Inspired Creativity

The Real Reality

2013-06-15T06:31:00.004-04:00

So today, we're going to step away from the usual focus of this blog for just a little bit, but don't worry, I promise that you will still learn something.

Last year around this time, I released a new novel called Finding Romeo, a fictional story centered around two Christian young people. It's a romance novel, but I like to call it real life romance, cause let's face it, this stuff really happens in real life. In order for you to see where I'm going with this post, I gotta tell you a little bit about what happens in the novel so bear with me just a little bit.

See, my heroine, Daynia, is a Christian young woman with a desire to get married, just like most Christian young women her age, but she's been hurt before, also just like other young women her age, so she's a bit vulnerable. In comes Mr. Prince Charming himself, ready to sweep her off her feet. Richard (his name) is a church goer, so in Daynia's mind he must be a Christian right? Well...you decide. Anyways, they meet, they date and Daynia falls in love and (GASP)....Daynia let's her guard down and THEY HAVE SEX!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I did it! I dared to put a sex scene (watered wayyyyy down of course) in a "Christian Romance Novel". Why you ask? Because in real life, people who are struggling to live a Christian life make dumb mistakes and have sex. Trust me, it happens. How do I know? CAUSE IT HAPPENED TO ME!

So what's all this about today you ask? Well, you see... I was pretty discouraged about this book less than one month after it's release. I submitted it to fellow Christian authors for their honest review and THREE of them came back saying that they would NOT review the book. Why you ask? Because two Christians (dramatic gasp) had SEX! How dare me right?

Well yes I dared! Now that I've had a whole year to stew on my decision, I stand by it. You see, when I wrote this book, I had no plans for it to be another wishy washy romance novel where characters face unrealistic situations, hate each other for a while and then finally fall in love and ride into the sunset. There is more than enough of that out there. Several years ago, when God gave me the mandate for my life, it was to help others with my experiences. Well, Finding Romeo is my experience. Daynia is me.

You see in real life, we do dumb things. Really, really dumb things. We don't pay attention to warning signs, or to God's voice for that matter. We plunge ahead with decisions without thinking and we put ourselves in situations that are down right dangerous. Finding Romeo is my reminder to other young Christian women my age of the crappy stuff that happens to us if we don't pay attention or take heed. Daynia gave in to her beau and gave him herself, over and over again as a matter of fact. In return, she had to sacrifice her spiritual life and her heart. Richard didn't love her, as a matter of fact, he only kind of liked her. She was the girl he filled his spare time with whilst he tried desperately to get his ex back, the real love of his life. Daynia was warned but she ignored her friends. Like I said, Daynia is me (the exact details of her story aren't quite mine but you get the point).

So Christians, ladies, friends. Christianity has rules, things we should do and things we should stay away from, but let's be honest with our selves. We break the rules ALL THE TIME. Can we stop pretending that we don't and deal with the issues that cause us to break the rules. There's always a reason that we end up doing something that we really didn't want to do. Sit back a moment and consider the root cause of some of your actions. You'll find it so much easier not to make the same mistake twice, or three or four times....like in my case.

Be blessed today folks and have a good one. Oh and if you're interested in reading my Christian novel where two Christians are dumb enough to have SEX (dramatic gasp) then you can click on the cover below and get yourself a copy!

Doing what you Believe

2013-06-13T05:30:00.004-04:00

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. Matthew 7:21

It's easy to talk Christianity. Throw in a few catch phrases, quote a few scripture verses, talk about an experience from ten years ago and you'll sound like you've got it right. It's a completely different thing to live the life of a Christian though.

Throughout the New Testament we are reminded that it's our actions and the state of the heart that determines the state of a man, not what we say. You see, what we do cannot be separate from what we believe. If we say we believe something then our actions should follow in line with what we believe. I've said this before and I'll say it again, the world shuns Christianity simply because of the Christians. We preach one thing but live completely contrary to what we say. People can't see our God portrayed in us, nor can they see the changes in our lives that we claim He can make in theirs. They don't see it not because our God can't do it, but because we refuse to let Him. God won't do anything in us we don't allow or we don't ask for. So whilst He's waiting for permission to move in our lives, those on the outside looking in are wondering what the big commotion is all about. They see no change.

Change always starts with one person taking stock of what needs to change and making it happen. If if person works on themselves soon the whole will be changed. Let today be the day we decide to stop talking church and start living like Christ. Not only should we strive to be like Him but we should also allow Him the time and free reign to work on us. Allow his will to be done in our lives and follow his directions as He gives it.

Today, let us not only talk Christianity but let us also live it.

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Remembering what you've Prayed for

2013-06-06T07:58:00.001-04:00

Aren't we all delighted when God answers our prayers? I know I am. But what happens when we have forgotten what we've prayed for?

Let me explain what I mean. Several years ago, I was going through a particularly difficult situation. Coming out of it was hard but it was a decision that I had to make. I knew that in my own strength it was a lost cause, so I looked to God. I prayed really earnestly one particular night. It was a desperate plea as I walked head first into my situation planning to take the bull by the horns. God came through for me that night and I walked away slightly damaged but no worse for the wear. However, three weeks later, I was a total mess. I was crying, asking God why He didn't work things out differently or why he didn't change the things in the situation instead of pulling me out of it completely. I was a royal mess. That's when God reminded me of that night when I prayed. He had answered my prayer exactly as I prayed it because in that moment when I prayed, my heart was most desperate and I was the most honest with myself. See, when we have had a chance to think about certain things, we tend to try to tailor or prayers to something that we can comfortably handle when that may not necessarily be what we need.

God reminded me of that day years ago because today I'm praying for something similar. I giggled when He reminded me that in about two weeks, I would need to remember what I prayed for today. God hears our prayers when they are in their most honest form and He answers them. Don't let depression or desperation or simple distraction from the enemy cause you to renege on God and question an answer to a prayer that YOU prayed.

Sometimes we really do know what's best for us, we just have to be honest with ourselves about it. Don't develop amnesia and forget what you prayed for when you realise that a thing you really liked is gone. Trust God to do His job because He always does it right.

Have a blessed day!

