Who's Up For a Challenge? Read one chapter a day in the book of Proverbs.....

[PinkPebbles]

My favorite part of Chapter 2 is verses 12 through 15.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,

13 who leave the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,

14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.

It's goes along with what Laela said yesterday that no one is responsible for us sinning but ourselves. Sinning is free will. At times we say "The enemy was attacking me so hard I had no choice but to sin." We try to use weakness as an excuse but here in verse 12 God confirms that he gave us an out. We're not trapped under the hands of the enemy. God gave us wisdom and if we seek knowledge and understanding, TRUE wisdom of his word, we have all we need to fight off the enemy. I believe there is a scripture in the Bible for every problem we face. That's why we need to read and study so that we can be prepared to fight at all times.

This is a great thread. Can't wait to read Chapter 3 tonight! I feel wiser already.

Agreed. I'm glad you brought this up!
Also, once we acknowledge sin for what it is and stop blaming others for the actual sin that we committed. That's when we will be able to overcome the sin that had us bound.

The truth will indeed set us free!

 

[divya]

Wonderful! I'm in...one day late but I'll catch up!

 

[Aggie]

My thoughts are written in blue.

I believe it's safe to say that God gives some of us spiritual parents; those who are seasoned in the word, and give godly counsel and advice. They speak the truth because they love and care for us. Sometimes the truth hurts but at the same time it prevents us from heading towards destruction.

In my childhood some of the spiritual parents were known as "Momma" or "Big Momma." Everyone respected and knew that Big Momma did not play. She said things that others were afraid to say but we all knew that Big Momma meant well and was full of love:blush3:.

I can relate all too well with this post PP. I remember that "Big Momma" even represented a neighbor that looked over the young ones while my mom was at work and she never let any folly come out of us. It was respect and obedience all the way.

I love that this proverb began talking about the impartation of wisdom in the home, not at school or church or anywhere else, but at home with our parents. I pray that we as parents would go back to biblical basics and that we and our children would take heed to every word of heavenly wisdom imparted to us.

 

[Butterfly08]

I gotta catch up! I'll read both chapters tonight and post my thoughts.

 

[Aggie]

1MY SON, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you,

2Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly [a]Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it];
3Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
4If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures,
5Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God.(A)
6For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity,
8That He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints.(B)
9Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path. 10For skillful and godly Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you.

God the Father of the Just, gives wisdom to those who seek Him first. If we ask of Him, he would give it to us and this pleases me. Honestly, sometimes I feel like the most unknowledgeable person on the planet and when I delve into God's word, light bulbs come on and I see things a lot clearer. Thank God for His Wisdom that He gives to us and opening our eyes to truth.

 

[Laela]

Chapter 3 has some very familiar and much-used verses... I pray to read it with fresh 'eyes'...

 

[Butterfly08]

Agreed. I'm glad you brought this up!
Also, once we acknowledge sin for what it is and stop blaming others for the actual sin that we committed. That's when we will be able to overcome the sin that had us bound.

The truth will indeed set us free!

This is SO true. I am dealing with a person who REFUSES to accept responsibility for wrongs and it's quite amazing to me how someone can be so blinded. It reminds me to repent DAILY before God.

I believe that pride is one of the roots of failure to acknowledge or receive the wisdom of God. If you're constantly pointing the finger at others, or you believe you are always right, your mind is closed to receiving God's wisdom and understanding. I like vs 1 -5 - simply receive the word, listen to wisdom, apply it in your heart, and cry out to God for it. Ask, and we shall receive! Seek for it as if it is a treasure, and we will find it!

1My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

 

[PinkPebbles]

Wonderful! I'm in...one day late but I'll catch up!

Divya - Welcome to the challenge!

 

[PinkPebbles]

Chapter 3 has some very familiar and much-used verses... I pray to read it with fresh 'eyes'...

True Indeed....I will come back in a little while and post my thoughts on some of the verses in Chapter 3.

 

[WorkInProgress88]

i might be a little late but im d.o.w.n

 

[PinkPebbles]

Proverbs 3:5-8

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct[a] your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,[b]
And strength[c] to your bones.

VERSE 5 -8 is one of my favorite verses in the bible. As well as a favorable scripture quoted by many.

These verses bring me comfort, peace, and a sense of security in the Lord when I don't understand why certain things are happening in my life.

