Anything meant in this world for evil, God can use for good, He is able to take our mess and turn it into a message. Today’s trail is tomorrow’s testimony. It doesn’t matter if we created the mess ourselves or not. Although God is not the author of sin, He can use our sinful nature to achieve  His purpose. When God said all things work for those who love God, All things includes both good and bad things. God can use our struggles, heartbreak, and tragedies in ways to bring about His glory and our good. God does not sin and He performs no evil. But our wise and perfect God can and sometimes does use the sin already existing in our world to fulfill His purpose. Most of the time we don’t understand the mess and how God is going to fix it. That is none of our business, how God chooses to operate is up to Him. At times, He intervenes miraculously. Other times, He works behind the scenes. And, yes, God may even allow a certain measure of freedom to evil forces in our world to bring about His will.

Look at God! So now you are out of the mess! What you gone do? When God brings us out of a mess, we are now his messengers. We now have a message to bless someone who is either going through the same mess or something similar. God did not bring us through to keep it to ourselves. I know I’m not thrilled about telling my mess, or business as some put it. I’m a private kind of person. Well we have to get over ourselves! It’s not about us. We must be obedient. We are God’s vessels. As His messengers we need to pray for Him to bring us in touch with those who need to hear and that He will open their hearts to receive.

God is the true Messenger and we are His vessels. I encourage you to stay faithful through the mess. I encourage you to keep praising His name through the mess. I encourage you to look through the mess to the One who has already overcome evil on our behalf. His name is Jesus. Keep your eyes on Him. And when he blesses you out of the mess, bless someone else with the message. Much Love…..

Perspective is a point of view. It is how we look at things. We each have our own perspective to things. Perception is the interpretation one gives through his ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses. It is a way of understanding and gaining insight. The key difference between the two terms is that it is the different perspectives that help us to create our perception. Life is based on perceptions. Do not confuse them with God’s truth! Perception is based on thought. Thought comes from the mind. Change your mind, change your life! Life is all about perception. Positive verses negative. Whichever you choose will affect and most likely change your outcomes. Miracles happen every day. Blessings are all around us. Change your perception of what a miracle is and you will see them everywhere. Actually go look in the mirror right now; you are looking at a miracle! We feel hurt when someone no longer wants us in their life, have you thought that God wanted them out of your future? The problem is not the situation, but our perception of the situation. Looking back at my time in the wilderness, the problems were nowhere near the many blessings I had, I just could not see them because I was so caught up in the problems. Of course I see that now because I try to look at things through the eyes of the Spirit. We are blinded by our feelings, other people’s opinions, and society. We can’t see, so we struggle, and we breakdown in the mist of affliction. We forget God can open any door. We may have the affliction, but the affiliation does not have to own us. It can’t keep us down, because the power belongs to God, not the affiliation. David said it was good that he was afflicted. Because he wasn’t looking at the difficulty. He realized God could bring him out. That is how we must believe. Just because your season hasn’t come yet, you have to get your perspective together and realize that God can change things in an instant. Praise your way out of that season into the next season! And another thing we have to remember, if the Lord allows us to fall into the valley or go through the wilderness, don’t do as I did, beat yourself up and have a pity party wondering what you did to deserve this! Get a grip and change your perception. Next is coming! God is stretching you, building you, preparing you for greater! Don’t look at the circumstances; take another look through the eyes of the Spirit. If it seems like this thing is going to last forever, remember the last time God brought you out. Although the exact words this too shall pass are not in the Bible, the verse in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 talks about troubles being temporary. We either believe His Word or we don’t. There is no door closed that God cannot open. And if He shuts one He is looking out for us. Let it stay shut! To change our perception, we need to change what we think of, and if we set our minds on things that are below, here on earth, we’ll not see the things that God is doing through us and in us by what we are going through here on earth. In other words, let our heavenly thinking overshadow those things on earth; let the eternal things of God dominate our thinking over the present, evil world we live in today. One great way to change your perception is to be in the Word of God on a daily basis. My life is certainly different now, not because storms no longer come or the devil does not raise his ugly head, but because thank God my perception of life has changed. When things look overwhelming, ASAP (always stop and pray), then take another look through the eyes of the Spirit. Love and Blessings…