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Living like Christ

2013-06-04T07:45:00.000-04:00

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

Matthew 3:8

Christianity is a lot more than just mere words. Saying that you are a Christian and doing the complete opposite may gain you recognition with your friends but it won't get you very far with God. Even your friends after a while will notice that you are a phony and will call you out.

Professing to be a Christian and then not living like one benefits no one. As a matter of fact, you are doing yourself a disservice. Christianity is more than just the name of a religion or something to identify with, it is about living a life that is like Christ's. To call yourself a Christian is to say "I plan to live like Christ". Therefore, if you are not living like Christ you turn yourself into a liar.

Today's challenge is to live your Christianity. Let it be more than just the word you fill in on the forms that ask for your religion. Let it also be more than just the thing you do on Sunday mornings or whatever other day you choose to worship. Let it be the thing that drives you. Let it be your way of life, the code you live by, t

he thing that pushes every decision you make. Study Christ and how he lived. It's the only way that you can be Christ-like. If you don't know Him, then you can't be like Him.

Have a blessed Christ-centered day!

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

It begins with you!

2013-06-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of things wrong with the way we behave in the body of Christ, there's no doubt about that. Nothing is wrong with the church that Christ built, however we are mere humans marred by sin and we have weaknesses.

Yesterday, a friend of mine told me a story. He said to me that one day, a lady at church simply walked up to him and invited him and his siblings to lunch. My friend was overwhelmed and quite frankly, suspicious of the lady's motives. He asked many questions about her, trying to figure out what she really was up to. Finding nothing that worried him, he finally accepted the invitation.

My friend's behaviour may be a bit paranoid, but when you really think about it, there's a reason for that. Kindness is missing in the body of Christ so much so that when it is offered to us, we find it strange. We see each others needs, (emotional, spiritual and physical) and we simply offer to pray, most of the time forgetting to actually pray for that person.

So the body of Christ is sick. No every joint is supplying and instead of doing our part we look to the person sitting next to us in the pews or even to church leadership. We have grown into a society that cares more for our own well being than that of others. We have lost our empathy.

Things can change in the body of Christ very easily. All it takes is each person working on himself. Each person seeing where they have erred and making a move to fix it. Each person showing kindness to the next, or love to the next or extending forgiveness to the next. That's how the body of Christ would return to proper functionality.

Ever wonder why it's so hard to convince others of the love of Christ? It's because we do not show that love. We talk about it but people do not feel it coming out of us. We are Christ's hands here on earth. We are the ones that are to show forth his love. People get to know Him through us. When we begin to show Christ's love tangibly, our buildings will become too small to hold the flock.

So today, let us not go about complaining about all the things we see that are wrong in our own local churches, but let us start to make the necessary changes individually. Before long, we will see the change we have always wished to see in the entire body.

It begins with you!

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Open window Christianity

2013-05-23T09:46:00.001-04:00

Daniel 6:10 NLT

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.

The first sentence of this scripture shocks me a little. Daniel heard about the new law but went home to pray with his window open. Isn't that something? I know what I would do after hearing about a law like that. I'd go home to pray but I would definitely keep my windows closed.

Daniel shows the kind of bravery that a lot of us (including me) don't have, Not only was he not ashamed of his Christianity, he was ready to accept the consequences of this choice. Most of us have the freedom to worship whomever or whatever we want in our countries, yet not many of us are willing to stand up boldly and declare that we are Christians. We attend church regular and pray regular within closed doors but when we are required to speak out again immorality we shy away. Heated discussions about major social issues that are changing our landscapes happen around us all the time and we are afraid to take the Christian stance for fear of ostracism.

Daniel didn't care about being ostracised. As a matter of fact, his punishment was not ostracism, but rather death. At the time he made the decision to pray, there is no indication that God gave him the assurance that he's survive the plan the enemy had for him, but he did it anyway.

My encouragement to you today is to live out your Christianity with the windows open. Live life outside of church the same way you do in church. Be bold about your faith, let the devil know that even when threatened, you are proud to be a Christian.

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

A Mind to Work

2013-05-14T08:40:00.001-04:00

Nehemiah 4:6

(KJV) So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

(NLT) At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.

When Nehemiah embarked on rebuilding the wall around his beloved Jerusalem, he faced serious opposition. You would think that everybody in the city would be happy that their main means of protection was being rebuilt, but some chose to oppose the work. Similarly, In every day life we are faced with people who seem to oppose every thing we do, no matter how important the job is. In biblical times, these people were called naysayers, in our time, we call them haters. These are people who, no matter what you do or how well you do it, will find something negative to say. These are the people who will refuse to help you and never say a word of encouragement to you. Rather, they will do their best to impede your work for no real good reason.

The people of Jerusalem prevailed and got their wall built because they refused to listen to the naysayers. They were constantly under threat of attacked yet they built a wall whilst constantly having to watch their back. They build with swords in one hand and tools in the other. This is a story that we can take home and learn several lessons from.

The first is that no matter what people around you are saying, if God is asking you to do something, then you should do. Keep at it and trust God to give you the strength to complete it.

Secondly, the enemy may be fighting you from every side, stand your guard, take up your sword and fight but don't stop working. Trust God to be your rear guard and keep doing what you need to do. The devil will put many obstacles in your way to prevent you from doing what you need to do, these are simply distractions to take your mind off the work you are doing which is very important. Remember this tactic and keep working.

Thirdly, when we come together, we can accomplish much. Nehemiah faced lots of opposition, but he had enough of the people working with him to make things happen. Had the people listened to the naysayers, the wall would never have been built because Nehemiah could not do it on his own. Each person in the body has a job to do and if we all don't pull together and do our part, nothing will happen.

As you go through today, let us put our hands to the plough and work. Work towards the goals God has set for you. Ignore the haters and naysayers, don't be afraid of the enemy. Fight if you have to, but don't stop doing what God has asked you to do.

Have a blessed day!

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Man up!

2013-05-10T08:55:00.003-04:00

Man up or Woman up! Whichever your case may be.

Christians have been called a lot of things. They tell us that we're closed-minded, small-minded, timid, coward, weak and more. As a Christian after almost 16 years, I can tell you that Christianity is not for the closed-minded, small-minded, timid, coward or weak.

