Archives for December 2016

Hashtag Life Goals

29 Dec

Setting goals is so important. I have always known the importance of having goals, but it was not until recently that I actually recognized the benefit of actually writing them down in order to achieve true success. I mean, I’ve just never been a “goal writer- downer” type chick. Don’t you judge me; everyone can’t be as great as you!

But about a year or two ago, I had a change of heart and decided that I DID want to be great like you, so I actually started a life goal list. This was inspired by the book, The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, by Mark Batterson. In the book, Mark had a chapter where he talked about his life goals and those of people he is connected to and how consistently “praying circles” around those goals affected how they were accomplished.

For those of you, that may be like me and have no clue what a life goal list is, allow me to help you. A life goal list is a list of goals that you want to accomplish in your life. I know, genius right! These goals vary in rage from career goals to personal goal. From specific to vage. I was intreged because I do want to acccoplish some DOPE stuff in my life, so I decided to explore this life goal list and become a “goal writer- downer”.

Honestly, judging from the evaluation of my list, writing my goals down is one of the smartest things I could have ever done to be effective in actually accomplishing them. Some of these self- help experts really be knowing what they be talking about! (Horrible English, I know)

Below are the benefits I found to writing my goals down:

It forced me to evaluate what was really important in my life.
I am consistenly reminded of what I desire to accomplish, when I post them in a place I frequant. (I revisit my list on the 15th of every month)
If it did make the list, after evaluation of importance, I am then held accountable by myself and those that I have communicated it to. (I hate when I don’t do something I say I’m going to do. But if I keep all my goals in my mind, majority of the time, I’m not going to say anything about it and if I don’t say it, does it HAVE to be accomplished?)

Below is my Life Goal list so far. As expected, as life goes on, thing get checked off and new things get added.

Get Married
Adopt a child(ren)
Birth a child (ren)
Leave an inheritance for my children
JiHe Mobile Boutique (Dec 2015)
- Have multiple mobile boutiques across the country
Have a team/ employees
Develop ~~JiHe Ministries~~ Breakfast With Tiffani
Visit Every Continent
Visit Every State in the USA
Specific travel locations
- ~~Niagra Falls~~
- The Equator
- ~~Panama Canal~~
- ~~Grand Canyon~~
- ~~Dubai~~
- Australia
- Africa
- ~~Reykjavik~~
- Seychelles
- Egypt
- Malta
- New Zealand
~~Purchase a house~~
Own multiple properties
Create multiple streams of income
Have a successful vlog/ podcast (10K+ subscribers)
~~Start Breakfast With Tiffani~~
- #Waitaminute
- Dear Dairy??? Dear Daddy???
~~Give $10K (Dec 2016)~~
Give $1,000,000 in a single year
Eliminate Student Loan debt (age 40)
Complete Army 10 Miler under 1.75 (Oct 2017)
Run a full marathon
See Jordan, Jayda and ~~MaKayla~~ graduate high school.
Participate in a mission trip
Introduce someone to Christ outside of the church
Skydive
Scuba Dive
Learn to surf
Learn to snowboard & ski
White Water Raft
Cliff Dive
Drive a race car
Take a hot air balloon ride
Hike the Grand Canyon
~~See an active volcano~~
Spend the night on a beach
Take a month long vacation
Fly a plane
Cross country RV Trip
Get my PMP Certification

What about you, comment below. What are some things you want to accomplish in your life? Do we have any similar goals?

The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide For The Reader In Your Life

18 Dec

“Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer…” Nothing says curl up with a really good book, next to the chestnuts roasting by the fireplace more like Christmas Time! (For the record, I’ve never roasted chestnuts, by a fire or any other place for that matter.) But you know that time that you get to sneak away from all the hustle and bustle of the season, for a few hours just to escape into another world or feed your soul with self- help preparation for the new year. Well here is your ultimate holiday gift guide to accomplish just that for you or the reader in your life. Click the image to access the book via Amazon.

