Run The Race, Don't Give Up.

               For many years growing up, I was part of the New York state games for the Physically Challenged, it was any and all children from five to nineteen, in the New York Tri State Area, that wanted to participate, could.  It was every track and field event you could think of.  They even had swimming meets held at Nassau Community College.  Some of these events were altered to help those with certain disabilities.  I did mainly the 100 meter track, 200 meter track, and swimming.  This year, as I am too old, I am not going as a participant but as a volunteer, I am excited to see what these young people will do, and how they will do it.  As I remember to my knowledge, no one ever gave up, no one ever quit, no one ever said I CAN'T DO THIS.  These were and are people with severe disabilities, some in wheelchairs, some on crutches, some who are deaf, some who have no arms, no legs, or both.  Their might even be some who can't even talk.  Now you might be thinking to yourself where's the spiritual implication to this, well here it is. 

               If these young people don't give up on goals to receive a prize, to receive a medal, than why do we give up, why do we give up on the dreams, plans, and purposes that God has for us.  Why do we give up, or as I heard my pastor say last night, do we only go to God or church, when the tough times come in.  The rest of the time we don't bother going to God or church.  As I was writing this, I remembered the old saying "When he Going Gets Tough the Tough Get Going".  Are we as Christians, going to toughen up, and go to God to meet the challenge, that we are facing, or we are just going to give up, and let the Devil win this round.  Most of you know my story, in every obstacle, circumstance, and difficulty I faced, I tried to go to God, and ask him to help me to face the challenge, and not let the Devil win.  If I had let him win, I wouldn't be here today.  Lets not give up so easily, lets run the race that God has marked out for us, whether we have 2 arms and 2 legs, or no arms and no legs, we have a job or not, whether we are going through the worse time in our lives, LETS RUN to God..  Remember life is not a sprint, it's a MARATHON.  I hope that as I volunteer these next couple of days that I get inspired, and remember to keep going, and run for the finish line.

              Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG Do you see what this means-all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it.  Strip down, start running and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.  Study how he did it.  Because he never lost sight of where he was headed that exhilarating finish in and with God he could put up with anything.  He could put up with anything along the way:  Cross, Shame, whatever.  And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.  When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through.  That will shoot adrenaline into your souls.  

            1 Corinthians 9:24-27, MSG You've all been to the stadium to and seen the athletes race.  Everyone runs; one wins.  Run to win.  All good athletes train hard.  They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades.  You're after one thats gold eternally.   I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line.  I'm giving it everything I've got.  No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition.  I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else, all about it and then missing out myself. 

What Can Mere Man do to me.

Psalms 56:4 says In God whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can mere man do to me.  Their are times in our lives, when we wonder about what man is going to do to us.  The real question is what can mere man do to us, when we have God fighting for us, when we have God protecting us, when we have God on our side.  We have men/woman telling us that the unemployment rate is at the highest it's been, we have men/woman telling us that the housing market is not good at the moment, yet we are looking for a new Job, looking to buy or sell our house.  We have mere man doctor's that are telling us that the cancer that we have doesn't look good, the operation that we are about to have, may not be a good outcome.  Though God tells us to Trust in Him, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight, Proverbs 3:5-6.  God also tells us not to be anxious, Philippians 4:6, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request's be made known to God.  We have to know that whatever happens in our lives, that whatever takes place in our lives, that what man tells us, they can't do anything to us, because we have God surrounding us, protecting us, taking care of us, and watching over us.  He loves us enough not to allow anything to happen to us.  We have to realize that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and will watch over us, and know that mere man can't do anything to us. We have to know

Stop The Bullying,

I don't know how often, you see the the headlines in the newspapers, or hear the reports on the ten or eleven o'clock news about someone being teased or bullied.  Though the end is not just being teased or bullied, nowadays unfortunately the headlines are that the person that were being teased or bullied, killed themselves.  Out of all those that are being bullied or teased, I don't know what percentage end their lives, but I do know what it's like to be teased and made fun of.  Growing up, I was called names such as monster, freak, I would have people make fun of my speech impairment, people would think that I was burned in a fire.  Their were other comments that people would say, which hurt, and upset me at times.  Although I had friends and family members that would support, encourage and help me through those comments, their were times when I felt like giving up, and ending my life.  Though I always knew in the back of my mind even if it was a small mustard seed of faith that God had a plan and a purpose for my life.  (Jeremiah 29:11),    

