In the book, “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair there is a quote; “There is one kind of prison where a man is behind bars, and everything that he desires is outside; and there is another kind where the things are behind the bars, and the man is outside.” This quote can be interpreted different ways but if you read the book, the context is clear. The main character had been released from jail (should not have been there in the first place I might add), and while there he lost his job, his wife, and for a while ended up homeless and hungry. Even though he was no longer behind bars and he was free, everything he desired, everything he needed to survive might as well have been behind bars, because they were out of his reach. I have never been locked up, thank God! But I have been in a season where it seemed every way I turned, no matter what I did, I was getting no results. I have been in a season when I didn’t know where my next meal was coming from. I have been broke and I have been homeless. So I understand how one can be free physically but everything you need is out of reach or behind bars as the author puts it.

Whatever God inspires me to write, that is what I write. Usually I write and then I use my God-given creativity to find a picture image to go with Emmanuel’s post on Facebook. God has never shown me an image, until now. I saw the image and then I heard God say, open the door, I have set you free. Wow! So I’m thinking, yes Jesus, you died so that we could live. We are free because of your sacrifice. In Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made us free. Lord, you could have called ten thousand to destroy this world, but you chose to die so we could live. This has to be the Word you want me to write about! Or so I thought. It is true that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. However, His sacrifice was not so we can be physically free, but so we can be spiritually free. Whether we are awake with the living or asleep with the dead, if Christ is in us, we are alive with Him! We are spiritually free! The image God gave me of someone behind bars is not the physical being looking out, but the spiritual person looking in! So what exactly is a spiritual person? Spirituality is persistently seeking to know God and doing God’s will. Our knowledge of who God is, His character, love for us, and His mercy extended to us, should change us, it should cause us to want to live for Him and do things that pleases Him. The more I learn and know about Him, the more I want a genuine relationship with God. This is the image, the spiritual person looking in that God showed me. So why is a child of God looking in at all these things that seem out of reach; the job, the house, the spouse, peace, love, joy and contentment. Why would Jesus free us and keep these things from us? This is the message! These things that seem out of reach, Jesus died so that we can have these things, and have them in abundance. He did not die for us to live a life of sickness, injustice, suffering and pain. These things exist because of this sinful world, but He is greater than all these things! In all our troubles, we have complete victory through God who has shown His love for us. And if He does allow us to suffer as His son suffered, count it joy, remember that Jesus died but He also raised from death and is our advocate at God’s right side. Remember that it is but for a season and God promises us that there will be joy in the morning, trust Him enough to know He is in control and everything will work out for the good for those who love Him! Whatever these dangerous times bring, God is able to handle the situation. Our job is to seek God. His job is to care for His children. He has set us free! Thank you Jesus! Now open the door and receive what God has promised you! He has opened doors that no man can shut! Go get your blessings! Don’t take my word for it, read today’s Word in Food for the Soul. Love and Blessings…

