cup of joe

Most of you will have already been to the mall by the time this article publishes. The stores are opening at 4 and 5 in the morning...what is going on! Why not just have the sale right after the football game is over on Thanksgiving and that way we can run off the turkey?
I refuse to jump into the pile of consumers that early in the morning. If that is the only time that you can get "that special deal" I am going to miss it. Something tells me that if I let patience have her perfect work, that deal will come along again before the 25th of December. Have you ever thought about the kind of deals that we could all get if we just made a decision as a group to not go to the mall the day after Thanksgiving? The stores would go into panic mode and if we waited throughout the entire weekend, they would probably be giving stuff away in the parking lot!
I know that for many of you this is a tradition and you go to be part of the festivities. I wish you well today. Don't fight over …

May God strengthen you, refresh you and heal you in every area of your lives on this very special day of thanks and giving. Give the gift of your smile, a kind word and an encouraging story.
May your families experience God's love, joy and peace and may He turn all of your dreams2destiny!

Happy THanksgiving!

Hebrews 11 talks about faith. It is said to be the very fabric of the things that we are hoping for and the manifestation and reality of what we cannot see. Faith has done many things for people throughout the centuries. But the core element in activating the "unseen power" is only found in those that follow the faith formula. We should want to try and accomplish this because it is impossible to please God without faith.
The number one active ingredient in initiating your faith is that you must BELIEVE THAT HE IS. There are many folks in our world that cannot come to that resolution in their mind. Some believe that there is no God at all. Perhaps something tragic and life threatening has to occur before they come to grips with mortality. Believe that He is. Today I see Him in nature, a smile, a random act of kindness. It's not hard for me to see Him as I drink my morning coffee and feel the warmth of His love. Something inside of me is thankful and wants to know who this …

OK so we have our deep dish pan of FAITH and we’ve added our first ingredient of JOY taken right from the 1st Book of Thessalonians Chapter 5 and verse 16. Add to that and endless amount of PRAYER… not just a pinch…keep pouring and pouring and pouring. Pray without ceasing, continually. Now that does not mean that you cannot do anything else but pray. What the writer was wanting us to understand is that you develop a lifestyle of prayer. Pray for people that God places on your mind. Pray for those that you love. And yes, pray for those that you don’t love so much! After making sure that you have JOY and PRAYER in the mix, finish it off with a heaping helping of THANKSGIVING. Give thanks in ALL circumstances. NOT FOR all of them but IN all of them. God is working something out for your benefit and when you learn how to let go and let God, believe me, the end result tastes better than you expected. Mix together thoroughly all of these ingredients with love and let bake until ready.

Be jo…

It’s hard to believe that in a little over a month we will be celebrating Christmas! The sounds and smells of the season are all around us and the city is buzzin’ with activity. You are probably putting the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving plans and getting excited about sitting around that table with friends and family and eating more than you normally do at one meal. My most memorable Thanksgiving came years ago when I visited a little town in Oklahoma called Sasakwa. The families were crammed into a tiny house that was heated to about 95 degrees because it was below 30 outside. It was so hot in the house that the pies had to be set on the porch outside to keep the meringue from melting! It was awesome! And then it happened. Something that had never happened before that day and has never happened again in my life. The women in the house called the guys to come in and eat dinner while they served all that the men wanted and needed! There were NO ladies at the table. Just the me…

"The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present,
but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others
have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the
future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy."- Dietrich
Bonhoeffer (1906-45),
All week long I have been filled to overflowing with hope. I have
been inspired to re-sign when others resign. I have looked up at the
stars while others look down at the cracks. And every day, each moment
I am laying claim to that which God promised me.
And here I sit on friday facing another fantastic weekend of
enthusiastic expectancy. Hope doesn't just float;hope sails!--

God's love FOR us gives us the REASON to encourage others.
God's love IN us gives us the ABILITY to encourage others.
God's love THROUGH us gives us the WAY to encourage others.
John Maxwell

When was the last time you "encouraged" someone. Encouragement is the
best way to lift up people and when you lift up people, God lifts up you!
At this time of the year when you purchase a gift for someone, you may come across one of those items that when you buy it they throw in a FREE gift. I purchased some cologne some time ago and when I paid for it the lady behind the counter gave me a brand new travel bag because I bought the cologne! I was not expecting it and when she threw that in the mix I felt better and I am certain that when she say my smile she felt pretty good too.