When I made a decision to trust God about a situation that I had absolutely no control over a burden was lifted off of me. I no longer worried about the outcome and as a result my life had become more meaningful and productive. I'm more relaxed and began to take each day with an optimistic approach.

Simlarly, these verses give me the strength to wait on the Lord when circumstances are uncontrollable.

We as people spend a lot our lives waiting. And the reality is that human beings dislike waiting. When we have to wait for something it's easy to get discouraged and automatically assume that it's never going to happen; God has abandoned us; or we are being punished for whatever reason. And it may simply mean that it's just not time for that thing to happen yet. That's when our faith has to kick in and trust God.

I believe these verses let us know that it's important to develop patience. Through-out the bible the saints of God had to wait on the Lord and be patient. For example, Abraham & Sarah, Joseph, Job, the Prophets Jeremiah and Hosea, King David, Hannah, Queen Ester, the Disciples, and even our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, just to name a few.

I once read an article by Rick Warren that stated there are three special times when you need that extra dose of patience:
1. When circumstances are uncontrollable
2. When people are unchangeable
3. When problems are unexplainable

WHY - Because:
1. God is in control
2. God rewards patience
3. God is working things out

What am I supposed to be doing while I'm waiting on God?
1. Wait expectantly
2. Wait quietly
3. Wait confidently

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.

 

[PinkPebbles]

Proverbs 3:13-14

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.

VERSE 13 -14
Sometimes all we need is a new perspective on the situation and immediately we are strengthened and victorious in the Lord.

The situation is still the same but we have a new understanding with a renewed mind which puts a smile on our face.

 

[Reminiscing]

Hi Ladies,

I read Chapter 3 last night and verses 25 to 26 stood out in my mind. It was the verse of the month at my church back in September. I didn't think about it much then but with the recent threads and blogs about the last days I think it's perfect for right now. There are so many people who are scared and confused about the last days but I think we as believers in God should let these two verses be our comfort as the evil in the world continues to heighten.

25 You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
26 for the LORD is your security.
He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

AMEN!

 

[PinkPebbles]

i might be a little late but im d.o.w.n

Chinwen2006 - Glad to have you as part of the challenge!

 

[JinaRicci]

These verses from Proverbs 3 stood out for me this morning:

11My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

12For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

To me that says God is like a parent who really cares about their child and will provide correction to make them into a better person. If He didn't love us, he wouldn't do this. And it doesn't have to be about punishment (like God is going to get you for doing x) but more about teaching us lessons to build our character.

'neither be weary of his correction.' I feel that God teaches me the same lesson so many times- in many different ways. Can you relate? I get tired of that but He isn't tired yet of me repeating the same mistakes so I really shouldn't be weary of the correction. (just got that). I'm thankful for & humbled by God's patience with me.

 

[Laela]

Verses 5 -7 are tried and true:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil

My understanding of this passage is this. When we know someone - I mean really know someone -- and have developed a relationship with them over time and through trials, we tend to trust them. So, to know someone is to trust them. The longer we know them, the more we depend on them for support and instruction. We acknowledge them in our lives, remembering birthdays, praying for them, being there in good/bad times, etc. Having a relationship with God is like that, only deeper and better. Man can let us down, He never will. I don't speak for anyone, but I won't trust someone I don't know.

In this chapter, I believe that God promises long life to those who know him and to those who are getting to know him. A personal relationship with him is how we accomplish this. Not relying on men and their opinions. Reading his Word daily, we'll get revelation.



No matter how many times I read familiar verses, I always get more out of it each time I read it. No man can make me see that..only God can. That's why I believe it's very important to know God for ourselves. His Word (and prayer) are like a telephone to me.

 

[PinkPebbles]

These verses from Proverbs 3 stood out for me this morning:

11My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

12For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

To me that says God is like a parent who really cares about their child and will provide correction to make them into a better person. If He didn't love us, he wouldn't do this. And it doesn't have to be about punishment (like God is going to get you for doing x) but more about teaching us lessons to build our character.

'neither be weary of his correction.' I feel that God teaches me the same lesson so many times- in many different ways. Can you relate? I get tired of that but He isn't tired yet of me repeating the same mistakes so I really shouldn't be weary of the correction. (just got that). I'm thankful for & humbled by God's patience with me.

Great Post!

Yes, I can relate. The majority of us didn’t learn our lesson (s) on the first try. And thank God for His unconditional love that we could never fathom.

When we receive and not reject His correction we put ourselves in a position to receive His perfect Will for our lives.

