God’s Favor

The bible says that God’s favor lasts a lifetime. God’s favor opens the right doors and causes you to accomplish what you couldn’t accomplish on your own. It gives you an edge. However, if you’re going to see God at work like this in your life you can’t go through the day feeling intimidated and defeated. No, you have to live like you have His favor, think like you have His favor, and talk like you have His favor. Not arrogantly, of course, no one likes that (least of all, God). But you should do it with a quiet confidence, knowing that you have His unstoppable favor on your life… because you do!

You might feel troubled today but let me assure you that God is working to bring you out of that difficult situation. And be open to the possibility that it may not be in the way you thought – but you have to trust that God has your best interest at heart. There are so many things that can come against us but God promises in His Word that no weapon formed against us shall prosper!

It doesn’t matter what your circumstances look like right now because when we step out to do what God has called us to do scripture says that His favor surrounds us like a shield. When we have His favor we have an advantage for success. As you stand in faith, trusting Him, He will meet you at your level of faith and you’ll see His blessings multiply in every area of your life!

Maintaining Peace Amongst Non-Peaceful People

In life, we’ll always have difficult people who try to upset us and steal our peace. But, you don’t have to respond to every critic. The bible says that if you’ll hold your peace and remain at rest God will fight FOR YOU. Don’t allow a person or persons to rob you of your good mood. Be strong enough to AFfect them rather than them INfecting you. And don’t be fooled – YOU’RE in control of that! If you’re letting someone else make you feel responsible for their joy or fighting their battles for them then get ready to see your own joy be gone. People-pleasing is a frustrating and never-ending trap so guard yourself against falling into it in the first place.

See, no matter what you say or do, there will be someone out there who isn’t going to accept you. In Luke, when Jesus sent out His disciples to people’s homes He said if people don’t welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. He didn’t say argue with them, try to prove your point, win them over at all costs. Nope, He said in effect, just let it go. Let the removal of yourself from the situation be your victory and God will take it from there. In Matthew, it says that Jesus also told them, when you enter people’s homes, offer them your peace. If the people are deserving then your peace will rest on them BUT if they’re not then let your peace return to you. When you do the right thing no matter what is happening God sees it – and rewards it.

So I encourage you today to strive to seek and maintain peace in your life. When at all possible, avoid those people who only want to take, take, take from you. Those people who only speak criticism to you or lack of support for you. You have a finite amount of time on this earth, use it wisely. When God sees you doing all you can do in your own strength that’s when He shows up to do what you CAN’T do. Put forth this effort to stay in peace and I assure you that God will reward you by multiplying peace and joy in every area of your life!

You're Closer Than You Think!

Have you been praying and believing for something that seems like it’s taking a lot longer than you thought? Many times people can miss God’s best simply because they give up too soon. I know everyone is in such a hurry these days (myself included!) but don’t let yourself get cheated out of seeing that negative situation turn around because you gave up right before God’s perfect timing brought it forth. Be encouraged today by this truth – your answer is closer than you think!

If it seems like things are only getting more difficult, remember, when the intensity heats up that means you’re closer to success. The enemy wouldn’t be coming at you so hard if you weren’t getting closer to your victory. The closer you get the more nervous the enemy becomes. You have to stay on guard against the thoughts and even people he might use to push you off course. Try to remember, you serve a faithful God and He IS working behind the scenes on your behalf! You have to do your part though. You have to fight the good fight of faith.

The bible says that the soul of the lazy craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly provided for. God does long to pour out His favor and blessing on you but that doesn’t happen automatically. You have to be diligent. Whatever you do, do it with excellence. Be the best you can be! Go the extra mile even when you think it goes unnoticed because God notices and promises to abundantly supply the soul of the diligent. So stay in faith and look for His blessings to manifest because He’s not only promised you victory but it’s closer than you think!

The Truth About God for Lesbians & Gays

I was talking with some friends last night about this and I totally understand why many lesbians and gays avoid church and/or “religious” topics, I get it. Why embrace a God that you were told hated you for being born the way you are? It seems at the very least, cruel. He’s God and can do whatever He wants, yet the statistic is one in every ten people born today are gay. I know when I was a kid it was evident even then that I was a lesbian. Same as when I look back at some other kids I grew up with who turned out to be gay. There were seriously obvious reasons to assume such a thing, even as a young child. 