All my life I had to fight (in my color purple Sophia voice) but seriously true. Unfortunately we are born into this world with the enemy ready to rage war. Like it or not, we have all been born into a war zone as result of what happened with Adam and Eve. For some of us, the hardest battles are fought within ourselves. Sure we understand the circumstances and situations that the enemy uses to destroy us. We can accept the truth of how the world lures and tempts us. We can understand to some degree that the battle in the spiritual realm is ongoing and real, even though we cannot see it. But, to get a grasp on what is going on within our own hearts and minds can be the hardest, most exhausting, battle of them all. Many Christians rather not deal with spiritual warfare; it is too scary and frightening so they prefer to ignore it. As a result, the enemy is winning; just look around at all the school shootings, missing kids, drug and alcohol abuse, divorce, and so much more! It makes me want to cry. But crying is not going to change the fact that we are in a war, we know the battle belongs to God, but we are his soldiers. We have to put on the whole armor of God and we must be “vigilant and sober” as scripture says. (1 Peter 5:8)

The enemy will come after any Christian where there is an opening, he will fit in where he can get in. If God the Father allowed His Son Jesus Christ to be tempted by Satan while He was in the desert for 40 days, then you can bet the chances may be very good that you may have to deal with the possibility of having to directly engage with the enemy sometime in your life. When the enemy tries to attack you from an outside position, he will try to hinder you from being able to progress from point A to point B in your walk and call for God. He also will start playing mind-games with you in an effort to try to throw you into some kind of mental torment and separate you from your spiritual connection with the Lord. The enemy will try to tell you that you are not saved, that you have committed the unpardonable sin and try to dissuade you from reading your Bible and continuing to grow in the knowledge and ways of God. Ok now devil , you are a liar, God said you would come to seek, kill, and destroy! (John 10:10). The battle, the struggle, the war, the fight goes on in our thinking. Our emotions and feelings are involved. There is a struggle, a wrestling match being fought inside you. It is between satan’s deceptions and God’s truth (the Bible). It is a battle of victory to those who read and obey the Bible, and of defeat to those who do not. This battle rages in your mind, your flesh, and your feelings. I am telling you, satan is a master at deceiving people. Beware when feelings and thoughts are not in harmony with the Scriptures. It is God’s Word that will tell you if your thoughts and feelings are from Him or satan. You may ask yourselves ,why do I even want to fight? In the spiritual realm, there is a battle going on whether we fight or not. We are either victors or victims. Jesus has come and conquered. The war is already won in the heavens. (Mathew 28:18).  We now have the privilege of having an eternal relationship with God. Many of us enter into that covenant of salvation by grace.  Salvation is the best and most important gift God has given us, but it is also about our every day victory, which adds up to victorious living in Christ. Every day victory is achieved by knowing, believing and understanding the battles that we are enduring daily, regardless if we are passive or active in the battles. I choose to take my sword up and put on my armor of God. I choose to fight! Although sometimes I feel as Paul describes in the Book of Romans, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.”Ladies and gentleman, that is our dilemma, that is why we must fight.

Yet despite all we will go through, the seemingly endless struggle in our minds, we must strive to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Our defense is to know, understand, and obey God’s Word. We have to study God’s Word, so He can discern what is right and wrong. Examine everything by God’s Word! As Christians, we all have the power of God operating on the inside of us through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The enemy is no match for any Christian who knows who they really are in their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and who knows how to use the Word of God as their spiritual weapon! We are in a war here on the earth. We are God’s soldiers. Do not be afraid because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world! (John 4:4). I’m not scared to fight, I have read the ending of ‘The Book” and I know who the winner is! Love and Blessings…

Helping is doing something for someone who is not capable of doing for himself. Enabling is doing for someone things that he could and should be doing himself. We have to know the difference or we will find ourselves participating in someone else’s bad behavior. It is easier to enable those we love. We want to do everything in our power to help them. At what point do we realize we are doing more harm than good? I’ve seen it many times, parents and children, friends, relationships and marriages. It is hard to give up on those we love. I believe the key is to love them enough to let go. My mother would say “when push comes to shove (have no idea what that means) you will drown or swim.” It sounds harsh but some call it tough love. My mother, bless her heart, was not an enabler. She was way on the other end of the spectrum. I think it was her way of teaching us independence. And it worked; all her kids are independent to a fault (another story). I tried to have a balance with my son, helping but also teaching him responsibility at the same time. Between his father, his heavenly Father, and myself, we did a good job; he’s an exceptional young man (I am a proud mama, ok, I’m getting off track:).

