For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. James 3:2

Yesterday I was cutting the grass in my yard. Everything was going smoothly, then all of the sudden I felt something in my shoe. With each step, my foot hurt. Eventually I stopped what I was doing, kneeled down and removed a small pebble that had somehow slipped in. This temporary distraction put a dent in my momentum, but once I returned to mowing it wasn’t long and I had my stride going and finished in record time!

As we journey through life, we will encounter small pebbles of discomfort that distract us from what we are trying to accomplish. Its just what happens in life. But, we can’t allow it to mess up our spiritual stride as we live our life for Christ. Satan is often the culprit for those small distractions. Left undone, we continue to march on with pain and suffering. The best thing to do is STOP, KNEEL DOWN and PRAY for God to help get you through the thing that has brought discomfort to your life and messed up your momentum. It makes no sense in bearing the pain of something that takes away your joy and happiness.  

What’s got your stride messed up? It might be something simple as an unhealthy relationship, bad habit, heavy financial obligation…the list is endless. Whatever it is, its time to remove it from your path so you can walk pain free. Stop, kneel down and pray to God. He will see you through it and give you a lending hand to remove the painful pebbles that slow your stride for Christ. Give it a try today! Go bless!

Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

James 3:11

A good number of years ago our city had an awful thing happen to its drinking water. The city draws its water from the river and goes through a filtration process to clean and purify it. One of the steps is passing it through a carbon filtration system, which removes that “lake” smell and taste. Unfortunately, the carbon wasn’t monitored closely enough and it ran out, sending thousands of gallons of lake smelling water throughout the city. UGH. It was awful. For weeks everyone had to flush their lines to rid that smell and rely on bottled water for drinking.

Lets face it, what comes out of our mouth is a good indicator of what’s in our heart. God’s word is the best filtering device on the market. It has a way of soothing over those bitter moments in life, turning lemons into lemonade. God’s word shapes our thinking, so there is more grace, love and forgiveness towards others. God’s word blesses us, which results in us being more positive and blessing those in our circle of influence.

Without a daily dose of God’s word, we lose our ability to filter out the worlds ways, thought processes and beliefs, leaving it up to us to try to say and do the right things. If you are human, and you are, its almost impossible to keep a bridle on that tongue 24/7.

We’ve all said some ugly things in life. God never intended for you to send out mixed messages about who you are in Christ. Read God’s word on a daily basis, let it sink in and be that filter so your heart can send out good words, encouraging words and words of righteousness to others. God bless!

The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14

Ever been to a city with tall buildings? You look up and all you can see is a structure that towers over you. Once inside you get on the elevator and simply go up, all the way to the top. No problem using an elevator, but if you had to scale that building from the outside, you’d be at it for a very long and exhaustive time.

As you journey through life, there will be problems and challenges that face you. They can appear as tall as a skyscraper, towering over you with no easy way up and over the situation. But, with God anything is possible. As you face a challenge, its best to call upon the Lord through prayer. Your prayers are like that elevator, they lift you up and over the problem with God’s hand guiding you. Trying to scale the problem, without God’s help, will put you at risk of falling, falling so hard you injure your Christian witness and hinder the growth of your spirit. That is exactly what the devil wants, to belittle you, make you feel afraid and feel like a failure.

Things in life will knock you down and humble you. Pray up your situation to God and allow Him to walk you through it. Prayer is the key to successfully diminishing the intensity of the challenge. With God’s help you can move up and over any problem. Call upon Him today! God bless!  

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4

One thing I’ve noticed over the years while cooking, the smallest ingredient can make a difference in the flavor of the dish I am making. Herbs especially are small, but they can spice up the mix into something very delicious. In the end, it’s a dish served for everyone’s enjoyment.

As Christians, we are to serve God in some capacity. There are those who are the meat of the church; you always see them doing things, accepting responsibility for tasks put before them, teach Sunday School, lead the choir or staying late to clean up. For those who actively serve, God bless you! God rewards those faithful to serve and always be available to fill in the gap.

One of the dangers in always serving is this prideful view of self and looking down on others who don’t appear to be actively serving God. You never know what God is doing in someone’s life. He maybe brining them through a difficult time to prepare them for something great. I like to think that those who don’t appear to be actively serving are the spice in the final product of our mission to glorify God and bring others to Christ. Those who sit in the pew could be prayer warriors, without their prayers your church wouldn’t have been able to afford something to further its outreach. Without their prayers that group of college students on the road singing wouldn’t have the protection from Satan’s attack.

