Archive for December, 2010


Hesitate

Filed Under: Stephanie Wright's Journal by Stephanie Wright — Leave a comment
December 31, 2010

Hesitate

Hesitation and Procrastination

Are thieves of time

If you entertain them

They will occupy your mind

Hesitation and Procrastination

Are not the ways to go

All they do is keep you

from doing what you know

Hesitate

Halts your mind

And waste your time

Procrastinate

Pauses purpose

And all ways surfaces

At just the right time

So don’t hesitate or procrastinate

Don’t give these thieves which are tricks of the enemy

Anymore time

Please

Don’t delay your destiny

Or freeze up the hand of the Trinity

He knows the plan He has towards you

I hope you understand the importance of time is true

Again I say and I pray

You will not hesitate or procrastinate

But you will fast and pray stay and walk in His narrow way

Trust God’s destiny for you today

Don’t delay

Just move and pray

I know I struggle with putting things off but we only have a few more days in 2010 so do what you said you were going to do this year. Even if you just start an exercise plan or begin cleaning out the garage honor your commitment you made to your self.  Proverbs 20:4,13

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Am I Sexy Enough For You?

Filed Under: Charles Perkins' Journal by Charles Perkins — 1 Comment
December 31, 2010

Some women spend a lot of money, time and energy in the name of looking cute and sexy. Low cut tops to show off their cleavage, and short dresses and skirts to show off their legs are quite common. And that is the problem, it is QUITE COMMON. It is seen so much, that one blends into another. There is always another sexy, cute girl around the corner. You see, sexy and cute appeal to the eye. Sexy never gets past the eye of most men. And the eyes have no memory. The eyes focus on what’s in front of them at the moment. Out of sight, out of mind. That is the essence of cute and sexy. Sexy will always get attention, but it almost never holds interest. And you don’t hear grown men referring to a woman that he is interested in as being “cute.” Cute is for boys, not men. Men use words like attractive, beautiful, sensual and many other ways to describe a woman of interest. But, not cute. Cute is reserved for boys and girls.

The woman that holds a man’s attention is the one who gets past his eyes and into his head. Sexy and cute very seldom get into a man’s head. There is a difference between being sexy, which is contrived and made up and having sex appeal, which flows naturally from the woman’s character. Men remember women who are self aware and self confident. Sexy is only self centered. Self confident-self centered: Be aware of the difference. A sexy woman tries to dress to make her self look good. A self aware woman makes what ever she wears look good. She understands that clothes don’t make the woman, the woman makes the clothes. She is not into fad, she is into style. And her style is personal. It fits her. She is the one who will get past the eyes of a man and get into his head. He knows that there is not another “her” right around the corner.

Sexy, at the most, leads to a booty call. Class and style lead to relationships. Taking care of how she looks is automatic for a self confident woman. So, her whole life is not about how she looks. She also is interested in other people and develops a sense of humor about her self. She is usually easy to talk to. I am not talking about cookie cutter, stamped out women who all think and act alike. These are just general qualities that are usually found in self confident women to one degree or another. How they play out in each particular woman is different. They will have different tastes in clothes, foods, music, humor, etc. One could be dressed in a sweat shirt and jeans and the other in an evening gown and they could have vastly different personalities. But, both will still exhibit that easy self confidence, that sense of self that goes way beyond the taste in clothes. And they will both get past the eyes of a man and into his head, though for very different reasons.

Toys are cute. You don’t want to be just another cute plaything for some man who still thinks like a boy. Men look at cute and sexy, no doubt. But, there is no long term attraction to cute and sexy because more is always on the way. Cute and sexy is like icing without the cake: Sweet, but no substance. You get tired of sweet with no substance very quickly. Men may look at “sweet” and may even want to taste “sweet,” but, they are attracted to substance. Again, I am talking about men, not boys.

I am not posting this to put any woman down regardless of how she dresses. I am simply sharing some facts of life that I shared with my daughter. Women sometimes think they know what men want. I am telling you what they really want. You are free to dress and act any way that you like. But, remember, if you only reach the eyes, it’s out of sight, out of mind. If you really want to impress a man, don’t try. Just be yourself and you will get past his eyes and into his head.

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Thank You Grandma

Filed Under: La Roya Jordan's Journal by LaRoya Jordan — Leave a comment
December 30, 2010

The Christmas season was the real center of attraction growing up in my family. We had children pageant rehearsals, adult neighborhood caroling, and houses on our street took on a whole different characters because each one was adorned with the magic of what colored lights can do. And even though all these hold their own kind of reflective memory, the one thing that has left an indelible mark on me was how my grandmother always had room and love for anyone that showed up on her steps for Christmas.

