Positively Inspiring

My Journey, My Testimony by Maria Doud

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:44:00 +0000

November 2009 Edition (photo: John and Maria)

For the last four years I’ve been struggling with chronic pain, and other medical conditions related to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. At the beginning, I thought that I was having some isolated issues, but little by little things started to get more complicated than that.

Chronic pain and chronic fatigue were just ruling my life. Tthere was nothing that I could do that didn’t give me concerns because of my health. And I guess one of my biggest mistakes had a big impact on me -- I didn’t tell the people around me the way I was feeling. Being so reserved and shy didn’t help at all. I isolated and condemned myself to a life of pain and loneliness, until one day my husband told me to ask people in our church to pray for me and I did. That was the beginning of a big change in my life.

That night we attended a Bible study held at our local church and when we were doing the prayer request list, I decided to tell people what was going on in my life. No one could believe it. They said that I didn’t look like I was in pain.

As soon as I shared with others, I felt the support of all the friends I had in our church, their prayers, love, and nice words of encouragement. Then I started getting better at sharing with others and being more open to talk. Being shy, has always been a big issue in my life. The more I talked the better I felt. Now it wasn’t only me and this illness, it was me and my entire support group, my husband, family, friends, church, and more.

I started getting treated with medication that also made a dramatic change in my life. I never felt the same when I was taking all the cocktail of pills I was supposed to. The pain was better, and other symptoms were getting better as well. But my whole personality changed a lot. Even though I was feeling better, my body needed more medication more often.

With my husband, we started serving in our church, getting more involved with all the events that were held. One day we were asked to participate in something called “Cardboard testimony” and share something that God has done in our lives.

By participating in that, I met Sage, who has also suffered from chronic pain. We started talking and after a while she shared some information that has been very important for me. She gave me the name of a doctor who specializes in my condition. I visited him and I really liked him. We started a new treatment, something natural, with no secondary effects. I am now getting off the medication I used to take. It hasn’t been easy, as I feel the withdrawls all the time, and I still need six more months to get off of everything completely. But I know I am on right path and I know that God has been with me all the time.

God has taught me a lot of lessons, changed me as a person, made me more humble and thoughtful. I have learned to have a better attitude, even when days are not easy and I am in pain. I have learned that I can’t live with this alone, I need others, and others need me.
I have learned to see a side of myself that I didn’t know before and I have learned that many times when I felt alone, sad and down, it was because I didn’t let others help me and give me their love and support. I have learned to open up, and share with others and I have learned to listen to others and to communicate better.

God has also put a lot of compassion in my heart for people who have medical conditions, and people who are trying to leave different medications.
I know I still have a long way to go, but I know that God is going to be with me, that He is not going to give me more than I can take, and that He is going to use this for his own purposes and plans.

Don’t ever give up, there is hope, and God will never leave us alone!
Jeremiah 29:22 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, Plans to give you hope and a future.”

Praise and Coffee by Melissa Mashburn

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:52:00 +0000

October 2009 Edition

(Photos: Praise and Coffee and its Founder, Sue Cramer)

Welcome to Positively Inspiring here at Positive-Talk.com!

My name is Melissa Mashburn and I am the founder of "Mel’s World," an online ministry dealing with “Faith, Family, & Friends” from the perspective of my life and world as a Pastor’s Wife, Mom, and Friend. I’ve been given a unique opportunity to introduce you to an incredible ministry partner and friend, Sue Cramer.

Sue is the founder of Praise & Coffee, which started as an online community and is now growing into an international ministry. All from the seed that was planted in Sue’s heart…God is so awesome and I am so honored to introduce you to my friend, Sue Cramer.

Name: Sue Cramer

Family: I have been married almost 22 years and we have four kids. Two boys ages 21 & 19 and two girls ages 17 & 5. We adopted our youngest from China when she was 2 years old.

Website: My blog is www.PraiseAndCoffee.com and the Praise and Coffee Nights website is: www.PraiseAndCoffeeNights.com

Where are you from?
Born and raised in Michigan. Grew up in the city of Grand Rapids and moved into the country about 10 years ago.

Tell us a little bit about yourself –
I’m a 42-year-old wife, mom and coffee drinker who loves the Lord. I’ve been in ministry for over 20 years, some of my past titles: Women’s Director, Worship Leader, Pastor’s wife and everything in between. Titles I’m most proud of: Mrs. Cramer and Mom!

Your blog is called Praise & Coffee, what made you pick that name?
I started blogging when I set up a blog for our church’s women’s ministry and eventually wanted to start one of my own. Praise and Coffee just dropped in my head and I thought it was the perfect description of my passions in life, praising God and sipping coffee!

What is your blog Praise & Coffee all about?
The blog “Praise and Coffee” is all about our walk with the Lord. I use it to minister to the heart of women in regards to their personal walk with God and their family life, with an emphasis on their marriage relationship. Most of my posts are written as devotionals to encourage women in the crazy dance of life.

How did the Praise & Coffee Nights get started?
Really, they started accidently! I planned a get-together with a bunch of my girlfriends and said- “let’s call it a Praise and Coffee Night!” After I said that, it just kept rolling over and over in my heart and mind until I realized the Lord was speaking to me about starting a new ministry.

Why would you do a Praise & Coffee night?
I would do a Praise and Coffee Night because it gives us an opportunity to rub shoulders with other women, share our stories, laugh and cry together while we inspire one another to draw closer to God.

What’s your favorite part about watching Praise & Coffee nights expand all over the world?
Oh my word! I can’t even begin to tell you how my heart leaps that God has allowed me to be a part of this! To think that women can use Praise and Coffee Nights to connect with each other and most importantly God…it makes me cry! At our evenings there are two things about the evenings that make my heart leap: 1. The “dull roar” that fills the room at the beginning of the evening while the women are talking and laughing together. 2. The sight of women huddled at their tables, heads bowed-eyes closed praying for one another at the end of the night. I’m incredibly honored to be sharing life with so many amazing women…and to see it spreading across the states and world…overwhelming!

If I wanted to host a Praise & Coffee night in my neck of the woods what would I need to do?
First check out the website www.PraiseAndCoffeeNights.com it will give you lots of great info and I made a video also to let you know how to go about it. Then if you are interested, email me with your name and address and I’ll get you one of our packets. I will use the website and Facebook fan page to help promote your event.

Thanks so much Sue for sharing your heart and your ministry with each of us. I love that God is taking your seed and is growing it into something that is glorifying Him. You are a class act and I am thankful to be able to partner with you on this journey.

Take some time to check out her website to see if there is a Praise & Coffee night coming to your neighborhood! Sue will be coming to South Florida on Wednesday, October 28th, for a Praise & Coffee Night in Pembroke Pines at the Coffee Scene located in the Westfork Plaza off Pines Blvd/Dykes Road. Come on out and join us for a great night of fellowship from 7pm-9pm. We’d love to see you there! ~ Melissa

Sue Cramer
Praise and Coffee
Facebook

Put on the Full Armor of God - Our Priestly Garments

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:19:00 +0000

September 2009 Edition

Dear Lord, today I put on the helmet of salvation. Protect my mind from attacks by the enemy, and give me sound thinking.

I put on the breastplate of righteousness. Guard my heart and emotions from assault. And let me be governed, not by my emotions, but rather by the truth of Your Word.

I strap on the belt of truth. Wrap Your Word around me -- around the very core of my being. Protect me from error by keeping me in Your truth.

I step into the sandals of peace. Use me to take Your peace and Your hope into the world today, and let me stand firm in the face of any attack by the enemy. By anchoring me in Your Word, enable me to keep my footing.