So, what am I saying? I’m not saying be lazy and just do a little something to get by. I am saying to keep your eyes focused on God and not what other people are doing. As children of God we are ONE body, regardless of what we do. We all serve Him in some capacity. Just do what you are called to do and God will bless you richly. God bless!

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. My God, my strength, in whom I will trust. My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2

While out riding my motorcycle the other day I ran across a road named “Needmore” Road. If you’ve ever had the privilege of riding a motorcycle, you know there is never enough road in the day to ride. For me personally its refreshing, stress relieving and the sights, smells and noises are never the same. I can honestly say riding bikes is my passion.

As I journeyed down the road, I gave thought to that road name and my journey with the Lord. “Needmore God” quickly came to mind. I will say, you never run out of enough God to get you through your day. The challenges that come your way, the needs you have and the disappointments in life never stop. God has a way of helping you get through those tough times so you can continue your journey through life. God never intended for you to stop living life to its fullest. Yes, you may have a few stop signs along the way, but never stop for too long.

What challenges are facing you today? The list is endless I’m sure, but with God, you can keep moving forward. You can never have enough of God in your life. He will see you through, one day at a time. Open your day with God and see your travels go far! God bless!

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30

If you’ve ever had a tire with a slow leak, you are always concerned when you come out if the tire will be completely flat. Until you fix it, the tire will slowly let out air, rendering your vehicle useless.

The same is true in our journey with Christ. Sin is a problem. God forgives sin, but there is one other aspect we often forget…repentance. Repentance is turning from your sin. So often we find ourselves committing the same sin over and over. It’s like that leaky tire, slowly letting out all the goodness in our life. Once flat, we become useless to God.

Fix the sin that’s leaking your ability to live a full life for Christ. What ever your sin problem, ask God to help you remove it! God promises to help us in our weakness, even when we don’t’ know what to pray for, His Holy Spirit living inside you prays on your behalf. Romans 8:26.

God will help you fix that sin problem you keep battling over and over. Fix it before you deflate and can’t be roadworthy for Christ. He loves you and wants you to go places in life, serving Him. Fix it today so you can travel far in life. God bless!

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. Jeremiah 33:6

School shootings, bombs exploding in city markets, a thief steals a prized possession. No doubt this world in which we live is full of chaos and trouble. Many times, the culprit to the crime is recognized and brought to justice. But, for the victims of their evilness, what justice can be done to replace a lost child, restore confidence and security or put back the pieces of a broken heart? How can one move forward after having their soul shaken to the core?

Thankfully I have never experienced a great loss, but I can tell you the times that I’ve been the victim to something evil, God has helped me restore what was damaged through the power of forgiveness. As a victim, you may find yourself feeling crushed and hopeless with very little strength to move forward in life. Its at those moments of weakness, we find strength to push up through our pain and find forgiveness the highway to relief, healing and restoration. Only through forgiving your offender can you have peace in your life.

Having peace in an unpeaceful situation can be challenging, but to God its His masterpiece. I can assure you that with God, all things are possible. I have personally witnessed parents heal quickly through the loss of a child with forgiveness as their compass. It might be difficult, but its necessary if you are to move forward in life. God never intended for you to be anchored to your miseries and losses. Although some chose to stay anchored, I know you want to sail further in life than the chains of that anchor will let you. Give that offender to God and ask for His help to restore your soul and forgive completely.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Just as God wants to restore us daily in our spiritual relationship, He too wants to bring peace and security in your everyday life. Only through forgiveness will this occur. Give it to God today and find a peace like no other. God bless!

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Hebrews 5:14

As a grandparent, I have the privilege seeing my grandson grow up and do more things, say more things and be responsive to conversations with him. As a baby, he was only able to drink milk, but over time he was introduced to solid food and it has helped him grow. As he watches his parents, and other adults, he sees their actions, hears their words and wants to do the same. Its all part of the growing up process.

Oh how true it is for the child of God. At the moment of salvation, you were simply a babe in Christ. Your eagerness to grow in your faith was motivated by your desire to be more like Christ. As time went on, your faith has grown and you have weathered some storms that made you stronger. No longer needing that milk as a babe, you rely on God’s word to feed you, to grow you, to strengthen you as you mature in your faith. Is this you?

Sadly, for many Christians, falling down occurs more frequently than taking big steps forward in their walk with the Lord. Temptation, old habits and thought processes from your previous life still hold you back from becoming what God had intended for your life, a mature Christian growing into adulthood of faith. If this is you, I want to encourage you to go back to that moment of salvation, when your eagerness to grow overshadowed your desire to follow the old ways of life. Feed on God’s word. You have to MAKE time to read in order to grow. Are you reading God’s word? If not, you will only know how to take baby steps in your faith.

