PSalms 68:19

Matthew 10:37-39

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain, there will always be sunshine after the rain... Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;

But God's alway's ready to answer your call...

He knows every heartache, sees every tear. A word from His lips can calm every fear. Your sorrows may linger throughout the night, but suddenly vanish dawn's early light.

The Savior is waiting, somewhere above, to give you His grace and send you His love...

Matthew 11:28

"Come unto me, ye who are weary and overburdened,

and I will give you rest."

PSalms 68:19

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

I'm Thinking

I'm thinking

I'm thinking about Today.
...Thinking about Yesterday
And I'm thinking about Tomorrow...

Don't know what tomorrow will bring
Remembered yesterday's pain
But rejoicing in Today's victory

I am alive, I am well
I was confused, sad, and sometimes depressed
But now rising higher than I ever dreamt

I'm no longer hidden, in darkness
Striving for my best
Surviving... just because

I'm thinking...
I'm thanking...
I'm alive, and I am well.

Isaiah 55:9

"As the Heavens are higher than the earth,

So are my ways Higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

God's Rainbow

God's Rainbow

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel; all claimed that they were the best, the most important, the most useful, the favorite.

GREEN said: "Clearly, I am the most important. I am the sign of life and hope. I was chosen for grass, trees, leaves - without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."

BLUE interrupted: "You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace you would all be nothing."

YELLOW chuckled: "You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me the re would be no fun."

ORANGE started next to blow her trumpet: "I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes and paw paws. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you."
RED could stand it no longer. He shouted out: "I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I am the color of danger and bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."
PURPLE rose up to his full height. He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me - they listen and obey."

INDIGO spoke, finally, much more quietly than the others, but with just as much determination: "Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I respect thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly, there was a startling flash of bright lightening - thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, Rain began to speak: "You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me."Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands. The Rain continued: "From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow."

And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another. - Author unknown

His Mercies

Lamentations 3:22-24

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.”

Talk about His mercies are new every morning!! Something huge just finished hitting my car and not a dent was made! Most importantly, I’m alive and well! (And so is everyone else who was at the scene!)

The Scene:
I was behind a truck on I-4 (the Expressway) going 70-75mph at rush hour around 5:15pm with cars to my left, front and rear, on a double-lane road. Suddenly, this ‘thing’ came flying toward my car!!! It hit the hood of my car and bounced off toward the car behind me! It looked like a lid or something to that nature. The truck rode right over it without noticing it, and this ‘thing’ bounced off of its tires and hit my car, bounced off of mine and so forth.
-End of scene-

I didn’t panic—thank God! But, seconds later, it hit me! That ‘thing’ could have hit and broken my front glass window, yet it hit the hood instead- and even more so, it bounced off of my car and it didn’t hit any other car!! It could have been a rock and, at that speed, it could have instantly broken my window! It could have been… but it wasn’t... and it didn’t… and I am more than grateful that God saved me from a terrible accident, and He saved those around me too!

I absolutely have to quote this verse!

Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.”

Simple as that! God is an awesome God!

Today He was pleased in giving me another day of life and I am totally in debt with Him; nothing new—I always have been. But, God knows I messed up on Him just yesterday. Where would I have been? I think of how He saved me today, and how He saved my soul even before I was born! (He knew me even then.) There is no way I can repay Him... but this I know… His blood was not shed in vain. His blood and sacrifice cannot be measure or priced. I will do my best to serve Him and to lead others to His wonderful saving grace.

Prayer:

Thanks Dad. You gave me another gift. I cherish You and I Love You so SO much. My heart breaks for those who still don’t know You—this Wonderful God. My Daddy. And my heart breaks even more for those who have rejected You. They don’t want this awesome love You offer? Then I’ll have it!

XOXOXO I am in awe of You. XOXOXO

I LOVE YOU!!

Yari

Luke 1:50

“His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.”

'One Drop at a Time'

“…Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled."

Is it Christmas yet?? Gosh… it’s not even Thanksgiving yet and this is what I found myself humming while on the way back home from work yesterday. “Ooh I absolutely love Christmas,” I thought. Then it hit me! Christmas??!! Christmas is just around the corner! Oh my God! Christmas is almost here and that means that New Years is almost here and that means that… OMG! Here goes another New Years resolutions list aaall over again!! I haven’t even fulfilled last years ‘resolutions!’ ::humph::

I wanted to do so much.

So many plans… so little time! { Sure, I had an entire year! }

Is it too late to start a new list??? Hey I know! I’ll call it “Pre-Year’s Resolutions”
—How about that??

Then, I remembered a blog that I had posted some time ago entitled, “Set Realistic Goals.” Hmmm... I think I should re-read and re-post that. (Maybe even print it out and carry it with me in my purse!)

