Month: March 2016

I love my life. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine. 😀

Psalm 106:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

What are you grateful for?

Just blogging it out. . .Oh and Happy Thursday Night!! 😀

 

Wouldn’t it be great if God used people that were flawed? I mean people with really messed up pasts. Like murderers or a terrorist. Or maybe even liars, adulterers,  drunks, or thieves. If God use folks like that, then He can surely use folks like us, right? Right.!  Well, Paul was a bit of a terrorist before his transformation from Saul. And lets not forget about old David. He was a murderer and an adulterer. I will venture and say Peter was drunk; Jacob stole his brother’s birthright . . .THIEF! Oh and Abraham denied his wife twice . . .LIAR! LOL Okay, maybe I’ve gone a little overboard with my conclusion, but you get my drift.

Your past failures will only hinder you if you let them. Through Jesus Christ we have been redeemed. Now I’m not saying that we have a free sin card because we don’t. We can’t live any ole kind of life. You read the bible so you should know. 😀 I’m saying God can and will use us, flaws and all. If God didn’t use imperfect people, nothing would ever get done.

Romans 3:10 says,  No one is righteous—not even one.

Just blogging it out. Oh and Happy Wednesday Night!! 😀

I can’t do that because it’s too hard; I don’t know how; it’s my first time; I’m too this or too that. Have you ever uttered phrases like that before or similar? Then you know you were making excuses, right? Boy o boy, excuses come in handy. They’re always there whenever we need them. They never fail us. LOL If we don’t want to go to work, an excuse is right there. If we want to quit, yup, an excuse is right there. We can even think of an excuse to cover up our mistakes.

The thing about excuses though is that we don’t move forward when we make them. Instead, we stay in our comfort zone where there isn’t any growth. If we stay in our comfort zone, we won’t fulfil our purpose. You know the one that God gave us. LOL Since He gave us our purpose, He will also provide what we need to accomplish it. So, enough with the excuses and get out of your way!! 😀

Psalm 16: 8 says, I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

I’m not exempt. I’m . . .

Just blogging it out. Oh and Happy Tuesday Night! 😀

Nope, that’s not a typo. I mean exactly what I typed. Just trying to get your attention. LOL I thank God for giving us the ability to think on whatever we choose. No, seriously. What if we were forced to think about the things that pop in our mind. Like, POP, now you’re thinking about the embarrassing moment that left you feeling some kind of way. Or, POP, now you’re thinking about that time you failed miserably. And, POP, now you’re thinking about that naughty thing you used to do when no one was watching. It is the enemy’s pleasure to remind us of things that will steal our joy and replace it with disappointment, anxiety, or any other perversion. Our mind is his battlefield.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Once we realize a thought isn’t of God, we can choose to not think about it. The above scripture is real (just like the rest of God’s word. :D) We have the power through Jesus Christ to keep our mind focused on Him. Thank Him for FREEDOM OF THINK!! 😀

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Monday!!! 😀

Love it or hate it, it’s here!! In case you didn’t know, daylight savings time is upon us again and we will officially say good-bye to winter on the 20th. I’m a big baby when it comes to this robber of 60 minutes of slumber. I yam. I really yam. (Popeye) 😀 Seems like yesterday we were saying, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Once again, here I am focusing on time and Antoine is sitting next to me shaking his head.

The “spring forward” saying reminds me of one of my favorite Israel Houghton songs, Moving Forward. We can’t waste anytime dwelling on the past and we shouldn’t carry the baggage from the past into our present or future. Philippians 3:13, 14 says, ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Stay focused and know that no matter what, nothing is bigger than God.

Just blogging it out . . .Oh and Happy Friday! Have a Blessed and Safe Weekend!

I love to laugh and to be happy. As a matter of fact, at the grimmest times, I’m that person that finds a reason to laugh. Not inappropriately, but enough to snap out of the sorrow and into the brighter side. Hey, do you remember weeping Wanda from Good Times? She was over the top, huh? LOL Don’t get me wrong, I don’t avoid being sad. I choose not to dwell in it. We’re only given one chance at life. I’d rather enjoy as much of it as possible.

John 10:10 says,  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I believe when we love the Lord, we should be the happiest people in the room. Not over the top crazy cuckoo for cocoa puffs happy. There’s a saying, “Laughing is the best medicine.” I believe that, but did you know there’s a second part to that saying? “Laughing is the best medicine. But, if you’re laughing without any reason, you need medicine.” LOL 😀 I jest.

