Oh yes =)

Lovely to see =)

Blessings =)

Don’t Just Pray to Become a Better Slave!

Don’t Just Pray to Become a Better Slave! TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.’ ” (Exodus 6:6, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria When the Israelites were in slavery, they were forced to make bricks all day long. They were given quotas that were almost impossible to meet. And at one point, Pharaoh got upset and had the supervisors take away all the straw they needed for bricks. They had the same quota, but they had to go find their own straw. No doubt they prayed, “God, please give us straw. God, You know these supervisors are going to get upset. We’re not going to make our quotas.” They had been pushed down for so long. They had such a limited vision when they were praying for more straw. In effect, they were praying to become a better slave. God said, “That’s too small. I don’t want to make you a better slave. I want to take you totally out of that bondage. I created you as the head and not the tail, the victor and not the victim.” Today, don’t just pray for improvement in your difficult situation, pray for deliverance from it! See beyond your circumstances and let Him lead you out into the place of victory and abundance! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, today I release a slave mentality. I pray and ask for Your complete deliverance from every form of bondage in my life. Help me to think the way You think and see the way You see. Thank You for freedom all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Focus on Reconciliation, not Resolution

BY RICK WARREN — JULY 30, 2014

“There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV)

When you have conflict in your life, focus on reconciliation, not resolution. There’s a big difference in those two words. Reconciliation means re-establishing the relationship. Resolution means resolving every issue.

Resolution probably isn’t going to happen, because you’re never going to agree on some things. Nobody on this planet agrees with you about everything, so you’re never going to have resolution on all your issues.

Can you have a loving relationship without agreeing on everything? Of course you can. If you learn to disagree without being disagreeable, that’s called wisdom. If you learn to walk hand-in-hand without having to see eye-to-eye, that’s called wisdom.

One of the greatest things you can do with your life is be a bridge builder, not a wall builder. You are most like Jesus Christ when you are reconciling people. You are most like Jesus when you’re building bridges, not walls. That’s exactly what Jesus came to do! He’s the great reconciler. God sent Jesus to Earth to reconcile us because we are in conflict with God.

But you cannot make peace with other people until you make peace with God. And maybe that’s part of the problem — you’re not at peace with yourself because you’re not at peace with God. First you’ve got to make peace with God. Then you get the peace of God.

That’s the starting point: You need to get peace in your heart by letting the Prince of Peace inside.

Would you pray this to God in your heart?

“God, you know the conflict in my life. I’m tired of it, and I want to make peace. I want to have your peace in my life so I can offer peace to others. So I accept your peace today. I open my life to you as best as I know how. Fill my life with love, not anger, and with patience, joy, and peace. Come in and fill every area of my life with your peace, and help me to be a bridge builder and not a wall builder. Help me to take the initiative and not wait on that other person. Help me to find the right time and place, and then help me to have the courage to confess my part of the conflict and to be humble. Instead of attacking the person, help me attack the problem. Help me to consider the other person’s perspective. Help me to speak the truth, fix the problem and not the blame, and to focus on reconciliation instead of resolving all the disagreements. I ask this in your name. Amen.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36JOVeEnCGQ

In you =)

when I am with you =)

as it grows =)

Come and find =)

Lovely payment =)

Act of Love =)

Zephaniah 3:17

Don’t Settle Where You Are

Don’t Settle Where You Are TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria God did not create you to live a little life with little dreams, little goals, little passion, little influence. God thinks big. He thinks abundance. He thinks expansive. He told the Israelites, “I am bringing you into a wide land, a spacious land flowing with milk and honey.” God has something bigger, something better, something more rewarding in front of you. Don’t get comfortable where you are. It’s easy to think, “Well, God’s blessed me. I’m happy. I’m healthy. I have no complaints.” That’s good to always be grateful. You should learn to be happy where you are, but don’t settle where you are. God never performs His greatest victories in the past. They’re always in the future. Remember today, you haven’t touched the surface of what God has in store for you. He’s going to open doors you never dreamed would open. He’s going to bring talent out of you that you didn’t know you had! You’re going to see explosive blessings that thrust you to a new level. Keep praying, keep hoping, keep believing and don’t settle where you are. Embrace the blessing God has in store for your future! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, thank You for big dreams and visions for my life. I trust that You are taking me higher and leading me to increase, first in You, and then in my influence in the world around me. I refuse to settle and trust that You are at work in Jesus’ name! Amen. Fix the Problem, Not the Blame BY RICK WARREN — JULY 29, 2014 “You must also rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” (Colossians 3:8 NIV) You only have a certain amount of emotional energy. In a conversation where you’re trying to resolve conflict, you can either use that energy to fix the blame or you can use that energy to fix the problem. You don’t have enough energy to do both. So you’ve got to ask yourself what’s more important, to blame the other person or to resolve the conflict. Fix the problem, not the blame. Every married couple needs some ground rules for fighting fair along with certain words you both agree not to use. There are some things you should never, ever say in a marriage — they become weapons of mass destruction. During the Cold War, when the Soviet Union and the U.S. were at each other’s throats, the U.S. had thousands of intercontinental missiles aimed at the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had thousands of intercontinental missiles aimed at us, too. Even when we were at the worst point in the Cold War and there was enormous tension, both sides still had enough sanity to say, some weapons we just aren’t going to use because they’re “MAD” — mutually assured destruction. If you use yours, we’re going to use ours, and we’re going to destroy each other, and there won’t be anything. So even when we were on opposite sides of an issue, we could at least agree not to use those weapons. There are some personal weapons of mass destruction that should never be used in your marriage, like threatening divorce or threatening to walk out or bringing up somebody’s parents. You have to agree that no matter how upset you are with each other, those words are off limits, because they destroy the relationship by tearing down trust. The Bible is very specific about what’s out of bounds. Colossians 3:8 says, “You must also rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (NIV). Those are like weapons of mass destruction. The reason we need to focus on fixing the problem and not the blame is because blaming is a form of judging, and only God has the right to judge. You’re not the judge. You can’t figure out anybody else’s motivation. You don’t know your own motivation most of the time! Only God knows. Let him be the judge. Talk About It What are the “weapons of mass destruction” in your relationship(s)? Why is it important to set boundaries for “fighting fair” in a relationship? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpTjqmjXB9Q