Becoming more like Christ takes more than just feeding on simple milk. You need to keep up with God’s plan for you to mature in Christ and find your calling to serve Him. He can’t use a baby who stays in a crib all day. Its time to get past your mistakes, pursuits of evil and mature by feeding on God’s word, attending church and engulfing yourself in an environment of adult Christians who are strong in their faith. You will see how they act, speak and serve…providing you a guide as your faith grows you spiritually. Feed on the spiritual things from God and you will mature into a beautiful child of God. Blessings!

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!” Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.  Luke 15:8-10

Back in my high school years, I attended a youth function at my church. We were playing games outside, when my youth minister realized his wedding ring had slipped off his finger somewhere outside. Every youth that was there that day searched everywhere for his ring. I was able to locate it in the middle of a white gravel parking lot. I will tell you God led me to that exact spot and spoke to me to turn on my flashlight. In the middle of that round light was his ring. The search was over thankfully and he was happy to get his ring back.

As children of God, we too are summoned to seek out the lost and help them find their way to the Lord. God uses each of us, in our current place, to reach the lost. We may not like our surroundings, but GOD knows where he needs your help and will equip you to be a light in the darkest places. Where you are in life has purpose for God and for the benefit of helping those lost to find their way home to Heaven.

Are you eagerly on the search for the lost? Each of us has people we know who need the Lord. Do you part to find them and bring them to the Father. He will reward you for your diligent search and those found will thank you for their eternal life in Christ. Go seek after the lost today. God bless!

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children. Psalm 104:17

One of my pet peeves is people. LOL, I know you are probably thinking…what??? For me, when people act out, drive like maniacs or wear clothing that reveals too much….I have little understanding or patience for it. If you live in the same world as I do, it don’t take long to get your nerves frazzled by what you see. Just the other day I saw so much craziness within 2 miles that I was about ready to go back home to hibernate. I thought to myself…I need more grace to handle the people around me. Ever feel that way?

Kinda makes me wonder how God views us and our behavior. I’m sure He is shaking His head. I look at all my faults and sins and think to myself, God must be about done with me. But today’s verse reminds us that He is NEVER finished loving us, nor done forgiving us of our sins. God has more love and grace than all of us on planet earth combined! No matter how badly you mess up…and we all do…He will continue to provide you the same love and grace as He did on the day you accepted Him into your life.

Do you love the Lord? Is HE number 1 in your life? You might not feel worthy of God’s grace, but its not up to you to decide that. He does it unconditionally. Why? So you can go on living the life of freedom IN HIM and serve Him without fear and doubt that you are saved. Satan will try to distract you, by reminding you of your failures. Don’t listen to that crusty jerk. As a child of God, you are covered by the blood of Christ, never to lose your heavenly status. Thank Him for his love and grace, its yours for all eternity. God bless!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. IT does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Yesterday I wrote about cutting ties with past relationships that were toxic to your life. Not all relationships that end are bad. There are various reasons to stop a relationship from going forward. If you have reason to question things in that relationship or don’t feel its right, a break is good so you can see the way forward. Relationships are work and a lot of give and take. If you aren’t willing to be “fluid” in a relationship, then maybe its not right for you, or at best a brief pause so you can evaluate it with God’s help.

So, moving forward with this blog, lets talk about “Love”. The bible talks about love and its importance. In 1 Cor 13:13 it says….”And now abide in faith, hope, love, these three but the greatest of these is love.”. Love is the glue that binds two people together. Today’s passage above gives a good definition of what love should look like, feel like and experience between you and the one you are with.

You might be reading these verses and thinking to yourself, that’s a tall order. True. God authored love in the truest sense and He has someone special just for you. Maybe you are with them today, how is your love life lining up with God’s definition? If there is an area of your love life that needs work, maybe it’s time to focus on patching up the torn pieces so you can make your love the strongest glue on the market.

For those searching for the love of their life, the key is trusting in God to lead you to the right one. He can do that through various ways, but the key is to always seek out the right one through the eyes of God. His eyes have a vision of love and can see clearly through the muddiest of souls and lead you to the one who’s meant to fulfil His purpose and be bound in Godly love. Everyone else is just cheap glue that will weaken and fall apart in time.

