The Proverbs 31 Woman & You – have you ever made the connection?  I know we’ve all heard about the Proverbs 31 woman, but what does that have to do us as woman today?

I’ve been a Christian (active/inactive) for most of my life and I’ve heard many sermons on the Proverbs 31 woman – in fact she is mentioned at every woman’s conference I’ve ever been to over the last 20 years.  Speakers make her sound like the woman all women should aspire to be, but why? What does this lady from the Old Testament have to do with me & you in this day & time?  I first heard about the Proverbs 31 woman when I first joined a church & started attending various woman’s meetings & conferences.  So my response was to just simply add her to the list of the other bible people I’m supposed to pattern my life after!  At the time it was all too much to remember because I was new to this Christian thing & wanted to get it right the first time.

But as time passed, I found that I was able to learn more about the people in the bible as my life experiences were similar to theirs.  The same is true for the woman in Proverbs 31.  I began to connect with her as I lived my life and grew over time.  I realized her story was a story that paralleled my own.  But again, why is this important and how can it help you today?

Well, to expand on what I said above, the Proverbs 31 woman is just like all of the other characters in the Bible.  Their life’s example as they go through various situations, challenges and tests act as an example of what to do when the same thing or something like it happens to you.  How they got through is to serve and guide you as you go through.  That’s why knowing all of the bible characters are very important.

So let’s look at the examples of all of the things that the Proverbs 31 woman provides us.  She’s found in Proverbs 31 vs. 10 – 31.  Each verse gives us a different characteristic that we will find helpful in our modern day lives.

Here’s my breakdown:

Verse 10 – Priceless – God calls her value far more than rubies.

Verse 11 – Trustworthy – Your secrets are safe with her.

Verse 12 – Faithful – Her husband knows she would never betray him.

Verse 13 – Hard Working – No job is beneath her; she is not afraid to get her hands dirty.

Verse 14 – Provider – She goes wherever she has to in order to feed her family.

Verse 15 – Early Riser – She gets an early start to her day.

Verse 16 – Business Owner – She runs her own businesses successfully.

Verse 17 – Strong – She takes care of her self

Verse 18 – Proactive – She makes sure her products are the best around.

Verse 19 – Multitasker – Can handle multiple tasks at one time.

Verse 20 – Servant – She loves to serve others.

Verse 21 – Lives Well – She loves the finer things in life.

Verse 22 – Stylish – She is well dressed & loves to look good.

Verse 23 – Attractive – She attracts the most successful men to marry.

Verse 24 – Creative – She creates products that she can sell for a profit.

Verse 25 – Great Reputation – She keeps her word & she is dependable.

Verse 26 – Wise – She knows what to say & how to say it.

Verse 27 – No Nonsense – She does not waste time.

Verse 28 – Appreciated – Her family knows how hard she works & they appreciate her.

Verse 29 – Excels – She puts what she knows into action.

Verse 30 – Loves God – God is first in all that she does.

Verse 31 – Fruitful – Her bottom line is productive.

Now you can see how the life of this woman in Proverbs 31:10 – 31 can be you.  The bible doesn’t give her name so you can put in your name if you like.  This set of scriptures represents what a woman can be no matter where she may find herself!  It doesn’t matter what her profession is, or whether she is single or married – all women can find themselves in these scriptures and use them as a guide.

So ladies, please take this opportunity to sit down with God to discuss your place in the Proverbs 31 scriptures and how you can use them to your advantage.  You should come away from that conversation with the plan can use today!

I am definitely living as a Proverbs 31 woman, how about you?

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Is “Christ” in your Christmas?  Every year we as Christians ask this question as we acknowledge the birth of Christ and what it means to us and the world whether they accept Him or not.

As Christians, we know that Jesus died on the cross (it wasn’t on a Friday), rose on the third day in order to save us from the penalty for the sins we’ve committed.  If you’ve been born into this world – you have sinned.  There are no exceptions.  God knew this and that’s why He sent Jesus to do exactly what He did.  This was God’s greatest gift to us because He loves us so much!

So even though we know that Jesus’ actual birthday is not December 25th, we’ve adopted that day to say “Happy Birthday” to Jesus, as we celebrate and thank Him for what he did for us! I’m not sure about you but I’m glad about it!

All of that being said, when we look around during this time of year, all of us have seen what many call the commercialization of Christmas.  People think it’s more about Santa Claus, reindeer & Rudolph, and snowman who come to life.  They are more concerned with receiving gifts than giving gifts as Christ gave us the gift of salvation.  What part do you play in this commercialization of Christmas?  We expect it from those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, but what about those of us who do believe in Him yet still play into this commercialization?

So, how are you making sure they you keep “Christ” in your Christmas?  Many, many people work extremely hard all year round to help those who are struggling to help themselves.  For example, they help people who are left homeless, and those in rehabs of all types (homeless, drugs & disabled).  These people help and volunteer in hospitals, while some help and volunteer in prisons, etc.  These people show and give the love of Christ all year long.  So to show your appreciation of all that they do, it is a good idea to help these people out by making donations and volunteering at least once per year yourself.  That would be a great way to keep Christ in your Christmas!

Let’s look at a few other ways you can make sure you keep Christ in your Christmas!

• Get a gift to Jesus for his birthday. Yeah,  I hear you talking,  how can I give a birthday gift to Jesus?  Well, the answer is simple.  In 2 Samuel 24: 23-25: ²³ Your Majesty, Araunah[a] gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”  ²⁴ But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[b] of silver for them. ²⁵ David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped (niv). So as you can see David was not willing to offer a sacrifice to God that didn’t cost him something.  That means it wasn’t cheap or it meant something special to David.  So ask Christ what He wants for his birthday and give Him that.  Just like you would do for any other birthday gift that you would buy.  For example, He may ask you to spend more time with Him.  If he does, put that time/day on your calendar and treat it like you would any other date or appointment that you don’t want to miss.  Easy right?

• With your family, sit together and read a Christmas story in Luke 1:5-56 through Luke 2:1-20. It’s too long for me to insert here so I’ve included links for you, so all you have to do is just click on the scripture above.

• Make the focal point of your Christmas decorations the Nativity Scene. If you don’t have one, you can make one of your own!  This will be a great project to do with your family and friends.  Click here to get you started.

