I GOT THIS ONE - Tuesday, July 1, 2008
This is what I heard last night as Bishop Eric Garnes preached the word of the Lord doing our 4th Annual Convocation.  It was so clear to me experiencing worship last night.  God was so intentional in this word for not the house but for me personally.  One of the challenges we all face is that of trying to manage the awesome demand of God’s grace while dealing with life and its uncertainties.  Walking with God when either our decisions or his will pushes us beyond us requires us to truly trust him.  Trusting God is about placing the weigh of our situation on him while not allowing the fear of it to paralyze our worship or our obedience.  Our ability to walk confidently with God and not allow anything to press us into doubt is key.  Trusting God is an amazing process and when the believer does that with great courage, God amazingly shows up and shows out. 

We are so blessed to know that God has us in all things and though we face the desolation of life conditions, we serve the God who personally gets involved in our lives.  Today you can embrace with great confidence the fact that God is intimately involved in your life and that he is moving you to new places and causing all things to partner with you.  God says loving on this day, “I got this one”.  You can live in that and so do so.  Live in it!!  God’s got this one!  What great encouragement. 

P.S.  You will see God faithful in all situations.  Do not fret nor be afraid.  God will walk with you through it and you shall see his hand in it!  Enjoy the journey!
Read Psalms 40:8-11; Isaiah 41:17-20; Philippians 4:19

YOUR PRIVATE WORLD - Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Following church on last evening, Dr. Watson, Pastor Cotton, Reverend Taylor and I sat around the table engaged in a powerful discussion that followed me to this moment of writing.  He begins to share with us a book he is presently reading entitled, “Anonymous”.  It makes an effort to chronicle the silent years of Jesus Christ.  As he shared the content of the book, it became an intriguing thought for me as he talked through what the author suggested.  In short the author, a woman, suggested that Jesus’ public life was only 10% of his entire life.  The bulk of his life was spent anonymous.  However, the way he managed his unknown years greater influenced his public life.  She concludes that the way one manages their private world greatly influences what happens when one is presented with a public moment or the public stage.

In light of the word preached last night, I began to think about the importance of having a healthy, spiritual and function private life so that my public life would be as well the same.  I wrestled with this, because I know that there are challenges within my private world that must be appropriately addressed.  The need then to deal honestly with God about who I am away from the public arena became and becomes paramount.  What is so deep today is that God in calling us to greatness requires that we open ourselves to honest and accurate critique of our private world so that when he provides “opportunities and opposition”, as was the word of God last night, we will not mismanage them. 

God desires to use us in the public world, but most of our time will be spent in the private world.  We must then understand this and work on the following areas:

1. Personal relationships that are not seen publicly but the quality of them are exposed publicly.

2. Level of our Intellect which when we open our mouths becomes obvious publicly.

3. Mental state which reveals our thoughts

4. State of our heart which is revealed the moment we respond to others and their treatment of us.

Today take a good hard look at your private world.  It may hold the key to what God does next with you.  Have an awesome today!! Read Luke 2:52, 4:1-18, Philippians 4:8

YOUR PRIVATE WORLD - Thursday, July 3, 2008
Today I share a very simple message, “God is in charge”.  This is so comforting in light of all we face and must go through.  God is truly in charge.  I want to strongly encourage you to find solace and security in the fact that no matter what you face, God is in charge.  He protects and preserves you!  He guards you by guiding you.  His hand covers you and no matter what life brings he never relinquishes control of your destiny.

Today is a great day to walk in the assurance that God is in charge.  Know it, embrace it, confess it, and finally rest in it.  Daily declare that God has you, and no way can you or will you fail.  You can rest assured that all things truly are working for your good, and that in God you are protected.

So be excited about today and the days to come, because God is in charge and others, at best, are a partner in your promotion. Read Psalms 23; Proverbs 3:5-6

THE REAL LIBERATOR - Friday, July 4, 2008
Today we celebrate our independence as a country. We celebrate the courage once exemplified by our forefathers in standing up for what they believed to be their inalienable rights. These rights they believed were God given and no one should have the right to take control them.  So they fought for them and in the end they won.

