2010-The Year of Promise and Promotion!

Happy New Year Everyone! 2010 means many things to many people. For me, it's the year of promise and promotion! Hopefully during last year, you've set up some things. Let me explain: On your job, you should have laid some foundations, made some connections, put your best foot forward to show your colleagues that you have the skill set it takes to push your company or organization to the next level. All the while, you kept a smile on your face, didn't ruffle any feathers, but let your actions speak louder than words. You understand?

Maybe in your relationships, whether business or familiar, you've helped others along the way who were down and out, needed a place to stay, or a little extra to get them through until next pay day, or better yet, gave them advice for a major problem they were having. All the while, you continued to smile, even though deep down inside you were crying on the inside needing someone else to give you a helping hand.

But understand that in your patience and overwhelming love for someone else, God has counted all of your tears, has seen what you've put your hands to at your job, and in the community, knowing you never wanted anything in return.

Now in 2010, my friends, God is getting ready to do more than you could even ask or think! Hallelujah! You are being set up for the Promise and the Promotion. For as we know, Promotion doesn't come from man, but from the Lord (Psalms 75:6-7)! Keep on keeping on! Continue to put a smile on your face, for God is going to come through for you!

I know as I look back to 2009, I've had some down times in some areas of business, but I've had some extraordinary times in other areas. I had to decide that with all of the hats that I wear, which hat(s) could I put down and which ones do to hold on to in order to focus my efforts on things that gave me the most enjoyment, and where my gifts and talents really were. By doing that, I found myself many times with Favor from God and Man! I praise God for that because now within weeks, God is going to elevate me even further!

So get ready everyone! Change is coming and you are about to embark on an incredible journey this year that you will look back on and get excited about all over again! Happy New Year and God Bless!

A Thanksgiving Story

A Thanksgiving Story
Author: Andrea Nannette Mejia

It was the day before Thanksgiving ­ the first one my three children and I would be spending without their father, who had left several months before. Now the two older children were very sick with the flu, and the eldest had just been prescribed bed rest for a week.

It was a cool, gray day outside, and a light rain was falling. I grew wearier as I scurried around, trying to care for each child: thermometers, juice, diapers. And I was fast running out of liquids for the children. But when I checked my purse, all I found was about $2.50 ­ and this was supposed to last me until the end of the month. That's when I heard the phone ring.

It was the secretary from our former church, and she told me that they had been thinking about us and had something to give us from the congregation. I told her that I was going out to pick up some more juice and soup for the children, and I would drop by the church on my way to the market.

I arrived at the church just before lunch. The church secretary met me at the door and handed me a special gift envelope. "We think of you and the kids often," she said, "and you are in our hearts and prayers. We love you." When I opened the envelope, I found two grocery certificates inside. Each was worth $20. I was so touched and moved, I broke down and cried.

"Thank you very much," I said, as we hugged each other. "Please give our love and thanks to the church." Then I drove to a store near our home and purchased some much-needed items for the children.

At the check-out counter I had a little over $14.00 worth of groceries, and I handed the cashier one of the gift certificates. She took it, then turned her back for what seemed like a very long time. I thought something might be wrong. Finally I said, "This gift certificate is a real blessing. Our former church gave it to our family, knowing I'm a single parent trying to make ends meet."

The cashier then turned around, with tears in her loving eyes, and replied, "Honey, that's wonderful! Do you have a turkey?"

"No. It's okay because my children are sick anyway."

She then asked, "Do you have anything else for Thanksgiving dinner?"

Again I replied, "No."

After handing me the change from the certificate, she looked at my face and said, "Honey, I can't tell you exactly why right now, but I want you to go back into the store and buy a turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or anything else you need for a Thanksgiving dinner."

I was shocked, and humbled to tears. "Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes! Get whatever you want. And get some Gatorade for the kids."

I felt awkward as I went back to do more shopping, but I selected a fresh turkey, a few yams and potatoes, and some juices for the children. Then I wheeled the shopping cart up to the same cashier as before. As I placed my groceries on the counter, she looked at me once more with giant tears in her kind eyes and began to speak.

"Now I can tell you. This morning I prayed that I could help someone today, and you walked through my line." She reached under the counter for her purse and took out a $20 bill. She paid for my groceries and then handed me the change. Once more I was moved to tears.

The sweet cashier then said, "I am a Christian. Here is my phone number if you ever need anything." She then took my head in her hands, kissed my cheek and said, "God bless you, honey."

As I walked to my car, I was overwhelmed by this stranger's love and by the realization that God loves my family too, and shows us his love through this stranger's and my church's kind deeds.

The children were supposed to have spent Thanksgiving with their father that year, but because of the flu they were home with me, for a very special Thanksgiving Day. They were feeling better, and we all ate the goodness of the Lord's bounty ­ and our community's love. Our hearts were truly filled with thanks.


"Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone, from my family...to yours!"

