cup of joe

Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" I have always loved to read this scripture and let the words sink into my heart: God will finish the good things He begins in me. By default I would say that I am a great starter. I enjoy new projects and getting involved in new things. I am especially fond of the things that God begins in me that He has not done before. I like the excitement and the anticipation of considering how everything is going to work out. But its not always easy. If I am honest, I must say that there have been many times when I wondered if what the Lord had started in me were ever going to be completed. Will I lose interest before God brings it to pass? Will I be faithful enough to stay in the game even when I don't like what is happening?  I am realizing more and more that everything happens in season and everything happens for a reason. And the way to fini…

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." Matt 7:12 Can you imagine a world where we all operated under this principle? You can't just stop reading after those first four words and be ok!! "Do to others whatever..." That just doesn't work, does it? Picture an office space where people treat each other like they want to be treated. Envision a church where the people actually honor each other and are praying for the success of their brothers and sisters in the Lord? What if competition and comparison were replaced with compassion and consideration? It may seem a bit up unreachable at times but if we approached others knowing that the way we treated them was going to be the way we were treated, I'm certain things would change. It begins with one conversation, one meeting, one day. If you want people to be kind to you, be kind. If you want to be loved, love others. If you want…

I go over bridges everyday. But this weekend, I walked across a bridge that was so special and significant to me. As I stood on this side of the bridge, I thought about where I was in my life right now and the many things that brought me to this very spot. I have been so incredibly blessed with an amazing journey that has been filled with joyful and historic moments. It's been so good that at times I often wondered if there was anything more that God desired for me to do. That may sound silly but it's the truth. As my friend and I looked at this bridge, we talked about purpose...destiny...and what we hoped for and wanted "on the other side". It was then I realized that I know so many people that long to see the "other side" of divorce, the loss of a loved one, the failure of a business or a dream unrealized. But this wasn't only about them. I needed (I wanted) to know what was "on the other side". This moment was divinely arranged and the Hol…

When was the last time you made a decision that required action but you fell short in completing the task? Yesterday? This morning?
Being willing is only part of the process. Good intentions are great but they must be followed up by good actions. Philippians 2:13 tells us that "it is God at work in you both to will and to do according to his good pleasure". Having a "will" speaks of the desire. The "to do" part is what we need more of. If it's important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse. Why not put some legs of action behind the things that you really desire to do? The Lord will give YOU the desires of your heart. What you do with them will all be left up to you and how you let God work IN you. So ask yourself...how bad do you really want it? What are you WILLing TO DO?

Thanking the Lord today for the freedom that we still enjoy. It's getting more and more important to fight for the things that matter. Always remember that "where the Spirit of the Lord is...there is freedom". Let's keep that Spirit in these United States of America. God bless this great nation! Have a great July 4th! Celebrate freedom and be safe!

To "delight" means to please someone greatly; to bring great pleasure. In Psalm 37:4 we are given the secret to finding fulfillment in every area of our lives. "Delight yourself in the Lord." When we "delight in the Lord", His pleasure becomes our pleasure and the things that He has designed for our lives actually becomes aligned with the hopes and desires we have in our hearts. Why? Because those desires in our hearts our actually placed there by Him! It sounds simple but too often we get sidetracked going after something we think we need or want. When that happens, our focus turns towards "delighting in us" rather than in the Lord. Our desires can never satisfy like those the Lord provides. When we delight in anything other than the Lord, it leads to frustration and disappointment. It just never seems to hit the mark. Delight YOURSELF!
We all have desires in our heart, some that we placed there and some that the Lord has put there to bring us g…