The best feeling of Happiness =)

God’s Dream for Your Life

God’s Dream for Your Life TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “ ‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.’ ” (Isaiah 55:8, NLT) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria We all have dreams and goals. We do our best to stretch our faith and believe that one day, if we work hard enough, get the right breaks or meet the right people, we’ll see that dream come to pass. In our mind, that would be big. A great accomplishment. But, what’s big to us is not big to God. He created the universe. He spoke worlds into existence. God’s dream for your life is so much bigger than your own. See, we think ordinary; God thinks extraordinary! Today, whatever you’re dreaming about, whatever you’re believing for, know that God’s dream for your life is far greater. He wants to supersize it. He’s an overflow God. Ephesians says, “God can do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what we think.” Why don’t you take the limits off of God? You may not see a way, but God has a way. One touch of God’s favor can take you further than you could go on your own in a lifetime. Be open to God’s dream for your life and embrace the fullness of the blessing He has in store for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, thank You for loving me and having such a wonderful plan for my life. Help me to see the great things You have for me. Show me Your love today as I keep my heart and mind stayed on You in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXeCQgOlx4Q

Courageous People Resolve Conflict

BY RICK WARREN — JULY 28, 2014

“God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)

Why does God want us to live at peace with everyone? Because unresolved conflict has three devastating effects in your life.

First, it blocks your fellowship with God. When you’re out of whack with others, you can’t be in harmony with God. When you’re distracted, when you’re in conflict with other people, you cannot have a clear connection with God. 1 John 4:20 says,“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar”(NLT).

Second, unresolved conflict hinders your prayers. Over and over again the Bible says that where there is conflict and sin and disharmony in your life, your prayers are blocked.

Third, unsolved conflict hinders your happiness. You cannot be happy and in conflict at the same time. When conflict comes in the front door, happiness goes out the back.

So, don’t you want to get rid of the conflict in your life? The starting point of resolving any conflict is to take the initiative. Don’t wait for others to come to you; go to them. You be the peacemaker.

Don’t ignore the conflict. Don’t deny the conflict. Don’t push the conflict under the carpet.

Have you heard the expression, “Time heals everything?” That’s a bunch of bologna. Time heals nothing! If time heals everything, you wouldn’t ever need to see the doctor.

Actually, time makes things worse. When you’ve got an open wound and you don’t deal with it, it festers. Anger turns to resentment, and resentment turns to bitterness.

The conflict is not going to resolve itself. You’ve got to intentionally deal with it.

Only courageous people resolve conflict. Maybe the most courageous thing you can do is face an issue that you’ve been ignoring for a long time in your marriage, or with your kids, or with your employees, or your boss, or whoever.

Where do you find the courage to face it? You get it from God.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” That means if you let God’s Spirit fill your life, you're going to be filled with power, love, and self-discipline. And God’s love overcomes fear.

When your love is greater than your fear, you’ll do things you’re afraid to do. That’s called courage. When you’re filled with God’s love, you’ll also be filled with love for that person who is irritating you or that person you’re in conflict with.

Talk About It

• What are you pretending is not a problem in your relationships? Money? Trust? In-laws? Family? Children? Communication? Values? Work schedule?
• What will you do today to take the initiative to resolve those conflicts?