"Set Realistic Goals" by Simple Truths
"When I was a freshman in college I learned an unforgettable lesson. I was having a rough week when there was a lot to do and very little time to do it. I was overwhelmed. I panicked.
That night a friend stopped by my dorm room. When I told him my problem, he said, "Mac, I'll share something with you that my grandmother told me a few years ago. She said to always remember: 'Inch by inch, life's a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.'"

I said, "Bob, here I am drowning in work and your lifeline is a quote from your grandmother. Come on!" After he left, however, those twelve little words kept dancing in my head. I took out a piece of notebook paper and listed all the things I had to do in the next three days. That night I began knocking them off one by one. Three days later I took out that paper and marked through the last thing on the list. It felt great!

And then I took out another piece of paper and wrote down the words: "Inch by inch, life's a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard." I then folded the paper and put it in my wallet. As many of you know, I've been collecting quotes ever since.

You see, over the years I've learned that success doesn't come cascading like Niagara Falls; it comes one drop at a time through short-term, realistic goals. Experts on motivation disagree on a lot of things, but one thing they all agree on is that your levels of motivation are directly tied to your expected probabilities of success.
In other words, if you believe you can do something (the goals are realistic), you're likely to be highly motivated. If, however, you think you can't (because the goals are unrealistic) your motivation level falls greatly. The lesson here is to continue to dream big dreams, but realize that the short-term goals that take you to the next plateau are the real keys to success."

And from me... Let me also remind you what the word of God says in

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Amazing Pics...

...Everyone Needs a Friend.

Ecclesiastes 4:10

If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

"Dream"

This impacted me and I thought I'd share it with you...

From a Message Board from Tyler Perry

Tyler...
"Yesterday a reporter asked me a question. He said, "With all that is happening to you now--when you were growing up in New Orleans did you everimagine that you would be in this position?" I told him, "Yes, I did imagine!"He was shocked. He said, "You don't think that's a little arrogant?" I told him this--and I want to share it with you because the way he lookedat me I know that he won't print it.
I said, "I had to imagine myself in a better place. Sometimes the nights got so cold and the days so hard and long that if I wouldn't have then Iwouldn't have made it." The Bible says that you should speak things that are not as though they were, and that you must cast down imaginations and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. It also says that the power of life and death is in the tongue. So, you can speak life or you can speak death. I chose to speak life into my situation. I chose to use my imagination to take me higher. Not just in this life but higher in Christ.
I want to ask you some questions today. And this is mainly for the peoplethat are going through right now. When you think about your tomorrow, are good things waiting for you? When you imagine your future are you happy and blessed? Is your family happy? Are you in a better place than you are now? If you don't see good things in your future then nothing good will come your way. You must think good about you so that it can come to you. So, start seeing yourself in a better place. I promise you that it works. It worked for me and it can work for you. And just a side note, when you start to dream and see yourself in a betterplace, don't share it with everybody. Long ago I stopped telling people my dreams because I would always run into dream stealers--people who are so miserable and so mad at the world that all they can do is bring you bitter words of hopelessness. Stay away from these people! They are poison. I had a few people in my life like that. I had to get rid of them--and some of them were family members. It's time to come out of it. And it starts in your mind. If God can bring me out of poverty and despair and place me right in the middle of the life that I've always dreamed of then He can do it for anyone…if you believe."

Me...
THANK YOU for your words of encouragement concerning 'dreaming.' These past few years have been a bit 'trying' for my family and I with our relocating to FL from NY. (It is toootally diff here- nice, but diff.)
Anyway, I move here with certain hopes and 'dreams' but as time's progressed, and 'attacks' from the enemy arised, although I've held on to God for dear life (because my life DOES depend on it) I noticed that there was still a sadness in me... a sadness that I didnt understand (and wasn't sure how it got there in the 1st place) until this email I read a minute ago from you.
I wasnt sure why I was sad, but you've clerified it for me. And I thank God for using you. I haven't been able to dream as I used to. Unconsiously, I was listening to the lies of the enemy - but I rebuke him in Jesus Powerful name- and I stand firm in the word of God that if He is for me than who can be against me?? I take back my dreams... and I will dream even 'bigger!' ha ha I proclaim it in Jesus name!
Tyler, (if you dont mind me calling you by your 1st name) thank you for always lifted the name of Jesus. And thank you for being an example of HOPE to sooo many of us.You are a tremendous vessel of God. May God continue blessing you and using you for His kingdome!

Your sis in Christ,
Yaritza

Anyone Listening?

Anyone Listening?