God's Message to Women

When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.

Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man's life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you. I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully.

Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life.

The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side.

You are my perfect angel. You are my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your eyes - don't change them. Your lips how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form, your hands so gentle to touch. I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep; I've held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are the most like me. Adam walked with me in the cool of the day and yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you: my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support.

You are special because you are the extension of me. Man represents my image - woman, my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man - treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt me. What you do to her, you do to me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father, and the heart of her Father.

Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

Did you not know that WOMAN was so special in God's eyes? Now we really know! Hallelujah!!

What a long time coming...Huh!

Well, well, well...it's truly been a while since I've come up for air to post another update in the Life of Lily. I've missed you guys and only no one but God Himself, has sustained me. But nonetheless, I'm back and ready to embark on a continued journey of events, victories, and revelations that I hope will be a blessing for you as well.

What's been happening to me lately? Well, I have taken a hiatus from the literary world and have focused on my day job: teaching our youth. But during these last two months, God has opened up the gates of Heaven and poured out many blessings! First, I was awarded and given the title of Standards-Based Model Classroom Teacher! Teachers and district personnel come through for observations, workshops and seminars with me on Best Practices and Teacher Assessment and Learning. How did all of this occur? A few months at the end of the school year, I was observed by district personnel, and one day via email, it was announced that I displayed excellence in teaching, and wanted to compensate me by not only giving me this role, but also be given the opportunity to go to any conference FREE, in the continental United States! So in October I will be flying out to Washington, DC, to the Annual Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development's Conference-all expenses paid! What an honor!

God said, He would give you favor with man! I praise God that I can use my hands, and what I do with them for HIM, gives HIM the glory! But that's not all, now the District Office calls me to help with other district workshops, and expertise that I never thought possible. And I'm also up for another promotion. (Shhhh, don't tell anyone). I'm just claiming it now. But I have an interview on Sept. 28th!

Next, a few months back, as my first children's book was released, I got in touch with a charity called EMBRACE, which is a Georgia Foster Care Initiative that trains and mentors potential foster parents. Since I'm an adopted child, and my main character in the book, "An Act of Forgiveness" is a foster child, I wanted to find a way to use my book to give back to the community, and hence this charity. Well, it turned out very well, and all was benefited. A friend of mine, shortly thereafter ran across a contest called "The Pine sol Powerful Difference Contest." It's a contest honoring women who have made a Powerful Difference in their community. Well, my friend nominated me, and GUESS WHAT? I was a winner! Not the Grand Prize, but First Place, which entitled my charity to win $2000 and I to be featured in an upcoming issue of EBONY MAGAZINE (December issue).

So as you can see, I've been busy in so many ways. And I'm sorry to not have been more active with my blog. A lot of reflecting have been going into my business and writing career. All I can say is that a HUGE SALE will be taking place, bigger than the one you see on http://www.everythingthatslily.com now (presently at 40% off until end of the month). More details will come as to the reason for the sale and what to look out for! Be sure to tell all of your friends and family about it!

Know that I love you, and look for future posts to warm the heart and bless your spirit!

In God's Grace,

Of Loaves and Fishes

Of Loaves and Fishes
5.17.09 By Heather Goodman

We've heard the story dozens, maybe hundreds, of times. Five thousand men (not to mention the thousands of women and children) listen at the feet of Jesus. They get hungry, as humans tend to do, and Jesus decides to do something about it. He turns to his disciples and inquires as to their suggestions. Using logic and simple math, they respond with the impossibility of the situation. Jesus works a miracle, and everyone eats.

Pastors and teachers elaborate on different points, mainly around God's sufficiency and power.

All very well and good, but what about the little boy, the one who offered up his five loaves and two fish? What happened to him? Sure, he ate that meal along with everyone else, but then what?

Truth be told, that little boy would have eaten a hearty meal anyway, one of the few—perhaps one of the only—able to do so. And his five loaves and two fish might have fed him for another couple of meals. That boy had planned ahead.

So I wonder, did Jesus give him a basket or two of the leftovers? Or did the boy walk away wonder-eyed and empty-handed?

How could these gospel writers omit such an important detail?

Recently, my husband and I joined the ranks of those experiencing reduced income. We scrutinize every nickel that leaves our hands. "Could we have saved it?" we ask, and "What can we cut?" Superfluous expenses fall to our feet like branches from a pruned tree. We figure and refigure our budget on spreadsheets, trying to make the numbers match.

And in our examination, we consider our giving. We need this meal. We need it for lunch, and we need it for the next few days. How can we afford to offer up our last bit of fish and loaves?

So when I read this passage, the question nags. What happens to the boy on the other end of the miracle?

The biblical writers offer no answer to the question. What they don't say:

"And the boy left with a basket forever filled with fish and loaves."

Or, "As Jesus lifted the food from the boy's hand, he promised the boy a secure future of full fishnets and in-demand business."

