Because It Didn't Go How You Had It All Planned Out In Your Head

You had it all charted. Maybe even had a picture of the dream you were going to achieve taped to the fridge? It was your 5 year plan. So what happened? You look around and realize that it is now year six. You are no nearer to your dream then you were when you started.

OR, maybe you think that you have reached your goal. You are sitting pretty on the 100th floor in your beautiful corner office. You have everything you worked so hard for...and more. So, why aren't you satisfied? Why is there a feeling of incompleteness somehow?

There is this thing. God gave you a set of specific gifts, talents, and purpose.

Proverbs 16:9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

When we stray from what He has called us to do...we just can't be happy. We may try...but truly, deep down...we know we have missed it somehow. So, what now?

It's as simple as pray and ask Him to let you know what it is. To give you wisdom and to show you "What next?" Seek God. Ask Him. Let Him lead you.

So, if you find yourself not happy today, discontented, or just plain out lost....this message was written for you. Go ahead. Ask. He will  hear you, and He has been waiting for you. He will listen. He WANTS to help.

He is the ONE Person you can count on without fear of disappointment. Trust Him. Now, take a deep breath.......and believe not in what you can do...but what He can do through you, in you, and for you. Hold on because it’s going to be a glorious ride. This is just the beginning of a beautiful thing.

A Message Just For You. Yes, You. No, Not Someone Else. Its Seriously For YOU.

You are not alone. That is a lie. You are loved, cherished, wanted, accepted, and you have been given the ability to be set free.

The chains that you feel hold you down are actually an illusion. They formed over time, but can easily be dispelled, dissolved, and discarded.

The peace you need can be found. The hope you are looking for is a real thing and can be achieved. The release and breakthrough that you have been holding your breath for is just around the corner.

Hold on, stand your ground, and believe on the One who has the power and the desire to change it all.

Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

When All Else Fails................This Wont

I don't think that I need to add one thing to this. I think it speaks for itself. Read it, then reread it. It is worth the time it will take to do this.

I believe everything happens for a reason, and I believe this reason is that God wanted to show this to you today.

Romans 5:1-11

1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. 


3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us -- they help us learn to endure. 

4 And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. 

5And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 

7 Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 

9 And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's judgment. 

10 For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. 

11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God -- all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. 

There is actually a lot said in those few sentences. What are your thoughts on it?

Are You "In A Dark Corner" Of Life That Feels Like You Have Been Abandoned?

So, it has happened. You woke up this morning feeling alone, abandoned, and forgotten. You think back and remember a time long ago when you felt close to God. Now thoughts plaque your mind of "Why is this happening to me?", "Doesn't God care?", "I am basically a good person, I don't deserve this".

Our choices help shape and sculpt our lives. It is true, that others do things to us, or against us, that we have no control over. I am not talking about those instances where we are living right, loving God, and keeping a relationship with Him and things happen.

I am not talking about those things.

What I am talking about today is when we make choices that we know are not good. Choices that we know are going in the wrong direction. Yet, we choose to do them anyway. We know, and sense even, that it is the wrong thing to do.

These choices take us further away from God. These choices separate us and even potentially open the doors to things that wouldn't have ever happened otherwise. BUT, hope is not lost. Stay with me now. It is not a simple coincidence that you ran across this today and then were curious enough to open it and read it.

There is a scripture in the Bible that sums this up pretty completely. It is a "picture" of our relationship with God. You see, there were two sons who lived with their Father. The Father gave them both everything they ever needed, but the younger one wanted his inheritance early. He took it, then left home, focused on himself and the greed that consumed him. He focused on what his desires wanted, and doing everything he could think of that was wild and wrong. He made choices that ultimately landed him living on the streets, in a pig pen, eating the food that the pigs ate out of the pig trough.

That's pretty low, right? I mean....GROSS! Can you imagine? Down in the mud and the muck, dirty, wet, and eating leftover pig slop that had pig buggers and slobber all in it. And I mean, think about it, pigs are NOT the cleanest animals out there. So this guy must have been pretty low.

Here is the great thing. Even though HE walked away from everything good he had. Even though he took his gifts, his inheritance, and treated it as nothing and squandered it all away. He eventually came to his senses. He eventually realized that what he had before was greater than he had ever realized and he wanted it back.