“Ever heard that saying,
“Sometimes it’s better to listen, than to speak?”
Or… “It’s better to be heard than counseled.”
You know—sometimes you’d just like someone to listen.

Well… I think God sometimes feels that way too.
Ever stop to think God wants to be heard??

…Are you listening?

Revelation 2:17

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

...Some Days

Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

"Life & Me" Part II

"Life and Me" Part II

Ok Ok For all you writers, you know how hard it is to stop writing once you've begun. I thought I was "done" but as you can see... I wasn't. (And I'm sure it won't be the last of it either.) :)
Well, if you haven't read my latest blogs, then WHAT are you waiting for??!! Go on! Read. Read. Read! (Its a few blogs down from this one- Dated Sept 20th I believe- "Life & Me Part I) I’ve just added more to this blog thing. It’s the 2nd part to "Life and Me."
So... I'm glad that you've taken time to read some of my "stuff" and I’m very glad to be able to share these "things" with you. Anywho, go on… read... enjoy and be blessed! :) Love ya!

So, I'm on my way home from work thinking about how my day went, and you know what? I was glad I had begun this 'journal writing / blog thingy.' I was satisfied and quite distracted until I turned at this huge intersection close to home. As I drove a ways up the road, I noticed that all the cars in front of me had come to a complete stop. I could see that the incoming traffic had also come to a complete stop, but I couldn't see why. There was curve that didn't allow me to see what was going on. I thought, "Woe, maybe there’s a huge accident. Someone lost control of their car at the curve. Oh gosh, I hope everyone’s alright!" So I got closer... made a complete stop behind the last car. As I lean forward to see what was going on, I saw what the hold up was all about! There were at least 7- 8 little ducklings happily waddling their way across the street and up the sidewalk. And there were more waiting by the grass already! My heart melted and I almost instantly cried!! Seriously! Every worry of this "supposed" car accident disappeared and I sat there contemplating these cute little feathery creatures who God intended to use to get my attention! Um... God... I got your 'sign.' :: smile ::

So, I got to thinking (some more) and noticed that my blog wasn't quite finished. (And in case you are reading this and haven't read my 1st blog called "Life and Me" then stop right here! Go on... read that one 1st. If you finish reading this then it'll be like reading a book backwards! Just kindah doesn't make any sense. Althooouuugh... naaah--just get to the reading! he he)

Done? Ok I take it that you already read Part I, now you and I can both continue...

See, I have this un-payable dept to the one who gave me life. And since I can't "pay Him back" then might as well talk about'm right?! Why not? So, here goes it. :) Since the time I was able to make sense of things, and thinking back now, I've always known that God is real and He really does love me... and I always thought I loved Him back... until now. Now I know for sure that I do, positively love Him. And hooow much so! I realize that nothing I do "makes Him" love me more. He simply does! I mean, He can't love me any less, it's not in His nature. I figure, He can't love me any "more" because He's just that... LOVE. And I'm not the only one He loves and has loved and will love. There's no way around it. It's just Him. He's this fancy word I read called "Agape." The Greek bible translation describes God as Agape... 'Love.' Agape is defined as "a love feast" and "a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties;" it's what Miriam Webster describes anyway. But the one I liked best is, "the fatherly concern of God for humankind." Aaahh... sounds amazing doesn't it? Doesn’t seem like He’s as busy as we think (for the most part) right? God is concerned about us. Surprise surprise! He does listen to us… and He does care for us. So much so that He gave His one and only Son who gave His life for us on the cross for us so that we can re-establish a relationship with Him. Remember it was tainted at the Garden of Eden way back then?? (Read Genesis 1-3)

We have such an awesome God!

P.S. Lord, I noticed them again today… thanks for the smile.

:)

"The Hug Poem"

Every so often one finds writing that is trully worth sharing...

and this is definitely one of those!

Mental Note: I hope one day someone, somewhere will also find comfort in my writing. :)

