Inspired

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

In the days that Jesus walked the earth he changed lives. He healed the sick, spoke life into dead situations and inspired the lives of countless individuals where ever he went. The ones that had the honor of being his disciples witnessed many of these great works and had the unique opportunity of walking with the Savior in a personal way. He inspired them with his acts of greatness as the Son of Man and the Son of God in human flesh. Upon Jesus' departure from the earth, he gave the disciples a commission to minister his word throughout the world. They were inspired to act based on what they experienced and what they knew to be true about the God of their salvation. The Holy Spirit empowered them and the disciples went on to perform great things in the earth just like Jesus did.

What are you inspired to do? God has given us the power, platform and ability to do great things for him on a daily basis. The size of empowerment is not measured by the amount of people involved, it is only by the power of God working through you to accomplish it. The words of Jesus in John 14:12 give us a promise that we will do greater things than he did and we have the power to walk in that promise daily. This power inspired the disciples to do great things and it is the same for us today.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your powerful authority working in my life. I pray that I can complete the assignments you have given me. I am inspired by the works of Jesus to do your will for my life, use me as a vessel to make your name great in the earth. Amen

GPS: God's Positioning System

"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth"- Psalms 33:13-14

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has characterized and simplified the way we live.  It helps us get from place to place very easily, providing turn by turn navigation to sucessfully route us to our expected end. GPS was created by the US Department of Defense in 1973. It is composed of 24 satellites that circle the earth offering specific locations for people and places free of interferences such as weather and clouds. GPS does not operate on the same time table as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) which are the clocks that we use to tell time. This is because GPS does not match the rotation of the earth and does not take into account the events of the year such as leap year. The most dynamic thing about GPS is that as it rotates, it gets a view of the earth from a higher level. GPS satellites provide a full range view and can see a route from beginning to end. As a result it can offer great navigation through every terrain you might face along the path to your destination.

As fascinating as the global positioning system is, there is a greater GPS to consider: God's Positioning System. Psalms 33:13-14 says that God looks down from heaven on us, watching the events of our lives from a higher place. God's view provides us with the opportunity to trust his direction. The full range view of his purpose and plans maybe unknown to you. However in times of uncertainty you have an assurance that he sees the expected end from the very beginning. Just as the global positioning system does not operate on the same clock as we do, neither does God. His timing is always perfect and complete. 

In order for God's Positioning System to operate in your life, you must start by reading his word. The bible offers great insight into the ways of God providing direction, wisdom and a light for the dark pathway of life. As you begin to discover what God's word says, his direction will become clear. Life is uncertain and we all need direction in order to arrive at our expected end, depend on God's Positioning System to set you on the right path.

Prayer: God thank you for sending your word as my GPS. It is infallable light to the pathway of my life. Give me a heart to read and follow your direction step by step. Amen

Here to Help

“I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

One of my favorite stories about God’s assistance happened on a New York City street corner.

My friends and I had just finished dinner at a restaurant in Manhattan. To our surprise when we arrived at the car, the back tire was flat. Here we are, five ladies trying to change a flat in the New York night air. We struggled, “hold it”, “where’s the jack?”, “this thing doesn’t fit!!”, the phrases we used that night were endless as we tried to figure out how to get the tire changed. There was a guy laying on a stoop about 5 steps from us, he would peer at us occasionally and ask “Do you need help with that?”, “No” was our reply and he would commence to lay his head back down on the cardboard pallet he was using as a bed. As we struggled, gradually becoming more and more frustrated. After the fifth or sixth time he asked, “Do you need help with that?” and we finally agreed to accept his help. Before we knew it, he had jacked up the car and changed the tire and to our amazement, he didn’t even need our tools!!! We all looked at each other in bewilderment as we watched the same job that took us two hours to complete, this man finished in under five minutes. On top of it, he wouldn’t accept any money for the job, in his words our “Thank you-s” were enough.

In the day to day hustle of our lives, it is easy to get caught up trying fix things ourselves. If something is going wrong, we dive in, at times never considering the notion of accepting assistance. We rip, run and pull things together in order to find a viable solution to the matters of our lives, but when was the last time you considered that maybe your situation is a job for God? He sits patiently watching us and asking, “Do you need help with that?”, once we agree, the supernatural begins to take place and what took a millennium is reduced to a moment in HIS time. Whenever you find yourself in a situation that is out of your control, trust and know that it is under God’s control and it will take HIM a few moments to make it right for you. And similar to our tire-changing angel, your “Thank you” to the Father will be enough.

