Too Much of Me...

This past week was a very trying week and I don't think a day went by where I didn't allow my emotions to control my actions.  I failed the test!  I could feel the knot in my stomach and the heat rising up from my neck to my ears, which ultimately changed my facial expression.  BUT, I'm supposed to be a representation of Christ!  Yes, I'm human and we all have our days, but there are simply no excuses...

Our lives are a witness to others who may or may not know Christ and many times they look to us to see how we behave and react in stressful times.  I realized that I still have too much of me in me and my flesh needs to die daily so that God can truly rule my life. 

The job of the enemy is to frustrate us so that we don't pray; so that we don't spend time with God; so that we don't reach out to help others because we are so consumed with our own affairs; so that we lose our witness.  He comes to steal, kill and to destroy our Joy in the Lord.

Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 Corinthians 4:8 - We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

John 10:10 -The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It is my responsibility as it is yours to recognize when the flesh is beginning to rise up in us and to quickly seek God to help us keep our cool.  God is in control and He will not leave us nor forsake us.  He knows the thoughts that He thinks towards us and He has a plan for our future.  As long as we keep this in mind, we'll be alright!

Thouht for the day...

"Stop leasing out space in your mind to the opinions of others."
- Marvin Jackson

It'll Be Okay...

I see in you what you don’t see, so never underestimate yourself.

You are a blessing to people that you come in contact with and you have helped to change so many people’s lives in a positive way.  Your smile is infectious and you have a heart of gold; your hugs are sincere and your words are full of wisdom. People look to you for strength, encouragement and kindness, so do not fail them.  Things might not be perfect in your life and they may not be going the way you thought they would go, but you are doing a whole lot better than many others.  So keep the complaints to a minimum and the praises at an all-time high.  There are so many people who are suffering all over the world, but God has rested His hands of Grace and Mercy on you and He watches over you day and night.  You were fearfully and wonderfully made and the path that your life will take has been specifically carved out just for your feed to tread. 

So hold your head up high, put a smile on your face, keep a song in your heart and march to the beat of your own drums.  You are a shining star!

I Love Me...

I am who I am; I love me; I love the woman that God has created me to be.  To envy another is to insult my Creator. 

 

I am different; I am unique.  God specially handcrafted me, as a porcelain doll that He has sat upon His shelf.  A dimple here, a scar there, my personality, the way that I walk, the way that I talk, the way that I think, my characteristics, my mannerisms and my moods are all what make me different.  I never wish to be another.  I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  I am special in God's eyes.  I love the way that I look, I love my shape, I love the color of my skin, I love the texture of my hair, I love the color of my eyes, I love the size of my feet.  God made me in His image.  I am a daughter of Zion, I am a woman of God.  I love me!

 

I am powerful, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I am an over comer, I am inspiring, I am beautiful!

 

Embrace who are; fall in love with yourself over and over again.  Relish in the fact that God took the time to design every intricate detail of who you are; He left nothing out.  He never meant for you to be like anyone else. 

 

I love me - do you love you?

Seek God!!!

2 Chronicles 26:5....and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

Exodus 33:14....The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28...Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Don't Hurt Yourself

People come into our lives and people go; some give and some take; some bless and some hurt; some help and some hinder.  Throughout all that you may endure in life in your interactions with others - be careful that you don't hurt yourself.
 
We suffer enough damage just by being human and reaching out to others who may not appreciate our genuine acts of kindness, but that's the risk we take.  Everyone won't appreciate you, everyone won't love you back, everyone won't celebrate you, everyone won't congratulate you, everyone won't give back to you  - that's life!
 
Don't hurt yourself by becoming bitter; don't hurt yourself by becoming unforgiving; don't hurt yourself by not giving; don't hurt yourself by hardening your heart.  As I stated to a friend recently, "when you give - it doesn't always come back from that specific source, but God will always take care of you!" 

Jeremiah 17:10 - I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

If you keep your heart right towards God - HE WILL bless you!  Don't allow the insensitivity of others to cause you to miss the blessings that God has already prepared for you to receive. 

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God has plans to bless you; He wants to bless you!  God is watching how you respond.  Everyone has their just reward, so remember that God is watching you!  Be careful not to hurt yourself and jeopardize what's in store for you.   

Romans 2:6 - God "will repay each person according to what they have done."

Check Yourself!

The month has been one of revealing and one of gratitude.  I have the opportunity to interact with many different people and some of them feel comfortable sharing their testimonies and/or current situations with me.  After listening to one today and pondering on the others that I’ve heard, it left me with the question to pose to myself of, “Is it really that bad?”  Meaning – are the things that I complain, gripe, whine and moan about really that bad?  Or am I taking for granted that God has blessed me with an awesome opportunity to live?!  I need to check myself!

There is a quote that I think on often and it says, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

Here I am complaining that my boss didn’t pat me on the back for a job well done, when I receive an e-mail from a business associate praising God for restoring her hearing - when the prognosis was deafness.  Here I am complaining about processes not being followed at work - when I was approached by a colleague stating that she was about to undergo a double mastectomy.  And then again, I received a message from a different co-worker rejoicing on how she returned to the doctor to go over her test results and the cancer that she had battled with is gone!  And again, two phone calls this week of people close to me who’ve suffered sudden death in their families.

How can I sit here and continue to belittle that Great God that I serve by complaining over things that have no merit?!  The next time you feel the urge to gripe – CHECK YOURSELF!