Merry Christmas!

Weather Alert!

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a costly process where the egg is fertilized by the sperm in a glass (outside the body). Some of you may know someone who has or are currently attempting the process.  

When we want something so bad, we become weary in the wait process and can hinder God's best! Doing it in our own accord or fleshy ways will complicate matters more than they solve them. Yes, there are couples who have successfully conceived by IVF, but more have not! 

Refinancing your home, accumulating medical bills from multiple surgeries, and purchasing tools to monitor ovulation, body temperature, hormone treatments, etc. with hopes of conceiving will rock the boat. Add in self loathing and degradation and it tips over!

My hair stylist of approximately 7 years is pursuing this route; although her and her husband have attempted pregnancy the natural way for more than five years. As you already know, it hasn't happened yet and many friends are creating fund raisers to assist with the cost. 

The last time I saw her, the frustration and questions of "why" had escalated! Even though she has health issues that could complicate the pregnancy, none of us knows "why" God has not allowed her to conceive yet. 

I do know that when we are working, Jesus is resting; and when we are resting (enjoying life; like focusing on our health); Jesus is at work – turning the boat "right" side up!

On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake]. And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, [just] as He was, in the boat [in which He was sitting]. And other boats were with Him. And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness). He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)? And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him? (Mark 4:35-41 AMPC)

Should I?

I challenge every married couple to put your spouse on your back and carry them around all day everywhere you go. I already know the responses I am receiving right now from anyone reading this. The most popular one will be, “There is no way I can carry my spouse around on my back for a second, less known all day”!

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”  Mathew 11:28-30 AMP

Exactly my point! If your wife or husband is a manager or holds an executive position, it is taxing to them to have a wife or husband calling with decisions he/she is capable of making. Such as, “Do you want me to wash the clothes”; or "Green Grass Lawn Service is here to cut grass today, is that alright”? If you know your grass has not been cut for a week and the mowing company comes on a Monday instead of a Tuesday, it’s not a deal breaker. The contract is once a week or as needed. 

Wash the clothes, take the chicken out for dinner if your spouse forgot, or buy the milk if you are out. Make a decision without doubt or worry it is the wrong thing to do!

There will be many times it will require the two of you to be involved in the decision making, but menial things around the house will just take your initiative to do it. After a while, the one carrying the weight of the marriage will soon fall beneath it if you are not willing to share the load he/she is bearing!

Leaving there, He went into their synagogue. A man was there whose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful and permissible to heal on the Sabbath?”—they asked this so that they might accuse Him and bring charges into court. But He said to them, “What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?  Matthew 12:9-11 AMP

Detour Up Ahead!

Currently I am babysitting my youngest grandchild three days a week. On my daughter’s days off, I made a statement, “When you're off, I’m off too”! After I said it, I had a revelation that although I am 55 years old, God has blessed me with good health physically and mentally. He is telling me I am more than capable of taking care of my 6 month old grandson with no determent. He put it in my heart the journey to the "Promised Land" will have obstacles that slow us down to our divine destiny – but we will arrive. It could take 18 years or 3 months, but you will get there!

Recall in the bible, Sarah had a baby at the age of 90. “The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for her as He had promised. For Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time God had told him. Abraham named his son whom Sarah bore to him Isaac [laughter]. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born. And Sarah said, God has made me to laugh; all who hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children at the breast? For I have borne him a son in his old age! (Genesis 21:1-7 AMP)

You have been in a position for over 30 years and have been considering early retirement. A promotion is offered to you that you applied for four years ago. It’s no coincidence, it’s God’s timing! Or, you want to go to college; however, you will need an additional $80k to complete your Bachelor’s degree. You have no choice but to stay at home and find a job. While you are at home, a parent becomes ill and you are the only one there to care for them; although the parent fully recovers, you would have had to take a year or two off from college; if God would not have blocked it. Whereas; now you are able to attend college with no interruptions – paid in full! His way is always the best way! Yes it’s frustrating when we do not understand or see what’s waiting for us over that mountain!