Reaching out to help a loved one in need is definitely not a bad thing, but there’s a fine line between helping and enabling. I’m not just talking alcohol or drugs here; I’m talking about anything that affects your well-being, for instance, an abusive relationship, whether mentally, financially, or physically. Stop making excuses for them. You have to know when to let go! How do you know you are an enabler? Ask yourself these questions; do you consistently put your own needs and desires aside to help someone else? Do you fear that not doing something will cause a blowup, make the person leave you, or result in violence? Do you lie and make excuses for them? Do you continue to offer help when it is never appreciated or acknowledged? We have to set clear boundaries and remain firm. It’s possible to be supportive without neglecting your own needs. If it is substance abuse, insist they get help! If it’s a relationship get out or get professional help. If it’s your child, you may have to show tough love. But whatever you do, don’t help people dig their own graves and most certainly do not let them dig yours! Helping someone should never be a threat to your own well-being, so make sure you’re taking care of yourself first.

The Bible says we are to confront people we love and let them know that bad behavior is not okay. Refuse to participate. (Matthew 18: 15-20) God does not enable irresponsible behavior. We can set limits on our own exposure to people who are behaving poorly; we can’t change them or make them behave right. Our model is God. He doesn’t set limits on people to make them behave. He sets standards, but He lets people be who they are and then separates Himself from them when they misbehave. Don’t be afraid to say “You can be that way if you choose, but you cannot come into my life.” God limits His exposure to evil, unrepentant people, and so should we. The Bible says to separate ourselves from people who act in destructive ways. We are not being unloving. Separating ourselves protects love, because we are taking a stand against things that destroy love. I said earlier, it’s not easy letting go of someone you love. But guess what, when you have done all you can, there is someone else who can do more than you ever could. Yes, our Father God is in the business of restoration and miracles. Give your love one to Him and rest and know that they are in good hands. Love and Blessings…

The first time a storm came into my life, I could not understand why I was experiencing any type of turbulence. I was a “good girl”.  I went to church, did not steal or kill and tried to treat everybody right. I thought it did not matter about the little things I did because they were only “little sins”. I’m sure I’m not the only one who believed that as long as you live a good and godly life and try to stay out of trouble, you are heaven bound. I now know that in God’s eyes, there are no little or big sins, sin is sin. I also used to think that if you sinned, you were no longer saved. Thank God in my studies and journey with Christ my eyes have been opened. I know we are saved by God’s grace, not our own will or works. Therefore, we must be careful that we don’t make personal judgments as to who is and is not a Christian based on their works. God knows who is truly a believer and who is not. With that being said, we will face consequences in heaven in eternity for what we do here on earth as believers. Scripture says we must humble ourselves before God and depend on His mercy. We cannot stand before God at the final judgment and claim we are entitled to salvation on the merit of church membership or anything we have done, said or believed. Again, our salvation is not in question, but the level of rewards we will receive in heaven depend on how we serve God while on earth. This is made most clear in 1 Corinthians 3:9-17. Our salvation is not dependent on what we do even after we have been saved because we are counted righteous by what Jesus did. Our sin has separated us from God, and the consequence of sin is death. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, our sins have been forgiven by Christ’s death and resurrection in this sense, we have already been “perfected” (Hebrews 10:14) in that God has already punished our sin in Christ on the cross, and we are made perfect by Christ’s obedience, with His righteousness credited to the believer. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice! Thank God for Salvation, this is the deliverance, by the grace of God, from eternal punishment for sin which is granted to those who accept by faith God’s conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. Only God can remove sin and deliver us from sin’s penalty. God has rescued us through Christ. It was Jesus’s death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that achieved our salvation. Scripture is clear that salvation is the gracious, undeserved gift of God and is only available through faith in Jesus Christ. God is not an indian giver. We are saved by faith. First, we must hear the gospel, the good news of Jesus’s death and resurrection, then; we must believe and fully trust the Lord Jesus. This involves repentance and a changing of mind about sin and Christ. God makes it very clear that it is only through His Son, Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross that will give people eternal salvation and thus eternal life with Him in heaven. Please read today’s scriptures on salvation in FOOD FOR THE SOUL. Love and Blessing

The dictionary describes friendship as a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an association. An interpersonal relationship is strong and deep. The situation can vary from family or kinship, relations, friendship, marriage, relations with associates, work, clubs, neighbors, and places of worship. But let’s talk about friendship. True friendship strives for unity of purpose, will, desire, heart, and mind. There must be complete trust and transparency, with no hidden agendas. True friendship goes beyond love as the world understands it.