The bible says that we’re ALL created in God’s image. Well, I’ve heard from the religious right all of my life that being gay is a choice. Okay, look at it logically then, for a choice to exist there must be at least two options, right? If I did accept that it’s a choice and I chose to be gay vs. straight, which means a straight person has to have made the choice to be straight vs. gay, then heterosexuals should be able to tell me when and why they chose to be straight. But if you’re like me, it never felt like a choice at all but rather just something that feels more natural to me than the alternative. I mean, technically, a lesbian can have sex with a straight male and a straight male can have sex with a gay male, but that doesn’t mean it feels natural. And that’s my point. That’s why the whole “choice” theory has always felt insulting and absurd to me.

There is plenty of evidence directly from the bible itself that contradicts the misleading and abusive claims about homosexuality that many of the religious leaders want you to believe. And psst, if you think I’m being rough, check out how Jesus talked about the religious leaders of His day… yikes! Anyway, one of my favorite bible studies in this area was done by my very own pastor and you can check it out at http://www.holycrossmcc.com (toward the bottom of the main page, “Gays & God”). I strongly recommend it so you can learn the truth about God’s love for ALL instead of continuing to believe the junk you’ve probably been threatened with before, and in God’s name… smh. At least be curious enough to find out for yourself rather than take the word of some misguided human beings. God knew exactly what He was doing when He made you! He loves you! He is proud of you and He has planned an amazing future for you! Don’t let anyone steal that truth from you.

Keeping Your Faith In Tough Times

I want to specifically address the people out there whose hearts are heavy today. I feel like something has happened recently that’s caused you to give up on your dreams. But I want to remind you that where you are is not where you are going to stay! God promised He has a good plan in store for you!

Scripture tells us that God wants to take us from glory to glory, from victory to victory. So even if you’re between victories right now I urge you to keep your passion. Stay focused on the fact that God has another level for you! Another level of increase, another level of His favor.

Today I encourage you to forget what the cynics are telling you and seek God about the matters weighing on your heart. He hasn’t forgotten you! The way you keep your faith during tough times is by going through the day dwelling on and declaring God's promises over your circumstances. There are over 7,000 so happy reading :] And remember that only when you keep your faith in Him do you activate His FULL power in your life. There are numerous scriptures that point to faith as the only way to move God (*see below, to name a few). So keep praying, keep believing, and strengthen your faith so you can unleash God to change your situation in an amazing way!

*Matthew 17:20, Matthew 18:18-19, Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:22-26, Romans 1:17, Romans 3:21-28, Romans 4:3-5, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 10:8-11, 17, Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 6:10-17, Hebrews 11:1-6, Hebrews 12:2, 1 Peter 1:6-9, 1 John 5:4

Bust Out of Survival Mode!

I see so many people today living in survival mode. They have the mentality, “Please just help me get by...” But if you’re constantly living with this mentality, you’re going to miss out on God’s best. Scripture doesn’t say, “Jesus came so you could survive.” No, it says in John that He came to give you a, “full, abundant life!”

If you’ve been living like you’re only here just to endure your life, I want you to get this down in your spirit today – I believe that you’re not only about to come into your season of restoration but that you’re on the launching pad RIGHT NOW. If you’ll just take a step of faith and begin to declare, “My days of merely surviving are over; my days of prosperity have begun!” then I truly believe God will meet your faith and take you to a level so great you can’t even imagine it!

Let me confirm for you, that God is making a way right now where there seems to be no way. Even if you’re going through a tough season, remember tough seasons are still but a season, and it will pass! Start proclaiming what God says about your circumstances, that you’re created for more than just getting by. You were created in His image and He’s the Creator of the whole universe! Think about that… the children of presidents, kings, billionaires, CEO’s… they have nothing on YOU. Your heavenly Parent created those kids’ parents. Lift up your chin and put your shoulders back – you’re a decedent of Royalty so rich that this world couldn’t contain it! Start living like you know not just who you are but WHOSE you are. You do this and I assure you that God will show up to back every bold prayer you pray, like the proud Daddy He is!

