The many people You have put around me, the many you have let me meet, the many who You have allowed to come into my life, and even the many that I do not know. Bless them. Send Your spirit and live through each of them. Show them Your awesome love. There are so many of them who want You. Bless them. Give them their hearts desires. Let them always continue to burn for You. Use them. May You let Your beautiful light shine through them, and may that light shine as beautiful as all the colors of the earth making  the dark paths bright so that others may be able to see You. Bless them all. Bless the ones who are reading this. Use them. Lead them. Let them know they are never alone, they are never forsaken, that they are special because they are Your children.

Please God use them all. Don’t let a one of them not be used. Come down and reign inside of us all. All of us are undeserving of You. You owe us nothing. We owe You everything. We owe all to You. Use our lives God. Your love never fails, You never leave us. Thank You God. I Love You! †

Love never fails. And NOW abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a, 13

He love us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loves us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10-12

Many times that is the problem we have in life as well. We have good intentions. We have the right idea. But somewhere along the lines, we lose our focus. Other things, that may be good things, grab our focus, distract us and we lose the actual focus of what we were supposed to be doing.

When this happens, the results are usually that the project or goal we were working on seems to lose it effectiveness and we even doubt if we were supposed to be doing it in the first place. We get discouraged, downhearted, and feel like quitting. Oftentimes, we do quit. We stop short and never finish the work we once thought we were called to do.

So many visions, dreams and desires given from God never materialize or come to fruition because we allow the enemy to distract us with other things. More times than not, it is good things that take our focus off of our calling. Getting too busy and caught up in other projects with church or other people’s visions is often the reason for not continuing with our own. Or, letting others put doubt in us because of their disbelief or jealousy can cause us to doubt and lose our focus as well.

When this happens, the fire and desire we once had for our vision dwindles. Sometimes it diminishes to the point we find ourselves questioning whether or not the vision was from God in the first place. Once the focus gets blurred, it is hard to see clearly what we are supposed to be doing.

Getting us to lose our focus is one of the most common yet powerful tools of the enemy. If the devil can get you to get caught up with the busy work of other things rather than the task or objective God has given you or purposed you for, then chances are that project will not be completed. If the project doesn’t get completed, many people may not be reached. So, the enemy wins.

Remember the story of Peter walking on the water? He started out his quest with excitement. He asked God to help him. He heard the voice of the Lord clearly say “Come.” He stepped out in faith to begin his journey and was making progress. He had his eyes focused on Jesus and was actually walking on the water! He was doing what others saw as impossible because he was focused!

But something happened on Peter’s journey. Perhaps, it was because he started listening to those to afraid to get out of the boat as they told him he was crazy. Maybe he listened to their jealous jeering saying that he was going to sink. Maybe then, he heard the wind, the splashing of the waves and waves of doubt washed over him. Whatever he heard or thought made him take his eyes off of Jesus. When that happened, when he lost his focus, he went down. He sank beneath his own doubts, beneath his own discouragement, beneath his own fears.

The good news is, Peter didn’t drown beneath those waves of doubt, discouragement and fear. He remembered to call on the name of the One who saves. When he did, Jesus picked him up, and walked back with him, guiding him, holding him and talking to him all along the way. You see, although Peter lost his focus, he got it back and he continued his feat. He didn’t swim back to the boat; he walked back to the boat! And in so doing, he was a witness to all those in the boat who thought it couldn’t be done!

It is important to know that although we may lose our focus, we can always call on the One who is more than willing to help us see again. He will pick us up, un-cloud our vision and help us clearly see where we are supposed to go and what we are supposed to be doing. Not only that, but He’ll go with us all the way!

So it’s time to get up, get out of the boat and get on with our journey of faith. If we lose our sight and start to sink we need to cry out to the One who told us to “Come”. He will help us get our focus straight and with Him we shall overcome!

Great is Your name! Great is Your love! Whenever I go through the waters, You will be near me. AWESOME ARE YOU GOD! When I am feeling depressed, or down, I will sing to You praise and You will lift me up. I will lift You higher in my life and continue to Praise You! I will lift You higher in my life and put You above all else. I will forever seek You, O God! You are my EVERYTHING!

