June 20, 2013
Grace and Peace
Grace and peace are such powerful forces in your life.
Grace empowers us and peace directs us. It’s like this: grace is the gas and peace is the navigation system. You need both to reach your destination. The Bible tells us that we are saved by God’s grace through faith. We don’t deserve it and can’t earn His grace and forgiveness, but He gives it to us anyway. Grace opens the door to salvation, but it doesn’t stop there. His grace is supernatural empowerment to live the life God has called us to here on earth. Peace is every bit as powerful. It’s not just a feeling; it’s a state of being. Peace literally means “to set at one again.” Are you experiencing grace and peace today?
November 12, 2012
A Major Key to Life
Desire to show mercy, grace and forgiveness. Really give it away freely.
When you have messed up bad, made an insane decision, made a terrible mistake don’t you want mercy, grace and forgiveness? Then why do we withhold it from others when they do the same? I have learned that the basic key to a successful, happy, joyful life is actually very simple. Treat others the way you want to be treated. How about this; treat others even better than you expect to be treated, huh? Especially those that you don’t like! You thinking about them right now. Do something nice for them. Do it in love, showing grace and mercy, giving forgiveness. How can expect to be given these if you don’t give them away freely? Who said we had the right to pick and choose who we loved, forgave, showed mercy and grace to? We talk about karma and how they will get what’s coming to them? Karma goes both ways. You curse it when it happens to you, but praise when it happens to others. That is so wrong. That’s what makes people bitter, angry, mean, hateful and just no fun to be around. Exchange your pride, sarcasm, negativity and meanness for grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. When you aren’t carrying all that mess around with you, you will feel so much better. Those around you will be feeling better too!! Do you need to show grace, mercy and forgiveness to someone right now?
August 7, 2012
Showing Grace and Mercy Podcast/Blog
I used to think grace and mercy were terrible, for the weak, a cop out.
Click here to listen to podcast.
Not too long ago, I thought that grace and mercy were not good things. I felt like they were for those that didn’t have any discipline in their life. I felt like the weak and lazy people were the ones always wanting them. I was so religious and prideful to think this way. There is nothing comparable to grace and mercy. Those of us who are striving to do our best and make a difference in the world definitely see the need for a lot of grace and mercy. I also, see that my withholding it from others was so religious of me. I know that the measure that I use to give grace and mercy is the measure that I will be given. I am now a big supporter of grace and mercy. I try to give them away everyday, because I know I will need them each day. The reason for the change in my perspective; love. Love is a major key in grace and mercy. You will not give grace and mercy if you don’t love people. It was only when God’s love began to be the deciding factor in my life did I realize the importance of grace and mercy. The rest is history. Is there someone in your life that you need to be giving grace and mercy to today? Will you let love be the deciding factor in your life, all areas of your life?
August 6, 2012
Judgement and Criticism
Be careful when you pass judgement, criticize and/or talk negative about someone. There will come a day when you will be judged and the same way you judged them, will be how you are judged.
When you judge someone for something they have done; then in time, the same parameters you used for them will be used on you. It is true, what goes around comes around. Be careful how you talk about other people. Be sure you give others the benefit of the doubt. There will be a time when you will want grace and mercy; remember, the amount you give is the amount you will receive. Don’t put yourself in the roll of judge and jury. Always, take the time to look at situations from different perspectives. Yours is not the only perspective there is to see from. Take the time to show mercy, grace and love in all situations you face. You make the only person that speaks in favor of someone. One day it will be you that is asking for someone to speak positive of you. You will be asking for grace and mercy. Be a giver today of that grace, mercy, hope and love. Give it away in large amounts. Is there someone today you need to stand up for? Is there a person you have been critical of that you need to show grace and mercy toward?
May 12, 2012
Heart Talk
That feeling when doing the right thing rips your heart out and hands it to you. Learning the truth behind treat others the way I want to be treated.
There will come a time in your life when you know you have to do what is right, but it hurts. When you have to stop enabling someone that you love and they look at you with those questioning eyes. When you have to cut ties with someone that consistently hurt you time and time again. We all have or will have to face those people in those situations during our life. Remember that you will receive what you give. When you show mercy and grace by doing what is right, the same will come to you when you most need it. Although your heart may be breaking you must do what is right. Emotions may tell you to do one thing, but go with what is right. You will never have to question your decision when you do what is right.
