LiveFreeLoveHard

Reform: to make right what is wrong; amend; correct; mend; rectify; redress; remedy; right. When things go “wrong” in our lives, we become saddened, down.   We think why did that happen?   You may not think, ‘Why me?’ You don’t take it personal because you understand on some level that crappy things can happen in life.   It happens to all of us.   Relationships break up, people get hurt, lose their jobs, accidentally step in dog poop, all kinds of unpleasant things occur on a regular basis.   We cannot control that.   What we can control is how we choose to act and react to these happenstances.   These situations are often uncomfortable, painful, hurtful, and at the very least inconvenient.   We gripe, we complain, we get upset, angry even.   We ask why the pain, why the suffering? “Because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.”   Hebrews 12:6 Analogy: Braces – The purpose of braces is to straighten your teeth.   Anyone who has had br

I guess you just don’t get it.   You can’t see me for who I really am.   We have missed one another.   I wanted to love you.   I tried.   I tried hard.   I wanted to love your pain away.   I wanted to love your walls down.   I wanted to touch the places where you were wounded, I wanted to fix every mistake, and right every wrong you ever experienced.   I wanted to love you because I knew you would be safe with me.   I know how fragile you really are.   Behind your strength and your nonchalant demeanor, you bleed just as I do.   You hurt just as I do.   You feel just as I do.   I had to love you; I didn’t trust anyone else to do it correctly.   When we first met, there was something inside you that called to me; that needed me, believe it or not.   No other woman could have filled my shoes.   Why me?   Why you?   Why us?   We both needed a safe haven to restore our faith.   And because nothing is safer than the loving arms of God, He gave us each other – a son and daughter of God.   Get

For lack of a better word and to prevent a miscommunication of the main concept, Blesser : refers to the Almighty God – Creator of Heaven and Earth; omnipotent and ever-present and powerful Being.   Blessing : refers to everything and every one God has ever placed in your life to increase your value and to provide you fulfillment.     Blessings are all around us. They take many shapes and forms.   Blessings flow from the Blesser.   Your spouse is a blessing.   Yet sometimes you may expect him to be your God.   You may be expecting your spouse to perform duties only God can perform for you.   You may be expecting your spouse to fill a void, an emptiness you feel when only the Blesser can satisfy those requests.   There is no wonder why there is so much strain on our relationships.   Do not be confused on where your provisions are truly coming from.   Your job is a blessing.   Whatever way you are being provided for economically, that is your blessing.   We should be appreciative of

Being a leader seems to come with its own level of power and prestige.   A leader is thought to be strong, courageous, bold, powerful and full of vision – after all, he is supposed to be leading us somewhere.   A follower, though the term lacks the same glitz and glam as leader, is ever so necessary as well.   How ever could a man lead, if there is no one to follow him?   Each position carries its own weight.   It doesn’t matter whether you lead or follow – it matters “how” and it definitely matters “who”.   As a leader, the people who follow you are your responsibility.   Their life is being influenced by you directly.   They are looking to you for guidance and what you deposit in them will be absorbed.   Parents are leaders by definition because they have direct influence over your children; teachers over their students; Pastors over their congregations; and some friends over other friends – a leader can emerge anywhere.   A leader must be careful of his walk and talk because he is

With all these social networking sites popping up all over the place, its fun to peruse the sites to meet new people and connect with old ones.   We enjoy looking at each other’s pictures, videos, and chatting.   We stay in touch and we reach out to our “Friends.”   I get the idea Facebook had with the whole “friends” craze, though I’m certain they’ve used the term quite loosely. I must apologize before proceeding because I, on the other hand, am quite frugal with the term. FB friends send you a link …real friends take you there. FB friends review your pics…real friends are in them with you. FB friends write on your wall…real friends write on your heart. FB friends respond to your posts…real friends respond to your cries. FB friends start drama on your page…real friends talk it out behind closed doors FB friends only tell you what they like…real friends will tell you what they don’t like FB friends want to know WHAT you’re doing…real friends want to know HOW you’re doing FB friends a

