Blessing #2

There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life - whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts - Elizabeth Gilbert

At this point of your life, hopefully, you are no longer blaming some person(s) from a past hurt for the way you turned out. At some point, you....(not your uncle or your first grade teacher) ....is fully responsible for all the actions that you manifest.

Your thoughts, words, reactions, friends, goals, decisions are all some of the little big things that make you a grown-up.

Think hard on your life's journey, make a plan that works well in your favor and choose the path wisely!
It's all up to you!

And....Happy New Year

 

So, the year has infact began, thank God.  If your life is as busy as mine tends to get, then you know that the pace isn't any slower yet, the challenges are still greater, the work load is much tougher, and the prayer list has gotten longer....but the real question is: has our faith become stronger?  How about our trust in God?

I am learning daily that faith is not just reading about its great work, but its about living in its great principle.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of what's unseen. Some of us have heard this so many times that it's not as real as the first couple of times we actually heard it.  But ladies, I don't know about you but God has a way of bringing me back to perspective and reminding me that He is God and noone else is. 

I want to encourage you today and for the rest of this month to really position your heart to believe God for absolutely ANYTHING....because really and truly...HE CAN DO ALL THINGS. I can testify of this first-hand.  If we can do this together as women for the month of January, we can set the faith/miracle tone for the rest of the year for our needs, our family's needs, our friends, etc...

Never give up!
Don't believe the lie that great things happen to others and not you!  You too are a partaker of God's blessings, so take it, receive it, walk in it, breathe it and see God move on your behalf!

Be blessed Righteous Woman!

Faith Builders:

• Do you believe God can do anything?
• What areas are you believing God for?

To a Special Person

IT'S CHRISTIAN PERSON WEEK AND YOU SHOULD SEND THIS TO ALL BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE.

When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not saying that 'I am clean living. I'm saying 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say 'I am a Christian', I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need GOD to clean my mess.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but GOD believes I am worth it.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon HIS name.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received GOD's good grace, somehow!

Today is Beautiful Christian Person's Day.

Boost another person's self esteem, and send this to them!

Be Blessed, and be a Blessing.

Bless This House

In this society of broken homes, where can people turn to, to see the reality of God's love and the picture of a stable home? What they see, should show them that it will take more than our carnal human love to repair brokenness and instability. 

 

As women of faith, we need to respect and honor the people we live with, pray for them daily and show the power of God's love working in our homes.  A home that honors and respects love, faith, commitment makes a great impact on others...because the world is watching and looking for some serious answers.

Remember always, that if you say that you are a devoted Christian, then you are of the house of God.  Nothing should seperate you from this!  You are called to bless your house, and the residents in it!  They too are to know that they are of the house of God, and nothing less.  If we establish this type of foundation, it makes living easier when our children / family members step out of our homes.  They can stay focused because they know and understand where they come from and what legacy to carry on.

It is your responsibility to pray this fervently over your children, over your family, and over your house. 

 

2 Samuel 7:28-29 (The Message) - "And now, Master God, being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me, please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You've already as much as said that you would, Master God! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!"

Blessing Builders:

• How does your faith make your home different from the homes of some of your neighbors?
• In what ways can you encourage each other (in your household), to carry on the legacy of Godly principles?

Give and Take

A very good friend just text me this verse to read and it has knocked me into a revelation! Thanks Shiko and Alice!

Joshua 21: 43-45: So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

The amazing thing about this short passage is that it makes clear God's promises to us:

• the land God swore to our ancestors
• He gave us rest
• and then on every side - just as He had sworn to our ancestors
• gave all our enemies into our hands
• not one of the good promises failed, NOT ONE....
• ALL was fulfilled

It is important that this verse is broken down like this because a lot of times:

1. We battle with the truth of God's provision for us - is it really there or here?  Is God with us?  How come we are not getting blessed like that other person?
2. And then the anxieties that life brings and the several attacks that surround our minds - when will they stop?  How come its only me that suffers like this? When do I get free?

All these, in some way or form, depending on how much weight we put on it, tend to become our enemies....

I don't know about you but the God that I serve is a promise-keeping God. He never leaves or forsakes us.  He never abandons or forgets about us.  He thinks of us ALL of the time, and He provides all our needs. When God makes promises, He keeps them...because He is that type of God.  You can trust His every word and His great works.

The other part of this passage is that the people of Israel TOOK possession of the land, the promises and the rest. And the bible said, "they settled in it".  THAT IS POWERFUL, ladies!

Question to myself: How many times have I believed God, and actually settled in my belief?  That challenges me... because someone can hand something to you all day long, but if you do not take possession of it, and then settle in the blessing...then, ladies, its all in vain.  You know how it is, we hear something good...it sounds life-changing, we talk about it for days and days but do we really settle in the truth and the confidence that it holds?

I pray that this passage does to you what it's doing to me.... If you do not remember anything else, please focus on the last part of the verse: Not one of  all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled!  AMEN!

Possession Builders:

• When have you doubted God's promises to be good for your life?
• In what ways can you begin to take possession of God's blessing and promises over you?  

Filing your Taxes

http://www.daveramsey.com/article/the-dangers-of-not-filing-your-taxes/lifeandmoney_taxes/ (original site) We all sweat a bit at tax time, no matter how confident we are in our record keeping. The stakes are high, and one little miscalculation can bring a world of trouble. Sometimes, fear and embarrassment can prevent us from filing a return at all! That’s what happened to Sheri Lawrence. “I had always completed my returns faithfully. Then, because of some difficult things I was going through, I fell behind filing for three years,” she explained. “I was supposed to be a responsible adult!” Sheri continued. “By the time I faced it, I was so afraid—the tension just kept getting worse.” Sheri had good reason to worry. Failure to file a tax return is a crime punishable by a fine up to $25,000 and one year in prison for each year you don’t file. While jail time is rare, you’ll pay in other ways: •Penalties – If you owe taxes, you’ll be hit with a “failure to file” penalty and interest on the amount owed, adding as much as 25% to your tax bill.

