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Marico Early

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What Can We Learn From Lydia

WHO WAS LYDIA?

Lydia was a Godly business woman who sold luxurious purple cloth.  She was originally from Thyatira located in Asia Minor.  At the time that we read about her in Acts chapter 16, she had moved to Phillipi where she had started her business.

There is no mention in scripture of her being married.  Some have speculated that she may have been a widow.  Others think that she may just have been single. She was however in charge of a household. It is not clear who lived with her. In those days it was pretty common for servants to be considered part of the household as well as relatives.

Lydia was considered to be quite an affluent business woman, due to the wealthy clients that she did business with.  Only the very wealthy could afford purple cloth and furnishings that had been dyed purple.  This dye was made from the murex sea snails called a mollusk.  It typically took 10-12,000 of these small creatures to produce just a gram of this exotic purple dye, causing it to be extremely expensive to purchase.  There is no doubt that she probably had friends who were affluent as well.

Lydia and other women would go to the bank of the river to pray and worship.  This is actually where she first met Paul and Silas.  Paul shared the gospel with her.  God opened her heart and she believed, and was baptized. The scriptures say that her entire household was also baptized. She was the very first convert in all of Europe.

Lydia persuaded Paul and Silas as well as those with them to stay at her home.  So, from this we see that she was also very hospitable.

Eventually as the numbers started to grow, her home became the church where they would meet.  I feel sure that meals were provided as well. .  Clearly she loved God and wanted to support those who carried His Word.  Lydia was a great example of someone who was very generous in sharing her wealth to further the spreading of the Gospel.

LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM LYDIA

  1. Worshipping God should be a priority.   Lydia was a worshipper.
  2.  We should work in a way that others in your community or even in your line of work have heard about you?  Lydia worked at a level of excellence.  She was a successful business woman and she was known throughout the land for her trade.
  3.  We should  strive to be influential in our quest to bring others to Christ.  Lydia was influential.      Because   those in her household trusted and respected her, she was able to influence them to accept    Christ and be baptized.
  4. We should keep our homes in such a manner that at a moment’s notice  we are prepared to welcome someone in need of a bed or a meal.  Lydia was hospitable .   Lydia showed great hospitality by inviting perfect strangers into her home.
  5. We should always have something set aside to share with others.  Lydia was very generous.  Undoubtedly, having people live with her was  an added  expense.  Although she was a woman of means she still prioritized.  She was kind and generous with her wealth.  Lydia supported the mission of spreading the Gospel.  She welcomed all who came to listen to Paul’s messages.
  6. Lydia used what God had blessed her with, to bless others.  Will you do the same?

 

 

 

Tips For Success For The Christian Business Woman

Tips For Success For The Christian Business Woman

  1. Decide that God will be the CEO of your organization.  Remember He is not your business partner, you are His business partner.
  2. Don’t tell God your plans for your business.  Ask Him what His plans are for your business, and get into alignment with Him.  Remember success and promotion comes as a result of obedience.
  3. Pray, pray and pray!  Through prayer, God will give you a vision for your business.  After you receive this vision and you are clear on what God is leading you to do, write it down.  I would even suggest that you write out a Mission Statement also.
  4. Assess what your right now passionate goal is, then create a plan on how you are going to achieve it.  Break it down into small wins.  Have a daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly goal.  Be sure that you have a completion date on all of your goals.
  5. Have goal posters or vision boards up everywhere as constant reminders of your goal.  Also create tracking boards to track your progress.
  6. Have an accountability partner.  Who do you know that will keep it real with you and be totally honest?  That’s who you need to partner up with.
  7. Get great at managing your emotions.
  8. Get great at managing your time.  Make a schedule and create some structure in your life if you don’t already have some structure in place.
  9. Get great at managing your finances.  Be smart with your money.
  10. If you are in Sales, by Friday of each week, have several appointments on your books for the upcoming week.  Book at least three times the number of appointments that you actually want to hold.
  11. Make it a habit to share info regarding your business with everyone that you come in contact with.   Your job is to always be promoting your business.
  12. Only share your goals and dreams with friends, and family members who are positive and who genuinely support you.   Don’t share with people who are negative.
  13. Remember success is not convenient.  Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Success is also not an accident, it’s a planned event.
  14. Feed your brain with great books and listen to great messages.  Leaders are readers.
  15. Whatever it is that God has given you the vision to do, He will work through you for His kingdom purposes.  Stay open to His leading.  It will not just be a business or career opportunity, or a means to get rich.  Even though wealth can certainly come from your success, what it truly is, is a kingdom assignment.