Before I surrendered my life to Christ, I could come up with some good excuses for not doing what God wanted me to do. Now that I know God, I have no excuse and yet, I admit I still sometimes make excuses for not being obedient to the will of God. I don’t want to be disobedient. My desire is that everything I do is pleasing in God’s eyes. It’s just at times I have felt out of my comfort zone or sometimes I have just felt not qualified. You know what I mean, “I need to straighten myself out first,” or “I’m not ready yet”. As Christians we sometimes use the excuses of the lack of skill and qualifications. Now I know I can’t sing and God must know it too cause He has not called me to sing (the people thank you God). However, I do know people who can sing and God has put in their heart to sing, but because they feel they are not as good as someone else or they have not had professional training, they hold back. We all  feel  hints of insecurity and self-doubt ay times. But when God looks at us, he doesn’t focus on what we can’t do; he sees what he can do through us. In fact, sometimes the individual whom God chooses not only surprise us but also surprise the one chosen! All through the scriptures we find that it is God who does the empowering, and qualifying of His people. I could start with Moses who we know had many excuses on why he could not fulfill his calling. And what about David who represents himself as weakness itself in his Psalms which is the text-book for all human weaknesses, sorrow, struggles, and aspirations. But I rather talk about the four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba, all women who had morally questionable backgrounds. Tamar resorted to deception and prostitution to produce children through her father-in-law. Yet, it was from her line, the tribe of Judah, that the Messiah came. Rahab was a Gentile and a prostitute in Jericho. She became a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She also became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth. Ruth was morally upright. But as a Moabitess, she was a Gentile and therefore considered unclean. Yet, she became the grandmother of David whom the Jews regard as their greatest king. Bathsheba committed adultery with David. Later, she gave birth to King Solomon from whose royal line Jesus descended. I’m not judging but these women were far from what I would call qualified to be in the genealogy of Jesus. What does this tell us? God is saying that He is greater than our sins. His grace is greater than our sins, so that even when the world disqualifies us, He can qualify us to receive His blessings! God is saying that he is a God of second, third, and many chances. These women’s stories show us that even when our troubles are of our own making, they are neither final nor fatal. Even when all our earthly connections are gone, and we may think it is the end, God can instantly turn things around. Then end becomes the beginning. The pain becomes joy. The lost is restored. I am a witness! Yes, if we look at our natural circumstances we can become discouraged. But if we look at our God and trust in Him, He can make the impossible possible. He qualifies the unqualified. Exercising our faith allows God to do great things in each of us. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world and our weaknesses. Step out in faith, for it is God who qualifies us. Love and Blessings…

Our character is the sum of all the qualities that make us who we are: our values, our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Our character is much more than just our reputation.  Our reputation is only what others see and think about us.  Our character is who we really are, even when no one is watching. Growing up, my parents expected us to act sensibly and responsible. My mother was strict and used physical discipline(which now would be considered child abuse). My mother demanded obedience. Neither of my parents drank or smoked. Although my mother could curse like a sailor, she insisted we went to church every Sunday. I was raised to know the difference between right and wrong, and that there were consequence when you chose to do wrong. I believe our childhood and how we are raised has a lot to do with the building of our character. I also believe God puts a moral knowledge within us. The Holy Spirit is our voice of conscience, the voice of reason, wisdom, good sense, and good judgment. When we activate it (by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior) and we make it a habit of listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit within, it builds our character. We each have to make personal decisions that will decide our character. We have to decide whether we will lie or tell the truth, do the job right or fake it through, take the easy road or the right road, etc. Life is filled with temptations, obstacles, frustrations, inner struggles and dilemmas that we all have to cope with, things which test our character. To be a witness for Christ, we have to sometimes walk a separate road than the popular road. The popular road belongs to the world. God’s way is not the way of the world. We can’t have both, God and the world.

 What characteristics should describe a true Christian? How is the true follower of Christ to live? We can find the answer to these questions in our instruction book on life, the Bible. We know that we are Christian because we profess Christ to be God and hold Him in the highest esteem. We know that we are Christians because we walk in the light. Our style of life is gradually conformed to what God has revealed to us about His nature and will. (John 1: 4-7). We know that we are Christian because we keep Gods commandments. (1 John 2:3-4). We know that we are Christian because we love other Christians and we love those who do not know the Lord. To be a Christian means to follow Christ, to strive to be like Christ. We fall short most times, but we have the desire to know God’s will, strive to obey it, and we repent when we are disobedience. As Christians there should be a change that happens in our character. One of the changes in me is that my focus has changed. I recognize the importance of the eternal. I value the character of Christ that makes all things new. Instead of comparing ourselves with other people and judging ourselves better, we should keep our comparisons between ourselves and Christ and have the desire to change into someone more like Jesus. The struggle is real. It takes practice. It takes prayer, but it takes more than prayer. It takes God’s Spirit living inside of us, and it takes knowledge and the study of God’s Word. It takes practice! As the saying goes practice makes perfect. It is a process! Because of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace we have the power to make that change. It is a process. Our Character should match our witness for Christ. Love and Blessings…

