Your Future Is So Bright, You Need Sunglasses!

“But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared].” Proverbs 4:18 AMP

Despite how you may feel today God has a great plan for your life! The path that you are on will keep getting brighter and brighter as you walk with God and stay close to Him.  God is not finished with you yet. Where you’re at is not where you will stay if you keep moving forward! You have a big destiny ahead.  Stir yourself up today to press into more of God.  Get your dream back again! Don’t give up!  Get your vision back for the things that inspire you! You have something to offer this world  that no one else can give! You are one of a kind.  You are the apple of God’s eye!

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

Be encouraged today that something good is about to happen to you! Have a Happy Monday !

 

Live & Enjoy Your Life!!!

Are you really enjoying your life? There is a difference between joy and happiness. People are typically happier on Friday. It’s a proven fact, but what about the other days of the week? God really wants us to enjoy our lives every day, not just on Friday or when we have something fun going on. Take a look at what John 10:10 says:

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (AMP)

Happiness comes from good things happening, but what about when good times are nowhere to be found. That’s when we need Joy! Joy is actually a fruit of the spirit. God gives us the ability to have joy in the midst of negative circumstances. We can still have joy even when things are not going the way we planned. We don’t have to be down and discouraged because God has already given us Joy. Take a look at Galatians 5:22-23.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

If you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life then you have Joy in your spirit already! You just have to tap into it. God wants us to do more than just live…he wants us to enjoy our lives, in abundance, until it overflows! We can have joy every day, no matter what our circumstances are. Joy is an attitude of the heart. You have to decide to look on the bright side of life. Choose to be positive. Make a determination to speak words that uplift and not words that destroy. You have to change your mind-set about the day-to-day things in life. You can have joy when you’re doing laundry, cleaning the house, or mowing the lawn.  You can even have joy while you’re at work!  You don’t have to be on vacation to be happy! You can be happy and a person of joy every day of the week, no matter what’s happening around you.  Choose Joy!

“A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 (AMP)

When you choose joy you are actually bringing health and healing to your body! Laughter is the best medicine. Take a look at some of the health benefits of laughter:

• Laughter causes the release of endorphins, a chemical in the body that relieves pain and creates a sense of well-being.

• It can raise your energy level, relieve tension and change your attitude.

• It increases antibodies and strengthens your immune system.

• A good belly laugh causes you to inhale more oxygen and stimulates your heart and blood circulation. It’s like internal aerobic exercise!

The next time you find yourself feeling negative, or just having a down day, remember that Joy is on the inside of you. All you have to do is keep God first, trust in Him and keep your mind set on God. There is nothing too big that God can’t handle. Never lose your hope! God will never fail you. He has you in the palm of His hand. Every day is a new day and God has given you this day to ENJOY! Live it to the fullest!

“…The joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

“The hope of the righteous brings joy…” Proverbs 10:28

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK!

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 NLT

Have you ever needed something desperately, but you didn’t know how to get it? Or maybe you didn’t need it desperately, but you just wanted it, whatever, “It,” may be… have you asked God for it? Many of us wish we had different things, and instead of wishing we need to put into practice what the Bible says, “Ask and keep on asking, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you!
My husband and I built a new house a few years ago. One of my dreams was to be able to buy new furniture for the new place. If you’ve ever been furniture shopping you know how expensive it can be. So, I started to ask God for new furniture. I just simply said, “God I thank you that  somehow you make a way for us to buy new furniture for our new house.”  It wasn’t long before God sent a gentleman my way who just so happened to have a connection to buy furniture at wholesale cost. Needless to say, I was able to get all new furniture for our new house at half the cost. I am so glad I asked God… even though it was furniture. God still cares about the little things that are important to you.  He care about the big things too!
You may have a big thing that you need God to come through on. It may be healing in your body, a financial miracle or a relationship that needs to be restored. Whatever it is, ask God! He cares about every detail of your life. Nothing is too small or too big to ask God for!
“Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Once you ask, don’t give up if you don’t see it happen right away. Keep believing and thanking God for working on your behalf. God is faithful and He will never fail you.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deut. 31:8 NLT