I take up the shield of faith. Let the attack of the world, the flesh, and the Devil fall flat against this defensive gear.

Finally, I take up the sword of God, Your Holy Word. Put your truth in my heart and mind in a fresh way, so that it is able to pierce the hearts and minds of those I encounter.

Amen.

Seek and You Will Find by Carol DeBlasis

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:33:00 +0000

August 2009

1Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

No other human being but you knows what is in your heart. Only you know what memories, embarrassments, hurts and impressions you carry.

Even though two us may experience the exact same event, both will walk away with two entirely different impressions. There are very few similarities between childhood memories of siblings.
Where one remembers trauma, the other remembers nothing at all. Our memories, thoughts, and impressions are unique to each of us. The phrase, "I know what you're thinking", is totally unfounded, because no one has a clue as to what is going on in someone else's mind.

Not even the corner psychic can accurately discern our thoughts. Our minds are the only truly private domain we possess. And even though occasionally, our eyes, facial expressions and body language can give us away, we can rest assured that no one can know exactly what we are thinking, which is a good thing, since not all of our thoughts are pure, holy and just!
Since God created us in His image, He has a mind also. Only His mind is not as private as ours. He is willing to share His thoughts, ideas and plans with anyone who has an ear to hear. But His mind can only be known to us once we are Spiritually alive.

Unregenerate man has no idea about the things of God. Only those of us who are born again can understand His Word and hear His voice. Without His Spirit to guide us, we just wander around in the dark, bumping into walls, which delights our enemy to no end!

But once our hearts have been enlightened by God’s glorious presence, we watch the world "make it up as they go along". Since they have absolutely no revelation about God, they can only act and talk religiously. Without having any form of relationship to Jesus Christ they must depend on themselves for direction and insight to daily living. But, happily, those of us who have committed our lives to Jesus can know the things of God, hear His voice and finally understand, what motivates His heart towards us. What glorious grace we have received to be the vessels of this mighty Presence!

Thankfully, it is God's will that we know Him intimately. He will never withhold His Spirit from us, or command Him to be silent when we come seeking. Because of Calvary, anyone who comes searching for God will find Him. No one will ever be able to accuse Him of being reclusive or allusive when they prayed for His presence. He loves us so much in fact, that He has placed Himself at the very center of every believer’s heart. So, our access to His presence is not limited to a particular day or hour, but is continual throughout our lifetime.

The Spirit of God is the best friend we will ever have, and His presence in our hearts is to be cherished. He knows us even better than we know ourselves, and He loves us anyway! He is God in us, the Hope of Glory. He is the down payment on our salvation, and the very Force that will escort us Home. Hallelujah! We are truly blessed beyond measure, and loved beyond
comprehension by our mighty Triune God!

Being Mindful of Our Words by Carol DeBlasis

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:10:00 +0000

July 2009 Edition

Proverbs 17: 27 & 28 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

I don't like being around folks who "say just anything they feel like saying." Usually they are the most negative people in my life.

Like most people, I like to be around positive, up-beat people, who enjoy life and are encouraging. The more positive our words are, the more positive we feel. Especially for believers who confess, out loud, the words of God.

Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, then it just makes sense that we are consistently repeating what God has already said. Since His Word is true, then we rank right up there with the wise when we confess, and believe His Promises.

Instead of saying, "I'm so tired!," our confession should be, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." Or instead of bemoaning the current economic system, we can confess that "my God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
It may not do much for anyone else, but it sure inspires and comforts us! It reminds us that God is in control of our lives and no one else. If "what you say is what you get," then we should be confessing God's own words in order to receive all of God's good stuff!

Actually, once we accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord we stepped out of man's reality and into God's Kingdom.
Our world is much different than that of unregenerate man. We can expect things to be different for us.

Even though we face the same trial and tribulations as the world, we can expect and confess a positive outcome to any situation, even death. Since, "all things work together for good, for those who are in Christ Jesus and who are called according to His purpose," we can face life with a positive attitude and a positive confession.
We are not controlled by our circumstances: our circumstances are controlled by our Lord! We must not succumb to depression and anxiety, or believe the lies of man.

Proverbs 3:3 says "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." None of us want to become negative, stiff-necked, inflexible vessels, so we must allow God to soothe our hearts and relax our thoughts with the Balm of Gilead that is found only in His Word!

In Psalm 141:3 David asked God to "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips." Perhaps that should be our daily prayer as well.
By restraining our words and remaining even-tempered, people will want to be around us and even enjoy our company. If we're not flying off the handle and spewing negative, hurtful words, we separate ourselves from the world.

We become different, and different people attract attention! The lost are looking for answers to stress, anxiety, depression and economic disaster, and their looking at us!
So our positive words and wise restraint results in a two-fold blessing: (1) we cause our own lives to be generously laced with peace and faith and (2) we are a testimony to God's faithfulness in a world where faithfulness does not exist. Unlike the world, we have a Hope and His Name is Jesus Christ, and what He has promised, He will provide.

We need to heed the Word's of our dear Brother Paul when he wrote (my translation) "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds (and your mouths) in Christ Jesus."

You Are A Child of the Most High God by Carol DeBlasis

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:26:00 +0000

June 2009

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The grace of God has always been intended for freedom!

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ eternally insured our holiness, our standing and our position as His Spiritual brothers and sisters. In light of this divine family relationship, we need to be conducting ourselves as our Older Brother did. He understood His calling, His freedom and His relationship to the Father and still conducted Himself accordingly.

Not once did we see Him behave unrighteously or flaunt His freedom to the masses. He was always the supreme example of what God expects His children to be: kind, loving, forgiving, encouraging and graceful. Never, never should we use our freedom to indulge the sinful nature and cave in to the “siren call” of our flesh. Besides, how can we shine forth God’s Light, if we are living just like the unsaved?

Living life according to The Word of God, causes us to be the “peculiar people” that we have been ordained to be! Grace was instituted as a “safety net” for our occasional failures. God understood that we would fail in our flesh and grace was designed for that reason. This amazing Gift blesses us with the freedom to fail and should never be cheapened or taken for granted!

Jesus didn’t suffer and die to give us a “free ride” through life; He gave us the liberty to live in Him, in spite of our flesh! Once we understand the price that was paid for our freedom and the love and the grace that motivated that sacrifice, we gladly submit to a life of obedience and holiness.

How can we look at Calvary and not deeply love and honor the Man that hung there for our redemption, and restoration? How can we disregard all of that love and compassion and use grace as an excuse to live life any way we choose?

Somewhere along the line we have gotten WAY out of balance!And balance is the key word here. We can’t take one part of The Word and not accept the rest! Yes, God gives us the grace to be free, but there’s always that whole pesky sowing and reaping law!

Will God still love us when we transgress His Word? Absolutely! And, He also makes us eat the crops of the bad seeds we have sown! He makes sure that there are always consequences for our disobedience. Personally, I have eaten plenty of bad crops in my lifetime, and I have learned that living my life according to God’s Word is the best way to reap a tasty harvest.

I love being a child of God! It is an honor and a privilege to bear His Name and to carry the “mark” of the Holy Spirit. I have been redeemed, blessed and sanctified by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And, to the best of my ability I will honor that sacrifice and the Name of my Lord: not because I have to, but because I love Him too much not to!

God Hears Your Prayers by Carol DeBlasis

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:30:00 +0000

May 2009 Edition

Jeremiah 33:3 (The Message Bible) “Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”

Why should we pray? Because in our “humanness” we would never be able to figure out God and His Kingdom without His divine counsel and direction!
Who among us would EVER see a final sacrifice for mankind’s sin while looking at Jesus Christ hanging on the cross? Which of us would EVER connect a cup of wine and a piece of bread with Jesus’ body and blood? Not one of us could EVER associate priestly oil with God’s Holy Spirit.