You sent Your only Son, and we killed Him. Yet You still love us. You still love me. Your love is unfailing and You are always there.  I make mistakes, but You have  mercy and forgive me. You lift me on my feet and deliver me from my affliction and pain. Your words will ring in my ears forever, and I will serve You with the rest of my life. I give you my all. Use me God! I Love You!

† “†” †

Sing praise to His name! Give God all of You! Life is so short. In one breath you are created and in one breath you are gone. Life is like a period on a page compared to eternity. What you do in life really matters. We were created in order to bring God glory.
“God created us for His Glory” – Isaiah 43:1-7

In ALL you do, give God praise. Declare His loving kindness in the morning and His faithfulness every night! Sing to Him a new song, lift your heads and glorify His AWESOME name!
“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

God Loves You No matter what! And no matter what goes on in your life, whether sadness, depression, stress, rejection, sickness, suffering or anything else…. YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! God doesn’t make mistakes, and He created YOU! Think of this…. out of anyone God could have created… He created YOU! How awesome is that! KNOW that you are special to God.

Praise God! Give Him your ALL, and declare His reign in Your life! HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

IN HIM IS THERE HOPE! IN HIM IS THERE LOVE! IN HIM WILL I ABIDE AND WILL TRUST FOR THE REST OF THE DAYS OF MY LIFE!

I am reminded of this law of reaping and sowing every time I go out and have to pull weeds out of my flower beds. I really hate weeding. I don’t like having to get down on my hands and knees and pluck, pull and sometimes wrestle with those little aggravating, persistent things that grow where everything else won’t. But it has to be done. In order to enjoy the beauty of my flowers, I have to take the time and tend my garden.

So, while I am out there doing the dreaded chore, I think and pray. I think of all the weeds I have sown in my own life and in the lives of those I love. I think about all the times I said something I shouldn’t have said. I think about all the things I did that I shouldn’t have done. I think about the ugly weeds that have poked their unsightly heads up in my life, or my loved one’s lives, that I had a hand in planting.

As you can see, weeding is an especially daunting task for me. But it is also a necessary one. It makes me realize how foolish and how serious our actions can be. One little negative, harsh, condemning, or condescending word we say can cause major problems later on. With that unique  little gardening tool called the tongue, we can plant so very many seeds, many of which can be devastating to the garden that they are sown in.

With just our words we are able to sow discouragement, doubt, insecurity, fear, hate, jealousy, anger, distrust,lies…and the list goes on. And all of those seeds grow in the garden in which they are planted, sometimes being very destructive and at times even devastating.

I recently read about an 11 year boy who killed himself because of the teasing and cruel words of some of his peers. He simply couldn’t take the pain, the hurt, the discouragement, and the insecurity that had sprung up inside of him due to what was carelessly sown by others. Seeds sown. Weeds grown. Life gone. Just like that.

The seeds we sow have more of an affect that what we realize. And, we will be held accountable for every word said, every deed done, every seed sown. We will reap the harvest for every seed we sow. It may not happen right  away, but believe me, every seed counts. Just like  the old cliche’ says, “What goes around, comes around”, what you do and say will come back to you.

You see, God holds us responsible for our words and actions. He expects us to say and do what is right. To treat others as we wish to be treated. To love one another. Be kind to one another. The law of reaping and sowing is a law He established and it cannot be avoided. The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:7-10:

“Don’t be misled— you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”

We need to be mindful of what we sow, because we will get back a harvest. Weeds, or flowers. Good fruit or bad fruit. The choice is ours. We control the garden of our life. We have to live on the crop of what we have sown. We have to pay the price for the sins we commit.

So, be careful where you sow, what you plant, and how well you tend your garden. Your life depends on the harvest it will bring forth!

“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine up on you
And be gracious to you;
The LORD turn His face toward you
And give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26

It was during the third year of the drought, that God told Elijah to go and present himself to King Ahab. Elijah told Ahab to summon all of Israel along with the 450 prophets of Baal and to join him on Mt. Carmel.Ahab did just as Elijah requested. Elijah stood before all of Israel and the prophets of Baal and made this proclamation — “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow Him!”

Elijah then turned his attention to the prophets of Baal and challenged them to a contest.They were to erect an altar to thier god. Two bulls were brought and the prophets of Baal chose which on they wanted and cut it into pieces and laid on the altar as a sacrifice to Baal. They were instructed to cry out to their god and ask him to send down fire to burn up the sacrifice. Elijah would do the same. Whichever God answered by fire would indeed be the true God.

