I Spent A Quarter! What Did You Spend It On?

Swoosh! Did you see it? Believe it or not three months have just flown by. If you are anything like me it seemed as though it swooshed past you. Before more 

time is lost, I recommend you take a moment to regroup. You know what I mean, go back to before the first day of 2011 ever made it interest and you made all those promises to yourself and God about what you were going to accomplish. guilty just think of all the things that can happen in a quarter. If you feel you squandered that quarter, it is great to know that God has another one coming your way. It is just like when we spend money and can’t account for it. We rack our brains trying to figure out what did I buy with that quarter. Really the process is futile because you can’t get the quarter back. But, you can make a decision to spend the next quarter wisely.

So, you didn’t get that book written. You may not have gotten your house cleaned. You are still looking for that job. Why haven’t I started painting? Where is that husband…wife? At any rate, you still have time.

Remember, procrastination is always lurking to prevent you from spending the quarter wisely. If you don’t acknowledge those time-wasters you will look up and you will have spent another quarter and find yourself trying to figure out what in the world did I do with it.

Don’t beat yourself up. There is no one in this world who is accomplishing all they set out to do. Our resolution list is a compass for us, but sometimes getting to the end point may change. The result is the same, but you have to realize that there is more than one way to skin a cat. The goal is to skin it by any means necessary.

Be patient in the process. If you become impatient and begin to worry and fret, you are going to lose sight of your destiny. Not only that, you will not be able to hear the small whisper of God’s voice providing you with instruction on how to get there. All worry and fear does is blind you and block up your creativity.

Reinvent your list. Why? Because this is a great time to re-evaluate the importance of each resolution that you may have made. It may have been important to get a job, but once you get that great job your list will change to reflect that victory. So, now that goal may be, “Work diligently in making sure I help the company accomplish its goals.” At any rate, take a moment to gather yourself and re-assess your goals so you can spend your time and efforts productively.

Spend it wisely. You have been entrusted with another quarter chocked-full of opportunities. You want to maximize every moment in fulfilling your goals. Whatever you spend your quarter on will be exactly what you reap in the end. If you spend it doing nothing, well I guess you know the outcome.

Well, God gave me another quarter. I need to spend it wisely!

SCRIPTURES

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Phil 1:6 (KJV)

Indeed, in your sight a thousand years are like a single day, like yesterday-already past- like an hour in the night. Psalms 90:4 (GW)

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalms 90:12 (KJV)

Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven: Eccl 3:1 (GW)

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:15-16 (KJV)

PRAYER

Father, I can’t believe this past quarter has gone by so quickly. It seems as though it was only yesterday when I was anticipating a new year with great expectation. Although I’ve accomplished some of the goals I had planned, there are others that I have to even start. I thank You for giving me another quarter to accomplish all that You have placed inside of me. Teach me how to use it wisely and how to maximize every gift and talent. As the days swoosh by, I want to know that I’ve done all I could to maximize the gift of time You gave me.  Amen

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Didn’t You Wear That Yesterday? Creative Discipline

Infamous outfit

When I was in high school my primary objective was to be viewed as one, if not the best, dressed kid in school. Every day I meticulously planned out exactly what I was going to wear each day. This meant that within a 2-4 week period I could not wear the same outfit.

One of the rules of the high school I attended stated that if you were late for class more than six times you would be suspended from school. Needless to say, I kept getting suspended because my objective was to walk the halls so everyone could see what I had worn that day. In essence, the hallways became my fashion runway.

After repeated suspensions and calls about my lateness, my mother exercised “creative discipline.” She unequivocally knew that I went to school with a primary objective to be seen. What does a parent do when they’ve done everything to discipline a child but to no avail?

Well, my Mother made me wear the same outfit for a whole week! I couldn’t believe she was serious. How in the world could I, one of the best dressed in the school, wear the same outfit for a whole week. I talked about other people who wore the same clothes every day. She didn’t understand the unfairness of her actions or the damage it would do to my reputation. Yet, she didn’t budge.

Our actions cause God to react. After repeated warnings He has to use creative discipline in order to get our attention. Just like I cried out to my mother about the unfairness of what she was doing to me, we do the same thing with God. In most instances, we want to do whatever we want to do, but we don’t want God to say anything about it. We always want Him to be understanding even as we cavalierly disobey Him.

That was an eye-opening week for me. No, I didn’t stop loving to dress, but it did make me get to class on time. How many times have God had to do something extreme in order for you to do the right thing? It is not that you don’t know what to do, you do.

