JUST TRUST

Last night the gate to the yard in my driveway was left open and my pups got out of the yard. When I discovered that they were missing I ran out in my sandals calling them. ( I check on them every few minutes when they're outside.)  3 came running back, but one, Precious , didn't come. I ran back into the house and out the front door.  Just as I reached the curb frantically calling for her, a car pulled up. A woman got out holding her. She lovingly placed Precious in my arms and said," Do you remember me?  I  used to live in this neighborhood and  you gave me one of your bichons.  I was over here visiting and I saw 4 little white dogs.  I remembered where you lived and so I caught one to bring back to you.  Are the other ones back?"  It was 11:00 at night.  But God never sleeps and he never slumbers. Why do we worry?  God is always here for us.  JUST TRUST. ✝🛐   .🛐 🙌🏾 🙌🏾 🙏🏾 ☝🏽

Justice

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards JUSTICE "  Dr. Martin Luther King

The God of hope

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." There is a God of hope.  He is the Lord Jesus Christ.  As our faith in Him grows,  we can experience joy and peace. From joy and peace comes hope.  We rejoice because He is always with us.  We gain peace as we relax knowing that He causes all things to work together for our good.  His Holy Spirit fills us so that we overflow with hope, and our hope spills onto others .   Hope strengthens us so that   we can refuse to give up and we can refuse to give in to fear, hatred, anger, and doubt. 
     I have a sweet, precious,  friend who rose from stage 4 breast cancer to healing and wholeness because of her hope and faith in Jesus Christ.  Let her light be an example of the fruits of hope.  Let us rejoice with her and always give God praise for the miracles that He performs on our behalf.
     "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him..."

All things through Christ

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  It's not just a cheer to encourage you through the last mile of a trial, or to get you to suck it in and begin something that you know will be tough.  They aren't hollow words that people just 'say'.  Those words are a promise from the Lord God almighty to each and every one of us to let us know that we are NEVER ALONE.  It's nor that we'll make it through because we'll try.  Those words mean we aren't alone and we aren't working under our own strength.   Jesus is the wind beneath our wings.  He lifts us higher. He turns a "no" into a "yes!".  He turns our tears to joy. He causes us to rise up "with the wings of eagle's.  He makes us to run, but not get weary and to walk, but not faint."  Things may get tough, but not so tough that we cant make it.  True, our own strength might fail, but "With God all things are possible."  "For this we know.  We can do  ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WHO STRENGTHENS US. "  Now "lift your eyes to the hills from whence your help cometh" and face your day.🌄 👀 🛐 😊

Grace and restoration

The crowd brought a woman before Jesus and announced that she had been caught in adultry.  They asked Jesus what should be done with her.  He stooped and wrote something in the dirt.  I choose to believe that he wrote some of the 10 commandments in the dirt because the people were shamed.  Jesus said that the person without sin should cast the first stone.  Jesus was the only person who was sinless, and He cast no stone.  He offered love and forgiveness.  Then finally he offered himself, his own life in exchange for hers and for all of ours.  All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.   All but one.  The Lord Jesus Christ.  Don't let anyone make you feel guilt and shame.  The Lord our God stands in the gap for us. Repentance brings grace . Grace brings restoration. Only God can accuse and He refuses to do it.

We Weren't Created to Worry

We weren't created to worry and we weren't created to live in fear.  We were created by the most High God to praise His name.

We are vessels of praise, and our lives are to be used to worship our God.  We celebrate the fact that we have a God who loves us and cares for us.  He hears us when we pray and He comes quickly to our aid.  We might not know it, but He's always working on our behalf.  He makes everything work together for our good.Romans 8:28. 

When we spend our time with worry and fear, we remove ourselves from the perfect place of peace.  When we speak fear and worry into our homes and into our children, we remove them from a place of peace. 

Lets remember to speak words of peace in our homes and in our workplaces.  When words of worry and fear rise up, remember that the Lord tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord Always and again I say rejoice."  Philippians 4:4  That doesn't mean that we should rejoice because of trials, but rather we rejoice because of our soon coming victory through our trials.  Storms don't last forever, and neither do the storms of life.  Rejoice in the Lord Always, because we weren't created to worry.

