FAITH While You Wait!

There is a difference between faith & wishing. Faith sees, feels, knows, talks about, envisions, before it is a reality. Faith comes by hearing. Faith is. #talkaboutittilitsreal #myproof? #tylerjr #trinityfaith #timothyisaacjosiah

Romans 10:17 (KJV) - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Yesterday I posted the above quote to my social media outlets. I began thinking about faith. About our successes, as well as things we are still standing in faith to see come to pass. I began to think on our greatest success thus far in regards to faith. It was an easy example, our children. 

It all began in 2001-2002. Newly married, a new business and growing in our walk with the Lord. As we were aggressively expanding and growing our new business, we found ourselves driving a lot in the expansion process. We would drive from Myrtle Beach, SC to the Atlanta Metro area in Georgia. The one way drive was a short 6 hours. There were seasons where we drove this several times a week, leaving Myrtle Beach at 3:00 in the afternoon, driving to Georgia for a 1-2 hour meeting, and turning around and driving home. We had a LOT of time on the road. We had a LOT of time to talk. 

FAITH BEGAN
Often on our 6 hour drive home, we were almost talked out. We had talked about everything and to stay awake, we began talking about our future children. We had already decided we wanted 4 children, and had already decided upon their names. Our drive consisted of imagining what they would be like, act like, look like, their personalities, their gifts, talents and abilities, how tall they would be, the color of their eyes, thickness of their hair, even down to who would be the one child who would like to snuggle the most. We began talking about, imagining and SEEING our children.

We began talking about, praying for, seeing, imagining our four children: Tyler, Trinity, Timothy & Taylor, in that order. Two boys, two girls. To this day, I'm still not sure why we believed them in the order of boy, girl, boy, girl, but we did. That is how we saw them. We talked about how Trinity would love to feed daddy. She would feed him bites of her food (and at age 2 1/2, SHE DOES THAT!), and when she was old enough she would make him sandwiches, carrying it in on a plate and beam with pride as daddy thanked her. She would love to serve daddy (and even her brothers), simultaneously this is also the love language of her dad, "acts of service." From the book The Five Love Languages, this is one of the ways Tyler feels loved the most. Taylor on the other hand, wouldn't be the serving type, but she would be the snuggler out of the four kids. She would love to be held, hugged and could just sit in your lap, loving you with her affection. 

I could go on about all the things we talked about, but the bottom line is, WE TALKED and FAITH CAME! Faith comes by hearing! I HEARD my voice as I talked to Tyler, I heard my voice talk about our children, and I listened and HEARD as Tyler also talked about them, and we were in agreement (Matthew 18:19). As we SPOKE WORDS out of our mouth, FAITH CAME. Until, our kids took on themselves, years before they actually arrived. They began to take shape, because we spoke about and envisioned them. We talked about them like they were REAL and one by one, they have become the real, live, manifestation of what we spoke about. 

I've heard many people say comments like, "Well, we're just not like you and Tyler. It just doesn't happen like that with everyone. My husband and I can't just 'pick out' whether we want a boy or girl next."  

My thoughts behind that comment? Tyler and I just spent more time building our FAITH around who our kids were and who they would become. Sure, someone who just makes a decision, hopes for or wishes to have a "baby boy next," may or may not have a boy. How real did that baby boy become? Did they see him, talk about him, envision him, see his characteristics, personality? My questions to them would be, DID FAITH REALLY COME? Did you talk about them so much, OUTLOUD, with your words that, as Romans 10:17 says, FAITH CAME. 

Don't get me wrong, why haven't some of our other dreams and goals come to pass yet? I believe many still will, but why not yet? Well… I believe it is our responsibility to speak about, envision, see those goals becoming a reality. SPEAKING ABOUT them until FAITH COMES. Faith GIVES birth to a new, dreamed, reality! 

When were our children born? Tyler Jr - 2009, Trinity Faith - 2011, Timothy Isaac Josiah - 2013. BUT, truly on our drives from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach, THAT IS WHEN OUR CHILDREN WERE BORN. 

Tyler Jr, Trinity & Timothy …. one more to go! Our baby girl Taylor!

Finding the WORD for YOUR Situation!

Jeremiah 30:2 - Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.

Jeremiah 30:8b - ... I will burst your bonds....

Is there something that you desire to come to pass in your life? Maybe it is the desire of an accomplishment; owning a business, becoming financially independent, writing & publishing a book. Maybe it's an actual physical item, like a house or car. Or quite possibly it could be experiencing freedom in your life from something that is holding you back, some sort of bondage, something you feel is holding you captive. It could be experiencing freedom from a long term addiction to food, alcohol, drugs, sexual sin.

Friend, I encourage you to FIND THE WORD for your situation! God has laid out 66 BOOKS of answers, and within the text of His Word is YOUR answer! There is the rock, the foundation, the place which to plant your flag! Plant your faith. Do you have a desire? FIND THE WORD for your situation and STAND on that promise until it comes to pass! Let's just look at a few examples:

• Desire for a House:
Deuteronomy 6:10-11(KJV) - ..And the Lord thy God ... shall give thee houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not! - Do you desire a house? PLANT your faith on this verse! Plant your faith on THIS Word! Confess daily: "Thank you Lord for GIVING me HOUSES that are filled with good things! Thank you Father that you GIVE me the house I desire according to YOUR WORD in Deuteronomy 6:10-11! Thank you Lord! I receive your Word coming to pass in my life!"

• Desire to be free from bondage:
Jeremiah 30:8 - I will BURST your bonds! - You do not have to remain captive to bondage! CONFESS daily, "Thank you Lord, according to Jeremiah 30:8, you have BURST the bondage I have had to the sin of ______________. Thank you for bursting that bondage! Thank you for SETTING ME FREE that I no longer have to remain a captive to this sin. Thank you for FREEDOM!!!"

• Desire for Success as an Entrepreneur:
Proverbs 8:12 -  I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. - Witty Inventions? This could include concepts, ideas, actual inventions.... ideas that will help you be successful as a Child of God. Confess Daily: "Thank You Lord that you give me ideas, concepts, witty inventions that allow me to be financially independent. Ideas that You guide me to put into place that will allow me to financially bless and further my family and the Kingdom of God! Thank You that You give me more than enough in store for my family and to bless others!"

