Rules for a Happy Marriage

Rules for a Happy Marriage
1. Never allow both of you to be angry at the same time.
2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
3. If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate.
4. If you have to criticize, do it lovingly. Always end on an encouraging note.
5. Never bring up mistakes of the past. Your future is as bright as the two of you will build together.
6. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.
7. Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled.
8. At least once everyday, say one kind or complimentary thing to your life partner.
9. When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit it and ask for forgiveness. Stand ready to forgive your mate as well.
10. It takes two to make a quarrel, and the one in the wrong is the one who does the most talking.
11. Make your life partner your best friend. do not allow anyone else to occupy that position.
12. Always seek the best good for your mate.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF THE PROVERBS 31 WOMAN

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF THE PROVERBS 31 WOMAN

1. The Proverbs 31 woman reveres Jesus Christ as Lord of her life and pursues an ongoing, personal relationship with Him.

2. The Proverbs 31 woman loves, honors and respects her husband as the leader of the home.

3. The Proverbs 31 woman nurtures her children and believes that motherhood is a high calling with the responsibility of shaping and molding the children who will one day define who we are as a community and a nation.

4. The Proverbs 31 woman is a disciplined and industrious keeper of the home who creates a warm and loving environment for her family and friends.

5. The Proverbs 31 woman contributes to the financial well being of her household by being a faithful steward of the time and money God has entrusted to her.

6. The Proverbs 31 woman speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction as she mentors and supports other women, and develops godly friendships.

7. The Proverbs 31 woman shares the love of Christ by extending her hands to help with the needs in the community.

Forgetting The Past

forgetting the past doesn't mean to wipe it out of your memory...
forgetting the past doesn't mean the inability to forget the positive experiences that help us grow...
forgetting the past doesn't mean the inability for forget the negative experiences that help us to avoid making the same mistakes...

forgetting the past means moving past the negative influences that control our lives...
forgetting the past means no longer being influenced by the mistakes You've made and the sins You've committed...
Mistakes are errors in judgement and opinions...
Sins are a deliberate act against God with full knowledge...
forgetting the past means You are no longer controlled (something that has control over you is something that exercises influence over you, rules over you, restrains you, causes you to not be able to move, and ultimately becomes your master) by:

1.) Guilt - things You've done against GOD, yourself, and others...
2.) Past Hurts - things that others have done to you...
some people are stuck and unable to move because they are controlled by past hurts.
3.) Bitterness - resentment, animosity, hostility, anger, and things you hold in your heart against God, yourself, and others...
4.) Discouragement - to be deprived of courage and confidence; disheartened; controlled by lack of confidence and courage...
5.) Torment - things that happened in the past that stole your peace; severe and persistent stress to the body and mind...
6.) Missed Opportunities - things You've missed from mistakes made and sins committed...
7.) Bad Choices - rejected knowledge...

Forgetting the past starts with Introspection and Self-Examination... how do you value your self worth?
It's hard for us to forget the past because of the human element inside us... a negative past ALWAYS carries unforgiveness and the flesh ALWAYS looks for an external blame...
Never look a what someone else can do to change
Change Yourself...

The Difference Between Accepting and Knowing Jesus

accept means to take or receive what's being offered with a consenting mind...when we go to the altar for salvation we have accepted the gift of Jesus but not yet opened the package up...
When we have accepted the gift we have joy...joy when we go to church, joy when we go to bible study, joy when we listen to tapes and cd's of sermons, joy when we listen to Gospel Music...but we don't KNOW HIM...what happens when temptations are thrown in our face?? We don't know how to handle the situation because we don't KNOW HIM...we slip on back to our old ways...we have just accepted the gift but it's just sitting on the table...
BUT...when you KNOW HIM, we have perception, meaning we become aware of HIM, We Identify with HIM, we understand Him, we have a clear and certain perception of the TRUTH... When we Know Him, we have opened up the package that we have accepted...
Knowing the Lord takes time and effort...
we spend 3 hours to watch a game, but do we spend three hours reading the word?
we spend and hour at the spa getting a massage, but do we spend an hour in prayer?
we know everything about our favorite TV characters, but do we know everything about the Lord?
we know all the stories about what's going on in the streets, and at the neighbor's house, in the beauty salon, and around the corner, what r&b singer is dating who,but do we know all the wonderful stories and miracles in the bible?
we know how to dress in the latest fashions and name brands and conform to the worlds standards of making a fashion statement, but do we conform to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ and let HIM be our fashion statement?
Accepting the Lord is receiving the gift of Jesus Christ...
Knowing the Lord is opening the gift and utilizing it...