We are heavy with favor. We believe and declare that our prayers are heard and answered, our blessings have come through our front door, we find favor with our supervisors, our clients, our professors, our debtors, and even our enemies. Those sheep who have strayed away from the fold will return to the Good shepherd. We believe and declare that our feet are on the right path, our faith grows stronger everyday, our wisdom increases daily, our day has come. Health and healing are in our homes. Our mouths speak only positive words with blessing and praise for God. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth. We hear and follow God and His praise is continually in our mouths. We are a forgiven people created in the image of an almighty God. Favor is ours, blessing is ours. We will begin to see the promise of God come into fruition starting today and in our lifetime we will see his promise and glory. This today we both believe and declare in Jesus name. Amen

Live for Him

Let's be the change we're hoping to see.  Stop and get peanut butter crackers and bottled water to keep in your car, then if a lost soul begs, give them food and water. In the winter carry blankets and jackets that are of no use to you in your car and if you see a soul shivering in the cold, stop and give it to them.  If your children have slightly used, but beautiful toys and clothing, go to a battered women's shelter, or a homeless shelter and give them to the supervisors. Don't give garbage. No human is garbage.  Drop off a bag of groceries someplace where it can be used. Even to a person in the parking lot, or on a corner where you know homeless and hungry people congregate.  I know a young person who turned 18 in the foster system and was taken to a shelter on their 18th birthday. Can you imagine that happening to you and being Frightened and alone?  Let's help where we can.  Giving to organizations is good, but giving yourself is more beautiful.  Matthew 25:40 "whatever you do for the least of these, you have done for me."
Find a food pantry to volunteer in. Let's not wait for someone else to do something. Let's step up and change the world we live in. Join the liver walk, or the breast cancer walk. You can't do everything,  but you can do something.  "Give and it shall be given unto you,  pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give unto your bosom."  Luke 6:38

Oh for grace...

Jesus, Jesus,  how I love you. 😍How I seek you over and over 👀. Jesus, Jesus,  precious Jesus,  Oh for grace to Trust you more!😍 🙌🏾 🙏🏾 🤗
What does it mean to trust Jesus?
What does it feel like....
Well, I  don't know what it would feel like for everyone,  but...
*What does it feel like to get on a plane that weighs tons and moves through air tens of thousands of feet above the ground, flown by one or two men?
* what does it feel like whena parent tells you that they'll pick you up in a few hours?- they always keep their word.
* what does it feel like to get into a taxi or an Uber with a complete stranger and trust them to take you where you want to go?
"Oh for grace to Trust you more...."

Mountain be moved

🗣 say to the mountain, "be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea", and then do not doubt,  but believe the things you say will be done, and you will have whatever you say." "Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them."    Mark 11:23-24
God is faithful and He csn deliver what he promises.  Trust in the Lord, oh people of God.

We will not shrink back

Father in heaven,  we know that you are God. We thank you for your grace and mercy. We thank you for your presence in our lives.  Lord, we can see that evil is no longer hidden in the dark shadows.  We now know that it is all around us. But we are thankful that You are always with us.  You cover and protect us. Father, help us to be brave and to reach out to those who are in need of shelter and comfort. Your grace will help us to extend ourselves beyond our own normal capacity.  We are a people of faith. We are the children of the most high God and we will not be afraid.  We will not shrink back.  We will not hide from those who are hurting, or hungry, or afraid.  We refuse to walk away from righteousness. We will hold up your banner and remind our country and the world that you are worthy of praise,  glory and honor. We don't just call on you when we're hurting or afraid.  No, "we will bless the Lord at all times and your praise will continually be in our mouths". We thank You Lord for peace in our hearts. In Jesus name. Amen

The Apple Tree

THE APPLE TREE

There is an apple tree in my back yard.  When the conditions are right, it yields a bounty of apples.  They are delicious and have no preservatives or pesticides of any kind on them.  This year there was enough rain to help it produce over 100 apples.  I also have a grape vine in my yard.  It’s out of control and untrained.  This year the grape vine spread out all over the apple tree and sucked all the moisture out of it’s leaves and branches.  Almost every apple fell to the ground and was unsalvageable.  All too soon the apple tree was bare.  There were no apples on it, and strangely enough it had no leaves.  The branches were bare and brown.  As I sat staring at the apple tree pondering its plight, it occurred to me that we are sometimes like that apple tree.  We have been given everything that we need in order to produce fruit.  God has prepared us, trained us, led us, and blessed us with gifts and talents to use, and then we allow the words of doubt to creep all over us like the grape vine did to the apple tree.  Fear, doubt, disbelief and poor self image creep all through us and suck out all the nurturing that God placed in us leaving us dry, barren and without fruit.  All our blessings lay scattered on the ground.  The good thing is that we can pick up our blessings and begin again.  Rip the vines of fear, self-doubt, unbelief and insufficiency off of you and go get your blessing!  Open your business!  Write your books!  Ask for that raise! Create that organization! Bring your invention to life!  You can do it, I know you can!  God has placed within you everything that you need to succeed.  It’s your time.  Jeremiah 29:11  “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Being content

