cup of joe

Galatians 6:1  Live creatively , friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived .  Living creatively does not just happen. It takes training and discipline. Our challenges are that we instinctively have within us a desire to watch out for ourselves and deal with our own situations. We become consumed with self . People wrong us and we cut them off and may even start talking badly about them to someone else. This is not living creatively...it's living destructively. And that is not how God desires us to live. We need to take care of each other. Be forgiving. Stoop down and reach out to make life a little better for someone else. Sometimes it's just a comforting word or a friendly gesture. Sharing

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.  His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.  And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus . Mark 9:2-4 It's hard to imagine what it might have felt like to be one of those inside the circle of trust Jesus had. Peter, James and John were in the inner circle and got to be a part of things that no one else witnessed. In Mark 9, Jesus took them up to the top of a mountain and He changed right before their eyes! Bright white light consumed them and then suddenly there appeared Elijah and Moses talking to Jesus! Unbelievable! Talk about a  Kodak moment ! And no need for a flash!  The simple truth is this: the closer we get to Christ the more amazing life can become. This same trio went along with Jesus to the Garden before He was arrested and crucified. Th

Social Networks are buzzing these days. Posts, tweets, pix, hashtags, the list goes on and on. As I worked on all of the social media for the week I wondered, would Jesus use it?  If Jesus had a Facebook profile what would it look like? Can you think outside of the norm for just a moment today with me? What kinds of posts would you find on his wall? How about… “Getting ready to walk across the sea again…really freaks out those fisherman!” Or maybe you would read… “Did you know laughter is like good medicine LOL?” Or “keep using MY NAME in vain and I’ll make rush hour longer!” How about his status updates? Perhaps He would say “just fed a bunch of folks with a little boys sack lunch…love to see the looks on their faces when the bread multiplies!” #5000plus Or “so thrilled I just got to help my buddy at his wedding…they ran out of wine and I blessed their water...GLORY!  OK, one more... “BRB, I’m spitting in the mud so I can heal the eyes of this blind man” Would Jesus

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed . (Luke 5:16 NIV) Life can get busy and we can easily become overwhelmed. Unfortunately in my life I let this happen all too often. For some reason I seem to think that I can fix anything and that I must always be available. Are any of you guilty of that too?  I realize that life does not revolve around me and that I certainly can't do everything. As I get older I just want to be more like Christ and learn the lessons He showed us through His Word. There was always a demand on His time. There were always people that needed Him. And He had the ability to help every one of them! But He didn't . There were times that Jesus withdrew to lonely places while people needed Him. Times when even He needed to refresh and recharge.  What keeps us from wanting to withdraw at all? Maybe we have a fear of being alone. Perhaps that fear causes us to attach to people that we shouldn't and become participants in things that wear us

For the last few weeks I felt as though there was a subtle shifting taking place in which the Lord was beginning to open some doors and make a way for many people that have thought there could never be one. When things and people start to feel unsettled, it usually means God was up to something. Why now? What is so special about now? Why should I expect my breakthrough to happen at this time? The Bible tells us that Jesus is consistent...He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is all about  timing . Everything happens  in His time . But what's so special right now is that we have begun to see the secret of synchronizing His timing and ours. The secret is what happens in the hallway! When one door closes and you have left that season but a new season and door has not yet opened, you find yourself in that hallway...the uncomfortable space between where you were and where you are going. What happens here is crucial in synchronizing the timing of God.  Praise IS the sec

Henry David Thoreau said " if one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours ." Did Thoreau discover a formula for success? Moving confidently  in the direction that YOU desire is how things happen. There are far too many dreams that have fallen asleep and been abandoned because of a lack of confidence and because the dreamers never moved one step in forward. Confidence is built by living the life that you imagined. Where do you see yourself? What do you see yourself doing? Get that image in your head and begin to walk in that direction. Sure it may just be little steps right now. One foot after the other. But what Mr. Thoreau so eloquently stated is a very spiritual principle. The atmosphere you permit determines the product you create. You get out of life what you put in to it.  Living the life that you have "imagined in your mind " will