Encourage someone today and see if God doesn't just throw something else your way that you did not expect. You can lift someone else up because God has lifted you. His love has covered you and strengthe…

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Short and poetic, uplifting and exuberant. This psalm
talks about being somewhat enthusiastic about our
worship. We are to shout for joy, to be glad about
the opportunity to come into His presence. Most of the
believers that I brush across don't seem to have the joy
thing going for them. Enter His gates with thanksgiving!

Today, why not try to talk to God with the same vibrant
spirit that you use when you come across someone that
you have missed and haven't seen in a while. Thank Him
for watching over you and di…

It means to be lifted to a higher level. I have spent about 24 hours
with some well known men of God that have lifted my spirit to a new
level. I have been challenged and inspired.
I think we all need to find places of inspiration. When our spirits
are up so too goes our energy and productivity. Finding those places
can be a challenge. Let me offer a few ideas:
1-turn on your favorite music and take a few moments to sit and listen
with your eyes closed.
2-write down something that you would like to see in you:a
characteristic or emotion. Sometimes you have to see it to be it.
3-find some folks that do what you want to do and have coffee or
lunch. Being in the presence of folks that have gone farther than you
can energize you and ignite passion in you.
4-pray! You should do this first because God can lead you to the right
places and the right people if you are looking for them.There are many ways to take your spirit and creativity to a higher
level. These are just some that fill m…

Do you realize how much God loves you? Imagine today that He wants the desires of your heart to be realized. See yourself happy in every area of your life. Gods favor can surround you. What if you could believe in yourself today like He believes in you.
It's always easy to expect the worst. Today starts a new week for you and a fresh start. Are you ready to take a chance on the Lord and trust Him for provision? Could you allow yourself to believe that your relationship struggle can be restored! Could you see yourself walking in complete health and overcoming that illness?
Today is your day! God is smiling upon you and setting up for success. The question is simple: are you ready go be successful? Favor is yours today. I've got a feeling that things are about to turn for your benefit! Are you ready for it? Favor isn't fair!

Yesterday I completed my personal journey of 40 Days of Communion. It was not only a renewing experience for me spiritually but it caused me to re-evaluate many things that I do on a daily basis. Something very "spiritual" happens when you meet the Lord at His table every day. It reminds me of what mealtime used to be like for me when I was growing up. You get insight into what is happening within the family and you have some great fellowship and occasionally some new revelation. For me these same things happened during this 40 day period. I felt like I had an inside track on what was taking place "in the family" of God. I had some refreshing fellowship encounters and even received some divine revelation as the journey progressed.

One thing is certain. I look at Communion in a completely different way after doing this. If you have never tried this personally I encourage you to do so. The idea has been developed by some of my friends and I predict that it won't b…

I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on.
- Beryl Pfizer

Can you relate to that quote? I sure can. I have developed this habit of writing things down. Dr. Ed Cole used to tell us that "on the paper, off the mind" is the way it goes. For me it was more like on the paper, never mind! I can see the paper that I wrote that note on and I can see the way I wrote it...I just can't find the paper. In Tulsa, there are at least a dozen of my lists that have found their way to a drain, a sidewalk or maybe another person's trash. There is no greater feeling of helplessness than to get to the grocery store and not be able to find your list. Now I put those things in my phone. I have it all the time right? Well,the other day I misplaced my phone. The good news is that you can call it. The bad news is that mine was on vibrate so I spen…

A cliche...in fact it was USA Today's #1 cliche of 2004! You have probably heard it before. It states the obvious and leaves the rest to interpretation. It has no resolve...it leaves the mind dangling. I've heard it used by business execs, coaches and preachers too. Most folks would translate it like Tony Soprano...fagetaboutit!

When I use it it is more definitive.It really means...yes, it happened. But I am going to move on and I am going to get passed this...it is what it is. There is no reason to argue with it because...it is what it is. There's no purpose in trying to retaliate because...it is what it is. There is absolutely no reason to stay in this place because...ok, you got it! It is what it is!

So if things start to go wrong for you this week...if the tide starts to change...if circumstances become strenuous, remember these five words and move past it...it is what it is!

Yesterday I built the first fire in the fireplace of the house I am renting now. It was a cold and rainy day outside and I was writing thoughts, journaling and putting my ideas on paper so that I don't forget them. As the wood began to burn and it got hotter, it started to crackle and pop. It was going all rice crispies on me! The only thing missing was the snap!