Today, look up and enjoy the place God has you in right now.  Smile and rejoice in Him. You're breathing,  you have friends and family,  you can eat food today,  someone does love you,  embrace where you are without looking for more today.  Take a deep breath and exhale life. Philippians 4:12  "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content no matter the situation. Whether well fed or hungry,  whether living in plenty or in want."

You've got a testimony!

If you have a testimony, but you don't share it, you're like the Chard House stocked to the top, preparations made, places set, food plated, but you don't serve the food to the waiting customers.  They are seated at their tables waiting for something that will be life changingly good, but it never comes.  They get very hungry because they can smell the aroma of the food that the chef has prepared, but none is served.  Soon they leave.  

     When you have a testimony, and we all do, you have a fully stocked restaurant, (your experiences) food prepared( testimony) by the top chef, (Jesus)   plated beautifully -  (completed story of how you came up the rough side of the mountain with the help of the Lord)  the restaurant is full, ( there are people you meet, and people who know you are wondering how you can always smile and give God praise through it all), and now, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SERVE IT.  

YOU have a testimony! You know you do.  Serve it up!  

Revelation 12:11 (NKJV) reads: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." 

NASA HEAD Accidentally Admits Nibiru Approaching Fast Via New Horizon Mi...

Our nursery

The sun is shining today. It gives us warmth and light. The moon gives guidance to let us know that we're not alone.  The stars twinkle so that we can wonder -  All because God spoke. 
Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. "
Genesis 1:3 "and God said, let there be light, and there was light and He called the light day."
Genesis 1:14. "And God said let there be stars in the sky to separate the day and the night.  They will serve as signs for seasons and for days and for years. "
God prepared the earth for us the same way we prepare a nursery for a joyfully anticipated baby.  He then gave us control over our environment.  God loves us. Let's show Him how much we appreciate His work. Let's  love the environment that He created for us.  We can do it!😀 🙌🏾 👏🏽 👍🏽 🙏🏾 ☝🏽 😇

For the brothers and sisters, for the least of these

“Our lives begin to end, the day we become silent about things that matter.”  Dr. Martin Luther King

PEACE    HEALTH    SAFETY    MERCY     HELP    COMPASSION    PURITY    FAITHFULNESS    LOVE   

Feed the hungry

Clothe the naked

 Shelter the homeless

Offer water to the thirsty

Hug the hopeless

Dry the tears of the elderly

Hold the hands of the suffering

Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, truly I say to you that as you do to the least of these brother and sisters of mine, you did it for me.” 

Become the solution.

Step out in faith

"Take the first step in faith.  You don't have to see the whole staircase.  Just take the first step."  Dr. Martin Luther King.
Hebrews 11.  "Faith is actually possessing what you have hoped for.  It is absolute proof of what is yours even if you don't see it." 
If you own a car, a home, clothing, books....they are yours even if you are in an office building and don't see them.  You trust that when you return, you will be able to see and touch them. Believe and follow Christ. He  hears your prayers AND he answers them. Hold on to the answer to your need. Have faith. 

Begin your day with grace

Today as you walk into your new day, you may face a person you just do not like or trust.  Maybe that person hurt or betrayed you in some way.  This is when your faith is tested.  Can we walk our talk?  Are we loving and kind only when it suits us?  What if Jesus were that way? What a terrifying thought!  We'd all BE DOOMED 😱😨.  No, let us walk the way he calls us to walk, especially when it's tough to do.  After all, isn't that when it counts?  We must remember on today as we return to work that vengeance AND forgiveness belong to the Lord.  Glory to God!🙌🏾
** Matthew 5:46-47**
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't the tax collectors do the same thing? If you only greet your friends,  what extraordinary thing are you doing? Don't the people of the world do the same thing?  You must therefore be holy because your Heavenly Father is holy."  Love one another. Pray for your enemies.  🛐

Lift Every Voice and Sing with Lyrics

Forgive

Love you guys!😍 😍 😘 😘 🤗 🤗
Scripture for the day is
Colossians 3:13. " Bear with one another and forgive one another if anyone has a grievance against another person. Forgive, as the Lord has forgiven you. "

A word on marriage - Rev. Ralph

Peter says, “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.” My question is, how can the person you’re married to stand strong, when they have no faith? What’s going to keep them from jumping on you, cheating on you, or cursing you out? I know you’re thinking that the thing that should and would keep them from doing all the horrific stuff above would be the ”love” that they have for you. The problem is if they are not believers, they don’t possess the kind of love that only a relationship with Christ can foster.