Or even, "After the disciples collected the twelve baskets full, they returned five loaves and two fish to the boy who gave his lunch."

Given these lines, dropping our check into the offering plate would present no problem. But God doesn't promise a comfortable life. He doesn't promise cable or sushi or new books. Instead, he promises life, and life to the fullest. Christ said, "I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly" (John 10:10 , NET). This life abounds in the hope of the resurrection, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the peace of Christ that transcends all understanding. We give out of this abundance. We give joy, peace, kindness, love, but we always give time, commitment, and money.

At some point in our lives, we all step into the well-worn sandals of the boy in the story. Times are hard. We barely have enough for ourselves, but Jesus asks us to give anyway. We don't know what happens economically on the other side of the giving, but our hope is not in economics. Our hope is in Christ.

Heather graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary and is a writer and speaker on The Hero's Journey, Art and Theology, and Incarnating Christ's Love. You can find her at her blog, L'Chaim.

I am Officially a World Changer!

Many wonderful things have happened to me since my arriving to Atlanta, GA back in 2007. But nothing compares to the awesome ceremony that transpired today as I walked across the stage, shook Pastor Creflo A. Dollar and Pastor Taffi L. Dollar's hand, and became an Official World Changer, --ready to make a mark in this world that will not be erased!

The first class of 2009 was a big one! All of us in our blue cap and gowns initially embarked on a ten week journey through Christian Education at its best. Our class, as Pastor Dollar calls it, is a class of "Wisdom"- we possess and strive to search feverishly for the knowledge, WISDOM, and understanding to make sure our destinies and callings from God line up with His will.

This is a day that starts the rest of our lives. We will take up our crosses and follow Jesus knowing that in the following is life, healing, deliverance, an increased anointing, and wisdom that will carry us into our eternal life with Christ!

Proverbs 4:7 --Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Nothing to Fear

There's nothing to fear ---
you're as good as the best,
As strong as the mightiest, too.
You can win in every battle or test;
For there's no one just like you.
There's only one you in the world today;
So nobody else, you see,
Can do your work in as fine a way:
You're the only you there'll be !

So face the world, and all life is yours
To conquer and love and live:
And you'll find the happiness that endures
In just the measure you give;
There's nothing too good for you to possess,
Nor heights where you cannot go:
Your power is more than belief or guess ---
It is something you have to know.

There is nothing to fear --- you can and you will.
For you are the invincible you.
Set your foot on the highest hill ---
There's nothing you cannot do.

-- Author Unknown

Life Struggles

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.

The moth seemed to be stuck and appeared to have stopped making progress. It seemed as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But its body was swollen and small, its wings wrinkled and shriveled. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to and able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a small, swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was necessary to force fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight upon achieving its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets, and don't forget the power in the struggle.

A Special Day

Hello everyone. Today marks my 35th birthday! Wow it just seemed like yesterday that I was knee high to a grasshopper, eating mud pies in the front yard, running and playing tackle football with the boys and having an all out good time, just being a kid with my cousins from Florida. I miss those times. Even though some of it was filled with confusion and hopelessness of ever truly getting the love I wanted from some of my family members, I can honestly say I did have somewhat of a good childhood. But there are many children that do not get that chance. Many of them have to grow up and be adults long before the rightful age of 18 because of death, or parents are addicted to drugs, or other unfortunate circumstances that makes them have to make some pretty hefty decisions in order to survive.

Right at this moment, I am down with a cold, have had laryngitis for the past four days, and in bed, praying that I have a full recovery soon. Which I know my God in Heaven hears me and is working it out---I already have the victory! Amen! However, there are those who did not and could not wake up this morning to claim a new start to a new day.

God I'm thankful for another birthday. A beautiful day outside, the birds are chirping, the weather is gorgeous, and I can see all of this, even if it means from the confinement of my bedroom window. I thank you. Give everyday that you live, a day that you say thank you for living! Thank Him in the good times and the bad. Thank Him when you don't feel like it. And thank Him when everything is peachy-keen. Why? Because tomorrow is not promised. We must live for today. If He never did another thing for us, it's alright because He already gave His ultimate sacrifice, His only begotten Son-Jesus!

Do you know that there are 71 verses that constantly admonishes us to give THANKS? It's when we give thanks and praise to God that we will be blessed, healed, delivered, set free, our harvest comes, the will of God over our lives are made manifested, etc. Instead of moaning (I'll admit I tried to do that today), complaining, and being pitiful over our circumstances, we should be thankful for what we do have, what God has brought us out of, and claim the victory which is already ours! Thank you Jesus!

It says in 1 Chronicles 16:34: O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever. In Psalms 140:13, it states, "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence." I want to dwell in His presence. The presence of God will begin to overtake you as you get deep into praise and worship of Him.

