Seeing through the Stress

Happy Thursday everyone! I don't know about yall, but I CANNOT WAIT until this weekend.This has been one hectic and stressful week. This week I've been packing my life away and by packing I mean packing to move into my new apt, packing to attend a family wedding in Montgomery, and packing for a work trip in D.C. all next week. Oh did I mention that the day I come back from D.C. is the same day that move into my new place! Oh and on top of that I have a presentation to give for my job on Saturday before I hit the road and head to the wedding! Yea....so I have a lot going on, and it has become overwhelming, which led me to think about how do you "See through the Stress?" In other words how can you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel? As soon as I begin thinking about this, I quickly thought back to something I heard a couple of weeks ago during Pastor Mason's sermon at The Worship Center. He said "If you THINK you can THANK!" What he was saying is that when we start worrying, and wondering how things are going to work out and when we become stressed and tied down, all we have to do is think about what God has done in the past to begin to thank him for what we know he will do for our current situations. So this morning, still overwhelmed with all that I have going on I quickly began to think about all the Lord has brought me through. Sitting and reflecting on other stressful situations that the Lord has brought me out of, was a reminder from God that I've got this! No need in worrying about anything...no need in stressing about anything, because just like last time God has my back! And he's got yours too! No matter what you're going through trust and believe that God will see you through! For Hebrews 11: 1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This is one of my favorite verses, as it always challenges me to have more faith and less doubt! Be blessed and keep the faith:)

Hebrews 11:1 is coincidentally the verse that I'm remembering this week! I made this frame a couple of weeks ago as a way to memorize different verses. I placed it on a wall in my office so that I see all day long!

Inward Joy > Happiness

Happy Tuesday everybody! I hope you're all having a great week. Today I want to share with you what I've learned thus far while reading the book of Psalm. Have you ever known people who just seem happy all the time?!? I'm talking about even when they're going through, they still possess a JOY that is immeasurable! Well did you know that we all can have that same JOY?! Notice I said we all can have that same JOY, not we all can have that same happiness. See JOY and happiness are two different things, and I got a better understanding of the two while reading the 4th chapter in Psalm. In verse 7 David writes, "You have given me greater joy, than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine." After reading this verse, I sat for a while and thought about what exactly that verse means. For the 1st time ever, I realized that there is difference between JOY and happiness which is shown in this verse as the two are contrasted. You see inward joy comes from knowing and trusting God. Happiness on the other hand is temporary and comes as a result of pleasant circumstances which in this case were the abundant harvests of grain and wine.
Think for a minute about things that make you happy.....For me it's things like a nice shopping spree, or trying out a new recipe that turns out to be really good, oh and finding a $10 bill at the bottom of my purse!! While all those things make me happy, I'm reminded after reading Psalm 4:7, that feeling of happiness is not only temporary but unpredictable. JOY on the other hand is steady as long as we trust God; JOY is a delight that runs deeper than pain or pleasure; JOY brings us peace in the middle of the storm. So I challenge you today, to take on a new attitude towards life. No matter what you're going through, whether you're having a great week or a not so great week think about the JOY that God gives us through the holy spirit and use that joy to smile throughout the day. Remember happiness is an emotion and temporary..but Joy is an attitude of the heart:)

***John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."***


Have a great week!

Oh and like last week, I want to leave you with another song! This one is a classic, and one of my favs which happens to fit in well with today's devotion: Joyful, Joyful from Sister Act 2:)

Will you Trust God with your Unanswered Questions?

Hello all! I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but I'm back and ready to continue giving you a little dose of my daily devotion:) After finishing the book of Job, I knew that this would be a great chapter to blog about. This chapter involves so many lessons that we can all learn from, but what stood out to me the most, was the lesson of learning to be calm during the storm. For me this has been something that I am still having to learn to do, because I like to be in control of every situation to try and prevent those "storms". I like to know what's going to happen, so I can know how to deal with it way in advance. I feel that this prevents me from being caught off guard. However everyday God continues to show me who is REALLY in control. Even when we think we have it all under control, God can easily throw a wrench in a situation to show you who's boss, and how you respond when that happens shows God exactly how much you trust him. Take for example Job. He had it all..a wealthy man of upright character who was surrounded by loving family and friends. For Job 1:3 (NIV) states, "He was the greatest man among all the people of the East." Imagine having all that success and then boom...you loose it all. That's exactly what happened to Job. During series of events he lost his wife, children, and all his livestock. Shortly after reading what happened, I kept thinking I wonder what Job was thinking. I thought back to times that I went through the "storm" and remembered the thoughts that ran through my mind. I had so many questions, trying to figure out why this was happening. This was the same for Job, he kept asking questions, and trying to come up with a reason for why God was allowing this "storm" to come through his life. All throughout Job he questioned God, and when he didn't receive any answers, his friends stepped in and tried to provide him with some reasoning behind his current situation. However they were wrong too, which is so often the same thing that happens in our lives. When we don't receive immediate answers about our "storms" we begin asking friends for those answers. Instead what we should be doing is using those "storms" as a time to build our faith in the Lord. We must learn how to remain calm during the storm, and trust that even when we don't get the answers to those questions, God is still working on our behalf. I love the way that Job admits his wrongs in the end. Job 42:1-3 reads, "Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?" Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." THINGS TOO WONDERFUL FOR ME TO KNOW...my favorite part of that scripture. It's a reminder that although we may go through storms, if we just hold on we will soon see the rainbow! 

