Until you make peace with yourself....

Does having material things make you feel better about yourself? Do you define your happiness by what you have? If you lost everything...would you still be happy?

Contentment...real contentment does not come from materialistic things...it comes from being at peace with yourself. When you are happy with WHO you are then you can have peace with any situation that comes your way. 

Strive to become the person that will bring you peace with yourself. Have a blessed and peaceful day, my friend. May there always be shalom in your heart and in your home.

Reflection of 2014

This has been one challenging year for me but one that has been life changing as well. As I reflect back on this year, I am filled with awe and amazement that I have survived and made it through to the end!

I have lost some friends…some who went home to be with the Lord and some that I needed to release in order to move forward in life. Either way, there was undeniable sadness with each loss but I remain grateful for the time I was able to share with them.

I have also met some wonderful new friends that have been a blessing to me and they bring me great joy. I look forward to this New Year with them in it...creating wonderful memories together!

From the belly laughter through the tears I will cherish each moment of this year. I know that it is because of them that I have grown as a person and as a Christian. For that I am forever grateful. There is so much more to be grateful for but too numerous for me to list.

I am saying goodbye to all the negative experiences that I have encountered this year – no need to keep them active in my heart because the scars will remind me I have survived them all. I am embracing and carrying all the positive things into the New Year to remind me of all that I have been blessed with.

I wish all of you a very Blessed New Year. May God bless your year with super natural health, unspeakable joy, abounding peace and unconditional love!

Look in the mirror...

How you see yourself and what you believe about yourself will determine what you will accomplish in life...

You have everything inside you that you will need to succeed in life. All you have to do is tap into it. Do not allow other people's opinion of you to outweigh what God says about you.

If you have Y'shua in your life, then you have all the power, strength and ability that He has. When you look in the mirror, see yourself through the eyes of God. He sees you EQUAL to His Son. How awesome is that?!?

Have a blessed and awesome day, my friend. May there always be shalom in your heart and in your home.

You and God...that is all you need....

While you put your energy into all the different relationships in your life, do not forget the two most important ones... God and yourself!!!

God created you for a reason. He has a job that only you can do. He has given you everything you will need to do it. It is important that you have a strong relationship with yourself. I know this might sound crazy to some but think about it for a minute and you will realize that we often neglect ourselves and/or never see the full potential that we have so we do not push ourselves to reach it!

We have been programmed to think that we need to have "external" friends and associates in order to succeed. Not true, my friend...all you need is your faith in God and yourself. You will be able to accomplish the impossible with just those two things.

Believe in yourself, set your eyes on the One Who holds your life in His hands then go forth fearlessly and show the world what you can do because of Who is behind you!

Have a blessed and wonderful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home!

He is greater than I

Isn't is wonderful to know that when we are at our weakest, God is at His strongest? No matter what we do, God will always be there to cover us with His love, His grace and His mercy.

The enemy tries to steal our peace and knowledge in this undeniable fact. He wants us to feel as alone and desperate as he is. When fear, doubt and disbelief start to creep in, just say out loud, "God is with me, I am a highly favored child of His. He will NEVER leave or forsake me." Keep saying that until it becomes your reality.

Have a blessed and wonderful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Thank God...

This is a scary thought...isn't is?  

It is so easy for us to complain when we don't get what we want or what WE think we deserve. How often do we stop and thank God for what He has done for us or for what He has given to us? We need to practice saying thank you more and complaining less!

Think of the things that you would not want to lose from you life and take a moment to thank God for each and every one of them. Just so you know...I thanked God that He brought you into my life - because my life would be empty without you!

Have a blessed and grateful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Change of direction...

Do not assume just because you had a setback means you have failed and have to change directions. Sometimes, we ourselves steer off the course that God had planned for us.

When we want His Will in our lives, He will redirect us and get us on the path we need to be on. Sometimes that will require Him to tear down some things we have built along the way in order for us to be equipped for the job ahead of us. 

We should always keep our hearts and minds open to God's Will for us. That way we will never be lost or off track for long. I pray that God will reveal His plan for your life to you and that you have the strength and courage to succeed in that plan.

Have a blessed day filled with awe and wonder, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

School is back in session....

Now that school is back in session, that means there will be a lot of excited children, harried parents, school buses and a lot more cars to deal with on the road. 

Take your time when traveling to work, school or where ever it is you have to be. If you are "stuck" behind a school bus that had to stop to pick up children, don't tap your steering wheel in frustration. 