Well as Christians we also celebrate our freedom.  Our 4th of July though is every day and we celebrate the fact that because of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice we are free.  Our freedom is not from political powers but from demonic powers.  These demonic powers once enslaved us, controlling our thoughts, our actions, and our future.  However because of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice we are free to live as men and women of God, fulfilling God’s destiny.  This freedom does not entitle us to do our own ‘thing” but rather to live as we were and are created in the mind of God.  Our embrace of this freedom is the result of faith in Jesus Christ and our unabashed confession of him as our Lord.  So we do not celebrate independence but rather dependence.  Dependence on Jesus Christ and his grace serves as our reason for celebrating not just today but everyday. We are the benefactors of this sacrificial act, better, stronger, and healthier.

Today decide to celebrate your our freedom and our dependence so enjoy!!  While eating your chicken, ribs, seafood, and burgers remember the ultimate act of jesus Christ and between trips to the grill tell him thank you.  Have an awesome weekend. Read John 8:31-47

IT'S MONDAY - Monday, July 7, 2008
I have a personal philosophy that wakes up with me every Monday.  While other churches are closed, Saint Paul is open because I believe that MONDAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF THE WEEK!  I believe that because Mondays begin the process of the week and a great start will translate into a great finish.  For me of course, the finish comes on Sunday morning.  I also believe personally that Monday is the most important day as an individual.  I say this because when I begin the week focused, excited, rested, and centered, I find the week better.  As a person of faith I believe that because of my relationship with Jesus Christ and the fact that my Sundays are spent in the presence of God, it gives me the proper center for the balance of the week.

My encouragement for you is to properly manage your week by appropriately seeing and approaching Mondays.  Here then is some advice for making the week better by better managing Mondays.

1. Choose a verse or passage you will engage in devotional reading for the week and begin with a time of intense prayer.
2. Journal what you desire your week to look like and each day read it.  Believe me this will aid greatly.
3. Rise early on Monday and “quiet” the morning by sitting and meditating on how you desire your week to look.
4. Create your to do list on Sunday night so Monday you can reflect on what you need to accomplish.

Monday is key so enjoy it and remember that God has your week, so give him your Monday.  Be bless.

THE REAL LIBERATOR - Tuesday, July 8, 2008
I woke up this morning to the voice of God saying to me, “Coordinate conduct with destiny and calling”.  It was so clear and so poignant until I could not deny neither the message nor the source of the message.  I laid there for a few minutes absorbing the moment and attempting to fully absorb the meaning of the message.  Then it hit!!  Coordinating conduct with both destiny and calling is about fully embracing God’s call upon your life, and then making the necessary adjustments so God can fully use you.  When Jesus Christ saved us, he restored as well our ability to fully accomplish and exemplify the will and plan of God.  He gave us back our futures.  With that being the case, God in all of his mercy now requires us to align who we are with how we behave.  This coordination allows God to use us in amazing ways and to promote us according to his plan.

I write this today, because I heard God today and it challenged me.  And so I challenge you.  I challenge you to courageously conform to the image of Christ who has called you out of darkness.  I challenge you to align your mindset with the vision of God for you.  I challenge you to correct yourself in those areas where you are weak and inconsistent.  I challenge you to move beyond protecting what can disconnect you from divine favor and purpose.  Want God more and want his favor more.  Know that anything that disrupts your relationship with God is not worth it.  Remember Samson, remember Saul, remember Judas and know that to lose access to God’s grace and purpose is too costly of a price.  So embrace your call and your destiny so much until you coordinate conduct with the standard of your destiny and call.

Have an awesome day and let nothing cause you to downsize your life.
Read Proverbs 11:31, 16:1-3; Colossians 3:12-17

DON'T SETTLE - Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Have you ever commissioned someone to do work for you or purchased something only to discover that the quality of it does not suit you?  In that moment you find yourself with the dilemma of either accepting what has been presented or exposing the gaps between expectation and reality.  In the end, you require that what your expectation has been because you do not see it as unrealistic.  Well I believe that this same attitude ought to be when it comes to life.  Regardless of what you face and where you are, God has deposited in you a standard.  This standard sometimes is difficult to communicate, and though you are clear what it is not, you are not always clear about what it is.  You know that it is better than what has been presented to you.