"The Hug Poem" by Bradley Hathaway

I read about how you touched them and they were healed or even if someone just touched your cloak they were forever changed. You let a broken woman bathe your feet in her tears And you washed your best friend's feet. I'm just wondering, though, Did you ever just HUG people?
I know it's a silly question and all, I'm sure you would have (why wouldn't you have?) But it's one of those things that was NEVER mentioned And it got me thinking about it And how whenever there was a touch from you sins were forgiven and sickness fell
I think I'm caught up with my sins And LAST TIME I checked all my body parts are working NOTHING special here. Im just a kid with a Heavy Heart these passing sunrises and sunsets
I don't think our encounter would have ended up in your GOSPELS or anything Becuase ALL I Really NEED is a hug Thats ok for me to imagine, Right? That's not conflicting with any sort of Theology, is it?
Okay good.
Then HUG me.
But not one of these SIDEWAYS one-arm-around-the-neck type hugs Or the GHETTO right hand CLASP FISTS Elbows to Chest PAT PAT on the Back Back OR THE you put your Right arm over my Left arm and I put my Right arm under your Left arm And we make this weird SORT-of-diagonal thing
Naw.. none of those!
BEAR HUG ME, MAN!
Take your old-school carpenter arms And THROW them around my Upper Body leaving my arms dangling underneath yours somewhere and I can barely move them BECAUSE you're SQUEEZING me so HARD. (But don't pick me up and make my back pop because I HATE it when people do that.) And then hold me.
HOLD ME HERE in your arms until I start to CRY!
Because I want to CRY!
but just can't seem to do it on my own.
I've been teary eyed ONCE recently but not even enough for a DRIP Down my CHEEK
There's just HURT in my soul That needs to be purged SO HOLD ME HERE in this hugging pose Until the pain is flowing from my eyes and nose

Pricetag?

Pricetag or Debt?

One would think that "bad" experiences and/ or abuse came with a pricetag... a debt.. or does it? A picetage you wouldn't count on paying.. unless of course you're a victim, yet again!

A debt to who? Why should I have to pay for what happened to ME?? Why can't it just dissapear?? Can't I just get it over with? If I MUST pay, then... can I pay it all at once?? In full?? What's the cost??

Wait... I shouldn't have to pay for this!!

Irresponsible, threatened, pressure rising, weight too much to mention, shattered dreams, flattened hopes, low self-esteem, abusive relationships, confusion, nightmares/ bad dreams, insecurities, procrastination, lonesome, bad choices, self-indulgence, self-distruction, counterfeit smile, exaggeration, wrong attitude, bad perspectives, regret, guilt, blind, lazy, introverted/ antisocial, forgetful, tense, aggrieved, troubled, sad, sorry, gloomy/ depressed, hostage...
to mention a few.

So...
Am I paid off?

Definitely!

* * *

Prayer:

Matthew 6: 9-13, 14-15

* * *

9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Detours: Our Friends

Life takes its tolls at times ya know. Some days 'its all good' and others, you just dont know how you're gonna survive. Definitely a rollercoaster ride. Just not as fun.
I suppose you learn to take the good and the bad... how else will you appreciate 'life?'
It's not a complaint... just a cry. To go through hard times and see a dim light at the end of the tunnel is tough. But I'm glad, and I learn to accept certian things as they are. Besides, I've got God on my side. And if He is for me, then who can be against me?? Right?
So, when life takes its tolls, just look at the bright side... at least those 'detours' bring us back to the main road. And life? It just goes on...


Romans 8: 1 & 31
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Remembering God

An elderly husband and wife are having problems remembering things, so they decide to go to their doctor to get checked out to make sure nothing is wrong with them. When they arrive at the doctor’s, they explain to him that they are having problems with their memory.

After examining the couple, the doctor tells them that they are physically fine but that they might want to start writing things down and make notes to help them recall things. The couple thanks the doctor and then leaves.

Later that night while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair and his wife asks, “Where are you going?”
He replies, “To the kitchen.”
She asks, “Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?”
He replies, “Sure.”
She then asks him, “Don’t you think you should write it down so that you can remember that.”
He says, “No, I can remember that.”
She then says, “Well, I also would like some strawberries on top. You had better write that down because I know you’ll forget that.”
He says, “I can remember that, you want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.”
She replies, “Well, I also would like whipped cream on top. I know you will forget that, so you better write it down.”
With irritation in his voice, he says, “I don’t need to write that down
—I can remember that.” He then fumes into the kitchen.

After about 20 minutes, he returns from the kitchen and hands her a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment and says, “You forgot my toast.”

:)

Words to Live by

Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 8:11

Do you forget about God sometimes? If so, them admit it and move on. Don’t dwell on it—just get on your knees and start praying to your Savior. Make it a point to spend time with Him every day and never forget how good He’s been to you.

Souvenirs

Who says blogs have to be lengthy and must rhyme? Blogs are just things you wanna jot down… maybe even be creative with. It’s whatever! Whatever comes to mind. Whatever mood you’re in… doesn’t matter. Just Blog!
Blog Blog Blog.

It’s a part of you that you don’t really share with everyone (verbally at least)… although you don’t mind to. Actually, it’s for those who are interested in knowing you… reeeally knowing you; knowing what goes on in that wonderful mind of yours.

In my opinion, it’s one of the best ways of getting to know someone well. I mean, who else can get into those deep thoughts but God? Only that person… and you! If you read their BLOG!! he he

So anyway… souvenir us with your aspirations and inspirations.
Just Blog.