The Return

Sometimes, just like everything else in our lives, our lives themselves need to be redesigned. Sometimes, we get off course and forget the way. Things interrupt our lives. Pressure is applied to our belief system. Problems challenge us down to the core, and at times, we respond terribly. At times, we forget the promises we were once given. At times, we lose sight of the goals we once had. At times, we forget who we really are. And after so much of that, we wake up and find ourselves way off course. Those are the times we have to return to the basic tenants of our faith, the core of our belief system, the values that make us who we are. And then, we have to cleave to those things tightly once again to be guided back to the path we should be on.

Can't speak for everyone, but that is where I find myself right now- I am looking back to the beginning and returning to my first love and adhering to the things that once saved me because those same things will save me again and again.

JOYFUL, JOYFUL

Neh. 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. [KJV]


~ When things seem uncertain & times seem hard, just remember that the JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH! ~

We gain strength by having joy. Joy is our source of strength and that's why the enemy attacks in this area so often, in hopes that he can get us in a weak state, and pounce but the devil is a liar! The Joy of the Lord brings happiness, good attitudes, a stable mind and all of the above. Continue in prayer, have relationship with the Father and meditate on His Word and Joy shall come.

God has promised Eternal Life to all those who receive His Son Christ, this alone will bring Joy! I love these lyrics and they are true from day to day: I still have joy, still have joy, after all the things I've been through, I still have Joy.

~ If being joyful brings strength, then why are so many weak? Re-evaluate your Joy today! ~

Prayer : Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you fulfill your Joy in me that I might have the strength to complete the race in which I was called. I thank you for all that you have done in, through and for me and my family. I proclaim that I am victorious in Jesus name, for I am: Blessed and not Cursed, Happy and not Sad, More than a Conqueror and not Defeated, I AM A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD! I thank you and give you ALL OF THE GLORY, HONOR & PRAISE in your precious Son Jesus name, Amen, amen and amen!

Someone to Hope In

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His mercies fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul. Therefore I hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.  " Lamentations 3:22-25
  In the past several months, I have adopted the verses from Lamentations 3:22-23 as my life verse because no matter what I have experienced in my life, God has shown His faithfulness time and time again. So many times I never looked at the verses following those two wonderful nuggets of truth, but today I need them.  Just to fill you in on the past week or so of my life, I have said goodbye to a loved one and I have witnessed the ending of a marriage in the life of someone I care about; not to mention other issues in my life right now which I can't share.   Satan seems to be attacking me and my spirit has been pretty low. Take note: any time that things start to look up for God, Satan will be trying to steal your joy! I look at verse 24 and 25 and this really gives me hope! God is my portion.  Not only that, but He is good to His children.  No one can steal my joy unless I give it up willingly.  God is stronger and can be counted on to carry me and to carry you through whatever you're going through today. I just need to go to Him and ask for Him to take me through. I may not always get around the trial or situation, but God promised to get me through it.  Now that is something to hang on to!

CONTINUING IN SPITE OF DIFFICULTY!

Just want to share a little testimony this morning.  For some strange reason my sinuses has been really bad for the past week.  I've been having hard time sleeping at night and napping during the day due to my breathing and I'm not sure why.  It seems as though I'm having anxiety attacks but I know that I'm not, well Tuesday night I started getting a headache and I know if it doesn't subside that it would become a migraine.   By yesterday morning the migraine was in full effect.  I suffer with migraines due to a cyst in my sinus cavity and to have the cyst removed could cause me to have an aneurysm, so my Dr. don't want to risk it.

I was in some serious pain ALL yesterday to the point of any light causing the pain to get worse, but I still thank God in all things.  Let me get to the topic at hand, I had decided to just lay in bed still all day, as this was the only way I could get just a little relief and as I lay there LACRESHA came to mind.  I thought of her many testimonies, here many illnesses and how SHE CONTINUES IN SPITE OF HER DIFFICULTIES and this gave me strength to press a little further.  Lacresha is dealing with more than one illness at this present (believing for her complete healing) but she refuse to let them get the best of her, although she's still struggling with these illnesses, she defeats them on a daily basis by continuing in spite of her difficulty.  One post, one testimony, encouragement to one person causes her to be victorious.  After all of this was revealed to me, I went to bible study in spite of the pain, I completed some Ministry work in spite of the pain and last night I got more writing done in pain than I've done feeling just fine, lol - it's true.