I also like this scripture--2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are bound or obligated to praise and give thanks to God, because He chose us--we didn't choose Him. He chose us for salvation and we in turn should go out and share that same Gospel to others who may not be saved. That is something to praise God about! Hallelujah!

So to God, I thank you! I love you for who you are to me! You're my everything! And to all of my friends and subscribers who have chosen to read my messages and blog posts because it inspires and encourages you, I thank and love you as well! Everyone be blessed on this day! It's a special day in the Lord!

The Skin You're In

I'm just going to be real with you all if you don't mind today. Many people look at Christians, especially ones that really don't know the Lord, but only have you to look at as an example, and think we always have it all together. True, we are one with Christ, yes we have everything we need in Christ-just by asking, and yes, if we are truly abiding in Christ, and He abides in us, we can ask Him anything, believing, and we shall have it.

But how many of you sometimes look in the mirror in the morning, and look at yourself, and feel that there's something about you that you wish you could change? Come on now Saints, don't be pious, because I for one, have a time or two looked at my face and wished that there was some grand cream, or acne medication out there that would be the answer to all of my facial problems.

See as a young girl, even until now, I've had an acne problem. It would come and go and on the days when I had an important photo shoot or a presentation where I would be in front of lots of people, would be the day I would get a blemish in the middle of my face. I have tried everything and to no avail, nothing worked.

But then one day I woke up, went into the bathroom, looked at myself, and it seemed God himself showed me a little more than my facial blemishes. My God, He showed me just how important I am to Him and the Kingdom of God. None of the things that matter most to us matter to Him. You know why? Because man may look at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart (see I Samuel 16:7).

Also remember it's not about us, it's about giving God the glory in everything we say and do with our lives. When we freely accept who we are in Christ and give our lives totally over to Him, will He then equip us to do the work of the Kingdom. He wants to see what we will do with the little He gives us, to then give us much-blessings, prosperity, abundance to the full! Hallelujah!

So now when I look in the mirror, I don't see myself, as just a fleshly, physical body. I see myself as Jesus sees me.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as my chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrated you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5 AMP).

Love the Skin You're In my Brothers and Sisters! He Loves You and I Do Too!

Be encouraged with this video: "So Happy Being Me"-Angie Stone from the Donald Lawrence CD-The Law of Confession, Part 1.

Gotta Have Faith

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26 KJV




Lately I've seen many people, during this uneven economy all of a sudden want something they can cling to that deals with the word, "FAITH". You see license plates with the word "Faith", people will buy jewelry, plaques, and clothing that has the emblem of "Faith". But do they really honor God with their... Faith?

Faith in the greek is pistos which means believing, assurance, unwavering, not moved. It's the type of faith that no matter what might be in front of you, or what it might apprear to look like in this world, you have the faith that what you have asked God for will come to pass.

However, if you don't act on the faith that you have and wait for something to fall from the sky, it won't happen. You take that first step towards the destiny God has placed within your spirit and watch God take the rest. If what you are passionate about really lines up with God's purpose for you is, you will have the favor you need from God, and favor from man (provision, wealth, business connections, etc.) to do what you couldn't do on your own accord.

In the above scripture, "works" can also be your seed. How many times have we really needed something from God, and because we don't have enough in the natural, we feel that we don't want to give up the little we have for FEAR that we won't have what we need to pay our bills, have food on the table, or clothes for our children? I've certainly been there. But it wasn't until I tapped into the ever present power of God's word, that I started to really get a revelation on some things.

First, I remember reading about when Jesus was with the multitude for three days(Read Mark 8:1-21). It says that He had such compassion for the people because they had had nothing to eat. So he took what my Pastor (Pastor Dollar always calls a two piece fish dinner :) with five loaves of bread that a young lad had in a basket. He told everyone (men, women, and children-could have been around 4,000) to sit down. He took this two piece fish dinner, gave thanks or in the Amplified version- blessed it, brake it and gave it to his disciples to set before the people. Do you know it multipled? Everyone had the chance to eat, and the bible says they were filled. When they took up the remaining meat and elements of the bread, it was enough to fill seven baskets. I'm sure it was pretty hard for that young lad to take seven baskets back home. My God! Hallelujah!

Then in I Kings 17: 10-16, it tells the story of a widow woman in Zarephath who felt that she and her son were on the verge of death with nothing left to eat but a handful of meal and a little oil. But as Elijah was passing through the city, he stopped in and TOLD the widow woman to fetch for him a little to drink. Now at that time, I can tell you she was not looking for anyone to tell her what to do with the little that she had. So she had a little attitude, but did go to fetch him what he wanted. But then in the middle of getting it, he called out to her to also bring him a morsel of bread. I can see her swaying her head around to him, maybe even her hand on her hip as she said, "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat and die. (verse 12, KJV).

That's where we are sometimes. We feel we have to hoard the little that we have, thinking that's all we got. However, how many of us know that God wants us to have more? He said, "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly" (or to the full)--emphasis mine (John 10:10).

