Tag Archive | Christian

The Snowball Effect…

It is so much easier to tell the truth than it is to tell a lie. In-fact it is virtually impossible to tell a lie and pull one off without being found out…my kids can attest to this hypothesis…In-fact they think I am human lie detector.

In some ways I guess they are right…My Father gifted me with the gift of discernment. From out of nowhere this sense of “something’s not right” comes over me and I become a little nauseated when someone is telling me an untruth.

Recently a friend was in a dilemma and asked me “what do I tell them?” My reply was “try the truth!!!”

Being truthful is a choice. Like any attribute of a Believer’s life, integrity can release blessings if you choose to live a life based on truth. The Bible says, “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9, NIV)

Oh, and just for the record…there is no such thing as a “Little White Lie”. It is what it is….A LIE!!! If you tell one then you have to tell another and before you know it, you are burdened with the task of remembering who you told what…The Snowball Effect.

Yes, there may be consequences for telling the truth and may even be a little uncomfortable but…

God Will Bless You for Living a Life of Integrity!

Love Lee ♥

Hey Goldilocks What’s Your Temperature?

Feb1

The big headlines this morning in the news is for a hard freeze. Temperatures in the 20’s is so atypical for South Texas. It is not uncommon to hear “I can’t stand cold weather” but then in the summer I frequently hear “it’s too hot”. We are sooo like Goldilocks we don’t want it too hot or too cold. Instead, we want it just right!

Hmmm….Not God!!!

Our Father is very clear on this matter. He finds it distasteful to be lukewarm. So much so He wants absolutely nothing to do with us…He will just spew us out!!!

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.Revelation 3:16

So what does lukewarm sound like, look like, or feel like for a Christian?

Here are some questions that might help you determine whether your Christian walk has become lukewarm…

Do you find yourself worrying?
Is there sin in your life?
Do you love the things of the world more than you love God?
Are you too busy for Jesus?
What are your priorities?
Do you use God’s name in vain?
When is the last time you prayed for someone or something other than yourself or your desires?
Do you share your faith no matter what others think or say about you?
Do you seek wealth and recognition over God?
When is the last time you followed God’s direction or obeyed His word?

Well there you have it…He didn’t call us to be perfect. He called us to be on fire for Him!!!

What’s Your Temperature?

Love Lee ♥

What’s in Your Glass Today?

Jan28

I received this message in an email a couple of days ago and immediately requested permission to share it…

“A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?’….. she fooled them all… “How heavy is this glass of water?”, she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our
burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night… pick them up tomorrow.”

My friend added ******”But, I would have to add to this message – why even pick them up tomorrow? Give them to the Lord!”. She is sooo right!!!

I would say why not just empty the contents out completely…Pour out your burdens to Jesus!!!

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalms 55:22

What’s in Your Glass Today?

Love Lee ♥

Why Am I Here?

Jan18

Have you ever wondered, Why am I here…Why am I here on this earth, in this place at this time?

Last Wednesday First Baptist Church Brazoria began learning the music for our annual Passion Play. While all of the music is awesome there was one song that has ministered to me and has answered the question “Why am I Here?”.

As I was driving to work one morning this week, a light bulb went off in my head and I became abundantly aware of why I am here.

I’m here to WORSHIP THE KING!!!

Worship:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:1-8

We are here in this moment for one reason only…It is to WORSHIP THE KING…

Worship The King

by BJ Davis

I bow in rev’rence in the courts of royal majesty. Honoring His presence, I’m here to worship the King. I’m here to worship the King. Blessing and honor and power be to Him alone. Holy, holy, holy, we join the angel’s song. Come, let us worship the Lord, and crown Him Lord of all. Come, let us worship the Lord, and crown Him Lord of all, Lord of all! We join the angel’s song. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. I’m here to worship the King. I’m here to worship the King.

Have You Worshiped the King Today?

Love Lee ♥

Out With the Old and In With the New

Jan8

Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. II Corinthians 5:17

Where have you come from? The person you were before Christ came into your life should be gone. The habits and attitudes that defined you then should be changed. You are a new creature a door has open in your heart that Christ walked through bringing love compassion, concern for others, honesty, justice and self-sacrifice with it. Every characteristic that defines Christ can now define you. The struggle is to keep that old person with all her old habits and attitude away old habits die-hard begin each day by asking the Lord to help the new person shine over the old person.

