cup of joe

"How long will you waver between two opinions?" It's a question the prophet Elijah asked to 450 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel right before He asked God to show up strong on his behalf. He had already made his decision and now he He wanted to know when they would make a decision to get off of the fence and be fully devoted, one way or another.

There is nothing more frustrating than being in a room filled with indecisive people. Perhaps our culture has beaten down folks so long for making the wrong choices that we are just too afraid to commit to a yes or a no. We know that there are consequences for our choices and we really don't want to face them if we are wrong.

In the Book of James we are reminded that double-mindedness is crippling. It says that a double-minded man(one who cannot make a committed decision) is unstable in ALL his ways. I've heard that before. But when I read the verse after that it goes on to say that a double-minded man should not expect to re…

"For you Oh Lord will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield." Psalm 5:12

Imagine that today each and every one of your steps was invincible. Every conversation you had tilted in your favor. Every business deal that you negotiated ended up more favor-able for you. Sounds like a great day, even if it is just Thursday!

There are certain fundamental truths in scripture that apply to our lives whether we acknowledge it or not. One such truth is that living with and for God provides protection. You are surrounded with favor...like a shield. Favor is that thing which occurs causing everything to somehow go your way and turn out for your benefit. Even the bad stuff can be redirected. Romans 8:28 tells us that ALL things work together for good. But there is a condition. You must love God. Loving God puts you in an arena where you are able to receive favor thus making you favor-able.

Why don't you smile this morning and face the world head on with the…

In the Book of 2 Kings and chapter 5 there is a story of an army general named Namaan who was well respected by the other soldiers and victorious in battle. But he had leprosy. Through a series of extraordinary events he is put in the position to be introduced to a man of God by the name of Elisha. Elisha was a prophet and carried on the supernatural mantle of Elijah, his mentor.

As Namaan gets to the place where this meeting was to take place, he had pictured in his mind the great prophet coming out and doing something fabulous...maybe waving his arms and speaking eloquent words of healing from God. Instead, Elisha's messenger met him and said, "go wash yourself in the Jordan seven times and you will be well.".

What? Are you telling me to go jump in a lake? And do it repeatedly! And I can't believe that you sent one of your employees...I expected to see you! The bible says that Namaan became furious and went away. In fact, he left in a rage. He had expected something …

This is the final day of school for kids in our district. Tomorrow they will wake up late, stay up late and begin spending the night with friends.

Schedules change not just for them but for me as well. I will be called upon more during the day than when they were in school. I will be used to carry them from one place to another and prepare at least one more meal per day than I do now. In other words, schools out for them but work begins for me!

But you know what? I am looking forward to this summer and the many opportunities that it will bring. And all of those things that will be asked of me...well, I sort of like to be needed. Don't we all? Whatever you do, whether it is in words or actions, do it unto the Lord with all of your heart. Too often people start to look at what they are doing as meaningless and unimportant. To think that way is to not be putting 100% in what you are doing. What you are saying is that you would be happier doing something else. And the reality is that y…

This weekend many people will visit places that remind them of something significant in their lives. Flowers will be placed on headstones and prayers will be prayed as we remember loved ones who have passed and soldiers who have given all for freedom.

In scripture memorials were erected to honor what transpired but also to teach others that followed. When Joshua made it through the Jordan on dry ground he piled up 12 stones, representing the priests who stepped into the water as it stopped. Each time someone comes to that place they will see the stones and remember the story.

This weekend may the Lord bring peace to you and cause you to remember the good moments and honor those that have meant so much to you. May those memories inspire you to do more, be happier and live more fully. God still has a plan for YOU and that plan will bring you everything you need to live a fulfilled life.

Trust the plan and you will succeed!

Have a blessed and safe Memorial Day weekend!

All things are possible if you believe. It's biblical. It's one of the principles in the kingdom of God that you can stand upon and see manifest every time. You can "take it to the bank" as they say. Most people have to see it to believe it. Show me that it happened and I will believe it did. We, however, as fully devoted followers of Christ, have to believe to see it. We visualize the desired result and move in the direction of what we see. It really is a more exciting way to live.
Faith is the substance of the things that we hope for. When we step out on nothing we take a risk. Any risk that requires faith to produce s godly result is what we call faithfulness. That means that we are FULL of FAITH. And we know that we get that FAITH form hearing the things that edify and encourage us.
Today, place yourself in an environment that is positive and energized by people dreaming BIG. Believe in that dream that you know God gave you. Believe in yourself. Now get ready to se…

For every person this week that is "changing" and going through a transition, here is another excerpt from my latest book which will hopefully be out later this summer called TRANSITIONS...

Excerpt Chapter 3...

Change…whether we are impacted by change that we cause or change that is forced upon us, we must learn how to navigate the transition and get ourselves to a place of health and a place of wholeness. You cannot win if you do not begin. See that word in the middle of “change”: between the C and the E… HANG. Don’t let change hang you up!

