Turn up the Light

    Hello monster, how is your love walk going. I know that my blogs usually focus on the inner you, on the spirit you, on the you who walks and talks with God. Today we will venture outside of ourselves a little bit. We will take a look at the world around us. Recently we have been assaulted with horrific events. Mass shootings across the country with the culmination of them being at Sandy Hook Elementary. There are no words for the loss of so many lives. There are no words to express the hurt and the pain that these events cause. It seems like no one is safe. That the innocent suffer and we are helpless during the onslaught of evil. We offer our prayers and thoughts to the families, we mourn as a nation. We look towards lawmakers, government, and others to protect us, to make this right, to stand in the darkness. We feel helpless against all the evil in the world, what else could it be but evil? 
   
This is not true monster. We are not powerless. We have a power beyond our power, a strength beyond our strength. We have dominion over the enemy, he is already defeated. It is time, time to shine monsters. We have a job to do, a calling, we are the light in this world, what good are we if we don't shine in the darkness. 

This blog, today, is a call to arms. This is why you have been praying, you have been working on you, you have been immersed in the Word. Not for yourself, but for the world. The world needs you monster. What makes you so special? so powerful? The God in you. God lives in you. He lives in the innermost part of you and He uses you to show his love and his power in this world. You are a warrior, you are Daniel in the lions' den, you are David with a sling, you are Joshua bringing down the walls, you are Moses, freeing your people, You are Esther, speaking out against injustice. You have been placed here, at this time to be a light. 
The world needs a savior like never before, you are not the savior but you are the light that shows the way to Him. 

Do you see how important you are? How powerful, do you see know why your life has been under attack? The enemy wants to keep you busy with all the drama that used to consume you. He wants to keep you distracted by those around you who are dragging you down. He uses fear to control your thoughts, to diminish you to make you unsure. Today I am telling you that it is he that should be afraid of you. Turn up your light. 

What does that mean? What do you mean light? You should stand apart. Apart from the darkness. You, monster shine because the Love of God lives in you, Faith, Hope, Kindness, Peace, Patience, and Goodness all reside in you. These are fruits of the spirit. When you show these attributes to the world when you practice them daily you are shining! The more you practice them, the more you make them part of your character the brighter you shine. With each act of kindness you push back the darkness, with each act of love you beat the enemy over the head, when you live what you believe you are a living, breathing, word of God. There are a multitude of verses in the Bible urging us to be the light, to put on the light, to walk in the light. The world is in darkness and it needs your light. Badly. 

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

    Ephesians 5:8 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" 

Romans 13:12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Peter 2:9"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"

Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to pray. Yup, that is all you have to do for now. Pray. All day, when you wake up, while your driving, while your working, in your quiet moments, during your loud moments, before you go to bed, while you brush your teeth. Pray. Get into talking to God. Bring all your mess to Him and leave it there. Eventually you will run out of things to talk about where it concerns your self. If this happens pray for those you know pray for their health and strength, pray blessings over their lives, pray for protection over them.
 When you run out of those people pray for your mailman, the lady who rang up your groceries, the guy you pass every day on the way to lunch, the lady in the cubicle next to you. Branch out and pray for complete strangers, your neighborhood, your workplace, your employer, your elected officials, your police officers, your firefighters. Are you getting this monster? 
Pray. For everyone. Make it a habit. While your praying do random acts of kindness. Be patient. Be loving, Be good. Be all the things you love and admire about God. You won't be perfect, no one expects you to, but you will be walking in love, you will be speaking love into the world, you monster will shine. If each and every one of us practiced this even for just a week how different would our world be. Changing the world starts with one person at a time. 

Be the light, monster, be the light. 

Growing Pains

     Hey monsters, It has been awhile since I dropped some wisdom on you. But like all truth seekers know you have to go through some tests to get a testimony, and through some mess to get a message, so now that I have passed some tests, waded through some mess, let's get to the message.

           Let's talk about growing pains. I have been experiencing them lately, and I am sure you have to. After all you have been working on you. Cleaning out your past locker, healing what needs to be healed, basking in the blessings, congratulations monster you are growing. Growing is a great thing. It is an awesome thing. I know that I felt about 2 feet tall when I was in my most recent between time. I wasn't working, I lived back home with my mom, and I was so far from my dreams they didn't even feel like mine anymore. The between time is a scary time, it is a time when God strips away all the crutches we hang on too. He strips away all the things that we think define us, make us, give us a place in the world we have built for ourselves. This is not for your harm monster, but for your best. God needs to strip away all the outer things, all the external things, all the superficial things to teach us that without them we are still His.
Psalm 139:13-16 
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."




