The only false hope, is no hope.

when others hurt you, return to them with love.and when looked upon as foolish for doing so, simply state, " I am not responsible for how you treat me, I am only responsible for how I treat you!"

------------------
crimson and cream
and nine white pearls
there is nothing like
a Delta girl.....

off in a village there were two friends (lets say tim and mike) who stayed down the street from each other. Whevever you saw tim, you saw mike, and vice versa. so one day, there was a man who was walking down the street with a black and red hat. But, this was no ordinary hat, see, this hat was all black on one side, and all red on the other. So as the man with the black and red hat walked down the road, he passed by mike's house who stayed on the left side of the road. Mike, being the nice person that he is, spoke to the man and complimented him on his beautiful red hat. Then, the man with the black and red hat reached Tim's house, which is on the right side of the road. Being that Tim and Mike are exactly alike, Tim spoke to the man and complimented him on his beautiful Black hat. As, the sun went down, Tim and Mike got together to eat dinner as they always do at the dinner table. While eating, Tim mentions that he say a man walking down the street with a beautiful black hat on today. So Mike says, "no, no my brother, you are mistaken, his hat was red". "But no, no, my brother, you are mistaken" says Tim, his hat was BLACK. "NO, TIM, YOU ARE WRONG, HIS HAT WAS RED". so now they get into a huge fight which leads outside, where the villagers witness such a terrible fight between these so-called brothers. So after a child hears why these friends are fighting, he yells out, "STOP, BOTH OF YOU ARE WRONG". so finallyTim and Mike stop fighting and ask the child what does he mean, and the child says, you only saw ONE SIDE of the hat, Tim sw the black side and Mike saw the red side, but if you were in the middle of the street like i was, you would have noticed that his hat was black and red.
You see, when you only see one side of something, you are missing the whole picture. The best of friends have been split apart because only one side of the story was told, so if you can always try to get the WHOLE TRUTH, and try to be open-minded about everything.

okay, this one was actually a commercial, but i love it.

There is this father who works night and day trying to provide for his family, and since he works night and day, he tends to neglect his son. So one day, while the man is in the living room trying to do some work, the boy come and asks him for some money. The father looks at him and says "well didnt you get your allowance two days ago" and the boys replies "I, spent it all" so the father gives it to him anyway. So the boy goes back to the room, and the father continues with his work. About five minutes later, the boy comes back and asks his father what does he do at his job. His father gets a little upset but tells him anyways just to shut him up, then he tells him to back to his room and be quiet because he has to do work, so the boy says "but you do work everynight". After hearing this, the father replies, "i know" and tells the boy to go back to his room. So the boy does as his father tells him, but after ten minutes the boy returns with the money in his hand, and asks the father how much does he make an hour. Now, the father is furious and yells at him "why did you lie to me" and the boy replies, "im sorry, but i just wanted to buy an hour of your time.

May you be blessed
 

SAND and STONE

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert.

In a specific point of the journey, they had an argument, and one
friend slapped the other one in the face. The one, who got slapped,was hurt, but without anything to say, he wrote in the sand:

"TODAY, MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE".

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided totake a bath. The one who got slapped and hurt started drowning, and the other friend saved him. When he recovered from the fright, he wrote on a stone :

"TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE"

The friend who saved and slapped his best friend, asked him, "Why, after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone?"

The other friend, smilingly replied : "When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness erase it away. And when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it".

Learn to write in the sand, when you have differences and hurt feelings with your friend.

Learn to write in stone when your friend had done some thing really good to you.

New Rules, Old Game
 

1. Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

2. Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

3. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

4. Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

5. Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

6. Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this
fragile thread that binds us together.

7. Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

8. Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

9. Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.

10. Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel
appreciated.

11. Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

12. Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Smart Women
 

Smart women get the nice guys because they don't lower their standards for men or anyone else for that matter.

Smart women dont take the attitude that if this is the best you can do, will do.

They'll just go to the dance without an escort, the movie without a date, and the rest of their lives without the true companion constantly celebrated on FM radio.

A smart woman has figured out that her biological clock is not really ticking that loud, that her grandmother was still fertile well into her fifties, and anyway, if she had wanted a rug rat, she would have had one by now.

Smart women have also worked out that all the media hype about not finding a husband when you're growing older is BS promulgated by male-owned media machines to make women desperate and compliant. To make sure that men will
always have their pick of scared women to choose from and that they won't have to work any harder at being decent.

