Do you find yourself looking at other people and thinking "I wish I had what they have. They look so happy. They don't look like they have any problems at all or at least not all the problems I have." That "trick" worked on us when we were children and we still fall for it today. Until we decide for the last time, God has a perfect plan for me and my family; I do not need "what they have" and even if I had it that would not make me happy. It may not be wrong to battle with these thoughts but it is definitely a hindrance to dwell on them for more than a few seconds. As a child of God we should resolve and never allow ourselves to waste time thinking about what others have or even how much we want something. God has promised and proven over and over that He meets every need and deserves to be trusted with our future because He not only knows what it is, He knows when we can handle it. The safest place to live is in the middle of God's will walking in His peace!

Hope deferred makes the heart sick but having faith in God that He is working on your behalf when you have no visible evidence is many times a battle. The key is what are you focusing on. Whose plan are you "fixed on". Make the decision again that the Lord has gone before you, knows evey step you will ever take, every word you will speak and decided on loving you before He ever made you. The Bible says, we are His workmanship. He has more information than we do and He loves us more than we love ourself. We have all known times when God "came through" and ooohhhhh the feelings of relief and amazement. "Trust God's heart even you don't see His hand" is a statement that I love and believe is great advice. Solomon got everything his heart wanted and said at the end of His life "it is all worthless". Don't make the same mistakes he made. Follow the instructions God has given you and keep trusting when you have no further instructions because God did not lead you this far to leave you now. You are never happier than when you are in His will!

Mark 6:12 "Jesus went out to the mountain to pray and continued to pray all night long." Jesus was not giving God His prayer list, He was seeking wisdom from His Father, so the Father's will would be what Jesus did. I am not proud of the fact that I cannot remember spending "all night in prayer". I am asking God to give me (and us) a desire and an ability to pray for an extended time (and enjoy it). Not to tell Him what we want done but to ask Him what He wants us to do. There are obviously many things we have not learned about prayer; if we can tap into the connection that God wants with us, prayer will never be a chore again. Like everything, we must begin and put discipline into our daily time of prayer. As we get better at "enjoying our times in God's presence" we will be drawn back to Him just for the fellowship we have and as we decrease our talking "at Him" and train our ears to "hear what He is saying" we can enter a new level of relationship with Him.
There are things the Lord is willing to show us, are we willing to spend the time with Him to see them?

The Lord speaks to us everyday. John 10 says we are His sheep and He speaks to us, we listen and another leader we will not follow. This requires practice. Just like you learn how to walk, talk, add, subtract, study for tests, understand your spouse and children, it takes work. Constant work. You can rely on what you heard last month or last Sunday but the Lord's desire is that we listen daily, hourly and minute to minute. He is prepared to lead us through any valley, over any mountain until we get to where He wants us to go. Don't get stuck on what you heard the Lord say yesterday seek Him about His counsel and direction for today, right now. The time we waste worrying and planning without His instruction will never be regained or benefited from. Seek Him with all your heart everyday and in everything; you will be amazed at how much more full your life will be!!!!!

I heard the Lord say "get rid of the clutter in your lives" at the beginning of January 2011. By now enough time has passed that many are looking for "another word". Make sure you have followed through on the first instruction completely before you attempt to move to step 2. I also heard the Lord say "seek Me first" during 2011 and I will take care of every need. Do not allow worry or fear to steal the Word of the Lord. Matthew 13 says in the parable of the seed and the sower that distraction is one of the ways God's Word is stolen from us. If we do our part, God always does His part. Somethings we cannot do and somethings God will not do. The best place for us to stand is in the middle of His will and in faith in His Word.

I trust you can say like David the Psalmist:

The Lord is my strength and shield.

I trust him with all my heart.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Truth is almost everyday of our lives we have to decide to trust the Lord instead of our feelings. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Our feelings can change a dozen times in one hour so logic even says trusting God makes sense. You will never get to a place of not having to trust God but you will also never have a more solid rock to put your trust in!

