Happy New Year!! Praise God for a New Year to get it right. What will you do in 2014 to step outside of your comfort zone to build a better you, a better future and to come together in unity?
To God be the glory! I’m grateful for another day to praise God and to thank Him for all that He has done. Thanks to all of my friends, family, customers, and to anyone who is reading this blog . We tend to get so busy in our lives; we seldom take the time to stop and say thanks. One of my desires for 2014 is to reach out to more people in unity like Jesus said to do. I pray all of us will strive to do the same.
I’m extremely grateful for wonderful people like Sis. Mongolis who barely knew me, but saw God’s vision and offered to help me get the word out about Anointed Gifts. She gave many of my inspirational bookmarks to people she met on the bus while ministering to them. One young man was a marine who had just come back from combat and was touched by my writing I’m a Survivor. After reading it, he cried and asked for a Bible. Sister Mongolis went on to pray with him and told Him that God loves and forgives him. Sister Mongolis has a heart after God; she desires to do His work. Daily, she steps outside of her box to minister to people from all walks of life from all over the city. Sister Mongolis is a blessing to the body of Christ. I’m thankful for her and the work she does for the City of Angels.
2013 was very challenging on my end; however, through the challenges God strengthen my faith and drew me closer to Him. He showed me how to dig deeper in my everyday walk and by doing so my spiritual walk deepen into a greater understanding of what it truly means to walk by faith and to be an overcomer. It is written in 3 John 1:2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
God tells us throughout His word, that He delights in our prosperity, however, it is our spirit which He desires to prosper the most. Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” God’s idea of success and man’s idea of success are different. Matthew 6:33 “Man seeks for the riches of this world; yet, God tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Romans 8:5 “for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”
What are you doing as a Christian to develop your spirit man?” How do you handle the challenges of life? Are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone and little box to embrace a bigger box? Do you put God in a box?
Jesus said “how do you know them? You will know them by their fruits. A good tree can’t bear bad fruit and a bad tree can’t bear good fruit.” Galatians 5:22-25 “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” What fruit are we showing to the world we live in? Are we a light?
Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “
I can only speak for myself. Praise God for another day to get it right where I messed up yesterday. Unlike many folks in the world today, I don’t mind saying I need Jesus to get it right. He tells us in Psalms 139:23 to ask Him to “Search me, O God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts.” By doing so, He is able to do a great work in us. We must surrender in order for that work to be done. As we acknowledge Him in all our ways and lean not to our own understanding according to Proverbs 3:6, “He shall direct our path.” I welcome God to direct my path according to His will and not my own; He already knows what’s ahead. Praise God for His mercy and grace. I’m thankful that mercy and grace follow me around every day. Praise God that He is bigger than any box we can ever imagine with no limitations.
I praise God for my challenges during 2013. Those challenges birthed many wonderful things like a new business with many services, but most of all I’m wiser, stronger and my walk with God is awesome. The joy of the Lord is my strength and God’s unconditional love and forgiveness reign supreme. Things that use to bother me, don’t even phase me anymore. I have a greater understanding of God’s will verses my own will and how to wait on God. Man’s rejection is God’s protection; where He leads He provides. How awesome is our God?
Greater things to come, as God increases and we decrease. God tells us in Psalms 66: 9-12.
Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to be moved.
For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out into a wealthy place.
And does not allow our feet to be moved.
For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out into a wealthy place.
I welcome this season of restoration. I welcome another opportunity to grow deeper in the Lord.
Rev: 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
I’m thankful to God to be able to give a testimony of How He took care of a single mother with three sons without income to rise above her circumstances to build an empire that will offer assistance and jobs to many people. God carried me when I couldn’t carry myself. He believed in me, when I didn’t. He provided in ways that no human being can ever do. For this, I’m forever grateful.