Visioneering by Andy Stanley

Visioneering is the engineering of a vision. It’s the process one follows to develop and maintain vision. “Vision,” writes Andy Stanley, “is a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.”

In the bestselling Visioneering, Stanley builds a compelling case for the necessity of a clear, God-ordained vision for each of the roles of your life. Whether you’re a parent with a vision for your children or a CEO pursuing a corporate vision, Visioneering is the perfect tool to help you develop and maintain God’s unique purpose for your life.

Marriage God’s Way by Scott LaPierre

At its best, marriage brings joys and blessings rarely seen in this life. At its worst, marriage generates pain and conflict, often because husbands and wives do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities.

Wouldn’t it be great if husbands and wives had access to clear, simple instructions on how to have a wonderful marriage? Such instructions exist! As the author of marriage, God placed the recipe in His Word that shows husbands and wives how to experience the marital blessings available to every couple. Whether you are preparing for your wedding, newlyweds, or marriage veterans, you will learn those instructions in Marriage God’s Way.

Pastor Scott offers a clear guide on the Bible’s view of marriage. He explains:

Scripture’s commands for husbands and wives
Godly love and how to show it
Submission and headship
Biblical intimacy
How to build your marriage on an indestructible foundation

Scott LaPierre combines clear teaching from Scripture with practical application for daily married life to encourage, challenge, and equip you to experience a healthy, joyful, Christ-centered relationship.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.

Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until, despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.

But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go.

A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.

Self Made by Nely Galan

What does it mean to be self-made? It’s not just about having money, but financial empowerment is where it begins. It means getting out of survival mode, where you are one problem away from catastrophe. It means changing your mindset from instant gratification to goal orientation. It means being able to sleep at night without worry. It means being rich in every way: rich in money, rich in family, rich in love, rich in time—abundant!

For Nely Galán—entrepreneur, TV producer, and real estate mogul—helping women to become self-made is a movement and a mission. Galán pulls no punches. She is the straight-talking friend and mentor you’ve always wanted, and here she shares valuable, candid, no-nonsense lessons learned on her own path to becoming self-made (“There is no Prince Charming”; “Think like an immigrant”; “In your pain is your brand”; “Don’t buy shoes, buy buildings!”). You’ll read inspiring stories of women who started and grew businesses out of ingenuity, opportunity and need. You’ll find exercises to help you identify your goals and your strengths. You’ll learn tips and tricks for saving money, making money, and finding “hidden money” that can help jump-start your self-made dreams.

When you become self-made, the change in you inspires change in those around you, because one of the greatest rewards of a self-made life is seeing how the sparks from your personal revolution can light a fire in others. So come, join the Self-Made movement. The revolution starts inside of you!

His Leadership Her Trust by Heath Wiggins

“PIONEERING”! This ground-breaking look into relationships uncovers the secret of how Christian men can increase the level of trust and respect of their girlfriend, fiancée, or wife to the point where she actually wants to follow him. Early in his marriage, Heath knew the direction he wanted to lead his family but struggled with how to get there. He needed to learn how to be a better leader in order to accomplish their dreams, but no one could show him how to do it. So he went back to school and spent the next 10 years researching how to provide leadership in a relationship and gain the trust and respect of his wife. Men need more than money or the title “husband” to be the leader in a relationship with today’s contemporary women. This book is the first of its kind to break down and teach men, in four practical steps, exactly how to provide leadership in a relationship, how to gain a woman’s respect without demanding it, and how to get a woman to trust his judgment and decision making—all within the Christian context.

Surviving Spiritual Heartbreak by Jennifer Jenkins

To have your will align with God’s, experience the manifestation of your greatest desire, and be able to fully enjoy the promise, is to realize the fullness of God’s unmerited grace. To have your will align with God’s, recognize the existence of your greatest desire, obtain confirmation that the promise is indeed true, and then, to be stripped of it, is to experience spiritual heartbreak and the fullness of God’s unmerited mercy and love. If you have ever experienced the latter, or have a desire to understand a loved one who has, you will find hope and encouragement in this straightforward, eye-opening account of one woman’s journey from the pit of spiritual heartbreak to the discovery of her purpose and promise. Discover how the breaking of your heart has prepared your Spirit for the fulfillment of your purpose and procurement of your promise.

