Are you Dressed Appropriately ??????

Have you ever been around someone who was so negative and so bitter, complainy, just not a happy camper (besides me, there are others :0 ). Do you see their pain and empathize or do you just get anoyed? Do you really listen to what they are saying? Do you hear the despair in their voice? Do they really think what they are saying is true? Do you agree with what they are saying? (tragically, often we see people hurting and let them go, because we decide, this is a consequence of their poor choices) But, what does God say about each of us? We are created in His image. Is that loving, kind, patience, longsuffering. Oops! you just made a selfish and poor choice, you are not doing right either. We are to encourage each other. Restore each other to our walk with God. God does not condemn, why should we condemn each other?


If they were saying these things about anyone else would you allow them to continue? Self abuse is wrong too. We are to be kind to ourselves, loving, patient, forbearing with ourselves. When we are not being all that we can be, when we have dropped our banner of victory, we need our Christian brothers and sisters to pick it up, pick us up and help us get back to waving and serving our Lord and Savior. The world is more than efficient of tearing us down and "keeping us in our place", but we need to be reminded we are not from this place, and we are Sons and Daughters of the King our place is the clouds with Him, when He calls us, until then we are ambassadors of the King to help and comfort his people. We are each equip with talents, gifts, skills and knowledge (EVERYONE!!! even the foolish and lazy have gifts!!!) that are to complement others in the body, we need each and every person. EVERYONE is important to God, He gave his son so that ALL WHO BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, all! includes the moany, groany, lazy, foolish-beyond words, arrogant, prideful, selfish, power hog, ect.... If you do not like them, God LOVES!! them, and includes them in the ALL! and nothing can separate them from God, not even their behavior, choices, and endless complaining. God has a plan for them and will turn all the tears, broken dreams, failed attempts, and pain into good. (GUESS which verses????) {Yep! Jerm 29:11 and Romans 8:28}

"I will thank you for your love and loyalty you have made your name and your word greater than anything Psalm 138:2

This is what an uplifted person first utters, (to God,) once they regain "their place" in the kingdom, once the have the worldly expectations, condemnation, judgment, ridicule, and gloating of others swept off of them and their armor shined.

Take a minute and get this visual in your head: The Armor of the Lord, (Ephesians 6:13-31)
A Knight in shining Armor, the best because it is issued by the King of Kings. Bright and shiny like the silly CD's hanging from peoples rear view mirrors. Sun glissing. There is a light all around the Knight. That is us, when we are fully dressed in the Lord.

Now, the world is tough and our Armor gets marred, scratched and dented but NOTHING!!! penetrates our armor, oh.. we get banged and bruised, dented and bloodied, but nothing can cut us, nothing can separate us, because our Armor is CHRIST!!!!

Let that sink in for a minute!!......................................................................................

Christ is before us, In us, to the right, to the left, behind, ahead, and under neath us!!! We are surrounded by the one who conquerred the grave. What can harm him? (hint: Nothing!!!) What can harm us? ......

Don't let a brother or sister scratch and crawl along. We are called to Walk, strengthened by Christ who is in us, and able to do more than we could ask or think. Stop and pick them up, dust them off, and put there Armor back on. Oh, the stuff does get heavy and we WILL fall, we WILL hurt, the enemy is cunning and craft and will roll things down the mountain toward us, and rain on us and try to rust us up and stop us from marching, but we have friends to squirt us with the ointing oil and help us pull out our dings and regain our stellar shiny appearance.

{Okay this is paraphrazed, but this is what someone did for me, they STOPPED and LISTENED, and LOVED, and then REPROOF ME for disrespecting God's Temple, and Doubting God's Word, they got me to dig in the Word and sift for every promise, every assurance, and Straighted my tattered armor and shined me up. Now I am sharing with you, and you can share with the next person you see without a smile, who is unable to tell you what their gifts are, Look for those that need a touch and take them to Jesus!!}

White Lies and Sins of Ommission can leave a stain too.

Oh, the things our little brains tell us. This is "basically the truth", The "whole truth will hurt people and cause more problems, this is for a good cause", "this is to help someone, so it is okay". "Not saying anything is not the same as uttering false words" Sometimes the sins of ommission and the things we do not say are what causes the most damage and pain. Lying is a choice, it is the choice of a fool. We are to be wise, use the knowledge we have been given, the TRUTH, and always speak words of knowledge and truth.

Well there is a saying, "If it quacks like a duck, call it a duck"

We can justify and explain anything to be okay. But, what happens when the lie comes to the surface and you can only give a yes or no response? No explaination, No lengthy rationalization. Just Yes or NO. No turning back. There are two sides to every coin and two sides to every story, the tongue also has two sides, and a wagging tongue will flip the truth in a heart beat.

What if the person you are covering for, turns and flips the story exposing your lie, as all yours. They will be able to explain and talk themselves right out of the situation. You will not be so lucky. You will be the fool who talked the folly and lost the glory.

The truth is light, any deduction or twisting and turning of the truth is dishonest and therefore a lie. We always think, but " I can explain, it will be better to let this go like it is, everything will work out".

Oh, no!!!! Truth sets you free, dishonesty even only partially or technically binds you and tightens like a vice and eventually, BAM!!! you may not even get the chance to address the lie, because where one lie is another is surely to collect and before you know it, Mt. St. Hellen's is erupting all over the person you thought you were helping and everyone around you.

