"Going Backwards To Move Forward"

"Satan is a mastermind at making us feel worthless in life,
But I strive to know different when God says, "We are new creations in Christ",
It is sometimes very hard to get past the thought that I am nothing,
Just to get up and take a stand to prove we are something,
I am continually trying to draw my strength from You God, because I can't do it alone,
At night, I know You hear every word I think and say even the cries and moans,
Father God You are faithful to open our hearts to receive what is true,
To do what is best for us and make our lives brand-new,
But for this to happen, we must first let go,
So if we must look backward for one last glance,
Make sure it is to only move forward and not to remember the past."

"True Hope"

"Life is a journey we all must travel through,

The choices we make set the standards for how well we do,

But there is a Hope when we decide to change our course,

One most people don't know about or even understand it's source,

It is in Jesus for all can come to see,

He is awaiting patiently to meet all of your needs,

So, if you are tired of all the false hope the world has to offer,

I suggest trying Jesus, His True Hope is like none other"

"Changes Inside Out"

"Many people miss what's in front of their eyes,

Because they are looking through dark glasses with demise,

The character we stand for was created way back when,

If you've not followed Jesus it was developed by sin,

But there is a change that can take place in you,

It will require you saying a couple words to your Father God to do,
Once you've decided to leave your old life behind,
God made a provision by putting the Holy Spirit inside,
He will guide you through this journey called life,
And He is there to teach you, to comfort you, and avoid strife"



"Encouragement: Sweet As Candy"

I was thinking one day last month about what my "personal" definition of encouragement would be. Well, candy came to mind. I know it sounds funny, but listen to what my thoughts were. Imagine this, you are sitting in front of your fireplace in your favorite chair on a cold day, just getting comfortable. When all of sudden, a thought of your favorite candy races through your mind. So, at that moment, you go grab a couple of pieces that you've had stashed from everyone (so no one would eat them) in your favorite hiding spot. At this point, you get comfy again in your chair. You sit there with your wrapped candy in your hand, thinking to yourself "this is going to be good" (as it's still wrapped).
Now, you begin unwrapping your candy, knowing it's going to be good. It's unwrapped, you put into your mouth and begin to chew, thinking "this is the best candy ever". Now, think about this for a moment, sitting there holding your favorite candy, knowing just how good it's going to taste, is never actually as good as opening it up and putting into your mouth to savor the flavor.

Encouragement is similar, in the fact, we all know what it means. But until we've actually experienced it we don't truly know the full affect of it and appreciate it. There are lots of people in this world just waiting for someone to come along aside them to encourage them. We ALL need it, there is not one person that I know, that hasn't needed encouragement at one point or another. And I'm sure all of you can say the same thing. You know difficult circumstances hit everyone, it's not a matter of if it happens, but rather when it happens. We are all called to build up and encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11-"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.) We never know what kind of impact we can have on another person until we get out of our comfort zone and take the time to encourage someone today. God will give you the strength to carry this out. He is faithful! So you see, when a person has experienced the fullness of encouragement, it can taste like their favorite piece of candy.

"The Face Without A Reflection (Identity)"

How many of us can say we truly recognize ourselves when we look in the mirror? We get older, our bodies go through changes, yes. But, I am referring to the spiritual side of things. We've all heard that the"eye is the pathway to the soul". We get up every morning, we look into the mirror while we brush our teeth, brush our hair, wash our faces and etc. Only just before we begin the rat race of life. We get off to work, grab some coffee, say hello to our co-workers and we're off!

The Word says we were created in God's own image.(Genesis 1:27-"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.") When you look in the mirror what do YOU see? Do you see a fleshly, aging body being enslaved to serve another day in the rat race or do you see the perfect creation (salvation/spiritual) God made and intended us to view ourselves as?  Our spirit is eternal and will live forever, but it needs a body to dwell in, so that God's Will can be carried out. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we belong to Him from that moment on. God has a plan (task) for each of us to carry out while we are on this earth. It is up to us to accept it. And if we are truly serving Him and staying in communication with Him (prayer) we will eventually learn what that is.

 It wasn't revealed to me until, I became physically disabled, to KNOW what my purpose was. I'm not saying it was God's will that this happened to me, but I know that He is using my current circumstances for the my good and His purpose (Romans 8:28-"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"). You all probably know it now, just by reading my post. But it is to encourage others that are going through really difficult times. And it's crazy, although I'm having a difficult time now, I find it peaceful to help others, we are instructed to do so in the Word (1 Thessalonians 5:11-"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing"). You never know who you will meet that day that just needed a little encouragement. And your encouraging words could be the deciding factor needed to change the way they see themselves.