The next time you find yourself immersed in a relationship, hold up these verses to the relationship and see how it measures up. If there are areas missing or completely opposite of God’s interpretation, then they aren’t the right fit for you. Seek out Godly love and you’ll never have to worry about falling apart again. God bless!

Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

If you were to scroll through the pictures on your phone or computer, you might find memories captured from the past that should never have happened. That certain relationship that was toxic, yet those images are still saved. Why do you save them? Even though certain pictures bring back painful memories, its hard to delete something you wished had turned out better. Trust me, I have dealt with this issue myself.

What are you longing for? When you keep pictures from the past that should never have happened, its like a bucket attached to a rope at a water well that’s gone dry. Every time you go back to that well, you crank up the rope only to find the same result, an empty bucket. Maybe its time to cut the ties and try something different.

Friend, God has a better plan for you. You might still be wandering in the desert, feeling hopeless, hurt and wanting love. That empty bucket is no longer a source of refreshment. Cut it loose. Hit the delete button. God has a new chapter for your life. Unless you are willing to cut all ties, that page can’t be turned to something new.

Letting go and letting God is the only way to find newness in the moment of staleness. Find the new chapter for your life today. Delete, forget, heal and move forward. God has a better way for you, have faith in Him today as you cut ties with your past. God bless!  

Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. Hebrews 3:15

A few years back I pursued something that I thought was good for me, yet God said NO. Convinced I was in the right, I actually debated God for a few months, until God said….its all yours. He lifted His hand of protection and I had miserable chaos in my life for months and months. The distance between me and God grew further over time until I couldn’t take it any longer and I humbly came back to Him. Following this hard lesson, I wrote the following poem from my heart. I share this with you….if you hear His voice, FOLLOW IT no matter the cost! He knows whats best for you! God bless!

My way is no longer.

Your voice burned like fire in my heart.

The emptiness, the longings and memories,

Paralyzed me day and night.

On my knees I prayed for healing,

Oh God, restore my soul, restore my union with you!

Lord please, carry me through this storm.

Today, is the start of a new chapter.

Healed with scars, I seek your voice.

You have lifted me from the pit of dread.

You have brought life to my storm tattered spirit.

From this day forward the path I choose is yours.

Your path is narrow but sure footed.

Danger lurks on either side, but I will follow your voice.

Not visible is the path behind me,

Your shadow has darkened the past.

Advancing forward I listen for your voice,

I follow it without question.

Hold my hand Father as we seek new adventures.

Alert me to danger and show me your way.

I am grateful for your soft voice,

That directs my path to righteousness.

Together we can weather any storm!

Amen! 

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:10

The old saying “you got to give a little to gain a lot” is so true in life. When we hoard what we have, it becomes stale and useless in its abundance. But when we share what we have, it spreads God’s blessings to those in need. God has a purpose for things He has allowed to come into your life. Learning to be submissive to His will and freely giving to others shows you have God’s interest in mind and a heart after Christ.

To be humble, is just the opposite of being full of pride. I can’t stand to be around a prideful person. They are so full of themselves with little concern for anyone except themselves. On the flip side, a person who has a humble spirit always puts others before himself and sees the needs of others. When we live our life in a state of humbleness, we serve God through our actions and kind words. God takes care of those who spread the wealth of their blessings to others. When we willingly give of our time, money or serve in some capacity, God sees that and will bless you more so you can continue serving Him with the resources He provides.

What’s holding you back from being a humble servant? I truly believe the more things of the “world” in your life, result in a less humble heart and no desire to share what you posses. If you find it difficult to surrender your heart to the trait of being humble, ask God to soften your heart and find yourself wanting less and giving more to those around you. This world needs more Christians giving of themselves, instead of hoarding God’s blessings. Take steps to walk in complete humbleness and God will richly bless you! God bless friend!

And He said, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.” Genesis 22:12

Happy Valentines Day everyone! A day set aside to celebrate love with the one person who means the most to you. Many will be celebrating with candy, flowers, jewelry, a nice meal and acts of kindness. Who’s your valentine?

Today’s passage comes from the story of Abraham and his only son Isaac. Genesis 22. God tested Abraham and told him to take Isaac up on a mountain and sacrifice him. Talk about a tall order. I can see myself debating God and trying to ignore His instructions. But as we read in the story, Abraham did just what God had instructed him to do. As Abraham drew the knife to take his son’s life, an angel of the Lord called out to him and said do not harm your son.  His son was spared and Abraham proved the depth of his love for the Lord.  