It was simply the place to be for Christmas. The grandchildren would hide under the made for 12 Maplewood dining table which had a clear eye view to the front door. We could see everyone who would come to that door many with a dish of some sort or a pie or cake. And many with just a smile or a weary look or a look of relief that they had found the house so many spoke even as far away as Louisiana and Texas. They knew once they entered, at least for a while, they would be amongst friends and family and feel ever so welcomed.

I loved everything about my grandmother from her four foot nine inch stature to her delightful soprano singing voice as she prepared meal after meal in anticipation of the guests she knew in her spirit would come. And indeed they did until she could no longer cook or sing in expectation of her guaranteed visitors. She lived to be 98 years old…..

Well I don’t sing and  neither do I cook (much) but what I do, just like my grandmother, is open up our house to whoever needs someplace to come and enjoy friends and family for Christmas. And it has been awesome – just this year alone we have had over 200 people share in our home pot luck meals, games and lots of laughs. I truly feel my grandmother would be proud of her legacy and how I am doing my best to keep at least this part alive.

This was most evident to me when a guest this year, who had never been to my home said to me “I felt welcomed as soon as I stepped in the door.”  And, all I could think was thanks Grandmother J!

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Making An Impact ( In Memory of Jean Byrd)

Filed Under: Tosh Brown's Journal by Tosh Brown — 2 Comments
December 30, 2010

Hello Walkers!!!
I hope and pray that EVERYONE enjoyed their Christmas and kept in mind the birth of Jesus Christ. As we enter into this New Year and embark on many things…I pray and hope that we all grow in our walks and use the wisdom that has been given and challenge ourselves to go to new levels of understanding of being a vessel, a disciple, and a witness to many. Remember, every encounter is a moment to make impact.

A few days ago…I received disturbing news from my mother, about a woman who was selected to govern over me….in the case, that my parents were unable to…. this woman, Jean Byrd was known as my GOD-mother. Jean was a mother, educator, sister, friend, an active Sunday School teacher….she was apart of the MISSION to spearheading one of the BEST, charter schools in San Diego. Jean was apart of the tragic tour-bus accident that took place in EGYPT, on Christmas Day.

I am ever so GRATEFUL for having an opportunity to have known her personally. I am truly inspired by the impact she left here, with the rest of us. The coverage in the media has spoken on how she has allowed GOD to use her throughout her journey on this EARTH. The beauty of the impact was that she left us…doing what she LOVED and ENJOYED doing…traveling. May this be a testament to ALL of US.

Popcorn & Ice Tea!!!!

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Do It, It Will Feel Good!

Filed Under: Charles Perkins' Journal by Charles Perkins — Leave a comment
December 30, 2010

There is a slogan that became popular in the 1970′s that had a very far reaching influence on how we think in this country. When I see the results, it doesn’t seem to have been a very good influence. It was a simple and seemingly harmless slogan that totally caught the collective imagination of the nation and, in fact, the world. It is simply this: “if it feels good, DO IT!” That’s all it said. If it feels good, do it.

What could possibly be wrong with that, you might ask. Well, as people bought into that mindset (and they did big time), the opposite also became true: “if it doesn’t feel good, DON’T DO IT!” Thinking like that makes one very self centered over time. Everything becomes about self: self pleasure; self-fulfillment; self satisfaction; self this, self that. Self everything except…Self Denial. So, we began to judge the value of things based on how we felt. Our feelings became the determining factor rather than truth. Truth became “relative.”  Again, based on how we felt at the time.

How did this mindset affect marriage? Well, people started to base the quality of their marriages and their love for one another on how they felt. As long as it felt good, the love was there. When it no longer felt good, they figured the love was gone so they split. Remember, this is a post 1970′s mentality based on the philosophy: “If it feels good, do it.” When it stopped feeling good to them, they felt that they had no reason to be there. The famous (or infamous) departing line became all the rage: “We’ve just grown apart.” “It doesn’t feel good anymore.” As a result of this type of thinking, among other factors, the divorce rate shot up to 50%.

It is a false premise that marriage and love will always “feel good.” The reality is that marriage doesn’t always feel good. No matter how much in love you are, marriage doesn’t always feel good. The thing is, just because it doesn’t feel good at the moment or even for a stretch of time doesn’t mean that the love is dead. Love is not based on how you feel, it is based on living up to a commitment that you made to love each other.