• Put together a group of your family and/or friends to go visit someone who may be alone during the holidays. Maybe someone in a nursing home or hospital or maybe an elderly or shut-in neighbor.  That would really bless them and you as well!  They don’t have to be the same faith as you. You are just there to show them the love of Christ.

• Forgive someone who hurt you. Now, don’t get excited.  I’m not saying that what they did to you was OK.  I’m saying you give yourself a gift when you give up your right to get them back.  That’s God’s definition of forgiveness!  This helps you release the pain and bitterness inside of you, and frees you to heal and move your life forward!  God will take care of the person who hurt you and His revenge is better than yours!  The bible makes it clear in Romans 12:19; ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[a] says the Lord (niv).

• Lastly, include a single person or someone else who would be spending Christmas alone to spend it with you and your family. For example, an out of town college student who may be friends with one of your children or even someone from your church.  Maybe even a neighbor.  Ask God for direction in this.

These are just a few ways to get you started!

As I sit here watching a TV show about a holiday light competition (I love holiday lights) I see how many of them did not include Christ. So as a talked to God about it He reminded me that it doesn’t matter what others do, it only matters what I do.  So it prompted me to review how I include Christ in my Christmas and my daily living.  So let me know how you are keeping Christ in your Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[powerpress]

Do you have anything to be thankful for?  Thanksgiving is over and your bellies are full.  Nobody wants to go any way near a scale because you know you ate too much! LOL.  So as you sit with your bellies full, your pants unbuttoned or unzipped with your feet up chillin while watching the game, I’ll ask you again, do you have anything to be thankful for?

This is the time of year that people get extremely depressed more than any other time of year.  Why is that?

The most obvious reason is because this is the season to spend time with family and friends that we love and who love us.  But what about people who for whatever the reason have no one to love and no one to love them?  Did you take anytime today to think about them?  Are you one of them?

A lot of people are dealing with social isolation because of the disconnectedness in their lives. This can be due to circumstances beyond their control.  They may even be in that situation due to choices they have made, but either way, shouldn’t we at least take the time to say a prayer for them?

What about those who have suffered various types of losses; such as death in their families, loss of a job, etc?  How do we show them that wherever they find themselves, if they are still breathing, they still have the power with God’s help to change their situation? Let’s talk about what it looks like.

Are you living your life knowing that, if you are still alive God has you here to solve some problem on this earth?  Are you living your life knowing that no matter your current life situation you have the power of God inside yourself to achieve that purpose and goal?

So let’s start there.  How do we live understanding that no matter where you find yourself, there is someone on the planet that has it much worse than you.  So we can’t waste time feeling sorry for ourselves.  And we can’t let those around us do it either.  We have to keep our focus on God and what is good in your lives.  And no matter the situation we may find ourselves in there is something good in your lives.  The bible says it like this in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (amp) ¹⁸ in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Keep in mind that there is power for the change you want when you obey God’s word.  It doesn’t have to make sense to you, just do anyway & see what happens.

If you don’t believe me ask God to lead you to a place where you can volunteer and help others.  Would you like to trade places with one of them? Or just watch your local news.  Have you ever heard the saying I was crying about not having shoes when I met someone who didn’t have any feet?

So whether your thanksgiving was good or not, we have to stop complaining about what is missing in our lives and just start celebrating what is good in our lives.  Even if you have to dig real deep, we all have something to thank God for.

I’ll use myself as an example.  The Sunday before thanksgiving my husband and I have to rush my dog Joe (everybody who knows me knows I love my Joe) to the emergency animal hospital.  He was yelling out in pain, shaking like crazy nonstop and he would not eat or drink anything.  It costs me $120 for them to tell me that they had no idea what was wrong with him.  But if I gave them even more money, $300 – $650, they could run all these tests.  I have already asked God what was wrong, so I decided to wait to hear what God had to say about it.  I just wanted to make sure Joe was not going to die.

The next day I had to pay the dentist $100 to get my teeth cleaned & a filling but I found I also need additional dental work.  The braces will be $4000 and I need it least one of two crowns at about $400 – $800 apiece.

The same day I had to help a family member with a legal issue that cost me 500 more dollars.  No one else in the family had any money.  Now remember this was only Monday.  On Tuesday I had to see my eye doctor and this cost another $35.00 and another $30.00 with my insurance for the prescription she gave me.  And if that wasn’t enough, she informed me that I now need laser surgery in both of my eyes.  You would think that was enough wouldn’t you?  Well it wasn’t!  That night our refrigerator just stop working – we just got it fixed a month ago so we had to get a repair guy in on Wednesday because thanksgiving is Thursday!  So what was the verdict?  We needed a new refrigerator!

I’m not sure how you do things but I’m just like most people.  I save my money during the year to buy gifts during the holidays because I love celebrating and spending time with my family.  I also want to be in the position to help people too. But now I had to spend that money on the things I just told you about to help myself.  So what did I do? I did what it says in Philippians 4:6 (amp) ⁶ Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.  Sooooo I took a deep breath, I thanked God because at least I had the money for me to use.  I then asked him to return the money I just spent. Then I used that money to get the things that I needed.

And if that wasn’t enough, one of my best friends needed financial help so I loaned her some money ($400) with interest of course lol.  We already have a standing agreement; it was the timing of it that made it bad.

And in spite of all of this I had a great thanksgiving!  We spent Thursday with my in-laws, they are always great & the food was amazing as always.  My husband & I went to his friend’s birthday party on Friday.  I cooked dinner on Saturday with friends & family over at my house.  Then on Sunday God told me what was wrong with my dog Joe – it was his prescription food at $40 a bag.  He also told me what to do about it and in spite of all of this, I still feel & know that thru it all I am so blessed!

This is why I say that no matter where you are in your life keep your focus on the things that are good in your life!  If you feel you have nothing to be thankful for – that is a lie!  But if that’s how you fee,l you must be willing to make the changes you need to in order to bring into your life the things that you need and want! Check out Psalms 20:4 (amp) May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans. You can live the life you want!  God will help you if you let Him!

I hoped by sharing my situations with you, you now have incentives for the New Year.

Happy holidays to all of you! Now let me ask you just one more time.  Do you have anything to be thankful for?  Of course you do!

