The Celebration

A few years ago, I attended a christian conference and one of the guest speakers said something that stuck with me since then and the Lord has laid it on my heart to share with you today.

"Go where you are celebrated and not just tolerated"
Y'all don't hear me!

Have you ever seen the reception a child gives when the parent comes home after being away from them all day? The child is running and screaming with glee, arms outstretched and smiling from ear to ear. Your mate should be that excited, your best friend should be that excited, wherever you go and people claim to love you there, your reception should be similar. Far too often you see people in relationships that are less than celebratory; they are downright unhappy. If you are not feeling the love, then don't get comfortable there, keep it moving; that place is not for you.


Where's your celebration? You should settle for nothing less!!


1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

Have a blessed week.

It ain't too late

When we were kids we used to say "Do Over" and that meant that you got another chance at whatever you were trying to do.

Well I've come by here to tell you that you can call "DO OVER" whenever you want. Your life doesn't have to stay where it is.

I was watching the "PTL" program on TBN and a guest was being interviewed about a book she had written. While answering one of the questions, she said "The enemy has a way of looking at your past and convincing you that it's your future." "WHOA!" I said when I heard that. How many of us are living in the shadows of our past? How many of us think that since we came from humble beginnings that that's as far as we can go? You deserve better than whatever you've had. If you've had great - you deserve greater. If you've had good - you deserve better.

Don't be intimidated by your past, be intrigued by your future.

Look in the mirror and say"I can start over whenever I want to AND start over."

It ain't too late.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

What is your definition of success?

For some, success means paying all your bills on time. For another, it could mean tithing every week, or not "maxing" out your credit cards, or it could simply mean spending more time with your family. Bottom line, success doesn't mean the same to everyone. Everyone doesn't need celebrity and fame to be considered successful.

Pray to be successful by your own definition. Commit your success to the Lord and yourself.

Don't measure your success by someone else's standard!

Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed."

Have a blessed week.

What are you thankful for?

Take a minute to think about that. What are you thankful for?

Too often we focus on the negative in our lives, sometimes it feels as if it outweighs the good, but maybe we take the good for granted. We pray and we ask God to grant us the desires of our heart, and how do we repay him? By complaining? Do we even say "thank you?" It wasn't big enough, or it wasn't the right color...you know what you do.

There's a commercial on television; the mother and her three children are having dinner and the children each take turns telling the mother the good things that have happened in their day. Isn't thay a lovely tradition to start with our families? With our God?

What are you thankful for? Perhaps it was someone's hello that was a bright spot in your day. Maybe you were able to pay off a bill, or see someone you hadn't seen in a while. Whatever it is, big or small; honor it, embrace it, enjoy it and give thanks for it.

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

This little light...

I was listening to a morning radio show one day and a very well known gospel recording artist and pastor was on the show. The host told of a time that they helped someone find the Lord. The artist/pastor could not remember the incident. The host said " oh you didn't know you did it, you were just being you", then he said "your light was shining and you didn't even know it was on."

When people see you, will they see your light? As Christians we are often under close scrutiny. People are always watching to see if you are gonna slip up, or if it's all an act.

John 12:46 says "I have come into this world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."

Is your light shining?

Have a blessed week!

FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS

I have a very close friend, actually I consider her a sister. She was an unwed teenaged mom. It was rare that you would see her without her baby, she and the baby were always neat and clean, the child was well-fed and happy. What you couldn't tell was that they were homeless!

My friend was determined to change her situation and have a better life for her child. She did everything she needed to do to, sometimes going to the housing agency twice a week on her days off looking for a place, and asking friends to keep an ear out for her. Eventually within months, she had an apartment AND a new job. Now, her focus was on a place to live with her baby, the job was a bonus. Sometimes God gives you a bonus for being steadfast and faithful. The point is she never lost focus of what her dream was and she held on until it happened.


Let me ask you a question...

Where is your focus?

When you look at the things that are dominant in your life right now, are you preparing to reach your goals or are you wasting time? If you are partying more than you are working, is your dream to be a promoter? If you are more involved in your friends lives than your own, is your dream to be in public relations? Your focus must follow your dream.


To follow your dream, you have to get up before others and go to bed after others, associate with people that you can learn from. Read everything you can read that will help you, you might take a class or two. You must eat, sleep, breathe and pray for your goals and dreams everyday.


"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eye off the prize" said Vince Lombardi, one of the most successful coaches in football history. What do you see?

Psalm 20:4 (NIV)
4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

Have a blessed week.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Have you ever had a morning where you wake up feeling wonderful and then somebody does something and it sets the tone for your day?

If someone angers you, you spend the rest of the day angry. Someone makes you late and you spend the rest of your day rushing, then convince yourself that there is never enough time. What about the days when we feel as though we have just slipped out of God's grace? Oh, we know about those kinds of days.

Even before we are totally awake, the enemy is ready to plant deceiving thoughts in our mind. He wants us to feel hopeless, helpless and negative. To have a bad attitude, be selfish, self-centered, full of hatred, bitter, doubtful and fearful. Some folks call it waking up on the wrong side of the bed; I call it enemy interference.

How do we overcome enemy interference?

By taking just 15 minutes in the morning to pray or read a scripture, you can have a better outlook on your day and overcome enemy interference.

Psalm 94:18-19(NIV)

18 When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.