Romans 5: 3-5 (NLT) -We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Ralph Terrell's 6 biblical definitions on love

Storgy –We will not spend much time here; storgy is the love one has for a dependent. It is commonly called “motherly love.” It is entirely based on the relationship between the “lover” and the “lovee.” When the dependent is no longer dependent, this love remains only in its emotional remnants. It is one of the stronger loves, because it involves a commitment that relies on only one trait of the receiver –that he or she is dependent. This type of love is toxic to a marriage under normal circumstances. Marriages that look more like a mother/ son or father/ daughter relationship will quickly move downhill.

Agape –Agape love is the final of the six loves we look at here. Agape love is entirely about the lover, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the one loved. Agape love, in its purest form, requires no payment or favor in response. The most common word for God’s love for us is agape (John 3: 16) and the love we are commanded to have for one another (Matthew 5: 44, 1 Corinthians 13). This lack of input from the recipient makes it possible for us to love our enemies even though we may not like them or the situation they have put us in, because agape love is not in any way dependent on circumstances. It says, “I love you because I choose/ commit to.” Unlike eros or philos, agape creates a straight line that neither fades nor grows in its perfect form, which of course only exists from God outward, though many people marry out of eros love alone. They make vows that speak of commitment despite any circumstance: richer/ poorer, better/ worse, sickness/ health. This kind of love is about a commitment to the very best for another, no matter what emotions or feelings exist! You can see why in the King James Version of the Bible, agape was usually translated as “charity.” It is a love freely given, and freely committed to. For a more in depth look at its aspects, look at 1 Corinthians 13.2 To those of you that feel like you’re in love with someone, there are not many greater feelings in the world; savor it. However, there is no love like the love Jesus puts in the heart of a Spirit-filled believer, so please don’t make the mistake of sacrificing that love for the others. Make sure whomever you date loves Jesus.

Philos love, or brotherly/ friendship love -is the next kind we will look at. Philos describes the love between two people who have common interests and experiences, or a fondness for. Hemophiliacs apparently seemed to ancient doctors to have a “fondness” to bleeding, for example. Unlike eros, which pulses up and down like waves on the ocean, philos steadily grows, like a building being constructed stone by stone. For this reason, when close friends are separated for a while and reunited, they will often say “it is like we picked up exactly where we left off.” Philos is half about the circumstances, and half about the commitment of two people to one another; it says “I love who we are together,” or in case of a non person: “I am fond of this food.” Philos love generally grows over time except in the case of some kind of betrayal. It is commonly used in the New Testament, as in Matthew 10: 37, John 12: 25, and Revelation 3: 19.

Eros –Eros is the root word for “erotic,“ but it does not describe sexual love only; it actually describes all emotional love, or the feeling of being in love. Eros love is that insatiable desire to be near the object of desire. This is the exciting, passionate, nervous feeling that sweeps over people in appropriate circumstances. This is the love that says “I love how you make me feel.” As an emotion, eros changes, sometimes suddenly. Remember that it is entirely based on circumstances and on the target of its emotion. As an emotion alone, it is morally neutral; however, it can just as easily lead to lust (sinful desire) as it can passion. It is also a good picture to think of eros as the fruit and flowers of a new relationship. Eros is not a bad thing, but it is not necessarily a good thing either, as it is often this type love, unbridled, that leads to misguided decisions about intimacy.

Mania –This obsessive, jealous love style is characterized by self-defeating emotions, desperate attempts to force affection from the beloved, and the inability to believe in or trust any affection the loved one actually does display. The manic lover is desperate to fall in love and to be loved, begins immediately to imagine a future with the partner, wants to see the partner daily, tries to force the partner to show love and commitment, distrusts the partner’s sincerity, and is extremely possessive. 1 This is the love of possession. Mania encompasses the idea of obsessively desiring to own or control. It is generally seen as taking over the “lover” like insanity –thus the connection to modern concepts of madness (kleptomania, pyromania). It is like the opposite of a phobia –an obsessive need to avoid something. “Mania” is translated as “madness” and “beside yourself” in Acts 26.

spiritual compatibility, on any level, is critical in marriage. I can say with confidence that marriage is the most difficult relationship you will ever have to maintain. Being with one person forever is not natural; it is supernatural—a spiritual discipline that takes a lifetime to perfect. You better be pretty sure the person is worth it before you choose.

