What's Your Choice?

ILife is just the choices we make each day. 

-We can choose to love or we can choose to be afraid. 

-We can choose to help or we can choose to turn away. 

-We can choose to forgive or we can choose to hate. 

-We can choose to be kind or we can choose to be cruel. 

-We can choose to trust or we can choose to be suspicious. 

-We can choose to give or we can choose to take. 

-We can choose to serve or we can choose to be selfish. 

-We can choose to laugh or we can choose to sulk. 

-We can choose to cry or we can choose to hide our hearts. 

-We can choose to smile or we can choose to stress. 

-We can choose to be at peace or we can choose to be at war within ourselves. 

-We can choose to live or we can choose to just exist. 

-We can choose to believe God loves us or we can choose to live in doubt. 

-We can choose to shine our souls or we can choose to dwell in darkness. 

-We can choose to make this world more like Heaven or we can choose to make this world more like Hell. 

It's our choice. So what's your choice today?

You Are A Seed

God decides what will grow and what will not in His garden. He plants the seeds of faith, hope, love, joy, and happiness, but He relies on you to water, fertilize and care for what He has created. 

God plants the seed in your mind that in the early stages appears as a foolish dream, a lofty hope of success and happiness. That seed is His plan for you.

Matthew 13:32 says, "Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

Only God decides which seeds will grow and which will wither or be eaten by the birds. Either way, each and every seed serves a purpose. The difference here is, God has given you the gift of choice. You are His seed and the gardener. How you grow depends on the choices you make, the care you give and your faith in His plan for you

Go and find a seed. Hold it in your hand. Close your eyes and create a vision of that seed growing. Play along with the vision and see the potential, the plan within. Fast forward seeing the flowers grow, die and grow again season after season through all the tomorrows it holds inside.

Right now God is holding you in His hand just like you held the seed. He closes his eyes and sees a vision of hope, success, happiness and as he fast forwards He can see the impact you will make on all the tomorrows you hold inside. God won't make those decisions, but you will.

Trust

Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”

Isaiah 57:13 “But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.” 

Learning to really trust God in the way that He wants you to fully trust Him is an all-or-nothing principle. You are either going to fully trust Him with every area of your life or you are not. The minute you start waffling and trying to straddle the fence post with Him on this issue, you will then become what the Bible says is a wavering and double-minded man who will become unstable in all of his ways.

The Bible says that all men and women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of God. All men and women are thus flawed and imperfect to one degree or another. As a result, you are always going to be running into people who will hurt you and who will continue to hurt you in this life. There is simply no getting away from this cold hard fact in this life. But just because imperfect people have hurt you and will continue to hurt you in this life does not mean that you have to hold this against God Himself.

Let God's Word increase your faith and trust in Him today.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Psalm 37:4-7 “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass … Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him …”

Isaiah 50:10“Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon His God.”

Psalm 125:1 “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.”

2 Kings 18:5-7“He trusted in the Lord God of Israel … For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments … The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went.”

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”

Psalm 112:5-8 “A good man … will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.”

Psalm 34:8-10 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him … But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”

Proverbs 16:20 “He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.”

Jeremiah 17:5 "Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but her leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

You Need To Read This

My fried, Pastor Jamie Barfield, shared this on his church blog just a few days ago. I hope he doesn't mind that I share it with you on my blog. I believe that God anointed him to share this with his congregation, and I hope that every church member will read this and pray for their pastor.

Hearing of another Pastor who has taken his life today has my heart broken for leaders who aren’t able to find help in their pain. It also has pushed me to ask a lot of questions about church and the congregation’s responsibility. What do Pastor’s really want their church to know about them? What should be the focus of the church member in relation to leadership? How do we get the leadership process healthy again?

Here are some of my thoughts on each of those questions…

3 things local Pastor’s want you to know…

We aren’t superman, but we are doing our best. No Pastor wakes up on Monday morning and says “this week I’m going to preach a stinker, ignore every call, and spend no time with God”, but instead we struggle with how to fulfill the calling of God in our life every day. We are trying! We want to lead our churches to massive revival, and we are trying our best every week to see that happen. We are trying our best!

The burden of ministry isn’t left in the church office. I know the perception of a Pastor is that we work three days a week and then watch TV and play golf the rest of the time. The reality of the local Pastor is that we work way too much and even carry the burdens of work with us into our time off. We wrestle all night with the burdens of ministry, we wake up still burdened, and we go through our day carrying the weight on our shoulders. It NEVER lets up!