First of all, believing what we believe takes so much open-mindedness it almost makes no sense. I mean, our God created earth from nothing, people from dust, sent himself to earth as a baby born of a virgin, died and raised himself, then sent himself as a comforter for all man-kind. Are you kidding me?

See, we have to be the most open-minded and brave people around to believe what we believe. Christianity is not for the weak either; just proclaiming yourself a Christian puts you in an instant war.

So why then when it comes to our life do we become afraid to make the decisions that are necessary to move forward. When we are face with touch choices or situations where we are required to be brave, we shy away and slink into the little boxes the world has created for us.

My challenge to you today is man-up (or woman-up) about taking control of the things that make your life difficult. Attack every situation as if it's life or death. God has your back. Determine that from today, the things that weigh you down have got to go. Kick them out of your life and be serious about it.

Take charge of your day and be blessed!

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

All things work TOGETHER for our Good

2013-04-20T07:15:00.002-04:00

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

This Bible verse takes a lot of abuse. We misquote it a lot and one variation that I hear often is "all things work out for good". This is what causes a lot of people to doubt its validity. This misquote causes us to expect every situation to work out in our favour. When it doesn't, we blame and doubt God.

What this scripture is really saying is that no matter how many difficult situations you may face, in the end God's plan is that all the tiny pieces of the puzzle will come together and the big picture will be something great.

You see each situation has a purpose in our lives; and it's not to frustrate us, but to mold us for the future. Our reaction to each one is important because it determines whether we are ready for the next stage in our process. God never promised that we'd have stress free lives but He did promise that He would always have our backs (Hebrews 13:5b).

Remember that in the end all these tiny situations that cause us headaches will come together and work out in our favour. It's always at the end of the puzzle that we realize what each piece was for. The same thing goes for life. You will realize how each situation or struggle has come together for your good at the end when you look back and marvel at how God worked it out.

Till then, keep on trusting God. Know that He is busy putting your puzzle together and it WILL work out according to His plan if your trust him and do what He asks.

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Obsessed With Our Desires

2013-04-16T08:44:00.003-04:00

We all have desires for our lives; things that we want, things that we want to do, things that we want to be. Sometimes, these desires overcome us or overwhelm us. It's quite possible to develop tunnel vision where these are concerned. Maybe, as you get older, you realize that it's taking a really long time to achieve your goals, or maybe nothing seems to be working out right. Two things can happen at this point, you can give up on your goals, dreams or desires or becoming so obsessed with them that you see, hear or feel nothing else. None of these outcomes are good ones and none of them are what God requires of us.

I've learned the hard way that God sometimes withholds the things we desire most from us simply because we place so much emphasis on it. Its not that he doesn't want to give you the desires of your heart, but rather, he wants you to want Him more than anything else in this world. When you begin to focus on anything else with such tenacity, it becomes your god. Your real God will not allow that to happen. Its very easy to destroy our relationship with God when earthly desires get in the way. They become our focus and sometimes, the only thing we pray for. They consume us so much that we forget to see the other good things in life. We don't count our blessings anymore, instead we pine and dwell on the things God hasn't given us yet.

I recently learned that sometimes when you let go of the thing you desire most, that's when God steps in to give it to you. Of course, it does not work that way all of the time, God only gives what we can handle. But sometimes He really does what to give us that thing that we desire but we're so obsessed with it, He has to hold it back. When we recognize our obsession and step back and give it up, living our lives according to His will, He steps in and gives us the best.

God is supreme and sovereign and He won't share His worship with anything, including our personal desires. Examine your heart and whatever it is that you desire, ensure that it has not taking His place. Ensure that it's not the only thing that you pray for. If it is, change your prayer to "let your will be done in my life". Totally surrender your will to His with no strings attached and be willing to accept a "no" for the thing you want most. If you can't accept His will in place of your desires, then you haven't really surrendered. Don't get me wrong, its probably one of the hardest things you will ever do, but its the right thing to do. Until then, you'll be struggling for something you'll never get.

Please note that I am not saying that you shouldn't have goals and desires because without these life would be pretty empty, however, never ever let them be your sole purpose for living.

Have a blessed day!

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Feather-weight Christianity

2013-04-13T06:46:00.001-04:00

Since Christ made an appearance here on earth Christianity has always demanded a bit of radical faith. First of all, it takes a radical determination to believe the things we do. To the ordinary man, what we believe looks somewhat ridiculous. It may even look ridiculous in our own eyes sometimes, but we have our experiences and assurances that keep us going, so we believe.

Believing is one thing, however, actions are something totally different. Back in the day of the apostles, proclaiming Christianity was punishable by death, yet that era gave us the most radical Christians we have ever seen. In the face of persecution, the apostles continued to preach, teach and lead their flocks of believers.

Nowadays, we have things so much easier. We can gather in public places and talk about our God. We can declare boldly that "I am a Christian" without fear of any harm coming to us. We basically have it pretty easy.

So why then are so many of us practicing feather-weight Christianity? Why are we just doing to bare minimum? We walk into church on Sunday morning, or Tuesday night or whatever other day we choose to go to church and after that we behave like we've paid our dues. We have the "no one can judge me except God" attitude and we basically live our lives however we want. Most days, no thought is taken concerning God's rules and our lifestyle does not match up with the Bible or with Christ. We have a million and one excuses for the reason that we can't do what the Bible says and we claim that those that do are fanatics or ignorant Bible thumpers.

Its been said before that the main reason the world resents Christianity is the Christians. We don't practice what we preach and that serves as a deterrent to those on the outside. Our pulpits are confused and we relax our principles in the name of tolerance or love. I bet God is saddened when he looks down on His Church; His bride that he's supposed to return for. The bride that should be getting ready for his return.

There are a lot of things wrong with collective Christianity but it takes each individual to look at him/herself and make the changes. The Church is you and it is me. It is not a building or a denomination. Therefore it is not a building or a denomination that needs to change but you and I. Our priorities need to be reset, goals revisited and lives re-examined because change starts with the individual. Let your neighbors see a difference in the way you live. Let your coworkers see a difference in the way you work. Don't use excuses to fornicate or to party like a wild animal. It's easy to put on makeup and head to church and call yourself a Christian, but it's a totally different story where living the life is concerned. Let's go back to the basics, honouring God and doing His will. That's all that's required from us.