Scripture tells us that as he was walking back home, his Father was waiting and watching for him. Watching for him. When the Father saw him, He ran to him, grabbed him up in His arms and clothed him in the finest clothes, a ring, and shoes for his feet. Then He threw a party for him. A celebration.

That's right. No yelling. No condemnation. No anger.

If this is you today, you didn't read this by accident. God is speaking to you through this. He is telling you, "I love you. I haven't left you. I am here. I am waiting with open arms. Come and let me draw you up close unto myself. Come home. I miss you."

If you want to read this scripture for yourself it is in the Bible. It is found in the Book of Luke chapter 15 verses 11 through 32.

I pray this has blessed you today and brought some comfort and some answers into your life. If you know of someone else that this might bless, please pass it on. Thanks.

Disappointment and Fear.....

There is a funny thing that I realized about fear. You cannot have faith in something and fear at the same time. What do I mean?

Well, for example. When you call up the pizza man ( a person whom you have never seen nor met), order your pizza, and then hang up the phone. Do you trust that he is making the pizza, putting it in a box, getting in his car, and driving to your house? You trust him right?

Because if you were in fear you would call him back every few minutes checking to make sure that he heard you, that he is working on it, and that he is doing it right. You would call him when he was in his car to make sure he wasn't getting lost or turning down the wrong street. You definitely wouldn't set the table for dinner until he arrived because deep down, you really don't trust that he can or will do it right or on time. You are in fear of not receiving what you asked for.

Yet, we do that with God. We pray, we re-pray, and we ask again just to be sure He heard us. We beg, we plead, we worry, and we get into fear. Especially when our answer seems to be late. Yet, we trust the pizza delivery person, whom we have never seen, and never met. A mere human.

Can you agree that it seems a little backwards?

Today, if you are in fear about ANYTHING, read these two scriptures below. Then pray, and trust that God heard you, that He loves you, and that He will take care of you.

I believe that it wasn't a mistake that you read this today.

Philippians 4:6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ 

1 Peter 5:7 
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If this has blessed you today, please pass it on to your friends and family. 

You Are Not Promised Tomorrow ~ Remember That

So, we were sitting at church the other day and my husband had his coffee sitting under the chair in front of him. The lid was off to let it cool a little.

A guy walked by to go to the bathroom and he kicked the coffee over. Even though my husband had just hollered out to him, "Hey watch my coffee please!" As the coffee spilled all under the front row of chairs and toward the stage my husband angrily shook his head in disbelief. He looked at me as he said "Didn't you just hear me ask him to watch out for my coffee?" I told him I did, but then also told him that I noticed the gentleman didn't hear him either.

I spoke to the guy after service. Nice guy. You could tell he had a breathing problem of some sort along with some possible other things. I said it was nice to see him there, and to meet him. We shook hands, I left.

That was not even a week ago. He died last night.

You see, we aren't promised tomorrow. We need to remind ourselves daily that those we meet, and those we know, and even for ourselves.....today might be our last day on earth. I think if we kept things in a perspective like that, we might live a little better, treat others a little better, and love a lot more.

What do you think?

Its Not What You Thought You Saw In The Mirror Today - It's What You Should Have Seen

You are equipped to handle anything this day will bring. 

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable 

for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training

in righteousness; so that the man of God may be 

adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

You are blessed.

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor 

You will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 5:12 

You are confidently led. You are pointed in the right direction. 

I the Lord will instruct you and teach you in the way you 

should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Psalm 32:8

So, you see. You have everything that you need. Have a great rest of the day. You are more than a conqueror!

How You Feel Today, Isn't Fact. What You See Today, Isn't Fact. What You Believe On The Other Hand.........

Okay, so you woke up and that problem is STILL there. Looming like a storm cloud that seems to follow you around in life. You wonder, "Will I ever break free"?

Whatever it is that is going on in your life is temporary, hard as it may be. My grandmother used to say "this too shall pass". She was right.

In the Bible, Paul warned, "Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it, is on its way out". (1 Corinthians 7:31 MSG)

Push through it. Focus on FACTS. The devil is a deceiver, the world a distraction. The bible is the only TRUTH. So, focus on that. The truth. The facts.

