Devotion & Reflection For Today

What Am I So Afraid Of and Why
Do I Have This Large Bump on my Head?

I have to admit I have a fear of failure and worse yet sometimes that stops me from even trying and I may have missed opportunities along the way in the way. But for me the older I have become the less fearful I am. I think working at a place where you know that doesn't make you happy places a BIG part. More and more I am realizing the I have to take that so called "leap of faith". But here is thing that I do not get, why every I have part my trust in Jesus whole-heartily he has always come through for me yet I still become fearful at times?

The problem is we as Followers of Christ at times look around at our circumstances instead of putting our focus on Christ and what he has already finished for you and I. As time has passed I am realizing that now my work place is just a "tent" and not my land of milk and honey. I do not have any personal items on my desk because one thing my job has taught me is this: (1) Keep my eyes on Christ Jesus (2) the company is growing (3) I could be let go at any with today's market (4) if I'm going to work this hard for someone else and not like what I'm doing why not spend that energy doing what God has placed in Spirit to pursue. (5) my work is "work" and my home life is my "home life". I find it keeps things simple and less stressful for me.

I am also finding that putting my trust in God is the best thing because I now that when beginning my morning, before my feet hit the floor I give God thanks for another day to pursue what He has in store for me. I'm learning that knowing that Jesus has told me to follow him and that he will give me strength to go through my valleys is very assuring.

In today's devotion and Bible passage is that Moses too was afraid of many things, questioned the Lord at times and I'm learning that it's okay to have doubts at times. Every time when Moses questioned God and assured Him what he was with him and that is what I am learning now in my 40s...asking God to lead me, reading His word and then ACTING ON IT!

This is why so many Followers of Christ fall short, we ask God for his help, his guidance, he gives it to us and if we do not like on how he wants us to carry it out we say, "Ummm....I don't think you want me to do it THAT way. Here's what I think" and that is when we fail each and every time. I have to get it through my thick, "I'm so smart I'm stupid" skull that how can I tell the creator of all, the person who sees my Beginning and my Ending what is best for me? God has a sense of humor, I know he does because He doesn't force us to do it His way, he tells us to see if we will obey. If we don't and when we get frustrated and we cry out, get angry with Him I think He just sits back just begin humming to himself; and after we have finished our little tyrant, He says softly, "now, are you ready to do it the "right" way or do you wish to continue keep to keep bumping your head and starting from scratch?"

God knows we need some struggles in our life because it builds character within us, our faith grows stronger and stronger, He reminds us time and time again, "do what you can do and I will do what you can't do." because this is covenant you have with me. We have seen in the real world that when parents do everything for their children how they turn out when the children become adults and how dependent they are on the parents and that's not a good thing. So why do we continue to think God is our Daddy Warbucks? When we do our part, our very best while completing the task in His will what a wonderful testimony we are for Him and others see how God truly works in our lives.

Thank God I am learning this in my 40s and not when I am old and gray.

Be blessed, Be Safe, and Have a Great Sunday.

Praying For Our Children
from Christian Embassy Church

Respect

"Lord, help my children to show proper respect to everyone, as your Word commands."

1 Peter 2:17

Reflections and Devotions for Today

Getting Free...
Devotion from RBC Ministries

I am not going to lie, I have a hard time letting go of things even when I don't need them anymore...my wife doesn't and many times I have seen her blessed time and time again. Why is that with many of people, Christians? We have seen God work in our lives time and time again and we know He can give us something better but we still want to cling onto old thing (with me it's old computer parts). In our human mind we come up with millions of excuses from "how long it will take us to save up for that certain thing" to "not being able to get it again." I know God has a sense of humor because I know sometimes he chuckles at you and I because he says, "If you only know what I have in store for you, you would freely let go."

This is one of my things I really need to come to grips with because I have seen what awesome things he has done in my life and continues to do in my life from the small, "Lord please find me a close parking space" to blessing me with some expense piece of electronic I never thought in a millions years I would own. Isn't it funny the older you become the grateful you become for just the smallest things and at the same time we become more cynical in other areas in our lives.

I think that will be my prayer for myself...help me to develope a "child's faith" when it come to you Lord because if I have that type of faith, look at so much you can show me, trust me with, give me and most important, to share with the world. This saying is so true, "When you have an open hand so much you can have...with a closed fist, you only have what's in your hand." And even that disappears soon or a later.

Be Blessed,
Be Safe
and have a Great Weekend

"Don’t waste your breath on fools,
for they will despise the wisest advice."

~Proverbs 23:9

Satan Lies...God's Love

"If you're too proud to submit to God, you'll never get to heaven. You may be a kind, gentle person; you may even be naturally compassionate and charitable. But if your pride keeps you from admitting your need for Christ, then you'll never accept His gift of salvation. Many people are in hell because their heart was too hard and they believed their mind was too smart for God."

