You

You are special. Did you know that? You were created for a purpose. You are one blessed by God. Just let that permeate your spirit.

You- special one - deserves to be celebrated. There are those who want to celebrate you and love on you. Let them. God celebrates you. Let God celebrate you. This is not about being vain or proud; but to recognize that God has blessed special 'you', and we celebrate that. Your first acceptance of our celebration is to learn to love self.  Learn to love that God so loves you. Learn to feel the manifestation of that love everyday. When you do that, you will know how much you are loved and celebrated. Then you can accept the special 'you' that God created. enough for now.

Your Present

We press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ. We forget the past. We forget our trials and sins, in order to handle today. We ask for forgiveness for yesterday and begin anew today. Too many people are so weighed down with what happened yesterday that they miss the joy of today.

We can't get so caught up in yesterday that we have no time for today.  we can't rush ahead toward tomorrow because today affects tomorrow. Today is all we have. Today is our present. Accept it as a gift, opening it carefully. and then give thanks for it. Today is your present. enough for now.

It Starts with You

I was listening to the news that flood waters had overtaken Ellicott City, Maryland again. And I think how devastating it is. But so are hurricane rains around the world. So are tsunamis around the world. It is so interesting that it appears to make sense only when it involves us. Why is that? We are involved with one another because we are all in this together.  I think if we had more compassion for others, then we could realize more compassion back.

It all starts with us, wherever we are. We start the caring where we are and let it spread outward. We start the loving one another where we are and let it flow out. That brings peace. Peace is what we all need to handle the daily stresses.

I started with one thing just to get to the main thing - loving one another. Today it starts with you. Love yourself, love another, love on others. Watch what God does with the love. enough for now.

What Do You See?

Today I see clearer than I did yesterday. That is good. What about you? What do you see? What do you realize today that you did not yesterday? Be still. enough for now.

Try Giving

I know it's hard to give when you think you h ave nothing to give, or when you need so much. But- you do have something to give. It is a part of your nature a a creation of a loving giving God. Hmm Don't want to give? Then check where your signals are coming from as it is not of God. If the signals are not from God, there will be no peace.

Loving and giving out of a loving relationship with God is all apart of who you are. You can start small. Try. Give a smile. Give a hug. Help someone. Listen to someone. There are so many ways. enough for now.

Give

Give. Give out of your gifts. Out of the love you have been given- given. Out of the supply you have received -give. Out of the wisdom you have gained- give. That what your gifts are for. Give - share with another - what has been shared with you. Give and watch what happens. enough for now.

Presence and Prayer

There are those who are grieving, others are redoing plans, still others are wondering "what is next?" And to say life goes on is too trite. You see - even in the midst of whatever is going on - life is happening. We cannot 'happen' with life unless we follow our guide- Holy Spirit. and actually - whatever you are going through is indeed life. 

Celebrate your life. Yes, help others to celebrate their lives. Walk with those who are going through trials, pain, grief. Walk in presence and prayer. My pastor, F.G. Sampson, long ago taught me, "Presence is ministry." Prayer too is ministry. Your life demands your listening to guidance. Listen, and follow. enough for now.

Who Is In Control?

Don't you love how a night of peaceful sleep results in a morning or joy? Where does the peace come from? By settling down and giving your will to God. Yeah, that's that control piece that you don't want to give up.

But you have to wonder why do you think you need to be in control? Go ahead, ponder on that today. Another idea to ponder is "Who have you given control to?" Quite possibly, you have given control to another and that is really not good. No human has your best interest at heart- not even you. because you really don't know what's best for you. You really don't know God's plan for your life; which is why you need to give him control. Let that permeate your mind and your heart this week. enough for now.

Junk Out, Joy In

Joyful. Joyful involves you. Joy comes from within. No one is responsible for your joy- you are. That happens through letting strange situations go that really are not about you. That mess will wear you down. Breathe out the silly, the strange, the anxiety, the anger,- breathe out anything that is not of God. You have the right to do so. Breathe in peace, joy, love - you get in? Those things that are of God. Breathe out- speaking one thing, Breathe in speaking. That will bring you to a more balanced place in order to hear, to gain perspective, to have joy and peace. Go ahead, try it all week, and watch what happens. enough for now.

