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Showing posts from April, 2014
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One Small Step Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin ... (Zechariah 10:4) Sometimes the hardest step to take can be the first step. It's rarely rewarding, somewhat intimidating, and for the procrastinator in all of us, annoyingly scary.  Who among us doesn't  like the feeling of quick accomplishments? Who wouldn't want immediate success with little effort? But t hat doesn't  take faith. No, s tepping out into the unknown with baby steps - that takes faith. This blog is actually the first step I've taken to seeing my work published. My next step was to research the writing market. Next, I've begun submitting some of my work to publishers. Step by step. No where I want to be yet, but I know what God has put inside of me. And isn't that core to starting something great?  God puts a desire in our hearts. And we can't seem to erase that desire; even if years pass by. We can try to ignore it with the busi
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At the Right Time God says, “At the time I have planned,      I will bring justice against the wicked. - Psalm 75:2 God has a timeline, and it doesn't always align with ours. Have you ever been  disappointed, let down, because your miracle didn't come when everyone else's did?  What about the child you've been praying for, believing God for, and yet, still no change. They still struggle, they still fight.  Your marriage? What about the years of sowing into that holy union, that sacred relationship, only to be disappointed again, and again, and again? How does one hold the goodness of God in one hand and balance it against the injustice of life in the other? Well, we don't, and we shouldn't. It's not ours to balance. There is a time for everything under the sun; a time God has planned for every situation. He will bring about His plan in His time. His plan, His time. It's not about us and our wills being done.  One of the most difficult questio
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Yours Many enemies try to destroy me with lies,  demanding that I give back what I didn't  steal (Psalm 94:4) A robbed man is an angry man, but a man who gives up what is his willingly is a deceived man. The sad truth is, though, that many of us have given up what is ours. We've believed a lie. We've forgotten who we are and what our position is. But God is not leaving His church in this condition; He's waking us up, opening our eyes. We have an enemy who fights us not with sword, spear, or arrow. His weapons are deceit, thievery, lies, delivered with murderous intent. He wants to rob us blind. What has he robbed you of? Health? Integrity? Freedom? What is he telling you that you have no right to? A restored relationship? Happiness and joy? A better home situation? All lies. We've forgotten who we are, and what we are worth. We were purchased by the blood of the Creator of the universe. The One who made us says we were worth it. We are royals, sons and da
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Provision Provision is defined by Webster as a stock of needed materials or supplies, or a measure taken beforehand to deal with a need. This is an awesome visual of the way God's kingdom operates in our lives; how His supply works. If you could pull back the silky white curtain that covers the unseen, invisible workings of His mysterious kingdom, you would see a stockpile of provision - an abundance of supply waiting for us. "Lord, abundantly bless our provision!" God has provided, and wants to bless us. But something must happen to release that provision. The provision exists, for sure, stockpiled and waiting to be released. But what will release this abundance that God has in store for us? Acts of faith. Acts that say, "I'm going to step into what God has for me, where my abilities and wisdom in themselves will not be able to carry me. I'm going to put God on the spot; test Him in this. I'm going to put myself in a position such that if God do
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Ctl-Z I write software for a living. And like every trade or occupation, there are tips and tricks that are used specific to that trade. For example, here are some keystrokes that I use on a fairly regular basis: ESC - hit this key when you want to get out of something Control-Alt-Delete - use this to get rid of those nasty programs that are eating up your memory F1 - Get instant help But one of my favorites, the one that has saved me a lot of re-typing, my good friend of the keystroke family, Ctl-Z (pronounced control z). It's the UNDO command. Did you just delete two hundred lines of code that took four hours to type? Ctl-Z. Did you just delete that file from your boss by mistake? Ctl-Z. Want to undo the last four things you just did? Ctl-Z. I love it. Undo at my fingertips. Ahhh, but that life were so simple.  Just yelled at your wife? Ctl-Z. Just missed a great opportunity? Ctl-Z. Said something stupid in front of eighty people? Clt-Z. I could make millions, no bi
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The power to choose You're in a miserable mood (let's just say you are; we all find ourselves in that place at some point). You don't want to talk and you don't want to be talked to. Is there anything wrong with that? Well, not necessarily, if you're a hermit. Or alone. But what if you're not alone? Our moods not only bother us, but they can also hurt others. You may be surprised at how sensitive people are to your ups and downs. How we feel, or rather, how we act, affects other people. More than we realize. So, if you're acting on your feelings rather than on the character that God is building in you, then those around you are at risk of being hurt. "But how others feel is not my responsibility." Really? We are examples of Christ. Selfless. Thinking of others. Considering others. Loving others. That is part of our calling. "But it's unfair! Can't I have a bad day?" Sure. But those bad days should become less and less as you