[powerpress]

When was last time you celebrated yourself?  When was the last time you did something good for yourself on purpose because you acknowledge all the good stuff God put in you?  Wouldn’t that be a great way to show God & the world that you appreciate how good you have been made?  Regardless of any mistakes you may have made, you still have reached a lot of goals in your life, you’re doing things that you need to do to make in your dreams come!  You need to celebrate that!

For years, every year, when my birthday comes, I celebrate the entire month.  I plan & arrange all of the celebrations a month or two before.  That way I use my birthday as an excuse to spend time with my various friends and family that I love.  I use this time to celebrate me & everything I’ve accomplished over the previous 12 months.  I use this time to simply celebrate what’s good in my life!

As we live our lives Satan likes to crap on it because it seems he does not like us to be happy for very long.  It gives him pleasure to make us miserable.  Each of our lives will be tested and tried as we move forward to fulfill our goals & our divine purpose.  Sometimes going through some of these tests can wear on us and bring heaviness & darkness into our lives due to the severity of some of these tests, situations and circumstances.

Our lives are challenged by various acts of violence, job loss, unexpected deaths, etc.  When your life is hit with any of these things you may have been knocked down for the count.  But no matter what has hit your life, no one can take away the power God put in you when He made you!  Just in case you didn’t know this, let me help you out with something.  Nothing that has happened to you in your life is a surprise to God!  That’s why He put in you everything you would ever need to defeat anything & everything that could ever come against you!

I’m not sure if you know this, but God made you good.  He puts some of his best stuff in you but it’s up to you to discover, uncover & develop that stuff so that you can go from being good to being great!  The bible shows us God’s intent in Genesis 1:27 – 28: (amp) ²⁷ So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”  But how do you do that?  How do you discover what good stuff God put in you?

Well, to keep things extremely simple, just go to God & ask because He’s the one who made you. He’s your manufacturer.  So start there by just simply asking the questions you want answered.  James 4:2: (cev)^2 … You don’t have because you don’t ask…. In these conversations please make sure you talk to him about the things you love, the things you hate, the things you dream of doing.  Make sure you take good notes because you’re gonna find that while talking to God He reveals many great things to you.

If you want a good starting point, pick up Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life” book.  It is a great place to start.  As you are doing this, here are some additional things you can also do.

1. Don’t forget all of the achievements & other good things you have been able to accomplish. Keep a running list.

2. Start each day with some sort of celebration. Whether you’re sitting at the window watching God work via nature while having your morning coffee or tea or singing like you’re a superstar in your mirror, or any other way that brings a big smile to your face, you should start your day by celebrating how important you are to God & the world every day.

3. Increase your gratitude! You are blessed – today, right in the middle of your current situation, you are blessed.  If you’re still breathing, you are blessed.

4. Create a party atmosphere at home. Buy yourself your favorite flowers, play music, etc.  All of us work for living so why not take some time to thank yourself for all that you do.  Even God wants you to have some fun – Ecclesiastes 3:13:  ¹³ and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

5. Take a tip from Tupac Shakur –  Keep your head up!  No matter the circumstances you face, force yourself to stay positive & demand a positive outcome.

God made you to do great things and you have to believe that!  God also wants you to enjoy this life that He has given you as you complete your earthly assignment.  Jesus talks about this in John 15:11: ¹¹ I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.

No one can or will celebrate you like you can!  Show the world how great you are as you celebrate you!

Do you know you were created for greatness?  Do you know God put great things inside of you on purpose to make lives better on this planet starting with your own?  What does your “being great” look like to you?  What problem on earth would you solve if you could?  What can you do right now that would be a step closer to you living in your greatness?  How do I know this is even possible?  I know because David talks about it in Psalms 71:21 – You will make me truly great and take my sorrow away (cev).  Then I took some steps to see for myself if it was true & you should do the same thing!

All of us have daily responsibilities that tend to steal our dreaming time.  We all have to work in order to pay our bills.  We have homes to keep in order and various relationships that demand our attention.  So little time is left just for us!

So, let your reading of this article be the start of you taking 5 minutes  (just start with 5 minutes- that’s about the same time it would take you to actually read this article) everyday to focus only on yourself!  I heard those demons talking to you – what is 5 minutes gonna do? You’ll be surprised when you see what you & God can do with only 5 minutes.  Let me show you what I mean.

Sit back and get comfortable, kick off your shoes, put your feet up and silence all of your phones.  When was the last time you did that?  LOL.  Now, close your eyes & think about just one thing you’ve always dreamed of doing.  Once you have the thing chosen, don’t make it too deep, just pick the first thing that pops into your mind or the thing you want the most – then start to see yourself doing it, don’t forget to ask God to help you.  Let it appear & run just like a movie.  It will take shape right before your inner eyes, just follow God’s lead & it will be like watching any other movie.  Now pay special attention to the places, colors, smells and those people around you!  Breathe slowing & deeply so that you stay relaxed while watching.  When 5 minutes has passed, click the pause button on your movie and open your eyes.  Before you can be distracted,  pick up your journal or notebook and write down everything you can remember about your vision/movie while it’s still fresh in your mind.  This is what I call “vision casting”.

Once you do that, start talking to God about it! Tell Him how you just felt while watching your vision –  the excitement, the peace, the joy about it!  Talk to Him about any obstacles that you think may be in your way.  Satan and your flesh will make sure to bring them to your attention – probably while you were in the middle of vision casting!  But remember, dreaming is free – free from obstacles and free from cost!  So keep dreaming!  You can do this & Jesus will help you – Philippians 4:13 – (amp) ¹³ I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

Didn’t you like what you saw?  I know you did, so keep taking that 5 minutes a day to see what else God wants to show you via your vision casting.  God make you in His image because He made you to usher in His miracles – Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”  You will soon discover that the movie/vision you are watching is God’s way of showing you the great things He put inside of you! This is how you can connect with your divine assignment & purpose while at the same time, pull yourself onto the path God has for your life!  Where do you think your desire to do these things came from?  God put them in you in seed form – Jeremiah 29:11 –   For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.  Your spending time – just 5 minutes a day vision casting, acts as water on that seed – you are the dirt/ground.  And what happens to seeds planted in the ground (you) when you water it?  It grows!

As the seed inside you grows and grows, it will change you.  As it grows, it will burn bright inside you and the entire trajectory of your life will now change!  For example, you will finally take that class and get that degree you’ve been talking about for years.  You’ll write that book that you secretly wanted to write.  You’ll take that trip you’ve always wanted to take.  Now what seemed to be impossible not only becomes possible, you will actually live it!   Won’t He do it?  Yes He will!  There is no one better than our God!  I dare you to test it!  Let me calm down, lol!

