Let’s Sing a New Song!
It’s week 3 of transforming ourselves in this new year through the one thing we can control, our attitude. I pray that as you are working on having and maintaining a positive attitude, regardless of your circumstances, that you are finding success in the FIGHT!
It is truly, a FIGHT!
We are fighting for the very thing that our enemy, satan, wants to steel, our attitude! If he is successful in turning a good attitude, reflective of God’s joy and spirit, into an attitude that is negative, sour, and ornery, he not only wins the fight for our spirit, but also robs us of the positive influence we have on those around us!

Yes, others are watching us, whether we like it or not!
If we go to church on the weekend and they see us leave when everyone else in the neighborhood is staying put to watch the big game, or sleep in, we are displaying an attitude of commitment to God’s call to His believers to join together and “build one another up.”

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:25

If we are sitting on the sidelines at our child’s or grandchild’s game or dance recital and we are the one maintaining self-control, not bashing the coaches or other team, and using kind words in our speech, then we are setting an example of Christ’s call to display Him in our actions and speech.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing , so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation , in which you shine like stars in the universe.” Philippians 2:14-15

If we are the one sitting in traffic or standing in a crowded line, and we let someone go in front of us, then we are displaying God’s character in action.

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10

Yes, you and I have a choice to make each and every day. Actually, I take that back. We have a choice to make each and every moment of every day! What will our thoughts be? What will our actions be? What will our reactions be?

We must realize that the ONE THING WE DO HAVE CONTROL OVER IS OUR ATTITUDE!

It starts with our thoughts!
That is the reason that Fighting this good fight to have and maintain a good attitude, one that reflects Christ and His character, is so important! So, this Week, Week 3, we take a jab at what we listen to!

JAB NUMBER THREE: LISTEN TO SPIRIT LIFTING MUSIC!

What we put into our mind and heart is what will come out in our speech, actions, reactions and ATTITUDE!

“Finally, brothers (& sisters), whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8
PUNCH LEFT – LISTEN!
As simple as it may sound, what we listen to has a very strong influence on our attitude! Simply put, “Listen to spirit-lifting music.”

When we hear the Words , “Today is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it,” we feel our spirit lift and we have an attitude of joy as we realize, TODAY is really the only day we get. It is a gift from God and it is up to us what we do with it!

When we listen to scripture put to song, and hear an encouraging statement of TRUTH that our God is in control NO MATTER what we are going through, our attitude is encouraged and made right again!

When we enter into worship with other believers and sing our shouts of praise to our Great God, our spirit can soar! When we listen to others sing in worship, we are blessed, built up and encouraged.

What we listen to matters! It can literally boost, or tear down our attitude! Take a “Punch” at having a positive attitude, and LISTEN to up lifting music!

PUNCH RIGHT – REFLECT!
Take a moment to remember the songs sung to you by your parents, grandparents, Sunday school teachers, etc…
As elementary as it may seem, the profound words of “JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO…”, can make all the difference in the world in changing our sad, downcast attitude into a positive, confident attitude when we hear the simple TRUTH put to song that JESUS LOVES US!
Reflecting and recalling the songs and hymns that we know can help put our attitudes on the track to positivity!

Truth Bomb

Singing a new song lifts our attitude to incredible heights!

So here we are, half way to our commitment to a New Positive Year with God! One that reflects His character by having and maintaining a POSITIVE, GOOD ATTITUDE!
You are half way there my friends! Keep on Keeping on, and stay in the FIGHT! We are in it together!

Stay Strong, throw those jabs, punch left and right, and come back next week for Week 4 as we “GET PHYSICAL!”

Love Being In This Fight With You!

Speak Truth Love

So how is your “FIGHT” going? Have you taken a “jab” at committing to change the one thing you do have control over, YOUR ATTITUDE?  It is CHOICE. I had to buy myself a reminder, that my CHOICE was to CHOOSE JOY!

