Philippians 4:13....

“Persistent people begin their success when others end in failure.”—Edward Eggleston
“We can do anything we want to do if we stick with it long enough.”—Helen Keller

Persistent~
Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.
She has had a persistent cough for weeks.
Insistently repetitive.
There was a persistent knocking on the door.
Indefinitely continuous.

There have been persistent rumours for years.

So often as Christians we seem to "Give up" before we reach our goals..... Why is that? Do we lack the confidence or faith that it takes to see the end? Or Are we just so lazy in our faith that we say "I give up"? I think one of the greatest verses for Christians, struggling or not, is found in Philippians 4:13~I can do everything through him who gives me strength. You know the truth is, We just have to hold on for the ride and be determined to meet the goal. God wants us to focus on what we are suppose to be doing for HIM. There will be trials, troubles and heart ache along the journey. Through these instead of giving up, we need to pull up our boot straps and ask God to strengthen us through each valley and as PRAISE HIM THROUGH ALL THINGS!

1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen

PERSISTENCE (Determination, Discipline, Self-Control, Diligence)
*Strong character develops as you struggle through tough conditions.
*Persistence that becomes mere stubbornness is a weakness.
*Persistence is a good trait if it is for a worthy cause. But if the goal is only personal honor or gain, persistence may be no more than stubbornness.
*Before you decide to pursue a goal, make sure it is worthy of your devotion.
*Persistence in seeking after God is a strength. Jesus tells us to persist in pursuing God. People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts and conclude that God cannot be found. But knowing God takes faith, focus, and follow-through, and Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded. Don’t give up in your efforts to seek God. Continue to ask him for more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love, and understanding. He will give them to you.

Ask, and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Anyone who seeks, finds. If only you will knock, the door will open. (Matthew 7:7-8, tlb)

Philippians 2:3 Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. 4Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Philippians 2:14 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! 15Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night 16so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.
Philippians 3:12I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. 13Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. 14I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. 15So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! 16Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it. 17Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. 18There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. 19But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
Philippians 4:6Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. 13Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

Lord, This morning I want to lay ALL things before you! Help me to find the goal that YOU have set forth in my life. Give me the strength to overcome the trials and troubles and help me to rejoice to all people the greatness of your being. Help me to see Paul and his persistence in following YOU. Let me lead a life that others would want to follow.

In His Name~ Amen

Isaiah 65:24 ~ Before they call, I will answer....

'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)

A prayer that I found on the internet... I wish I knew where I found it so I can credit the person. It was so beautiful and really touched my heart. A wonderful prayer that we all can pray.

Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this. I ask You to minister to their spirit. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through them. Where there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, guidance, and strength. Where there is fear, reveal Your love and release to them Your courage. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it.. I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Be Still and Know I am God.... I need help hearing from you

What do you do when you need God to get in your face so bad and give your direction? Knowing God's word and having that word gets us through our day to day! But even with God's word and His strength, How do we allow ourselves to get boggled down in the mess that we create around us?
I need direction... I need God Moments where HE is right there saying, "Yvette, this is the path that I want you and your family to take. This is it right here, look at the arrows and follow!"
You see my faith is one that I know God is right beside me, I just need better directions at times... I know that makes sense, because I know of others that have felt the same way. We keep waiting for something grand to happen, maybe a healing or an opportunity, something to open a door? But still we are left filling empty and wondering, Lord where are you?
There are times I look back on decisions and ask if I had made a different one, would God be treating me different.... sometimes I even want to be alone! I am terrified of making a wrong choice, one that may mess someone's life up and of course mine, in the process.
I shout out, I need YOU...... Help me, I am struggling!

How long do you want me to lean on your word.............
Be Still and Know That I am God?
Father,
I pray for your comfort, your loving arms.... I am your child in need seeking your direction in my life. I am confused and scared, not knowing the path that you have put in front of me. Help me to see the doors that you have opened for me and Lord give me the strength to walk through them. Give me peace so that I can hear more clearly, let me comfort knowing that YOU are here with me!

Colossians 1:15-17 ~ The Glue That Holds Us Together...

The Glue That Holds Us Together
This is a pretty neat story and an interesting thing that few of us know.

It's brief, so please read.
(FROM A DOCTOR)

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... And I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned.... But I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.
He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... How He spoke the universe into being... How He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire.. . Etc. Etc.
Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .... And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking.... 'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this?' Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.
And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!! It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how Wikipedia describes them: 'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see.... Laminins are what hold us together.... LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE.
But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....Here is what the structure of laminin looks like... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it... If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing.The glue that holds us together.... ALL of us.... Is in the shape of the cross.
Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible And invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him All things HOLD TOGETHER. ' Colossians 1:15-17 Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.
Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together... One cell to another... By the cross.
You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything Other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed his first breath!!

We praise YOU, Lord !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 40:1-3 ~ On Solid Ground

Psalm 40:1-3

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.