Decide today that the things you have told your loved ones you will continue to say all year long. Make sure that the important people in your life will hear from you regularly. Tell them you love them. Show them you love them and remember love does not demand it's own way. Conditional love is the most immature form of love. Jesus lived a love that is available to every believer so deny your feelings when they don't get what they want. Freely you have received God's love; make sure you depend on Him to love through you. You will never regret loving instead of judging. Loving is not always easy but it is always godly!

John 13:35 says "By this all men shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." The kind of love this is talking about is not "give me what I want when I want it, selfish, I deserve this because ... love". This is a selfless, Lord unless you fill me with this love I can never give it away. Only those who are willing to spend time with God in His Word and in Worship will ever have a chance of living this kind of love. As the world honors a "young priest, Father Valentine", who lived a few hundred years ago because he sent heart shaped bouquets to young lovers, let's you and me share the love the our Savior Jesus Christ died to demonstrate to the whole world.

God's love never gives up, cares more for others than for itself, doesn't want what it doesn't have, doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, doesn't revel when others grovel, puts up with anything, always looks for the best, never looks back, keeps going to the end and never fails. Ask God to fill you over and over until this kind of love begins to spill out of you without thought or effort and then you will be walking in and by His Spirit!

The big day is almost here. Valentines. Many will express their feelings with a card that some one else wrote, buy flowers that some one else grew and give candy that some one else made to people that are the closet to them on earth. Does this strike you as strangely as it does me? Let me offer an idea that is so simple most overlook it as being to "cheesy" or old fashioned. The idea is this. Tell your loved ones how you feel about them. Be honest. It might not be as "flowery" as Hallmark but I promise if you will make a genuine attempt to convey your feelings, it will never be forgotten. You might get embarrassed. You might cry. Guys might not have the exact words to use but the effort will never be forgotten. I performed a funeral recently for an old friend. There were 5 people who attended the service. It struck me that even though many of the friends had passed on or were too sickly to come, the person, although likable and humorous was also very critical. They complained about everything. It was mixed with "funny sayings" but in the end there were very few people who walked with them during their last days on earth. Remember you reap what you sow. Share your love generously and frequently. Share it with people who don't give it back. Share it until your last breath. Jesus did. He gave us His life and because of that we have love to give to others. Do it now and watch as people soak up your expressions of honest, heart felt LOVE!

"I believe" are two of the most powerful words in our language. Put another way,"without faith it is impossible to please the Lord, for those who come to Him must BELIEVE that He is and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) Carefully consider what you believe and why you believe it. Many people are moved by their feelings but feelings cannot always be trusted. The only correct way to measure your beliefs is by the Word of God. Feelings change but the Bible NEVER CHANGES. Feelings like, does God love me, does God really care about what happens in my life, will He answer my prayers, will things ever change, etc. can torment us day and night until we settle the "believe" question.
The Lord has given all of us a free will. I urge you to use that will to believe what God's Word says about you and about your future. "I believe" if you will do that you will find the peace and happiness that everyone seeks everyday of their life.

Psalm 37:23-24 "The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall it isn't fatal, for the Lord holds them with His hand." I love this scripture. Not only does it show that the Lord is concerned about every step, everyday; it tells us He plans them out. Another scripture in Psalms say His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Take a few moments, ask God what He would like for you to involve yourself with today. It might seem trivial to you but if you will follow Him you will discover that He has surprises for you to enjoy and potholes for you to avoid.
Our Heavenly Daddy is the best friend anyone could ever hope for, take time today to get to know Him better, follow this pattern everyday for 60 days and you will find, He not only has planned your steps, His plans are better than you could ever imagine.