Once you’ve tackled that first dream (of course with God’s help) what can stop you now – nothing!  Isaiah 54:17 says “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord.  Just like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, you will realize that you had the power inside of you all along. So come on and start right now!

Can you tell I’m getting excited?  I’m not talking about what I’ve heard or read in some book, I’m talking about what I know because I lived it! No matter what your yesterday was like, no matter what you’ve done or what was done to you, today is the first day of the rest of your life starting right now!  All it takes to start is 5 minutes a day.  Test God and see what He can do with that 5 minutes.  I dare you!

You were created for greatness!  God and I believe in you, but can you believe in yourself?

Have you ever thought about inviting God to your next party?  Does that sound funny or strange to you?  When you think of having a party have you ever even thought that God might want to be invited?  When I save a word “party” I mean any kind of celebration. For example, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, promotions, etc.  Aren’t these the types of things we like to celebrate?  This gives us a chance to kick back, turn up and let our hair down!  Remember when every Friday was a party?  You’ve worked all week and it’s time to hang out, relax and have a good time?

Well, I’m talking about the same type of thing.  The only difference is the kind of party I’m talking about can happen every day & it should be!  Now I know you must be thinking what do I have to celebrate every day?  Well, have you watched your local news lately?  I’m not sure about how things are in the city you live in, but who was killed, murdered, attacked or robbed in your neighborhood today?  Was it one of your loved ones, if not, you have something to celebrate!  In my neighborhood & city folks are being hurt in these streets every single day!  I pray for the families who have gone through this – that God will comfort & guide them. But since I always keep it 100, I celebrate & praise God that it hasn’t happened to me.  I am grateful. I know that may sound funny but it’s true.  And I know you do the same thing.  Let’s try this one?  Do you have a nice place to live?  Do you have a sound & sane mind?  Or at least you say its sane right, lol! Do you have any physical handicaps?  So when you think about your answers and you realize that you really are blessed, you have reason to celebrate every day.  Then you should invite God to join you because He is the reason that you can celebrate because things could be worse, right?

The truth is Satan hates all of us and all of us have had some type of negative thing happen to us or we know someone who has.  You may be struggling and things don’t appear to be working in your favor.  Even then we have to force ourselves to celebrate what is still good in our lives, even if you have to search deep for it. Even if it’s hard to do & you don’t feel like doing it.  Even if you feel like God doesn’t care about you or your situation.  Let me tell you why this is so important.

Having a praise party and inviting God to celebrate any good in your life, no matter how small that good seems to be, brings God’s full power into your life to demand positive change!  Now, it’s best to start this process before something tragic happens so it’s already a habit and you’ve already seen it for yourself that it works.

Here’s some additional information to get you started:

1. Your praise takes you out of selfishness and puts the focus on God where it belongs – what He wants for you, His guidance, wisdom and direction. Psalms 150:2 (nkjv) – Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

2. Your praise keeps you humble. Never forget that you can’t do anything without Him. You need Him because He is in control not you.

3. Praising God at your party makes Satan back up off you & your life. Your appreciation & thanks to God blocks attacks of every demonic kind. – 2 Chronicles 20:22 (amp) – ²² When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were struck down [in defeat].

4. Your praise party keeps out complaining and negativity. The bible says to “call those things into existence that do not exist” – Romans 4:17 (amp) – …calls into being that which does not exist.  Life or death is in the power of your tongue – Proverbs 18:21 (amp) – Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words. 

5. Your praise party pulls God’s goodness, blessings, and promises into your life. Your praises creates a portal for the delivery of your answered prayers – Ephesians 1:3 (esv) – ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 

6. Your praises brings you into God’s presence. He wants to be close to you.  He loves you and wants you to be close to him – Psalms 22:3 – He inhabits the praises of His people. 

7. Your praise party refreshes & renews your soul & your spirit. You are strengthened & refueled by Gods love, peace, & joy! You recharge your batteries by being in his presence – Psalms 16:11  (cev) – ¹¹ You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side,^[a]  I will always be joyful.

8. Your praise party opens the door for God’s power to be manifested & miracles to happen for you. God answers prayers and He has heard yours.  Your praises break down the barriers that blocked the manifestation of your prayers.  Paul and Silas are great examples of this in Acts 16: 25-26 (amp) – ²⁵ But about midnight when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;²⁶ suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

Remember, life is choice driven & with each new day you get another chance to choose stress and worry, or to be distracted by the demons of “busy-ness” & live focused only on worldly pressures.

Or you can choose to let God help you by letting Him direct you into the divine place that He already has set up for you so that you and your children can not only be successful in this  life but have your eternity guaranteed.

So have a praise party everyday and don’t forget to invite God!!!!

Are you living your best life?  Are you doing the best you can with what you’ve got?  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you’ve got problems, issues & extenuating circumstances, but don’t we all?  But don’t you want to be able to enjoy where you are on the way to where your’re going?  I know I do. Shoot out to Joyce Meyer who wrote a great book with the same name!  You should read it if you can.

Remember when you were a kid and you dreamed of growing up & all the things you would do and be?  Remember when people would ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up?  Don’t you remember wanting to be so many different things depending on how old you were when asked?  What thing stood out for you?  I remember having dreams and visions as a child of me standing on a stage singing my heart out with people screaming my name & cheering me on!  Don’t laugh & don’t judge me, I loved it!  I kinda still have that dream.  What was your dream that was going to have you living your best life?

As I grow older I found that there was one problem with that dream.  I do not have the best singing voice.  It’s not the worst that I’ve ever heard, but it’s not the best either, LOL.  So I let go of that dream & never pursued it.  Satan told me I wasn’t good enough & I believed him. But I learned from God (over time spent with Him)  that I could pick that dream back up any time that I wanted to!  We all know singers who became famous but really don’t sound all that great, right? We all know about auto tune.  I won’t name names LOL.  So what did I have to lose?