Have you taken a “jab” at taking a time out? Have you thrown a “punch” at reflecting on yourself? Have you thrown another “punch” at self- evaluating where you are? Considering how you got there and making a positive change to correct anything in your life that is not God-honoring and positive?

Finally, did you throw a hard “punch” at your prayer life?
Have you set aside specific time with God to not only throw your requests, needs and wants up to Him, but to also listen to Him as He speaks to you?

If you have thrown several “jabs and punches” at these first positive commitments to changing and maintaining a positive attitude in 2017 and you feel the beads of sweat rolling down your face from the “FIGHT,”
“Do not grow weary in doing good!” Galatians 6:9

GOD PROMISES THAT WHEN WE “FIGHT” FOR HIM, HE WILL PRODUCE A HARVEST OF GOOD IN OUR LIVES! PRAISE HIM!

If you have thrown a few “jabs and punches” here and there, and you feel the opponent breathing down your neck and threatening to hinder your good progress, “FIGHT ON!” (Yes, I am a USC fan, but in my humble opinion they borrowed a great line from the creator of VICTORY!)
Continue in the FIGHT my friends. God promises you are not fighting alone.

If you find your self reading this with your face flat down on the mat, and you have not even thrown one “jab” or “punch” yet, take heart, IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO START!

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Friends our goal is to “Stay In The Fight!” To JAB and PUNCH each and every day at committing to control our attitude. Give it to Christ each and every day. Remember, their will be days of victory and success, and also days of struggle and defeat. Our God is our strength,
“The JOY of The Lord is my STRENGTH…” Nehemiah 10:8b

In our own strength the FIGHT is too hard, too much work and too overwhelming! We get tired, discouraged and burnt out. But, when we set our minds on GOD, He fills us with His Holy Spirit, and NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
“Nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

So, are you ready to pick your tired self back up and take another “Jab” at this worthy FIGHT with me?

WE GOT THIS!

JAB NUMBER TWO: READ THE BIBLE!

PUNCH LEFT – JUST OPEN UP THE WORD! It is literally at your finger tips these days in any form you prefer! You can leaf through the worn, familiar pages and crack open that beat up, falling apart leather copy you have had for ages. Or, you can treat yourself with a gift worth paying for and buy a brand new Bible! One that opens up with that lovely “new book” smell as you open it’s pages and hear the crackle and crunch as you gently pull each page apart. Or, you can pull up your favorite Bible app on your smart phone. You can select your favorite version or read the same passages in several different versions. Or, you can find an app on your favorite tablet or computer. THERE IS TRULY UPTEEN WAYS YOU CAN READ THE BIBLE!

The Challenge is to READ IT EVERY DAY!
If this task feels daunting to you, then consider that if you have made it this far through my Blog you have already read the Word of God several times!

PUNCH RIGHT – MAKE A BIBLE READING PLAN!

Would you consider taking a trip without a plan? Now maybe like me you thrive on a bit of spontaneity, but even when I take a “spontaneous” trip, I must admit planning goes into it!
Would you send your children to school without a plan?
‘Good Bye kids! I’ve heard our neighborhood school is a good one. See you after school, ENJOY!’
Would you attend a church, a concert, a movie, or most of the time these days, even a restaurant without planning it? We basically live our lives with a PLAN! When we do not have a plan, the event is typically not successful, and followed through on!
Let’s face it, most of us even have a PLAN for the grocery store. Otherwise, we would buy too many of the wrong items, return home without the items we needed, and definitely would buy too many of those “random” purchases, and end of with what we do not need!

What We Need Is a PLAN to CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE IN 2017 TO A POSITIVE ONE!
Making a PLAN to Read God’s Word each and every day, one verse or a chapter or a book at a time, will give us the tool to “fight for it!”

TRUTH BOMB

Reading the Bible never returns void!