Smart women have learned that the important question is not "Will I ever get married?" but "Do I want to get married?" (Or "Why on earth would I want to get married?").

Smart women know that you can ALWAYS settle for less than what you really want. You can always get serious with a guy you're not really in love with or one who doesn't treat you exactly right. So there's no point in making any compromises today or tomorrow either for that matter. There's always going to be time to do the wrong thing.

Smart women aren't lonely enough. They've noticed you get a lot done when you're on your own.

Smart women have often drawn the conclusion that sugar daddies aren't worth it. If you allow someone to buy you, he's going to think he owns you. (Imagine that).

Smart women know it's a hell of a lot easier to figure out what you're good at and make your own money than it is to entertain some tyrant. This frees you up to see a nice guy, whether he has money or not.

Smart women have also freed themselves from the psychological need to be dominated by their men.

Smart women like to feel powerful themselves and appreciate men who can handle that.

Smart women have adopted a firm line with men that can best be
summarized: "treat me right or take a picture of me." I have an architect friend who has an even better line - Whether it's a design not worth building or a relationship not worth any more investment, she shouts, "NEXT!"

Smart women are over men who fear commitment, who can't control their hormonal urges, who grunt instead of making conversation, who aren't reasonably punctual, who won't spring for an occasional evening out on the town, who don't listen, who don't know how to be supportive of their smart women's dreams.

Smart women know that being a jerk doesn't make a guy exciting.

Smart women are excited by men who call everyday without being pushy, who do what they say, who know how to say "I love you" and more importantly, how to act out that love in 100 ways that prove it.

In other words, smart women are no longer attracted to the bad boys. They've been out with all the bad boys. Yawn. Been there, done that. Now they cultivate the bad boy in the nice boys they go out with, which is something COMPLETELY different.

Take it from a grateful, recovering nice woman: SMART IS BETTER.

Spiritual Beauty
 

Most of us (men and women) spend an enormous amount of time making sure we're physically beautiful.

Society dictates to us what beauty is or should be.

We're determined to be the perfect height, shape and size, wear the latest designer clothes and buy the finest material things.

There's very little effort put into spiritual grooming.

Just think what the outcome might be if we spent as much time grooming our spirits, our souls, as we spend in the beauty and nail salons and shopping.

The one thing that's so wonderful and powerful about spiritual grooming is that Calvin, Donna, Tommy, Boss, Guess and Max have no fashions, designs, or makeup that can beautify your spirit.

Spiritual beauty comes from the one and only designer, The Almighty.

Spiritual grooming requires time alone to think and soul search.

It means taking inventory of your personal life and determining what's wrong and right about one's self.

Having a beautiful spirit surpasses physical beauty because your soul won't require acceptance from society but assurance from God that you are His unique creation, and therefore, BEAUTIFUL!

When your spirit's beautiful, kindness, love, compassion and
understanding are your wardrobe of choice. Giving, sharing, teaching, reaching are your daily accessories and makeup.

Your warm smile, gentle touch, positive attitude and humble disposition are your appeal.

With your spiritual beauty, God's beauty, you'll attract other God like spirits in your relationships with people.

Until we learn to spiritually groom ourselves, we'll always be unhappy with ourselves, and always attract negative spirits to us, and continue to have un-satisfying relationships in our lives. Think about it!

Remember....You Are "BEAUTIFUL".

Life Balance
 

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the
air.
You name them:
Work,
Family,
Health,
Friends and
Spirit.

If you are keeping all of these in the air you will soon understand
that
work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit are made
of
glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed,
marked,
nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You
must
understand that and strive for balance in your life.

Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
Xalting God most high
Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!


The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. Love and peace be with you forever, Amen. WE SERVE A FAITHFUL GOD.

I See God In You
 

Some people have a way of bringing out the worst in us. Sometimes it is the way they talk to us. For some reason they think we don’t know things they do. It just makes you crazy! Some people just show up with their face and hair and attitude and that look that makes your skin crawl. You try to be nice. You really try to like them. Yet no matter how hard you try, they just
bring out the ugly in you. The next time you are in the company of someone like this, ask your self, “Why am I giving this person my power?” Better yet, you might want to remember that God works through people- all the time!

All people, no matter what you think about them, are embodiment of the same divine energy in you. They may not know it. You may not see it. Sometimes they may not act divine, but actions do not change the truth. People are God’s hands and feet, eyes and ears. People are God’s students and God’s
teachers. God will test you, teach you, and love you through the being of another person. Your job is to honor and respect people for the part of God they are.

