lifestyles – Page 2 – B Is for Blessed!

Leap of Faith!

It is impossible to increase our faith without first exercising what we have. God gives us guidance but it is up to each of us to pick up our feet and take those next steps.

We may not always know where we are going; yet if we trust God to lead us, that is more than enough.

What are you waiting on?

Get moving!

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17 NKJV

But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Seasons…

“He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalms 1:3 NKJV

We all want to be “planted” by God, and prosper. Some of us expect to be fruitful all the time.

I can think of no tree that bears fruit all year long. So why should we expect that we are any different?

Mass media would have you believe if you aren’t doing “something” (fill in whatever blank applies to you) then you are doing nothing.

This isn’t how God works.

Your particular season may not occur the same time as your neighbor or even your spouse. Some people “peak early.” Others are “late bloomers.”

Don’t allow how things appear to deter you from your dreams!

The picture above was taken today. This hydrangea should have bloomed back in May. Somehow it isn’t allowing my expectations to hinder its blooms.

I think God is trying to tell me something.

There are a few things I want to do. Some would say I’m too old. Others would say I’m too inexperienced. Their points could be valid.

Yet with God, we’re not confined by other people’s expectations.

God doesn’t meet our expectations. In fact, His miracles often defy them!

It is in the silent and quiet times that God prepares for the fruit, the miracle, the breakthrough.

When Moses was up against the Red Sea with Egyptians at his back, it looked like God was doing nothing.

When Joshua first led the people around the city walls, it looked like God was doing nothing.

When Sara and Abraham waited decades before Isaac was born, it looked like God was doing nothing.

Each of these people was “planted” by God and fruitful in season.

We focus on the miracles but not so much on the “stuff” these Biblical heroes endured in their “dormancy.”

Moses murdered a man, wandered the desert and tended sheep for years before hearing God’s voice.

Joshua lived in the wilderness and had to wait for people to die before he could enter the Promised Land.

Sara and Abraham were close to dead and had “momma drama” due to their own impatience before God’s promise was fulfilled.

But their promises were fulfilled. In their season.

Ours can be too.

“To everything [there is] a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV

Pest Control!

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” Matthew 5:44 NKJV

I have yet to find any method of gardening that has proven to be pest free.

Over the years I have purchased enough insecticide to fill a storehouse. One kind of “bug killer” will not work on all the critters that plague my garden. I may think the ants have died only to realize weeks later they simply relocated a couple of feet. I have even prayed over my plants and pests only to find the pests were still there.

I finally realized what God knew all the time. Some pests are actually necessary.

Some may be irritating, biting, destructive and frustrating but they too have a reason and a season.

Fire ants common in Georgia, are well known for their sting We are not friends. However, my yard is not full of rotting wildlife. The ants for all their annoyance keep the carcass count to a minimum.

Reckless use of certain pesticides will kill not only those bugs that annoy but those that are helpful as well. The last thing I want is to kill all my ladybugs which help my garden grow!

As in the garden, so is it in our lives. Some people (pests) work our nerves, appearing detrimental but in God’s plan they actually serve a purpose. We pray for God to rid us of them when instead God is using our pests to promote us.

David was just a simple shepherd boy until he killed Goliath. The most imposing enemy of Israel pulled a small boy out of obscurity. We too, should allow our enemies their proper place in our lives.

View your pests not as a source of frustration, but as the friction that polishes you toward perfection.

Bless them. Pray over them. Even if you have to choke the words out!

God never asks us to do a thing that He has not given us grace enough to complete. Do it because God’s Word tells us to. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t easy.

Blessing our enemies promotes the spiritual growth we are incapable of producing without them. Sometimes our “pests” are for our best.

Address your pests as God directs you.

Don’t allow your disdain, irritation and judgement to lead you to make hasty or ineffective decisions.

Only God can eliminate pests precisely without adversely impacting everyone else.

Trust Him to use your pests to bring out the best in you!

Fall Fruit

Summertime yields a harvest of sweet tasty berries. Georgia melons are juicy and flavorful. However, as much as I love the fresh fruit of summer, a serving of it fails to keep full for very long.

Now apples and pears have never been my favorites. I eat them because I know they are good for me. These fall fruits are not as sweet, but they do fill me up and keep those hunger pains at bay.

Fall fruits have a long “shelf life” compared to summer fruit. Many last months often holding seeds within that can produce yet another harvest. In contrast, the berries I love last only a few days.

There comes a time to push aside the sweet things that are tasty for those heartier things that will sustain. I love “feel good” devotionals and encouraging words but we must diligently study scripture and spend time with God. We are comforted knowing there are better days ahead, yet we must also weather dark days and disappointments as well.