Without Him to connect all the ”dots” we would be completely ignorant of His ways and character. But thankfully, He is ever ready to reveal Himself to us whenever we call.

How He longs to speak to us and share the mysteries of His Kingdom.

In John 14:19-21 Jesus says, “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

How blessed we are that the Lord of Glory would desire to show Himself to such plain and ordinary people like us!

Yet, how can we receive revelation if we don’t ask questions? How can we know Him if we don’t talk to Him? Just like every other relationship in our life, the more time we spend with Him, the better we know Him and the more we love Him.

Fortunately, God never changes. He has not made provision for our hectic 21st century lifestyle. He still requires us to “be still and know that He is God.”

There must be a portion of our day dedicated to Him Alone. He knows, and expects, each of us to hear His voice.

In John 10:27 He says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Don’t let the enemy fool you. You CAN hear from God! Who’s voice do you think wooed you to the altar the day you got saved? Who soothes your heart with words of comfort in the middle of the night? Who speaks to your soul when you attend Church? Thankfully, God has empowered each of us to hear His voice and discern His ways.

When love and obedience motivate our actions of giving, praying and fasting, then the outcome will be glorious. God desires a people who fellowship with Him because they want to, not because they have to.

No parent enjoys forced obedience. Remember how amazed your mom was when you wanted to show her how much you loved her, and you cleaned your room without being told? Or how shocked your dad was when you mowed the lawn because you wanted to surprise him?

Well, that’s exactly how God feels when we love Him too much not to spend time with Him. He wants us to be expectant, and excited, when we share a cup of coffee with Him first thing in the morning. He delights in lunchtime fellowships and is blessed when His is the last Name we whisper before we drop off to sleep.

So the next time you promise to meet Him at a specific time, imagine Him seated at the table anxiously awaiting your arrival so He can tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own. Then perhaps the temptation to ask Him for a “rain check” won’t be so tempting after all.

Step Out by Rick Morange

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:01:00 +0000

Photo: Rick Morange and his daughter, Mandilee

The purpose of this writing is to hopefully instill a new (and perhaps different), level of responsibility and concern in parents. Because I am a "DAD," I have some experiences regarding parenting, but do not claim any special knowledge or expertise. Therefore, if this column is a blessing to anyone, then we must give all the glory to God.

My hope and prayer is that some readers will re-think their responsibilities as parents, and possible prioritize their life a little differently. Who am I to address these issues? Just a father, teacher and coach. One who also happens to be a Christian, and believes that all of us need the Holy Spirit to guide and help us as parents. Enough about me. What does God say?

In Proverbs 22:6, He says "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." What a wonderful thought. God gives us a prescription for ultimate success for our children! (Notice he also leaves time for some mistakes along the way to getting "old"!) Indeed, He loves us so much, that He KNOWS we can't do it alone -- and in this era of single parenting, most of us would acknowledge we need a little help, right?

So we begin with instilling the love of God into their hearts and souls. Maybe it's just an extra hug, a surprise quick-trip to play their favorite game, or perhaps we just LISTEN to them. (I know I have a long way to go on the last one!).

After all, the gift of our TIME means so much more than anything else and "training" takes time. Is there more time we can find for our children?? Perhaps.

And, do we openly pray with our children? God wants us to do just that! He wants us to let THEM know that He is there in our lives every day--and in theirs! God will teach US these things, as we guide and teach our precious little ones. What a tremendous and wonderful responsibility we have been given!

The Bible also says in I Corinthians 13:2 (NIV), “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Such strong words from our God -- that we could be seen as NOTHING! Yet, that is only possible if we do not LOVE and certainly when we have Jesus in our heart we MUST love!

The Lord ends I Corinthians 13 with the following. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

What a wonderful prescription for ALL of us. The importance of Love cannot be understated. God is perfect love -- and He wants to teach us His ways to love. If we are open to the Holy Spirit, and His word, there will become no limit on the ways we can love our children and demonstrate that love to them. (I love to reflect on ALL of I Corinthians 13, and certainly suggest reading it in its
entirety!)

In closing, please allow me to pray with you.

Heavenly Father, you ARE the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. Teach us your ways, so that we can spread your amazing love to our children. We are all yours Father God, and we ask you to give us open hearts to hear your word, and your voice, so that our children may live their lives knowing you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

May God Bless You and have a wonderful day with your greatest earthly "gift" - our children.

Yours in Christ,
Rick

First Things First by Melissa Mashburn

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Matthew 6:32-34 (New International Version)
32" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I absolutely LOVE this verse! As a matter of fact, I pray it over my kids each and every day before they go to school. Seriously, I do! There are FOUR key things that I pray for them as they head out into the world; 1) They would be the leaders that God created them to be, 2) That they would stand FIRM in the face of temptation, 3) That they would do the RIGHT thing even if it is the HARD thing, and 4) That they would seek HIM first in all they do.

As a matter of fact, I love this verse SO much I want to share with you what it says in The Message. Check this out.

Matthew 6:32-34 (The Message)
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?"

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

So, as a mom who prays this over her kids (and family) each and every day, there is a responsibility for me, as the one praying, to make sure that I do that too! You know what I mean, I don’t want to be one of those “Do as I say, not as I do” moms, I want to live it, walk it, breathe it, so when my kids think of it, they think of me.

Wow, those are mightly BIG shoes to fill, and unfortunately I fall short (as we all do Romans 3:23) each and every day. So, as a mom, wife, woman, daughter of the King, I want to make sure that I keep “FIRST THINGS FIRST.”

For me, that is quite simply straight from God’s Word, “ seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.”

"When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world, I thank God I am alive." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

What a great opportunity we have been given! We are blessed with TODAY! We aren’t promised that it will be amazing, just as we aren’t promised to have a tomorrow, but we have been given this great and beautiful GIFT of today! If I, as a woman who passionately pursue’s God’s purpose each and every day, don’t STOP and SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM then chances are that I am going to be going in the wrong direction.

I will end up worrying, stressed out, planning my day based off my agenda and my emotions (that is ALWAYS scary), and probably going down the wrong road. The scary thing is that most of us (me included) do that as our default setting. It takes a conscious CHOICE to SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM instead of our own default setting.

Either we are adrift in chaos or we are individuals, created, loved, upheld and placed purposefully, exactly where we are. Can you believe that? Can you trust God for that? -Elisabeth Elliot

Listen friends, now is the perfect time to work on your health, your finances, your job, your ministry, your work, your __________ (you can fill in the blank). Remember, you made a promise to yourself in the New Year? But BEFORE you even start to tackle those things, why don’t you join me in handling FIRST THINGS FIRST, and as a believer, that would be simply SEEKING FIRST HIS KINGDOM.

Come on…let’s take the CHALLENGE!!! Let’s makes a conscious CHOICE to put FIRST THINGS FIRST and make sure we give God ALL the glory!

Leave me a comment or drop me an email and let me know if you will be joining in on this challenge…I can’t wait to watch what God does with this!

PS – If you want, copy the verse (both versions) and put it in a place where you will see it EVERY DAY!

Finding Joy on the Journey,
Melissa in Mel’s World
http://www.melissamashburn.com/

Your Life As Worship by Melissa Mashburn

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:19:00 +0000

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: "Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him." ~ Romans 12:1 (TM)

Do you live your life as Worship?

Do you even know what that means?

I know that I struggled for a very long time with the concept of “living my life as worship.”

I mean, I had been brought up that “worship” was something you did on Sunday mornings when they sang the songs. You know how it goes, “Praise and Worship,” and it took me many years to finally grasp the concept that my life (my everyday, ordinary life) is considered worship too.

"Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resultng from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief. "~Oswald Chambers

In my preparation for this devotional, I wanted to take it a little further than normal. I wanted to make this devotional something that we could all relate to, that we could all walk away with a nugget that we could apply to our lives TODAY!

While studying I found that just in the NIV (New International Version) Bible the word ‘Worship’ is listed 250 times, In the ESV (English Standard Version) it is listed 189 times, and in TM (The Message) it is listed 544 times. That is a whole lot of “worshipping,” isn’t it? The cool thing is that it is not all the “praise & worship” type of worship that we are used to thinking about.

"True worship from the heart, then, means responding to God’s glory and love with our entire being." -Marjorie Thompson

The quote from Marjorie Thompson above sums it up beautifully, doesn’t it? I’d love to sit with you over a cup of coffee to chat about this. It makes me excited to be able to even talk about it, but if we were face to face there would be a beautiful opportunity to share our worship together.

Let’s take a few nuggets right out of Romans 12:2 and talk about it for a minute, ok? If we want to live our lives as worship, then what do we need to do?

Well, it says right here what we should do.
Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him

Take your everyday, ordinary life - that’s what you do from the time when you wake up until you go to bed.

Your sleeping - Do you pray before you go to bed? How about when you wake up? Do you thank Him for the gift of sleep to rest/heal your body?

Eating - Do you bless your food before you eat it? Do you thank Him for the provisions He has given you?

Going-to-work - Do you thank Him for your job? (come on, no matter how bad it might be, you should be thankful to have a job right now, right?) Do you pray for those that you work with?

Walking-around life - This is when you’re at the grocery, the ball park, the gym, the drycleaner, and everywhere in between…do you see these as “divine appointments” or just irrating frustrations in your life?

and place it before God as an offering. No matter what you do or where you are it is NOT an accident, and if you are going to Live Your Life As Worship then you know that God has you right where He wants you to be.

I love the last part of this verse, it wraps it up so sweetly - Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

So, how do you do that? You just get started!

Do you have to be perfect? No.

Do you have to have all the answers? Of course not!

But, you do have to have a willing heart.

That’s all He asks for. It is for us to take that first step. To live your lives as worship begins with a single step, and that is a willingness to be more like Him.

The biggest challenge that any of us will ever have: to really get up in the morning and say, "OK God, what can I do to help somebody else today, how can I be a blessing to somebody else?"

Where are you going to start? It only takes a step. I’ll be here cheering you on, I know you can do it. What an amazing world this would be if we ALL lived our lives as worship to Him!

Enjoy the Journey!

He Lives Within Us by Carol DeBlasis

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:51:00 +0000

(Please welcome our newest writer, Carol DeBlasis of Melbourne, Florida!)

Ezekiel 43:2 “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like the noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory.”

The Force that dwells within believers is the most powerful weapon in the universe! The God that reigns within our hearts can wipe out this entire planet with just one flick of His little finger.

Since He created this world with the words of His mouth, it would only take one word to destroy it. Unregenerate man has no idea what he's up against when he shakes his fist in the face of God! No tsunami, volcano or hurricane can hold a candle to His power. And this amazing, powerful, graceful, almighty God abides squarely within our puny little human hearts! The God that created every star that shines in the night sky is in us. The God that crafted every tree and plant is at home with us. The God that blew the breath of life into the lungs of the first man in creation, breathes life into our souls every moment of the day. How blessed we are to have the honor of hosting His presence in the earth!

I don't understand how He gets all of Himself in me, but I know He's here.

I know, because one day after praying a prayer of repentance I was Spiritually alive. I could sense His presence and I became enlightened to His ways. I began to understand Spiritual concepts and the Preacher finally began to make sense!

I felt drawn to other believers and was attracted to faith. Suddenly there was someone else in here, other than just me. A Someone Who loved me just the way I was, and accepted me in spite of all of my shortcomings. Someone Who heard the cry of my heart and cradled me in His arms to comfort my pain.

Until the day of my conversion, I would never have believed that the Creator of the Universe would take up residence within something as wretched as me. But, amazingly enough, He came in immediately, at my very first invitation: something for which I will be eternally grateful!

And one day He is coming back to take all of us home. Home to a place that will offer us rest and face-to-face access with Him and His glorious Son. A place we can only imagine, and long to be. His voice, like the noise of many waters will fill the sky, and be as music to our ears. His glory will shine throughout the heavens and embrace each of us in a loving caress.

And like Ezekiel, we will behold His glory and His power. He will know each of us by name and honor us, individually for our faithfulness.

Therein lies our hope and our calling. Among all of the peoples in the earth, we are truly the most blessed. Within us lies the Master of the Universe and the only Hope of mankind. We have nothing to fear, and everything to anticipate. Jesus is coming again soon to rule and reign - with us!

God Bless You!

Jars of Clay by Karen Frith

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:16:00 +0000

(Author Karen Frith, New Zealand)

“Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue.” Eugene O’Neill (The Great God Brown, 1926)

A couple of years ago I had a dream in which I saw a big blob of clay being fashioned from a lump of nothing-in-particular into a one-off masterpiece.

This glorious transformation was made not by the lump of clay but by the hands of God (The Potter)

I then witnessed another scene in which the Potter was lovingly repairing and restoring a clay jar that had been damaged. Psalm 147:3 (NIV) "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Human hands could not have successfully reconstructed the vessel to the level of restoration that the Potter achieved. Once he was finished there was no evidence of former damage, no hairline fracture whatsoever.

I then noticed that there were many broken jars of clay in the Potters shed, some more damaged than others. However, gently and patiently the Potter was restoring each one. He loved and cherished each jar no matter it's condition or outward appearance.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (NIV) "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. "

Only One Thing. When we are weak God's power can work through us.

Recently, I have not felt like the pot in the well known story that has a crack in it that sees it leaking water everywhere, leaving behind it a trail of beautiful flowers; to the contrary I've felt like a 'cracked pot' leaving behind me nettles and brambles instead.

This is the link for the story about The Cracked Pot I refer to above)http://www.healingstory.org/treasure/cracked_pot/cracked_pot.html

Yet, it is when I stop battling to be 'strong' and to have it all figured out, that I can see God at work, shining through a flawed vessel - his glow, so not mine.

In the most unlikely of situations my 'weakness' is used to bless others who are struggling in the same area or areas where I have been. They are encouraged by God's power reflected through my cracked areas.

Only One Thing. We are just the vessels that hold the treasure.

This I believe is to be an encouragement to us all. God is not only fashioning us and preparing us; he is also undertaking a work of restoration and healing in our lives.Yet whilst we are in the process we can still shine for him, by giving what has been given to us; by being real and honest before him and others.

He is aware of each facet of our being; what makes us tick, each intricate part, from the tiniest to the largest, to the most complex. No broken jar is beyond his capacity for repair.

Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV) "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds."

Only One Thing. When we are weak God's power can work through us.

Miracle by Melissa Mashburn

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:01:00 +0000

Photos: Nick in the hospital, in need of a miracle

Nick today 2008, strong, healthy -a walking, living miracle!

Come and see what our God has done,what awesome miracles he performs for people! ~Psalm 66:5

According to Dictionary.com a miracle is explained as this…
mir·a·cle
1.
an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.
2.such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.

…but I know what a REAL miracle looks like. Let me share a little bit of my miracle with you. It is my prayer that you will be encouraged and inspired by this true story.

