Do Your Life A Favor; REST

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We work hard, at our jobs, in our homes, with our children, in life in general.  There is a reward for working hard.   In like manner, there is a need for rest.  At the end of the day, put everything down.  Take time for yourself.  Take time with the ones you love.  Enjoy the beauty of relaxation.  Work will always be present in some form.  The way we are diligent and calculated about how we need to get things done, we too need to be diligent and calculated about resting ourselves.  We cannot be at our best, if we are not physically and mentally at our best.  Do your life a favor.  Rest!

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Love you, be blessed! – AWS 07.29.16

Peace

We can always find peace in the storm.  No matter what we are going through, we have to ability to generate calmness in the situation.  Our ability to demonstrate this calmness in the midst of adversity will teach and strengthen others to do the same.  We can quell the storm. 

Seek peace!

Speak peace!

Live peace!

Teach peace!

Let’s make today great on purpose!

Love you, be blessed! – AWS 07.27.16

Sweet Reward!

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You have the power to accomplish whatever you desire.  Don’t be deterred because what you desire is not happening instantly.  A cake is made in the oven, not a microwave.  So keep doing what you’re doing.  Keep pressing through.  The time it takes should not cause you to lose focus of your goal.  Don’t stop until you get your sweet reward!

Let’s make today great on purpose!

Love you, be blessed! – AWS 07/22/16

One Day At A Time

 

Proverb 27:1 Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.

It seems so cliché when one says, “I’m taking it one day at a time!” But is it really cliché, or are we being combative to God’s Word?  Matthew 6:11 quotes Jesus teaching us the Model Prayer, “Give us this day, our daily bread.”  If you study God’s Word, you’d see that this passage echoes exactly what God did for the Children of Israel when they were delivered from Egypt.

Exodus 16:2There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

3“If only the lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

4Then the lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”

We as a people are very ungrateful.  God has a desire to deliver us from slavery to freedom.  However, because that deliverance doesn’t come over night, we typically (like the children of Israel) complain about the journey.  But here is the beauty of God; the very thing area we complain about is the same area that He blesses us in.  The Children of Israel complained about not having what they had in Egypt.  The wanted food.  They wanted to eat good like they used to.   Yet, they didn’t count the cost of that food.  In Egypt, they had to work like crazy just to have the bare essentials that people naturally have.  But God.  If I can paraphrase verse 4, God says, “I’m going to give you what you need, and you won’t have to work for it.  And it will be enough to sustain you for the day, each and every day, so you will never have to worry about it being enough!”

I could stop right there!  But let’s take it a little further.

“Give us this day, our daily bread!”  God is so faithful, that He continued to provide for people who weren’t faithful to Him.  He continues to provide for us despite our sins, flaws, and short comings.  He continues to give us this day, our daily bread, so why do we worry about tomorrow.  Think about it!  If He does all of this when we act up, how much more will He do when we align ourselves to His will.  Once again, here is the beauty of God.  Nowhere in His Word does He ever say, “Don’t focus on tomorrow.”  The evidence behind that is everywhere in His Word that sowing and reaping is mentioned.  His Word however, does tell us not to worry about tomorrow.  There is a monumental difference between worrying and focusing.

Proverbs 13:22 says, “Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.”

That is focus! Planning is what is referred to in this passage.  In order to leave an inheritance to your grandchildren, one must think of tomorrow.  With proper counsel, one can make wise plans to secure a proper future for those to come.

Let’s look to e what the Word says about worrying:

Matthew6:25“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?28“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  31“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.33Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

God has a true desire to provide for us.  He longs to meet our needs daily.  In return He wants us to put or complete trust and faith in Him.  Take it one day at a time, and watch God exceed all of your expectations!

Love you, be blessed! – AWS 03.13.16

Your Voice

What’s in a voice?  EVERYTHING!!!!  Through the voice of God, the Heavens and the Earth was created.  In Joshua 10, he commanded the sun to stand still, and it did.  In 1 Kings 17 Elijah declared, “There will be no rain until I say so!” (paraphrased), and not a drop fell.  Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  Our tongue/voice is an extremely powerful weapon.  Whether it’s used for good or bad is on use.

Ideally, everyone would use their voice for good.  But the reality is that not everyone will.  Still, there is an even more sad reality, which is some don’t use their voice at all.  You may ask, “How is not using your voice a bigger violation than using it for bad?”  That is a great question!