This is the perfect opportunity to say a prayer for all of the children and the bus driver that they get to school safely and have a safe day in school! It doesn't matter if you do not have any school age children...all children need us to pray for them...it might just be the only prayers said for them!

I always put a hedge of protection and plead the blood of Y'shua over them and I encourage you to do the same. Times are so much different then when we went to school...and for most of us, even when our children went to school.

Have a blessed day filled with patience, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Many members, one body

We are all one body of Christ. It does not matter if you are a Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Non Denominational or a Messianic believer. It does not matter if you call the Son of God Jesus or Y'shua. What matters is that you BELIEVE in the only Son of God. All the rest is semantics. 

There is one thing that I would like to stress. We should not judge others for the way they worship the One true God. We are often the reason many people stay away from church. They feel judged, looked down upon, they see the hypocrisy of our actions and they do not want to be a part of it. 

We were called to make disciples of everyone. That means teaching them to live the way Y'shua lived. To treat others the way He treated them. If we all do this, then people would see the true nature of Y'shua and would come running to Him.

Have a blessed and awesome day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Grace is...

Grace is not something that we can earn. It it the unmerited favor of God. God's Grace is based on His nature...not our behavior. 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of Grace that we may find mercy and grace in time of need ~ Hebrews 4:16

The cycle of Grace is: It comes from God, our Father through His only Son, Y'shua (Jesus) to us through faith and then back to God via worship.

May the Grace of God pour freely over your lives and the lives of your loved ones. 

Have a blessed and Grace filled day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Procrastination

Have you ever put something off thinking you will do it later? Procrastination is choosing want over should. 

Preparation is the cure for procrastination. The heart must must be properly prepared to take on the task. Time is going to pass whether or not you choose to do something or procrastinate. The sad thing is that when the time passes you realize you could have accomplished that task had you started it when it presented itself to you.

We can procrastinate in many ways. Learning something new, changing a career, spending time with family and friends, taking care of our health and the list goes on.

We are not guaranteed time, we only have this moment to do something with. Is there something that you have put off, telling yourself you will do it later? Why not chase after it and do it now? It is never to late and the satisfaction of completing it will be an added bonus.

Have a blessed and productive day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home. 

The mouth speaks...

If you ever want to know what is in your heart...just listen to the words you use. Our mouth reveals what is in our hearts. Listen to yourself when you speak so you are always aware of your heart motives. 

It is also a good idea to Listen to others carefully. It will help you understand who they are, what they think and feel and how to pray for them. People can always talk a good game however, the truth is always revealed in time. It is usually when we are pressured, stressed, angry or upset. That is when the heart is revealed the most.

Have a blessed and wonderful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Potential vs Performance...

We all have potential...however, sometimes we just do not use all that we have. The very word mean possible apposed to actual, capable of being or becoming. That said, there is still something missing that will get us from potential to performance.

That would be action on our part. We have to take the initiative to step out and do our part. Although the battle was God's, David still had to throw the stone to kill Goliath! 

Always ask yourself, "What will it take to get me from where you are to where you want to be." Then take the necessary steps to get there. At times, we are our biggest obstacles. Be determined not to waste your potential.

Have a blessed and potential filling day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Princess Warriors...

This is for all you girls out there, for your daughters and your granddaughters. The kingdom of God does not only belong to the men. Therefore, we too must become warriors for the kingdom.

You are stronger than you think you are. God will never leave or forsake you. Trust in His promises, grab the reigns and take the lead. In the spiritual world you are just as strong as any man!

You can become a mighty kingdom warrior without compromising your femininity! When you put on the armor of God, bling it out if it makes you feel better...the armor is the most important thing you should wear each day - so wear it proudly.

Do not wait for change to come...BE the change. Remember, greater is He that is in you that he that is in the world. We have spiritual authority and we need to use that authority. We should be making disciples not just believers. We need to live our lives as an example of Y'shua's love. 

Have a blessed and beautiful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home!

Anyone remember Pharaoh?

I know that this message is going to upset some people...okay, many people. It is okay if you delete me as a friend or if you choose not to read anything else I write, that is your choice and I will respect it.

Let me start off by saying I am NOT against Muslims...I have many Muslim friends and their friendships are important to me! I am not against Obama either...I just do not agree with his decisions. I am talking in defense of Israel against radical Islamism/terrorism.

