Israel and New Breed

You are going through these struggles now

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because it is building up your faith. Like a caterpillar struggles to get out of the cocoon, you are building up your faith muscles. If the caterpillar didn’t struggle to get out, its wings would not be strong enough to fly. Change the perspective on how you face the struggle. Whatever you are going through is helping you get to where God wants you to be. Instead of “Lord, why me?” ask “Lord, what do you want me to do here?”

Today as I found myself in a situation I did not like, I had to keep telling myself, that there is something God wants me to get from this.  There is something He wants me to do. Change my perspective.

There was this man who a few days ago caused me a great deal of struggle. It was not his intention, he was just doing his job, but it interfered with mine. Needless to say, he did not fare very well in my book.

So today, here he was again. Oh brother. He had no clue of the trouble he had caused or so I thought. I had a choice to make. I could light him up and let him know how much trouble he caused me. I could let him know that he was not wanted near me today. or I could greet him as if we were old friends.

Yeah, I chose the latter. Let me tell you, he was the most helpful person on the floor the rest of the day. He went out of his way to be helpful and did things I had not ever seen him do. By the end of the day, I was like “Wow.” I changed my mind about this person.

Whatever type of situation God has placed you in, look around you. What is He trying to tell you?  He has already told us that His ways are not our ways (which means He is not going to make everything easy). He will do things to strengthen our faith. He is going to get some glory from your situation.

 

Better Check Yourself ‘Fore You Wreck Yourself

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I know lots of people going through struggles and difficult times right now. What I have learned from my own struggles is that God is using these adversities to strip things from me that keep me from being what He’s created me to be.

As I reflect on many of the struggles I have had this year, I have a new found freedom. It is a blessing. There is nothing like peace that comes from heaven. It will not go away when the heat turns up in your life. People will look at you funny, like why are you not freaking out about this? When you know the One who controls all things, and you spend time with Him daily, you trust Him.

Sometimes God is trying to get you out of situations or away from people that poison your spirit. Many of us fight it because we have grown dependent on those people or situations. God has to wrench these things from us and it hurts because we have been holding on to them so tightly. God is our only source and He wants us to know it.

We will stay with a job until it destroys our health. We will stay with people who destroy our self esteem. We are physically broken, mentally broken, spiritually broken, yet we want God to do something great in our lives. We are not giving Him anything to work with. We continually fight against the good that God has for us because we do not understand it. When He rips these things from us, we are sad and depressed, but it usually for the best.

This week I began looking at the poison people in my life. If you are one of those people hanging on, watching, not adding anything to my life, your days in my life are numbered. If I have asked you for something and you have ignored me, your days in my life are numbered.

As long as we live in peace, you don’t have to like me. Today’s bible verse confirmed it “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24. Some of the folk who are struggling are trying to keep those many companions and wondering why their lives are in ruin. Focus on the one who will stick closer than a brother.  Stop worrying about your haters and think on the one who loves you.

One of my morning readings is The Secret of the Vine by Bruce Wilkerson. God is constantly pruning vines in your life to see that you continue to be fruitful. Stop second guessing God’s decisions. If He has ushered some people out of your life, let them go.

Stop allowing people to drain you and not put anything back. When God cuts them off. Let them stay cut off. Test every person in your life for what they are adding. Even God gets rid of branches that don’t produce anything good.

I am not going back to the way I used to be. I am not going to let people poison me by not valuing the vessel God is molding. I am going to trust the God who leads me. He knows what I need.

God is creating something beautiful and I am going to value it.

Music

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Anchoring my seven days of Thankfulness is Music. Today I am thankful for music. I am hoping our new glorified bodies that we will receive in heaven will come with a pitch perfect voice. Whatever voice I get, you will hear me sing Holy, Holy, Holy forever (so you might want to pray for pitch perfect).

Almost every day, the Lord wakes me with a song in my heart. Most days it is a Christian song, some days it is secular (Yes, God is a TLC fan). Occasionally, it is a song I have never heard before. More than anything, I love the connection to Him. I love the communication with Him.

I love all types of music, but there are two groups that influence my worship. Israel & New Breed and Third Day. I have only seen one group perform live, but it was a life changing experience. Music helps me focus on what is really important. I work and play according to a beat. I am inspired by it. It allows me to hear the rhythms of life. Train cars going down the tracks late at night. Traffic whizzing down the highway on a busy afternoon. The wind whipping through the trees. The silence.

Music is one of His greatest creations and I am grateful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-9rYnkrRj8