My personal life is always judged, so I sacrifice my family. It’s amazing how the car we drive, the house we live in, the places we eat, and the clothes we wear are talking points for people. There are many times I will tell my wife “don’t post that on Facebook or someone will get mad that we are here without them”. I understand the judgment that I receive for every choice I make, but I want to stop sacrificing my family to keep you satisfied. Find someone else to complain about, please!

What should be the focus of the church member in relation to leadership?
Church is a spiritual place and so our outlook in leadership should be spiritual. Stop leaving a church because of physical “fleshly” reasons like; music, lights, food, parking, phone calls. Is your Pastor teaching you God’s word with clarity and purity? Is your Pastor doing his best to follow God’s calling for his life? Is your Pastor standing up for righteousness and truth? If you answer is “Yes” then you should stand by your Pastor! Stand by him when he makes a stupid decision. Stand by him when he steps on your toes. Stand by him when he does something that you don’t like (physically). We can handle someone leaving the church because of theological differences, but we struggle when it’s something that’s physical and has no relevance to the Kingdom of God.

Stop giving up on us so quickly. The back door of the church shouldn’t be a revolving door because of the people that come in and out. When will we understand that the Pastor will do things we don’t like, but they are a gift to the body of Christ that the church needs to take care of? Most of us feel like janitors and fire fighters more than we do spiritual leaders and a gift from God. Allow us time to become your Pastor, then we can show you the purity of our heart.

How do we get the leadership process healthy again?

I wish this were the easy part, but it’s obviously the most difficult. The role of Pastor has been so misused that we are now placed in the same category as politicians; people aren’t sure who we really are and what our intentions are. The first step in this process is pushing ourselves, as Pastors, to live as righteous as possible while also being honest with the struggle. Secondly, we have to stop allowing our ministries success to define our calling in Christ Jesus. Finally, the church has to stop looking for the next big thing and instead start looking for the fruits of the spirit in a ministry. When the fruit is evident then you support that Pastor until God moves you (which shouldn’t be anytime soon).

God Never Gives Up On You

Max Lucado shared this article. It's worth reading and pondering on for a few minutes because God never gives up on you and me.

Throughout time, though God's people often forgot their God, God didn't forget them. He kept his word. God didn't give up. He never gives up.

  When Joseph was dropped into a pit by his own brothers, God didn't give up.

When Moses said, "Here I am, send Aaron," God didn't give up.

When the delivered Israelites wanted Egyptian slavery instead of milk and honey, God didn't give up.

When Aaron was making a false god at the very moment Moses was with the true God, God didn't give up.

When only two of the ten spies thought the Creator was powerful enough to deliver the created, God didn't give up.

When Samson whispered to Delilah, when Saul roared after David, when David schemed against Uriah, God didn't give up.

When God's word lay forgotten and man's idols stood glistening, God didn't give up.

When the children of Israel were taken into captivity, God didn't give up.

He could have given up. He could have turned his back. He could have walked away from the wretched mess, but he didn't.

He didn't give up.

When he became flesh and was the victim of an assassination attempt before he was two years old, he didn't give up.

When the people from his own home town tried to push him over a cliff; he didn't give up.

When his brothers ridiculed him, he didn't give up.

When he was accused of blaspheming God by people who didn't fear God, he didn't give up.

When Peter worshiped him at the supper and cursed him at the fire, he didn't give up.

When people spat in his face, he didn't spit back. When the bystanders slapped him, he didn't slap them. When a whip ripped his sides, he didn't turn and command the awaiting angels to stuff that whip down that soldier's throat.

And when human hands fastened the divine hands to a cross with spikes, it wasn't the soldiers who held the hands of Jesus steady. It was God who held them steady. For those wounded hands were the same invisible hands that had carried the firepot and the torch two thousand years earlier. They were the same hands that had brought light into Abram's thick and dreadful darkness. They had come to do it again.

So, the next time doubt walks in, escort him out. Out to the hill. Out to Calvary. Out to the cross where, with holy blood, the hand that carried the flame wrote the promise, "God would give up his only son before he'd give up on you."

He loves you forever

My dad said these words often when he preached. He would always remind his congregation:

"If you don’t remember anything else I have said. Remember this. You are loved! You are loved unconditionally by a greater love than you can ever imagine! God loves you, now and forever!"