When I was a child, I thought if I had perfect grades, did everything my parents told me to do, and was a good little girl I would be loved by everybody. When that didn’t happen, I think I became obsessed with everything I did having to be perfect. Not for other people but for myself. Throughout most of my adult life I strived to be this perfect person.Not physically, but in everything I set out to do.  It worked well for my career and my  job performance. I excelled. And I decided not to worry so much about what other people thought about me as long as I felt like I was perfect. I was half right; we should not worry about what others think of us. We will never be able to please everybody all the time. The best we can do is accept people for who they are, and hope they do the same.  However, how wrong was I when I decided not to accept less than perfect from myself. I set myself up for stress and heartbreak. Someone said, “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Striving for perfect performance can prevent the risk necessary for growth.” How right they were. I use to say if I can’t do it right (which meant perfect to me then) I rather not do it at all. I can see now how that could prevent growth and stop you from trying new things. Not to mention the stress and pressure you put on yourself. Example; Emmanuel was inspired by God. What I write comes from what the Holy Spirit puts in my heart. Sometimes I think it’s meant for me and sometimes it may be for someone else. Initially I was concerned about if anyone would read or share it, but God said who needed to see it, would see it. So I let him handle that. But here is the thing, I was writing every day, no matter how I felt. The pressure was on! And I let God know I was feeling a bit pressured, And God said to me, “I told you to write, I didn’t tell you to write every day.” I made that call because I felt it would be “perfect” to write every day since God is always putting something in my spirit. Ok God, I get it. Sometimes we put pressure on our own self even when we think we are doing what God wants us to do. We need to really listen when God speaks. So for now I will be blogging on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays unless God tells me different!

In this life we will always be works in progress. Apostle Paul explained how when we try to perfect ourselves, it can blind us in our need for Christ. I should know better, because I learned this during my time in the wilderness. When I let go of my efforts to be strong and my need to be self-sufficient, that is when I experienced Jesus living within me. Only in our imperfection can we experience God’s perfect power. If we were perfect then why did Jesus die for us? It’s not about us being perfect or strong. If we humbly accept our constant need for the only perfect One, we will be strong and perfect in Him. Because if we are rooted in Him, then we can do all things through Him.

Of course we should strive to do the best in everything we do, while at the same time realizing that our best may not and does not have to be perfect. We should strive to do what is good and what is right in God’s eyes. And everything we do should be for His glory. Relying on the Father gives us the opportunity to live in a relationship with Him. Every moment we draw breath is a gift from God! We can thank him by glorifying him and doing what is pleasing in His sight. I still struggle a little with trying to do things perfect and I believe it comes from my childhood. We all come from families that are broken in one way or another. I thank God for loving us in that brokenness and for showing us what real unconditional love looks like. It is good to know God; the “Perfect” Father will never let us down, leave us, or stop loving us. I am not perfect but I am loved by the Perfect One. The more I rely on Jesus, the more peaceful and less stressful my life is.  Love and Blessings…

Cell phones give us almost unlimited contact with others. Some people never leave home without them because they feel disconnected somehow. I’m not one of those people. I’m like leave a message or wait until I get home. I’m learning to live in the moment and enjoy what I’m doing while I’m doing it. Anyway, I’m still stuck in the days of the answering machine! Don’t judge me. I think cell phones are great but there are restrictions. Some people talk on the phone or text even while driving, which is not cool and illegal in some places. If it’s that important, please pull off the road, then talk and text to your heart’s delight!

