Walk and not faint

Walk and not faint

 

Hardships are like labor pains. They can come at you all of a sudden, without notice and without warning. We suffer hardships at all times in varying degrees. Children of God suffer hardships during obedient and disobedient times of our lives. There are hardships in raising a child with autism. Hardships do not discriminate. They can affect anyone at any time of any ethnic background and any age. Hardships hurt, build character, annoy you, but bring Godly wisdom. Hardships send you on an emotional roller coaster and cause pain, but through Christ you have hope. Hope develops perseverance. With God hardships are bearable. Without God hardships cannot be tolerated without great negative consequences. Hardships will come into our lives but nothing can separate us from the love of God. Acts 14:22; Where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

 

Father, thank You for allowing me to be co-heirs with Christ and share in his sufferings, As I keep my hope in You, thank You for renewing my strength so I can soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

 

Your Life is Like a Camera

Your Life is Like a Camera

 

Your life is like a camera; you have got to focus it right, to get the right results and right picture of your life. Having the right focus brings four results:

 

(1)  It simplifies things. When you're not clear as to your purpose, you try to do too much-and that causes stress, inner conflict and confusion. You have only enough time and energy to do God's will. Not getting everything done may be an indicator that you're doing far more than God ever intended. Focus leads to a simpler lifestyle and saner schedule. Only when you keep your focus can you keep your peace: "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm."

 

(2)  It gives you direction. If you want your life to have impact, consult God, and then do what He tells you. Don't confuse activity with productivity. Diffused light has limited impact, but when light is focused like a laser it can cut through steel.

 

(3)  It energizes you. It's meaningless work, not overwork, which wears you down. George Bernard Shaw wrote: "This is the true joy of life: being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a selfish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

 

(4)  It determines your legacy. When people recall your name, what will they associate with it? "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold" (Proverbs 22:1 NIV). Ultimately, what matters isn't what others say about you, but what God says. So focus on the end result.

Burned Biscuits

Burned Biscuits

 

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school... I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned.

 

He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a burned biscuit never hurt anyone!" Life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burned biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! "Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own." God Bless You.

-- Parable of the Pencil

-- Parable of the Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. "There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be." One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess. Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person. Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make. Four:

 

The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside. And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties. Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfil the purpose to which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)

 

 

The Courage to Go On

The Courage to Go On

 

So are you going to give in? Give up? Wave the white flag of surrender? Throw in the towel? Call it quits? Are you going to lay down and let the Devil have his way with you? David goes to his God and it's in God's presence where his spirit is revived. He receives comfort and encouragement from his God. Literally, in the Hebrew, he gets his strength back. Weakened by his loss, he finds strength in his God. Brethren, the Devil wants you to be all wrapped up in your troubles because he wants you to stay sorrowful. He's hoping that if you stay focused on your troubles long enough you'll lose faith and hope. You'll be demoralized so that you can't fight him, chase him, and recover everything he's taken from you. He's hoping you'll remain in the dumps and be depressed because he knows that the joy of the Lord is your strength, Nehemiah 8:10.

 

Brethren, when bad news comes, don't let your bad news end with bad news. Go to God in prayer. You'll find the comfort, courage, and strength you need. Let God speak to you. Let His words fill you with hope, peace, and rejoicing. May your bad news end with good news from the Lord! That's my prayer for you. May God bless you. Dear God, When I am lonely and, Perhaps I feel despair. Let not my ailing heart forget, That YOU hear every prayer. Remind me that no matter what, I do or fail to do, There still is hope for as long, As I have FAITH in YOU. Let not my eyes be blinded by Some folly I commit. But help me to regret my wrong, And to make up for it. Inspire me to put my fears, Upon a hidden shelf, And in the future never to be sorry for myself. Give me the restful sleep I need, Before another dawn, And bless me in the morning with The Courage To Go On.