If a kindergartener gets weary and decides not to receive correction for writing his Alphabets incorrectly he would surely struggle in the first grade.

Therefore, God’s correction and chastisement is for our benefit in the long run. And yes, I thank God too for his patience with me as well!

 

[Laela]

Beautiful!

Proverbs 3:5-8

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct[a] your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,[b]
And strength[c] to your bones.

VERSE 5 -8 is one of my favorite verses in the bible. As well as a favorable scripture quoted by many.

These verses bring me comfort, peace, and a sense of security in the Lord when I don't understand why certain things are happening in my life.

When I made a decision to trust God about a situation that I had absolutely no control over a burden was lifted off of me. I no longer worried about the outcome and as a result my life had become more meaningful and productive. I'm more relaxed and began to take each day with an optimistic approach.

Simlarly, these verses give me the strength to wait on the Lord when circumstances are uncontrollable.

We as people spend a lot our lives waiting. And the reality is that human beings dislike waiting. When we have to wait for something it's easy to get discouraged and automatically assume that it's never going to happen; God has abandoned us; or we are being punished for whatever reason. And it may simply mean that it's just not time for that thing to happen yet. That's when our faith has to kick in and trust God.

I believe these verses let us know that it's important to develop patience. Through-out the bible the saints of God had to wait on the Lord and be patient. For example, Abraham & Sarah, Joseph, Job, the Prophets Jeremiah and Hosea, King David, Hannah, Queen Ester, the Disciples, and even our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, just to name a few.

I once read an article by Rick Warren that stated there are three special times when you need that extra dose of patience:
1. When circumstances are uncontrollable
2. When people are unchangeable
3. When problems are unexplainable

WHY - Because:
1. God is in control
2. God rewards patience
3. God is working things out

What am I supposed to be doing while I'm waiting on God?
1. Wait expectantly
2. Wait quietly
3. Wait confidently

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.

 

[Butterfly08]

Proverbs 3:5-8

I once read an article by Rick Warren that stated there are three special times when you need that extra dose of patience:
1. When circumstances are uncontrollable
2. When people are unchangeable
3. When problems are unexplainable

WHY - Because:
1. God is in control
2. God rewards patience
3. God is working things out

What am I supposed to be doing while I'm waiting on God?
1. Wait expectantly
2. Wait quietly
3. Wait confidently

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.

I too love your ENTIRE post but this last bit really spoke to me. It's HARD to wait, especially for something we really, really want, or for something we see others with and think we deserve as well. I am struggling with that right now. It's a breaking process, but it's also an opportunity for God to strengthen my heart, renew my strength in Him, and give me more than I could ask or think. So each day I will recommit to waiting on Him.

I love it - wait expectantly, quietly and confidently. Just like the example preachers give about being confident that a chair or sofa or bed will hold your weight. You don't even think about it, you just sit or lay down. That's how I want to rest in the Lord - don't even think about it, knowing that He has me in the palm of His hand is working out my every situation. Despite my faults and failures He loves me.

 

[Butterfly08]

Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

I love these verses, especially about sweet sleep. I remember being so stressed at one point that my heart would race at night, I couldn't sleep. I thank God for peace which comes from receiving and applying godly wisdom to my daily life. If you're walking in obedience to God, you can be confident. It's when you're dipping and falling that it's hard to sleep. But seriously I know that wicked will come regardless - as seen in v. 25, because the bible warns us not to be afraid of it "WHEN it comes." But we can rest in the middle of a storm knowing that God will keep us from getting caught up in it.

 

[Aggie]

3Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.(A)


4So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man.(B)

5Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

***********************************************************

These verses simplly speaks to my heart about giving to others and obedience to God. It tells me that God always reward our obedience to HIS word.

We give mercy, kindness and impart our knowledge of His truth to others and HE will honor us with favor, good understanding and high esteem and cause man to favor us as well. It is critical to our very existence to reap the benefits of learning God's wisdom and applying it to our lives. It is how we move, breathe and have our very being.

Childlike faith - this is what we must have to totally trust God. A child knows it's parents and they somehow have this innate ability to simply let their parents take care of them, no questions asked. They know their parents and therefore they blindly trust their parents to protect them, to provide for them, to do everything in their power to ensure that they have what is in their best interest.

God is the best parent anyone can have and God wants us to trust HIM like a small child trusts his/her earthly parents. It sounds simple, doesn't it? Well you know what? It is. It is when we take our intellect out of the equation. Faith is something we can't see anyway, but we believe it.