It was three years ago that my life and the life of each and every member of my family would change forever. You see, our oldest son, Nick, was eleven years old and was in his first week of Middle School. He had been in a private Christian school since he was three and this was the first time he had been in the public school system and we were nervous and excited for him as he was beginning a new chapter of his life. (Ok, I was terrified if I am being completely honest here, but I had faith that he would be fine.)

It was to be his sixth day of school, it was Wednesday, August 17th, 2005 and it was five minutes before six o’clock in the morning. I know this because my alarm had already gone off and I was doing the dreaded, five more minutes and I’ll get up speech with myself, when I heard a strange noise coming from my son’s room. Normally he would come in my room and say something like, “Mom, I don’t feel good” and we would cuddle for a bit, but this time he didn’t come. I have to admit, I was a tad frustrated because I wanted my last five minutes, but I got up and went into his room.

What I walked into was nothing short of a nightmare and over the next thirty minutes my world was rocked and turned upside down. My eleven year old, healthy as an ox son, was completely out of it and had started seizing uncontrollably right there in front of me. My youngest son walked in the room while I was screaming and trying to get my son to wake up and I quickly shooed him out the door and had him call his grandfather (my parents live about five miles away, thank God).

I was on the phone with 911 talking to the most patient person in the world as I described what was going on, she kept telling me that when he wakes up and comes out of it, to reassure him and comfort him. But after thirty minutes he still hadn’t stopped so when the paramedics arrived at the house they told us that they would be airlifting him to the nearest children’s hospital and that we needed to ride the ambulance to the nearest ballfield so the helicopter could pick him up.

When we arrived at the fields the chopper was there but they told us that we would not be able to go with him. At this point I am completely beside myself and the paramedic pulled my husband aside and said that we needed to go straight to the hospital immediately and to be careful getting there. He held my husband’s shoulders and said, “You HAVE to be careful getting there.”

As we pulled out, the other fire personnel that were at the firehouse (it was right next to the fields) all came out and lined the streets as we pulled out…it was incredible. I don’t remember driving to the hospital, all I remember is almost getting in an accident on the way, and me jumping out of the truck before my husband put it in park to run into the Emergency Room.

After hours of tests, specialists, pain killers, and various other drugs my son was so “out of it” that it took four grown men to hold him down in the room (he was so drugged up that he was literally completely out of control) to get him settled so we could find out what was wrong with him.

He still wasn’t able to talk or communicate with us and I sat there and watched my first born, my precious angel, slip into a medically induced coma so they could try and piece it all together as to what was going on with him. My heart broke, my knees buckled, and I truly do not remember HOW, other than by the grace of God, I made it through those first three days.

You see, we didn’t know this at the time, but they really didn’t expect him to make it. They had us in the first PICU room with two nurses around the clock and three specialists there at all times.

He shouldn’t be alive. He shouldn’t have made it. By all intense and purposes there is NO real reason that He is alive today, but you see, we serve a GREAT BIG AND MIGHTY God and even though we almost lost him three times while he was in the hospital for 51 days (the entire time in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) we clung to God’s Word and His promises and knew that even if we walked through the valley of the shadow of death that God would be there with us (Psalm 23).

We covered his room with Scriptures and he received cards from all over the world. We, as a family, were provided for in lunch and dinner for all 51 days, never missed, and our youngest son was basically adopted by our friends and family so that we could be at the hospital around the clock with our oldest son.

The whole time that he was in the hospital, one of us was there with him…the whole time! One of the posters that was in his room was from one of his friends from Student Ministry, and in the middle of the poster was this one verse John 16:32b - "Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me, and I clung to that day and night. "

I knew that no matter what came our way, that each and every day is a gift and that there was clearly a reason that we were there, and it was bigger than my son, bigger than our family, and only something that God would be orchestrating.

Yes…we walked through that valley, yes, it was like a living hell, yes it was dark and scary, but we were not alone, our Heavenly Father walked each and every step of it with us, and when we couldn’t even lift our heads because we were too tired, when we couldn’t stand strong in the midst of this mess our Heavenly Father was there holding us up and saying, “Yes you can Melissa” ”Yes you can Matt” ”This is not too big for ME!”

The amazing thing about this whole thing is that we were able to step outside of ourselves and truly see that God was doing an amazing work in us and through us the entire time we were there.

From the valet guy talking to us about “praying for you guys,” to the security guards saying “wow, what church do you guys go to that they are loving on you like that?,” to nurses coming in the room and asking me to “pray with them” because they didn’t understand why we had such peace, to high level specialist doctors going to my husband (knowing that he is a Pastor) and asking him, “to pray to his God and ask for help on my behalf” as the doctor sat there and wept in my husband’s arms.

We knew that God was up to some sort of miracle while we were there and were humbled that in the midst of our own nightmare that he would choose us to do anything for Him. You see, he doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called…you and I are called to be salt and light in the world.

So, yes, I believe in miracles…I have lived my own real life miracle and have seens God’s grace and glory shine all over our family for it. My son is now a strong and healthy 14-year-old boy who the doctors said “shouldn’t have survived what his body went through,” but he did and we know why.

We tell him each and every day what a gift that he is and that God has something truly spectacular planned for his life and as he went through his own Job experience (yep, we talked a lot about Job while he laid there in the hospital for 51 days). You know what though, through it all we still praised him, Psalm 136:4 says, “Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.”

He had pancreatitis (I know some of you are thinking…well, what happened) that was brought on from a gall stone (which is incredibly rare in an 11-year-old) that got lodged in his pancreatic duct (from riding a roller coaster of ALL things). He had his gall bladder removed and his pancreas liquified from all the toxins his body was producing from the duct being blocked and now he only has 10% of his pancreas left. The doctors said he will be insulin dependent for the rest of his life (diabetic).

But guess what…after three years to the day he went into the hospital, he has been insulin free since August 12, 2008! You want to talk about a miracle…that is just too incredible for words. There is absolutely NO REASON that 1) he should have made it, 2) that he would be off insulin, but you know what - we finally learned to keep God out of that box and expect a miracle, because you know what…they really happen!!!

I believe,
Melissa

When You Are Going Through Rough Waters by Karen Frith

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:10:00 +0000

Isaiah 43:1-4 (The Message)"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end — Because I am God, your personal God,The Holy of Israel, your Saviour. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.

"Just One Thing.The Power of the Cross. Jesus. Two years ago whilst in the midst of some difficult and painful trials I had a dream about a Raft, a River and a Cross."I saw myself lying on a wooden raft set in the middle of a stormy river.

My destination was being controlled by the elements; and all I could do was hold on tightly to that raft for dear life.The river rapids were fast moving and the water was rushing past me. As I was buffeted about by the wind lashing at my skin and the rain pounding upon my face and body all I could do was hold on to that raft. There was absolutely nothing else I could do in that seemingly hopeless situation.

I could see myself laying prostrate on the raft, my arms stretched out, gripping on tightly with white knuckles from the effort of doing so. It was then that I noticed that that the Raft was fashioned in the shape of a rugged wooden Cross. "I was holding on to the Cross."

My only hope. My only security in these troubled waters. My entire faith was in the power of the 'Cross' to sustain and save me and bring me through.

Just one thing. Take everything to the Cross, recognize the overcoming power of the Cross. Look to Jesus, sit at his feet; Jesus, the one who gave everything, that you may live. No matter what you are dealing with emotionally, spiritually or physically, know that there is strength, life and triumph in the Cross.

Where else can you place your confidence? Yes we have seasons of trials and troubles that we do not understand, but what the world offers will not see us through in the end."Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you." He is with us as we endure the waters and the fires. He is by our side.

Just One Thing. The Power of the Cross. Jesus.

My Spiritual Weight Loss Journey by Karen Frith

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:02:00 +0000

(Karen Frith after her weight loss journey - top photo -- and Karen before her journey with her two beautiful children!)

