Who's Birthday is it Anyway? 12-19-11

Good Morning Sunshines!!

Every Christmas there are people who go broke buying presents.  There are children upset because they didn't get something they asked for.  There are families whose mortgage, rent, light bill, gas bill, etc. will not get paid, all in an effort to buy presents.  There are hearts that are saddened because they couldn't afford to by the things they wanted as they watched others spend to their hearts content.  Is this really what Christmas is about?  "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh." Matthew 2:11.  Many Christians base their gift giving on this scripture that the three wise men brought gifts to Jesus.  Others give because this is the "season for giving". But who are we giving to and what are we giving?  Just a thought: How have we translated the gifts that were given to Jesus into Playstations, Baby Alives, Coach purses, diamond necklaces, snow blowers, iPods, etc.  I encourage you this Christmas season and ones to come, to focus more on what gifts we can give Christ.  James 1:27 reads "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  Maybe this Christmas or in the Christmas's to come, we can make an effort to donate our time or money to an organization that provides services or care to widows or orphans (foster children or children in care waiting to be adopted).  Maybe you know a widow or a child that could really benefit from your time or financial gift.  Purpose to do something this Christmas for someone in need.  Find a gift to give Jesus.  After all, it is His birthday..........isn't it?

Love Y'all!

Javonne G.

How Much He Can Bear 11-14-11

Have you ever been going through and issue and had someone tell you that "God won't put more on you than you can bear"?  I am not sure how true this statement is.  Let's ponder this...........

The bible says, in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11: 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. (NIV) 

Here Paul clearly endured the unbearable.  So unbearable, he was convinced he was going to die.  Why would God put more on you than you can bear?  Verse 9 says it all "that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."  I can attest to the fact that I have certainly been through some things that in my own strength it was more than I could bear!  But as I just stated, in "my own" strength.  I think a better statement would be, God will not put more on you than He can bear!  So much so, he bore death for us!  So know that if it doesn't kill you, it will certainly make you stronger.  Even in situations where you may feel you have experienced a spiritual or emotional death.  Know that God, has the power to raise the dead!  No matter the situation, there is nothing that God cannot do. "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV)  So yes, you will experience some things that feel unbearable, you will experience some things that will bring you to your knees!  But that is the whole point!  Every struggle, every fight, every tribulation is meant to bring us to a place where we no longer trust in ourselves, but solely trust in the Lord!  God will certainly put more on you than you can bear!  There's a "but" coming.....wait for it.........wait for it........... But.............God will never put more on you than He can bear!!!

Love y'all

Javonne G.

Blessed to be a Woman 12-11-11

It’s a blessing to be a WOMAN!  I’ve never had lots of friends but I have had some good friends.  Sometimes the friendships are seasonal or on a cycle but through all the good and the bad I am thankful for the bond that I share with the women in my life. 

One of the things that I think plague women is “deception” Genesis 3.  When a woman is deceived it is usually hard for her to forgive especially if the root of the deception comes at the hand of another woman.  Over the years it has been hard for me to understand how we as women are quick to forgive a man yet quick to ex out a woman!  We will continually take mess from a man but let a woman cross you and she is discarded from your life and there goes the friendship!  Truth be told that is a horrible defense mechanism and usually we really don’t want to let another woman see that we are hurt…!  It’s really not a sign of weakness to go to your sister in love and say you know lets talk…Some of the best conversations I have are with my women…old, young, rich, poor, white, Asian..

As women we are more alike than different.  There are so many things we have in common.  When was the last time you embraced womanhood and shared a moment with your girlfriend?  I don’t find it strange that your girlfriend doesn’t have to be your peer.  It can be a different dynamic to the relationship you share with your mom, aunt, cousin, sister and of course your friends.  These moments usually come at times when your “friend” comes to you from a place of brokenness or wholeness and you are really able to share stories.  It can come at the birth of a child or as your child is growing and you don’t what the heck to do; it can come when you are getting married or divorced…if you open up it will surely come.  Learn to embrace the special wo(ments) that can only be shard by women.  Ladies I’m sorry sometimes a man can’t and won’t do what another woman is willing to do for you.  Be prayerful at all times on who you choose to let your hair down with…not everyone is worthy of being close to you but someone is and can and will handle you with care!  Side note:  I wonder who Eve talked to when she found herself in her time of distress? I’m sure she was pissed with Adam and maybe even God…Some phones should be ringing today…Peace and Friendship

Do You Know What Time It Is? 12-4-11

Good Morning Sunshines!!!

