HOW'S YOUR HEALTH?

As I spent some time meditating this morning, I did a quick review of my life, and I realized that I had been very lax, in the type of lifestyle that I had led. It didn't really matter, what I ate; really didn't matter if I studied; didn't really matter, whether or not, I exercised; whether or not, I prayed; whether or not my relationship with the Lord was growing or decreasing! I realized that I had slid my way through life, not really being "matter of fact" about anything!! It just, "was, what it was!" (ever heard that saying?!). Well, let me tell you, what happens, when things don't really matter! And when you just allow things to be, ....just what they are!!!! It is the perfect formula for an unhealthy lifestyle! You made it to this point with no major goals, no positive mind set, and no real necessity, to include God into your "comfortable" lifestyle! Oh yes! It was cozzy comfy!! I didn't really do anything that I didn't feel like doing, and I pretty much did, what I wanted to do, regardless of spiritual back lash or the "time-to-time" guilt that would stop by momentarily!
But, let's go back to my conversation with the Lord! Something came out of my mouth that surprised me! I told God, that, I appreciated Him for where He has brought me! I told him, that because of the consequences of my actions, bad decisions, wrong choices, & failures; It brought me to a place of readiness!  It brought me to a place of "healthiness"....."healthiness, in Him!"..... and in my life! 
As we all know, problems have a way of bringing you to your knees; However, allowing God to have His way in your life, isn't always what we opt for, when we get up off of our knees! Just like, with a fad diet, you can find yourself right back, on the wrong side of His will for you! Well, I came to my senses, one day, and I realized that, I was making life, much harder than God had planned for it to be! And that I was the creator of more storms, than the Lord, had EVER, planned to send my way! And that I held on to pain, far longer, than He hoped, that I would! ....Sometimes I wonder! how many tears, were the result of my unhealthy lifestyle? How much pain could have been avoided? .....Had I not, been starving spiritually, would my choices have been different? (when you are hungry, you always select, for the moment, and not for the future!) ...Well,what I have found out was; that God has always been good, and that a healthy lifestyle had been laid out before me the entire time, but I had chosen the unhealthy things in life to sustain me!.....And as the saying goes!.."you are, what you eat"!!!! ......It is absolutely the truth! What you have chosen for your life's nutrition, shows, physically, mentally, and spiritually!!! One day, I made up in my mind that I was going to switch nutrition plans!!!! This was major! Because, this meant, that I was about to work towards transforming my body, transforming my mind, transforming my attitude, and most of all! transforming the most important part of all; and that meant! .............a transformed relationship with the Savior! Once upon a time, I was malnourished! not receiving the nutrients that I needed to be strong and healthy! Nutrients, such as healthier foods, prayer, fasting, and reading the Word of God, which, by the way, gives you, spiritual, Omega-3's (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), all working to create a healthier you!!! How's your health? ...Are you feeling down? depressed? depleted of all of your energy?....Go to the Father, and ask him for an assessment! He's been waiting for you to make this appointment! And He's ready to give you a full consultation, on how you can be on your way, to a much healthier YOU!!

Go Ahead and Praise Him!! .....After The Storm!!

Wow!! Sitting here thinking, after one of the most powerful and inspiring prayer line calls, that we have ever had!!!! 
One thing that God seems to reveal to me, more and more, is the absolute necessity for my storms! Looking back over my life; and I'm only talking about the last 10 years or so! I have had some heavy storms! I even have some "storm damage" as a result of some of those storms! ...Still, cleaning up debris! from some of those storms! But, when I think of the goodness of Jesus, and all that He has done for me!!! .....I tell you! I could be dead! I could be out of my mind! stuck in a habit, that I can't break! sitting in a jail cell, walking the streets, both helpless! and hopeless! ...But God!!!
As I sat in my car; having listened to (2) powerful, yet, painful testimonies, I realized that Praises were going up!! ........What?!? Praises going up? Where could it be coming from? .......I'll tell you, where it was coming from? It was coming as a result of pain!! ...Pain that didn't kill them, but made them stronger!! It was coming from pain! ....Pain that didn't "take" their minds, but "kept" their minds! ...The praise was coming from the pain! Pain, that the enemy thought would be the end of their story, but it was the beginning of their story!! .....I thought to myself! "the enemy is confused right now!" because like them; he thought he had me too!! He didn't know that when you know Jesus as "daddy!" definitions start to change! When you're a child of the Most High King! Pain means praise! and storms means strength!!! and tears bring triumph!
Check your status after the storm! Are you better? are you stronger? is your faith preserved? Is your joy in tact? ......I didn't ask you, was it tough?....I didn't ask you, did you cry? I didn't ask you, if it shook your faith? ...or if you laid in bed at night, confused!...Because I know that all of this may have taken place, during your storm, but check your status!!!! Go ahead, check for storm damage!...and tell me; now that the skies have cleared! ...where are you at now? ...now that the storm is over? Can you still see Jesus? ...after the storm? Can you still lift your hands in worship? ....after the storm? Can you shout Glory Hallelujah! ...after your storm? Can you say thank you Jesus!... after your storm? If you are still here! and you made it through, and you feel like you can go a little higher, and walk a little further! then go ahead and give God some praise!! You gave him praise before your storm!....and as long as he is YOUR daddy!!!!...He will give you a praise......after your storm!