• Desire for Healing to your Body:
 Psalm 107:20 - He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. - God can HEAL YOUR BODY. Apply the Word to it! Confess Daily: "Thank You Lord that You have sent out YOUR WORD to Heal my body! Thank You that I walk in divine health! Thank You for healing me of any disease, germ or virus that touches my body, that it dies instantly in Jesus Name. Thank You that everything that has a name has to bow at the name of Jesus. In Jesus name I speak to the sickness of _____________ , and tell it you have NO PLACE IN MY BODY! I call my body healed and whole in JESUS NAME!" - I confess this on a regular basis and THE WORD of God healed my deformed pinky finger!!! I had broken or severely jammed my pinky finger when I was younger, for 10-20 years, I had just accepted it! One day I noticed, after I had been REGULARLY confessing this confession over my body, ONE day I looked at my finger and it was COMPLETELY NORMAL! The Word of God straightened and thinned out my finger until it looked JUST LIKE my other normal, pinky finger! 

The WORD WORKS! Apply the WORD to your life

Whatever it is for you, whatever the need, the dream, the desire, there IS A WORD for your situation! Search out the Word for your situation. There is a WORD for anything and everything, it is your job to find these hidden treasures that are HIDDEN FOR YOU TO FIND, and apply them to your life! Be diligent to confess the Word over YOUR SITUATION and watch the WORD come to pass in your life!

Be blessed today friend!

SPEAKING!

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it (for death or life).

What are you saying? I've read this scripture many times. I've read books about positive confession, the power of your words, and confessing what the Word says. This morning I also read in a little book, "God's Creative Power" a statement that said, "Jesus said, "I HAVE TOLD MY PEOPLE THEY CAN HAVE WHAT THEY SAY"but "MY PEOPLE ARE SAYING WHAT THEY HAVE.""

They who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it. Eating the fruit of our words... the results. After years of studying the Word, reading faith based books, listening to ministers of the gospel, I feel like I have gotten good at curving what I speak. Instead of, "I have a headache." I may say, "I'm overcoming a headache." of "I'm healed of a headache." - Saying "I have a headache" is taking ownership of that headache, like "it's MINE!" Like I want it, I'm going to keep it. And headaches are not something I want to own or keep! I know that something like a headache is covered by 1 Peter 2:24, "By Jesus stripes I'm HEALED!" - I am HEALED of ALL headaches because Jesus went to the cross for them!

Anyways... I personally feel like I have gotten good at curving what I say, but the key thing I need to work on is SAY MORE! I need to SAY MORE! I need to SAY the LIFE that I want. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death AND LIFE are in the power of the tongue and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it." LIFE is in the power of MY tongue! Am I living the LIFE that I want? If NOT then I am indulging in exactly what I'm speaking. If I'm not speaking enough, then I am receiving what the scripture says and I will sit right where I am.

I know for me, along with the proper action that is required to get my life where I want it to be, I need to make sure my WORDS accompany my actions. I know "Faith without works is dead." If I'm going to be in "faith," my actions need to show my faith. But I also know that I need to put my words to work more frequently!

What about you? What are you speaking? Are you speaking life? Are you speaking death? Are you not speaking enough? Do you need to SPEAK more?

#230 - What NOT to say!

Proverbs 12:18 - There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 31:26 - She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].

Have you ever had someone tell you something that you were simply shocked to hear? Have you ever thought, "Did you really just say that out-loud? Are you serious?" Well, today is probably going to be a bit more of a lighter post, but I wanted to share some of those comments of "what NOT to say!"

Today, I am officially "Full-Term" in my pregnancy with Trinity Faith, so she could technically come any time now. Being pregnant, over the last several months as Trin has grown, it has been quite an interesting journey of WHAT people will say to a pregnant lady! Some people COMPLETE strangers, some friends, some family, some women, some men, some other pregnant women, some fellow church goers.... ALL of these are people who have made a comment to me (or other pregnant friends of mine) that have been completely shocking! It has provided for almost daily, interesting conversation at home! I have a several good friends and we are all due within a few days/weeks of each other. We frequently will text back and forth the funny, yet shocking things we heard in the grocery store or some other random place. People are funny!

SO... save yourself from being the conversation piece at the someone else's dinner table.... here are some tips....

WHAT NOT TO SAY TO A PREGNANT WOMAN

• (Our pool attendant, a rather BIG fellow, said this to another pregnant woman) - "Wow! You look like SHAMU! Aren't you due to have that baby?"
• (Said from another PREGNANT woman!!) - "Wow _________, you look like you are about to POP!" 
• "Are you having twins?" 
• "Are you SURE you're not having twins?!" 
• "You must be due ANY time now!"
• (Said from a family member!) "Yah, we're just not like those skinny, cute, pregnant people that look like they are carrying a basketball. We just carry differently."
• (Said from another female.) "You look way overdue! When is this baby coming?"
• (Said from a woman to a friend who was pregnant.) "You just look like you are a lot further along than you are."
• "You look so tired. You must be ready to have that baby!"

As I read over the comments that have been said to me or one of my 5-6 pregnant friends... I'm just amazed that people will say some things OUT-LOUD! And WOMEN at that!?!? The pregnant woman receiving the comment is most likely thinking, "Really? So you are saying that I look fat. I'm already feeling tired, heavy, sore from carrying this 20-30 pound bowling ball on my stomach 24/7, I'm trying to be able to breathe because this baby is squishing my lungs, I haven't slept great the last several nights... and now you are going to TELL Me that's how I look?! Thanks! It just made my day!" 

WHAT IS OK?

• If in doubt, don't say ANYTHING at all!
• "Wow you look so cute!"
• "You look like you are ALL baby!"
• "From behind, I couldn't even tell you were pregnant. You look super cute!"
• "Mam, you don't look like you are having twins!" (My husband told this to a woman on Saturday as he overheard the man in front of him say to her, "Wow! You look like you are having twins!")

So.... take notes from the Proverbs 31 woman. Open your mouth in skillful & godly wisdom, on your tongue, speak the law of Kindness! Even just the common practice of "Thinking Before Speaking." Not JUST to pregnant women, but to anyone. How is your comment going to sound coming out? Is it going to encourage, uplift & build up (Eph 4:29)? How would you feel if someone said the same thing to you? 

Just some food for thought this morning. Sure.... it's kind of funny stuff, but hopefully good to hear! A thought to leave you with..... Think Before Speaking! :) 

Have a blessed day!

 

#226 - Wake Up Your Brain!

Proverbs 30:2-3 - Surely I am too brutish and stupid to be called a man, and I have not the understanding of a man [for all my secular learning is as nothing]. ³I have not learned skillful and godly Wisdom, that I should have the knowledge or burden of the Holy One.

Proverbs 31:10a - A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman--who is he who can find her?

Brainless. Have you ever went through your day and just felt like you had your brain turned off? Like you left your house without it? You left your brain & your cup of coffee on the counter as you headed out the door for work. Then... you went about your day just taking whatever came, accepting it and adjusting accordingly. Good & bad, you just accepted it.

