Not Sure of Anything But....

Have you compared your success to other people's success? Do feel like your neighbor is getting ahead in life by doing everything wrong while you are trying to get ahead by doing everything right and fail?

There was a man named David.  He wrote, well he really sang about this very situation. He became envious of the boastful when he saw the prosperity of the wicked in his town. For the wicked people had no hurts in their life, they were strong, and didn't get into trouble. These people were filled with pride, were violent and rich. It disturbed him so much he cried out and asked if there was a God.  He saw that the wicked were prospering in their disgusting life and people he got upset!

But then David changed his perspective. His heart began to grieve and recognized he was being foolish and ignorant. David realized that God was with him. He realized that his God was his strength and and his portion forever. You see, those who are far from God will be destroyed one day. Right now is the time to draw near to God; put your trust in the Lord God. 

Did you know that what you speak about comes about? Yep, "Death and life are the in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" When you speak death over your life or someone else's you are making it happen. When you speak life into a life or edify that life, you are making it happen.  

When you have accepted God's free gift of salvation, you are a new creation in Christ and the old things have passed away; all things have become new. This includes the way you think too. God wants you to think on those things which are good, pleasing, praiseworthy, and honest. The way to do this is to transform the renewing of your mind. Think about what you think about. Is what you think about positive or negative? Is what you think about good or bad? Are you thinking of things that will lift a person up or bring them down? This includes the thoughts you have of yourself. 

So if you have a good thought and then a bad thought, don't beat yourself up, just keep going. You have to train  your thinking pattern like an athlete trains his body. You have to bring your body, mind, will, and emotions into subjection. Train it the way  you want to think.  Keep trying even after you fall. 

The best part about this transformation in the way you speak or think is, remember you are not alone in doing it. 

You see if you ask God for wisdom on how to do this, or anything, he will give it to you liberally and without holding back. He will also strengthen you when you draw close to Him and ask for help. 

So just for today, try to speak good things, think good thoughts and then watch a situation or person change. 

I am currently praying for four lives to be changed by praying biblically for them. I expect great things to happen in their life because of the way I am speaking about them and thinking about their situation. 

~Be encouraged, today is a new day for new beginnings. 

Proverbs 18:21

2 Corinthians 5:17

1 Corinthians 9:24

Romans 12:2

Eph 10:6-17

Psalm 138:3

James 1:5

Eph 5:2

Psalm 73  

Stolen Nuggets

This is a Saturday morning and I really wanted to sleep in. I don't get to sleep late in the mornings and when I do it's usually when I need to get up early.  This particular morning, my dog, Sadie, woke me up to open the door so she could do her "business." When I was just about to head back to bed, I felt lead to pray and spend time with Jesus. Now, when He wakes me up and places in my heart to spend time with Him, I know there is a treasured nugget for me to find. I truly found it too. I hope you will find it also.

I learned this morning that you and I are stolen from everyday. Yep, everyday, and we do not recognize it. Here, let me ask you a couple of questions.

• Do you concentrate on what others think of you? 
• Do you look at other people around you and meditate on their skills?
• Do you have a little envy towards others and what they can do that you cannot? 
• Do you sometimes feel like you are inadequate at your job or at  home?
• Do you concentrate more on the negative things around you?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, you have had something precious stolen from you; your confidence. See, when we concentrate on the negative things in our lives, we cannot concentrate on the positive ones.
When you look in the mirror, who do you see? You see yourself right?  Do you see someone to your left? Do you see someone on your right? Is anyone behind you?  Okay, so it's just YOU.

Now, let us look at the positive side; YOU. What are you good at? Start making the list.  Here I will help you.

• Can you cook?  What is your best meal  you fix? 
• Do you like to entertain people? Have you hosted a part or dinner recently?
• Do you like to read? What was the last book you read? What did you learn from it?
• Are you an organizer? What did you recently plan? 
• Do you sing?  The last place you sang at was where? What did you sing? 
• Do you write?  Did you right a letter or note to someone recently? 
• Do you pray? Do you spend more than 5 minutes in prayer?

Was there something on this list that you are good at doing?  If you good and if you did not, that is okay too. This list is just a beginning for you find out what you are good at.

I am an organizer. I enjoy setting events up, making a list and crossing things off of it. I am good at that. I have the tendency to look at others and say to me, "she is upset with me because I did not complete _______________."  I will literally knock myself down and feel low because of my negative thinking.

But, God! This morning he showed me that I have victories in Him. I have triumphs in my life because of what He has given to me.  I have a tendency to ignore the mirror and build up others in my life and break myself down. There are people that I hang out with that are not organizers.
"I would say to me, "Man, he did a great job at cooking that Chili. I wish I could make food taste that good."  "I just cannot cook."

What I should be saying is this: "Marjorie, you did a great job at organizing the people to help in the kitchen by cleaning the dishes, take the trash out, put food away, and pack up the cook's materials."
The cook triumphed through Jesus in making the meal. I had the victory in Jesus of organizing people to do certain jobs to help clean the kitchen up.

It says in the Bible that "there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."  Know that God created you with a gift that only you can do. He gives you the success in that gift when you use it to Glorify Him or use it with good intentions.  There are others around you that may say to themselves, "Man, she is so good at ________, look I am slacking at getting ____________ done. I wish I could be like her."

Don't discount that people look at you with a desire to be you. However, God created just one you and you are unique in many facets.

~Be encouraged, God didn't have time to make a nobody just a somebody and that somebody special is YOU. You have victories in Jesus; I hope you will take them back.