We are in full FIGHTING Mode now. We have taken two big “JABS” and have begun to throw “PUNCHES!”
Let’s continue to commit our minds to the one thing we can control, our attitude.
Let’s “FIGHT ON” at changing and maintaining a positive attitude!
You are not alone. God is with you! Feel His presence this week as you PRAY and READ HIS WORD! Meet you back here next week for JAB NUMBER THREE as we continuing Fighting for our attitudes!

Speak Truth Love

Happy New Year!

When you woke up, or maybe you stayed up, and welcomed in 2017, were you excited for a New Year? Were you thankful for the year that ended, or were you happy to say “good bye” to 2016, and ecstatic that you were facing the opportunity to make this year a better one?

Did you tackle that challenge with a “New Year’s Resolution?” Did you commit to join a gym, lose weight, eat healthy,(AKA “Clean”), or did you promise to break a nasty habit, or save more money or in other words spend less?  All of these “commitments” in and of themselves are fine. They just unfortunately all share one common denominator that makes the task difficult for ME, or in your case YOU!  By ourselves, we are doomed to fail, quit or at best fall short of our goals. But with the winning combination of ‘ME + GOD’,  or ‘YOU + GOD,’ all things are possible!

“For NOTHING is impossible with God.”  Luke 1:37

As we begin a NEW YEAR, with new possibilities, new opportunities and new challenges, let’s begin together by focusing on what we can control instead of what is out of our control.

We do not have control over our tummy that gurgles and begs for us to reach for the cinnamon roll instead of the oatmeal. But we DO have control over our attitude. We can set our minds on making small changes, one day at a time. If we do have days when the call of the cinnamon roll wins, we move on to the next meal, the next day and make healthier choices.

We do not have control over what may happen tomorrow as we head for the gym. We may  encounter thin, in shape hard working people in training that intimidate us and make us feel like running for the exit. However, we DO have control over our attitude. We can determine to stay put! We can do our best to complete that spin class or finish our turn on the elliptical machine.  We can set our mind on returning the next day and the next, until we have produced a routine of exercise that becomes second nature to us.

We do not have control over the urge that hits us when we are confronted with a temptation we have trouble resisting. We DO have control over our reaction to that urge. We can pray and ask God for the self control to walk away, not give into it and practice restraint each time we are confronted by it!

We do not have control over our desire for things we cannot afford. We DO have control to  make a decision to not exercise spending when our wants exceed our means.

I believe the way we will face this New Year of 2017 and wake up next New Year’s Day and say, “This Was a Great Year,” is to take control of what we CAN control, and that is our ATTITUDE!  LIFE is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it!

Truth Bomb

Nobody has a good, positive, consistent attitude without fighting for it!

Are you ready to fight with me for something worth fighting for, OUR ATTITUDES!

Let’s take a stab at ‘Six Helps’ to change a negative attitude into a positive one.

This First Week of adapting a positive attitude we take a jab at stopping, slowing down, and taking a “TIME OUT!”‘

JAB NUMBER ONE: TAKE A TIME OUT!

PUNCH LEFT- Reflect and Self -Evaluate: ask yourself the question,”How did I get here?” What am I doing and why? Commit to look within yourself and change what ever you think about that is not positive and God-honoring. Commit to adapt a Philippians 4:8 attitude…

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  Philippians 4:8

PUNCH RIGHT-Pray! Need I say more? This should always be our number one go to in fighting the good fight!

Fighting for something means there will be success and struggle as we ‘Fight to control our attitudes.’ But as the old saying goes, “anything worth having is worth fighting for!”

We have already taken the first few punches at JAB NUMBER ONE, we are on our way to VICTORY over changing and maintaining a positive attitude.  Punch away, we are in this together! Focus on JAB NUMBER ONE, and take a “TIME OUT” this week. Then meet me back here for JAB NUMBER TWO as we fight for our attitudes!

 

Speak Truth Love

 

 

 

It seems as though it was only a week and a half ago or so, that I was sitting on my family room floor surrounded by piles of tissue, wrapping paper, and ribbon. I was in a wrapping frenzy! I had set aside an entire day, from morning until night, to complete this project of wrapping my family’s Christmas gifts.