 There is another kind of communication that has no restrictions: prayer. We can pray whether we are coming, going, or sitting still. We can even pray while driving. My best prayer and worship time is while I walk in the early mornings. I love talking to God while driving. God invites us to call on him anytime, all the time. There is never a busy signal. It does not matter how early or how late. He is available for our quick cry or for a lengthy conversation. If you feel the need to pray quickly and in a less than ideal situation, go right ahead. You do not need to be anywhere special for God to hear you. He will understand your distress and cares only that you love him in your heart and try to follow him. He welcomes us into a relationship with Him, a constant and endless sharing of our joys, gratitude, needs, questions, and concerns. Access to God is always open, no restrictions. In the New Testament, Paul’s words advice each person who want to communicate with God to “pray continual” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is not just about asking God for something. Thank God for all of his blessings. Thank him for the things that make you happy, that make your life better, or that make the world a better place. Understand that these blessings are God showing his love for his people and should be celebrated and appreciated. Ask God’s forgiveness for the mistakes that you make. Keep your heart open and remember that we all make mistakes: nobody is perfect. Though you may have trouble admitting it or thinking of a mistake you have made, you will find some way that you can be better. Be sincere and you will know in your heart that God forgives you. Ask God’s guidance. He isn’t a genie or some magical grantor of wishes…He is merely there to guide you on the path you are meant to follow. Ask him to lead you and show you the right decisions and the ways to better yourself as a person, as well as the world and people around you. Pray for those who you feel need prayers. You can pray for your family, for your friends, or for strangers. Ask God to show them His love and to also help them find their way when they are lost. Do not cast judgment on them or their problems: God is the only Judge and He will do what is right. You do not have to use big words or long repetitive prayers. God is our friend. Talk to Him as if he is your best friend, because He is. Unlike my cell phone, I never have to worry about leaving home without the Holy Spirit, He lives in me. He lives in you. He is our direct communication to God. Love and Blessings…

Some readers may have heard of Matthew Henry. He is one of the most respected biblical scholars of the past three hundred years; his work is extensive. I started last year using his commentaries in my Bible studies after hearing Kellie Lane, spiritual leader of Warrior Nation Ministries read some of his commentaries. Today while studying and reading one of his commentaries my Spirit led me in a totally different direction. I had a strong desire to know about this man who was a preacher, scholar and was well-known for his “Commentary” on the Bible. His work has gained a reputation as the best and most widely used work of its kind. I had no idea why God was leading me to pull up this man’s biography. The following is what I found out:

Matthew Henry was brought up with all the advantages of a Christian home and family and he showed such an aptitude for learning that he was able to read the Bible by the age of three. Each day his parents gathered the children for morning and evening devotions, and after prayers and scripture readings, it was customary for his father to give a brief exposition of a passage from the Bible on which the children were encouraged to write their own accounts. After surviving a serious attack of fever at the age of ten, his thoughts were drawn to his own spiritual condition and he was deeply moved by a sermon on the subject of judgment. He wrote, “I was under great fear of hell, till the Lord comforted me. I, having engaged in serious examination, what hopes I have that when I die and leave this earthly tabernacle I shall be received into heaven ,I have found several marks that I am a Child of God.” As a young man, he went to study law in London. However, he found no satisfaction in this pursuit and soon he wrote a letter to his father stating, “The more I see of the world and the various affairs of the children of men in it, the more I see of the vanity of it, and the more I would fain have my heart taken off from it, and fixed upon the invisible realities of the other world.” After barely a year he abandoned his legal studies and began preaching at local meetings. His zeal for the work of the Gospel was so evident that he quickly began to receive invitations to preach. Henry knew without a doubt that this was the work God had been preparing him for and he become the pastor of a congregation. For twenty-five years He devoted himself to proclaiming the gospel at every possible opportunity. In addition to two services on Sunday and two meetings during the week, he frequently preached in the neighboring villages and in the prisons. When Henry was forty-two years old, he began to collect together the vast amount of notes and writings which he had made on the Bible during his ministry. He had learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew as a child, and he also had a good knowledge of French, so that his reading had covered a wide field over many years. To this was added a keen spirit of inquiry, a profound knowledge and an ability to convey doctrinal matters in a simple yet clear form. From this emerged his “Commentary” as he gradually completed the books of the Old and New Testament over the following ten years. After twenty-five years in the ministry at Chester, Henry accepted a call to a dissenting Chapel at Hackney in London. His preaching was blessed with much fruit and he made preparations to complete his “Commentary,” having reached Acts by 1714. This same year while returning to Chester to conduct services amongst his former congregation and while honoring a promise to preach at Chester and Nantwich, he was taken ill. As he rode back to London the next day, he fell from his horse and was taken to the house of a neighboring minister where he died the following day. He died at age 52. The importance and value of Henry’s “Commentary” was so evident to his fellow ministers that steps were soon taken to collect the notes he had prepared on the remaining books from Romans to Revelation, so that the whole of the Bible might be included in the final work. Henry’s “Commentary” quickly became an indispensable work of reference for Christians. It is as relevant for us today as it was in his own day. Someone said his work is perhaps the only commentator, so large, that deserves to be entirely an attentively read through. (www.truthfulwords.org).