The year 2007 was a pivotal one for me regarding losing weight. Oddly enough, toward the end of 2006, I came to a point of accepting and liking myself. It wasn’t until I reached this point in my walk with God that I felt “free” to be able to lose the weight. It was clear that losing the weight was not just about the scales and my appearance, but being “OK” with myself, regardless of my weight in the first place.

God spoke to me that 2007 would be a year of Restoration in my life and that I was to ‘Take off the grave clothes’ (John 11:1-44 the account of Lazarus and in particular when Jesus calls Lazarus out of the Tomb and tells him to take off the grave clothes (verses 38-44). A time for obstacles to be removed and to come forth!!

On January 10, 2007 I began my diet. I realized that it would need to be a new lifestyle that I could maintain on a long term basis, not a quick fix, fad diet affair – but from the inside, out.

I started by having two meal replacement shakes* a day (morning and lunch), treadmilling for one hour a day and then a regular meal in the evening – even with a sweet treat (I didn’t’ think deprivation was the answer).

It became a daily process with God. Praying and talking to him, like an onion having layers removed. Questions of why I ate more than I ought – what were the reasons? Real honest face to face God stuff. (*I only had the meal replacement shakes for the first few months, and I use them now and again when I feel the need to cut down once more)

My motivation to be fit and fabulous at 40, (I was turning 40 in August 2007) inspired me. It really helps to have a goal in mind.

The weight came off slowly but steadily. I exercised daily, ate wisely. I started my journey weighing 192 lbs. (I am 5 feet 5 inches). I set a short-term goal, a mid-term goal and a long-term goal. I didn’t look at the long-term goal at the beginning, but rather little goal by little goal.

As I dropped the weight, I was indeed taking off the “graveclothes.” For starters I had to buy new clothes which was fun, and I sold my bigger clothes to fund this.

The Old was passing away, the new was coming. I started to feel and look fitter, more alive and healthy. I progressed from walking on the treadmill, to walking faster, and then running.

The discipline of weight loss extended to other areas of my life – Bible reading, prayer times. I found that as I gained discipline in one sphere I was being disciplined in these other areas of life and enjoying it.

Some days the last thing I felt like doing was working out or treadmilling, so I would make sure to vary my program. On sunny days, I would walk to the shops and attend to my errands at the same time, carrying shopping bags on the way back for ‘resistance’ or at home running around with my laundry, or stretching up high hanging up the washing. Being creative and making the process fun, not a chore, kept me going.

As I approached my goal weight of 142 lbs., I had a revelation about my weight issues which was a “wow” moment of understanding for me. All of my life I had been about 14 lbs. overweight. At the age of 22, I married my first husband and for the Wedding dropped to the ideal weight of 142 lbs. As difficulties in that marriage arose, my weight problems truly began. By the time we separated some five years later, I was sitting at the 192 lb. mark, sometimes higher.

From that point on, I never really dropped the weight. I’d lose a bit here or there, but nothing more. The revelation was that I had a FEAR of losing weight, for the last time I’d been at my goal weight, I’d made a bad decision in my life -- marrying my first husband. I associated weight loss with my past decisions and there was a fear attached to it. The weight I struggled with was like a comfort cloak of protection. I’m not sure from what, but I was hiding behind it!

I had to confront these issues and be open with God – and I found healing and I truly found me again. The lie in my head that I could never be slim was shattered – the stronghold broken. With God ALL things truly are possible! Day by day, step by step.

On August 1, 2007 I reached my goal weight, the day before my 40th birthday.

My next journey was to maintain this loss. This had to be for life and not just for Christmas! I have managed to hold my weight within 2-3 lbs. of my goal – the highest gain to date has been 5 lbs., but I keep an eager (not obsessive) eye on my weight and vary the program and keep close account with God and friends.

In February, 2008 I entered a three mile walking race – my first ever competition. There were approximately 110 ladies taking part in this race and I was thrilled and stunned to take 5th place! Another goal to keep me motivated!

It has also been great to be able to encourage others in their weight loss journeys. Different folks have asked me how I did it, and I’ve been able to share my heart, the struggles, the doubts, the hopes and the victories. Keeping it real is so important, because we all do have “off” days and areas in our lives where we need support.

God is a God of liberty and I truly feel that I have shaken off my “stinky” grave clothes and come alive! Even though I am “middle aged” now, it is never too late to take the first step to freedom! Seriously if I can do it, you SO can too!

Hope by Melissa Mashburn

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:17:00 +0000

Psalm 25:5 –
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Hope is a funny thing, isn’t it? So many people see “HOPE” in so many different ways, but for me hope is not about “oh well, I hope this works out” but more like it is in Psalm 25:5 above. I did a little research online and found the definition of hope from dictionary.com, check it out.

hope noun, verb, hoped, hop·ing.
to believe, desire, or trust

I don’t know about you, but this has been one amazingly difficult year, yep, it’s almost been a year. The crazy thing about this confusing, stressful, and trying time is that there has always (yes, I really really mean always) been HOPE. I haven’t understood the journey that God has had our family on, but I have had faith that it was smack dab in the center of His will (not ours) and there is a peace and a hope in that.

I love this verse in Job 6:8 "Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for,”. There has been a Job like experience in my family over the last couple of years…first with my oldest son getting so very sick, having to stay in the PICU for 51 days, almost loosing him, settling back into a new normal, then walking away from a job in ministry that I loved, a church family that was all I had known in my faith life, to a desert experience…with lots of “wandering and wondering”. I am so not going through all of this to wallow, but to celebrate the HOPE that God was up to something so much bigger than I, my husband, my kids, and my family could ever wrap our heads around. Isn’t God so awesome like that?

There are over 175 times in the NIV Bible that the word HOPE is mentioned. Did you know that? 18 of them were in the Book of Job, can you believe that? Did you ever read the Book of Job? If anyone had cause to question, get angry, fight, yell, give up, give in, roll over, fall down, or just quit it would be Job, and yet in Job 11:18, it says, “You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.”

Tonight we had a BBQ dinner for a wonderful family. You see, they aren’t just any family…they walked with my family when I stepped into full time ministry, when my husband felt the call to leave his six-figure income and become a pastor (which is SO much less that six figures…), were in our first small group, encouraged us to lead with the gifts God had given us, called us brothers and sisters and then continued to treat us that way. They loved on us, challenged us, listened to us, sharpened us, made us laugh (they have such a love for life), let us be us, not pastors, not leaders, not church staff people, just us (flawed, battered, and bruised). We did ministry with this family for four years, did life with them, and walked through the storms of our sons horrendous hospital stay, and also through the desert as they were lead out of ministry around the same time we left. You see, they modeled true Christ likeness to us and showed us how to be all we could be for God.

Are they perfect, absolutely not; there are NO perfect people, churches, or places. In Romans 3:23 it says that “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” and also in Romans 3:10, “As the Scriptures say, No one is good, no even one”. So please know that I am not holding them up on some glorious pedestal, but merely celebrating the fact that God CAN and DOES use ordinary people to do some pretty extraordinary things.