The above paragraph from today's "Early Light Devotion" from In Touch Ministries hits like a ton bricks to some people. This may be hard to grasp, it may sting, you may not want to hear it...but it is the truth. Many people think they can "work" their way into heaven but we can't. Many people think just because "I'm a nice person there is no way I can be turned away from entering into Heaven"...but you will. Many people think that once you give your life to God that is it, rules, rules and more rules, but for me it's the most liberating way to live. When I gave my life to Jesus Christ so many questions were answered for me and wondering "where will I go when I die" fell to the wayside and to me that is a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. So many things that God want you and I to bring to Him because in the end He knows we can not do this alone. When allowing God into your heart and knowing His true love for you you feel such a peace that I cannot describe.

Why is it for somethings we can put complete faith into and when it comes to the things of God we can become so skeptical? When we go and get into our car many days we go and turn the ignition knowing it will start. We go and sit in a chair at work or at home knowing it will hold us but when turning our lives over to Christ many people can not do it. We use excuses like, "those preachers on want our money" or "How can you say, He (God) is the only way?" I myself asked those same questions growing up. I was raised in church but I walked away from God. I followed many other religions, practice them and in the end I still felt empty inside. For me one thing has always stood out to me...no other has died for my sins (past, present, future) but one...Jesus Christ. Sometimes I can't wrap my mind around this concept. Why would he do this? Why would a person who knows that I will screw up whether on purpose or by accident still wish to suffer for me?

He (God) sent His only son because He know we are a falling nature, that we cannot do this alone and the most important thing is because God love for you and I and the closeness He longs for you and I. No, God is not lonely but He knows how empty we are without Him. I heard a couple a days ago that Lindsey Lohen will spend over $36,000 dollars a month in rehab...$36,000 a month! Many people do not make that in a year and that is being spent on a person has that much money to spend in rehab? How can this person be unhappy knowing that you have that much money at your disposal?

I am not putting this young lady down at all and she is in my prayers but when you think about it don't you think she would be the most happiest person in the world? It breaks my heart to see so many young people get caught in the trappings of the world and later Satan will make her feel so guilty about how she has lived her life but that has always been Satan's gift, making you and I feel like we are worthless...but He is liar. God knows we have a fallen nature but He knew when He created you and I that we would make mistakes because He has given you a free will but He has given you and I a door to come back to Him. Satan shows people the pleasures in life but never the consequences but God will always show you and both sides of the coin. From Adam and Eve until now, God has and will always show you the blessings when living a Godly live and the curses when living outside His will.

The best thing about God is that He takes you and I when we are at our lowest...Satan tosses you and I away when we are at our lowest. When we are at our lowest, God shows us we are a diamond to Him, with Satan when we are at our lowest he tells you and I God has no use for people like you and I and that my friends is a lie straight from Hell.

God loves you...always has, always will. What God hates is sin in our lives because He knows the end result of sin. God knows we are going to make mistakes, we are going to come up short from time to time but like a loving parent, He will be there for you. Now God will discipline you and I when we are outside His will but that does not mean He has stopped loving us and at times obstacles He will allow in our lives to build character in our lives and this is what grows our faith more.

When we call upon the Lord this is not showing how weak we are...but how strong we are because we can not do it without Him.

Be Blessed, Be Safe and Have a Wonderful Day.

Weekend Devotions & Tech News

Why Does God Allow Trials?>>>more
from In Touch Ministries

This devotion digs deeper into why our Lord and Savior have you and I, Christians and non-Christians to suffer hardship and go through trials in our lives. He (God) does not get a kick out of seeing people suffer but to draw us closer to Him.

I remember when I wasn't saved and when I used to go through situations in my life and how Iwould try and bargain with God, plead to Him, cry out to Him, get angry with Him because He would allow so many things to happen to me because He did not come when I wanted Him to come. Now that I'm a Follow of Jesus Christ I know why I went through those hardships.

When growing up I stuttered really terrible...I mean terrible. I would dread when the teacher would call on me to read out loud knowing how I would do and how the children would taunt me. I was not a handsome little guy, I really never had a girlfriend while in school (I think I had a crush on some girl every other month) and this went on all the way through high school. I thought God was punishing me, I had a really low image of myself thinking how I would never find anyone. When as a child I was molested and I thought I was damaged goods. Even though I would get angry with God I know deep down that He had his hand on me, that I was someone "special".

