The Journey to Me

They did it to me again!!! I cannot believe they did it to me again!!!  Again Lord! Why? What?! HOW? How long am I supposed just take this?   I know vengeance belongs to you, but are you paying attention to what these enemies of mine are doing? “But to you who are listening, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke”  6:27-28 NIV Now that’s COURAGE!  And that is a lot to swallow! Well, they say the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.  So here we go! Love your enemy  – This is the easiest bite.  Who is my enemy?  The only real enemy I should have is those that are an enemy of my God.  Not an enemy of my church, pastor or leaders… but God.  Simply >>> if one is not an enemy of God, they should not be my enemy either. Do good to them that hate you  – Again, much like our actions towards the enemy, is our action towards someone that

In January we were challenged to Arise in our Outlook! Everything that happened in 2017 really was not that bad, well it was but it was purposeful!    In February we were challenged to Arise in our Conversations!   Our words frame our world.  In 2017 as situations became more difficult, trying and painful we let everyone and anyone that would listen to our complaints … listen.  Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tweets carried direct and subtle expressions of our frustrations.  Yet forgetting the one person listening most attentively to the words spoken … our own inner soul.  In March, we were challenged to Arise in our Character!   It has been said that a crisis does not build character, it reveals character #True. What did we learn about ourselves in 2017? For some, the revelations were not very pleasant. What changes are you making in 2018 considering what you have learned?  Remember, it is habits that form character. Arise … It’s April!   How is your Courage?  

Twelve men were sent out on a strategic fact-finding mission to gather intelligence about this purpose promised place which they were told they would conquer.     This purpose promised place was truly all that God said it would be!  L ook, they even returned with a foretaste of the fruit of the promise.  This was a great report and their Outlook is great! But, along with the great Outlook came a few facts.  Strong enemies, large obstructions and…. Doubts!  “We can’t do this … we can’t attack this … they’re bigger and stronger … we’ll be devoured … there are already giants in my promise place … and I seemed like a tiny little grasshopper in my own eyes next to them!” Doubts! Doubts only see giants, problems, impossibility, and obstacles. Doubts leave God out of the equation and we make us forget, He is the one that set this purpose promised place before us, in us!  Doubts cause us to look in at ourselves as grasshoppers.  Surely if I see myself as a grasshopper, everyone else

“What is the word for the year?” I was asked on New Year’s Eve.   “Hum, not sure” I sheepishly replied.     How could I not be sure on the last day of the year?  Every year starting with the Jewish new year until the end of our calendar year, I have listened intently within myself for that ONE word, but this year I heard two.   ARISE… It is time to Arise.  My challenge with this word? Well, the challenges I faced in 2017 should have brought me to a place where I did arise.  To begin 2018 still saying arise felt a little defeating.  Well, then comes the second word… EMERGE… This is the year to Emerge.  Oh, I liked that!!! Emerge feels so powerful (and the word for 2017 was POWER).  Yes, I liked emerge, but what about arise?  Let’s look at the meaning of each word: Arise:     To get up, as from a sitting or prone position;  To awaken, and get up;  To move upward;  To come into being; originate. Well, there is no big surprise there!   Let’s now look at Emerge: To com