Tonight we celebrated the Hope we have in Jesus Christ and His faithfulness in taking this family on the next step of their journey with Him. They are moving this Friday up to Peoria, Illinois to a great church family that is already loving on them, supporting them, and praising God for their new addition to their family. You see, we don’t have all the answers while we are here. We have to go to the Word daily, be filled with Christ, and like the words in Psalm 33:20, We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

I don’t know what you are experiencing right now in your life…marriage issues, fertility problems, rebellious teenagers, job concerns, finances, recession, economy, mid life crisis…I could go on and on, and I am sure we could sit for hours and talk about it, but what I do know is this; Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a HOPE.” (Emphasis mine)

God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable than an empire can rise without His aid? -Benjamin Franklin

If you are struggling right now with HOPE would you take a minute to bow your head, close your eyes, and seek the perfecter of HOPE. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things that you did not know”. Call to Him…ask for Him to show you HOPE. You see, there is NO Hope without Him, but with Him, ah…nothing is impossible. Philippians 4:13 says, “For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” I know for me, that’s ALL I need, I pray it is for you too.

For devotionals, inspiration and a look at God's grace in my life, stop by and visit Mel's World with Melissa Mashburn at http://www.melissamashburn.com/

JOY by Melissa Mashburn

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:02:00 +0000

“This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
~ Nehemiah 8:10b

JOY! I can not believe that SO much can be packed into three little letters. When you see that word each and every one of us has a different picture in our head of what JOY is. The great thing is this though, JOY is not something you can buy, fake, make, prepare, manufacture, predict, or manipulate. Joy is just something that is deep within your core. It’s just a part of you.

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love.-Mother Teresa

I have been blessed to have a friend that I did ministry with at my previous church who would call my cell phone periodically and leave me an encouraging message and she would always end the message with Nehemiah 8:10, and she would claim it for me in my name. She would say, “The JOY of the LORD is YOUR strength Melissa.” I can’t even begin to tell you just how much that affected me.

I knew she was a prayer warrior and to know that she was there praying that specifically for me gave me the strength and courage to do the ministry God had called me to at that church. She and I have both moved on and yet to this day when she and I talk, she will claim it for me with such passion and such a presence that I just know that God has called her to bring me that message.

1 Chronicles 16:23 - Sing to God, everyone and everything! Get out his salvation news every day! Publish his glory among the godless nations, his wonders to all races and religions. And why? Because God is great—well worth praising! No god or goddess comes close in honor. All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense, but God made the cosmos! Splendor and majesty flow out of him, strength and joy fill his place.

Isn’t that simply magnificent? You see, JOY is something that each and every one of us has access to. It is not something that is out of reach, but yet something so near. It’s as if you can reach out and touch it but it isn’t there on the outside. It is deep within. I love this quote below:

We may not be able to give much but we can always give the joy that springs in a heart that is in love with God.-Mother Teresa

I want each and every one of us to stop for a minute and reflect on the grace and mercy that we have been given. I know people that are struggling to find money for groceries, who are jobless and searching, I know people who are scorned, hurt, and bruised, no not physically but emotionally. I know people that are just trying to get by. You know people like that too. You might even be one of those people, but you have an unexplainable JOY deep down inside you that says, “It just doesn’t make sense, but I know we will be better than ok, we will stand firm in the face of this storm and share the JOY of Christ with those God puts in our paths.”

You see, you have a choice. Yes, times are tough, the economy stinks, gas prices are soaring and they are still on the rise, but you have a CHOICE. You can CHOOSE JOY! I knew of a woman who used that same phrase as her life motto. I love it. It says no matter what she chooses JOY!

Here’s one of my favorite women in the Bible…look what she says about JOY.
Esther 9:22“as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.”

Readers, there are so many reasons not to be joyful, I know, but if you and I stop right now and consciously CHOOSE JOY then maybe, just maybe, we can start to get those around us to start thinking and choosing JOY too! Can you imagine how incredible that would be? Yep, in the midst of an economy crisis, for people all over the world to stop focusing on the “stuff” and start focusing on JOY. It could be life changing for generations to come.

If you want to have sustained joy, you have to not only make sure that you think right, but you also have to make decisions now that are going to guarantee some joy in the future.-Joyce Meyer

There are so many more astonishing verses on JOY. Literally I could fill three weeks worth of information on JOY and the verses I have found. However, I would love to encourage you to stop what you are doing right now, and seek them out on your own. Grab your Bible, get a cup of coffee (cocoa, tea, mocha), your slippers, your journal, a pen and go outside and do your own research.

Here’s what I can tell you. You can find JOY in whatever version of the Bible you have, and in the NIV 242 times, TM 125 times, NLT 333 times, KJV 187 times, NASB 211 times. That’s a WHOLE LOT OF JOY just waiting for you to find. Start now! Come on, you know you want to!

Positively Inspiring

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:20:00 +0000

For the June edition of Positively Inspiring, I wanted to do something a little bit different. I recently had the pleasure of attending “A Night of Hope” with Joel Osteen when he and his family visited South Florida.

I also had the honor of meeting Pastor Osteen at his book signing in Ft. Lauderdale.

At the evening event, he provided a giveaway of peel and use stickers with words of inspiring and encouraging scripture. I am providing you with a copy of this. Print it out, tape it wherever you will see it and read it often. It will encourage you and build you up!!!!!! Thank you Pastor Joel Osteen for encouraging us and speaking blessings over us!

You are More Than A Conqueror
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

All Things Are Possible
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Day of New Beginnings
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

God Always Causes Me to Triumph
“By this I know that You are pleased with me, Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.” Psalm 41:11

Rejoice in the Lord Always
“Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things!” Joel 2:21

Look Through Your Eyes of Faith
“Now faith is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Delight Yourself in the Lord
“…And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Commit And you Will Succeed
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

Put On the Full Armor of God
“…so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…” Ephesians 6:13

Speak Blessings of the LORD
“Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you.” Numbers 6:23-24

Expect God’s Best
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31

Let God Defend You
“For we know him who said, “It is mine ot avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The LORD will judge his people.” Hebrews 10:30

Don’t Look at How Big Your Problems Are…Look at How Big Your God Is!
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17

We Might Be In A Storm, But We Don’t Want to Let the Storm Be In Us!
“He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.” Job 26:12

Have An Attitude of Gratitude
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name…let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.” Psalm 105:1,3

Focus On The Future
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Hebrews 10:35

Live A Balanced Life
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

If God Be For Us…Who Can Be Against Us?
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

All Things Work Together for Good
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…” Romans 8:28

Everything You Put Your Hand to Will Prosper
“All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 28:2

You Have a God Given Purpose And Destiny
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

You Are An Overcomer!
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.” 1 John 5:4

Your Words Determine Your Future
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21

Be Who You Are
“For we are God’s handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined…” Ephesians 2:10

Forgive Your Past Hurts
“Let all bitterness, indignation, wrath, resentment, quarreling and slander be banished from you…” Ephesians 4:31

Expect God’s Favor and Honor
“…the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11

Forgive and Be Forgiven
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

Share The Grace of God
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15

Salvation Is God’s Gift To You
“…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD.” Romans 6:23

Handling Our Finances in a Godly Way

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:38:00 +0000

by Michele Edwards-Collie

1 Timothy 6:6-11; 17, 18

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. Fore we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But, if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

The last five years of the real estate industry and the economy made many people rich. Realtors sold houses and made a lot of money on commissions. Builders and developers had so many customers they sold their properties on a lottery/wait list system. Many of us stood in those lines hoping to buy property to make more money. Mortgage brokers and loan officers did the loans for these clients using loan programs that may not have been the best for their clients, but it made them a lot of money. When investors bought properties, they could sell them in days, even hours and become “Rich.”

Real estate made many people have bank balances they had never seen before. I know it did for me. I made more money that I ever imagined I would. I had fun. I travelled – Hawaii here I come, cruises, the Bahamas. I bought a nice big house, the car I always wanted, and I although I had been a Christian since I was 12, I forgot about God when my life was going good.

In my opinion, this happens to many of us. We forget about God when the “going is good.” But once the going gets tough, the tough turn to God. What humbles us is when we realize that God provides all of our needs. He has richly blessed us and many of us took it for granted.