Romans 4:17

The Message (MSG)

We call Abraham “father” not because he got God’s attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, “I set you up as father of many peoples”? Abraham was first named “father” and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do.........

Don't focus on the problem. Focus on the solution. God. Trust Him. Ask Him for help. Then believe He can do and will do what He said He would do.

Instead of saying "I am unemployed", start saying "Thank you God for my new job". Speak things that you cannot see yet....as if they were already a visable reality. Be like Abraham.....believe. Only believe.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
If this has blessed you today in someway, please share it with others. Thank you.

As A Christian, Does How Much You Actually READ The Bible Really Matter?

Have you ever asked yourself... "Does how much I read the Bible really matter? I go to church and they teach about whats in the Word."

Several years ago I used to have gripping nightmares. The type where "someone" or "something" evil was after me. It always seemed SO real. I felt like the air was getting sucked out of the room and my heart was being crushed. In my dream, I would always be trying to say "Jesus". 

I would eventually get it out, and it would wake me up from the nightmare. 

Interestingly enough, these dreams started right before I started Bible College. 

Before that point, I had read the Bible, but not seriously. I had prayed to God, but not very often really. I simply relied on what I "heard" in church.  I didn't understand much beyond the fact that I knew Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that there were three parts to God...God the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. But, that's it. 

Seriously....I thought the book of Job was  "Job", a place to work. I didn't even know some of the books of the bible were IN there. It was all new to me. 

As I started READING the Bible daily in Bible school and then studying it, a few things would pop out at me that I never saw before. I learned a few things. First off, I had the ability to resist the devil and he HAD to flee from me. (James 4:7) 

I learned that by reading the Bible, I was renewing my mind. (Romans 12:2) The more GOOD I put into it....there seemed to be less and less space for the BAD. Its like it "pushed it all out". Pretty soon, the nightmares stopped. Since that time, I have never had dreams like that again actually.

Also, by reading the Gospels...Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.... I learned who God was. For the first time, I saw that He was LOVE. Not the guy with the anvil just waiting to drop it on my head when I would inevitably screw up. That He does correct and teach us, but in LOVE. Just as a parent does with their child. 

So, my answer is.............YES! It is very, very important to read the Bible for yourself DAILY. Even every morning and every night. Put scriptures on Post It notes and stick them to your dashboard in your car, put one in your wallet, inside your closet door, on your fridge. 

The world is getting darker and darker....so keep the source of LIGHT close to you at all times. It is our armor, our shield and our defense. With God, all things are possible. When He is for us, no one can stand against us and prevail. 

We got to cheat and read the end of our story. You know, the part where it says WE WIN. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If this has blessed you today, please pass it on. Thanks.

Keeping Up With The Jones's ~ NOT!

'


Sadly enough, the examples we have in life, tend to lead us in that very direction. To always try to "keep up with the Jones's". We may not want to admit it, but we most likely have ALL been guilty of that at one time or another in our lives.

There is a scripture in the book of Ecclesiastes that really hit home for me. It says this....Ecclesiastes 4:4 "Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless - like chasing the wind."

I remember at one time in my life I would be stressing over what I would wear to church on Sunday, or to a church "get together". In that church at least, people were so clickish. Depending on where you lived, what you drove, and what you wore, would determine what click you would be accepted into.

This shouldn't be so. But sadly, it is the reality of this world we live in. We cant change others behaviors, but we CAN change our own.

The Bible says if we compare ourselves to others, we are "unwise". (2 Corinthians 10:12)

You see, God knew what He was doing when He made you, just the way you are. (Psalm 139) He made you the way you are for a specific purpose. He has a specific plan laid out just for you. (Ephesians 2:10) He is more than capable to mold a willing heart into something grand.

Don't worry about the Jones's. Live in a way that gives you peace in your heart. Live in a way that when you place your head down on your pillow at night, you do so with contentment in your soul. 

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

If this has blessed you today, please share it with others. Thank you. 

Some Simple, But Indispensable, Facts About The Bible That Will Help You When You Read

I don't know about you, but for a long time in my younger years I didn't read the Bible because it confused me with all of those "thee's" and "thou's". The language didn't make sense to me.