 Most people do not know the trials and sufferings of Mr. Henry’s personal life. He was born 1662 in England and his infancy was marred with sickness and frailty.  His brother had died of similar circumstances, as an infant.  In those days, as would become evident to Matthew himself later on, many newborns and young children did not make it. In some ways, that was a part of life for so many parents in those days before penicillin and other basic treatments. Over the course of his adult life, Mr. Henry would experience six different premature deaths that undoubtedly haunted him as he struggled to believe and trust in the Almighty God, and His ultimate plan.  These unfortunate deaths included: His first wife, A young daughter, A second young daughter (just 1 year after the first had passed), His two middle-aged sisters (during the same year) A third daughter, and, his own life was not spared certain physical suffering.  Matthew Henry died at the relatively young age of 52 (not so uncommon in those days though) after a terrible disease and sickness took him during the last two to three years of his life. (Taber’s Truths by our Church History Contributing Author Ken Lambert.)

 Once I finished reading, just as clearly as I am typing this, the Holy Spirit said to me, “If you don’t know what to do, follow someone who does”. It was at this point that I realized why God lead me to this man’s life; he was an example of faith and hope through suffering. I have read how this man was obedient to God and to his purpose in this life. How he maintained this intensive preaching and pastoral ministry, while his personal life was afflicted by tragedy. The storms were raging in his life! In spite of life’s tragedies and storms, he persevered on and continued to do the Lord’s work. I cannot image losing one child. He lost three. The pain must have been unbearable. But did he leave the ministry? Did he become spiteful? Did he accuse the Lord? From what I read, Matthew Henry did none of those things. It is human nature to become angry when tragedies such as he experienced hit us, and he may have been at times angry at God.  I don’t know. But anger is an emotion that passes. It is not a way of life or a way of thinking.  He did not give up or lose faith in God. The enemy tried to take him out at an early age. But God turned it around and he choose to become a child of God. Mr. Henry marched on with his ministry and his Bible study.  He was obedient and faithful until his death. It is easy to be a Christian when everything is going well, and when your life here on Earth is truly blessed. It is a different story to be a true and faithful Christian servant when this life has brought major setbacks and sorrows. I understand now why God led me to Matthew Henry’s biography. He is an example of a Christian. In spite of life’s storms, I will stay faithful to the One who loves me, the One who lived to give me an example and the One who died to save me. And when life tries to get the best of me, and I don’t know what to do, I will follow the  example of Jesus. And yes God, I will follow the examples of those who follow you, like Matthew Henry. The same strength you gave them, you will also give to me. I thank God for this gift today, it blessed me. Maybe this was not just meant for me. If it blessed you, say so. Love and Blessings…

I am a patient person. So not true! And those who know me know it is not true. However, I am going to keep speaking it until I become one.  Patience is one if the fruits of the spirit. I am striving to have them all! It is one of the things God is doing a work in me. He is a miracle worker and I am definitely better at the waiting game. There has been countless times in my life that I prayed for something and nothing happened. Then I would fast, still nothing. So I begged and cried. Nothing! None of that hurried God’s plan for my life. So I would get tired of waiting and do something, anything to fix it or help myself. And looking back I can tell you, every time it was a disaster! Sometimes it would seem like I worked it out in the beginning, but later in the long-term I would live to regret it. That is what happens when we try the “quick, easy” fix. The easy way or the simple solution is not always God’s plan. No one likes waiting. We ask God for a soul mate, good health, a job, and financial stability. I mean that’s not much to ask for. Why have God not answered, why am I still waiting? Waiting is hard. We fret inwardly with worry and frustration. I think about Abraham, Joseph, Moses and even Jesus. They waited for 13, 25, 30 and even 40 years! How did they do it? I wonder did they get tired of waiting. Some of us get tired if God has not answered our prayers in one day! Scripture says ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open (Mathew 7:7). Nowhere in there does it give us a time frame or deadline!