Hope

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.” ― Emily Dickinson

Without hope life feels meaningless. We know this and yet some seem content to rip hope from the clutches of another. I began watching Joel Osteen a long time ago and he was such an inspiration to me that I wanted to make others feel the way he made me feel. I can’t imagine a greater gift than being able to bring hope to a once shattered human being. So it often breaks my heart when I see people rain down gloom on another. Someone is excited about an interview at a potentially new job but there’s a person in their life ready to point out how they probably won't get it. Someone starts dating after a long period of singledom and there’s someone close to them ready to point out all of that person’s possible flaws. Yet, just as easily as things could go wrong, the simple fact is… they could go right!

Whenever I feel life trying to suck me into its negative, hopeless hole I’ve learned to start quoting what God has to say about the matter. That nothing is impossible with God, that He is directing my steps and promised to cause all things to work together for my good. God said He would fight my battles FOR ME and prepare a table of victory for me in front of my enemies. You can’t let the people around you talk you out of your dreams. Even the ones who claim to love you, they may just be so beat down themselves and not even realize how much harm they’re doing by stealing your hope. Still, you would be wise to do as the bible says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

I want to encourage you today to not only stay on guard against the hopeless words some may try to speak into your life but also stay on guard that you aren’t doing that very thing yourself. I urge you to learn how amazing it feels when you bring hope to someone – it multiplies in your own life like you can’t imagine! Even God Himself said of giving, “Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” This is the only place in the bible I’ve found where God dares you to test Him on something. He is inviting you to take that challenge today, will you accept?

Key To True Peace & Happiness

Who’s a football fan?? Me, too! I know you’ve heard of Herschel Walker. I have to say, even though he went to the University of Georgia (haha) I admire this guy tremendously. He was talking about God with one of the pastors I like to watch and he talked about God in a way that I want to share today.

He described the typical Christian’s relationship with God, how a lot of us treat Him like a spare tire that we hope is there when things go bad though we rarely think of Him when things are fine. He later compared God to a blocker like in his football days. That there can never be and will never be a better blocker in your life than God. The bible says that God goes before us making our crooked places straight and making streams for us in the desert. God promised that He will fight your battles for you if you will just stand still and have faith in Him.

It’s so simple that we oftentimes miss it. We just can’t imagine it’s that easy because everything else in life seems so hard. But Jesus said, “Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” You just have to accept it. Done – end of story. It IS that easy, friends! Once you TRULY surrender your will to God and allow Him to take over in every area of your life you will see life get more peaceful, more enjoyable, more successful. It’s like having a friend whose the CEO of a booming business with open positions but you go without a job because you haven’t asked your friend for help. Stop carrying your load like an unsolicited martyr and let God be God in your life! Release your fears and worries to Him and let the Creator of the universe make good on His promise to bring you into a prosperous, abundantly fulfilling life!

Pass The Test

I have to say, one of the things I really like about this blog format is that it gives me an, “audience breakdown.” There may be zero comments but there may also be 100 views. And one of the things it tells me is which posts have more views than others. I’ve heard Joyce Meyer talk about how she sells books/CDs on this topic more than that one and how that tells her a lot about people in general. It’s so true, too.

I’m human just like you so yeah, I’d much rather hear a message that today I’m going to be promoted at work, meet the person of my dreams, and find everything I’ve ever lost around my house. But here’s the thing, remember in school when you had to pass a certain class to be promoted to the next higher grade? You can’t be promoted to a higher level if you’re not willing to pass the test you’re in.

I know this post will be one of the less popular ones but I’m okay with that. Ya can’t keep doing the wrong things and expect right results. You have amazing things in your future! The bible says God has a level of peace and joy waiting for you HERE ON EARTH that you can’t even imagine - but there’s a catch. You have to let go of the hurts, the unanswered questions, the pride, the selfishness and really commit to seeking God’s will for your life. It’s like a diploma, they don’t just give them away BUT once you decide to buckle down and pass the necessary tests then you get to graduate to a higher level. Quit standing in your own way! Decide today that you’re done settling for where you are and start passing these tests so you can rise to that awesome higher place God wants to take you!