God is so awesome in His infinite wisdom. You see, just like my mother knew exactly why I couldn’t make it to class, God knows why we are not doing the right thing as well. I remember saying that it was so far walking from one class to the next and that caused me to be late. Who was I fooling, in some cases my classes were right across from each and I would still be late.

Parents know their children because they look beyond the exterior and peer into their heart. So does God.

His discipline, just like my mother’s, is derived from the issues flowing out of the heart. In most instances, it is a heart matter and in order for the correction to be effective it has to be creative enough to cause you to turn away from it. It worked for me!

SCRIPTURES

“A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.”Proverbs 13:1 (KJV) 

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) 

“Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.”Proverbs 20:11 (KJV)

“Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many.”Proverbs 4:10 (KJV)

I correct and discipline everyone I love. Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act. Rev 3:19 (GW)

He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. Job 36:10-11 (KJV)

The Lord disciplines everyone he loves. He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child.”  Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. If you aren’t disciplined like the other children, you aren’t part of the family. Heb 12:6-8 (GW)

PRAYER

Father, I realize Your chastening directly reflects my actions. I become so self-absorbed I find myself repeatedly doing the wrong thing even though I know I should be doing the right thing. Regardless of how much the warnings go forth, I still don’t adhere to them until Your chastening happens. Your creative discipline actually echos just how much You love me. Without You guiding me in the right direction I would continue down a path of destruction. Although I may sometimes feel You are being unfair, bless me to see the situation as You see it in order for me to accept the correction and be transformed to do the right thing. Amen

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How Do You Get Them Soft? No Question Is A Dumb Question

Most people who know me will emphatically say, “Jacqui doesn’t cook!” Several years ago I decided to cook some sweet potato pies. I absolutely love sweet potato pie. Well, in my quest to make sweet potato pies I needed to get the recipe for them. Naturally, I called upon the services of my first born sister (She doesn’t like the word oldest.) for guidance.

She told me exactly what to do and all the ingredients that I would need to make the pies and went on to explain how to mix the ingredients together. Needless to say, I was taking copious notes to make sure I had everything right. I had eaten her sweet potato pies and I knew she knew exactly how they should be prepared. She told me that I need to put all the ingredients in the mixer and blender. After she finished providing precise instructions I was still puzzled because she omitted something.

I had to ask because this was critical to the success of my pies. “How do you get the potatoes soft?” My sister exclaimed, “What, I thought you knew you had to boil them! I didn’t know this was Cooking 101!”

Many of us are operating at a rudimentary level, yet we are afraid to ask for the missing instructions. You know, when you are sitting in a class and you know you don’t know but you don’t want others to know you don’t know so you sit there and never ask to receive the critical information you need to complete the assignment. You’re trying to figure all this stuff out on your own and you are perplexed as to even where to start. All it took was putting yourself out there and requesting the information you desperately needed.

The only stupid questions are the ones that are never asked; the only unanswered questions are those that are never asked. We have not because we refuse to ask for it.

Oftentimes that is what happens in life. We meander through it trying to figure out why things are not working and all God is waiting for is for you to seek Him for the answers. In our finite minds we try to figure things out. Before you know it we have made a mess of things because we didn’t stop to ask, “How do I get the potatoes soft?”

When you do, believe me you will be successful in whatever you do. God patiently waits for us to ask Him the critical questions about our lives so He can provide the right recipe that catapults us down a path of victorious living.

You know what those were some of the best sweet potato pies I had ever eaten! Why because I asked for the missing information that I needed to be successful. It’s time to ask so you can experience that same success!

SCRIPTURES

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matt 7:7-8 (KJV)

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him 1 John 5:14-15 (KJV)

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2 (KJV)

If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them.James 1:5 (GW)

PRAYER

Father, Sometimes I know that I make mistakes that can easily be avoided if I just take the time to stop and ask You. No longer do I plan to be perplexed trying to figure out what to do when You are there to provide me with the instructions I need to be successful. I will always seek You for the answers and know that I will experience unparalleled successmous harvest. Amen

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Do Nothing Squared = Nothing: Do Something Squared = Abundance

In a conversation with one of my nieces I was doing the “aunt thing.” In essence, I was providing words of wisdom to propel her through life. I told her, “Give a person a fish they eat for a day. Teach a person to fish they will eat for a lifetime. If you teach them how to fish they will initially catch a gold fish; but as they master fishing they will catch a whale!

When your expectations increase so will your accomplishments. Small expectations produce small results. Great expectations produce enormous results. As you move confidently in that direction, your expectation increases as you exponentially increase in productivity.

Expecting things to change in your life is not sitting on the couch day in and day out saying that you are expecting to become a millionaire. That type of expectation is a false reality that doesn’t even bring superficial results. Why! Because doing nothing multiplied by doing nothing equals nothing. Conversely, doing something multiplied by doing something equals abundance. You do the math for yourself. Even more why not live the “do something equation” and watch and see what happens.