 So this is what I have learned; when we ask God for something, we must trust God to deliver. We must believe whatever we are waiting for; God will not be late for. We must also know that if what we are asking for is not good for us, God knows this and He is not going to give it to us just because we asked for it. Would you give your children or loved one something bad simply because they wanted it? I think not, because you love them. That is how God feels about us. Another thing, when we ask God for something, the enemy will step in and have us doubt that we are getting what we asked for or have us to believe we don’t deserve it. Of course he is a liar! He does this by using the things of this world to distract us. Every day it will seem the problem is getting worse. Our mind, which is our worse enemy will tell us , it’s taking too long, I will be to old, I’m feeling worse, I can’t handle this job. That’s how the enemy works, he wants us to give up, and not wait on the Lord. If we really want to be strong warriors, we must keep our gaze on God, and glance at the things of this world. Victory comes when we realize that greater is coming, if not in the form of what we asked for, then something better! While we wait, we must choose to be better, not bitter, to praise God even when we don’t feel like it, to trust that even if He doesn’t fix it right away, the pain is for our good and it will not last forever. God is more interested in our character than our comfort. God is about restoration. Sometimes we can only learn lessons in a struggle or storm. It is through the storm, hurt, and pain that I found out how strong I really am. You go into survivor mode. And then you realize the only way you can survive is with the help of God. It is there we find God, no, I mean really find God. And we realize He is enough! It was through all that pain that my life was forever changed. I learned to let God work and not block my blessings by trying to fix it myself. God always has a plan. It is important that when we ask God for something, it is aligned with his plan. That our heart has the right motive. We can pray for direction to follow his plan, patience to wait on it, and knowledge to know when it comes. No one likes to wait, but there are many critical lessons that can only be learned from waiting on the bench. Love and blessings….

We can feel depressed or sad or angry or lonely. We can feel happy and hopeful. We can be cheerful one moment then suddenly get road rage. We can feel like we love someone one moment, then frustrated at them a moment later. We can feel optimistic or hopeless. Some of us wear our feelings on our sleeve. Some of us, like me, are good at hiding their feelings. I was asked did I ever feel sad or depressed. Of course the person asking did not know me before and during my storm. I spent almost two years sad and depressed. And even before that, unknown to many, those feelings were constant visitors in my life. Glory be to God they don’t visit like they use to, and when they do, trust me, it’s a short visit. Possibly because I’m not very hospitality. I rather entertain Jesus. Their cousins; anger, frustration, disappointment, doubt, and fear also like to visit. They too are not welcome. However, I love when peace, calm, happy and contentment stopover. They can never overstay their welcome! They bring me joy! We all get these visitors and I know they are true in the sense that they are real. We really do feel things. Feelings are not necessarily right or wrong. For example you may feel like a total failure. But are you a TOTAL failure? I may feel that no one loves me, but does that mean NO ONE really loves me? These feelings are true feelings, but are they necessarily the truth? I may say,  “I need to go somewhere. I feel like I’m going crazy in this house”. True feeling. But not necessarily the truth (at least I hope not). Because feelings are not necessarily the truth, and not necessarily right or wrong, we have to be careful about jumping to conclusions too quickly about them and judging others.