This morning before I got into reading the Word, the Holy Spirit addressed this very issue with me. Here were some of His thoughts to me:

You have a lot more choices than you really are aware of. Choices to accept things & live with them, or simple choices NOT to accept certain things & live with them. Many believers go on with life never thinking, just accepting! If you & others would wake your BRAIN up, you would realize areas, little, simple areas of victory you COULD be walking in. These victories causing you to be more productive with less toil, happier & more fulfilled than you could have thought. 

Little, simple victories. I'm all about victories in my life! For me, part of what the Holy Spirit was referring to related specifically to energy, or lack there of.  Being 35 weeks pregnant, I have definitely had LOTS of times recently where I have been completely drained and in need of a nap. I've got to the end of my rope many days and had to sleep. The Holy Spirit addressed with me, speaking to my energy levels BEFORE getting tired. Speaking to my energy levels during a time I felt fresh. As it says in Romans, calling things that are not as though they were. Sure, we all have choices. I could leave my brain off, and when fatigue hit, just go with it and take a nap. Wrong, no, not necessarily. BUT what the Holy Spirit was wanting to reveal to me was this, I do not just HAVE TO accept what comes. I have choices! You have choices! So often, our brain is turned off to our rights as a believer, the promises that are ours. It takes a conscience effort to keep our brains turned on. To really evaluate, Is this right? Should I accept this or choose something different? Is there something better? What does the Word say?"


As it talks about in Proverbs 30:2 and Proverbs 31:10, we can live being stupid or being intelligent. Proverbs 30 talks about the stupid man living off merely his secular knowledge and this knowledge is as nothing. How awesome that as believers we CAN walk in skillful & godly wisdom. We have access to not just walking through life accepting what comes our way, but with our brains ON, and being tuned in to the Holy Spirit, we truly can live a better life! We can life a blessed life even in the simple areas. Even in the simple day to day activities like housework or grocery shopping or having energy! We can look to the Word for ANY situation we are going through and apply the Word, confess it & walk in it. Specifically for me & energy, I could choose to apply the Word this way:

Thank You Father that Your Word says in Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired." Father, since Your Word says it, I'm going to believe it! Therefore I CHOOSE to have ENERGY! I choose to be RENEWED! Thank you Father for giving me energy! Thank you for being true to Your Word and performing it! I praise you that I can have a day filled with energy, energy that YOU promised! Thank You FATHER for ENERGY TODAY!!! 

Do you see how easy it would be turn on or off our brain? For me in this situation, to turn off my brain and accept fatigue without even a second thought. Or turn ON my brain, accept the WORD of God & His promises and receive energy! Unfortunately, many a days have went by where my brain has been turned off in this area, and I have just accepted fatigue.

What is it for you today? I challenge you today, don't just accept what comes your way today. Filter it! Do you REALLY want to receive it? Does it REALLY line up with the Word of God? Wake up your brain and walk in the promises that God has for you!

#212 - Prove It!

Good morning! It is one of those mornings where God just overwhelmed me with His Word. Proverbs 3 is so full of good nuggets & insight. Where do we even begin?! If I could... if I had no other responsibilities or schedule (aka: getting a child up and feeding him! ha!), I think I would just enjoy sitting here and reading over and over all the topics that are covered just in this ONE chapter! For the sake of time, your time & mine, we will stick with one or two main "take-aways" from the Word this morning. Let's get started!

Proverbs 3:1 - MY SON, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments...

Proverbs 3:9-10 - Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.

Malachi 3:10 - Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Proverbs 31:18a - She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good...

I'm sure you NEVER do this... but, a shot in the dark.... have you ever questioned God's Word? Maybe in your heart, deep down you believe it, but in your mind you'd thinking, "Come on God! Where are the results?! This is what it says, why isn't it happening? When is it going to happen?" I'm sure you never think that, but I must say, at times I have.

I woke up this morning and began my normal "routine." Got my yummy coffee that Tyler made for me, grabbed my phone, the baby monitor & my Bible, turned on the lamp light on the end table (because who knows, lamp lighting is SO much better than the bright ceiling lights!), and sat comfortably on my couch, propping my Bible on my lap with a soft pillow. Tyler had a meeting with his boss... which by the way, according to Proverbs 3:4, TYLER shall find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight  of God and his boss, Kim! Since he had his meeting, he was gone early, so it was just me. Me, the silence & my Bible. Quite a good combination!


As I journaled, I was just putting God in remembrance of His Word! I was THANKING Him, according to certain scripture, for what I have believed for to come to pass. I was REMINDING God what His Word says. Ok, Ok...you are right, God did not forget what His Word says, and the Bible also says He is a Performer of His Word. He brings His Word to pass. As I thanked Him, I was just reminding Him that, I too, know what His Word says. I too, am standing on faith that His Word works! After doing all this, and taking some time to journal and write down what I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying to me, I cracked open my Bible to Proverbs 3. Wouldn't you know it, the very first verse says,  forget not my law or teaching.


I immediately thought of Joseph. I thought of Joseph's long journey from being thrown into a pit by his very own brothers, being sold into slavery to a passing caravan, being accused of making a pass at another man's husband (but being innocent), being thrown into jail unjustly and staying there for years, until finally he was lifted out of the place where he was and put into a position, 2nd in command over the WHOLE nation! He literally SAVED nations from starvation during a point of famine. I thought about Joseph because I can only imagine, being human, that at times maybe it was a bit discouraging. That, like me, maybe he too wondered, "Lord, where are the results? Where is the fruit from the dream that you showed me as a teenager? When is the time going to come where I see & live my dream?"


I would anticipate that those thoughts had to go through Joseph's mind at some point. My solution. Patience, obedience & putting God in CONTINUAL remembrance of His Word! One area where we can be faithful that is EXTREMELY important is the area of tithing. What is tithe? By definition, it is 10% of our increase. 10%. Not our "loose change" that we flippantly just throw into the offering plate as it flies by. The neat thing, is what the Word promises, in numerous places, but here you see it in Malachi & in Proverbs!

Proverbs 3:9-10 - Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of ALL your income; So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.

Malachi 3:10 - Bring ALL the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and PROVE ME NOW by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

I take some things very literally.... and with this, I take it literally also. In Amy's translation of the dictionary, "all" means "ALL." "Everything... leaving nothing out. ALL."  Even if I get a gift, birthday money, Christmas money, any increase of income, I choose to give the 1st fruits of it, 10%.  The blessing that follows is that in the Bible, Malachi 3:10 is one of the only places where THE LORD says to PROVE ME! Or in another translation, TEST ME. He is telling us that HE WILL PROVE to US that if we are faithful, HE will bring to pass the blessings, the overflow. So much that our "storage places" (aka: in today's time, bank accounts.) will overflow & increase. We will not even have ROOM for all that He has in store for us. Now friend, THAT, is good news!

