My Thoughts - My Journey

I see so many hurt, broken, sad, people daily on Facebook. So much pain in this world. So much illness. Lives sometimes only hanging on by a thread. Pray until your situation changes. Miracles happen every day, so never stop believing. God can change things very quickly in your life. Do you believe He can? The key is believing!  No, not everything is always going to be as we want it, but when those times come....remain faithful, assured, believing that, in the end, ALL will be ok for those who have named Jesus as their Lord and who live a life in the shadow of His footprints. Praising Him for His ever washing us with His blood and for covering us with His grace and mercy. His love is so great and powerful for each of His children. We truly cannot fathom the depths of His love for us. Amen! ✝

This was a very timely post as last night I was reading an article by a minister who said...in referencing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant...the "former Covenant and the better Covenant." I had never heard the Covenants described in that manner. I appreciate that through the teachings of such men as Bobby Valentine  we are able to discern that the Old and New are a continuing story. What would the New be without the Old....it would not exist. Such a beautiful narrative of God's love that flows throughout. I love this...."The promise is: The Lord will be the God of his beloved people. The People reciprocate in acknowledging the Lord as “their God.” The Lord will live with his people, dwell in their midst, together within the “land” … the New Heavens and New Earth." Takes me back to Genesis 3:8-9 ~ "When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the tr

Teaching against dancing and trying to prove it it the Bible, which has much positive to say about dancing, is ludicrous. This is just the tip of the "better safe than sorry" legalistic mode of teaching and living in this denominational tradition. It is just sad! We should teach from a place of love, grace, mercy, and out of freedom that we have been blessed with through the saving blood of our Savior, Jesus the Christ. Hell is not for the saved, but for those who are non-believers. Hell is not a fear for those who are walking with Jesus. Regulations made by man through twisting of the texts to make them fit a preconceived doctrine is sin. Those who promote such and cause others to walk away out of feeling they can never measure up will be held accountable. Fear tactics are applied by those who have yet to grasp God's grace and an understanding of what it means to truly be a follower of Jesus. It is our heart's condition....not a set of stifling rules to govern us w

No matter what our journey has been like on Earth, our beginning was a creation of our Holy Father. Just think......We are not here by chance, but by God's choosing. His hand formed us and made us the individuals we are. He compares us to no one else....We are ONE OF A KIND....We should never take our place with Him for granted or take it lightly. The Maker of ALL things chose to give YOU life. That makes you very special! Live your journey in His presence ever growing in the gifts He has given you. Be ever striving forward with eyes focused on The Light....†

It’s easy to just fit in and be like everybody else, but God didn’t create us to be average. He created us to stand out....to be extraordinary! Stretch beyond what you envision as your limit because He knows how high you can soar and He will lift you up at just the right moment. ✝

When we can let go of what’s in our hands and place our complete trust in God, we can be certain that what comes next will always be better than any plan of our own. May we always be open to You Lord so we may live and rest in You as our refuge and our fortress. Your plans and Your thoughts are beyond what we know. Help us be confident in Your leading and bold in our following. May our hands always be open for You and our eyes focused on You, Lord. Amen! † “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:2

May our hearts always forgive the worst. May we have a mind-set to intentionally "forget" the bad. Although, God did not create us to forget because we need to learn from the past; however, we do not need to continue to hold on to what has been forgiven; therefore, we must try to let go. May our spirits always long to draw nearer to Him and our souls never lose faith. May we always desire eyes that see the best. It is only through our relationship with Jesus that we can achieve such things. †

Tunnel vision is real and the daily grind is hard. It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture amidst the challenges of life. We can easily be consumed by our trials, forgetting to look up and see what God is doing all around us. When the mission becomes too difficult and there’s little to show for all of our hard work, it’s tempting to throw in the towel. That’s when we need a healthy dose of encouragement. We need to be reminded that God is real, he is at work, he is for us, and he is faithful.