In a wedding ceremony, there are vows taken. It is in style for couples to write their own vows. When I perform a wedding, I don’t mind couples writing their own vows, but, I always encourage them to also use the traditional vows. While self written vows are beautifully composed, there is usually no real substance to them. It is hard to beat “…in riches or poverty; in sickness or in health; in good times and in bad; for better or for worse; until death do us part..,” That takes in everything and if you notice, the phrase, “If it feels good” is not included. Nor is the phrase, “If I feel like it.”

Real love has nothing to do with how you feel. You always do the acts of love whether you feel like it or not. Then you will have a strong marriage. Let me use an illustration. If you are a jogger, you have made a commitment to get up and jog everyday or whatever your schedule is. Now, you don’t feel like doing it every day. But, because you have made a commitment to do it, you get up and go even when you don’t feel like it. After a while, you warm up, you loosen up, you get into your stride and before you know it, you are enjoying it. What happened? You did the action and the feelings followed. That’s the way it is in a marriage relationship. If you do the acts of love even when you don’t feel like it, God will bless you with the feelings of love. You do the action and the feelings will follow 100% of the time.

Using the running analogy again, think of a marathon runner. Sometimes during the course of a race, distance runners will reach a point that they call “hitting the wall.” When you hit the wall, it feels like you can’t go another step. All of your energy is gone and you come to almost a complete mental and physical shut down. Most will stop at this point. But, there are some who struggle on. And in doing so a phenomenon happens. As they keep running, pretty soon they loosen up again. They get their muscle tone back. Energy returns and they get what’s called a “second wind.” Then they are able to finish the race in a strong fashion. In marriage, you are going to “hit the wall.” But, if you stay the course, you will get your second wind and finish strong.

God chose to love us even when we were unlovable. Your mates will not always be lovable, but, you can chose to love them through that just as they can chose to love you through your unlovable moments. Love is a choice, not a reaction. When you understand that, you realize that you can make the choice to love as deeply as you want. You choose to love your mate. That means they didn’t do anything to earn it and because they didn’t do anything to earn it, they can’t do anything to lose it. Grown up love is a choice. Because it is a choice, you can love as deeply as you want for as long as you want…which also means that you don’t just “grow apart.” You choose to stop loving.

Don’t let your feelings fool you. I don’t always feel like treating my wife in a loving way. But, I always do and my feelings always catch up. Your feelings will always adjust to your actions. Instead of, “if it feels good, do it” make it, “if I do it, it WILL feel good.”  So, stay the course and don’t miss out on all of the love that’s on the other side of the wall.

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Real Romance

Filed Under: Charles Perkins' Journal by Charles Perkins — Leave a comment
December 29, 2010

My wife, Barbara, and I have been married for 37 years. We are more in love now than ever. In marriage, we discovered real romance. There is nothing particularly romantic about being a player. All you have to do is put on a show for a couple of hours or days and then move on before the person you are with really gets to know you. But, to spend a life time with one woman making her feel like the most loved woman in the world, that’s romance. To know the joy of overcoming, surviving and indeed thriving…that is real romance.

As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I study the Bible regularly. It fascinated me to find that the Bible says more about romance in marriage than any other topic on marriage. There are a few scriptures on being a good parent, some on being a good provider, and several other aspects of marriage. But, there is a whole book in the Bible on marital romance plus a volume of other scriptures. Finding this out surprised me because, since the 1970′s, all I heard about romance is that it doesn’t last, so, you have to be good friends.

Friendship lasts, but romance doesn’t. That was the word coming from psychologists, sociologists, marriage counselors, books, articles and even pastors. Romance doesn’t last they said. So, you have to be friends with your mate. That sounded reasonable to me, until I read the Bible. God’s Word stresses romance big time. So, I took a second look at this friendship thing. I noticed that whenever I heard a news report about a couple getting a divorce, something was said over and over again: “We are getting a divorce. But, we are STILL FRIENDS.” They are getting a divorce, but they are still friends. What happened? They left their friend at home and ran off with their lover.

In Biblical romance, friendship is automatically included. But, romance is not automatically included in friendship. To reduce your wife to simply being your best buddy is to ultimately reduce your marriage to mediocrity. No matter how buddy buddy the two of you become, your mate should always inspire a hunger in you. It’s a choice that you make. You can and should choose to desire your wife, your husband. I spend time every day thinking about loving my wife. I spend time every day thinking about making love to my wife. So, when I get home from work, I am always excited to see my wife because she remains the object of my desire. She is my one and only fantasy. No one else belongs in that space in me. She is the only one to occupy my space in that way.