How to Pray in GOD's Way

How to Pray in GOD's Way

 

Please teach me, Lord, I want to know exactly how to pray. I need some words, Which ones are right? Please tell me what to say. I've bowed my head, I have knelt down, But... should I be upright? I've closed my eyes, I've raised my hands or should I fold them tight? Do I stand up? Should I sit down? Dear Lord... what do you like? Are lights turned on or are they off? Maybe... candle light? Wear my glasses? Take them off? Be at my desk or table? Should I whisper? Speak out loud? Do I quote the Bible? What do you think about the time? Do You prefer the dawn? Should I pray fast, Or keep it slow? Better short... or long? What are the rules? I want to do it right. How do I know You will even hear, That I am in Your sight? And while I sat there quietly, Waiting for some sign, I heard a gentle voice say, "Oh, dearest child of mine...

 

Do you think I really care, About the time of day, Or whether you are standing up, Or kneeling when you pray?" "I don't care about your posture, Or about the place you choose; Just open up your soul to Me, I have no other rules. Tell me what is in your heart, And tell me what you seek; Tell me of your sorrows, And of those things that made you weak."  "Speak to me in private, About what concerns you most; I know about your good deeds... You have no need to boast.  My child, you don't need lessons, Just talk to me each day; Tell me anything you want, dear child, Anyone can pray." You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. Psalm 65:2.

 

Trust in God Always

Trust in God Always

 

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

 

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly! I asked for Strength, And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom, And God gave me Problems to solve. I asked for Prosperity, And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work. I asked for Courage, And God gave me Danger to overcome. I asked for Love, And God gave me troubled people to help. I asked for Favours, And God gave me Opportunities. I received nothing I wanted, I received everything I needed! Trust in God. Always!

Do You Have The Gift Of Encouragement?

Do You Have The Gift Of Encouragement?

 

Francois Arago, a 19th-century French astronomer, attributed his success to words he found written on the paper cover of his book at a time when he was greatly discouraged. These words, written by French mathematician and philosopher Jean d'Alembert, were, "Go on, sir; go on! The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn and shine with increased clearness on your path." Following these simple words made Arago the first astronomical mathematician of his age. God knew that Joshua would need encouraging words as well. Moses had become so discouraged with the grumbling people that he himself sinned against the Lord and lost his opportunity to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:8-20). Therefore, God instructed Moses to challenge all the people to encourage his young understudy. If Joshua were to fulfil his mission, the monumental task of leading Israel into the land of Canaan, the people needed to support him with their encouragement.

 

You and I are much the same. We need encouragement, too, whether we're a leader or a follower. George M. Adams observed that "encouragement is oxygen to the soul." If we plan to go on living, we need oxygen; if we plan to go on serving the Lord, we need encouragement. Do you have the gift of encouragement? Whom can you comfort today? What simple word can you say that will go a long way in motivating your friends or family? Make it your ministry to lift the spirits of those around you so that they can serve the Lord more effectively. If you want to be encouraged, encourage someone else.

Strategies for Getting Promoted

Strategies for Getting Promoted

 

Paul desired a career in the building industry. Early in his career, he was working with a large ministry to help direct several of their construction projects. As the projects were completed, Paul was asked to stay on for future projects. To keep him busy he was given a number of jobs - one of which was cleaning toilets. He recalls getting down on his knees each day and complaining to the Lord, "Lord, I'm a college graduate!" Discouraged, Paul told the Lord, "I will not leave here until You promote me. Please give me contentment with my circumstance." Paul felt totally forgotten by God. A few months later, Paul received a phone call from a man in the Midwest who owned five successful businesses who wanted to interview Paul for a job. This came as a total surprise to Paul. As he drove to the interview, he told the Lord, "I only want your will in my life, nothing else. I am content to remain obscure for the rest of my life if I have You.

 

You must override my lack of experience for me to get this job." The owner of the company asked Paul a surprising question: "If I asked you to clean a toilet, what would you do?" Paul sat there, stunned. He wanted to burst out laughing. Paul assured him that he would simply pick up a sponge and start cleaning. Amazingly, Paul was hired even though other candidates were more qualified. After several months of success Paul asked his boss why he hired him. His boss replied, "Paul, I still have a large stack of applications from people who wanted this job. Do you remember the first question I asked you in the interview? I asked each one the same question. You were the only one who said he would clean the toilet. Paul, I am a wealthy man, but I grew up dirt poor. I clean my own toilets at home. I can't have people running my businesses who are too proud to clean a toilet." Sometimes God places us in situations to see if we will be faithful in those before He is willing to promote us to greater things.