Prayer: God, help me to recognize the moments when you are offering me your assistance. Forgive me for not coming to you first and foremost when I face a trying circumstance. Thank you for your willingness to help me with everything that I face. Help me to depend on you even more as you guide me through life’s journey. Amen

An Open Hand

"The everlasting God is your place of safety, his arms will hold you up forever." Deut. 33:27A (NCV)

     The first flight I ever took was to Madrid,Spain. Needless to say, I was a bit apprehensive about the 13 hour flight that would include two transfers. Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect. The sight of the large 957 Boeing plane zooming quickly from a runway, elevating high in the sky was a little overwhelming to say the least. As I boarded the plane, buckled my seatbelt and laid my head back, I asked God a question. I closed my eyes and said, "show me your hand". In my mind, I could see the plane that I was on in the palm of God's hand. This brought much comfort and as I breathed a sigh of relief on top of a "Thank you God" I knew that my flight was "palm protected". I have taken many flights since then and the routine is still the same, "God, show me your hand" and everytime he opens it, there is the plane.

As I journey through life, I have asked God this same question as it pertains to life. "God, show me your hand". In it encompasses my life, the situations and moments that I will face both good, unseen and unfortunate all there together, somehow making perfect sense in the hand of God. His hand does not change. It always offers provision, protection, and a proclamation that he will never leave or forsakes those he loves, which includes all of us.
Prayer: God, thank you for my life residing in your hand. Your hand never fails, they lift me up during times of trouble and offer hope that is everlasting. Thank you for the assurance that when I ask, you will open your hand and show me what I need to see. Amen

Times A' Wastin'

Tick, Tick, Tick....this sound never stops. The seconds, minutes, hours and days of life moving quickly. We are in the 8th month of 2010. As I looked at the clock at 12:30 am this morning, I thought, "Where has this year gone?" I'm not sure about you, but there were some resolutions I made at the beginning of this year that have yet to be accomplished. If you're anything like me, you're probably wondering too, "Where has the time gone?, Yikes!"
Now is the perfect time for a "mid-year tune-up". Pull out those resolutions from January, dust the last 7 months off of them and let's get to work. Intentions are wonderful to have, but they are meaningless without attention. It is never too late to resolve to do better. Betterment is always a valuable use of time. So whether you resolved to lose weight, quit a pesky little habit, manage your money or improve a relationship. Now is still the time. Take this as your breath of fresh air, breathe in betterment and accomplish those goals. You can do it. Happy New Year!!!

Run!!

Recently, one of my best friends decided to run a marathon. A 26.2 mile marathon to be exact. When she informed me of the news via email, I was completely shocked and utterly excited for her. To my knowledge she has never embarked on a physical challenge like this, so this was definately uncharted territory for her. I have been reading her blog which details her training and the ups and downs of a runner in New York City. She is running as a benefit for others which is a leukemia fundraiser and she has dozens of supporters from all over the country cheering her on. I am no exception, I'm one of her biggest fans and while I sit thinking about her race and training, I can't help but think about how it relates to life.

     In life, we all have goals. The one thing that makes the difference in reaching them or not is endurance. Endurance is that desire within not to quit, it is the attitude of a Champion. Placing one foot in front of the other and being consistent in the level of commitment to goals is key to accomplishing them. Whatever you are facing right now, whatever you wish to accomplish and wherever the road of life may lead, make endurance a part of your package. It is guaranteed to lead you to the finish line.
Check out my friend Marlena's blog Zero 2 Twenty Six at http://zero2twentysix.blogspot.com/ and give to a great cause. Marlena, we'll see you at the finish line.

2 is Greater

Math can be a complicated subject, but it starts off so simple. A basic rule of math: two is greater than one. Simple right. When you have two, you can accomplish twice as much than you could if you only had one. This basic math rule is a great example of two things that we should be using twice as much: our ears.

I have been reading through the book of Proverbs for the last few weeks. It speaks volumes about wisdom and knowledge, but what I noticed the most is that it speaks a lot about receiving instruction. In order to receive, we must listen. Listening is a rare occurrence these days, everyone has something to say, an opinion to voice, and no one can stop them for getting their point across. However, when was the last time we really took a moment to listen to a friend, a family member or God giving them our undivided attention and truly absorbing what was said.

I always say, when you take time to listen, the voice will be heard. I had an opportunity to really listen to one of my family members yesterday. Wow. She normally does not have much to say, but as it turns out, she really needed someone to just listen. I ended up learning a lot during this conversation, but most importantly how to intercede for her in prayer.

Try it today, listen more, speak less and you may learn more than you thought possible.

Life Spills

Today, I spilled bleach on one of my favorite scarves. If you have ever had a favorite thing and really valued it, you can just imagine how devastated I was when this happened. There was no one to blame, no Santana (my dog) to be mad at. It was a mistake and in an instance my scarf had an eye sore of orangy (I know that's not a word) spots that ruined its beautiful blackness. Wow!! As I looked at the stain and thought, "What can I do with this other than trash it?", I saw the lesson in what was taking place.

We all have those things in life that seem to haphazardly spill and leave a spot on our lives. Our perfect plans can be "blotted" in an instance by something that we least expect. However, in the midst of it all, we have to understand that without fail life will happen. When it does, it is up to us to clean it up and decide to make use of it or throw it away. Whether it is a personal flaw, a relationship, a past due bill, whatever it is; make the decision to clean it up and make the most of it even if that means getting rid of it.

