did not know this, but apparently the Ethiopian man that Stephen spoke with going down the road was instrumental in witnessing to Africa. In fact, it has been proven that before missionaries went to Africa to minister, they found areas of the continent that were Christian. And...this was tracked back to the Ethiopian man...Billy said, "one man can make a difference. It doesn't matter if you witness to one or a crowd of people. One man can make a difference!!!"

That message touched me...I began to think about all the things that "Christian circles" do, and began to question the purpose behind it...When we have a gathering and only a couple show, do you feel like it was a failure? What is the definition of God's success???

I remember when I was in school, and I would invite the whole school to a party...When only a handful showed, I thought that I had failed to have a party...

Can you believe...it has taken me years for me to finally see that it was not a failure...Don't Ever Think because you did not get a huge crowd, or no one "formally" gave their life to Christ in front of you that you were not used by God!!!

God's designs and plans are much bigger than ours, and it is time for us to get out of the way and let Jesus run our plans...After all, He "IS" the best designer, is He not?!!!

Times are changing, and we need to move with it...I heard a very good statement in a time management flyer. It said that when times change, we need to adapt with them...What would Jesus look like if He was walking around in these times? Would we recognize Him, or just pass by Him without realizing who HE IS!!!

I am so concerned about areas in our world that can get easily missed by all the "spoken of often" needs such as someone who is lost and does not have a clue...who does not struggle with drugs or abuse...

There are so many people that need to see God's love...It is my prayer that God's people will get out of the box, and get busy for God...It is time to stop living in fear, and stand up for what we believe...IF WE DON'T, WHO WILL!!! 

Are we going to let God's words fall by the wayside in our hearts, or are we going to stand up,...take the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit and fight the fight of faith!!! 

It is time to polish our swords and start swinging...Pray for protection over your family and friends...learn how to use the sword of the Spirit...Put on the armor of God...WE ARE IN A WAR!!!!...Warriors don't walk around without any armor,...they are armed and ready for battle...Don't think it is coincidence when storms come, instead learn how to fight them with God's strength...

WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO FIGHT...You can only fight by getting out there and swinging your swords!!!! Don't think because you are young that you cannot do anything...That is a lie!!! Remember the child who had 2 fish and 5 loaves...It doesn't matter so much how much the boy had. What matters is that he took a huge step and offered something...He took a step...Talk about intimidation! There were thousands of people and only one boy offered food?! Do you not think he could have been laughed at, or told "don't do that, what a ridiculous idea...if you do that, we won't have anything."...Does any of this sound familiar...!!!???

Let's stand as God's soldiers and learn how to stand together and fight...IT IS NOT GOOD TO FIGHT ALONE!!! WE NEED EACH OTHER, AND WE NEED TO STOP JUDGING EACH OTHER FOR SMALL THINGS AND WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE!!! SOULS!!! We cannot fight alone!!! We need Jesus,...AND WE NEED YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The moment you doubt and not move, is the moment that you CAN make a difference,...if you "truly" believe!!!...

Be Blessed and Prosper my family and friends!!! 

One Voice

When you are in a room, what do you hear? Or better yet, what are you "capable" of hearing...Do you hear what is being said or do you just hear commotion? Dishes breaking, people talking, children screaming, TV blaring, radio blasting...people in front, behind, all around talking, chatting...Can you really hear what is being said???!!!

Take that picture and look at church...So many messages, so little time, conferences, meetings, appointments, emergencies, blah-blah-blah...after a while everything begins to sound like the teacher in the Peanut comics "Blah-Blah-Blah-Blah"...where are our spiritual ears???!!! If we are becoming deaf, how do we expect people who have not heard before to hear...

TAKE THE COTTON OUT OF OUR EARS AND BEGIN LISTENING TO GOD'S VOICE!!! Please understand that I am not speaking against meetings, messages, appointments, conferences, emergencies...What I am speaking about is are we tuning things out, becoming more "focused" on the things that we do or need to do, becoming so "spiritually obese" that we forget God's purpose for our lives???!!!

Why is it that so many companies survive and churches fail???!!! Because of vision, purpose and accountability!!!

Employees are held accountable by their actions in a company, and a company knows how to train people and teach them how to be leaders...

What has happened!!!

Why is it that a company that does not acknowledge Jesus understands how to grow and keep leaders and make profit, but our church for God fails because of conflicts, lack of funds, lack of faith, taking off our shoes when we stub a toe, and just give up!!!! What has happened to us!!!

It is time for God's people to start becoming one voice for the world and to stop trying to compete or climb over each other to get ahead...How does our military survive...by having ONE VOICE!!!...It is time to remove the clamor, and start hearing Jesus clearly...There is a spiritual grieving that is going on right now!!!

What will it tak to get our Body of Christ together and start working together instead of against each other...I am sure right now, some are saying "we don't do that..." really...then why are so many people hopping from church to church...why are ministers and ministry not getting the respect that should be given...look at the fruit..............................now please go back and re-read the above lines....

When,...When will the Body of Christ become one with each other???!!! Work together and see the bigger picture...Souls, Truth, and Love...That's what it is all about and nothing more.

Get God's Love in You, so He can pour out His Truth in you, and You can pour out His Love and Truth in all Souls!!!! 

I pray that this message reaches you, and draws you closer to the plan that Jesus has called you to become, long before you were even born!!! 

Be Blessed and Prosper, you and your family and friends!!! 

"...I came with a sword!" (Matthew 10:34)

A Humbling Moment

Today I had a humbling moment. I was thinking about values and how some people only care about making money and nothing else. In that moment I said to God..."I will not do that even if I could make a million dollars!"...Then Jesus caught me. He asked me, "Why do you work now?"...Before I answered back, I knew I was caught...I replied, "to make money."

I felt God's spirit humble me and help me to see that it doesn't matter "how" much you make (5 dollars or 5 million), but "why" you make it. What is the purpose behind it! It humbles me that God caught me and let me see what was in my heart. Yes, I am working , but what are my purposes in it? Am I working for the right reasons? Has God began redirecting my path?

I pray that God will show you what He wants you to do in life. It is very stereotypical to think of making "lots" of money as the "defining" moment of just working for money...What are your values? What is the purpose for everything that you do? Are you in ministry for ministry? Are you working just to make a dollar? How much do you really care about making a difference in this world?

I challenge each and every one of you to strive at being who God called you to be. Do not be afraid of what comes, because if God be for you, who can be against you! (Romans 8:31)

Be Blessed and Prosper, you and your families!

I pray that the lesson that I just learned will enlighten you to be who Jesus wants you to be, and that you will work in His plans and not your own...Just like a song I used to listen to at church a LONG time ago..."Be not afraid, I come before you always, come follow me, and I will give you rest!!!"

May you rest in God's grace, mercy and direction!!! 

It will never be...

It will never be when you want, or how you want. It will never be where you want, or who you want. It will never be our decision if you have submitted yourself to God's will.

He alone is the One who chooses the plans for our lives...We live in a world that has "idealistic" ideas of what is considered a "family" or "career." What does that mean anyway???

When I grow up I want to...When I grow up...When I grow...When I...When!!!...WHEN!!!!

When is the word that is most commonly used for everything. When I, when she, when he, when they...How about now!!!

People are suffering and dying every day, and I am concerned about stubbing my toe?! Or having to deal with traffic??? Instead of complaining, how about praying for everyone in the traffic and asking God to watch over and protect everyone on the road...Home life getting rough?...

Where do we get this idealistic point of view of what is considered a "happy home." It reminds me of the song from Casting Crowns Lifesong album, song #4. It talks about plastic people and plastic churches...Is that what we have become...

What has happened to our courage and valiant character? Other than a medieval story, when was the last time you heard about someone being valiant...I was reading the life of Gideon, and I was struck...

God doesn't want "us" to look good. HE wants to look good and receive the glory. That is why Israel has been perceived weak, and God's people seem like we can be taken over...But we cannot because we serve a God who is more interested in souls than we could ever be...And we are trying to "convince" God and "plead" our case, like we care about people more than Him!!!...

Just like DC Talk said..."What Have We Become!!!!"...What have we become!!!...

We have become a rebellious generation,...What will we have to do to turn it around??? It is time to fall on our faces and ask God for forgiveness...I believe that Jesus is the same God who can part the seas, and send manna from Heaven. I believe that greater things will happen in the last days...I believe that there is more that needs to be done...

There is a time to give and a time to receive...Just like a soldier, if you are injured, God will put you in a season of recovery...but only temporary...not permanently...

My heart grieves when I see people getting treated like cattle. I yearn for people to have peace in their hearts...There is so much to tell that I feel like an overflowing vessel.

Here's the facts...People are suffering, dying and fighting every day. Every family has one kind of challenge or another...Jesus is the example...In brokenness people come together, but it must take the hands of God (us) to be the glue that holds us together...No more fairy tales,...We don't know our entire life story, and God designed it this way...No more wasting time!!!...Get busy for God...I am at the point where I could step aside and do nothing,...which can be tempting...but no...I AM GOING ALL THE WAY FOR JESUS!!!...How about You!!!???

Be Blessed and Prosper!!! 

Here's a thought

What do you think of when you hear "be a light unto the world?" Do you think of light as a candle, flashlight or a laser!

My prayer is for God's light to be like a laser piercing to the truth. Also, did you know that white light contains all colors? When I used to think of being "white as snow" or "pure as white" I would think it meant only one color, and everything washed away...Now I am asking God...

Could it be that being "white" means more than just everything gone away, and that it means that everything is purified together to create a perfect, spotless white? Where each color is bright and beautiful without any muting or discoloration of colors...

God teaches me a lot of things through colors, lights, scenery...Sometimes it helps me to step back and take a look a little differently than before and not accept that what I thought first was the only way.

Could it be that when God says be white, that it means be purified???!!!

When we are weak, He is strong

When we are weak, He is strong...what does that mean???

I used to think that it meant that whenever I feel weak that His strength will overcome me, but...now I am not sure that is exactly what it means...I'll explain it more...

I heard a minister say that when God's anointing is upon him, he is not tired and is capable of so much, but when that moment passes, he can become tired...

God has been showing me more and more how important it is to rely on His strength at all times...Lately, I have been feeling very tired and could not understand why, but I have noticed that when I pray and begin to minister or work in ministry, that in that moment I don't feel weak or even tired...Once that moment passes, I become very tired and humbled, because I cannot even try to deny that everything that happened and all of the strength and agility that I felt came from God, and not from me.

Yesterday, I was watching a Veggietales video, and it was about Moses. I never really saw what I noticed during this video...All of the strength came from God, and for the first time I really saw and began to understand Moses' weakness...He was trying to save his people with his own strength and not God's (at first)...but once he completely submitted himself to God's work, he could be used by God.

Sometimes I ask Him, what His purpose is for me? I am passionate about so many things and purposes of God's, and I love Him more everyday...

He is teaching me to step out,...way out...of my comfort zone and go do the impossible because He will strengthen me.

It is one thing to read about someone else's story, and begin living your own. The world seems so small to me, because almost everywhere I go, I meet someone that has either lived where I used to be, knows someone I know, and there is some form of connection.

It helps remind me how much we are all brothers and sisters living together in this world...Yesterday, I heard a message about watching my words, and how they can be poison to someone. My prayer is that God would replace the poison with the Balm of Gilead, and let His anointing oil be upon my lips and heart. I want to be wholly and pleasing to God...

How far will you go?

I have been asking myself, "How far will I go for God?" I think about Him morning, noon and night, and in my heart I am always asking Him "what do you desire?"

Today, I was listening to a couple of speakers, and as I heard each one speak, it was becoming so clear to me that God was talking to me!

At first, one of the speakers spoke about how to defeat thoughts that keep going in your head, and I heard the speaker say something that I could relate.

He said that during his struggles with thoughts, he heard God ask him "Do you love me?" That is something that touched my heart because within the past 3-4 months I have heard Jesus ask me the same question, and when I say yes, He says, "Feed my sheep"...

I believe that we are in the last days, and even though the workers are few, He is strengthening His workers to do more than we have done before!

It is my heart's desire to see unity in God's church, to do the impossible and love the impossible. More and more I realize what a blessing it is to have Jesus in my life, and I become awestruck, and sometimes God's presence will rest upon me strongly, and it will feel like a blanket or robe on me.

Every day I ask myself, how far will I go for God? He has saved me and my family from so much. It humbles me to realize that like Peter, he had the desire to do what was right, but sometimes he would become worldly, and become fearful when the time came. Also, Peter had passion, and that is something that I do admire. In his fleshly way of thinking, he loved Jesus so much that he was willing to fight for Him when Jesus was arrested. But when he was pointed out by the crowds, Peter became afraid, and denied Christ...

I would be a liar if I said that I have never felt that way before. One thing I love about Peter the most is that he repented and received forgiveness, if he didn't would Peter have ended up like Judas? That is one of the moments in the Gospel that has really affected me over the years. I used to wrestle with it, and I was angry that God would subject someone to become His betrayer. But,...when I look at Jesus' forgiveness...how can I possibly compare His love to my fleshly understanding of love...How can humanity actually understand the meaning of God's love?

For me, I don't know what God has planned for me, but I have told Him time and time again, "Your people will be my people, and where You go I will go, and You are my God!"

Before I was saved, my desire was to become rich and famous, and be on stage all the time making people smile...but now, my desire is for God to be on stage and be acknowledged. I am pleased and praise God that I don't care about that desire anymore! All I care about now is God and His family!!!...

Wonder what God has planned for me!

Dancing Dream

Today I had a dream. I suddenly felt the desire to do things that I would not have imagined myself doing. It is my desire to become a professional ballroom dancer. Tonight, I went to a ballroom dance, and...it is a world that I never knew still exists...Everyone there is treated as a lady or a gentleman, and everyone has respect for one another. There was plenty of space to dance. Even the dances are designed so you can dance around the room without bumping into each other...I felt like the little girl in "Shall We Dance.".....this place really exists...

Then I began to think about how we dance with God every day. He is the lead dancer, and we follow His steps. Even when we do not know where He is taking us, the only way for the dance to flow is by trusting Him...

Isn't that beautiful! For me, to know that there is still a purity that can exist in something so beautiful and wonderful as dancing! There is so much I have learned about myself by learning how to dance and let someone lead...

It is my dream that everyone learns how to dance with Jesus! 

Age

Here's a thought. Even though I am 29, I am still treated as a child.

Even when my older friends find out about my age, they are surprised because I behave older than my age. What is age anyway? One of my best friends is 86, and she doesn't behave older than 60.

It's funny; I bet my friends in their 20's think I am in my thirties or forties. And my friends who are in their 30's and 40's think I am their age. To me though, age is silly. I cannot tell you how many times I have met people and found out that they were either older or younger than what I expected. Silly isn't it?

Running the Race to Romance

Today was a normal day at work. Lots of things going on, and people are scared because things are shaking up. For me, even though I am going through this, as well as everyone else, I am not afraid.

I don't understand where my journey is being lead, but I am trusting God. Sometimes I want to ask, where is He? Where is Jesus leading me now? I do believe that one day I will be married again, but one thing I ask myself is, "how will I know when I find him again?" I found him once before, but the cares and storms of this world tore it away. Now society is so focused on "finding the right one." Like they know how. Look at our society. People break up left and right and monogamy is a foreign word. Even when someone is engaged these days...are they going to make it? One thing I have learned is there is NO guarantee that it will last. The only thing that I can completely count on is Jesus' love for me and for the world. Everything else isn't tangible.