Let's live today with a difference. The world is watching.

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

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Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Wearing Kindness around your neck!

2013-04-10T08:01:00.001-04:00

Are you loving and kind? If you are a Christian you will probably say yes. Love and kindness are words that are or should be synonymous with Christianity. In other words, if you are a Christian, then you should be loving and kind.

Well, unfortunately for some of us, love and kindness are actions, not feelings. You see, love does no one any good if it is not demonstrated. Same goes for kindness. A hungry child is not fed simply because you feel compassion towards them. They only get fed if you get up and feed them.

I watched a pretty disturbing video yesterday where a camera crew and a couple of actors tested the general public on a street corner. They pretended to kidnap a 7 yr old girl (also an actor). This little girl called out for help several times, screaming at the top of her lungs "he's not my dad". Several people passed by (men, women and teens), but no one helped this girl. Over and over, they did their act until finally a group of men, without uttering a word to each other acted in unison. They not only felt compassion or kindness towards the little girl, they acted on it.

That story reminds me of Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan. Our world has conditioned us to think in a "it's not my business" kind of way and even as Christians we adopt that culture. We ignore the plight, not only of our fellow Christians but also of our fellow men in general, thinking that somebody else will help.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:3 (NLT)Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Something tied around your neck or written deep in your heart cannot easily be forgotten. Let us remember to exercise kindness at all times. Don't leave it to someone else. Don't feel sad and then do nothing about a situation. Your feelings don't help anyone. It's your actions that do.

Go out today with kindness tied around your neck!

Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format.

To grab your copy, click here.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Avoiding self-inflicted depression

2013-04-08T08:18:00.001-04:00

Some times we humans crave for things we shouldn't have. Maybe an extra candy bar when we're trying to lose a few pounds, or maybe it's relationship that's off limits for whatever reason. Since the garden of Eden, man has wanted what wasn't good for them.

I'm sure we've all found ourselves in the situation where God has said no about something we want yet we continue to toy with the idea in our heads. We romanticize the moment when we finally get want we want, dreaming of the possibilities and how beautiful it will be. We day-dream and obsess and obsess and obsess. And the more we obsess, the more we need to torture ourselves at the end of the day when we're reminded that the things we spent the day dreaming about can never happen. When the harsh reality hits, we're on the brink of depression and all we can think to do is blame God. "Lord, why can't things ever work out for me? I never get anything that I want. Everybody is happy except me." Does that sound at all familiar?

Does the thing you want most but know you can't have consume your thoughts? Do you dream that just for one moment things will be different and you will get to have want to really want. Then you need to quit torturing yourself. The answer is already no and God won't change his mind. Dwelling on the situation daily will not make Him change His decision. All it does at the end of the day is make you bitter, angry and depressed. You're destroying yourself and in the process you're failing to see the good things that God has in store for you; the things that are actually yours. Your life could be a lot happier if you'd accept the things you can't have and look to God with trust for your future.

Stop the self destructive behavior. Instead of dwelling on what you can't have, occupy your mind with something productive. Learn a new skill that falls in line with your life plan. Develop a new hobby. Play music while you work to keep your thoughts from straying. Actively monitor your thoughts. When you notice that you have slipped, make a decision to stop and deliberately occupy your mind with some thing else. And of course, ask God for help to overcome the thoughts and the obsession with whatever desire you have. Believe it or not, he will provide a way of escape but you have to be willing to move on and your eyes must be open to see what he's brought you.

Have a blessed day and remember to take control of your thought life.

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Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Making a list

2013-04-01T07:32:00.000-04:00

In my church we're taught constantly that having a clear vision is important for any organisation. It's something that we see in real life almost everywhere. Every successful organisation that you walk into has a vision and mission statement that's prominently displayed. They teach it to the their staff, explain the way forward and then expect people to work toward those goals. This is a good example of a biblical principle used in the world successfully. (Habakkuk 2:2)

So I began to wonder, what if I applied this to myself. I mean, I have goals for my own life; there are things that I'd like to see happen in my life. So why not write down my own vision? Why not create for myself a statement that says where I want to go and how I plan to get there? Sounds like a good idea right.

So, here I get down to the real subject of this post: Making a list. See, as a much younger Christian, I was taught that giving God a list was a no-no. I guess the reasoning behind that was based on the "God is not our bellboy" theory. Over the years I've learned that presenting God with a list has some merit. I still believe that God isn't my bellboy and I can't just go asking him for this, that or the other just 'cause I feel like it, however, I believe that making a list is simply a matter of gathering your thoughts clearly on paper. Some things don't make sense until we write them down.

Goals, visions, plans etc should align with what God has in store for us so writing this stuff down should basically be saying, Lord, this is what I desire for myself. If you've been in a close relationship with God, communicating with Him daily, then it will be a no-brainer to have your plans line up with His. Communion means communication, this usually adds up to agreement. We Christians tend to have the belief that "God knows what I want" and we don't verbalize anything. Yes, God knows our thoughts, but I believe that He still wants us to ask for what we desire. Why else would Christ advise us in Matthew 7:7-8 to “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

I firmly believe that a lot of us don't have what we desire most because we don't ask. Or, because we ask and then we do nothing about it. So back to making a list. When we start of making our lists, it appears that we are presenting God with a list of demands, however, what I've found is that we're creating a list for our own selves to follow. Your list is your vision, the things you want to accomplish with your life. Your list reminds you of where you're going and it makes it easier to plan to get them. The list helps you keep focused on your real goals. The list can also show you which desires are most shallow. Just like you won't vocalize your most embarrassing thoughts to your friends, you won't put something you know deep down that you shouldn't have on your list that you present to God. Even if you do, He'll come back and remind you that you shouldn't have it. Eventually, if you're mature enough, that item will drop off the list.

Sometimes, your life just needs a visual reminder of what you need to accomplish in order to accomplish it. When I was a young girl I'd take scripture verses to my mirror so that I could memorize them. Later, I stuck important sayings on my wall so that I'd live by them. This is pretty much the same thing.

If you've found it difficult to focus on a plan for your life, make a list and present it to God. Let Him tweak it and remind you what is most important. He might even add some things to the list. Be open to His correction then move forward with your life with a plan in hand.

