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DO YOU DREAM DREAMS?

Walt Disney Many people wonder if they have dreams to pursue. While others have dreams and lack the courage to pursue them. Then there are a few, who have dreams and walk out in courage to bring those dreams into fruition. A case in point of course, is Walt Disney. Thus his quote above. We all know that this was a man who had a dream, used his courage and brought his dream into reality. Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. There will be many times in ones life that they will recognize they have a dream, even if it is very vague. Muster the courage and walk toward your dream. If you step out, God will help you to bring it about. "And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." Acts 23:11 KJV God plants a dream in our hearts because He created us

When Do You Get Boldness?

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3 (KJV) There are many reasons in life ever day that we need courage, strength and boldness in our spirit. For most of us we wait till we need them before we cry out and ask for them. Perhaps it would be better if we prepared our hearts with God's words each day so when the time comes that we need these things, we will already have them, deep down inside of us ready to come to our aid immediately.

CAN YOU FORGIVE AND FORGET?

  Joseph's brothers definitely did Joseph wrong in many ways because they were jealous and envious of his relationship with their father. We have all been hurt by someone in our lives and sometimes we hold grudges. The sad thing is, the grudges hold us in bondage, our unforgiveness creates unrest in our lives and misery. Nine times out of ten the other person is totally oblivious to our feelings toward them. So they aren't the ones hurt–we are. "So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him." Genesis 50:17 KJV Here Joseph's brothers send him a message from their father and Joseph's father asking him to forgive his brothers for the evil, the wrong, they did him. And Joseph forgave them. It was hard on Joseph to be taken away from his father and

DO YOU HAVE GOD'S GRACE?

wikipedia.org Grace, is a wonderful gift. It is an unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification by God. Do you feel God's grace? There are times, I have felt it so strongly, I just want to wrap my arms around it and hold it so I will always have that feeling. It would be wonderful if we could go through the day with that feeling. Yet, we live in a fallen world and have to deal with things as they come up and with people that sometimes are not the most pleasant. Some even have hidden agendas. It is during those times I try to remember God's words. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times having all that you need you will abound in every good work." II Corinthians 9:8 KJV This is God's promise to all of us who are children of God. His divine assistance is given for each of us, so that regardless of what we need to do the work we are called to do we will have all that

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

  shc.edu God said, "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Acts 2:21 KJV God is no respecter of persons - he wants all of us saved.  How do we know that? "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. Acts 10:34 KJV When you see a homeless person, what do you automatically think? Do you have compassion for them or disdain? I see a person that God loves dearly, so much so, that He sent His son to die on the cross for them. Just like He did for me. If God loved them so much to do that, can we not lift them up in prayer asking God to move in their spirit and remind them how much God loves them. To let them know inside God wants to help them. We don't know how they got there, in that place of homelessness. But we can pray for them. "Lord God, we lift the homeless up to you. We don't know the reasons they became homeless, but you do. Come unto them Lord, let t

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

  shc.edu God said, "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Acts 2:21 KJV God is no respecter of persons - he wants all of us saved.  How do we know that? "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. Acts 10:34 KJV When you see a homeless person, what do you automatically think? Do you have compassion for them or disdain? I see a person that God loves dearly, so much so, that He sent His son to die on the cross for them. Just like He did for me. If God loved them so much to do that, can we not lift them up in prayer asking God to move in their spirit and remind them how much God loves them. To let them know inside God wants to help them. We don't know how they got there, in that place of homelessness. But we can pray for them. "Lord God, we lift the homeless up to you. We don't know the reasons they became homeless, but you do. Come unto them Lord, let t

I Would Like That Peace!

Peaceful Setting. Quiet accept for the water lapping up on the sand. Slight rustle in the trees as the leaves sway with the breeze. This is the ideal spot to sit and concentrate on words that can bring me peace. With the world in such a hurry, all of us need a particular place we can go and separate ourselves from the noise the world makes. If we can't be at this beautiful, restful spot, then we will have to picture this scene in our minds as we sit in our living room. Breathing in and out, slowly. Exhaling the cares of the world and breathing in the peace that is ours through God's words. When I see this scene I am assured that God truly blesses each of us, everyday. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't realize it, because we are so hurried we don't see the blessings. God's word says, "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:14 (KJV) Many times we feel like we can't take the time to sit and be still and spend it conversin

DO YOU TELL HIM?