I was told when it comes to friendships, my standards are high. I had to stop and think about that for a moment. Ok, it’s true.  I have few friends so I guess that proves it. The question is, is that a good or bad thing? The one person that is closet to me I don’t even call a friend, I call my “Person”. That is because the word friend does not do justice to how I feel or our relationship (you know who you are).  My Person has shown me what a true friend is. I believe people tend to use the word friend too loosely. Everybody that is in your life is not your friend! In my humble opinion, there would be less hurt and disappointment if people would recognize that. So yes, I do set high standards when it comes to friendships or any other relationships in my life. Someone said that everybody they meet is a friend until they prove otherwise. And that’s ok for them. For me, it doesn’t make sense to go through drama or hurt just to find that person was faking it. But then I always rear on the side of caution. Everybody is different. I say having at least one “Person” in your life, is better than having thousands of friends. A true friendship is one of God’s greatest gifts.

One of the noblest friendships in the Old Testament developed between Jonathan and David. They achieved true friendship despite difficult circumstances. The Lord chose David to succeed King Saul. Jonathon traditionally would have been heir to the throne instead of David, so it would have been natural for him to see David as his enemy. Yet when David returned from the battlefield and appeared in King Saul’s court with the head of Goliath in his hand, the Bible says “the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul”(1 Samuel 17:57, 18:1). Jonathan’s love for David is even more remarkable when contrasted with his father Saul. Saul, out of jealousy tried to kill David. Jonathan helped David escape while he tried to soften Saul’s heart (Samuel 19:4-5). Jonathan was David’s “Person”.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:13-15) Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His “friends.” The good news is, anyone may become His friend by trusting in Him as his personal savior, being born again and receiving new life in Him. We are blessed if we have at least one friend here on earth. We are more than blessed if we have accepted Jesus as our friend and savior! Read today’s FOOD FOR THE SOUL for a definition of love and true friendship.  Love and Blessings…

I tried using the directions but they are too complicated, I’ll just try to do it without the directions! Sound familiar? Sometimes it may feel like that when applying biblical instructions to your life. How do we apply the Bible to our lives? First, we must know  it. This can involve listening to it, reading it, meditating on scriptures, memorizing God’s Word, attending Bible study groups, and listening to Bible-focused messages. It’s hard to apply something you do not know, so it is important to actually read and study Scripture for yourself. On difficult modern  issues, we often treat the Bible as irrelevant. But the Bible is our instruction book on life, there are answers in God’s word to even the toughest problems. The thing is sometimes it’s a challenge to know when and which scriptures to apply to certain situations. How does an ancient book, written thousands of years ago, connect with our twenty-first century problems? You are getting divorced. You catch your child posting something inappropriate on the Internet. Someone in your circle is depressed. A relative was just diagnosed with an incurable disease. You don’t want to hand out religious clichés or just say have faith, you want to offer real hope and help from God’s Word. Sometimes this can be easy, but sometimes it’s like trying to put something together using the directions. The directions are so complicated you decide to just wing it without the directions.( that’s me). Usually we either mess it up or have a headache from trying to fix it and give up. This same concept applies to our lives and God’s directions. In order for the outcome to be good and eliminate unnecessary  headaches , we must learn how to be obedient and follow God’s directions. Life situations that causes anxiety or worry such as; financial crisis, exams, relationship issues, child discipline, death, and even losing a job, all have easy instructions to follow in the Bible. We have God telling us in Philippians 4:6 to “Do not be anxious about anything” . In Genesis 37, we have the story of Joseph which teaches us how to respond in a godly way when fired unjustly from a job, or treated unfairly, it helps us to maintain a perspective that God is working it out for our good. We are confident that the Bible speaks relevantly and authoritatively to problems such as anger, conflict, pride, fear and money. We tend to gravitate toward the scriptures that we know and are easy to understand, although they may not apply to the situation. How can we be sure we are using scriptures properly? How can we be sure we are doing justice to the Author’s intent? How can we be sure the Apostle’s meaning in the First Century applies to the present? The challenge is even greater when using the Old Testament. What does wandering Israelites about to engage in bloody warfare have to do with drug abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking, school shootings, etc.? A lot of questions, right? If you know the answers, feel free to share. This is what I know, the Bible is God’s revelation for believers of all ages, times, and places. It is good to use scriptures that speak specifically to our everyday experiences. We share the same struggles common to people of all eras, so we should expect God’s revelation to them to resonate to us. The Bible treats sin and suffering in such profound and multifaceted ways that no struggle,  no matter how complex, stands outside the Gospels truths. I cannot stress enough the importance of Bible study, not just in groups, but your alone time with God. My son taught me that, and I can honestly say it has helped me to understand even more deeply the Christ-centered perspective the Bible advocates. You will find fulfillment in the Word, you will get closer to Jesus, who will bridge the gap between the Old testament, New Testament and these modern times. The Bible is “Our book, because it is His book, and we are His!” I like that, don’t remember who said it. Although the Bible may not always give us a step-by-step approach to present problems unforeseen by biblical witnesses, because it was inspired by God, it provides a comprehensive view of people and problems that we can use. The first truth is, no matter the era, it is the same God, the same Savior, and the same Salvation. The second truth is Jesus revealed God’s Holiness, he showed us God’s wisdom, and in His death He illustrated God’s love. We may not be able to grasp everything about God(He never fails to amaze me) but we as believers know that he is limitless and we are limited in our thinking. That being said instead of going to the “easy” or familiar scriptures, dig deep with study, seek Jesus for answers and there is no problem or situation the Bible can’t help you with. After all it was written by man but inspired by God. Much Love….