 We are created in His Image. We learn that we are not defined by who we know, who we date, how much we make, where we work, live, etc. We learn that we are sufficient and complete and that all that stuff, all those people don't get to define us. We are enough. God has seen to that. He has planned us, and our lives, even though we may drift from where we need to be He still has a purpose and a plan for us.
Ephesians 2:10  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Thus we begin to grow.

    The downside to growing is of course things start to not fit. Things get tight, they don't look right, sound right,  act right, there is not enough room, its not good enough. The "it" in any of these sentences can be replaced with anything, your relationship, your friendship, your home life, your job, your whatever. It does not fit anymore. You are growing. Its time to move on, to find where you fit, to find with who you fit, don't worry you won't have to actually look for any of this God has a great way of bringing the right fits into your life. Not to beat a dead horse but like I said before He has a plan for you. So what do you do when you have all this growth going on in your life? You're moving forward, you're learning, you're becoming but everything around you is stagnant, its not growing, its not changing, its getting tight, it doesn't feel right, etc.
Two words, move forward. Monster, it's time to move forward. It's time to let go

        Here is what it looks like. You are hanging with all your old friends, and nothing they say interests you, the life they are living, that they used to live with you feels awkward. You don't party like you used to, you don't gossip, you don't fight, you don't do a lot of things you used to so they feel like you have changed, like you think your better so in order to fit in you pretend to go along. You become a master of pretending to be who you used to be just so they feel comfortable. Until now. Now they irritate you, you would rather be anywhere else but there. You have no desire to pretend any longer, you move on.
How about this one monster, you have an ok job, one where they don't expect too much of you, and you don't expect that much of yourself. It is a good job but you know you can do better, you know that you have the skills, the talent and the drive to do so much more. What do you do? Move forward.

Its is scary to move forward, you are comfortable, it feels safe, it is a place, person, situation that you know, but it just doesn't fit the new you. God has intended you for greatness. Good enough is not enough. Those pains your feeling, those irritants, insecurities, temper tantrums, they are all part of your growth, monster. You don't need the safety of your situation anymore, it's time to move forward. Trust me, your ready, God has and is preparing you for the next stage in your life. Grab it monster. Move forward. There is a story in the bible about a lame man who could not walk. Jesus healed him. The man had a choice he could stay where he was, fully healed, fully restored, with an entire future before him of he could get up, move forward and walk into his future. "Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” John 5:8 

Monster, pick up your bed, and walk, better yet leave that old bed right where it is and walk away. Move Forward.

Shifting sands, Mud Slide Zones, and other Faulty Foundations

Hello Monsters. How is your faith walk going? I know your getting stronger every day. You have put the past behind you, forgave yourself for past mistakes, put an end to negative thinking, and all your trust in God.
No, not yet, still working on it? No worries, keep walking, it ain't over till it's over.

So what is the point of this blog? I will tell you. While you have been working on you, God has been blessing you, He has been moving you forward, He has opened doors, introduced people into your life, and done a whole host of other things that are too wonderful and numerous to name. You, monster are moving out of your Between time situation and into your After.  (quick note her there will always be a between time in your life, right now you may be dealing with  several Betweens, between jobs, between relationships, between well you get the point) As you enter the after stage you will begin building, building a new life, a new career, a new relationship, a new mindset, I don't know, the point is your building something. If you ever saw a house being built you know the first thing that is dug is the foundation. The foundation is the core. It is what all else is built upon. Without a good foundation, a strong foundation, a well planned and built foundation the house will fall. The same goes for you monster. Whatever your building for yourself will fail without a good foundation.

If you have been paying any attention to this blog, you know I always go on about reading the Bible, getting that Word deep down into you, I also nag you about praying and praising, going to church, and listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  The Word, Praying and Praising, Church and the Holy Spirit's Guidance are the cornerstones of your foundation. I don't recommend building anything without these things in place. You can try, but chances are that if you do you will end up back in a between time experience, probably worse off then you were before.  Not to beat a dead horse, but its not enough to give lip service to God, you got to put the things He tells you into practice, everyday. Luke 6:47-49 clearly lays out what to expect when you don't. "As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”  Build your foundation, monster, that way when your blessings come and you begin building you will have something that lasts. 