The one thing that helps me when I begin to miss the people that I love is knowing that one day I will see all my loved ones in Heaven. It is my heart's desire to see everyone love Christ. If there is a Valentines' gift for me, it would be the best gift of all. That Jesus died for me, and He has set me free...

If there is one thing that I would like to see changed is our society's definition of love. When I think about how people loved each other in the Bible, and how people love each other today,...how different the comparison!

To me, it has grieved my heart to see how people treat each other today. What has happened to us?!

When I go out ballroom dancing, I feel the "romance," and I have discovered that it is the feeling of being treated as a lady. There is nothing like the feeling of gliding on the dance floor and trusting the person that you are dancing with. To me, it feels like stepping into a beautiful world that I wasn't sure existed anymore. The movie "Shall We Dance" is not far away from the reality of being able to dance. I wouldn't trade it...I have always wanted to learn how to dance, and now I am doing it.

Now finding a lady and a gentleman is quite a find,...For a society that strives to become more intelligent and ""smart,"...are we??? Or are we striving to be more like Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as "Time goes by."

Encouraging Words from a Friend

Why do you serve God or even go to church? What is the motivation behind everything that you do? Would it surprise you to know that Jesus does not care about how many things you have done for Him? All the prayers, church, ministry, it all means nothing if you are just doing it. Everyone has a desire to create and be motivated by something.

When I was a little girl and I heard the parable about the talents, I was furious and very confused. How could burying the talents and not spending them be considered a "bad" thing? Why was the servant called wicked? I used to think that God was cruel to do such a thing. That was because I was looking at the story as money, but that is not what it meant. The talents are you and your gifts.

We live in a world that is constantly in motion and nothing completely stops. Plants are growing or dying, water is moving, you feel the wind, the earth is rotating, and even you are constantly breathing and your mind is working. Nothing completely stops because that would be out of order. God did not call us to "bury" ourselves and dig a hole in the sand and die. That is what the servant did. He buried all that was given to him, and because he "feared" taking a chance, instead the servant did nothing.

That is what people do every day. You have a choice, you can do something or do nothing. There is no in-between about it. God doesn't want lukewarm people. He wants people that are hot and passionate about Him. He wants people to be infernos and not icicles or icebergs. The fire is in all of us, and if we encourage one another we can light up the flame inside. We are supposed to sharpen each other as "iron sharpens iron."

There will come a time when you are faced with a challenging situation and you can fight or take flight. Which one will you do? I remember the movie Rocky III when Adrian challenges Rocky. She asks for the truth. What is your truth? Can you truly look yourself in the mirror and say that you are doing what Jesus called you to do? Remember when Adrian said to Rocky, "You can't be afraid that someone is going to take things away. Before you know it you are not a man anymore....Don't fight for the money, Mickey, or even me. Fight for yourself!" Don't let fear stop you, step out and take the leap of faith!

Be Blessed and Prosper, my family and friends!!! 

Making a Difference

What message do you believe when you wake up every day? Do you think that you are someone special or nobody? There are so many messages that are being sent out via media that are good or bad. Who are you listening to? God tells us that He will make beauty for ashes, and give us strength for fear, gladness for mourning, and peace for despair. The world teaches that everyone is not important and there is nothing special or worthwhile about you, but why is that?

Because the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He cares nothing for you and wants you to believe these lies. That you are not important or valuable to Jesus, but...the devil is a liar! If we are not who God says we are, then why has Jesus invested so much into our lives? When children go to school, you want them to have a good education, or when you feed your children, do you just let them eat ice cream all day all the time! Of course not! You want the very best for them!

Jesus loves you so much that He died for you! He transformed himself into a man. This is the same God who controls time, who creates life, gives direction to the waves in the waters, painted a sky out of His heavenly canvas. This is the same God who was a burning bush and parted the Red Sea to set His people free. This is the same Lord who gave David the courage to stand up and defeat Goliath, who turned water into wine, who was there in the fire with Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. (Daniel 3:24-25)

This Lord, Jehovah, Holy Spirit and Jesus, the one and same, loves you very much!!! Now, the world might tell you that you are a nobody, but that is only because they do not know any better. Workplaces teach that someone can be replaced, but that is not true. Not one soul is the same, and no one has the same talents, abilities and ideas. It is not coincidental that you are different from others. Life would be boring if we were all the same. Our world would be a bunch of walking robots, dressing and speaking the same way. There would be no art or form of expression, including love.

Remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. He wants you to take the extra step and believe that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Phil. 4:13) So, once again, who do you believe, the world or Jesus? It is my prayer that you would choose to believe Jesus. After all, He is the one where there is peace, humility and pure joy. And one more thing,...Life is a bigger high with Jesus than without Him. No drugs, alcohol, adrenaline rush, or sexual feelings can even come close to the joy of God because His joy can last forever!

Be Blessed and Prosper!

What kind of clothes are you wearing?

Some people say that clothes make the man or woman. So, what kind of clothes are you wearing? What is the purpose behind wearing the clothes that you have chosen? Clothes can mean several kinds of things including spiritual ones. For example, we put on the "breastplate of righteousness" (Ephesians 6:14). What do you see when you see someone else's clothing? Do you look at the outside or the inside? Jesus said that the Pharisees and Sadducees had already received their reward when they walked around and prayed in public, dressed in their fine linens.

I get concerned when people question whether or not they can be used by God because they think that they are not "righteous" enough to be used. What does that mean? Thank goodness that Jesus has not assigned me based on my qualifications because I would fail, several times! It is only through Jesus' righteousness that we can be called sons and daughters of God. There is nothing that I could ever do or have done that would "qualify" me to be considered "righteous."

God the Father does not care where we came from or what we have done. We have been adopted into His family. Would you judge the love you have for your child by the actions or words from them? Of course not! Jesus is the same way. It doesn't matter if we are messed up and haven't got a clue what to do or how to change. We cannot do it on our own because only Jesus has the power to change you, if you let Him! If there is a call that God has on your life, please do not be afraid of it. Instead, embrace it! There is a reason that you are passionate about the things that you desire, and it might require you doing something that feels uncomfortable. Take the chance and go for it!

It is a very unwise thing to look at someone on the outside and begin to feel insecure around them because of what they wear. Even people in royal positions have times that they feel inadequate or insecure too. Remember this, there is a reason that Jesus had to pray for strength at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-45). He had to pray for strength 3 times while He was at Gethsemane because "even though the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak."

All of us have challenges and trials that we face every day. Some days are more challenging than others. Instead of looking at someone on the outside, let's focus on the inside of you. Put on the full armor of God, the shoes of peace, breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation, shield of faith, waist of truth, and the sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:13-17). We are in a spiritual battle, and it is time to let God heal and cleanse our wounds. Let His love pour out of us towards other people and yes, even you. Do not forget that Christ died for something priceless, and that is you!!! Yes, you are priceless in His sight, and Jesus would not die for something cheap. Don't treat yourself as cheap either. Let His light shine through you, and do not be concerned on the outside. Instead let Jesus work on the inside, and He will let His countenance shine upon you!

Be Blessed and Prosper!

What is your purpose?

What are you doing day by day? What is it that drives you? What influences your thoughts and desires? It is man or God? There are so many things that need to be done in this world. Which ones have you chosen to do? Are you a writer, dancer, programmer? Or maybe a cop, soldier or nurse. Why did you choose the profession that you are doing? Was it for money or something more?

God created you for a greater purpose than can be realized. There is a reason that you enjoy what drives you, but do you think it is only for you alone? Deep inside all of us is the desire to become someone, so who are you? What it is that you have inside of you that fulfills you? Do you like movies, going outdoors, science, music, reading, games, etc.? If you could be whatever you wanted to be, what would you choose? Now, ask yourself if you have achieved your goals. If not, what is stopping you?

For every dream, there is a pursuit and goal to reach. If we did not have anything to reach, then what would be the reason to stay alive? Jesus said that His people perish for lack of knowledge. Does this sound like a God who desires for His people to know Him and do nothing? To just sit on our hands and wait for Him to show up, like waiting for someone to pick us up at the mall or grocery store. I have not read or heard of anyone who accomplished anything who did not have to work for it. Yes, some people have been blessed with money, but is that what it really means to "accomplish" anything? Solomon was king, but he did not find it satisfying. Look at the book of Ecclesiastes. He was searching for something, and Solomon had everything including wisdom.

Stories are written for a reason, because the author has something to say. I remember the movie "Never-ending story," which is one of my favorites. The warrior has to look inside a mirror and he would see his true self. When you look at yourself, what do you see? Do you see Jesus or yourself? If Jesus walked by you, would you run to Him or try to go the other way? What would be more pleasing to Jesus, someone that could quote the scriptures or someone that was living them? Every day is a struggle and there is a battle. That is why we have the Bible. To teach us how to live every day and see that we can do all things through Jesus who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).

So once again, why are you doing what you are doing? What is the purpose behind it? If this was your last moment, what would you do with it? Life moves fast and it is short. Too short to be concerned about planning too far ahead. We have to live in the moment and take nothing for granted. If there is someone that you love, do not let fear get in the way and if God directs you, go for it! If you want to go somewhere or become a missionary, do not let man stop you. Jesus loves us and He has equipped us with the Holy Spirit to give us strength and guidance. He will never leave or forsake us. So don't leave Him. Don't forget the dream that God has placed in you. It does not matter how old or young you are either. Remember David or Moses. He is able to use anyone for His glory.

I used to think that it meant that something would not get accomplished if I did not do what He directed me to do. Now, I know different. God will get His work completed whether or not you are involved in it. The opportunity will not linger forever because there is so much to be done and Jesus is the master of finishing His work. Will you do what God has called you to become? Do not stop believing in the dream that you have, and the moment you feel the weakest and discouraged is the turning point of your life. Seize the dream or leave it. Remember, David "chose" to fight Goliath, Moses "chose" to listen to God as a burning bush, Esther "chose" to trust God. Jesus "chose" to be obedient and go to the cross. Also, Adam "chose" to eat the forbidden fruit. We have freedom of choice. We can either choose God's path or go elsewhere. Love cannot be driven by force, only by choice. Go after what you desire. Do not let anything stop you. If God is for you, who can be against you!

It is my prayer that this message inspires and encourages you! Be Blessed and Prosper!

Drive Thru Christianity

Yes, I would like a message with an order of worship, and some prayer on the side,....

Is this what you think of when you think of Christianity? What is it anyway? What does it really mean to be a Christian? Is it the clothes you wear,...no....how about the food and drink you take,...Is it different or the same....what about what you say, feel and act,....are they different....well are they???!!!

I believe that we live in the most dangerous times for Christians because there is much more than being thrown in a lion's den to watch out for....it's called apathy....and the church is loaded with it!....

I am fed up with responsibility not being taken so seriously. In a world that doesn't even understand what it truly means to commit to something,...no wonder God's people need to learn what it really means to commit to something....

There seems to be more respect for the way that businesses are run because they understand the importance of order and significance of standards and rules,....but take it outside of the building and it all becomes very different and not as clear....

Why is being passive and just giving up seem to feel so easy,...where is commitment with things, I am so concerned because I have known people that chose to live an apathetic life and they are destroying themselves,....Lately, .. have been thinking of a scene in the movie Hero (Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy Garcia)...there is one scene at the end when the "real" hero begins to tell his son about how people choose to live in their own reality of truth,...well,...that's just not in the movies....

Why do you think there is such a desire to read stories and watch movies,...to feel the great adventure,...instead of reading and watching it,....how about living it!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is not a lot of time that you have to live,....so LIVE....live to the fullest,....GO FOR EVERY DESIRE THAT GOD HAS PLACED ON YOUR HEART!!!! GO FOR IT AND DON'T LOOK BACK,....THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO AND SO MUCH LITTLE TIME TO DO IT!!!!! SO JUST DO IT!!!!

Give it all you have so at the end of your days, in your heart you will truly know if you were obedient with the tasks that God has placed before you... I am so inspired by something I read that mentioned starting small and God took it to become much more,...If God called 12 apostles and it changed the world,....we are much more than that,....and....with all the tools and technology that has been given to us.....WHAT ARE WE DOING!!!!!!!!!!

I am so tempted to fall into the trap of beginning to feel like it is me that has to do everything,...BUT IT'S NOT TRUE!!!! JESUS WILL!!!! ALL HE ASKS FOR IS OBEDIENCE TO FOLLOW HIS TRUTH AND BE HIS HANDS AND FEET!!!!

I have to ask God for forgiveness because I have been trying to figure it out on my own. Being concerned by petty things when there are bigger things going on....

Look at the news!!!! Read the headlines!!!! Life without Christ in it is madness!!!!....Remember what you were like before you welcomed Him into it!!!!

Sometimes I feel like I am powerless and want to give up,...but in those moments God shows me that there is a fight, Ephesians 6 was put there for a reason and Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue,..."

Why are God's people trying to tear each other apart!!!! Each of us has a special gift and calling,...there will only be one of you and not a duplicate,...why can't we learn to embrace our differences instead of trying to become Stepford Christians!!!!!!!!!

Just give what you have to Jesus, and do not be concerned about what is on the left, or the right, or behind you....LOOK FRONT AND DON"T LOOK BACK>>>>BE GOOD STEWARDS OF YOUR TIME AND GIFTS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL GIFTS AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED LIGHTLY!!!!

It is my prayer that this message inspires you as it is inspiring me!!!!

Be Blessed and Prosper my Brothers and Sisters!!! :-)

Keep Dreaming Your Dreams

Tonight as I sit here around 2 o'clock in the morning, my head is flooded with thoughts, feelings and emotions. Seven months ago, I started writing, and I watched what I believe helped inspire me to write, "The Devil Wears Prada." The first time I saw this movie, I was away on a business trip, and combined with the movie "Click" and having a fire alarm go off in the middle of the night, was quite an eye-opening evening. I believe that it was a "defining" moment for me. The moment when I first started believing and seeing who I really am...a child in a women's heart...

Now, the reason that I am sharing this with you is this...If God can use me in this way, even for just a moment, and God can open your eyes and touch your heart,...I will go the distance,...and take a chance...I have to believe that dreams are possible!

This month is my 10 year anniversary with the Lord. August 13th will be 10 years since I have given my life over to Him, and what a journey...I hardly recognize myself anymore...Tonight, I felt led to watch this movie, and I could not understand why. I was not in the best of feelings, and I was feeling tired and defeated. I said, "God, why do you want me to watch this movie?"...What I forgot about this movie is the dreams...

The dreams that the main character Andy had for herself. She wanted to be a journalist, and took a job for a very famous and renowned fashion magazine to give her the edge. This movie talks about choices all through it,...and I began to see why I was watching it...

There is a big difference between living someone else's dream or living your own one. I thought about what strength it takes to be a winner, and I thought about our culture's meaning of success...What is it anyway?...Is there such a thing as being "safe" and not taking chances? If that is the case, are you taking chances with your soul too?! What has happened with the ability to step out there and take a chance? Why is it when you are a child, people encourage you to pursue your dreams, but when you become an adult,,,doors get slammed in your face. It is these same people that we live and walk and work with every day that can make the difference in our lives...

Furthermore, when I thought about the struggle it takes to pursue your dream, I thought about Jesus and His dream. God has a dream to be able to inhabit and be with His people. Thank God that He did not give up on His dream. He has a special dream for all of our lives too...Each of us has a very special gift, and Jesus wants to be the one to teach and show us what it is to become...