Spiritual fruit takes time to grow and develop. Many people are led to Christ in a moment, however it often takes decades to transform from who we are to who we can become.

Love, joy and peace are sweet berries for me. But long suffering? Not as tasty! Faithfulness and gentleness require a bit more from me as well. It is those trying experiences that cultivate the characteristics we lack and produce good fruit in us.

The Holy Spirit convicts us to mature in those areas we are deficient. We produce good fruit when we are obedient to Its prodding.

I suppose fall fruits are heartier and more sustaining because they give us what we need to survive the harsh winter. Each of has different “fall fruits,” we need to “digest.”

We grow when we choose things that are good for us and not just what tastes good. Studying scripture sustains. It isn’t as tasty as accepting God’s grace and mercy.

If we are to achieve our dreams, mature and fulfill our purpose, chewing on God’s Word is necessary. It will get us through our “winter” so we can reap a harvest!

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil,” Hebrews 5:13-14 NKJV

P is for Praise!

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoice; and with my song will I praise Him,” Psalms 28:7 KJV

“Praise” is mentioned roughly 200 times In the KJV Bible. The book of Psalms is full of songs that praise our God. This emphasis on “praise” should show us just how powerful it is. David wrote song after song about the greatness of God. His heart was filled with praise for the Father. Even after committing murder God’s love for David did not falter.

Could it be David’s continual praise made all the difference?

Praise was taken very seriously. There was praise before battle. There was praise after the battle was won. How much more could we find ourselves in God’s presence if we would intentionally praise Him beyond the church walls?

Praise is a mirror image of prayer. Our prayers tend to focus on us and our needs. Our praise glorifies the goodness of God!

Praise is the “thank you” we give God for each new day. Praise is the song that acknowledges that yes, God, I know it was you that pulled me through difficult times. Praise is worship. Praise is the product of allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest inwardly within us and we in turn manifest outwardly the joy and peace that He brings.

Praise paves the way for progress. Praise is the power that pushes us through situations instead of keeping us stuck in them. Praise speaks to God our Father and reflects our love for Him. Praise speaks to our own spirit and is an outpouring of His love for us.

Never minimize the power of Praise. It can open doors that have been shut for years. Praise can produce results you could never make happen!

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” Proverbs 18:21.

What kind of life do you want to live?

Don’t blame. Praise! Blame never produced one good thing. It is a negative reflection on a past you cannot change. However, praise uses your voice to push you into position to overcome past failures and open up to new opportunities. Praise takes the emphasis off of ourselves and magnifies our Father with Whom all things are possible!

Praise God because of His goodness. Praise Him for who He is. Praise God for what has done for you!

Replace your complaints with praise and see what a difference it makes in your life. Praise is the fuel that allows you to fly high with faith. Allow your praise to raise you to levels you never dared believe you could achieve.

Praise God in all things!

P is for Praise!

“I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness; and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” Psalms 7:17 KJV

“Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.” Psalms 69:34 KJV

Follow Through!

“Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” James 2:22 NKJV

We often begin a task full of optimism and confident that God can see us through our challenges. It may be something such as starting a diet, a budget or a changing careers.

However, our good intentions are often derailed as soon as the path we have chosen gets a little bumpy, muddy, broken or narrow. Sometimes when we make a concerted effort to break specific strongholds, the more things seemingly come against us.

Good intentions are often interrupted by family obligations, emergencies, or other events. A number of things can just “appear” right when we decide to make some serious changes. This is the time when you must press forward with “follow through faith.”

This faith is different from the initial confidence that you can “do all things through Christ.” We often know what is possible, yet still fail to push through to that next level.

This faith allows you to pass the cookie aisle when you need to lose weight. It forces you to sign up for classes even though you seemingly don’t have the time. It pushes you to apply for another job, open a savings account or put into action those things that will promote the changes you desire.

We often pray to God for change but fail to do our part to produce the change. The first day or even week we often start out strong but then as time wears on and the task becomes harder we often fall back into comfortable habits that don’t push us to mature into all that we can become.

Follow through faith prompts us to do the things we don’t feel like doing. It pushes through fatigue and pessimism. It does not yield to complacency. It sees beyond the pain that will yield the eventual gains.

Follow through faith differentiates the believers from achievers. Achievers continue down the narrow path even as the pain sets in. Achievers are not afraid of failure as they pursue their goals. They simply learn from their mistakes and move on.

Follow through faith will push you forward when everything and everyone around you is a deterrent.

You can believe all things are possible, but are you willing to obey God and push yourself to turn the possibility into a reality?

What is God asking you to follow through?

