Hang on 'til Joy Comes!

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. — Psalm 30:5 http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/dailydevotionals/ I gained an excellent piece of wisdom through personal experience: do not be afraid of pain! As strange as it may seem, the more you dread and resist the pain of healing, the more you increase the effect that pain has upon you. An example of this truth happened years ago when I went on a fast for the first time in my life. God called me to a twenty-eight-day juice fast. In the beginning, I went through some really hard times. I was very, very hungry. In fact, I was so famished that I was in actual pain. As I cried out to the Lord, complaining that I just could not stand it any longer, He answered me. Deep within me I heard the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12 KJV) of the Lord say to me, "Stop fighting the pain; let it do its work." From that time on, the fast was much easier, even enjoyable, because I knew that every time I felt discomfort, it was a sign of progress. The rule is that the more pain is resisted, the stronger it becomes. When a pregnant woman goes into labor, the advice she is given by her attendants is, "Relax." They know that the more she fights the pain, the stronger it will become, and the longer the delivery process will take. When you are experiencing pain, do not fight it. Allow it to accomplish its purpose. Remember this promise, "they who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing (Psalm 126:5)". Learn to endure whatever you need to, knowing that there is joy on the other side!

Walking with God

Genesis 6:9 - (The Message) This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. We see scriptures of people who have walked with God. We see it in Abraham, and here also in Noah...and I sometimes wonder how I could add this to my life testimony - my walk with God. Depending on how long we know someone, most of the time when walking with them, we walk silently. Meaning, we do not do a lot of talking, we do not make a lot of comments, but there is a silent understanding that we are seeing the same thing, we are experiencing the same sounds and smells, we have the same reactions to things, or we understand the other person's reaction without them saying it. In fact, the better we know the person we are walking with, the less we have to say and the more we enjoy our walk. AND although this may sound like a relationship or a marriage, it can be but totally isn't. It applies to a friendship also. What about walking with God? Can we pray without ceasing as simply as we breathe without ceasing? Prayer could include our nonverbal communication with God. Just as we reach out in our other relationships, we can reach out to God without words. Just as we smile at a close friend, we can also offer a smile of appreciation to God. As I began to focus on my walking with God, I was able to see where I had been walking in my own direction, and how much of a distance there has been between God and I. Now, its harder for me to go on with business as usual when I am not at peace with God or with another person. Ladies, for us to walk with God, our whole self - body, soul and spirit - needs to be in order. Walk Builders:

• In what ways do you reach out for fellowship with God?
• How would you characterize your "walk" with God? Comfortable, close, distanced, awkward, serious,?
• What might make walking with God a more natural habit for you?

I AM fixing the broken things..

Forwarded by Treva... Some of us (@ our various churches) are participating in a 21-day Daniel fast. This should help encourage us :). And even if you are not participating in a fast, apply your situation to this story. *********** Hello, I just wanted to share a personal experience that I had today with each of you to encourage during the fast. I have had a CD stuck in my CD player in my car since 2008. I have pushed, prodded, tried to trick it to release the CD over the past several years. This morning after dropping my son off at school, I was trying to push the FM button and accidentally pushed eject. (I had stopped intentionally pushing eject, because I had given up on the CD EVER coming out!). To my amazement, the eject button worked and the CD came out with ease. I wish someone was there to take a picture of my face. If you understood the struggle I went through on my own trying to get the CD out, you would understand.(lol) The CD player operated just like it was supposed to and I was stunned. I was ready to scream with excitement about that when I heard in my spirit "I AM fixing the broken things." Things in our lives we have toiled over, worried about and pushed through are going to be fixed and ejected out of our lives with the anointing of ease! Sickness-ejected! Doubt-ejected! Debt-ejected! I was trying to push the FM button and a book I am reading refers to FM frequency as the "Faith Mode". We must stay in "Faith Mode" during this fast and expect God to show up. Now I believe He is even going to do some unexpected things just because He loves us so much. When we change our mindset to "Faith Mode" we also have choices! Now I have a choice of what CD to listen to in MY car! Praise God! When we are whole we have choices. Healing opens up choices. Finances open up choices. Situations you thought you would NEVER come out of are going to be fixed. I just have the faith to declare it! Choose to listen to the voice of God and eject the old voice out! (change the CD playing in your mind that says doubt, fear, discouragement and put in conqueror, fearlessness, encouragement) My CD player operates correctly now. Command your body to operate correctly, your finances to operate correctly! It's the season! I was trying to fix the CD player on my own, I never took it to a specialist. During this fast we have the ear of 'The Specialist'. Take those things to him that you had given up on and stopped believing and praying about. He can fix in a moment what we have been trying to fix on our own for years. Be encouraged, Joshua 3:5 says "Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow I will do wonders among you!" We are sanctifying ourselves through fasting and prayer. Be on the look out for the wonders!! Sister in Christ, Michelle Brown