We must learn to express our feelings in the right setting to the right people who will listen. Of course we can’t tell everybody everything! And some people you can’t tell anything! But it is releasing to have the other person know how you feel and to think they understand you. Even after forgiving someone, we may still need to express our feelings. Some of us must learn to verbalize our feelings. This has not been easy for me, I’m working on it. I don’t like sharing my feelings of discouragement or sadness because I feel weak when I do. See what I mean, I feel weak, but I know I am not weak, I am strong in the Lord!  When people are going through and they are discouraged or depressed, let’s not be so quick to quote scripture or tell them they need to have faith. Feeling some type of way does not mean you don’t have faith, let me say that again, feeling some type of way does not mean you do not have faith! We must realize that we cannot possibly grasp the pain that others go through in every situation. I can’t understand the challenges others go through if I haven’t been through them. And even if I have, everybody react to things differently. Often the best thing to do is as the scripture says, first weep with those who weep before attempting to help someone overcome their feelings. I’m grateful that in recent years the Lord has been helping me empathize with others.

We may feel like we have no choice but to follow the dictates of our feelings. The first place to look when dealing with our feelings is the Word of God. We who believe in Jesus are no longer slaves to our feelings. As new creations, Christ is our Lord and Master, not our feelings. And he gives us his Spirit to empower us to obey him and keep his commandments. So when we know what he commands in any situation, we should ask our Lord for help and strength to obey him, whether we feel like it or not. We can pray for help to love a person and to do good to him even though he is unkind. We can pray for help to be patient and gracious. Lord, please help me to respond to this angry person with gentleness, help me to give with cheerfulness. Lord, you know I don’t feel like Bible study today, but help me worship you with all my heart. And Jesus, when I feel like giving up, help me persevere and keep going. Scripture tells us we are often tempted to anger when we want something and don’t get it. Scripture addresses our feelings of envy, discontentment, and discouragement. As we meditate on God’s word day after day, and as we ask Jesus to help us and to give us joy, peace and contentment, we will find ourselves no longer led by our feelings, but led by the Spirit. To the person who asked me the question about feelings of sadness and depression, I hope this explains it better. The Holy Spirit lives in me, so I am working on only letting the fruits of the spirit visit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness).  Love and Blessings…

Putting someone up on a pedestal and admiring them is two different things. When we put people on a pedestal and think they are perfect, we expect the impossible from them, we expect them to be more than human. Sooner or later they let us down, they show their human weakness and flaws, then we tend to blame them for letting us down. When we only have ourselves to blame! Think of it like this, when you put them up on that pedestal, they are looking down at you. The only one that sits high and looks low is God. We humans are all equal, no matter the status, fame or fortune. We all are sinners saved by grace. The only reason anyone is ever superior to you is if you believe they are. Don’t fall into that, “they can do this better or they look better than I do” trap. There are things you will be better at than other people, and there are things other people will be better at. No matter how smart a doctor, lawyer, or professor is, when they have trouble with their plumbing, they have to call a plumber! God gave each of us gifts. As far as looks, look at yourself through God’s eyes, we all are beautiful! Earlier in my life, I used to be shy. I would rarely speak my mind. And somewhere around the age of seventeen, I had a transformation.  I was able to overcome my timidness and I was rewarded with an enormous boost in self-esteem and self-confidence. I thank God for that. I respect people for who they are but I never, ever put anyone on a pedestal! My mama always said no one is better than you and you are no better than anyone else. I live by that. Sometimes people put themselves up on a pedestal by looking down at and being critical of others. It makes them feel superior. How sad is that? I believe that pedestals are lonely places that separate us rather than connect us. God intended for us to love one another and connect to others, not stand out and away from them. God’s desire is for us to love people as they are, flaws and all. That is what Jesus does.  I’m thinking it must be a lot pressure up there on that pedestal. What if I make a mistake? What if my looks fade? What if I’m no longer famous or rich? I would not want to live like that, too stressful. Oh, and beware of the pastoral pedestal. We’ve seen the headlines, high-profile pastors falling off the pedestal he has been put on. Think of the fallout and consequences under those circumstances. He and his family are hurting; the church now left wondering what happened. Was his doctrine sound that he preached from the pulpit? Was he being a hypocrite, preaching one thing and living another? How does that reflect on our church? On our faith? On God? Mature believers realize that just because a leader sinned, doesn’t necessarily mean his doctrine or preaching wasn’t sound, especially if they know the Word and know Jesus on a personal level. Our culture puts leaders on pedestals they can’t sustain. We expect our spiritual leaders to be perfect. The Bible lays out high expectations for church leaders, but it also reveals the struggles early church leaders faced. In 1 Timothy 3:1 the scripture says, “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” And the next twelve verses list the qualifications required for someone who desires that position of leadership in the church. Yes, as our leaders, they should set an example. But they too are human so I’m sure the struggle is real. When they sin, they need to repent just like we would in that situation. And, just as we would want, they need our prayers, compassion and forgiveness. That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be consequences to their actions. God will hold them accountable. I don’t claim to have all the answers,  however I believe we have to stop worshiping the messenger and worship the One who sends the message. The Sender is perfect, the deliver is human. Believers, please don’t put your faith in your leaders. Put your faith in God. Yes, honor the leaders He puts in your life. However, don’t expect them to be perfect and don’t put unnecessary burdens on them with that expectation. Let’s not put them, ourselves, or anyone on a pedestal. If putting someone on a pedestal means they are perfect,  God is the only one that can hold that position. Let’s look up to the one who deserves it, our Lord and Savior. Much Love…