Matthew 11:27-30
27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Receiving Forgiveness From God

In order to receive the forgiveness of GOD, we must first have a true confession / admission of our sins...

We must have an inner conviction, a realization the we NEED help from GOD...for example -- Psalms 51:1-2 says: 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. David felt convicted and realized he needed help from GOD...

We must also take full responsibility for our actions...Instead of saying "I sinned, or acted out of Godly Christian Character because YOU did such and such or so and so"... When we blame contributing sources for our sins, we do not take FULL responsibility for our actions and we leave the door open for the sin to be repeated...We MUST take full responsibility for our actions... for example -- Psalms 51:3-4 says: 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. David took FULL responsibility for his sin with Bathsheba, he didn't say, "Well Lord, I wouldn't have sinned with her if she hadn't been bathing in my view"...

We must also have a repenting heart...not because of fear, loss, or personal harm; but having a broken heart, and truly sorry for the sin we have committed and the ways we have acted...We must have a change in attitude, and no longer be blinded by what we've done, but to desire to be cleansed...for example -- Psalms 51:10-11 says: 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. David desired to be cleansed and to have his Spirit renewed within him...

In order to receive the forgiveness of GOD, the past sins committed out of the our mouths must not remain in our hearts...

We must be ready and able to RECEIVE the forgiveness...to receive means to take to take, embrace, and welcome (the forgiveness)... GOD gives us forgiveness and we have to receive his forgiveness... Giving is not complete until Receiving takes place!!!

Then we need to move from forgiveness to cleansing, and take the CAUSE of our negative past out of our hearts...forgiveness takes care of what we have done...Cleansing takes care of what caused us to do it... 1 John 1:9 says: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In order to receive the forgiveness of GOD, we must know GOD'S attitude toward our past... Isaiah 43:25 says: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Forget The Past And Receive Forgiveness From GOD!!!

The Origin Of Halloween

History traces Halloween back to the ancient religion of the
Celtics. The Celtic people were very conscious of the spiritual
world and had their own ideas of how they could gain access to it
- such as by helping their over 300 gods to defeat their enemies in
battle, or by imitating the gods in showing cleverness and cunning.
Their two main feasts were Beltane at the beginning of summer
(May 1), and Samhain at the end of summer (Nov. 1). They
believed Samhain was a time when the division between the two
worlds became very thin, when hostile supernatural forces were
active and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished.

The Celtic priests who carried out the rituals in the open air
were called Druids, members of pagan orders in Britain, Ireland
and Gaul, who generally performed their rituals by offering
sacrifices, usually of animals, but sometimes of humans, in order
to placate the gods; ensuring that the sun would return after the
winter; and frightening away evil spirits. To the Celtics, the
bonfire represented the sun and was used to aid the Druid in his
fight with dark powers. The term bonfire comes from the words
"bone fire," literally meaning the bones of sacrificed animals,
sometimes human, were piled in a field with timber and set ablaze.
All fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain
and householders were levied a fee to relight their holy fire which
burned at their altars. During the Festival of Samhain, fires would
be lit which would burn all through the winter and sacrifices would
be offered to the gods on the fires. This practice of burning
humans was stopped around 1600, and an effigy was sometimes
burned instead.

Samhain was the supreme night of demonic jubilation. Spirits
of the dead would rise out of their graves and wander the
countryside, trying to return to the homes where they formerly
lived. Frightened villagers tried to appease these wandering spirits
by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts. This is the origin of our
present day "trick-or-treat." They began the tradition of placing
plates of the finest food and bits of treats that the household had
to offer on their doorsteps, as gifts, to appease the hunger of the
ghostly wanderers. If not placated, villagers feared that the spirits
would kill their flocks or destroy their property.

