No visit

I found out today that they officers of Wal-Mart, the ones who where expected to visit our store this week, aren't going to be able to make it because they flew to New Orleans because of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. So all this time that I was worrying about the whole situation was uncalled for. I'm learning the hard way about casting all my cares on the Lord. The grace from Jesus is too good!!!!

Every step of the way

I've only just begun the journey and it is going to be a long and challenging one, but I'm smiling because my Lord Jesus Christ is going to be with me every step of the way! Hallelujah!!!!!!

God's amazing grace

God's grace is the most wonderful gift. It is a free gift that I do not deserve. I am so unworthy of his grace. It is so amazing to see all the ways he is working in my life and to see the his grace manifesting in my life daily. He is too good to me. The awesome thing is that we cannot do anything to make God love us any less or any more.

"By grace you have been saved, through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)

There's power in keeping him first

After that desprate prayer to God that I prayed on my knees to help me do do his will, I experienced his power. I was on fire again and the last two weeks i have been doing really well in not giving into my fleshly desires in the area of my eating habits. It was so amazing how God enabled me and strengthened me to do his will. I was praising him through my battle and it was freeing. The last couple of days I have not made him my primary focus and i have compromised. I need to get it together and keep him FIRST in my life.

Worrying about the visit this week

I'm starting to worry about the upcoming visit we are expecting from the officers of Walmart. Yes I know they are regular people just like me but i just hope they don't think I sink at my job and wonder what the heck i'm doing here and why they promoted me to the position i'm in. I hope they don't just rip me to pieces when they talk to me or talk about me.

I just need to keep faith and keep meditating on the fact that I believe God put me in this place and this position for a reason and he will support and strengthen me to get through it. I need to not worry about what others think about me and just worry about what God thinks about me. He gives me true value. Only his opinion of me matters. I know that no matter what I do, God loves me for who He created, and he is not disappointed in me for what I am not. He loves me unconditionally and that's all that matters. I have value in God's eyes and that gives me confidence to do anything and face anyone.

Since i'm worrying about it, I know i'm not right with God in this matter. I need to give it ALL to him and fully trust in him. I need to have confidence in him through me instead of having confidence in myself.

Experiencing God in the Midst of Fear

Experiencing God in the Midst of Fear
by Chip Ingram

God Himself: Our Source of Hope
(Psalm 46:1-3) God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

The psalmist is very clear right from the start: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." To underscore this fact, the psalmist talks about the destruction of the two most stable and seemingly indestructible things he can think of. Even if, he proposes, the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea and are swallowed up, we will have no reason to fear because God will be with us.

God Wants to Be Your Refuge Today
God is a refuge, a place of protection from external threats, a place we can run to, shut the door, and know we'll be okay. He will be our refuge. Rather than fleeing to a big steel building or tunneling underground for safety, we can turn to the God of the universe who says, "I personally will be your refuge. You can come to Me, and I will wrap My arms around you and I won’t let anything touch you. I will be a place of absolute safety for you."

God alone can provide the security we need when the foundations of our life get ripped out from under us. God is our refuge, but He won't take the job unless we let Him. Is He your refuge today?

God Wants to Be Your Strength Today
God promises more than just protection from the externals. He also wants to be our internal strength. He wants to provide us with the power to endure life's hard times. But He only gives us that power and strength minute-by-minute, moment by moment. We all tend to focus on future fears (what if I lose my job-tomorrow? What if this relationship goes south in a month? What if I get sick?), and when we do, we get anxious, uptight, and fearful.

That fear comes because God doesn't give grace for tomorrow. (We can't be sure tomorrow will even come!) He gives grace for today, and our responsibility is to trust Him for today. He says He will be our strength. If we need a certain amount of His grace to make it through this hour, that's how much grace we'll get. If in the next hour, the going gets tougher and we need that much more grace, that's how much more grace He'll give us. Moment by moment, the Lord says, "I am for you, and I will be your strength."

God Wants to Help You Today
And, third, God gives us His grace whenever we find ourselves in any kind of trouble. He is "for us," and he is an ever-present help. He is readily available to us in times of trouble no matter how great, no matter how hard.

Martin Luther realized this truth as he sat imprisoned in a castle tower waiting to die. Betrayed by the church and waiting for morning and his execution, Luther prayed over Psalm 46, and God met him. That was why, as he was about to lose his life for his God, Luther was able to confidently proclaim, "A mighty fortress is our God!"

When morning came, Luther's captors put him on a wagon to take him from the tower to the place of execution. On the way, a band of his followers came by on horseback, swooped him up, and took him to a German castle. There Luther was protected and hid for a year, during which he translated the New Testament into German. For the first time in history, the Bible was available in the language of the common man. Clearly, God was for Martin Luther. God showed up for him -- and He will show up for you.

In like manner, Stephen (Acts 7:55-60) didn't face his enemies and executioners alone. Even as he was being stoned to death for the "crime" of believing in Jesus Christ, Stephen was given the ability to see into heaven, where Christ was standing at the right hand of God the Father, ready to receive Stephen's spirit. What a comfort that must have been for him!

