Making It Plain

Do you remember when you first believed and the Holy Spirit came to visit? That all consuming peace and love made every situation seem menial. There is a measure of confidence that comes in with Him along with wisdom and answers to questions you thought you'd never get the answers to. That feeling of motivation to do what you are called to do. It's what keeps you quiet when you want to speak your mind and it's what makes you speak up when it's not the popular thing ( Acts 2:1-4 AMP ). I loved that feeling so much. I wanted it with me always; believing that going to church services would strengthen it causing me to always do the right thing. And then, seemingly all of a sudden I noticed it seeping away when justifying looking at television programs that weren't edifying ( Luke 21:34 AMP ). I noticed it seeping away when getting angry and saying the wrong thing ( Ephesians 4:29 AMP ). I noticed it seeping away thinking of matters from the past longer than I should h...

The bible describes the righteous like a tree grown by the rivers of living water ( Psalms 1:3 AMP ). The scripture also tells us that we know a tree by the fruit it bares ( Matthew 7:17-20 AMP ). If you didn't already know, it is the Lord showing us how we can discern the types of people that are around us without saying too much. Just listen and watch what people do. It doesn't take long before it is shown if their intentions are for your good or demise. In the dynamics of relationships and dating for the purposes of marriage, it is paramount not to be impulsive and make quick decisions that eventually can be regrettable. There was this family of seven. The mother had 5 boys with 5 different men. She was engaged to a man who was willing to be a father to all five…only, because all were considered adults but one was a teenager, he was going to be undoubtedly challenged. He married her. Does that mean he accepted the challenge? The boys, from the eldest to the youngest began to...

The wonderful world of technology has opened up so many different devices and strategies to use for business, school, understanding economy, investments, social media, and personal relationships. But along with the wonderfulness of what can be discovered, there are those who don't have the best of intentions like the cyber-hacks, social media trolls, the Karen/Kevin types, and those that make a profit from the stress of all of it. I recall hearing a sermon about getting all of the information one can get about a person before going out on a date by using the internet. The sermon expounded on believing that the internet has all of the necessary tidbits one needs. Granted, finding that a person is an ex-felon convicted of a host of crimes maybe information he/she needed to know. He, the speaker, also mentioned the temperament of the other as well as deciding to make future plans with this person…or not. The summary was being able to protect yourself. It sounds like good information....

 It’s been a few years since I’ve heard that sermon ("I'll Never Be Broke Another Day In My Life") across the pulpit and the congregation gets all emotional thinking about those meager days when food wasn’t plentiful and laboring more than your share of hours at work seemed like the answer. Exhausted with sore feet, we still believed that we were going to come out of it smelling like a rose by giving our family the best life they could have. It all seemed worth it when there was something to give for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, and affording a new Easter outfit for the children allows sighs of relief and satisfaction. Thank you Jesus. So, why did you have to go through that? God saw you struggling. God saw you when you were frustrated and about to give up ( Philippians 4:6-8 AMP ). What were the words that came out of your mouth when you didn’t think anyone cared and it felt like you were doing this all by yourself? Did you stay positive believing there is a ram ...

Having the proper tools to do a specific job, makes the task easier than not. If you had a car slipping into a lake and someone came running with a stick to offer assistance, you'd wonder what was he planning on doing (unless he's McGyver)? Yet, there are those that believe they can try and manage when there is a better way. We know of the parable of the house built on a sure foundation and when the storms come which home will sway and which will hold firm ( Matthew 7:24-27 AMP ). Could this describe you? If so, would this description also be true for every aspect of your life? The title of this entry is really a question: who have you hitched your wagon to? Given the same opportunity with the knowledge you have today, would you do it again? Have you done it before? What did you learn? The information in this post came from watching video shorts. There were these men, camping or fishing. They were trying to get a boat pulled out of the water and onto the hitch (carrier) to secu...

 These blog entries that have been written over the years are for edification, exhortation, and comfort ( 1 Corinthians 14:3 KJV ). As a Human Service Professional, listening to the things people say and watching the behavior is paramount in this career. Sometimes, the inspiration is in the observance and after awhile it’s just overwhelming how we disregard common sense; nevertheless it is fodder for more entries. It seems there is never a loss for material ( Mark 14:7 KJV ). This entry reminds me of the children of Israel that had been led of the Lord without seeing Him. Through a fiery cloud in the sky, seeing the river part for them to cross, and being fed from heaven, one would think that there is no way anyone would take these wonderful miracles for granted and wish for something that everyone else has. And yet, they wanted a king ( 1 Samuel 8:1-22 KJV ). They were already being led by the Almighty!!! Stop here to think about that one (selah). God granted them their request. W...

  This blog grew from an idea for a book that was being mulled around after attending a number of Christian Single conventions and seeing the wonderful ideas people had for Christians to meet one another. It was all so exciting and interesting, at first. But then, there I was in the public library because I wasn’t able to afford a computer of my own yet, and a woman saw the title of that book that I was mulling around for Christian singles. She asked if I would have a chapter on cohabitating. I stared at the title because I didn’t know what to say. Why ask something that had nothing to do with the title of the book? Did she not understand? It’s for Christian singles. There is no cohabitating when your focus is on God. There is no shacking up and calling it common law marriage. There is no oops and making your faux pas seem alright because God sees your heart and real intentions. What was she asking of me? Am I supposed to compromise what I believe the book should be about because s...