I thought about the price that He paid for His dream, and even in that, there have been casualties. When I thought about all the pain, suffering, and tiredness that Jesus must have endured and overcomed while He was with His disciples...All the times where He probably only had about an hour sleep, or His feet were sore from walking,...I thought about Jesus patience for our world and the comments that He would hear daily from people. For such a God, who is perfect, sinless and pure,...If He had to endure so much and fight to rescue His people,...how dare I complain about being tired or joyless myself...The truth is that there is not a lot of time left to sit and wonder what we are supposed to be doing...We have a choice...What will you choose?!...

Also, I don't know about you, but when I am watching a story and the hero does something heroic I think to myself, "Good for you!"...Now, being in that same situation, would I do the same thing? Why is it that heroes in stories are so well recognized and acknowledged? Is it because of what they do, or....is it because they are doing things that you want to do?! To be able to step out there without thinking twice and doing what is right...Is "that" the possible reason? What is it that holds us back from stepping out there, getting in the dirt and getting things done? Why is it so easy to feel like any risk is frightening or scary, when I should be looking at it as an adventure?!

I really believe that our culture has sold ourselves more than we realize...I began to think about what it would be like if I had everything, and you know what I found?...misery and boredom, because there was nothing worth fighting for...God made us in His image, and I really believe that part of His image is to fight for something, to fight for what is right...

God, Jesus is passionate and He fought and died for me and for you,...He even rose from the dead and refused to let death defeat Him...Jesus is so excited about each and every person that has chosen to follow Him, and I believe He cries for all the lost people that have "chosen" their fate and end up in destruction...

In one scene of the movie, the two main characters are talking about choices,...The truth is we always have a choice...If we did not we would be robots in spirit and truth...Do you want to be a robot or a person filled with His Holy Spirit giving strength, truth and power to be able to do what Jesus desires of us?!

As I look all around me right now, I see so many dreams that have been fought over, even the computer that I am using right now...Everything is a dream, that has either faded or come to life...Why does it feel easier to just not do anything and let the world pass you by?

I don't know about you, but my heart burns to hear God say, "Well done good and faithful servant!" That is my dream,...to hear Jesus say those words,...It is also a dream of mine to see people prosper in God's truth and ways...I thank God when I see His wonders in lives...

Everything around us talks about times and seasons, even the Bible says it too (Ecclesiastes)...Everything is meaningless,...WITHOUT GOD IN IT!...If this was the last moment in your life, would you be pleased with what you are doing right now? Can you honestly say to yourself that you have completely and entirely given all your will and dreams over to Jesus?! Let His manual (the Bible) be the map towards the treasure in your heart...That is the greatest treasure, your heart...I challenge you and I to make sure that our hearts are grounded correctly in good soil and that our borne fruit will ripen and flourish...To those I know who are beginning new lives and starting a new journey, I wish you well and pray that you stay in God's hand.

It is time to get busy with God and get on with the work that He has charged you...I don't know about you, but I do not want to be late paying His bill!...

May this message be a Blessing in yours and my lives!!! 

Be Blessed and Prosper, me and my Brothers and Sisters!!!

What are you building!

Today I was looking at an ad on television that was advertising yet another scheme of how to live more comfortably at home and have more luxuries in life. As I was watching this I thought to myself, "Here we go again, another ad about money." Money,...what is so great about it anyway...Really???

What ever happened to values in life when money was not all that important? When you see people sitting around sharing stories in their lives, the moments that touched them, will you hear, "I remember the time that I had a pedicure and I painted my nails..." or will you hear, "I remember when I went to the nail salon with my grandmother. I miss her. We used to have a fun time together."

What is the difference between the two scenarios? People, and not material things. One of my favorite channels is the food network. Why? Because I enjoy seeing and hearing the stories of tradition, values, how a family got started in a business, seeing a legacy passed on from generation to generation...But how do you expect to have these values and things to pass on when there is no concern of making anything anymore, as long as you are making money...What does that sound like! Maybe worship! Yes, I agree that it is important to make a living, but that's the key words, "make-a-living!" What has happened to our generations?

If all we care about is money, then how can we "build" anything! Values, truth, priorities,...they have all become skewed in this world. What has happened to remembering people and doing something because you believe in it? You see a purpose in what you are making, how you are serving others, instead of just looking at, "how much do I get paid, or what will I get in return?" It is time to start turning the clock and look at a new way to build things and make money. To put values in their place, and share truth in people's lives, even ourselves...

Truth is, if you are willing to do something that is completely against your values for money, then you have sold yourself, no matter the price. There is nothing wrong with making money because it is needed to go to the store, pay bills, etc. But, come on,...is that all you want out of life! To be able to go on vacation, or get an 8 karat ring, or get yourself all buffed up on the outside, spending thousands of dollars on things that will not make you truly happy...Isn't that meaningless!!! (Ecclesiastes)

So, I challenge you and me to one thing,...make sure that what you are doing is something that you believe in and value...Don't sell yourself out...You are worth far more than that, and if Christ gave Blood for you,...you are definitely not worthless! He did not sell you out, so don't be sold to anyone else!

May this message be a blessing in your lives!

Be Blessed and Prosper!!! 

An Empty Cabinet

I remember a few years ago, I was married and a few months pregnant with my son. We did not have much; I did not realize how little we had until a later time. We used to go grocery shopping every week and spend about $30.00 each time. I can almost remember exactly what we used to buy, a rotisserie chicken, box of pasta, spaghetti sauce, box of instant cheese grits, lots of rice a roni, soda, juice, milk, and a couple of French bread pizzas with little bits of pepperoni on them.

I ended up having some medical issues and had to stay home instead of being able to work when I was newly pregnant too. I remember one time when I was so concerned about not having enough food for supper that I "chose" to skip a meal so my husband and I had food when he came home. That just happened to be the one time that I was asked what I had for lunch and I said, "I did not eat anything." I'll never forget what he said to me. "I never thought I would see the day when I would have to tell my wife, who is pregnant to eat."

Believe it or not, I had no real idea of how much we did not have, and how much we were starving. It was not long before we moved in with my family, which was in FL and we were in SC. When I was home, at my parent's house, I opened the cabinet doors in the kitchen and I saw food. All kinds of it too. Pasta, beans, cans of food, rice, cereal, grits...I thought I had died and went to Heaven, and I started to cry. I could not believe how much food was around me. It was Heavenly.

I had no idea how much I did not have until I saw the cabinet. That was one of the most traumatic moments in my life because I never realized how much I was starving UNTIL I saw the food. We have all kinds of food, including spiritual. The Word of God is food to edify and strengthen the soul, mind, heart, and eyes. Jesus said, "He who has ears let him hear." Psalm 23 speaks of a table being presented before us in the presence of our enemies. Communion is the body and blood of Christ broken and poured out for us and for all our sins.

What kind of food are you starved for today? Is it something that you are not even aware of, or something that you see and just cannot seem to get to taste it? "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord." For a God who loves us so much, don't you think that He has food for you too? Just like a frog on a hot plate, I had no idea how much the heat was rising and cooking my soul. It was so subtle that I did not even see it. How many times have you squandered away the spiritual gifts and food that is given to us, the Word of God?

Food is important, and every time there is a celebration you will see food. Why is that? Why did Jesus "feast" with others? If food is not that important, then why is it one of the biggest deals whenever someone wants to create a celebration, or invite you to the wedding? Why was it such a big deal in Jewish custom for the best wine to be served last! Because it is a reflection of what God wants to do in our hearts. He wants to feed you, and clothe you. These are needs in our lives, and it is easy to forget the most important things, "To love our neighbor as we love ourselves!"

So, I challenge you with this, do not forget the love and nourishment that Jesus offers us every day to quench our thirst and make us whole. Do not be so prideful to deny any needs that you have, and state that "it is not necessary to receive those." I remember a statement that I heard from someone stating about when you are on a plane, and you are being taught what to do in an emergency. The parents are advised to put on the oxygen masks first BEFORE our children's. It sounds horrible doesn't it? But the truth is, if we do not have oxygen first, how can we expect to be able to breath and stay focused on the tasks at hand?

Do not forget that you have a job to do, and that God has sent all sorts of supplies to help you along the way, armor of God, power of prayer, gifts of the Spirit. Don't be like I once was and forgetting my needs and someone else's too. It is my prayer that this message inspires you!

Be Blessed and Prosper My Brothers and Sisters of Christ!

Letting Go and Letting God!

Ever wonder why we are designed to do the things we do? Such as walking and talking with God every day even though He is invisible to the eye. One day as I was praying I asked God why we could not see Him, and why He designed things this way. That was when I received the answer of my life!

God did not originally create a world where we would not be able to see Him. In the beginning when God made man, He made us so that we would walk and talk with Him in the garden. (Genesis 3) The whole point of God creating us was for relationship, and how can you have a relationship with someone until you give your heart over to them and make a commitment?

All this time, whenever I thought about our relationship with God, even though I knew how important it is to "let go and let God" I did not truly understand the purpose behind it. I mean yes, I knew that when you let go and let God move in your life that you are set free from the burdens that you are facing because He is in charge and not you, but even in that I truly did not understand the level of freedom that you receive when you are only caring about what Jesus desires for you. I used to think that when we let go that we are being weak because we are not in charge of the situation, but I did not realize the impact of this decision.

When we leave God He is far away, and when we let Him lead He is right there with us. Just like when you are dancing with someone, what would it be like if the person you are dancing with is across the room? It's kind of hard to be able to be close with them isn't it? That is what we are doing when we are not being close with Jesus and letting Him rule our life. I realized that letting go and letting God is not an act of weakness, but of strength. When we let God lead we are holding His hand in the waters of life, and He shows us the right direction that we need to go.

I thought all this time that letting go was just letting go. I did not realize that is the way that we hold His hand because if we do not let go and let God, then we are being disobedient and the distance will grow between He and I. There is no way that we can be disobedient and close to God at the same time. It just does not work that way! Life does not work that way either! I mean really, does it make sense!

What if you did that with someone you love? Yes, you love them...you might just talk to them once in a year, but they are supposed to be the love in your life. Or there is a family member and a good friend that you are close to...in fact...you are SO close that you haven't spoken in years! Oh yes, you must know "everything" about them and know their deepest thoughts. Especially when you have been "so close" to them.

Please understand, I am not speaking about situations when it is impossible to be able to speak to or be near to someone because of distance, jobs, war, sickness, etc. I am speaking about those situations when you "choose" not to be close to someone for no reason other than "I don't feel like it."

Now, when I speak of this, I am not pointing the finger because I am looking at myself too! There is not one word that I would say here without holding myself accountable too because it is not right and I would be hypocritical! There I said it! I am guilty too of this sin! Maybe that is why it is so hard to understand our relationship with God because our experiences in life, good and bad, have painted such a different picture of who He really is and we can get so confused so easily!

So, here we are walking in the desert when a stranger walks by and says, "Come follow Me!" No wonder we are confused and distraught, and something so simple can become so complicated. It's almost like our intelligence can be a curse and not a blessing if we do not channel it.

There is nothing that we can get away with not bridling, not our mouths, thoughts, heart, soul, strength, courage, fight, faith, walk, journey, struggle, burdens, memories, pain, joys, sufferings, sickness, health, weakness, family, friends, purpose and destiny! There is nothing that we cannot get away with fighting against, so why do we! It is impossible! And why do we try to live without God's strength, courage and direction. The insanity of it is like trying to hit a rock and get water out of it. Or wake up one day and become President of the United States. It just does not happen without something other than yourself!

We were not made instant like instant grits that you just stir up and serve! There is a reason why God made things organic and not just instantly. The quality is so much better when you have the real thing isn't it? So then why are we trying to be so "instant" with everything, and just have everything served on a platter with no effort what-so-ever? If God be for us, who can be against us! (Romans 8:31)

In Matthew 11: 28-30 Jesus asks us to give Him our burdens and carry His yoke on us. It sounds like a simple thing to ask, but...is it? The truth is the only way that we can be close to God is letting go and letting God take over in our lives. If we do not do this, then we are literally stepping away from Him in a room filled with crowds and chaos with tons of smoke and darkness filling the air.

It is the only way to be close to and grow with Jesus. Why can something so simple become so complicated? Because of fear, pride, selfishness, false humility, hate, control, rigidness, lust, and all kinds of darkness in the heart! In other words, our flesh keeps us down and away! Thank God though that Jesus prayed, "he who has ears let him hear" (Matthew 11:15) and that we can be freed from the blindness and impurities in our hearts.

So give God a chance, and remember that the only way to TRULY have a relationship with Him is to let go and let God. Let Him be the dancer in your life and learn to walk and talk with Him every day. Remember, He loves you more than anyone could, and He designed you just the way you are to be with Him and Him only. Walk with Jesus in His footsteps and quit looking at the other roads that God has not walked on with you. There might be other great roads and journeys, but they are not yours to take. Rejoice though because our road with God will be one with great joy, peace and gladness.

And last but certainly not least, it will be a road filled and brimmed with love. Love so passionate, pure and Holy that it will not be tainted! Love with the Lord most High! A true love story that will never end, as long as you never leave Him and let go and let God!

May this message be a Blessing in your life and mine! "Be Blessed and Prosper!"

The Sand in the Storm

As I was sitting here today, I thought about God and how He moves in the storm. Why doesn't it seem that everything can just stand still and nothing will waver? As I was thinking about the storms in my life, I thought about a true story that I heard from a great documentary called, "Against All Odds." I highly recommend this series. It is a series about how God is moving in people's lives today, and there are countless testimonies about what Jesus is doing in Israel.

My favorite story is when there were Israelite soldiers that were in a mine field with thousands of mines in it. The soldiers thought they would have to crawl on their hands and knees in the middle of the night, and slowly move around using their knives to detect any mines so they did not get blown up. Suddenly there was a huge sand storm, and when the storm subsided all of the mines were exposed. The storm blew off all of the sand that was hiding the mines, and the Israelite soldiers were able to walk around all of the thousands of mines without getting killed that night!

How many times have you felt like those soldiers in the mine field! When it seems like every direction that you are going to walk in will end up in death. That you will have to walk on your hands and knees to survive taking one step. Thank God that we have Jesus to guide our lives. He loves us so much that He will blow the sand away so we can see clearly what direction He wants us to take in our lives.

I was thinking about that today. I am going in a direction where I have no clue what will happen next. Even in my intelligence there is absolutely no way that I can even decipher in all of my wisdom what is the answer. As I thought about that I thought about the sand storm that blew, and how it must have felt to see the waters part the Red Sea. Instead of quiet and peace there must have been such a gust of wind to blow the sea apart. Or for a storm to blow away sand from all of the mines, what a storm to be in the midst.

How many times are you in a storm and don't have a clue what to do next? What would have happened if God's people decided to hop in the sea while the wind was blowing or when the sand storm began? How many times have we wanted to move when we are supposed to stay still and believe? Faith to stand is not a passive action, but an aggressive one. It is standing against the storm, standing firm and choosing not to waver. Why is it in the natural when there is a storm that people are not trying to run around like a chicken with their head cut off, but when there is a spiritual one we waver!

I am slowly, and I do mean slowly realizing how important it is to wait when the storm is passing through. In that moment did the Israelite soldiers know who brought the storm? No! I am guilty myself of wanting to do so much for God because I love Him so much, and I know there is not a lot of time left to get things done so I behave like Martha and not Mary. I need to let the storm pass by before I get up and try to walk again. Or when the storm is blowing the sea apart, I need to let it be split before walking in it.

