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

Out of View!

I was sitting on the couch just the other night and decided I wanted to watch something on TV that made me laugh. I know those who have a TV and cable, there are numerous channels that you can choose from. So I began with the lowest number and went to as high as the numbers would take me until it said “Off Air”.

I do not own the rights to this photo 

During my search, I found shows such as CSI, Castle, House, Maury, House Wives of Atlanta, News, The Perfect Murder, Most Terrifying Places in America, Fatal Attractions, Dateline: Real Life Mysteries, American Greed; Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals, Divorce Court, Jerry Springer, Cops, The Walking Dead, Elementary, The Closer – should I go on?

I honestly could not find anything that was not about adultery, murder, stealing, jealousy, sex, confrontations, vampires, zombies, drugs, and alcohol!

Then he thundered, “Call those to whom I have given the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!”

Six men appeared at his call, coming from the upper north gate, each one with his sword. One of them wore linen clothing and carried a writer’s case strapped to his side. They all went into the Temple and stood beside the bronze altar. And the glory of the God of Israel rose from between the Guardian Angels where it had rested and stood above the entrance to the Temple.

And the Lord called to the man with the writer’s case and said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who weep and sigh because of all the sins they see around them.”

Then I heard the Lord tell the other men: “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead isn’t marked. Spare not nor pity them— kill them all—old and young, girls, women, and little children; but don’t touch anyone with the mark. And begin right here at the Temple.” And so they began by killing the seventy elders.

And he said, “Defile the Temple! Fill its courts with the bodies of those you kill! Go!” And they went out through the city and did as they were told.

While they were fulfilling their orders, I was alone. I fell to the ground on my face and cried out: “O Lord God! Will your fury against Jerusalem wipe out everyone left in Israel?”

But he said to me, “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very great and all the land is full of murder and injustice, for they say, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! He has gone away!’ And so I will not spare them nor have any pity on them, and I will fully repay them for all that they have done.”

Just then the man in linen clothing, carrying the writer’s case, reported back and said, “I have finished the work you gave me to do.” Ezekiel 9 TLB

I’ve heard so many of us say, “It’s what people do nowadays”! Really? I would like to ask you several questions and you can answer them at your leisure. They are as follows:  Do you get up first thing and read scriptures from your bible? Do you pray daily and thank God for his provisions? Do you go about your day seeking the good in others verses what they do wrong or how they act? If they do act out of character, do you pray for them or do you speak ill of them? What truly brings you joy?

I do not own the rights to this photo 

It’s never too late to turn your thoughts toward God and your actions to mirror his ways and behavior. I am quietly laughing to myself, because many of you have in your mind (from observing the organized churches) that being a Christian is boring, and many of the people are stuffy. True; but there are more that are not! Being a child of God has so much joy and enjoyment!

I remember as a young child I made up my mind that I would not watch movies about biblical scriptures because the disposition of the people being portrayed was somber and aloof (which again, it’s how they see people in the church act)! If you truly think about it, would you want to follow someone who never smiled or was very serious? I’ll answer it for you – No! Many of us gravitate towards people who make us laugh and are fun to be around. That is my image of who Jesus is! He is fun to be around and has a great sense of humor. If this wasn’t so, why did He have so many followers?

Praise the Lord, you angels of his; praise his glory and his strength. Praise him for his majestic glory, the glory of his name. Come before him clothed in sacred garments.

The voice of the Lord echoes from the clouds. The God of glory thunders through the skies. So powerful is his voice; so full of majesty. It breaks down the cedars. It splits the giant trees of Lebanon. It shakes Mount Lebanon and Mount Sirion. They leap and skip before him like young calves! The voice of the Lord thunders through the lightning. It resounds through the deserts and shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord spins and topples the mighty oaks. It strips the forests bare. They whirl and sway beneath the blast. But in his Temple all are praising, “Glory, glory to the Lord.”
At the Flood the Lord showed his control of all creation. Now he continues to unveil his power. He will give his people strength. He will bless them with peace. Psalm 29 TLB

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

Acknowledge Him!

Who said God is not in the miracle working business? I pray it’s not you! He is still on the throne and DAILY performing miracle after miracle. Hmmm what does it take for a miracle in your life to happen? What is it you are hoping for, wayward child to change, a loved one addicted to alcohol, drugs, food, sex, work, etc., go to college debt free, or lose weight for better health.

