Scripture:  Proverbs 17:22 -  A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.When was the last time you really laughedOr do you only remember the moments you are sadCertainly, engaging in refreshing moments are worthwhileYet, I’m fooled that something must happen for me to smileSurely, a smile doesn’t mean everything is alrightYet, it represents my hope for the future ...  Read More

Scripture:  I Corinthians 1:31 (NASB) -  Just as it is written, “Let Him who boasts, boast in the LORD.”     Self-praise has been described as being “a twisted human perversion of true praise.”  Excepting perhaps the setting of an employment interview, where has tooting one’s own horn ever gotten the individuals who have indulged in its practice? It certainly does not please the heart of God.  I b...  Read More

Scripture:  I Corinthians 4:7 - For who makes you different from another? And what do you have that you did not receive?  Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?From young childhood on up, we’ve all had many encounters with the practice of boasting—as recipients and perpetrators. The Oxford Dictionary defines the verb “boast” as “declaring one’s achievemen...  Read More

Scripture: John 15:5  - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.I desire to live a God-honoring and fruitful lifeMy aim must remain, stay connected to ChristI understand the give and take of my faithI abide in Him, He abides in me is the wayDaily, aligning myself as the branch to the VineExchanging my will for what...  Read More

Scripture:  II Corinthians 4:6-10 - For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from our...  Read More

Scriptures;  Psalm 107:  1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever. 2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.    Psalm 106: 10He saved them from the hand that hated them; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.    Isaiah 35: 10So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everl...  Read More

Scripture:  Romans 8:9 - But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.So, courtesy of some dear one employed at the then Baltimore City Hospital, one August 3rd, I was welcomed into a very new ex utero world, weighing a grand 5#13oz., following the pronouncement of  'It’s a boy.' The we...  Read More

Scripture:  Psalm 51:2 (NKJV) - Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.Psalm 51:7 (NKJV) - Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.In the cool of the morning or after the sun goes down, I venture out to the koi pond. No matter what kind of day is ahead of me or behind me, the pond has a way of calming me. Listening to the rippli...  Read More

Scripture:  Psalms 33:1 (NKJV) - Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!  For praise from the upright is beautiful.There are many earthly experiences in this temporal life over which we can rejoice.  There’s the unforgettable taste of an exceptional mouth-watering meal, the experience of great friendships, or perhaps the attainment of a scholarship, the birth of a baby, and countless other joyful ev...  Read More

Scripture:  Psalms 37:13 (NKJV) - “The Lord laughs at him for He sees his day coming,…”  Laughter doeth good like medicine.  Most people easily identify with the truth of that Scripture found in Proverbs 17:22; but have you ever reflected on the fact that God laughs derisively at the rebellion of the wicked?  The type of laughter mentioned in today’s verse and in Psalm 2:4, magnifies our holy God’...  Read More

Scripture: “Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” John 14:16One day, I was driving along, just thinking about how good God is! I thought about how He wakes us up in the morning, starts us on our way, blesses and guides our lives … etc....  Read More

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:25 - Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. Because I can come to Him, I know I’m LOVEDWhat I’m about to ask for, I’m not worthy OF Before creating a plan, prayer must be the first RESORTPetitions based on God’s promises for divine RESULTS Prayer directs me to true HUMILIT...  Read More

Scripture:  Deuteronomy 7:7-9 - The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharao...  Read More

Scriptures:  (II Corinthians 12:10b) For when I am weak, then I am strong.(Isaiah 40:29) He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength.Throughout my adult life, I have constantly witnessed others expressing an inability for doing well. Therefore, they tend to sit out on many opportunities in serving others. Those individuals complain of not being physically able...  Read More

Scripture:  Isaiah 40:6-8 - The voice said, “Cry out! And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.7 The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.This passage of scripture compares people as gras...  Read More

Scripture:  I Thess. 5:23-24 - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.Transitions are productive in a myriad of ways because they: establish new relationships; offer freedom from past bondage; grant a new or renewed vision ...  Read More

Scripture: 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and [e]Satan also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to [f]Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you [g]considered My servant Job, that there is none like ...  Read More

Scripture:  Psalm 46:1 - GOD is our refuge, and our strength, a very present help in trouble."When I think about big trouble in all 'caps' [i.e. TRUBBO!], there's just three aspects to the resolve of it that one would want, and this is likely true for most of us: 1] the resolution as thought of just gotta HELP, and just can't be theoretical. It can't 'possibly help', or probably be helpful- it mus...  Read More