We don't fully understand everything that happens in our lives, God allows things to happen for a reason, even with Paul in 2 Corinthians.  God allowed Paul to receive a thorn in his flesh, which in verse seven says it was a messenger from Satan to torment me-to keep me from exalting myself.  In verse 8 Paul says 8, Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me, in verse 9 Jesus responds back, And He has said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness," Most gladly, therefore, Paul responds back, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  In verse 10 He responds once more, Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.  In that last verse, Paul is trying to tell us, that no matter what we face, what we deal with, the difficulties that we go through.  From being teased, to being made fun of, to being mocked, to being told we can't do anything.  To the weaknesses that our bodies sometimes have because we may not be as strong as everyone else, the insults that get thrown at us, because we look "differently" than most other people, but when we are weak GOD WILL MAKE US STRONG.  It may not always feel like God will make us strong, or it may not always feel like it is easy, though God never said that this life would be easy.  Even as a Christian, this life was not easy for me, even in the church, people did not receive me with open arms.  My parent's taught me that regardless of what happened God Loved me, and cared for me, and created me this way for a purpose.  Paul may have said that He was well content with what he went through in his weaknesses, I may not have always been content, though I am glad that I didn't listen to what other people told me, what the thoughts of the enemy put into my mind.  Because I know that God has great plans for my life, and I am learning with God's help to be content in whatever I face, and go through.  He has great plans for your life as well. 

God works out every detail of our Lives for His Good

Romans 8:28, says in the message version says, That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.  Have you ever had something happen in your life, and after it happened, you scratch your head, and wonder okay God, not sure how fill in the blank this is going to work out for something good.  You may not have seen it worked out for good at that moment, but than later on you will see it worked out for good.  Maybe it wasn't your life, but a family member's life, that you wondered and ask God, how is this going to work out.  Could it be that you saw your mom go from a perfectly healthy woman to someone who suffered a stroke, to someone who three months later passed away.  Their are a lot of different things that could happen, and more often than not, when it's the bad things that happen in life, we wonder why or how does a loving and caring God work it out for good.  We may not be able to see it or understand it right away, but He does, why because His word says that it does.  Just as his word 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, But to Give you a Hope and a Future.  Their have been times in my life, especially recently, when I would wonder how God was going to use the situation for his good.  For example, with me passing out in July, and now with me having a seizure.  I may not know why God allowed these things happen, until I see him face to face, but we can be sure that God allows every detail in our lives to work out into something good, because it says it in his word.  The same situation for God giving us a hope and a Future, and that is why I am excited about my future, because I know that God will give me a Hope and a Future, and I know that God has plans for my life, and He has the same situation for you as well, that God works out every detail of your life, for good, and that God has a future, plan and a purpose for your life.                             

God Allows things to Happen.

Have you ever you had a problem with your health, or a problem with the car, or something on occasion go wrong with the house, but you haven't had that happen for a while, than all of a sudden it pops up again.  Well thats what it looks like happened, to me, this past Tuesday morning when my father heard me coughing and came in to check on me, and sure me squirming around.  So he called 911, and I was taken to the emergency room, with my sister.  Every test that they took, came out clear or negative, though they still want me to go to my main neurologist tomorrow.  My heart and passion is the ministry, so I am hoping that they don't stop me from driving for a while, I know I will have other options and choices to help me, but still.  Like my dad said God allows these things to happen for a reason and a purpose.  I just wish it always wasn't with the health.  :) So just know that no matter what we go through in our lives, or whatever God throws at us, it's for a reason and a purpose. 

Love you All. 