I was asked the other day if I thought God brings people together or if marriages happen more as a result of our choices. This really is a God’s sovereignty versus our free will type question. I believe if we let him, God leads us to jobs, ministry opportunities, educational opportunities, relationships, so why not spouses too? His Word assures us that He is personally involved in, and concerned with our lives. So yes, I believe that God does divinely connect people together. That said, God still respects our free will. I believe if God has marriage in your future, he will bring that person in your life and He will use your choices, the choices of your spouse to be, and His sovereignty to make that happen. I believe the choices we make can position us for the day when the right someone comes along. I am by no means an expert on marriage but I do know that the Word says in marriage, two people become one flesh. So I think if there is one aspect we should be placing in God’s hand, it definitely should be marriage. Marriage will alter the course of the rest of your life. Your choice of a spouse is important. We need to pray and ask for God’s guidance, discernment, and wisdom. Then we need to pay attention when he speaks. Don’t ignore the signs or the gut feelings. Sometimes we just ignore God’s signs and answer because it’s not what we want to hear. Ok then, why did we ask in the first place? That is what I mean when I say God’s “match making” includes our freedom of choice. He is not going to force on us this man or woman who He has placed right in front of our eyes.

I really don’t think it is as simple as asking God and He will send that soul mate you’ve been waiting for. It will involve patience, and trusting that God knows what and who is best for us. Because again what we think we want may not be what’s best for us, (I don’t want him or her because fill in the blank). God can bring people together, but people also have to choose to make a relationship work. God is sovereign and can make a situation good, but it is up to us to stay committed to the marriage. I wish I had known this when I was married, but then again I did not know Jesus like I know Him now. I know now for anything to work in our life, our primary focus should be on Jesus as he brings people and things into our life. If you are searching for a spouse without first developing a personal relationship with Jesus, you are putting the horse before the cart. Our actions and thoughts have an impact on our outcomes. At the end of the day, God has a way of bringing people to where He needs them to be and somehow that balance includes both our free choice and His sovereign will. How he does it is one of those mysteries about God which we as mere mortals will never know, at least not in this life. I think the key to mold God’s sovereignty and our free choice is to make our choices only in obedience to him. So what do you think? Is God a matchmaker? Do you believe he has or will send you your soul mate?  Comment here or go to Face Book Emanuel group and comment. I really would like to know your thoughts. Love and Blessings…