I know when I take my eyes totally off my circumstances and my needs and start to pray about someone else's, doors that have been shut for so long, just seem to swing wide open. That's where selflessness comes in. I just pray that I can remember to do this more often than I do now.

 

[Aggie]

11My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof,(F)

12For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. 13Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God's Word and life's experiences],

**************************************************************

I have a confession to make. I was angry with God a couple of years ago. I was angry to the point that I had said some really mean things to HIM and for a split moment in time, I did not believe HE existed. As a result, I said some really bad things to HIM and felt nothing because I was angry, so angry. I did not repent of that sin for a long while and of course, things escalated and got worse.

I just did not believe that HE existed anymore. I didn't pray for a long time, I didn't feel His presence like I used to anymore, and through all this time, in the back of my mind, HE was still there, hovering it seemed. Waiting! I ignored HIM. I didn't want to have anything to do with HIM.

But in the end, I couldn't ignore HIM anymore. I sobbed like a baby after I realized my folly. I am sobbing even now as I remember those painful hours. How silly it was to fight with the God of all creation, the One who can wipe me off the face of the planet with just a wave of HIS hands. Yet HE allowed me to live long enough to see this folly, to recognize that it was folly and draw me to my knees before HIM, totally broken, totally ashamed.

I felt so unworthy of HIS love. I felt that HE would never forgive me. I felt like I had committed the unpardonable sin for a moment but I soon realized that that was a lie from the enemy. The Lord still loved me, even though I had thrown the biggest child tantrum of all time.

Not only did HE love me, but HE intervened when the enemy had his tightest grip on me and yanked me out satan's grip, and it was like He said to satan, "She is still mine and you cannot have her, I have redeemed her and called her by name, she is mine". I felt the love of God envelop my heart like I have never felt it before and suddenly I knew, I loved HIM and will always love HIM.

Now I accept HIS corrections, I accept HIS directions and instructions without question. I do not accuse HIM of not loving me anymore. I know now that it is satan's lie. So please, Daughters of Zion, do not despise the Lord's chastenings, it is only for our good. So much time went missing out of my life with HIM because of this foolish act of my selfish will.

IT'S NOT WORTH IT! IT'S NOT WORTH IT! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!

 

[WorkInProgress88]

21 My son, do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

When i was reading through chapter 3, verse 23 immediately jumped at me. "And your foot will not stumble". A lot of the time when i'm making decisions i always worry about if im making the right decision or not. In the past i found myself not consulting God about my decisions and i end up walking through it with a wobbly foot. The verse just reassures me that with God i can accept choices with confidence because he will not leave me. He will be by my side through it all. And like the verse says "my foot will not stumble"

 

[WorkInProgress88]

I too love your ENTIRE post but this last bit really spoke to me. It's HARD to wait, especially for something we really, really want, or for something we see others with and think we deserve as well. I am struggling with that right now. It's a breaking process, but it's also an opportunity for God to strengthen my heart, renew my strength in Him, and give me more than I could ask or think. So each day I will recommit to waiting on Him.

I love it - wait expectantly, quietly and confidently. Just like the example preachers give about being confident that a chair or sofa or bed will hold your weight. You don't even think about it, you just sit or lay down. That's how I want to rest in the Lord - don't even think about it, knowing that He has me in the palm of His hand is working out my every situation. Despite my faults and failures He loves me.

thanks for sharing that

 

[PinkPebbles]

Ladies -

Your posts are really blessing me and ministering to my spirit. The Lord has given each one of us insight and revelation as we read His word. We then share it with each other and not only are we individually edified but corporately as well.

The spirit of God is truly in this thread. And I give God all the glory, honor, and praise for each one of us. His word is being proven during this challenge. "If you seek me, you will find me."

 

[PinkPebbles]

Proverbs 4:23 stood out to me.

23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

VERSE 23

When I’m having one of my off days I have to ask myself these questions:

1. What did I feed or allow entrance into my spirit?
2. Who did I listen to?
3. What did I read?
4. What type of activity / event did I engage in?

Most likely that’s where the underlying issue had stemmed from.

At that point, I have to make a decision to determine if that person, place, or thing is weakening my faith / spiritual growth. And then have the courage to let it go or end it.

This verse also lets me know that believers should exercise discernment, discretion, self-control, and restraint daily. If not we may reap some unnecessary and unpleasant consequences that would affect our daily lives.