Be wise, write your vision.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Starting Over

2013-03-30T06:52:00.003-04:00

Over the years I've made so many mistakes that I've become some what of an expert in getting up and moving on. It's not something I like to be an expert in, I'd much rather be an expert in walking right, but as a friend of mine would say "it is what it is".

So anyway, getting up and moving on. How do you do that when you've made the biggest mistake you can ever possibly make? What's worse is that so many people know what you've done, right? You can't possibly walk away from that kind of shame. Or can you?

Step one: Forgive yourself. You've already asked God for forgiveness or else you wouldn't be trying to move on. He's forgiven you so now it's time to forgive yourself. I know, I know. You feel dumb for making the decisions you did because you should have known better, right? Doesn't matter. What's done is already done, what matters now is what you do next. So forgive yourself.

Step two: Remember that your sin is no bigger than anybody else's. Yup, that's right. The biggest gossipers in church right now talking about you are no better than you, no matter what you did. God evaluates all sin on the same playing field. We're all equal in that light. So quit worrying about what other people think. At least you're dealing with your stuff, that puts you a step further than the rest of them.

Step three: Get out of the house! Quit isolating yourself. That's not going to help you feel any better. And if you're trying to break a bad habit, doing it alone will ensure failure. I'm sure you have at least one friend standing in your corner. Reach out to that person and let them be your friend. If you really have no one, then remember that God is there. Even though you feel stupid doing it, talk to Him out loud the way you would talk to a friend. That will help strengthen not only you but also your relationship with him. However, God is a great friend, the best really, but sometimes you just need human companionship. Ask Him so send you a friend who can build you up instead of breaking you down. He'll provide one.

Step four: Make a deliberate effort to rebuild your relationship with God. This is going to be hard because you'll feel like you failed Him and He shouldn't even forgive you, but trust me, He's the best friend you can have right now. Only a stronger relationship with Him will keep you from making the same mistake twice.

Now, go with God and with your head held high.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Using Discernment

2013-03-23T07:42:00.001-04:00

Discernment - it's a big word that's thrown around a lot in Christianity. It became part of our jargon a long time ago and I suspect some of us have forgotten what it really means. Some of us have developed it but are too busy being pleased with ourselves for having discernment to be interested in using it.

So what is discernment really? Dictionary.com describes it as this: acuteness of judgement and understanding. In layman's terms, this simply means being a good judge of the situations and people around us and being able to see them for what they are rather than what they seem to be.

Discernment is essential. It helps to stay away from bad situations and keep safe, both physically and spiritually. Discernment is what will keep you walking away from a guy who asks you out nicely but has an ulterior motive, or from a financial transaction that promises great wealth but is run by a con man.

Wow, discernment. It's a great thing to have isn't it. We all have some measure of it, but some of us have what is referred to as "The Gift of Discernment". It means that we are able to judge situations correctly long before most people begin to see the light.

So what do we do with all this discernment. Whether we have been blessed with the "gift" or we just have plain old simple biblical wisdom and power from Holy Spirit to "see" stuff, discernment isn't just so that we can sit around and say we saw the evil in a person or situation long before anybody else. Unfortunately, that's what a lot of us do with it. For a long time, that's all I did with it. I'm one of those people who was "blessed" with the "gift". I usually discern a person or situation long before anybody else and I'm usually right. Unfortunately for me, when it came to speaking out or even acting on this gift for my own good, I was a coward. I always felt like I was judging someone. You know how we like to misuse the verse "Judge not that you not be judged" (Matthew 7:1) and use if for our own self-righteous vindication. I was always afraid that someone would call me out on "judging" them the wrong way. So, instead, I walked into situations that I knew were fishy because I didn't want to offend anybody.

Today, I sit back with a bit more maturity and I laugh at myself. I got engaged to a guy 7 years ago knowing very well that he wasn't the one God wanted in my life. I knew there were things about him that I wouldn't be able to live with and there were things about his christian walk that sounded like a screeching violin to my spirit. Holy Spirit was begging me to get out of there, but I didn't want to offend him. I didn't want to judge him. I lied to myself and said maybe I was there to help him. What I was really doing was offending Holy Spirit. He took time to show me a dangerous situation and I ignored Him. Wow. Of course, I learned the hard way. There was a messy break-up that led to a serious of bad relationships thereafter. I was wounded by that guy and to some extent I felt like I needed to show him that I could move on. Instead, I walked head first into the WORST relationship ever. (Another one I discerned before I walked in but went anyway.)

If only I had learned to act on what I knew to be truth. You see, just having discernment isn't enough. There's an act of obedience that must follow otherwise it would make no sense that we could see all that stuff. God didn't bless us with an early warning system just so that we could boast about it. He gave it to us to use for our own safety (physically and spiritually). Please don't be like me and continue walking even though you hear alarm bells ringing. People who scream "don't judge me" are usually the ones you need to look out for first. They're the ones with messes we need to avoid. Of course, we are not God and subjecting someone to condemnation isn't our place, but it is our place to see a person or situation for what they are and act to protect ourselves.

Remember that discernment isn't just so that we can say we have it, but that we can act on it to save our own butts or the butts of our next door neighbours.

Be blessed and have a very discerning day.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

When God doesn't make sense

2013-03-18T19:49:00.002-04:00

If you've been a Christian for a while you'll know that there are times when what God does makes absolutely no sense to you. Even if you've been a Christian for only a short time, most of the time you'll be at a loss trying to understand how the wide range of things that happen to you on a daily basis are supposed to fit together and work out for good.

So what do you do when God simply makes no sense to you? Trust Him. Simple answer right. Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not the one that you want. You probably thought I was going to say something wonderful and profound and give you a kick-start on your week right? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you.

For the myriad of times that God will make no sense to you, you simply have to trust. You have to learn to trust that He has the Big Picture and He knows what's best.

So here I am preaching to myself 'cause right now, God makes absolutely no sense to me. What He's doing is driving me up the wall and if I let it, it may just drive me away from Him. I have a lot of questions that are going unanswered. I also have a lot of requests that seem to be ignored. Sigh. So now what?

Trust.