There was a time when I wrestled with anxiety constantly. I worried about big things, small things and everything in between. When something terrible or distressing happened to me, I cried until there were no more tears left. I did a good job of hiding my anxiety. I would find a private place; because I dared not let anyone see me cry. It didn’t fit my “strong woman” image. Many of us cry in secret and rarely let others witness our tears. My heart simply broke into pieces, and I felt trapped, depressed and defeated. There are times we all may feel desperate and powerless. It is even worse when we are afraid to let anyone know we feel this way. Because we believe we will be judged or looked upon as weak. I would question God, wondering why and how He allowed a circumstance to exist. I questioned His favor and allowed my fear and doubt to question His plan. No wonder I felt alone. It doesn’t matter know how many people I would have confided in, I still would have felt alone without Jesus. We cannot hide our tears from God. He sees them and He wants us to trust Him so He can comfort us. Surrendering my life completely to Jesus was the best thing I ever done! I know people say that all the time, I really mean it. Now when life happens to me, I may still cry, but I feel comforted inside. And I’m no longer afraid to let anyone see me cry, because I am not afraid to admit that I am weak, I found Jesus in my weakness, I am nothing without Him. He makes me strong in spite of my weakness. So judge me if you want. All I know is that now even when I am sad outwardly, my heart isn’t heavy. I don’t understand why, but deep down inside me, there is something that lifts me up in the mist of whatever is going on. I believe that something is peace, which rises from the Holy Spirit living within me. It is beyond description; at least right now I can’t totally explain it. But I can tell you what the scripture says. We cannot be completely distressed because Christ in us is the Prince of Peace. And Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). It may be a bad situation and you might feel hopeless, but if Christ lives in you, He is the way. God says He will always provide a way out for us. We are not defeated because Christ in us is our victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57) Scripture repeatedly tells us not to be afraid. Because of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, our fears do not have to rule our lives. We will face hard times in this life. But God promised to be with us through it all. Our Heavenly Father never takes His eyes off His children. We can’t avoid some situations and heartaches, but we can live with confident faith relying on our Helper and Protector who watches over our lives. As I look over my life I can see He has most definitely comforted and stretched me through every trial and storm. I am thankful. Sometimes the struggles we face in this life are big, but God is bigger. I’m not saying fear does not try to creep into my being, but now I immediately lift my eyes from my fears, and in faith and dependence, look to the One who promised to comfort us. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us, no bad circumstance can or will ever cause us to be destroyed or forsaken by God! I can now look back and I am thankful He said “no” to so many of the prayers I desperately wanted Him to answer with “yes.” All that worrying for nothing. He is God! He is able and He is more than enough! I still shed tears but at the same time you can bet I  am surrendering all of my pain to Him. And unlike before, I leave it there. He comforts me through my tears. I trust Him. And what God has done for me in return is rained down blessings, restoration and healing. God’s comforting presence is more powerful than anything we may face! He promised never to leave us. We can trust Him fully. Love and blessings…