The prophets of Baal went first. They cried out, and called on their god from morning until noon. Yet, there was no response. So, they cried louder and harder, even cutting themselves with knives and swords, trying desperately to get the attention of their so-called god.

Finally, Elijah had endured enough of their pointless ramblings and told Israel to pay attention. Elijah took twelve stones, erected himself an altar, laid the sacrifice on it, and then had them bring four huge containers of water and pour it all over the wood, the sacrifice and the altar. There was so much water that it even filled up the trench dug around the altar.

Then, as all Israel watched, and in the presence of all his enemies, Elijah prayed, asking God to show Himself as Lord. Immediately, fire fell from heaven burning up not only the sacrifice, but the wood, the altar itsef and even licked up all the water in the trough.

God had showed up, just as Elijah had asked. At this point, Israel was pumped up and on the instructions of Elijah, killed all the prophets of Baal. Elijah had listened to the voice of the Lord. Elijah had obeyed that voice. Elijah had declared God’s word unashamedly and without reservations. He trusted God to do what God had said He would do.And God honored His word. He showed up with majesty and power.

When we choose to take the time to listen to God, He will speak. Oftentimes, we are to wrapped up in ourselves to hear Him. But in those times that we do take the time to listen, we need to obey what He says to do. There are so many times we know what we are supposed to do. We know that God has spoken to us and given us specific instructions, yet we do not heed them. We choose to go our own way, do our own thing and then end up in a bad place, miserable and discontent. Down and defeated.

Well, it is time that we make some decisions. How long are we going to live defeated? How long are we not going to obey and serve the God of Elijah. If the Lord is God, then Follow Him! As long as we are not listening, and not obeying, we will not be victorious. It is time, as  children of God, to seek Him, to hear Him and to heed Him.

We must stand up and declare Him Lord in whatever situations we are facing. Stand up in the presence of our families, our friends and even our enemies and procalim God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When we give our problems, our doubts, our sins, our shortcomings, our insecurities, our worries, and our fears to God — He will send down His fire from heaven and burn them away. He will lift us up even in the presence of our enemies and strengthen us and bless us.

It is time we know that God is bigger than anything we might be facing. He is Lord of all. There is nothing He cannot do and won’t do if we will only surrender to His will. So, let’s do it. Let’s call out to the God of Elijah. Lift up His Holy name, declare Him God, and let His fire reign down in our lives. The Lord is God, so Follow Him!!!

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you ever get tired of trying to please everybody, only to find that in so doing you’re not being yourself and that in the whole trying to please everybody process, you end up being miserable? Been there, done that. I have tried to be, say and act, many times opposite of how I felt just to appease my friends and family. I’ve put on the mask, played the charade, only to find myself miserable which ended up making everyone close to me miserable as well.

Not being who you really are, or who you were created to be can and will eventually bring you to a breaking point. Look, you were created in the image of God. You are unique. You are special. There is no one else like you on the face of the earth. You are who you are and you need to make the most  of it.

God created you in His image. That alone makes you special. He fashioned you, and then filled you with the unique gifts, qualities and features that you have. Many of you may feel that you do not have any special talents, abilities or qualities. That is simply because you are comparing yourself to others and failing to see and recognize what you have. You need to quit looking at yourself through your own eyes and start looking at yourself through God’s eyes.

Through the eyes of God, you are a special, unique and wonderfully created vessel that He would love to pour His Spirit into and use mightily. He created you for a unique purpose, that no one else can fill. There are things God has for your life and for you to do that, unless you do them, they will not be done!

So stop complaining, being down, and thinking you have nothing to give. Start seeking God’s will for your life and be about serving Him with everything you’ve got! Quantity doesn’t matter. Remember the story of the little boy with the two fish and the seven little rolls? Jesus took what that little boy had and blessed it! Then he fed thousands. Now the boy could not have fed the multitude with his  little lunch on his own. He could not have even fed two or three people. It wasn’t what he had, nor how much he had. It was, however, his willingness to surrender and give what he had for God’s purpose. In the hands of the little boy, that lunch could not do much, but in the hands of God, thousands were not only fed, but filled!

