The God of the Do-Overs

Are you in need of a do-over?

How about a do-over of the do-over???

Well thank goodness we have an advocate with the Father that knows we not gonna get it right 100% of the time.  He knows we won't get it right not even 75% of the time. So our Father, the God that loves us as His own, gives us renewed mercies and a second chance.  Sometimes a third, and fourth chance too!


I found myself in need of a do-over and to be honest it wasn't my first. The enemy tried to make me feel bad, like a failure, like God would be too disappointed in me to help me.  But Satan is a liar, the bible calls him the father of lies. The God that we serve is faithful.  He knows that we won't get it right all the times, its one of the reasons we get a new mercy every morning (Lamentations 3:23).  I have to admit I let the devil talk for a while, so much so that I started to feel physically sick.  Then I was reminded of Ephesians 6, where it tells us to take on the whole armor of God.  Our Father has given us provisions to help protect us from the lies and darts of the enemy, we have to use them.

When life starts screaming at you, we have to learn not to scream back, but to take the authority we have in Jesus and make it sit down and get it together.  If you need a second chance to do it right, take it.  God didn't renew mercy in the morning for nothing.  He is not the out of luck God.  He is not the too bad, so sad God.  And he's definitely not the too little too late God.  He is Merciful, Compassionate, our Helper!  He is the abundance God.  Everything about Him is abundance and all that are in Him enjoy abundance.  So I encourage you to take your inheritance.  Live the life God has planned for you, and if you loose your way remember there is no condemnation in Christ.  All you have to do is repent, ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9) and that grace and mercy is sure to come your way.

God Bless U 

Work your Negative into a Postive

In this everyday life we are surrounded by circumstances and issues.  So how do we keep a good attitude, a right mind, and a joyous spirit???  It's about your attitude.  Before you ever go through something you need to figure out what your approach will be to get through it. 

I used to be a super negative person.  Not because I wanted to be, but it was a predisposition to my own life circumstances.  As a result of previous experiences, I always looked for the bad.  Even when I was on "Great Street"  I continually looks for "Terrible Alley".  In my mind, nothing good could last for long, especially not to me. 

As I have gotten more familiar with God and His word, He started showing me my own behavior for what it was.  Negativity, with no Hope. 

Being negative is a tool the enemy gives us to keep us down.  To keep us from living our purpose, and most importantly to keep us from living the life God desires for us to live with hope of goodness and abundant life.  Notice I said the enemy gives it to us.  Once we accept the negativity there is no need to hang around because it's solely at our discretion whether we carry it with us or discard it immediately.  There is a spirit of self doubt, low self esteem, and anger that can come with negativity.  So we have to be fully prepared to deal with it and not let it linger.

Notice I did not write "turn" your negative into a positive.  From experience I know that it's not that easy.  I know that retraining your thought process is hard work.  I know that you have to work everyday not to let negativity creep in. I today, still work extra hard to remain positive in tough times, and not to allow myself to fall down the rabbit hole of negative thoughts.  If you were like me, sometimes I wasn't happy until I shared my negative thoughts. I would be at work and something would change in procedure, and it was my greatest joy to get with my coworkers and complain, then call my mom and complain, then get home to my husband and complain some more.  But, where did it get me???  I was the only one feeling like crap, and of course the people that allowed me to come dump my madness on to them felt bad too. 

As I started living out God's word and drawing closed to Him, I realized just how like people attract each other.  I was ready to live in the promises of God, but those around me had set up residence in Terrible Alley.  It made me realize what a deficit I was when I was like that.  So I started taking baby steps, the negativity did not just go away, I had to work the bad into good.

Reciting scripture is powerful.  Even if you don't get it all the way.  Even if you are not feeling it.  Speak that scripture into the atmosphere and you will feel a chance.  Then I started writing down my negative thoughts as they occurred.  When I wrote them down I would then think of an alternative to combat it. Once I did that, I would actively and symbolically throw them away.  Yes, there were times I had a trash can full by the middle of the day.  What that help me do is not to internalize what I was feeling.  Most importantly when the negative would come and get in the way, and I could not scripture it away, nor write it away, I would pray.  I would pray until I felt better.  I would tell and still do say to God over and over again, "this is not how I want to think, please give me the mind of Christ.  It was not, and has not been easy, but it works.  I find myself on the positive side of things now.  I don't look for the bad, I expect the good.  Why, because scripture tells me that "all things work for the good of those that love God" (Rom 8:28).  And I do love Him, with all my heart I love Him.

