" 'EYE' can help you with that"

Reflection and meditation can be very insightful. Today as I reflected on my morning, I was reminded of an incident of where I had an eyelash in my left eye. The irritating experience of having a foreign particle in one's eye reveals our frailty and dependence on someone greater than ourselves. Is it not amazing that something so small can cause such discomfort? Even more amazing to me is the fact that sometimes I fail to ask God for his help in the smallest, most seemingly insignificant situations in my life. But I have discovered that there are no insignificant areas or compartments of my life. I need to be completely dependent on the Lord for everything because He sustains my life.

Acts 17:28 says "for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children'". The irony of this passage is that when the details of our lives are brought into consideration, it might be shocking to discover after careful evaluation that we sometimes bring the "big stuff" to God to solve and attempt to handle the "little stuff" on our own. Realistically speaking, I am not going to ask God to literally take an eyelash out of my eye. However, I am humbly aware that if he is not gracious in providing me with strength in my mental faculties and coordinating my bodily functions with my brain, then it will be a monumental task in removing that irritating eyelash on my own. God is honored and receives much glory when His children call upon Him. It deepens our relationship with Him and reassures us of His nearness to His children. What do you need help with today? Call on the name of the Lord and trust that he will come to your rescue.

Acts 17:28 "for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'for we also are His children'"

Absent from the body


When I hear the cliche "out of body experience" it has to do with the things of this world and phenomenon that can hardly be explained. Today I thank God for waking me up one more day and if He did not I am blessed and satisfied that if I am absent from my body I will be present with Him. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 5:8 ⁸ We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

King of Hearts

OK, so you lived another day and once again your sitting at the table of destiny ready to play one more round of the game of life. What does your hand look like? Do you even stand a chance? Will the "poker face" be enough to get you through? Are the sunglasses sufficient to hide your truest emotions or heartfelt desperation? The metaphors may seem far fetched, but the reality of life's difficulties can at times be unnerving and unmistakably challenging. However, it is at these defining moments that we must be certain of whom we have placed our trust in. Is your trust in people, things, or is it in yourself? Life is fleeting and unforeseen circumstances can throw our lives into a tailspin. We cannot control every situation; but what we can control is how we respond to them. Material wealth can evaporate overnight and health issues can render us impotent; but God is the source of our strength and will lift up our heads. So whats in your hand is probably not as important as whose hand you're in. Nevertheless, evaluating who's at the center of our affection will provide a valuable perspective on how to navigate life's toughest challenges. Jesus Christ is the "King of Hearts" and without him you're not playing with a full deck.

Psalms 20: 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.

Who's on the throne of your heart?

The monarchical system was once a dominant form of government where one person had absolute rule and control. Historically, the notion of monarchy emerged out of tribal kingship with the Monarch bearing the title of King or Queen. Though this system of government is archaic and still exists in some parts of the world, the concept of dominance and absolute rule is also expressed in popular culture. Elvis was called the King of Rock n' Roll, Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, and NBA star Lebron James is called King James. In truth there are legitimate kings. There are those who rule kingdoms and subjects and there are self-proclaimed kings such as Elvis, Michael Jackson and Lebron James. But there is only one King of Kings and his name is Jesus Christ. The rule of all earthly kings, legitimate or self proclaimed must come to and end, but the Kingdom of Christ is eternal, ever existing. Who's on the throne of your heart? Whom have you proclaimed King? There's no one greater, no one more deserving of your loyalty and adoration than Jesus Christ. LIVE for HIM! Jesus is KING, Jesus is LORD.......JIKJIL!

Revelation 19:16 "On his robe and on his thigh is this name written: KINGS of KINGS and LORD of LORDS

Encourage Yourself

When all else fails, encourage yourself. Thank God for a new day and a new opportunity to show him my gratitude. Yesterday was very overwhelming and I felt completely out of sorts. My mind swirled about with thoughts about my life, family, present financial struggle, etc. So much was going on in my mind, but I remained hopeful. I am hopeful because things could be worse; and where I am is a temporary place. The strength and hope that I clutched onto for dear life was the word of God from 2 Corinthian 6:10. "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Despite the challenges I face in my day to day, I am resolved to approach every situation with a grateful heart. Remember the story of David (See 1 Samuel 30: 6)? Even he had to encourage himself in the Lord because a group of people wanted to stone him. It has not gotten that bad..... yet. I don't think! So pat yourself on the back and encourage yourself.

Faith is NOT Lazy, Faith Works

What can we achieve without working? Some might be inclined to say that nothing is achieved or accomplished without work. But a closer look at this construct and idea of work will reveal that a lack of work also has its rewards in being unproductive. Did you know that our faith must be put to work? Firstly, faith is a gift that comes from God. Yes, Faith is a characteristic or character trait that emanates from God. When God created us in his image and likeness He gave us a gift, a character trait that is a reflection of himself and his abilities. This character trait is one of ACTION not inaction. Therefore, Faith does not sit back and expect something to happen. No, Faith makes or causes (action) things to happen. Consider the creation of the universe (see Genesis 1 & 2): God worked for 6 days and brought everything that exists into being. All of this he did before he rested on day 7. And with each segment of creation that he spoke into existence, God said "it was good". Faith is not satisfied with mediocrity; Faith pursues excellence until he/she grabs a hold of it. Good things and great rewards will not fall from the sky onto our laps; they are the byproducts of our labor and effort. Our dreams and our goals must be actively pursued until they are accomplished; and we must not rest until the finish line is reached. Righteous action is evidence of genuine Faith. Show me your faith without your deeds, and I'll show you my faith by what I do. Faith is not Lazy, Faith Works.

James 2 :17- 18 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

It's in the Shoes! Really?

Yep..it's throwback Monday. How many of you remember the original Reebok pumps? It seems like eons ago. However, if you recall the commercials showed basketball players grabbing the tongue of the shoes and squeezing it causing it to inflate. This was supposed to make that player play his best on the basketball court and be able to literally "jump" out of the building. Well we now know that this was not the case. In fact, the shoes did inflate but did not produce the type of results that were shown in the commercials. It was a marketing ploy at best. Well today's blog entry has been inspired by Galatians 5:16; "Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh". Jumping out of a building and staying alive is an impossible feat without the proper gear such as a parachute. And playing basketball with gravity defying skills is impossible without years of practice and dedication. Likewise, living a victorious Christian life is impossible without being empowered by the Spirit of God. God has given us the ability to DESIRE or to want (HIM). However, sin and our fallen nature has so corrupted our desires that we no longer want the things of God that are lasting. Instead we want the things that please our natural existence, those things which are temporal and has no sustainability. The power that we seek to overcome our impulsive desires (See Galatians 5: 19-21) reside in the Spirit of God. Yes it's in the Spirit. To "walk in" is a military term meaning to "walk in step with" or "to walk in line with". Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit in "walking in step" with Christ (See Galatians 5:22-23). Do you desire to please God with your life? Without the Spirit it is impossible. "Walk in the Spirit".