When your success comes it is important that you acknowledge God from whom all of our blessings flow.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 31:8
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Colossians 3:23
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Proverbs 12:24
24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.

Proverbs 14:23
23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Spiritually Flabby?

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Romans 12:2
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 learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect
Psalm 1:1-2
Oh, the joys of those who do not  follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
17 Never stop praying.
Acts 17:11
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

 For the last four years I have been dealing with a severe illness.  Because it has been so debilitating, I have not been able to be as physical as I normally would have been in the past. This has caused my muscles to weaken, and even become what some would call flabby.  I am currently in physical therapy to strengthen the areas that have become severely weakened due to a lack of movement and exercise.

Believe it or not, we can also become spiritually flabby.  When we miss several days of a good workout of prayer and Bible reading, our spiritual muscles weaken and we leave ourselves open to the attacks of the enemy.  We start to walk in fear and doubt, and even in some severe cases disbelief.  We may even find ourselves committing sins and getting into situations that we wouldn’t ordinarily get into. And this is simply because we have not been working out spiritually.
Let’s look at what we need to do to get spiritually fit.

  1. Set a time each day that you will meet with God.  Respect this appointment as you would any other important appointment. Make it a priority.
  2. Come to your appointment prepared. Bring your Bible and a notebook or journal, to write down the downloads that you will receive from God for your day.
  3. Start with praising God. You may choose to sing or you may want to have some praise music going to prepare your heart to hear from God.
  4. Quietly sit and pray and ask God to help you understand what you are about to read from His Word.
  5. Make sure that you have selected a place and a time where you will not be interrupted.  Be sure to silence your phone.
  6. Initially just sit to silence yourself.  Let all of the thoughts of what you need to do for the day drift away.  If you find it difficult to silence the noise that is going       on inside your head, write your thoughts in your notebook to get to a place of silence.
  7. Enjoy reading God’s word and just spending time with Him.  Repeat tomorrow and the next day and the next, until it becomes a habit.

I can honestly assure you, that you will never ever regret these spiritual workouts.  It will be the best investment of your time ever.  You will grow stronger in your faith and your love for God. You will find that with God’s help you can weather the toughest of storms.

From these workouts you will find yourself joyful and hopeful about your life now and in the future.  I hope that this blesses you and encourages you to have a spiritual workout each and everyday.  And oh, don’t forget it’s important to commit to staying physically fit as well.

Lessons I Learned From Eve’s Story

Lessons I Learned From Eve’s Story

Genesis 3:1-19

  1. Satan always tempts us with something that God has forbidden us to partake of.
  2. Satan said just enough to cause Eve to doubt what she knew that God had told her.  Eve’s doubt caused her to be ungrateful for all that God had already provided.  Beware of Satan’s tactics.  He takes a lot of truth and mixes a lie with it to lure you into his trap of sin and disobedience.
  3. Eve’s disobedience caused her to feel guilt and shame.  Sin holds us in bondage through guilt and shame, until we repent and ask God for forgiveness.   Sin causes a chasm between us and God.
  4. Blame shifting is the result of not wanting to take personal responsibility for our actions.  Eve blamed the serpent for her disobedience and Adam blamed Eve.  They did not take personal responsibility for their actions.
  5. The consequences of our sins are far reaching. Eve’s sin affected the entire human race.
  6. One of the consequences of Eve’s sin was fear.  After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God because they were afraid.  Sin always brings out negative emotions.
  7. God gives us direct and very clear instructions and commands.  There are no gray areas.
    Genesis 2:15-17
    15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
  8. No sin escapes punishment.  God will punish us for being disobedient.
    Romans: 6:23

    23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord
     Hebrews 10:26
    26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
    9. Even when we have sinned and strayed away, God still loves us.
    Hebrews 8:38

  1. Just as God sacrificed an animal to cover Adam and Eve, so they would not be ashamed of their   nakedness, God sacrificed His Son whose blood covers us, and He forgives us of our sins.