Now Martin Luther and Stephen were not extraordinary people living extraordinary lives. They were ordinary people like you and me who faced persecution for their faith. But God's presence, His "ever-present help," sustained them. For one His grace meant deliverance from his adverse circumstances; for the other, it meant deliverance unto His Lord.

So what does this truth about God mean for you and me? It means that we can draw near to God and experience His hope in our times of need. And it means that . . . You don't have to be afraid because God is "for" you.

Excerpted from the booklet, Experiencing God When You're Paralyzed by Fear, by Chip Ingram. Used with permission. Copyright 2000 by Chip Ingram. All rights reserved.

About the author: Chip Ingram is President of Walk Thru the Bible in Atlanta, GA, and Teaching Pastor of Living on the Edge, a national radio ministry.
• Living on the Edge (Wednesday, September 26, 2001)

http://www.OnePlace.com/Articles

Stories by the boss

I was talking to my boss today and i just love hearing his stories. He is a man who has experienced a lot of things and he enjoys telling people about his experiences. The way he tells his stories is so interesting and he tells them in a way that always cracks me up.

I knew he believed in God but I didn't realize until today that he also believes in the holy spirit. We got off on some subject that brought him to tell me a story about a time when he was at war and he witnessed a guy being shot to death. He never really understood the truth of the spirit until that experience. He said you could just feel and see that man's spirit being released from the man's dead body. I can't remember everything he said or how he said it but his story gave me the chills.

He also told me about a time when he was protected by the grace of God. A long time ago he was scheduled to close at work one day but he asked his boss if he could close for him since he wanted to attend his friend's wedding. Well the night that his boss closed the store for him, some guy followed his boss home and stabbed him in the stomach a couple of times just so he could get the keys to the store so he could rob it. The guy wasn't after his boss, he was after the person who was closing that particular night. It could have been him going through all of that instead of his boss. His boss did end up surviving the traumatizing event.

My boss also talked to me about how i have so much to offer and how i have a lot more going for me than people around me in this area. I think it was his way of showing me that he believes in me and that I should be more confident and proactive. I think he is not distracted by the person I am today but is confident in the person he believes i can become. It is awesome feeling to know that your boss believes in you and he's got your back. He is just another person God has put across my path and blessed me with.

I refuse to be paralyzed by fear

The experience I had yesterday definitely freaked me out and I have more fear about being myself and walking around my apartment complex late at night but I refuse to let this fear paralyze me. Fear is real and it is a spirit. Second Timothy 1:7 declares, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Do not fear, I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

I believe God called me to this area and he called me to work where I work. I have no doubt that God will continue to strengthen me and enable me to do his will. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:1-3)

I'm not for sure what all to think about this whole situation but all I know is that this is just one more problem that I need to give to him and one more reason for me to drawl near to him. I'm nothing and I can't do anything without him. He is my everything.

Jesus said, "If you will lose your life for my sake, then you will find it." If you hold on to your fear, it will hold on to you; but as you invite God into your concerns, as you honestly surrender your fears to Him and rest in his presence and in his power and in his promises, He will begin to move you from fear to faith, from fear to courage, and as we learn to surrender our lives to Him, we will grow in our willingness to risk our lives for Him, because we will have nothing else to lose.

There is freedom for us to become whom God created us to be, freedom to move forward into his purposes. But that freedom is on the other side of surrender.

Gifts from God

I'm very blessed to have a genuine, caring boss. I talked with him today about what happened to me and you could tell that he thought about my safety as if I was his own daughter. The assistant manager that I work with whom I call me California mom was genuine worried about my safety as well. They said they would even round up some big guys to walk me to and from my apartment if it ever came to that. Even though i'm 1700 miles away from my real family and nobody will ever be able to replace my family, it's so comforting to know that the people I work with are here for me and treat me like family. They are definitely gifts from God. Especially in times like this because I need the advice and support from family but I don't have the heart to tell my parents what happened because they already worry about me enough and i don't want to put them through even more stress.

A little freaked out by gift

I'm a little freak out now. I closed at work tonight and after I got off at work, I went to go work out at the gym. I left my apartment around 1:50 AM and I returned from the gym around 4:15 AM. When I walked up to my door, there was a single red rose bouquet and a red teddy bear. I was so surprised and so confused. I have no clue who it would be from. Not many people know where I live and not many people would just be hanging out around 2 to 4 in the morning. I rarely see any body out around my apartment when I'm out and I rarely talk to any one. It's kinda freaky in a way that they came when I was gone. I feel sick to my stomach. I don't know if they wanted to wake up early and have it there on my door when I woke up for work or if they are watching me. I really don't have a consistent schedule at all and i'm always coming and going at random times so who knows. All I can do is pray and continue to trust in God to protect and keep me safe like he has really done so far.

Psalm 91

1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14 Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.

Seeking help in the small things

Lately I have been stressing out about some of the departments that I'm over. I have never been a department manager and I don't have a clue about what all they do. So I feel inadequate about what to do in that area of my work. A particular department, the stationary department, is a total mess and I don't have a clue as of what to do about it. It's back to school time and my department manger is lazy and tries to stall. She gets away with a lot of it because she knows that I don't know a lot of what is going on and what all she is capable of doing.