I am a only child so many times I would be to myself and work on my humor because at the time my looks was shot to hell (or so I thought) and that would get me through. I would read many Sci-Fi books, The Hardy Boys books, Peanuts comic strips, watch old movies (Charlie Chan...I like the Sydney Toler character better than the other guy), Sherlock Holmes, The Three Stooges...those were my escape from reality at that time. Some of the programs I would watch (Monty Python, The Goodies) and the music I would listen to I would have to conceal because growing up in a small community, all African-American, you did not tell people you listened to Frank Zappa, Rush, Aerosmith, Queen, Boston, and so many other Rock groups and if you mentioned Classical or Easy Listening you were dead in the water. I use to read the album credits, what musician played on what track, who produced what song, where they recorded the album; that was important to me. I did this because it kept me going, made me feel important because when you grow up in a small community you did not talk about molestation. I never told anyone because of course as a child you think it was "your" fault.

One of the most devastating blows to me was when I used to hang out with a childhood friend. He and I was cool, his mother and family was really nice to me and I used to go to his house all the time and sometimes my mother would get upset. Now I love my mother, we have never been the closest because she has never been a person that showed affection to me, she loved me the only way she knew how because she was a single mother so this is not a knock against her.

I was headed to over to my friend's house and she just exploded. I know now what she was trying to do because sometimes you can wear out your welcome when go over to the same house every single day, and maybe if she would have broke it down to me that way I may have understood but she said is how it came out;

Mother: Why do you always go over to Doug (not his real name) house?

Me: Because that's my friend, his my best friend

Mother: People don't want you coming over to there house all the time. I know his family is
sick of you

Me: No they don't Mama

Mother: Why do you hang around Doug so much

Me: I told you Mama, he's my best friend

Mother: You two must be screwing(but she used the 'F' word) one another

I just stood there...I could not believe that they came out of her mouth. I was 12 years old at the time. Now saying this to me, knowing how I stuttered so bad I could barely get words out, how my hormones would go off the scale whenever I saw a girl, wanting a girlfriend so bad and being shot down all the time, being violated as a child would have sent some children down another path. But deep down once again I knew God had something in plan for me.

When I was in high school things did not get better. I was never in the 'in' crowd. I thought maybe if I played sports that would make me a 'babe magnet' but nope..never did. Didn't go to my Junior or Senior prom because number one...no girlfriend and number two...no car. But again I knew He had something better for me, even though I wasn't a Christian and I didn't understand His ways.

Fast forward to today. Happily married, don't stutter anymore, I have peace of mind. I know why I went through what I did now. I call it "my thorn in my side". When I see someone stutter...I have empathy, when I know someone has been molested...I have empathy (now don't get me wrong, no one and I do mean NO ONE has the right to violate a child and to use the excuse I was a victim so that's why I made someone a victim, to me that's a cop out). When someone doesn't understand computers I do not get upset because coming up I was called stupid, dumb, retarded and I wish someone would have told me when I was young that 'just because I don't get the first time that does not mean I'm stupid, the things that interest you that's what you gravitate to in your life.'

My love for music...now I get to share with the world and not feel ashamed of the artists I listened to growing up as a child. I can say this now, Thank you Jesus for what you put me through because in my trials and troubles you have made me a caring husband, a person who knows how to listen when people are hurting, loving myself, loving others, sharing with others, having empathy with others. Thank you Lord for keeping me from relationships that would have had dire consequences (having a child out of wedlock, not knowing how to treat a woman because of my hardships coming up). Thank you for not answering all my prayers God. Thank you. :-)

I am not boasting that I'm better than anyone, this is just a part of me sharing my story with people who do not understand why our Lord and Savior has us go through months or even years of torment, abuse, neglect. I love the Lord with all my heart and soul and that will never change. What He put me through has made me the man/husband/person that I am today.

Hang in there people, God REALLY and TRULY loves you.

Have a Blessed, Fun and Joyful weekend.

Praying For Our Children
from Christian Embassy Church

Kindness

"Father, I pray that my children would be kind to each other and to everyone else."

1 Thessalonians 5:15

other devotions for today: Champions: Peter, Careless Preachers, Insight for Living

tech news for you today: Why Internet Explorer 7 Will Break the Web, cool tech coming this fall, Is Windows Near End of Its Run?

netcast for wisdom & knowledge: Thru the Bible Questions & Answers, Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott, The Alternative, NPR: Books

Headline News:

BUFFALO — Tree limbs filled with autumn colors lay broken on a carpet of white. Kids got to throw snowballs nearly three weeks before they go trick-or-treating. Boats on Lake Erie were encrusted in ice a day before many people in the area had planned to go picking pumpkins and apples.>>>more

WASHINGTON – Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R) of Pennsylvania once looked like a top-tier target for Democrats in their drive to take over the House. He's a freshman, which in a typical election year would make him more vulnerable to defeat than longer-serving members. And his district, north of Philadelphia, has an increasingly Democratic tilt to it.>>>more

other headlines news>>>click here

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