So, I picked my dream back up and started talking to God about it. I discovered that my dream had many layers.  The path that my life has taken still has me using my voice, not for singing, but for oration, teaching, and writing!  Now do I still like to sing – of course I do!  Now I just sing in my car.  I think I invented car karaoke! LOL

As I was doing the research on what it would cost me to pursue singing, I discovered I really didn’t want it that much. There was no passion for the pursuit. I also discovered that I do have something to say & I want that something to matter to all that hear it & I do want to be heard. I wanted God to be able to use my voice to say whatever He wants to say, to me & to you.

So what did I do?  I gave the desire to God and let Him direct me to the best path so my dream would take shape.  Psalms 32:8 (amp); I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you.  And God has done what he promised; no surprise there.  As I allowed God to process & guide me, I found that I did possess the passion to speak, so I went into full pursuit mode.  I got the proper training & development & when God knew I was ready He provided opportunities for me to start talking as He led me.  And I’ve been talking ever since!  There may be a few folks who are not happy about that, be that’s okay.

In order for this to happen for you, you’ve got to make God a conscious thing to do.  I knew that if my goal was living my best life, I had to go back to my manufacturer & His manual.  God made me to do something and I needed to know how this desire to be heard by a great audience fit into his plan for me – Jeremiah 29:11(amp); ¹¹ For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope. .

Now let’s face it.  We all want to be living our best life, but crap (Satan)  is there to meet us at every turn, working against us, so we need help navigating was seems to be a maze that we call life.  God is not surprised by this and actually is waiting to help.

As a result & overtime, I determined that I should let God use the oration gift He gave me to say to the world whatever He wanted in order for them to be blessed.  Every songwriter wants the words of their songs to live on long after they have passed on.  I’m not any different, I want the words that I pin & speak to plant seeds & water others to bring harvests to the lives of those who hear them long after I leave this realm!

So what about you?  I’ll ask you again – Are you living your best life?  What dreams have you let Satan steal because of your life circumstances?  Whenever they are, I’m here to tell you that as long as you’re still breathing it’s not too late to take them back!  The bible tells us in Proverbs 6:31 (amp) ; But when he is found, he must repay seven times [what he stole]; He must give all the property of his house [if necessary to meet his fine] that once you identify the thief that stole from you, he will be made to return what he stole with great interest!  We all know that Satan or someone working for him stole your dreams so go get them back!  And don’t worry, if you let God lead you in this & you can only win!

You were made to be living your best life & no matter what has happened to you up to today, nothing can change that fact!  So, get up, push past the stuff meant to keep you from getting to goal & go get your stuff!

Are you living your best life?  Of course you are – starting right now!!

God is still in the miracle business.  We just had a blizzard which dumped two feet of snow on us!  That’s not a typical winter storm here where we live – east coast US.  However, we knew a storm was coming because we got plenty of advanced warning so my husband & I properly prepared. By the lines I saw all outside of the supermarkets (we did our shopping three days before) others attempted to do the same.

So, as I sat in my warm comfy home, with cabinets and refrigerator full, it gave me time to simply sit back & do a little “life review”.  This led me to see & appreciate all of the miracles that God does for me regularly.  I know that people seem to think that God only worked miracles back in biblical days, but nothing can be further from the truth!  God is still in the miracle business!

I have to see a cancer doctor once a year since I had breast surgery four years ago. Since the surgery I’ve had to take an estrogen blocker every day because estrogen feeds the development of breast cancer cells.  Let me back up a little and give you some history.  Four years ago when I had my annual yearly mammogram, the results caught something and I had to go back to the hospital again for further testing to see what it was. The only way to determine what it was was to have a biopsy, so I did.  What they found was not an active cancer, but what they call “cancer marker” and “pre-cancer” cells. They showed up on my mammogram as some type of inflammation.  So I had another breast surgery to remove the rest of the defective cells because I didn’t want them inside of me waiting for them to become “active cancer” sometime in my future.

I also wanted additional testing done.  Just in case you’re wondering, breast cancer does not run in my family. So, none of my doctors thought I would ever be in this situation.  In fact, none of the females in my family have ever gotten cancer, just a few of the males.  But God knew my body was under attack, and He caused my body to have a reaction to the defective cells (the inflammation) because He knew that the defective cells would not show up on a mammogram but the inflammation would.  This does not happen for every woman being attacked by cancer but it happened for me.  A miracle right?  I think so too!  God is still in the miracle business!

Any who – in order to stay ahead of this attack against me, I see a cancer doctor after my yearly mammograms. I had my most recent visit a few weeks ago and all is well! Praise God! But I knew it would be because God told me that it would be because God is still in the miracle business!

Let’s not get this twisted, I have problems or challenges in my life just like everyone else.  I have family members who are or have been in jail.  I have family members who have dealt with or are dealing with various types of addictions, including drugs & alcohol.  I’ve been drug free myself since January 1989!  Yep – another miracle.  A lot of the people I did drugs with are dead now. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

However, as I sat in my warm home (some people are homeless), with plenty of good food to eat (some people have to eat whatever food is given to them or they don’t have any food at all), I looked out at the storm and I realized that in addition to being cancer free, warm and having a full stomach, there are so many other miracles that happen in my life regularly!

Many of these things we take for granted, but we shouldn’t.  Why do we walk around with this spirit of entitlement?  Where did that come from?  Ok, I’ll move on.

In addition to the things I talked about above, do you enjoy the following?

1. People in your life who love & care about you. Not everybody has that.

2. People whom you love & care about. Not everybody has this either.

3. Do you have any physical disabilities? I don’t, and with all of the different kinds of accidents that happen to people every day I know it’s a miracle that none of these has happened to me!

4. Are you enjoying good health? Are you breathing on your own? Or is a machine doing it for you? Are the various parts of your body functioning properly?  Over the last couple of years, many of my friends have been suffering & then dying of all types of physical diseases.  We are not elderly or senior citizens so this should not be happening (that’s what my mind tells me).  But I am enjoying good health & I no longer take that for granted.

5. What about any mental or emotional disabilities? I continue to enjoy waking up every day with a sane, sound mind.  I enjoy this too but I used to take it for granted.  I know we all know people we can’t say the same thing about!

There are so many bad things that could be happening in our lives but aren’t because God is covering and protecting us even when we haven’t even ask Him to. If you don’t believe me just watch the news!

Why don’t you sit down & make a list like I made.  The things you are thankful for may be a little different than the things I’m thankful for.  But that doesn’t matter, just write what you’re thankful for.  Don’t take what God does for you every day for granted.  Your life may not necessarily be where you want it to be, but you have to admit, things could definitely be a lot worse!