April 28, 2012
Take the Steps
I talk a lot about not giving up, being encouraged, that you have purpose and destiny.
It takes many attributes to be successful in life. To be successful is to significant. To be significant is to serve others. To serve others to have no agenda. To have no agenda is to be humble. To be humble is being a giver. To be a giver is to love others. To love others is to over look faults. To over look faults is to show mercy. To show mercy is to offer hope to others. To offer hope to others is give them a reason to keep trying. To give others a reason to keep trying our purpose. Our purpose is why we are here. We are here because God has a plan for us. God has a plan for us because He loves us. He loves us because He created us. Go out today and make a difference in someone’s life and see all these things take place.
April 27, 2012
Grace and Mercy
Showing grace and mercy through love and forgiveness will mess you up. You will never be the same. Its painful to the flesh but it is very refreshing.
It can be very difficult to give something to others, yet we desire it above all things. To forgive and love someone who has wronged us. We want to be forgiven and loved. We want to be shown mercy and grace, but at times we have trouble giving the same thing. Our flesh does not want to show mercy and grace. Our pride and ego will tell us not to forgive and love those that have wronged us. At the same time we want to be shown mercy, grace, forgiveness and love. The only way we will ever receive all this is to give them freely and completely. We don’t have the right to pick and choose who we forgive and love. We don’t have the option of loving and forgiving some but not others. Remember, the Bible says that we are to forgive others so that God can forgive us. Tall order but that also means that God gives us the grace and mercy to do so. Today, make it a point to forgive and love those that have hurt you. Show mercy and grace to everyone in your life without reservation.
April 16, 2012
Here Comes the Judge
Be very careful before you go to judge someone. You have no idea what they are dealing with or going through. You see their behavior but not their heart.
We are so quick to judge others by their behavior. We see what they are doing externally but we have no idea what is going on internally. I know you don’t like being judged; so give the same consideration to others. We all have areas that need working on. Notice that we don’t judge someone when they have the same thing we do. However, if they are dealing with something that we have overcome or never had to deal with; we are quick to pull the judgement trigger. Take the time to pray for that person, not about them, but for them. Quite possibly you can ever pray with them. Don’t be all high and mighty; religious acting, but show compassion and understanding. The way you give away grace and mercy will be the way you get it. Let God do the judging, we should be doing some healing, loving, helping. Be careful next time when you want to judge someone. You will get what you give.
January 31, 2012
Say Grace
So many people today live in guilt and condemnation over their past mistakes and wrongdoings. They have this attitude that they are too far gone or they’ve made too many mistakes. They think that if they walk into church, the roof will cave in. Friend, if that’s you, nothing could be further from the truth! It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, it doesn’t matter where you’ve been; God’s grace is enough. Grace is His unmerited favor upon you. You can’t earn it no matter how “good” you act, but He’s offering it to you as a free gift. His grace is what empowers you to change and live the life He’s called you to.
Don’t live another minute in regret, condemnation, heaviness or despair. Receive His grace. It’s as easy as opening your heart and inviting Him to change your life. Remember, there’s nothing you could ever do that His grace can’t bring you through. So open your heart to Him and receive it today!
November 20, 2011
Who Are You
Who are you? That’s a familiar question. However, there are very few more important questions that, “Who are you.”
Our identity will determine so much about our life. Our identity will determine how we feel about ourselves and how we feel about others. Where then, do we get our identity? We gain the vast majority of our identity from whoever raises us. There is going to be someone in your life that has a major influence in your life. Those are the people that you were around in the first few years of your life. For those of you that are Christians it is important to know who you are in Jesus too. However, there are people, Christian, non-Christian, or whichever faith you follow that have no idea who they are or they have a miserable mental picture of their identity. I sit in church a couple times a week and see people that don’t know who they are, their life is a train wreck. The truly sad part is that so many of them look at others; believing that they have it all together. Let me tell you, those that look like they have it all together rarely have a clue. Those that do have it all together; well, you should have seen them yesterday or wait tomorrow. We all have to go through stuff, but that is part of shaping our identity. If you don’t really know who you are or have a miserable picture of who you are; just stand strong. Together we will walk this out and get the proper picture of who we are. It is something that you have to do, but we all are in this together.