Before you begin a relationship with anyone, I would strongly recommend taking inventory of your relationship with Christ, and evaluating where you are in your faith. Whatever that level is, that’s the degree to which you are going to be successful in your relationship with a human being. The stronger your relationship with Christ, the better chances you have at selecting the mate He would have you to be with and the more likely you are to experience joy and satisfaction in a relationship that will ultimately lead to marriage. If your relationship with God is weak or shallow, you should have a commensurate expectation level for having a successful dating experience. I can’t stress it enough; you need God’s guidance in selecting a mate.

Just as it is important that a person you are considering marrying be in love with Jesus, the same applies for you, which is why I mentioned being on a similar spiritual plane earlier. You too should be in love with Jesus. Knowing Him personally will give you an indispensable edge in dating and you want that advantage. There are so many people with their own goals in mind when they approach you, and many times, those goals won’t even include starting a longterm, loving, holy relationship. Unfortunately, especially for women who want to love and be loved, it’s not always easy to detect what a person’s objectives are at the onset. However, when you have a relationship with Christ, He’ll talk to you, and without the impediment of persistent sin blocking your ability to hear clearly, you’ll be able to discern the motives of those with impure intentions and make sensible decisions long before you’ve taken any emotional risks. Being in tune with the Holy Spirit can save you considerable time, effort, and energy, and eliminate the possibility of weeks, months, and even years laden with confusion, frustration, and disappointment.

Our hearts rejoice

Today we rejoice that we have a Father who loves us.  We serve him with joy because we are His.  His love is everlasting! His presence in our lives makes us complete.  His plans for us are for prosperity and not for poverty. His plans for us are for a future and a hope.  We dance for joy as David danced, we sing as the angels sing.  We give him praise because he is ours and we are His.  Blessing, honor, glory and power be unto You oh, Lord our God! You are our hope and our redeemer.  Our lives are in your hands and for this we are eternally grateful! WORTHY IS THE LAMB OF GOD who is, who was, and who ever shall be!

Sacrifice

If someone asked you to choose a child, parent, sibling, grandchild, or best friend to be destroyed, or to lose their life, who would you pick? The one who doesn't listen? The mischievous one? The quiet one? The artistic one? The youngest, or oldest one?  How could you possibly choose one? What would you do?  Most of us would not choose, but would offer our own life instead. We couldn't live with the thought of sentencing a loved one to death.  That's what Jesus did for us.  He asked God not to choose, but he offered himself as a living sacrifice.  John 3:16 -"For God so loved the world, that HE GAVE His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but will have everlasting life."  Jesus said,
"No one takes my life, but I lay it down willingly." John 10:18
John 15:13
"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  He is the great and eternal sacrifice. We can spend eternity in heaven with Him because of his sacrifice.  It takes more than "being good". Look to Jesus.  He'd love to hear from you.

Wasabi anyone?

You know, When you're driving your car and you hit some potholes in the road and your car gets damaged, you kinda feel that it might be helpful if you tell the next person that there's a pothole in that road so that they can avoid it. If you don't say anything and a friend or relative hits that pothole and damages their car, you think, man, maybe I should have told them about the pothole. That's true with life, too. If you have run into a situation, or have seen a situation, or have been in a situation that has caused damage or pain you should probably warn your friends (not with names and details. No gossip please) and family about the potential hazard so that they can avoid it. (Here's a silly example. Once I ate wasabi because I thought it was a piece of avocado YIKES!! My loving family at my table knew it was wasabi and giggled as they watched me turn red. Little stinkers. LOL! We all laughed about it later 😂.) But seriously, help people you love avoid the pit falls, pot holes and large chunks of wasabi in life if you can. Remember to humbly and lovingly share the detour sign in your mind. Pray always. Speak softly. Love fiercely. Share truth.

The Joy of the redeemed

I love this passage.  The promise given is beautiful.  The best part is that it's real.

"And a highway will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10     and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Ephesians 6:10-18

THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.