Do you remember when you were kids and you used to play jump rope or double dutch?  Remember how you would rock back and forth waiting for the right time to jump in?  Today is the day to jump in.  Much of our Christian walk is like the art of jump rope.  You have to learn how to wait your turn, you have to learn when to jump in, and you have to learn when to jump out and take a rest (because your legs have gotten tired and the rope just might catch your leg).  God moves in seasons.  The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."  Know what season you're in!  Know what time it is!  Know whether it's time for you to jump in and know when it is time for you to wait your turn.  Know when it is your time to stay in and keep your pace strong and steady and know when it is time to jump out and rest.  Even God rested!  Do you know what time it is?  Be blessed!

Love y'all!

 

CD of the week: "Smile" by Tasha Cobbs

Keep it Movin! 11-27-11

Good Morning Sunshines!!!

The longer I live and the more experiences I have, I realize you've got to keep it movin'!  No matter the issue, trauma, or devastating news, life keeps going.  Right now, there's a woman that just found out her husband has been unfaithful, right now a mother in labor has lost her baby, right now someone has received the news they only have 6 months left to live.  Wow!!!  But, the harsh truth is, life keeps on going.  I remember when the Lord called my mother home, I was DEVASTATED!!!  It was probably the worse thing that had ever happened to me!  I was so upset that the world seemed to just keep going!  Here I am, hurt, grieving, angry, and at a complete loss; but, life just kept on going on.  The traffic lights kept changing, people kept going to work, businesses continued to function.  How could this be?  There I was....STUCK......and everything around me "kept it movin'"!  What keeps us going during these times that seem so hard to get past?  "You keep me going when times are tough-my bedrock, God, since my childhood." Psalm 71:5 (The Message Bible)   "It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going." 2 Corinthians 5:7 (The Message Bible)  "Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going.  He always keeps his Word." Hebrews 10:23  (The Message Bible)  It is our faith in Him and our total trust that He will keep His word that allows us to keep going (keep it movin').  Am I saying we won't have moments of sadness and fear? No!!!!  But I am calling them what they are; "moments".  They are simply commas (a pause between parts of a sentence) in our Story of Life that cause us to pause and then keep going.  Don't allow tough times to place periods where there should be commas.  It is through tough times that we really get to see our faith in God at work.  Tough times are only an opportunity to give your faith a work out!  To everyone reading this today, know that you can make it!  Know that what ever tough time you may be going through, it is only a comma!  "Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who can get to me?" Hebrews 13: 5-6

Love y'all!
CD of the week: "Finally" by Lowell Pye

Do What You Were Created to Do 11-20-11

Good Morning Sunshines!

We bought a dog about six months ago.  It is a Shih Tzu Terrier Mix and his name is Yogi.  Most terrier breeds were developed in Great Britain and Ireland.  Terriers were bred to control rats, rabbits, and foxes both over and under the ground. So they love to dig and hide things.  Yogi is not outside by himself for long periods of time, he is a house dog.  The other day while in my basement, I noticed Yogi in the laundry area by a pile of clothes.  Next thing you know, here he comes with a "fake bone" he had hidden under the clothes.  So, I got to thinkin'.  Although Yogi is not surveying the plains of Great Britain or Ireland, it is still in his nature to do what he was created to do!  He just adapted to the environment.  So then I started thinking about the gifts that God has given us.  The bible says in I Peter 4:10-11(NLT), "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen"  The Lord has blessed all of us with a spiritual gift(s).  Some of us use them to help one another, some of us use them only when it is an opportunity for personal gain or accolades, and some of us just sit on them and don't use them for anything.  I Corinthians 12:7-11 says, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have."  Whether we live our lives for Christ or not we were given gifts to be used to bring Him glory.  "For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." Romans 11:29.  So if you got it, you got it!  Why not use them to build and edify one another?  Do you know what your gifts are?  Just to help you a little, what is it that no matter what, you just can't help doing?  Maybe it's helping someone in need, maybe it’s giving sound advice, maybe its helping the sick.  You could have the gift of helps, the gift of wise advice, the gift of healing, etc.  No matter what environment Yogi is in, he can't help but do what he was created to do.  Let us do the same!  Do what you were created to do!!! 

Love y'all!