Everyone needs encouragement. People with smiles on their faces and people who will not look you in the face. Successful people and people who no longer remember what success feels like. Your parents, your children, your brothers and sisters need encouragement. YOU NEED ENCOURAGEMENT!. Let's make it a priority that at least 3 times a day (or more), we pick someone and ask the Lord "how can I encourage them right now?". It might be something as simple as a smile or a thank you for opening a door (it amazes me how few women say thank you when I hold the door open for them - not talking about Lydia, I'm talking about strangers who I hold the door for and then not a word from them).
Hebrews 10:24-25 says "Let us consider how to lift each other up and encourage good works among you, and do that more and more often as the day of Christ's return gets closer."
This will not be as easy as you think, in fact, it will require you to ask God if there is anything to encourage some people about BUT those are exactly the ones who need it most. Don't let another day go by that you don't encourage those around you. God bless you in your journey!!!

One week from today the world will celebrate Valentines Day. Cupid will be the "reason" people buy flowers, candy, cards and take their "significant others" to romantic dinners and splurge, all in the name of love. In 2009 $14.9 billion was spent "celebrating". Legend says a priest (Father Valentine) married young couples against the wishes of the "rulers of his day" and was martyred on February 14. Amazing how far from the biblical love story of John 3:16 "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not die but have everlasting life" the world has gone. They will take note of Christians because of our love for one another. Don't skimp on showing your loved ones how important they are next week but even better, show the world everyday God's amazing love by living out His love one person at a time!

Don't expect your daily walk with Christ to be easy! In fact, don't get caught in the trap that "if something is easy" it must be because of God's blessing. Too many of us are disappointed when adversity shows up. We are told in scripture "in this world we will have tribulation, BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER WE HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD" (John 16:33)

Matthew 7:21-29 says we should be like a wise man who builds his house on a rock, so when the winds,rains, and floods come" we will not be blown away because we have built on the right foundation. Difficulty comes to those who are doing everything right and those who are not. We somehow get the idea that if we do everything right, we get to avoid the trouble. Not only is this misleading, it is contrary to scripture. Don't let the enemy get the best of you because you are experiencing difficulty, set your mind on what the Bible says, be of good cheer. How do you do that? You remind yourself that this world is not your home. You are only passing through, rejoice when you experience the good days and the difficult days.
"Hide yourself under the shadow of the Almighty, say of God you are my refuge and my fortress; My God in you I will trust." (Psalm 91:1-2)

Everyone faces adversity. Everyone has to decide that regardless of what things look like "now" that the Lord has our best interest at heart. If there is any doubt in our heart about what God has done to set us in the best possible place for our growth and maturity, we allow doubt to establish itself in our lives. Jesus has promised to never leave or forsake us; take His word and don't let anything convince you otherwise. God is faithful even when we are faithless, He has earned the right for us to trust Him everyday of our lives!

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it." Psalm 118:24 Understand what is being said here, "this is the day the Lord has made"; see it, the Lord has made. We did not make it and we will be smart to not "remake it" into what we want it to be. Seek God, draw near to Him. See what He has in mind for you for "this day" and then follow His plan. He made you. He knows what "really" pleases you and what will never satisfy you. If we will trust His decision about this day and simply walk what He has planned we will have the satisfaction of walking as obedient children but also, be fulfilled in ways that cannot be replaced with "our choices".

If you are trying to be friends with the world, you are not only trying to "remake this day" you will never be satisfied.

LET US REJOICE IN HIM TODAY!!!!!!!!

God's Plans for us today!

There is nothing too difficult for the Lord. Remember the Lord told Abraham that when he did not have children. His wife was 90 years old, Abraham was 100 years old. The Lord said next year at this time you will have a son and Sarah, Abraham's wife laughed out loud. Some times we laugh when we think the Lord has promised us something that is as difficult in our mind as having a son was to Abhaham. Seek God first, with all of your heart and trust Him in 2011. Many of us will have the equilivant of a son, in other words, the thing that seems impossible now will be in our arms by December 31. You will be so glad you trusted God and believed Him when you are holding your dream in your arms. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord, don't you agree!