When we take it for granted, He will take it away from us. I’m writing this with a humble heart and a humble spirit. I know the hard times I am facing will not last always. I also know that when joy comes in the morning, I will continue to give Him the glory I am giving Him today. I will continue to give my tithes, my time and the use of my talents to glorify the Kingdom of God.

Written By: Michele Edwards-Collie, Senior Loan Consultant with Colonial Bank. Michele is an active member of Greater Mt. Pleasant AME Church in Dania Beach, FL. She has over 15 years experience in the finance industry. Having worked the past eight years as a mortgage loan officer for HomeBanc Mortgage and Countrywide Home Loans, she helped hundreds of families achieve the dream of homeownership. She is certified in first time homebuyers programs throughout the state of Florida and can help you buy your first home today. Michele, her husband Keith and their 2 children, Julian and Jillian live in Coral Springs, FL.

Waiting in Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Positive-Talk) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:04:00 +0000

by Laura Johnson

The first day I met my husband, Marshall, I started to fall in love with him. I never believed in love at first sight. I thought if a relationship started out too strong, it would fizzle out. Generally, that had been true in my life and I didn’t give the guys who took too long a chance. I was usually quick to find fault with my boyfriends, part of it due to perfectionism and partly due to protection. I was scared to give away my heart and have it broken.

I had a list of qualities I was looking for in a husband and I wouldn’t compromise, even when everyone told me I was too picky. My parents had divorced when I was seven and that had caused me immense suffering. I knew from the time I was a little girl that I would not follow in their footsteps by marrying the wrong person. I planned to marry my soul mate and be with him forever. I never expected, though, that it would take 40 years to meet him.

When I turned 40, I had almost given up on love. I had heard that a 40 year old woman was more likely to be killed by a terrorist than get married. I thought I’d try online dating for three more months and then I’d quit for good. I was signed up with several dating sites, including eHarmony. I’d been on eHarmony before and didn’t have any luck. I thought it was hard to meet people through eHarmony because you need to wait for their system to send you matches and then you need to go through an extensive back and forth questionnaire process. Unlike the other sites where you can just send someone an e-mail directly, on eHarmony you communicate with people through their system, answering their pre-programmed questions, for about four rounds before you can actually send an e-mail to someone directly. I found that after about one or two rounds, either I or the other person lost interest.

In early January 2006, I received several matches from eHarmony but I just let them sit in my inbox. I rarely initiated communication to men. Call me old-fashioned, but I thought there was some wisdom in waiting for the man to make the first move. After spending yet my upteenth Valentine’s Day alone and sad, I decided to take a chance and initiate contact with a few people on eHarmony. It seemed perfectly harmless because all you do on eHarmony is click on the people who look interesting and eHarmony does the rest. Usually when I looked at profiles, I stayed within a 5 to 7 mile radius of my home because I hate driving. Marshall’s profile caught my eye but his address said “Los Gatos.” I thought, “Los Gatos. That’s so far. This will never work out. And he won’t respond anyway because he’s probably one of those snooty Los Gatos men.” But the other more risk-taking side of me said, “You have nothing to lose. Just press the button.” So I did and forgot about it.

Within a day, Marshall responded. Within four days (record time), we’d gone through the obligatory four rounds of communication and were ready to communicate with each other in free form, as I called it. I still didn’t get my hopes up because I’d reached this point before, just for the initial e-mail to fall flat when neither one of us could think of anything original to say without the help of the eHarmony system as an intermediary. With Marshall, it was different. I learned about his father, who was a counselor like me, and his sister, who was a sheriff and in law enforcement like my brother. We both had a cat. In fact, Marshall had two cats, which impressed me because I didn’t meet too many single men with cats. Later, he told me he’d given up on love too and that’s why he hadn’t made the first move to communicate with me.

We spoke on the phone a couple of times and then decided to meet for our first date. I already had a single ticket to attend the afternoon matinee of the traveling Cirque du Soleil show. I suggested that if he could get another ticket, we could meet there on Saturday. He said, “I’ll check right now.” Within 10 minutes I got an e-mail confirmation that he’d see me there on Saturday.

I remember the first time I saw him as if it were yesterday. He wore a jacket with trousers. That immediately said something to me. It conveyed respect because, in the Silicon Valley, a man in clean jeans and a cotton shirt was considered dressed up. When we walked over to the box office to see if we could change our seats to sit together, the attendant said the only seats available were in the front row center at an additional $100. Marshall didn’t hesitate. He took out his credit card and paid for it and wouldn’t accept any money from me. Outside, as we waited for the tent to open, we sat on a bench and chatted about our backgrounds. I remember looking into his eyes and thinking he was someone I could trust. He had the most gentle, open look in his clear blue eyes. I think that’s when I fell in love with him.

After the show, we went to dinner at one of my favorite Persian restaurants. At 9:30, it was time to end the date. I didn’t want it to end so I asked Marshall if he wanted to hear a new CD that I just happened to have in my car. He came over and stood above me as I sat in my front seat and played the music. He said it was nice and, looking a little nervous, said he should get going. I was a little bit confused because I thought the date had gone so well, I wasn’t sure why he seemed so awkward outside.

The next morning, I sent Marshall a short thank you e-mail for a wonderful date and told him I thought we had potential. Marshall replied, “Thank you Laura, and I share your hopes. I just got back from my morning walk, and I wanted to let you know that you filled my thoughts, and I wanted to share some of those thoughts with you. My first thought is the most obvious, and that is that you really are a beautiful woman outside. You have wonderful eyes, a great smile, a nice laugh, a nice style, are in fantastic health, and I can't help but notice that outer part of you. But, what I really think of is the little glimpses that I have of what makes you on the inside, and I respect and admire all of that even more. You have a passion for what's important to you. You're developing your career, which is really one which helps others. You have a passion for Meowser, and those closest to you, and you are certainly confident in yourself and your goals. Ultimately, I'd hope I can become your best friend, and perhaps eventually even another passion for you, without displacing anything that makes you Laura. That hope is one which will take time to develop but it is one that is certainly worth striving for. I think we have a lot in common, as well as enough differences to find in each-other. In short: I also want to thank you for the date. I do like everything I see in you and I am truly looking forward to seeing you again. Marshall.”

Our second date was the following Friday. We went to the movies. We had our third date the next day. We drove down to Monterrey to go whale watching and then Marshall said he wanted to make me dinner at his house but he said it was a surprise. I tried guessing on the ride home what it could be but Marshall wouldn’t tell me. He said he knew I liked it because I had talked about this particular food on the telephone. I couldn’t guess but when he started pulling out the ingredients, I felt my heart flutter. He was making homemade whole wheat ravioli. I couldn’t believe how attentive he was during our phone calls to remember that I loved whole wheat ravioli.

Within two weeks of meeting at Cirque du Soleil, we were talking about getting married. I waited an extra week to mention it to my closest family and friends. That extra week of silence felt like forever. Exactly one month after we met, we went shopping for a ring and the next day, Marshall took me for a walk, the same walk where he realized he was in love with me only 30 days earlier. He got on one knee and proposed to me while I sat on a bench on a hill overlooking the lake…not that I actually remember the view that day.

We scheduled a church wedding for five months later. I changed everything about the wedding at least once…the flowers, the church location, the invitations even had a printing error…but I never doubted that Marshall was the man who God had picked out for me. We’ve been together almost two years now and our love continues to deepen. We both know that we will be together for eternity, or a million infinities, as we like to joke. And even if God takes one of us first, we’d never re-marry because we know we will meet in heaven and truly spend eternity together, in God’s presence.