Modern day Mount Sinai 

The Israelites had an eleven day’s journey from Horeb (Mount Sinai) by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea [on Canaan’s border; yet Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years before crossing the border and entering Canaan, the promised land]. Deuteronomy 1:2 AMP 

When they arrived scripture says, “And you shall remember [always] all the ways which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart (mind), whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and allowed you to be hungry and fed you with manna, [a substance] which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, so that He might make you understand [by personal experience] that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your feet swell these forty years. Therefore, know in your heart (be fully cognizant) that the Lord your God disciplines and instructs you just as a man disciplines and instructs his son”. Deuteronomy 8:2-5 AMP

Enough said! So wake up every day with expectancy and joy in what God’s day will bring! Don’t get cynical when your way led you to a "dead end". Detours eventually get you to your destiny!

Heir ~ Born!

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”. John 8:36 KJV

I know that I have heard that scripture many times and did not understand what it meant. In my mind I would say things like, “I’m already free”, or “I’m not held down from doing anything I want to do”. That’s not what this scripture means. Until I got in the Word and established a close relationship with Jesus, I did not realize “one thing” out of balance in my life does hold me down from receiving God's best!

Anger is bondage, comparing yourself to others is bondage, gossip is bondage, holding a grudge is bondage, sickness in your body is bondage, jealousy is bondage, an inferiority complex is bondage, lack of anything (wisdom, clothing, car, house, etc.); and of course we are all familiar with addictions of any kind, worry, and fear.

Let me give you an example: Women are constantly comparing and competing amongst ourselves. We purchase clothes we think no other woman has, to stand out. Or we long for what another woman/man has and develop the spirit of covetousness! You want what you don’t have. Some women/men stoop as low as murder to get something that is only temporary satisfaction, that when the damage is done, the punishment is eternal!

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mark 7:21-23 KJV

To be able to compliment another woman of her clothing, nice hair cut, new car, etc. with sincerity in your heart~ is freeing! God has given all Christians the spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (The Fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22]) within so you are able to shine externally!

You can only extend so far when you are shackled or in bondage. Why? Because bondage has limits, freedom in Jesus does not!

“Tell us who you are,” they demanded.

He replied, “I am the one I have always claimed to be. I could condemn you for much and teach you much, but I won’t, for I say only what I am told to by the one who sent me; and he is Truth.” But they still didn’t understand that he was talking to them about God.

So Jesus said, “When you have killed the Messiah, then you will realize that I am he and that I have not been telling you my own ideas, but have spoken what the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me—for I always do those things that are pleasing to him.”

Then many of the Jewish leaders who heard him say these things began believing him to be the Messiah.

Jesus said to them, “You are truly my disciples if you live as I tell you to, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said, “and have never been slaves to any man on earth! What do you mean, ‘set free’?”

Jesus replied, “You are slaves of sin, every one of you. And slaves don’t have rights, but the Son has every right there is! So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free— John 8:25-36 TLB

The Only Way to Prevent Quarrels!

Patience is a Virtue!

Life is not that hard because you did not get a lamp the day you wanted to get it, or get your hair and nails done when the budget says, “No”; but the ego says, “I want it!” Which one is more important?

God has told me in my heart, years ago, I was arrogant. I didn’t want to listen to advice, and I did what I wanted to do. I would get something in my head; and knowing the money wasn’t really there to purchase it, I would do it anyway (knowing I only had to wait maybe a month or two to get it)! A month or two is not that long, nor is 18 years if it’s not in God’s plan for me to have it. God has done a change in me over the years; and until I removed me out of the way, I was able to receive and accept the change! And what I mean by removing me out of the way is, stop being self centered, selfish, and “it’s all about me” attitude! Get over it and find someone to bless!

I can say, it did not take me long to understand it, when my checking account was continually overdrawn. Now, with God’s help, I have made some adjustments. I first pray about it, and then wait until God tells me the timing is right to have what it is I am wanting such as; an ongoing appointment at the hair salon, or lamps. I know numerous places you can get quality furniture at a very reasonable price – consignment shops, yard sales, and used furniture stores! Some of it will require some tweaking; however, you still come out better than buying new – and as mentioned above, 95% of it is of good quality! One other thing you probably didn’t think about either ~ you are recycling!

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2-3 NIV

Iron Sharpens Iron!

