Time Out

So this weekend my friends and I decided to take a trip out of town to celebrate a birthday. As exhausting as the 5 hour flight was, the trip has been so worth it. We all needed to take a "time out" to rest, relax and enjoy each other's company. Just some time away to be carefree. God even took time out to rest.

Genesis 2:2 "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."

Don't forget to take time out for yourself. Clear your mind and allow fresh thoughts to enter in. Remove yourself from the daily hustle and bustle of life's day to day routines. You'll thank yourself for the treat and so will your body. Don't wear yourself out - you're all the you that you have. Remember - it doesn't have to be a flight out of town; it could be a night in a hotel a few minutes or even an hour away from home. Turn off your phone and spend some time just enjoying you.

Let's Talk About It

I heard my pastor say once that “what you allow will continue.”  This helped me understand that I teach people how to treat me.  That treatment can be good or bad.  There is a difference with having patience with a person or showing some tolerance versus  allowing someone to be disrespectful to you and you not correcting them.  Keep in mind that we perceive things differently so what someone may consider to be a joke or harmless, could be taken as troublesome to another.

The key to this all is communication.  Don’t be afraid to talk to people and let them know how you feel.  I tell my team at work that I don’t know a problem exists if no one says anything to me.  I don’t read minds.  It’s not healthy to allow feelings to build up on the inside because one day you’ll explode and say things that you’ll regret.

Why do we sit back and allow others to make us feel uncomfortable and say nothing about it?  In the meantime they are perfectly fine with the situation and going on about their business.    Either that person is trying to annoy you on purpose or they have no idea that they did something to annoy you.  In order to find out their true intention – talk about it tactfully.  Especially as a Christian, we should be spiritually mature enough to talk things out.

Matthew 18:15 (NLT) - “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense..."

Speak To It!

This morning I read Ezekiel 37 and it got me fired up! 

"And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:"

What are you speaking/prophesying to in your life today?  What sickness, circumstance or life situation are you prophesying to???  The definition of prophesy is to declare or foretell by or as if by divine inspiration.  So what do you think you are doing when you call those things that be not as though they were?

I encourage you to speak life into your own situation.  Don't wait for someone else to come along to declare life to you - DECLARE IT YOURSELF.  I read a devotion by David Wilkerson yesterday called "Violent Faith" and here is snippet from it:

"Indeed, I see a godly people with an aggressive faith being raised up. This holy remnant is full of Jesus, loving Him with all their hearts."

Speak to it!!!

I Want to Live

I want to live a long, healthy, happy life and I plan to do just that.  In order for my life to be what I want it to be, I must take care of myself.  This means spiritually, emotionally and physically. 

Just like I have to feed my body food to be able to live, I must feed my spirit the word of God to live.  John 6:35 - "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."  The bible is the instruction manual on how to live.  It is up to us to read this word, study this word and meditate on it day and night.  Just like taking a test in school that you MUST pass to complete the course - this is the how we need to be with the bible.

I must care for myself emotionally by being true to yourself.  Go back and read the blog entitled "Self Inspection."  If you feel a certain way, don't ignore it, but try and understand it.  Surround yourself with positive people who will influence your life in positive ways.  Do away with the drama that seems to find us all so easily.  Protect what goes into you so that what comes out of you will be life.

Take care of yourself physically.  Stop complaining about your weight and do something about it.  Take vitamins and eat foods that are life sustaining.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator; park further away at the store; exhibit discipline and tell yourself no to that fried chicken.

I want to live a long, healthy, happy life and I plan to do just that.

Mind Your Own Business

You ever heard the saying, "the same dog that brings a bone takes a bone?"  What does that mean?  Plain and simple - the same person that comes to you to talk about someone else is talking to someone else about you.  Why is it so hard to just mind our own business and tend to our own affairs? 

I see this a lot with women, being that I work with an office full of them.  We constantly find ways to tear each other down, rather than build each other up.  Why is it so difficult for us to cheer our sister on when she is handling her business and making positive strides in life? 