I encourage each of you today to continue in spite of your difficulty, some may be dealing with worse obstacles than others but don't let it paralyze you like my migraine tried to do me, get up and get to work.  I had to work laying down in bed from time to time but I still got it done.  Whatever it is you're dealing with today, know that it's just an obstacle, something to hold you back from continuing to your purpose - go ahead and Continue In Spite of your Difficulty, it's worth it!  Praying your day is blessed beyond measure.

Continue to Pray for our dear Sister Lacresha, for she is CLAY IN THE MASTER'S HANDS, God is making and molding her all the more and we know that she will come out as PURE GOLD but pray that God continues to strengthen her body, refresh her spirit and renew her mind in all that she is dealing with at this present.  Have a blessed day everyone!

Come Unto Me

God puts no more on us than we can bear, we do a good job of that ourselves.........


Matthew 11:28-30 (28) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. [KJV]

What seems hard and heavy to us is easy and light in GOD! There are some things we just can't carry without the help of the Lord.  Trust God to carry your heavy load, to strengthen you and give you rest in your time of need. 

God is with us:  For better & for worse, in sickness & health, through the good & bad, happy or sad - it doesn't matter what the case may be just know that when we allow Him to carry our heavy load, the burdens that seem to be trying to destroy us - we will find a rest that is so peaceful, in the midst of what we're going through. 

His Grace is Enough

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me."2 Corinthians 12:9


"For I know that my Redeemer lives. And He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God." Job 19:25-26    
                                                                                                                           
  
  I don't think there is anyone on earth who enjoys going through physical pain, distress, loss of job, family, dreams or hopes or any other situation that might come their way. I know that I don't. It seems as though recently I have been in contact with more and more people who are going through things that they don't understand and how they deal with those things astounds me.  I am humbled by the way some people handle the most horrendous times of their lives with grace and dignity. I heard of a woman recently who has lost family and health and yet still remains true to Christ even in her darkest of hours stating that there is always someone worse off than herself.
  Job lost everything. He lost all of his property, his family and his health and yet his faith in God's grace to sustain him during this time is a testament to his faith in God. In the end, he is rewarded with double blessing.
  Sometimes God doesn't restore our health or lives the way that we would want Him to, yet He promises that His grace will get us through. No matter what we are going through today, we can trust in His strength. His strength is perfect in all areas of our lives.

Using My Setbacks as a Comeback

LET YOUR SETBACKS LEAD YOU FORWARD INTO THE DESTINY

GOD HAS PURPOSED FOR YOU!

Psalm 119:71
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. [KJV]


I don't know what you may be going through or dealing with at the present, but I do know that when we suffer with Christ (for the sake of the Ministry), we shall also reign with Him.  Some of you may be dealing with financial problems, sickness, family problems, marital problems, whatever the case may be I encourage you to hang on and see the blessing in it.  I know it's easier said than done but trust me it can be done! 

Our afflictions are only there to make us stronger and to take us to the next level and it will do just that when we approach them in the correct manner.  There will be pain, tears and even some sleepless nights but I can promise you that there will come a time of rest from all of the affliction that we must endure.

Learn and grow from your afflictions, don't give in to them as if there is no hope.  Start using your SETBACKS as an OPPORTUNITY for your COMEBACK!

A Good Recipe for Life

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. 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. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in the way." Psalms 37:3-7


Yesterday I shared some thoughts from Psalm 37:1-2 about not fretting over evildoers, which for me is easier said than done. Today, I would like to share some further thoughts that might be considered a recipe for having a successful life in Christ. These are things that God tells us to do to have a fulfilling life in Him.

Trust vs 3-  To place your confidence into- to depend on the Lord and to do good. When you are trusting, it's easier to do good because you are trusting in the promises that God has given.