The next time you are challenged by one of those nerve-wracking people, remember that God is in your face! How you respond to and treat other people is always a reflection of what you know and believe about.

"FAITH IN THE VALLEY: RESPECT:"

Do Not
 

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.
It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.

Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Do not give up when you have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
It is fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope.
To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been but also where you are going.
Life is not a race but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Live Your Life Without Regret
 

"Live your life without regret."

(An original by Natasha Munson)

The last thing you want to do in life is look back and regret the
choices you did or did not make. There is no way to go back, no way to correct life. Once a choice is made, it usually has lasting effects. So you have to look at your life and where you want to be clearly. Make decisions that will get you the most out of life.

It is very painful to look back on life and say, I wish I had done this or that. It's something I vowed I would never do to myself. I advise you to make the same vow and stick to it. This vow is not simple. You have to realize that when you say I vow never to regret, you are confirming that you will do things in your life. You will live life to the fullest. You will make decisions that enrich your life. You will do things that are new to you. You will try to create a life you love. This is a commitment to yourself. It is a commitment you must make.

When you make a commitment to yourself you establish a certain level of achievement for yourself. There are things you will have to accomplish in order for your life to be fulfilled. Since you do not want to regret not seeking opportunities and challenges you will be more open to thinking in your best interest and making wise choices.

When you get off track in life, remember that there is a bigger purpose for your life that God knows. So although you may wonder why you did this or that. In the scheme of things it was meant to happen. Everything happens for a reason.

While your life and the fulfillment of it are the main focus, you also
do not want to regret the way you did or did not treat others. It is important to treat others as you would want to be treated. When you accomplish things in life, give back to others in some way. Live a life that in the end you can say I loved, I lived, I laughed, I helped, I learned.

Lesson: Live your life in a way that you never have to look back and say I wish I could do this over.

Excerpt from, Life Lessons for My Black Girls: How to Make Wise Choices and Live A Life You Love! By Natasha Munson.

Too Blessed to be Stressed & Too Annointed to be Disappointed
 

I Am Too Blessed To Be Stressed &
Too Anointed To Be Disappointed

I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad or to cry.
I refuse to be downhearted and here's the reason why:

I have a God who is almighty; who is sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me, and I am on his team.
He is all wise and powerful; Jesus is His Name;
though everything else is changeable, My God remains the same.

I refuse to be defeated. My eyes are on my GOD.
He has promised to be with me, as through this life I trod.
I am looking past my circumstances, to heaven's throne above.
My prayers have reached the heart of God. I am resting in his love.

I give thanks to him in everything. My eyes are on his face.
The battle is his; the victory is mine; He will help me win the race.

I repeat, I'M TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED"
You have just taken a dose of encouragement.

Spiritual Diet
 

Maybe what you need is a spiritual diet! A spiritual diet will cut down on the excess weight you carry around in your soul. The people who disappointed you or hurt you. The weight of things you should have done, could have done or wanted to do, but couldn’t bring yourself to do. As a matter of fact, that weight around your middle could be those people you’ve been hanging around or allowing to hang onto you. The heaviness in your legs could be all those things you convinced yourself you were not smart enough, good enough, or ready enough to do. That sluggish, heavy feeling you have in your heart might be your dreams, goals and fantasies. You haven’t put them to use, so they’ve turned to weight spiritual weight, which has your whole life, weighed down.

Yes! I believe a spiritual diet is exactly what you need! You can start right now with a heaping portion of forgiveness smothered in surrender. You will also need a big helping of laughter three or four times a day. Next, you must begin each day with prayer, followed by a dose of gratitude. For the next six to eight weeks, sprinkle everything with faith, wash it down with courage, and let your dessert be swig of confidence. If you follow these directions with all of your heart, you will experience a miraculous weight loss.

Please God Not Again
 

I once read that struggle; suffering and conflict are like magnets that draw us closer to God. It is not until we feel totally helpless, confused, and sometimes desperate, that we become willing or able to turn to the awesome power of life and living our creator offers us. We may know God exists. We may understand our connection to God. Yet it seems that it is not until we are down or on the way down that we invite God’s presence and power into our life. It doesn’t have to be this way. God not only offers emergence care S/he is a source of preventive care.