Don't You Dare, Close That Book!!

Whatever you do, hold on to hope! the tiniest thread will twist into an unbreakable cord. Let hope anchor you in the possibility that THIS IS NOT THE END OF YOUR STORY!!!!!

All of us have lived lives that tell an interesting story! Some of us have had stories of triumph! and some of us, stories of failure, and heartbreak! Some have stories of much change, and unsettled  longings! Others seem to live lives that are just a blurr!! My book of life, has had many chapters, and they all seemed, for years, to be chapter after chapter of mistakes, bad decisions, "dropped" ambitions, wrong turns, and question after question of, "how did I get here!" ....each chapter, looking to the next, for answers; for hope; for daylight! There were many times throughout the book of my life, when I wanted to just close the book! And never look back!

That is where so many people are today! Book after Book of purposes, dreams, and visions are being closed because they can't seem to find the perfect scenarios and outcomes in their stories. My advice to those people is to never give up on your dreams! You never know where your road of adversity is going to lead you.  I never thought that all of my trials and tribulations would have brought me to this place, as a devotional writer and author! But it did! It's a good thing that I was not the Author of my own story!

Sometimes we think that life would be better if we could just write our own stories. I mean; If I would have written my own story I would have had chapter after chapter of nothing but "Unspeakable Joy!" ....verse after verse of nothing but Triumph! page after page of already fulfilled Promises! .....Oh, the book that I would write? it would be something to behold! a real page turner! If I were to write my own story! I mean, who would write their own story, as a story of hurt? a story of pain, and of being misunderstood? Who would write their own story of betrayal and death? I mean would you?? that's not how I would end MY story, if I was the writer! My story would be Joy, Joy, Joy! never pain!!! My story would have me always winning and never losing; Always well, and never sick; Filthy rich, and never broke; Having all of the pieces together, and never being broken; That's how MY story would be written, if I were the Author!

Well, over  two thousand years ago, a man named Jesus wrote His own story! And from the time His chapters began, He was on a mission of filling each verse and chapter with the realities of life. He didn't write a story of pure joy and never pain!! He didn't write a story of being loved by everyone, and wronged by no one! As a matter of fact! What he wrote about was teaching others how to love their brother; He wrote about the time when he had nowhere to lay his head; He wrote about being tempted by the Enemy; and how one day he would lose his earthly life for the sake of mankind. What author does that! He wrote his own suffering into his own text? He wrote pain, into His own story!  Who do you know, who would write himself in as the Main Character, and then kill himself off in the same story? .... There would seem to be no point in continuing with such a story! Ohhhh, but don't close the book just yet!!! Because after penning the details of his own death, he wrote P.S.!

You see, when a writer adds a P.S. at the end of a story, it stands for Post Scriptum! In other words; although the "Main Work" has been completed, there is an addition to the story! Jesus wanted us to know that this was not the end of His story! That there was more to come!  And what He is saying to you and to me, is this: 

 "I have added a P.S. to your story!"

"I know that you don't feel that I have written your story the way you wanted it; but if you trust me, I will show you! that, every word of your story has been to "build you!"....every paragraph,  to "strengthen you!"....every page; to give you, what would some day be your testimony! and every chapter, to allow me to shape my purpose for your life!" 

......I didn't allow you write your own story, because you would have left out everything that would have lead you to me! You would have left out pain and suffering! and you would have left out those important trials and the necessary storms that help to build your character! 

No, I couldn't have allowed you to write your own story, because the only person that you would have cared about, would have been yourself! 

...Experiencing pain sometimes, gives you compassion for the next person! and I cannot risk you, not having these important qualities that I need for you to possess!!

 ...I am the author of your story! and my writing skills are perfect; even with suffering on your pages!  I wrote your story for you to walk out, but for others to read. I painted the pictures on your pages for others to see! 

The pages of your life are filled with the very things that I died and rose for.  I died for your sins, and rose again, so that you would not be charged for them! I died for your sorrows! and rose again for your right to have joy! I died for your burdens, and rose again to teach you how to overcome them!!...I died for your storms and rose again to give you peace!!!!

 ....Don't you dare close the book on your story! You see, your victory has already been written onto your pages!Your breakthrough begins with chapter 5!! and your testimony is right in the middle of chapter 8...so don't you dare close that book! 

You may not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I've already written it in...there will be light!  You may not see how I'm going to fix that wayward child, but I've already written out his plan! You may not know how you are going to pay your bills, but I've already written in your provision!  You've got to trust the story that I have written for you! It's perfect and without flaw! No author's revisions to be made, because I never make a mistake! So don't you dare, close the book on your story! 

You thought it was the end for you....but I added a P.S. to your story!!! 

You let the enemy know that your story is not over until I say it's over! He will try to put a period where I have placed a comma, but let him know that he's too late...

 "I know the plans that I have for you, and I've already written them on the pages of your life!"

.....P.S.! I Love You,

                                          ~Jesus, The Author and Finisher of Your Faith