Joy after the Night

We move through seasons. Seasons with those in our lives. Seasons of new ones in our lives Seasons of hurt, seasons of pain. Seasons of quiet. Seasons of movement. Whatever the season brings, hold on.  Yeah, hold on.

Sometimes you have to endure the tears of the night to know the joy in the morning. You really can if you recognize the peace in the tears. Too many times we cry, "Lord back the night."No one wants to go through hurt, pain, the loss. But it is is the night that you can be held through your pain, your hurt, your anxiety. And when you know you are not alone, when you know . . .; then you can expect the joy. to come. Sometimes you can't better know the joy until you've gone through the night. Spend time with Psalm 30:5.  Spend time listening to God. enough for now.

The Changing Power of Prayer

I read an interesting statement in my devotional, "Prayer changes all." This - right here. We are so accustomed to "Prayer changes things," but can you see how restricting that is? That 'prayer changes all' opens us up to grand possibilities. The "all" encompasses everything! Can you see how powerful that is? It changes all, including you; which is the biggest piece.

Okay that really is enough for now. Let that permeate your being today. Move it from your mind to your heart. Live in it, walk in it, and watch what God is doing. enough for now.

This Day

This day. This is your day. Accept it with gratitude, the highs and the lows. Don't anticipate, just expect new things, new wonders, new marvels. This day is yours. enough for now.

Celebrate

Celebrate you and the life you have. You are so much more and you have so much more ability than you know. We all do. Celebrate that you have a new chance today to start agin. To do things different. To leave yesterday behind. Celebrate that you are here because of  a mother. And if you have a mothe who loves, who loved you- celebrate that also. If you had a mother who was deeply wounded- celebrate that you are still here. Celebrate that Holy Spirit has guided you, God has kept you, and Jesus loves you. Celebrate you. enough for now.

Don't Miss the Question

There at the pool of Bethesda a man lame for thirty-eight years laid waiting to get into the water. (John 5) Jesus asked him, "Do you want to get well?" He answered that he had no one to help him into the water when the water is stirred. Hmm. Jesus offered healing, the man gave excuses.

But isn't that like us? We are presented with opportunity after opportunity to heal and we give excuses on why we can't get healed. The healing is not in your control- accepting and walking in it is. Don't miss the opportunity, don't miss the question. enough for now.

Watch the Progression

Don't you just love how God does what God does? Watch the progression. The first two sentences in "God Calling" set it up: "All agitation is destructive of good. All calm is constructive of good, and at the same time destructive of evil."  Now my thought to that is to stay calm and evil around me will be destroyed. There really is so much there.

So the source of an agitation is being destroyed inwardly, and does not understand the need for help. 
What is my response? Stay calm. All is well. Hold that thought.

Then Psalm 119:154 was another part of my devotional today. "Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise." Watch the progression.

And then I opened my email before I opened the blog, which was not my usual. I had a beautiful collage of me from my Israel trip from a mentee. Hmmm. That loving gesture brought tears to my eyes.  And it was right now. Right now. All is well. Watch the progression.

I would say that was the icing on the cake - but no. With God there is no limit. There is always more. More settling into peace. More relieving of stress. More resting in calm. Watch today, and rest in shalom. enough for now.

Walk in It

In this your season of healing, learn to rest in what Holy Spirit guides. Learn to trust in what you hear from Holy Spirit. This is your season of release, of rejuvenation,  of recognition of who you are, your value, your worth. Walk in it, wait in it, rest in it. Don't let anyone, not even yourself deter you from this time. enough for now.

Your Season

How many times do we let others control us by their actions, words, or their deeds? Yes, I said 'we'. It happens so quickly and the scary part is that we allow it. Yes we do. No one takes control, we give it. Bullying can come in very subtle ways, still manipulative, still lying.