Football is not as complicated as many of us women think. I’ll give you some brief knowledge of how the team is formed. 

The offense is as follows:

Wide Receiver (WR) on the left, Wide Receiver (WR) on the right, Left tackle (LT), Left Guard (LG), Center (C), Right guard (RG), Right tackle (RT), Tight End (TE). Behind this line up is the Quarterback (Q) and behind him is the Full Back (FB) and Running back (RB)

The defense is as follows:

Cornerback (CB), Defensive End (DE), Defensive Tackle (DT), Defensive Tackle (DT), Defensive End (DE), and Cornerback (CB. These positions make up the front defensive line. Behind them are three Linebackers (LB) and behind the Linebackers are two Safety (S) players.

Basically the offense wants to score a touchdown and the defense’s job is to stop them. The way offense is positioned is to keep the defense away from the Quarterback, or create a hole for the running back to score. The defense is positioned to stop the quarterback passes, and keep the running back from gaining yardage. 

I’m going to relate being a football player to marriage. If the husband or wife is making sure they are performing as husband and wife ought to, then they are in sink with the finances, the housework, the parenting and encouraging one another in the Word – then Satan does not have any openings to attack!

If your spouse is caught in traffic, the phone has died, and you were expecting him/her to be home no later than 7 pm, Satan will attack your thoughts into worrying your spouse has wrecked, they are having an affair, or why haven’t they called to let you know they are on their way – an opening has occurred. He’s good at deceiving us of things that could go wrong; if we are not in the Word 
~ Our Defense!

Get in a huddle and get in the Word to keep all areas covered so that the next time he tries to break the defensive line, he can't penetrate it.

And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 TLB

If your defense is strong, you are not easily defeated! 

 Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world. So use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be standing up. But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval. Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17 TLB

To Lose is to Gain!

Job endured loss and suffering none of us could withstand (Job Chapters 1-5), yet in the midst of it all he said, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. Job 19:25 TLB

There have been numerous hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornadoes that have taken loved ones, homes, and everything you valued in your home; yet the loss was still not as great as Job’s. He still had the one thing that was important and necessary. He goes on to say, “And I know that after this body has decayed, this body shall see God! Then he will be on my side! Yes, I shall see him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope”! Job 19:26-27 TLB

Job did not lose his hope in God. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life”. Proverbs 13:12 AMP If you have read the book of Job, you know that God allowed Satan to afflict the losses and suffering of Job; however, Job, under all of the affliction, did not turn from trusting God; and God restored back double of what Job lost.

It’s a tragedy, to me, people idolize cars, houses, clothes, shoes, cell phones, etc. They are just things that can be replaced, but to idolize anything over God is sin! I know many of you reading this will say you don’t, but let someone hit your $100K Jaguar, or accidentally drop your $750 cell phone in the toilet, then tell me how you would react! NOT COOL!

God does bless us with things when He knows we are ready to appreciate and take good care of them more than we value them. We cannot take those things with us to Heaven, nor are they more valuable than life! We have become so enamored with wealth and wealthy people; we are falling fast, even to the point of having God’s wrath placed upon us~ if we don’t become a saved people and Repent!

When God blesses us with things, we are stewards of those things or I use the word caretakers, because they will not last to “Eternity”! So when you become a born again Christian; and some of you already are, remember this, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 NKJV 

How Wayward Are You?

I know many of us have heard someone say, “If I knew you were coming, I would have cleaned my house”! No you would not have cleaned your house. The way your house looks when someone unexpected arrives is the way it looks all the time. This is how it’s going to be with many of us when Jesus returns~ unprepared!

Be prepared – all dressed and ready – for your Lord’s return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. There will be great joy for those who are ready and waiting for his return. He himself will seat them and put on a waiter’s uniform and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come at nine o’clock at night – or even at midnight. But whenever he comes there will be joy for his servants who are ready! Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour of his return – just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming. So be ready all the time. For I, the Messiah, will come when least expected.” Luke 12:35-40 TLB

We are not taking this seriously! Jesus is coming, and the signs are everywhere, yet we ignore them and allow injustice to take place. If many of you haven’t notice, we have eliminated prayer from the schools, took down the Ten Commandments out of the schools, eliminated God from our government and then wonder why schools are being shot up, same sex marriages are taking place, and our homes are severely dysfunctional! Wealth does not mean you are favored by God, nor does it mean you have power over another person to do to them as you will. Wealth and power does not please God, but righteous living and love for others does! IF GOD IS NOT THE HEAD OF ANYTHING, IT WILL NOT ENDURE!