Fervent by Priscilla Shirer

You have an enemy . . . and he’s dead set on destroying all you hold dear and keeping you from experiencing abundant life in Christ. What’s more, his approach to disrupting your life and discrediting your faith isn’t general or generic, not a one-size-fits-all. It’s specific. Personalized. Targeted.

So this book is your chance to strike back. With prayer. With a weapon that really works. Each chapter will guide you in crafting prayer strategies that hit the enemy where it hurts, letting him know you’re on to him and that you won’t back down. Because with every new strategy you build, you’re turning the fiercest battles of life into precise strikes against him and his handiwork, each one infused with the power of God’s Spirit.

New York Times bestselling author Priscilla Shirer, widely known for her international speaking, teaching, and writing ministries, brings her new role from the 2015 film War Room into the real lives of today’s women, addressing the topics that affect them most: renewing their passion, refocusing their identity, negotiating family strife, dealing with relentless regrets, navigating impossible schedules, succeeding against temptation, weathering their worst fears, uprooting bitterness, and more. Each chapter exposes the enemy’s cruel, crafty intentions in all kinds of these areas, then equips and encourages you to write out your own personalized prayer strategies on tear-out sheets you can post and pray over yourself and your loved ones on a regular basis.

Fervent is a hands-on, knees-down, don’t-give-up action guide to practical, purposeful praying.

Crash The Chatterbox by Steven Furtick

“I used to think that someone who struggled with the kinds of weaknesses I deal with daily was useless to God. I felt so often like I was drowning in internal dialogue I couldn’t control. It had been the soundtrack of my life for as long as I could remember.

Yet everything changed when I began to realize God has given us the ability to choose the dialogue we believe and respond to. And once we learn how, we can switch from lies to truth as deliberately as we can choose the Beatles over Miley Cyrus on satellite radio.

This is the key to pressing ahead and doing God’s will anyway, even as you are bombarded with thoughts, feelings, and even facts about why you can’t do it.

I’m now awakening to the reality that we can access the power of God’s promises to constantly crash the system of our broken beliefs. I’m learning how to overpower the shouts of the Enemy by bending my ear to the whisper of God’s supernatural truths about my identity in Him and His strength in me.”
-Steven Furtick

Dance Into Destiny by Sherri L Lewis

An unlikely friendship between a purposeless socialite and a purpose-driven church mouse leads them on a passionate pursuit of God’s destiny and balance for their lives.

Keeva Banks is in danger of flunking out of grad school – again. She can’t seem to get it together because, honestly, she doesn’t really know why she’s in school. She’s desperately in need of a sense of purpose to give meaning to her life. Shara Anderson has that sense of purpose through her intimate relationship with the Lord, but needs some balance in her Christian walk. Through divine orchestration, the two women meet, and their lives are forever changed.

Dance Into Destiny is a story of friendship, love, and overcoming issues from the past. It illustrates how pursuing an intimate relationship with the Lord is the key to reaching one’s true potential and fulfilling one’s God-ordained destiny and purpose.

Sp waht about you, have you read any of these books? What are some of your all-time favorite books to read?

God Can And He Will For Me- #TBT

15 Dec

This time of year can be both exciting and discouraging. Exciting, because we experience joy and anticipation for what the new year will bring. But discouraging because we also spend some time reflecting on the year to identify what we need to work on, as well as, where we are now compared to the beginning of the year. Although I am very grateful and excited about 2017, if I can be honest, there are some things that I was anticipating and praying for in 2016 that still haven’t come to pass yet.

As I was reflecting and see another year prepare to close, I had to remind myself that God can and He will for me. Just because I didn’t experience Him answer a specific prayer of mine this year, as I anticipated in January, doesn’t mean He can’t and He won’t. He may do it in 2017 or He may not. But one thing I do know, if He said He will do it, He can and He will, for you!