So Elijah told her to "Fear Not." You have nothing to fear when you know you have Jesus on your side. Well, the story ultimately goes to where she obeys Elijah, makes a morsel of cake for him first, and brings it to him.

Then he makes a declaration or promise to the widow woman that from now until the Lord sends rain upon the earth, her barrel of meal would not waste, nor shall the cruse of oil fail. She, he and her house ate a many days! That's God!

What we have to do is when we pray, we BELIEVED, we RECEIVED, what we PRAYED, and it shall come to pass---never doubting, never wavering, nothing missing, nothing broken, and never lacking any good thing! It's as if when praying, you already know that as that request comes out of your mouth, you already have it. It's past-tense Faith! Thank You Jesus! I got this thang ya'll! And you need to get this too!

You gotta have faith that moves mountains!

Be blessed my brothers and sisters!

Shake It Off and Step Up!

Hallelujah! This is what we need to tell ourselves each and everyday! Take a Look at This!--Lily

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow.

"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US! Remember that FORGIVENESS--FAITH--PRAYER-- PRAISE and HOPE...all are excellent ways to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP" out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

- Author Unknown

You Are Worth It

Enjoy this inspirational food-for-thought, that one of my dear friends, Pastor Natalie Francisco, sent out as a motivational tool for all of her friends to jump start our day! http://www.nataliefrancisco.com/. Thanks Natalie!

YOU ARE WORTH IT

You are worth the trouble and effort required to make your life the best it can possibly be. There is so very much you have to express, to give, to experience and to contribute to the magnificent fabric of life. You are worth the discomfort and frustration that you’ll regularly need to get through. You are worth the pain that the world will sometimes offer.

For within you is the capacity for great joy and astounding achievement. Within you are beautiful and worthy dreams that long to be fulfilled. You are one of a kind and you are filled with a driving purpose. You are worth whatever it takes to give that special purpose a lasting and meaningful expression. Yes, the disappointments, inconveniences, pains, problems and annoyances will surely and steadily come. Yet they are indeed quite trivial compared to the precious possibilities that live within you. Make whatever efforts necessary, endure whatever setbacks you must, move forward through whatever challenges may come along. For there is no question that you are worth it.


— Ralph Marston

Moving Past Your Pain

Thank you Jesus! Hallelujah!!!! You talking about God being right on time in the lives of His People!! I tell you, there are times in your life when you are going through and you embark upon a word that will quench your spirit at just the right moment-confirming what you knew God was trying to tell you! Well I’ve got to say that the word is here TODAY! Not only for me, but for you!

People always want to know how to get past painful experiences in your lives. I speak upon this topic alot because of course, firsthand, I’ve been through it. But this brother by the name of Rev. James C. Matthews, says it best. It gave me a whole other perspective of what it truly means to walk away from your past. I thank God for this new revelation in my life and I pay that it blesses your spirit! Please be sure to comment about it as the Lord allows!

In His Love,

Moving Beyond the Moment

Rev. James C. Matthews

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Sometimes the things that hinder us from moving forward in our journey aren’t always bad things. It is possible to become hostage to our past by trying to relive something that has come and gone. This can take the form of trying to relive past achievements, relationships, or defining moments in our lives. We’ve all met people like this. In their wallet or purse they carry pictures or newspaper clippings of a past relationship or climactic moment in their lives. They speak of the past in the present tense, as if these events happened yesterday. It is healthy to celebrate our past moments in life, but it is unhealthy to become stuck in a moment and miss the rest of life. Life is a motion picture not a snapshot. It is always moving and stands still for no one.

Those who have a snapshot perspective of life can be easily identified by their conversation. They always talk about the past and how things used to be, or they dwell on what someone did to them years ago. It’s almost as if they stopped living once that moment transpired. Although they can easily recall in detail a particular moment in time that occurred years ago, they cannot clearly articulate their plans for the future.


Often, people who develop a snapshot perspective of life lose their identity in the event or situation. They define who they are by that moment in time instead of who they are as a person. I can remember meeting a man who was in his late 40s. When introducing me to this person, my friend first let me know that this man once played for a well-known professional sports team. It was only after this introduction that his name was communicated to me. In the eyes of his associates, this man was defined by a moment that had come and gone. When I asked the gentlemen what he was doing now, he appeared ashamed of his station in life. He had a respectable job, but in his eyes and those he associated with, it was not comparable to his former moment of glory.


In another instance, my wife and I met a young woman at a ministry event who was a survivor of Hurricane Katrina and had settled down in Dallas. When she introduced herself, she told me her name but had preceded this by commenting, “I’m from Katrina.” When my wife and I were driving home from the engagement, she commented that every time this woman introduced herself to someone, she commented that she was “from Katrina.” I’ve seen the same thing happen to people who have physical handicaps, been abused, divorced, incarcerated, or homeless. They’ve allowed their circumstances or an event to define and prescribe what their expectations in life can or should be.