   Here is what it looks like monster. You have been working on you and you have been praying for God to send you the right man, a man that you could marry, build a life with. Suddenly you find yourself with a guy, he is great, he seems to be all you prayed for what do you do? Some of us are tempted to throw away all the promises, the hard work, and the foundation that we have built and jump all in. How do you proceed with this relationship? You said you would not have sex until marriage, do you keep that promise, you said that any man in your life would have to be a Christian, share your faith, and be a man seeking God, do you turn a blind eye when He stops going to church? In your walk you have been dealing with being honest, having integrity, putting God first, do you look the other way when you catch him in a lie, when he is less then what he should be, when he would rather not go to church, pray or even know if he really believes in God. In building this relationship what is your foundation? Is it built on rock or is it shifting sand, changing and moving every time the wind blows something new into your life. Are you willing to build a relationship on this foundation?
     You could have been praying for a job, you got the job, but it is stressing you out, your missing church because you have to work, your too tired to pray anymore, your caught up in everything around you and you are too busy to hear from God. Are you willing to build a career on this foundation? This scenario can be placed on any between time transition you may have. We are so quick to pray and ask for things, for change for breakthroughs that sometimes we latch on to the first one that looks our way. We forget to wait on God and see if this is from Him. We try to make this new thing, opportunity, person fit  We slap a praise on it and say it must be God's will for us. We struggle with it, compromise with it, toss away the cornerstones that we are supposed to build on and hope for the best. In the end monster anything you build on a shaky foundation will fall.

A rule of thumb to remember is God will never bless you with something that brings you grief. When God makes a promise He keeps it, He doesn't need your help to make it happen. Remember Abraham. He wanted a son, God promised him one, He got tired of waiting and produced Ishmael. That opened a whole can of worms, read your Bible. If He had waited on God, waited on his Issac blessing he could have saved a lot of people heartache, including himself. So monster the question you want to ask yourself is, does what you are trying to build fit on your foundation? If it doesn't, if you have to compromise your foundation it is not your blessing, it is a distraction. You can build with the distraction and get an Ishmael or you can wait and put the right blessing on your foundation ( I promise it will fit) and have an Issac. I'm just saying, choose wisely monster, build your foundation on the Rock.

It's Not Above Your Pay Grade.

Hello there monsters. How is the faith walk going?

   Lately I have been hearing a lot of people talk about what they would like to do, what they wish they were able to do, what they would do when God blesses them with a position, status, etc. I don't know about God, but I am sick of hearing about all the good people would do if. If they were a prayer leader, pastor, choir director, if they knew their Bible better, if they were allowed to preach, to teach, to lead, they would do so much good. If they had more money, more time, if someone would just notice all the good that they have to share. If this, if that, if if if if if. I am so sick of If.  They honestly believe that they have to be "in a position" to do something. What position are they waiting for? Exactly what position do you have to have to do good? Is there such a thing as a do gooder position? I think not. People get caught up in status and titles and positions, especially in the church. The truth is that we are so busy striving to be somebody, that we are not helping anybody.
 I believe they are making excuses to not do anything at all. I know that God uses all people, the lowest to the highest to do His will in the earth. In fact the Bible is filled with stories of ordinary folk doing extraordinary things. So what is your excuse?


      You probably are scratching your head now, after all the Bible is full of heroes, Great men and women of God. Look a little closer. These patriarchs and matriarchs of the Bible were just regular folk, regular folk that did extraordinary things. Abraham was a gentile, called out from his people to become the father of the Jewish nation. Moses was a child of slaves, adopted and then exiled by the Egyptians. He was a sheep herder and a self proclaimed poor speaker who led the Israelites out of slavery. Rahab was a prostitute, a foreign woman, an enemy of Israel who would be the mother of Boaz and in turn an ancestor of Jesus.   Ruth, her future daughter in law was also a foreigner, a widow, and poor. David was the youngest and the least of Jesse's sons. He was deeply flawed but his heart and his faith delighted the Lord and he was one of the greatest kings and writer of the Psalms. Samson was an ordinary man with a drinking problem, a terrible anger management issue and a predilection for picking the wrong women.  Joseph was the youngest son and sold into slavery by his own brothers, God used him to not only save the Israelites from famine but the Egyptians as well. Esther was just a simple Jewish girl placed in a beauty pageant when the king tired of his wife. She was able to save her people from laws that would destroy them. The disciples were a rag tag bunch of fishermen, peasants, and a tax collector. This list could go on for days but we will stop here. The point, monster, is that God does not need you to be in a "position" in order to use you. He can use you just as you are right where you are.