Even If

Lyrics: Even If By Kutless,
Sometimes all we have to hold on to
Is what we know is true of who You are
So when the heartache hits like a hurricane
That could never change who You are
And we trust in who You are
Even if the healing doesn’t come
And life falls apart
And dreams are still undone
You are God You are good
Forever faithful One
Even if the healing
Even if the healing doesn’t come
Lord we know Your ways are not our ways
So we set our faith in who You are
Even though You reign high above us
You tenderly love us
We know Your heart
And we rest in who You are
You’re still the Great and Mighty One
We trust You always
You’re working all things for our good
We’ll sing your praise
You are God and we will bless You
As the Good and Faithful One
You are God and we will bless You
Even if the healing doesn’t come
Even if the healing doesn’t come
Written by S. Krippayne & Tony Wood | Produced by Dave Lubben Pirk Music (BMI) | Songs From Exit 71 (ASCAP) admin by Krippayne, Inc. & The Harry Fox Agency 

We all go through the difficult times of life, we always hear about the mountain tops, which are the nice, calm, peaceful, times of life, and then we hear about the valley’s.  The sicknesses, accident’s, operations, that we face.  We go to the doctor, and we get the bad report telling us that our body isn’t doing to well, and that you only have a certain amount of time to live.  We know that God can heal us, and we pray for that miracle of what God is going to do in our lives.  Though have you ever thought about the even if possibility, that what would you do even if God doesn’t heal you, what would you do even if.  If you see yourself getting sicker, getting worse, continuing to get the bad reports from the doctor’s, would you continue to worship and praise God.  Or do we forget that regardless of what Happens in our live’s that God is the good and faithful one.  Remember that whatever you are going through, and what you are facing, and dealing with, that we are to continue to worship and praise God, regardless of what it is that we face.

That Special Someone.

 Well it's that time of the year again, when people who are in love or are married go out to celebrate Valentines Day.  I am not going to talk about why certain people only show love to each other one day out of the year, just because thats the theme of the day.  Though what I am going to talk about is  how the singles today need to know and believe that their is someone out their waiting for them.  That they need to be patient, and wait for that special guy or girl that God has for them.  Now I am not saying that we are to sit on our hands and wait for that person to walk into our lives.  We are to look for that special someone, the best possible place to look for that man or woman of God is in the church.  Whether it be during the regular service, a young adult group, or even a singles group.  We also need to know the type of person that we are looking for and the type of person that God would want us to have, and not just rush into any relationship that opens up for us, or love anyone that will love us.  When we are looking for that special someone, we need to know the biblical definition of Love from the Bible, which is from 1 Corinthians 3:4-7, which says Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  This is what God says that Love is, and this is what we are to look for when we are looking for that special someone.  Their are to many times in our lives, when we look at the outside appearance and not look at what is inside of the person that we are interested in.  We all do that including myself, and I believe that we are to look at the person's heart to see the true inside of the person, and who the person is.  That's what God told Samuel, when they were looking for King, and they decided to choose David as King, 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV, But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."  It may not have been a relationship situation, but I believe that we need to look for that special someone by doing what God did, and does, by looking at the heart, and than look for what they look like on the outside. 

Cross references:

1. 1 Samuel 16:7 : Ps. 147:10, 11
2. 1 Samuel 16:7 : 1 Kgs. 8:39; 1 Chr. 28:9; Ps. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12; [Acts 1:24]

                                    

                                                                                                        

                                                                    

What God Gives You To Do

When God tells you to do something, it always seems bigger than what you think you can handle.  Thats because it probably is, since God isn't going to give us something that we can handle or do on our own.  If God gave us something to do on our own strength, might, power, and ability, we wouldn't need God.  I am an evangelist in which I contact churches asking if I can come give my testimony, of what God has done in my life, I wouldn't have thought that this is what I would be doing.  Though I know that it's what God has for me to be doing, since I would not be able to do it on my own, without God's strength and help.  I have told many people this that if it wasn't for God's call on this ministry, and on my life and for his help, I would have given up a long time ago, and just said forget it.  This month is my five year anniversary of God giving me the open doors of starting this ministry.  So when you are wondering if what you are doing, is from God, when you can't do it on your own strength, ability, and you need God's strength, power, ability and guidance, it's from God.   

God will Guide Your Steps.

       We wonder at times in our lives, why does God close certain doors and open others.  Their are all types of doors that we may want to walk through, and sometimes God closes the doors, for reasons which we don't understand.  We need to remember that God sees what He has in store for our lives, because He has plans and purposes for our lives, and He has it all planned out in front of us.  We may not always see it, but God does.  If we were to see it we would be too overwhelmed with what it is that God has planed out for our lives.  My favorite verse Jeremiah 29:11 says it plain and clear, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you to give you a hope and a future.  We need to remember that once we give our lives over to Christ, He is in complete and total control of every detail of our life, their is not an area in our life, that He is not willing to help us out in no matter how big or how small.  He is even able to help us find the right job, the right wife/husband, and even the right ministry opportunity. 