***I’ll be “out of the office” until next week. I’ll respond to comments when I return 🙂

Open Your Eyes!

So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
Mark 10:51 NKJV

I was standing in faith for God’s provision but couldn’t see how He would solve a particular problem. If there was to be a solution, God would have to provide it.

During this time, a piece of mail sat on my kitchen counter. God finally drew me to it because I have a huge stack sitting there. I half heartedly opened it and in the envelope was my answer.

Often what we need and prayed for is right before us if only we would see what God has done!

Our blessings can’t bless us if we don’t “see” them. To see them, we must open our eyes and minds. Our assumptions cloud our vision!

We must train ourselves to see God’s presence and provision in the midst of our trials!

My “answer” looked like junk mail! How many times do we overlook answers to our problems simply because they don’t appear the way we expect them to?

God often directs people to us, but we can easily look past them because they don’t look or act the way we do. Wisdom, friendship, understanding, and comfort we lose because we are blind to what is really there.

I read an interesting statement recently. “We are so busy trying to work up to God that we fail to see He has already reached down to us.” ***

The posturing, rituals, and habits we propose to worship Him sometime get in the way of truly communing with God. When we look for God all around us, we can abide with Him right where we are.

Open your eyes and open your mind to something different. Different people. Different places. Different possibilities.

You just may find the blessing you’ve been searching for has been in front of you all along.

Open your eyes and see…

***If you are the author of these words I can not get out of my mind please let me know so I can link back to your original post!

What Do You See?

Sometimes it is not a failure to let go of the past that prevents us from moving forward. Instead, a lack of vision for our future prevents the preparation necessary to manifest our innermost dreams.

Dare to prepare for opportunities that lie ahead. Your greatest victories await if you have faith for what God can do ~~for~~ with you!

“Where [there is] no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy [is] he.” Proverbs 29:18 NKJV

“Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer,” Proverbs 30:25 NIV

“But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.” And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” Isaiah 58:13-14 NKJV

How Do You View It?

perspective a) a specific point of view in understanding things or events b) the ability to see things in a true relationship, Webster’s Dictionary

The majority of the frustration and anxiety we face is not necessarily due to an “enemy attack.” The mental chaos we sometimes experience stems from failing to view things in the proper perspective.

Psalms teach us to “Magnify the Lord.” However, many Believers who magnify the Lord at church services obsess about and magnify their problems when challenges arise.

We sometimes fail to appreciate just how great our God is and His omnipotent power. Instead, we may talk (repeatedly) of our problems, struggles and daily aggravations.

If we would put the same effort into acknowledging the greatness of our God as we do reiterating our circumstances, we would realize how inconsequential most of our “problems” are in comparison to Him.

God is larger than your “situation” or whatever you are dealing with. You must have faith that what you can’t do, God can do for you!

When we continually moan, gripe and complain the only thing we do is enlarge our “thing” in our mind’s eye. Our negative words distort our vision. We can find faults where there are none and create major issues out of minor annoyances.

The wrong perspective is akin to viewing life in a carnival house of mirrors. What we see is distorted and warped, not at all reality.

The right perspective guides us away from poor decisions. The right perspective eliminates stress and allows us to live blessed.

P is for perspective. Changing how you view it might just get you through it!

P is for Purpose

We all have a purpose. God loves, corrects and directs us enabling us to walk into the talents and dreams that He instills within each of us.

Purpose means that we have a job or a role to fulfill according to God’s plan. This means that no matter what we “mess up” in life, God is not done with us. He can still use us to serve some purpose in His Kingdom.

We are not here by accident and each have something to contribute no matter what the media, economy or naysayers may say. As people who have a role or a purpose in God’s great scheme we should act like the children of God that we are!

God can turn life’s “losers” into winners. Only He can transform the addict into a counselor. God can allow you to lose it all so that you are a better steward when He later restores you. God can allow the tests you endure to become a testimony that not only glorifies Him, but inspires someone else to seek salvation.

Never doubt that God has a plan for you. God can use your past mistakes as learning blocks for spiritual growth. Your experiences and failures are opportunities that you can share to show not just how God got you through the storm but how God got you to a better outcome.

We can’t possibly imagine how God places each piece of the puzzle together. However we can trust that God has a purpose and a plan, when we (deceptively) feel like we have nothing at all.

God can take the least of us and transform us into something great. God spared a baby and made him deliverer of a nation. God took a shepherd boy and anointed him King. Moses and David were not perfect, yet God used them nonetheless.

We don’t have to be perfect to fulfill our purpose. If we make ourselves available, God will surely make us able!

“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose.” Psalms 20:4 NKJV

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,” Ephesians 1:11 NKJV

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NKJV