Delight vs 4-To enjoy the Lord. It's very much like a relationship with someone you care for. You take delight in them. You want to be with them. It says in Psalms that God will give you the desires of your heart. God wants to give you all your desires. When you delight in Him, those desires become like His.

Commit vs 5- Promise Him-give them to Him. He can handle them for you. He will take care of Life's injustices.


Rest vs 6- Relax and wait patiently for God. He is in charge and He will take care of you. For me this is awesome. I'm not a patient person and it's difficult for me to trust, yet I know that if I do all of these things that my walk with God gets stronger. I also find that though I still see evil happening around me, that I can feel confident of God's strength and that He will take care of any and all of my concerns.

Don't Fret!

"Do not fret because of evildoers. Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." Psalm 37:1-2.


Do you ever get frustrated with the success of evil people? Does it seem to you that even if someone evil gets caught doing bad that they still come out on top? Do you ever feel angry that some people get blessing after blessing and success after success while it seems like you have to struggle for everything you have and it seems like sometimes those blessings appear few and far between? I know. I've been there and it's still a struggle for me. God wants us to know that even though it seems like He's not looking, He really is and that even though justice doesn't seem like it's served at the time, God's true justice is coming. Evil will be punished! That's a wonderful thought. Right now it seems that evil is winning. We look at the newspapers and see people doing horrific things to people with little punishment. We see people in business making questionable business decisions. God sees it all and He says that the wicked will be cut down suddenly and they will wither like the grass. Their success is only for a moment. But, if we know Christ, we will live forever with Him and that to me is worth more than anything here on earth!

BEING TRULY BLESSED

Blessed - to be happy, at peace, favor, FULLY SATISFIED, invocation of good,

It also indicates the state of the believer in Christ - he is indwelt by God because of Christ and as a result he is FULLY SATISFIED and worthy to be well spoken of. In the biblical sense, a blessed person is one whom God makes fully satisfied, not because of favorable circumstances but because He indwells the believer through Christ.

I've heard so many define being blessed because of material possessions, while there is nothing wrong with material possessions they are not the foundation of one being blessed. Material things come and they go, so how can this be considered being blessed - once it's gone will one still consider themselves blessed? Not likely.

My husband, Apostle Patrick Sutton often says that, He'd rather be blessed than look blessed! Meaning that he doesn't mind the finer things in life but only as God wills for those things are temporal, but he desires the things of God, which are everlasting. (Proverbs 10:22 - The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it).

You know that you are blessed when you have a peace of mind, you're content when you have and when you don't have, because being blessed is not based upon stuff - stuff (material possessions) are merely a benefit that God gives to all for He reign on the just and the unjust, but only those who have come to the FULL KNOWLEDGE of the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT can be TRULY BLESSED! Why? Because Jesus was truly blessed, He didn't depend on man nor stuff to make Him happy, it didn't take material things to make Him FULLY SATISFIED. Think about it, He had nothing materialistic attached to him, He was born in a Manager ALL for the GLORY OF GOD! There was nothing man could take away and nothing made Him happier than fulfilling the WILL and PURPOSE of His heavenly Father. Man didn't even have the power to take His life, they didn't give it, therefore they couldn't take it. Jesus laid down His life for the Glory of the Father and to redeem man back to His Father.

If we expect to be TRULY BLESSED, we must realize and come to the full knowledge of Philippians 1:21 - For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Knowing that your very life isn't your own, dying to self pleasure and self will daily. In doing so one can experience being blessed beyond measure, you will realize that material possessions cannot and will never make one fully satisfied but it's the Christ that dwells on the inside, which cause you to be THANKFUL and HAPPY in ALL THINGS.

In ALL that I've been through in my life, it's when I see God guiding me through each storm that I realize JUST HOW TRULY BLESSED I AM!  I know that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Continue to hold on and don't look at the situation because looks are deceiving but focus on the problem solver!

WE HAVE A NEW LOOK- It's Celebration Time!