Seriously though, we should enjoy the gift of life. Especially since we know Jesus is with us every step of the way. I don’t know about you, but that’s enough to make me smile. CHEESE!!! 😀

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Thursday Night!! 😀

One of my favorite books is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. (No, it’s not a Christian story.) The story is about the life of a time traveler and his wife, just as the title states. During an encounter with his younger self, Henry, the protagonist, gives the little fellow some sound advice that helps him understand the strange phenomena of time travel. The advice he gave didn’t change his future or the fact that he was a time traveler; however, it did cut down on the anxiety and stress of discovering that he involuntarily time traveled.

What if you had a chance to speak with your younger self? What would you say? Keep in mind, you cannot change your future.

I would say, “Tan, people will have many negative opinions about you and some may be bold enough to tell you. Brush it off. Their opinions don’t define you and they really don’t matter.” I know for a fact that my younger self would shrug her shoulders, look down at the floor, and then say, “I know.” But she will need to hear it and would appreciate me traveling back to tell her. 😀

What’s the point of this post? I don’t know. The thought popped in my head, so I’m . . .

Just blogging it out . . .Oh and Happy Wednesday Night!! 😀

I have to constantly remind myself that nothing is greater than God. When I say constantly, I mean CON STANT LY! Today, I decided to read about ole Zerubbabel and that great big temple he had to build . . .from scratch. I guess that would make anyone nervous that’s not focused on the source.

Zechariah 4:6 says, So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

There was nothing about Zerubbabel that screamed he could build a temple. He couldn’t do it by the resources he had or his strength. The only way it could be done was to rely on God, the real source and strength.

When God shows us our purpose, we start from scratch, pretty much with nothing. We must trust in Jesus to help us complete it. Simple as that. What we think is a mountain is a molehill to God. Philippians 1:6 says, And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. We gotta keep trusting Him. I’m not exempt. I’m . . .

Just blogging it out . . .Oh and Happy Tuesday Night!! 😀

 

 

It’s Monday again. Well, only for a few more  minutes actually. 😀 As always, the weekend flew by like paper in the wind. Yup, before I knew it, I was sitting in my usual seat at church listening to the sermon. My toes are still recuperating from being stepped on so much. LOL I’d like for you to experience the same toe crushing message too so I’ve included the link below. Muahahahahaha 😀

Seriously, it was one of the best messages I’ve heard all year. You know, the kind of message that hits you right in the feels, but picks you up at the end. I won’t go into details about the message because I don’t want to spoil it for you. The message may speak to you in a different way, but for me it was a reminder that this walk is not about us. When God elevates us to different levels, it’s to help others even if it is difficult to do so. We need to rely on Christ for strength. We can’t get our breakthrough and then say, “forget you, I’m out.” We cannot turn our backs on people. A lot of times we are so relieved when the storm is over that we just want to run as far away from anything that resembles a struggle even if it’s not ours.

Anyway, as I said above, I don’t want to spoil it for you. I encourage you to listen to the message by clicking on the link below. If you have trouble opening it, go to http://www.newdaycorona.org, click on the media tab, select the March 2016 link and then click “listen” under the title, Trust Jesus: He Is The One.

Here’s a great question that everyone should think about:  Is your prison shaking your trust in the Lord or is your trust in the Lord shaking your prison?” – Minister Kelvin Kelley

Please listen to the message to help you answer that question. Your actions may give you a surprising answer. I’m not exempt. I’m . . .

Just blogging it out . . .Oh and HAPPY MONDAY NIGHT!! 😀

http://newdaycorona.org/mar16.php

God helps those who help themselves. Isn’t that in the first chapter of Judas? 😀 Well, it might just as well be, because that saying has betrayed many people into thinking that it’s in the bible. I wonder who said it first. Satan? Perhaps in an attempt to deceive us. That saying is not only NOT in the bible, it actually contradicts scripture.

Proverbs 28:26 (Amp) says, He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool, But he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued.

Proverbs 3:5&6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶ Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

During my daily time with the Lord, I am constantly reminded to trust Him and to rely on His strength because there is absolutely nothing I can do without Him. When I try, I not only fail, but I am also out of His will. We are all here to fulfill a purpose that God designed. We can’t fulfil that purpose without Him.

Philippians 1:6 says, And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

In the words of Max Lucado, “God pledges to help those who STOP TRYING TO HELP THEMSELVES.” So whether we’re saying that with words or our actions, we need to stop and remember that our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 12:12)

Just blogging it out . . .Oh and Happy Friday Night!! 😀