Our Proverbs 31 friend is able to "taste & see." She has tithed, she has operated in patience, faithfulness, diligence, and she gets to the wonderful place of TASTING & SEEING the fruit of her labor! She is enjoying the increase & blessings that come along with faithfulness. Praise the Lord.

God is NO respecter of persons. His Word will work for you too! Prove it Lord! Prove it! Let's put Him in remembrance of His Word. He IS faithful and He WILL preform it!

#159 - Give Your Battle a VOICE!

GOOD MORNING! It's a bit chilly out there today!! Is it where you live?? Yesterday was rainy and cold, definitely an indoor day. We enjoyed the weekend in Indiana doing business & visiting my family.... got home around 2:00 am yesterday after a 13 hour DRIVE! Yes, DRIVE! Even with a 1 year old! Wow! Quite amazing, I know! Tyler Jr was quite a trooper, such a good little traveler. Nonetheless, after getting home, bringing some stuff in, and finally getting to bed, we were rolling upon 3:00, so TJ & I slept in yesterday! He didn't wake up until 11:30!!

Well, let's get going and see what the Lord has to say today! :)

Psalm 29:2 - Give to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness or in holy array.

Psalm 29:3a, 4a, 5a, 7a, 8a, 9a - The voice of the Lord...  The voice of the Lord...  The voice of the Lord...  The voice of the Lord...  The voice of the Lord...  The voice of the Lord... 

Psalm 29:11 - The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. 

As I began into my Quiet Time this morning, like usual, I first pulled out my journal and began to journal. I couldn't help but look back over the month and be thankful over all the things the Lord has done. The little things and the big things. How HE has completely just provided. I was reminded of how our Father provides by getting a package off the front porch this morning. It was a package for Tyler Junior! A pair of shoes & a summer outfit. He does not even know it, but he is completely provided for! All his needs are met ALL the time! And if he had any needs, he would have grandparents falling in line to meet them, to bless him, dress him, feed him, do whatever to provide for any and every need. As that was my "before" experience before my Quiet Time... I started out with just a grateful heart, thankful how the LORD provides! Through one means or another, He provides, He comes through. His grace, His mercy and when it doesn't make sense on paper, it's by His grand Provision! Like Psalm 29:2 says, Give the glory due HIS NAME! Give Him the glory that HE deserves! We all have things to be thankful for, health, finances, family, relationships, protection, clothes, a warm home, living in an area that HASN'T been hit by a Tsunami or earthquake. We have SO much to be thankful for. Give Him the glory due His Name! Give Him the glory! 

Thank you Father! Thank you Lord! We PRAISE YOU right now! We PRAISE YOU for all you have done! Thank you Father for providing! Thank you for protecting! Thank you for your hedge of protection! Thank you for being great and mighty! Thank you for allowing ME to be your child, for allowing me to be an heir. Thank you Lord for sending Jesus. Thank you that I, with the mistakes and all I have done, thank you the you have given ME a second chance. Thank you for forgiving me, redeeming me! Thank you Father for forgiveness! Father, I PRAISE YOU! You are SO worthy to be praised!! Thank you that you are Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer! Thank you that you are Jehovah Jirah, God our Provider! Thank you that you are Jehovah Nissi, God our Victory, our Banner! You are God our Peace, Jehovah Shalom! Thank you Father! We praise you! You are so worthy to be praised! 

As we read further in Psalm 29, out of the 11 verses, 6 of them begin with "The voice of the Lord." As I read these... they revealed something MIGHTY that the Voice of the Lord brought forth. ie: Makes the wilderness tremble, Splits and flashes forth forked lightning. The verses remind us how POWERFUL the Voice of the Lord is. As I was reading them, the immediate thing that popped up in my spirit was this, WE, YOU & I, are made in the very image of who these verses are talking about! We were made in the image of God. Where it says the VOICE of the LORD is powerful, we could also substitute this: THE VOICE OF AMY is powerful! The VOICE of Deb is powerful! The Voice of David is powerful! The Voice of Stephanie is powerful! Put your name in there! As children of God, WE were made in HIS image! When we committed our lives to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were given a power that can only come from heaven. We were given power and authority to operate in strength on this earth! And, we can read verse after verse in Proverbs and throughout the Bible on how powerful our Words are, the strength that our Words hold. Even God did it to Abram in the old testament. Abram & Sarai, married, no children and past child baring years, what did God do? God SAID, I change your name to ABRAHAM, which means Father of many Nations! I change your name from Sarai (which means quarrelsome) to SARAH, which means Princess. In a time that they did not have ANY children, and were getting old into years.... old? Yes, even as old as 90 years old! Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 before they had their first child, Isaac! But, WORDS! Words are powerful! Putting VOICE to our situation is so powerful!

Still a bit uneasy on accepting it? Fast forward down to Psalm 29:11... what does it say there? The LORD will give unyielding and impenetrable STRENGTH to HIS people! One way He gives us this strength, is through our ability to TALK! To give VOICE to a situation! "My God supplies all MY needs according to HIS riches in glory! I call my bills paid!" - "By Jesus stripes, I AM healed! I call this headache GONE in Jesus Name!" - "I have FAVOR in the sight of God & man, therefore, in this situation, in this meeting, I THANK YOU God for FAVOR! Unmerited Favor!"

The Lord gives STRENGTH to HIS people! Begin today with your Voice! Satan can't hear your thoughts. You can't fight your battles in your mind, with your thoughts, you MUST give WORDS to your battle! You must SPEAK! Give your battle a VOICE! In your voice is STRENGTH!

#139 -Breathing LIFE!

Good morning! It was snowing here this morning. :) A bit odd for us here, but it's suppose to get up to 51 today, so I doubt we will be having a "winter wonderland." :) Hope you are good in your part of the world.  It amazing how much the Internet allows us to be connected. I remember wondering how the whole "WORLD" would see when Jesus came back... but now with all of technology & new things coming out all the time, I can see how it would be possible! And what a glorious day that will be!


Let's get started: 

Proverbs 10:21 - The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous feed and guide many, but fools die for want of understanding and heart.

As I read this verse, it just jumped out at me. Really, came alive. I've read it before, and thought it before, but maybe didn't realize the magnitude that it's words held. The LIPS of the uncompromisingly righteous feed & guide many. This verse is talking about YOU, child of God! YOU are the righteous, and YOU feed and guide many! 