God is watching us all the time every day and every moment. So much so that I think it can be easy to forget just how much He is watching us because He is there all the time. When we eat, sleep, go to work, school, are sick or well, happy or sad...all the time always, eternally there with us forever, unless, WE CHOOSE TO LEAVE HIM!!!

So, don't be afraid. There are so many horrible things that are happening in today's world. So many people have lost their jobs and homes, gasoline prices are going up, food has been contaminated, floods, storms. But there are miracles too that are happening every day even when we do not see them. Every moment is a gift because it is a gift to breathe and love others around us. We have heroes everywhere, and just because you do not see them does not mean they don't exist. Even though we are in the midst of the greatest storm, it does not mean that God is not there with us.

So stand firm, and wait for the storm to pass by before getting up. Let God reveal what is happening in your life and do not be afraid no matter the circumstances. If God can give us manna in the desert how much more can He do! Don't move until the storm passes by, and Be Encouraged. If God is for us, who can be against us! (Romans 8:31)

Sometimes we are called to go out into the desert or cross the sea, but just remember this, Jesus was called out into the desert BEFORE He did His greatest works! How much more will He do for you if you walk out where He leads you no matter the circumstances. We are not meant to walk the wide road. It is the narrow one that we are called to take. The road less traveled. Let's take that road together, and even though we might not be able to see each other, let's make a choice that one day we will see each other in Heaven. Let's go where Jesus plants us! Quit worrying about what is on the left, right, front and back of us, and let's focus on the now. Now is the time! Now is when we need to be ready! Now is all we have! Now is the time!

Be Blessed and Prosper my Brothers and Sisters! May this message be a Blessing in your lives and mine! 

Empathy, Why Does it Cost so much

What is empathy? It is kindness, tenderness, compassion and humility. It is the ability to love someone who does not deserve or has earned someone's love and understanding. It costs little in money, but why does that seem to be the most expensive thing in this world?

Earlier this week, I became very ill and it is in moments like those that you realize what really matters. Also, it is amazing how hard it is for someone to show some compassion and kindness towards you. Twice this week I ended up in the ER and both times there were things that I noticed that were very disturbing.

1. If you heard a baby cry, who would listen?

2. There are so many people crying for help, and people's hearts have become calloused to it

I heard and saw things that were shocking. I felt like I was in one of those sci-fi movies where there is no kindness and compassion. As I was lying there in the hospital bed I thought about family, friends, the things that mattered to me. Then I thought about the people beside me in the other rooms. I could hear a baby cry, and I could not get up to comfort the loved one. Even when people were crying for help, including myself, there was none to give. The staff looked tired and worn, and I thought about what their life must be like. I thought about the book "A Brave New World," and I thought about all the drugs, crime, pain, suffering, rejection, abuse, sickness, depravity, lawlessness, judgment, apathy, and callousness in this world. How many people are crying all the time every day. That somewhere in the world someone is dying right now. Or someone is being raped or abused. Someone is crying...who is listening!

Even not knowing myself what would happen to me, my heart cried out and said, "Who is listening to the cries?" Who hears the cry of a baby or a child?...Someone with love in their hearts. And why is that so hard to find? Because there has been so much in this world that can drain your soul of love, if you let it! Without Jesus, there is no one who can fill you with His love and mercy. The more I love God, the more I love people and the more that I have a desire to fight for what is right, no matter. Not only are there children crying, there are adults too in all kinds of areas.

What about the entertainers? The ones who entertain us and make us smile? They step out there every day and take a chance. To go the untrodden road, laughed at or told hopeless things. There are so many depths of how far people are hurting. In wars, crime, abuse, drugs, mistreated, rejected, divorce, death, betrayal, dishonesty. God knew what He was saying when He said that the wages of sin is death...BUT...the gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ!

We can have everything in the world and be unhappy. Why! Because there is no love of God. Someone who can accept us completely and will not be ashamed of us no matter the sin. And if we are to live by His example, then what are we doing? Empathy can be shared in so many simplistic ways. When was the last time that you opened a door for someone else. Man or woman it does not matter! I believe that you can open a door for anybody, respect is respect, period!

When is the last time that you smiled and said hello to someone, or thanked someone for serving you at the drive through window? Giving a better tip when being served in a restaurant, or helping someone cross the street?

When you hear someone cry, don't just ignore it! Say a prayer for them and let them know that you care. Just even a look, a smile, can be priceless! To someone whose life is broken, even the smallest gesture can mean so much more than being given a million dollars! What cannot be spent, money or a smile!

I have found that the more I am letting God's love in my life, the more simple life seems and so delicate and precious! What would life be like without God's encouragement! Thank God that He did not give up on us thousands of years ago when He could have drowned everyone and not start over. Thank God that Jesus went through, not just the cross, but everything that led to the cross! All the ministry time, making sure His disciples knew Him, that He cared enough to go down a level to be with His people and show that He cares. Thank God!

I challenge you and myself to show empathy towards others in your life, and if you do that already, I applaud you and challenge you to do it even more. Show others that you care, in truth...nothing else matters anyway! When there is a disaster, people come together. Why only then! God has given us the gift to love! Let's show Him how much we love that He taught us to love and be love for this world!

May this message be a blessing in all of our lives!

"We are the light of the world, may our light shine upon all!"

One more thing: Thank God for everyone who has prayed for me and my family! I cannot describe in words how much that has meant to me! – THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS! 

The Way It Was Supposed to Be???

I remember when I was a little girl, and nothing around me made sense. It seemed like, "what is the point of it all," and why was it so important to love God? Yes, I knew He was real. I was raised in church, and I knew all about Jesus dying on the cross, and I knew that God is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; One God in Three Persons.

At that point in my life I did not really care about devoting my life to God, and I didn't really "love" Him, I "feared" Him. How could I possibly understand the love of God when it has been a mystery since time began. Sometimes God takes us on a journey that does not make sense to anyone but yourself, and that's okay. Because it is the path that God has given "you" and not "anyone else."

When I was a girl at school I was persecuted because of my faith. It was a Christian faith, and I was abused by other people of the same faith. Why...was it because I did not attend their own church?...Yes...it was...

That wrecked me for years, and it hurt so much that my heart longed to tell people how I am now, and how much it affected my life. Persecution is wrong, and no one should think they have a right to do it! I remember the song, "If We Are the Body, " by Casting Crowns, and I think of the verse where a prostitute goes into church and she can hear comments about what other people are saying about her.

How do you know how God can transform her life if you do not even give her a chance, and just go by outside appearances? We are Christians, and we are supposed to look on the "inside" and not the "outside." If we are the body, then why are we behaving this way? Why have there been so many particulars about what is "Christian" and "what is not." That's not Christianity, that's religion, and Jesus hates it!

Especially, now with what is happening in our world my heart is severely grieved at how Christians want to back-bite each other, and we are supposed to be the example,...How!!!

Please understand what I'm trying to say. There is SO much persecution in this world that it is so easy to not see it. All I can think of is the scripture, "A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand." (Mark 3:25) What are we doing!!!?

What would it take for fellow Christians to love each other as we are and not be so particular about some beliefs that you do not agree with, that DO NOT affect someone's salvation? We are the Body of Christ, and in a Body there are different kinds of parts in it. What would the Body look like if we lost a toe, or injured our mouth? How could the mouth go somewhere to speak if the feet have no place to go? Who is the neck, and the legs and the feet...We Are...The Body of Christ!

It says in the scriptures that Jesus is coming for His Bride...One Bride, not two, three, our four...Just One, completely put together and whose gown is white as snow.

Tonight, I was watching part of a program that was celebrating Billy Graham's birthday, and my heart was grieved. When I looked at all of the people that he has ministered to, and I thought about this, "What legacy will I leave when I am gone?"

What legacy will you leave when your time comes? We have a society that is filled with so many material things and possessions, that I really believe that we lose track of what really matters in this world, It is People, you and me, all of us together! We are all made in the image of Christ, and there are so many brothers and sisters in this world that don't know that! How sad!

Maybe this is something that I am more aware of now because in the world's eyes I would be considered, "weak, disabled, poor, destitute."...I know it is not true though because in the eyes of Christ I am more than a conqueror, and I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. There have been many times this year that I have been tempted like Job to "curse God and die." But I won't...Let me tell you why...

Because I love Jesus, and I yearn to be closer to Him than ever before. He is my rock, my fortress, my shelter. Under His wings I am safe, and no one else's....There is no one like Him anyone else in the entire world. What other God would you want to cling your arms to whenever you feel weak, and just want Him to hold you as you cry in the night! It is Jesus, Jehovah Shalom, the Messiah, Lion of Judah...He has so many names to describe His love, mercy and compassion, so why should I be afraid...I'm not!....

Here is another reason that I will not curse Him,...Legacy...Whenever I am in pain I think about all of the soldiers that have suffered, and everyone who has given and devoted their life to Christ. Everyone, all together,...will that be for nothing! If there is anything that I want to leave with my son is knowing about the love of Jesus, and that he can always come to Jesus whenever he wants to be near Him. And to learn the Word of God so that His words are fluent in my son's heart whenever my son needs to use them.

So what am I saying, What type of legacy are you leaving with your family and friends? Without saying it, how will someone know that they know that they know that you are a Christian? Can we try to stop persecuting other people just because they go to a different church in the same faith as you? Let's grow up and look at the bigger picture! There are millions upon millions of lives at stake!

It took me most of my life getting over the pain of being persecuted because of what I believed. Instead of looking at the differences that you have from one fellow Christian to another, let's celebrate them instead because we are all from the same Body of Christ!

One more thing,...God only made one person like you...you...so let's try to stop trying to find ourselves in other people. We are all made differently because that is the way that Jesus "chose" it to be now. Please understand, I am not talking about the way people were before sin...I'm talking about now...We are a fractured church...Let's focus on coming together instead of trying to break each other apart!!!

May this be a Blessing in your life and mine. I hold these words accountable to myself too, and I know that I have a lot of work to do! 

Be Blessed and Prosper My Brothers and Sisters in Christ!!! 

Ebenezer Scrooge or Mr. Potter, which one are you?

I remember one of my favorite Christmas stories that I look forward to watching every year. "It's a Wonderful Life." It's so full of romance, adventure and excitement, and there is such a great message to it. George Bailey thought that he did not have a great life until it was gone!!! How many times have we felt like that at times!!! I know I have felt that way over the years QUITE a few times when everything seemed so dark and dreary around me. Not knowing which way to turn or where to go...How do we ever get through it all...What is to become of me...What am I to do...All seems helpless and lost, and that is when the light of Christ comes in and takes away the dark night in my heart.

Lately I have been thinking about 2 other famous characters in Christmas stories...Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life," and Ebenezer Scrooge from, "A Christmas Carol." I thought about how different and alike each character is from each other. They are not that far apart except for one important thing....Friends and Family...

We do not get to learn a lot about Mr. Potter's life.  All we know about him is that he is a miserable invalid who is bitter, mean and greedy. He does not care about anything except money...BUT...he does not live poor and spends a lot on himself...He has a big office, car, chauffeur, cigars,...and lots and lots of money!!!

Ebenezer Scrooge is very different because he does not care for himself that much, and it shows when you learn how he lives. Ebenezer was one of the wealthiest men in town, and he did not have a housekeeper, and he ate gruel instead of feasting every day. Why, even at work, Ebenezer allowed himself and everyone else around him to freeze while he was at work. Scrooge did not even get a ride home...He was a man who was tortured and was hurting himself too...Thank God though that even in his harshness there was some decency left in him. You first get to see that by the way that Ebenezer would remember his "friend and partner" Jacob Marley. Mr. Scrooge remembered very clearly the day that Mr. Marley died.

Another characteristic that was different from Mr. Potter was what Jacob Marley did to help his "friend and partner" Ebenezer Scrooge. He cared enough for his friend that Mr. Marley did not want his friend to suffer and be tormented for the rest of eternity...THAT IS A GREAT FRIEND!!! When we look at Mr. Scrooge's past we get to learn why he became so bitter and cold. He did not have a great childhood. Ebenezer was sent away to boarding school, and his sister died. We do not get to learn a lot about his parents, but we know that Ebenezer was not treated very kindly when his sister says to him, "I've come to take you home now. Father is much "better than he used to be.'"

That shows me that Mr. Scrooge was abused as a young boy. He was poor, hurt and lonely, then he goes out and tries to make something of himself in the world...Sound familiar???

How many people can we name that started out with that type of similar situation? Mr. Scrooge was so driven to be the best and most successful and richest person in the world. Nothing could get in his way not even the woman that he really loves...see what I mean..."loves"...We find out in the end of the story how much Ebenezer really "loves" his Belle. I suspect it was buried so deep that he did not even see it himself until the day that the "Ghost of Christmas Past" brings it back to his memories...

So, what can we learn about these 2 characters in literature? Let me show you what I have learned...

If I had to choose between becoming either of these characters I would choose Ebenezer Scrooge, and let me tell you why...Because HE WAS NOT WITHOUT HOPE!!!...In the end of the story Mr. Scrooge became one of the most loving and generous person in the town, and before that he was the stingiest! It teaches me that no one is not too far from change, and as long as we are breathing there is ALWAYS hope for us!!! THANK GOD!!!!!! 

Something else that I think of too about "It's a Wonderful Life" is this, the way that Mr. Potter conducted business was considered, cold, ruthless, and unthinkable...and I really believe that is partly why this story is so popular. We don't want Mr. Potter to win!!! We are cheering for George Bailey and all of the Bailey family.

We don't want to see the "Building and Loan" company collapse. There are a few things that are said by George's father that I think are very significant to hear in these times and age. He talks to Mr. Potter about how these families have children and we cannot just kick them out of their homes. George Bailey sacrifices his honeymoon money and his chance for college, and for going to Europe to keep open the "Building and Loan."

What has happened to that way of thinking anymore!!! If there is any scripture that I can name that reminds me of where we are now is Psalm 73:2-3 "But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked."

There was once a time when people who conducted business like Mr. Potter were considered cold and ruthless. Now, it just "business..." WHEN DID WE CHANGE AND IS THERE STILL HOPE???!!! Why does business have to be conducted this way? Have we all lost our heart and soul to the mighty dollar anymore??? Do you think it is too late to turn the tide???!!!...Yes, business is important, but not because of the money...BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE!!!...Anything less than that is being put in chains and getting whipped like slaves from long ago...

I believe that business should be sharing one thing for another, a transaction, a favor, more of you help me and I will help you...There was once a time when people bartered, and I really believe that it will happen again. I mean really, does it really matter if you have the best of the best thing??? The moment you own it something else arrives that is 10 times better!!!

I know that business has to happen in order for us to survive. Do you think we can start doing it with heart instead being the priority instead of money???!!! What is so wrong with having a heart in business anymore??? Is it really so great being a shark all the time...Not knowing your friends from your enemies, and never having a peace of mind because you never know when you can finally rest!!!

So, that is what I wanted to say...If you had to choose, who would you be, Ebenezer Scrooge or Mr. Potter...I pray for your sake that you choose Mr. Scrooge too!!!

Because all of us are not without hope, and everyone can truly change!!! 

May this message be a Blessing in your lives and mine!!!

Be Blessed and Prosper My Family and Friends!!! 

What will it be like

Today, I thought about what it must really be like to be in love...truly...the way that God intended...and I thought about my friend when he got married....it was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen.