You are more than a moment! You are a motion picture that is not defined by a snapshot or one frame of the picture. If you refuse to allow your past to define your future, you will discover that life has much more to offer you than a memory.


The above devotional is excerpted from Pastor J.C. Matthew’s new book “Your Situation Is Not Your Destination.”

Pastor James C. (J.C.) Matthews is the founder and Senior Pastor of the multi-cultural non-denominational Dunamis Life Ministries of Dallas, Texas. Pastor Matthews is known for his love of God’s Word, unusual wisdom, passionate preaching style and gift of practically applying scripture to everyday. He is the author of the Saved but Stuck: 30 Days to Personal Revival”. “I’ll Come… When I Get Myself Together” and “My Situation Is Not My Destination - Only Preparation”. J.C. Matthews lives in the Dallas / Ft. Worth Texas area with his wife Gena and four children.

© Pastor J.C. Matthews all rights reserved.
Source: http://www.streamingfaith.com/

Scandalous Stumbling Blocks

Lord PLEASE forgive us for our scandalous stumbling blocks. We so need you to wash us, make us whole, and continously keep us mindful of our allegance to you, knowing that everything that we do as Christians should honor you. Please grant us your grace and forgiveness and help us to want nothing but to please you. Transform us by the renewing of our minds Lord, and keep us in your care, this day! Amen!


Scandalous Stumbling Blocks

READ Matthew 18:5-9

“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Matthew 18:6

If you were reading this passage in the Greek original of Matthew, you’d notice the frequent occurrence of words beginning with skandal-. The verb skandalize in and the noun skandalon appear three times each in this short passage. The verb skandalize in is translated here as “cause to sin”; the noun skandalon as “temptation” or “temptation to sin.” Literally, a skandalon, from which we get the English word “scandal,” was a “cause of offense” or “stumbling block.” To “scandalize” someone meant to offend, or, in Christian usage, to cause someone to stumble into sin.

Matthew 18:5-9 warns us against “scandalous stumbling blocks.” We should be sure not to lead others into sin, while also watching that we do not stumble ourselves. With typical Semitic hyperbole, Jesus underscores his point by saying that we should cut off the part of our body that causes us to sin.

We live in a day that minimizes the reality of sin. Actions once considered sinful are excused by our society as personal choices. Even the church has often been swept along in the tide of moral relativism. How easily we Christians can excuse or ignore our own sinful behavior!

This passage from Matthew calls us up short. It reminds us that our actions really do matter to God and that sinful actions are greatly to be avoided. Thus we are led, not only to examine our behavior realistically, but also to seek God’s grace both for forgiveness and for the ability to live a God-honoring life.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you regard the sin in your life? Do you take it seriously? Do you minimize it? Do you let it sink you into the mire of shame? Do you confess and live in the freedom of Christ?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, today I’m impressed by how little we are scandalized by sin. Oh, I suppose that certain public sins by public people might grab our attention for a moment as we look down our noses at the offender. But how easily we neglect our own sin. We get caught up in rationalization. Or we wallow in cheap grace. Or we simply give ourselves a free pass, as if sin really doesn’t matter.

Help us, Lord, to take sin as seriously as you do. After all, it was our sin that made the cross necessary. Give us eyes to see ourselves clearly. Give us the courage to name our sins before you, confessing honestly and specifically. Help us, Lord, to receive your forgiveness with joy and to live in the freedom you have earned for us by your death and resurrection. Amen.

Mark D. Roberts, as Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, is an advisor and frequent contributor to TheHighCalling.org. A Presbyterian pastor, Mark earned his Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard University. He has written six books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005). He blogs daily at http://www.markdroberts.com/.

The Treasure

The Treasureby Alice Gray as printed in “More Stories for the Heart”


The cheerful 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 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 upturned 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 upstairs to read her a story. One night when 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 Princess–the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She’s my 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 so 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. It’s for you.”

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind 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 had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

So like our heavenly Father.
What are you hanging on to?

(FROM LILY: Give everything you need to over to the Lord, for it is with the Lord, you will find true Treasure! Thank you Jesus!)

The Heart of the Matter

Happy Holidays everyone!

It has truly been awhile since I’ve blogged to all of you and I must admit, I miss it! But lots have been going on with me since the last time I’ve placed a devotion or a reflection here that I must share with you!

I have been doing a lot more speaking lately! God has commissioned me to speak to others not only on my book and testimony but on the Heart of the Matter. What is it that truly concerns us? What is it within us that still causes us to be consumed with bitterness, despair, and the feeling that our prayers are not being answered? When we truly look at our hearts and do some soul searching, we may find that there are issues that plague us to the point of blocking all that God has for us, including the promise of our purpose here on Earth. Ultimately, God’s purpose will be fulfilled, however it may take longer, just as Moses and the Israelites did when traveling for 40 years in the wilderness, or he may find someone else more suitable to fulfill it that truly has a heart for God. Remember if you don’t use the talents God has given you, He will take it away and give it to someone else. What is it that you have been gifted with that you are truly not using for the glory of God? Think of this seriously and declare that in 2009, you will use what God has given to you, not by right or by your own merit or right, but because he loves you and wants to truly bless you!

