Beauty

1 Peter 3:3-4

Do not let your adornment be merely outward, arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel, rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Beauty is not only skin deep, it goes much further than that.

Beauty should go right down to our heart.

Your heart is where all of your beauty lives.

You can have a beautiful face, nice figure and always dressed in the latest styles and fashion, but, if your heart is not right, then your beauty is not real. If your heart is pure and humble, it will shine on your face.

God's word tells us that we as women do not need to wear gold jewelry, braided hair and fine clothing to dress up our outward appearance.

What we need to do is work on our inner self.

We need to work on humbling ourselves (e.g. being more thoughtful of others), and also work on quieting ourselves (e.g. refrain from gossip) and this will show our worthiness to our Heavenly Father.

A lot of times we feel that we should 'dress up' our self-esteem. We should be a perfectionist, making sure that our shoes, hat, purse and outfit are all matching and we are wearing the correct accessories.
All of this will not get us into the kingdom of Heaven. God loves us just the way we are, know matter what our appearance. He loves us unconditionally.

The only thing that God is concerned about, is our hearts.

All we need to do is purify our hearts and our beauty will shine through and through. If we get God's word in our mind and heart every day, then we would see the lines underneath our eyes just diminish.

Instead of hiding behind expensive make-up and jewelry, simply pick up the word of God, get focus, read and act out His word, then we would see our beauty go 'heart deep'.

BEAUTY was taken from the book:
'My Feelings For You; Inspirational Thoughts For Comfort'
written by; Pamela Adderley

Love Them Know Matter What!

Luke 15:11-24 (The Message Bible)

Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.'

"So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs.

He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop,

but no one would give him any. 

"That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death.

I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you, I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father.

"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'
"But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here - given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.

Does this story sound familiar to you. Yes, it's the story of the Prodigal Son. The son that asked for his inheritance and when he received it, he left his family and went off and squandered everything. He came back begging his Father to forgive him and take him back, even if he took him back as a hired servant. The Father didn't even let him get his prepared speech out, before he started embracing him and preparing for a welcome home celebration. The Father didn't care about the sons apology, what mattered to him was that his once thought to be lost or dead son, was back in his arms.
Isn't that just like our God Almighty, our Heavenly Father. He knows that you are straying away from His arms, His path, His plan. Yet, when you walk towards Him, He is running toward you with His arms open wide. When you take that long walk to the altar to ask for forgiveness, your Heavenly Father is meeting you halfway, loving on you and clearing the path for you to continue walking and by the time you've gotten to the altar, the feast and celebration has already began.

And don't you know where there is celebration, there is also criticism......

Luke 15:25-30 (The Message Bible)
"All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast - barbecued beef! - because he has him home safe and sound.' 

"The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'"

I'm sure that the older brother felt injustice and overlooked. Here he is working so hard at being the best son he could be. And here is the younger brother running off with his inheritance prematurely then come crawling back asking for forgiveness and then probably wanting another inheritance.
If you were the older sibling, wouldn't you feel wronged and overlooked?
If we allow pride and self to get into our thinking then we would agree with the older brother. But when we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our mind, then we can understand that the older brother was wrong in the way he is thinking.
It's not up to us to judge anyone, and criticise how they are blessed. Know matter what sin a person has committed in the past, as long as the Father up above has forgiven them and has welcomed them back into His kingdom, then that's all that matters. Who are we to say that we've been here working so hard and yet we are overlooked?
Look around at all that you have that the same Father has given you!
Do not allow your own selfish pride to reek havoc upon someone else's blessing!

To those of you that may have a loved one who has strayed from the path that was etched out for them, don't give up on hope, keep on trusting, having faith and praying, knowing that God has a Master Plan (Jesus Christ) for their life and through this Plan, they will be redeemed!!

Luke 15:31-32 (The Message Bible) says; "His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours - but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!"

I Won't Look Back

I'm on my way ahead.
I can't look back.
I can see my future staring me in the face.
I won't turn around.
My past is there behind me, but it's calling my name.
My concerns seem to be catching me up.
They are right on my heal as I hurry away to my destiny.
My mistakes, my failure, my past sins, they are nipping at my heels.

I can't look back.
I'm moving ahead!
I won't be like Lot's wife.
In Genesis 19:17 the angels of the Lord told Lot and his family to leave the sinful city of Sodom and Gomorrah, run for their lives and don't look back!
But what did Lot's wife do?
She looked back!
And what happened to her?
Genesis 19:26 says; But Lot's wife looked back as she was following along behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
I guess she wanted to take one more quick look back at her past.
Was it worth it?
No because it cost her her life!
Why look back at your past failures, mistakes, sins and problems?  Look forward to the goal of success!
You can look back from where you came from as you give your testimony of where you are right now!
But do not look back at where you were, basking in the filthy pleasures of your sins!
Press forward, move ahead, your past is just that, the PAST!

Luke 4:8 KJV says; And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus told Satan to get behind Him, where He rightfully belongs!