That someone special in your life probably means more to you than anyone else. And that’s great, but where does your love and devotion for the Lord stand? Oftentimes we place others before God and our priorities get out of whack. We shift our attention away from God and focus on a blessing meant to provide enough, but not too much. I can totally relate! To be clearly honest, if its not God himself, then its of this world. I caution you to keep God first in your life. When you do, that sweet blessing God gave you will be like sugar. They will sweeten your life just enough to make it special.

As you celebrate with your loved one today, be sure to recognize God in your union and thank Him for whom He blessed you with this Valentines Day. When God is number one in your life, everything else will have more meaning and be a sweet blessing to both of you. Happy Valentines Day!

But the free gift is not like the offense. For is by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift of grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. Romans 5:15

Ever have a task to perform, you get started and eventually make a total mess of it all? Then someone comes along and fixes everything you messed up. LOL, for me, that happens a lot, especially when I have to fix something as I’m not mechanically inclined.

When God made man, Adam, and placed him in a perfect place, the Garden of Eden, Adam had it made. God even created a female partner for Adam, Eve. Together they enjoyed all of God’s blessings. They were the first human beings to live on planet earth. But, one day, Eve listened to the advice of Satan and took fruit from the forbidden tree, and shared with Adam. Together they messed up the sinless life God intended for them to have. Today, man still struggles with choices of good and evil.

Fortunately, God loved His creation so much that He gave up His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take our sin debt and pay the price you and I could not pay. Jesus fixed the broken bridge that separated mankind from God. By believing in Jesus Christ and accepting His free gift of Salvation, your life can be healed from your sinful past and given hope for every tomorrow into eternity.

How does your life look? You might think you’ve made a huge mess of things and wonder how God could even love you. Friend, I can assure you He loves you right where you stand. He knows how vulnerable your fleshly desires are and the natural bent towards evil. He knew HE had to fix this sin issue once and for all. Today if you are burdened in sin and have a mess on your hands, call upon Jesus Christ to come fix your life so you can walk in newness with Him. Call on Him today. God bless.

Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Hebrews 12:15

Lets face it, “forgiveness” is difficult for many people, especially those who have had their heart torn to pieces, been mistreated, disrespected or physically, emotionally or mentally hurt. Every time you see that offender, its like adding a gas-soaked log to your fire. When you see them happy, your mind creates this arsenal of missiles, ready to blow them up. Have you ever found yourself in this state of mind? Maybe you have those feelings now.

Let me share some advice. GIVE IT UP! As a victim, you can’t completely forgive on your own. Its impossible. This fleshly body we live in is bent towards evil revenge, “lets even up this hurt.” An eye for an eye kind of attitude. Hear me out….God never intended for you to carry the burden of anger, hate and revenge. He wants you to give up all those toxic feelings and thoughts, to allow His love, peace and plentifully GRACE abound in your life. Without surrendering up your offender, and the feelings attached to that person, you will never be able to reflect the character of Christ.

Listen friend, you are a much better person than your offender. I don’t know the pain you’ve experienced. But I do know the pain and self sacrifice Jesus displayed when He willingly went to the cross to define the fullest meaning of grace and forgiveness. If you are a child of God, you need to model Christ’s behavior and character. Your ole flesh wants to hold onto the hurt, and make a toxic drink out of it. It will only continue to poison your soul. Let God take it from you and focus on HIM, the author and perfecter of your faith! Trust me friend, I have had to dig deep in my life to remove some toxic attitudes that were sending me in the wrong direction. With God’s help, He can heal you from your heart as well!! Let Him have it and live a life full of grace and forgiveness! God bless!

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

If you are like me, you probably know several people who live out this scripture. They seem to have this calming peace about them and Godly attributes fill their life in every corner. I admire people who live out their faith without any major hiccups in their journey with the Lord.  Just being open, there are days where I have allowed the sandpaper of circumstances to brush against my heart, leaving me angry, not wanting to be around anyone and displaying anything but Godly characteristics. Can you relate?

So how in the world do we get to a consistent state of peacefulness with everyone and holiness that radiates out in every corner of our life? In my opinion the one ingredient that sweetens the Christian life is “surrender”. So what you saying Dave, fly a white flag and give up? No, not telling you to give up, but to surrender the things in your life that hinder the growth of your spiritual life. So often we allow, and hold onto, things that keep us anchored to the world and we grow sour in our walk with the Lord. God never intended for you to fly close to the ground. His desire is that you soar like an eagle Isaiah 40:31! When we remain anchored to the world’s bindings, we try to fly higher and simply tire out.

