Start Your Day With Faith

Consider the power and strength of the cross.  It represents the ultimate sacrifice Jesus paid for you and me.  It's just a couple of pieces of wood...or is it?

We are designed to move through each day with a focus on the next day.  If we use up everything today, we will have much less than we need for tomorrow and beyond.  Plant for the future and use today's blessings tenderly.

Yeah, it's tough.  Bigger than life, bigger than you can handle.  You know what, this little word, "hope" is bigger than any challenge you will face.  Pack some "hope" today and make today a success.

Life is full of challenges.  Sometimes those challenges seem, and are bigger than life.  Impossible for you.  Possible with God's help.

What happens when you stop your day for prayer?  Most of us find a quiet place and a prayerful stance to deeply engage in communicating with our Father.  Is that what happens for you?

Do you write stuff down so you don't forget.  What about your faith?  How about a daily reminder of how centric and important that connection is.  Take a moment, remind yourself.

We were not placed on this earth to live in a bubble.  We were put here to live a purposeful life.  And life comes with a few speed bumps.  That's a fact.  With God onboard those speed bumps become a little easier to navigate.  Let God show you the way, and those trials will be easier to manage.

Have you ever had a friend or better yet, a salesperson who's first words were "trust me"?  And if you were smart, you ran the other way.  But God's word is over the top trustworthy.  It's true and it has been the single element in life that we CAN take to the bank.  Trust, it's God's way.

Let's face it, we don't like it when things don't go our way.  It's aggravating, frustrating, and downright unpleasant.  But how we take those lemon days and make lemonade is best handled through God.  Consider that he had a few of those himself.  The difference, He knew what was next.  Do you?

We live life too fast.  I'm not sure why we are in such a hurry.  In the fast lane you miss the best parts of life.  The beautiful moments and places, people, experiences and mostly, you miss the beauty of God.  Slow down, put life in park and discover what God want's us to see.  It IS beautiful.

We are given signals throughout our day.  These are not audible signals, but more like faith signals.  The come from our understanding of what God would do.  He is constantly broadcasting them to us.  If our faith is strong, His signal is loud and clear.  So, crank up your antenna and start listening.

There's a big difference in reacting instead of responding.  Reacting means conflict has triggered an unfortunate end to whatever it was that bothered you.  Responding means you have listened to what has happened and you are already in the process of solving the issue.  It makes for a much better day.

Sure, you can wear one of those WWJD bracelets, slap on a bumper sticker, or sell the message with a bright tee shirt.  But God's presence in you is defined by your actions.  How other's perceive you.  You can't wear God, but you can carry God with you every step of every day.  One size fits all.

Go ahead, admit it, we all make a bad decision here and there.  Sometimes more often than we like.  Acting on impulse, saying the wrong words, responding the wrong way.  God tells us to give pause to impulse, and instead, reflect on his word.  Not always easy to do, but necessary when we want a positive outcome.  Have you been there?

Truth is so often debated.  Truth as in The Bible is not a platform for debate.  Truth, God's truth is something that is learned and truth gives us a roadmap to living a life with purpose and definition.  The words in The Bible are the "truth".  

Failure, nobody likes to fail.  But failure is always an opportunity to learn and get better at this thing called life.  Question is, how can you make failure turn into success?  Listen and find out.

It's easy to look the other way.  It's not so easy to look in the right direction.  I'll be it has happened to you.  Compassion is not an easy habit to grow.  But God want's us to echo His compassion for us.  Here is how you can do that.

Speed bumps, cloudy days, past-due bills, unfriendly neighbors and whatever comes your way.  That's life, and it's not going to change anytime soon.  Question is, how do you deal with the not so nice stuff?  Listen, and learn how, right now.

So, we're born with purpose.  That's a fact.  Some achieve that purpose and others skate through life without impacting anything.  Other's take life by storm and make a lasting impression with their purpose.  Are you looking for yours?

Life is bumpy and comes with some unexpected surprises, the ones we don't like to see.  So if that's a fact, and it is, how can we build a dally trust that get's us through the unexpected?  It's all about believing, and trusting, daily.

There's always room for improvement, right?  Problem is, many folks look backwards instead of forwards.  You can't dwell on the past and expect tomorrow to get better.  Look to God for direction and inspiration.  Yes, you can become a better servant when you do that.

Humility, it's not always easy to be at that place.  But humility is the first step in connecting and receiving God's pardon.  Put down the excuses and come prepared to accept His grace.

Friendships and relationships grow stronger when we work at making them stronger.  If you have been introduced to God, schedule a time and have a conversation.  Then build on that friendship by deepening the relationship.  This friend will never let you down.

Sometimes the things that are elusive, are right in front of our eyes.  If we are not tuned in, listening like we should, we miss that opportunity to connect.  Miss a stop sign, get a ticket.  Miss the chance to connect with God, discover the downside of life.

Excuses, are worthless.  Excuses are a defense mechanism, an easy way out.  Blame somebody else and you are not focusing on the one thing that will make you a better person.  It's not the devil's fault, it's on you.