I have never seen someone so much in love....true love,...the love that doesn't make you feel small or jealous,...but inspired...to truly believe that it happens...Our society has been mixed up so much in love that it has been treated as a perfume or a cosmetic that you need in order to be able to get your man...what a crock!...it's a lie!!!....

For me, one of the closest things that I can think of when it comes to love is the movie "Fiddler on the Roof." When the father asks his wife, "Do you love me?"...and as the song continues, his wife Goulda is thinking about what she has done for him. She has washed his clothes, taken care of him, bore his children,...starved with him and been with him through all these things...then she says,..."if that is not love then what is."....That has impacted me for years, if that is not love than what is!

Well, that does not sound like roses, or romance...Please don't misunderstand, I am favorable towards romance, just don't think that's all that should be recognized and acknowledged as love...

Can it be possible that our society has a skewed point of view of what it means to be "in love." Well, at my friend's wedding,...there was warmth in the air, and a soft glow of the Holy Spirit blessing this marriage...It was evident that this match was designed by God and no one else. What a blessing to experience something like that...to see it real and alive today in our society...Gives me hope of so much more than what we expect....that there is something much greater...Than I think of Jesus and His love for us. How passionate and on fire He is with us every day and all the time. He longs to be with His bride of Christ, and will one day come to take her home...

I believe that it is easy to get skewed in all the perceptions of the world to let them flood your mind and hearts about what is acceptable and pleasing to God...What does it truly mean to "love" each other...??? For better or worse,...richer or poorer,...in sickness and health, till death do us part....well,...isn't this something that we do in other things in life? What about your job, career, ministry, commitments that you have made with one another. What about the commitments that are made every day by people who give their life for their country. Or an officer that has committed to fight crime and stand up for you...isn't that love!!!...

Why then is it, that we know how to love in so many other ways, but this one is skewed...because of the impression that is received about love...like it is a rush or a feeling that you must have because how can you live without it...That is not the kind of love that I want in my life...I want something more real than that...I want something tangible, yet romantic...let it be the highlights in it. Like a spice that makes food taste better, too much ruins the dish and too little makes it bland....It's the right combination of it that is pleasing to the palette. That is the prayer that I have for everyone in my life. That they will find the balance between too much and not enough of love in their life...and most of all,...that God's love, Jesus will overfill them to overflowing all the days in their lives...and to you who I have not met, my prayer is that Jesus will always guide and be with you...and that He will dwell in your hearts...

May this inspiration be a blessing in your lives...

Be Blessed and Prosper!!! 

Who Should You Be

When you were a child, what was it that entered your mind and hearts? What was it that you wanted to be, or who was it that you wanted to become? What was it that had guided your life? Are you truly the person that you were then? Or are you better than you are now?

What were the idols in your life? What caused you to fall and feel pain? Like broken pieces, we all fall and we all cry because there has been deep pain in our hearts. Not because of truth, but because of lies...Lies that we tell each other every day. That we are not skinny enough, or we need to get the gray out of our hair. That we will never become like...and a few years later you look yourself in the mirror and become exactly who you did not want to be. We are inspired by our words every day, and God has warned us about the power of speaking. "The power of life and death are in the power of the tongue..." (Proverbs 18:21) Why do we let it go rampant, like a writhing serpent going around biting each other like a horror fest...IT IS DISGUSTING!!! There is so much damage that can be done with words and we see fruit of it every day and all the time. It is not someone's dream to crush someone else's, but they have been inspired by someone's words. Their poison has entered the person's hearts and mind. It has polluted their perception to see clearly...

We have to purify our hearts, mind and hearts, and stop acting like people who do not know any better. We are supposed to be the example,...what kind of example have we become...if someone did not know that you are a Christian and they heard you speak,....would they recognize you as a follower of Christ, or would the words that you speak and bite tell them that you are someone else....We are only asked to be WISE as serpents,...not ACT like them!!! (Matthew 10:16)....

I have seen so much destruction come from words,...I have seen it kill people and take lives without having a dagger or gun. It can kill you instantly if you do not have the remedy....The Word of God....The BIBLE....That is the remedy the soothing salve that can wash over the infected areas and make them clean and whole. To remove the punctured wounds, and remove the poison....

God knows the power of words, and they do have the power to create. Look at everything around you. Someone spoke it; an idea, thought, heart, truth,...what do you have in the place where you are right now...take a look at it...now...someone thought it....someone spoke it...someone proposed it....if there is so much power in these words,...then why not use them the way God intended!???!!! Speak things of life to people, bless them and do not curse them. Even the ones that have hurt you....Don't just let them stomp on you some more, but forgive, let that battle go, and love them as God sees them...Anyone can change,...and it's words that make the difference...

So I challenge you, as well as myself,...to guard your words more closely, and bless those that curse you...if you believe that you are nothing...without God's words...His breath of life...you are...in your mind...but not in God's...Cast down the imaginations and start dreaming of something more beautiful and better than you could ever have hoped. Rejoice when someone celebrates, and cry when someone suffers...We need to be more simple and get on our knees and face...Meet people where they are...don't beat someone over the head with a Bible...treat someone the way you would like to be treated...no one likes being bullied or pushed or shoved...so STOP DOING IT TO EACH OTHER...and start behaving as brothers and sisters of Christ!!! Who cares what denomination you are...IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE BECAUSE ALL THAT MATTERS IS CHRIST AND HIS WORD TRUTH AND WAYS...

Stop tearing each other down because of things that you do not understand. Just because you don't understand it... DOES NOT mean that it is not true and real

Who are you to think that...you hypocrite!...Compared to God,...our minds know NOTHING!...Trust His ways and stop doubting because you do not understand...If you are led in a certain way...go there...Trust and know that He is right there and always following and guiding you...Be a Blessing in people's lives and not a curse!..

May this message be an inspiration in your lives...

Be Blessed and Prosper!!! 

Is it the End or Just the Beginning!

When I was a little girl, all I ever dreamed about was being rich and famous when I grew up. I wanted to make a difference in this world, and I wanted to make my mark in the world.

Isn't it amazing the dreams that you had when you were a kid? How they affect your life if you let them. I was thinking today about someone else's dream, my son's. There comes a time in your life when you think about what is more important in life, and today I have come to one of those conclusions, when God tells you to go, GO! Go to wherever He leads you, and do not worry about what is on the other side. All we have is today, so why not live today!

My father used to work for the city, and he was one of the executives. I remember when he used to let me go to his office, and I would play with one of their pcs and use the paint feature on it. You remember, when all there was for graphics was clicking a color and drawing lines on the screen.

I wasn't aware of the eraser feature that was in the program, so if I did not like what I painted I would just color over it until it looked right. Then, yes I did this, I would hit print and the printer would try to color the photos in the EXACT PATTERN that I had designed them. It would even paint the designs that were covered up because it was "part of the picture" too. I broke their printer that day! Oops!  It happened when I was 5 years old. Those were some of the greatest memories with my dad.

Now I am 30 years old, and I am not the little girl anymore. It is amazing how fast life can pass you by when you are looking at it for too long. Kind of like those weird paintings that you are supposed to stare at until your eyes got weird and saw things. I could never get those things to work for me. Oh well 

Chapters come and go in our lives. Some are great and others are so gut wrenching that you don't even think that you are alive anymore, and it is just a nightmare! So, why I am saying this! It's because it is time to take a stand in your life, and just do whatever it is that God has called you to do!

Memories are things of the past, but how do you know that some of the greatest moments in your life have yet to be written???!!! God knows your script, but do you! Sometimes God cancels doors in your life because there is something that He wants you to look at and get the bigger picture

So, ask yourself, what is it that you want to do in life! If you know what it is, quit waiting and get out there and go do it!

Wait, it is not us that does it though, it is Jesus Christ!!!

In order for Him to be able to do anything for us though, you have to completely surrender everything to Him, even your dreams, heartaches, passions, fears, joys, moments.

Don't waste your life lamenting about what could've been. That moment is over, and it will never happen again. I used to try to figure out things for so long, wondering what it was that I could have done differently. That is just a dream too! All you have is today and right now, and if you work I applaud you. I must caution you though, Don't – Let – It – Rule- Your – Life!!!!

God freed His people from the Egyptians because He did not want His people to be in slavery, so why are you doing it to yourself! What do you think you are doing? I think our society has done a poor job showing what it truly means to be successful. We have bought into the lie for too long!

I used to think that I was supposed to fit into the "picture" that society has painted for us. I am "supposed" to be the single mother that is working, and automatically, all the things that my child needs will come to life. It's not that easy, and when you are trying to fit into a picture that just does not want to fit, QUIT TRYING TO SHOVE YOURSELF INTO SOMETHING THAT JUST MIGHT NOT BE WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!

For years I have been trying to fit into a picture because I thought that was the ultimate, and memories of being in the big office with my father smiling at me plagued me. Being a single mother means having to be the mother and the father at the same time, and I'm not doing that anymore! Because God is his Daddy, and I don't have to be!

So, no more double roles for me! Instead of just trying to figure out how to survive, I am going to look at the bigger picture and say, "God, what is your plan for me and my son's life," and tell Him, "Where You go, I will go, Your people will be my people, and you are my God!" (Ruth 1:16)

So, what am I telling you??? If I try to measure up to the standards that are given to me from society, I might as well curl up and die, because they are IMPOSSIBLE!!!! Why are we listening to standards from anyone else except Jesus Christ! He is the one that says that He will not give me more than I can handle, and I believe that! God has the bigger plan for me and for YOU!!!

Let's learn more from the Bible what it means to be in charge of our family and doing what He said to do. One thing that has stood out to me is this...If God tells you to go, GO!

It might feel like the end of so many things, but that is the key because it could be "just the beginning" of something more beautiful and wonderful that you could ever imagine. And even when you choose to go, you might have no idea how that is going to happen, and that's okay because you have taken your first step. And Jesus will not show you the second step until you take the first. I know that He is right here with me holding my hand every step of the way, so I will not be afraid anymore! I will NOT try to figure it out either because that is HIS job and not MINE!

In the end it all comes down to this, are you doing what God has called you to do! If the answer is no, then ask yourself why! What is holding you back from it! Is it fear or rejection? It's time to get out of the boat and learn to walk on the water with Jesus!

So ask yourself, is it the end or the beginning? Thank God that we have other chapters in our life, BUT...they cannot start until another closes! We cannot have both chapters open at the same time. And even when you read a book, can you read 2 chapters at once, NO! So, why are we doing that with our lives!

So, I am not worried anymore about what society thinks about my life, and whether or not I am a "good" mother and provider. What matters to me the most is what Jesus thinks. For the past 2 months I have been praying and seeking God's face about what it is that He desires for me, and to close the doors in my life that are done! To my surprise at how they are getting closed, the doors are closing and new ones have opened.

David ran towards Goliath when He was in battle. He did not waver for a moment because he knew that fear could have let that moment pass by....Don't hide from the Goliaths in your life, run to them armed with the Word of God and the Sword of the Spirit! Sometimes there are challenges that we must face to move on in the race of God. So, don't be afraid...GO! and know that He is right there beside you holding your hand! When God closes a door He opens a window. And once the doors are shut, you will be able to see the light in your eyes from the right door that is open shining to your future and hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) If God be for you, who can be against you! (Romans 8:31)

Go, and ask yourself, are you at the end, or just the beginning!

May this message be a blessing for our lives! Be Blessed and Prosper! 

Dreams

What are dreams and what are they truly made out of? It is fluffy stuff like white clouds and smiles from yesterday or is it something more?

Dreams are something that cost or they would be of little value. When you live in a desert the dream of seeing rain seems impossible. When you are sick the thought of being well seems so far away. Why is it that dreams seem so hard to reach and are unattainable? They are when you are alone. How hard it is for someone who is completely alone. The truth is we are completely alone because we "choose" to be. There is always someone out there and His name is Jesus Christ. He is there to lift us up from our burdens, and help us when we feel weak.

He is our survivor and mentor, savior and friend! Without Him we would be meaningless, life would be meaningless...I think one of the hardest and most rewarding things is to have a dream. What would it be like if you did not have a dream, something to reach and strive for, and you lived everyday looking at white walls, living a colorless life, not having a clue what it means to truly be blessed having a dream.

Yes, dreams are hard, and they can be the most painful thing that anyone can ever endure. If childbirth is so painful, and they are such a blessing, why are we so surprised when having a dream can be one of the toughest things that you will ever encounter! One thing, a dream is bigger than today. It is not about what we will eat and wear today. Dreams are about making a difference, and they impact more than one life.

Look at God's dream, to have a family that loves Him and enjoys being around Him for better and worse. Look at how many people are in the world, and how many times that dream was tested. How many times has Christ been rejected?!

Also, look at how many times Christ was rejected by someone that came to love Him later. Thank God He did not give up on His dream! To have that family that loves Him. Thank God that He did not give up on me the first time I felt Christ woo me. When I turned Him down, Thank God He did not reject me! God's love is so big, so huge and pure that is it so hard for human kind to understand.

As a mother, my heart cries out when I want more for me and for my family. How much harder much God cry for His own. To think that everyday someone is crying out for Him in tears of grief, and someone else crying with tears of joy at the same time. That at the same moment someone is going to Heaven, another soul denied Christ and went to Hell. How painful and rejoiceful a moment that must be. To experience something so joyful and so grievious at the same time.

Why are we given dreams? Is it to torture us, taunt us and question what we really believe? No...life without dreams would be a vacuumless world with no color, no art, no inventions, a cold dark meaningless life. It is what gives us our heartbeat, and the desire to do what is right. If dreams were so harmful, then why are some of the best loved stories about someone with a dream.

To step out on their own and go the untrodden road. The road less traveled. I myself am going through a journey. One of the toughest ones in my life, where I have been questioned with what I truly believe and everything that I am and fight for.

When dreams that have not been reached are as painful as glass piercing my soul, and there is a temptation to give up. Deep in my heart though, I know that I just need to clean myself up, and go the extra mile because with each step I take I know that I am one step closer to what I have truly hoped for. And when I think about how many people will be affected by God's purpose coming into fruition...when I love God's family...how much more do I want to see it come to life!

So, what am I saying...Don't stop believing even when it seems impossible! If God put the dream inside of you don't give up...Just like today is the night before the day we celebrate Jesus' resurrection, it is almost midnight, and I know that Jesus rose again. The new day is dawning! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways follow Him, and He will make your paths straight!" (Proverbs 3:5). "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13)

Everything around you was someone else's dream that came to pass...good and bad...Some are out to destroy, and others want to heal hurting hearts. Which one will you be, because whether you believe it or not, God does have a dream for you, and You are making a difference in this world! Without you the world would not be the same! So ask yourself, what are you fighting for, and how far would you go allowing God to work in your life to bring it into fruition?

Be Blessed, Safe, Prosperous and Guided this Easter season!

Come Celebrate His resurrection in 2008!

A Silly Shoe Story

One day, I pulled into the parking lot for my workplace, and I realized that I was wearing the wrong shoes...I had backless shoes on...I am not allowed to wear them there...and...a meeting was about to start in a few minutes...so,...what do you do???

Well, my home was across town, so that was not really an option...So, I decided to go shopping and buy a new pair of shoes...like I really had to pull my arm to go shopping...ha-ha... 

Anyways, after my meeting,...and a few delays...holding my breath every moment, I leave for lunch and plan to get my shoes...By the time I get in the store, I have only a few minutes left, and I said to the clerk "I need to have shoes or I cannot go back to work..."

