Thursday, September 29, 2005

Words that spoke to me

Be still, and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10 NKJV
"Be Still"

Anxious soul, God is saying to you today, "Be still, and know that I am God."
And there's a reason He's saying it. Your activity, when born out of anxiety,
actually prevents Him from showing Himself strong on your behalf.
That doesn't mean you're to be passive or lazy; it just means you're to do
whatever He leads you to do without running ahead of Him in the energy
of the flesh! It also means you're to submit to Him first,then slow down and
wait! In other words, make sure you have a sense ofpeace to go along with
the ideas you believe He's given you. Ask Him to reveal to you His will in the
matter, then "be still" and acknowledge that He's God, He's in charge, He knows
what He's doing! Learn to trust Him without always demanding to know what
He's going to do, when He's going to do it, and how He's going to carry it out.

Jesus said, "I am the vine, and you are the branches" (Jn 15:5 NIV).
Until you really embrace those words you'll keep trying to do things that
only God can do - like blessing yourself, promoting your own ministry,
solving your own problems and answering your own prayers. Or worse,
you'll try to cover up for Him because you think He's not doing it fast
enough, or in the way it should be done. Give it up! Try less and trust more!
Jesus said, "I am the vine, and you are the branches."
All you have to do is stay connected!

Bible-in-a-year Reading: Eph 4:17 - 5:21, Jn 15:1-17, Ps 91, Pr 21:28-31


I received this in my email from one of my poetry groups.
This is what I needed to hear. BE STILL. Wait and lean back in his
comfort. I see there is real peace in knowing that I am not alone-
a HIGHER Power IS looking out for me. Not a mere human who can
fail me, but a HIGHER being who created me knowing that I would have
these issues, and created me knowing he would take care of me- he came
with answers and direction…..I just have to follow it.

Monday, September 19, 2005

My faith has enabled me to DO....

....when my head says, “I can’t”
A scripture I read last week has been haunting me.
In Luke 17, the disciples asked Jesus to:

“Give us more Faith…”
Jesus’ response was to the effect of ..(not quoted) ‘if you had Faith the size of a
mustard seed, you can tell a tree to move and it would up root and MOVE…’
…. what a powerful analogy!
Many things came to me, but I'll share two:
1) Do you know how small a mustard seed is? And
2) Some obstacles, aspirations and wants in my life are the size of a little rock
- but when I say “move” they are not shaken.
Should this give me an ideal of my faith in these areas? *

I am always amazed at God’s timing. His timing for everything.
Most recently, his timing for revelation and enlightenment.
I’ve known (memorized) this parable since I was a child.
I’ve heard many sermons on it. Had many ‘grannies’ repeat it.
However, it is only NOW do I understand and can relate it to my life.
And it is NOW that I (and maybe you) need to understand and apply it.
God’s timing is unmatched.

Anyway, I’ve been on the fence about a few of my aspirations…battling with
thoughts of “How can it be done?…” , “Will it be needed or wanted?”…
”Why, again, am I doing it?” ….
"Is it good enough?” …”Am I good enough?” and getting a bit discouraged,
and fearful. Many of life’s obstacles seem to keep interfering with the “smooth”
sailing I anticipated. –MY "perfect" plans are not being followed.
HOW DARE LIFE DO THIS TO ME? …lol…
This parable was JUST what I needed. The confirmation of the power I possess.


“MOVE TREE!!!!!!!”
In fact,…
“MOVE FOREST! GET OUT OF MY WAY- BECAUSE I AM DOING
WHAT THE LORD HAS CALLED ME TO DO.”

I know, without doubt, that I am called with purpose. A few purposes!
And I know that I can not live without fulfilling them. I just cant. I
t just WILL NOT happen.
I have made up my mind to DO- that which is my calling; regardless of
what may stand in front of me…and I need to reclaim my victory and begin.
There is no time for fear… no time for procrastination…no time for self-doubt.

No time for self-doubt!
…Why? Because my trust is not in myself- but in the LORD that dwells within me.

So this week, I am challenging myself…and all that believe.
Let’s exercise our faith and try to at least have it the size of a mustard seed…
if we can move a tree, imagine what we can do reaching our own small goals.

Peace & Blessings,
~Nia


*I know that some things(‘crosses to bear’) are placed in our lives to
make us in some way- so all that I want to move will not just up and move...
and this is no reflection on my faith.
But I’m talking about things I KNOW, would be allowed by God if I had more
faith in him working in these areas and not myself. SELF is afraid, and has
totally let ‘fear’ drive, hence my idleness….

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

God's Call

Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.
- Jeremiah 1:5NCV

God's Call

There's a consistent pattern in Scripture of what happens in a life that God wants to use
and improve:
(1) There's always a call. God asks common people to engage in uncommon
acts of trust,
like getting out of the boat and walking on water.
(2)There's always fear. God has a habit of asking people to do things that
scare them: like
Moses who told God, "I'm not a good enough speaker, usesomebody else."
(3) There's always reassurance. Listen: "As I was withMoses, so I will be with you."
That's what God told Joshua, the newleader who'd just taken over.
(4) There's always a decision. Sometimes,like with Gideon, we say yes to God's call.
Sometimes, like the richyoung ruler who spoke to Jesus, we say no, but
always we must decide.
(5)There's always a changed life. Those who say yes to God's call don't walkperfectly, not by a long shot. But because they say yes they learn and
grow, even from their failures, and become part of His actions to redeema lost world.