I pray this devotional soothes any anxiety or doubt you may be feeling as we prepare to say goodbye to 2016 and hello to the new beginnings of 2017.

On yesterday, I shared with my VIP Guest List (if you haven’t already, please join to receive exciting 2017 news about Breakfast with Tiffani as well as receive your Breakfast Bites straight to your inbox) that starting Monday, December 19th until the end of December, I will be taking some time to rest, rejuvenate and refresh for 2017. I would encourage you to do the same.

Please connect with me on social media via Instagram and Facebook, during this time. I will do a few live videos and I would love for you to join me!

Talk to you soon!

Lots of Love,

Tiffani

Rest Is For The Godly

14 Dec

Focus Verse: And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Genesis 2:2 (AMP)

On Yesterday, I had the privilege of participating in Career Day at on of the area High School. I have done this for the past couple of years where I went to technical classes and talked to the students about engineering. But this year was different. This year, I had all non-technicals class where about two percent of the students were interested in engineering. Needless to say, engineering was not the topic of discussion this year.

As I was sharing with the students my matriculation through high school, college and now my daily experiences, I received a lot of questions about life. “What was your childhood like? What is a typical day like for you? Do you like engineering or blogging better?” But one young lady asked a question that I really had to stop and think about. “What do you do to, you know. chill and just enjoy life?”

This question spoke directly to me because I have been really exhausted lately. Searching for more time to get done those necessary things while trying to figure out how to get rejuvenated and refreshed for the days ahead. But the Word of God is clear about how important it is for people of God to rest. The Bible mentions multiple times the importance of rest, Exodus 31:17, Exodus 20:11, Genesis 2:3. If God, the creator of Heaven and Earth saw the importance to resting on a regular basis, what’s makes me above Him?

With the demands of today’s fast-paced society, everyone is always moving. We consistently hear phrases like, “I can sleep when I’m dead. IDGT (I don’t get tired). Sleep is for the weak.” And surprisingly enough, some Christians subscribe to this mindset. Totally disregarding the fact that nothing about these statements are of God, even if you are building the His Kingdom.

God created rest for a reason and rest is essential for us if we want the be the best Kingdom Builders we possibly can be. We are no good to ourselves or anyone else if we are always operating on half full, spiritually, physically or emotionally. As we close out 2016, vow that you will begin to make it a habit to rest regularly, even if you don’t feel like you need it, so that it becomes a part of your 2017 routine. We need a well rested you to help build God’s Kingdom.

Prayer: There is none like You, God. Thank You for creating rest and reminding me of how important it is that I rest regularly. So many times weeks and months can go by before I notice how tired I am and need to rest, please forgive me. During those times of “go” help me to remember, even You rested from work and I am not above You. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Ill Just Say Yes Inspiration

13 Dec

On yesterday, we talked about using the gifts that God gave us to glorify Him and lead others to Him. However, in order for us to do that, we have to be willing to say “yes” to God, daily. Saying Yes is not always the easiest thing to do, believe me. There may be times that your spirit says “yes” with tears in your eyes, not knowing what the yes will require, all while your flesh is screaming “no”. During those times, it is important that you continue to move forward in what you know God has instructed you to do and continue to keep your eyes on Him. He will guide you with His eyes according to Psalm 32:8.

The second thing you must do is consistently feed your spirit with inspiration and encouragement. You can’t allow the enemy the opportunity to get one false or negative thought in your spirit. Below is a song that I have been listening to for the last week. I’ve been that person, the one that says “yes” with tears in my eyes while everything else in me is screaming “no” out of fear of the unknown. In this song, there is a section that calms all fear and doubt:

Below is a song that I have been listening to for the past week. I’ve been that person, the one that says “yes” with tears in my eyes while everything else in me is screaming “no” out of fear of the unknown. In this song, however, there is a section that calms all fear and doubt:

“And there is peace when I say yes.
I might not see it now but you save the best,
For all who trust you and obey.
There is an answer no more delay.”

