Pursue Peace!

I was performing one of my faaabulous pedicures on my client yesterday...and as I was working in the quiet comfort of my peaceful nail dept., I just heard in my spirit...pursue peace. It caught me off guard at first but I heard it again...pursue peace. Anyone that knows me and has ever come to my house whether in Chicago or here in Texas knows that I like living in a peaceful atmosphere and I try to keep it that way at all costs. I like being peaceful, I like peaceful people...I just like my peace, I can't stand drama cause it takes too much energy.

So anyway, God was dealing with me again this morning about pursuing peace. I suppose I've let personal concerns get in the way of my peace...and that's just not like me. So, God is reminding me to always pursue peace! I know that if I keep my mind stayed on Him, He will keep me in perfect peace! And that's just it...in order to successfully pursue peace, you have to keep your mind focused on Christ! We always have things going on in our lives that are continually trying to rob of us of our peace...situations at home, at work, stuff going on in the news, our family, our friends, our church and the list goes on. But, in spite of everything that we face day to day, we can always live in peace...I figured out how...you gotta pursue it! Peace doesn't just come because we quote a few scriptures...although that's a start, but if we don't believe the scripture it has no value.

"...him whose mind is stayed on Me, I will keep in perfect peace"
"...and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"

I love these scriptures but unless I truly understand how to get to the peace that's available to me, they are merely just words! Peace is a place of rest, quietness, and comfort...and it only comes through trusting God with every aspect of our lives. People may sometimes think I try to avoid situations because I don't like to talk about anything that's going to disturb my spirit...whether that be bills, people, work, whatever. If it ain't bringing peace, its bringing chaos. You know what I do when I know a not-so-good situation exists...I trust God to handle it so ain't no need for me to be recking my brain trying to figure it out...cause I cain't. (Yeah I said cain't! LOL) I love my peace...peace in my mind, peace in my spirit, and peace in my body! So, anything that tries to disturb my peace...I try to get away from it!

I had to learn how to obtain peace, me and my husband seemed to have learned it together. LOL We just don't worry about things that we don't have control over...we do what we can do and let God do the rest! I'm so grateful to finally be in that place...but I obviously have stepped out of bounds lately since God is reminding me to pursue peace! But that's good because He knows how much I need peace to survive.

So, I'm saying...don't let anything or anyone rob you of your peace because it is too precious! Ask God to give you wisdom and strength to get rid of those people and areas in your life that are bringing chaos instead of peace. In Psalms 27, David said, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life..." What that means to me when I read it is...that one thing I'm going to seek after is PEACE...that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Life means right now, the life we currently live...we don't have to wait til we see Jesus to have peace, God has made peace available to us here on earth...we have to seek after it, pursue it! That's my one desire.....and I'm gon' have peace aaaaalllll the days of my life....if I just keep trusting Him, leaning on Him, pursuing Him!

I encourage you today to PURSUE PEACE...it can be yours too!

IT'S SO AMAZING!!!

"It's so amazing to be loved...I'll follow You to the moon and the sky above!!!" Y'all remember that cut by Luther Vandross, right??!! Well, that's how I feel about my God..He is so amazing!! I was just sitting here thinking about all the amazing things God has done for me...nothing in particular...but simply how amazing He is!!

I think about all the times that I've just done some stupid stuff...and then amazingly, God came and rescued me! Its so amazing that at the right moment and at the right time God comes in and rearranges my whole way of thinking, my whole way of talking, and changes my whole outlook on life....because I have no life without Him! I was just telling a friend today that we are so busy waiting on God to do some things, waiting for an answer, waiting on direction...but God is waiting on us. God already has our life totally planned out...so its up to us to walk it out...walk it out! LOL I've asked God about some things recently and it just amazed me at how specific He was in what He wanted me to do. BUT before I got to that point...I was in the waiting room...waiting for Him to call my name and tell me which way to go. He's like...if you just open your eyes and ears, its right in front of you fool! I wasn't surprised...but amazed because everytime God does something it just gets gooder and gooder! It's so amazing to be loved by Him...His love is so amazing it just can't be described!

I'm just learning day by day that His love is so vast...it can take me wherever I need to go, it can show me whatever I need to do...His love has no limits! That's why I love my God because His love has no boundaries...no matter how many stupid mistakes I make (don't plan on making any anytime soon...but I'm just sayin), He continues to love me and show me mercy! Thank you, Jesus!

So I want to encurage you to grasp hold of God's amazing love! Whatever you may be going through, whatever you need, wherever you need to go...God's amazing love can answer all of your questions and remove any of your doubts. His love will never leave you hangin! If you're waiting for an answer, no need to wait any longer...the answer is right there waiting for you, just open your eyes, ears and heart...His amazing love goes before us and prepares the way!

It's so amazing to be loved...I'll follow You to the moon and the sky above!!! Yes God...I'll follow You wherever You lead me! IT'S SO AMAZING!!!

My Birth Right

Yesterday, the message was awesome...Apostle touched on the story of Jacob and Esau. Of course, the two were brothers....Esau, being the oldest and Jacob, the youngest. When it came time for Isaac, their father, to bestow the blessing of the birth right over the oldest, Jacob went in instead and took the birth right that belonged to Esau. Ok...so, you know how the story goes! Well, Jacob did this not realizing the birth right that God had already put in him. He really didn't need to steal what belonged to his brother because there was already something in him, he had a blessing of his own!

One thing Apostle said that made so much sense is that God puts something so special in each one of us but we're so busy looking at the blessings of someone else that we don't see what God has put in us. We have to know the birth right God has given us, He put something unique in each of us even at birth that only we have the right to.

I used to be so insecure...I was too fat, not pretty enough, not smart enough...wanting to be more like the girl over there...she's so pretty, thin, and smart! Well, then I came to the realization of the birth right God had given me...I am beautifully and wonderfully made, I am blessed goin in and comin out, I do have an inheritance that no one can take away! Knowing my birth right is knowing who I am in Christ, knowing that He made me strong, He made me to be an overcomer, He put power into MY hands to change situations and circumstances, He blessed me with knowledge wisdom & understanding, He blessed me with witty inventions and creative business ideas, He blessed me with a wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally, He blessed with the most beautiful girls in the whole wide world, and of course, He blessed me to be birthed by a beautiful mother who loves the Lord with all her heart and raised me in the fear and admonition of the Lord...I could go on and on!! God has given ME the right to be blessed...I was born with it so NO ONE can take it from me!

You have to know your own birth right!! We are always our own worst enemy...the person that usually takes our birth right away is our own SELF!! We curse ourselves, we tear ourselves down...a house divided against itself cannot stand! My heart is weakened every time I hear of someone committing suicide! These are people who don't realize the birth right God has put in them...not knowing their potential, not knowing their value and worth, not knowing that they have access to eternal life in Christ! We have to bind the enemy...within...and take hold of the birth right God has given us! Don't let ANY ONE, including yourself, take your birth right away...ITS YOURS!!!