I have not arrived but I am definitely not what I use to be!!! God is soooo good!

Love Lee ♥

Gotta Get It Right

Dec28

No one can be wrong with man and right with God…

Profound statement and so true! Man is God’s greatest and most complex creation. We are the sparkle of His eye. But…God does not like it when His kids don’t get along. In fact so much so He commands we love one another and in so doing we fulfill the law of Christ.

By no means am I saying I have arrived! In fact at times it is just the opposite!!! As I grow in this area I become keenly aware those difficult personalities placed in our path are to either distract us or define us.

The Distraction…is satan’s way of removing our focus from God and placing it on people. Our focus becomes selfish and we focus on the negative traits of people rather than honing in on their beautiful attributes God has blessed them with. When we become focused on the negative our attention is drawn away from the Lord and viola…satan’s mission is accomplished.

The Definition…God does not allow failure and He expects us to rise above the temptation of being mean and hurtful to others. It is when we focus on the positive and beautiful attributes of others we are able to see God more clearly and we are drawn into His presence.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1 John 4:11

O Lord, I know that You are aware and care about each person I will face today. Please let others see Jesus in me and allow me to extend Your love as commanded.

Love Lee♥

Keeping Your Promises

Nov23

Who out there has said, “I will…” but knew deep down “You Wouldn’t? Often people commit to things or people without giving any thought to the implications or consequences. Then when the time arrives to follow through with the commitment they realize it was never their intention to carry out what was promised so the excuses begin to flow.

Parents do this frequently. They tell the child whatever it takes to pacify them at the time. Then when it is time to deliver what was promised the parent is no longer quite so eager to please.

Before making a commitment or promise to someone you might want to consider the following:

Do you intend to you keep your word and follow through?
Is the commitment something you can realistically carry out?
Did you write down the commitment you made?
Do you know why you are making the promise?
Do you know what you hope to gain from the promise and the consequences of failure?

Keeping promises demonstrates our “True Inner Self.” It shows whether or not we have corruptible or incorruptible morals inside of us. Integrity, Honor, Self-respect and Honesty means everything to man and to the Lord! A broken promise means a broken trust and relationship. Trust and respect as well as one’s honor is the basis of our relationship with our Lord. He expects us to keep promises to others as well!

…The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalms 145:13. Your Heavenly Father is the greatest promise keeper ever. His word is chalked full of promises for His children. He provides the perfect example to us His kids teaching us the importance of keeping those promises. We should strive to follow His example.

So, what promises have you made?

It is never too late to deliver!!!

Love Lee ♥

I Just Can’t Control Myself

Nov22

You think you have no self-control Well, just let your neighbor ring the doorbell while you are in the middle of throwing a wall-eyed fit. What do you do? You plaster a great big smile on your face and in a sugary sweet voice you greet that neighbor as any Southern Belle would do. You invite them in and you carry on a conversation with them as if absolutely nothing had upset your apple cart 5 minutes prior.

Now, that’s self-control if I ever saw it!!!

Self control is a fruit of the spirit which is gifted to you the day you ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. But, that gift is given as a seed. It must be cultivated, nurtured and matured. It is not a full-grown plant the day you receive it.

…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

What is it in your life that causes you to lose control of yourself? What pushes your buttons? Could it be…

The kids fighting
Your husband leaving his underwear on the floor
Dirty dishes in the sink
Toilet paper hung backward on the roll
The tooth pasted squeezed in the middle rather than rolled from the bottom
A huge piece of Chocolate Cake left out on the counter
A person which rubs you the wrong way

Whatever it is that sets you off, doesn’t have to. You have the seed of Self Control given to you by your heavenly Father. All you must do is exercise it in order for it to be strengthened. In time you will become stronger and much more proficient at using it. Much like one is strengthened by physical exercise.

You can be in control…

Love Lee ♥

All or Nothing

Nov15

In life people are often faced with life changing decisions like marriage, parenting, or careers. These decisions can not be taken lightly and require a higher level of commitment and dedications.