I started realizing over the last several months the power in this! Equally the power in NOT doing what it says. The lips. How do your lips feed & guide many? Let's just take your words for example. Maybe you are a parent, you have the ability to breathe life and belief into your children. You have the ability to tell them they are capable of ANYTHING they could dream of doing. You have the ability with your words to empower them to grow up and DO great things and BE great! With your words of encouragement, you are FEEDING their spirit. You are guiding them to be WHO they were destined to be! 


Maybe you own a business. Maybe you have a team of people that are looking for just ONE person in their life to believe in them. YOU now have the opportunity to FEED those people. To breathe life & hope into them. WITH your LIPS, you have the ability to speak into their life and help them become maybe who they were scared to be. 


Are you a teacher? Maybe YOU are the only person that will ever speak encouragement into that one student. You know, the student that comes from a broken home. The student that comes to school often looking down at their feet, looking like they are a world away in their thoughts. Maybe for them to have a chance at life, YOU were put in their life to BREATHE hope and life into them. To feed & guide their spirit! I would imagine if you kept them after class, sat them down and just looked in their eyes and said, "I just want you to know I see really great things in you! I see you doing really great things in your life. I think you are very special. I don't see you as just average, but I really believe that you were DESTINED to do REALLY GREAT things! Do you know that? You have special gifts inside of you, and I believe God really wants to use them for great things! I just wanted to keep you back just to tell you that I see something VERY special in you!"


You know what.... whatever your profession, parent, business owner, teacher, I bet if you had that conversation with someone and just looked them straight in the eyes as you were talking to them, I bet you would see tears well up in their eyes. I bet you would see into their soul. You would see in their eyes hope. You would maybe see a question, or they may even ask, "Do you really see that? Do you really think I'm meant to do great things?" 


People are STARVED!!! You have the ability to FEED THEM! With your lips, as it says in Proverbs 10:21, you have the ability to FEED THEM! To feed their spirit! To breathe life into them! With your belief, to breathe hope in them! Who knows you may very well be speaking to the next Bill Gates. The next Donald Trump. The next multi-millionaire who JUST needed ONE PERSON to FEED THEM. They are on the brink of STARVATION. They just need YOU to feed their soul. To tell them that THEY CAN DO IT! They are special! THEY ARE MEANT TO DO GREAT THINGS!


And you know what I bet?? If you are in a school, even with the whole "don't talk about God" thing... I bet if you had that conversation with a student, they would NEVER go rat on you for saying "GOD things they are special." They will go about the rest of their day walking with a hop in their step. 


People are starving and they need YOU! Who will it be today that you can believe in? Who will you FEED & GUIDE with your words of encouragement. You may well see the next great success emerge because of your belief! Most definitely those words would not be in vain! 

#116 - GET VIOLENT!

Good afternoon! It's officially afternoon here! Living a blessed life, are you? Well, strap yourself in for this one, it's a good message that has been stirring inside me for awhile and church yesterday added fuel to the fire. The Holy Spirit is doing a good work and I'm excited to be EXCITED about life! Let's get into it!

Proverbs 13:2a - A good man eats good from the fruit of his mouth...

Proverbs 13:19a - Satisfied desire is sweet to a person... 

Psalm 103:20 - Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 

The message? Get VIOLENT! "Get violent? What?" You may be thinking. And, YES! Get VIOLENT! Now is the time. I want you to think about some things. We are in the middle of this Christmas season, with New Year's quickly approaching. I would guess, in the midst of your Christmas shopping, planning of parties, baking chocolates and goodies, and looking for the perfect gift for your spouse and family... well, I would anticipate that somewhere in the back of your mind you also have some floating thoughts about New Year's resolutions?? Maybe thoughts like, "I want this year to be different. I want this next year to be better. I just want those positive changes that I've been thinking about, wishing and wanting to come to pass in my life." Well friend, NOW is the time to get VIOLENT with it. Now is the time to take these thoughts and bring them out in the spoken word. It is time to get VIOLENT with your words!


I want to share some things that my Pastor talked about yesterday. It was one of those messages that was SHOUTING material it was so good. He was on a roll! So... on behalf of Pastor Jenkins, THANK YOU for the WORD Pastor! Now... let me share it with you all! 


Our words are extremely powerful. In Proverbs 13:2, it talks about how you will eat GOOD, you will have good OUTCOME because of your mouth. Friend, if you are not speaking, NOW is the time to begin. If you are not putting LIFE to your situation, your dreams, your goals with your Words, you are missing out! Verse 19 tells us that a desire is sweet when it is SATISFIED! When the desire has come to MANIFESTATION! That is when the desire is truly it's sweetest! "Your deliverance is in your MOUTH!" Job 22:28 says, "You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways." 


Decree. What is decree. Here's the definition in the dictionary: a formal and authoritative order, esp. one having the force of law: a presidential decree. In the Bible when a King would make a DECREE, he would be setting a LAW in place. Whatever HE said or DECREED became law. Became what the people would them follow. When the King would DECREE a law or an order, servants would go out on his behalf and see that it came to pass. Friend, as co-heirs with Jesus who is THE KING OF KINGS.... He is KING and Lord over US. He is King and Lord over us, Children of God, Co-Heirs with Christ, and Kings in this time and land. Friend, WE, believers, when we got saved now have AUTHORITY to DECREE things on our behalf. And ANGELS are waiting to go out and ESTABLISH the WORD, but they need to have instructions. The WORD has to go forth, therefore, YOU NEED TO SPEAK THE WORD TO EMPLOY ANGELS. Psalm 103:20 - "Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word." ANGELS OBEY the WORD of God. If you are NOT speaking the WORD, you are not giving them something to do. You are not giving them an assignment to accomplish. They obey the Word to bring it to pass. The King (Jesus) of Kings (believers), has given US authority to DECREE things ON EARTH that they may come to pass. 


OK... I know if this is the first time you have ever hear any of this, it may be a little bit deep. I hope you are following with me. 


Since you are a king, it is time to put your WORDS to WORK! It is time to begin DECREEING over your situation! It is time to get VIOLENT and AGGRESSIVE with your Words! It is time to DECREE! We, believers are not DECREEING ENOUGH! We are not SPEAKING enough! We are TOO QUIET! It's time to get loud! 