God has already healed them, delivered, them and restored them. It takes belief and trust in God to do this thing you are wanting. But first I want to mention that you are a miracle. God molded you in your Mother’s womb exactly how He wanted you to be and to become. Look in the mirror and observe a miracle right in front of you!

During a biology class, my professor told us that in this advanced world, researchers are still not able to observe which sperm will attach to the egg. Although during orgasm, if the woman is ovulating, she will release approximately 400 eggs; whereas, millions of sperm is released, but only about 7 will enter the uterus wall to fertilize the egg. Of course, only one will make the climb up the wall; and that one, once joined, builds a protective wall so that no other sperm can get in. Now God’s miracle begins. I am going to stop there. If you are curious about the reproductive system I advise you to look it up in an encyclopedia or go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_system to find out more. Back to our miracle working God!

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8 NKJV

If you are praying and begin to speak about what you prayed about or doubt God will answer your prayer, then He won’t, because as soon as you have the least bit of doubt, you have cast it down. So my advice to you is, get somewhere quiet and alone and pray, and while we are on praying, pray about everything anyway; now get up and go about your day and DO NOT think about what is wrong or what you are worried about; and let God do what He’s best at~ perfecting that which concerns you!

Click on web address below to read full story! 

Morgan Lake's story dramatic reminder that God is real, miracles happen:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/07/24/morgan-lake-story-dramatic-reminder-that-god-is-real-miracles-happen.html

Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything.  “With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.”  Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

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 

Seek Christ with ALL your Heart!

Acceptance is Freedom!

I needed at least 12 hours of Psychology or Sociology to complete my Associate of Science in Business Administration in 2007. I had all but 3 hours left and I chose a Sociology class that was about humanity and races. I was not sure what I was going to learn from this class, but it tweaked my interest!

The class began reiterating how the United Kingdom became a colonial power. With numerous languages being spoken among the nations, the British Empire decided it to be beneficial in the political realm to establish English as the native language. They immediately began to separate those different from them by color, so as to increase the majority and decrease the minority; or put another way, oppress those who are darker in skin tone. This did not appall me at all, but what did appall me was the lack of knowledge most of the world has to this; whereas, all other countries do not separate and divide by race, but by family and wealth. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10 KJV)  It was a man-made decision to separate races, just like many of our religious institutions do today. Christianity is for all people.

God gave me a revelation recently on why there are different skin colors, hair textures, and stature. It truly opened my eyes as to why He put those in the northern part of the world with fair skin, and those in the southern part of the world with darker skin.

Research has shown that darker skin has more melanin to protect the skin from the UV radiation; however, fair skin does not have as much. We are all placed in certain parts of the world with purpose and on purpose; and because we have become complacent in seeking knowledge and God’s Word, we also have become a Nation of captivity! ~ Especially in our thinking! We allow others to present their knowledge to us in their own accord, instead of seeking it for ourselves; and asking God for the wisdom to understand it!

God is the creator of us all!

So whether we like it or not; our nation is still poor in spirit and truth. We seek everything, but God, to satisfy our needs!

Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel,
For the Lord has a [legal] case with the inhabitants of the land,
Because there is no faithfulness [no steadfast love, no dependability] or loyalty or kindness Or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land. There is [false] swearing of oaths, deception (broken faith), murder, stealing, and adultery; They employ violence, so that one [act of] bloodshed follows closely on another. Therefore the land [continually] mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes [in tragic suffering] Together with the animals of the open country and the birds of the heavens; Even the fish of the sea disappear. Yet let no one find fault, nor let any rebuke [others]; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. So you will stumble in the daytime, And the [false] prophet will also stumble with you in the night; And I will destroy your mother (Israel).
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of My law, where I reveal My will]. Because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge,
I will also reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children. The more they multiplied [in numbers and increased in power], the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. They (the priests) feed on the sin offering of My people And set their heart on their wickedness. And it shall be: like people, like priest [both are wicked and both will be judged]; So I will punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds. They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the prostitute, but not increase [their descendants], Because they have stopped giving heed to the Lord.
Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away the mind and the [spiritual] understanding. My people consult their [lifeless] wooden idol, and their [diviner’s] wand gives them oracles. For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray [morally and spiritually], And they have played the prostitute, withdrawing themselves from their God. Hosea 4:1-12 AMP

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!