Your creator always wants the best for you. Your creator has a mission, plan and purpose designed just for you. Sometimes when things are going our way, when they are comfortable or easy, we forget about God. We get off track, out of line, we move away from the plan, mission and purpose. Difficulties in life are no meant to break us or break us down. Our greatest challenge may be a simple reminder, the only way we will remember that there is a higher authority to whom we are accountable. The real challenge we face is to keep God. God’s word, and God’s way in the forefront of our mind- in good times as well as bad.

Things to Remember in 2002
 

Words to live by....



1.Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and
height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts,
gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the
devil's workshop," the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is
all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all
that you can afford. When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford!

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter. (MY mother used to call this being "a loud mouth" but that was a long time ago!)

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only
person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be alive while you are alive, don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in residence for your mail.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family,
pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is
your refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a
foreign country, but not to guilt country.

10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER Life is not measured by the number of
breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Thought for Today

A 12 STEP PROGRAM - 12 steps to reach your goals

1) Take care of your health. You need energy, stamina and clear thinking to fly with the eagles.

2) You don't need a lot of people, just the right people in your life. Start networking and making positive alliances.

3) People will respect and respond to your tenancity. Hang in there.

4) Your goals require discipline and determination. Put some iron in your soul. Get up and do the things you don't want to do so that later you can do the things you want to do.

5) Things that are out of sight are out of mind. USE and keep a big calendar in sight to keep you organized and on track.

6) Think it. Ink it. Get it out of your head and on paper. Avoid
generalizations. Be specific about your goals.

7) Observe your learning style. If you are a visual learner, read books and watch inspirational/motivational videos. If you are an auditory learner, listen to motivational tapes at least once a week.

8) Have a feedback system so that you are accountable to someone for your progress.

9) Keep your faith strong with prayer, praise and worship.

10) Change is a part of life. Expect the unexpected. Remain focused yet flexible.

11) Have balance and some fun to avoid burnout. Don't neglect family, friends and some fun which reduce stress.

12) Set yourself up to win. Set small achievable goals. Reward yourself. Give yourself points. Build on the small successes. Think big but take small steps.
-- by Jewel Diamond Taylor


"For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need." Philippians 4:13 NLT

21 Thoughts to Feed Your Mind and Soul
 

1. The best way to get even is to forget.

2. Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

3. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

4. Some folks wear their halos much too tight.

5. Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have to be maintained on earth.

6. Unless you can create the WHOLE universe in 5 days, then
perhaps giving "advice" to God, isn't such a good idea!

7. Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up.

8. Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous. You will get knocked down by the traffic from both ways.

9. Words are windows to the heart.

10. A skeptic is a person who when he sees the handwriting on the wall, claims it's a forgery.

11. It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill -- just add a little dirt.

12. A successful marriage isn't finding the right person -- it's being the right person.

13. The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its
ground.

14. Too many people offer God prayers, with claw marks all
over them.

15. The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can hold it.

16. To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover
the prisoner was you.

17. You have to wonder about humans, they think God is dead and Elvis/TuPac is alive!

18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again.
Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it
sticks out its neck.

20. If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
you can bet the water bill is higher.

21. You are richer today if you have laughed, given or
forgiven.

Quiet Confidence
+++++++++++++++++++

The strongest confidence is quiet confidence. It does not boast
and is not arrogant. Quiet confidence pays no attention to those
who ridicule it simply because of their own insecurities. Quiet
confidence does what is right, no matter what others may think.

Quiet confidence is built from substance, and is not just made
for show. It is genuine and as such, it is powerful. Quiet
confidence does not seek the easy way out. Quiet confidence finds the true and the right way through whatever situations or obstacles there are. It makes no grand promises. Yet it delivers much value.

Quiet confidence is not overly concerned with appearances. Quiet
confidence simply gets things done. You don't always see it, nor
do you often think about it. Yet quiet confidence works tirelessly
behind the scenes, bringing you many good and valuable things.

Quiet confidence is real, persistent confidence that makes a
positive difference every day. Try some yourself, and see how
much real and lasting value it can add to your world.

Insightful stories
 

I have not had an easy life and I have been through a lot. When I graduated high school, I was going to go to college and I always wanted to pledge Delta. Instead of attending College - I enlisted into the US Army and I thought that I would never get the chance to beome a Delta. Well, in the wake of tragedy I lost a child and got reassigned to Oklahoma and decided with the help of freinds to get my degree. Again I am in the presence of Delta and hopefully will meet the challenge of one day being a Delta. I have been reading the message on this web site and it amazes me that you never bicker and you inspire me more and more each day. especially, Crimson Tide4.