My pastor talked about Breaking down the enemy with your words. Think about it, kids do it all the time! Not saying that parents are the enemy... but check this out... how often have you heard something like this: 

• "Mom, can I have a cookie?" 
• "NO" 
• "Aww mom, please can I have a cookie?" 
• "No. Not now." 
• "But please mom, just one cookie. please?" 
• "I said no." 
• "But why mom?"  
• "Because I said NO."
• "But please, just one cookie. I've been good all day."  
• "OK fine, just one."

What happened here? With his words, this child got what he wanted. He just kept on and kept on and kept on, until his mom, for all intensive purposes was worn down and said yes. The same thing happened in Luke 18 with the persistent widow. She continues to persist with the judge, and because of her persistence, she is granted what she wanted. 


Another example, picture this... a drip of water. Doesn't seem strong, but over time... if that drip, day in and day out is dripping on the same place on a rock....day in, day out. Year after year. It drips and drips and drips and drips. What is going to happen? This small drip is going to wear down the rock. Your Words can act the same way, but with even a greater amount of power. YOUR words are like a PUNCH to the enemy. As you SPEAK the WORD, your goals, your desires, and you DECREE them, you back them up with the Word, it's like punching the enemy. Over and over. You speak them, you speak them, you speak them. You YELL them, you get LOUD with them! You shout them! You get AGGRESSIVE and PASSIONATE about them! The enemy takes each punch and you are making HIM weaker. You are defeating him! Until finally, your words come with SUCH FORCE that your WORDS BRING YOUR VICTORY!!!! YOUR DELIVERANCE IS IN YOUR MOUTH! You can change your finances. Grab some verses (Deut 28) - "You are the head and not the tail in your finances. You are above and not beneath. You walk in abundance. You lend to nations." Put some power behind your Words! Get the WORD behind your WORDS! And begin to speak them VIOLENTLY! 


Get AGGRESSIVE! Make THIS the year where the desires of your heart come to pass! You pay for your house, IN CASH! You get out of debt! You pay for a car, WITH CASH! You walk in complete HEALTH, no sickness or disease in your body! Your relationships are HEALED and WHOLE, better than ever! 


GET VIOLENT with your WORDS! Like you were on stage of a broadway show! Are your words convincing? Is your passion really there! LET IT SHOW! 

#102 - A Heart that Overflows in Love

Good morning! :) I am sitting here in Orlando right now. Me, the boy & my mom. My dad is working a boat show, so the boy and I will get some quality time with grandma during the day! :) So fun! :) We are excited. Right now he is playing in his bed, just talking. His little words are so funny. They make me laugh! "GUSH!" He says that one a lot. It made me laugh while I was reading the Bible this morning because I found that word in our reading for today! :) Psalm 105:41 ....the water GUSHed out. So, there ya have it! My son is already talking about living in ABUNDANCE & OVERFLOW! :) That's what I'm talkin about!! hehe!

OK. I do have a quick funny story to tell you about. Tyler & I laughed so hard! We were on a date the other night without the boy and we went to the movies. You know when you are a mom when you start saying things you hear on kids DVD's or CD's. We have some "Miss Pattycake" DVD's that Tyler Jr watches sometimes... she's a great and tells lots of Bible stories, and sings Bible songs, and just teaches really good principles like "helping out", etc. Well... so we got our movie tickets and the lady gave me a FREE movie ticket for the next movie I go see (because I have a RegalCrown Card.) Without even thinking about it, I said, "GREAT! HIP HIP HORRAY!" Turned and walked away. For real! I mean, who says that sort of thing OUT LOUD!!! I looked at Tyler and he was just laughing and laughing. When I realized what I had said, we both were just laughing. It was pretty funny. Anyways! HIP HIP HORRAY! Let's get started on our DEVOTION TODAY! :) HA!

Psalm 45:1 - MY HEART overflows with a goodly theme; I address my psalm to a King. My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.

Psalm 105:2 - Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them.

Psalm 15:2 - He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart...

Proverbs 15:17 - Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.

My heart overflows. Psalm 45:1 is really the pivotal verse I'd like us to work around. It's so full of good things! It's so perfect, the words are put together like art. Beautiful & carefully chosen. So good!

Each of these verses are intertwined. My heart overflows. Have you seen or heard people's heart overflow before? You immediately know what they are or are not putting in their heart! I remember when I was teaching Spanish in a Public school. I had a girl in my class that I gave a detention for cussing. I wasn't going to allow it in my classroom. Well, the next day I got a phone call from her mother. Guess what her mother did on the phone? She cussed me out. A prime example of what was put in her heart. What is put in comes out. If you put good in, good will come out. If you put bad in, bad comes out. I quickly knew that the student was merely a product of her environment. She cussed because that was the language of her home. 

What comes out of your heart? What you meditate on will in turn lead to what you speak & think. Hopefully what you meditate on, speak, think will equal love. One way or another, your heart is going to overflow, but it is YOU who chooses HOW it is going to overflow. Will it overflow with good? Or will it overflow with bad? Our coffee pot wasn't working this morning, so how do we respond? Does our heart overflow with frustration and a spirit of annoyance? Does it affect our attitude negatively because of the 'inconvenience?' Or does our heart overflow with the ability to just figure it out?

My mom was telling me about a story about my dad. How they were out of town once and he had the opportunity to just be really annoyed and frustrated with her. He COULD have talked badly to her about the situation, but instead he operated in complete love. Love. Lack of judgement. No condemnation. Though he rightfully COULD have said things that would have been true but hurtful, he chose instead to operate in love. To serve in love. To walk in love. Love that is unselfish. Love that is unconditional. Love that is forgiving. Where judgement could have been, there was love. It reminds me of the story of Jesus. When the people of the city were going to stone the adulterous woman to death, Jesus said, "If you are without guilt, then YOU cast the first stone." One by one, the people left, knowing they had guilt in their own lives, knowing they were not perfect. There stood Jesus & the woman... they were the last left. Jesus was perfect. Jesus was the only one who could have stoned her, but instead he showed love, grace, compassion & forgiveness. Jesus chose love.

Out of your heart, what is overflowing? Is it love? Are you putting good stuff in? Or like my student, is the world around you just inputting negative so you are living there, in the negative?

A great question to ask: If the words coming out of your mouth are not words that have the seed of love, maybe you & I need to check what we are putting in so that we can have a heart that overflows in love.

#88 - Faith Comes by Hearing!

Good morning to all! How goes it?! Good here. I am outside on my porch. The weather is nice and fallish. I'm in my college sweats and sweatshirt! :) Comfy! I did have to dry off the glass table that I sit at... it was covered with dew. Is that what it would be called? Or just condensation? Anyways, it was wet! Fall is here!