I am sure the boy probably thought that his lunch was not enough. But his thoughts did not stop him from offering what he had. I am sure he had no idea that Jesus would be able to feed the whole entire crowd with just his little lunch. But he did not let his thoughts get in the way of his heart. In his heart, he was willing do do what he could with what little he had. It was from his willingness to give what he had to God, that God took it, blessed it and used it to feed thousands.

Right now, within you, there are things God would love to use to touch the lives of others. It doesn’t matter if you can see it or not. God’s ways are not our ways. He can take whatever you have and bless it and use it mightily. But it takes surrendering to Him. Once you completely surrender to His will, great things will happen. You see, it’s not about us, it’s about Him. What we have is nothing until we give it to God! When we get the perspective right, then the outcome will incredible.

So rather than sitting around feeling insignificant, give what you have to the One who can use it to make a difference. Focus on the fact that He thinks you are great and whether you can fully see it or understand it, just let Him take control of your life. Once it’s in His hands, He can bless it just like those little barley loaves. Try it, you will be just as amazed as that little boy was.

So, go ahead. Give what you have to God and let God make the most of you!

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14:1

God, You are so Awesome to me. You name brings so much comfort to me. Just hearing Your voice eases away pain. Thoughts of You bring so much joy into my life. Everyday I want to feel Your presence. Just knowing I’m right there with You makes me feel so awesome inside. I will always call upon Your name when I am feeling low, because You lift me up. You take away all my burdens and help me to stand on my feet again. You lift me up on wings like eagles.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

You put in me a greater strength than I’ve had ever before. You take my sorrows, You take my sadness; and You turn them into joy and gladness. You take all of my shame and all of my pain, and turn it into a life giving rain, that runs through me replentishing all my heart and soul. I will never take You for granted God. To You I owe back all You have given me. You will not lack anything of me God. I want to give You my all in all that I do. Help me to never let Your words depart from me. Help me to keep them in my heart, mind, and sight at all times.

“Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:22

I will speak forth Your word day and night, and will praise Your name forever. I will sing of Your awesome love, and amazing grace. I will keep my eyes focused on You, and never turn them to anything of this world. I will move looking at You, and Trusting you to guide my feet to walk the right path. I will not look down. I will not trust my own ways. For there is no light upon the path, and I cannot see it. But I can see You and You will guide me. You will be a light, and You will light up my path. I will hold Your hand as lead me into Your presence. Through all my troubles You carry me. You will not put me down, or ever let me fall. Whenever I stumble, You catch me, and set me up on my feet again. You are my God.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119:105

I will trust in You, God! I give You my heart, take it and keep it. Don’t ever let me have it back. I can’t guard it how can. Take my mind. Keep it. Don’t let me think of negative things. Filter it God, and install in it thought of Hope. Let me only think of You. Take my Spirit, Hold me in Your arms. I am safe where ever You are. Lead me God. I want to be filled with You.

“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

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understandings; In ALL yours ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

I realized that I hadn’t been trusting in God completely with everything like I should. We should trust God with “ALL” of our heart. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THINGS. Our minds are not like God’s. We can’t understand everything God has planned for us. Don’t look at what the world has to offer. God’s gifts are far more and much greater than you can possibly imagine. Don’t let the desires of this world go before what God has to offer you. Don’t let your fleshly desires go ahead of what God has for you.

Acknowledge God in ALL that you do. When you are at work, talk to God. When going to the store, talk to Him. When going on vacation, include God. Acknowledge God as if He were standing right there with you, because He really is. God is everywhere. In EVEYTHING you do Acknowledge God, and He shall direct Your paths. If God is directing your paths, then every desire you have has to be a desire God intended for you to have. He will give you the desires you need to be in your heart to fulfill the purpose and plan He created you for.

Life is short, only like a breath compared to eternity. Make your choices wisely, and make sure you are walking with God in whatever you do. God doesn’t make mistakes, but if you go off the path God has for you to satisfy your fleshly desires, then you are making a HUGE mistake. Sure God can fix mistakes, but they waste time, cause pain, heart ache and sometimes have serious consequences So avoid the mistakes by staying intune with God. Keep walking with God all the time, because God is sure to care for you. If you are walking with God, God is walking with you, and when troubles come, God will carry you through them. So in ALL things, Trust in God.

God Bless!