***Romans 8:28 (NLT), ^"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."***

I pray you all have a blessed week! I leave you with one of my favorite songs right now, "HOLD ON" by James Fortune.

God is Never Wrong

A friend sent this to me in an email this morning and I had to share. Enjoy!

A king who did not believe in the goodness of God had a slave who, in all
circumstances, said:

My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, no
mistakes!

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the
king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his
majesty losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman
said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost
my finger."

The slave replied only "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell
you that God is good, and he knows the "why" of all these things. What God
does is perfect.

He is never wrong!"

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human
sacrifices.

In the altar, ready to sacrifice the noble, the savages found that the
victim did not have one of his fingers, so he was released. According to
them, he was not complete and could not be offered to the gods.

Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave and
received him very affectionately.

My friend, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men,
but for lack of a single finger I was let go! But I have a question: If God
is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?

My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed
for you, because I have no missing finger.

Therefore, remember: everything God does is perfect.

It is never wrong.

Often we complain about life and things that appear to be negative when
they happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and everything has a
purpose.

Every morning, offer your day to God.

Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, to ease your
feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong!

You know why this message is for you? I do not know, but God knows, because
he never makes mistakes.......

The path of God and his word is perfect, without impurities. It is the way
of all those who trust in him, as he says in 2 Samuel 22: 31

Power Tools: Prayer & Praise

Hello All!! It's been a while since I blogged! I've been super busy with work and family. But I've got a great message to share now that I'm back!

I want to pose a question this morning: Do you realize how much power you have? I'm talking about the kind of power to change situations you are in right now, power to change your atmosphere on the job, power to change the outcome of an illnesses that doctors may have diagnosed you with and power to get out of a financial situation that you may be trapped in. Yes you have the power to do this ALL! But it's important to realize that this power comes from God. When we invite God into our life we receive the power to do an abundance of things.

So how do we get this power? Easy...through prayer and praise. During bible study last week the pastor talked about making sure that we take time to pray in the MORNING everyday before we step out and face a new day. We when receive that covering from God during prayer there is nothing that get in our way to get us off track for the day.  For Psalm 91:4 says "He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." In addition to prayer, praise is another great power tool. This morning on my way to work I had the best praise and worship in my car. During that time I was able to reflect on God and get in a state of mind where there is nothing or noone who can make me have a bad day! Psalm 35:2 says, "I'll tell the world how great and good you are, I'll shout Hallelujah all day, every day"!!

RECOGNIZE the POWER you have and USE IT EVERYDAY!

Be Blessed:)

One of my FAVORITE SONGS right now! In The Middle - Isaac Carree

Are you consistently checking in?

Today I wrapped up my reading of 1st and 2nd Kings. I was so happy to finish reading these chapters, because it seemed like the people of Israel continually disrespected God. Hezekiah tried to steer the people in the right direction, but as soon as he died his son reverted the people back to disobedience. Then finally Josiah comes along and begins to again steer the people in the right direction. Upon finding the "Book of the Law" the people read it in it's entirety and pledged themselves to the covenant. I was so happy to see that the people had finally turned from their evil ways. As I begin to read more about King Josiah and all that happened during his reign, it became so clear all the favor that can be bestowed upon you when you seek God FIRST and follow in his footsteps consistently. It also became clear however that when you don't check in with God concerning any and every decision in your life the consequences that can come of that. For 31 years Josiah had faithfully walked with the Lord, seeking his advice in all that he did. Then one day he decided that he was going to go into battle without seeking God's advice. He died in that battle against King Neco of Egypt, and his death was unexpected and very surprising to many. King Josiah's death is a reminder that we should be CHECKING IN with God on every decision that we make in life. We should never gain too much pride that we feel like we only need or want to hear God's advice on certain situations, and others we choose to handle on our own. This lesson hit home with something that I read yesterday in my "Daily Walk" reading that challenged people to spend more time in prayer with the Lord. So I'm passing the challenge on to you. Every time you get in and out of the car today, spend a few seconds in prayer. Show God how serious you are about seeking his wisdom and advice in all that you do.

Proverbs 3: 5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path"