The peace that comes with your “yes” is unexplainable. I encourage you to allow this song to minister to you as you say “yes” to God today!

Your Gift For The King

12 Dec

Photo by, @officerfishdumplings

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:19-20

As we approach Christmas, the day that we commemorate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ, I raise the question, what is your gift to the King? How are you using it accomplish The Creat Commission as pointed out in Matthew 28:19-20?

God has given each and every one of us gifts, special gifts that are unique and specific. And He gave us these gifts so that they may be used to aid in building Him Kingdom.

We can learn a lesson from the popular Christmas song, Little Drummer Boy, although this song did not come directly from the bible, it is very popular during this time of year and we can all consider the message and apply it to our lives as it pertains to the gifts God gave us to glorify Him.

The song opens up with a story of a little poor drummer boy that was welcomed to visit Baby Jesus after He was born. The little drummer boy realized that he didn’t have fine gifts and jewels to present The King, so he inquired about using his gift to play the drums, giving back to God what He initially gave him. The song closes with Baby Jesus showing His approval of the little boy by smiling.

We all are much like the little drummer boy, none of us have gifts that are worthy of The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, no amount of money, jewels, or all the luxuries in the world is fit for Our King. But the unique gifts that God gave us, He intends for us to use for His glory, to bless Him name and advance His Kingdom.

So I ask today, as we prepare to close out 2016 and move into 2017, what is your gift for The King and how are you using it to teach others who He is?

Prayer: Father, thank You so much for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who You gave selflessly for my sins. Thank You for the unique gifts You gave me to help spread Your Gospel and tell everyone I come in contact with about who You are. I must confess, I have not always used your gifts to tell others about You, please forgive me. Father, help me to be mindful of The Great Commission and the gifts that you gave me to do so. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Best Staycation Spot In DC- Holiday Edition

8 Dec

Well, it is officially the Holiday season. *cue the Christmas music and lights*, cause I’m here for it all. Nothing puts me in the mood to spend time with the ones I love quite like Christmas.

Earlier this year, I was blessed with the opportunity to celebrate my Birthday at this cute little Boutique Hotel, at their media rate, in Dupont Circle in Washington DC, Hotel Palomar. I didn’t get a chance to travel like I would have liked to because I wasn’t giving them people all my money! But, while I was there I thought, ” yo, this would be a DOPE spot to have a Staycation with some friends for the Holidays.”

I am slowly recognizing my infatuation with boutique hotels for their style and grace. *Inserts Big Poppa by Notorious B.I.G.* “To all my ladies in the place with style and grace…”

Hotel Palomar is just so CUTE!

While I was waiting for my frans to come and play, I hung out by at the pool in the cabana! Of course, this probably won’t be an option during the winter time, but then again the way this weather has been bipolar, you may just have the chance to look cute in one of their cabanas.

The whole staff is simply amazing and I love their attention to detail. I was greeted with one of my favorites, KRISPY KREME! Shout out to Paris for looking out and being so sensational!

They even have a free bike share program for their guest. Imagine riding around Dupont Circle and Georgetown on a cute December evening with all the Christmas lights and decorations!

I simply love the artwork throughout the entire property. Thanks so much Palomar for showing me such an amazing time. I can’t wait to stay with you all again!

Let me hear it, where is your favorite place to have a Staycation in your area?

Recovering From Anger Towards God- Part III

8 Dec

We have reached our third and final devotional on Recovering From Anger Towards God. Jennifer and I pray that it blessed you as much as it blessed us to share it with you. Please connect with Jennifer on Facebook and Instagram as well as make sure you sign up for my Breakfast VIP Guest List so that you get exclusive information about our Surviving Spiritual Heartbreak: Surrendering the Pain to Secure Your Purpose Giveaway starting tomorrow!