I must have tried over 20 pairs of shoes, and none seemed to fit either...very frustrating and odd...!!! Anyways, of all the pairs in the store, finally I found one that fit correctly....

Picture this,...I am dressed very casual, and I end up with "LEOPARD SPOTTED HIGH HEELS!!!" ha-ha :-)...

Yes, it's true!!! I walked back into work with those shoes...Reminded me of the movie "My Cousin Vinny" when Vinny walked into the courtroom with the comical tuxedo...What a day!!!...But, I did get a really good pair of shoes...

Funny the moments you end up in...It's important to remember to be able to laugh and enjoy all of them!!!

I pray that this inspires you...

Be Blessed and Prosper!!! :-)

My friend Amy's favorite article! 
"Saving" a document???

One day as I was pondering over a few things I started thinking about the "save" button on the pc, and how it erases the past...sound familiar...let's backtrack a little bit 

In one of my previous articles called, "Is It the End or Just the Beginning," I was reminiscing about the time that I was in the office with my father, and I was playing on the pc. I was only 5 at the time  I was playing with the paint feature, you know with only the fill in colors, lines to draw, and the paint brush, how things change!

Anyways, when I was painting on the pc, and I made a mistake or I wanted to make something different I was not aware of the "erase" feature and I would color over whatever design I wanted to change. Then when I pressed "print," the printer would try to redesign every stroke that I made on the pc, INCLUDING the ones that I tried to "cover up." It was one of those old color printers, and all of the paper turned to mush. Needless to say,...I killed the printer at my father's office. That was the last time that I was ever there too. I wonder why...

Recently I was laughing at myself when I thought about how I did not use the "erase" feature when I was on the pc in my father's office. I thought about how different things could have turned out when I printed the photos. Then I thought about how when we try to "cover up" something it does not erase it, it only covers it for a while until something happens and you want to print the photo, or a weakness or truth is revealed!!!

But even when you use the "erase" feature it is not permanent. You can still use the "redo" and the "undo" buttons on the pc, but how can you make sure that your work is preserved? You have to "save" it.

When we "save" a document there is no past, only the present. There is no concern about accidentally "undoing" or "redoing" something. All key strokes are wiped clean, and you have a "clean slate."

In I John 1:9 it states, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness." If we confess, if we press the "save" button...hmm...do I see a connection here???

The more that I have been looking at things in life, the more clear it is to me how the scriptures are alive in everything around us, in nature, in science, in computers! Why is it that the way we look at anything is nature is considered, "this is the way it is," but when it comes to life there are so many questions that can arise...Did Jesus really forgive me? Are all of my sins forgiven?...Am I truly cleansed from everything?...

It is so common to hear the term "Saved" and not truly understand the meaning of it. So, I looked it up in a dictionary, and one of the meanings for saved is, "to keep from being lost." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/saved) I thought that was interesting.

So, whenever you are questioning whether or not you are "saved" or if your sins are forgiven, take a look at the computer and take a look at the "save" button. If all of the past can be erased on a pc, don't you think that it can happen with you too!

Just take a look around and see all of the ways that God shows us every day that He is right here, and that He is in control! 

May this message be a blessing in your lives and mine! 

Be Blessed and Prosper!!! 

Playing with Light

What do you think of when you hear "be a light unto the world?" (Matthew 5:13-16) Do you think of light as a candle, flashlight or even a laser? My prayer is for God's light to be like a laser piercing to the truth.

When I used to think of being "white as snow" or "pure as white" I thought it meant only one color and everything else was washed away. Of course, it can symbolize purity and perfection.

But, could it be that there is much more to the color we call white? Did you know that white light contains all colors? Perhaps, white is simply the result of each color working together in perfect harmony - bright and beautiful. What a great example for us to mirror as children of God – the Creator of the Universe.

God teaches me a lot of things through colors, lights, and scenery. Sometimes it helps me to step back and take a look at our beautiful world as a spectator. When I do, things often appear differently than before and this allows me to be more open-minded - not accepting my first thought by default as the only way.

Can I have a Side Order of Hypocrisy Please!

Why is it that so many Christians are called hypocrites! If there is one thing that I cannot stand is how people are treated when they say that they are a Christian. It's almost like we are "expected" to be hypocritical. Why! Why can't other people be more encouraging when they hear that someone has given their life to Christ! It's almost like we are "expected" to fail...but that's the thing! Christians never said that they "cannot" fail. We said that we "won't" fail. There is quite a big difference between "cannot" and "won't."

There is such a high expectation when someone says they have become a Christian. Why? Where did it come from? That is one question that I have pondered, and then the answer came to me...There is a great misunderstanding of what it means when someone says that they are a Christian!

Christ died so that no one else would have to. In other words, "There is only one perfect person, and His name is Jesus Christ!" We cannot save ourselves! I have had people approach me and say, "You're not perfect." Then I say, "You're right. I NEVER 'said' that I was perfect!"

Perfectionism, what is it anyway! Society has this tendency to try to create the "perfect" world, "perfect" life, "perfect" family...What a farce! Perfection is without blemish, perfectly clean. It also means that no sin was committed in order to be "perfect" either. Anything other than that is a sham! A fake! A counterfeit! A Stepford Wife! Get the point! 

Please don't misunderstand. I know that several of you who are reading this have been hurt by someone that said they are a Christian, and for that I am sorry!. The truth is there are hypocrites everywhere, and not just in the church. Where there are people, there are hypocrites. When there were only 4 people in the world one of them was a murderer. (Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel) When only 2 people were around there were sinners. (Adam, Eve) There is not one place on this Earth where hypocrisy doesn't exist! So why is it that Christians have been dogged so much more when someone falls! It's because of the expectations, not God's expectations, SOCIETY'S expectations!!!

So what is a hypocrite anyway? Here is the definition: (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypocrite)

1.a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions stated beliefs

2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

 |

---|---

 |

Origin:

1175–1225; ME ipocrite < OF < LL hypocrita < Gk hypokrit s a stage actor, hence one who pretends to be what he is not, equiv. to hypokr (nesthai) (see  hypocrisy ) + -tēs agent suffix

Synonyms:

deceiver, dissembler, pretender, Pharisee.

So, in essence a hypocrite is a deceiver...hmm...isn't there someone else who is called a deceiver?...let's get back to that later... 

A hypocrite is a pretender, like when you played make believe as a kid. Let's "pretend" that we are Christians, let's "pretend" that we are their friend...let's "pretend"...get the picture. As I said previously, I do apologize if you have been hurt by someone who said they're a Christian. It is a very painful thing to open your heart to someone that you think is their friend and/or mentor and they stab you in the back. If there is one saying that I've heard that can spell it out, it is "hurt people hurt people!"

The truth is a hypocrite doesn't care about anyone but themselves! Their only motivation is how it will help them. Selfishness, power and greed! So how can you tell the difference? How can you tell when someone is a hypocrite or not? It's by their fruit!

God tells us that you will be able to recognize if the person is a follower of Christ by their actions or "fruit." (Matthew 7:16) A Christian is someone who cares about doing the right thing. They care about not sinning, but they also realize that they are not perfect and need help.

That's where Jesus comes in. When He died on the cross, all the punishment that mankind deserved fell on Christ instead of us. (John 3:16) In the Old Testament a "lamb" was sacrificed to atone for all of Israel's sin. This was done every year. (II Chronicles 29:22, II Chronicles 35:11) When man sinned we "deserved" death, but through Christ we "receive" life! ["For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23] It is very clear that we need a savior!

So what am I saying is this. No one can be perfect! The only way that someone can be perfect in God's eyes is if they accept what Christ did for them. In other words Jesus is our hero! The only person who can ask to be punished in place of someone else is a person who is "innocent." Someone who is "not guilty." Where will you find that! Have you ever met a person who has never done anything wrong? I haven't, and that's including myself! 

There are great misunderstandings about God and His church. About why people care about reading His scriptures and trying to do what is right. It's not about works. It's about love. Love for what He did for us...All of us!...There is not one soul that Jesus did not die for! He loves all of us!!!

I cannot tell you how many times that I have messed up, said something wrong, done something that I shouldn't...and that's why I love Jesus so much! Because He loves me JUST THE WAY THAT I AM!!!

Even when I mess up He is right there to pick me up and brush off the dirt on my clothes. In other words, He washes me clean! (Hebrews 10:22 "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.") (Ephesians 6: 13-15 "...stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place...") (I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.")

It is true! You will NEVER find a church that is perfect, and if you do you'd better look under the covers because it's a counterfeit! 

So again, why does it look like there is so much hypocrisy in the church? It's because there is, but hypocrisy is everywhere and not just in church!

Remember this, Jesus church consists of imperfect people, and there are so many who really care about showing God's love. That is what I try to do, share God's love. And I make mistakes and mess up along the way, but it's as long as I don't give up and quit. (Proverbs 24:16 "Failure isn't falling down. It's staying down.") It humbles me that of all of the ways that God can show His love that He chose His people to share it. In other words...You! Me! Everyone!!!!

Please don't give up when you have been hurt by someone who says, or who REALLY IS, a Christian!. People mess up! A true Christian will not judge you, and will love you exactly the way you are.

No matter what you have done or will do because if I judge you than I am looking at myself in the mirror. Sin is sin! (Luke 6:42 "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye..")

It doesn't matter what is the sin. God looks at it the same! If I judge you because of what you have done, than God will judge me with the same judgment that I showed you. (Matthew 18: 21-35 "...Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[g] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[h] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.")

Now getting back to a previous thought, "who is the deceiver?" It is satan! He is the ultimate hypocrite, and the first one that ever existed. He is a liar and conniver. He designs schemes and is our enemy! That is what a hypocrite really is! A deceiver and a liar!

So there it is. There are liars and deceivers everywhere, and not just in the church. So let's get a better perspective, and see things for how they really are. Will you give people another chance when they tell you that they are a Christian and not just expect the other foot to fall or get defensive waiting for someone to condemn you?

As a friend of mine phrases it, "Church is a hospital, a place for sick and hurting people to come together and celebrate and share God's love." That is what God's church is all about! Sharing and caring for one another. Doesn't that seem like a nice thing to have? And most importantly, that we are not alone! We DON'T have to figure out everything by ourselves and constantly be in the driver's seat of our lives. That can be very exhausting. Believe me, I know! 

I love that I don't have to have all of the answers, and that Jesus watches over me. Whenever I don't have a clue what to do next, I lift up my hands and say "God I know that You are in control, and I thank You Jesus for watching over me." He is the truth! He is real! He is "love!"

So, the next time that you speak with someone who's a Christian or you drive past a church. Are you going to give God another chance or are you going to have another side order of hypocrisy!

It is my prayer that this message blesses you! Take Care and God Bless! 

Giving instead of Receiving

This Christmas has been one of the most interesting ones in my life. Instead of it being all sparkle and magic in my life, it has been one of the most challenging and refreshing times of my life.

To start, on the day that my family was arriving in town, and my first day off from work, my son fell and hurt himself badly. I had to take him to the doctor's office before they closed for the holidays. The appointment took so long that I was tired and exhausted. Then went into the drive thru for the medicine,...then...had to rush to the rental place to pick up some cots for our family. Would you believe....they were too big for the car.

So here I am, starved, frustrated, tired and highly concerned about my son's well being. At that moment it felt like a test. I knew deep in my heart that there was a door open and I could not see it at that moment. But...I knew God was there...After all that, I found out that the cots could be delivered, but when I got home we decided to cancel having them delivered...can you see the comedy arising...wait, it gets better!

So, instead of cots, my family is camped on beds, couches, recliners and on the floor for the weekend...It was quite a sight! Anyways, had a really nice visit with family, and the very next day, the day after my son's injury, the power goes out in the evening. We were the only ones on the street too without power.

Kind of felt like one of those moments when you reflect at the humor in life. Listening to all the different conversations going on while getting the power back on. The children are amazed that there was once a time when there was no electricity and no one had video games to play. Of course this was at a time when it was the worst time to have the power go out, like when someone was taking a bath!...of course!..., and then my nephew uses his cell phone light as a flash light to go to the other side of the house,...don't you just love technology! A phone for a flash light, who knew! 

The next day was eventful too. During our visit with all our family in town and from out of town, my son spilled hot chocolate on himself and broke his favorite mug...can you see the comedy rising?

Now it is Christmas Eve, and the power went out not once, but twice...The first time I could fix it, but the other one,...well, we missed Christmas Eve service, my son was concerned that Santa would not be able to find our house since it was dark, and he stayed at our neighbors until we got it straightened out. We were blessed with a very nice electrician that came over even when he was at his dinner table about to eat supper. He came over and fixed our power issue

Yeah...I was very happy to have power again. I know that when people think about Christmas you think of lights and candlelight, well, we "did" have a lot of candlelight this weekend! Ha-ha...

By the time we needed to start getting everything ready for Christmas morning, we were exhausted. So tempted to not wrap anything and not care...but...then it occurred to me about all the excitement and specialness about Santa and his reindeer visiting our home.

My son would have been hurt if he did not come. Even though I have told him that Santa works for Jesus and He is the one in charge...it would still hurt him so much. What a precious innocent child. To realize that his dreams were in my hands...I could not let him down...so...I prayed for God's strength and ability to do what was needed so we would be ready for Christmas morning...

Then of all things, we did not have batteries for one of his toys either...What a weekend!...So, Christmas morning, after only a few hours of sleep, my son wakes up, opens his presents, and I go out on the road searching for batteries...Where would I find batteries on Christmas morning...

As I drove, I was able to reflect on a few things and this is what I discovered:

As a child, there are so many expectations about Christmas, the excitement about Santa, Frosty the snowman and all the gifts. And even if the child did not get to experience it, there was the "expectation" of it.

Expectations can be so disappointing...Then I thought about what Christmas meant to me as an adult. I knew that Santa would not be coming down the chimney for me, and that there was no Daddy Warbucks that would come swooping down in a helicopter and give me tons of gifts.

It was then that I realized the true meaning of Christmas, for me. It was TO SERVE, NOT RECEIVE!!!...If you look at Christmas with all the expectations and anticipation of what is seen in movies and stories, all the romance, drama and all the Christmas sweaters. Everyone looking so perfect and everything turning out alright, unless the story is a comedy or "It's a Wonderful Life," that everything is supposed to be fine and perfect...

I could not help but, think about something that my pastor said this week, "That Christ was born in a manger to show us how far He went to share His love. That He was born in one of the most unpleasant places to show that He is there with us in the midst of what we are facing. That there is nothing that we cannot face with His help and that Christ is always there for us." Then, what hit me most of all was that Christmas is Christ's birthday, and we focus so much on giving gifts to ourselves or our family.

How many birthday parties have you been to that had gifts for everyone else except the birthday person? None I would guess...But that is what happens at Christmas...Christ gets forgotten when everyone else gets the gifts...It was in that moment that I was freed of the desire to have Christmas be such a magical moment in life and to learn to look at it in a completely different way.

That at the time I am celebrating with my family, someone is dying for me. Or someone is hurt. When I think of it that way, I don't care so much about whether or not there is enough tinsel or if all the lights are working right on the tree. WHO CARES!!! In the end, does it really matter? What is it that will truly matter in the end anyway? God says that it is better to give than to receive. I truly believe that too!