Those who say no to God are changed too; they become alittle harder,
a little more resistant to His calling, a little morelikely to say no next time.

Is God calling you?

Maybe it has to do with your work, yourrelationships, your money,
or facing your deepest fear. God's call willgo to the core of who you
are and what you do. If you say yes to Him,you'll never regret it!

Bible-in-a-year Reading: Song of Songs 1-4, Jn 11:45-57,
Ps 78:32-39, Pr20:20-21

Rhema Broadcasting Group (c) 2003
Julie Gaskins, a.k.a. "J"
http://profiles.yahoo.com/tremendousjewel
tremendousjewel@yahoo.com

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Got Faith?

What a time, we are living in! The state of the world is pure confusion and sorrow. So many of my friends are popping anti-depressants like candy……. many are at their wits end. Many are engaging in activity, potentially harmful and they don’t even know it. Lord, have mercy.

“What to do Lord?”

That was what I asked. “God, what can I do? I, myself, am just a bit away from snapping! How can I help? What can I say?"
But something MUST be done…
Then it occurred to me. Since I haven’t “snapped” yet-lol- I should be strong for us both!

Got Faith?

I have Faith enough in God to know that not only I can develop, grow and pull through the struggle but so can YOU!
Isn’t that why we have each other- to lean on?

I can’t stress enough that we ALL are created with a purpose. We all are created with the intensions of succeeding. Not success as we see it and know it, such as achieving these material things that can be given and taken…but spiritual and mental success.

We have the ability to pull ourselves out of these depressive states, in spite of what’s going on around us- in order to reach our goals. Fulfill our purpose. These emotional and mental attacks are on us for a reason- to stop us from reaching our goals. God’s goals. To stop us from having what God has offered us. Success. Peace. Joy.

But, we must have Faith! We must have faith and continue to persevere and not give up. Not give up mentally- no matter what our bodies are telling us. Train your mind, and the body will follow.

Have Faith, until you can, I will for you- because we are our brothers’ keeper.

Peace & Blessings,
~Nia

Monday, September 12, 2005

The Gift of Encouragement

While reheating my tea, for the second time- the Lord spoke to me.
We are all blessed with different gifts. God has equipped us with all we need to be productive people, but we do not take advantage of most of our talents. We figure if we can’t financially be a ‘blessing’ or support- than there is nothing else we can do.

One of the gifts God brought to my mind is the gift of Encouragement.
With a simple note, we have the ability to make someone’s day a little brighter.

I urge you in all your web surfing- if you see a site you’ve enjoyed just drop the owner a line, -leave a comment. Let him/her know that their hard work is not in vain. Their site is being viewed and was enjoyed.
Yes, many have site counters- but I’d rather get an emailed comment over 100 hits any day. I’d rather know that someone actually took time out to let me know that my hard work is seen. That’s what keeps me motivated. Not the number of hits, but is do someone walk away feeling better. Feeling empowered!
That’s what keeps me working harder to improve the quality of what I produce.

If you have the gift of encouragement, use it! You never know what your little comment could do- some are life changing, and some, life saving…

Peace & Blessings,
~Nia

Friday, September 09, 2005

JUST GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

1. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
2. Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create
conditions in your life.
3. What you speak about, you can bring about.
4. If you keep saying you can't stand your job, you might lose your job.
5. If you keep saying you can't stand your body, your body can become sick.
6. If you keep saying you can't stand your car, your car could be stolen
or just stop operating.
7. If you keep saying you're always broke, guess what? You'll always be broke.
8. If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman, you will
always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.
9. If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.
10. If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believein you,
our very thoughts will attract more experiences to confirm yourbeliefs.

Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positiveand power
packed with faith, hope, love and action.

Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

taken from www.SisterPower.com

Thursday, September 01, 2005

We're winners!!!

*All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman;
and however we deceive ourselves,
as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince.
~Plato

This quote really touched me today. Sometimes we lose focus of God and start to look around us. We begin to look at other people, other businesses- and see that they are “flourishing”, growing or doing so much more than we are.

It seems as if, no matter how hard we try, we “can’t win for losing”.

I had asked God,
“Why do you allow some to have more than others? Are they more special in some way? Is your favor on them, but not on the others? Is this JUST??”

God spoke to me.
Firstly, “His ways are NOT our ways…neither are his thoughts our thoughts”
(in other words, “How dare I try to comprehend his justice and why he does things- I could NEVER begin to understand with my mortal mind”…)
Needless to say, that shut me up pretty quickly!! LOL

Secondly, we are ALL equal in his eyes. No one is greater. Actually- none of us really ‘shine’, when you get down to it. Compared to him, our greatest deeds and ‘best-of-the-best’ is like “filthy rags” .

Isa 64:6 “ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;”

However in spite of that, God still loves us. His mercies keep us. Even when I feel that I am going backwards, not progressing-but losing in this game of life…

I’m not.

I am a winner in more ways than one. You may not see it- but I know it.
So are you! I may not see it- but God know it.
…Now isn’t that what truly matters?

Peace & Blessings,
~Nia

* Quote taken from Julie Gaskins, a.k.a. "J"
http://profiles.yahoo.com/tremendousjewel
http://authorsden.com/julieagaskinstremendousjewel@yahoo.com