Below is not only my taped message, done in Riverdale, GA on December 20, 2008, but also a written excerpt to get your juices flowing in preparation for what you are about to hear. I pray God’s blessing over you as we embark on the greatest year of our lives! Our harvest is about to come! Happy New Year!

My CD Sermon

There’s been many times in my life in which I had gone through one bad relationship to the next carrying the same old baggage. It’s true that what you normally go through during your childhood, with the men in your life (Uncles, fathers, brothers), you many times end up finding those same traits in the men you date. It’s as if your subconscious mind or soulish spirit seeks after those types of men. Especially if you yourself don’t know how to rebuke and bind up that generational curse over your life, making sure to ask God to send you a God-fearing man, so that you two are evenly yoked together. You don’t have to settle ladies. You are heirs and the righteousness of God. So I went through life, naïve and ignorant to what the Lord was trying to tell me. I knew I was saved. My grandparents put the fear of God in me early in life. But it was who I hung around once out from under them and on my own that influenced me the more. Put it this way-think about one of your friends that may not be in the Lord. They ask you repeatedly to go out with them to a nightspot. You continually tell them no. But it takes that one time, when you weren’t prayed up, or you had your guard down, and you finally said yes. That’s strike one with the devil. So you go out with them. While there, all of the people around you are dancing and drinking. You know you don’t drink. It makes you sleepy and besides, You’re a Christian. But that one time when your friend says, “Oh, it won’t hurt just to take a glass of wine.” “Ok, I guess I will have just one glass.” That’s strike two. The devil is about to win the inning. One glass of wine becomes two, and then three. What was once just a casual night out becomes much more because by then, someone who looks like Morris Chestnut has asked you to the dance floor, knowing by your mannerisms, he can take advantage of the situation if he wanted to. You’ve lost control of your senses. Strike Three-the devil has you now and the Holy Spirit is grieved that when you had the means to escape, you allowed yourself to slip.

In 1Cr 10:13, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].

It’s amazing that your parents and even grandparents tell you things for your own good, many times because they’ve been through what you are now getting into. It’s not what you are ‘going through’, but ‘getting into.’ Because it didn’t have to be that way. It’s the choices that we make that determines our future outcomes. When you get yourself into things, you haven’t asked God for guidance, you felt, “I can do this on my own” and without God’s blessings, you have left his covering for a time, and it’s like being without your mother or father, and you’ve been left in the middle of a big field, with people all around you that doesn’t look like either one of them. Without a shield of protection and loving arms of the one that loves you the most. When you were younger, you didn’t want to hear what your parents had to say. The best way you thought to get them off of your back was to say, “Ok” or “I know ma.” So as you went through different situations, you ended up getting yourself caught up in the very thing they advised you on. By then, it was too late. So then you would plead with God, and say to yourself, ‘If you get me out of this situation, I won’t let it happen again.’ And it hurt you very badly. But it could have been avoided if you had just listened. Many people have to learn from experience. It’s not going to sink in for some people until they themselves go through it. Yes, it may end up a painful situation, but a life lesson indeed that ultimately works for our good. Amen!

In His Love,

Life Without Fear

This is truly an on time word. If this doesn’t minister to anyone else, that’s ok. Sometimes in life, you go through things and in the going through, you ask God to help you. How many times, though, you petition for God to help you but in the asking, you fear the worst, or doubt that it will happen for you? You know deep inside you trust God to supply all of your needs. But sometimes in the natural, you see that you have more bills than money, or you are days away from eviction, or being reported to the credit bureau for back payments of medical bills. The list can go on and on. So you think to yourself, “How I’m I going to get through this?” This has happened to me more than once. Amen? See some people don’t want to admit their weaknesses. I do and will say them in a heartbeat. Because it’s in the sharing of your weaknesses that God will honor and make those weaknesses, strengths that he can and will use for his glory! Thank you Lord. So anyway, in the process of feeling this way, as years have gone by, God has finally brought me to a place of accepting my weaknesses and giving me more of a peace and increasing faith and trust in God that truly moves mountains. Changes has definitely taken place in my life in a very short amount of time. I am grateful to God for that! So below you will find a devotional from a favorite website of mine that I’m sure you will enjoy.

When you feel that your back is up against the wall, and you feel there’s no hope of ever getting to a place of more than enough, know that when you are in God’s hands, and on His side, you always have more than enough, because if you just ask God what you need, believing, he will do or give it to you! Live Without Fear!