For me, the scarf became my latest tie dye creation and out of something "ruined" came a valuable one of a kind treasure.

"Live New, Live F.R.E.E"

The Goodness of Sacrifice

"Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself" John 8:28

To lift, to raise, to elevate, to rise above. The words that Jesus spoke in this passage were his words to the Pharissees before his death on the cross. Christ would be placed on display, lifted for the world to see as the horizontal connection between Heaven and Earth. Our pathway to the Father was covered in the redemptive blood of The Son. The Pharissees did not understand what they were going to condemn him to death, but Jesus knew before the beginning of time. This was the reason why he came. His Life, His Love, His Sacrifice was one that opened the door for us to lift hands and our very lives to God as an act of worship.

Today, we celebrate Good Friday, a day that began the Redemption of our humanity and the most humble act of Obedience the world has ever known. The sacrifice that was given for us, knows no compare. As we think about the Beauty of Death that led us to Life in Christ, let us examine our own acts of Obedience. Are we doing all we can to obey without fail? The Son of Man was lifted for us and as we observe that sacrifice, let us obey in that same manner of sacrifice. Where there is great love, there is great sacrifice.

The Point of It All

"But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who can not tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" Jonah 4:11

Sometimes I sit and think about the story of Jonah. It is the first bible story that most of young children learn. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days. To be honest, the story is pretty mesmerizing. Who could ever imagine being thrown overboard and ending up on a three day stay in the fish hotel? Silly right? But when I think about the point of it, that holds the most mesmerizing point of all.

Jonah was really supposed to be on a mission trip, he was instructed by God to go to Nineveh and teach them about the love of God, encouraging them to turn from their evil ways before judgement came. Jonah didn't like the people of Nineveh and he didn't want to go and spread God's message to them, so he headed for Tarshish instead. When he disobedienced, he landed him and the passengers going to Tarshish in a storm, he told them to throw him overboard, suddenly the storm stopped and Jonah had checked into the belly of the fish. But reading the story of Jonah is ultimately a love story. God cared so much for the people of Nineveh and the fact that Jonah was the one that was appointed to bring this message of love that he took Jonah through this experience in order for him to see that he was to go to Nineveh. God's drastic measures to send Jonah to Ninevah in order to turn the people of Nineveh to himself was really the point. The vastness of God's love was seen in this act. His love for them was so drastically real and deep that he would send Jonah to them at any cost. As a result, when Jonah went to Nineveh and did as God commanded, the people turned from their wicked ways, repented before God, and became restored to him, which was the point of it all.

God is crazy about us. He loves us so much that he sends people to spread his message of love to a world that so desperately needs to hear it. His love is endless, he showed us how much when Jesus shattered the darkness of our world with his redemption song. We are loved and that is the point of it all.

Prayer: God, show me the vastness of your love. I want to realize the beauty of it because you went to endless measure to make your love reality. I want to see it in my life and most importantly, let me know and understand that you long to be close to me inspite of the sin in my life. Lord, let your love shine on me. Thank you for it, in Jesus name. -Amen

The Labor of Glory

"Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a santuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chron. 28:10
In the last 2 chapters of 1 Chronicles, David was preparing to pass the reign of the Kingdom of Israel over to his son Solomon. God had given David plans to build the temple of the Lord and God instructed David to pass the kingship to Solomon. Solomon was given the charge to complete the work of building the temple of God (a resting place for the Ark of the Covenant). Could you imagine what it would be like to be charged go build a sanctuary for the Living God? What a huge task right? In the midst of this huge task, there was provision for Solomon. His Father, King David gave him the plans (blueprints) and instructions of exactly how God wanted the temple instructed, once Solomon recieved the plans and accepted the charge, he asked God for one thing, Wisdom to accomplish it.
So many times in our lives God asked us to accomplish a task for him. He has chosen us, instructed us, and equipt us with the plans to Labor for His Glory. We are given the opportunity to participate in making the Lord great for all the world to see, just like Solomon did. God is not asking us to accomplish the task ourselves, he is asking us to be an available vessel that he can utilize and strengthen to be his hands and feet in this earth. What is God asking you to do? Have you began to accomplish your God-given task? The beginning of a New Year is a wonderful time to start doing exactly what God placed you on the earth to do. If you don't know what this thing maybe, ask for God's guidance and assistance. He is more than willing to lead you in the right direction. New Year: New Start and Another Opportunity to make the Name of the Lord great in the earth.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for blessing me with life. With the blessing of Life comes the responsibility of accomplishing the Purpose of my Life for your Glory. Minister to me and lead me to the center of your will. As I hear your voice, give me a heart to obey and follow. Thank you for giving me purpose and most importantly never leaving me to accomplish it on my own. Amen