This message is for you:   I didn’t know what to write about today and then I thought of you.   I’m not sure exactly what you’ve been anxious over but God says, “Do not worry.”   You have been drained of your time and energy because of that situation.   You have to do what you’re going to do and let it go.   Everyday, you think about it, even if just for a moment.   You need to release it.   When I searched the scriptures for God’s Truth on worrying, His message was clear – “Do not worry.” ·          Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?   Matthew 6:27 ·          Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about   your body, what you will wear.   Matthew 6:25 ·          Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.   Matthew 6:34 ·          Do not worry beforehand about what to say.   Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, it is the Holy Spirit.    Mark 13:11 God doe

If you are lacking in any area of your life it is probably the area where you have been most selfish.   Remember, you must give in order to receive - and in that order. We must stop being so selfish, lest we block our own blessing. You can neither take from a clenched fist, nor deposit anything in it.       When we ask God for wisdom, patience, love, forgiveness, mercy or kindness, what we are really doing is asking God to give us opportunities where we can seek wisdom, have patience, show kindness, give love, offer forgiveness, be merciful and kind to others.   At that point, it is up to us to rise to the occasion and exhibit these characteristics.   We are a work in progress.   I asked the Lord for a triple portion of faith.   I want to believe God for miracles beyond marvel.   The bible says that if we have the faith of a mustard seed, we should be able to speak to a mountain and have it be moved.   Growing up, I wasn’t familiar with how big a mustard seed was, but I thought movi

Effort is defined as the use of energy to do something; endeavor, exertion; strain; striving. It goes on to say a difficult undertaking; chore or task.   Well, that doesn’t sound very pleasant at all.   It sounds like hard work, doesn’t it?   There are a number of ways to get the maximum results from the least amount of effort. 1)       Do what you love – How hard is it for someone to make you go shopping, or make you party?   It probably doesn’t take much convincing at all to get you up and running.   When we see people who are vibrant and enjoying their lives, it may be that they have figured out a secret that we all need to unfold – Do what you love.   If your life is boring, your career is unfulfilling and your relationships are half-assed, it’s because you’ve placed all these things in your life that you don’t even want or value.   Grab a hold of something you’re passionate about and see how very little effort it takes for you to indulge. 2)       Focus on the outcome instead of

Rarely do we think when we wake up in the morning that we are getting ready for battle.   We don’t think we need a sword, shield, and breast plate to drive down the street and go to work.   We are running to Starbucks, not running to fight a war, right?   Wrong.   Unfortunately, friends we are always under attack.   We need to always stay on our toes and keep our minds alert to the ploys of the enemy.   Ok, before I go any further, let me distinguish the real from the fake.   Not everyone has to worry about being attacked by the enemy.   Some of you are working in cooperation with the enemy.   If there isn’t anything in your life that is devoted to glorifying God, the enemy doesn’t even need to attack you because you’re not a threat.   If your life is not an expression of love, you are just sitting on the bench.   You are not even in the game, so why would the opponent be worried about you?   Therefore, those of us who are living purposefully, intentionally to put a smile on God’s face

We are conditioned to hold each other down.   I find it to be amazing how foreign real kindness and sincerity is to people.   If someone wants to give you something, you assume they are trying to sabotage you. You scrutinize the gift as if it was tainted or poisoned.   Likewise, when your neighbors and people around you succeed, we are jealous and envious.   We spew venom of hatred from our lips toward that person because we are sullen that we have not received.   We are glowering because we are living a life of poverty, lack, restriction and emptiness.   We are like crabs in a barrel, clinging to the heels of any one who looks promising.   You are blocking your own blessing by hoarding around all that negativity and scum.   I am going to free your mind of that mentality by revealing the absurdity behind jealousy and envy.   Look at it this way…Everything that God has for you, is for you.   There isn’t anything you can do to mess it up or take it away.   No matter what anyone else rec