Let My Soul Be Refreshed

Let My Soul Be Refreshed

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In the last month I have found myself sighing a lot more than usual.  It finally dawned on me that I was anxious about something that I had no control over.  Instead of totally turning it over to God, I was still holding on to the situation.

To make matters worse, my workload had increased with my business and I was starting to feel  quite tired and a bit stressed.
One day I decided to shut my work day down early and just breathe.  I needed a break, I had pushed too hard for too long and I had ignored my need for rest. I remember climbing into bed totally exhausted in the middle of the day.  I took a long, much needed nap and when I woke up, I felt a bit refreshed but still tired.  I decided to just veg out in front of the TV for a while.  I needed a break mentally and physically.
I must say that the times that I have felt the most refreshed, was when I simply got  still and let God nourish me with His love.  I didn’t have to say anything or do anything. I just needed to be still in God’s presence and He did everything else.   He is the one that truly refreshes my soul.
When I spend time reading His Word my soul is refreshed.  I call this spiritual self-care.  There is nothing like spending time with the Creator, the One who knows the number of hairs that he has so carefully and purposefully placed on your head, the One who knitted you together in your mother’s womb.
 If you are running on empty today, and you need a break from the cares and stresses of this life, I encourage you to get still for a few minutes and spend time in God’s presence. He will refresh you, guide you and direct your steps.  Remember Self-Care starts with Soul-Care.
Psalm 16:11 says: In your presence there is  fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 63:1-3 says; O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for Your presence.  In a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
Seek the Lord when your soul is thirsty and tired.  Only He can truly refresh and satisfy your every need..  

Mark 6:31-32
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
Exodus 33:14
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

No Greater Love

No Greater Love

Ephesians 2:4-5
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Romans 8:37-39
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 4:16-17
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

February, as we all know, is often referred to as the Month of Love.  Retailers start stocking their shelves immediately after Christmas, with beautiful Valentine’s Day cards and delicious boxes of chocolates of every kind.  Even the teddy bear aisle is spruced up with new inventory.   Jewelry stores are ready with heart shaped necklaces and beautiful diamond rings.  The florist shops will receive tons of orders for roses in every color, and I feel pretty sure that red will be the most popular color of all.

This is a day that is specifically set aside to focus on those that we love.  When I think about the love that I have for those who are so dear to me.  It brings to mind how special we are to God and how much He loves us. It also brings to mind how He desires for us to love one another.

 Today I would like to share a few scriptures with you from God’s word regarding love.  My prayer is that you will read them and hide them in your heart, and that you will treasure the wisdom and truth in them.  Most importantly I pray that you will treasure the love that God expresses to all of us each and every day. I pray that you will experience and know His love for all of eternity because there is no greater love.
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord appeared to us in the past,[a] saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;  I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
1 John 4:19
19 We love because he first loved us.

Humility Brings Blessings

We currently live in a world where so many are seeking fame and fortune.  With the success of technology, it has made reaching this goal a lot easier for the many who are seeking it.  It seems that the number of followers you have, and the number of likes that you have are part of this fame fury as well.  We can become Influencers, Podcasters and there are many other ways that we can literally drive our own vehicle of success.  Sometimes this can happen with one post if it’s the right post.

I think that it is fantastic that these opportunities are available for those who want to pursue them, however whether it’s this or something else that you have been blessed to be successful with, I encourage you to remain humble.  Sometimes when you are in the public eye that can be difficult to do.

You see Satan has a way of encouraging you to believe that you are totally responsible for the success that you are experiencing.  Thus, pride is born when you believe and take ownership of that thought process!  And by the way you do not have to be famous to be prideful, I am simply using that as an example.

When I looked up the definition of humility, I read that is a modest or low view of one’s own importance, it is humbleness.  The definition of pride however is polar opposite.  The definition of pride is the quality of having an excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance.

Now, I am not saying that we should not love ourselves or have great confidence.  I am also not saying that we should not strive to be successful in whatever endeavor we attempt.  I am simply saying that we should give credit where credit is due. Be very clear any opportunities or doors that have opened to you have been by the grace of God and please don’t forget that.

As Christians our goal should always be to be Christlike, and though he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Christ remained humble.  To be Christlike is to exercise humility, it is to be humble.   Here are a few scriptures that talk about the humility of Christ.  Below that list are also a list of scriptures that address how there are blessings that come with humility.  May God bless you as you humble yourself before Him and strive to be more and more like Him each and every day.

Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man,  he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death—
 even death on a cross!
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,  righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey,   on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
John 13:5
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Isaiah 50:6
I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face  from mocking and spitting.
John 10:15
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Matthew 26:37-39

37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
2nd Corinthians 8-9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Blessings Come with Humility
2nd Chronicles 32:24-30
24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. 25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.
27 Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.
30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook.
2nd Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
James 4:10
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Proverbs 15:33
Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord,  and humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 22:4
Humility is the fear of the Lord;  its wages are riches and honor and life.
Psalm 25:9
He guides the humble in what is right  and teaches them his way.
Luke 14:11
11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Proverbs 27:2
Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Psalms 149:4
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

 

Success God’s Way

Success God’s Way

As a college graduate with a degree in Interior Design, I was eager to jump out into the world and pursue my career.   I envisioned having this amazing lifestyle as a designer.  My dream was to have a large home in a gated community,  a top-of-the-line luxury car, all of the designer clothes and handbags that a woman could ever dream of, and of course trips all around the world.   I associated success with financial gain, and with having an abundance of beautiful things.

I now know that God’s view of success is quite different from what I thought that success would look like in my early twenties.  It is also different from what the world wants us to believe that success looks like.  Our success is not based on the number of zeros in our bank accounts, or where we live.  True success is based on our obedience to God and the number of hearts that we have touched and blessed along the way for His glory.

Please know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with having dreams and goals.   And there is nothing wrong with owning beautiful things or having lots of zeros in your bank account.  These are all blessings from God.  I am simply saying, don’t allow the enemy to trick you into living a lifetime of chasing beautiful things thinking that’s the mark of success, because it’s not.   God has a different standard for how success is measured for His children.

Today I want to share a few scriptures with you regarding success.

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
1 Kings 2:3
and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go
Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,  and he will establish your plans.
Matthew 16:26-27
26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Deuteronomy 8:6-20
Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.
Jeremiah 17:7
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

A New Year, A Clean Slate

A New Year, A Clean Slate 2024

As I write this morning, it is the day before we officially welcome in the 2024 New Year.  Many of you are preparing for your New Year Eve celebrations.

I spent an entire day yesterday preparing for a New Year’s meal for my family. This meal will consist of blackeye peas of course, which is a good old Southern tradition. Oh, and there will be rice, cabbage, okra, sweet potatoes and let’s not forget a delicious roast, cornbread and dessert.

As I am writing this it makes me wonder how many people will spend more time planning their New Year’s celebrations, than planning their New Year.
Because I have personally experienced the blessings of spending time with God, and consulting with Him for directions and guidance for the year, I truly want you to experience the same.
Here are a few of my suggestions for you to have a powerful and effective planning strategy for your New Year.
Take some time to really get still before the Lord and just listen.   If you are not used to being still before the Lord in total silence, you may feel like nothing is happening. Initially you will feel like you want to cut this session short. I encourage you to start with 10 minutes and work your way up to 15 minutes.   God will start to give you thoughts and ideas that will help point you in a direction that is best for you.  Just be patient.
Psalm 46:10
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;   I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Isaiah 30:21
21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Write your plans and goals down.  Put them in a place where you can review them daily.  Pray over them daily also.

There should be six areas of your life that you strive to grow better in, and they are:
Spiritual Goal – Ask yourself; How can you draw closer to God in 2024?  What areas have you not been willing to be totally obedient in?  How can I better serve God?   Get totally honest with yourself and God and decide how you will do better in the New Year.
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Mental Goal
– Protect your mind by choosing to stay positive and to stay away from negativity.  Read something from God’s Word every day.  Also read books that motivate and inspire you.  Choose movies and TV shows that are good and positive, and that line up with your Christian values.
 Romans 12;2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Physical / Health Goal
Set a goal to eat healthier and to get in more exercise in the New Year.  Be sure that you are getting adequate sleep each night.  Listen to your body. If you need to rest your body, do that.   Plan mini vacations if necessary for down time, just to catch your breath. Get your physicals and dental appointments on   schedule.
 1st Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.