Occupy Until He Comes 10-30-11

"And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." Luke 19:11-13

“And his interests are divided.  The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” I Corinthians 7:34

Occupy simply means to be a doer.  Basically, you need to be doing something until he comes. Think of the story of Ruth. When she was found by Boaz, Ruth was doing exactly that.  She was busy working in the field when Boaz found her.  She was in the right place at the right time.  If she had been sitting at home looking at Naomi, I’m sure after a while with all her tenacity, she would have ended up depressed wondering when the Lord would send her someone.  Now know that this is easier said than done.  I am well aware that this is coming from a woman who goes home and sleeps next to a hairy warm body at night.  But know I was not someone who always had a man.  I was single and didn’t like it that much.  I had desired to be married from a young age.  Or more so, I desired to be a wife.  I new early on that I wanted children; a family to take care of.  Looking back, I think it is important to learn how to actively wait.  Many may think that is an oxymoron.  If I could come up with my own spiritual definition of “occupy” this is how I would describe it: It is the act of actively waiting; standing still in anticipation of the “move of God” while actively pursuing the “Will of God” for your life.  So, I say to the single woman “Occupy until your Boaz comes.” Know that this is not just for single women.  Some of us that are married are waiting for our husbands to be the Men of God that God created them to be.  If you believe God gave you a vision for your husband, stay the course!  I know what I am talking about!  I know the man that God created my husband to be!  I love my husband and I trust that God is going to finish the work he started in him!  So if your husband is a little confused and thinks his name is Jonah right now instead of Boaz, DON’T GIVE UP!  Stay married!  So, I say to the married woman “Occupy until your husband becomes the Boaz you know God created him to be!”

One Kernel at a Time 10-23-11

One day I was at the movies with my kids and of course we were eating popcorn.  As I shoved several kernels in my mouth at one time, I noticed a guy in front of me eating one kernel at a time.  So, I decided to try it.  Although after about 10 seconds I decided one kernel popcorn eating is not for me, I got to thinking.  I was thinking about how many of us take life like we eat our popcorn.  We take it in in months and years at a time.  We get so overwhelmed and end up “choking”.  What would happen if we would really take the Word and apply it?  Philippians 4:6 says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (NASB)  What would happen if we would “Be anxious for nothing”?  Matthew 6:34 says “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”(NASB)  What if we would not worry about tomorrow?  If we would just slow down and learn to live in the moment and take life like most addicts; moment by moment, second by second, minute by minute, we would live much happier lives.  We might even tap into the abundant life that Christ said he came to give us.  If we break down time like money we would feel like we have much more of it.  For example, to a child, 100 pennies seems so much more than a one dollar bill because the volume of 100 pennies is greater.  As children of God, let’s look at life the same way.   More often than not, I feel like I need more hours in the day.  But if I broke it down into 3600 seconds or 60 minutes, it seems like I have so much more.  Women, we do this all the time!  We get consumed with what might happen or things we need to accomplish in the weeks and months to come.  I am a firm believer that “proper planning prevents poor performance”.  There’s a “but” coming……………………….BUT, it doesn’t help anybody if we are stressed and overwhelmed about stuff that hasn’t even happened yet.  Often we do not give the Lord an opportunity to bless us or move on our behalf because we have too much stuff crowding our vision.  To God, one day is like a thousand!  Wouldn’t it be much easier to give it over to Him and work with the seconds and minutes right in front of us?  Now look, I am a work in progress.  Please know that I get this idea of “living in the moment” wrong more than I get it right.  So those of us that struggle in this area, let’s help each other and those that got it together in this area, help a sistah out!  LOL!  Love y’all and remember to take life “one kernel at a time”! 

Get Out of the Way! 10-15-11

Good Morning Sunshines!

I think I'll get straight to the point this morning. Get out of the way and trust God! Have you ever been in a hurry to get somewhere and end up stuck behind somebody who is moving as slow as molasses? Frustrating huh? Well, I am sure the Lord feels that way often concerning us! He is in such a hurry to bless us, heal us, make ways for us, deliver us, and so much more. But, we are in the way!! If we could just follow His lead and GET OUT OF THE WAY, we could get to where He wants us to be much faster! Proverbs 3:5-6 says.."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." (NIV). My mother and I would drive to North Carolina every summer. When she was teaching me to drive long distances on the highway, she told me to get behind a truck that was going a good speed and stay behind him. Being an inexperienced driver, this was the best advice! At the age of thirteen (I may have been younger but I'll stick with thirteen as not to alert Child Protective Services. LOL!) I was able to take to the road like a pro. I drove me and my mom from Cincinnati to Detroit and I wasn't afraid at all. My mom (an experienced driver) had given me the direction to get behind another experienced driver who specialized in driving long distances (the trucker) and just follow his lead. Let's insert ourselves and Christ into this story....The Father (an experienced driver) has given us the direction to get behind Christ (another experienced driver who specializes in going the distance) and just follow where He leads.  Love Y'all!