We have reaped the benefits of staying the course and doing it God’s way. He has blessed us with a love the neither of us ever imagined possible. Today, young couples give up so easily. Couples married over 25 years are becoming an endangered species. All happy couples that have been married over 25 years have war stories to tell. The thing is, we all stayed and won the war. You can too, particularly if you do it God’s way. My wife and I love God more than we love each other and He honors that love for Him by drawing us closer to each other. As we get closer to Him, we get closer to each other. I fall in love with God every day… I fall in love with my wife every day. That is real romance.

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The Birth of Christ

Filed Under: Novlette Castillo's Journal by Novlette Castillo — Leave a comment
December 29, 2010

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel . . .,” Luke 2:25

Upon the eve of Christmas, come let us take a journey to the time when Christ was born. Palestine was under Roman rule and Caesar Augustine was its leader. The bloodiest civil war in Rome’s history had just ended, and his reign ushered in a great time of peace and prosperity; which prepared the stage for the birth of Christ. As for the religious climate, polytheism was the order of the day, the Gentiles, Romans and Greeks all worshiped many gods. Sadly the majority of the Jews (Christ’s own people) were distracted with everyday life and they were happy having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. This was a society not very much unlike our own today.

Yet, in spite of the spiritual and political climate of the day, there was still a remnant to be found among the children of Israel who had not forgotten the prophesies of old that a Savior would be born. Isaiah 9:6 says ”For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.” Let us take Simeon for example, he was a god-fearing man who was sensitive to God’s voice and was available when God called upon him. How do we know this? In Luke 2:27 we are told that “moved by the spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought the child Jesus to do what the custom of the Law required…” He was also waiting for the Lords promise to be fulfilled that he would see the Messiah before he died.

Then there was Anna the prophetess who was 84 years old. We are told she never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Anna also was waiting expectantly upon the birth of Christ for the redemption of Jerusalem. She confirmed Simeon’s testimony and was also sensitive to the voice of God. Simeon and Anna joined, Joseph and Mary in praise and thanksgiving to God at the birth of Christ, knowing that the Savior had come, who would save Israel and themselves from sin. Christ’s birth also reminded them that the Prince of Peace was born, the one that was able to bring a lasting and deeper peace to the mind and soul. This was something that Caesar’s peace could not accomplish because it was only external. You see there are many people around us and you maybe one of them that have all the appearances of peace on the outside but devoid of the abiding peace that only having a relationship with Christ can bring.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us invite the Prince of Peace to rule and reign in our hearts and lives today by giving ourselves as an offering or gift to Him. The Lord is a gentleman and waits to be invited into our homes this Christmas, let us share him with our family by taking time out to read the story of Christ’s birth and why we truly celebrate Christmas. Let us be apart of the remnant who are waiting expectantly upon Christ’s return.

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Take Control Of Your Mind In 2011

Filed Under: Sheeri Mitchell's Journal by Sheeri Mitchell — 3 Comments
December 29, 2010

Every first Tuesday, nine months out of the year, I have the privilege of going to listen to world renown motivational speaker, Lewis Timberlake. Boasting over forty years as an executive coach and corporate consultant, Timberlake has helped Fortune 500 companies and their lesser known counterparts go from good to great. If ever there was a man who knows “a little something” about cultivating habits that lead to success, Timberlake is he.

At his most recent lecture, Timberlake imparted to his eager audience strategies for overcoming stress. The lecture was riveting, entertaining, as well as thought provoking. But one portion of it in particular stood out to me above the others. It was the segment on how to control your mind. Timberlake maintains that one of the keys to conquering stress of any kind is to take control of  how you think. To that end, he gave four quick bullet points that I offer to you:

Quit Worrying About What Might Have Been

This may sound simple to do, but anyone who has experienced regret knows that its pull is a powerful one. While it is important to review our failures – deconstruct them even – in order to devise better strategies for the future, or to draw out wisdom from them, beating yourself up over them and continually mourning what might have been (and will likely never be) only results in missing out on the joy of the present. Don’t waste your time. Move on.

Carry And Read A List Of Your Victories

This was a suggestion I had never heard before. But Timberlake’s reasoning was profound. He stated simply that the world beats us up with our failures, so we may as well review our victories as often as we can. I suggest writing down or printing out your victories on a 3 x 5 inch card that you can carry in your wallet. Think of your victory card as a personal resume – both yours and God’s. Certainly every victory you’ve achieved came at His hand. Why not remind yourself of His faithfulness?  The number of items you squeeze onto your card is only limited by the font you choose. When discouragement threatens, read your mini resume to remind yourself that you have some wins under your belt and a mighty God watching over you.