The advice that most people give us when we are going through transitions is simple…they say, “you need to move on”. Well duh! I could have paid cash for a new home if I had a dollar for every time someone gave me that counsel. I already know that…but can’t you see, I’m in transition! I’m not stupid! The struggle is that we have to figure out how we are to do that. The secret may lie in something I already pointed out…how we leave one posit…

Last night I watched nearly 700 kids graduate from a local high school. This graduating class generated over 18 million dollars in scholarship monies. From the football player with over half a million to the braniac who received the same, it was truly something to watch.

I started the think of the others. That person who spent the last four years going through the millions of hours of classes and tests, struggling to maintain a C average. I always seem to think of the underdog. Yes, some of these students will go on to college and be paid huge sums of money for their talent. The rest of us, well, we just get our rewards over time. But know this...YOU are also talented! And YOU will be paid too!

When I was in the music business I watched many artists with great talent receive cash advances for sales in the future. They were constantly under a huge pressure to perform in a way that would not only make the record company back their money but continue to pay out so that they could record an…

Many young people are transitioning this week into another season of life. They call this process “graduation”. Some leave high school for college. Others leave college for a “rude awakening” aka the real world! And there are a few that simply graduate levels of education for they have no plans to ever leave the system of learning.

Whatever your particular transition, at this moment you are completely saturated with POTENTIAL. Potential is not what you have achieved but rather refers to what you are capable of. We use other words to describe it…possibility, probability, capability, etc. In fact people may say things about you like “he/she has the “makings of” of great attorney or doctor.

The likelihood of you doing what you were designed to do with all of the capability that has been planted in you is determined by your ability to recognize YOUR potential and unleash it. Scripture says that “all things are possible to those who BELIEVE.”

Every word you speak, every interview you partic…

This week we focused on the emotion of great happiness otherwise referred to as JOY. It was Helen Keller that said, "We could never learn to be brave or patient if there was only joy in the world." In other words, the trials, challenges and obstacles in life are the very things that make it possible for us to know what JOY is and experience it.

The bible talks to us about the fact that the JOY of the Lord is our strength. Without learning the art of being happy with who we are and how we are made, we may never exercise all of the strength that is available to us. The JOY we find in a relationship with Christ is described as "unspeakable and full of glory". What that means is that there is such a deep rooted great happiness that words cannot adequately express how it feels.

Find your "happy" place today and stay within it this weekend. You will find strength you had never imagined. You will stand strong and joyful in the midst of difficult situations.

So far we have seen that keeping in sync with our Creator adds an abundance of happiness in our JOY account. We have already talked about having the same mind and love as He does. Another way to add to your JOY account is to stay away from strife and pride. Pride always shows up before things go south. We need to practice humility.
Being humble doesn't mean that you think less of yourself, you just think of yourself less. You probably already know your sensitive areas and where your weaknesses are. Don't compensate for those by allowing pride to enter the scene. Don't make yourself feel better at the expense of someone else.

You can never go wrong by putting your neighbor or friend first. I guess you could say that one way to happiness is to bring happiness to someone else!

Paul gave us many investment principles for adding to our JOY account in the Book of Philippians. The next one that we highlight after being of the same mind as the Lord is to be of the SAME LOVE. In other words you want what the He wants for your life. Your desires are realized because they are His desires that He planted inside of you.

So many people are conflicted because they are chasing after things that can never make them happy. So all of that energy and effort is spent on something that does not give life to what they are doing. Face it, we have to love what we do. The only way to do that is to do what you love.

Love is the aim of all of our associations and relationships. We look out for the best in those that we are connected to and we express love towards them without the guarantee of getting love back. It's unconditional.

Same mind, same love...a pattern is coming together and that JOY account is beginning to grow!

One of the greatest ways to add to your JOY account is to be united in heart and mind and body. The best way to keep from falling apart is to pull yourself together. The bible says that we are to be like-minded which does not mean that we think the same things. It means that we have the same goals and are moving towards the same results.
At work today, what if your goals lined up in sync with what your bosses goals were? Can you see how this could be a more JOY-FULL day?

There is always power in agreement and when we are united we are unstoppable. The trouble for many folks is that their heart is not in their work, their family, their spouse or their ministry. Their body may clock in, they may be physically present but they are not their in mind and spirit. Whatever you do, do it as though the Lord was your boss and not man. Take a good look at the opportunites that you have been given and seize the very best in each of them. Work at your job, your marriage, your church group wholehear…

Have you ever thought about JOY being used to destroy the things that attack you? Joy is a weapon. In fact in the Book of Phillipians, Paul mentions it 14 times! In the Book of James it tells us to consider it PURE JOY when we face trials. Why? Because when we can let JOY rise up in the midst of adversity, JOY wins!

To rejoice means to be joyful over and over again. So why not start adding to your JOY account? This week I will give you a few things that you can do to increase in joy and develop a lifestyle that makes you a happier person. They will all be found in Phillipians. We will sharpen the weapon of JOY and use it to chase away those blues. Joy is MY choice. No one can MAKE me sad.

So are you ready for a fat JOY account?