The sad part is that the bully has their own unresolved issues, their own woundness, and they have no clue of what to do or how to be healed. Healing is needed for them. And healing is needed for you in order to progress toward what God has for you in this season.

Your life is about you and what God has for you. Yes, you move in and out of community. You don't give anyone control of you.  Bullies don't know your season. They don't know what God has for you. And clearly they are not operating in what God has for them. But that will be worked out between them and God. Stand firm and strong and watch God. You move in and out of seasons. What season are you in?

God does not change, is not flaky, does not lie, does not leave you, nor forsake you. That is real and you can hold on to that. When you recognize that, when you know it in your heart; then you can rest in what God is doing in your life. Then you can move toward releasing your hurt, your anger, your guilt, your unforgiveness. This is your season for healing. enough for now.

Stuck

Sometimes we miss what God is doing because we are so stuck on what someone has done to us. You cannot stay stuck. Stuck does not go anywhere. Stuck hinders you and your growth, it blocks your blessings of peace. And it happens so quickly. Someone said something, someone did something and you replay the scene over and over and over- stuck. And then you tell someone, who tells someone - stuck. 

When those moments happen, give them right then to God through lamenting or grieving. Let it go. It is for your healing. Not for anything else. You can’t control anyone, but you can control your own feelings. It doesn’t matter why it happened, that it happened. It happened, and that’s what the perpetrator has to deal with. 

You are growing toward life- the fullness of life. You cannot receive the fullness if you are full of mess of what others have done. Can you see that?  I love the song in Frozen, “Let it go.” We need to let stuff go in order to rise to who we are. Tired of being stuck? Then get unstuck. Let’s do this. enough for now.

Show Time

Lights! Camera! Action! It's show time. Time to show who you are. Time to show what God has done. It's time. Time to walk renewed, rejuvenated, refresh in God's word and listening to Holy Spirit. Show them who you are.  Show them what you are about. Don't be afraid, God did not give you a spirit of fear. Walk in who you are, and in whose you are. enough for now.

New Direction

Direction. Today I received direction for the new leg of my journey. I am again excited as it is akin to the woman with the little oil in her house. I already have what I need.

What about you? What do you think you need? What do you have? You already have what you need to grow, to soar. What are your gifts? Your talents? Stop. Think. Listen. Write them down and give them to God. And listen as Holy Spirit directs you. Soar. enough for now.

This Mornng

This morning I woke up. Yes, I wake up every morning- but this morning. This morning I awaken with new revelations of who I am. Yes, I know who I am - but this morning I was renewed and encouraged. This morning things just fell into place. Yes, they have fallen into place many times before - but this morning. This morning I see clearer, from a different level with a different view.

So what do I do with this? Get still and watch, wait, and listen. Oh, that's how I got to this place - this morning. I went to sleep watching for and waiting on. Not on mankind, but on God. 

What you do with this? Get still, watch what God is doing, wait on his doing, and listen for his voice. And when you rest in that, you can awaken renewed, refreshed, with resolve, seeing a new way. Go ahead, make tomorrow your new morning by resting in God's peace today, tonight. enough for now.

Did I Really?

"I had to. . ." How many times have you used that term? How many times have you found yourself justifying your actions- even if you are justifying to yourself. It is used to explain away ill gotten advice, even sometimes advice from self based on incorrect or incomplete information. It happens. Unfortunately, we continue along the same lines with the ill gotten advice not knowing how to make it right, but answer, "I had to." "I had to do what I had to do."

This morning, after praying about a client and his breakthrough, the Lord showed me that too often we are stuck in bad decisions, with bad directions, from bad advice, and are afraid to move out, move away, because of lost time, of losing face. But when we can recognize what it really is, then we can move immediately. . . straightway. . .without haste.

How? By receiving right direction, by asking Holy Spirit, "which way?"  And then . . .  wait on it . . . waiting for right direction, and following. Yes, it is never what you think, no, it is not the way you choose, but it it the true way for you. And there is no need for justification. Go ahead, try it- "which way?" And when you get right direction, follow without worry about what others think. After all, they don't know your journey. enough for now.