Even though I have faith in God that he will help me overall to be a good assistant manager even when I feel unqualified, I am not having faith in him that he will help me on the little things that I have to do in my job. I was stressing out because I was relying on my own works to get things accomplish and I was leaving God out of my small problems. Nothing is to small for God to handle. He wants to be involved in everything that we do.

There is a lot of hard to get a long with people at my work. God is also showing me that I can't change people and only God can change people. I should pray and have faith in Him that he do a work in a people if that's his will to be done.


"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)

Treating others the way we want to be treated

Today I asked one of my bosses a question about a certain situation and he pretty much implied to me that he was too busy to be bothered by my question. That made me feel really good. But then the Holy Sprirt nudged me and let me know that I was guilt of that also. There are days that I have so much to do and when someone comes up to me with some petty question or complaint, I don't blow them off totally, but I'm sure I don't have the greatest action towards them and my heart is not in the right place.

Favor

Daily I experience the favor from God and others and I definitely experienced the favor from God the last couple of days at work. For example, yesterday and today he put me in the right place at the right time. There was major stress at work because the health dept shut us down last night and this morning because the sewer backed up. It wasn't that big of a deal but people have it out for us because of who we are, especially unionized workers. I was off work yesterday before the craziness happened and I wasn't the manager on duty this morning. If I would have been the only manager there at work I would have not had a clue what to do and we would have had an even bigger problem. God is so good and his promises are always true!


The truth is that if we just concentrate on pleasing God, HE will give us favor with others when we need it most. We can even ASK God to give us favor with others. When we do that, we're not being selfish or prideful, but scriptural.

It's true that believers who are really committed to God will sometimes experience criticism and persecution. Jesus said we could count on it. He wanted us to know what we were getting into when we made the decision to follow Him. If we're making a difference for God, we can't expect Satan to just sit back and do nothing to try to hinder us. But the Bible teaches us that we can pray for God's favor, which can be a powerful weapon against the enemy's attacks. Psalm 89:17 NLT says, "Our power is based on Your favor." And Psalm 5:12 says, "Surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield." We are God's children; His chosen; His elect. And He is committed to protecting and providing for His own. When we concentrate on pleasing God, we can depend on Him to change people's hearts for our benefit. Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him." If God is willing and able to change the hearts of our enemies, surely we can expect Him to give us favor in the sight of our teachers, employers, neighbors and others we come in contact with. But we mustn't assume that this favor is automatic. Often, we will have to ask God for it, expecting Him to act on our behalf.

Prayer: Lord, help me to always concentrate on pleasing You, and teach me how to pray for favor with others, especially when I need it most. Reveal to me how praying for favor can open doors that appear to be closed. Thank You that blessing me with favor will bring You glory!

J. M. Farro

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. - Proverbs 3:4 NIV

I finally apologized for the lie

I have felt so guilty and ashamed of my behavior at work last week when I lied. I felt so guilty that it made me sick to my stomach. I think for the most part why I felt so guilty is because I'm suppose to be this good Christian women and here I am throwing away my integrity and the trust other's had in me for a stupid, retard lie. I finally got up enough nerve and I went and apologize today to the boss I lied to. He, I think, was surprised about the whole deal because he thought it was no big deal and really didn't think anything about the lie. He actual apologized in a way by saying he wasn't mad at me and that he is a hard head and he was just frustrated with the actions of the other people involved. I told him ok but this was something I had to do to for myself because of my guilty conscience. It was such a humbling and embarrassing experience. In the middle of the conversation my eyes started watering and it was either because I was so embarrassed or because I was so happy that I choose to walk in the spirit and I was strong and obedient and I did the right thing. I felt such a relief after I did that and I don't feel ashamed anymore when I'm around him.

Roller skating

It cracks me up that tonight, which is a Saturday night, I went roller skating at a skating ring. I haven't roller skated in probably 10 years. (I love to roller blade now but roller skating and roller blading are very different) It was quite an experience and a funny sight to see this group of about 10 people in their 20's and early 30's roller skating with all the youngens...especially on a Saturday night. We all had a blast though so it's all good.

God is awesome

Within the last week or so I have been starting to feel closer to God again. For a while there I felt distant from Him. I'm am becoming more in awe of Him like I used to be. Random things throughout this last week made me tear up tears of joy. I'm so happy I'm finally getting my passion back. And the more I'm obedient to him and the more I praise him, thank him and give, the more joy I have and the simpler my battle is to fight. He is definitely fighting the food battle because It hasn't been as hard as it used be.

The necklace blessed

When I got of work yesterday, I noticed I had a voice message on my phone from the lady I sent the necklace to. It was to late to call her and I planned on calling her today. I figured she was just calling to say thanks for the necklace but in the message she didn't say a word about it though.

Today though, she sent this email that said..."I can't believe that I called you yesterday and today I received that beautiful necklace in the mail. This necklace will never be as pretty on me as it was on you. I will try it on as soon as I stop crying. Your a very special person and I'm glad that I can call you my friend. I was sorry to hear that you haven't found the man of you dreams yet, but don't give up he is out there and he will find you. Please stay in touch Love always your friend Deb"

It was so joyful to hear that I made someone's day and that she cried because she felt so special. I was so excited to hear that the necklace blessed her. I was so happy that I was obedient and thought of someone else instead of myself. It definitely is more of a blessing to give then to receive.