So let God know how much you appreciate the many miracles He’s doing for you & the miracles to come!

Tap into a new level of gratitude toward God and watch the miracles in your life increase!

If you are not currently enjoying God’s miracle flow in your life – it’s just this simple – invite God in, spend some time chatting with Him and watch what happens! Check out Psalms 77:14 (cev); You alone work miracles, and you have let nations see your mighty power.  Only God can do the things you need done in your life.  Your problems may be tough and weighing heavily on your back but you can call on God & He will answer your cry!  Jeremiah 32:17 (tlb) says it like this:  ¹⁷ “O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you!  Now if God can make our world & create everything in it including you, can He handle the stuff in your life?  I know He can because He’s doing it for me & He’ll do it for you.  What’s the catch?  The catch is this – Can you believe that He can?  Mark 9:23 (amp) sums it up nicely!  ²³ Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!”  Now the balls back in your court.  Can you believe?  The ability is already inside of you.  All you have to do is activate it.  You’ve heard of the mustard seed thing right – Matthew 17:20 (amp) : ²⁰ He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^[a]if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.?

If you don’t believe, you can even ask God to help you believe in Him.  I know that sound crazy but try it & let me know how it works for you.  Mark 9:24 (amp) ²⁴ Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.”  As you can see God has covered all the angles! Lol.

God has miracles saved up just for you, so go get them, because God is still in the miracle business!

Isn’t life amazing? I think so. No, everything in my life is not perfect, but things can sure be a lot worse! As a pastor, I meet a lot of people during some of the worst times of their lives, and no matter what I think or how I feel about it; I still have to walk it out with them. Sometimes things end well and sometimes it doesn’t, but in and through it all there are gems along the way that bring light and lessons you can use then and later! Isn’t this life amazing?

As crazy as it may seem, we do learn more when we think we have failed or when things didn’t turn out the way we wanted them to, than we do after a success. It took me a long time to accept that.  However, I have found over time that when I and others don’t get our way, we have a tendency to stop (because the pain makes us) and review what just happened!  The shock of it all makes us need answers – why didn’t that work? What went wrong? What could I have done differently? Some of us even blame God.

But when we succeed, we don’t always do such an intense evaluation. We move straight to celebration and how great of a job we did. Those of us who are smart enough to see God’s hand in the situation will stop briefly to give him praise for helping us.  Then we move on to the next thing.

Either way I am grateful for all of my situations and circumstances whether good or bad. They all have helped me uncover and discover who I am and what I can do. It took me a long time to be able to see and say that! I didn’t always think that this life was amazing.  But I do now!

In this journey and assignment called life, I’ve been through a lot of hard situations but with God I am overcoming them all!  I am so grateful to God for his words that anchor me:  His company and love that comforts, supports and guides me; His faithfulness that brings security to my soul. This life is amazing!

My life has also been full of many great blessings too! I was born into a great family who love me unconditionally (thanks mommy and daddy).  We all have sound minds and healthy bodies. I have a great godly husband, (hey Bruce) – the second time’s the charm.  I have the best kids (biological, adopted, and spiritual) and we all are truly ride & die! I’ve been able to get a good education.  I have a couple of degrees, I travel the world and I live a good life.  In addition to helping myself, I’ve been blessed to be able to help many people along the way!  All my dreams are in the process of coming true.  This life is amazing!

I have found that this life and earthly assignment is a great journey of self-discovery.  The first discovery is to find God & reconnect with Him.  That way you can find out directly from God what He sent you to earth to do. The next set of discoveries is to uncover the gems God has put inside of you, how to polish and use them and to enjoy who you become in the process.  Then the next discovery is to complete your assignment here on earth because that completion impacts you and the world. Isn’t this life amazing?

Yeah, yeah, yeah I know life isn’t always a nice walk in the park.  Satan is trying hard to stop you.  He’s trying to stop me too.  That’s his job but God took care of that by sending Jesus to kick his butt!  And Jesus did just that.   Take a look at this: Isaiah 54:17(AMP) “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.  This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord. God has said it and I have worked it in my life.  The God I serve is much more powerful than Satan and any demon that he can send to attack my life.  And every time Satan sends them, God & I defeat them.  I simply ask God what I should do, He then tells me what to do & I just do it.  I never lose as long as I’m with God.  Isn’t this life amazing?

Now if your answer to my question – isn’t this life amazing is “no”, please don’t despair.  Please don’t give up.  God has great plans for your life and God has not forgotten about you!  Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP) ¹¹ For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.  As long as you are breathing you still have another chance to bring God into your life so you and God together can make your life amazing!  Nothing else matters.  It doesn’t matter what race you are; it doesn’t matter what color you are; it doesn’t matter how old or young you are; it doesn’t matter where you live; it doesn’t matter how much money you have or do not have.  God made you on purpose for His purpose and He put His greatness inside of you.  So if anyone or any demon is telling you something different they are simply lying to you!

The world is waiting on you to step into the amazing place that God has already prepared for you.  So please take advantage of this moment that God has orchestrated just for you.  I’m telling you this life is amazing!  You don’t really think that you’re reading this is a coincidence do you? You are here reading this because God is trying to get something to you; something that will make your life amazing.  And what is that something? – It’s God!

Every answer you seek will be found in Him.  Everything you need will be found in Him.  So stop looking for humans to fill those empty places in your soul.  They can’t.  Luke 18:27 (AMP) ²⁷ But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”  Therefore, please use this time to just talk to Him, reach out to Him, He’s waiting for you.  You and God working together as a team; you following His lead on this journey make you unstoppable and every impossible thing very possible.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Today is a new beginning for you.  So the next time I ask you – “Isn’t this life amazing?”  – Your answer will be YES!

Got faith? Sounds like the “got milk” commercials and print ads don’t it? It should because it’s taking from that familiar vein. If I were to ask you, a saved person or Christian, your response will be quick and swift – of course I have faith. If I were to ask a person not familiar with the term or who is not saved or has never been to church and was not a Christian – I would get a response like – faith in what?  That’s because most people realize that we have faith in many things and that faith is not only used the religious circles.

So, where am I going with this? I’m asking if you’ve “got faith” from a spiritual perspective. I want to know if you have faith in God and how He does what He does. When presented with the question “got faith?” a few things come to mind. But let’s see what God has to say about it. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1(Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]).  All of that sounds really nice, but how does it appear in your everyday life?