It's an issue that comes up over and over in my walk with God because in general as an individual, I have trust issues. I also have control issues, I wanna be in control of my life at all times. That's not good. Not for a Christian so it's safe to say that God and I are almost always in a tug-of-war. He wants my problems so He can solve them, but I keep taking them back because His way doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Trust.

That's all it takes really. Trust. Trusting that God knows what He's doing and that things will work out in the end. Trusting that God has your best interest at heart. Trusting that all the little pieces of the puzzle will come together nicely and will create a great big picture that makes perfect sense.

Ah Trust. Five letters that feel like five mountains that need to be moved. (Faith moves mountains right? But that's a whole other sermon)

At the end of the day, when God makes no sense, when the things he does seem like they're meant to hurt us, not help us, when He is silent and when it seems like He is doing nothing, remember to trust. He's still in control and always will be. Trust. Trust that He knows what He's doing and He's doing it in our favour. Trust that His way is perfect and complete.

Trust.

Now it's time to follow my own advice. (You should too).

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Overcoming Pain through Praise

2013-03-06T07:24:00.000-04:00

When going through a difficult situation, it's pretty easy to give up and curse God. "God why do you have to let all these bad things happen to me?" Actually, if God had to let all the bad things that could happen to you happen, you'd be in pretty horrible shape right now. I don't quite understand why God allows certain things to happen in our lives, but I do know from experience, that things usually work out just fine if you keep trusting him.

So what do you do when a situation seems so painful that it threatens to pushed you down, keep you down and suck all the life out of you. I've found a little remedy. You know the bible says to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, but I only knew that it worked in theory, one could understand why it would work but I never really truly understood or experienced it till now.

I have a pretty crazy personality and I refuse to be kept down, so my response to just about anything depressing is to turn up the volume on my music and go crazy dancing in front of my mirror. (Trust me, it's not a pretty sight). This time, I turned up the volume and threw up hands in praise. This praise thing is serious. You could literally feel the load being lifted off your back. You find your faith being renewed as your Spirit connect's with God's. No words are exchanged but you can literally feel God comforting you. I've had the experience where I actually felt arms wrapped around me when I needed to be comforted. Yes, praise does that.

Praise invites God's presence because He loves it when you praise Him. He comes and "chills" in the room, just basking in the glow of your praise. At the same time, your spirit is communicating the hurt that you feel and He responds. Wow. Praise is a truly beautiful thing.

I've learned to trust God again through my praise. My heavy heart has been lifted through my praise. Impossible situations suddenly became bearable after praise. Praise is pretty powerful.

I dare you today to try it. Overcome the depths of your pain with a song. You may not be able to sing it at first, but turn up the volume on your favourite CD or praise station and let the lyrics/music take your spirit into the realms of true praise, then watch God move.

Have a praise filled day.

Today's a good day because my second devotional book Trusting God with your Future is FREE for kindle.

Trusting God with Your Future is a compilation of some of the devotionals on this blog. If you find it difficult to keep track of my postings (after all there is no schedule), or if you just want to be able to sit quietly in bed on a morning or late at night without having to navigate to the site, then grab a copy.

It's FREE until March 7, 2013

All we need is Love

2013-03-04T02:55:00.002-04:00

So my mother died. Wow.

One year ago, she found out she had stage four ovarian cancer. It was a rough battle, one that I could barely handle. Many of my posts in the last year were inspired by the depths of the pain I felt during her illness. Only one person could have brought me through all that...God.

My mother was a Christian for the last 44 years of her life. She served God faithfully throughout that time, never looking back. Everybody who knew her, knew of her dedication to Christ. It was easy to love her as she had the heart and attitude of one called to serve. She was a mother to all my friends and countless others. Some even called her mommy too. I remember inviting friends over to hang out or sleep over and their breakfast/lunch/dinner would be brought to them in my room whilst I had to go in search of mine in the kitchen.

She was one of the most self-less people I knew. I remember when I was still a teen, there were two young boys who moved into our neighbourhood. We're a small island and an even smaller community so almost nothing goes unnoticed. Those two boys were under privileged at best. Within weeks they were left on their own by a mother who went off to a different island seeking work. For six months, those boys were on their own. They had no food and no money. The older of the two was no more than 12 years old at the time. But those boys didn't starve. Not whilst my mother was on watch. There was no way she would allow that to happen. I remember her waking early every morning to prepare breakfast for them. I remember her adding items to our grocery list just for them; we weren't rich and money was always tight but on the meager amount of money that she had she would find a way.

Things like that helped shape me. I didn't understand her drive or her desire to help others at the time, but I knew that she was something special. She didn't have a college degree or even a secondary school education, but she did what she could to change the world and her efforts were not in vain. Several years later, the older of the two boys met me in a store and couldn't stop thanking me on behalf of my mother. He was all grown up, gainfully employed and a contributor to society. Only God knows what would have happened to that boy had my mother not stepped in.

Years later, I saw her kind heart in action again with another neighbour, this time an older woman near the end of her life. This lady had two children, a boy and a girl, however none of them were around to help her. She was getting older and weaker and unable to even feed herself. So my mother stepped in. For a period of about two years my mother bathed and fed this lady. Again, from her own money, she would buy food, medicine, adult diapers and pay the utilities at the house until the lady passed.

Just before she died, I visited her and she was rather weak. Now, she was the one who needed to be bathed, fed and changed. Somehow though, she couldn't bare the thought. She said something that really struck me, she said "The very same thing I did for Ms. G , somebody now has to do for me".

In that one sentence, I learned the lesson of a lifetime. You NEVER know where life will take you. One year ago my mother was a plump 62 year old rocking her senior years. She had better fashion sense than me and probably had more fun than me too. By the time she passed away, at age 63, she was completely emaciated; the cancer had sucked the life out of her. She went from strong and vibrant, to frail and helpless in almost no time at all. None of us are invincible. Nor are we immortal. My mother lived a very simple life and she lived it with a very kind heart. She worked hard and took care of her six children the best way she knew how. Even to her death, she was more worried about us than about her own self.

So today, I've learned the lesson that my mother obviously understood. In Matthew 22, Jesus gave two commandments, love the Lord thy God with all your heart and love your neighbour as you love yourself. Mom followed both those commandments till the day she died, and I will too.