I just wanted to say thank you. The world should be made of Deltas.

Re: Insightful stories
 

WOW! Thank you for your kind words. Welcome to GC. May God bless you for sending you our way. We hope your trip to GC is a pleasant one. Make yourself at home but please search before posting a new thread.

Sisterly,
CT4:)

Defeat Your Giant
 

March 2 Defeat Your Giant

"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"(1 Samuel 17:26)

You may be facing a giant today. He may be a giant of sickness or failure, of financial shortage or another kind of trouble. But don't let him scare you. You have a secret weapon. A weapon that once turned a shepherd boy into a bear-busting, lion-killing, giant-slaying champion.
That weapon was a blood covenant with Almighty God.

Back in David's day, circumcision was the sign of that covenant. So, when he called Goliath uncircumcised, David was saying: This guy may be a giant; he may be strong; but he has no covenant with God and that's why I can kill him.

Like David, you, too, have a covenant. But yours is better. The covenant David had offered a wealth of blessings to those who kept it, but it also included curses for those who broke it.

Yours doesn't. Yours is a New Covenant that Jesus bought with His own blood. It doesn't depend on your ability. It depends on Him and what He has already done. He has done it all! All you have to do is believe it and receive it.

Read Deuteronomy 28:16-68. That's a list of the curses Christ has freed you from. You might even call it a list of the giants Jesus has already slain for you. It contains every diabolical thing the devil
could ever use to destroy you.

Read it and rejoice. God has healed you and delivered you from those things!

Don't let any giant intimidate you. You have a blood covenant with Almighty God. There's no uncircumcised circumstance on the face of this earth that can take your victory away from you.


SCRIPTURE READING: Galatians 3:13-29

Stay Focused -- Compliments of #1Leading Lady
 

Stay Focused

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old shotgun and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out and kill something for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit and he shot at the rabbit and missed it. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it.

As he went further, he saw a wild turkey in the tree and he had only one bullet, but a voice came to him and said "pray first, aim high and stay focused."

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer.

But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him-so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattle snake.

Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'pray, aim high and stay focused." So, the man decided to listen to the voice.

He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey.

The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.

When he stood to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and turkey to eat.

The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Bottom line: Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.

JUST GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY
 

1. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.

2. Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.

3. What you speak about, you can bring about.

4. If you keep saying you can't stand your job, you might lose your job.

5. If you keep saying you can't stand your body, your body can become sick.

5. If you keep saying you can't stand your car, your car could
be stolen or just stop operating.

6. If you keep saying you're always broke,guess what? You'll always be broke.

7. If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman,
you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.

8. If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.

9. If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in you, our very thoughts will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.

10. Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith, hope, love and action.

11. Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.


A. Watch your "Thoughts," they become words;
B. Watch your "Words," they become actions;
C. Watch your "Actions," they become habits;
D. Watch your "Habits," they become character;
E. Watch your "Character", for it becomes your "Destiny"


GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!!!
--author unknown to me

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:" Proverbs 23:7 KJV

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." I Peter 1:13 NIV

I saw this on a sign at my church (one of those they change out every week and has words of wisdom)

"Mans rejection results from God's protection"

Just a comforting thought to a single girl like myself...

" ...ANGER RESIDES IN THE LAP OF FOOLS. "
ECCLESIASTES 7 : 9 (NIV)

One day an eagle swooped down and caught up a weasel. As the big bird flew away, its wings suddenly went limp, and it dropped to the ground like a brick. With just one blow, the tiny weasel struck the eagle's heart and killed it. Bitterness will do the same thing to you!

We all get angry at times, but Solomon says only a fool allows anger to move in and take up residence.

Max Lucado writes: "Hatred begins like the crack in my windscreen. Thanks to a speeding truck on a gravel road, my window was chipped. With time, the nick became a crack, and the crack a winding tributary. Now I can't drive my car without thinking about the idiot who drove too fast. Though I've never seen him, I could describe him. He's a dead-beat who probably cheats on his wife, drives with a 6- pack of beer on his seat, and keeps his television volume so loud that the neighbours can't sleep."

Blind rage will sour your outlook. It'll break your back, not to mention your spirit. You'll buckle under the weight of it. The mountain before you is steep enough without carrying that load. Drop it! You'll never be called upon to give more grace than God has already given you.

Want to set yourself free today? Pray, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34). Want to please God? Listen: "If you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased" (1 Pet 2:20 NCV).