Limit Time You Spend With Negative People

No one can completely avoid the emotional vampires who roam the Earth, seizing every opportunity to suck the joy from every soul in their path. It is possible, however, to cut down the amount of time you allow such people to siphon off your spirit. Evaluate your closest relationships and/or the people with whom you spend the most time in a week. Determine if your interactions with them are life-giving or not. Adjust your time accordingly. If necessary, seek out more positive company with whom to spend time – even if that means being alone for a good minute.

Plan To Have A Good Day

Good days seldom just happen. They take their cue from your mental state. Timberlake suggests training yourself to wake up grateful and happy. Instead of groaning as your alarm clock goes off, consider that God didn’t have to allow you to wake up at all. Start your day by thanking God for breath, then consciously seek out more blessings for which you can thank Him.

Timberlake maintains that the simple act of singing during your morning shower can lighten a person’s mood considerably. He doesn’t suggest that it’s a cure-all of any sort, but asserts that is a way to demonstrate enthusiasm physically and mentally, which in turn produces a positive emotional effect.

Timberlake’s last recommendation for a good-day-plan is to set aside time to read something that picks you up. Although the bible tops his list, Timberlake recommends choosing books based on the same criteria as selecting people with whom you spend your time. Limit your time with negative ones.

Timberlake’s simple suggestions for controlling your mind work because they are just good common sense. As the New Year fast approaches, instead of embarking on a one-person behavioral revolution, consider making a few small changes that you can repeat daily. Practice your small positive changes until you enjoy them enough to make them lifelong habits.

Be blessed Family! Happy New Year!

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Who Needs a Secret Santa When You’ve Got a Great God!

Filed Under: Crysta Fox's Journal by Crysta Fox — Leave a comment
December 29, 2010

Think back to the time when you were a young child who still believed in Santa Claus: waking up before everyone else on Christmas morning, the only day of the year where you didn’t drag out of bed; overflowing with glee and anticipation because you knew you were about to witness something miraculous. Mysteriously, a bounty of gifts were now stacked underneath the Christmas tree, stockings hanging by the fireplace that were empty the night before are now filled to the brim with goodies, and only a few cookie crumbs remain on the plate that you’d left out for jolly Saint Nick (secretly hoping that the extra effort might score you an extra gift or two).

As children, many of us spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the gifts we wanted to receive for Christmas. We chatted with our school friends about how good we’d been all year long, and walked around with a bold and definitive confidence that we’d secured a position on Santa’s nice list. And sometimes, when we were really full of ourselves, we’d take a moment to point out the classmates who undoubtedly made it onto Santa’s naughty list… shame on them!

As excited as you were to get what you hoped would be a multitude of gifts on December 25th, imagine for a moment how excited your parent(s) must have been to observe you receiving them. They knew you would be excited to discover one or two items that you needed, but that you’d be overjoyed to find a few that you absolutely wanted. I imagine that the excitement our parents experienced as they watched us on Christmas morning, parallels in some way to the excitement that God experiences when He share His gifts with us: namely the Gifts of the Spirit.

Think back to the time in your life when the Holy Spirit knocked on the door of your heart and you finally said “come in.” Right around that time when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and the angels in heaven began rejoicing on your behalf, I imagine that God experienced a parental moment reminiscent of your own parents’ on Christmas morning. God knew that we were now ready to receive His most personal and precious gifts; no, not the ability to dribble a ball, swim a long distance, or write clever material. Those are talents. What I’m referring to are the Gifts of the Godhead; and in particular, the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) which are available to every believer.

The Holy Spirit has prepared nine of the most amazing gifts, and the good news is He doesn’t need a sleigh pulled by reindeer to deliver them to us. God is delighted to not only share these gifts with us, when He chooses, but to watch us open and actively use them to profit (“bring together, to benefit”) the body of the church. Just imagine God sitting in your living room and handing you these gifts. You can almost hear the Lord speaking:

1.  My child, today I am excited to give you the Gift of Wisdom. You will be able to use it to have a supernatural perspective in discovering the divine means of fulfilling My will in any situation. This Gift is like supercharged spiritual intuition, and it is yours.