I have learned a couple of things over the years that have helped me tremendously, and so I wanted to pass those on to you today.

1. First, get a version that you can understand.  New Living Translation is a great one to consider. When I worked for Rick Renner a few years back he had told me that it was the closest to the original Hebrew and Greek, in his opinion, after years of studying.

2. Next, understand what you are reading and who is writing it.

The books of Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians are all letters written to the churches of that time.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John will tell you all about Jesus. (Although the entire Bible prophesies and speaks of Him throughout) When you learn about Jesus, you learn about God. Jesus said that if you have "seen him you have seen the father". John is a great place to start.

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are all history lessons.

Do you like poetry? The book of Psalms is great. My grandmother read the Bible from cover to cover too many times to count. To her, Proverbs and Psalms were like a "summary" of the Bible. Sort of like "Cliff Notes". Those two books, along with 3 others, are also known as "the books of everyday wisdom or "the writings". So thats Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes,and Songs of Solomon.

3. If you do not understand a scripture, or if it just doesn't make sense...be sure to read the entire book. If you are in Matthew, read the whole book. I know that the Bible is divided up into chapters and verses....but when each book was written originally, it was one continuous thing....not broken up. It was only broken up to help us to find reference points and make it "easier to read".

4. Last but not least....pray before you read and ask God to help you to understand it. Seriously...it makes a difference.

I hope this has helped you today. If it did, please pass it on.

Below is a more detailed breakdown of the books if you want to dig in a little deeper today.

• The Pentateuch

Written more than 3,000 years ago, the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch. The word pentateuch means "five vessels," "five containers," or "five-volumed book." For the most part, both Jewish and Christian tradition credit Moses with primary authorship of the Pentateuch. These five books form the theological foundation of the Bible.

• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy

• The Historical Books of the Bible

The next division of the Old Testament contains the Historical Books. These 12 books record the events of Israel's history, beginning with the book of Joshua and the nation's entry into the Promised Land until the time of its return from exile some 1,000 years later. As we read these pages of the Bible, we relive incredible stories and meet fascinating leaders, prophets, heroes and villains.

• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel
• 1 Kings and 2 Kings
• 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Esther

• The Poetry and Wisdom Books of the Bible

The writing of the Poetry and Wisdom Books spanned from the time of Abraham through the end of the Old Testament. Possibly the oldest of the books, Job, is of unknown authorship. The Psalms have many different writers, King David being the most notable and others remaining anonymous. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs are primarily attributed to Solomon. Also referred to as "wisdom literature," these books deal precisely with our human struggles and real-life experiences.

• Job
• Psalms
• Proverbs
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Songs

• The Prophetic Books of the Bible

There have been prophets throughout every era of God's relationship with mankind, but the books of the prophets address the "classical" period of prophecy—during the later years of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel, throughout the time of exile, and into the years of Israel's return from exile. The Prophetic Books were written from the days of Elijah (874-853 B.C.) until the time of Malachi (400 B.C.). They are further divided by Major and Minor Prophets.

Major Prophets

• Isaiah
• Jeremiah
• Lamentations - Scholarship favors Jeremiah as the author of Lamentations. The book, a poetic work, is placed here with the Major Prophets in English Bibles because of its authorship.
• Ezekiel
• Daniel - In English and Greek Bible translations, Daniel is considered one of the Major Prophets; however, in the Hebrew it is part of "The Writings."

Minor Prophet

• Hosea
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Micah
• Nahum
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Malachi

• New Testament Books of the Bible

The New Testament is the fulfillment and culmination of the Old Testament. What the prophets of old longed to see, Jesus Christ fulfilled as Israel's Messiah and the Savior of the World. The New Testament tells the story of Christ's coming to earth as a man, his life and ministry, his mission, message, and miracles, his death, burial, and resurrection, and the promise of his return.

• The Gospels

The four Gospels recount the story of Jesus Christ, each book giving us a unique perspective on his life. They were written between A.D. 55-65, with the exception of John's Gospel, which was written around A.D. 85-95.

• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John

• The Book of Acts

The book of Acts, written by Luke, provides a detailed, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is considered a New Testament history book about the early church. The book of Acts supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. The work also constructs a link between the Gospels and the Epistles. 

• The Epistles

The Epistles are letters written to the first churches and individual believers in the earliest days of Christianity. The Apostle Paul wrote the first 13 of these letters, each addressing a specific situation or problem. Paul's writings constitute about one-fourth of the entire New Testament.

• The Epistles of Paul
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians - Prison Epistle
• Philippians - Prison Epistle
• Colossians - Prison Epistle
• 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy - Pastoral Epistles
• Titus - Pastoral Epistle
• Philemon - Prison Epistle

• The General Epistles
• Hebrews
• James
• 1 Peter and 2 Peter
• 1 John, 2 John and 3 John
• Jude

• The Book of Revelation

This final book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, is sometimes called "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" or "The Revelation to John." The author is John, the son of Zebedee, who also wrote the Gospel of John. He penned this dramatic book while living in exile on the Island of Patmos, around A.D. 95-96. At the time, the early Christian church in Asia faced an intense period of persecution.

In this book you will find the hope-filled message of salvation in Jesus Christ, the promise of blessing for his followers, and God's ultimate victory and supreme power are the prevailing themes of the book.

The Addicted, The Forgotten, And The Orphaned

So, I don't need to tell you that "life can be hard", I think you have experienced that for yourselves already. 

What you might not know is that there is hope.  

For some of us, we wake up in the morning with a smile on our face and peace in our hearts. For others, we wake up and want to pull the covers back over our heads and remain in bed forever. Or, maybe we do get up and start off right, but the day seems to beat us down like the heavy rain and hail does to a garden of spring flowers. 

No matter. There is still hope.

Thankfully, this life is temporary. If we look at it like that....its puts everything into a better perspective. Our eternity is spent somewhere else. To us, you see, this life is but a "hiccup" in the scheme of things really. The challenge is making it to our eternity and making it to the RIGHT eternity.

Most know that Heaven is real. But one of the most life changing moments for me was next to my Fathers death bed. It was just him and me. My other two sisters had not made it there yet. The nurse had told me that he was only being "sustained" that he had lost all ability to think or regain conscientiousness. I told her that I would not leave. She assured me it would be okay to go home because he would not ever wake up again. 

A few hours later, despite what she told me, my dad sat up and reached to the other side of the bed smiling and eyes wide open. He was reaching for someone. I didn't see them, but he did. I was shocked! I shook him and said "Dad, Dad". He turned and looked at me and then said "Well hi Princess. I love you." I told him that I loved him too and he laid back down and went back to "sleep". 

I told the nurse what had happened when she came back in. She looked at me like I was out of my mind. It made me wonder for a second if I was "losing it". But no, an hour or so later he did the SAME THING again............. one more time. 

You see, he saw something or someone that made him so happy that in the midst of the pain of the cancer, the inability to breathe, and being stuck in that hospital bed.....he smiled. He reached for them. It was a good thing. I think he saw Heaven, or an angel, or Jesus Himself. 

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savoir, the Bible says that we ARE SAVED. That we are forgiven of all of our sins, redeemed, and that we WILL go to Heaven when we die, and go from this temporary life to our eternity. 

Now Heaven is a great place. No pain, no hunger, no sadness, no worries, JUST PEACE. I don't know about you...but I am looking forward to that.

Our job is just to take as many with us as we can while on this earth. Now God helps, heals, defends, and rescues while we are here. He wont leave us. But that doesn't mean we wont have days where we want to just pull the covers over our heads just a little further. After all, we are not to Heaven yet.

Just remember...."hiccup". Just for a time.......THEN eternity of peace in Heaven. We can do this. Just never give up.

If this has blessed you, please pass it on. If you ever need or want to talk, just email me. 

There Is Atleast "One" Who Is In Your Corner

I know, this life can have struggles, sometimes daily. Are you there today? At that place where you feel like this life has yet again thrown you a curve ball. You tried to dodge it, but it has hit you square between the eyes..........AGAIN!

There is One who is in your corner. He has always been there actually. Even when family and friends fail you, He wont. Even when all hope seems lost, He has it in spades to share with you. He will always create a way of escape for you. So instead of feeling "trapped in a corner" today, look for "the open window". There is one.