Have an incredible and blessed day today Moms. You deserve it!

AOL has one. People who train their bodies at the gym have one. Who's your buddy? You know, someone that will support you and walk with you through whatever life throws your way. It goes deeper than a BFF.

Matthew 18:19 tells us that when two people agree on anything, power is generated that will accomplish what they have agreed to do. There is power in agreement. It takes teamwork to make a dream work.

Find someone today that you can add to your buddy list. You need someone that agrees with the direction you are going and will help you stay the course and not get distracted. Use this weekend to get your goal list together. Change your routine and mix it up a bit. If you want something that you have never had, be prepared to do something you have never done. Join forces today with another and just watch what two can do! It's time to add to your buddy list!

I woke up today thinking about healing and being whole. There are so many people around us that are sick. There is a difference in being healed and being whole. In Luke 17 there is a story of ten lepers. Because of their diseases they lived on the edge of society, detached and miserable. Jesus came close to where they were and they began to call out to him. He saw them and told them to go to the priests. This was customary when you had been healed. Jesus spoke and they went with nothing having changed. AS THEY WENT, the began to be healed. The disease began to clear up as they obeyed his word. When you read the story you will notice that 1 of the men came back to say thank you. With a loud voice he glorified God. In Luke 17:19 Jesus said "your faith has made you well". That means complete or whole. This man was not just healed, he was made whole.
Here is the process: obedience brings healing, healing activates thankfulness and thankfulness produces wholeness.

When you are see…

The middle of the week is here. That pivotal day when we leave the first half of our week and prepare for the weekend. Often on Wednesdays I take a quick look at what I have done so far and track progress as well as any lack of progress that may be evident. It's always good to know where you stand...physically, mentally and spiritually. Take a good look inside today and see how you are measuring up to where you were headed. Are you on track for where you want to be?

The psalmist said it this way...
God, examine me and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life.

Ask the Lord to search your heart and make certain your motives are pure. If they have been tainted He will rescue you and get you back on the path that takes you where you were designed to go.

What does a good leader need to learn how to do? It's not just about having the position. A leader has to be able to influence for the greater good of the organization. In our leadership training I have used this acronym to help leaders stay on point. They must develop and enhance these skills.

L-love: if you don't love people, they won't care what you have to say
E-encourage: applaud strengths, don't amplify weaknesses
A-appreciate:a simple kind word throughout the project brings great results
D-direct: don't beat around the bush when giving instructions-be direct
E-equip: people need tools to work with as they are empowered
R-reproduce: train your replacement and the company will keep growing

Every company needs more "lifters" and less "leaners". What type of person are you being at your workplace? If you want to be a leader, develop the characteristics above and you will find promotion in your future!

On Friday we talked about David's prayer to get over the mistake of chasing the wrong things. He wanted a clean bill of health. In his prayer, according to the Message translation, he asked God to shape a Genesis week from the chaos of his life. I love that idea.
A Genesis week is one where the mistake is as it never happened. To be taken back to the place right before the bad choice was made. In the Book of Genesis the world was perfect and God was spending quality time with Adam and providing for his every need and desire. Creation was unblemished and unscarred.
Today, most of us are dirty. We are covered by the soot of life and scarred from injuries and accidents that have found their way into our lives. You may be reading this today and realize that your life is nothing but chaos and confusion. Pray the prayer David did. Ask God to shape for you a Genesis week out of the chaos. He will put fresh wind in your sails and a clean heart in your body! He will do this for YOU right now…

I am certain that every one of us has felt the sting of missing the mark. We all make mistakes. I was reading a Psalm today where David is talking in his own way to God. He had just made a HUGE mistake. He should have been on the battle field but he decided to stay home. He was hanging out at his home is a state of idleness and suddenly his eyes got a hold of a fox named Bathsheba. One thing led to another and David got in over his head.
Psalm 51 is him talking about how he feels. He says things like "scrub away my guilt; soak me in your laundry God; don't throw me out with the trash". He felt like it was all over. It was in that state of repentance where God began to rebuild and repair him. It was not too late.God is huge in mercy and grace. He gives us what we need, NOT what we deserve!
It's not too late for you either! It does not matter what you have done. What is important is what you do from this point forward. Pick yourself up. Change your daily routine. Invest…

A farmer had a mule that he hitched up to a 2 horse plow everyday. Each morning he would say get up Satchel, get up Beauregard, get up Betsy, get up Sammy Jo! His neighbor asked, “how many names does that mule have?” Oh, he’s only got one, the farmer said, his name is Pete. But I put blinders on him and call out the other names so that he will think he has other mules working with him. He has a better attitude when he feels he’s part of the team.

Teamwork is essential if we are going to move anything forward with efficiency. It was Ken Blanchard who said, "None of us is as smart as all of us." In today's culture it appears that there are many lone rangers in business and in ministry. But we were not designed to fly solo. We were made to work with the pack and support and encourage one another. Psalm 133:1 tells us how good and how pleasant it is when people live together in harmony. There is nothing like it. Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision.

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