When someone you know does something really good that we should all be proud of, how many people do you talk about it with?  Now on the other hand, if that person did something really bad or what you may consider stupid, how many people do you run out and tell?  I'll bet there is a big difference in that number.  BUT why is that?

Proverbs 17:17 (NLT) - "A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need."

The next time the temptation presents itself - do yourself a favor and resist it.  Respect your sister enough to not talk about her.  If you're bold enough to say it behind someone's back - be just as bold to say it in their presence.

I Thessalonians 4:12,13 (NLT) - "Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others."

What is Worship to You?

Worship can mean different things to different people.  For some it is dedicated alone time in prayer: for others it is reading their bible ; for some it is partaking in a consecration; and yet to another it may be meditating on God with soft music playing in the background.  OR is it all of the above?

Worship to me is a lifestyle!  Worship is what we do to show honor and reverence to God.  It is how we deepen our relationship and connection with God.  When I worship, it makes me reflect on how good God has been to me just because He wanted to, and not because I deserve it. AND that makes me want to SERVE and OBEY Him more.

Therefore, I believe that our worship to God can be displayed in how we treat others.  We learn by example.  God loves us even when we fail Him, so we follow that example and love others that may have failed us.  We can show honor and reverence to God in how we give.  To me worship is not asking God for anything, but yet it is thanking and loving and dedicating our lives to Him for everything that He gave and continues to give.

You don’t always have to be bent over with tears streaming down your face for it to be considered worship.  Yes, worshipping God may elicit different reactions in each of us, but don’t feel that your reverence to God is any less sacred if you don’t react the way another person does.  You may raise your hands in worship; I may bow down in worship; someone else may shout out in worship.  It is all showing our honor and reverance to God.

The next time you find yourself saying, “God I worship you,” really thing about what you are saying and what that truly means and how deep those words run.

You Have A Choice

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NLT)....“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life."

I heard a preacher say on television the other day say that no one can make you do anything that you don't want to do, but the devil will try and use your own will against you. At first I didn't catch what he meant until he repeated it again and I sat back and thought about it.

Sin nature is in each of us and there is no disputing that. Romans 7:14-21..."¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. ¹⁶If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ¹⁸For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ²¹I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."


HOWEVER, "Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4).


We each have a choice to obey the word and the voice of God. Today, I encourage you to CHOOSE LIFE!

Love Me Like This…

I read a book recently entitled, The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman.  The book proved to be extraordinarily profound to me.  It helped me understand how I prefer others to express their love and devotion to me, and it also helped me understand why I respond to others the way that I do. 

My primary love language is Quality Time and secondary was Acts of Service (keep in mind there is a dialect to each just like real languages).  I’m not a materialistic person and never have been, but I feel loved when someone takes out quality time with me or does some random nice thing without me having to ask.  Through reading this book, I’ve learned how I may have perceieved a person’s intentions towards me wrong, because they displayed their love through methods that didn’t matter to me. 

Is there a possibility that someone is showing you love the way that they know how and you’re taking it the wrong way?

From this I learned that before I push a person away, to step back and assess the situation.  Take some time to study this person .  They may be showing love to you, the way that they would want someone to show love to them!

John 13: 34,35 – “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Self Inspection

How often do you take time to do an internal self inspection?  I’m trying to do this more and more.  I’m trying to learn myself because I hate it when I surprise myself.  Through this I’ve learned that when I’m really nervous about a situation I can make myself sick.  Very true!  If we are having a big meeting at work and I have to present information and I may not be completely prepared, I get anxiety attacks and I begin to breath hard and my body begins to go downhill. 

Through self inspection, I’ve learned that I’m not always right and that I was more than a little bit closed minded.  God has allowed people from all walks of life to grace my path and they’ve opened my eyes to many new and interesting things.  I haven’t compromised on any of my values and convictions, but I am open to learning.

Through self inspection, I’ve been able to identify some of the areas in life that I’m truly deficient in or where I have a weakness that I chose to overlook.  Now I deal with them instead of running from them.