This one is easy.   Passion, fire, drive, intensity, gratification, pleasure, satisfaction:   if you rarely hear, see, use or feel these words (or synonyms) – you’ve settled.   Do you know what it means to settle?   Do you understand all that the act implies, including its ramifications?   Let me enlighten you and show you a little tough love. Settling programs your mind to accept less than the best, to desire for fewer things and ultimately to deteriorate your personal value and worth.    By settling, you are telling yourself that you are not worth what you desire, so instead you will take what is available or left over.      Do not be mislead, there are a number of ways you could be settling and receiving less than the best.   Anytime you deny yourself pleasures you are settling.   Choosing a job that’s available instead of a career that’s desirable is settling.   Staying in a relationship that’s average at best, instead of seeking love that blows your mind is settling (and yes, m

When you are living to someone else’s standards, you never know how you’re measuring up until you ask them.   I’ve spent my entire life living for someone else – a significant other mostly, my parents secondly and society as a whole has definitely added her requirements to my definition of success and happiness.    It seems I have always been looking outside of myself for approval, for a frame of reference. He gave me one. I sought my peace within our union.   If we were getting along, my life was perfect.   If things were rocky between us, so was everything in my life.   I had no foundation.   My emotions were destroying my essence.   It seemed as if I had lost who I was or I had never known her at all.   I tried to think back to when it was just me.   I tried to remember who I was before I was re-programmed to be his woman.   I had been re-programmed a couple times.   With every new relationship, I re-molded.   At times, I felt there was no room for me – the real me.   I felt suffoc

Do you remember what the feeling was like the night before your first day of school?   You were a little nervous, a little anxious, and a little excited.   How about how you felt on Christmas Day opening presents?   I’m sure you felt much more excitement and giddiness.   That is how God wants you to approach the events of everyday life, with anxious anticipation and giddiness to the things he has in store for you.   Keep your eyes open to God’s blessings they are all around you if you believe they are.   There are opportunities lying at your feet. There are treasures surrounding your every step.   Really?   No way.   Life is crappy and full of disappointments, you say.   Sure it is.   I’m sure there are arguments for both sides of the coin, but which side do you want to be on?   Raving about God’s bountiful blessings tripping you at your feet or that the world has wrestled you down and bound you to poverty and defeat.   Where is the fun in that?   Dare to challenge life’s gruesomenes

Jumping jacks.  Give me 25 right now.  Seriously.  Get your blood pumping. Give your body a jolt.  It is the consensus that the morning sets the tone for the entire day.  Crucial.  Which means that if you plan on investing any energy into the direction you want your life to take, your best shot is to make it plain when you first wake up.  But Wait.  I wake up in the morning and I lay in my bed for at least 20 minutes before I can even think about getting the motivation to move.  It's true.  The enemy attacks early.  While you are still slumbering.  He plots that you will fail before you even get up.  Imagine that.  Pay attention to the morning chatter in your mind.  Is it telling you how wonderful the day is going to be? Or is it more like, "Another day, same old stuff. I'll just lay here until I absolutely have to get up."  I know you've felt this way.   Well, here is an alternative, if you dare. As soon as you gain consciousness in the morning, beat the enemy

Resurrect Peter Pan: Let me remind you that God still performs miracles.  He's not rusty, and He didn't forget how to do it.  We stopped believing.  As children, we are green to the veil the world is creating for us day by day.  Once we are grown, we are so programmed that we never question our thoughts, desires, aspirations, abilities or limitations.  We stopped believing to be astronauts and inventors, and we started settling for assistants and associates.  We stopped believing we could fly and settled for a bike and some sneakers to get around.  We stopped desiring things that we felt were beyond our reach and looked to find happiness in safe and secure dreams. Well, I have come with the pixy dust to revert you to your youth so we can fly away together. I am on a personal journey to affluence, freedom, peace, happiness, faith and love.  I have found the path that will lead me to my destination.  I have taken the first few steps and I can already taste victory.  "Be