There are so many people sitting on the stool of “do nothing” that the bench has enlarged itself. Take a look and notice that the bench where people are doing something is less crowded. It is because very few people are willing to do what it takes. Most sit on the sidelines and watch others as they claim to be waiting for their ship to come in.

Well, I’m here to tell you that your ship came in a long time ago and you watched it go by. Not just once, but numerous times. At what point do you stop being just a watcher and become a doer? Is it that you don’t recognize it because you’ve done nothing to prepare for it? Or, is it that you are so afraid that you have become blinded by your plethora of excuses that prevents you from moving?

At any rate, it is time for your actions to partner with your expectations. If your expectations are not coupled with action seeds, then your harvest will be nil. Expecting with no action is a case study for failure. It yields no fruit! From one harvest season to the next you find yourself in the same place. Haven’t you traversed this mountain long enough? I think so!

Take a look inside yourself and ask some poignant questions about your life. In doing so, be honest and realistic with your answers. Now, after you have introspectively asked yourself, now ask God for His direction. In this conversation, have an ear to hear exactly what He says and the instruction He provides for you to move from just expecting to action.

It is your deliberate actions that will provide the harvest. Expectation needs a bridge that flows into your harvest. That bridge is called, “Action.” Your faith with action leads to abundant success. Now, go catch a whale!

SCRIPTURES

A lazy person says, “There’s a ferocious lion out on the road! There’s a lion loose in the streets!” {As} a door turns on its hinges, so the lazy person turns on his bed. A lazy person puts his fork in his food. He wears himself out as he brings it back to his mouth. A lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give a sensible answer. Prov 26:13-16 (GW)

Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. Heb 11:1 (GW)

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. Prov 24:14 (KJV)

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalms 37:4-5 (KJV)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer 29:11 (KJV)

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Psalms 62:5 (KJV)

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. James 2:17-18 (KJV)

He told them, “Throw the net out on the right side of the boat, and you’ll catch some.” So they threw the net out and were unable to pull it in because so many fish were in it. John 21:6 (GW)

PRAYER

Father, Expecting and doing nothing is like having no expectations at all. I know that there is so much more for me in life. I know that You want more for me. For some reason I find myself unable to do anything. I have great expectations and each day I wake up with the express purpose in doing something. Yet, I continue to do nothing. I’ve come to realize that in order for me to do something, I need You! I can’t do it by myself because I have tried so hard to do it and have been so unsuccessful. Each day provide me with Your Spirit of enablement so I can do something and reap an enormous harvest. Amen

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Trust Him! You Can’t Go Wrong!

Years ago my niece as she prepared to go on a date asked her mother, “Don’t you trust me.” My sister emphatically replied, “No! I trusted myself and you’re here.” Trust is one of those words that once lost, it seems as though it takes forever to get it back.

It is a twofold relationship that is chocked-full of expectation. Each person involved is expecting something of the other. For instance, if you enter into a credit agreement for merchandise you expect to receive that merchandise in good condition. Conversely, the creditor expects for you to pay for the merchandise as agreed upon. The problem occurs when one of the parties does not live up to their part of the agreement and trust is lost.

That is why when teenagers lose the trust of their parents it so hard for them to get it back. Although they may never do it again, you have to go through a cycle where you have to regain the trust of your parents. So it is with the unfaithful spouse.

Teenagers lose sight of how much they need to trust their parents and the wisdom that they provide. You see, parents have been where they are and completely understand that the vicissitudes of life can cause them (teenagers) to go down the wrong path and mar them for life.

It is no different with us and God. He painstakingly poured His Spirit into men and inspired them to write His instructions to prevent us from going down the wrong path. Not only that, but He also poured His Spirit into each of us. Just like those teenagers who want to do whatever they want to do whenever they want, we don’t listen and trust the Words of our heavenly Father until it is too late.

He told us that when we trust Him with all of our hearts and not depend on our own finite understanding He will direct our very step. This trust is twofold. God wants to trust you as well.

When it seems as though so much is happening in your life these are those trust building moments. God is allowing you to go through (operative word is through) adversity in order that your character and hope is built up. It may not feel like it, but it is an honor when God knows that He can trust you as He did His servant Job. Did Job do anything wrong? No, he didn’t. It is because he did everything right that God knew He could trust him.