Surrender takes work to remove negative attributes, selfish attitudes and toxic habits that keep us bound up. There is a peace like no other and that is through Jesus Christ. He is the perfect example of complete surrender. No one made Him die for your sins, He surrendered everything He had for the Lord. Not His will but that of the Fathers. Luke 22:42

You might be saying…but Dave, you don’t know the things going on in my life. Its almost impossible for me to live out that kind of faith in my workplace, within my family or friends. No, I don’t know your specific circumstances, but God does and He is every bit willing and able to help you transform your life into the person He desires you to be in this world. Ask God to help you surrender those things that keep you bound up so you can fly free and not let the challenges of life tarnish the character God is trying to bring out in you, through the power of His Spirit living inside you!

Have an awesome and blessed day friend. Live in peace and shine the light of holiness into the darkness!  

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD"

Jeremiah 30:17

If you’ve kept up with the news lately, you are well aware that this year’s flu season has been horrible. The CDC did not prepare the proper flu vaccine, thus the virus has had no resistance in spreading from one person to the next. Hundreds of people across the country have died from this year’s epidemic. Prayers go out to many who are sick.

There is another epidemic that is rampant these days, heart break. So often we find ourselves in what seems to be the perfect relationship, then things turn sour and breakup inevitable.  Heart break can make you sick, as it weakens your body, you’re an emotional wreck and just want to curl up and forget about life. The loss of that special someone can generate numerous emotions. Its an awful experience losing someone you truly love.

I can tell you one thing, God is in the business of healing broken hearts. I know, I know, you probably think God isn’t interested in your relationship troubles. I can assure you He is. He desires you to have good companionship and knows who is the best fit for your life. But when things turn ugly and your heart is broken, call upon the Lord. His love is greater than anyone on planet earth. It never fails you and is so much unconditional. When you turn to God for healing, He works in your life to restore you, heal you from the inside out and prepares a new chapter for your life. That new page may involve being single for a while…and that’s OK! Relationships are work and when you are sick with a broken heart, you need alone time to heal and rest. God will speak to you and slowly bring the pieces back together.

Is your heart like a shattered plate, scattered all over the ground? Turn to Him so He can pick up the pieces and glue you back together. He can do it if allow Him to do what He specializes in…healing the sick and broken hearted. Find comfort and healing from the heart mender today. God bless.

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8

If you are employed somewhere, you have a boss who oversees your work. He/she directs you to do certain tasks that support the company’s mission to get the job done. As an employee, you have to trust that what your boss tells you to do is in the best interest of the company and not for personal gain.

As a child of God, you have to trust God with your life. He has plans to grow you into His image through self-sacrifice, obedient living and developing a faith stronger than steel. His ways are always better and most often much different than ours. Isaiah 55:8 But, I can assure you His plan and will for your life is more stable and secure than the ground you walk upon each day. It takes a lot of courage to hand the keys of your heart over to God; but once you do, the benefits exceed the things you surrendered to show your true commitment to Him.

How committed to God are you with your life? Trust me friend, you can walk in confidence knowing His ways are best for you. He wants to be involved in every aspect of your life and shower blessings as the result of your commitment to Him. Learn each day to trust Him more with your life and walk ever so closely with your Father and Savior, He will perfect your life! God bless!

In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul. Psalm 138:3

As I get older, I realize that “life” is no easy cake walk. It comes with challenges, road blocks, heart aches and disappointments.  Please don’t get me wrong, there are many good moments in life. But when the difficult times come, our strength is zapped and emotions sour. Another fact, the more you put into following Christ, the stronger Satan comes against you through circumstances, people and things. The closer to God you are, your eyes can literally see the dark forces of evil approaching. Whew, lets start a new paragraph.

So, when troubling times come your way, who you gonna call on for help? I hope its God. In case you missed out on the news, your enemy Satan was in Heaven one time. His pride and foolish thinking got him booted out of Heaven and now Satan is on the attack against every child of God. The ONLY way to defeat Satan is with God’s help. Calling on the Lord, gives Satan a “heads up” that someone much more powerful than he is on the way…so he needs to run and hide.

God equips His children for the day when we surrender our will for His. Starting off in prayer and meditation powers up the Holy Spirit to be on “ready”. When we encounter troubling times and give a shout out to God, He responds with everything He’s got. Satan don’t stand a chance.

Maybe you are journeying through life and the trials and tribulations never seem to end. Call on God today for help and watch as your troubles turn into triumphs, your curses turn into blessings and your hopelessness turns to fulfillment knowing your strength is renewed when the power source of this universe comes to your aid. Give Him a call today and see your world turned right side up, providing you strength and encouragement to face another day of life. God bless!