       God has complete and total control over our lives, and He will help us.  We need to still seek after the next Job, the right wife/husband, or even the next ministry opportunity.  God will help and guide us, and will lead us to the right opportunity, for the need that we are waiting for, whatever that need is, whether big or small.  God will lead us to what it is that He has for us.  We sometimes think that the small area's in our lives that we are dealing with, God doesn't care about, and that the bigger area's that we are dealing with, God is to big to handle those area's but that just isn't the case at all.  If it was, than maybe I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't be where I am today.  We need to give ourselves some encouragement once in a while, when the door that we think would open, closed. 

       When the person that we think would be our future husband or wife, dumps us.  We need to remember that when the door closes that their is a reason and a purpose for that door to close.  We need to say okay God, I realize that you have this in the palm of your hand and you will work it out according to your plan and purpose for my life, and that you will work in out in your timing.  I have needed to say that to myself before, and although I get frustrated sometimes because the doors didn't open, I know that God will open it in his timing and plan. 

Here are a few scripture verses that we can use, to guide us every step of the way. 

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord … ”(Psalm 37:23)  

          "A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

           “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My                    eye."     (Psalm 32:8)

           “The Lord will guide you continually …” (Isaiah 58:11)

  

           "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.                          Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass Rest in the             Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:4,7)

       As I said earlier we have to continually seek the right door, person, opportunity, but it is God who in the end will open the right door, find us the right person, or opportunity that He has for us.  It may not even be any of these things it may be something financial, it may be finding a house, it may be finding the right car, it may be finding the what we want to do in our lives, what college we want to go to and what we want to study.  Sometimes those doors even close, and we wonder why, in the end God had a purpose for why He closed the door.  

       Whatever it is God has it all planned out for us.  We just need to rest, and wait upon him, we can't get nervous, frustrated, or angry about the closed doors, we can't let that eat at us.  Their is a saying that "God is never late, But he is never early"  to me that sounds like God is always on time.  I want to close with this last verse Philippians 4:6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God, 7, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

35 years of life

Recently I have been reading a book, where it talked about how God has our live's planned out, and how He knows when we will be born and when we will die.  Sometimes we see a tragic accident, or someone dies suddenly and we wonder could that person have lived longer, was that person's life cut short.  Well according to God and his word, HE has all his children's days, planned out from beginning to end.  

(Psalm 139:16 MSG) Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

So even before I was born God knew what would happen in my life.  God knew that when I was born the doctors would tell my parents that I would be brain dead, I wouldn't survive, and to put me into an institution.  As I got older doctors told my parents I wouldn't live past 18.  On Monday the 16th of January 2012 I will be 35 years old.  I wonder sometimes how long will I live, but I can't determine that, only God knows how long I will live, only God knows how many days he has planned out for my life and for yours.  

But you do not know what will happen tomorrow! Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. (James 4:14 NCV)

I am grateful to God that I have lived as long as I have. I am excited to see what his plans and purposes are for the rest of my life.  Some of my dreams and passions are to expand more with the ministry, giving my testimony to those that have disabilities.  Hopefully to get married at some point, but in the end it's all in Gods plan. So remember this that whatever happens in your life, God has a plan and a purpose for it.

We are assured and know that [God being

a partner in their labor] all things work together and are

[fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God

and are called according to [His] design and purpose. (Romans 8:28 AMP)

God works ALL things out for our good

Romans 8:28, their are times in our lives when we go through difficulties, trials, tribulations, we all deal with them. Though have you ever looked at it this way that the trials, tribulations, and situations that we deal with will work out for good?, Have you gotten fired or laid off from a job, has your boyfriend or girlfriend that you once thought you were going to marry dumped you. Your upset, your depressed, but you realize six months down the road that you found a better job, and you realized after meeting the new guy or girl why he/she dumped you. Their have been times in my life when I have wondered why, why would God allow me to go through all that I have. Was the being teased and made fun of, fun, was having to go through 68 operations easy. Is being picked prodded and poked more times than I can count a good time, no absolutely not, but God says in Romans 8:28 that He works out all things, not some, not certain, not a few, but ALL for the good of those that Love Him. Another words if you love God, and your going through a difficult time, Gods going to eventually work it out for God. How do I know, because if it wasn't for the operations I've had, if it wasn't for being operated on at six weeks, if it wasn't for my parents listening to God and not doctors that told them I would be Brain dead, I may not have been here today. So know this that God Loves you, and has great plans for your life.
We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. (Romans 8:28 AMP)