Guy in the sauna

Tonight, or this morning while I was laying in the sauna after working out, I meet a guy. He was nice but you can tell the drugs or something has messed him up pretty bad because he wasn't all there. For example, one of the questions he asked me was do you think you could get a good tan if you stayed in the sauna long enough....He thought it was possible. I did the right thing and I was nice to him. He wanted my email address I thought about it and I asked God to show me what to do. I gave it to him. I pray that I will be able to show this man the love of God.

Part of the problem and not the solution

The whole day at work I felt sick to my stomach because of what I did yesterday. I lied a stupid lie to one of my bosses and I'm paying for the consequences. Our relationship is not the same anymore and he wasn't very graceful today with me like he somewhat usually is. He's probably thinking, here is this girl who claims to be a good Christian person and she lies stupid lies. How do I expect him to trust me? Seriously.

I was planning on apologize to him but today was crazy at work and he was never alone when I was around to talk to him. I going to apologize but it won't be till Sunday which will make it even more embarrassing and humbling.

I really need to get my act together at work. God is doing his part and I'm not doing my part all the way? Daily I have to sacrifice my fleshly desires to do the will of God so I can grow and become a better person. There are days I do good and do what I'm suppose to be doing and there are days when I just drift by and I'm not taking ownership of my areas. I am part of the problem and not the solution. I'm making excuses like the rest of the associates that I gripe about. My bosses are starting to be a little less merciful of my situation and I need to shape it up quick or else. I can't be ignorant and play around anymore. It's hard to do what's right because it hurts the flesh but It's going to be a whole lot harder if I don't follow God direction. He will never give me something that I can't handle with his help. I just have to be strong and press through to my victory.

On a better note, lately I have been eating the way God has led me and I hasn't been all that of a struggle like it usually is. I just have to keep my eyes on Him and praise Him and He will deliver me through it all.

I lied

I lied a little white lie to one of my bosses today. I don't know why I did it. It was a stupid lie and I hate lying. That just runt any integrity that I had gained. Plus the whole day my conscious wouldn't let me forget what happened. Stupid, stupid, stupid.... Tomorrow's a new day and God forgives me but I'll have to pay for the consequences.

Another humbling experience

This instant message was sent to me this morning-
osu_2021: plz read-I would like to know who really believes in God ? There is no bribe of a miracle or anything like that. If you truly believe in God, then send this to everyone on ur budy list . If you don't believe in God, then just ignore this...thanks. In the Bible, Jesus says..."If you deny me before man, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven.. i believe dont you????

I wasn't for sure who it was or why they sent it to me. Do they know me? Did they read my blog or what? So I IM him back and he said he randomly choose me from his buddy list. I don't understand it all but I do know that I can't be afraid to share my faith with others and I can't be ashamed to tell others about my faith and beliefs. So I swallowed my pride and I humbled myself and sent this message to all the people in my buddy list.

osu_2021: plz read-I would like to know who really believes in God ? There is no bribe of a miracle or anything like that. If you truly believe in God, then send this to everyone on ur budy list . If you don't believe in God, then just ignore this...thanks. In the Bible, Jesus says..."If you deny me before man, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven.----- I received this msg randomly today & i'm not afraid to share with the world about my faith and beliefs. I love God & accepting Jesus Christ as my savior & giving my life to Him was the best decision I have made in my life. I am nothing w/o Him. He is my source of live. He totally changed my life, made me a new person & healed my body. Sorry to bother you all...This is just something I had to do. Take care & have a wonderful day!

In need of spiritual intimacy with others

I'm really in need of a small group. I have so much that is happening in my life right now and I really need some good spiritual people whom I can confide in and people who will hold me accountable. Plus, I want to be around people whom I can bless as well. I miss the blessings of being able to share, pray, and learn with others and the opportunities to grow and minister together as a group. It's hard to really spend time with others and get to know them because my schedule is so random and I don't work the same hours & I don't have the same days off. Its hard to even get a chance to go to church.

I miss my church back in Stillwater and the small group that I was involved in. I miss closeness of the friendships I made and I miss having people around me whom I could tell them anything that was going on. I have met a lot of awesome people here that are Christians and I feel they are a blessing from God b

ut I need spiritual intimacy. We are working on getting a small group together really soon because there is a definite need among us all. The importance of small groups cannot be overemphasized. I pray the God will bless of small group and I pray that my schedule will allow me to active in the group.

An open bible for people to read

Within the last week or so a couple of assistants I work with, one in particular, has been really trying to test me and criticizing me about my beliefs and faith. Also, she is just waiting for the moment that the people I'm around and the environment I work in and live in corrupts me. This lady is definitely watching every move I make and is making sure I am everything I say I am. That makes it even more important for me to do the right thing and to act the right way. The one thing I don't think she still understands is that even though I'm a Christian, that doesn't make me perfect. Plus, many people still confuse religion and Christianity and they don't know the difference. That's one thing I hope to enlighten people on by the way I live my life. Religion is so screwed up and it is one of the main reasons why people reject God and don't go to church. Religion was the reason why I rejected God before I was saved.