When I think about how my sister emphatically told her daughter that she didn’t trust her, I realize that she understood that our flesh nature is so deceptive even to us. You see, my sister was considered a “goody two shoes” when we were growing up. She did, so people thought, everything right. While a teenager she gave birth to the very daughter who was asking her did she trust her. In essence, she was informing her daughter that as much as we think we may have things under control, without God at the helm of our lives we can’t even trust ourselves to do the right thing.

You may have all the best intentions in the world, but if you are solely dependent on yourself and God is not a part of that equation, you are destined for failure. It is His Spirit that prevents us from doing the wrong thing.

Trusting in him is more than just mere words it is purposeful actions. Every day the only way that you can trust in God to be the guiding force of your life, you have to spend time with Him in prayer as well as studying and meditating on His Word; as well as in a state of surrender. Teenagers become successful when they meditate on the words spoken by their parents and incorporate those words in the decisions they make every day. We become successful when we do the same with God’s Word’s.

Trust Him! You can’t go wrong! You’ll only encounter unparalleled success unimaginable to the human mind.

SCRIPTURES

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Prov 3:5-6 (KJV)

Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.Psalms 86:2 (KJV)

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Josh 1:8 (KJV)

In fact, we still feel as if we’re under a death sentence. But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, who brings the dead back to life. 2 Cor 1:9 (GW)

Charge those that are rich in this world, not to be elated, not to depend upon their perishable wealth, but upon the God of life, who furnishes us with every thing in plenty for our enjoyment; 1 Tim 6:17 (MaceNT)

I give praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So with my mind I am a servant to the law of God, but with my flesh to the law of sin. Romans 7:25 (BBE)

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalms 1:2-3 (NLT)

PRAYER

Father, I need your trust! Although I trust You and it is my heart’s desire to please You, sometimes I fall short of it because I’m trusting in my finite insight. More and more, I’m realizing it is going to take my trusting You with all my heart, mind and soul in order for me to have true success. In the process, I can’t get weary when the vicissitudes of life come my way and lose sight of what You are doing in my life. I got to unequivocally know that it is You trusting me to do the right thing and never to give up. As long as I meditate on Your Word day and night and seek Your guidance, I will be pleasing in Your eyes as I prosper and succeed in all that I endeavor to do. Amen

They Say! What Does “I AM” Say

I learned early in life that people say negative things about you because they are not content with themselves. Once you realize this, what “they say” no longer have control over your mind and your destiny.   

When I was a young girl, I had this coat with a fur collar. I loved folding the collar up around my neck. Another kid on the block who was a few years older than me decided upon herself to prophecy my destiny. She boldly walked up to me and said, “You think you are so pretty. You going to be pregnant before you are 16-years old.”

Who in the world gave her that much power over me! I don’t remember what I said back to her, but I do remember what I echoed inside of myself loud and clear. “I’ll show her! She is just jealous because she doesn’t look as good as  I do.”

You see, the words that I spoke within myself made the difference in nullifying the words she spoke to me from taking shape in my life. In essence, I over wrote her decree with my decree.

Just because someone speaks negative words about you does not mean it has any credence as to who you are and what you will become. Conversely, if you receive those negative words as your reality, then they will become a self-fulfilling prophecy in your life. It is self-fulfilling because you allow it to become true and shape your destiny.

No longer are they words that someone spoke about you, but they are words that you begin to speak about yourself. That is dangerous territory. The Words of life that God spoke over you have been allowed to be superseded by the negative words a mere human being said about you. Remember they don’t have a heaven or a hell to put you in and they definitely don’t have infinite insight about who you are and where you’re going.

In the instance that she spoke negatively over me and my destiny, I renounced every negative word by focusing on the positive picture that God had given me. I could tell you that I was some child protégée’ and that would not be true. Early on I realized that no one had the right to tell me who I am and what I would be. When I say no one, I mean it. I didn’t care if they were a child or an adult.

My philosophy, however conceited it may appear, was that those in my genre were just jealous of me and adults had to be joking; needless to say I dismissed them both. At any rate, I refused to allow their venom and discontent to penetrate my psyche and cause me to think less of who God created me to be. Who in the world did they think they were anyway?

You have to ask yourself these same questions when it comes to things people say about you. At some point you make the decision to no longer allow those words to take root in your life and be the controlling force over you. Heck, these life-depleting words spoken by individuals are the deception of the enemy luring you to believe contrary to what God believes about you.

They say, “I’m ugly.” They say, “I’m fat.” They say, “I will never be anything”. Who is “they say?” The only one who has power over your destiny is God. Silence the naysayers in your life. Begin to speak what “I AM say” and watch transformation take place in your life as you meander down the path of good success.

