No Limits

I love Sundays. The kids and I always go to church on Sunday, and today was no different. Actually, I attended two worship services today, which is a treat because I seldom get to go to both of our churches because the service times overlap. I love both churches, and I enjoy different things about each. But I mostly only get to one because I teach Sunday School at Star Light. God knows what we need though, because today He fixed it that I was able to minister at St. Peter and Star Light. I wondered how I was going to be able to do both services within the time constraints. I don't know why I worried, but I did. I know that it is God's church and He will not fail either one, but I realize that I am human and might possibly err.

As I tried to figure out how to be in two places at once, which message to teach to which congregation, and how I would lead worship without a pause or interruption since I would arrive at SL late, God fulfilled His promise. The scripture says, "Lean not to your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge God." Once I decided to let go and let God work out His situation after all these are His sheep; everything worked out find. Service at SP was wonderful, the members and I were equally blessed and received the word without fail. When I arrived at SL, Sunday School was ending, and worship was about to begin. I didn't have to worry about the music because God led me to ignore my plan and to follow His. When I followed God's lead, worship was awesome and God showed up. I don't know why sometimes we struggle to work out what God has already finished.

Life sometimes presents challenges that seem too big or too hard for us to figure out. It is during those times when we lack the answer to the problems or questions that we must step out of our own way, and we must seek God for His direction. When we allow Him to lead and guide our every step, Jesus shows us His perfect arrangement. God tells us that our thoughts are not His thoughts and the way we do things are not the way He does them. So if in every decision we make we pray and seek God's soft nudge we will always end up victorious. And life will be a little less stressful. This week work on taking the limits off of your mind and watch God do the unthinkable!

Wait Your Turn

Lesson for today: Learn to Wait for my Season

Last night, I tried to post to my blog and was unsuccessful. After several attempts at trying to fix problems with my server, I decided to get off the computer and read my Bible. Needless to say that must have been what I was supposed to be doing with my time because I never got the server up and running, which prevented me from posting. This morning, I tried again, but I wasn't successful. I am starting to think my computer does not like me anymore, or that is God's way of redirecting me to tasks that are higher on the priority list. I must admit I am such a procrastinator. Things that I hate to do fall into three main categories - they lack creativity, and so I am not interested in doing them; they require resources that I do not currently have, and so I would just be wasting time to only find out in the long run that I could not do them; or they are not a good use of my talents and energy, so I put better use to my time by avoiding them completely. I think that the best assessment of my dilemma is that I often spend excessive time doing things that I like to do rather than what needs to be done. My other problem is that I am extremely impatient. So every day I cipher between what needs to be done, what should be done, and what won't get done.

Even though I have not made any resolutions for this year, I do have an action plan / list of things that I will do this year. Now I know that sounds cheesy, because you probably think that is the same thing. But the difference is that I have prayed for God's direction in 2009, and the answer to those prayers fit this list:

1. Post to my blog every day
2. Pray and read my Bible throughout the day
3. Share Jesus with people I come into contact with while I am out doing life
4. Work my two businesses with diligence and integrity two days per week
5. Drink twice as much water or tea as I drink Coke
6. Use my talents to empower and teach other women
7. Live my calendar (i.e. - Plan my work, and work my plan.)
8. Demonstrate R.A.L. to my family (Random Acts of Love)
9. Share my prophecy / prayer journal with my writing group

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."

God wants us to live without being anxious. He expects us to totally rely on Him, especially when tasks seem too difficult for us. We live in a world in which we can have almost anything we want whenever we want. My dad calls this our microwave society. This is not how God intends for us to live in the Kingdom. God has a plan and purpose for your life, but it comes at His appointed time. When we waste our time with idle activities, we delay the treasures of life that God intends for us. So decide today to live each moment filled with God's purpose and plans. Avoid distracting activities and people who seek to get you off course. Sometimes before I must minister, I shut off the television, the phone, and sometimes people who want to share meaningless conversation. In order to get God's best, we must press into that still quiet voice and just wait. Wait until God speaks! This isn't always easy, but it is constantly necessary. And we wait.

Simply Live

Settled. That is how I entered the new year. Today marked a new era for me. I usually spend New Year's Day attempting to fulfill fruitless traditions that have little or no meaning for me. Not today - no resolutions, no fad diets, no cabbage. But I did model Nikki's thoughts by weaving a quilt of black-eyed peas and cornbread into 2009. These staples marked the day not so much because they are traditions that must don a proper table, but they just happen to be my favorites and I would eat them at least once a week if my kids weren't fast food junkies.

My phone wasn't bombarded with a plethora of calls, emails, or texts with wishes of wellness and prosperity. This doesn't surprise me; it just proves the fact that many of the people that usually do these things had already gotten the jump and sent me echoes of blessings yesterday. That is probably why today seemed just a tad ordinary. I did spend the day capturing glimpses of God's blessings that made it along with me into a a new year. Today I used my "real" camera and took a photo adventure with the greatest models to ever hit the runway. Mani and Dai were great sports and even when they begin to tire of my constant demands and rants; they simply hunched their shoulders and cooperated in spite of me.

God has truly blessed you and me with the dawn of another year. 2009 marks a time of supernatural favor and victory for everyone who loves God and keeps His commandments. God has whispered to me in a still quiet voice to stop and observe Him work in the little things. God is so awesome and magnificent that we often look to Him in things that seem insurmountable to us. Yet, He loves and blesses us with so many things that we often overlook or neglect to properly thank Him. Make this year a time of rejoicing; recognize God's hand on every aspect of your life. Now is a time for true intimacy because supernatural revelation is birthed out of spending time in God's presence. The more you lie at God's feet, the more of Himself is poured onto you. Seek today as a moment of refreshing. Be filled with a new out pour of continuous oil. Drip with the fragrance of worship and extravagant praise. Our Sovereign King is worthy of all glory, and the splendor of this King will change everything.