God, please help me to be a good influence and help me to represent you well. Please teach me how to love others in a way that will bring you all the glory. I have faith in you that you will raise me up and give me the strength and ability to do your will.

The beauty of Jesus

Nothing really big happen today. I'm just so full of peace and joy because Jesus Christ loves me and He loves me just the way I am! I'm a sinner and I have been a rebel child but He opens his arms up big and wide and squeezes me full of real love! Jesus loves me regardless of my weakness and my past and He has an amazing and bright plan for my life. He thinks I'm beautiful and special even when the world has a different point of view. He is my strength and He is my guiding light. He blesses me when I don't deserve it. He protects me and comforts me. He will not forsake me or leave me! I can trust Him and His promises and He is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. He healed my body, renewed my spirit and He changed my life and He has made me new. He has given me true righteousness. He has given me the wonderful blessing of the Holy Spirit planted inside of me. Jesus Christ is no doubt the best thing that has happened to me. He is my best friend and yearn for a more intimate relationship with Him. I'm am nothing without Him and I need Him desperately!

Dear Lord, I pray that everything I do or say brings you the Glory that you deserve.

Giving my favorite necklace away

Today I finally sent the lady I used to work with at my old store my favorite black diamond cross choker necklace. The day I saw it shopping I knew I had to buy it even though it was a cost a little more than I would spend. She loved the necklace also and every time i wore it she would admire it. About the time that I was moving, God was putting it upon my heart to give it to her. But my selfish, prideful self choose not to. When I moved, I had good intitions to send it to her but I procrastinated. I only wore it a couple of times and it just wasn't the same. I felt guilty and reminded about my selfishness and how I need to be a joyful giver. Lately God has been really dealing with me about being a giver and I knew this was something I had to do. I hope the necklace will still be a blessing to her.

Why we Ought to Celebrate Our Singleness

Why we Ought to Celebrate Our Singleness
http://singlesaints.1afm.com/celebrating/whyweought.html

We celebrate knowing that we are out there fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus left us to do. Before He ascended to sit on the right hand of God, He said in Matthew 28: 18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: {teach… or, make disciples, or, Christians of all nations} Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen.” Teaching, baptizing, making disciples out of ALL men, this we celebrate. We celebrate having stopped what we were doing and picking up the cross to follow God. We celebrate just saying, “Use me Lord, for whatever You want me to do.” We celebrate drinking from His cup. We celebrate knowing that when we are weary and when the load is a bit much, that we can go to Him. For Jesus has said to us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” We rest assured in knowing what is also written in Psalm 23:2-3, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. {green… Heb. pastures of tender grass} {still… Heb. waters of quietness} He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

At this point most of you are jumping up and down rejoicing in the goodness of God. For you feel your Spirit confirming our role in the kingdom, knowing that there are crowns and thrones set aside for us. Knowing that we will be sitting right by the throne where we have always humble stood before while seeking to be in the presence of God. Where we have always wanted to be where those that stand before Him 24/7 saying to God, “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. {rest… Gr. have no rest} (Revelation 4:8) and to the ones that are continually worshipping the Son, “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:11-12). For this we celebrate.

We celebrate knowing that God has equipped us with everything we need to fight the battles we come up against with satan. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. {flesh…: Gr. blood and flesh} {spiritual…: or, wicked spirits} {high: or, heavenly} Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. {having…: or, having overcome all} Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: mystery of the gospel,” (Ephesians 6:11-17)

We celebrate knowing that we can lay all our cares, worries and troubles at the feet of Jesus and He will give us the comfort and peace we so need to go on. We celebrate knowing that He will give us the strength and courage to go on in His Name. We celebrate when we are going through, so the devil will get no victories in our lives.

We celebrate all of this for we know if we do not, we are leaving ourselves open to satan attacks. When we are not in constant fellowship with God, there are gaps that open that satan comes in. He uses loneliness, depression, thoughts of unworthiness, cares and thoughts of the world to get us bogged down so deep, that we feel that we are unworthy of going to God to remove the strongholds that satan has placed on us, with is exactly what satan wants us to do. He wants to take the focus off God, so that we lose our relationship with him and forfeit all the blessings, callings and gifts God has placed on to us. When that happens satan is satisfied that his mission is accomplished. If you are at this point right now and are just going through the motions of “serving” God, then I dare you right now, to stop what you are doing and call out to God for forgiveness and restoration. I want you to know longer give satan the victory over your lives. So now, I want all of you to bow your heads as I pray for every single saint out there.

Stop fighting & embrace singleness

Recently I've decided to stop fighting this state I'm in and begin to "embrace" my singleness. I know I need to stop running from what I don't like and instead ask God for the bigger picture. I'm striving to stop fighting this season I'm in and learn what God would have me learn. That means I also need to embrace the good things he's blessed me with and stop taking them for granted. Does that mean I suddenly like being alone? No. But it does mean I'm learning to embrace those alone times and see what God has in store for me while I'm here.

He's been working patience, joy, and kindness into my life. I've realized this is my time to get involved and outreach and to learn to trust God with my doubt and discouragement.