What I thought would take a day, turned into two, and a few late nights sprinkled in here and there! After I had selected what I hoped would be the perfect gifts for our family, I then set about to carry on the Christmas tradition my Mother had started. We  choose the perfect paper and ribbon for each person to create the Christmas stack of gifts! They would be revealed as our family came around the corner, saw the Christmas tree, and spied the stack of gifts prepared especially for them.

Then it began, within seconds, the paper of each gift carefully and painstakingly selected just for them became an instantaneous pile of torn rubbish. Isn’t it sobering to realize that the amount of time, effort and money we spend on outer adornments only serves to reveal the GIFT that lies inside?

I was reminded at the end of the unwrapping of our gifts, that the true meaning of Christmas lies within. I always dread the day after Christmas. Knowing that it’s over and that I have to wait a whole year until it’s here again. But if I truly have received the GIFT of Christmas-the Savior Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, meaning God with ME, then Christmas truly never ends.

The GIFT of my Savior being with me, living IN me, and enabling me to do His will each and everyday, stays with me even after the adornments of Christmas are put away. Yes, I will put away my treasured ornaments and take down my Christmas tree and lights. The stockings will come down and the beautiful snowflakes I love so dearly will be packed away. My Christmas dishes will be carefully wrapped and saved until next year, but the GIFT of Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord will remain with me throughout the year!

Truth Bomb

In unwrapping the true GIFT of Christmas, we find that the outer decoration only adorns the beauty of what’s inside!

As you enter this week, between Christmas and the New Year, and look at the adornments of Christmas that decorate your home and life the few final days before they are packed away for the season, may you and I both reflect on the Truth that outward sparkle and decoration is not what we offer others. The true GIFT we offer is our heart, reflecting His love to everyone.

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

I look forward to starting a New Year with all of you next week, and a new series!

 

Speak Truth Love

 

 

This Tuesday’s blog finds us in the fourth week of Advent and only five days from Christmas!

Week one gave us the Hope of Christmas, Immanuael, God with us! Week two brought the Love of Christmas, as God sends his angel to speak to the Virgin Mary and tell her that she would bear the Son of God! Week three brought us the Joy of Christmas,
As the wisemen make the wise choice to follow the miraculous star to Christ the Savior! And this week, the final week of advent brings us PEACE!

That PEACE IS NOT spelled P-I-E-C-E! It is not another piece of Christmas candy, or another piece of cranberry apple pie, or another piece of a Christmas cookie that we intend to only eat part of, but inevitably return back to finish…It is peace with a capital P followed by an E-A-C-E!
It is the peace we are looking for as we try to navigate through the traffic on the way to the mall! It is the peace we frantically try to hold onto as we compete with the clock to make it on time to one more program! It is the peace we long for as we try on outfit after outfit to select the perfect one to wear for Christmas! It is the peace we pray about having as we gather together with friends, family, relations, some we get along with with ease and others that take a greater measure of effort! It is the peace we try to maintain as our eyes wander back and forth and up and down our Christmas list of gifts to buy! And, it is the peace we dream about as we check our bank balance after each purchase!
And it is certainly the peace we need when someone mentions, ” It’s Only 5 More Day Until Christmas!”
Peace is not a common state of being for most humans. In fact, I believe that true peace is not found apart from God!
Oh, beauty pageant contestants will ask for it, and we will do our best to find it, as we buy into every cultural lure that promises us peace for the price of a treatment, bottle, or time away! The ironic part to me, is “time away” is the opposite of finding true, real, and everlasting peace this side of heaven.
God intervened into our world, and because He did, we can enter His! When we do, we have PEACE! God’s peace is not the kind of peace as the world understands. In fact, God says that His peace surpasses our understanding! It is a true mystery, just like the mystery of Christmas! God coming down to be with us! Through that mystery of Christmas the majesty of God is revealed! In the same way God promises us PEACE when his favor rests on us!