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37- 40

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Choice

2013-03-02T07:12:00.000-04:00

The one thing that makes us distinctly human, is also the thing that is our undoing. Every other created being acts mainly on instinct but we human beings can choose what we do or don't do. Choice is an amazing thing. It makes us feel liberated. Slavery was built on a simple premise, remove choice and you control an entire race.

God could have chosen to create us with no choice. It certainly would have been much easier to deal with us, and perhaps the world wouldn't have been so screwed up. However, what kind of world would that be. We'd be walking around like a bunch of robots, doing exactly what we were programmed to do. When God was creating us, He was thinking like a lover. He loves us and He wants our love in return, but he wants us to choose to give it. Can you imagine being with someone who loves you simply because it's what they were told to do. Life would be pretty boring. The sense of excitement you feel when you're chosen would cease to exist. Love would become boring. I believe God foresaw all of that, that's why He gave us a choice.

Choice however, is a dangerous thing. Like I said earlier, it makes us feel liberated. The option is ours to love or not, to do right or wrong, to live or die. But with that liberation comes great responsibility. The current state of the world is testament to the fact that many humans have chosen wrongly. We could choose to love and share, instead we chose to fight for the earth's resources. We could choose to tolerate and embrace racial differences, instead to chose to enslave one another. Every day, humans make choices to do the wrong thing. We spend billions on all kinds of weapons whilst all over the planet, children are starving. Most tragically, we use our freedom of choice to hunt everywhere for a god or examples of one when the real God is standing right there in front of us waiting for our love. Choice.

A lot of us have made the right choice and have chosen to love the one true God, but that's where it starts and ends for some of us. We have chosen to be lukewarm there after, ignoring the mandate to be different, to show love and to spread the gospel. Instead, we choose to live our lives gathering worldly possessions and ignoring the plight of our neighbours and friends. We choose to walk past a teenager who desperately needs guidance. We choose to walk past our neighbour who desperately needs help feeding their children. In our minds we say that it's someone else's problem. So we continue on to church, to work, to school, to play, choosing to ignore the mandate given to us by our saviour, not recognizing the opportunities to be a blessing.

Today, let us to choose to love, to live and let live, to trust, to share and to live right. Just like a parent, God gave us choice expecting us to choose the right things, instead we broke his heart and chose everything else but Him.

Use your freedom to choose and choose wisely.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Bad Apples

2013-02-28T07:22:00.000-04:00

I love spending time with my friends, they're crazy just like me. We play a lot, laugh a lot, and encourage each other even more. However, I've noticed a phenomenon and I'm quite sure it's true for any circle of friends, especially Christians. It is very easy for one bad feeling to flow through a whole crowd and make every one bitter. Your mother wasn't lying when she said one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. Now, I'm not calling any of my friends bad apples (ok guys, so be nice to me next time we meet), however, I've noticed that it's very easy for one person's feelings or perception of a situation to flow through the group. That can be a good thing at times, but it's also a very dangerous thing. It's kind of like going with the flow of things when you were a teenager. In a group, it becomes harder to think like an individual.

You watch news everyday and the most heinous crimes are usually performed by a group of people acting together. Take for example the infamous gang rape of the young student on the bus in India. Rape on its own is violent, but a group of men acting together make it much, much worse. I think it's because each evil heart combines to make something horrible. Each person's sick ideas competes with the last until the beast they create is too hideous to look upon.

In Christianity, it is very important to think for ones self. In a crowd, lots of emotions and feels can come up that cause you to lose focus. They mess with your faith and leave you feeling so weighed down that you may even move your eyes from God for a while. Be careful the suggestions you entertain from others. Be careful what you agree with and please, don't just go with the flow. If somebody is unhappy or disgruntled, try to assess the situation from all sides. There may very well be a piece of the puzzle that you are missing.

Most importantly, don't let the bad feelings from one or two persons in your group be transferred to you. If you are in agreement with them, check your own heart and see why. Is it genuine or are you just going with the flow.

Have a blessed day.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Dry Places

2013-02-27T07:07:00.003-04:00

As a Christian there will be moments, days, maybe even weeks or months where you don't quite feel like a Christian. I call it being in a dry place. You literally feel like the life has been sucked out of you. You find it hard to pray and even harder to have faith. You become skeptical about everything around you and you even begin to question everything you know to be true.

It's a very scary place and a very scary prospect for any true Christian. Are you alone? Definitely not. When I went through it the first time, I thought I was the only one who could be so ungrateful to have experienced God and let a few challenging situations make me doubt Him, so I hid it and I struggled with it on my own. The result of that was it lasted way longer than it should have. Later, as the years wore on, I heard friends alluding to the same things. Their experience sounded exactly like mine. I wasn't the only one who had tasted God, seen His greatness then fell into a slump. I've realized now Christianity seems to have a sort of cycle. There are moments of tremendous faith but there are also moments when you feel so discouraged it's hard to even look to God for help. In those moments it is paramount that you recognize where you are. That is the first step towards dealing with it. If you don't recognize that it's a seasonal desert experience, you will sit and be complacent and accept your lack of faith as truth.

I'm not sure why we all go through those moments, but I do know that the devil capitalizes on every second of it. During that time, you are very vulnerable to lies, deceit and any other attack that is thrown your way.

Always be aware of your spiritual position even when you are at a high point, it will help you recognize the low points. Also, recognize the low points for what they are: low points. Thirdly, recognize that you do not have to stay where you are. Ask for help, call your spiritually mature friends and have them pray for you. Most importantly, look to Christ, He knows when your faith needs bolstering. I've found that He always presents a very small situation that just blows my mind (like the little bird on the wire).

The dry place doesn't have to be a bad thing. Learn from it, teach others what you've learnt but most importantly don't stay there and don't let the devil get a foothold on your mind whilst you are there.

Have a faith - filled day!

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Change

2013-02-24T06:28:00.005-04:00

Change can be annoying, disruptive, and just plain scary. It can also be a beautiful thing. Change can herald in a new era or destroy something great. It all depends on when and how it is done. Change is not only physical, in other words, it doesn't just happen around us or in our environment. As you go through life, you'll find that often times, changes need to be made within you. It is sometimes necessary to change the way we think, feel, react, speak etc. These are always the hardest changes to make.

