Play the Game

As a young child I thought playing dominos meant standing the little black rectangles on end, then tapping the last one, and watching them fall one by one against each other. Quite boring, I thought, especially having to stand them all up again. But as I grew I learned the real game of dominos. Matching up the numbers of my pile connects to the numbers of the other players’ dominos. Without one piece, you can’t move on to the next.

Do you know that leading one life to believe in Christ might lead to saving millions of lost souls? It’s a domino effect. Once you tell one person, they’ll tell another and so on and so on. Before you know it, you will have impacted so many lives. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…- Matthew 28:19. So no matter how you play dominos, keep playing!

    I pray that my life will never cause any to fall. Lord, give me the wisdom to say Your words, be Your hands, see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears. Use my life to impact Your kingdom. Amen

 

Get Me Out of This

There was a time when I thought that everything that happened to me was to teach me some spiritual lesson. What happened, though, was more than teaching; it was the building of character, a growing of faith. I prayed, “Lord, change the circumstances.” In actuality, He wanted to change my character. God doesn’t always take us out of situations. Remember Paul was in prison, was shipwrecked, and was regularly in trouble. But through our situations, He molds our character into more Christ-like attitudes and He builds our faith. God is aiming at a higher purpose than I am able to understand.

In the end, I have to trust, not in myself, because as a human I often waver in my faith, but I have to trust in the faithfulness of God. He is God and His promises are sure. It is not for me to question or rationalize my circumstance. I can have faith that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. God doesn’t say that all the things that happen to me are good, but He says that they will work together for good.

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen

 

Self-Image?

How wonderful it is to be made in the image of God! From the beginning of creation, God’s plans were in place. Just as He ruled over the universe, He created man to rule over the earth. Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth…-Genesis 1:26.

My friend, if you question your worth, remember you were created in the image of God. Our purpose is significant on earth, whether we think our contributions are nonessential. The fact is…our responsibility should not be taken lightly. He has given us our place and time to care for His world. And that alone has tremendous value.

Dear Jesus,

     In a world where sin abounds, surround me with your loving arms and protect my life. Keep my soul, mind and heart pure that I may be holy as You are holy. Help me to strive toward righteousness. And when I fail, thank You for Your forgiveness. Protect every aspect of my life. . . my family, my friends, my community. Help me to be Your example to others. I pray this prayer in Your holy name. Amen. 

 

Power to Influence Others

Jesus has given you the capability and the power to influence others by your actions and words. A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength. -Proverbs 24:5. But you must be careful how you use this gift. There’s a fine line between using our power in correcting others in love verses being judgmental to one’s life choices. The difference between the two depends on the outcome of the situation. Do the powerful words encourage the one in need of help? Or do they encourage the importance of the person in control?

Remember, Jesus wants us to remain strong in His mighty power, not ours. Without God, our power may appear strong, but in reality it’s weak and leads to selfishness and manipulation of others. But with Jesus by our side, our influence will lead to everlasting changes in the lives of others. What an honor it is to share in His strength and make a difference. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. -Ephesians 6:10.

 

Texting Jesus

You are never too late with God. In a world of appointments, schedules, and deadlines, there is One who will be waiting for you. Waiting in line or cutting through the red tape to reach the top is not protocol. There are no protocols, there is no voice mail, and there are no texts. Jesus doesn’t have business hours and your call to Him will be put right through at any minute of the day. He is your only Superior and best friend that is approachable 24/7. But many who are first will be last, and the last first. -Mark 10:31.

 

Is It Cool to be a Christian Today?

Lately, I’ve been noticing that being a Christian isn’t cool, especially with the entertainment world. Many who share their statement of faith get mocked and or questioned. But being a Christian is much more than just a statement or a label. It’s what you do with your life and how treat others. Is it cool to be a Christian today if you:

• help others in need?
• give when others won’t?
• love the unloved?
• forgive the unforgivable?
• share because you want to and not because you have to?
• look beyond the differences?

The question is – what makes you cool?

 

Is There Hope for Teen Girls?!

I’m going to be spending 2012 focusing on the ministry of TodaysGirls. So many girls deal with issues that never seem to change from generation to generation. Our technology changes, but the issues are still there – bullying, silent treatment, mean girls, body image, depression, sex, loneliness…the list goes on and on. Is there hope? Absolutely.