Those words of wisdom found a place deep inside of me. I have found myself remembering them over and over again in my life. As I learned, grew, struggled, and stumbled those words stayed in my heart. They helped me to rise up and try again every time I fell. They helped me to find my own love for God, for myself, and for others. They became a central part of who I am and what I teach and preach. The one gift I hope to give all of you is this truth. Please remember then that "You are loved" and know that "God loves you, now and forever!"

-God's love is unconditional.

-God's love is everlasting.

-God's love never ceases.

-God won't let anything separate you form His love.

-God's love will never let you down like people do.

-God's love will prevail.

-God's love brings peace and contentment.

Enjoy it. Share it. Live it. Treat it with care. It does and will last for all of eternity.

Social Media Wars

Social media today is worse than the gossip lines of old. Many of you have probably heard the story about the old party line telephone operator who became rich in a short period of time and retired wealthy. When someone asked her how she made her fortune she said, "I heard so much conversation when I was the party line operator that one day I decided to put it to use. You would be surprised how much people would pay to keep certain information from leaking into the public and how many business tips I received just for my cooperation. It was the best job I every had because I knew stuff before anybody else did."

The problem we have with social media today is often times we only get a half-truth or a personal opinion. Now this is America and I stand up for anybody's right for free speech and assembly, but sometimes it goes a little to far. When either of those are used to hurt someone or attack their character it stinks. If you have a beef with someone this is not the medium to use to take it out on that person or if you don't know a situation in it's entirety or support it financially, just keep your thoughts to yourself. Exposing yourself on any social media site can prove your intelligence or make you look stupid. Most of the time it does the latter.

The Bible clearly gives us a way to make things right. It is called forgiveness or as the "Frozen" girl sings, "LET IT GO, LET IT GO!"  Un-forgiveness is like a poison that will destroy you mentally, physically, but also financially.

Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

If you make a post on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or one of the other social media sites you will surely get a response which will either be in agreement with or against the post you write. The sad part of that is they too want to get a dig at a person and you helped open the door for that to be possible with your post. So not only have you committed sin but you have caused them to commit it as well.

All I'm saying is think before you post. Don't put something down that you will regret later, because it can, could, and often is used against you later. If not by the person you attack by the devil himself who will steal your victory (if you have some) and rob you of the joy of your salvation. Please don't let that happen.

13 Questions

13 Questions everyone needs to ask themselves today. These questions have no right or wrong answers, because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

11. Do you push the elevator more than once? Do you really think it makes the elevator go faster?

12. If we learn from our mistakes why are we so afraid of making them?

13. What would you do differently if you thought no one was judging you?

When People Let You Down

It’s a fact of life.  People will fail us because we are all imperfect in an imperfect world.  Some people don’t mean to let you down, yet other people let people down intentionally.  Whether it’s making a promise they didn’t keep or maybe, it was a promise they never intended to keep, not doing something they said they would do for you, saying something hurtful to you or about you, or not being the person they portrayed themselves to be it happens-people let you down

Sometimes, people “let us down” because we have unrealistic expectations for them so when they don’t “do” or “say” what we expect them to, we get upset about it.  I’ve learned that if people are letting me down because of my expectations for them I need to stop it and let them be who they are and take things one step at a time.  That usually takes care of things on my end.

Sometimes, people let us down intentionally.  These are the people who pretend to be your “friend.”  They act like they are there for you, but they never follow thru. You forgive them, move on and a few weeks later, they make another promise they don’t keep or say something hurtful to you. Does this sound familiar to you?  I’ve had a few of these friends over the last 25 years.  When I sense a pattern like this, I’ve learned not to expect them to do what they said they would do and I consider it a “bonus” if they really do follow through.

I’m big on not looking at surface issues, and trying to find the root cause of these kinds of problems. What I’ve come to realize is that sometimes, people look at who we are today and they wish they were that person, or wish they had your blessings so they become jealous. What I don’t understand is that people don’t think of what you or I had to go through to be where we am today.  I honestly believe that if I hadn’t gone through some of these relationships as a pastor, I would be taking every day for granted and not be appreciative of the true friends that I have. 

When we go through tough times, it’s up to us to become better people because of them.  Do people see my blessings and wish they were in my shoes?  Why is that? Do they want the trials and the hard times that brought me to these blessings and who I am today, or do they just want the blessings?  Life is a growing process for everyone,but a true friend cries with you during your sorrow and rejoices with you when you receive blessings. They don’t get upset because good things happen to you or because you come out of a bad spot in life and even better person. 

Here’s the lesson I’ve learned from all of this in my years as a pastor: Surround yourself with true friends, positive people, and people who want to see you reach your goals. they understand you're not perfect just like they are. They love you on the good days and bad days as well and in spite of everything will stand by your side.