We put so much emphasis on what we do, what position we hold in our jobs, our society, our churches and our organizations. We look for people to validate us, to show us that we are important and have influence. 1 Corinthians 1: 27-29 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. The truth is God uses you, He does not care about your position, what others think of you, how important you are or how many people read your blog.  All God needs is a willing heart, a faithful spirit, and hands that are willing to work. So monster, you can stop waiting for your if moment and do it now. Volunteer now, feed the hungry now, donate now, start up a prayer group now, begin a bible study, whatever it is that God has put on your heart to do He has already given you the means to do it. Don't sit there a moment longer holding on  to your if, do good now.

Go forth monster and do good.

Take your best shot...

     Hey there Monsters, how is your faith walk going?  Is everything flowing well? Are you walking around basking in the sunshine and frolicking with butterflies? Of course your not. Your living your life, your going to work, your dealing with people, you have bills that are due. What you may notice is that these things have less and less power to cause you stress. You are able to withstand and maintain your joy where before you were easily stressed.God is blessing you, doors that were shut are opened, you are finding favor with people, situations are changing for the better.  It is a cake walk, and then it is not. While your  filling  your life with joy, with peace, and with love the enemy is going to do all he can do to trip you up. He is going to throw people, situations, and hardships at you to try and get you to give up, to give in, to turn back.  I warned you monster, this love walk is a battle.

     It never fails, just when you think you have mastered a thing, just when you have finished reading your word, praying, and praising the real world comes in. It would be so easy if we lived in our own self contained bubble. If we didn't have to deal with difficult people, trouble at work,  bills, kids, haters, traffic, broken heels, no sushi at the Japanese steakhouse, and the pothole that tried to take out the front tire on your newly washed truck, but I digress. We can't live in a bubble, we are the light of the world and no matter how hard the wind blows, no matter how much rain falls, no matter how many dumb people come against you, you got to stay lit. 
   

    Here is what it looks like. You love your job, you got the promotion you were praying for, your making more money, with more perks and benefits but your surrounded by idiots. O.k. that was harsh, not idiots, just people that have trouble getting the job done right. So your stressed, your praying at your desk so you can deal with your coworkers and then your computer goes down, your boss is unhappy with some trivial matter, your lunch order is wrong, your phone won't stop ringing, and you should be a firefighter because your constantly putting out fires (probably started by the other idiots in the office). These may not be the trials of Job, but they are trials, this is life. The old you would have hurt some feelings, fired some people, kicked the computer, told off your boss, threw your lunch at the wall, and tweeted about all the fools in your office. The old you would also be unemployed, miserable, and possibly facing criminal charges. Don't be the old you. 

Be the new you. The new you knows Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." You also know James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." If that is not enough You can hang out with the Corinthians. "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed"

The good news is that no matter what comes against you it can't destroy you. It may tire you out, frustrate you, annoy you, cause you to mutter, but if you stand, if you keep going, if you don't let it trip you up and cause you to sin, it will make you stronger. It will build your faith, strengthen your resolve and you will feel like a superhero. You can look back on it and say "devil, you gonna have to come better than that"
    

Hold on, Prepare for the Harvest

  Fall is here monsters, and it is time to bring in the harvest. Even if you have never planted a thing in your life you know that fall is the time of bringing in the crops. It is the season of preparing for winter, putting away our summer fashion and pulling on knits, jackets and drop dead gorgeous boots. Harvest season is an annual event, without fail we know fall is coming, we know that we have to prepare for winter, we know holidays are coming, we know that summer is officially over. 

  Seasons in nature are easy to tell, even in warm climates you experience the change in the air, the shortening of days, and the heaviness of the annual fall fashion issue of Vogue. The changing of the seasons are so universally known that it is no surprise that the Bible constantly refers to them. It likens our struggles, our hopes, our good times and bad to seasons. Periods of time that are passing, that may feel like forever but are in truth are fleeting. In the Between you may feel like you are in a season full of lack, of doubt, of waiting, of struggle, but just like the natural seasons, your spiritual season will not last long.  As you come to understand that God has a plan for you, that it was established before you were ever born you can learn to weather your season. 