2. My child, today I am also giving you the Gift of Knowledge. You will be able to use it to have supernatural revelation of My will and plan for your life or any circumstance. You won’t have to rely on others for answers because you will have divine assistance that comes straight from Me. You will be able to use this gift as a moral compass for how to live and how to engage in relationships with others.

3. My child, today I am also giving you the Gift of Faith. You will be able to use it to have a supernatural ability to believe Me without doubt. You will have the ability to supernaturally meet adverse circumstances by trusting in My messages and words.

4. My child, today I am also giving you the Gift of Healings. You will be able to use it to supernaturally heal yourself or others, with or without the use of human aid and instruments.

5. My child, today I am also giving you the Gift of the Working of Miracles. You will be able to use it to supernaturally intervene and counteract earthly and evil forces. This gift will allow you to display power that goes beyond the natural, and it operates closely with the Gifts of Faith and Healing. Use this gift to exercise the authority I have given you over sin, satan, sickness, and to bind all of the evil forces of this age.

6. My child, today I am also giving you the Gift of Prophecy. You will be able to use it to call forth divinely inspired and anointed words from the Spirit of God. This gift is supernatural, not intellectual.

7. My child, today I am also giving you the Gift of the Discerning of Spirits. You will be able to use this supernatural gift to detect the realm of the spirits and their activities. This gift is your spiritual X-ray vision and will give you a supernatural revelation into the plans and purposes of the enemy and his forces.

8. My child, today I am also giving you the Gift of Different Kinds of Tongues. You will be able to use it to supernaturally communicate in a way that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. You won’t recognize the language, but rest assured that I will. It will be a sign that the Holy Spirit is working in you.

9. Lastly my child, today I am giving you the Gift of Interpretation of Tongues. You will be able to use it to declare and reveal the meaning of what is being spoken in tongues, but you will not be able to translate it. Your mind does not operate this function, the mind of the Spirit does.

Wow! Look at the depth and power associated with the gifts that God gives, and these aren’t even all of them! These are much better than an XBox 360, trust me! Picture yourself having received all nine gifts: God hands them one out at a time. You extend your arms to receive what looks like a large box with a big red bow on it, but as it touches your hand it disappears. Don’t worry, it’s not gone. It’s in you! Reach out for the next one now. Extend those arms; that’s it… you’ve got the hang of it now. Okay, and now the third one. Don’t forget to say “thank you”:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Words can’t express enough how grateful and thankful I am that you have chosen me to be in Your kingdom and in Your family. I am so thankful for all of the gifts You have given and that You continue to give me — from giving Your love and Your only begotten Son, to saving me from sin and granting me salvation and everlasting life — Your loving kindness never ceases to amaze me. Thank You for the Gifts of the Spirit, and for everything that they empower me to do and to become. Thank You for our relationship. Thank You for being my God…our God.  Amen.

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Feeling Overwhelmed Lately?

Filed Under: Novlette Castillo's Journal by Novlette Castillo — Leave a comment
December 28, 2010

“From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed lead to the rock that is higher than I,” Psalms 61:2

There are bills to be paid and not enough money; the car tires need to be replaced and your husband lost his job.  For another person, their child is diagnosed with an incurable disease or maybe you are facing a health crisis of your own.  These are scenarios that you may or may not be able to identify with, your situation maybe different.  But at some point in our lives we all feel overwhelmed, as if you can take no more, it’s just too much!

If you are feeling overwhelmed today, it is good to remember that you are not alone. It is good to recall that help is only a prayer away.  David was in a similar situation and so he cried out to God to hear his cry and to lead him as a shepherd would his flock to the rock that is higher than I. He desires to be led to the rock of all ages, Jesus Christ. He says “for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy or foe.”  He had obviously found himself in this place before and knew that distance didn’t prevent the Lord from hearing his cry or prayer. No matter how distant you may feel today from God, if you will cry out to Him, He will answer. He is not limited by distance or your circumstances.

Not only does he seek refuge but he desires to be in the presence of the Lord continually. He is after an abiding place because his intent is to dwell there. To be a visitor in the house of the Lord is insufficient for David, it will not do. He will dwell or have nothing else. He knows it is the presence of God that brings deliverance physically and spiritually.  When God becomes our dwelling place, there is a constant flow of supply and a place of rest.  Over in Psalm 62:1 he encourages us to “find rest in God alone. . .” why, because there is always safety in God and none in ourselves and the best of plans sometimes fail.

Let me encourage you today to cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you. Take time to pray when you are feeling overwhelmed and God will lift you up. He will preserve and protect you for it is the heritage of those who fear Him. His promise remains “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.

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