People will let you down in life, but you know what?  I’ve found that no matter what, God doesn’t let us down.  He’s always there for us 24/7, He’s always ready to forgive, and He always wants good things for His children. He will never let us down.

Be Off Good Cheer

Life is fill with good times and with rough times. Rough times help us appreciate the good times. If everything was always smooth and perfect, we'd get too used to that, you know?  We have to have a little bit of chaos and disorder in our lives now and then.  Otherwise we will never really enjoy it when things go right around us. The chaos won't last forever. It is just momentary and will soon be forgotten.

Sometimes we just need to pause and appreciate all of our small victories remembering that it’s the small things done well that make a big life and just go on that. Most people never see the big picture because all they see are the separated parts, but don't let that steal the joy that is inside your heart. You have had victories no one but you can see so bask in them and rejoice through them because one day they will add up.

Move forward with no second-guessing, no guilt trips, or no hesitation.  Your purpose is to let go of things that bog you down and then recreate yourself anew in another moment.  There’s a big difference between giving up and knowing when you have had enough.  Sometimes we have to move on to move forward and not be fearful of what the next day will bring.

Helen Keller said, "Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost."  

What Will Happen Today?

What will happen today?

-Today a mother will hold her newborn baby in her arms for the first time and feel her heart open with a love she never knew she had.

-Today mothers and fathers both will play with their children after school, hugthem tight, and kiss them goodnight when they tuck them into bed.

-Today animals will be petted, fed, and cared for by loving owners.

-Today a child will learn how to be kind when she sees her Mom hold a door open for an elderly lady.

-Today wise words will be  spoken and minds will be opened in a million school classrooms across the world.

-Today clothes, food, and money will collected to be shared with the poor and hungry.

-Today the sick will be cared for, the disabled will be helped, and the crying will be comforted by so many caring souls.

-Today smiles will be shared and kind acts preformed with no thought of reward.

-Today songs will be  sung, sweet words will be shared, and laughter will be heard.

-Today adult children will gather around their Mom’s deathbed to hold her hand, tell her they love her, and kiss her for one last time.

-Today someone will finally realize just how much God loves them.

-Today a million prayers went up to Heaven on the wings of faith and a million "Thank You’s" were said to God with hearts full of love.

-Today this world will be made better by the good we do, the kindness we share, and the love we give to others.

-Today all the angels of Heaven joyfully smiled as they watched us strive to love each other, to help each other, and to live as God’s Children here on Earth.

That is what happened today. That is what happens every day of our lives here on earth. Don’t let the bad news bring you down then. Its hate and darkness can never stand against God's life love and light. Just for today like there is no tomorrow and you will see.

Just Joy

You can choose to live in a wilderness as Israel did, or you can choose to be filled with His joy. It us up to you.

Nehemiah pointed out that their forefathers had rebelled against the Lord, ignoring his law: "Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs...Yet many years didst thou forbear them...yet they would not give ear" (Nehemiah 9:26, 30).

Can you imagine the awful spiritual death these people brought upon themselves? Forty years of sabbaths without any joy or mirth. Forty years of funerals, without ever entering the promised land. These Israelites were rich with blessings, increased with goods, needing nothing, but they were lukewarm in spirit.

Nehemiah gives us a picture of Jehovah Jireh, the God who faithfully provides for his people, even when they become hardened to his word. The Israelites had become bored with the things of God. They were just going through the motions. In his mercy, the Lord continued to direct their daily affairs and provide for them. But these people would never enter into his fullness. Is it any wonder their clothes and shoes never wore out? They simply weren't going anywhere.

This is also the sad state of many churches today. God may extend his mercy to a congregation, freeing them of debt, giving them direction for good works, supplying them with finances for new construction. Yet that church may remain in a spiritual wilderness, never going anywhere. They can enjoy a measure of God's blessing, enough to keep from dying of thirst, but they remain weak, weary, ready to die. And it's all because their focus is still on the things of the world. They have no spirit or no life.

Simply put, only the joy of the Lord supplies us with true strength. We can talk all we want to about our ten or twenty-year walk with Christ. We can show off our robe of righteousness. But if we're not allowing the Holy Spirit to maintain the joy of the Lord in our hearts and if we aren't continually hungering for his word, then we're losing our fire. And we won't be ready for what comes upon the world in these last days.

How do we maintain the joy of the Lord? We do it the same way we obtained his joy in the beginning: 

-First, we love, honor and hunger excitedly for God's word. 

