cup of joe

I was reading some words from Galatians 1 this week where it talks about a plan...a plan that God has for everyone. It says in chapter 1 and verse 4 that  the purpose and plan of God was that we would all come to the realization that we need saving . We need a Savior! Paul was surprised and astonished that people could walk away from faith so easily and start to chase other belief systems. He could not wrap his head around the fact that anyone could desert Christ and pursue something else. Once you have had a taste of grace, once you have digested it and learned to live off of its power, you can never abandon the God that gives grace. Grace is "unmerited favor". Unfortunately in our culture the unmerited favor of God often gives way to the instant gratification of self. You can't earn grace; it is a gift. A gift from God. And because of that gift you have the reassurance that everything that happens in your life will somehow be utilized in making you stronger, more

Celebrate          Honor          Remember Land of the FREE because of the BRAVE Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends

5 Lessons from a Pencil : #saturdaysmiles

The Bible tells us that evil company corrupts good habits. In other words, you can easily become like the people you hang out with. Too often people find themselves partnering with people that drag them down, hoping that they will be strong enough to change them. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. So who’s in your tribe? Make sure you surround yourself with people who encourage you and want you to succeed. Choose people with visions and ideas. People that inspire the fire in your soul. When you are in relationship with the right people, good things will happen. Praying that you will be surrounded by godly influences and people. #cupofjoe 

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up conflict, but  love covers over all wrongs . I know that God is love and that His love is unconditional and powerful. But today I ponder this idea of love covering offenses... love covers all wrongs .  People have a tendency to run off with few facts and full of emotion when it comes to gossip and/or slander. Fire goes out without wood and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. (Proverbs 26:20) Unfortunately, church folks are some of the best at running to the phone instead of Gods throne. Pray before you say!  I think what God was hoping we would understand was that we have the power to love folks through a hard time. We can also choose to restore rather than exposing them in their period of weakness. Trust me, we will all need this type of mercy at some point in our lives. Remember the Golden Rule? Maybe you know someone who is going through it right now. Don't throw a log on the fire. Stop and use love to snuff out the flame. Love will alw

The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives. Commit your works to the LORD, And your plans will be established. The LORD has made everything for its own purpose... Proverbs tells us that we can have many plans but it is the Lords purpose that prevails.  Proverbs 19:21  What we should seek in this life is His purpose.  The two most important days in a persons life are the day that they are born and the day they discover why . The Lords purpose always prevails though it takes most of us some time to figure that out. If we ask the Lord to help, He promises to allow our thoughts to be established. He has a plan for us: to prosper us and not to harm us. Get ready for a blessed hope and a bright future!

God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can't take it all in ! Psalm 139:1-6 Sometimes it can make me very uncomfortable to consider that the Lord knows what I am thinking! Though the Bible says that I have the mind of Christ I must confess that sometimes I don't use it properly. I take comfort today in knowing that I am on the mind of God every moment and nothing surprises Him. He surrounds me with protection and prepares me for anything that I will face. You have an ally today that is looking out for YOU! You can rest assured that your best interest is on h

God can do anything. Even in your wildest dreams, you just couldn’t imagine the incredible things He is wanting to do. He doesn’t do it by pushing us around but by working within us. His Spirit works deeply and gently within us.  God can do anything! 

Thank the Lord for all that is happening in you during this challenging season. You are growing!!

In my life I have often experienced those delays in seeing the Lords plans and purposes for what was happening. You almost never see a sign that says “short delays”! Especially in this challenging season, we have all had to learn how to do life differently. There is no normal. Everything has been disrupted. What I have learned to do as I grow older is to simply trust that the Lord knows what is going on and isn’t surprised by any of it. He wants the absolute best for my life and for your life too!  God is at work on YOUR situation. Heaven is preparing YOUR miracle. When it comes, YOU will understand the delay. Hang in there! 

There is no easy way to bring about success. Too often we look for the path that requires the least amount of effort on our part. This simple quote reminds me that I must do my part to achieve the things that the Lord has placed in front of me. When I step out in faith, I always meet the Lord as He is waiting to carry me forward. Don’t wait for an elevator. Take the stairs. ☕️#cupofjoe ☕️

In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. Faithfulness can be defined as the willingness to take risks that require faith, in order to produce fruit. The goal is always to produce fruit with our lives and the path is often risky. Trust the Lord and take that step in faith!  #bearfruit #faith #faithfulness #risk