Goals stretch your faith

by Rick Warren forwarded by a fellow RW According to your faith will it be done to you. Matthew 9:29 (NIV) "No goal is really a goal by default. If you don't set a goal, you've already set it and the goal is to stay the same." Every time you set a goal, you are saying I believe God wants me to do this by such and such a date -- and that is a statement of faith. Now, if you state a big goal, God will work in a big way. If you state a medium-size goal, God will work in a medium way. If you state a small goal, God will work in a small way. So you can see how goals stretch my faith. They affirm that I trust God, but that also are statements of how much I trust God. The Bible says, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” (Matthew 9:29 NLT) This means that no goal is really a goal by default. In other words, if you don't set a goal, you've already set it and the goal is to stay the same.

See how this works –

• When I ask you what's your goal for your health in 2011? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is to stay the same.
• When I ask you what's your goal in your relationships? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is for them not to get any better.
• When I ask you what's your goal for your finances and getting out of debt? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is to stay in debt.
• When I ask you what's your goal for your business career? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is to just drift along.

That’s why the Bible teaches us to have goals. They are a spiritual discipline. They challenge our faith. They develop our character and they build our hope

Tithing and Giving

Giving money to help meet the needs of others can seem financially impossible, especially if you are on a tight budget. This is why every woman needs to establish and follow a giving plan that is consistent with the financial priorities that are set in the bible. If we don't, then life's inevitable surprises (car trouble or repairs, illnesses, etc) will consistently interfere with our plans and desires - and our abilities to give freely. First and foremost, tithing is essential. The bible teaches us to give our first fruits onto the Lord. (Genesis 4:4). This must be our top priority! And then, the giving. Unfortunately, much of our giving is done with discretion. Meaning, we give the money that is left over after the bills have been paid and our family is fed, clothed and housed. The problem is that for most people, there simply isn't much left over for anything else! And we feel somewhat frustrated and guilty that we aren't able to give or even give more. This is why it's good to avoid leaving the amount of your tithe and gift to whatever cash is left over at the end of the month. Instead, prioritize and set aside a certain amount every week (if that helps). When we do this, we are making giving a top priority and we are removing the temptation to regard "the giving dollars" as discretionary funds to be used for family or personal expenses. God will bless you richly in your giving habit! Builders:

• How satisfied are you with your present level of giving?
• How can you make giving a higher priority each month? each year?

Genesis 4:4 (New International Version) And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

Committed to Love

These days, there is a widespread belief that the real problem people have in relationships is they haven't learned to take care of themselves properly. You hear people say all the time, that we should love each other as we love ourselves. AND we interpret the teaching as "we're pretty good at loving others; but our problem is loving ourselves". This may be true in some respect but not entirely. I believe that what Jesus was saying in Mark 12:31 is for us to love others with the same kind of commitment that you already have in loving yourself. The scripture does not justify learning how to love yourself before you love others....which is sadly, what we hear most of the time. If your commitment to loving yourself is invaluable, uncertain, low and dim, then guess what, your commitment to loving anyone else will be just the same. It's just the way it is! Love builders:

1. What do you think "loving yourself" means?
2. Why are you responsible to love others, even if your self-esteem is often low?

{"The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these." (The Message - vs 29-31) }