Listen to Me, you “fat cows” of Bashan living in Samaria – you women who encourage your husbands to rob the poor and crush the needy – you who never have enough to drink! The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that the time will come when he will put hooks in your noses and lead you away like the cattle you are; they will drag the last of you away with fishhooks! You will be hauled from your beautiful homes and tossed out through the nearest breach in the wall. The Lord has said it.

Go ahead and sacrifice to idols at Bethel and Gilgal. Keep disobeying – your sins are mounting up. Sacrifice each morning and bring your tithes twice a week! Go through all your proper forms and give extra offerings. How you pride yourselves and crow about it everywhere!

“I sent the hunger,” says the Lord, “but it did no good; you still would not return to me. I ruined your crops by holding back the rain three months before the harvest. I sent rain on one city, but not another. While rain fell on one field, another was dry and withered. People from two or three cities would make their weary journey for a drink of water to a city that had rain, but there wasn’t ever enough. Yet you wouldn’t return to me”, says the Lord.

“I sent blight and mildew on your farms and your vineyards; the locust ate your figs and olive trees. And still you wouldn’t return to me,” says the Lord. “I sent you plagues like those of Egypt long ago. I killed your lads in war and drove away your horses. The stench of death was terrible to smell. And yet you refused to come. I destroyed some of your cities, as I did Sodom and Gomorrah; those left are like half-burned firebrands snatched away from fire. And still you won’t return to me,” says the Lord.

“Therefore I will bring upon you all these further evils I have spoken of. Prepare to meet your God in judgment, Israel. For you are dealing with the one who formed the mountains and made the winds, and knows every thought; he turns the morning to darkness and crushes down the mountains underneath his feet: Jehovah the Lord, the God of Hosts, is his name.”  Amos 4 TLB

Aim With Purpose!

A Kiss?

House Poor!

Imagine taking a house approximately 2500 square feet and downsizing it to fit into a tiny house that is 250 sq. ft. Yep! You know what I’m about to say, “The thought of getting rid of almost all of your belongings is overwhelming”! There are so many things you want to keep; but can’t!

Now what I’m about to say might not makes sense to you, but it makes perfect sense to me. I have watched married couples in general over the years and I have been encouraged by every situation in the immature couples as well as the mature!

Every action begins with a thought. The immature couples try to cram one week into one day! When your thoughts are overloaded so is your actions; and your life! It’s no fun when you are always playing catch-up! Spending weekends catching up on work that needs to be done around the house gets exhausting! You are not in the mood, nor do you really want to wash ten loads of close in a day, cut the grass, clean the house, etc. Get rid of the clutter in your thoughts and you will get rid of the clutter in your household!

The more mature couples know how to collaborate with each other. They understand the importance of communication and delegation without anyone feeling inferior towards the other. All week they share the duties of the house and the children; whereas, they nip the overload in the bud.

No marriage or relationship is perfect. Keep in mind, relationships do take commitment and work, even a relationship with God. Schedules will not always stay on track, things happen that throw them off, but it doesn’t mean you have to stay off track. You will want to be flexible and understanding with each other when they do.

Again, you are not perfect, so don’t expect your spouse to be. And if you catch yourself becoming frustrated, go some place where you can be alone and pray; God will give you an answer!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34 NIV

Slipping Into Darkness!

In the Bible Peter writes: 

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. I Peter 2:4-10

Those who rejected Jesus in biblical days are rejecting Him in today's society. Jesus came for us to have life and more abundantly, yet we still choose satan's way of life over God's. When you are constantly sad, and one little thing sets you off, or your day starts off with a mishap and you blame your mood on that and stay that way all day, then you are living in darkness. There are things in your path that make you stumble and if you are not careful, you will fall~ HARD!