Well...yesterday was an interesting day. I was overcoming some stomach issues, so the afternoon consisted of a nice long nap. Thankfully the boy cooperated with me and took a nap too! What a good kid! Such a blessing to his mama!! Needless to say, I did not end up posting yesterday... hopefully you can forgive me! :-D


Let's get going...

Psalm 51:12 - Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Proverbs 31:18b - ...her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust].

Pretty short and to the point with verses today. What a good word today. A good word to me, and I anticipate to some of you this will speak to you too! 


I want you to just think about maybe a failure in your life. Something that you have been trying to have victory over. Maybe it's a goal you have been working towards and it has just seemed like you've been working on it forever and still in the same place. You've been going and going and going, with little to show for your efforts. Today is a word for you. 


The word "restore" jumped off the page at me. Restore joy. Do you feel like you have been just going through the motions. Have you wondered where your joy is? How can I be happy? I just feel like a failure. I'm just not happy. I'm not where I want to be. This is not how I envisioned my every day being. I just want to get out. I want to get to that happy place. I want to have joy. I want joy! 


To RENEW & RESTORE often requires forgetting the past. Specifically forgetting past failures. Sometimes forgetting the past all together. If you think about your past and all it does is depress you, then maybe you need to forget the past all together. God has forgotten it, as far as the east is from the west, so why do you keep dwelling on it? Begin today and add something in your life that brings you joy. If you like to bake, stop at the grocery store and bake something. If you've had a challenge with your weight and don't want to eat it yourself, think of someone you could bake something for.... sow your gift of baking into bringing joy to someone else's life. Who can you bless with your gift and the thing you enjoy? Amazing that simultaneously, you find joy because you are doing WHAT you enjoy. Do you like to draw? Draw something. Do you like to run? Go for a run after work? Do you love spending time with your kids? Be spontaneous, pick them up after school and bring them to the park. You can dread every day, or you can begin to change it today. 


As I read about the Proverbs 31 woman, I read how her lamp does not go out. Her lamp, her connection to the Word, to God. Lamp in the Bible often refers to the Bible. What does this do for her? Exactly what it will do for us! In the amplified, it says that the lamp warns away fear, doubt and distrust. For us... what could that be? Fear of having to live another day in our life. Fear of having another day bring unfullfillment and despair. Dwelling on the Word, meditating on the Word, ie: keeping the "LAMP" on, helps us to avoid these feelings!


Doubt. What is doubt? Doubt is lack of faith. Lack of belief. If we are living in doubt, that means we are not renewing our mind enough to bring our thoughts, actions & life to a point of faith. To come to a point of belief. So how do we do that? It's a process, and most likely will not happen overnight. Yes, spend time in the Word. What's the verse we have all heard?? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by what? The word of God. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing specifically the Word of God. Meditate on the faith chapter in the Bible. Hebrews 11. Get around and associate with people who have had victory in the area you want to have victory in. Get around people who HAVE the FAITH that you want. Allow their faith to rub off on you! If you are around pigs, if you are constantly in the arena of pigs, what's going to happen? You will most likely be dirty and you will definitely smell like pigs. It will affect how you look and will affect your attitude. Find an arena where people are winning. Find a way to put yourself in that arena to be around them. That may take YOU going out of your way to put yourself there. Maybe driving to get around them. Inconveniencing yourself to put yourself in a place where you can change how you think. 


What else? I was talking to someone the other day who is wanting to lose weight. In our conversation she said something with the phrase, "get my fat butt...". To begin to have faith in succeeding, it takes retraining how we SEE our situation. Faith comes by HEARING. By speaking words that CONTRADICT your goal, by default is what your are going to build your faith in! Faith comes by HEARING. In speaking the words, "my fat butt", she is training herself to have faith in having a "fatt butt" versus having faith in her goal, getting a skinny butt. It's a matter of beginning to SEE, to VISUALIZE, LITERALLY your success. WHATEVER the arena! In a specific area for me, I just capped over 43,000 words in the book I'm writing. For me with my book, it is SEEING my book on the shelves of Barnes & Nobles, seeing my book rise to the top of the charts. It is seeing my name on the speaking line-up for John Maxwell's "Catalyst" conference, it is SEEING my books changing the lives of college girls, seeing them break down and commit to a change towards purity, a change to waiting for the man God has made perfectly for them. For my business goals, it takes me SEEING the people who I will be best friends with, a living room full of my friends and business partners who we go out and change the world with. SEEING a group of leaders filling up our clubhouse, the "man cave" above our garage. SEEING them talk into the late hours of the night about changing this country, about changing families for the good, about setting captives free, about bringing mommies & daddies home from work. It takes me SEEING the people who will be like-minded, who want to make a difference, and we partner, hand-in-hand to take back America for God and for Freedom. It takes me SEEING, truly VISUALIZING and seeing these things come to pass. 


So today.... RENEW your mind. Fill it with the Word. Keep it constantly in front of you. Even if it's just ONE scripture that you can meditate on and every day go back to. Maybe it's a scripture that you search out that says you are MORE than a CONQUEROR. That you are a WINNER. That you are VICTORIOUS. RESTORE your love, your passions, your dreams. Begin to allow those to bring back joy in your life. FORGET THE PAST. FORGET YOUR FAILURES. Stop dwelling in the arena with pigs. Stop living today allowing your past failures to dictate your today. Begin the journey of climbing to joy. Of choosing joy. Of winning. Faith comes by HEARING. Say, "I HAVE A SKINNY BUTT!" Or, "I AM A WINNER! EVERYTHING I PUT MY HAND TO PROSPERS! I AM LIVING MY DREAM LIFE." If you aren't living your dream life, say it anyways!!! FAITH COMES BY HEARING! It will help you work your way to that dream life. It will help you to subconsciously align your actions with your dream life, your calling, your purpose. And it is BIBLICAL! Faith comes by HEARING! To build your faith, you need to HEAR! I didn't make that up, it came directly from the Bible! Look for yourself. Build your faith on the positive. Build your faith in the direction you WANT to go, not where you are now or not where your failures were in the past.


Let's go out and win today!

#84 - Faith in your Favor

GOOD MORNING! HELLO! It IS an awesome day! Just wait... after you read today's Word, it's going to be a GREAT day for you too!!! If you take it and apply it, IT WILL be a GREAT DAY! Man, I'm excited!!

Proverbs 13:21 (NIV) - Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

Psalm 43:5 - Why are you cast down, O my inner self? ... Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him ...

Psalm 103:5 - Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm. 

OK! Are you ready? Let's just say, TWO WORDS: BRAIN SURGERY! Yes. Brain surgery is getting ready to happen!! I can't hardly type fast enough I am so excited!! I'm excited to see how the Holy Spirit brings it all together too because it's such good information! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!