A choice =)

10 Blessings =)

Value Every Moment

Value Every Moment TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12, NIV) TODAY’S WORD: Sometimes, our days can be so full and busy that we forget how precious and fragile life here on earth really is. It can be so easy to allow little things to creep in and steal our peace and joy. Maybe something doesn’t go our way, or someone says something upsetting. Even traffic can cause us to get our focus off if we let it. We have to remember that each day is a gift. If we choose to focus on what’s wrong, we’ll miss the beauty that each day has to offer. I encourage you today; don’t let the precious moments of life pass you by. Don’t wait for holidays and birthdays to show people that you care. Remember, each day is unique and irreplaceable. You have been given time that can be invested or wasted; hours that can be used or misused. That’s why the psalmist prayed to God, “Teach us to number our days.” He was saying, “Teach us to value every moment we’ve been given.” As you keep a proper perspective, you’ll gain a heart of wisdom. You’ll draw closer to God and experience the full blessing that He has for you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of today. I choose to focus on the blessing of each moment instead of allowing the little things to steal my joy. Keep me close to You always as I submit every area of my heart and mind to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. PS...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33aGaYAZvL4 How Can We Love Difficult People? BY RICK WARREN — JULY 27, 2014 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”(Romans 12:18 NIV) One of the most important skills we can develop as we walk with Christ is to love difficult people. Here are four methods Jesus modeled when he encountered difficult people: Realize you can't please everybody. Even God can't do that! Refuse to play games (Matthew 22:18). Learn to say no to unrealistic expectations. Confront them by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV). NEVER retaliate (Matthew 5:38-39). It only lowers you to their level. Pray for them (Matthew 5:44). It will help both of you. Let God speak to them. Talk About It Why is it better to please God instead of trying to please everybody else? What are some ways to say no to unrealistic expectations? What are ways you can pray for the difficult people in your life?

Somewhere somehow =)

Horizon =)

Good morning ... =)

Remember, that set time is already in your future. Don’t let the negative thoughts talk you out of it. The way you know that you’re really believing is when you have rest on the inside. You’re at peace. You know the answer is on the way. You 
trust that God is working things out. =)

Believe and Rest

Believe and Rest TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: For we who have believed do enter that rest… Hebrews 4:3, NKJV. TODAY'S WORD: God promises that there are set times in our future, but He doesn’t tell us when they will be. Your set time may be tomorrow morning at 9:47. You’ll get the phone call you’ve been waiting for. Your set time may be two years from now. You’ll get a good break that will thrust you to a new level. My question is, “Do you trust God enough to believe that your set times are coming?” Are you willing to wait with a good attitude? Are you willing to get a new perspective? Remember, that set time is already in your future. Don’t let the negative thoughts talk you out of it. The way you know that you’re really believing is when you have rest on the inside. You’re at peace. You know the answer is on the way. You trust that God is working things out. Today put your faith and trust in Him and enter into rest. Know that He is good and He is for you! Your set time of favor is on the way! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, today I choose to enter into rest. I choose to trust You. I choose to put my faith and hope in You knowing that You are good, and You have good things in store for my future in Jesus’ name! Amen. PS...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9_0jiO5ZRM Do You Need a Heart Transplant? BY RICK WARREN — JULY 26, 2014 “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG) If you’re going to get control of anger in your life, you must base your identity on Jesus, understanding that he loves you unconditionally, that you are his, that you are valuable, and that he has a purpose and plan for your life. If you build your identity on anything else, you’ll struggle with insecurity your whole life. You can build your identity on your job, but you can lose your job. You can build your identity on how good-looking you are, but you may lose your good looks. You can build your identity on the person you married, but your spouse will eventually die. You can build your identity on being popular, but you’re not always going to be popular. If you build your identity on anything that can be taken away from you, you’re going to be insecure, and insecurity is at the root of your anger. Until you start feeling secure about yourself, people are going to be able to push your buttons. When you know who you are and whose you are, people can’t push your buttons. They can’t get to you. Anger and insecurity go together. The more insecure you feel, the angrier you feel. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that” (MSG). When you get angry, your mouth just reveals what’s inside your heart. A harsh tongue reveals an angry heart. A negative tongue reveals a fearful heart. A boasting tongue reveals an insecure heart. An overactive tongue reveals an unsettled heart. A judgmental tongue reveals a guilty heart. A critical tongue reveals a bitter heart. A filthy tongue reveals an impure heart. On the other hand, an encouraging tongue reveals a happy heart, a gentle tongue reveals a loving heart, and a controlled tongue reveals a peaceful heart. You know what you need to get rid of your anger problem? You need a heart transplant. Fortunately, God specializes in them. It’s called salvation! God gives you a brand new heart and a brand new identity. You don’t have to find your identity in your job or your bank account or your good looks or your relationships, because you find your identity in what God says about you. Jesus can heal the three things that cause anger: hurt, frustration, and fear. Jesus can heal your hurting heart with his love. Jesus can replace your frustrated heart with his peace. Jesus can replace your insecure heart with his power. If you pick up a crying baby and hold it close so that it feels warm and secure, it stops crying. It stops being angry. When you feel secure and accepted in Jesus Christ, your anger is going to dissipate. Talk It Over Pray this prayer today: “Dear God, I admit I have a problem with my anger. I let other people push my buttons, I get even, and I don’t think before speaking. I’m asking for your help. Help me to reflect before reacting. Help me to learn to release my anger appropriately. Help me to find my identity completely in you. I open myself completely to you. Come into my life. Save me. Make the changes that only you can make. In your name I pray. Amen.”

Kiss for Peace =)

Always Make Love, Not War =)

Mom's favorite song =)

Proverbs 3:13 to 24 =)

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.

19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. =)

Understanding BPS =)