After meditating on this scripture and writing my thoughts down I realize that there is something that I need to let go. There are some coworkers that I need to stop eating lunch with in the cafeteria. We are not like minded and neither are we headed in the same direction.

 

[BlessedStarlette]

This thread is right on time for me. I came across this website that uses the book of proverbs as affirmations. I thought it was good. If I may share here is the website:http://www.squidoo.com/Proverbs-as-Affirmations. It is all the 31 chapter of provebs broken down by each chapter into affirmations.

Oh, and I am interested in joining this challenge. I am up to speed with you guys as fars as being on the fourth chapter of proverbs.

My next challenge for myself is to read psalms ,all of it Or I might read proverbs in the morning and psalms at night.

 

[PinkPebbles]

BlessedStarlette - Welcome to the challenge!

This thread is right on time for me. I came across this website that uses the book of proverbs as affirmations. I thought it was good. If I may share here is the website:http://www.squidoo.com/Proverbs-as-Affirmations. It is all the 31 chapter of provebs broken down by each chapter into affirmations.

Oh, and I am interested in joining this challenge. I am up to speed with you guys as fars as being on the fourth chapter of proverbs.

My next challenge for myself is to read psalms ,all of it Or I might read proverbs in the morning and psalms at night.

 

[Laela]

Thanks for sharing that link...

This thread is right on time for me. I came across this website that uses the book of proverbs as affirmations. I thought it was good. If I may share here is the website:http://www.squidoo.com/Proverbs-as-Affirmations. It is all the 31 chapter of provebs broken down by each chapter into affirmations.

Oh, and I am interested in joining this challenge. I am up to speed with you guys as fars as being on the fourth chapter of proverbs.

My next challenge for myself is to read psalms ,all of it Or I might read proverbs in the morning and psalms at night.

 

[Reminiscing]

21 My son, do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

When i was reading through chapter 3, verse 23 immediately jumped at me. "And your foot will not stumble". A lot of the time when i'm making decisions i always worry about if im making the right decision or not. In the past i found myself not consulting God about my decisions and i end up walking through it with a wobbly foot. The verse just reassures me that with God i can accept choices with confidence because he will not leave me. He will be by my side through it all. And like the verse says "my foot will not stumble"

Stumble appears in Chapter 4 again. It seems to be a recurring theme which I love because stumbling is something we do everyday. None of us are perfect so everyday we make small mistakes. Some stumbles are really colossal mistakes that leave us flat on our faces and some are just little blips that we don't even notice. Sometimes the blips are more harmful than the colossal falls but either way, it doesn't have to end there. God set us on a path and if we trust in him we can stand up, brush ourselves off and keep it moving.

10 My child,* listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
11 I will teach you wisdom's ways
and lead you in straight paths.
12 When you walk, you won't be held back;
when you run, you won't stumble.
13 Take hold of my instructions; don't let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.

I love the line where he tells us to guard God's instructions because they are the key to life. It tells us that we have to hold the Word dear to our hearts. I get this picture in my head of holding my Bible tucked under my arms like a football while I block off all the enemies who are trying to tackle me. We put so much effort into protecting our earthly possessions like buying insurance and alarms for our cars, we put two and three locks on our doors at home... but how do we protect the word of God? It goes back to that list that Pink Pebbles typed. We have to self-evaluate and rid ourselves of those things that are keeping us back.

Proverbs 4:23 stood out to me.
When I’m having one of my off days I have to ask myself these questions:

1. What did I feed or allow entrance into my spirit?
2. Who did I listen to?
3. What did I read?
4. What type of activity / event did I engage in?

Most likely that’s where the underlying issue had stemmed from.

At that point, I have to make a decision to determine if that person, place, or thing is weakening my faith / spiritual growth. And then have the courage to let it go or end it.

Today's scripture is really touching me. I feel like shouting right now but I'm at work so I can't. How His scriptures connect just amazes me. It's like connect the dots. We have to trust Him so that He can lead us but in order for us to follow Him we have to be aware of our faults. It's a chain effect. We have to have everything in order to reap the full benefits of his rewards. I thank God for this lesson today. Just like that Christmas song... I'm checking my list and I'm checking it twice. I want to live right in God's eyes. NOTHING is going to stand in my way!!!

Excuse me but I just have to shout a little...
HALLELUJAH!!!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!