WHAT YOU SAY MATTERS!

Do you ever feel like this some days?

I know that WE ALL have mood swings and often think, "I can't control them." But think about the times that you were mad and arguing with your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, parents, siblings etc. & you run into someone you know. Almost immediately, you can change the tone of your voice, controlling the anger and bitterness into the nice, kind, fun person that you want the outside world to see.

Do you have the bad habit of allowing negative, self defeating thoughts enter your mind? This often sets the tone for your entire day. I want to remind you to start your day off with prayer & a few minutes of studying God's word, watch your day be transformed.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE!

Work on how you talk to your loved ones & yourself this week. Work on your anger, negative attitude and negative self talk.

Here's a few positive quotes to think on:

1. Pray & read the word of God today & He will set you free!

2. Courage is progress in the presence of fear...push through your fear to reach your goals!

3. A thankful heart = a powerful person. What are you thankful for today?

4. The world is full of two kinds of people, the givers and the takers. Takers eat well but givers sleep well!

5. God's word coming out of your mouth is one of the most powerful forces on heaven & earth!

6. God's giving is inseparably connected with our asking...PRAY today!

7. God never gives you anything to do that's beyond your ability with Him by your side!

8. Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life!

9. What virtues can you find today in the people close to you? Look for the good & see your relationship change!

10. Good words are worth much & cost little...think about what you say today!

11. Don't wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it!

12. It is challenging to say the right thing...let wisdom rise above emotions!

13. Think about the words you speak & you will learn a lot about yourself! Speak POSITIVE today!

14. Prayer does not change God but changes him who prays!

15. He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how!

16. Give God your problems & allow Him to give you solutions!

17. Trust God when He says no & when He says yes!

18. The value of persistent prayer is not that He will hear us...but that we will finally hear Him!

19. Learn to take steps of faith each day...it gets easier along the way!

20. Jesus Christ died so that you will be set free...take His life giving sacrifice!

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. "I will be found by you, declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." Jeremiah 29:11-14

Thankful List

story by: Lisa Petrarca

When you woke up today, did you remember to look over your Thankful List? This list always seems to get hidden behind our, To Do List, I Want List, I Need List, and the ever popular, Why Me List.

Everyday we go through our endless mental checklists and somehow the Thankful List gets buried or lost. Even in our daily prayer life, we pray for our wants, needs, hopes, dreams, wealth and health. But do we remember to thank our Heavenly Father for all the things He has blessed us with?

Each one of us should place our Thankful List on top. When you wake up in the morning, check this list FIRST, then head down your other mental lists. I'm sure that you'll find with a simple "Thankful" adjustment your other lists wont seem as long.

I'm challenging each one of you to try this. Think of 10 things you're thankful for before getting out of bed in the morning. Next, say a prayer thanking the Lord for these things.
I'm sure He doesn't get to hear the thank you's very often.

"Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 106:1

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, "You are my servant"; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10

Faith Beyond Reason

Is there something in your life that you feel is beyond hope? You can't begin to imagine that anything could ever change it, fix it, or heal it? Is there something going on that makes it so difficult to even make it through the day?

There was a woman who was in just such a situation. She had a terrible problem for 12 years. She used every bit of her money, went to several different doctors, and instead of getting better, she grew worse.

It seemed hopeless...no one could stop her bleeding.

If anyone had a valid reason to lose hope, I think this woman would have every right to...and yet she was able to have faith beyond reason.

The woman heard about Jesus & knew in her heart that if she could only touch His cloak, she would be healed.

So, instead of standing silently in the crowd, making up excuses, feeling sorry for herself because she had suffered so much, wondering, "Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" This woman followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit, then she took a step of faith.

She squeezed and pushed her way through the crowd. Slowly, inch by crowd suffocating inch, until she was barely close enough to reach out her hand and touch the cloak of Jesus. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she had been freed from her suffering.

Jesus told her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (read Mark 5:25-34)

If you have something going on recently in your life or for many years and have lost hope, pray that you can have the kind of faith that this woman had.

Pray today for this type of , "FAITH BEYOND REASON."

Facing Your Goliath

This morning, while reading the scriptures, I thought about David. He had to face so many obstacles in his life.

From a very young age he learned the value of praying and then believing in the Lord to protect and guide him.

David faced Goliath, not with fear, doubt, trembling or a negative self defeating attitude, but with complete faith. Knowing that God is bigger than anything he would come up against.

What Goliath's are in front of you?

Are you attempting to battle them alone?

Pray that the Lord will give you the strength and faith to come to Him daily. Let Him stand in the gap and move your Goliath...just as He did for David.

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you."

1 Samuel 17:33-37
Read the story of David - 1 Samuel chapters 17-31

Child Locked in a Dungeon

Little Annie, was a young hopeless girl, locked in the dungeon of a mental hospital just outside of Boston. This is where they kept all of the patients that were beyond help. Annie acted like an animal, growling & attacking anyone who came near her and other times she would sit staring blankly at the walls.

One day an elderly nurse, who held hope for all of God's children, began to take her lunch in the dungeon. She decided to leave her brownie/cookie for little Annie. When she returned the next day it was gone. The nurse continued to show this small act of love & kindness. After several months, Annie was moved up to the normal ward & eventually, this hopeless girl was told she could leave the institution.

Little Annie was Anne Sullivan, the woman who loved & taught another supposed hopeless case, Helen Keller.


Is there someone in your life who can be changed by a "brownie?" Is there a hopeless cause that needs a simple gesture of love & kindness?

Jesus showed us that unconditional love breaks down all barriers.

Stop judging & start to share the gift of unconditional love with others today. He is the potter & we are the clay!

Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Rare 1880 photo of Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan

CHOICES

story by: lisa petrarca

Every morning I awaken to choices.

What should I have for breakfast? What should I wear? What route should I take to work? Should I give that homeless guy money? What do I need to get at the store?

The list of our choices are endless.

But I've learned that the most important choice is: Am I willing to make time for God today?

Am I going to free up some precious moments to spend praying & reading His words each morning?

This decision seems to affect every aspect of my entire day.

When I set aside time for the Lord, I realize I've opened the door for HIM to help me with my choices throughout the day. I am no longer alone!

MAKE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE...ASK YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FOR HIS GUIDANCE. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:2-6

Do You Have True Beauty?

story by: Lisa Petrarca

There is a program on ABC called, "True Beauty". The concept is for each contestant to compete to become the most beautiful face of Las Vegas, win $100,000.00 & their picture will appear in People Magazine.

They are all considered beautiful people on the outside & they think that each challenge is about winning & getting them closer to the ultimate prize as "The Most Beautiful Person."

What they don't know however is that before each competition, they are being confronted with the real challenge. A needy person, a person getting bullied, a person getting made fun of, and an opportunity to cheat to win the challenge are all being put directly in front of them. They are then secretly filmed to see if they are beautiful on the inside as well. The person with the most INNER BEAUTY is the ultimate winner.

Before each person gets kicked off, they get to stand & watch the real tests. They get to watch clips of themselves behaving in a not so "beautiful" way. Many of them proclaim, "That's not who I really am," and come up with excuses for their bad behavior. They become embarrassed, ashamed or angrily walk out.

I wonder what kind of inner beauty we have? If a camera was following you everyday, would it capture your true heart? Would you be ashamed to let people watch what was recorded? Would it reflect the love of Christ living in you?

Each day you get 1440 minutes to show the world your true inner beauty. At the end of the day, you will never get those minutes back. Make the most of your gifts and use them to bless others.

Be mindful of all you say & do...the Lord is watching and knows your true inner beauty.

Ephesians 6:6-8

Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether slave or free.