There are so many damaged people in the world.  I’m certain you’ve heard the old adage, “Hurt people, hurt people”.  However, what is not stated often is, “Healed people, heal people.”  Now that’s not to say that we deal with people like medical doctors performing surgeries.  That is to say that, once we’ve been healed, we typically want to see others healed as well.  A silent person is like a lifeguard who sees someone drowning, but they stay seated at their station.  Unless someone else intervenes, that person fighting for their life will lose that battle.

The Word says in Proverbs 15:23 (NLT), “Everyone loves a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing, at the right time!”  How often do we have an opportunity to say something?  How many times have we witnessed someone hurting, but don’t say a word to encourage.  How many times, have we been the lifeguard watching our brothers and sisters drown, but we remain seated?

Sometimes people simply need to see a genuine smile while hearing a good morning.  Sometimes people need to hear, you’re doing a great job!  Perhaps, they need to hear, you can/will make it.  Or perhaps, you’re not alone.  It’s not always something deep and profound that people have a need for.  Often, it more than enough to know that someone cares.

On today, let’s make it a point to be the positive voice in someone’s life!

Love you, be blessed! – AWS 02/26.16

Breakthrough

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It’s amazing how a person can be struggling for years with different issues, then in the a blink of an eye the struggle is taken away.  This is what I encountered yesterday.  I am far from an emotional person, however today while sitting in an amazing worship experience, I cried, cried, and cried some more.  But the tears were not tears of sadness or hurt.  No instead, they were tears of release.  They were tears of restoration.  They were tears that washed away the stressing of a soul.  Ironically, one of the best moments of my life.

I could tell you in explicit details my life story, but who would really wants to hear that?  But I will say this, we all get tired, we all get wore down, however, we should never lose heart or give up.  The old adage, “Good things come to those who wait” is very much true.  Still, it doesn’t tell the whole story.  Many take the word, “Wait” to mean being idle.  That is a huge misnomer!

“Wait” in this context means to remain productive.  It means to be persistent in your preparation.  It means to that we continue to progress despite what oppositions come our way.  God’s Word is full of amazing promises.  However, God’s Word never asked us to be idle.  Think about it like this, every person that God used in the Bible was already hard at work doing something productive.  In fact anything or person that was found to be unproductive were either cursed and or punished.

Thing may not be going the way you want them to, and that is alright.  Whether you have to run, walk, crawl, scoot, or have friends drag you don’t stop.  Remain productive.  Remain diligent.  Continue you progression, because in due season you will reap everything that you have sowed for and more.

You can’t have the breaking without the through!  Never stop!

Love you, be blessed! – AWS 02.22.16

Giving My/Your All

Life has a way of being cruel.  I have been, and watched others be in the position of giving their all, but nothing seems to work out.  There is no way to fully express what this does to one’s psyche.  You know in your heart that you are giving your best, and then some.  But no matter how hard you try to hold things up, the world is persistent in coming down.  Disheartening.

It is a difficult to state which is more challenging; going through, or watching someone go through.  In all honesty, it depends on the person.  As for me, it is far more challenging watching someone else go through.  I will give you some insight on why I say that.  I know in my heart, soul, and mind that I am unbreakable.  Please don’t take that as arrogance, it’s actually the exact opposite.  In my life, I have experienced an abundance of pain.  I’ve dealt with things such as the divorce of my parents, to financial struggle, to moving schools several times through the years.  I have dealt with abandonment issues, deep depressions, and suicidal thoughts.  I’ve dealt with the guilt of flunking out of college, which (in my mind) let the people down who invested themselves in me. I even lost a job that put me on a four year hunt for suitable employment.  That is just a taste, a quick snapshot of some things in have endured.

Through the fore and unmentioned experience I was taught one very important lesson; I may bend, but I will never break.  I may get knocked down, but I will never stay down.  No matter how bad things may get, there is something within me that says, “Get up, dust yourself off and get this victory!”  So me going through may be painful, but it will never destroy me.

unfortunately however, everyone can’t make that same decree.  Many others have succumb to the pressures of life.  It’s a heart breaking experience to see hopelessness in someone’s eyes.  How does one reignite the fire in someone who feels that it is no longer worth it?  How does one resurrect hope in someone that has emotionally died long ago?

Our finite minds by themselves, will fail to answer these sort of questions time and time again.  Fortunately, our finite minds is not alone.  Isaiah 50:4 says, “The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.”

So when we are correctly aligned with the right Source, we can become a powerful resource of encouragement.  When we are connected to the right Source, we can hold up the arms of the weary.  When connected the the right Source, we become like a spotter or personal trainer, reassuring them that they got this.  Don’t quit.  Never give up.  You are doing it.

Isaiah 40:28-31 says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak.  And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary well doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we don’t lose heart!