•Loss of Refund – If you’re due a refund, you won’t be penalized, but you won’t be able to collect your refund, either.

However, you do have three years to file a return and receive your refund. The IRS may file a return for you. It won’t include any additional exemptions or deductions, so you’ll get a bill, including penalties and interest, that won’t represent your true tax liability. Sheri knew she needed help catching up, but she had previously been burned by her CPA. “My CPA left the company, and I was dropped,” she said. “I had signed over power of attorney to them to handle this for me, and they didn’t.” She wanted a professional she could trust, so she went to daveramsey.com. “I had listened to Dave (on the radio),” Sheri said. “Anyone he would endorse would bring that trust level I needed.” Sheri met with Darrel Ingram, a tax services Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) in her area. “After meeting with them for 10 minutes, I knew they would be there to guide me through the whole thing,” she said. “They told me my situation was not that bad, that I was not the only one, and no matter the situation, there was a fix,” she added. That was great advice. The IRS says if you haven’t filed, do so as soon as possible, even if you don’t think you’ll be able to pay all you owe. Pay as much as you can as soon as you can to minimize charges. So what’s Sheri’s situation now? “The experience has been such a blessing,” she said. “The process is moving—letters have been sent to the IRS, back taxes are getting paid. It’s a great feeling.” She continued, “If anyone’s considering using an ELP, you can feel confident that it really works. These people are what they say they are!” Need help with your taxes? You don’t have to be in a situation like Sheri’s to benefit from the help of a tax services ELP. Dave’s team can find a tax professional with the heart of a teacher in your area today.

Outspoken Blessing

Words of blessing communicate care and high regard for someone you care about or something you know. Of all the ways people express love, speaking words of affirmation is one of the most important. Words of affirmation are statements that show you value someone. "You look nice today," "Thanks for taking care of this." These statements focus either on something the person did or something that they are.

I hear people say all the time, "I didn't grow up in a home where we expressed feelings. Or I am not a verbal person." In my opinion, these are just excuses that we have picked up through the years to validate our own personal choices. There are lot of things that don't come naturally to us, of course, but we learn to do them anyway. Even if it's difficult, you can learn to express your feeling in words. If we want to do something new, we spend time learning to do that thing. And as they say, practice makes perfect.

When you hear someone pay a compliment to you or to someone else, write it down. Or as you read things, pick out expression of gratitude and love and start making a list. Then practice reading your list out loud. After a while, it'll begin to feel more comfortable. Then, of course, start saying these things to a friend, a co-worker, a family member, a loved one etc. Once you start, it becomes much easier.

Genesis 49: 28 - All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and ths is what their father said to them when he blessed then, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

Blessing Builders:

• Tell someone three things that you value about them
• Describe to someone close the types of expressions that make you feel most loved and appreciated.

Be Encouraged

Forwarded by Debra King-Cooper, a fellow RW I'm too blessed to be stressed Too anointed to be disappointed I refuse to be discouraged To be sad, or to cry I refuse to be downhearted And here's the reason why I have a God who is all-mighty Who is sovereign and supreme I have a God who loves me And I am on His team I refuse to be defeated My eyes are on my God He has promised to be with me As through this life, I trod What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. ~ author undisclosed

Great year - and looking ahead!

This year has been a tremendous year. A lot of different things have happened in our lives and many changes have taken place. The future is ahead of us and its bright with potential. I want to personally encourage you to continue to be fervent with expectation; and be zealous with your faith. Genesis 13:14-15 (King James Version) And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. Are you going to partake of this generational blessing? I pray you do! Happy New Year ladies, and I cannot wait to hear the greater things that you will be walking into in the new year! Much love :) What you see depends on what you're looking for - Source Unknown

How much more do you want?

I heard a powerful sermon this weekend that was based on an illustration of the life of Abraham. There were quite a few points in the sermon that we can all relate to:

• Letting go of ourselves ... we need to submit to our spiritual leaders that God has placed over us. i.e. our Pastors, Elders, Leaders. They are our covering and protection.
• Letting go of the delay in our lives ... a place of past dissapointments, past hurts, past frustrations.
• Letthing go of ungodly relationships ... be a righteous and a holy people of God. Do not isolate yourself from the world but be ye seperated. Go into the world and make a difference.
• Letting go of our failures ... Sometimes when we make a new step in God, we have certain expectations that we demand of God and when those things don't start taking place, we get off track and we start figuring out ways to make those things work for us. We need to know that there are no challenges if we are already in the will of God. God will take care of all things and we need not fret.
• Letting go of our blessing. This is the part that really stuck out to me! I was truly challenged by this because I can relate to an example of a person who gets a blessing and cannot figure out how to let that blessing go. I figured I have been tried and tested for so long, and now that my blessing has come, its truly mine! :) But God calls us to more, right! And the bottom line is that if my hands are still full, I cannot receive anything else. Giving off of your blessing does not necessarily mean giving away all of your money but it means to think of others' needs before yours. How can I bless someone else today? How can I make someone else have a better day? It is not all about me!

The method is simple! Bless others with the blessing that you have and God will multiply your increase!