Pray to God, tell Him you love Him and that  you want to change your mindset, that you are in need of a renewed mind.  Purpose within yourself that you will work your negative into a positive with the strength of God on your side and go ahead and walk it out starting today.  I promise this change is for the better!

~God Bless U

It's Worth It

IT IS WORTH IT!!!

 All that you are going through, the long days, the sleepless nights, the endless prayers, and the pressing.  It's all going to pay off.  Even the disappointments are designed for your good in the end. Just because things don't work out as you would like, does not mean it won't work out.  But according to God's Will it shall be so. Wherever you may find yourself, be encouraged, God is on your side!

Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Job 8:7 (KJV)

  I just want to encourage you all today and everyday that the hardships in life that you go through, the test and trials that come, and anything that you have to work for is worth it.  God wants what is best for you, He's not going to deny you unless it's for your own good, and He will bring you into the fullness of His blessings. 

Just hold on a little longer, be like Jacob, and don't let go until your blessing comes.  I can tell you from experience that when it does you won't have room enough to receive it.  That it will be better than you ever imagined.  And I'll tell you something else, He's not done yet!  He can, will, and always does exceedingly above anything we can expect or fathom.  So my prayer for you today is that you hold on, stand strong, and that the blessings of the Lord overtake you!

~God Bless U

There is Beauty in the Storm

Across town the snow is falling and the roads are getting slick, Mary begins to look out the window and worry.  Over the last hour the snow started to really come down and the newscaster is predicting over 4 inches in the new few hours.  Mary said to no one in particular, "storms come for no reason but to bring trouble". She starts hoping and praying her boss tells everyone to pack it up.  She can just see the traffic at a stand still.  Mary wants to get home to the kids, the school already said they would be dismissing early.  Soon the announcement comes that everyone can go, and to get home as soon as possible, it going to be a blizzard.  Mary becomes worried and fearful, the last time she drove in the snow someone almost hit her car and she knows today will probably be no better.  Curse this snow, Mary thought.

 

Now the snow begins to fall in the neighborhood and Alex and Hailey can't wait to get off of the school bus.  They hurry into the house and their Dad, Michael has just arrived home too.  They greet their Dad and inquire as to when Mary, their Mom will be home.  Michael reports that he just spoke with her and that she's on her way.  The kids get giddy with excitement and run toward the garage.  Michael continues into the living room.

 

Mary makes it home after a grueling bout with traffic. She walks in the house as the wind picks up and again curses the snow under her breath.  As she walks in the house she's greeted with warmth from the fire place and immediately feels warmth all the way down to her toes.  She come to the living room where she sees the window covering spread and open to reveal the shovels in the back yard and all the fixings to sled and make snow men. The snow is falling and its a beautiful sight! She also find Michael, Alex and Hailey gathered around the fire with mugs of hot chocolate. One is sitting to the side for her. Hailey exclaims they've been waiting for her to get home!  Alex explains how they were super excited to get out of school early and how they got everything ready to play in the snow later!  Michael holds his arms out so that she can come get comfortable with them and enjoy the rest of the day.  As she sits down he whispers into her ear "thank God for blizzards".

Mary considered her earlier feelings regarding the snow, about how it was such a hassle and just made for a miserable time.  As she thought to herself, she looked at her family and considered their outlook on the snow, she quickly realized that perception is everything.  That though snow and blizzards can bring about some ugly conditions in some circumstances,  they can also bring some awesome moments too. She realized there is beauty in the storm.

I pray this touched your heart today and that you will consider every side of  the situations you find yourself in.  Look for the beauty, if you happen to not be able to find it, look directly to God because He has purpose in everything.

~God Bless U

Wise Words from CS Lewis

Don't ask God to remove the hard parts, they are for your making. Ask God to help you through them, to mold you along the way, and to reveal His heart in the process.
-Christina