Printed copies of "The Word for Today" are available free from UCB, PO Box 255, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 8YY, England. www.ucb.co.uk

How to Work in a Hostile Environment
 

HOW TO WORK IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

1. Understand that God anoints you for trouble.
Be sure you are a Christian.
Put on the armor of God before going to work.

2. Don't expect to be appreciated.
Your only expectation should be to get a paycheck.
Don't come to work to have personal relationships.
Don't allow what you do to affect who you are.

3. Do your job well, but remember your mission.
God put you there to be a light.

4. Seek opportunities to change the atmosphere without commenting on the problems.
You have a God to talk to.
You're on an assignment.
In quietness and competence shall be your strength.

5. Don't let your environment get inside of you.
You should influence it, not let it influence you.
Stop going to work to be fed- you didn't come to receive, you
came to give.

6. Increase your capacity to work with different personalities.
God will often bless you through people you don't even like!

7. Remember where you are does not define where you are going.
This will deliver you from frustration.
God has a plan for your life.
Keep your eye on the prize.
When Peter did this, he was able to walk in what other people
sank in!

8. Get the optimum results with minimal confusion.
Be effective without making the environment worse.

9. Don't be associated with one group or clique.
Labels limit your usefulness.
God wants you to work with everybody but be labeled by nobody.
Use all your gifts.

10. Always keep your song near you.
Keep a consecrated place in your soul.
Hold on to your praise.

--points from T. D. Jakes

Thank you!
 

The Cracked Pot
 

just passing this along.
Kel
---------------------------

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung
on the ends of a pole which he carried across his
neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the
other pot was perfect and always delivered a full
portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the
stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half
full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the
bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of
water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was
proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was
made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own
imperfection, and miserable that it was able to
accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 yrs of what it perceived to be a bitter
failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the
stream... "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to
apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only
half my load bec! ause this crack in my side causes
water to leak out all the way back to your house.
Because of my flaws,you have to do all of this work,
and you don't get full value from your efforts," the
pot said.

The bearer said to the pot... "Did you notice that
there were flowers only on your side of the path, but
not on the other pot's side? That's because I have
always known about your flaw, and I planted flower
seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we
walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have
been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate
the table. Without you being just the way you are,
there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Moral:

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked
pots, but it's the cracks and flaws we each have that
make our lives together so very interesting and
rewarding. You've just got to take each person for
what they are, and look for the good in them.

Blessed are the flexible! , for they shall not be bent
out of shape.

Remember to appreciate all the different people in
your life!

The Pencil Maker
 

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.
Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.
Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Now, let's replace the pencil with __(your name)__. If you remember these
five things, you too will become the best that you can be.


One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.


Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

Five: On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

Success Gems
 

Success Gems Thought for the Day....

Did is a word of achievement
Won't is a word of rebellion
Might is a word of mediocrity
Can't is a word of defeat and fear
Ought is a word of duty
Try is a word of little faith
Maybe is a word of procrastination
Will is a word of courage
Can is a word of power and self-determination
Doing is a word of progress and fulfillment
Done is a word of success

page 11 excerpt from Jewel's book "Don't GiveUp"

Stay in the Light,
Jewel Diamond Taylor, Motivational Speaker and Author, 323-964-1736

Where is Jewel Diamond Taylor speaking next?
DoNotGiveUp.net

The 23rd Psalm Explained
 

The Lord is my Shepherd ----- That's Relationship!
I shall not want ----- That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ----- That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters ----- That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul ----- That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ---- That's Guidance!
For His name sake ----- That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ---That's Testing!
I will fear no evil ----- That's Protection!
For Thou art with me ----- That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me ----- That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies ----- That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil ----- That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over ----- That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
----That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord ----- That's Security!
Forever ----- That's Eternity!

Too Cute!!
 

Who Is That Lady?

Timmy was a little five-year old boy that his mom loved very much and being a worrier, she was concerned about him walking to school when he started kindergarten. She walked him to school for a couple of days but when he came home one day, he told his mother that he did not want her walking him to school every day. He wanted to be like the "big boys." He protested loudly, so she finally got an idea of how to handle it.

She asked a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, if she would surreptitiously follow her son to school, at a distance behind him that he would not likely notice, but close enough to keep a watch on him. Mrs. Goodnest said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor boy he knew.

She did this for the whole week. As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, the little friend of Timmy noticed that this same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.

Finally, he said to Timmy, "Have you noticed that lady following us all week? Do you know her?"