The problem was... if the souls of dead loved ones could
return that night, so could anything else,human or not, nice or not-
so-nice. The only thing the superstitious people knew to do to
protect themselves on such an occasion was to masquerade as one
of the demonic hoard, and hopefully blend in unnoticed among
them. Wearing masks and other disguises and blackening the face
with soot were originally ways of hiding oneself from the spirits of
the dead who might be roaming around. This is the origin of
Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other
demonic creatures.

Trick or Treat has been thought to have come from a
European custom called "souling". Beggars would go from village
to village begging for "soul cakes" made out of square pieces of
bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would
receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of
the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that
the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer,
even by strangers could guarantee a soul's passage to heaven.

In many parts of Britain and Ireland this night used to be
known as 'Mischief Night', which meant that people were free to
go around the village playing pranks and getting up to any kind of
mischief without fear of being punished. Many of the different
customs were taken to the United States by Irish and Scottish
immigrants in the nineteenth century, and they developed into
'trick or treat'.

When Christianity spread to parts of Europe, instead of trying
to abolish these pagan customs, people tried to introduce ideas
which reflected a more Christian world-view. Halloween has since
become a confusing mixture of traditions and practices from pagan
cultures and Christian tradition. The Romans observed the holiday
of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed.
Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up
prayers for them, and made oblations to them. The festival was
celebrated on February 21, the end of the Roman year. In the 7th
century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace
the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. In
834, Gregory III moved All Saint's Day from May 13 to Nov. 1
and for Christians, this became an opportunity for remembering
before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the
Christian community. Oct. 31 thus became All Hallows' Eve
('hallow' means 'saint'). Sadly, though, many of the customs
survived and were blended in with Christianity.

Numerous folk customs connected with the pagan
observances for the dead have survived to the present. The
various activities traditional to Halloween are mostly associated
with the idea of obtaining good fortune and foretelling the future.
The idea behind ducking, dooking or bobbing for apples seems to
have been that snatching a bite from the apple enables the person
to grasp good fortune. Samhain is a time for getting rid of
weakness, as pagans once slaughtered weak animals which were
unlikely to survive the winter. A common ritual calls for writing
down weaknesses on a piece of paper or parchment, and tossing it
into the fire. There used to be a custom of placing a stone in the
hot ashes of the bonfire. If in the morning a person found that the
stone had been removed or had cracked, it was a sign of bad
fortune. Nuts have been used for divination: whether they burned
quietly or exploded indicated good or bad luck. Peeling an apple
and throwing the peel over one's shoulder was supposed to reveal
the initial of one's future spouse. One way of looking for omens of
death was for peope to visit churchyards, because the spirits of
those who were going to die during the coming year were thought
to walk around the churchyard during this night.

The Jack-o-lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is
the ancient symbol of a damned soul. Originally the Irish would
carve out turnips or beets as lanterns as representations of the
souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead. When the Irish
emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve
into Jack O'Lanterns but they did find an abundance of pumpkins.
Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the turnips and
pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations
ever since. Pumpkins were cut with faces representing demons
and was originally intended to frighten away evil spirits. It was
said that if a demon or such were to encounter something as
fiendish looking as themselves that they'd run away in terror,thus
sparing the houses dwellers from the ravages of dark entities.
They would have been carried around the village boundaries or
left outside the home to burn through the night. Bats, owls and
other nocturanal animals, also popular symbols of Halloween,
were originally feared because people believed that these creatures
could communicate with the spirits of the dead. Black cats has
religious origins as well. During the Middle Ages it was believed
that witches could turn themselves into black cats. Thus when
such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise.

Witches and witchcraft are dominant themes of the holiday.
Witches generally believe themselves to be followers of an ancient
religion, which goes back far beyond Christianity, and which is
properly called 'wicca'. Witches are really just one side of a
modern revival of paganism - the following of pre-Christian nature
religions, the attempt to return to worshipping ancient Norse,
Greek or Celtic gods and goddesses. The apostle Paul said
Witchcraft is one of the acts of the sinful nature and those who
practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:16-21;
see also Revelation 22:15).

