Are you playing your part on the team?

There is a saying that goes Teamwork makes the dream work. Whether we voluntarily join a team or not we are all on a team of some sort. The first team that we all become a part of is our immediate family. When we join the work force we become part of the team of a company. If you worship collectively with a body of believers that is a team. Everyone is expected to share their particular expertise to make sure that the organization remains healthy and grows. What happens to an organization where all members of the team do not contribute? When all of the members of the team do not contribute simply put someone else has to pull their weight! First let's start with the family structure, more than likely everyone has chores or something that they must do so that the family can live the lifestyle they want to live. What happens when the dish washer no longer wants to wash dishes? What happens when the person who does laundry decides that someone else can do it? What happens when one of the breadwinners decides they want to sit down? The family begins to suffer and the house goes in disarray. What kind of church do you have when many of its members want to be pew warmers? You know pew warmers are those who want to have their emotions tickled every Sunday but don't want to be involved in any ministry, won't attend events, and think that an hour and half on Sunday is all that God is owed. When people fail to play their part on the team in church they stifle the gospel and someone else has to not only carry their cross but drag the one of the person who is happily sitting down on the pew. Finally let's talk about the workplace. Have you ever worked in a team at work and the other person does not pull their weight but if someone doesn't pick up the slack everyone suffers? Many of us have and its a horrible feeling to know that they are still being paid yet doing no work! We are all expected to do our parts whatever structure we are in. There will come a time when our work will be examined whether we did our parts or not. Are you one of the team members who sits on the sidelines and complains about how things are done yet you are too lazy and trifling to contribute or are you one of the people who has to pull the weight of the person who has their heels kicked up sitting on the seat of do nothing? Decide today that you will play your part on whatever team you are a member of.

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Releasing the Giant

Mankind was the highlight of God's creation the. He was to subdue the earth and have dominion over every living thing that moveth on the earth( Genesis 1:28). Something happened, man disobeyed the will of God and it was a game changer. He became entangled with sin and it took his attention away from becoming what God intended him to become. Many people have become entangled with their pasts, their present, and are facing uncertain futures. When we become entangled we lose focus and we extend a lot of energy trying to get free. There is however a method to becoming untangled. First one must remain calm, becoming distressed while entrapped only makes the situation worse. While you are in a calm state you are able to think freely and plan your escape. Being entangled keeps us from going forth and conquering. We are giants! We were created to make moves! When entangled in issues or people that are stopping your dream STOP, REMAIN CALM, AND COME UP WITH A STRATEGY AND EXECUTE IT. I encourage you today to get on the path to release the GIANT and claim what is yours.

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Work your talent!

The United States is currently going through one of the biggest financial fallouts that it has ever been through. Millions of individuals are out of work, food pantries are feeding many people, violent crimes have increased and doom and gloom seem to be broadcast everyday. As I look at countless individuals that have thrown their hands in the air I think it seems as if the well has gone dry but God has still provided us with a source of water. Years ago Americans were not as dependant on jobs as they are today. Many individuals baked cakes, sold arts and crafts, and anything they could do to bring in some extra cash. Where has that spirit of entrepreneurship gone? Where has hope gone? Where have the individuals gone that said I can't find a job so I am going to make one for myself? Mankind is the most intelligent of the life forms that God created yet many people are stumped in regards to what to do in these trying times. Jesus spoke about talent in one of his parables. To some he gave 5 others he gave 2 while others received one. The key factor is he expected the individuals to grow their talents and put them to use. Have you found your PASSION yet? Just maybe one door has closed and you need to unlock what God has already gave you. If we all identify and put our talents to work we will see a drastic change in your personal lives and in this economy. I challenge every individual to find out what their talent is and as Mary J Blige says in one of her songs WORK THAT THING!

Guard your hearts

Have you ever heard someone say the phrase my head is in the clouds or I'm head over hills in love? Those phrases are used to describe the feelings that one goes through when they feel like they have made a match. Its also possible to have that kind of love for a friend. Sometimes we believe everything that our friends say without questioning it at all. We must be careful to Guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life. When we fail to protect our hearts it is easy for dishonest people to creep in sell us a pipe dream and rattle our faith. One of the biggest problems that many people have is letting their emotions be their guides. Emotions have led to many falling outs, unplanned pregnancies, wars, and even death. We should never enter into any relationship based on our emotions. The heart is at the center of our being so it must be protected at all costs. Not guarding your heart can lead to bitterness and a hard heart. Bitterness leads people to make statements like "there are no good men" or "no one can be trusted" You can see someone who has not guarded their heart from a mile away because they drag a ball and chain around called misery. We should pray to God for a spirit of discernment so that we can see all the signs of someone that will hurt our hearts. Decide today to let Christ Guard your hearts.

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Sunflower Among Weeds

I was driving along doing errands when I saw a beautiful sunflower. Now I know that some might say that is just a flower not a miraculous thing. The thing that captivated me about this flower was its environment. I proudly stood high among the weeds and across the street from the garbage dump. All of its radiance and glory created a bright spot in an area that was overgrown with crab grass weeds and smelled of garbage. We too can decide to be the sunflower among weeds when we make the decision not to let our environment dictate how we behave and who we are. Many scholars were born into poverty. Many geniuses were born in ghettos. Even Christ came from Nazareth which was not considered the Beverly hills of the time. We become a Sunflower among weeds when we decide that what the crowd is doing is not necessarily the way we need to go. Everyone wants to be popular but at what cost? When the herd is going in one direction go in the opposite direction. We become the sunflower among weeds when we stand up and speak up for what is truthful and honorable when everyone else would rather sit down and let things be or even listen to lies. Will you become the sunflower in your world or will you let the stench of garbage and weeds overtake you?

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Signs

Signs appear all throughout the walk of life. Green normally means go, yellow caution, and red stop. Sometimes we obey the signs while other times we don't. Disobeying signs sometimes work out positively but most of the time they don't. I got the inspiration for today's blog from a Do Not Enter Sign. Simply put there are places that we have no business going and some relationships and friendships that we have no business entering. Why do we enter into covenants that we know are fickle or dangerous? Maybe the danger of being with a bad boy or girl excites us at the time or maybe we are just rebelling but we have clearly seen the DO NOT ENTER SIGN. There are rules all around us. God has rules for us but we do not always follow them! When we fail to ignore the signs that we come into contact with we must accept the consequences that come with it no matter how big or small they are. Do you stop at that red light or do you try and sneak through it hoping no one will come speeding from another direction and total your car?

Put a little Wisdom in your walk.

The first steps of a new child are one of the pivotal points in their lives. Learning to walk unleashes new adventures that crawling simply cannot deliver. When we learn how to walk we must also learn how to be observant of our surroundings. We need to be able to differentiate things and people that are helpful as well as those that are dangerous. I often term this living with your eyes WIDE OPEN. If we pay close attention to the signs that are being to us they will steer us clear of trouble. To be circumspect means to be cautious and discreet. So when you are walking you need to be cautious noticing your surrounds all around you and the people that are in them. Once you get a sign that this activity or person is not for you, you can leave them behind. Ephesians 5:15 states See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Walking circumspectly will get you a lot farther and you will make it to your destination quicker.

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