Tag Archive | grace

No More “What If”

Have you found yourself wanting for something but find fear holds you back? You find yourself living in the world of “What If”

What if it hurts?
What if I can’t do it?
What if they don’t like me?
What if they don’t approve?
What if it doesn’t turn out right?
What if _________ ? (you fill in the blank)

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain. ~Mark Twain. Action is our greatest weapon against fear. Left to smolder, fear grows upon itself, but in the face of action, fear is left in the dust.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…I John 4:18

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Nelson Mandela

NO MORE WHAT IF’S…

Let Your Light Shine

Love Lee ♥

There Is So Much More

Mar26

Recently I wrote “It Ain’t Always Pretty” but it was this morning during my quiet time the words jumped off the pages of my Bible and God spoke to me in the most vivid and comprehensible way!!!

Psalms 91:1 has always been my “Go To” scripture. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty”. I absolutely love that verse!!! In-fact I alluded to it in the post “I’ve Got His Rib”. But, I find it sooooo awesome that’s not all…

Beginning in verse 9 He says SO MUCH MORE!!!

If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalms 91:9-16

WOW…WOW…WOW…

I have read this scripture many times before and it has ministered to me. But this morning….It SCREAMED into my ear!

I have work to do…I’ve got that~When God speaks and the conviction of the Holy Spirit comes over me, I know I had better listen. And, while It Ain’t Always Pretty, it is necessary to be obedient! But, here’s the kicker…

He has posted Angles around me…NOTHING (and NO ONE) can or will harm me! And…Wow be if anything or anyone tries…BECAUSE>>>

I LOVE THE LORD AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIS NAME

He has shown me His salvation and He will satisfy my every longing!!!

Praise God…There Is So Much More!!!

Love Lee ♥

Do You Have What It Takes

Mar24

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14: 22-33

Questions

If there were waves about your boat…Would you step off into the water?
If you felt yourself sinking would you fight to stay afloat or would you cry out and allow the extended hand to pull you out?
If He reached down His hand and pulled you out of the turmoil would you trust Him?
Does He need to perform a miracle in order for you to recognize it is Him?

To follow Jesus it takes courage, trust, faith, and daily worship…

Do You Have What it Takes?

Love Lee ♥

Heart of Worship

Mar22

Do you find it difficult to get to the heart of worship when bogged down with the cares of the world or overwhelmed with life?

Sunday morning the song “Heart of Worship” was sung in our worship service and it was a great reminder to return to the heart of worship….

Jesus

Have you worshipped today?

Love Lee ♥

This is Your Life

Mar17

I remember several years ago there was a TV show called “This Is Your Life”. They would highlight the life of a person by bringing in people from their past to surprise them. They would play a clip of a person from the past sharing a memory while the contestant on the show would try to figure out who was speaking. Often the contestant had no idea how they had impacted the person from the past and on occasion would not even remember knowing them.

Today, you are impacting someones life while creating your past.. So in order to live today to its fullest and not regret your past, you must

Put God first
Treat people with dignity
Offer words of encouragement
Do what is right even when no one is watching
Go the extra mile no matter how tired you are
Show up and be connected

While God’s grace covers our mistakes and gives us a clean slate, it does give us permission to blow our days away without thought to consequences…We will be accountable for every word or deed so make today count because…

This is Your Life!

Love Lee ♥

What’s Your Weakness?

Mar16

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and it is human nature to want to showcase your strengths and hide your weaknesses. However, it is in your weaknesses God can use you the most. Without weakness, God’s supernatural strength can not be exalted.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. II Corinthians 12:7

Countless times I have counseled people who were at the end of their rope feeling there was absolutely no resolution for the problems they were faced, only to later hear them report God’s goodness and mercy; singing His praises for the deliverance He provided.

Wayward child returned home
Financial issues resolved
Crumbling marriages restored
infirmities healed

If You Want To Impress People Showcase Your Strengths But If You Want To Influence People Share Your Weaknesses.