We live in a world crippled by judgment, hate, and fear. There are days even in our own communities where loving our neighbors doesn’t even seem possible. However, if we choose to love those around us....our friends, our neighbors, our communities, and even complete strangers....we’re taking a step forward into the life God has planned for us. Jesus speaking, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ~ Matthew 22:37-39 †

Have you ever felt that the more you do....the more you give....the blessings seem to come pouring back to you? We must treat all we have as His. I pray to always give willingly and cheerfully as I seek to be a blessing to those in my life who might need a helping hand. My parents were my greatest example. Although they did not have great financial means in this world....they had huge, loving hearts and they always gave even when their "storehouse" was nearly empty. In addition, giving is not always an issue of giving money. One of our greatest gifts is to give of ourselves by serving those in need. † "The generous will prosper, those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." ~ Proverbs 11:25

It's time to rise above those negative circumstances and believe what God says about you. You are blessed, favored, and loved…..When we allow negatives to take up space in our minds, to whittle away at what we know to be true, to break us down, and to make camp in our hearts and souls....we have given satan a foothold and that is all he needs to drag us into the pit with him. He disguises himself and sneaks in the backdoor when we are at lowest. He is the king of lies and wil l cast doubt and discouragement over our lives. Stand firm!  Do not give satan a chance to come into your world. Cast him and his lies out through speaking Jesus back at him. As believers, we are children of the Most High God and satan can only have of us what we are willing to give. That is why we must be alert, on guard, speak words of life, speak with confidence who we are in Him. Satan will run when you start preaching truth because there will be zero room for his lies. Be strong in the faith, reject sat

It is about Jesus and drawing our hearts into His reality. His grace. His love. His hope. His forgiveness. And most of all the free gift of salvation because of Him. "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." ~ Matthew 15:8-9

Death comes early in poor societies, where families lack adequate food, safe water, secure housing, and access to medical care. In the world's low-income nations, one-quarter of all children do not receive enough nutrition to be healthy. Poor children live in poor families, and many share in the struggle to get through each day. Organizations fighting child poverty estimate that as many as 100 million children living in cities in poor countries beg, steal, sell sex, or work for drug gangs to provide income for their families. With this knowledge, what would Jesus have us do? I believe we all know the answer! If one is hungry, thirsty, homeless, poor, helpless....it is His call for us to reach out in all ways that we are able. If we do not, it is as if we did not do it for Jesus. There are many Christian humanities groups who would love to have your support. Matthew 25:31-46 The Final Judgment “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he

The enemy is always trying to get our eyes off all God's given us and make us focus onto the one thing we feel He hasn't. Keep looking Upward and do not accept the devil's lies. God always has our best interest; however, He didn't create puppets; therefore, we have free will.  Many times our own decisions are keeping us from receiving His full goodness for our lives. We need to be looking inward to see where we might need to change. God is always good! ✝

Worrying is wasting energy on the things we can't control. Leave everything in God's hand. We must think less, pray more, and leave our worries, concerns, and stress with Him. Worrying has never and will NEVER change anything for good. It might, however, destroy the health of the one who is worrying.  I am speaking this message for my benefit as well as any of you who struggle with worrying. I want to be "in control" and I am sure many of you can understand, but that need to control comes with worrying. The truth is, we are not really in control of very many things in our lives. We must truly give control over to Him. I get better, then I retreat to worry and the need to control; therefore, it is a prayer that I keep on my heart. ✝

We don't always need to be with the "best of the best." There is life, love, and opportunities to expand our souls if we will humble ourselves and become just a little bit more like Jesus today and serve the least of these. Father God, help us to see those in need and be with us as we take steps to serve others more than ourselves. In Jesus' Name, Amen. † "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." ~ 1 John 3:18 "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." ~ Hebrews 6:10

God is calling us to the throne room. He is inviting us to come into His presence so He can love us, heal us, and prepare us for the work He has created for each of us. Our King desires to teach us who we really are in Christ as we pick up our Sword, the Word of God, read it, believe it, and be transformed by it! He wants us to move forward and recognize the incredible individuals we are and become who He created us to be.  The enemy wants to stop us from fulfilling our destiny. He doesn’t want us to realize our full potential or the gifts and talents that God has placed inside us. The enemy would love nothing more than to convince us that the preparation time is too long and we’re not godly material, but it’s not true. God already sees the goodness inside of us and we’ve come to the kingdom for such a time as this! †