Timmy nonchalantly replied, "Yea, I know who she is."

The little friend said, "Well, who is she?"

"That's just Shirley Goodnest" Timmy said.

"Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us?"

"Well," Timmy explained, "Every night my mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in it, the prayer psalm says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life.' So I guess I'll just have to get used to it."

God's Thermal of Encouragement

Many of us have experienced that low Spiritual valley where we thought
the sun would never shine again. Some were sent quickly into the valley
by a very specific event; others drifted slowly to the bottom and can't
say by what path they arrived. In either case, we wandered in this
gloom until something began to lift us to new heights.

Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but
those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on
wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and
not be faint."

An eagle seems to fly effortlessly through the air with only an
occasional flap of the wings. These great birds are experts at finding
areas of rising air called thermals which allow them to soar without
using any of their own energy.

God uses Spiritual thermals to lift up those who trust in Him. Those
who believe the truth of His Word and diligently search for the rising
currents will be rewarded with effortless soaring. Those who turn to
prayer and undeterred worship will be freed from the heavy baggage which
prevents upward flight. And those who continue to flap but are unable
to climb will receive a lift from a Brother or Sister - a thermal in the
form of encouraging words or deeds.

If we find ourself back in the valley today, we must continue to seek
Him with all our heart and trust that our thermal is on the way - He has
promised to strengthen us and cause us to soar once again! And if we're
currently flying high, we must give praise and honor to our Heavenly
Father; but we must also recognize there are many others in the valley
who desperately need a lift.

God has chosen to use people to accomplish much of His work on earth.
He could have chosen other methods; "If they {the people} keep quiet,
the stones will cry out," (Luke 19:40), but He chose us. We are to
"encourage one another daily," (Hebrews 3:13). Why? Because there is a
valley full of people waiting and hoping for that rising current to lift
them up and set them free.

We have been adopted into the "Family" of God...and our Family needs
each other very much! Let's live a life which glorifies God in all we
do, say, and think; let's dedicated ourselves to soaring high and
looking for those who need God's thermal of encouragement!

Only Time Will Tell
 

Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived, happiness, sadness, knowledge, and all the others, including love. One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave.

Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the island paradise until the last possible moment.

When the island was almost totally under love decided it was time to leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help.

Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked, "Richness, Can I come with you on your boat?" Richness answered, " I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere."

Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a beautiful vessel. Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please." "I can't help you", Vanity said, "You are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat."

Next, Love saw Sadness passing by. Love said, "Sadness, please let me go with you." Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but, I just need to be alone now."

Then, Love saw Happiness. Love cried out, " Happiness, please take me with you." But Happiness was so overjoyed that he didn't hear Love calling to him.

Love began to cry. Then, she heard a voice say, "Come Love, I will take you with me." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his name.

When they arrived on land the elder went on his way. Love realized how much she owed the elder.

Love then found Knowledge and asked, "Who was it that helped me?" "It was Time," Knowledge answered. "But why did Time help me when no one else would?" Love asked.

Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

JUST BE
 

JUST BE


Be understanding to your enemies.
Be loyal to your friends.
Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.
Be generous to those who need your help.
Be frugal with what you need yourself.
Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.
Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.
Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.
Be the first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be the last to criticize a colleague who fails.
Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not stumble.
Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong
way.
Be loving to those who love you.
Be loving to those who do not love you, and they may change.
Above all, be yourself!
--author unknown to me


"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified: ... For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
I Thessalonians 4:1-12 NIV

Little Johnny's Sweet Twin Brother
 

A little boy visited his grandparents on their farm. He was given a
slingshot to play with in the woods. He practiced, but couldn't hit
the target. Getting discouraged, he headed back to dinner.

As he walked back, he saw Grandma's pet duck. Out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes."

But Sally said, Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the
kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."

Sally smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several days of Johnny doing his chores and Sally's, he could stand it no longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt beside Johnny and said, "I know. I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Thought for the day: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done that the enemy throws in your face (lying, debt, fear, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc.), whatever it is, Jesus Christ was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. He wants you to know He loves you and that you are forgiven. He has paid the debt for whatever the enemy is trying to beat you with. Romans tells us that there is now no condemnation to them in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5 tells
us that we are new creatures in Christ. He wonders how long you will let the enemy make a slave of you. When all we have to do is face the fear and repent. Tell the Father we are sorry and put the failure under the blood of Jesus.....

Remember, God not only forgives you, He forgets. Because of HIS great love!! The biggest hindrance to our walking in healing, peace, joy or anything else that Jesus died for...is to be sin conscience rather than SON conscience.