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ

When it’s all said and done, we aren’t getting weaker.  The struggle produces strength and character.  The struggles shows what you are made of.  Don’t lose heart.  Don’t throw in the towel.  Decree everyday in every situation, “I WILL NOT LOSE!”  You got this!

Love you, be blessed! – AWS 02.18.16

 

Stubborn

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Sometimes stubbornness works in your favor.  The trick is knowing when to hold on to it, and when to let it go.  Your goals are your goals for a reason, hold on to them tightly.  But remember, there is never only one set way to get to a destination.  We have to adjust to the bumps in the road, detours, and delays.  Never waiver on your goals and dreams.  Cherish the journey and the unexpected ways it may take to get you there.  Because in the end, it will all work in your favor!

Love you, be blessed! — AWS 01.25.16

Re-Gifting

I’m certain that we all have amazing spiritual fathers and leaders in our lives.  I’m certain that they deliver the true Word of God that He has placed in their hearts.  I am certain that we esteem them, hold them in great regard.  There is nothing wrong with that at all.  The issue however, is when we hold them to a greater standard than we do for ourselves.  We can do all the wrong in the world, then turn around and ask them to pray with and for us, without judgment.  This happens daily.  But you know what else happens daily.  Spiritual fathers and leaders stumble.  And the reality is, it may be for no other reason than them being human.  The Word of God says this:

Romans 3:23 (NKJV) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

This is what happens,  people put spiritual fathers and leaders in God’s seat.   People expect them to do no wrong.  Don’t misunderstand, I am in no way justifying the inappropriate behavior of anyone (myself included).  What I am saying however, is the same grace and mercy that we as people want offered to us, is the same grace and mercy that we as people need to extend to our spiritual fathers and leaders.

We, within ourselves build up and exalt our spiritual fathers and leaders to a level that there were never meant to be on.  We place them above mistakes.  We place them above temptations.  We place them above disappointment.  We place them above flesh, but they were made just like us.  It’s a conundrum to me.  The world does the same thing in regards to Christianity.  When the world sees something that they don’t like, the first thing they say is, “And the call themselves a Christian! He/she is supposed to be saved!”  it makes one look back at the world like, “Really?!?”  It’s a lot of pressure to be perfect.  Our spiritual fathers and leaders get a double dose others EXPECTING them to be perfect.  It’s a lot of pressure!!!

You know the old adage, “Those who know better, do better”.  As men of God, we know better.  It is our job to set the tone of forgiveness to everyone.  It is our job to constantly pray for our spiritual fathers and leaders, that they don’t fall.  But in the occasion that one or some of our spiritual fathers and leaders does fall, it is our job as men of God to show the world that the gift of grace and mercy is worth re-gifting!

The world by itself inflicts and abundance of pressure on all of use.  There is no need to place additional pressure on others, especially when they are watching for our souls.  It’s past time to start saturating our coverings in prayer.  A good son mimics his father.  A good student mimics his teacher.  Our spiritual fathers and leaders pray with and for us, without judgment.  Let’s show others how beautiful things could be if we re-gift the grace and mercy that is afforded to us!

Love you, Be Blessed! — AWS 01.20.16

In Everything!

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1 Thessalonians 5:18

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

So often as adults we utter the words, “Kids today are so ungrateful.” And we think that we were something different when we were younger.  However the reality is, ungrateful kids grow up to be ungrateful adults, if true revelations fail to come.  This verse says, “In EVERYTHING” we are to be thankful. That means, in our rocky marriages, we STILL thank God for the spouse that He has given.  That means, in jobs that may be unfulfilling, we STILL give thanks to God for what He has provided.  We could be on that tangent for days.

To give thanks, what is that really?  What does that truly me?  It goes far beyond merely saying thank you.  Giving thanks truly, means that we cherish whatever it is that we are thankful for.  So with the previous examples, being thankful for our spouse means we continue to honor them as we did when we first started pursuing them.  It means that we continue pursuing them.  We CHOOSE to love (agape). We continue to meet their needs even when we are pissed off, even when times seem as if we are at our worse.  The same would apply with employment.  The gratitude that we have on day one thousand and one, should be equal to or great than the appreciation that we had on day one.  Honestly speaking, the days in between will not always be sunshine.  They will not always be filled with people singing your praises.  To expect a daily walk in the part is beyond unrealistic.  But what is very realistic is our ability to have control over attitude and appreciation.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

The good.  The bad.  The ugly.  The magnificent. It all works to our good.  We will not always enjoy the experience, but we MUST always be grateful for the journey.  In EVERYTHING, give thanks!

Love you, be blessed — AWS   01.13.16