We have a new look to celebrate our transition into being a blog specifically dedicated to strengthening the inner person, showing you how to be pretty on the inside, prosperous in your mentality and powerful to your outside world by being all that God created you to be.

But there is no beauty to be had outside of God. It is by our daily prayers and reflections that we find the strength to conquer our inner demons and be free from the bondage of our own thinking and other people's opinions. Blog P3 celebrates YOU and all that means to be YOU.

Today, we realize that loving God also means loving ourselves and reflecting that same love to others.

God's Handiwork

Romans 9:20-21 "But indeed, o man, who are you to reply against God? will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'why have you made me like this?' Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?"


I think I first started to have issues with my appearance when I was in junior high.  Everyone in my inner circle had perfectly straight hair and equally perfect teeth. I on the other hand had naturally curly(more frizz than curl I thought) hair and extremely crooked teeth. To make matters worse, I walked pigeon-toed and that made me an easy target to be made fun of.  I remember trying to straighten my hair in any way I could to fit in with my peers.  I hated being different from everybody else. Sadly, my natural curly waves have mostly waved good-bye and my teeth are still imperfect. I weigh more than I want to. Years of physical and emotional wear and tear have taken their toll on my body. I miss being the size 12 that I hated being in high school. I'd give anything to be there.  Maybe someday I will be. That time is not now, however.

Isn't that just like us though? We try so hard to be someone we're not. We don't realize that it's God who made us the way we are for His own reasons.  No two of us are exactly alike.  God has a purpose for each and everyone of us and each one of us is valued in His sight.  My challenge is this. Think for a moment of what you hate the most about your appearance today.  God made you that way for a purpose. Maybe that purpose is to be used in some way for Him. Give that frustration to Him today.

BEING WHAT GOD WANT'S ME TO BE

CONTENT - self satisfaction

Philippians 4:11 - Not that I speak in Respect of want: for I haved learned, in whatsoever stat I am, therewith to be content. (God want us to learn to be content in every situation, whether good or bad, happy or sad. We are not to be complainers, but satisfied in whatever state we're in until God himself make the changes needed.)

COURAGEOUS - Strength, mighty, strong
Psalm 31:24 - Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (Be strong in the power of God's might, when we are weak (fleshly man) then God can be strong in us (Spiritual man). God did not give us the spirit of fear but of a sound mind. We've got to be sure in our spirit, mind and heart that the battle is already won. God has given us everything we need to be strong and mighty in His name. If God is with us there's nothing that you cant do.)

COURTEOUS - Friendly, kind
1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. (We are to draw one another with love and kindness (Jer. 31:3), be friendly to one another whether saint or sinner. Our friendliness should show the Love of God that dwells on the inside of us. We are to walk, talk, act and treat others the way that Jesus treats us.)

DILIGENT - Quick, skillful, hasty, ready
Proverbs 22:29 - Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. (We must be quick, skillful and ready when it comes to doing a work for the Lord. A slothful man will cause ruin to himself and an unlearned man will constantly make foolish mistakes. In all your getting, get understanding of God's Word and of your calling for your gift will make room for you if you're diligent in and with it. Our diligence will take us before kings. If you're lacking diligence ask of God that you may receive and be pleasing in His sight, not in some things but in all.

DOERS - to perform
James 1:22 - But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

FAITHFUL - Trustworthy, to believe, to be sure, to be true
Revelation 2:10 - Fear none of those things, which thou shalt suffe; behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful into death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

GLAD - Joyful, gleeful, merry, rejoice 
Psalm 32:11 - Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteousness; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

HOLY - Sure, Pure, consecrate
Titus 1:8 - But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate.

MERCIFUL - Tender, compassionate
Luke 6:36 - Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

STRONG - Empower, enable, strength
Ephesians 6:10 - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.

THANKFUL - to praise, worship
Psalm 100:4 - Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name.

WISE - Wisdom, wise in mind, word and deed
 Proverbs 1:5-6 - a wise man will hear and will increase learining; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels; (6) To understand a proverb and the interpretation; the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

Melissa

RAW REDEMPTION Gets Book Club Attention

My freshman novel, Raw Redemption, will be the book club, Book Escapades, July read. Thanks to a friend and diva sister, Carolyn Carroll, my book is moving on up in the world of fiction. Imagine that!

