How Do You Weather Your Storm?

“Storms are inevitable; our anchor is immovable.”
- Dr. Charles Stanley

There never seems to be a shortage of people going through some turbulent times in their lives or hearing about tragedy and challenges through the media. As long as you live, you will have to weather storms that may come in the form of sickness, grief, losing a job, a situation we created, a situation someone else created or a storm that God needs for us to go through in order to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Our personal storms are akin to our weather related storms (i.e. Thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis just to name a few). They come is so many manifestations.

How we respond to our challenges and storms will determine whether we survive it or succumb to it. It can either develop us or destroy us. Our anchor is embedded in the Word of God, and whether you believe that or not is a completely up to you. The Word is not complicated, but is defined to help us live the very best life God has in store for us. This is not to say that we will not go through some unpleasant situations, but we will survive them if our anchor is fixed on what God has to say about our situation and His revelation will help us to get through it.

King David found comfort through the Psalms in the Bible and the first three verses in Psalm 57 gives comfort in weathering the storm.

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

- Psalm 57:1-3 (NIV)

Happy Father's Day!

To all of our fathers who step up to the plate and continue to be the father they are supposed to be for their children and their family, we wish you a Happy Father’s Day! A special acknowledgement to all of the women who did dual-parenting where a father was neither present or actively involved in helping to raise their children!

"A righteous man who walks in his integrity - How blessed are his sons after him."
 (Proverbs 20:7, NASB)

Despite Our Differences

“Despite our differences, we serve a specific purpose in this massive puzzle of life. So often, we find ourselves overwhelmed by acts of deception, selfishness, hatred, bigotry, manipulation, sexism, egotism, infidelity, oppression and even self-righteousness that could devastate a family, church, community, city, nation or our global society. Yet, we can continue making a dent into this dysfunctional skyscraper of corruption, by debilitating and dismantling these forces of darkness, through continuing to embrace love and magnify the LORD.”

* Excerpt from Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit
Chapter: Spiritual and Human Enigma
Page 35

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Texas Valedictorian Was Willing to Go to Jail for Praying During Her Graduation Speech

A graduating high school senior boldly proclaimed that she was willing to go to jail if she was not allowed to thank Jesus as her Lord and Savior during her valedictorian speech over the weekend. A prayer ban at her graduation in a San Antonio suburb went into effect after an agnostic family and their graduating senior filed a lawsuit last week. A judge granted their injunction banning any prayer at the graduation.

However, Angela Hildrenbrand, valedictorian for the class of 2011 asked the appeals court to block a judge’s ruling that she could not utter words like God, prayer or Amen during her commencement address. Whether or not the appellate court would rule in her favor, she was still adamant about praying anyway and paying the consequences.

In an amazing last minute decision, three federal judges reversed a ban that would have blocked Angela Hildrenbrand from thanking Jesus as her Lord and Savior during her graduation ceremonies in Texas.

Read more about Angela’s courageous feat: http://blog.beliefnet.com/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/06/astonishing-last-minute-victory-for-angela.html#ixzz1OXSVFjyD

Angela we applaud you for standing on the foundation of your conviction in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When we listen to the song written by Irving Berlin “God Bless America” we remember that this country was based on God's blessings and peace for our nation. It is unfortunate that the spiritual foundation in which our country stood on is now becoming diluted and offensive to some people. Our voices must continue to praise God our Father and not be silent due to fear. May God continue to bless you and your family.

Celebrating the Spirit of Memorial Day!

We salute the men and women of the military, who lost their lives and served our country, the United States of America. Let us observe, honor and remember the true meaning of why Memorial Day was established and for whom it was established for.  Read more…

Preparing For Judgment Day?

We are on the heels of yet another prediction about the world coming to an end. It is no doubt that these are indeed turbulent times we are living in. There are wars occurring all around the world, debts are high, suffering surrounds us and natural disasters are appearing to be more violent than ever before. We watch the aftermath of lives shattered, homes lost and the interruption of life as we once knew it forever changed. We pray for the victims as well as the survivors. If we read, study the Word of God and strive to live obediently however, we will understand the lessons Jesus taught His Disciples. These are lessons that we need to learn in order to survive today.

If we would meditate on the 13th chapter of Mark in the New Testament for example, Jesus made some distinctive points about the Great Tribulation. Beginning in the 5th verse, He told His Disciples to be careful because many shall come in His name and deceive numerous people by leading them astray. There will be wars and rumors of wars, but the end shall not yet be, although these things exist. However, even more significantly are the words echoed in the 32nd and 33rd verses: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” (KJV)

We are witnessing a dangerous display of extremism in so many facets of life and the religious sector is not immune to it. Many who flank top leadership roles in our churches, cathedrals and synagogues are manipulating the Word of God by preaching it to those who will listen, but do not understand the oracles of truth. Such leaders who lead others astray will be held accountable for their actions. Should we take the end times lightly? Absolutely not! We do not know when “our” personal end times will occur, but it behooves us to live righteously, heed the warnings, watch and pray at all times.

People often scratch their heads in bewilderment, not fully understanding how those in the midst of losing all of their earthly possessions, while standing in the rubble of what appears to be a hopeless situation, proclaim to be blessed. Yet, we fail to recognize that we are blessed in so many ways, but do not thank God as sufficiently and as often as we should. We tend to take people and things for granted until something tragic happens when these things are gone forever.

Will there be more predictions of the rapture, Judgment Day and the end of time? Most certainly. However, we must remember that we are not the authors of this book, but participators with a divine purpose. We must put our focus on living and giving, instead of manipulating and using scare tactics to flex our “know it all” muscles. We must pray for those who are held captive by putting their faith and trust in a counterfeit man, instead of choosing to be free by trusting, obeying and embracing the Word of the LORD.

 

Do You Need Roadside Assistance?

Before we had the convenience of the ever-popular GPS, everyone had to depend on a roadmap to plan the best routes to get to their various out-of-town destinations. I remember hearing several comedians talk about how men would not stop to ask for directions no matter how lost they were. If the wife told her husband to stop and ask for directions, he would adamantly blurt out “I know where I’m going!” Have you heard that one before?

Ultimately, a trip that would probably take an hour or two, turned into an all day expedition. At some point, you have to stop and ask for roadside assistance. Otherwise, you will find yourself wandering around aimlessly, because you have no idea which way to go and you’re too stubborn to ask for directions. Everyone has a purpose and assignment from God, like road signs along the highway. If we never experienced or prepared for a trip (especially an extended one), then how can we possibly be certified to give roadside assistance to others seeking directions through their journey?

Our support system recycles energy to supply the necessary fuel needed to empower our spirits. We will hit a few potholes every now and then during our journey, but that’s a part of our spiritual growth. Oftentimes, an unexpected dilemma temporarily zaps us of our energy. Study your roadmap (The Holy Bible) and if you run into an unexpected roadblock, be prepared to take a detour. There will always be a plot to ambush you and your mission, but we must remember that God will have a backup plan and an escape route in place when we call on Him. That’s why everyone is equipped with a GPS, not a Global Positioning System, but a God Positioning System. Just pay attention and watch for His “Exit This Way” sign.

(except taken from “Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit”)
http://www.kymgmoore.com/