Philippians 4:6    (paraphrased) Do not be anxious about anything. In everything-pray and petition (God) with thanksgiving (if you ask him for anything or if you ask him to do something then thank him for doing it.). So tell me, what isn't clear about that? God's word says don't be anxious...another way to put it is don't worry. Don't do it. Now obviously there is a good reason He doesn't want us to worry or be anxious about anything.  And the reason is what it does to our health. You see worry and anxiety cause our body to go into a flight or fight mode which releases chemicals into the body. These chemicals over a prolonged time cause the chemicals to become toxic to the body causing problems with our organs and muscles...on a daily basis this produces symptoms such as headaches and worse can cause strokes or heart attacks. Okay, so now that we know worry and anxiety are bad for us. What now? God said pray. In other words talk to Him. Tell Him what's

WHO STANDS GUARD OVER YOUR PEACE?

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (KJV) Can you imagine God's peace? How great it is? He is not moved like the winds. Sometimes I think we forget how big our God is. He is big. He is bigger than anything we can imagine. Why do we have a hard time with that? Because we can't comprehend it. Perhaps we need to take that on faith. I mean the verse tells us right up front, God's peace passes all understanding.  The one thing we can know is He says He will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. What that means is, because we belong to Christ Jesus, God's peace will stand guard over all our thoughts and feelings. You see His peace is big enough to do this,  far better than we could. We need God's peace. You can turn on the news or pick up a paper and see their are things going on all over the world that would block our peace. If we let them,  these things coul

WORDS

                                                      I saw these words and wondered how many people know how important their words are.    Our words can pierce a heart in an instant or they can be a soothing balm for someone who is hurting.    But did you know your words have even more power? I think Jesus said it best in ... Mark 11:23. "For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be though removed , and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith .     Perhaps we would be wise to listen to the words that we speak out of our mouths. What are we saying and how are they affecting us?

DREAM YOUR DREAMS

When I think of dreams, I think of the movie, Field of Dreams. And I hear those words, "If you build it they will come." God gives us dreams. Some of us don't hear Him so those dreams are never brought into being. Some of us hear Him but we are afraid to even try, therefore those dreams don't come into reality either. But leaves us sad and empty and sometimes bitter. Then some of us hear Him and we heed His calling. We go out and begin putting things into motion to bring about the dream He has given us. When we do that, we need to listen closely every day to hear his leading, nudging us in the direction to go and being confident that He will open the doors that are necessary to bring everything into fruition...after all He gave us the dream. So this gives us the assurance to know we are doing His will. It takes courage to build the dream you are given, it takes patience, and it re-quires you to be humble and dependent upon Him daily. Each day will h

FROM HATRED TO LOVE?

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. James 2:1 (KJV) In other words, do not practice your faith in Jesus Christ with an attitude of prejudice. There is so much going on with the killings of black people and police officers and it has riled up everyone in not just that city but across the country. Christ was not prejudiced. How can we justify our being prejudice?  The anger that is blowing across this land is toxic and is causing deaths that could have been prevented. How do we as a people fix this? How do we as a people come together, and make things better? Yes, there are bad things happening, but there are also good things happening. We must find a way to come together to help each other.  If you hate a man, then you hate yourself. If you hurt a man, then you hurt yourself. It takes all of us to find a reason to respect each other. Can we lay down our hatred and come together asking God

WHAT DO GRACE, FAITH , GOD AND SANTA CLAUS HAVE IN COMMON

Sometimes we forget that God's grace is given to us freely. We don't have to buy it––even if we wanted to buy it we couldn't. It's a gift. A gift that was given to us by God because He loves us. It's free and unmerited favor of God given to us. He says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8 Faith is belief. Belief in God, belief in His word. The opposite of doubt. Even our measure of faith is given to us by God.  www.textword.org Don't make things complex. Just let go and trust Him. When we were children it was easy for us to believe. We believed in the "tooth fairy, Santa Claus (I still don't want to give up that one), and the Bunny Rabbit" to mention a few.  You see children aren't complex. We believe our parents. Have you ever taken one of your toys, when you were little, to your parent and ask them to fix it when it broke? If they told you they w

AROUND THE WORLD IN AMERICA

The other night I was looking for a particular verse in Ephesians and happen to see this verse and quite frankly, it stopped me in my tracks.     " For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. "   Ephesians 2:10 KJV   I mean, since God created every one of us, how could there be so much hatred of other people? Yes, there are many different colors and many nationalities, but all created by one God.   Look at these children, if we hate their parents, how can they be taught love thy neighbor, love others? I heard a minister sometime ago say that if you cut down in our skin we all bled the same color. So my thoughts ran in the direction of the question why? Why do people hate other people because of their color and where they came from? Stop and think, in each one of us, He created talents and skills to help each other, to lift each other up and to share the wonders that He so graciousl