Well I believe that this is equally, if not more, true about the quality of your relationships.  I believe that each of us have an internal standard that God has deposited in us as it relates to the type of relationships that fit our destiny.  I believe God exposes us to this standard in some way and then requires us to go after it.  I believe God warns us in various ways when it comes to who we should relate to, and how relating to them will affect our future.  Yet for far too many of us settle.  We allow people into our lives that clutter it with their latest issues.  We give them permission to disrespect us with their mismanagement of loyalty and honesty.  They feel empowered to speak to us as children when we are clearly adults.  But most important they do not feed us what is needed for destiny, they take.

This morning I write you to say, don’t settle.  Fully embrace the standard that is God’s standard for you.  Decide that God knows best and if you are uncomfortable with something, voice the standard and trust it.  Know that God has trusted you with this intrinsic sense and confidently live in it.  God loves you and you deserve your standard, especially when it comes to relationships.  So Don’t Settle!!!  Have an awesome, standard guided day! Read John 15:11-17; Romans 12:9-21

TIME TO ENJOY - Thursday, July 10, 2008
Walking with Jesus Christ is an enjoyable journey!  It is time to enjoy it!  It is time to wake up everyday and enjoy being a disciple of Jesus Christ.  It is an awesome thing to know that each day you walk in the inexhaustible grace and amazing favor of God.  So it is time to enjoy the journey.  It is time to see being a disciple of Jesus Christ as a privilege and not a burden.  It is time to live daily confessing that Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise, and today I give him my best praise.

I want so much to enjoy my journey with Jesus Christ and I want you to enjoy yours.  So here is my advice for today:

1.  Start each day in worship.
2.  Take time throughout the day to share with others how blessed you are.
3.  Smile and enjoy the world God has created.

I believe God wants each day to be a blessed one, so make today just that.  I am certain that this day will be incredible if you just choose to enjoy it.  So enjoy it!  It is the only Thursday, July 10, 2008 you will ever have. Read Psalms 34

CAN YOU HEAR HIM NOW? - Friday, July 11, 2008
Yesterday, I sat in a meeting with a gentleman who runs his own business.  As we sat there in conversation he shared how when he was just starting his business, each morning he would, on his way to work, listen to motivational speakers such as Zig Ziglar.  He stated that he did this until he matured to find the motivation and the inspiration to encourage himself each morning.  I thought seriously about his comments and I asked the question, whom am I listening to each morning?  For far too many believers, our first influence each morning is Tom Joyner or Steve Harvey.  The first voice we hear that speaks to us is a secular radio personality or a sleepy family member who mumbles good morning.  We begin our day without hearing the refreshing voice of God or a voice that represents him to and for us.  Thus, what we hear first, or what we consider a voice of influence does not fully speak life into us or empower us to pursue the full plan of God that day. 
Knowing that each day is a gift from God and that if I manage it properly it will bring about the desires of my heart, I must find a way to hear what inspires me and motivates me to live faithfully for God.  This involves disciplining my space and focusing my context.  I want to encourage you to shape your morning environment so it becomes a place of ministry to you.  So here are some tips for making sure you hear the right voice in the morning:

1.  Set aside quality morning time to read the Word of God.

2.  On your way to work, play music or listen to sermons or audio books that speak to your growth desire.  Sometimes the need to be entertained is not best for you.

3.  Decide that your “good morning” to others will be positive and inspirational.  So if you have to get up first to get your sleepiness off you, then for the start of a good day do so.

4.  Keep a journal so you can write your morning thoughts.  You will discover in time that the voice of God speaks clearly in the morning and soon you will have your own morning devotional.