Matthew 7:5 – “…First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

I Held My Peace…

I had a staff member inquire about how I handle confrontation.  My response was simple – I don’t argue.  I say what I feel is right and I keep it moving.  Sometimes I have to allow the other person to be right, in their own mind, to achieve peace. 

Psalm 39:2 – “I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.”

I Corinthians 14:33 – “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…”

When you argue with someone, there is no point to it.  Each of your emotions are running high and no one is listening to each other.  In a vigorous effort to get your point across, you’re just trying to out yell each other - so what’s the point?    Have you ever been in a heated situation with someone and you said something that you regretted?

James 3:8 – “But the tongue can no man tame…” 

However, through prayer and dedication to God, you can control your response to any situation.  I promise you that silence won’t kill you. 

Psalm 15: 1,2 – “ A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”

Positive Affirmation

Do you know the power of positive affirmations?

Psalm 139:14 – “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” 

Jeremiah 1: 5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart…”

Matthew 10:30 – “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

God has shown us in His word how special we are, but do you know that for yourself?  Have you taken time to think about how unique you are?  There is no one in the world exactly like you!  The Lord said in His word that “before you were born He set you apart!”  How absolutely awesome is that?!  No one can make you feel inferior unless you allow them to do so.  There is so much power in positive affirmations. 

Stand in the mirror and look yourself in the eyes and say, “I love me some me!”  Tell yourself how beautiful you are and how special you are and how God created you for a purpose.  God has not set any of us up for failure, so don’t allow those thoughts to plague your mind.  Always counter a negative thought with a positive affirmation.  If the thought comes to mind that you can’t do something – verbally say, “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!”

There is great power in speaking positive affirmations and you should begin to speak them over your life today and every day.  I’m not telling you something that I don’t practice myself.  Trust me – it works.

It's Time to Move On

I was forwarded a devotion this morning and I thought to myself, how befitting to anyone who is trying to better themselves?!?!  We have all done something and then looked back and said, "WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING?"  But, how many of those setbacks are we continuing to allow to Set Us Back?  Forgive yourself for the wrong you've done so that you can get on with living.


When you repent to God from a sincere heart and understand that He has forgiven you, then it's time for you to let it go as well.  No - we won't forget what we've done, but we are forgiven.  Don't allow others to hold it over your head either.  If there is someone who reminds you of a time when you stumbled, then they should not be in your circle.  Disassociate yourself from that person and be better.


Healing comes when you receive it and when you believe it.  I strongly encourage you to read the devotion entitled “Then David Got Up” at the following link.       

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/get-up-and-go-on-with-your-life/

Who has your ear?

Who do you talk to on a regular basis?  What do you most often discuss?  Is your conversation uplifting, encouraging and motivating? Or is it negative, full of doubt, gossip and unproductive chatter?  Often times I find myself reflecting back on conversations that I’ve had and there have been times when those conversations have influenced my thoughts or behavior.  Should they have?  Well, it all depends on whether that conversation was good or bad.  Regardless if you want to admit it or not, you develop an opinion of a person, that you may not know personally, based on what someone else has said to you about them.  You might watch them for a while to see if they’ll do what the other person said about them. 

Psalms 1:1 – “¹Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

Have you ever repeated something that you didn’t hear personally?  I read something the other day that said, “You shouldn’t witness with your mouth what you didn’t see with your eyes!”  How simple, yet profound is that?!

Psalms 39:1 – “¹I said, I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.”

What we need to understand is that you are known by your association and what you listen to can find its way into your heart.  After talking to certain people, you can be left with such a heavy burden on you.  Be careful to listen to the right people.  If you are not a gossip, then why do you talk to someone who gossips on a regular basis?  If you’re not a liar, then why would you talk to someone who lies? 

Amos 3:3 – “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

Who has your ear?

Is that really how I sound?

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

What are you saying and is it helping someone else?  Are you always complaining and whining and crying about something?  Or do you try to see the bright side of things and speak positively?  Being that I hold a leadership position, I hear all sorts of things from the staff about work and each other; sometimes they don’t even  know that I can hear their conversations.   What I can tell you is that no one likes to listen to negative people on a regular basis.  We all have bad days where we just need to vent, but at what point is your venting really whining? 