GOD BLESS AMERICA

" God Bless America " was first introduced November 10, 1938 by Kate Smith. Irving Berlin wrote the song in 1910 as an American patriotic song and revised it in 1938 for Kate Smith. This became her signature song. To remind us of our great country click on the link. This is the original "First Broadcast" of the radio performance of God Bless America. The first time it was heard in our country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1rKQReqJZg If you read the lyrics, it takes the form of a prayer. The intro lyrics "as we raise our voices, in a solemn prayer..." and then "stand beside her and guide her through the night..." We have sung the song many times, but if you really read the lyrics you will understand asking God to Bless America. Our flag is a beautiful sight.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8h60mNoXYU We need God to bless our nation. We have allowed our diversities to turn into hatred. America is a great n

ALL HOPE WAS GONE

A man’s courage can sustain his broken body, but when courage dies, what   hope   is left? Proverbs 18:14 When a man loses all hope, that must be the deadliest feeling of all. Too many times those feelings cause the person to end their lives. I don't believe they just woke up one morning and decided to do that, I believe those feelings built each day until finally their hope was all gone, they were in the bottom of the pit and the darkness overwhelmed them. There are many examples––Robin Williams for one. I'm not talking about the people who overdosed accidentally, I'm talking about the ones that deliberately took their own lives. Over the weekend, a friend's nephew ended his life. He had finally come to that point, that evidently, all of his hope was gone, there was none left. So he ended it. His depression grew into the darkest and deepest hole and he couldn't see that things could get better. In his final moments, when the light of all hope was gone

SEEDS IN ME?

Seeds! Most of us go to the grocery stores to buy our food already grown. But years ago, seeds were bought, seeds for fruit trees and vegetables planted in rows of gardens, tended and harvested for people to have food on their tables. There were no grocery stores like we have. For a list of herb seeds click: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herblist.html God said in Genesis 1:29, " Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. For a list of fruit trees click:   http://www.orangepippintrees.eu/search.aspx We are like that. God is working in us, planting his love in our hearts; pruning us so we will bear good fruit and touch the lives of others. Watering us so we will grow. Are you growing?

BECOME HIS LITTLE CHILD?

God says, "Unless you become as a little child you shall not enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 18:3 Sometimes, it is hard when you are an adult, to understand that verse. What does God mean, become as a little child. Something happens when we become adults. The ability to trust and believe seems to disappear. We have been exposed to the world and in that world there are people with hidden agendas, who are not trust worthy. Let's face it, we have encountered by the time we are twenty years of age, people who tell us one thing and do another. People who promise to be there, but leave. It's no wonder it's hard to be as a little child in our hearts. When we are children our world consist of our parents. We are surrounded by people who love us and take care of us; people we can trust and depend on. When our toy is broken we go to daddy and hand it to him and ask him to fix it, we know he will. It is a safe haven. When we need or want something we tell our pa

Know Refuge Behind His Shield?

www.medievalchronicles.com We all have times in our lives when we need a shield put in front of us. God is our help and our shield. I have a secure feeling knowing that my God is my refuge and he also is my shield. He shields me from things to protect me when I need protection. It gives me a peace knowing this. In Psalm 18:30 it says, " As for God his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." I don't doubt that God's word is flawless. His words are true. Yet there are times I have to remind myself that my trust should be put in Him and that I should walk by His words. In our world today, with all the violence we would do well to remember that He is our refuge. He shield is in front of us, His children. Perhaps in the morning we could pray this prayer. Oh Lord my God, I know your way is perfect, that you are leading me today and that your words you say are flawless. You are my shield today and

YES MY HEART CAN

It always help if we have something beautiful to look at if we have to wait. Sitting on a balcony looking out  at a beautiful sunset somehow relaxes us into just being in the moment. Many times we find ourselves waiting on God in a situation. In those times it's important to remember that our hope is in the Lord. Not in man or others. If we trust Him, then we know we can put our hope in Him. Waiting on Him, does not mean we sit idle until He changes the situation. It means we go about living confidently, expecting His actions on our behalf. Putting our confidence in Him, is trusting Him to work things out for our good. You see He knows what is best for us, and He truly wants to give us His best. Believe that and there is no turmoil in your heart. This is His word to us. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."

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