Brand New Day

The other day I was driving to work thinking and worrying about all these things that have happened and could happen in my life. I was so focused on all these problems and things that have happened, some of them years ago, that I had worked myself up and was near tears. I had then merged on to a highway when I was suddenly blinded by sunlight from my rear-view mirror. I looked back and saw a magnificent sunrise, a full glowing sun, pink and orange sky. I suddenly forgot what I was even fretting about. I thought about this for a while and I remembered that God gives us a new day, everyday. We have a new opportunity everyday to start fresh, make amends, and give each day our best.  Or.. we can focus on all the things already behind us and cause more turmoil and continue to hold on to things that will weigh us down.  You have a choice everyday... make it wisely....

Heaven and Hell

A woman who had worked all her life to bring about good was granted one wish: "Before I die let me visit both hell and heaven." Her wish was granted.

 

She was whisked off to a great banqueting hall. The tables were piled high with delicious food and drink. Around the tables sat miserable, starving people as wretched as could be. "Why are they like this?" she asked the angel who accompanied her. "Look at their arms," the angel replied. She looked and saw that attached to the people's arms were long chopsticks secured above the elbow. Unable to bend their elbows, the people aimed the chopsticks at the food, missed every time and sat hungry, frustrated and miserable. "Indeed this is hell! Take me away from here!"

 

She was then whisked off to heaven. Again she found herself in a great banqueting hall with tables piled high. Around the tables sat people laughing, contented, joyful. "No chopsticks I suppose," she said. "Oh yes there are. Look - just as in hell they are long and attached above the elbow but look... here people have learned to feed one another".

 

Dont forget the power of helping others, somethimes you get more in return.

Roots

Roots are:

• The organ of the plant body,
•  they absorb nutrients
•  anchor the plant to the ground.

With the right conditions roots can crack foundations, snap water lines, and life sidewalks. The roots of a plant grow in the direction where the correct environment of air, nutrients, and water exists to meet the plants needs. Where are your getting nourishment? Are your roots strong enough to support you when storms come?

Worry

So do not worry, saying 'what shall we eat?', or 'what shall we drink' or 'what shall we wear?' for the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

 

When we "dwell" in the land and trust God- we will grow in Him and live the better life he has planned for us.

Faith

  So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7

 

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.

 

Faith is not a sense, not sight, not reason, but taking God at his Word. -Faith Evans

Fulfilled

Those who Hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isiah 40:31

 

Lift up your eyes. Your heavenly Father waits to bless you-in inconceivable ways to make you life what you never dreamed it could be. God created us with an overwhelming desire to soar... He designed us to be tremendously productive and "mount up with wings like eagles" realistically dreaming of what He can do with our potential.-Carol Kent

Anger

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

 

 Anger is like the red light that warns you on your cars dashboard. You can either stop and deal with the problem, or you can break the light. The light itself (which represents anger) is not the problem, its just warning you that there is something that you need to stop and deal with.

Whole

Run to me, I'll hold you close, curing your hearts ache with my tender knowing touch, I'll sew us every break, memories and scars fade, like the end of the day when my love my love is planted there, and the pain is washed away.  I am your prince of peace, the lover of your soul, let me in. I'll mend your heart, my love will make you whole.
Luke 4:18

Deeds

  What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. James 2:14-19

Its what we do for Christ here and now, that will make a difference then and there!

Spirit

What does God want? God wants us to be filled up with His spirit:

If we get so filled up with worldly things, we will not have time or room for Jesus >
    Empty yourselves so that you will be filled with the Holy Spirit

Praise

When I think of your faithfulness, I have to sing and and shout, to declare I am 

aware of where you brought me out,
When I think of your kindness I fall to my knees, heart contrite will all 

my might, its you I long to please,
When I think of your Goodness, heart and hands raise, Ill take this chance, 

with you I ll dance and give you all my praise

Psalm 9:1-2

Beauty

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 7:11

The patterns of our days are always changing...rearranging...and each design for living is unique...graced with its own special beauty.

Everything

I am truth, I am love, I am what you have need of,

give me all, not just part, I will live inside your heart.
Everyday, every worry, every care, all your burdens, I will bear
Just your ashes you can bring, Ill breathe life in everything,
I am everything

Revelation 1:8

Fly

When God leads you to the edge of a cliff, trust him and LET GO! 1 of 2 things will happen: He will catch you or teach you to fly.

Read

From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 the bible is God revelation of Himself to us. Its how we get to know Him. Its how we learn to become who He wants us the be. its how we learn to live a life for Him, which it so happens, the better life.

 

Read it to be Wise

Believe it to be Safe

Practice it to be Holy

Lamp

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   he's the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3: 5-6

When you walk down the path holding the "lamp" it illuminates only your next step or two- just enough to continue down the path. It does not shine off into the distance to reveal your destination or what lies ahead, only where your need to place your next step.

Home Run

Every bat has a sweet spot, if they ball connects with this spot then a home run will most defiantly follow. Same is true with God's will in our life. When we connect with God's will the "sweet spot" of our lives a "home run" always follows.

3 insights on finding the will of God for your life:
1) God's will is more about WHO you are than WHAT you do.  "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's Will IS-- His good pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

2) God's will is more about your relationship with Him, than insight to your future.  "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lords unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Psalm 32:10

3) God's will has more to do with our character than our comfort. "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life must lose it, but whoever looses his life for the gospel will save it. Mark 8:34-36

Savior

Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered, happy is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him. Romans 4:7-8

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an educator,
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so he sent us a SAVIOR.

Tenth Avenue North

These are lyrics from a Tenth Avenue North song called  "You are More". I think that it can reach everyone and it is an amazing song. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwtcwQwgdsA

 

There's a girl in the corner, With tear stains on her eyes, From the places she's wandered, And the shame she can't hide, She says, "How did I get here?, I'm not who I once was, And I'm crippled by the fear, That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are, What's been done for you?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it, That she's been given new life, But she can't shake the feeling, That it's not true tonight, She knows all the answers And she's rehearsed all the lines And so she'll try to do better But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

Dust

Draw near to God, and he will drawn near to you. James 4:8

 

There was a saying in Jesus' time among the prophets and rabbi's that was said among the followers. (prophets were preachers that were said to have a direct connection in God in which to spread His message to the people).  "May you be covered by the dust of your rabbi." What this saying refers to is the closeness in proximity that one was to "their rabbi." It translates to " may you be so close to your Lord that you are literally covered from the dust off of his sandals from following behind him so closely."

 

So this week may you follow so close to God that you are "covered by His dust"