I called on the Lord in my distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. Psalm 118:5

Stress, it’s something we all face in life. Some have more stress than others. But if you are in the thick of things, stress can feel like someone squeezing your body, especially your chest. This feeling of weigh upon you can make you feel isolated, have restless nights with little sleep and cause more health problems than eating a dozen donuts at one sitting. Yea, donuts are on my mind right now. 😊

One relief I’ve found when I’m stressed is to call upon the Lord for His help. When I do, it’s like God slides in between me and my problems, giving me more “space” to breath and make right decisions about my problems or deal appropriately with the issues at hand. And when God is between you and your problems, He orchestrates things to benefit you. God is all knowing and sees the bigger picture. He knows what needs His attention and when you give Him the reigns, He can do amazing things that far exceed your capabilities.

What’s causing undue pressure in your life right now? You can’t carry the weight of your problems alone, its too much for you to handle. Call upon the Lord today and let Him make space in your life so you can live again without feeling weighted down. It works every time! Have a blessed day!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

“What can I do to help you?” asked someone a few days ago. They could tell that I was overwhelmed with stress and the task of performing my job. Without much hesitation, I responded by saying thank you, but I got this and will work through it. When people offer you help, how do you respond? Are you willing to let go of your pride and allow them to lend a helping hand?

As children of God, we have ONE person who is always willing to lend a hand, God. He knows that life has its moments that overwhelm us. He loves and cares for each of His children, just as a parent would their own child. He is willing to go the extra distance just to help you. Are you willing to give it up to Him? So often our pride gets in the way or we simply think God isn’t interested in our troubles. He is, I can assure you that! Living proof right here that He will provide what’s necessary to get you through the day, help you work through a problem or sustain you when heavily burdened. Nothing is impossible for God.

What burden or task is facing you today? Maybe it’s a difficulty at work, a heartbreaking decision that must be made or a new chapter in life that requires much faith on your part to turn the page. God is there, ALWAYS, willing and able to help. Wont you call on Him today and find strength in your weakest moments of life. God bless!

Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:11

I stayed up to watch the Super Bowl last night. The Philadelphia Eagles clearly led the way to defeat the New England Patriots. One thing I noticed with the quarterback for the Patriots, Tom Brady; Brady kept his cool during the game. Although the team failed to execute plays properly and mistakes were made by Brady, he still kept calm and focused on the next play.

As children of God, we will journey through each day with some successes and some failures. Those days we fail or the ones we depend upon fail us, we still need to remain focused on managing each day with God’s help. I use the term “manage”, because our life is OUR responsibility. We make decisions that either hurt or benefit us. Putting God first in everything we do will ensure God’s guidance, protection and strength. Matthew 6:33

What challenges face you today? They may seem overwhelming and feeling of defeat is already upon you and the day hasn’t even started. Keep a calm demeanor about yourself child of the King. God has today planned out for your success. Just abide by His play book (bible) and you will find success more often than failure. No matter what, keep your focus forward towards God. Have a blessed day friend.

I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8

One of the things I enjoy is hiking through the woods. There is a peaceful calm as I journey into an environment free from the stresses and worries of my life. One thing I’ve noticed, the smallest animals in the woods make the most noise. Everything from a squirrel rummaging the ground looking for nuts, a bird hopping around looking for a worm or an armadillo in search of that next grub. As they move over the ground, they brush against the leaves and sticks making quite a ruckus. At first it might be startling, thinking there is a big animal in the woods, only to find out it’s a harmless critter.

The old saying “don’t sweat the small stuff, its all small stuff” proves to be more true as I get older. The smallest matters of life can seem to disrupt the ebb and flow of our lives, causing us fear, worry, stress, anger and heartbreak. Satan often uses these little annoyances to bring us grief, to rob our joy.  If you really think about the last “small stuff” episode you encountered, after it was all over, it really wasn’t that bad and its behind you now..hopefully to be forgotten.

I love today’s verse! If you look at that last word “moved”, I think you can replace it with any emotions or feelings you have when problems erupt. Let me give you an example….I shall not be____, fearful, worried, stressed, angered or heartbroken. When we put God before us and follow ever so closely, we can cling to His promise to protect us and keep us marching through the difficulties of life. Our main focus should NOT be on our problems, but on our future home in Heaven. We are simply passing thru the forest of life. Things will bring a lot of noise to your life, but know it’s all “small stuff” in comparison to what God provides in this life and what awaits us into eternity.

