cup of joe

"Many of life's failures are people who 
did not realize how close they were   to success when they gave up."  - Thomas Edison 
I often wonder about "timing" and why most of the things I pray for don't show up until the final hour. Have your ever experienced that? It seems like 11:59 is the place on God's clock when things should happen for Cup of Joe!  Let me keep it real simple today...it's always too soon to quit. If you are thinking about giving up on a dream or idea, take a moment today to ask yourself this question: "If the blessing you were waiting on was coming later today, would you still stop moving forward?" Would you give up now? If you are normal, you would say absolutely not!  Don't give up! Trust in the Lord and don't lean on what you know. Hold up your head and hold out your hope! You could be soooo close! Don't quit...do it!

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. 
Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. 
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.  I would flee far away 
and stay in the desert;  I would hurry to my place of shelter, 
far from the tempest and storm.” Psalm 55:4-8
Many times when I read the psalms I have this feeling that David and I would have been great friends. We seem to connect on many levels and share so many emotions. I am certain that you too have had troubles and difficulties that made you wish you had wings so that you could just fly out of the drama, away from the storm and land in a place of safety. We don't have wings because we were not designed to fly away but to stay. That's right, to plant your feet firm in His Word, to proclaim His promises and to expect the mountains to move and the enemies to leave. Let God arise and His enemies be scattered! The only truly safe shelter is to be &qu…

How often do you find yourself looking at others and feeling envious? Bitter? Jealous? As I was reading Psalm 37 today, I was reminded how important it is to not buy a ticket to life’s comparison carnival. “Do not fret” was the exhortation given to us. Don’t get all bent out of shape. Don’t lose your composure. Easy to say Cup of Joe, but how in the world are we supposed to do that? Can you really stay balanced in a society that is so skewed towards things that are not healthy? The answer comes in verses 3-7 of chapter 37: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; Trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” There are so many strategies to maintain a balanced life right there in the midst of those verses.…

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set me feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:1-3
I love these verses and the progression and provision they outline. Notice how it starts-“I waited patiently”. Sometimes it's too hard to wait and we take it upon ourselves to jump in and help God move things along. Learning how to wait is important. Let patience do the work! Why? Because the end result is awesome! Here’s what the Word says:
1. He will lift you out of the muck and mire. You won't be stuck anymore because He will loose you and bring you out! 2. He will set your feet on a rock. You will experience sure-footed places and your foundation will be established. No more slipping and stumbling! 3. He will put a new song in your mouth. Praise ushers in the power a…

Romans 5:3-4 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  It's hard to learn how to rejoice when we are in the midst of tough times. No one is naturally happy when things are not going well. To rejoice when we run into problems is a learned skill. Why is it so important to learn this?
Its important because some crucial parts of your spiritual DNA are developed by rejoicing in trials: endurance, character and hope. People quit too easy these days. Staying joy-filled will help strengthen your ability to endure. The Bible tells us that our gift, our abilities will take us into great opportunities. Our character will determine how well we do those opportunities. Hope will fuel us with the energy and stamina we need by keeping the finish line in sight and helping to keep o…

What an incredible weekend to celebrate the one who puts so much of themselves into all that we are and all that we have become! It never ceases to amaze me as I grow older, just how much I am like my dad. And to think that when I was younger I didn't think he knew anything! Now, I realize that he is the smartest person in the world...and I'm just like him!! To my dad, Joseph Edward Jones, I send blessings, love and thanks for all the direction and correction and I want you to know just how proud I am to be your son and to carry your name! To all the other dads out there, may you be loved and greatly appreciated as you are honored this weekend. Have an amazing Fathers Day!

What does a good leader need to learn how to do? It's not just about having the position or title. A leader has to be able to influence for the greater good of the organization. I have used this acronym to help leaders stay on point as they 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 I bet that one day you will find that promotion!

2 Timothy 3:5..."having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with such people." One of the gentle reminders that God is coming back again will be seasons of lawlessness, chaos, wars, earthquakes and other phenomenon. People will be lovers of themselves and their money. They will boast of all THEY have done. They will be unforgiving, rash, conceited and full of pride, lacking any self-control. You don't have to be a genius to recognize that many of the characteristics of 2 Timothy are up close and personal on the news today in this world that we live in. Yet with all the horrible things happening we should not be afraid but rather be compelled to get closer to Christ. Some people will have a "form of godliness". I always wondered exactly what that meant. Perhaps it means that they will talk the talk but fail to walk it out. Or they will use the name of the Lord but never see a manifestation of His power. How could anyone deny that the Lord…

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful. PS 33:1 Some of the most memorable moments I have enjoyed were seeing my children in productions where they act, sing or play an instrument. Whether it was an elementary school function or a church worship service, the feeling was always the same...a proud father with a huge smile on his face, loving what he was seeing on the faces of his children. This scripture out of the psalms tells us something that we must never forget... praise looks good on us!  I can imagine my heavenly Father watching from heaven and seeing my face and hearing my voice as I exalt His name and sing His praises. I believe that just as I felt proud and grinned from ear to ear, so too He smiles and loves the way that the praise looks on me! The Bible tells us that when we are overwhelmed, when we are under heavy stress and anxiety, we should put on the garment of praise. As God sees and hears your words of adoration, He will remove the …

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2 There are many things in life that are seasonal. Nature changes colors, groceries and produce markets change foods, clothing stores change clothes and people, well we change too. Our attitudes may become different, our outlook on life, even our willingness to work may be affected by the seasons. After reading today's scripture I see that ministry too is seasonal. You and I are to "preach the Word", which means to share the story of Christ IN and OUT of season. In other words, ministry should take place each and every day of every month in every year. It's always the right time  to share God's love! So get prepared and be ready because you may never know when it will be your time to speak, pray or simply show up to be a friend to someone else. Ministry is seasonal...every season!

**This article is taken from the Cup of Joe Devotional book which is available through Amazon and in Christian bookstores nationwide. Please feel free to share:)

Galatians 5:13 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? Buried right in the middle of this scripture is a simple truth that not only changes your life; it will change you! We know that Christ has given us freedom...a free life, and we must choose to stand in that freedom.(ch5:1) But you can't choose to do whatever you desire just because Christ paid the price. You have freedom to serve others. Serving other people is the easiest way to find freedom like you've never experienced bef…

Too often we can find ourselves distracted, chasing things that are completely off the path that we should be on. It is true that what  we focus on will develop, so we must be careful to hold fast to those situations that we desire to see growth in.
Follow One Course Until Successful...FOCUS!

Don't let little disruptions blur the vision that the Lord has set before you. Fix your eyes on Him and you will begin to see more clearly the way that you should go. Churchill said, "you will never reach your destination, if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks."
The main focus is to remain focused.

Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain and your vats will overflow with good wine. 
There is one sure way to always have what you need: to honor the Lord with your wealth. For much of my life I honored what I needed. My wants, desires and bills would be first. Then if there was anything left, the Lord would get a share. Living this way never seemed to provide an increase in any area.
Then I learned about giving and becoming generous. I learned how to honor God with my wealth, at least with what little wealth I had. He no longer would get leftovers. God would come first! He would get the best part of everything I produced. For some time I was religiously stuck with ten percent of my income. As I grew older, and wiser I could see that I could not overdo it when it came to giving to the Lord. That percentage began to grow: I gave more time, more energy and ability and more money. You and I…