How do I know? Because I have lived it. I have experienced it. No matter what situation I have found myself in .....nothing has been impossible to Him. Although, I will admit.....there have been times when I have "felt" alone. Completely alone. But just because I "felt" that way, doesn't mean that I was actually alone.

You see, God holds His Word above even His own Name. What does that mean? It means that He is behind His promises. Not one of His promises ever goes unfulfilled. He actually watches over His Word to perform it.

Would He save you? Would He help you? Yes. Did you know that He loves you like He loves His Son, Jesus? Let me show you this prayer that Jesus prayed. Pay special attention to the part where He says that God loves us just like He loves Him.

John 17:23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

So, don't despair today. Someone is in your corner today. In fact THE ONE is in your corner today. And if He is for you....who and what could possibly be against you. Talk to Him...pray....ask....He will hear and He will answer. He, and He alone, is faithful.

Then watch as He opens that window of escape for you.   

Everyone Likes To Blame It On Someone Else..........

Everyone likes to blame their issues on someone else. "It's the economy's fault",  "Its my families fault", or even "Its the devils fault." Sometimes we blame others to justify our actions....for example "I wouldn't have lost my temper and sped off and got a ticket, if HE hadn't of made me so mad."

All too often we forget to look at one person in particular....ourselves. Ouch, I know, that might sting a little. But friend, the truth usually does. Ignore the pinched toes and keep reading.

We are where we are today, because of what we did yesterday. We will be where we are tomorrow, because of what we do today.

So if you are stuck in a rut and you don't know how to get out, whether that be an abusive relationship, a horrible job, or even just feeling "down in the dumps"...... Or maybe you are broke, don't have the degree you always wanted, or your still addicted to that one thing you wish you weren't.....change something today about your life.

Stop blaming every one else. Im not saying outside things can't effect us. I am saying that they can only effect us as much as we let them. We have to change. We have to do something different. Have you ever heard this saying? "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results."

Change today....because in changing today, you will forever change your future.

Dont let your current circumstances or situation dictate the outcome of the rest of your life. Get up...dust off....keep going. Change is just around the corner.
If this has blessed you today, please pass it forward. Thanks.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye (Matthew 7:3-5).

Life......It's Really Just "Horse Play" ~ Sometimes You Just Gotta Laugh At It

Today I was cleaning a Rancher's house. They have a picturesque house with the traditional "red barn", horse stables, and flowers everywhere you look.

After I finished, I went out to the stables to take some pictures of the horses. Since the stables were well shaded on the inside, the flash on my camera went off when I took the picture. This surprised the horses and it made them jump. Their eyes looked like they were literally going to pop out of their head's. (I think the owner would be upset to have "eyeless" horses. Good thing their eyes remained intact.)

So, this made me think.

Sometimes life can seem to be going along just fine. Peaceful, all is well, not much happening really. Then all of the sudden some strange thing appears before us and FLASH, it scares the food we ate earlier in the day right out of us.

Why do we react like that? God has been there for us a million times before, gotten us out of a million messes before. So why is it that the first thing we do in a problem or situation is FREAK OUT? I don't know either. I do it alot myself. LOL

But, I am getting better. Slowly but surely I am reminding myself just Who is in charge, how very powerful He is, and how much He wants the best for me (and you). Then I start to feel the heart rate slow down, the breathing go back to normal, and all of my "on the alert" nerves go back to being "at ease".

I can assure you that when that horse saw me coming they did not expect that flash in their faces. I am sure they thought my camera bag was a "treat bag" of some sorts and they were expecting a lovely afternoon snack. Not a light blinding camera.

So remember, if life throws you a curve ball today....don't panic. Remember who your defender is, ask Him for help, then breath a little easier knowing just Who He is and that He is on your side. Because of those facts....remind yourself, "Its going to be alright".

You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance.
Psalm 32: 7

[And indeed] the Lord will certainly deliver and draw me to Himself from every assault of evil. He will preserve and bring me safe unto His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
2 Timothy 4: 18

And he said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. 
2 Samuel 22: 2(NKJV)