My Amazon kindle ebook, Tangled is also making headway. With 2 great reviews by respected writers and reviewers, I am expecting great things of this book too.

Giving myself and my marketing team and friends a huge ATTA GIRL!

The Capacity to Love

At one point on this blog, I had a corner, so to speak, where I honored various wonderful women who'd touched my life, but in my busyness and distraction, I let it go. I always regretted that because there are so many who has contributed to this new me, this me that is now whole in Christ, that knows how to love other people, and this person that I love waking up looking at each day.

I am going to always glorify God for them and of course I do realize that it is God who has brought such awesome people into my life. Sure I know they are only human, they have flaws and all that, but I also know and understand that it's okay to be flawed. That just means they are connected to something grander, something more precious, more pure, more loving than many people ever encounter. It is the God nature of them that I mean to build up by shining a glowing light on that part.

We live many moons in which we are victimized, torn down, demolished by others and even ourselves. Why shouldn't I use a gift that I now know came from God when it is so obvious in my life? Can I tell you the truth? I've never met someone in which if I am around or look at them long enough wasn't beautiful to me in some way. I used to get ragged for it. I could see beauty in the ugliest of pictures and in the ugliest of situations. Even some of my worst enemies, using that term loosely, when I decide to be honest with myself, were once my friends and the anger I held against them was really grief over losing them because there's not been many that have crossed my path that I didn't want to love and be loved by, that I didn't want to hang on to. And God knowing my true nature that is sometimes so adequately hidden behind my tough exterior, knows that I am clingy, especially to those who I sense some urgency in me to just love them, sometimes has to move people for me if they are to be removed from my life. 

You know, I said all of that to say these last few words- some of us are created to love and won't be happy unless we are loving and building people. We are the ones so easily damaged by rejection, so quick to want to hold a grudge because we feel the pain of others so intensely and when we feel it, we believe we have enough love in us to fix it. And when that love is turned aside, we aren't quite sure who to blame, we don't want to be hurt again, and so we try to stay upset. Well, today, I'm letting that me go and I am embracing my true self and my true calling which is celebrating others, even those who most wouldn't give a second glance. All the years of fighting it got me nowhere and it hurts just as badly to have the capacity to love and withhold it as it does to give it and have someone misuse it. Think on that.

Learning from a Puppy

This new puppy of mine, Blake, is full of information for his mommy. No one warned me that a little fur baby isn't much different from a real baby. No one warned me how intelligent little puppy babies could be.

In the month that I've had him, I've learned to be more patient, to find joy in small happenings, and that God can speak using anything.

Little Blake is so small and so smart, but so confused trying to get used to all three of us in the house. He's trying new things, figuring out what works and my love for him says, give it time, he'll figure it out. God is the same way with us. He understands that this new life Christian is sometimes confusing, but given time, we will work it out with Him and that we'll get better. I'm sure I'll learn a lot more from the newest Hayes in the family. Stay tuned! 

Run Away From Idolatry

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men (women); judge for yourselves what I say. "  I Corinthians 10:14, 15
Lately I have been thinking about what an idol is and what it isn't.  The dictionary defines an idol as anything that absorbs our thoughts and devotions.  This has convicted me. Anything that absorbs our thoughts and devotions is an idol? Really? I can easily see the negative things in my life that could be an idol, but the hard part for me is the good things that can become an idol. I know that to hoard money and to dwell on my outward appearance can be idolatry and that things can definitely be idolatry; yet, I never thought that my work, my family or even what I do for God can become an idol if I'm not doing it for the right reasons. This past few week has found me being away from my computer, more out of necessity than desire and it made me realize that even something as enjoyable as my computer can become my idol. So I guess my challenge today is this: do you have an idol in your life? Even a small one can keep us from being what God wants us to be. We need to cling to Him and ask Him to help us run from idolatry.

Sick and Tired of What???