Break Free

Breakthrough comes just as it is time for you to break free from the pain of the trial and it comes as a result of God asking you to trust in Him again even though you might be angry with Him because of how things turned out. Breaking free is not something that happens automatically, it is a voluntary action that includes a choice to move forward and begin to live again. Living does not happen as you are mourning, and cannot take place when you are so deep in despair that you see nothing but darkness; living begins when you decide to submit yourself unto the light once again.

Move Forward

You also must be ready to move forward. Moving forward has a plethora of meaning and can manifest in a variety of ways, but it will all include the will of God. Moving forward does not mean neglecting His voice or turning your back to His way, it means extending yourself to Him once again, trusting that He will not lead you anywhere He has not already walked and believing that His purpose in going ahead of you was to prepare the way.

God is calling out to you, but you are so engulfed in self that you cannot even begin to hear what He is saying. When my mind began to sing those songs of comfort as I lay on that floor, I initially ignored them because I just knew that the words were a lie. There is no way that God could care about my tears if He was not willing to do the one thing that could make them stop. He could not care about my tears and still have me embark upon a journey knowing it would end in such a way. These are the lies the enemy was whispering in my ear as my mind attempted to engage in inner healing prayer and intercede upon my behalf.

My turning point was in recognizing that those thoughts were the voice of the enemy and it was in that moment I decided to get up and open my Bible. I went into fight mode and recited Job 13:15 to myself, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”. There was something so much greater happening in the spiritual realm than the crucifixion that had just taken place. God was preparing to do something so much greater and it was in that truth that I needed to place my trust. I was obedient in aligning my will to His and followed the instructions provided in His word spoken directly to me. More than that, I was obedient to the written word and His written word states that He rewards the righteous and that He cannot lie, so why would I believe that though the promise was not manifest in this time it would not manifest at all? Man does not have the final say, God does and it was in Him that I needed to place my trust. God has never been a liar nor has He failed me and there was no way you could lead me to believe that He would start now.

Prayer: Father I trust you. I have no clue where this is going to go or what you are intending to do but I trust you. I am heartbroken, I am hurt, I feel deflated and I am in complete and utter shock but I thank you for waking me up. Show me what it is that you have for me to learn. Though I don’t know where I go from here, I am thankful that you have shown yourself faithful and that you walk before me. I know greatness is to come and I thank you in advance for all that you are about to do. Amen.

Recovering From Anger Towards God- Part II

7 Dec

I invited my friend and author, Jennifer Jenkins, to share with us from her book, Surviving Spiritual Heartbreak: Surrendering the Pain to Secure Your Purpose, part II of Recovering From Anger Towards God. Connect with Jennifer on Facebook.

The first words I cried at the conclusion of my crucifixion were “Why God?!?! Whhhyyy???” A cry that was accompanied by full-on sobbing and wailing as I lay on floor grasping for anything to bring peace. I can imagine Job experienced many of the same emotions as he learned of the demise of his family and empire despite all he had done for God. Despite the righteous life he lived and how he pointed others to God, he was still struck by the enemy, and he was struck hard. “How is it that I do what you have called me to do, go where you have called me to go, say what you tell me to say, work how you want me to work and yet and still you allow THIS to befall me? Whhhhyyy??!!! Where is the reasoning? Where is the logic? Where is the justice? Where is the reward?!?! I live for You on a consistent basis and this is what I get, but the people who purposely live against Your will and do what they want to do in spite of what you have told them, get to live happily ever after?”

Sound familiar? That was my conversation with God as I lay on the floor in immense pain and utter confusion. Many of us have been there, some of us are there now, and others have made it to the other side. As a human designed to engage in logical reasoning and rational thought, it would almost be amiss to not question why bad things happen to good people. Unfortunately, I doubt you will get an answer and even if you did, it wouldn’t make the pain any easier or allow you to move past what happened any faster. The reason will not take away what happened, it will not change what happened, and above all else, you probably would not understand the reasoning for why it occurred anyway. If you really must have a reason as to why this occurred, I will offer a few reasons for your consideration.

