"Do Our Part"

"Having discipline is a difficult thing,

When we don't have it, it causes a sting,

 God gave us the responsibility to do our part,

So pick up your boot straps and make a clean start,

Sitting there and doing nothing is not the best option,

Let's stand up on our feet and put our faith into action,

By not doing anything, a choice you decide to make,

If done for a very long could be a costly mistake,

So make a decision and do something with your life today,

And you won't be all lonely, confused and led astray,

The Lord can provide all things for us to succeed,

But we must all do our part and take the lead."

"Rumors Of A Lie"

"The thoughts of feelings right now are rummaging through my heart to blame,

And as my heart is doing so my head is doing the same,

I feel as if I have no resolution for my actions,

Not one thought stays in my brain's station,

I often feel as if I have failed my one true love,

By failing to look at You above,

My love is deeper that the depth of the ocean,

Like waves I screw it up and cause all kinds of commotion,

I want the peace that surpasses all understanding,

One that only You Jesus can give me without demanding,

My actions have left my body the words left my mouth,

Only to give you a reason to doubt,

I wish I could re-do and take each step again,

Only because I found out there was a better plan,

Lying never gets you anywhere in life,

The only thing it causes in a relationship is strife,

I have repented to you time and time again,

Only to find out what's done leaves a relentless stain,

So be careful how you speak and make amends,

If not done correctly, it could be the story at it's end."

"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?