-Second, we continually walk in repentance. 

-And third, we separate ourselves from all worldly influences. 

This is how a Holy Ghost person or church maintains "Jesus joy". They are rejoicing always, full of gladness and happiness, and giving praise unto The Lord.

Let Love Prevail

When love prevails among believers, especially in times of strong disagreement, it presents to the world an indisputable mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ.

So many believers let their temper get the best of them, but holding on to hate and anger is like grasping hot coals with the intent of throwing them at someone else , only you are the one who gets burned.  If you want to forget someone, and move on, you must give up hating them.  It’s hard to forget someone you hate, because hate takes pieces of your heart thereby keeping this person within your heart.  If you want to forget them, let go of the hate, and create peace in your heart instead.  Also, remember that whenever you hate something, it usually hates you back, including people, situations, and inanimate objects alike, which will only further complicate your life.

Love tells us that there’s a lot going on that we don’t know.  Nobody has it all figured out.  Nobody knows more than a minuscule fraction of what’s going on in the world or in anyone's life.  Why?  Because the world is simply way too vast for any one person to know everything well.  And most of what we see is only what we think about what we see.  The sooner you accept this, the sooner you will stop making the same unnecessary mistakes, and the sooner new doors of opportunity will open in your life to bring unity within your heart, mind, and spirit.

 Start practicing the golden rule.  If you want love, give love.  If you want friends, be friendly.  If you want money, provide value.  It works.  It really is this simple.

 Let love prevail. The end result will be worth it.

 

It's Worth It

I learned a while ago that God isn’t waiting for us to do something big in our lives. God instead is watching every little thing we do. It is the little things that are important. It is the little things that make up our lives. And it is in the little things that we can best share our love.

We all have doubts that make us feel trapped at times.  If you doubt your ability to make a life-altering decision, to take on a new chapter in your life, or to fend for yourself after years of being overly-fostered, consider this:  Surely if a bird with healthy wings is locked in a cage long enough, she will doubt her own ability to fly.  You still have your wings, but your muscles are weak.  Train them and stretch them slowly.  Give yourself space.  You’ll be flying again soon.

By all means, find ways to be more efficient in your work.  But make no mistake that it takes diligent effort through good times and bad to build something worthwhile.  There are certainly some success stories out there about people who excelled rather quickly, but you will often find they had put in years of related work long before anyone was paying attention to their seemingly rapid success.  In other words, their current state of achievement is simply all those years of work coming together flawlessly in the present.  So start every morning ready to run farther than you did yesterday and fight harder than you ever have before.  It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.

Your Zest For Life

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. So how do you keep your zest for life as you get older?

 -Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

 -Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches will pull you down.

 -Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.

 -Never let the brain idle. An idle mind is the devil's workshop and the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

 -Enjoy the simple things.

 -Laugh often, long, and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

 -The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be alive while you are alive.

 -Surround yourself with what you love, Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies-whatever you love. Your home is your refuge.

 -Cherish your health. If it's good, preserve it. If it's unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

 -Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; but not to where the guilt is.

 -Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

Lean Into The Wind

Life often throws us an unexpected storm storm. When it does we have two options"

-We can let it beat us and push us around, or... 

-We can put on our rain coats, lean into the wind and push forward.

God gives us the power to beat the storm, if we work hard to stay on our feet.  Of course, there will be times when the wind will blow us back a few steps, as if we were carrying a heavy load, but when it lets up a bit, we’ll slowly make our way forward. Storms don’t last forever. They blow over, and the sun will come out. When it does, we’ll be able to sit back, relax, and maybe even laugh about what we've been through.

So we do have a choice when the winds of the world blow against us. We can lean into the wind or we can hide in a closet and hope it passes us by. I choose to lean into the wind because the storm won't last forever.

Never Give Up

Giving up is not and never will be an option.

There are so many people in our lives who constantly support us through our ups and downs, believe in us sometimes more than we believe in ourselves, and deep in their hearts have hopes faith in our vision. They don’t believe in us just out of the love they have for us or because we are related to them either in the flesh or by the Spirit, but because they know us as we are. They know how strong we are and they are right there to back us up in case we fall down or mess up. You have the determination, willpower, strength, talent, and the unfathomable love and faith of people to go get your dreams,So what can possibly stop you from obtaining what you stand for?

Obstacles are temporary, yet achievement is permanent. So why give up? You can see a hundred reasons for why you should be chasing your dreams as against one reason for why You should give it up. You shouldn’t let the shadows of your hard times take over your willpower and strength.

I strongly believe that in life,we come through hard times so we learn to appreciate the good things in life more and to bask in the glory of victory even better. Barriers are made to see if anyone is strong enough to break through them and move forward. So on your way to success, if you come through barriers be the one who breaks them down because your dream could be on the other side.

We Don't Need Another Saint

Our world does not need another saint, but it needs you.

Unfortunately, we find notable examples of modern leaders in every field who give low priority to personal integrity. But we do not need saints, friend, we just need people like you.

-People who will be known for their integrity.

-People who will determine to be their best selves.

-People who daily earn the trust and respect of others, regardless of their age or station in life.

-People who insist on the importance of character. 

Perfection is an example or instance of being perfect: somebody or something that reaches the highest attainable standard, or an instance of this We all want to be perfect, but there has been only one perfect man that I am aware of so far. We strive for excellence and spiritual perfection according to the Word of God, yet often fall very short of the mark. So to put it bluntly we just need people who will try their best to be their best at all times and in every venture. That's all God expects and all that we can expect as well.

Let this be you motto: "I will do my best to be my best in ways of integrity and character and do all I can to represent God in the best way possible to a lost and dying world."

You may not be a saint, but friend, if you do your best to be the best you that you can be it will be enough.

A Little Laughter For the Souls Sake

The Importance of Proofreading

1. It was incorrectly reported last Friday that today is T-shirt Appreciation Day. In fact, it is actually Teacher Appreciation Day.
   
2. There was a mistake in an item sent in two weeks ago which stated that Ed Burnham entertained a party at crap shooting. It should have been trap shooting.
   
3. There are two important corrections to the information in the update on our Deep Relaxation professional development program. First, the program will include meditation, not medication. Second, it is experiential, not experimental.
   
4. In the City Beat section of Friday's paper, firefighter Dwight Brady was mis-identified. His nickname in the department is "Dewey." Another firefighter is nicknamed "Weirdo." We apologize for our mistake.
   
5. Our newspaper carried the notice last week that Mr. Oscar Hoffnagle is a defective on the police force. This was a typographical error. Mr. Hoffnagle is, of course, a detective on the police farce.
   
6. In a recent edition, we referred to the chairman of Chrysler Corporation as Lee Iacoocoo. His real name is Lee Iacacca. The Gazette regrets the error.
   
7. Apology: I originally wrote, "Woodrow Wilson's wife grazed sheep on front lawn of the White House." I'm sorry that typesetting inadvertently left out the word "sheep."
   
8. In one edition of today's Food Section, an inaccurate number of jalapeno peppers was given for Jeanette Crowley's Southwestern chicken salad recipe. The recipe should call for two, not 21, jalapeno peppers.
   
9. The marriage of Miss Freda vanAmburg and Willie Branton, which was announced in this paper a few weeks ago, was a mistake which we wish to correct.

For the small things

Praise God for the small things.  Just because you’re not where you want to be, doesn’t mean you’re a failure.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  To be truly happy and successful today doesn’t mean you don’t desire more in the future, but it means you are sincerely thankful for what you have already accomplished and patient for everything yet to come from the Lord.

Every morning when you wake up, praise Him for at least three things that are going well in your life at the moment.  As you fall asleep every night, fill your mind with an appreciation for all the small things that went well during the day.  Examine your daily successes instead of moaning over your daily defeats. Both will happen, but you decide what effect they will have on you.

Give the power of your thinking over to the positive influences in your life, and they will grow stronger and more influential every day.  Remind yourself of what works well and why, and you’ll naturally find ways to make lots of other things work well too.  The most efficient way to enjoy more success in life is not to obsess yourself with what hasn’t worked, but instead to extend and expand upon the success you already know. The Word of God says it plainly, "If God is for you, who can be against you?"

Unwanted Guests

Joseph Mazella shares this story in one of his books on amazon.com. It's worth a read today if you have these unwanted guests in your house.

Have you ever had unwanted house guests? I am talking about the ones who wear out their welcome in the first two minutes yet plan to stay forever. I am talking about the ones who trash the place, eat all the food, sit in your favorite chair, and take over your bed. I am talking about the ones that even your dogs avoid. I am talking about the ones that take everything and give back nothing. I am talking about the ones that only brighten up a room when they leave it.

I had two guests like this for years. Their names were Fear and Hate and they seemed like permanent squatters in my soul. Every time I would try and toss them out, I would look around a few days later and find that they had snuck back in. They also invited their friends Worry, Doubt, Jealousy, Envy, Frustration, Depression, and Despair to stay as well. It made for a miserable home and a miserable life.

Finally one day I could take it no longer. I cried out to God to help me get rid of these unwanted guests once and for all. It was then that I heard a gentle knock on the door of my soul. When I opened it I found Love there smiling at me. I invited Love in and watched as my unwanted house guests fled out the door and through the windows. They couldn’t leave quick enough. Then Love asked his friends Peace and Joy over to help straighten up the place. I soon realized too that Love was a guest I never wanted to leave. Every now and then Fear and Hate will try to sneak back in, but when they see Love sitting on the couch they run.

God loves us so much and He wants us to love as well. He wants us to choose love, share love, and fill our lives with love. He wants us to love each other as He loves us. He wants us to make Love our permanent house guest and best friend. Open your door then. Invite Love in. Let Fear and Hate hit the highway. Make your home a happy one now and forever.

Share

Life by its very nature is a mixed bag. It hands us both beauty and tragedy, love and loss, pleasure and pain. What we do with it, however, is up to us. We can let is split us in two, or we can use even its hardest times to make our souls stronger and our hearts more loving. We can spend it complaining or we can use it to help others, share God’s love, and make Heaven smile.

Don’t be afraid to pass on your blessings, riches, gifts, and talents to others. That is why God gave them to you in the first place. Share everything you have. If you have a beautiful smile then pass it on. If you have a lovely laugh then pass it on. If you have a few extra dollars then pass them on. If you give great hugs then pass them on. If you have a special talent then share it with others. If you have a heart full of love then give it to the everyone. No life is ever truly lived until it becomes a gift in itself, so make your whole life a gift to the world.

Broken But Beautiful

Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound..."

We serve a Master Craftsman. His handiwork is undeniably beautiful. He painstakingly creates it, too, and sometimes as it travels through life it gets damaged and broken.

But those pieces cannot be replaced. They are much too valuable, unique and created not just to add to the world, but to be a reflection of the Creator because we are an art work with a purpose.

Those pieces can't be sent back for repair, God does it right where they are. Some are slightly chipped. Some broken in two.  Others are broken in a million pieces, but that does not mean it can't be whole again. 

You know what I am talking about. You! You've been broken. You've been whole and broken again. But just like that glass ornament you were still beautiful.

Cry out unto the Lord. You'll hear a calm, deep, voice. He'll tell you "it's okay, it happens. You really took a hit!" Then if you permit Him, He will begin to repair your brokenness, but He can only do it if you trust and believe. 

In the mean time remember, you may be broken, but you are still beautiful.

Words

Sometimes words are all we have when there's nothing we can do.  They say that actions speak louder than words, but people tend to say things without really thinking.

-Words build up or tear down.

-Words inspire or insult.

-The first words spoken have made lovers out of strangers.

-The last words whispered may ease a mourners pain.

-Words spoken in anger are often forgiven, but rarely forgotten.

-Words like, "Just what I needed to hear!" means God spoke through you.

You are what you say and how you say it.

Matthew 12:37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

 

"You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."

Two Days We Should not be afraid off

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring. Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.

Guidance System

Who among us doesn't know how it feels to be lost? And there are many different we ways can get lost. One of my friend's sons, now a young man, spoke with me the other day with some sadness about his teen-age years. He made some poor choices for a while. That day, while looking back at those difficult years, he commented, "I lost my way." At one time or another we've all lost our way and wondered how we could find it again.

Have you ever wished you had a personal guidance system so that, when you lose your way, you know you won't be lost for long? And the truth is we do. We each have an inner guidance system, an invisible power, hidden deep inside. We each have the ability to find the answers we need, to find our way in life when we're lost, and to find our way back home through God and the power of prayer.

We pay life coaches to remind us that we are naturally creative, resourceful and whole. Yet the best life coaches don't have all the answers. They stimulate our creativity and remind us that we are already resourceful and whole and can come up with solutions ourselves. We also may pay a lot of money for psychological counseling, but, as any good counselor knows, it's not advice most of us require. So a skilled therapist will help us to find the way back to ourselves. They help us look inside where we will find what guidance we need. 

Call it an inner voice. Call it spiritual guidance. Call it a gift from God. When I've lost my way or when I am confused about a path to take, I remember that most answers I need I already possess deep inside. I am naturally creative, resourceful and whole. If I consult The Lord, I'll know what to do. I just have to ask, seek, and knock, and the answer will be opened to me.