The way to be happy is to invest in others. “The key to a life of misery and loneliness is simply to do this one thing: seek to please yourself. In this day and age of self-help, self-esteem and self-promotion, it seems radical, even heretical, to tell people to focus on someone other than themselves. Giving is meeting the needs of others on a practical level. Do you seek to serve and meet the needs of your friends and family members? Do you ask, ‘What can I give to this friendship?’ and not merely, ‘What can I get from it?’ Get outside of yourself and start giving to others around you. You will be amazed how much your own life will be enriched in the process.”

A Contented Attitude

Lately I have been getting frustrated and confused about the circumstances I'm in and I have been complaining a lot to God about some of the things that has been going on in my life. Today I was listening to Joyce Meyer speak and her message really convicted me. The title of her message was 'A Contented Attitude'.

God allots to us what He anoints us to handle. God is putting a lot of trust and confidence in me for me to be in this situation. If I'll think of something other than how I fell and what I'd like to do to make my life comfortable, God my use me.

It's not a curse that I'm in the situation that I'm in. I ask God to use me and when he does, I whine and ask him to use me in another way. It is not going to be easy to be the only one doing what is right.

Sometimes, in order to be used by God, you have to stay in there long enough to make a statement. Stay in there long enough and be who you are to let someone believe that it's real. There's an anointing just to be there. You don't have to be always preaching to someone all the time. Just be there and be stable and don't change with every blowing of the wind.

Sometimes God is going to anoint you to just be there, and to be there, and to be there... Just be a blessing and be there but don't compromise. Invest in enough time where they will trust you and respect you. God can use you by just being there. Enjoy the journey

Patience is not a feeling. The word patience means long suffering. Love is patient. Patience is not the ability to wait. It is how you act while you are waiting. Attitude of patience is an attitude of contentment.

It's all about the journey. Be ready today to make the journey with God and just be, and just be and just be. Don't be to worried about yourself and how you feel.

Discontentment dishonors God. Discontentment means to be unhappy, dissatisfied and live in a state of resentment. Discontented people say with their attitude that they are unhappy with what God is doing in their situation and they don't have faith that he is going to change it.

We are alive to Glorify Him! How would you feel that if you had done everything we could to make someone happy and they still feel dissatisfied....?

God is so good to us! He is protecting us, he does so much for us, and He keeps us away from so much that will hurt us that we don't even know of. He is so kind and so forgiving and so merciful. Don't find little nit picky things to be dissatisfied about.

Discontented people resent those who have what they want. When people judge others and criticize others for what they have, it's really because they are unhappy with themselves because they don't have it. If you are believing God for something, before you get it, while you are waiting, God is going to run somebody in front of you that has what you want. If you don't pass your 'be happy for others' test, then you are showing God that you are not ready for yours yet.

When you want something, while you are waiting, God will parade someone in front of you that has what you want, just to see how you handle it.

Don't try to understand everything. Being content doesn't mean that we never want to see change. It simply means that we are refusing to be unhappy with what we have right now. We might as well enjoy our journey and be a blessing to others.

God I trust you. I trust your timing in my life. I believe you have heard my prayer, and I believe that what I'm asking you for is the best thing for me, and that you will give it to me in your timing, in your way, and during that time, I'm happy for those who have it and I'll pray for their happiness.


A couple of days ago I got the 'be happy for others' test. I was led to read the blogs of a certain someone who is the girlfriend of someone I used to date and still have feelings for. As I was reading the blogs that both of them wrote, it became clear to me that they are both in love and happy with their relationship. What made me surprised was my reaction to reading their blogs. Even though they had something I wanted, I was happy that they were happy and I thought their was relationship was cute. Plus, I prayed to bless that relationship if it is God's will to do so. Anyway, tonight, I was led to read today's blog (pretty much right after she typed it) and she wrote that she is single again. It shocked me because I thought their relationship was good and that they were so happy. My heart went out to her because I know the heart breaking feeling and it is the worst feeling in the world. When he broke up with me, I was a broke, majorly screwed up chick for months. Although, now, I think of going through that situation was one of the best things that happened to me. It was the primary reason that made me drawl closer to God to have a real relationship with him. I prayed for her to be strong and to help her survive the heart wrenching pain. I prayed that God would wrap his arms around her and comfort her and heal her like he did me. I prayed that he would do a good work in her and bring her up to a new level like he did me. Even though I know she is hurting right now, it makes me smile because I know God is letting her go through this situation because I know he is going to use her and he has big plans for her life.

Waiting for that special someone

In this particular season of my life, God is dealing with me on a lot of things. If I'm going to reach my true destiny and serve God with all my heart, I'm going to have to let go of some things and lose the baggage that is hanging me back from reaching the next level with God.

The last couple of weeks God has been dealing with me about my faith for a husband. Even though my words show I have faith, my actions do not. I yearn so much for that divine connection with a Godly man. A partnership between two beautiful people who will continue the journey with Christ in pursuit of achieving His beautiful purpose for our lives. I'm believing that in God's perfect time, he will bless me with this priceless and amazing gift, but I can't be passive while I wait for my dream to come true. I have to take responsibility in being prepared, having the right mind set and making the best out of my situation. I have become passive in my faith and my mind set and attitude was wrong.