SCRIPTURE

How long will you make my life bitter, crushing me with words? Job 19:2 (BBE)

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Josh 1:8 (KJV)

You love every destructive accusation, you deceitful tongue! Psalms 52:4 (GW)

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Prov 4:4 (KJV)

Don’t take everything that people say to heart, or you may hear your own servant cursing you. Eccl 7:21 (GW)

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16 (KJV)

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.John 10:2-5 (KJV)

What I tell you in private, declare it in publick: and what is whisper’d in the ear, proclaim from the battlements of the house. Matt 10:27 (MaceNT)

Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Matt 10:28 (GW)

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Phil 4:4 (KJV)

PRAYER

Father, Why is it people feel the need to speak such negative things about me? Why do they feel the need to want to put me down? Is it because they dislike me so much or because they dislike themselves even more? It doesn’t make any sense! At any rate, I’ve made the decision not to allow those negative words to be the guiding force in my life. Really and truly You are the only one who can say what I am and what I will be. I decree and declare that what “they say” no longer has any control over my feelings, my emotions, and my destiny.  It is what “I AM says” that brings life and it is what “I AM says” that I will meditate on day and night as You make my way prosperous and I experience great success!  Amen

Pep Talk: Encourage Yourself

I give myself pep talks all the time. Whenever I felt as though I was not making the mark, I would assess the situation and give myself a pep talk to do better and strive for more. Now I could tell you that it always worked, but it didn’t yet it did. As long as I continued to encourage myself I never gave up on me.

When you give up on yourself is when all hope is lost. It doesn’t matter if others give up on you that is their prerogative. When you give up on yourself then you are headed for trouble. If you can’t encourage yourself it doesn’t matter what anyone else says. Initially they can provide you with words of encouragement. At some point you have to embrace those words as your own. If not, when you gaze in the mirror the reflection they see will in no way resemble the distorted reflection that you view of yourself.

In high school we went to pep rallies before the game to get everyone pumped up to win. We cheered and screamed for the intense purpose of encouraging our team to win. Our goal was to ignite school spirit in getting behind our team. In some cases, the teams aren’t really winners but we still cheered them on in hopes that this game would make the difference. Diehard fans don’t care if the team win or not they are still going to cheer with them in hope that the next win will be the one.

Who is in your cheering circle? Right now you are probably running down a litany of people you know. That is the most natural thing to do. You begin to think about all of the people who support you and your goals. How many have you listed at this point? Wow! You never knew this many people believed in you.

That is great! Where in the list do you fall? If you didn’t say at the top then you need to re-evaluate your list. There comes a time when the only people at the pep rally are “me, myself and I.” In essence, you are the only crowd there. No one else is around to encourage you. You can’t even reach the most reliable person on the telephone.

This is when the rubber meets the road. This is when you know that those pep talks are taking effect. It is then that your words are the very tools used to encourage you to keep moving. Mama wasn’t there and neither was Daddy. Your sister wasn’t there and your brother was missing from action as well. You feel like the mantra my family said teasingly to each other as young kids, “You ain’t got no friends.” Every friend you thought you had has disappeared into obscurity.

Oh, but you got yourself. Until you learn to like yourself you will never be able to be your own cheering squad. You will always seek outside stimulus to speak words of life in you. These words actually fall on stony ground because of how you feel about yourself. They never go deep enough to germinate and produce a healthy attitude.

There comes a time when you have to encourage yourself. No one else can do it. It may seem as though you’re a little off, but it works. I often tell people that I am harder on myself than anyone else. They always look at me puzzled. You see, I am only with them a little while; but I’m with me all the time. No one knows my strengths and weaknesses better than I do. No one knows how to encourage me better than I do.

You can do the same for yourself. Begin by looking in the mirror and make a decision to see the greatness God placed in you. If you don’t know the words to say initially, there is a Book chocked-full of positive Words all about you. It’s the BIBLE!

SCRIPTURE

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Sam 30:6 (KJV)

A person’s anxiety will weigh him down, but an encouraging word makes him joyful. Prov 12:25 (GW)

In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Psalms 86:7 (KJV)

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:1-2 (KJV)

Who gives us comfort in all our troubles, so that we may be able to give comfort to others who are in trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Cor 1:4 (BBE)

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:4 (KJV)

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Phil 4:4 (KJV)

PRAYER

Father, There are times when I need encouragement and when I look around there is no one there but me. During these times I may be a little weary, but I need a “pep talk.” The “pep talk” can only come from me. That is when I have to go deep inside, seek You and learn to encourage myself. I thank You for providing me with the right Words to say whenever I’m at a lost. Sometimes I find it hard to express what I feel. Your Words spawns a well-spring of life inside of me and propels me into a mindset where I know I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. Amen