Give

Giving.

This comes in many forms and fashions. It could be by giving your money through tithes, offerings, and faith promise. It could be by giving your time to volunteering at a community event or for a specific ministry at your Church that you feel called to.

Whatever it is that you do or don't do we are called to give.

Sometimes this is hard, and sometimes we are called to give beyond what we think we can do. But if we trust God and take that step of faith He will reward us! He will take care of us and meet our needs.

Exodus 23:19 "You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God."

We are called to give God our first fruits, or best of the best! Too often I find myself and I know others also found themselves giving God their "leftovers" giving Him just what is left.

Lets be a people who give God our Best not our last!

Shine on!

Beauty

Today I was hanging out at one of my favorite places, One Flight Up! I was studying, preparing lessons, planning events and meetings when I got the sudden urge to partake in one of the things I love the most to do, walk around downtown Mt. Dora!

As I was walking I began to look around at how beautiful my city really is. It is something I use to take for granted.

What happened next is a hour long prayer walk where I literally just thanked God for all the beauty he has created!

It was increadible!

It was so good to spend in depth time in prayer to our creator and really pay attention to all the amazing detail he put into our planet!

I want to encourage you today to really look at God's creation and thank Him for even the littlest things!

We serve a beautiful God!

Shine on!

Change

Today I am starting a process of moving my room around! Paint, tv, book case, etc. I just need some change in my room!

Today change is a word that we here thrown around flippantly. From our current president's campiagn to our local school system, to the church to our comminuty as a whole.

People don't like the way the world is.

It has seen change over the last several decades, going from families who were focused on God and daily seeking His will to being people who are only looking out for number one! To people who have to have everything top of the line, brand new and we have to be first in everything!

And your considered a Jesus Freak if you spend time reading your Bible, praying, going to Church and helping people.

That was the norm 50 years ago!!!

People want to see change they want the United States to get better, they want to see people be helped.

My advise, be the change you want to see!

& Seek The God who loves us and never changes!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
James 1:17

Shine on!

Everything

This is such an amazing song!

How much better would our lives be if we truly sought to live out the words of this song and wanted God to be our EVERYTHING?!

"God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
Be my everything"

Everything by: Tim Hughes

Shine on!

Reliance

Trust is a big issue for a lot of us. We have our guards up and don't want to let anyone close enough to hurt us.

And more than that we have a problem of not letting go of every area of our life. Often I have prayed for the strength to let go and give it all to God. But, to often i find myself trying to run my life on my own.

I regularly catch myself in prayer for God's guidance in something that I have already made up my mind to do. When instead I should be seeking His guidance way before I ever act or make a decision.

I don't know why i continually, don't trust that God can and will take care of me. Why I daily worry about what is going to happen tomorrow, or next week or 5 years from now!

Do we sometimes forget how big God is? How much He is capable of doing?

I have been reading through the Old Testament lately and it has just put me in awe! Reading all the accounts of the people who God lead, and provided for, and delievered from many more trials than I will ever see!

Our God is big!

He is capable of handling anything that we are worried about or stressed over!

What do we need to let go of that is holding us back from fulling trusting God? What in our lives is blocking us from being totally Reliant on our Creator?

May we realize that it is through God that we daily breathe, live and move!

Through God all things are possible!

Matthew 6:34

&

Philippians 4:6-7

Shine on!

More like falling in love

It's no big secret that the United states in a recession. In these hard times people just want something to believe in, something to give them meaning and purpose to their everyday lives. With so much struggle and despair I have seen a pattern in movies, the music industry and countless other companies are turning to Christianity in some form or fashion. (obviously not all of them.)

But why do they wait till times are hard?

It blows my mind why the people in our country continually put their faith in political leaders, bosses, education, science and so many other temporary things.

When the United States was founded our forefathers founded it on God. Centered it around God! We have fallen so far since then and it is no longer about God but about us.

Why do we think that God will honor a nation who daily lives like there is no God?

If we want things to get better, if we want something to live for, if we want a reason to wake up and do our best every morning lets let God back into our country!

Try having a relationship with the one who created you and gave you life and breathe and laughter.

Read Psalm 33:10-12.

&

Matthew 22:37-29.

Shine on!