Luke 2:14,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE two men on whom his favor rests.”

True Peace is only found when we spend time with God! He came to us at Christmas time, to understand the hurried, busy, scattered, broken, crazy hectic life that we live, and he offers us Himself! True peace, genuine rest, and calm amidst the storm, when we abide with Him!

God sent another angel that night to a group of very uncommon people. These people did not rank high in society, they did not hold powerful positions, they did not achieve the highest test scores in school, in fact in their culture they would’ve been considered “nobodies.” They were the shepherds!
They kept to themselves mostly because they spent the majority of their time with smelly sheep out in the open air on a hillside. However, God only saw them as LOVED, His precious people that He came to save and have a relationship with!
God saw them as so significant that He gave them the greatest announcement that the world has ever received,

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

The announcement was personal, and it was delivered to common men…, ” I bring YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY…”, and “…a Savior has been born to you!”

Truth Bomb

God’s favor rests on us when we follow him!

Jesus said to the Shepherd’s over two-Thousand years ago “Follow Me.”
“You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger,” GO , FOLLOW, You will find Him!

He is saying the same thing to you and I today, “in the middle of your craziness, your busyness, your franticness, your sorrow, or your grief…come to me, you will find me, and I will give you PEACE!

As we are only five days from Christmas, and our schedules heat up and our peace is hard to find, may we take a lesson from the shepherds,

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ” Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15

GO! GO TO GOD, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU PEACE!

May you experience His peace at Christmas like none other this year as you go to the Savior of the world! And don’t forget to tell others!

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” Luke 2:17

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MAY YOU TRULY FEEL GOD’S LOVE AND PEACE!

Speak Truth Love

Happy third week of Advent! I didn’t forget about today, I chose to post late tonight when the stars were out and bright!

For it was on a night when the brightest star that has ever shown hung brightly in the sky leading those who would follow it.

This star was not simply a scientific make up of combustible parts, it was hung there by God himself! Put in the sky to lead those who would follow it to the Messiah, the Savior, the King of Kings, the Great I Am!
It didn’t flicker or dull or burn out of its brilliance. It burned brightly and steady with miraculous light and lead all those who chose to follow it to the newborn King himself, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2

In a very real way that star still shines miraculously today for us if we choose to follow it, but it is a choice!
Herod learned about the star of Bethlehem, and his pride and jealousy drove him to not follow it to the True king who could have saved him. Instead he allowed it to drive him to hatred, jealousy, and vindictiveness to the point of wanting to destroy the King of Kings.
The religious leaders of that time also could have followed the star. It shown as brightly for them as anyone else. But they allowed there intellectualism and their superiority to blind them to the truth of the miraculous occurrence in Bethlehem.
Finally the wise men, those who had not yet fully come to the knowledge of God and His plan, but allowed there hearts to be open to follow the truth! True worship is when we follow Him!

So what about me and what about you? Do we follow the star that still shines over our lives and leads us to our King, the King that was born on Christmas Day?
Or do we allow are selfish human nature to cloud our judgment and follow the path of self enlightenment or indulgence? Do we allow our intellect to believe in the King, but stop us from following him with complete surrender. Or do we, like those wisemen so very long ago, follow the light that shines brightly even in a dark world with unashamed allegiance?

Truth Bomb

Those who are wise, still follow the Star.

I hope and pray that at this Christmas time as we reflect on him we find ourselves in the good company of the wise men who followed the star! It will lead us faithfully in our walk with him day by day just as it did for them over 2000 years ago!

Truly, wise men, and women, still seek him!

Speak Truth Love

It’s A Party! A Birthday Party! The greatest birthday party the world has ever had!