Trust me today; your morning choices must include not only what you wear to work or what you eat, but also whom you listen to.  Have an awesome weekend!! Read Mark 3:12-15; Luke 10:38-42

THANKS FOR THE PUSH - Monday, July 14, 2008

Now, please understand the emphasis of this devotional is not that you need to go out and buy things to validate you.  The point this morning is that you need friends who push you and challenge you without opening their mouths.  You need persons in your life who demands of you excellence and who “in love” call you to the place(s) you are called to walk in.  You need friends who push you.  The push is not about forcing something on you.  In fact, the push is about you fully embracing the will of God and allowing God to introduce you to your God ordained level.  This level or standard is intrinsic but buried under the murk of your reality.  Reality becomes so controlling until you cease to walk in your standard.  At that moment, God uses your friends to push you.  Their elevation, their promotion, their purchasing of a new home, their completion of school, etc, whatever it is sends you into a place of serious reflection and causes you to rethink life until you think clearly about life.  In the end, your friends push you and you are grateful for their presence.

Ask yourself this question this morning, “what kind of friends do you have and do they reflect your desired standard?”  Are they an expression of your past living in your present?  Are they a statement of your future living in present?  I believe my friends ought to reflect something about me and call me to greater levels of spirituality, morality, and accountability.  In the end, God speaks through my friends to me.  That is why I love Jesus because in John 15, he becomes my friend and through him I am called to greater.  Love you and have an incredible week.
Read Proverbs 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

MY BEST FRIEND - Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Since this weekend, I have spent time thinking about the impact of my relationships and boy it has been both a blessing and a challenge.  In the end, I come to understand and reaffirm that Jesus Christ is truly my best friend.  What is so interesting about this is that I have never met him in flesh.  I have never sat down with him face-to-face and had a conversation.  Through faith, I embrace and experience him and yet; he is more real to me than anything or anyone else. So, what makes him my best friend?  Simple, no one has impacted my life nor served as a greater influence of the man I am capable of being more than Jesus Christ.

In an amazing way, I find Jesus Christ to be the initial turning point of change and the continual turning point of change in my life.  Because of him, I see life differently and I am called to embrace the God standard for my life.  Because of him, I choose the path God has created me for and I feel the kinship to God that gives life so much meaning.  It is tough to be called by God when you do not nurture and massage your relationship with Jesus Christ.  So, in order to fully live out the plan of God, you must properly order your relationships. 

This means Jesus Christ must be your best friend.  Jesus Christ being your best friend involves developing through your prayer and study life a deep appreciation for him.  It includes through your personal worship and your involvement in corporate worship an insatiable passion for him.  In the end, nothing touches your life like Jesus Christ. 
Make him your best friend.  He deserves to be and you need him to be.  Have an awesome day.
Read John 15:1-18

OPEN YOUR EYES - Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Guess what? God is doing awesome things in your life!  Open your eyes!  God is moving in an extraordinary way in and for you!  God is working on your behalf and he is insuring that all things are working for your good.  Be excited that God is partnering with your destiny.  I know you are struggling with some things in your life and you are tired of the strangeness of this season.  Yet; in the end, God has decided to shape you in his image by allowing certain things to happen that will insure your maturity. 

Do not be afraid of what is coming or of what is happening to you.  Know that in the end God, because of your commitment to Jesus Christ, is establishing your name in the earth.  Great men are aligned with your destiny and are drawn to your gifts.  What is so amazing is that you do not have to take a backseat.  Your father in Heaven is committed to you and is willing to move all things so you can and will experience authentic promotion.  So, open your eyes and see God.  Stop seeing your enemies, your allies who hurt you, and even your own weaknesses and flaws.  See God and know that you are wonderfully made for his glory.

Open your eyes and you will be amazed all things are working out for your behalf.  You will be a better person in the end and a stronger believer in Jesus Christ and his message.  Get ready! Your better days are now!  OPEN YOUR EYES!!  Have an awesome day! Read Hosea 14:4-8; Romans 8:26-28

THANK YOU FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF YOUR PRESENCE - Thursday, July 17, 2008
Sitting on this plane between ministry stops I am having an amazing moment with God.  I am listening to Myron Williams ministering “Draw Me” and “Don’t Mind Waiting” while reading Psalm 62:5-7 and the presence of the Lord is so real.  As tears flow down my face among strangers, I feel so at home right now.  God, “thank you for the confirmation of your presence.”

Sometimes, life becomes so challenging and we feel so alone.  Sometimes, we face new challenges and it seems no one understands our personal struggles but God, “thank you for the confirmation of your presence.”

In this moment, none of my weaknesses and none of my flaws matter.  God has chosen to honor me not with a bigger car or house but with the healing balm of his presence.  God has decided I am worth his presence.  Wow!

Today, take time to fully experience his presence and know that the real confirmation of his love and power in your life is not supernatural exploits but simply the calming reality of his presence.  Know that God loves you unconditionally and that during the course of your day God is watching over you with a heart drawn to you. 

Thank you for the confirmation of your presence God.  I can live now with victory.  Have a God filled day! Read Psalms 62, Psalms 70

YOU CAN FACE THIS - Friday, July 18, 2008
In a few hours, I will preach a funeral service for a 34-year-old mother of two.  Her mother was once a member of Saint Paul and her aunt is one of my pastors. As I lay in bed preparing to face another day, I asked myself some questions, “How do we face things or moments we do not want to face but we must?  How do we handle those times when life is very difficult and no matter how saved we are, we must go through it?” 

In Psalms 46, the writer declares that “God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (GNV).  We can face anything, when we by faith, reside within the comfort of God’s loving presence.  Life is sprinkled with challenges and trials that sometimes seem greater than we can handle.  In moments, it is our faith in God who has saved us through Jesus Christ that insures we can handle challenges and the trials.  It is His word, coupled with our worship, under girded by His grace that empowers us to walk with Him no matter what.

Today, some of you may face something that is beyond your physical or emotional strength.  You may be required by God to deal with something you would not wish on your worst enemy.  Yet, in the end, God will grant you grace and allocate to you strength to not only face it but to honor Him through it.  God loves you so much and this day you will face it in victory.  Love you and have an awesome weekend.
Read Psalms 46, 70

GOD DID A GREAT JOB - Monday, July 21, 2008
I woke up this morning on the beach of Fort Lauderdale, of course tired from an exhausting but awesome day of worship.  Body tired, mind a little slow in operation, and drained emotionally but I opened the window and WOW, it hit me.  The sun was bright, the water was beautiful, the sand was white, and the waves swayed gently back and forth.  In that moment, as tired as I was, I had to admit to myself, “Man God did a great job”.  I saw his creation and I understand how caring and careful God was in creating the world.  I further understood that God was not only the creator, but the sustainer of this vast creation and its system of operation.  In that moment I valued God even more and to myself I said, “God you did a great job”.

What is so interesting to me is that there was a day I did not notice or appreciate creation.  The demands of my life cluttered my view so much until I was consumed with me and mine.  In those moments, I sat among God’s handiwork and failed to fully appreciate it.  I benefited from it, play in it, walk among it, but was too concerned with me to say, God thank you.  Life has a way though of bringing you back to center and reminding you that life is bigger than you.  In those times, seeing God as creator and sustainer is vital.

So I want to encourage you, do not become so consume with the demands of this season of your life that you fail to celebrate and appreciate God as creator, because he really did do a great job.  Love you, and have an incredible day! Read Psalms 19

WHO'S FEEDING YOU? - Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Yesterday my daughter and I were in Ft. Lauderdale for a one-day getaway.  While chilling in the water, I noticed an interesting scene.  I noticed a piece of seaweed.  With my curious self I reached down to pick it up, only to discover that there was a group of small fish feeding from it.  Because I am so kind, I decided to leave and the fish quickly migrated back and continued to eat.  I thought to myself, how important it is that we are connected to that which feeds us.

This means for me that you are open to relationships and that you are connected to organizations that pour into you so you may continue to grow and increase.  This process of pouring into you is about strengthening you and empowering you.  It is about keeping you fresh, and when necessary refreshing you.  Who or what you feed from will greatly influence where you go.  Do not take lightly the people in your life, the church you attend, and the organizations you commit to.  Knowing the value of this will cause you to do the right things and to make the right choices. 

I want to encourage you to take full advantage of the positive people, groups, and places God connects you to.  Open yourself up to growing and take seriously who’s feeding you.  Watch your context and guard your conversations so that nothing and no one will negatively affect you.  Enjoy the Day and know God has you.  Keep  eating the right things!!!! Read John 15:1-11

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? - Wednesday, July 23, 2008
What was your first thought when your eyes opened this morning?  What were you thinking when the sun peeked through the sky?  It would be interesting to track your first thought each day.  I am convinced that anyone who can positively direct their thoughts in the morning will most likely have a more positive day.  They will find themselves feeding off of the initial thought.  The initial thought will become the seed into the soil of the day and the day will take on the spirit of the initial thought.

I believe that each day God gives us the authority to control our destinies.  I believe as well that our destiny is tied to what we do with each day.  In the end, what we do each day is tied to our thoughts.  So the most important thought we have each day is the first one.  The first thought sets the tone and if we are wise we will work at developing a mindset that will allow us to have a healthy first thought.

Tomorrow check your first thought and see if it fits what you want your day to look like.  Pay attention to what initially pops in your mind.  You will be amazed that your first thought is a part of your conversations during the day and a part of your mood.  Take authority over your thoughts and direct your first thought towards what you believe is God’s purpose for each day.  Have an awesome day!!
Read Matthew 6:25-34

PROTECT THE SACREDNESS OF LIFE - Thursday, July 24, 2008
On last evening I attended the Consecration Services of now Bishop Claude Alexander.  It was a wonderful moment that served as a display of the majesty and splendor of the Church’s rituals and ceremonies.  It was a declaration in practice of what makes the Christian Church so special.  The one thing that really jumped out at me was the sacredness by which the experience was lived out.  Throughout you sensed the unique presence of God through the music, the litanies, and the acts of consecration. 

This morning when I rose, I relived the moments and it caused me to have a greater sense of appreciation for the sacredness of life as well.  Life is sacred, meaning that God has ordained it and to life should be ascribed immeasurable value.  The way we view and handle life should be of such care, until at no time could we be perceived as irreverent or disrespectful.  Sacredness is about possessing a God consciousness.  It is about seeing God and his hand in everything and then appropriating value, because of the value you ascribe to God the creator.  It is about making sure that you always regard what God has sustained.  I believe that the reason why so many are being killed is because there is no sense of sacredness in the world.  I believe men degrade women and women disrespect men, because there is no sacredness in the world.

My encouragement today for you is to ask God to restore to you the profound sense of sacredness.  Ask God to give to you a deep sense of reverence for first himself, then his Son Jesus Christ, and finally for all that exists.  Ask God to show you his value and thus, encourage yourself to value the same. Have an awesome Day!! Read Genesis 1

STAY PREPARED - Friday, July 25, 2008
Last night in the WNBA, a woman named Nancy Lieberman played in a game between the Detroit Shock and the Houston Comets.  Now you would say, so what.  Well Nancy Lieberman, once one of the best women players, is 50 years old.  That’s right, she is 50 years old playing in a professional game.  That is amazing and I am so impressed.  For her to first be considered with all of the young players out here is amazing, and then to be able to handle a real game with well-conditioned athletes is incredible.  Out of it came a revelation for me.  Here it is!  No way could this woman be considered or even play if she was not prepared for it.  This means that even when no one was looking to her, she still kept herself in shape and when the door was opened she was ready.  No, she did not play as well as the others, but she was prepared.

God is so amazing until out of nowhere he can create an opportunity for you that will blow your mind.  Yet if you are not ready, you will miss your door and others will walk through it,

I so want you to know that today could be a day of an open door.  So here is some good advice:

1. Continue to grow and to develop no matter what season you are in.
2. Enhance your relational skills, because clearly God is going to do it through relationships.
3. Stay open because you never know when the moment is going to come.

As crazy as it seems, Nancy Lieberman is an awesome example of what it means to stay prepared.  God is about to open new doors for you, stay prepared.  Have an awesome weekend. Read Luke 2:41-52

LET'S DO THIS GOD - Monday, July 28, 2008
God welcomes you to another week by allowing you to awaken today.  Today begins another workweek and provides another opportunity to please God through worship and service.  Today God says, “I trust you with life and now I trust you with more time”.  What an incredible God!  So what will you do with this week?  What choices will you make?  How will you handle opportunities and challenges?  Who will you confide in?

My encouragement today is that you faithfully walk with God this week.  This week, focus and center on your relationship with Jesus Christ, allow his word and his example to shape you.  Spend the kind of quality time with him that will shape your relationship with him and allow him to positively influence you.  As well decide each morning what your attitude will be, and with all within you live it out.  This is to be an awesome week so do the following:

1. Smile a lot.
2. Minimize negative emotions and offensive moments.
3. Show kindness when possible.
4. Steer clear of unhealthy conversations by dismissing yourself.
5. Worship as much as possible so you can keep focus of Christ.

This week do it with God and watch God do it for you!!  Have an awesome week.
Read Psalms 27, Proverbs 3:9-10

ENJOY IT - Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Everyday is a blessing and we should enjoy it.  It is a joy to wake up each day and see the next thing God will do.  You will be amazed that God has something new and exciting for you.  He will blow your mind with a fresh revelation and a wonderful life lesson that will walk you into your destiny.  My encouragement is enjoy the day.  Pay attention to the subtle things God does.  See with your heart and not your eyes.  Watch out for the wonderful things he will teach you and enjoy the day.

Too many days are missed because we are distracted by the cares of life.  We miss his loving way of saying you matter.  We mismanage his way of saying we are special.  So today enjoy it and watch God speak in ways that will blow your mind.  Today is going to be awesome so enjoy it.  God is talking and speaking and manifesting.  Enjoy!! Read Philippians 4:8

GO AFTER IT - Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Passivity is one of the great sins of the modern saints.  We tend to accept too much.  We take what we should really be committed to changing.  It amazes me that we allow things to happen that we have the ability to change.  I want to encourage you to aggressively go after the things that we are able to change.  God truly has given us the ability to make a difference, especially in our personal lives.  Some things do not have to be accepted or allowed.  In fact we can make a difference by intentionally adjusting or even changing what we know is not God’s will for our lives.  It is time to make life look like God has designed it.

Let me challenge you to work on the things you can change.  Look closely at your life and refuse to accept that which is beneath you.  Know that God has created you to be great and to do even greater things.  Do not accept those things that weaken you and know that in the end you are awesome.  So go after life and begin by changing what is in your power to change.  You have one life so make the most of it by making no excuses and being the person you are created to be.  Life begins today and so go after it.  Talk to you tomorrow.  Love you!!! Read I Corinthians 15:58ff

BECOME A DIFFERENCE MAKER - Thursday, July 31, 2008
Read Matthew 5:16 and you will discover the amazing revelation.  It is the incredible revelation of what we as believers are called to.  It is important that we understand and embrace the call of our Lord Jesus Christ as lights.  To be a light is to be an instrument of grace and mercy to those who are lost and hurting.  It is to be an expression of our Lord and to serve as an extension of his love in the world.  As well it calls us to expose the presence of evil in the world, showing through our conduct the expected desire of God for humanity.

It is so important that we understand the necessity of being a willing vessel, committed to the salvation of our family and friends.  During this season of your life, make a conscious decision to become a positive presence in the world.  In essence, for the remainder of this year empower yourself to become a difference maker, reaching others through the light of God’s love for the world.  Know that the world can only be better if you are willing to be used and then give your life away to God for his purpose.

I strongly believe that in the end, life will be such an amazing journey and you will be better for the journey.  Life is meant to be enjoyed and a part of the enjoyment is being employed by God to serve the mission and mandate of our Christ.  Have an awesome day!!

FINALLY - Friday, August 1, 2008
After months of preparation and planning, the Children and Youth Convocation is finally here.  Today is the day that an awesome weekend for children and youth begins.  As the new day dawned I thought of the possibilities within this day.  I thought of all that persons have done to create those possibilities and I must admit it I am excited.  It is awesome to think that such effort and energy can translate into something that will bless many.

I write this today because there may be someone reading this devotional that has a dream, a vision, or some really incredible idea and you need to be encouraged to go after it.  Be willing to invest the time and energy in it.  Look for persons who are dreamers as well and integrate them into the process of your dream.  At the end of it all when the dream takes on shape and form, be excited.  You have earned the moment!!

I love you and I pray you see your dreams come to pass. Galatians 6:7-10

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