"And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Galations 6:9


You can't take everyone with you on this journey, because some are not able to receive. Everybody does not need to know your dreams. When God has ordered your path... he ordered you. Not the woman down the street or the one at the bus stop. So don't ask them what they think about your way -they won't be able to give you directions. Every step you take has been carefully planned by the master. Sometimes that path may rough, it may lonely, but keep going anyhow! He is not someone who falls short, if he promised, he will deliever.


Lizanabavi:)

Special Sauce Blessing
 

~Zaire Proverb~

I was sitting at the drive thru window at McDonald's this weekend (ok, I eat out a lot). I did the usual thing, I drove up to the menu and ordered. I proceeded to the first window and paid, then drove to the second window and waited for the order. After sitting there for a few minutes, the clerk slid back the window and asked, "Will you please pull over to the side; your order is not ready." I was a little upset and even impatient, but I pulled over and waited. I thought, "How come other folks ordered and drove straight through and I have to wait?" I waited for another two or three minutes- it seemed like hours before the clerk finally ran out, tapped on the window, and handed me the order. Of course I asked, "Hey, what took so long?" She replied, "You wanted the SPECIAL SAUCE, which meant it had to be especially made for that sandwich, it doesn't usually come with that one.


"The scene is a reflection of our prayer life. We make our request to the Lord. Our menu is His word where He has listed promise after promise. We stand before Him and request and plead and, sometimes, even beg. We go to the first window and pay, sometimes with fervent prayer, sometimes with prolonged suffering, sometimes with obedience, and sometimes not at all.


We then move to the second window and wait for our order. If God doesn't answer within a few minutes, we become upset. You know the phrase, "God, it's 5:00 PM Friday; I prayed to you yesterday, and You still haven't answered. I can't wait much longer." Why is it taking Him so long, I've seen people drive up before me and they received their orders right away?We even go so far as to tap on the window and ask if He has forgotten our order. We become impatient. We become upset. We become downright mad.


"Lord I asked for a mate ten days ago and I don't see him/her anywhere."
"Lord, I've been asking for a new job for two years; others have passed me by.
"I've been waiting on a financial blessing for ten years and I still have more month than money." "Where are You and why haven't you blessed me?"


And just when you think He is giving you the answer, He pulls back the royal curtain of eternity, and states, "Please pull over to the side and wait a while longer? "This once frustrated me to no end, made me mad, made me want to give up, made me want to holler; that is, until the clerk brought out my sandwich-then, the revelation became clear.


Do you know why the Lord has put you on the side?
Do you know why you have had to wait for this blessing longer than before? Do you know why He has put you through more this time than ever? Do you know why it seems as though He has not heard you and He does not care? DO you know why it seems like you have had to go through more tears, more pains, and more struggling this time?


Because this blessing is a SPECIAL SAUCE BLESSING. This is an OVERFLOWING, PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER, BLESSING! You made a SPECIAL ORDER and GOD has been putting together a SPECIAL SAUCE BLESSING for you and He has to prepare it for you.


That mate you wanted, He's putting together a SPECIAL SAUCE. That job you wanted, HE'S putting together a SPECIAL SAUCE. That financial blessing, A SPECIAL SAUCE. That peace on the job, A SPECIAL SAUCE. That house...A SPECIAL SAUCE. That promotion...A SPECIAL SAUCE. That deeper anointing...A SPECIAL SAUCE.


"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..." [and a SPECIAL SAUCE]. Jeremiah 29:11


How many people have driven away before the clerk brought their food, and how many people have missed their blessings because they did not wait? Hang in there. Keep on waiting. You made a SPECIAL ORDER, now wait on a SPECIAL SAUCE!


"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).


They who wait shall get a SPECIAL SAUCE! ~~ Author known only to God.


LORD, according to Thy Word, bless the reader with an abundant blessing, a SPECIAL SAUCE BLESSING, an OVERFLOWING, PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER, BLESSING!


"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."In JESUS' name. Amen.


Share the Blessing with a friend!

ASK THE LORD AND BELIEVE YOU HAVE RECEIVED IT IN HIS OWN TIME AND GIVE THANKS TO HIM--PRAISE HIM FOR HE IS A GIVING FATHER. WAIT AND ENJOY HIS BLESSINGS IN ABUNDANCE!!!!!


With Love + Prayers
"The testing of your faith produces patience."-James 1:3