The worlds definition of faith is  – reliance, loyalty or complete trust in God or someone or something else.  If you’re a Christian, you should have already heard and learned that we need faith in God to get God working and moving in our lives. So let’s assume you’re rocking and rolling with God, things are moving along and as you grow via God’s help and guidance, things in your life start to improve. Your prayers are being answered and life is good!  You and God are cooking with gas!

Then all of a sudden you come across situations and circumstances that do not go the way you planned them to go. Do you still “got faith”? You’re still praying, believing in God.  You’re still doing the right things and living right, but then there is a bill that you can’t seem to get the money to pay. What about this one – someone you’ve been agreeing in prayer with to be healed then dies?  What about this one – you are fired from your job or laid off from your job and there is not another one insight but the bills keep coming in. Do you still “got faith”?  What do you do when your faith takes a sharp kick in the gut? What do you do when your faith is tested hard? What do you do when negative emotions (demons) are trying to take you over and you feel extremely overwhelmed and you feel like you’re going under?

I’m going to answer that question like this. One of the hardest and most challenging lessons of life to learn and accept in this earthly life is this – there would definitely be times and situations that will not go the way you want them to no matter what you do. How you respond and handle yourself in these situations will determine whether the situation will be a loss for you or not. Sounds a little crazy right? If the situation doesn’t go the way you wanted it to go, isn’t it a loss for you? Actually it doesn’t have to be a loss at all! Trusting God because He knows and sees more than you brings God in to cover many more bases than you could ever cover by yourself. So while your plan covers your current situation (only in part at best) as you see it, God’s way out for you not only covers your current situation, but also covers what’s coming tomorrow too!  And what about the lessons we learn when we think we have failed?

Therefore, when asked “got faith?” – The answer is yes!  I’ve got faith in God’s plan for me over all my plans for me. I can’t go by what I see.  The bible directs us to move in faith not by what we see – 2 Corinthians 5:7  for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises].  “Got Faith” – Yes, I still have faith in God when things look dark, bleak, and when it seems things aren’t working in my favor. Great faith is faith in the dark.

It’s easy to believe or at least say you do believe when everything is going well for you, but faith is only developed under pressure! Sorry, to build muscles and strength you need resistance.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much this week I wish that wasn’t true, but as my faith is tested I stand strong in it because I take no losses in God, no matter what it looks like because just like the guys in Daniel 3:16 – 18 (amp ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. ¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”)  I chose to stand and believe in God.  As you can see, the guys in the book of Daniel were willing to die before going against God. There is nothing that I am facing that is that detrimental or life-threatening.  So I’ve decided that if those guys can stand against the king when faced with a fiery death, I can stand with God against the things that I face in my life every day.

I thank God that no matter how negative the situations in my life has been (and there has been some doozies), He has showed up and showed out simply because I turned to Him, asked for His help and believed in Him no matter how “hot” the fire. Are you doing the same thing? If not, you can start right now, click here for more info, so with someone asks you the question “got faith?” your answer is always  YES!

Today, as I sit in the official visiting room in one of the many prisons where I visit and minister, I look out among the inmates wearing orange jumpsuits as they wait for visits and I think to myself, how did they get here?  I know they must have asked themselves the same thing often enough. How did I get here? Now if you were an incarcerated person you could understand asking yourself that question, but even if you’re not incarcerated in a physical jail isn’t that a question you have asked yourself at one time or another?  I think so, I know have asked myself that question many times over the years.  Even though we may not be in a physical jail there are many things that imprison us, hold us back, and keep us from moving forward in our lives.

Now, do me a favor and think back to your childhood. Remember when people, especially adults asked you; what do you want to be when you grow up? As a child, how could you realistically even begin to answer that question?  Do you remember how many different things you wanted to be?  What was on your list – a firemen, a nurse, a doctor?  In order to answer the question you had to imagine yourself doing the job itself from whatever knowledge you had about it. If you liked the image that you saw and it made you happy, then that’s the thing you wanted to be and the thing you wanted to do.  As you grow older and your interest changed so did the images of what you can see yourself doing or being. Am I correct?

How about if no one ever asked you; what do you want to be when you grow up? Where would you get the images of your future? You could probably get them from your environment, those around you, and if you have access to media outlets like television, radio & social media, you could even get images that way too!  But no matter where you got the images of whom and what you wanted to be, how you perceive those images and how you felt about them impacted your life choices.

So, I’ll ask you to ask yourself; how did I get? Are you living the life you always dreamed of? Have all your dreams come true?  If you’re like most of us, some of your dreams and goals may have been met and come true but others have not. Why is that? There are many of us that because of many life factors stopped dreaming long ago. Many people were taught never to even try.

So, how did you get here? Are you happy and satisfied with your current life and all of its working parts? Most of us would say we are happy with some parts and not happy with others. Some are not happy with any of the parts. Well, I have great news for you.  God’s plan for your life is that you and all the parts of your life be happy and satisfied! Not the fairytale kind of happy, but better than that, real-life happy!

As you already know, there are a lot of working parts to being a spiritual being, and living this earth suit assignment, but God has already laid out a blueprint for you to follow. It may look like Satan has been doing a great job (sometimes with your help) at stealing your dreams, but God has told me to tell you that if you want it, that stops today!   Check out Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed…  All you have to do is ask God for his help, guidance and direction. Then ask for the courage to do what He instructs you to do, no matter what it looks like or feels like;  for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises] – 2 Corinthians 5:7amp.  Now if you’re not confident in believing what God has said, just try this for yourself in order to test it to see if this God thing really works.  That’s all God wants anyway, a chance to prove who He is to you!  You won’t be disappointed!

God sent you to earth on purpose, for His purpose and as crazy as it sounds, he placed you exactly where he wanted you to be because He has put in you everything you need according to your suit assignment. The process of you finding out what that assignment is and lining yourself up with it will bring your dreams to life, especially if your dreams seem dead or you never even had any!

So, cheer up and stand strong! No matter where you currently are in your life and no matter what condition your life is in, as long as you are breathing, it’s not too late to change the direction of your life and make it an amazing dream come true experience that will impact the world!