Please don't misunderstand, I love Christmas and it has always been my very favorite holiday. I love everything about it. Now, I have learned even more to love about this very special day. That God loves us and He always will in the midst of everything. He will always be there for us NO MATTER THE CHALLENGE!!!

May this message be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

A Man and His House

There once was an old man who built a house. It has lots of rooms, and everyone was welcome to live in it. This man called "Peace" loved the color blue, and everything in his home was blue. The ceiling, walls, furniture, dishes; He loved the color blue so much because it meant "freedom" to him. The only rule that he had in his home was that everything had to be blue.

This home was so beautiful that you could see it miles away. It looked like a bright star in the sky leading people to his home. The old man was so excited about his new home and he wanted to share it with everyone. The place was a mansion with plenty of good food and shelter. He man loved the place so much that he called it "Peace and Freedom."

One day Peace had to go away for a while, and hired "Reason" and "Justice" to watch over his home while he was away. At first everything went well. People from everywhere couldn't wait to live in "Peace and Freedom." All were welcome, and could do whatever they wanted as long as they kept the place blue...But this didn't last long!

Soon the people started complaining. It wasn't enough that they had the best food, and plenty of room. They wanted more. They wanted to change the home, and kept pleading with "Reason" and "Justice" convincing them that it wasn't necessary for "Peace and Freedom" to stay blue. Why couldn't it be a different color! Some even complained that the color blue "offended" them, and they didn't want to see it anymore.

After several comments "Reason" and "Justice" gave in and they started changing the house. The blue ceiling that covered the home like a warm blanket was changed. Yellow, brown, green, pink, and orange blotches of paint were thrown on top of the blue. It was a mess! And that was the beginning. One by one and piece by piece all of the blue dishes, furniture and walls were being replaced with cardboard, and paper plates. Nothing was blue anymore, and some people even started to "interpret" the man's rules and stated, "well, the man said 'blue' but that doesn't mean that we cannot have 'teal' or 'light blue.' After all, it "does" have blue in it doesn't it!"

When the old man came back he was heartbroken. Instead of having a beautiful home that was "Peaceful" and "Freeing" it was a mess. All he saw was chaos and strife! There wasn't peace anymore, and no one was happy. Misery had entered his household, and the man's refuge looked old and tired.

The old man was so angry and asked "Reason" and "Justice" what happened. When they started to explain how much the people complained about being "offended" at everything being blue, and that it needed to be changed, it broke the man's heart, and he died.

This wasn't his dream at all. Peace wanted a home where there was Freedom! And it was taken away, piece by piece!!!

Jesus said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. What do you think is going on in this country! Instead of people working together to bring "peace" and "freedom" greed has entered our home, and instead of "peace" there is "chaos" and "offense." This was never God's dream for our country!

How would you feel if you were the man whose home was changed? Would you be offended or would you not care that everything that you worked for was gone! Freedom is a gift and not a curse, but it must be CARED FOR!!! If you don't take care of it, and guard it, it will break away piece by piece and before you know it,...it's gone!

Take a step back at the history of America, and ask yourself, "Are we going forward, or backward?" What would our founding fathers say if they saw how their "home" is doing? Would they be pleased or heartbroken with all of the changes, and "interpretations!"

Freedom is a gift and not a curse! People die for it every day, and it has to live and breathe to survive! Let's breathe life into our country again. Even with all of the fractures there is still time to change things. Let's not destroy all of the "blue" that is in our home. There's enough room for everybody, and let's respect the old man's wishes. Let's keep "Peace and Freedom" alive!!! 

It's a new decade and a fresh start! Let's make 2010 the best decade, and "Let Freedom Ring!"

Take Care and God Bless!!! 

  (Freedom!!!)

(A Patch of Light in the Darkness!)

One Day at a Time

What happens that helps make us who we are? Is it the good times or the bad? It's both actually...sad, but true!

Let's take me for example. There has been such a tapestry of pain, suffering and joy that has made me who I am today, but is it right to keep on dwelling? Are we supposed to forget who we are?...NO!...we're not!

Identity is such an important part of life, and being without it doesn't make much sense at all. Like being a robot without a name, or a flower without a purpose. Why does a rose bloom at the right time, what does someone call you when they call out your name! It all, matters!

Sadly, abuse matters too. It can help shape who you are today, and that is a very sad thing. How does it happen or why...Did I see the signs coming? No, I did not! My innocence was taken from me like the devil in the night...silently, patiently and without warning!

So why am I sharing this with you today? It's because there are so many who like me have a story to tell. Something more than, "once upon a time there was a girl named Mary...(ya da ya da ya da), and then I became a Christian and Thank God I have been changed.

Changed from what! Where is the story? Where is your testimony? Paul stated that it's the word of OUR testimony that can help reach people. Why does that matter! Is it because we're a bunch of salesman looking for any pitch to try and sell Jesus to others for a buck? When someone gives their life to Christ do we get a patch that says, "Well done good and faithful servant."...No...we don't!

Now, when you are speaking with someone that you care for, and they are truly your friend, don't you care when and where they go in their lives? Why should it be so different for Christians to do the same? We are supposed to love everybody as Christ loved the church. EVERYONE is supposed to be His Bride of Christ! Not just a few! All of us!

Now I have been praying about this, and I have decided to kick things up a notch and be bolder and rawer with the truth. The truth about who I am, and why I write. The truth about my walk with Christ. It is because that the word of MY testimony can help someone. And it is worth it! After all, what is someone's legacy anyway? It's our words, truth and wisdom that we pass on from generation to generation.

I am slowly realizing that if I do not share my heartaches and joys, and there is someone out there who is going through the same things that I have been through, but if I don't share, then how am I helping that person, really!!!

There comes a time in your life when you slowly ask yourself, "who am I and why am I here?" I have been asking that question for a long time, and I still don't have the answer. One thing I do know though is how important it can be to share your stories, your testimonies, and challenges.

Have you ever heard someone's story and it was so inspirational that it gave you the courage to go on, or you find yourself touched by something that you read about or watched in a movie. Whether it is good or bad there is something about all of us that can touch our lives. Remember our lives are a tapestry that has been woven together.

I'm SLOWLY realizing that there is a reason that we read about so many people in the Bible who went through so many trials. It is so we can "learn and understand" them. Can you imagine for a second if there was a library with everyone's life experiences written down, and you could pull one up whenever you were facing a trial, and someone has something to say! What a testimony! What an inspiration! What a...difference...in the making!

There is more than one way to make a difference in someone else's lives. How are you leaving your legacy today? What would you say to someone who has asked you for advice? Will you be silent or be ashamed of the truth. Maybe of your past. Are there secrets that you hope will stay in the dark because they are so unthinkable and reek with pain? Or are you going to let go, let God, trust Him, and follow His path!

If there is something that you have always been ashamed of and/or scared to admit...Don't!...There might be someone that needs to hear it, and it could help save their lives!

Oh, and one more thing, we are all people, Christians, Non-Christians, Atheists, Jews, etc. Each of us has a story to tell, and there is more than one way to "pay it forward!"

And lastly, whatever you are scared or ashamed to share today, chances are that the person next to you has something to share too. Let's not be afraid anymore, and start telling the truth! "He who the Son sets free is free indeed!" (John 8:36)

May this message be an encouragement to you and me, and give us the strength, willingness and ability to speak to others even when our knees are knocking because we're telling the truth, and not just half-truths anymore. Don't judge lest ye be judged!!! 

Midnight – A Work in Progress!

Have you ever wondered why it seems that God keeps us restricted from doing so many things? I've been wondering about it myself. "Why does it seem that God is keeping me away from so many joys in my life!" (Sigh...)

Tonight as I was looking at my puppy Midnight it all became clear. He is a puppy, and cannot be left alone to handle himself. If I did then this dog would run amok, destroy things and pretty much become a belligerent, misbehaved puppy, and one day a very violent and dangerous dog! In order to keep everything running smoothly in our home we have decided to "start over" with Midnight, and literally keep him on a tight leash!

Why would that make a difference? How can that help us make him into the "dog" he is meant to be?...sound familiar???...hmm... 

When we first got him, we started teaching him how to behave right away. As time went by though, we didn't keep Midnight right beside us, and he started to behave very badly, pose an attitude, eat a few shoes, and basically run amok!!!

Last night I decided to try something different. I'm not letting him go anywhere without me right there, and I'm keeping him on a "tight" leash so he learns to "behave" and mature into a well-balanced and happy dog! Does it seem cruel to treat Midnight this way? Am I being abusive and "hurting" him? He is learning to "trust" me more and "allowing" me to guide him instead of insisting he will do it his way! Sound familiar!!!

Nature gives us such a good reflection of how God works in our lives. We think that we have been "broken" or that something is wrong, but really we are being "protected" from outside dangers in this world. Jesus says that He is our shepherd, and he protects us from any danger that tries to harm his sheep. (Psalm 23 "The Lord is our Shepherd...")

I have been going through a season in my life where it seems that everything that I have loved and cared about is being stripped away. That I am being "restricted" or "put on a tight leash." Instead of being independent, my independence has been taken away, and instead I have been humbled and had to let go of being in the "driver's seat" of my life anymore. There is a false security that we can receive when we think that we have "total" control of our lives! It's a sham...Total control doesn't exist!!!!

There is only one person who has total control, and His name is Jesus Christ! But He knows that love that is "forced" is no better than someone who is "raped" because they are being "forced" to love (pardon the offense!) It is true though.

In society we are taught that when you are "forced" to love or do something that is wrong, you are supposed to stand against it! Our society does not condone this behavior of "forcing" each other. Why is there this misperception that God expects that!!! He never wants to "force" us. That is no better than a prisoner of war being tied up, and the officer has "complete control" to do whatever he/she desires of the prisoner. That is not love, and is completely against God's commands.

God teaches us to "love" one another, and lift each other up. We are supposed to be "watchmen" for each other, and hold each other accountable to God's word and truth. Does that sound like a God that doesn't love you? He wants to hold, nurture and love you. Tell you that everything will be alright, and that your heart can have peace. Now, it does not mean that we will have a perfect world, and I'll tell you why....Free will! Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!!! (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Have you ever felt like Jacob? Where you keep wrestling with God, and tell him "I will not let you go until you Bless me." (Genesis 32:26) "and the Lord puts Jacob's hip out of his socket." (Genesis 32:25) In the world's eyes he has become weaker. Have you ever felt like that? When you think that you are moving closer into God's will, and your hip gets moved out of place or something similar to that?

That is the season that I have been in for a while. Every day it seems like the world is passing me by, and I am missing it. That I'm missing everything! Marriages, celebrations, friendships, ministry, foods, places that I used to enjoy, hobbies, special outings with my family and friends, etc. It just seems like "Why God why? "I will not let you go until you bless me." And then when He does bless you,...you're broken! Nothing is the same anymore. You "have" a new life,...everything has changed. You still find yourself asking these words, "Why God why!!!"

God's eyes are bigger than ours, and He can see the writing down the road when we can only see the dust! He knew that down the road if I had stayed on "my" path that I would have had surgery and never chosen to have children! What a mistake that would have been! And I have always loved being in the entertainment business. There's something about an empty stage that ignites my soul. I'm sure you entertainers know exactly what I mean!  I craved getting attention from the audience, and became a slave to it.

Thank God He "broke" me of that!!!! Now when I'm on stage there is a freedom that I never had before. I am no longer a "slave" on the stage! I am free!!!! 

If God had just let me keep going, and never try to stop me or warn me that I was headed for danger, that would be the same as watching someone walk over a cliff, and not do anything to stop them. How could someone do that! How could JESUS do that!!!! HE DOESN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From the moment that God knew that we would sin, He developed a plan to bring everyone back to Himself, and the name of this plan is "Jesus, Emmanuel, God with Us!!!!" Tonight we celebrate this plan with names such as "Easter and Resurrection Sunday!"

Our lives without direction and guidance is like Midnight without discipline, a robot without a remote control, a stove without heat gauges so you don't burn your kitchen or scorch the food." All of this without a purpose and guidance is chaos! And nothing will be right! No matter what we do or say!

Are you in a season right now where it seems like everything has gone upside down in your life, and nothing makes sense at all? Do you ever wonder why things turn out the way it does, and that "all the bad people" are not destroyed? Every single person is a soul, and regardless of what we think they are made in Christ's image, and are someone that Jesus loves so much that He died for them, just as He died for you, and me...For everyone!!!! He knew the ultimate price, and took it! He knew that everyone would reject him while He was alive, and He still did it.

Love isn't about "what will I get." It's about "what I will give!!!!" Giving is better than receiving, and one without the other creates false humility, fear, discontentment, pride, selfishness, arrogance, know-it-all ness, etc. The OPPOSITE OF LOVE!!!!

What does Easter mean to you today? Is it just a holiday when we celebrate Jesus dying on the cross or does it mean more than that? Remember the selflessness that He showed towards EVERYONE NO MATTER THE RACE, RELIGION OR CREED!!!!! Don't forget that Jesus DOES have a plan for your life, and it is one to prosper you and not to harm you!!!! (Jer. 29:11)

If nothing seems right, and you feel like Jesus has forgotten you, DON'T!!! That is when He is the closest to you, and is watching you closely. Like when I'm watching Midnight, it might be uncomfortable, but I know exactly where he is, and I am protecting him from accidentally eating the plants or destroying another pair of shoes. He has a very sensitive stomach, and eating even the slightest thing can hurt him so we have to be extra careful!

Watch for the small treats in your life!!! The smile that a stranger gives you for no reason. The person who helps you out at the grocery store. Money that you find on the ground. A parking space that "just happens" to be available when you're in a hurry or at a really busy place! Those are some of my favorite ways that God reminds me that everything is okay, and He is watching, guiding, guarding and protecting us!!!!

What will this Easter season be for you? Will it be just another holiday or something more? If you are having difficulties in your life, relax, take a breath, and know that Jesus is RIGHT THERE! Just like air, you might not see it, but it doesn't mean it's not there!!!! 

Have a Happy, Healthy, Safe, Prosperous, Encouraged and Inspired Holiday Season!!!!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE AND TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS!!!!! 

St. Elmo's Fire

Ever had a group of friends that you thought would last forever? Well,...I have!

I remember someone told me that if you have 5 friends in a lifetime you're lucky...I've been truly Blessed!!!

I remember a few years ago when I met my friends, (and you know who you are! ). Every week we would go out together and shared everything! Life...love...what we wanted in life, and how to get it...everything seemed surreal then. Like, we were untouchable...and then life came in!

If there is one thing that I have learned is not to take anything for granted. Like when I was married. If I knew then what I knew now I would not have thought that it would last forever!, after all, what does! Life is a journey, and it is a bunch of chapters in your life. Every chapter takes you in a new direction. Not knowing where we will go or what we will do...it just, takes you there, like going down a river...a river called life!!!

Oh, how I miss my friends, and all of the fun things that we did together. It's not always supposed to be that way though. If it was, then nothing would get done. So I look forward to another journey, the one where I get to see all my friends and family again, but we are in a different place,...Heaven! 

I heard Madea say that,"people in your life are like a tree. Some are leaves that blow away, and that is all that they will ever be. Some are like a branch, and when you go in a different direction they break away...Some are the roots. It doesn't matter how many, and they are the roots in your life!"...That is how I look at my friends...roots...deep and grounded...roots that don't just blow away no matter the storm! That is my prayer for you! Roots that never blow away or get uprooted by the storms!!!