 
When you ask God for something don’t get discouraged if it takes a little longer than you would like, or if it doesn’t happen the way you had it all planned out. When I was in college I asked God regularly for a Godly man to come along and sweep me off my feet. Year after year went by and my Prince Charming was nowhere to be found. Finally, after seven years of praying for the man of my dreams to come along, God came through! I waited for seven years and God blessed me with a wonderful, Godly man, who was more than I ever asked God for! Now, you may ask God why did I have to wait so long… well my husband is five years younger than I am… so he just wasn’t ready when I was! I think God really does have a sense of humor! I tell you this story so you will realize, when you pray for something, there a lot more factors involved than what you realize. If I would have given up and stopped asking God for the right one, I may have settled for the wrong person. Don’t ever settle for anything less than God’s best for you!
Be persistent with God. Persistency is the key to victory. If you need healing, keep asking and believing! Stand on God’s Word and speak it over yourself every day. Here is one of my favorite scriptures for healing:

 
“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds, says the Lord. “ Jeremiah 30:17

 
If you went to a friend’s house and knocked on the door, and you knew they were home, you would stand there and keep knocking until they answered the door. Why, because they are your friend and you know they will eventually answer. God is better than a friend and he is just waiting for you to knock on the door to His goodness. He has everything you need in life and He wants to be good to you.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 NIV
Isaiah 30:18 (AMP) says it perfectly: “Therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you…. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him….”
God is looking and longing for someone who’s waiting for Him to be good to them. God wants to be good to you, but you have to be expecting Him to move in your life. You have to ASK, You have to SEEK and You have to KNOCK on the door!

Whatever you need today I encourage you to start asking God for it! Don’t stop believing and you will see it come to pass.

Pro•gress

Pro•gress – Forward or onward movement toward a destination.

Webster’s also defines progress as an expedition or a journey. Life is truly a journey. If you look back on your life thus far, you can see how the ups and downs, twists and turns have made you into the person you are today. We’ve all learned valuable life-lessons along the way. The experiences we have shape us and mold us, but we never want to stay where we are. God’s desire for us is to continually make progress. We’ve all heard it said, “If you’re not moving forward, you are going backwards.” God has placed a desire in each of us to move forward and onward.  That’s a good thing!  How boring would life be if we never made progress?

“Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody. ” 1 Timothy 4:15 AMP

Progress starts with a passion for more. More of God, more joy, healthier relationships, a deeper prayer life, more peace, whatever it may be. Progress starts with passion. Have you lost your passion for progress today? If so, I hope that this post can stir you up again to move forward, and onward toward the good things God has for you! God wants you and I to grow in every way! To know Him more and accomplish great things for Him! It’s time to move forward.

“Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” Ephesians 4:15 AMP

Making progress is not always easy. You will have to be determined not to stay in the place you have been. You may have to trust God to step out and do something new. I can assure you if you are moving forward in God your path in life will keep getting brighter.

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” Proverbs 4:18

Making progress requires letting go of the past and striving toward what lies ahead. Don’t let heavy weights hold you back. Release the past to God and let Him carry your burdens, failures, and regrets. Progress requires forgiveness.

Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first base. – Frederick Wilcox

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Progress is all about breaking free from where you have been and moving up to new levels in God! Progress is exciting. It’s a fire on the inside of you to be stronger, believe more, to seek God in a deeper way! Progress is all about taking steps to be a better person, a better Christian, and to make your world a better place.

If you are tired of the same old stuff get determined today to make progress. Get a plan and be determined to do what you need to execute your plan. Let go of the things that have held you back and start moving forward today! It’s a day of progress, a new day to step into all that God has for you! Get excited about your journey again… you were made to be a success!  Your journey is waiting!

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. – Benjamin Franklin

God make me useable

I heard a statement the other day that really made an impact on me. Have you ever asked God to use you? I’ve prayed that prayer many times, “God use me… I want to be used by you.” That’s a good prayer, but there is a better prayer, here’s how it goes, “God make me useable.” Many of us want to be used by God to do great things in this world, but we also have to be useable. What does it mean to be useable? I think the most important factors involve your heart, your attitude, and your willingness to be obedient to God at all times. Of course, there are many other factors involved in being useable, but I think these 3 are key.

A lot of times we want to be used by God , but our heart is not right. We have wrong motives, a hard heart, a heart that still has bitterness, unforgiveness. If God used us we could hurt people. These heart issues lead to a negative attitude toward leaders, and the people who God wants to use us to be a blessing to! Check your heart today. Is your heart right? Do you need to let go of things you have been holding onto today so that God can use you in a greater way? Let go of the past so you can move forward to the good things God has ahead for you!

