Don’t Do What They’re Doing!

Recently, I’ve been studying how to listen to the voice of God. I’m working to train my ears to always hear Him in the midst of everything. I know that God is always speaking, my issue is always hearing.

Today, in an attempt to rush to my vehicle I decided to follow a tall gentleman and hop over some mud that stood between me and my car. Now, please understand that I stand at all of 5′ 3″.😁 Needless to say, I almost made it, except that my flip flop slipped and muddy water splashed all over me. Gross! 😵🤮🥺

I’m sorry to say that I had a melt down. Although not as bad as I would have years ago, thanks to some needed maturity! (Thank You God!). I wiped off what I could while moving the car to another location.

A little while later I was able to clean some of the dirt off of me. While dreaming about the shower that I would take as soon as I got home, I began to think about the situation. I started speaking to the Holy Spirit, asking, “why did I do that?”

The answer came immediately. “Why were you doing what they were doing?” (Two people had jumped over the mud). I became convicted. I can’t do what other people do. I can’t live like others live.

What would have happened if I stopped and prayed about it? It would have taken a moment to hear God say to walk around. The area is always muddy and I ordinarily walk around. Why did I decide to follow the crowd?

I’m learning to depend on God and not on myself and here was a classic example of the simplicity in doing so. I had to wait for my appointment while being mud-drenched and dirt streaked.

How often do we do something without seeking God? What are the consequences of not taking the time to listen? How much better would life be if we would just listen?

Are we still following the crowd? How’s that working for us? Does it lead us down the wrong path?

Are we afraid to walk on our on fearing that we will stand out?

Here’s what the Bible says…

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord . Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.
2 Corinthians 6:17 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/2co.6.17.NLT

God has placed in you a temple where He can live. When we accept Him into our lives we are changed. Think about it, police officers shouldn’t act like criminals and criminals don’t act like the police. Caterpillars turn into butterflies and never return to crawling. After they learn to fly they continue to fly for the rest of their life.

Here’s another…

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/1pe.2.9.NLT

We are just not the same anymore. Especially, if we’ve surrendered or lives to Christ. A change takes place. It’s an immediate change that continues to grow in us.

If we learn to embrace the fact that we’re changed and are, in fact, changing, it begins to resonate in our minds and in our actions.

I’m still learning and definitely still growing. I have found God to be the greatest Father because He shows His patience through our process. He’s wonderful!

I don’t know what you are experiencing today, but let me encourage you. Don’t do what they’re doing. Speak openly and honestly with God, your Father. After you’ve poured out your heart before Him, listen. I mean, stop what you’re doing and really LISTEN. He’s going to say something to you and no matter what it is, IT’S GOING TO BLESS YOU.

I Will Be Your Father!

This is God’s greatest desire. He wants to be our Father.

God wants to be Who you run to first. He wants to fix our problems, lead, guide and direct us.

A father protects and takes care of his children. It’s our choice to want Him as our Father.

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:18 KJV

Listening!

Walk Away and Pray

Blessings Upon Blessings!

8 Reasons We Don’t Admit that We’re Depressed!…

8 Reasons We Don’t Admit That We’re in A Depression!

• Christians don’t get depressed. This is a terrible misconception within the church. Christians do get depressed when there’s a breakdown in communication with God. When we fail to pray and/or fail to trust God with our issues, depression will make every attempt to creep in.

• People look at me funny. We have the tendency to care about how others view us. We care what others say and do and consistently look for their approval of us. This is a trap. How does God view you?-That should be our greatest concern and in a close 2nd place, How do you feel about you? Leave people to their own thoughts that you have no control or power over.

• People pretend to care. Rejection hurts to the core, especially when we’re depressed. It hurts when someone pretends to care for their own selfish wants or gain. We must steer clear of those who are not interested in our best interests. Pray about your relationships and stay away from those that are not good for your growth. Test how you truly feel while you’re with people. Do you feel insecure? Are you afraid to share your thoughts? Do you feel worse after you leave them? Pay attention to these signs.

• No one understands. One of the first emotions that can be associated with depression is loneliness. Either we isolate ourselves from others or it feels as though we are all alone. Sometimes even with people around, we find that our feelings are disregarded with quick phrases like, “get over it”, “don’t worry about it”, etc. When we feel alone or hear terms like these, we feel that no one understands. God understands, even Jesus expressed His hurt when He heard that Lazarus had died.

• False sense of regard. The fear of someone pretending to be in your corner paralyzes some people. For some reason, beyond my understanding, people will take advantage of your weakest moments. No one wants a fake person in their lives and for this reason we don’t talk about our depression.

•I don’t feel depressed./Denial. Don’t stand in the way of our own healing because we don’t admit that we’ve been down. We continue to go on with life as usual and ignore the fact that we haven’t smiled in a while. We say, “I’ll be fine”, to get us through the day. While these statements can help us, feeling down for too long will take a toll. Pay attention to the signs.

• Personal image. I have fallen into this category. You are the person that everyone looks to for help, for advice, for “the sunshine”; and now you’re feeling blue on the inside and don’t want to reveal this reality. God didn’t create us to be alone and you are not a 1-man island. Reach out for help. Ask God who you can trust to turn to and make an immediate appointment with your therapist. Talk to someone.

• Am I depressed? Hopefully, the answer is no, but if you are, get help. If you’ve been experiencing sad or down feelings longer than you should, which to me is more than 2-3 days, it’s time and yes, you are experiencing a depression. Prayerfully, a mild depression, but depression varies from mild to manic/clinical. Don’t you let depression win in your life. Admit it, seek help and conquer it!

God Wants You Happy!

God desires that you never live depressed. Will you get down sometimes? Yes. Will life go differently than what you wanted or expected sometimes? Yes. We serve a God Who strengthens us for the journey and is concerned about you. He is waiting and willing to carry you through every storm.

It’s Time to Be Happy! Don’t let depression get the best of you.

Everyday With Jesus!

Everyday!

“Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before”, was a song we used to sing growing up.  I believe that as we grow closer to God the lyrics of this song become a reality.  Each day becomes sweeter.  I’ve taken the last few weeks to mourn the loss of my Grandfather and now while I am still grieving, I recognize the need to do what I am called to do in God and that’s why I’m back with something new to help us grow in God.

April is here!

April is upon us and as I explained in a post last week, God dropped a jewel in my spirit.  The jewel was a new focus on scriptures for our everyday living.  It is so important to study the word of God on an everyday basis and the bible gives us further instructions for daily living.  This may sound overwhelming, but as we grow in God, we find that His yoke really is easy, as each instruction leads us into a life of peace, even while chaos may be all around us.

Together We Can Do It!

I pray that you will take this journey with us during the month of April as we read, study, pray and meditate on these scriptures.  Share your thoughts, questions and testimonies with us.  Let’s do this together.

Stay tuned for the scriptures that we will look at together this month.  Until then, God bless you, God loves you and remember God Wants You Happy!

Do You Need Prayer?

Success…Check!

Have you succeeded in an area of your life?  Even if it’s a small area, maybe you learned how to budget your earnings, or bake a dish, or run a marathon.  You can cut hair, or paint nails, or hang pictures perfectly.  Maybe you exercise regularly every day or do your best to stay away from soda.

No matter how small it may be, let’s celebrate what you’ve achieved!  It’s time to be happy!  Post/Share your accomplishment in the comments below and celebrate (at the very least, like), someone else’s success while we celebrate yours.

Have you properly evaluated your life or are you looking at everything negative that you can find?

Today is the day to sit, with pen and paper in hand, or your electronic device, and list what you are successful at!

Misunderstood