Don’t be alarmed when the next noise of life tries to make you run and hide. Cling to the cloak of Christ and don’t let go. He will walk you through your journey with protection, strength and healing every day! God bless!

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

1 Corinthians 6:18

Ok, so I had in mind what to write for today’s blog and God laid this passage on my heart. I was like, really God? Talk about a difficult subject. If you are reading this blog, you are the result of a man and woman who had sex, thus gave birth to you. That’s pretty simple. The Apostle Paul was inspired by God to write about sexual immorality in the 6^th  and 7^th chapters of 1 Corinthians. Check it out!

So I googled “sexual immorality” (not that I don’t have an idea what it is..I wanted to see what google had to say). Here is the first thing that came up….Morals vary from person to person, and it is difficult to define sexual immorality without using a social perspective. My own definition of sexual immorality would be in regards to dishonesty and taking advantage of another. If you tell someone that you are faithful to them and only them, but engage in activity with another, that is immoral.

Notice in the first sentence…”using a social perspective”. It seems today we base our ideas on what’s right and wrong using the world’s standards. Although some things may seem to make sense, the question is, how does it align with God’s purpose found in the bible.

So looking at it from the creator’s perspective, When God created man and woman, He made them with body parts that fit together. Those parts weren’t meant to be used in any other way, shape or form. If used in any other way it is considered sexual immorality. God only intended a man and woman who are bound in marriage to have sex…..”Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2. Pretty cut and dry right there.

Sex is a big deal.  God created parts and hormones that work together to bring about something beautiful to be shared within the confines of marriage. Using sex for any other purpose is like using a hammer to cut down a tree. You can beat that tree as hard as you can, but eventually you will either hurt yourself of tire yourself out. I know, strange analogy, but its truth. If you want to find out more about what God says on sex read about it in the bible. God provided the bible as an instruction manual for life.

Read it and be wise to what it says. When you live by God’s standards, you will find blessings in every corner of your life. God bless!

Thus says the Lord God: “Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. Ezekiel 6:11

As a parent, there are times when our children disappoint us. If you are like me, I get pretty emotional, raise my voice, temper flairs; it’s pretty turbulent for the moment. Its like a volcano erupting. Can you relate? We want our children to do right and avoid the bad things in life. Because we love them, we get emotional when they do things counter to what we expect.

God is certainly no different. Here in today’s verse we see God’s anger against His own people. “Pounding fist, feet stomping”….yea I’ve done that! As adults we might think we are the top authority figure in our house, but you are sadly mistaken. As Christians we serve God our Father in Heaven. He has a set of standards and expectations we are to live by and pass down to our children through words and action. Are you living an obedient lifestyle? Does your words and actions reflect the morals, temperament and mindset of Christ? If not, you are displeasing to God and He aint happy when we live counter to His standards.

Today is a new day. A day to put aside those ungodly habits, selfish attitudes, uncontrolled anger, unforgiving spirit…the list is endless. God will help you align your life with His if you simply ask for His help and stay committed to doing what’s right in life. God will bless and reward you for “good behavior”. Start today fresh with a Godly attitude….blessings will follow. God bless!

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. John 14:10

Ever wonder what “service” you can do for the Lord? In my morning devotions from Dr. Charles Stanley, he made the following statement…”True service is not something we do for the Lord, but something He does through us.” When you look at it from that perspective it makes a lot of sense.  Let me explain.

Before you even knew Jesus Christ and accepted Him into your life, He molded you into His image from the time of conception. As you slowly developed in the womb and through your childhood years, He instilled in you certain qualities, abilities and talents. He did this because He had a plan for your life, to use you for His business. His plan for you today is to serve Him in some capacity.

So often we try to figure out how we can serve God. On our own merits, we will fail or not go at it right. What we NEED to discover is God’s plan for our life and understand how He wants to use us. Once we learn what His will is for our life, then we can serve the Lord with His purpose and strengthened by His Spirit living inside of us.

You may still be trying to determine what His plan is for your life. So how do we find that out? God only uses those who are humble, submissive and obedient to Him. Pride, self judgement, purposeful sin…these and other negative characteristics block our ability to understand His will for our life. We need to tenderize our heart and remove anything that hinders our ability to serve Him. Once we are ready, then He will lay upon our heart His plan to use you. But, don’t wait around for some magical moment, continue to work at removing “self” to make room for “HIM” in your life. He has a plan for your life and is ready to use you. What’s God planned for you? God bless!