Lately I had in a why 'let myself go'. I have lost pride in my body. I became lazy about working out, eating what I know is right for me to eat, and dressing up. Being is a new area where nobody knew my past, it was kind easy to put less effort in the things I used to do because they don't have anything to compare me to.

My attitude about my situation has become wrong . I had started to become frustrated because I feel like there are no eligible nice, godly, attractive men around this area. Plus I have been frustrated because of the fact that I don't get out much to meet people because I'm always at work and because I work a random schedule. I was putting limits on God. God works in mysterious and wonderful ways and I need to not forget that.

Although, We need to catch the vision of what our purpose really is. Being single can, of course, be hard, depressing, and even unpleasant at times, but there are so many incredible blessings and opportunities as well. We have to learn to see the glass half full. I've discovered that while finding a helpmate is important to me, it really is not the primary reason for my existence.

We need to open our hearts and our minds to embrace Christ through it all. Because what I have learned is that the fragrance of singleness is not actually rotten sneakers. It's a bottle of perfume valued at a year's worth of wages poured out on the feet of Jesus. It's the love that surrounds us but so often gets displaced by our fast pace and overwhelming obligations. Although it appears to be a cross to bear, we all are called to pick up our cross and follow Christ daily ... married or single.

The comfort in this is that the Lord promises that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. So when singleness becomes too heavy to bear, reflect on the point that perhaps you are carrying a load not intended for you. Stop. Lay it down, and reach for the arms of the Lord. The pleasure in basking in the Lord's presence is indisputable. When you can do it with singleness of heart, the fragrance is sweet, and all the bitterness of life fades away.

Still wondering around in the wilderness

Work was kinda stressful today. First of all, I learned that one of the assistants that I think of as a brother is transferring to another store this Saturday. I will miss him and I will miss hanging out with him. Because he is leaving, that leaves us with 3 day time assistants and we are under staffed. Because we are under staffed, nobody gets the weekend off for like a month. And guess who was suppose to get a 3 day weekend this week...ME.

First of all I was excited that I was going to get days off that were actually together and second of all I was excited that I was getting the weekend off. I had made plans to go hiking on Saturday with a friend I met from the young adult ministry group from my church and I was pumped that I had a Saturday night off so I could actual go to the young adult ministry group and I had a Sunday off so I could actual go to church. But no, get me all excited and then, oh sorry, tough...no weekend off for me and good luck if I get 2 days off together.

I feel like God is dealing with me on my relationships but the thing is I usual don't have the same days off as my friends and I work crazy hours and they work normal hours and most of them have the weekends off. Plus on my days off, I need down time to from people and I'm just confused and frustrated about the whole thing. I feel like it is important to actual be involve in the church and be involved with members of the church but my schedule rarely allows me to participate in church activities.

Another thing that stressed me out a little was the fact that the company president was suppose to be touring our store today. He never showed up but I worried about till I learned that he wasn't coming.

I was in a cranky mood today. A lot had to do with my selfishness. I had plans to go work out and take care of some things after work and I was dead set on living work at the time I was suppose to get off which was 5 but by the time I got out of there and was able to head home it was about 6:30Pm. I hate when people waste my time (that's where my selfishness comes into to play) I was only thinking of myself but there are also times when you have to tell people I got things I need to take care of and I only have so much time.

From the way I started my day today, by listening to Joyce Meyer, I was refreshed and ready to overcome my bondage to food and to stop wasting time but I let my evening at work discourage me and when I got home, I choose to sin and binge eat. I didn't go and work out like I had planned and I didn't spend a lot of time reading the word like I planned and I just wasted my whole evening. Now it is 11:30 and I'm like what the heck did I accomplish tonight....not a dang thing.

When am I going to quit wondering around in the wilderness?!?!?! It is stealing my joy. I know the truth but yet I choose to be led by my feelings instead of the spirit. Why? I know that I can change myself and I need to surrender to him and let him change me. I better straighten up and give it all to God before he picks someone else to accomplish the mission he gave me.....

The Necklace

This is a very powerful email I received from a friend today. It couldn't have been sent to me at a better time.


The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's up turned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies.

After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come up stairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny,"Do you love me?" "Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite." "That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night."And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my babydoll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing. God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

Another wonderful opportunity to share my faith with others

Today was my day off and I spent the evening hanging out with my boss's daughter. I had a very good evening and she is a very sweet and interesting person. I'm very glad that my boss introduced me to her and I'm glad she wanted to hang out with me.

On the way to met her, I was talking to Jesus and I said to him, If you want me to put more importance on friendships and if you want me to become a better friend, then you need to help me to communicate better and you need to strengthen me to be a good friend. I was honest with him and I told him I can't do it by myself. I'm here to work for you but I desperately need your help in doing so.

We had good conversation throughout the evening and she even asked me questions that led me to tell her briefly about my testimony, my purpose and about my walk with the Lord. She was very interested in what I had to say and she told me she was very proud of my braveness and she can't wait to see the person I become after I'm here a couple of years. She told me a little about her faith and she believes in Buddhism.

