GIVE YOUR ALL

The girls and I have put some limitations on the food we are eating until Thanksgiving.  I am not so sure it was a good idea to give up sweets.  I love a great cake and I have attended several weddings.  What I do is I limit myself to one bite instead of a whole piece.

Limitations- restrictions, restraint, control.  Have you put a limit on certain things in your life?  Chapter 9 of Spirit of Python was entitled, “Limiting Your Life.”

Have you let the devil put limitations on your life?  Do you believe those whispers in your ear when he tells you, “you aren’t good enough, and you can’t do that?”

Satan wants to put limitations on our lives so that we won’t work for the good of the Lord.  He likes to remind you of past mistakes and errors in judgment.  He wants to make you feel that the job the Lord has for you - you can’t do.  He wants you to feel inadequate.  Satan wants you to continue to feel defeated. 

Why do we let Satan do this to us?  One because he is very good at it.  He is crafty and intelligent.  He comes in through the backdoor as a welcomed guest, but he quickly turns into an intruder. 

When our house alarm goes off it begins to shout intruder intruder leave immediately.  This is what we must do to Satan.  Shout to him to LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!  Tell him YOU ARE NOT WELCOME!  You have no place in your life for Satan to limit the work the Lord has placed on your heart.  If Jesus had let Satan put limitations on His work we wouldn’t be saved nor would we be forgiven. 

Don’t limit yourself to one bite of life because of Satan.  Give the world your whole cake!

Galatians 5:1New International Version (NIV)

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

CHEERLEADER FOR THE LORD

I just got off the phone with the biggest cheerleader.  She is being interviewed today for the state teacher of the year.  I know calling her at 6:30 in the morning was early, however I had to give her a shout out before she started her big day. 

Even though journalism is her degree she has found her passion in teaching English.  She is passionate about every one of her students.  She dissects each of them so that she will know what their strengths and their weaknesses.  This gives her the information she needs to help them have success. She cheers her students on from the time they enter the classroom until the time they leave. 

Her example of caring about students and being their biggest fan is how we need to be about people.  We need to help people find their strengths and point them in the direction that leads them to success.  When we interact in a positive way with others we will rub off on them so that they will continue the chain of encouragement.

Are you a cheerleader?  We should each be a cheerleader for others.  We should be cheerleaders for the Lord. 

Just what is a cheerleader for the Lord?  It is someone who is encouraging and motivating.  It is someone that cheers friends on in all circumstances and situations.  It is someone that wants everyone to win.  It is someone that is for the team and never quits cheering.  It is someone no matter what their situation they still want others to press on.  It is someone that pushes others to the finish line.  It is someone that helps you and wants you to reach your goal. 

Paul encourages us in Hebrews to be one another’s cheerleaders.  The Lord wants us to stand beside each other.  He wants us to sit in the bleachers and let others know we are in their game with them. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Be the spiritual cheerleader the Lord wants you to be.  Be the cheerleader for Gods team and lead others to play on His field.  Become a cheerleader for the Lord cheering others towards Christ. 

Meghan’s main goal isn’t to win the title STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR.  Her goal is to be able to lead other teachers in the best practices to help children succeed.  This is a lesson within itself.

Cheer on others to grow in their relationship with the Lord. 

RAIN DOWN

Headed up the hill excited to see what the fall foliage would bring us.  The leaves usually dance with a variety of colors from gold, yellow, red and orange.  Beautiful just like glistening gems on stems.  This year, disappointment, no vibrant colors only shades of burnt red and brown.  Why?  No rain.  Drought.  Dry and dusty.  As we drove Katie would point out one tree in the midst of hundreds that somehow was a flaming red, but most muted and dry. 

Have you had enough rain?  Are you showing your vibrant colors or are you dried up and withered?  Are you covered with dust?

What you need is a good rain.  You need a downpour of the Holy Spirit on you.  How do you receive this shower?  You open yourself up for the Holy Spirit to dwell within you.

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.  When we accept Christ as our personal Savior the Holy Spirit gives us the life of God.  The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts.  It becomes that small voice that we hear to push us towards the positive.  We gain those nudges from the Holy Spirit to press on, to give and to love.  God’s presence is within us because of the Holy Spirit. 

When we give us to the Holy Spirit our lives will be changed.  It takes our dead soul created by sin and delivers us through the metamorphosis of new life.  It is because of this that we have a different outlook on life.  We understand and apply scripture, we enrich our lives with prayer, and we yield to Christ and share the fruits of the Spirit. 

Dust off your sandals and allow the Lord to drench you with His love, His promise and His strength. It is through Him that we will gain a new life of love, a new life of relationships and a new life full of service for the Lord. 

Be drenched with the downpour of the Holy Spirit.  Take on the vibrant and brilliant colors the Holy Spirit ingests in you and become the gem on the stem of the Lord!

 Rain down, rain down, rain down your love on your people! 

SHATTERED

Shattered just what does shattered mean?  The Webster dictionary defines it as broken into many pieces.  Fragmented, splintered, cracked, damaged and destroyed are other words that explain this word.  So what all can be shattered? 

What comes to my mind is glass.  When glass is shattered it breaks into may pieces.  When shattered it can cut and be harmful.

People can be shattered.  They can be broken.  They can be in a thousand pieces. When people are shatter they can be harmful to others and their selves.  They can hurt with words from their tongue.  They can hurt with their actions. The shattered person doesn’t’ think rationally. 

So how do we help the shattered?  Pray!  You may say really that it is?  Yes that is the answer “Prayer! 

I recently received the Baptist church newsletter, “The Heartbeat” from a friend.  Brother Sam wrote this quote: A day without prayer is wasted; time spent in prayer is never wasted.

Prayer is the conversation with the Lord.  Go to Him anytime anywhere.  When you pray begin with confession move into praise and thanksgiving.  Then make special requests for your personal needs.  After these few things pray for the intercession for others.  You are filling in the gap between God and those you are praying for.  You are speaking to God on behalf of another. 

Intercessional prayer is the key that unlocks Gods plan.  It is pleaing with God for our needs and others needs.  It is during this prayer that we take hold of Gods will and we don’t let go until His will has come to pass.  Intercessional prayer does not give up!

When we pray this prayer Jesus is interceding into the situation.  He is going to battle for us.  He is binding up those shattered pieces and gluing them back together. 

Luke 11:10New International Version (NIV)

10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

This scripture tells us to keep on praying for the shattered.  Pray for healing, pray for peace and pray for comfort. 

God will put that which was once shattered back together piece by piece. 

YOU ARE A BLESSING

I received a text from a number today that I didn’t have in my contacts.  I soon learned whom it was and was thrilled to hear from her.  She has been reading my posts and said she enjoys them.  I never really know how many people are engaged in my writing, but I pray that I reach someone everyday with my words.

My lesson for you today is this:

            You never know whom you are blessing. 

You may not write, you may not sing and you may not paint, but you do something well.  God has gifted everyone with a talent.  He didn’t put you here to do nothing; you were created to do something.  Finding your gift and your purpose may take a while.  It may take years of work, years of shifting and years of changing.  The time it takes to get you there is your testimony.  Your testimony may be just what someone needs to hear. 

After years of transforming and growing you then have a ministry.  Your ministry is where you will bless others. You never know whom you are inspiring or uplifting with the things you do, the things you say or the things you write.  

Go to God to help you find your passion; find the piece of your personality that shines.  Let Him transform you to what your true ministry should be.  You will then become a blessing.  What you say or do may be that one thing that encourages someone to press on to tomorrow. 

Everyday you are a blessing to someone and you may not even know it!