5 Inevitable Things

-When leaving work late, you will go unnoticed. When you leave work early, you will meet the boss in the parking lot. 

-The job that pays the most will be offered when there is no time to deliver the services. 

-Some people manage by the book, even though they don't know who wrote the book or even which book it is. 

-You never get away, you only get someplace else.

-As soon as you start doing what you always wanted to be doing, you'll want to be doing something else. 

Somebody Cares

I understand how rough things are right now for people who are struggling because I struggle everyday as well. I just want to let you know that things will get better. I promise because God said it would. Keep pushing forward.  I know you feel like nobody really cares, but you’re wrong.  People really do care.  I care, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this.  You’re not alone and we’re all going through similar challenges. People are different today and they are more concerned about their own well-being than they are about others.Yet, self-pity is not the answer.  Life is not about feeling sorry for yourself.  It’s about forgiveness, acceptance and looking forward to what makes you stronger and better off in the long run.

The story of your life has many chapters.  So stop re-reading the bad one already and turn the page.  Accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in what could be.  Remember, life does not have to be anywhere near perfect to be wonderful in the end. Not everyone will let you down, and it's them you find the strength in God to press on.

Kindness is not to be mistaken for weakness, nor forgiveness for acceptance. Resentment is not on the path to happiness.  You don’t forgive people because you’re weak.  You forgive them because you’re strong enough to know that people make mistakes and sometimes forget to help. You might feel unloved or uncared for at this moment, but don't give into that feeling. Somebody does care about your struggle and what you are going thru. Just realize there's at least one praying for you and that one with God does make up a majority.

Romans 7

1. The truth does not cease to exist just because it's ignored.  You cannot find peace by avoiding things.  You have to feel it to heal it.  
2. Bring your fears and weaknesses front and center and shine a blazing spotlight on them.  Because the only way out is through them The pain of facing the truth is so worth it in the long run.
3. Bad decisions are almost always better than no decisions at all.  It is a teaching and learning process.
4. Indecisiveness just delays, while bad decisions teach us to yield better ones.  In the end, we most often regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.
5. When we stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right things, life gets easier.  It just makes sense.  So how have you been making your life harder than it has to be?   What can you do today to simplify things?  
6. Read Romans 7:23-25 "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Let Go

Negativity often breeds not from the answers we receive from this world, but from the questions we ask ourselves every day.  If you ask negative questions, you will get negative answers.  There are no positive answers to:

• “Why me?”
• “Why didn’t I?”
• “What if I’m not good enough?”
• etc.

Think about it.  Would you allow someone else to ask you the demoralizing questions you sometimes ask yourself?  I doubt it.  So stop and swap them for questions that push you in a positive direction.  Here are some ideas to get you started…

1. Your greatest weapon against stress and negativity is your ability to choose one thought over another.  Happiness escapes from those who refuse to see the good in what they have.  When life gives you every reason to be negative, think positive.
2. Smile right now; not because life has been easy, perfect, or exactly as you had anticipated, but because you choose to be happy and grateful for all the good things you do have, and all the problems you know you don’t have.
3. Oftentimes holding on actually makes us weaker, and letting go builds our strength.  Does that thing you were extremely upset about six months ago, or last year, really matter now?  I bet it doesn’t.  And if you’re still thinking about it, it’s not serving your best interests.  

Submit

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

We are told in this verse to resist the devil and he will flee from us. But it's not that simple; in the same verse, we are also told to draw near to God. Dealing with temptation is a two fold process of resisting the devil and drawing near to God. The closer you get to God and the more you become aware of His love, the less power temptation will have over you.

Meditating on God's Word and learning of the goodness of God is very powerful in the tearing down of strongholds (incorrect thinking patterns based on lies and deception). I believe one of the reasons King David developed a very intimate relationship with God is because he spent a lot of time alone out in the field with Him.

Did you know that knowing (realizing) the love of Christ allows us to be filled with the fullness of God?

Ephesians 3:19, "And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Every day will not be good, but there will be something good about every day.  Notice it.  Ignore the negativity around you.  None of us know the exact paths we will travel or the trials that will come our way.  The secret is to find joy in the journey.  The more obstacles you overcome, the stronger you become.  Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving; you just get stronger and more resilient.  Smiling and appreciating each step you take is the smartest choice.  Your positivity will help you realize that sometimes the bad things that happen in your life put you on a direct path to the best possible things that could ever happen to you.