1. Financial Goal
Save more, spend less.  Set a giving goal for your local church or the charitable foundation of your choice.  Tithing is always one of the best ways to honor God with your finances.  Do you have a retirement fund set up?  Do you have a financial advisor?  Make a decision to get your finances in order in 2024.
Mathew 6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
 Luke16:11-12
11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
 Philippians 4:19
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 13:11
11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Career / Work Goal
What would you like to achieve in your work or career in 2024?   Write it down and be sure that you have a start and stop date. Without a start and stop date it’s just a dream.  Create a vision board for your life. Look at it every day.
Habakkuk 2:2
2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation  and make it plain on tablets  so that a herald[a] may run with it.

Home and Family Goals
What would you like to accomplish as a family this year?  Are there relationships that need to be repaired or reconciled?  What projects would you like to do as  a family?  Would you like to plan a family vacation together etc?  Would you like to have a family devotional and prayer time together?  Discuss your goals  as a family and write them down.
 1st Timothy 3:5
5 if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?
Proverbs 22:6
6 Start children off on the way they should go,   and even when they are old they will not turn from it.  Colossians 3:13
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
 Galatians 6:2
2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Gratitude Goal – Set a goal to write down the ten things that you are most grateful for each day.  This is very important.  When you focus on the things that you are grateful for you complain less and you seek the good that can come from every situation.  Your gratitude blesses God.
Ephesians 5:20
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 107:1
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Blessings for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

What Do Our Christmas Traditions Symbolize?

What Do Our Christmas Traditions Symbolize?

Are you prepared for Christmas? Most of us are decorating, purchasing gifts, and baking our favorite holiday cookies by now.  We are all getting ready for the big day.

I thought that I would take a break for a minute or two and share what our Christmas traditions symbolize.  I hope that you will gain insight and joy, as you read why and how some of these very familiar traditions were started.
The Traditional Christmas Colors
The two traditional Christmas colors are red and green.  The color red represents the blood that Christ shed as he hung and died on the cross.
Green represents the everlasting life that we have access to because of Jesus’s death.
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Colossians 1:19-22
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
The Christmas Tree
Most Christmas Trees are evergreen.  These trees can remain green in the most brutal of winters.  This represents hope. No matter what life throws at you when you know Christ there is hope.  Hope for the now and hope for the future. There is a story that says: when Christ was born the trees started to shake and snow fell from every tree and they all remained green, symbolizing that you can survive the most difficult of seasons.   The tree also represents the cross that Christ hung on.
Hebrews 9:12
12 
he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
 The Wreaths
The wreaths represent eternal love and rebirth which gives us eternal life.
Romans 8:35
35 
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:37-39
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 5:11
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Star
The star represents the bright star that appeared when Christ was born.
Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
 The Bells
The bells ring during Christmas to announce the birth of Christ.
The Red And White Candy Canes
Candy Canes represents the shepherd’s crook. Jesus was the Good Shepherd.  With his birth lost lambs could be bought back into the fold.
The color red in the candy cane represents the blood Christ shed on the cross.  The white represents purity. Christ was holy and without blemish.
1 John 3:3-5
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
Poinsettias
The poinsettia lives through the winter months and is actually known as the Christmas flower.  Their beautiful bright red color represents the blood of Christ and the shape of each flower is shaped like a star representing the star of Bethlehem.
The Holly Berries
Holly berries have leaves that are very prickly representing the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus’s head.  The red color of the berries represents the blood he shed on the cross.
The Gifts 
The gifts that we give at Christmas, represents the gifts that the Wise Men brought to baby Jesus when they went to visit him.  Gifts also represents, the gift that God gave to the world when he sent his one and only Son to die a cruel death, so that we may have eternal life.
Matthew 2:11
11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Romans 6:23
23 
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16
16 
“For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The Ornaments
Ornaments were originally apples that were hung on the tree symbolizing the forbidden fruit. This was started in Germany around the 16th century.  Later ornaments became representative of a family’s interest, such as hobbies etc.. Today they are mainly for decoration.
The Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Parasitic plants live on what they become attached to.  Mistletoes are attached to trees, and without the tree the mistletoe would die.  Just as the mistletoe is dead apart from the tree, we are dead apart from Christ.   For this reason, the mistletoe has become the symbol of love.
Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The Lights And Candles
Lights and candles are symbolic of Jesus being the Light of the world.  Apart from Jesus there would only be darkness.
May your Christmas be merry and bright, and may you hold close to your heart the reason for this season, which is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ!
John 8:12
12 
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 9:5
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
Revelation 21:23
23 
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.