Our Tongue

As you all know Pastor Scott has preached about the power our tongue has. Either good or bad. Well, if you have been doing the Life Journal, you have been reading in Proverbs. Proverbs talks ALOT about your lips(mouth). If you think about what you read and what you say(or have said), it will make you thank again. There are alot of other references in the Bible about what you say. And I have learned, if something is mentioned more than once in the Bible it is important. So I really believe it is VERY IMPORTANT that we be very careful in what we say to others and what we say to ourselves. We are not to be negative in any way. We are not to participate in gossip. Uh, oh. Did I hit a nerve? I hope so. We are to build our spouses up, speak well of ALL our leaders(regardless where they are: home, work, school, church). If everyone committed to speaking well of our leaders, what a difference it would make. It would starting changing things in homes, at work, in school, and in churches. WOW!! And be positive can be contagious. Your children would start speaking well of you. That would be a change. Because teenagers just hate to think good of their parents.
Positive speaking leads to a positive lifestyle. And that is exactly what I want. I can recall a few weeks ago Tony and I were talking and I said I could not do something. He told me not to say that. I could if I really wanted to. Tony told me not to be negative. It is so good to have a man of God in my home to correct and help me when I need it.
I pray for a Holy Ghost guard over my mouth. I do not want to say anything I should not say. I want to build the people up that is around me. Be positive in all situations. (Sometimes you might have to search for the positive.) And I pray you will make the same decision to. God Bless you all.

Why Do We Do Ministries?

Sometimes people ask us why we do the ministries we do. What do you tell them? Most people would say, "well, I don't know, but that is what our church just does." After reading the Bible and praying this came to me the other day. Jesus saves and heals. We as humans have nothing to do with that. We are just a vessel God uses to reach out to others. Our ministries are to help free people from bondage. As we love on them, talk to them, help them, etc., they become freer from their bondage. Now at the time I got this, I did not understand why or what it was all about. But last night at work, it was revealed to me. The very person I have prayed with and for, is being released from a bondage that has had her so tyied up she could not enjoy anything much in life. What an awful way to live. I have always enjoyed life. I love laughing even at small and simple things. Laughter is good for you. This person just never laughed. She said she did not see humor in things most people laugh about. She is so serious. I have been working on her for months. Well, last night she laughed and talked and said she felt better than she had in a long while. Bitterness and negativity will not rule her life any longer. Thank the Lord for answering prayers.
Never think what you do is not important. It is, regardless of the job. Just a smile can change a person's day or life. That is a responsibility that we should take serious. Make a commitment to yourself to always be cheerful and positive and it will rub off on the people that comes in contact with you.

What you think

It is amazing to me how people think. I was talking to my supervisor the other night and she was telling me sometimes she thinks she is not worthy of this or that. She likes to help and please others, but does not see these things for herself. Well, I started talking to her about that. I explained what the Bible says about loving yourself as your neighbor. We all know you can not love your neighbor unless you do love yourself. That is a command from our Lord. God does want us to have things. He does want his children to be happy. God does not want us to worship anything other than Him, and He does not want us focusing on other things so strong we leave Him out of our lives. As humans, that is what happens alot of the time. If a man gets a new truck or a special vehicle. He is so wrapped up in it---he is talking to his friends, showing it off, washing it all the time(so it will shine), looking it over. You guys know what I am talking about. At that point, he has put God aside. That car/truck is his only focus. With that example, maybe that is why God does not allow all of us to have our every desire. He already knows what we will do. Put God first in you life. then little by little God will allow you more and more. he starts giving you a little bit at a time. It is the same way we do our children. We don't give them the whole cake at once. We give them a small slice to see if they are going to eat all of that piece first. When they do, we give them a little more as they get older, because we know they can handle it. God is raising children too. He is the one who came up with this plan. We didn't. We thought our parents, or grand-parents came up with these ideas. Wrong. Our Great Heavenly Father is the creator of all. He was raising children before our great-great-great grandparents came along. Read the Bible and see how God raised great honorable children. That is our example. But do not let satan tell you, you are not worthy of anything good. Receive God's blessings and favor over your life today. I am, because God created me and I am worthy of all God has in store for me. I want to walk in His blessings and favor. And I will praise and honor Him all of my days.

Planning your Day

Do you plan your day out? Or do you just go through your day haphazardly--come what may? I usually plan out what I am going to do or I will lose alot of time. Now there are times things happen to your day that is totally unexpected. But then, you can deal with it betterif you have planned. It is like making out a list before you go to the store. If you make a list and stick to it you will spend less money and less time in the store. I have been noticing more and more people coming in WalMart with list. The men are real big on the list because is saves them money. One man told his wife not to stop and look at something cause it was not on the list. I thought it was funny at that time. But after pondering over this, it made sense. If you go to the grocery store without a list you will look at more items and get more than if you stuck to getting what is on your list. I don't know about everyone, but I want to stick to my list and save money and time. As you list the things to do for today--put God first, and you will have time for everything on your list. Give God the first part of your day----it is along the lines of giving first fruits. When you do that, God will bless the rest of your day. Now I am not saying nothing bad will never happen to you. Like Friday, I discovered the carpet soaked at the end of the hallway. The hot water heater had to be replaced. Hey, not good timing. But, it has lasted for 10 years. I just thank God it did not happen in December.
I hope you decide to plan your day and put Our Lord first. I promise you, you will start seeing a difference in your days. God Bless------