You Are Lovable,

"Stupid child, you were just an accident, worthless child thats what he says. waste of time, your never going to make me proud, and don't you cry or I'll give you something to cry about, don't take those words to heart, know that you are, lovable, beautiful, wonderful in me, a child of God no matter what, hold on to the truth, you are lovable, you are lovable, careless words, scars no one can see, how they hurt, and cut you so deep, their are words with the power to bring life, hear them now, your treasure in heaven's eyes, so take these words to heart, and know that you are, lovable, beautiful, wonderful in me, a child of God no matter what, hold on to the truth, you are lovable, words can break, words can build, be filled with grace, or make tears spill, no we can't forget, we are so delicate.  fathers to mothers, and brothers to daughters what do you choose it's all in fresh water, so let the words from my mouth, never leave any doubt that you are lovable, a child of God no matter, what you are lovable" Lovable, bye Kerrie Roberts, 

This is a song that I bought the other day from a Christian artists by the name of Kerrie Roberts, I tried to find the lyrics from the web or her website but couldn't find it.  So their may be a line or two of lyrics missing since I couldn't understand all the words.  When I heard this song, I felt like their were people out their in this world, that needed to see these lyrics to You Are Lovable.  No matter what you have done in your life, no matter what I have done in my life, we are all lovable, we may feel like we are at the lowest of the low at the moment, but God still loves us.  Each and everyone of us, were all the prodigal son at some point in our lives.   The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, the son goes away and eventually comes home, in verse 24, the father responds to his son coming home, "For this son of mine, was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.  And they began to celebrate"Luke 24.  God loves you, God loves me, no matter what we have gone through in our lives, and what other people have said about you, by God's standards, You Are Lovable, you may say why because God Loves You. 

God doesn't call the Qualified,

  In this life, God calls us to strive and become more like  him each and every day of our lives, and when we die, as long as we have that relationship with God, and acknowledge him as Lord and Savior, He should say well done good and faithful servant.  Their are a lot of sports athletes out their that proclaim to be Christian, and their are some out their that you can tell by their word and action that they are Christian.  Their is one young man named Tim Tebow, that has gotten a lot of criticism because he's not the most eloquent QB passer, he's not the most accurate passer.  For the last several weeks he has been the lead QB for the Denver Broncos and has won the last 6 games and is now 7-1 as lead QB.  He may not do well in the NFL, we don't know, granted the teams that He has played has not been the cream of the crop.  Although if we look to his past, we can see that God has given him gifts and talents, and while in college he did win the Heisman Trophy.  Whenever people say he's no good, he's not going to do well, he's garbage, I can relate to that, because I have been told that I would not make in this world, in college, would not do well enough to graduate, though I did.  Tim's thinking is that his football career is not on the top priority list of his life.  What He does for God is on the top of his list, and he shows that, by how he plays and what He does while he plays, he bows on one knee and prays, and gives all glory and honor to God.  We need to remember that when God calls us to do something, He will bring us to it, and will bring us through it.  Philippians 4:13 says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  God's word never says, I only use the best, most qualified, smartest, of the group, we can see from the bible that He didn't use the best, he used everyday people, like you and me.  So whatever your going through, dealing with, or will some day be going through and dealing with know that God has a plan and a purpose for it and for your life.  Jeremiah 29:11.  Life is not easy, God never said it would be, but God already has our lives written out, it's our choices and our decisions, that allows us to go down the path that God wants us to go down.  He wants each and everyone of us to come to a knowing knowledge of who He is, but we have to make that choice and that decision on our own.

What God Say's About Us.