If we are so advanced intellectually and so educated why do we lie???????? Because we are double minded and want to please people and want things to be happy and easy. Oh, I could never tell them...... What they do not know won't hurt them...... It's not my place, They won't listen so there is no use telling them. WRONG!!! and not only will it hurt them but if you really care, if you really have their best interest in mind, it will hurt you too.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.. Think before you speak, think about WHEN!! (because the truth ALWAYS!!! ALWAYS!!!! ALWAYS!!!! comes out, it may not come out to everyone but it is revealed and then what????

We need to be able to tell people when we see something wrong, if that is the truth and then allow them to receive it or reject it.

Psalms 3:3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you...

Notice they go together, we can tell someone the truth in kindness. We do not have to say hurtful things, layer insults with the truth. The truth can stand alone. Use scripture and stick to the facts, but do not use reproof for personal reasons, the ONLY reason is to redirect them back to God, He will work it out with them. DO NOT GLOAT over the situation, DO NOT REQUIRE Confession, that is between them and God. You are not GOD. You are simply the light to show them the way back to the Father. A candle does not remove the darkness, it only lightens it. SHINE AND LET THEM SEE JESUS! HE SAVED THEM, HE WILL RESTORE THEM, not you!!!!

Psalms 15:31-33
He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise.
He who neglects discipline despises himself,
But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding
The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.


Lies, half-truths, white lies kill trust, relationships, dreams, endeavors.

Believe, Faith, Peace, Joy

Believing, Faith, Peace and Joy are a Journey

Today things seem to require more and more faith; believing without seeing. Our human sight is more misleading than it is helpful. Blind people are able to function well because their other senses highten and replace the input of the eyes. Think about hearing, feeling, and smelling your way through your day... Have you ever played the game where you close your eyes and someone writes on your back? You think about the person writing and concentrate on the feeling of the pen on your skin and think about the shapes of letters and you get a mental picture in you "minds eye" and can usually figure out what it is they wrote. :) (oh, the fun we had when we were younger!!).

Well, as christians we can do the same thing, rely on our spirit, our knowledge of God, that God is in control and that He is working things for our good not to harm us. This life is temporary, working is necessary to provide an income, but our dreams and goals have no ceiling on them, the top of our "corporate" ladder is the clouds. We are equipped and able to do anything God brings us to, because He is going to bring us through it. He promises us this and many other wonerfully enpowering things in scripture on tactical connection to God, we can hold his promises, His instruction, His comforting messages in our hands and then put them in our hearts, and minds which will help direct us and keep us on the right path even though we cannot see it with our eyes, we can have the peace and joy of knowing we are on the "straight path of righteousness and walking and talking with our GOD!!".

Men {people not just males :)! } are not cast off by the Lord forever.
Though be brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.
Lamentations 3:31-33

Jesus said; "In this world you WILL have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

Problems and challenges are not results of mistakes and misbehavior (although sometimes consequences of such are coincedences) they are opportunities to build faith and growth in Christ and in character.

Be encouraged, and Believe.

**Play Sugarland, "Believe" on the playlist player. This song is one of my favorites, and Yes, God can speak through secular music :) (You just have to hear him!).

LOVE one another

L.O.V.E. Lift our voices of encouragement to others.

"A New Commandment I give to you, that you Love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13:34

"Be Encouraged, You Who Worship God" Psalm 69:32 NCV

"I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other." Romans 1:12 NLT

Some much is said now a days, we hardly write anything, and unfortunately we hardly encourage each other either. We are better about encouraging someone when we like what they are doing, approve or everyone else is doing it. However, when we are the ones to encourage something that others have not supported or instead of weighing in on the negative we lend a sympathetic ear and gentely suggest more consideration on the matter, or maybe a different approach but add a " you will find the answer" or inspire them with a scripture that can help them. Prayer is the best encouragement and there is something about having some TELL you, I am praying for you. It is equivalent to having someone call to you when you have run off the road and tell you "I have called for help, hang in there".

Encouragement and compassion even when someone is behaving less than idealy, is a compassionate thing to do. Christ always encouraged when he talked with people, Zachkius, Matthew, John, Peter, James, Haggar, the Samaritan women, the adultress, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary. He reminded them of the good and started the truth in a compassion and caring way, no accusations, no judgement, just the facts as they related to the situation and if it was not necessary to say in detail he would just illude to the fact, like with the woman at the well. Not in a false flattery way, in bad situations you really have to rely on God to give you the wise words to offer to someone, but the facts are usually a safe and good thing to use to encourage. "You are strong and equipped for this situation,", "You are not alone, God is beside you and I am praying for you".

We use worldly phrases and promises, cards and physical visits which are good, but we have some Holy and powerful encourging tools that we need to use. Redirecting our hurting brother or sisters eyes back to Jesus, He is the one who can change this situation. We are here for support and encouragement but depending and relying on us is detracting and distracting to them feeling the AWESOME touch of the Father. Prayer, is the best gift and more comforting, it is our line of communication to the Heavenly Father and is our sign of encouragement and support.

Encouragement does not have to just be in the "Big" storms, it can be a day to day thing. Whenever someone's light is less than spectactular, encourage them to plug in and get a recharge from the power source, Talking with the Father, aka PRAYER. Whenever someone is confused, lonely, overwhelmed, doubting, questioning, anger, bitter,..... anything that dims their light, charge them up. Lift them up. and tell them SHINE ON!!!

This little light of mine,

I am going to let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine,

No one is going to put it out

not even the Devil, oh no

I am going to let it shine

let it shine, let it shine,

Remember who the light is, Christ Jesus, when we let our light shine, they are seeing Jesus. Love them like Jesus!!!

Encourage someone today. It is not hard, just let it flow through you, "Have love like a river"