You're So Close, Don't Give Up!

I heard a story about how back in the 1800’s some explorers were going across a huge desert and didn’t bring enough water. They started digging at different spots underneath the surface about a foot or two trying to find water. They ended up dying in the desert because of a lack of water. Many years later it was discovered that there was water right there where they had lost their lives, about three feet underground. If they would have just dug down a little bit further they would have found the water and saved their lives.

The same principle is true when you’re going through a difficult time, when you don’t think your finances will ever improve or you’re struggling in a relationship. It’s easy to think, “This is never going to change. I’m never going to be truly happy.” No, just like those early explorers, provision is there. You just have to dig down a little bit deeper.

In Galatians it says, “At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” If you will shake off the self-pity, shake off the negative voices and begin declaring positive changes, start doing everything you possibly can in your power to turn it around, God will meet you at your level of effort and you will reap the full blessing and provision God has prepared for you!

Don't Allow Discomfort to Derail You

Are you faced with a problem right now that seems overwhelming? So many times we rush to escape from or pray away a trying situation, when God has you there on purpose. Think back through the bible about people who tried to run from God or do it “their way.” It’s foolish to think you will change His plan for your life simply because you chose to be stubborn. You can only prolong your lesson. You can only prolong your journey around that same tiresome mountain.

I’ve heard it said that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. He doesn’t bring opposition or struggle to hurt you, but He allows it to MOLD you. He knows the great things He has planned for you and He knows how to prepare you for it. Maybe that financial promotion would be too much for you without the strengthening of your self-discipline in spending. Maybe that awesome relationship you’re seeking would crash and burn without the battle you’re in that’s geared to make you tougher as a couple. Maybe the disease that might attack you years from now won’t be an issue if you’re committed to taking precautionary steps NOW to prevent it.

You already have what it takes, but you have to let go of pride and YOUR will. Trust that whatever is happening is according to God’s perfect plan for your life. You are EXACTLY where you’re supposed to be! Seek God on how to best handle it so that you can pass this test and move on into the amazing level of peace and joy He has prepared for you.

Toxic People

We all have people we know, maybe even well-meaning and good-hearted, who drama just seems to follow them around. No, many people who claim to dislike drama are the very ones doing nothing to avoid it. If anything, many times, they’re starting or perpetuating it. You say, well that’s just my friend, I can’t change them. Yes, that’s true, but you can limit your time with them. You can change the subject when they want to get you worked up.

I usually stay pretty well on top of who and what I allow in my personal life because I really do treasure peace and detest trifling people. Once I see that tendency in someone or group I run like a mad woman in the opposite direction. And sure, it’s caused sore feelings on the other person’s side, I’ve even lost friendships over it. But I’m ultimately okay with that because, as a result, I have a very peaceful, calm, enjoyable life and the people who remain in it support, encourage and uplift me. Understand this, God has designed an amazing plan for your life but you won’t be in a position to receive it if you’re bogged down with all of the toxic people who steal your peace and are always eager to fill up your free time with their mess. You don’t have to be rude. You don’t have to tell each and every person exactly why you can’t join their plans. No, you have “other plans” and that’s all there is to it. You don’t owe anyone a lengthy explanation. Quit acting as if their happiness is your responsibility – it’s not.

The few times I’ve allowed people in my inner circle who were into drama or behaviors that I found to be pointless or only adding negativity to my life it always turned out to be a tiring, stressful period, which I ended up regretting. Life is short and you must make wise decisions if you expect God to trust you with more blessing. If your child was making poor choices with their allowance, would you give them more money? No, you would wait to see them manage what they already have with care and good sense and then you advance them. It’s up to you, it really is. Stay caught up in the drama and stress of others, or start making responsible choices, even if it means losing “friends.” The ones who are truly for you will be there still. And the ones who aren’t, well, you don’t need them standing in the way of what wonderful potential your life has anyway.