Reflecting back....tomorrow will already be a week since Resurrection Sunday. There are so many lessons that we can take and implement into our lives from this day. One principle that the resurrection teaches us is that God will always finish what He started. No matter how dark it looks, no matter how long it's been, no matter how many people are trying to push you down; if you will stay in faith, God will always take you from Friday to Sunday. You will see your day of breakt hrough because God will complete what He started. There are many of you today who are in the middle of desperate times, heartbreaking struggles....a feeling of loss, financially broken, confusion, filled with questions without answers. My heart is grieving for all who are in this place....I have been there on every level. BUT....and YES, there is a but - Praise God..... But, If you are going through a dark time today, remember that your day of resurrection, your "Sunday," is on the way. Celebrate n

An encounter with God changes everything! What an astounding thing....that God Himself has chosen to dwell in us, His adopted children! We are never alone. He is with us through joy and pain, in blessing and heartache, while we are awake and while we are asleep. Always! He is closer than our very breath. In fact, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” ~ Acts 17:28 God longs to dwell with us....with those whom He created and deeply loves....in the sweet fellowship that  was lost in the Garden because of sin. God is bidding us to "draw near" so that He may touch us with His glory, His awesome grandeur, and His everlasting love. Live your life dwelling in His presence! † "Can anyone hide from me? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?" asks the LORD. ~ Jeremiah 23:24 "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.....let us draw near....." ~ Hebrews 10:19, 22

At the foot of the cross, we are all equal. Some use earthly titles/positions to bolster their standing among men. We might have professional "titles" such as Doctor, Professor, Congressman, Attorney, and so on; however, when we are with our brothers and sisters in Christ, I hope those titles/identities are shed and we are all simply Christians. Although impressive, some have more letters after their name denoting their title/titles than they do in their actual name; however, the greatest position we can have is being a child of God. We should never elevate ourselves or others above another. Be humble. † "But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law." ~ James 2:9 "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." ~ James 4:6

My heart hurts for people who live their lives stuck behind a mask.....never really experiencing the fullness of life and all it has to offer. One of the greatest tragedies in life is to lose your own sense of self and accept the version of you that is expected by everyone else. You’ll never know who you are unless you shed who you pretend to be. We all have scars, pain, and heartbreak that have altered our lives, but for some, they have allowed what the “world thinks” to cau se them to live one life before others and quite another behind the mask.  For many, it is only through a trusting faith in the power of Jesus that allows for coming out of the shadows…take down the mask…and reveal who we have been hiding. However, because of fear….what will “they” think if reality is known….some will forever live behind the mask. Through Jesus, there is courage, acceptance, hope, and freedom to reveal and be FREE!

Never doubt the love God has for you. If He gave His most valuable possession, His only son Jesus Christ, to die in our place, how much more now will He continue to love and cherish us!!! "For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you." Isaiah 54:10

Be confident in the fact that God has a specific plan and vision for YOUR life. In order to get a vision for your life, you first have to believe that God has a plan specifically designed for you. Meditate on the Scriptures that tell of the good He has for you, talk to God, and listen to and feel the movings of the Holy Spirit within you. Speak those Scriptures over yourself and your family and declare with full assurance, "GOD HAS GREAT AND MIGHTY PLANS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY!  HIS PLANS ARE GOOD. THEY ARE PLANS THAT WILL GIVE US HOPE AND CAUSE US TO PROSPER.  The devil is a deceiving liar and he will try to convince you that he can give you everything. He even had the audacity to tell Jesus in Matthew 4:9 "All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me." WOW! Sadly, for the past 2,000+ years he has continued to tell that lie and many have fallen prey to him....not realizing the truth until he had already wrecked havoc in their life. God DOES have a great

At the cross we are justified. Righteousness could not happen without justification. Do you still live under condemnation? Freedom is in and through Jesus and His shed blood. Let Jesus have control of your life. He will make you new, give you a new identity in Him. He will give you a new purpose for life. He will fill you with the blessing of joy....Blessed, internal joy and peace that is only His to give. You must break free of what has been holding you back. Lose yourself s o that you can fully and completely become the self that God has planned for you. God will remove your past so He can redeem your future. Go all in…Take the next step…Discover your purpose. Call on Him! Wash yourself in Him! Walk through life with Him! This earthly life is brief; however, eternity is....well, eternal! Give your all to Him and live forever! Have an encounter with God! †