Faith. Expectation. Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) versus a Happy Mental Attitude (HMA).
"Every man is what he is because of the dominating thought which HE permits to occupy his mind." -Napoleon Hill. 


I once heard a minister talking about having a Positive Mental Attitude. He also mentioned that there is a sharp difference between having a PMA and a HAPPY Mental Attitude. A "HAPPY" Mental Attitude doesn't necessarily mean that you are "Positive". There is a difference and ONE is DISTINCTLY different and better than the other. Can you guess what it is? If you guess PMA, you are right! A PMA. A Positive Mental Attitude. Tyler and I have owned our own business for the last 8 years. We have done well, replaced my income, allowing me to resign from Corporate America, and are on track to replace Tyler's income as well... giving him what? Options. The OPTION to work outside the home. Options are good. Especially in this economy, right. Well, along with owning a business when you are in a leadership position.... for you, whether that be at work, management, coaching, leading your family, sales, church, talking to a family member, whatever... when you are in leadership your attitude is of utmost importance. Tyler and I both would always put on our "HAPPY" face around business associates. Which that is great... but there has definitely been a revelation.... HAPPY is different than POSITIVE! Whether I was at my job working or at a business meeting, many of those times, my outward smile and bubbly personality was really just a mask. Here were some of my frequent thoughts, see if you can relate, "Things aren't going my way. Growth isn't happening the way I want it too. I don't want to be here. Just another day. Arghhh. I don't feel like going to work today. I don't feel like answering all these emails. Arghh, all these voicemails, I have to answer them. I have to call these people back. AHH! Oh great, another banker with another problem. Awesome! (sarcasm!) I really don't feel like answering all these emails. I really should call __________. I need to do ____________. I just don't have time." *big sigh.... blowing breath out*


Have thoughts like that ever went through your mind?? All the while, you are putting on that "HAPPY FACE" and inside it's like everything is falling apart or everything is terrible. Nothing is good. Nothing is good. You just want to pull the covers up over your head and run away from life and responsibility. Well.... let me tell you, I have been there!


"Bad luck", "misfortune", like it says in Proverbs 13, pursues the sinner. And do you know who it also often pursues? The person whose life lives and dwells in the repetition of negative thoughts. Bad things happen to those who EXPECT bad things to happen. 


You may say, "But Amy, I just can't help but be negative. I just feel like my life is terrible right now. Nothing is going right. Everything in my life right now just seems to be bad. I feel like I'm so far in the pit, it's just easier to cross my legs than to get out of the impossible. I don't have the energy to try and climb out." Friend, sister, brother, I have news for you..... YOU WILL RECEIVE SOME GREAT ASSISTANCE TODAY!!!! 


Psalm 43:5 asks the very question to YOU, "Why are you cast down?" It goes on to say, "HOPE in GOD, wait EXPECTANTLY!" FRIEND, WAIT EXPECTANTLY!!!! And while you are waiting start SPEAKING to your situation!!! Friend, START SPEAKING TO IT! Not in your mind, not thinking it, but speak it OUT LOUD! How does FAITH come? Tell me? Say it out loud right now!! How does FAITH COME? YES! You are right!!! Faith comes through HEARING!!!!! If your outer ear is going to HEAR, you need to SPEAK! You need to speak! You speaking is the beginning of changing your subconscious mind. It's the beginning of retraining your MIND to not just be walking around in the attitude of a HMA, but actually truly having a PMA! Brother or Sister.... take Joseph for example.... I know I have gone back to Joseph several times before.... but for real! Take JOSEPH... you all know his story. Dad gives him a coat of many colors, brothers hate him because he's the favorite, brothers conspire to kill him, throw him in a pit, then sell him - yes - SELL their OWN brother as a slave, tell dad that he's been killed.... Joseph then goes off elevated in Potiphar's house, wrongfully accused by Potiphars wife that he tried to make a pass at her or rape her, thrown in jail, remains for 2 years there... and then finally gets elevated out of jail to the right hand, 2nd in charge to Pharaoh. Pharaoh! Pharaoh, basically the KING or PRESIDENT of the nation. The one with ALL the power. And Pharaoh give JOSEPH COMPLETE POWER! 


Now... you tell me, did Joseph have the opportunity to be negative? To have a "NEGATIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE?" ABSOLUTELY! And never in scripture does it say that he even complained about it! 


Stick with me just a little bit longer.... this is what the Holy Spirit told me on the subject...

So many people do think they are good and positive. Yes they act happy on the outside. When people smile, they smile and laugh back, but they are all the while expecting the worst. They let their minds RACE on all the bad things that COULD go wrong. This meeting or that person. Yes even selfishness. So many of MY children don't EXPECT favor, so there in that place, they GET WHAT THEY EXPECT. My children are weak and depressed. True FAITH is positive. True FAITH is  NOT frustrated, or stressed. Stress is an opposite of faith. People are missing MY blessing because they are NOT in faith. How do you get in faith? Yes you DWELL ON IT. You dwell on the positive. You SPEAK the positive possibilities for what seems like a bd situation. List out, OUTLOUD all of the good outcomes. Write your OWN ending. Yes because like Joseph, even in what seemed like bad situations, he had a good attitude. I worked in FAVOR on his behalf. He was ELEVATED to the 2nd highest place of authority & saved the lives of NATIONS! Faith & Favor.

SO, don't be misled. Don't fake yourself out. Don't think you have this "Great" PMA when all the while, all it is, is an HMA. Catch yourself! Catch what you are thinking about! BE PROACTIVE to DWELL on good things. THINK ON THESE things it says in Phil. 4:8. Dwell on the good, the positive, the FAVOR! What are you thinking about. Are you dwelling on the positive or are you dwelling on the negative. Do you allow your mind to dwell and search for the solutions and all the GOOD things that could come out of "THIS" very situation?? A bad employee at work, a bad report.... do you then allow your mind to DWELL there? Dwell on the bad news? CATCH YOURSELF! Choose to FORCE your mind to go down the positive road. Speak all the GOOD things that could come out of the situation. You got this bad report just so that you would be in this certain place because you were suppose to meet the next person who is going to change your life! And, the bad report will then just go away... it was an error. It's really a good report. FIND A WAY to dwell on the positive. And if you're so far in the pit that it seems really hard to do that, FORCE YOURSELF to speak OUT LOUD all the GREAT things that could happen. SPEAK the outcome you want. 


You are then on your way to truly walking in faith! Faith, when you expect the outcome to be in your favor. Faith, calling things that are not as though they were. Call your situation how you want it to be! That is Faith.