The hotter it got, the more it popped. I thought about anger. The more angry that a person gets the more you may start to hear(and feel) the pop. It may be something that someone says, an action done in haste...whatever it was, the heat is rising and the possibility for popping is certain. As I sat there with my laptop and Chai Tea by the fire, I was caught up by other thoughts and articles I was writing. Forty minutes later I noticed that the fire had burned down, it was not as hot as it used to be and the popping... well it was gone. Apply that to this spirit of anger and you can surmise that if we could just carry on an…

If you have been in church for any time at all you have probably heard the preacher talk about a God who calls things that are not as though they are. That scripture is found in Romans 4:17. I've heard it too. I have even used it. And still many people do not understand how you can make something happen that is not already happening. The great part about our journey of faith is that you do not have to understand it for it to work. I do not have to know how my cars engine is functioning to enjoy the benefits of driving that car. If it ever breaks down, I go to someone that understands it to make it work again. Our lives are no different.

Jesus spoke of things coming as if they were already there. We call it faith. It is sort of like what happens when you use a camera. You find the person or thing you want to photograph, you point your camera in that direction, you focus on the image and then you snap it. What you focus on develops into the picture that you saw. Think about it...yo…

"Raise your right hand and repeat after me...I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...and then those last four words that make this possible...SO HELP ME GOD!

In today's culture truth seems to be what you make it. If you don't like someones interpretation of the truth, then you adjust it to be able to apply it to your situation. Is there such a thing as absolute truth? As a Christian I must hold fast to the fact that Jesus said He was the way, the TRUTH and the life. So He is my absolute. His Word, the Bible is my filter. The standards of my life are held against that to determine what is fair, what is right and what is wrong. The great part about that is that my truth won't change. The truth I come to know will set me free. Jesus said that he was the same yesterday, today and forever. He is consistent. The bar has been set and will not be raised above what I am able to live in obedience to.

Too often we think that we can not tell …

The word means to have an intense interest in: like to be in awe of someone or something. I must admit that I am fascinated by many things. I am fascinated by: the fact that stores are still open after the "going out of business sale is over" the fact that we park in the driveway and drive on the parkway that children have to change clothes several times a day that the "may we help you" is on the back of the Walmart employee vest so that you only see it when they are walking away!
Life is fascinating. God, even more so. Salvation has always been a mystery that is never fully understood. At least until the spirit of God reveals Himself to you and you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. A person cannot receive Christ unless the spirit draws him. Many people are still mystified by the all of this and one day that mystery will be solved when they surrender their heart to Him. Paul talked about the mystery and the big reveal in Ephesians 3. And then he prayed for th…

An amazing season has come to an end and the voting is over...the world has spoken and the President is Barak Obama. Is everyone happy about it? Of course not. But the fact that young people who may have never voted came out to participate and that boundaries that had hindered us for years were pressed through, this was truly historic. Whether you voted for him or not is no longer the issue. Now we move forward. We look ahead. Now we roll!
The first thing we do today is thank the Lord for the process and for the result. Remember, "in everything give thanks!" Thank you Lord for all of those people that have gotten involved in the system to start this moment in history and thank you that they will continue to be involved and let their voice be heard as we move forward. Now is the time to intensify the prayer, hold those that serve us accountable and keep our eyes on the prize. We have our man, he has passion and he has a way with people which is clearly evident in the polls.

It…

Today we will choose the next President of the United States of America. Not just that one man but all of the players on the team that they will work with. As I have watched and heard many of the ads and debates as well as the bickering and mudslinging, it became harder and harder for me to even listen to all that I have been bombarded with. The candidates are so different. Can they do anything they are saying they will do? The jury is out on that one. So what do I do?

I vote according to what I believe and for me, the Word of God settles controversy and debate. I have beliefs and I have convictions. Beliefs are things that you hold and convictions are the things that hold you. This year has several moral issues that we have to stand up for. If we do not stand, we run the risk of falling backwards. Many of these issues I have strong convictions about. I do not need to argue them with anyone. I just need to use my privilege to vote in this country and let my voice be heard. Will my one …

Anything goes when everythings gone: it's a lyric from a country song I heard the other day. It made me chuckle because I know exactly what that means. When life transitions unexpectedly and you find yourself turned upside down, common sense and logic are fleeting. Reckless abandon takes over. Anything goes.
For me personally I found that my greatest struggles came from within. I wanted to justify the fact that anything goes simply because everything was gone. But everything was not gone! I had to look closer. I needed a new perspective.
When you get backed up into a place where you try to justify crazy behavior, you need to ask God to let you see with different eyes. To see what is left and not what was lost. When you invite the Lord into your circumstance everything comes! He will not hold back any good thing from you. Look at it this way: anything's possible when everything's in His hands!