My challenge to you is to only speak positively for the remainder of this week.  No matter what happens – look for a bright side to the situation.  If you can’t find anything positive to say, then don’t say anything at all.

Remember, someone is listening to everything that you are saying.  Whether they verbally acknowledge your statements, I can guarantee that they don’t want to hear you complain.

Proverbs 18:21 (NLT) – “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”  Those consequences can be good or bad, depending on what YOU have to say.

Baby Girl, It’s Time to Grow Up

Have you heard the cliché that “in order to get what you’ve never had, you have to do what you’ve never done?”  Well, that’s all about growing up.  Growing up is more than going from pony tails to wraps and weaves; it’s a state of mind.  It’s about facing your insecurities and fears and challenging yourself to go beyond your limits.  It’s about setting goals in life and vigorously going after them.  It’s about coming off the sideline and being a player on the field of life.

Have you ever found yourself being the one in the group with nothing meaningful to contribute to the conversation?  Everyone else is discussing real life matters about moves in the boardroom to their 401k; from closing on a new house to starting their own business, but there you sit thinking about who rolled their eyes at you in the hall today.   Like really?  Girlfriend – where is your life going and how are you going to get there?

I Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a [woman] man, I put away childish things.”   Some questions to ponder are as follows:

Am I projecting what I’m expecting?

What was the last goal that I accomplished?

Do I feel easily intimidated when partaking in a group conversation?

What is my definition of success?  By my definition, am I successful? 

You don’t have to drastically change overnight to prove that you are growing up, but you do need to make a concerted effort to show some change.  Let’s get real about life and let’s get moving.  If someone is doing what you want to do – find out how they are doing it and do it! 


 It’s time to “put on your big girl panties and deal with life!”

The Energy of Frustration [Let’s Regain Control]

When do we feel the most frustration in our lives?  The answer came to me just as plain as day – when we feel that we’ve lost control.  This answer was so obvious, but for some reason so elusive. This can be control of our friendships, romantic relationships, on the job, of our weight, our children and the list goes on and on.  Like many others, I’ve been on what seems to be a never ending quest to get my weight back under control.  As a result of being overweight, due to being an emotional eater, I found myself a few years ago in a bad situation.  I was at the lowest point of my life and didn’t have an ounce of self esteem and I was seeking validation of my self worth.  I entered a very bad relationship that didn’t last long, but it took a long time to get over in my mind.  I lost control of my ability to think and rationalize for myself and most importantly to love myself.

Think back to the last time you were frustrated and why.  Did you feel that you had lost control of the situation? 

How could my best friend betray me?  I’ve known her for years and I would have never seen this coming; how could I have been so stupid?  I lost control of being on top of things and anticipating/predicting what would happen next in my life.  I’m so frustrated!

How could I display such a lack of discipline and allow myself to get this big?  It’s just food, so why can’t I control myself?  I’m so frustrated!

I know my light bill is due the 15^th of every month, but why am I sitting here in the dark?  I can’t believe I spent my light money on that outfit and shoes to try and impress a bunch of people who could care less about me.  Why can’t I control my spending habits?  Why can’t I control my thoughts and think more highly of myself than what I wear?  I’m so frustrated!

I’m pregnant again; what in the world am I going to do?  How could I allow him to sweet talk me again?  My life is so out of control!

Today I challenge you to regain control of your life.  Stop being frustrated because you lost control because you’re losing more valuable time.  Take a step back and assess the situation.  Be honest with yourself and stop blaming other factors.  Develop an action plan and execute.  We are not perfect and will never be.  Find energy in the frustration and today is an opportunity for you to regain control of your life. 

Proverbs 25:28 (NIV) –“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”

“Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can't love and respect yourself - no one else will be able to make that happen.  Accept who you are - completely; the good and the bad - and make changes as YOU see fit - not because you think someone else wants you to be different.” -Stacey Charter