There is really no need to lie. We all have times when giving up seems the easiest and frankly the most desirable option. We get sick and tired. Sick and tired of our jobs, of our friends, of our enemies, of church, of school, of our spouses and children and sometimes ourselves. We get sick and tired of being sick and tired... and THAT is the bottom of the barrel. LOL!

I can't tell you not to feel that way because we are all entitled to be human, since that's exactly what we are and will be anyway. The key is not to make any permanent decisions while in a disturbed or troubled state of mind. The trick is not to base tomorrow on the frustrations of today. Hard times will come to us all. So when you're at your wit's end, just know that you're in good company and weeping won't last forever. It can only endure for the night but every morning you rise, you have a new opportunity to be a new you with new joys.

Personal Note and Dedication to Me from Karina Fabian, a Very Special Author

Thank you, LaCresha
By Karina Fabian

On May 15th, Tribute Books published a small book on Catholic spirituality and living, Why God Matters and How to Recognize Him in Daily Life, by Karina Lumbert Fabian and Deacon Steve Lumbert. This is my first non-fiction book, and my father's first book ever.

We would never have done this had it not been for LaCresha and her wonderful Yahoo! group, Write, Publish Market.

I joined WPM about a year ago because I was interested in finding new ways to market my books and to share with folks some of my marketing ideas and experience. I also like to pass on things I learn to other groups I'm in, like the Catholic Writers Guild.

A post by Nicole Langan entitled, "Looking for a Catholic Writer," caught my eye. Nicole was looking for an author to write a small book on short notice to fill a hole in their production schedule. I figured if I couldn't help, I knew plenty of Catholic writers who could.

Nicole knew exactly what she wanted, right down to format: personal stories about faith in the everyday, with some practical tips for readers, and Bible verses. The more we discussed the idea, the more I wanted to do it. Not only was the format similar to work I'd done for another publisher, it occurred to me that I could get my father to co-author with me, broadening the scope of the book and making for some fun father-daughter bonding.

Nicole had a tight deadline--one reason, I believe, that she posted her request on WPM, which has a hundreds of members who are actively seeking writing gigs. My father and I had a very intense, very fun week of IMing stories back and forth. It's the first time in a long time that we'd worked together on a project. My father's already eager to do another one!

In the end, this turned out to be more than a book contract--it was a chance for father and daughter to reconnect, and an opportunity for us to share our faith and our stories with others. I feel richer for having done this, but I also know that I never would have imagined taking on such a project on my own. It was Nicole's post on LaCresha's group that led me to this wonderful place.

Thank you, LaCresha. Though you never planned it, you have blessed our lives.

LIGHT IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS

 THIS IS THE DAY FOR YOU TO RISE UP AND LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE AMONG MEN !

Isaiah 60:1 - Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

I'm sure you remember this song:  "This Little Light of Mine, I'm Going to Let it Shine", I love this song because it proclaims that whatever that situation or circumstance may be in my life at this present moment - I'm going to let my light shine.  I know that there are somethings that we have to deal with or have dealt with in the past that seemed so dark that not even "THE LIGHT HIMSELF" could penetrate that darkness.  Trust Me, God can penetrate ANY darkness but I know from experience that when dealing with certain issues - it was very hard for me to see THE LIGHT in the midst of my darkness, why?  Because I totally focused on the darkness, the situation, the problem and failed to see the LIGHT.  Whatever you may be going through or dealing with I encourage you to MOVE TOWARD THE LIGHT, there is comfort, love, joy, happiness and peace in the Light.  Let your light shine so that man will see your good works and glorify the Father.  Let them see that, if you can make in the midst of all you're going through, God will allow them strength to make it also. 

I'm not sure how many of you are like me, "AFRAID OF THE DARK", (lol) but those that are I trust that when you come home and the house is dark, you waste no time turning on a light or lights!  I am very quick in letting the light comprehend the darkness, I stay in it no longer than I have to and I've learned to use this same technique in the Spirit realm, why stay in a dark place when "THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS EVER PRESENT", when your path seems to be a little dark, you have but to turn on your light!

Have Blessed Day ~ Pastor Melissa