  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tell us that there is a time for everything under the sun. everything has its time and place and therefore though it may feel like forever it too will pass, to make way for something else. 
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; "

    In our lives we will have both good times and bad, times of movement and change and times when we feel like nothing is happening at all. When you find yourself in the stagnant  season it is easy to give up, to feel bad about yourself and your life. It is easy to look at others and covet what they have or what they are doing. Don't give into this monster, it is just a season and it will pass. The season you are in is a growing opportunity, it is a time to prune away what no longer serves you, feed your spirit, water your faith and praise the Lord. Yup in the midst of what you may feel is a bad season, a season of drought, famine, hopelessness, don't forget to praise God. Psalms 1:3 "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." reminds us that we are to stand, that our season of yielding fruit is coming. That no matter how harsh the weather may be, no matter what comes against us if we stand and praise him through it, when it passes we will be stronger for it. 

     God has planted a seed in you, you are a seed, you have planted your seeds of faith, you have only to outlast the current season to reap your harvest. A farmer knows that he has to wait for his seeds to sprout, to ripen, before he can harvest, he doesnt plant corn on Monday and reap it on Tuesday. He knows that it may be a dry season, that insects may attack his crop, that bad weather, floods, tornadoes, hail and a host of other things may happen. But a good farmer sows the seed anyway, in earth that he has prepared. He waits and he watches, he irrigates, he weeds, he safegaurds against pests, but mostly he waits, he has patience and faith that his crop will come in. He prepares himself for a harvest. 

     Monster, you are a farmer. You have sown with  faith, you have prayed for what you need/want, you have prepared the ground of your heart, you have watered it with the Word you have safeguarded it from the enemy you are weathering your season. You are preparing yourself for the harvest. So when harvesting season comes be prepared, in the meantime praise him for the season your in. 

Happy harvesting monster. 

Too Good to be True? No It's Better!

How is your life going monster? Is it good, is it better then you expected, Is it all you asked for? Is it phenomenally awesome and blessed?  Take a look. Remember that before you answer the question, you will have what you say you have. Take your time.

In our journey together we have discussed lots of things, your thought life, your prayer life, your social life, etc. I know you have been praying for some things and my prayers have gone up with yours. What have you been believing God for?  Are you waiting on the Lord, expecting Him to do what He has promised? Are you doing the work, preparing yourself for your blessings, working on your prayer life, reading the Word, doing the best you can do in your life as it is now? If you have monster I am sure you are starting to see the blessings flow into your life. You are experiencing breakthroughs. Things are moving faster and new life has been breathed into old bones.

In the midst of this movement you may start to have doubts, after all you have spent so much time praying for something, a job, a promotion, a change,  a child, a house, a relationship,  whatever. If you have been praying for it, expecting it, praising God for it, then monster, when it arrives don't let doubt creep in with it. God is a God of suddenly. Read your Bible. Whenever he moves it is Suddenly. In life when good things happen to us, when they are blessings from God they seem to good to be true. We are taught to be suspicious of things that come into our lives suddenly, of people who enter our lives with no drama, of jobs that open up with no warning, of opportunities that didn't exist yesterday. Suddenly they are there, they are for you, and they bring such joy and happiness. They are more than what you asked for, it might not be what you wanted, but it is everything you need, it is above and beyond anything you could have imagined for yourself. This is the nature of Blessings. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly  above all that we ask or think, Jeremiah 29:11 lets us know that God has a plan for us, to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future.

Knowing this how can you listen to the nay sayers who look at your blessings and tell you it is too good to be true. That there must be a catch, that you are fooling yourself. Don't listen to them monster. How big is your God? Is there any limit to what He can do in your life? He knew you before the foundations of the world were made, throughout His Word are constant reminders that if we keep His commandments He will bless you, Numbers 23:19 remind us that God is not a man that he should lie, or that He should change His mind. Take a look at the blessings flowing into your life, all good things come from God. Look at the people/person that God may have sent into your life, look at what they do, listen to how they speak. We know men by their fruit, anyone sent from God will have Godly fruit. They will add to your life, not detract. Same thing with material blessings, they will not bring you pain, grief, stress, etc.

Relax, monster, you have asked, you have believed, you have expected. Enjoy the blessings in your life, share your blessings and testimony with others and for all those that believe that it is too good to be true, pray for them so that one day they will know that if it is that good then it is from God.