Birthday parties are fresh on my mind these days as I have just celebrated three very special ones! First, it was my grandson’s second birthday! Buzz Lightyear ushered us to “Infinity and Beyond”, as we celebrated this very special boy!
Second, it was my son’s 27th birthday! How he got so old, and I just keep getting younger is a mystery! (I wish!)
We celebrated him in true Disney style, as a family, at ‘The Happiest Place on Earth.’
And third, it was my birthday yesterday! Yes, I have withheld the number to protect the not so innocent, me! I was celebrated far beyond what I deserve! My family celebrated me on my “fake birthday”, (that story is a blog for another time,) by my Northern California family. Then I was celebrated by my Southern California family on my real birthday, not to be outdone by my amazing class of 4th graders who threw me a surprise party at school!

But none of these are the party I am referring to, yet this party is the one most fresh on my mind.
The birthday party that I am referring to had no “special guests” invited. The attendees were lowly animals, the stinky barnyard type. Not a lot of family attended, only a young mother and father. There were no streamers, balloons, or even a cake. No special theme was used, only that of obscurity and little fanfare.
Yet this Birthday was the most significant the world will ever experience. A King was born, the Savior of the world. And He was brought into this world, on His very first Birthday by a young woman who was a virgin. No, you did not read that incorrectly, His mother was a virgin! His birth was a miraculous one! You have heard of a “natural birth,” well this birth was not a “natural birth,” it was a SUPERNATURAL BIRTH! A birth like none other, the birth of God our Savior. The complete account is beautifully told by Luke in Luke 2: 26 – 38. But the part I want to focus in on today during the Second Week of Advent is verse 38…….

“I am The Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

This young woman’s life was interrupted in a way she never could have imagined. She was young, a virgin, pure and right, and engaged to a godly man. Her life looked “perfect.”
Then, when she least expected it, an angel visits her! Not only did she get visited by an angelic being (CRAZY RIGHT?), but this angelic being asks her to take a step of faith, NO, a LEAP of faith, and believe that she is going to become pregnant BY THE HAND OF GOD! And what is her answer?
Her answer is the greatest expression of FAITH we could ever hear,
“May it be to me as you have said.”

Does Mary understand her God given assignment? Does Mary have time to plan ahead and make sure all of her “ducks are in a row?” Does Mary even take the time to fret, question and wrestle with God before she accepts His assignment/interruption into her life? The answer is NO to all of these questions!
Mary exemplifies supreme faith and trust in Her God and His plans as she quietly and humbly accepts His assignment!
Oh how I pray that I would grow in my faith to the point of trusting God fully and completely with my life so that I too would answer like Mary did and accept Gods interruptions in my life as He calls me to accept His assignments.

Truth Bomb

When God interrupts our lives, may our answer be, “As You Say!”

As we navigate through the second week of Advent and focus on the Virgin Birth of Jesus-our Messiah, Savior and King, let’s not neglect to look at the young virgin Mary and pray that God would give us faithful hearts and lives like hers!

Happy Reflecting and Celebrating Everyone! We are truly Blessed to Celebrate the BEST OF BIRTHDAY’S, The Birthday of Mary’s baby boy, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world!

Speak Truth Love

Can you believe December is almost upon us? There’s no more denying that the shopping, wrapping, decorating, parties and Christmas programs will soon dominate are calendars, if they haven’t already! My son-in-law already attended his staff Christmas party!
It’s so easy for us to get caught up in the seemingly endless list of activities and traditions! The hurry scurry of the hectic schedule of Christmas can overtake not just our calendars but our lives. Let’s pause and take some time out of our schedules to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

As we enter the first week of advent, we focus on the arrival of Christ, the promised Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Advent means the arrival of a noble person, thing or event. Do we truly pause long enough to take in the full extent of God’s immense love for us?
The true gift of Christmas is God sending His Son to be WITH US.

Another word for Jesus is Immanuel, meaning God with us. The true miracle of Christmas is that God didn’t just say He loved us, but He demonstrated it by sending His Son to be WITH US; to understand us; to be familiar with all of the issues, struggles, triumphs, failures, joys, pains and sorrows that we encounter, each and everyday.