We should take on this same manner and demand our obstacles, trials and
challenges to get behind us so that we can worship our Lord with our whole heart.
When our past is upon us it is up to us to continue to move on ahead, with our eyes focused on the prize which lies ahead of us, which is to carry out the ultimate plan that God has etched out for our lives.......

Lyrics | Israel Houghton lyrics - Moving Forward lyrics

How Close Are You?

How close are you to God?
Do you wake up with Him on your mind and fall asleep thinking about His goodness?
Do you think about Him during the day?
Do you have conversations with him throughout your day or do you just wait until you are faced with a challenge and you really need Him?
Do you know that He wants you to feel close to Him?
Do you know that He wants to have a relationship with you?
Did you know that one of God's desires is to have you love Him unconditionally and not just on a need basis?
If you are in a relationship with someone right now, are you always thinking about them?
Are they on your mind day and night?
Do you call them throughout the day just to say "I love you," or even just to hear their voice?
That is what God desires from us. 
To call on Him, not only when you need Him, but just to say; "Daddy I love You! Daddy I praise You! I worship and adore You! You alone are worthy of all of my praises and more!"

I will praise you seven times a day because all your laws are just. Psalm 119:164

Be blessed by the words of Dewayne Woods song, I Wanna Be Where You Are.......

Life's Issues Can Be Lessons To Strengthen

 Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says; "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

In this verse of scripture, Moses is instructing us, as parents, to teach our children to love the Lord with all of their heart, soul and strength. God wants us to commit ourselves to His commands, teaching them continuously to our children. He wants us to talk about them at home, in the car, and wherever you may be with your children. We are instructed to hold onto the word of God keeping it embedded in our minds. It is wise to keep notes of the word around your home so that you would always stay focus on God.

Do you know that you use a bad situation to give good instruction to your children?

As a parent, you should find every opportunity possible to give a life's lesson to your child(ren). 


In doing this you are leading your child(ren) to the cross!

As parents, my husband and I would use stories from the news or situations that occurred at school as a learning tool for our kids. When our children come to us with a story or a situation that happened at school, we first question them and place them in the negative portion of the situation and ask them how they would have handled it. We then use their comment as a subject tool and add a scripture or story from the bible, to show them God's point of view.

I find God in every situation and point it out to my children, so that they would see how and where He dwells no matter what the circumstance may look like.

In order for our children to develop a relationship with Jesus our Savior, we must give them life-oriented skills and not only information-oriented skills. Its one thing to read something out of a book, magazine or newspaper, but it makes that something more real when a life lesson is attached to it. Our children can learn better when we give them practical learning lessons that they can relay too as well as lessons that may be right in front of their eyes.

In the New Testament Jesus used parables to teach people.

Mark 4:33-34 says; He used many such stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they were able to understand. In fact, in his public teaching he taught only with parables, but afterward when he was alone with his disciples, he explained the meaning to them.

Jesus did not use parables to cause confusion but to challenge the people to sincerely know and understand the words that He was speaking. When you give practical teaching, such as the parables that Jesus taught, you are giving the listener a clear understanding of the lesson that is being taught.

Why do you think Jesus was so wise in the word?

Because He was the Word and He had a personal relationship with the Creator of the Word.

(In the beginning the Word already existed.  He was with God, and He was God. John 1:1)

Jesus needed His Father To become a part of this world.  He also needed His Father to impart wisdom in Him. We as parents are given children to raise in this world, and it is our job to impart wisdom in them.  We can not allow them to be taught by this world, because then they would be conformed to the ways of this world.  

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.  Romans 12:2 

When a child is conformed to the world's way of thinking, their mind will be filled with confusion because it will not be lined up with God. You can turn on the news, listen to shows that talk about the lives of celebrities and see the confused minds of young people living in this world without having a relationship with God.

Think about it, before you were saved, I'm sure that you made a lot of bad decisions because you were not lined up with the word.  As soon as you began a relationship with Jesus, your thinking and decision making changed.

Remember the word that says; But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law. Psalm 1:2

Impress the word of God into the mind of your child so that their focus would be on what's right and they would be able to develop a relationship with their Heavenly Father.

Let's follow the instructions of the word of God and build up our children through life's lessons.......

God Wants All Of You!

Not some, not a half, but ALL!!
God wants all of us!
He does not want a part of you, He wants all of you!
God wants you to surrender your life to Him.
Not, today I walk with you God and tomorrow I'll walk in the world.
No!
He wants all of you.
Why?
Because, He loves you and He created you to live in this world but to love Him no matter what the world is offering you.
Because, He has a plan and a purpose for your life here in this world. He has destined your life even before  you were in your mother's womb.
Jeremiah 1:5 says I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.
How do I give God my all?
By surrendering your life to Him!
Do you know Jesus and your Lord and Savior?
Do you want to be saved?
For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Find a bible teaching, Jesus loving church and give the Lord all of you today and forever!

Enjoy this song by Forever Jones......