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

Let’s talk about attitude for a moment. Attitude is everything. It will open doors for you in life, or literally shut doors. Your attitude will cause you to soar high, or it will bring you low. It is the hinge on which the door of your destiny swings. The great thing about attitude is you have total control over it. You choose daily what kind of attitude you will display. I heard a statistic the other day that 97% of people who lose their jobs are let go because of their attitude. The employer may give some other reason, but the underlying reason always comes back to attitude. We should be the kind of person that adds value everywhere we go, in every situation we find ourselves in. If you are the kind of person that chooses to be positive and chooses to go the extra mile, you will always rise to the top. This world is full of people today that only do what is necessary, nothing more. Take a look at this verse.

“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” Matthew 5:41

If you want to stand out in the crowd, go the extra mile.

Obedience is a word most of us shy away from. We don’t like to be told what to do. We like to make our own decisions and rightfully so. God is such an amazing God and He will sometimes ask us to do things we don’t understand, but it always turns out for our good! We may have to trust Him when we would rather go our own way. If we are willing to do whatever God asks of us and we are obedient to do it right away God will bless us beyond measure. If we want to be useable by God He has to be able to trust us as well. If God gives us responsibility He needs to know that we won’t squander it. God needs to know that we will treat people right, display the right heart, and the right attitude.

“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.” Isaiah 1:19

We all have imperfections. God is not looking for a perfect person to use. He just wants a willing & obedient heart. God wants to be able to trust you. Can God trust you with people? Do you have a right heart? How’s your attitude been lately? So, the next time you catch yourself asking God to use you, try asking God if you are useable instead.  Let God change you into a vessel He can use today.

Prayer for today: God make me a person that you can use. Create in me a clean heart O’ God. Renew a right spirit within me. Help me to be the kind of person that forgives easily and loves all people. Give me your heart God for others, help me to be a person that genuinely cares for others and adds value in the lives of people around me. God make me useable, help me to make a difference in my world today. Amen!

Overwhelmed

Have you ever said these words…” I am so overwhelmed?”  I have too much on my plate. I just can’t do it all.  Take a look at the definition of Overwhelmed:

To bury or drown beneath a huge mass.

 

God never meant for us to be overwhelmed with life, work, church work, or family issues. The only one that should overwhelm us is God Himself.  To be overwhelmed by His presence, to experience glory of His goodness and to be changed in that place, that should be our heart’s cry. 

God wants to drown you today in His presence.  In His presence is rest, peace and the answers you are seeking! The problem is we are too busy and overwhelmed by other things to allow God to overwhelm us!  When was the last time you got alone with God and just sat in His presence? Look what the Bible says will happen when take time to wait upon the Lord!

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

If we can get into God’s presence the pressures of life will be lifted and we will be strengthened, we will be refreshed, we will have renewed hope!  What is keeping you from getting into the presence of God today?  There is nothing more important than your time with God!  God knew that our lives would be difficult, He knew we would have all sorts of demands fighting for our time and energy, that’s why He said this in His Word…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

I want to encourage you today if you are feeling overwhelmed with life, just stop, take a deep breath today and know that God loves you.  He is with you and He is here to renew your strength.  Run to Him today, take time to get in His presence and allow God to restore you.  Everything you need is found in God’s presence. 

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Maybe you don’t know how to get into God’s presence… here is how you get there.

Get a good worship CD, I suggest Jesus Culture (Live From New York) Kari Jobe, Passion, whatever moves you…put on the music and just begin to talk to God. He will meet you there.

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:8

Before you know it, your troubles will feel quite small compared to the grandness of God’s Glory!

Be overwhelmed by God today!

All Things Are Possible!

 

“…But with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

You may not be able to see through the dark place you are in right now, but God is WITH you and He is FOR you, and nothing is too BIG for HIM!

Trust God today with your life, your future, your hopes and your dreams! He’s a BIG God!  He is making a way for you. 

He will not fail you!

 

 

See yourself as a overcomer! With God all things are possible! Your troubles are behind you and God has a great future ahead!  You may be going through a storm today, but you will go through it and you will be stronger than you ever were before!