So, in answering the question; how did I get here? You should first go to God to have a conversation that will uncover the facts, both carnal & spiritual, of how you came to be where you currently are so that you and God can then develop strategies that can be put into place to avoid recurrences and can help you avoid traps Satan has designed to stop you.

So now that you know how you got here, I’m asking you another question; where are you going from here?

How was your thanksgiving?  Prayerfully you were able to enjoy the things you are thankful for especially God, the people you love & who love you.  The ability to love is such a powerful weapon & has many benefits so I hope I enjoyed them all!

I’ve got some good news for you.  I know that we’ve only got a couple of weeks left in the year it’s still plenty of time for you to get started on those things you still haven’t gotten done or even started.  I know that the devil on your left shoulder is telling you that it’s too late & to just start next year but allow me to be the angel on your right shoulder because God sent to tell you that you still have time to finish strong while at the same time positioning yourself for the best new year of your life!  So just in case you don’t know where to start let me help you out.

Let’s start with the “end of the year” evaluation process.  You don’t want to wait until January to position/re-position yourself since you still have time to do it now.  That way you will be fresh out of the gate on January 1 & ahead of the pack. Time is a precious seed & we don’t want to waste it.

As you prepare to enjoy the rest of the holiday season, you should take time to do the following:  If you don’t have it handy, please take out & dust off if necessary your 2014 goal sheet.  Sit down with God to look at it & evaluate it as you ask God these questions.

1. How many goals did I accomplish this year?
2. What was my most effective weapon that guaranteed my success?
3. How many goals didn’t I accomplish this year?
4. Why didn’t I get them done?
5. What’s my plan to make sure I don’t repeat the same things next year?

Next work Habakkuk 2:2-3 (And then God answered: “Write this.  Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time- msg); by writing down (in detail) the answers to the above questions then it’s time to move on.  By the way, I added Habakkuk 3 just so that you can remind yourself that everything that God says to you will come to past.  His word will not return to void – if you don’t believe me check out Isaiah 55:11 & Numbers 23:19.

Now, ask God & yourself these questions:

1. How did achieving my goals this year bless my life?
2. What was the biggest/greatest thing you were able to achieve this year?
3. Looking back on this year, the good & the bad, what achievements do I want to set as goals for next year & why?

Once you & God have answered these questions, write down the answers like you did with the first set of question. Now, it’s time to move on the next step by answering the next set of questions.

1. Who has helped me reach my goals this year?
2. Who did I allow to be a distraction so my goals were not reached this year?
3. Who should be in my life next year & who doesn’t need to be in my life next year?

As you will be able to see, this process will begin to reveal a very clear picture of where you currently are & where you want to be.  This will help you to position/re-position yourself for the best start on January 1^st.  You only want to carry into the New Year the things & people that will produce & support your divine purpose & plans as you move forward to reach your goals.

So, even though today is December 11^th,  you still have plenty of time to finish this year strong & be in the best possible place to start the New Year in a victorious position.  So, let’s get started now!!

Hey, what do you know “good”?  I know that sounds funny & it’s not proper grammar but I’m trying to make a point.  I know that a lot of us have been dealing with all of the tests, trails & attacks that this life brings & it can be really heavy sometimes.  At times it can even be depressing. I know this to be true because I’ve been there myself, more times than I ever wanted to be.

However, today I want everyone reading this to take your mind off all that is negative about your life situations & concentrate on what is “good” in your life!  You may have to dig deep to find the “good” but I want you to do it.  Even if it’s really dark where you currently are I want you to do whatever you have to do to pull out something good about you & your life.  Remember, the darkness is only temporary & finding the good in your life will bring light to your life.  See where I’m going with this?

Ok, let me help you out.  Let’s start with the basics. If you’ve ever been to a protestant church you’ve heard people stand up in the beginning of the service to give what is called their “testimony”.  They stand & tell how good God has been to them since the last service.  So that’s a good place to start.  Most of these testimonies start with the fact that God woke them up this morning because many people didn’t.  Then they talk about being grateful for their good health & strength, food on their tables, bills being paid, clothes to wear, a sound mind, etc.  So if you can say the same you have something to be glad about too & that’s good!  Even if you only have some of these things or even if you have only one of these things that’s good too.  Whatever your current life situation is, there is still good in it somewhere.

Believe me when I tell you that I know how bad these tests & trials can be sometimes & the pressure of them gets pretty heavy.  However, you have to remember that God is right there with you & today is another chance for you & God to change things in your favor. Check out Deuteronomy 31:6 (msg);  “Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”  As you can see the bible is telling us what to do during these tough times. Easier said than done?  I know it feels that way but there is only one way to find out if this really works & that is by trying it no matter how hard it feels. But at least you know you’re not in this by yourself & you can’t lose with God in the game with you!

We all want things in our lives to change for the better, I know I do.  So I’m doing the same thing you have to do.  I believe & stand on God’s promises for all the many different miracles I need right now!

Now I do have another choice.  I could allow myself to wallow in what I don’t have, but if I do that, it gives the demon of depression an opening to come in & overtake me.  Just like you, many people are depending on me to use God’s word to change my current situation, press forward so I take Philippians 4:8-9 (msg); ^8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies; and I do exactly what it says. Then & only then can I help someone else!

And when I do it opens up Romans 12:1-2 (msg);  So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you ; to me because I know God’s will is not for me to be in any bad situation or any situation where I’m not on top. And the process of consistently doing this has made me much more spiritually mature & given my victory in situations that I know I could not have won by myself!

I’ve been working this process for many years & just like you I sometimes long for the say when all the tests, trials & attacks are over, but I have come to realize that it won’t be over until my earthly assignments are done.  So that being the case, I’ve decided to win at this by being the best at it that I can be.

Victory is ours just as Isaiah 54:17 (amp) tells us; But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.  Yes, If you live long enough stuff is going to happen but it’s great to know that I can pass every test & win every battle as long as I stay connected to God.

So what’s your choice?  You can sit defeated or you can fight back & help yourself by using God’s word & the power of good thoughts!  I have chosen to believe God & use His word as the weapon it is intended to be.

Haven’t you heard the saying, this too shall pass?  It’s true.  If you are currently being tested & attacked like I am, chose to do what I’m doing. I’m focused on what is good about my life & talking about it. I am enjoying where I am on the way to where I’m going (Joyce Meyer). Just like Pharrell I chose to be happy!

So again I’ll ask you.  What do you know “good”?