May the power of His resurrection invade your life this Easter! H eaven Sent   O bstacles Removed   P eople Saved   E ternity Prepared

I've always loved the quote that I placed on this picture I took while in Destin, Florida for some rest and relaxation. Some may read the and see the words pain, struggles and faithfulness.  Others may see purpose, reason and reward. But the real power of these six words comes when they are contrasted against the other in this quote. Yes life is often filled with pain and struggle. We need to remain faithful to God when everything feels as though its falling apart. He has a purpose for the pain. Pain reveals our weakness and invites in His strength. God reveals the reason for struggles:to bring about a deep-seated dependence upon Him. And when all is said and done, more is done than said by a God that brings great rewards for those that stay faithful. Maybe you are facing some great challenges in your life right now. Imagine being in a place of rest...maybe for you it is the beach. Sat these words out loud and let the message lift your spirits and build your faith. God has a

I wonder if it is possible to live a life with no worries? Life really is too short to worry about things that we can’t change anyway. So I guess the question is, why do we worry?  1-Perhaps it is because our image of God is not as big as the image of our difficulty . The reason Jesus tried to teach us about anxiety is because he knew it would come. Anxiety comes from the word anxiousness…being too anxious for something that has not happened. In  this  world Jesus said you WILL have trouble. There will be many things you could worry about. But he said BE OF GOOD CHEER, I have overcome the world. I am bigger than any problem that you may face. Don't worry. be happy:) Could I really believe that God could take this BIG mess and untangle it so that I could enjoy life again? Can I live a good life though my business has folded? Is there life after divorce? Can God use someone like me that has been through things I would never want to talk about? The answer is yes, yes and abso

Brother and sister, together as friends, ready to face whatever life sends! So proud of these two, John and Jennifer, and the joy they have brought into this world...especially into mine. John is an Executive Pastor in South Florida and Jennifer is a school teacher in South Carolina. They shape minds and touch hearts each and every day. And any day that I get to share a cup of joe with them is a great one! Happy National Siblings Day to all the siblings out there! #nationalsiblingsday 

Just felt like this worked perfectly for our first cup of joe together today! Now each time you take a sip, thank the Lord for this  bold  reminder:) C hrist O ffers F orgiveness F or E veryone E verywhere #forgivenessisforyou

Acts 14:1 When they got to Iconium they went, as they always did, to the meeting place of the Jews and gave their message. The Message convinced both Jews and non-Jews—and not just a few, either. But the unbelieving Jews worked up a  whispering campaign  against Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in the street. The two apostles were there a long time, speaking freely, openly, and confidently as they presented the clear evidence of God’s gifts, God corroborating their work with miracles and wonders .  Anyone who has ever stepped out in faith at some point to honor the Lord and take a stand for righteousness knows what a whispering campaign is. Not everyone in this life desires things to go well and these days we even have professional "whisperers" who plant seeds of discord and dissension.  Someone once said that people are like buttons on an elevator-they will either take you up or they will take you down. I want to find those tha

In Mark 12:41-42,  Jesus sat down opposite the treasury where people came to bring their offerings, and He watched as they came and went. Many rich people threw in large sums of money, but a poor widow came and put in  two small coins worth only a fraction of a cent. I remember reading this scripture and thinking how intimidating it would feel to have Jesus standing across the room and watching me write a check to the church or fill up my offering envelope. I thought about whether his face would be stern or whether he would be smiling and giving me a great big thumbs up! Seriously?  Then it sank in. He knows everything about me! He knows what I give to the things He connects me to and more importantly, He knows what I keep! In fact He is watching me all the time.  Jesus said the woman that put in two small coins was more obedient than all the others. Were these special coins...maybe rare ones? No! They represented the sacrificial giving that she was doing. He saw her heart