Lily

Life Without Fear

READ Isaiah 51:12-16

“Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator,
the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy
and laid the foundations of the earth.
Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors?
Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies?
Where is their fury and anger now?
It is gone!”

Isaiah 51:13

Israel was a small nation, one that had been an easy target for larger empires seeking expansion. The Persians overthrew the northern kingdom in the eighth century BC. The Babylonians invaded the southern kingdom and decimated Jerusalem in the sixth century. Egyptian power continued to threaten Israel’s well-being. No wonder she “remained in constant dread of human oppressors.”

Yet the antidote to fear was on Israel’s doorstep, if she would but open the door. However big and powerful her human enemies might have been, God is bigger and more powerful. He is the Creator, “the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth.” Confidence in the face of human threats was available to Israel . . . if she would not forget the Lord. Oh, I suppose that, in principle, Israel remembered the God who had so often saved her. But when it came to daily living, when it came to how Israel felt in real time, she forgot the Lord.

And so do we, much of the time. When we read stories of economic collapse, when our loved ones struggle with seemingly insurmountable burdens, when we hear stories of terror plots, and when we face our own mortality, we can forget the Lord. We forget his faithfulness, his majesty, his power, his mercy. We forget that God is always with us and that nothing can separate us from his love.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: When do you forget the Lord? And when you do, what happens? What helps you to remember God in times of distress?

PRAYER: O Lord, how many times have I forgotten you? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? I shudder to think of the number. It’s not that I stop believing in you or that my theology disappears. But, practically, and especially in my emotions, I forget your presence in my life. Your faithfulness disappears from my consciousness for a while. And I feel afraid . . . afraid of where my life is heading, afraid of how my children will turn out, afraid of missing your blessing . . . you name it. (Indeed, Lord, you can name it!)

Forgive me, Lord, for living as if you weren’t there. Forgive me for the times when I forget you. Help me to live each moment of each day with the sense of your presence. May I claim your promises and stake my life upon them. Even as you never forget me, dear Lord, may I never forget you. Amen.

Mark D. Roberts, as Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, is an advisor and frequent contributor to TheHighCalling.org. A Presbyterian pastor, Mark earned his Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard University. He has written six books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005).

Cry out to the Lord

Many times I have told the Lord my cares, hurt and pains. It seems like my world around me is caving in. Financially it seems like I have more bills than money and can’t afford to feed my family. My dearest family member’s health is fading and need a healing touch. And even though I give my last to you Lord sacrificially, I still feel sometimes that my change won’t come soon enough. Gas is high, my husband just got laid off from his job of twenty years, and we are down to scraps in the refrigerator. Lord I need you NOW!

How many of you feel this way? We all have cried out to God in desperation at some time or another. I have been one of those that felt hopeless and depressed through trials and tragedy. But I tell you, once you tap into the power of God, and learn of Him in a mighty way, your change starts to take shape.

Recently, I’ve asked God for several things to happen in my life, personally and professionally. I did indeed feel that after all of the promoting of my book, travels to and fro various destinations, and investing into different marketing materials, I had come to a dead halt in everything financially. Personally, I had moved to Atlanta for the increase in pay as an educator, and a brand new home (Thanks to God). But then after a few months of really diving into the business as an author and writer, my business became personal as I reached into my personal funds to cover my writing expenses. Many authors have done that a time or two, expecially if they didn’t have a solid business plan, (which I’ve learned now how to do).

So I began to have more bills than money. My daughter needed things that I couldn’t always provide right away. Then she had a severe growth of fungus that occurred on her head that I thought she would not be able to fully heal from. But God! After crying out to God (many of you have been praying for her), seeking God’s face and his ever working healing power, not only was my daughter healed, but my finances started to increase. After taking Asia back and forth to the doctor and losing personal and sick time in the process, I should have had less money in my check that would have severely affected me and my bills for the month. But even with those monies docked from my pay, I still had over $500.00 more in my check this month!!! To top it off, my check next month will be even more than that! My God! Hallelujah! God knew what I needed and came through like he has always come through!

Saints, when your back is up against the wall, and you feel like all hope is gone, God shows up mightily in your life. But you have to believe and trust that He can do it!

Of course, there’s other things that I’m looking for God to do, and when He does, I will give you that praise report as well! Magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together!

Beauty Tips

Beauty Tips
written by Sam Levenson

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years -only grows!

Our beauty shows deepest when we feel good inside and it exudes outwardly to others. Doesn’t it also feel good when we can get dressed in our best feeling good on the inside as well? Amen! But in today’s economic times, it’s really hard to be able to go out to different boutiques to buy expensive jewelry. We go out of our way to serve and treat others, all the while losing ourselves. How about treating yourself this upcoming holiday season with economical but beautiful inspirational jewelry that speaks volumes in style and grace, while proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. www.everythingthatslily.com showcases some of the finest costume jewelry at a fraction of the price! Do something special today!