Have you ever wondered, what God say's about us, we are his Children, He created us, Psalms 139:13-16, He knew us before we were ever born, so He must say something about us in his word.  Yes He does, and here it is,


1.  God says that we are reconciled to God as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17-18

2.  He also says that we are Forgiven and restored children of God, (John1:12)

3.  We are Citizens of God's Kingdom ( Colossians 1:13-14)

4.  We are In Christ Forever and already seated with him in heaven Ephesians 2:4-7

5.  Saints- yes you are a saint, even with all that we do, we are still saints, because we are God's people. (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)

6.  We are God's masterpiece we may not always like the way we look, the color of our hair, the winkles on our skin, the weight that the men gain as they get older, but regardless we are God's Masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10)

7.  We are God's ambassadors who represent him. (2 Coronthians 5:20

8.  We are the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

9.  We are His chosen adopted precious ones (Ephesians 1:3-6)

10. We are Partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:1-4).

This is what God says about us, what do we say about God?  

In Everything Give Thanks.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus;
We are going to have Thanksgiving, and we will give thanks for different reasons, and in this Bible verse we are told to give thanks in everything.  Here is my list for why I am thankful this year,

                  1.  For God sending his son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for my sins, and for his forgiveness of what I have done in my life, and for my relationship with him. 

                 

                  2.  For my family, and still being able to live with my dad, eventhough I would love to move out on my own, I am thankful for my father being able to still allow to live with him.  

                  3.  For the ministry that God has allowed to have me to be doing for the last 4 and a half years, and that God would continue to allow me to do it, and would continue to lead and guide me to what He has for me to do.  

                4.   For my friends, that either I have had for the last several months, for the last several years, or for most of my life.  I am thankful for what my friends have done in my life, for the encouragement, for the support, for being their when I needed to talk to someone.  

God I give you thanks for all of these things, that you have placed in my life, and I am grateful for what you have done in my life this year, and I am excited to see what you have in store and for what you are going to be doing in my life in 2012.

It's not about how hard you can get hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

I recently saw the latest Rocky Balboa Movie, which I saw for the very first time.  Once again balboa comes back from all the naysayers and people who doubt him, and come back and win.  One of the statements that he says really got me.  It is, It's not about how hard you can hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.  I think thats what happens too many times, in our lives we get hit, and what happens we give up.  What would've happened when Jesus said in Mark 15:34, my God My God why have you forsaken me.  He wouldn't have quit, and given up, because He was God, but what was his human side thinking, what was his human side saying to him? I was going to put some things down, of what I thought, but I really don't know, though I am glad of one thing, that He didn't quit, and He kept on moving.  I am grateful, that God sent his son so that He could die on the cross for our sins.  So why do we quit, when we have God in our lives, fighting the battles, that we have in our lives, when He fights them for us to begin with?  Lets not give up, but get up after being hit, and keep moving forward.  Remember God loves you.

What can God do with you,

Have you ever looked back on your life, and wondered, what if, what if this would have happened or what if that would have happened.  Have you ever looked back at your birth, and wondered, whether you were planned? or a surprise?  You may say yeah I was a surprise such a surprise to my parent's that they gave me up for adoption, those of you who were planned, may have lived in a house where you didn't feel the love from your parent's that you think you should have gotten.  Due to what we have been through we may focus so much on our past we forget about our future, and some of us focus so much on our future we forget about our past.  We need to have a balance to see from where God has taken us from, to where God is bringing us.  Regardless of what our past looks like, what we have done, where we have come from, God has a bright future for you, because God has a plan and a purpose for your life.  Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future. In Jeremiah 1:5 Jeremiah was called by God, to be a prophet to the nations.  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. 8 “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord. 9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.  God used the nobody's, He used, Jeremiah, He used Paul, who even called himself one of the least of the saints, Ephesians 3:8, To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.  He used Silas, He used Daniel, He used me, He even used his son Jesus to bring eternal life to your immortal souls, what do you think He can do with you.  

Taking down our Walls.