As Christians, we go through various phases in our walk. We start off as babies and life is a lot easier during that time. We make mistakes, but it's expected. God coddles us a little. He pushes us forward but is a bit more lenient when we are reluctant to move. As we grow older and wiser in faith, the coddling stops. Things start to change. We are required to make changes to the way we do just about everything.

Growth almost always leads to change. We must change internally if we are to survive in the world around us that is changing. I've gone through several transitions and none of them were easy. First of all, I hate change. I like to be comfortable; chilling in my own safe haven that I've created for myself. But guess what, as long as you're comfortable, you won't grow. There's nothing pushing you to desire more. Hardship has a way of making us desperately desire God. In that desperation, we seek him earnestly and we do just about whatever it is He asks so we grow much more quickly. When life gets easier, we are much more resistant to change. Now it's ten times harder for God to get our attention. We almost refuse to transition from one stage to the next.

I'm at a point that requires transition and I'm scared. It's like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff looking down and God is behind me screaming "JUMP". I know He'll catch me if necessary, but who in their right mind wants to jump off a cliff, right? This transition period requires that I change the way I think about myself. It requires that I change the way I feel about certain things. It requires that I become numb in certain areas and more sensitive in others. It's a scary change because it involves my emotions (a subject that is always taboo for me).

I know that I'm not the only one at the edge of that cliff. A discussion with close friends yesterday revealed that God is asking that of several of us. He is asking that we jump, trusting that He'll be there to take us to whatever stage in our lives is next. Jumping off the cliff is scary, but I'm beginning to learn that if you never jump, you'll never fly. If a baby eagle refuses to jump from its nest and learn to fly, it will starve. It's mother will stop bringing it food at some point and it will die. It's the same with Christianity. God will never stop providing for us, but He will require that we go to our food at some point, instead of Him bringing it to us.

It's time to grow. It's time to accept that some things about the way we do business with God needs to change. It's time to move forward and do somethings differently. Accept the changes to our lives that God requires. Take the step and jump off the cliff. I promise, you'll learn to fly.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo

Land of My Birth

2013-02-22T09:21:00.002-04:00

238 square miles of exquisite beauty

There are many like it, but none so charming

Twin peaks rising from her depths, make her unique and symbols her pride.

Proud to stand tall, among many we are one

Proud to be us, others' beauty we surpass

Proud to be Lucian, Our legacy will last!

My island home celebrates 34 years as a sovereign state today. Our struggles have been numerous but we persevere. Saint Lucia is home to an enormous amount of talent. On only 238 square miles of beaches, rain forest and mountains, we've grown two Nobel Laureates, the most per capita in the world. Our charmed beauty makes us over and over again, the number one honeymoon destination in the world. Visitors boast of the friendly nature of our 170, 000 inhabitants, and those who migrate here find it easy to stay.

This land of my birth makes me proud to be truly Lucian. I found this tribute on You tube that bolsters my pride for this little piece of paradise!

Doing all things in Excellence - Excellence in Art

2013-02-20T02:35:00.001-04:00

Allow me define the following words:

Excellence: The state or quality of excelling or being exceptionally good; extreme merit; superiority.
Mediocrity: of only or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate.
(both references obtained from Dictionary.com)

Wow, which word describes you? We each would like to think that we function at a certain level of excellence, having excelled at whatever area of life we have chosen to follow. Unfortunately, laziness, procrastination and other factors have left most of us at the mediocre level, not just in our areas of talent but also with our Christian lives. Today, I'm going to deal with excellence in art.

God doesn't like mediocre. In Revelation 3:15 in reference to the Laodicean church it states: "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!" Wow. The word lukewarm implies a level of mediocrity. It's not hot, but it's not really cold either. Just somewhere in the middle. Have you ever had a cup of lukewarm tea? I don't know about you, but I find it disgusting. Tea tastes great as a hot beverage and just as good as cold beverage served with ice. In the middle; it's not so great. The same way we feel about cold tea is the way God feels about mediocre Christian behaviour.

Unfortunately, in many Christian churches we have begun to applaud mediocrity. We have dropped our standards and now celebrate the "just ok". The quality of what we produce is not horrible, but it's not so great either. We toe the line and our lives are just barely adequate. We use excuses like, "it's a process" to explain away our bad attitudes and ineffectiveness. We talk about being great with wishful thinking as if it's something that should happen in the distant future.

God requires excellence from us now. Today. Excellence in our art-forms excellence on our jobs, and excellence in the way we live. We are the light of the world, i.e. we stand out. That means that the world should be able to look to us to set the standard for excellence, not the other way around. For years, the church has been lagging behind. It has gotten to the point where, when a Christian does excellently, we're surprised "You mean a Christian wrote that?" or "A Christian painted that?" or "A Christian manages that business that is doing so well?" As Christians we are privileged children, yet we have allowed ourselves to become so comfortable with that fact that we expect our mediocre product to do well simply because we are Christians. It's an attitude of entitlement that we usually find in spoiled children. We expect our Christian brothers and sisters to support us even though our stuff isn't so great. Wow.

Would you walk into a store, examine the goods on the shelf and pick out the one that appears to do the job only half way? That's what we present to the world. Stuff that only does the job half-way, yet we complain when we don't do so great. "God, how come everybody else is selling, getting the great jobs and doing so well, yet I can't get a break." Mediocrity, that's why. It's not because we're not talented, or intelligent. It's because we approach life with the outlook of a spoiled brat, "God says it's mine, so I'm not going to do any work, I'll inherit it anyway." Yes, the earth is ours to inherit, yes the wealth of the unjust is stored up for us, yes, the cattle on a thousand hills belongs to our father. But be reminded that our father is a very just God. He gives us favour, but there are principles He has set in the earth that He will always honour.

In 2 Corinthians 9:6 it states: "Remember this - a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop."

I challenge you today to put just a little bit more effort into whatever area you have chosen to follow or serve. You may not be a writer, singer or other artiste, but you may have a job. Maybe it's not one that you like very much, but if you do it excellently, then you have a case for a promotion. Promotion will not come when we treat what we already have with a mediocre attitude. Promotion comes when we are diligent with what we have and approach it with excellence. God sees that excellence and rewards it.

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future, Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo