What 2 wear this week!

The Greatest Garment Ever!!

Isaiah 61:3
and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Psalm 34
King James Version (KJV)
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

This week many people will spend hours preparing a garment to disguise themselves. From the super cute to the super scary each outfit is designed to be displayed just for a night.

Although the costume is momentary - there are those that wear a costume daily.

Fear, pain, degradation and more are covered up by temporary smiles and false feelings because of the trepidation that if everyone knew how ugly they really felt people would prefer they wore a mask anyway!

Watch this!

Just as swiftly as this week appeared -it can quickly disappear! There is an immediate ointment for your ailment. The weight of sorrow is heavy - but God has a light and custom fit garment called praise which will relieve you!

Refocus from pain to praise and watch God show up.

Instead of promoting problems - praise God! Turn off the music that is spiritually and emotionally destructive and turn on something encouraging.

Get clothed in praise!

Praise is your weapon! Praise is your power! Praise is your victory dance in the face of what looks like defeat!

Psalm 118:24
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
24 This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The Safety of The Shadow

Shadow walkers!

HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. (Psalm 91:1 AMP)

There are many things I want in life. But of all of them one of my strongest current desires is to see my son walk on his own. As a baby, I looked forward to him holding his head up on his own - then I wanted him to sit up on his own - then it was crawling - now it is walking.

In Jeremiah 29:11 we learn that just as we have plans and desires for our children - God has a great and mighty plans for us!

I know my son wants to walk because he is always trying. He just hasn't built the confidence in his legs. When his desire to move outweighs his fear of falling he makes a step. His greatest moments of confidence occur when he is under me holding on to my hands.

Hold on it gets better!

Under my shadow my son can move. When you set up permanent residence under the shadow of God you can you shall and you will survive & move!

The closer you are to God the better you can hear His voice and the more protected you will be!

Get up - Get under His shadow - Get moving!

Ready 2 Go Home?!?!?!

Never Too Far to Come Back!

Luke 15:20

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

Sunday, October 14, 2012 will forever be remembered as the day a man fell from space and survived.

Felix Baumgartner, a thrill seeker and Austrian paratrooper who had successfully completed over 2,500 jumps took a giant plunge from the stratosphere, a height over 24 miles up.

With seized breath I watched Felix inch onto the platform of a capsule that was pulled into space by a massive helium-filled balloon.

When Baumgartner reached the desired launch height, mission control instructed him to detach his suit from the capsule and prepare to jump.

Felix made two profound statements while standing above the curve of the earth.

"Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are," and “I’m going home now.”

I have been skydiving before. That moment before you leap – a litany of thoughts darts through your mind.

As I stood on the edge of uncertainty I was amazed at the distance and the widescreen view of God’s design but also afraid to make a move. Can you imagine what it would have been like to see the earth from Felix’s view?

There are many people who have reached their personal edge of uncertainty. They are teetering on the threshold of a breakthrough and a breakdown. Like the prodigal son who had reached his breaking point, he had a new worldview and a decision to make.

It was time to move!

When Baumgartner landed, Red Bull made a Facebook picture post of him kneeling on the ground. That post generated nearly 216,000 likes, 10,000 comments and more than 29,000 shares in less than 40 minutes.

When we make a life choice to leap and leave a former lifestyle and then acknowledge God for making it happen, people notice! That single prayer pose was seen around the world!

However, this isn’t the first time a man came from the heavens and changed the way people see world.

It’s not too late for you to come home! It doesn’t matter how far you have traveled. Even if you took millions of steps away from God, it only takes one to get back home.

The Father is waiting for you to come home, he sees you in the distance, and his arms are outstretched towards you!

PHOTO BY RED BULL STRATOS

research for article by JUAN CARLOS LLORCA, Associated Press

Liar! Liar! Pants on Fire!

Who Told You...

Genesis 3:11 (NKJV)

11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

My son recently celebrated his first birthday. Helium filled balloons, colorful red blue and yellow decorations, food, cupcakes, and more packed the Dr. Seuss themed party.

Now anyone who has been to a typical first birthday knows that although everyone is celebrating the baby, the party is really for the adults.

According to the party planner, there was a segment of time dedicated to outdoor activities.

My mother was in charge of the games.

She donned a tall purple top hat with black stripes and pulled out a giant bag of games with prizes. Marching through the back door, she motioned the little ones to join her outside. She chased, tackled, tickled, and played an endless game of toss with the children!

The other “adults”, including me, observed her playing with a sense of child-like energy while wondering why she was doing the most.

Afterwards I asked my mom, “How do you do it?”

She proudly blurted out, “Who told you that 60-year olds were supposed to be boring?!”

Adam and Eve were naked and comfortable until they chose to believe a lie that disregarded the truth that was designed into their very existence.

Everyone has an opinion about who you are, what you do, and how you should live your life. The bible commands us in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world”(AMP).

Who told you…

You are too old?

You aren’t big enough?

You aren’t smart enough?

You can’t…

You MUST believe what God says! If the information you are given sounds good – take it to God. If He confirms it - THEN believe it.

If you are ever looking for the lady I call mom – visit my church and see the single mother of two college graduates dancing on the front row. She preaches to prisoners, has a doctorate, two masters degrees, a bachelors, and can still chase her grandson with arthritis in her knee!

Given every reason to stop, go back, or quit – she broke the mold of tradition and blazed a new trail by trusting the report of The Lord!

Why fit in when you were born to stand out? ~ Dr. Seuss

Water Walking - Leading From the Front!

You First!

He who follows the leader won’t be following the follower – Vern McLellan

There are no office hours for leaders – James Cardinal Gibbons

Matthew 14:28:29 Amplified Bible (AMP) 

28 And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.

29 He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I used to laugh at parents that would do any and everything to get their children to eat their food. I believed that if a child were hungry, they would eat. There was no need to do all of that extra stuff!

Well…recently I caught myself doing the very same thing I would laugh at other parents for doing.

Admittedly I was rushing to feed my son breakfast before school. I knew he was hungry but despite me putting his spoon in front of him, he kept pushing it away.

Before I knew it, I was making airplane sounds and showing him how good the food was (it really wasn’t) by tasting it in front of him. It worked!

Leaders are willing to do what it takes to get the results they desire. Leaders take the first step in confidence and convince others that they will have equally as favorable results.

I can imagine Peter and the disciples being tossed across the deck of the boat during the fourth watch of the night between 3am and 6am. Then, through the crash of the waves they see a man walking on water.

“Leaders know how to walk when everyone else feels like running”

Peter, inspired by his leader, solicits Jesus to beckon him.

There are several people looking for the right motivation to move. Inside they are hungry for progress but they just want to know that someone has accomplished it first.

Sure, Peter stumbled after a few steps on the uncertain surface but mistakes happen when we lose focus. But, what would have happened had Peter never got out the boat. Leaders take risks but they also take time to focus on the goal of those risks.

Take this blog as your motivation! God has placed a hunger in you for greatness. And the template you are searching for is found in Him.

Jesus didn’t ask Peter to do anything he had not already accomplished. And just the same, the trials and difficulties we experience on the path to purpose are setups for success.

People are human and humans aren’t perfect. Jesus endured it all for the glory of the cross. If He can handle it and His spirit is alive and dwelling on the inside of you – YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

Set your eyes on the originator and ultimate example of endurance as well as success.

As a believer, spouse, parent, employer, or employee - You are a leader!