If you have an acquaintance that tells you they like you, and speaks with you casually, they remain an acquaintance. But those we call friends, are the ones who spend time with us, who are with us when we succeed, and they share in our celebration! They are also with us through our struggles, our looses and our pain. They make the sacrifices to spend the time to have an intimate relationship with us.

God loves us so much that He does not simply remain the all powerful being, Creator God who lives in Heaven. Instead His love for us is so great that He humbled himself to be WITH US.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given…” Isaiah 9:6a

As you prepare for this Christmas season and reflect on the arrival of Christ, I pray you will find ways to focus on God being WITH US.

This comes from being with Him first and foremost through reading His Word. Communing with Him through the pages of Scripture and through prayer. Through singing His praises with a joyful heart, grateful for the most incredible gift of Jesus Christ! It also comes through serving others gladly, and extending God’s love to them. A friend that needs a helping hand or an encouraging word; a child who needs to be sponsored or sent a special gift this season; a homeless person who needs a hot meal, or maybe a warm blanket. God will provide opportunities for us to serve others in His name if we are open and looking.

Truth Bomb

Advent is a time to reflect on Christ’s arrival, as God WITH US!

Jesus is the greatest gift the world has ever or will ever receive! His greatest desire is time WITH US. Let’s commit from this first week of advent on, to keep Jesus WITH US throughout this entire season.

Speak Truth Love

I apologize for the late post today, It’s moving day!

It has been an emotional week, filled with goodbyes, memories, prayers, and lots and lots of hugs!
It’s not easy to “MOVE!” No matter what context moving is used in, it is always an active verb!

It calls us to “do something!” And let’s face it, in this fast-paced, get up and go world we live in, moving can be one of the last things we feel like doing. Moving is not a “natural state.” The natural state of our being is to want to sit or lay down. There is no denying however, that our bodies were created to move! Our arms and legs bend, our head turns, our toes and fingers curl, and our knees and elbows are joints. In fact, without regular movement and exercise, a sedentary lifestyle leads to poor health, and can even lead to death. Movement is a necessity for physical health and well being! The same is true of spiritual health and well being!
Our natural reaction to change is typically negative. We love living in the comfort zone. The danger zone is only for those “bad boys” that you love to watch on the big screen and dream about. But you’d never want to live that reality for yourself.
We don’t only want our days planned, we buy calendars, to plan our weeks and our months. We pay financial planners to provide us with a false sense of security, for our future and retirement.
We like things to stay the same, but the truth is, our spiritual muscles need flexing and movement just as much as our physical muscles do.
A newborn baby, may be perfectly content to stay cuddled in a soft warm blanket, and be fed milk. If that baby celebrates its fifth birthday, or it’s tenth birthday, or heaven forbid it’s fifteenth birthday, still cuddled up and fed milk from a bottle, then that child will never grow and develop. Atrophy will set in and eventually all growth will cease. We must not allow this to happen to our spiritual bodies. God calls us to trust Him, and to step out in faith. Often He calls us to step where we cannot see the road ahead clearly.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

That is the true definition of trust.

Stepping out, knowing that the One who calls you will take you safely where He’s calling you to go.

So today, I find myself flexing those spiritual muscles, and MOVING!

As the end of one chapter, a good chapter, comes to a close and the beginning of the next chapter begins, I find myself thankful for where God has had me, and where He will lead me next. It is not an easy move, but I trust the One who has called me to move, to provide for all my needs, and to fulfill His will and purposes in me and through me. He is faithful, and I am thankful!
Nine months ago, my faithful God spoke a verse into my life as He called me to move forward and to trust Him with my future. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been my constant source of encouragement, strength, and confidence through these past nine months.
I anticipate great things ahead, in this new chapter and ministry, from my faithful, powerful, loving God!

TRUTH BOMB

Exercising your spiritual muscles requires you to MOVE!

Don’t be afraid to MOVE! Don’t be afraid to exercise your trust in God! He will never fail you! His ways are perfect! He will direct your paths!

Speak Truth Love