Consider The Cause/ What’s The “Why”

You were called for such a time as this.
- Consider Ester in the Old Testament. Esther risked her life for the lives of her people even though she would not personally reap any rewards. Though she maintained all she had before, she was also able to enjoy watching her people increase. Your life is not your own. Your journey is not for the glory of you, it is designed to exemplify and exalt the outrageous power, grace, and mercy of our loving and awesome Heavenly Father.
Why Not?
- A righteous man, Job feared God and lived a life of complete integrity. Job was so amazing that God himself bragged about Job in Heaven when the heavenly court came together. When Job was being tested, he refused to curse God or turn away from his master, instead, he chose to stand in reverence to his knowledge of God’s character, believing He would show Himself merciful and mighty. The testimony you develop from this time of pain will serve to comfort others when they embark upon this treacherous journey. Stand in faith that God is working it all out for your good, praise your way through, and watch God work!
You Needed To Grow/ Mature/ Stretch.
- In his letter to the church at Colossae, Paul wrote about the impact of the Good News on the life of others and how hearing the Word of God promoted a change in lifestyle for many. He shared that the Colossians were being prayed for on a regular basis that they might mature in the Spirit as they got to know God more intimately. Throughout the New Testament, there are numerous accounts of Paul encouraging growth and maturation in others. While in prison, Paul writes to others encouraging them to not become discouraged by his current circumstances, but instead to continue to grow themselves in the Lord. There is always an area in which you can grow and develop, use this time to actively participate in the maturation process.
You asked for it.
- Typically we open ourselves to growing experiences by praying for growth in a particular area of our lives. Remember in Luke 16:10 where Jesus said that if we were faithful over little things then we would also be faithful in large ones? Take a moment to consider your prayer life. Have you asked God to grow you in any way? To align your will with His? To prepare you for a new vein of ministry? Perhaps you prayed for patience, expansion, increased knowledge, enlarged territory, or something similar.

The reason for the crucifixion is not what really matters. What does matter is what you do when you are in the midst of the crucifixion. Esther took to fasting and prayer in order to hear the voice of God. Job took to worshipping God and praising Him for His greatness despite his current state. David cried out and yet still sought the voice and face of God. The greatest answer to your “why?” is that God desired to bring you closer to Him.

Tomorrow, we will close with Part III of Recovering From Anger Towards God.

Recovering From Anger Towards God- Part I

6 Dec

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)

Be angry and do not sin; Ephesians 4:26a (ESV)

It had hit me. I woke up out of my sleep and realized, I’m angry towards God. I had never felt this emotion before. And honestly, for so long, I wasn’t aware that this was my feeling towards Him. I had continued my service in ministry, continued to thank Him for being God in my life, I even praised Him corporately and privately. However, that didn’t change the fact that I was angry with Him. But I was now at the first step, admitting it.

How did I get here, I questioned? What got me to the point where I was angry and wasn’t even aware of it? I had to go back and evaluate some things in the past.

The conclusion: I had not been addressing issues, that were dear to my heart, and how they made me feel.

This can happen a couple of ways. If we are not careful, Christians, working in ministry, can be so focused on the ministry, while totally disregarding what’s going on in their own personal lives. Additionally, sometimes, we just choose not to address our feelings. I have been guilty of both of these examples.

The first step to recovering from anger towards God is to simply recognize it and admit it. Be willing to address your feelings, they are valid. I have heard a number of times that as Christians, we aren’t supposed to operate in our feelings. And this is true, our feelings, as humans, change so often that it is not wise to make decisions based solely on our feelings. However, it is very important that we address our feelings and how something makes us feel, in a healthy way. This is essential to a healthy emotional and spiritual life.

Have you ever experiences anger towards God? This is a perfectly normal emotion. What steps did you take in recovering?

Tomorrow we will discuss part two of recovering from anger towards God.

Prayer: Father, thank You so much for this revelation. So many times I just let my feelings pass not really addressing them. Thank You for reminding me of the validity of my feelings and how it is important that I address them in a healthy way. As I continue this walk with You, help me to identify how I am feeling so I can in return address my feelings. In the name of Jesus, Amen!