I'm so thankful that God has given me the courage to go out and meet new people. It definitely is not an easy thing for me to do since I'm typically a shy, reserve person but God is always there helping me every step of the way. I thank God for the wonderful people he has put across my path since I have been here and I thank Him for strengthen me and giving me opportunities to share my faith with others.

Sharing the love of God at 1:10AM in the parking lot

Today was a busy day at work. There is so much to do in such little time and my procrastination habits are starting to catch up with me. Today wore me out and I was ready to be go home and a conversation I had with an associate out in the parking lot gave me instant joy. I was leaving work a little after one in the morning and just when I thought my day was over, I was given the chance to share why faith with an associate. What's amazing is that the night before I prayed on my knees to God and I asked him to help me share with someone about the love of God. God is an awesome God!

I was proud of myself for going to the gym today before work. I hadn't been to the gym since around my birthday which was over 2 weeks ago. At the gym, there was this older gentleman working out next to me on the elliptical machines and he was so full of joy. While he was working out at a good pace, he was listen to his personal headphones and he was jamming out and singing out loud. He had a smile on his face the whole time and it made me have a smile on my face to see him so joyful.

Stop trying to figure it out

There is a particular situation, involving a boy, that i've been wasting too much time trying to figure out what is going on and how God is working. I felt like God is telling me to quit worrying and thinking about it and trust in God that he is in control and that he knows what is best for me. I should also pray for enlightenment and if he wants me too know what is going on, then he will tell me.

Frustrated to tears

Today was the first day I actually cried since I have lived in California. There has been many other days in which I felt like crying but never did. One particular situation set me off but I think I had a lot of frustrations and hurts built up that needed to get out.

A couple days ago I was talking to the ladies that work in the office at my apartment complex. One was asking me who the new guy was and I was like, what new guy. She was surprised to hear that I haven't met any men yet that I'm interested in. She asked me what I was looking for and I told her a nice attractive Christian man aged 22-30 who likes to work out. Regarding the working out preference...I'm not superficial but if I'm going to own a gym some day, it would be nice to have a partner who likes to work out. Plus it would be nice to have someone to work out with me now. Any way, they started thinking of people and they came up with a 24 year old blue eyes, blond haired man who is on fire for God. He is the youth pastor at their church and they wanted me to meet him. They go to church on Sundays and Thursdays and since I had off Thursday, I told them I would go with them on Thursday. Because I was going to go with them on Thursday, my original plans I had for my day off got changed. I didn't have any major plans with anyone else, I just had things I needed to get done. Since I was going to be meeting someone, I put extra effort in finding an outfit to wear and put extra effort in fixing myself up. Well time came for me to meet them and I waited for 40 minutes and they never showed up. Rejected....That made me so mad to get stood up. I rearranged my schedule and I wasted all that time getting ready to do something only to not do it. What made me even more mad was I got stood up by two ladies who are probably in there late 30's, early 40's, whom I trusted who wanted to take me to CHURCH........What's wrong with that picture!!!!

I was so furious. Since I was all done up I didn't just want to go home and be by myself. I didn't really want to go shopping because I did that earlier today. What I really wanted to do was go to a book store and just browse and read a little and calm down. Plus I would be in environment with others. That's when another frustration came out. The town I live in, population of about 145,000, doesn't have a big nice bookstore because most people around here don't read! The libraries around here are only open like 20 hours a week. Everybody is too busy messing around and having babies out of wed lock and getting high off drugs and buying things they can't afford... It not my place to judge and I'm far from perfect myself but I'm just frustrated because I'm in a new environment that's not like the one I left. Plus I'm feeling the effects of being a minority in more ways than one. Living here is definitely making my Christian walk a little tougher.

Even though the world is full of sin and every city you go to is going to have sin, I believe God wanted me to come here so He could do some major work in my life and attitude. Because of the particular job I have in this city I live in, He has put me around many hard to get along people and I'm pretty sure it because He is going to do some major pruning in my love walk. Plus I know that if something is wrong in the world that I know about and God is dealing with me about, then it's my responsibility to pray about it. He is making me very aware of the people and things I need to be praying for. I could be the only one who prays for a certain individual. I am so blessed to have been given such a important responsibility from God. Plus, even more importantly, I could be the only 'bible' these people read. That's one more reason why I need to strive to live a life that displays an authentic love for Jesus. There are enough phonies in this world, and more than enough in the church of God. Religion has given Christianity a bad name and it's sad.

When the world looks at me, what will they see? Someone who's just like all the other "religious" people they see, who talks a good talk but doesn't live it out? Or will they see someone who's genuinely in love with Jesus and striving to live for Him with the help of the Holy Spirit? I pray it's the latter. I hope when they look at me, in the good times and the bad, that they see someone who is genuine in their love for Jesus, showing in everything I do and say.

1 John 2:6 (NLT) - Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.


On another thought, I'm very happy with myself because even though I was frustrated and mad, I didn't sin by choosing to eat something that I shouldn't eat and I didn't binge either although my flesh wanted me to. Usually in this type of situation I would have binged on junk. I'm one step closer to my victory!

Good times

Today my new friends that I have been very blessed with celebrated my birthday today. It was a good experience and I enjoyed my time with them. They all are very sweet and I'm excited about getting to know them better in the future.