The first bike I owned I was in my thirties. That is when I taught myself how to ride. I don’t remember having my own bike growing up. I remember watching other kids ride. They would take their hands off the handle bars and scream, “look no hands!” The first time I saw my son do that I was terrified. Actually the first time he rode without training wheels I was scared for him. I haven’t rode a bike in a long time, but I probably would still hold on to the handle bars like they were stuck to my hands, just as I do the steering wheel on my car. And the thought of no hands, I don’t think so! Don’t judge me; I’m a scary cat when it comes to any wheels! However, when it comes to our God, I am learning to have the fearless faith of a child. Look God, no hands! The type of faith that I can let go and let God. I know if I let the bike handle bars go, in my frightened state I would definitely fall. But even if I am afraid or unsure of a situation or circumstances, I can let go and let God and I will not fall! I’m sure you’ve heard it before. Let Go, Let God. This is not just a cliché. I know this for a fact because I am a witness. He has caught me over and over again when I let go. We are human and we are going to struggle with being afraid. God knew that we would be people who struggle with fear.  He knew that in this world darkened by sin, there would be many things to be afraid of.  If you search the Bible, the word “Fear” is mentioned 326 times.  Over and over again, God says, “Do not be afraid.” God is with us no matter what fearful time we are going through. He helps us.  We can’t do it on our own.  He gives us His Word to hide in our hearts when we are scared, His Holy Spirit to comfort us. However, it is up to us to take our hands off and let go, Look God, no hands! Even though I’m scared, even though I have no idea where I’m going, even though I’ve been hurt and abused, even though I’ve been diagnosed, even though I feel terrible, even though I lost a love one, even though I lost my job, even though I can’t pay my bills, even though…..look God, no hands! God did not give us the spirit of fear! We have to trust God and let go. If we don’t let go, fears tend to grow, sometimes out of control.  The more we are afraid, the less we live the life that God has for us.  Being afraid is like being in a prison, but God has set us free.  As His children, we can trust Him because that is what a  good Father does. When those training wheels were taken off my son’s bike, he trusted the person behind him to hold him up until he could keep going on his own. (it was not me because I probably would not have let go) And when the person let go, he kept going. That’s how our Father God works. When we let go, God holds us up. We still keep going; stopping is not an option, because we know God has our back. Father God loves us, Jesus died for us, He will not let us fall! We have to trust God more than we fear the world. I would like to ride a bike again; it’s on my bucket list, 🙂 I don’t know if I will take my hands off the handle bars, although God is helping me with putting my faith over my fears, so we will see. Have a wonderful weekend and stay blessed.  Much Love…

There is no improvement except through change. Change does not happen overnight. It is a process and sometimes we can lose our momentum. It helps me when I keep visible reminders on my bathroom mirror, at my desk, on the refrigerator, etc. I want to share with you a chart I keep at my desk as a daily reminder and review. It encourages me in my pursuit of change and fills me with scripture to know I am heading in the right direction.

 THE CHOICE WITHIN YOU

Choice #1- EVALUATE YOUR PRESENT ATTITUDES (Philippians 2:5). Are my attitudes today pleasing Christ and me?

Choice #2- THINK, IS YOUR FAITH STRONGER THAN FEAR (Matthew 21:21). Am I taking faith-action on my present fears?

Choice #3- WRITE A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (Philippians 3:13, 14). Have I written, verbalized and acted on a plan to change my attitude?

Choice #4- DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE THE DESIRE TO CHANGE (Psalm 37:4). Change is possible if you I want it bad enough. Am I willing to pay the price?

Choice #5- LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME (Matthew 6:34). Am I allowing tomorrow’s troubles to sap me of today’s strength?

Choice #6- CHANGE YOUR THOUGHT PATTERNS (Philippians 4:8). That which holds our attention determines our action. Am I thinking on the right things?

Choice #7- DEVELOP GOOD HABITS (Deuteronomy 6:5-9) A I repeatedly acting on positive habits to overcome negative ones?

Choice #8- CONTINUALLY CHOOSE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE (Proverbs 3:31). Am I continually choosing to change?

 THE OPPORTUNITIES AROUND YOU

Opportunity #1- ENLIST THE COOPERATIONS OF A GOOD FRIEND (Deuteronomy 32:30). Do I meet regularly with a friend who helps me?

Opportunity #2- ASSOCIATE WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE (James 4:4). Are my friends helping or hindering my changes?

Opportunity #3- SELECT A MODEL TO FOLLOW (Philippians 4:9). Am I spending time with a person I admire?

Opportunity #4- LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES (John 8:11). What recent mistakes have I made which caused me to change?

Opportunity #5- EXPOSE YOURSELF TO SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES (Luke 11:1). What positive event or person will I see today?

 THE GOD ABOVE YOU

Strength #1- GOD’S WORD (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). Am I receiving day strength from God’s Word?

Strength #2- PRAYER (James 5:16). Am I praying daily and specifically about my attitude?

Strength #3- THE HOLY SPIRIT (1 John 4:4). Am I continually filled with the Holy Spirit?

 Please read today’s Food for the Soul. I have shared my daily faith confession. Read it every day and memorize it if you can. I promise you it will have you thinking you are all that and a child of God! Because you are. Much Love…