I saw this on facebook, when I woke up this morning, and it just hit me, and I had to quote it and use it in my blog this morning.  ‎"Sometimes people put up walls, not to keep others out, but to see who cares enough to break them down".  Some people might say well people just do that for attention getting.  Well that might be true to a point, but when we walk into the doors of a church, we are walking into a spiritual hospital, where we are supposed to be healed of our past, healed of our spiritual sicknesses, our guilt, shame, mistakes, not only healed but forgiving of our past sins, and mistakes.  I know what people are going to say well the church is not the building the church are the people, and yes we are the church, so why don't we do what that statement says.  Get to know people well enough to show that we love and care for them, than they will break their walls down.  Too many people, walk into the church, get to know people on the entry level of what they do for work, are they married, do they have kids, etc, but they don't get to know them beyond that.  They walk out the doors and don't talk to them till the following week.  Than you don't see that individual for months on end, and you forget about them, because you don't truly know who they are, what their going through or dealing with.  Than we wonder why churches are getting smaller.  

Though sometimes people are too ashamed and to embarrassed of what we have done in our past to come out and tell others what that is. Yes when we sin we do not have to tell others what we have done, because we tell God what that sin is.  Doesn't it help when we talk with someone, about what has happened in our past that the guilt feeling or the heaviness we feel leaves.  I think sometimes, we have the feeling that God sometimes hangs those sins, or the past mistakes over our heads, and we forget that once we have asked for forgiveness, that it is no longer their.  He wipes the slate clean of all of what we have done in our past.   Even though we have asked for forgiveness, of those sins, we still hold on to them, maybe not because we still feel guilty, but maybe because we wonder will we do them again?  Hebrews is the chapter of faith, because in most verses it talks about faith, and in verse 30, it says By Faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled the for seven days. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know that God has a plan and a purpose for our life, plans to prosper us, and not to harm us but to give us a hope and a future.  God help us to take down our walls.

Watch Me.

I have had so many people tell me that I can't do this or that I can't do that, and when I told them what I wanted to do, they would say no way. You can't do that, their is absolutely no way you can do that, you can't be a sports athlete, you can't be a teacher, you can't be in ministry.  Though as we know God tells us that He has a plan and a purpose for our lives Jeremiah 29:11.  Philippians 4:13, says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. In Proverbs 3:5-6 God tells us to trust in him, not to trust in anyone or anybody else or to listen to anyone or anybody else, but to trust in him. Lean not on our OWN understanding but in all our ways acknowledge him, and He will make our paths straight. So I just had to share this, and if it's something that God wants you to do, and people are telling you that you can't, just turn around, and tell them watch me.

It may be God telling you to be be missionary, in a foreign country that hasn't had one in 100 years or has never had one.  It may be God telling you or opening up a door for you to be a teacher in one of the worst schools in the country, and people tell you don't do it, or that you can't.  I love the movie lean on me, because principal Joe Clark, used in a school in Paterson NJ, and was asked to return to become the Principal.  The school was so bad that the Government was going to take it over, though with all the people telling Principal Joe he and his staff couldn't do it he turned it around, so that the Government didn't have to take it over.  Just know that God has a plan and a purpose for your life, and whenever anyone says you can't tell them WATCH ME.  

What Does God have Planned for Your Life.

Have you ever wondered why things happen in your life?  Have you ever asked or screamed out to God, WHY?  Have you ever laid down something at God's feet, and taken it back the next day because He wasn't quick enough to answer that prayer.  I think we all have at some point, though we forget that from birth to death, from Job to Job, from being single to being married, God has it all planned out in our lives.  We may think that we met the greatest man/woman in the world, and we think we are going to get married, yet down the road he dumbs you, or as guys we dump the girls.  We think that when we get dumped, or when we dump someone it's the end of the world, but is it really?  Is it really the end of the world when something happens in our lives, it may be something tragic, it maybe losing a job, it maybe getting dumbed by what you think is the greatest guy/girl in the world. Yet we forget that God has it all planned out.  Philippians 1:6, says For I am confident of this very thing, that He who begin a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, 1 Corinthians 2:9 says But just as it is written, Things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard and which Have not entered the heart of man, all that God prepared for those who love him.  In other words we don't know what it is that God has for us, but we know that it will be good, because we are his children, and He will protect, guide, and lead us to what it is that He has for us.  The message version of Jeremiah 29:11 says I know what I am doing, I have it all planned out, plans to PROSPER you, and not to HARM you, to give you a HOPE and a FUTURE.  We may not see those things now, but in God's timing and way we will.  Because whatever situation, difficulty, trial, or fear we are facing God wins.