Now, you may not know what God's plans are for you right away, or you might. But sometimes we are given things in stages, once we finish one, we are on to the next. This is part of our maturing process, I'm finding this out. By showing us a little at a time and completing each stage, we are proven trustworthy by God to proceed on to the next step. If God gave us the BIG picture (exam), and we had not studied for it, we would not have a clue how to handle it or what we are doing. We are to draw our strength from the Lord. This process is our schooling, in which I call, "spiritual continual education".  As long as we are on this planet, we will be always be learning and this causes us to grow in our relationship with the Lord. 

So you see, when we look in the mirror, God wants us to see us in His Image; His Creation. The more time we spend with our Heavenly Father, the more we act like Him and LOVE people. Let me say this, it's important to love and care for yourself because this dictates our love and care for others. It's hard to love someone else when you don't love or care for yourself.

Little by little, the more time I spend with God, the better I start to like me and see the potential He created me for. And I can't do this if I'm self-loathing and treating others wrongly. We are called to  sincerely love (action word) unconditionally (1 Corinthians 13:4-7-"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.")

The more time we are willing to spend with our Creator, the more we will want to emulate Him. This resulting in the reflection of the image of our Heavenly Father when we see ourselves. So, I leave you with a thought: How do you view yourself? And others?

"Love Is Doing"

"As believers we must become a servant to all,

When we walk in love we will obey God's call,

Reach out to your brother when he needs your hand for help,

And don't just keep God's Love all for yourself,

When Peter was losing focus on the water and couldn't stand,

Jesus The Messiah held out His hand,

Jesus, Himself was an example to all to see,

That includes everybody, even you and me,

God's Love is an action word we often misunderstand,

Love is not a feeling we make decisions on,

But instead to make a commitment to stand,

We are to be led by faith, even though we cannot see those things,

By Trusting Jesus that He has brought us the Victory,

Loving each other is the Greatest Commandment of all,

We must first love God with all our heart, mind, and soul for us to spiritually grow,

So I close this all by saying do something in love for someone today,

It will create a lasting memory and you will possibly make their day"

 

 

"Operation Christmas Child"

"Big Smiles"

 

Operation Christmas Child only comes once a year,

And that time is coming, coming near,

Let's all pull together and do our best,

God says put your faith into action, and He'll do the rest,

Imagine blessing a child who didn't know it was coming,

As they open their eyes to find out they got something,

Jesus said, "for the least of these, you do unto Me",

The blessing may not come in this world, but eternal rewards you'll see,

The Greatest Gift has yet to be seen,

That each child has the chance to accept Jesus and be redeemed,

So now you see the importance to lend a hand,

And to make a difference for those who cannot stand."

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of being introduced to a project by Samaritan's Purse called Operation Christmas Child". Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has sent boxes to 130 countries and have provided 95 million smiles while doing it.  I was so moved by the testimony of the guest speaker, a Operation Christmas Child recipient, named Renan Perdoma from Honduras. I felt compelled to share it with everyone.

In 1993, Renan was a just a little boy and lived in a town of 800 people. He was one of the first children to receive a Christmas box from the Operation Christmas Child program. I have to tell you, tears rolled down my eyes as he told his story regarding wanting to attend school at the age of 10.
He had never stepped foot in a school before that. And the reason was, his parents couldn't afford the required pencil and notebook needed to enter the school. That's all he needed to attend school was a pencil and notebook. Doesn't seem like much does it? Well, let me give you some background on the house they lived in and how many were in it. There were 10 people living in a dirt floor house. It was a daily struggle for food. So, Renan prayed that somehow he would get to go to school and that God would provide all he needed.

To make a long story, short, he received one of the Operation Christmas Child boxes. And guess what was in it? You guessed it! There was a pencil, and notebook with some other things included.One of the neatest gifts included in the box was a book called The Greatest Journey. This book is a child's discipleship program that millions of children have come to faith in Jesus Christ. There are tens of thousands of trained volunteer teachers around the world that help guide the children as they commit their lives to Christ and learn how important it is for them to share the Good News. Once a
child completes the Greatest Journey Bible Study, they are proudly presented with a personalized certificate as well as a New Testament bible. May I also interject, that both the bible study and bible have been translated into more than 30 different languages.

Did you know love is an action word? God's love involves unselfish service to others, to show it gives evidence that you care. In Romans 12:9-12-"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." God has called all of us to have sincere love helping others to become better people. And this may demand us of our time, money and personal involvement.

Now here's how you can get involved in helping us spread Christ's love to lots of children. All you need is a shoe box, wrapped in Christmas paper. Below you will find a link for the drop-off location near you:  http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Drop_Off_Locations/

I leave you with one thought; When you send a box, you're not just blessing a child, you're also blessing the country it's going to!