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. I sincerely hope you have a blessed day. Relax and take it easy it is your day. You know, not every country has a celebration for Mother's and Father's Day. So, let's all take a moment to be thankful for our mother's. Don't take everything she does for granted. Being a mother is a full time job in itself. Mother's don't get a vacation. When the kids are sick during the middle of the night, guess what, mom is up too. Then she has to find a baby sitter for the sick child and still go to work, and work all day. Mother's can endure a pain no man can possibly endure. I thank the Lord for my mother and all she done for me. I had new clothes to wear because my mom sewed. She made about all my clothes when I was little. I still remember the dress I wore my first day of school. It was pink and white dotted swiss. Mama, I love you.
To my daughter, Martha, thank you for raising 2 beautiful girls that call me MEMA. My daughter is a lovely young lady. I pray my granddaughters will always stay in church and become a loving mother like mine.
And to my Pastor, Pastor Tyra, I would like to honor for being the spiritual mother she is. I have grown in the Lord because of her guidance and council. I just want her to know I love and appreciate her very much.
And thank the Lord my grandma is still living. I use to stay with her alot when I was small and mama was sick or at work.
It would be so awesome for God to use me like He did some of the great women of God I have read about in the Bible. God provided for Ruth and He will provide for me.
GOD Bless All Mother's.

Going to Another Level

Are you going to another level in christ? Or, are you in the same place you were a year ago? Five years ago? As for me, I am going to another level. There has been a change in the atmosphere at CIOC the last 3 or 4 weeks. All because of prayer. Getting in God's presence before service makes a difference in the service. And sometimes you just have to praise and worship enough for you and the person beside you (if they are not praising and worshipping). When you do that you will notice that person will start. Can you grasp this? We have between 12 and 20 people who start praying for the service, before service. Now, if everyone started praying for the service, before the service, God would show up and show out for sure. Only when you start praising and worshipping God yourself, you go to another level. Some of us in the church have been going through some stuff lately. But, we keep on keeping on with our praise and worship. The devil knows he is defeated. But he is going to keep right on trying to interfere with our time with the Lord. When you think things are at their worst---verbally tell God---I love You, God. You are my Alpha and Omega, my beginning and my end, and everything in between. You are my provider and look to you only. I thank you God, for all the blessings and favor you a placed over my life. I love you. thank you, Lord, for all that I have and most of all, I thank you for what I do not have. (See, I do not have any broken bones, I do not have a disease that is not cureable, I do not have to live in fear of being shot for saying the name of Jesus). So I am sure you have things in your life to be thankful for.
When you speak out with boldness to God, without fear and not being ashamed, God loves it. You will go to another level. You can not help not to.
I know I am going to continue to do this. I have done this for a while now. And I can really tell a difference in my life. Will you make a commitment to start each day with prayer and pray before each service, for the service? Try it for one month at least and let me know how things have changed for you. God Bless.

Our Witness

Do we let our life be our witness? Or do we witness to others just when we feel like it? Two or three times rcently someone has told me they thought I never had any problems because I am always smiling and talking with people. But, to be perfectly honest, I have problems just like everyone else. I have been hurtting so bad the last two months in my lower back and hips, I have actually cried(I know you can not believe it). Tony did not even know that until Saturday. I have prayed for myself and the pain would ease off for a day or so then start back really bad again. This has been the cycle for awhile. I keep thanking God that I do not feel pain when I move. This Will go away. I will keep believing my God is My Great Physician. Anyway, are you letting a pain, illness, or everyday fustrations get to you so bad that you are hindering your witness for the Lord? I know some people who just lose it over little things that happen. I can not help but wonder, what are they going to do when major things go wrong? I just look for the good in situations. It is better than looking for the bad. If you will start looking for the good in all your situations, your outlook on everything else will change. This may not be easy at first. Ask God to give the strenghth so look for all good points in everything in your life. You may have to put some effect into this at first, but as you do it will be something you do from now on. I collect a couple of things, and when Tony was out of work, I told him I was going to sell them. He did not want me to. I explained it was just material things and material things is not imiportant anymore. As long as we have a roof, food, clothes, the things we really need---that is important. All material things are luxuries we can live without. I have prayed for God to use me in anyway He desires. I surrender all to him. I want His light to shime through me so people can see God in me and want what I have. I think maybe, God has used me to be positive and finding the good in people and situations to effect others around me.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not perfect. I find fault, and I am negative sometime. I try to catch it -- Quick. Because is not of God.
But just take a moment and ponder what is going on in your life that you could be more positive and find the good in. It may just change your life forever.

Hello, this is my first time to blog. I am excited. I have been reading other blogs which have encouraged me to blog.

We, CIOC, has started reading the Bible through in a year using the Life Journal to write our notes in. This has made reading the Bible so easy. If you have not tried it, I encourage everyone to get this journal and start today. My husband, Tony. is doing this too. It is fun to read a couple of chapters, sit and ponder what you have just read and let it soak in to see what you get out of it. See, what makes this so exciting, everyone's journal will be different. Everyone gets something different from reading the same thing. I was trying to help Tony get started and what I got as my title from a certain scripture was totally different from Tony's title.
But that is okay. We are two different people.

I hope everyone is reading your Bible every day. If not start today. If you have a hard time understanding it, get a Message Bible. It is written like a story. Start out by just reading one chapter a day. And build up from that. If you have accepted the Lord as your Savior, you need God's word inside you. That is what makes you strong. If you do not know God's promises to you, you do not know what to expect. I personally want to know what God has promised me,
what He warns me about, what He expects me to do, and what God is going to do for me. See, I have found out I am SOMEBODY. I am an heir to the Heavenly Father. I CAN speak life to myself. I CAN heal myself. We need to know these things. I truly believe, If I do not receive the power God wants me to have, I lose out on some of my annointing God wants me to have. So, let's start getting the Word of God in us today, so we can be more powerful christians tommorrow.