I cannot and will not stay silent when it comes to Israel! Israel are God's chosen people. He said He will bless those who bless her and curse those who curse her. We are clearly turning our backs on Israel in their time of need. 

Does anyone remember what happened to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt when they refused to listen to God? He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Just because we are living under His Grace does not mean He will overlook what we are or are not doing to His chosen people. He will avenge Israel as He has promised to do.

The United States has ALWAYS been a friend of Israel...I am appalled that our country is NOT standing with her now. Instead of the FAA warning the airlines not to fly into Tel Aviv, our Air Force should be flying in to protect Israel from their enemies! What has this country come to? As a Christian, as an American and as a Veteran...I am ashamed of this country!

I will continue to pray for the peace and protection of Israel and I urge you to do the same. Let God know where you stand. I do not care where this country stands...I will always stand with Israel and with God!

As always, have a blessed and wonderful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Be the best you can be

We all have the same ability...to be the very best person we can be. It is not always easy and we will struggle along the way. However, if we make it our goal...we WILL achieve it!

The reason many of us struggle with insecurities is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reel! We do not know their inner struggles or their insecurities...we see what they project and sometimes that can be intimidating. We are all different. We have different gifts and talents so we need to stop comparing ourselves to others and learn how to shine our own light.

When others are committed to keeping you from achieving your goal it is usually out of jealousy, ignorance or a failure to thrive on their part. Ask yourself if that is the kind of environment that will get you to your goal. If not, perhaps it is time to do a clean sweep of your support circle.

You will never know how strong you are until you lose someone or something you were not ready to give up. However, when you rise up with a renewed strength you will see that it might just have been the added weight that was keeping you back.

Remember to always be that friend who is kind, encouraging, uplifting with a sincere desire to help your family and friends succeed. Have a blessed and productive day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Respect yourself...

If someone treats you as if you were beneath them, without respect, as if you were subservient to them then ask yourself, "Why am I allowing them to treat me this way?".

People will only treat you within the boundaries that you set. You have to respect yourself and know your own value. We all have value and we all deserve respect. When someone devalues you, you need to kindly show them the door and lock it behind them! Do not allow people in your life to treat you in any way that belittles you.

On the flip side, you need to show everyone respect as well. It is true that people earn respect however, there is a baseline of respect due to everyone regardless of their position in life. Always put yourself in their position and treat them the way you would want to be treated by others.

Have a blessed and respectful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

The Spiritual Cycle

I found this spiritual cycle and I thought that it would be a great tool to share with you. Sometimes we just need a reminder of how God works.

First and foremost we need to relax and be in His Presence - He will take care of all our needs...in HIS timing. We have His promises to rely on so all we have to do is wait for His answer. We should rejoice in His goodness that He is faithful and that He will never leave or forsake us!

Waiting is not always easy...trust me, I know this first hand (I am HORRIBLE at it) However, it teaches us to rely on Him and on Him alone. We get valuable lessons in every step of the cycle.

Have a blessed and peaceful day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

Prayer is Americas only hope...

Prayer is America's only hope! We need to forget about all this "political correctness".  Why is it that we are so concerned about trying to appease and/or not offend EVERYONE else that we have turned our backs on God and our own values?

Atheists have removed God from our schools and government because they said it violated their rights...what about the rights of those who do believe in Him? We are told we have to be tolerant of the beliefs of others...yet those very people are not tolerant of ours. Where is the balance?

I have no issues with atheists or any member of any religion. I wholeheartedly agree that you have the right to practice any religion that you choose. I just do not agree that you should stop others from practicing ours because you don't agree with it. You can share the platform if you want.

We have pushed God further and further away. We are a country that was FOUNDED on God. Just remember...if God is not WITH us then HE will be AGAINST us!! It can only be one of the two!!! Look at the state of our schools and our government. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that it is not working - evil is prevailing in this country!!!

We all need to pray and pray hard. Pray for our country, pray for the heart of the people to turn back to God, pray for peace, pray for Israel. Pray for anything you want...just PRAY!!

Have a blessed and prayer filled day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.

It ain't much...

God does not ask a lot of us. He does not want anything more than our heart and our desire to be close to Him.

What a change from most of the people in our lives. Many of them placed countless spoken and unspoken demands on us! The sad thing is that we try to bend over backwards to meet those demands. 

Think of everything that God has done for you, everything He has given you, every time He showed up when everyone else walked away. Is He really asking to much from you? 

Have a blessed and loving day, my friend. May there always be Shalom in your heart and in your home.