Then there is another Friend,...One who is more than a lover or friend...One who never goes away no matter what you say or do, and His name is Jesus Christ! He is One who is always beside you, and never leaves...Even though we cannot see Him, it doesn't mean that He is not there! And He will Always be there to Love, Cherish, Admonish and never embarrass you! He loves you, completely and fully! To the end of time and beyond then!!! And there is NOTHING that you can do to keep Him from loving you! What a great friend!!! 

A great friend is someone that listens to you, and is with you through the good times and the bad. Someone that even when you are far apart you are close in spirit. Someone who sees your frailties and doesn't care, and still loves you just the way you are!

It is so important to have friends like this in life because without them life is nothing but a shadow, a sham, put together to make us believe that nothing else matters, that there is no point in life, that what is the purpose behind it.

That life is like St. Elmo's Fire "St. Elmo's fire (also St. Elmo's light[1]) is an electrical weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a coronal discharge originating from a  grounded object in an atmospheric electric field (such as those generated by thunderstorms or thunderstorms created by a volcanic explosion)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo%27s_fire

Life is NOT an electrical fire that turns out not to be real. It is much more than that. It is a chance to realize who you are and to see your full potential. In the movie, Billy (played by Rob Lowe) was frustrated with his life because life was not like school. It was too organized and boring. He had to go out for himself and discover what life is about. He had to find himself, and realize who he really was,...a musician!

So what are you today? What is it that you love? Who is it that you want to be? There are so many obstacles that come around us and try to stop us from being who we are supposed to be...so what is stopping you! Sometimes it can be yourself! Not believing in who you are, and that is when your friends matter the most. They come in when you are not feeling your best and want to end it all...when all you can see is the shattered pieces in your life!

Sadly, there are more broken pieces today then I think ever before in history. Because people have forgotten how to love, care, cherish, appreciate, and respect one another. And that is because we have forgotten how to love ourselves too!!! If you don't believe me look around at the world today! What does it really mean to respect one another anymore! Does it mean anything, or is it another word that is heard and easily forgotten!

Love means sacrifice and being there for one another...where do you see that. Nowadays we hear about people who step on each other and forget that each one of us is alive and deserves the right to be heard and respected. We are thrown into one category called "human." - Not even individuals anymore...

If we never get to express ourselves fully then how do you expect to find out who you are...Sadly there are others who would like to keep your mouth shut and silence you when you are hurting and have tears because it is "not supposed to be how it works." You are no longer an individual anymore...you are someone who is supposed to follow in line, and you lose your voice! YOU ARE SPECIAL, AND YOU HAVE A VOICE THAT NEEDS TO AND HAS A RIGHT TO BE HEARD!!!! WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS, AND IT'S OKAY IF NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS YOU!!!! IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO STAND OUT AND BE WHO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!!!! 

So Stand Tall, and Don't Worry about what the person next to you says about you. It's okay if no one understands or believes you! Just Do What Is Right, and your "Friend" will support you!!!! Sometimes your friends and family won't understand, but there is One who will Always Be There For You, and His name is Jesus Christ!!!!!

So next time that you feel alone and that no one cares...Remember, Jesus Does! And it doesn't matter what you have said or done...HE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL!!!!! HE WILL NEVER LEAVE OR FORSAKE YOU, AND WILL LOVE YOU THROUGH THE END OF TIME AND FOREVERMORE!!!! 

May this message be a Blessing in yours and my life!!!!

"Hang in there, Stay Strong and Encouraged, and Take Care and God Bless!!! "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXSmXthmkvo

"And for those I mentioned: THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND! LOVE YOU!!! "

Are you Esther or a tomato plant?

If there is one question that I have been asked a lot is, "If God is so good then why do bad things happen?" That is not an easy question to answer, and neither is life! What I can say is that life is full of choices, and many have chosen to do either good or bad in this world. So much so, that it is out of our control! If you walk into a store and someone robs the place it was "their" decision, and you did nothing wrong.

There are so many things that are going on now that are so hurtful and painful that it is so tempting to point the finger and blame this person and that person for all of the pain that is happening everywhere. Pain begets more pain, and love begets more love!

One day as I was thinking about Esther in the Bible, there was something that I realized...she had to let go of all of her dreams, hopes and even her life before God intervened. She had a dream to go to Jerusalem to be in the Holy Land. She had to give up everything about herself, even her name! Nothing was hers anymore. It was all "stripped" away until nothing else was there. I cannot imagine how many times in her life that Esther must have wondered if she was even herself anymore. Who was she now? Where was her identity?

Have you ever been in that place in your life when nothing made sense, and you did not know who you are anymore? Where you had to let go of all of your hopes and dreams, and nothing made sense to you. Last year has been the ultimate challenge in my life. I lost my health, job, hobbies that I used to enjoy, going out with friends, and even enjoying some of my favorite foods. I have been stripped!...of everything!

Why! Was it because I was not following God and He wanted to discipline me?...NO...Am I just a bad person, and I deserve to be punished...NO...Is it because I do not have enough faith in Jesus, and this is why I have been suffering so much...NO...Is it because of something that "I" did...NO!

Sometimes God moves us into a different place because He is "protecting us" from what is to come. Today I learned something interesting about tomato plants...If you want them to be strong and healthy, strip the plant of almost all of its leaves, and bury it in the ground. Keep it in direct sunlight, give it lots of water, and it will do well.

Life is times and seasons. Which season are you in? I have realized that I have been in the "hibernation" season of my life or the season when "the caterpillar becomes the butterfly." It is the place where a soft piece of clay is being shaped, molded, and put in the fire so it can be used for a greater purpose.

Have you ever seen what happens to a piece of clay that has been molded, but it was not put into the fire? The clay does not stand firm, and you cannot hold anything. The bowl is broken, plates are smashed, and the clay cannot be used. It has to be "remolded" and put in the fire in order for it to be used again.

So what am I saying?...Are you in a season of your life when nothing makes sense at all, and it seems like no one cares about you. Have you ever felt like the "butt" in your own joke, and that you are just a misfit? First of all, "You are not alone!" Even though you may feel alone, and that no one cares it is not true! Jesus loves you no matter what you have done or what you will ever do! He is always there for you, and will never leave you alone! (John 3:16)

If you are in that life changing stage of life when nothing makes sense anymore, take heart and have courage! You are at the beginning of the next chapter of your life, and it can be the best one that you will ever have! Just like the tomato plant that is buried, or Esther losing all of her dreams, you will never know what it is like to have a different life until you let go of the one that you lost! Have faith! Trust God!!!

When you feel like there is something that is trying to be taken, know and believe that YOU ARE A TREASURE TO GOD!!! HE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE! There is something precious and pure in all of us, and there will always be someone that tries to steal it!

Haman thought he was about to destroy the Israelites, but he was wrong! Pharaoh thought that he was the most powerful being in all the world, and that nothing could stop him...He was wrong!

Even though it might not seem like it now, keep hanging on and DON'T LET GO!!! Jesus is always there reaching His right hand when we are about to fall off of the cliff. (Ps. 73 "my feet are so close to the edge of the cliff") Stand firm and don't surrender. Remember,...You have a choice! Whom will you serve? Will you serve the slave or the master???!!!

It is not too late! No matter what has happened to you, God does have a plan for your life, and it is a plan with "a future and a hope!" (Jer. 29)

There is nothing that I have done wrong! I did not disappoint God and, I am NOT being punished. People may judge you, but God won't until the end!

So ask yourself, what season are you in? Have you recently lost a job or someone that you love? Are your finances getting so tight that they are stuck in your pants? The tomato plant was stripped and buried to "protect" it. I have been stripped because I am being "protected." Esther lost everything because she was being "protected." Bears hibernate in the winter because that is how they are "protected." Do you see a pattern here!

When we let go of our dreams is when we can truly see God! Trust and believe, that even though you can't see, that God is in control of your life! 

Timeless

Eternity, Heaven...timeless...Have you ever experienced what it feels to be timeless? What about when you are in a church service, time stops and the whole world is worshiping Jesus together.

I believe that every hour on earth someone is praying and worshiping Jesus. What a thought...To know that even when your prayers seem small and insignificant, or when you feel like "I am only one person," that you are not alone and that God is with you always...What a timeless gift!

When I am in church and I am praising and worshiping Jesus, or when I am listening to a message from my pastor, for me, it seems like all time has stopped and it's just you, me and God, and no one else. Not the neighbors around me, or the clocks ticking telling me how much time I have left before I get back to the buckle of life. All its business and traffic.

Everything moving so fast you can hardly keep it straight...When I am praying, worshiping and praising God...all of it stops and it is just me and my lover, Jesus Christ...Isn't that what it is all about...No, we are not supposed to stop going and no matter the cost or how high the price we must keep going...But to know that Jesus is with us always, no matter what all the time, and that He will never leave or forsake us...

To think that one day we will be in Heaven praising and worshiping Jesus, and to get a glimpse of that moment here on earth, is miraculous! I don't know about you, but this Christmas has been one of the strangest ones in my life. I am grieved more by not seeing Jesus in Christmas movies so much...please don't misunderstand...I like Santa, and his stories are cute, but when it comes to the love and passion that I desire for Jesus Christ,...there is no comparison! I long to see more of Him during Christmas. After all, it's HIS birthday! 

There are so many things that I am realizing that I desire, and more than ever I need to feel the timeless feeling with Jesus...To be able to stop from going day to day, getting concerned about things that I have no control about anyway. To realize that if He is truly my King, then I need to let Him have order in my life. He gives the commands, and I obey them.

One of my favorite stories about the love of Jesus is "Love Comes Softly." It is a beautiful story, and God used it to comfort me when I was at a low point in my life. In this story I have realized that even when your plans fail and all seems hopeless, it's not. I am even beginning to realize that God's plans for our lives are timeless too. He does not want them to ever expire or go away.

We choose to do that ourselves...waste ourselves away worrying about things that mean absolutely nothing in the long run...how much time do I need to go to the store, what should I wear, is this something I should buy, etc.

Jesus spoke about treasures in Heaven that do not rot or become destroyed. Maybe for the first time in my life I am beginning to get a glimpse of what it TRULY means for things to be "timeless" and have eternal value. In a world that has so many disposable things, even relationships, no wonder it is so hard to get a clear understanding of the words forever, eternal, everlasting...with the exceptions or diamonds or metal that does not get destroyed, where have we seen that!

So, I challenge you this Christmas, and I do myself...don't worry so much about whether or not you have enough cards sent out for Aunt Sally, or if all the cakes have been baked. Who cares if you do not have enough ingredients for the dinner and have to visit the store again. In the end,...what is it that really matters anyway...When you think of Christmas, what is it that you will remember...all the shopping or all the loving! 

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends, and have a Very Happy New Year!!! 

May this message Be a Blessing in Your Lives!!! 

Fear of the Unknown

Have you ever wondered why it seems so hard to be able to get anything done, especially when 'fear' seems to get in your way. Why is it like that? How can something as seemingly little like fear stop you? What is fear anyway?

Fear is a spirit that stifles, binds, and keeps you from moving forward. It is a real force that can and does affect how we go about things every day and all the time,...if you let it!!!!

Have you ever played video games? There is a game that has a weapon that the enemy uses called "Fear." And you know what happens? As soon as "Fear" is placed upon the character, he/she is immobilized and unable to do anything! The character can be getting beaten up and cannot do anything. In fact, there is a 'look' of 'fear' in the person's face!

How intriguing it is that 'fear' is something that can even be used in games. Also, why does it seem easier to 'believe' that when you press x, y, or z in a video game that we can make 'fear' go away; instead of 'believing' in the tools that God gives us every day!...Hmm...

In Ephesians 6 the Bible talks about putting on the 'armor' of God. "Our feet being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, waist girded with truth, breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation, shield of faith, and the Sword of the Spirit"...These things are real, and yet because they are 'unseen' with natural eyes it is harder to see them and understand the meaning behind all of it, instead of feeling secure when your character is 'armed' with armor and strength!

So what is the 'armor' anyway, and why is it so important? Because in Ephesians 6:12 it states that "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," and in Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

So, we are asked to put on the armor, and stand against the devil's tricks?! But why! If 'fear' and all the enemy's tactics are an 'illusion' and not real, then why did God give us instructions about how to "stand against the enemy" instead of letting him take over?!

It's because Jesus has given us the tools we need to overcome the enemy, and spiritual warfare is REAL and not made up like in a video game! "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7) and "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

There is something so attractive about a man who is 'armed' that is strong and has the ability to kick butt! Well, why don't 'we' get 'armed' and kick some butt?! Jesus gave us the tools how to stand strong against the enemy. Now why would He do that UNLESS He knew that we would need these tools!!!

Are these scriptures just thrown in there to take up space! Why would Jesus care so much about making sure that we are "armed" and send the Holy Spirit to help us if we're not "supposed" to stand against anything and just live each day without knowing how to 'overcome' the enemy!

Does that make any sense? Think about it! There is not a country in the world that does not have tactics about how to 'defend' themselves, and yet there is discussion as whether or not spiritual warfare is Real! Where did this come from and why...BECAUSE IT IS A TACTIC!!!!

"The greatest trick that the devil ever pulled was making you think that he doesn't exist!" (The Usual Suspects) What a telling quote though! The greatest trick is making people think that he doesn't exist...hmm...now why would that be true! Can we say camouflage, invisibility, illusion, trickery,...hmm I wonder! 

So what am I saying, it's this...Why does it seem so much easier to believe a bunch of electronic buttons or a script telling you how much you are "powered" up when playing video games or watching movies, then believing that spiritual warfare is Real! So, if this warfare is real, then what are we supposed to do about it, and what does it mean!?

Well, let's break it down:

Feet shod with preparation of the Gospel of Peace – we follow where God's peace leads us (John 10:27) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

Waist girded with truth – Truth of who we are in Christ, being more than conquerors because of Christ living in us (Romans 8:37) "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." and (John 15:4) "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

Breastplate of righteousness – that we are washed clean and righteousness because Christ died for us and His blood washes us clean (I John 1:9) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Helmet of Salvation – that we have the mind of Christ, which means that we KNOW that we cannot save ourselves and that Jesus has SAVED us and took the PLACE of us, and died on the cross and became the FINAL lamb so that a lamb does not have to be sacrificed to cover our sins ANYMORE!!!! (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." and (Genesis 22:8) "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together." and (Revelation 7:17) "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

Shield of Faith – that we know that we know that we KNOW that CHRIST IS REAL, AND ALL OF HIS PROMISES ARE TRUE!!! That we have been given the authority to stand firm against the enemy and his tactics.

Sword of the Spirit – using the Word of God against spiritual attacks, and any attacks of the enemy. When you know who you are in Christ you can stand firm, and declare that "No weapon formed against you shall prosper..." (Isaiah 54:17) "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

So, what are you going to believe? Are you going to believe a video game??? Or are you going to believe the King of Kings! Jesus Christ to lead and guide your path? He knows exactly where and why He has placed you where you are (Jeremiah 29:11) "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future..."

When the storms raged, what did Jesus do? He "spoke" to the storm, and told it to leave. (Matthew 8:23-27) "Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went an woke Him saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"..He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."

So again,...Who Are You Going to Believe???!!! Are you going to believe the enemy,...or the One that created you. The Creator knows you more than anyone else. Why trust yourself with anyone, but Him!!!!

May this message be a Blessing in your lives and mine!!! 

HANG IN THERE, STAY STRONG AND ENCOURAGED, AND REACH FOR THE STARS!!!! 