When you share you weaknesses, God becomes the center of attention and His power is showcased. The focus is removed from you and placed on God’s power. By transferring the focus to God your problem becomes really small and His power becomes very strong.

Thus, your value is not determined by your problem but instead your value is determined by your God.

What’s Your Weakness?

Love Lee ♥

How to Avoid Workplace Drama

Mar15

How to Avoid Workplace Drama is one of the best written articles I have read.

How To Avoid Workplace Drama

While we must follow Christ’s command to love we can also take some pro-active measures which are based on common sense.

NO MORE DRAMA!!!

Love Lee ♥

What’s Your Attitude?

Mar10

This morning as I reflect on my calling in life and why God has placed me where I am…my first thought was I am humbled. Then I began to think…Do I even understand the meaning of humble?

The Dictionary defines humble as:

1: not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive

2: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission <a humble apology>

Then gives synonyms and antonyms which helps paint an even clearer picture of humble…

Synonyms: demure, down-to-earth, lowly, meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious

Antonyms: arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic (or egotistical), fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

In this day and age whether climbing the corporate ladder, advancing your business, or networking, only the outgoing, strong, and most boisterous tend to “move up” in the life. So when one hears humble it is often equated with being weak. Unfortunately the humble spirit almost always grates on the nerves of those who are not…

Paul urges us to “walk in a manner Worthy of the calling to which we have been called, with all humility, and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). Yep, that means we must love those that portray all the antonyms of humble; which I might add is in itself not an easy task!

1 Peter 5:5 reminds us, “… Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Now I don’t know about you but I certainly do not want to be in opposition with God…I want to bathe in His grace!

Psalm 25:9 encourages us saying, “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way.”

Yes, I think it is very accurate to say I am humbled and I am so blessed by God! However, for me to remain humble and show love around those people who exhibit all the antonyms above….that is the true test! Am I humble enough…NO WAY!!! So I pray God will help me grow more humble daily!!!

What’s Your Attitude???

Love Lee ♥

Well Shut My Mouth

Oct27

Oh My Gosh…Today in my morning Bible study my eye was drawn to scriptures about wholesome conversation…Of course I really didn’t want to go there so my first instinct was to skip over these scriptures and find a feel good scripture so I didn’t have to deal with my conscience. God would not let me out of this one so I had to deal with my junk…

Here it is … “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” 2 Timothy 2:16

OUCH!!!

Been there done that just yesterday at work…Out of frustration I began to vent to a co-worker and let me just say when venting negativity God is not in it! Without even realizing what I was doing, I allowed myself to go there and it only took a few minutes to arrive. Ughhhh I hate it when that happens! Can anyone relate?

I am not perfect…never have been…never will be…but I do know the one that is and I thank God He reveals to me the sin in my life because I do not want to become more and more ungodly!!!

Nothing like starting my morning with a spiritual bath and being washed clean by His mercy and grace!

Love Lee ♥

Getting it Right

Sep27

Recently I received an email from a precious friend encouraging me to keep up the hard work on my Website. It came at the perfect time as I had become very discouraged trying to learn each of the functionalities for the different tabs behind the scenes. It is a maze of buttons back there…

Just today I was challenged with a post. I began to write “Let’s Play” with focus on the things I missed out on when I was a child when all of a sudden I realized I didn’t miss out on anything at all. So, I started over with a focus on the positive aspects of my childhood but forgot to erase a paragraph of my first attempt at the post. What a mess…Talking about all the wonderful memories I made as a child followed by a paragraph that made no sense at all.

Once you publish, it’s out there for the world to see. Life is much like that…once you put it out there you can’t take it back. Good, bad, or ugly it’s out there! But life is not a blog it is real and while we don’t get “do overs” we do have God’s amazing grace, mercy, and forgiveness and then the slate is clean and our lives are washed white as snow.

I thank God daily for His grace…

It reminds me of a song I love Every Move I Make

Love Lee ♥