One of those life changing decisions is to include Christ into ones life. Along with the decision to follow Christ, a decision about the level of commitment must be made as well. If knowing God, living for Him, and growing in your faith is important, then it is worth giving your whole heart to it. To put on a fancy show for others to convince them that you’re doing a good job or seeking to know God better. However, the bottom line is you can’t fool God. He looks deep into your heart and knows whether your efforts to know Him are shallow or whether they run deep.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart”. Jeremiah 29:13

God looks deep into your heart and knows whether your efforts to know Him are shallow or whether they run deep. If they are deep and your heart’s desire is to know Him with all your heart, then mistakes and failures will be brushed aside.

Striving for excellence does not mean you will not make mistakes. But, unlike your family, friends, or acquaintances God does not beat you over the head with your past. He wraps his arms of forgiveness around your shoulder and supports you as you move forward in your walk with Him. His opinion should be the only one that matters and we should live our life by His standards and not the opinions of others.

“An authentic life is the most personal form of worship. Everyday life has become my prayer.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

It’s All Or Nothing…God cares about your heart’s priority so choose wisely!

Love Lee ♥

Good Morning…

Sep30

The alarm goes off and you drag yourself out of bed. Then stumbling to the kitchen for that cup hot coffee and grunting at anyone who crosses your path on the way. Not a pretty sight!!! Now let’s rewind and try this view…the alarm goes off, you reach over and turn the alarm off, you lay there conscious of you surroundings…listening to the quiet while saying a “Good Morning Prayer”. A prayer with the following components; praise, thanksgiving, guidance, and protection.

Praise

Praise elevates us into God’s presence and power. The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). Praise is an expression of worship; a way of setting aside time to honor and adore our creator and sustainer. If verbalizing praise to God is foreign to you or you have no idea of what to say, I recommend the book of Psalms. David is referred to as “A Man After God’s Own Heart” and it is easy to understand why when you read how he is able to express his adoration for the Lord. Below are an examples of David’s words of praise.

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High Psalms 7:17

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalms 42:11

I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. Psalms 52:9

Thanksgiving

How can we as Christians not give thanks to our Father for all He has done for us. He loves us, protects us, and provides for us. And it is those provisions and blessings we should be forever grateful. Having an attitude of gratitude is a challenge if God’s provisions are not recognized as such. Until we recognize God owns it all, is in charge of it all, and distributes it all then we will never see the need to say “Thank You”

In Ephesians 5:20 it says we should “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, He owns it all, is in charge of it all, and distributes it all…Everything we have is on loan from the Lord; family, friends, possessions, job, health…EVERYTHING!!!

Now, having said that, I don’t know about you but, if I gave a gift to my child and she never showed any form of appreciation or gratitude or took it for granted, I am not so sure I would keep giving! Using that analogy why would our Heavenly Father want to keep pouring out His blessings on us if we do not show a little excitement and gratitude?

I encourage you to never, never, never take anything from the Lord for granted. Oh did I mention, everything we have is on loan from the Lord…so I guess we have a lot to be thankful for.

Guidance

When is the last time you asked for someone to show you how or the way out of a situation? Well, I feel certain it has been more recent than the last time you asked God…

Perhaps by asking God at the beginning of your day to lead you through it, your whole day might have turned out totally different…Perhaps BETTER! It is so easy to call out to Him and ask Him to be your guide, to allow your path to be filled with ease rather than strife, to place the people who need ministering to in front of you, to lay someone on your heart to pray for, to give you favor in all you do. David prayed for guidance.

Psalms 25:5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalms 31:3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Psalms 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

Psalms 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Psalms 139:10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

He is there for you. He wants to bless you. He wants to lead and guide you. But, once you ask and He gives you what you ask for, don’t forget the Thanksgiving that needs to follow.

Protection

When you wake do you pray a hedge of protection about yourself and about your family? David did…he prayed protection over others in Psalms 5:11, “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” I know for fact God cares for our safety. He is our Daddy God and He cares for us and wants nothing to harm us His children. Below are some additional scriptures show all we have to do is call out to God and He will honor our request.

Psalms 40:11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.

Psalms 59:1 For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.

Psalms 69:29 I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.

Now, here is the catch…You prayed for protection, now you must thank Him in advance and trust you and your family is under His protection…DO NOT WORRY!!!

So now rather than wake up and you drag yourself to the coffee pot; you might want to start your day with praise and thanksgiving then ask for guidance and protection over your day. THEN…you can go get that cup of coffee!!!