It's Up To You - Do Something!

There are those who would much rather burn bridges, than build one; who would disassociate than circulate themselves; who find great satisfaction in another person's sorrow and misery than being the source of one's joy and jubilation; the one who would prefer to have the world revolve around them than to be a part of a community; who often regards oneself as a victim of circumstance while failing to look at the mirror. Humility is abandoned, replaced by avarice, resentment, anger and the worst culprit of all: self-righteousness. The glass becomes half empty, and yet one drowns inside its ugly cesspool of negativity.

Life is too short to bathe oneself in a toxic concoction of petty grievances. Or any kind of grievance for that matter. Live life. Love life. In the final analysis, genuine reverence is an honour bestowed by others: it is earned, not coerced. "No Man Is An Island", my friend.

For all types of Love: romantic, family, friendly - Happy Love Day ♥

-Unknown

Brilliantly Flawed

A well-known actor said he enjoyed playing “flawed” characters in movies because people could relate better to an imperfect character.

Most of us would agree that it’s easier to understand people who aren’t perfect because we are imperfect.

God included stories in the Bible of people who were deceitful, weak, unreliable, and angry.

Take Jacob, who deceived his father so that he would receive a blessing (Gen. 27:1-29).

There was Gideon, who was unsure of God that he asked Him twice for proof that He would be faithful to do what He said He would do (Judg. 6:39).

Then Peter, who feared for his own safety, even denied knowing his friend and Lord (Mark 14:66-72).

But all people in these stories were able to overcome their shortcomings and ultimately became useful.  That happened when they depended on God and not on themselves.

God’s strength is made perfect in weakness,
For when we are weak He is strong;
He gives us His grace and His power
To overcome in us what’s wrong

It’s good to learn of our weakness if it drives us to lean on God’s strength.

- ODB

You Are For Me

So faithful, so constant and so true So powerful in all You do You fill me, You see me You know my every move You love for me to sing to You I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me who You are So patient, so gracious, so merciful and true So wonderful in all You do You fill me, You see me You know my every move You love for me to sing to You Lord, I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me Lord, I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me who You are To remind me I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me who You Are

Music Video:

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbSMfL5LuSo

What Does Quiet Time Look Like?

Having a quiet time is like many other activities you might do in life. To be successful, it helps to have a plan.

The Bible says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5).

So what does a daily quiet time look like?

First, be quiet before the Lord. The Bible calls it waiting on God. You start by simply sitting down and shutting up. As you do this, you’ll find yourself revving your engine down and calming yourself. 

Second, pray briefly. Start off with a short opening prayer. Ask God to open your mind and guide you. Ask him to cleanse your mind.

Read a portion of Scripture slowly. This is where your conversation with God begins. He starts speaking to you through his Word, and then you speak back to him through prayer. Read the Bible slowly. Don’t try to read too quickly or too much. The more slowly you read Scripture, the more you’re forced to think about what you’re reading.

Meditate on the Word. Spend some time chewing on what God is saying. Chew on the Word like cows chew on cud. Ponder and wrestle with it in your mind. There are lots of great methods for meditating on the Word. You can find specific ideas on how to meditate on the Bible in my book Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods.

Write down what you discover. When God speaks to you through his Word, care enough about what he is saying to write it down. Writing enables us to remember what God has said to us and record our discoveries.

Pray again. Be quiet. Ask God to show you his Word. Talk to God about what he has said to you. Tell him what you’re thinking about what he is saying. Talk to him about anything else that’s on your mind.
There’s not just one way to have a quiet time, but following a plan similar to this can get you started on a rewarding devotional journey.

Talk About It

• Have you ever thought about your quiet time as an intimate conversation with God?

• What distractions do you need to eliminate in order to “be quiet”?

R. Warren