"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices
his son or daughter in the fire, who practices
divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in
witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or
spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does
these things is detestable to the LORD, and because
of these detestable practices the LORD your God
will drive out those nations before you. You must be
blameless before the LORD your God. The nations
you will dispossess listen to those who practice
sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD
your God has not permitted you to do so."
[Deuteronomy 18:10-14]

Should Christians adopt such practices?

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." [Romans 12:2]

Can we borrow the pagan customs and superstitions of ancient
peoples and "Christianize" them?

"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of
evil. [1 Thesalonians 5:21-22]

Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween
are evil? Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls,
goblins, devils and demons all portray evil.

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them." [Ephesians 5:11]

The sort of practices celebrated on Halloween are what defiled the ancient
nations [see Leviticus 18:24-30]. The Israelites were warned
against such practices when they entered the Promised Land,
"When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those
nations." [Deuteronomy 18:9]

Is Halloween just another innocent holiday that doesn't harm
anyone? Is it really just childish fun? Should the church be
compromised by accommodating itself to the culture? Vandalism
and wanton disregard for the property of others is common on
Halloween night. Even normally well-behaved children are driven
by unseen forces to destructive behavior. Police officials
everywhere report a great increase in such activities on Halloween.
Worse yet are the horrifying accounts of poisoned candy and
fruits booby-trapped with razor blades and needles. Such threats
are so real that many hospitals offer free X-rays of Halloween
treats in order to prevent children from being harmed. Who but
Satan could inspire such monstrous actions?

As an alternative to the celebration of evil and death,
Christians should rather do what Christians are supposed to do
every day and that is shine the light of Jesus Christ. We should
emphasize the Christian influences and strive to make Hallow's
Eve a celebration of the acts of God through his people the saints.
We should make it a day when acts of charity instead of
vandalism and hatred abound. A day that emphasizes the light of
Christ instead of the darkness of evil. A day when people meditate
on the acts of Godly people instead of ghosts and goblins.

When America and the world celebrates the Festival of
Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil
creatures or decorating our homes, schools, businesses and
churches with occult symbols, Satanic power is glorified. While
you may have participated "all in fun," be assured, Halloween is
serious business for Satanists and witches. Those who oppose
Christ are known to organize on Halloween to observe satanic
rituals, to cast spells, to oppose churches and families, to perform
sacrilegious acts, and to even offer blood sacrifices to Satan.

As evil prevails, Americans have embraced an evil day of
Satan, with the pranks of 'would be' hoodlums, combined with
'demon faces' on pumpkins, clothing of 'death' being worn, and
calling it fun. When Christians participate in Halloween, it sends a
message to children that witchcraft, demonism, Satanism, and the
occult are something fun, entertaining and harmless.

Many years ago, C.S. Lewis wrote that one of Satan's most
deceptive tactics is to convince people that he doesn't exist.
Apparently he has done a good job in his deception. Sadly, many
people think of the devil as no more than a symbol of evil: like
Santa Claus, he is just a fictional symbol. Many people today also
do not think of witches as real people who practice magic, but
simply as imaginary figures who represent the supernatural world
and everything that is 'spooky.' Recognizing this pagan holiday
gives the false impression that what is actually lethal is innocuous.
Some children develop a fascination with the supernatural which
leads them later into more sinister occult practices. It's the spiritual
equivalent of painting a loaded gun to look like a toy and giving it
to child to play with.

It is the kind of celebration that encourages kids like the 16-
year-old in Pearl, Mississippi who stabbed his mother to death in
her sleep and then opened fire at his high school, killing two
students and wounding seven. Authorities found this student along
with at least six others involved in a small, avowedly satanic clique
that calls itself "Kroth."

How some people can defend this kind of activity as just
another innocent holiday that doesn't harm anyone is beyond me.
"Light has come into the world, but men loved
darkness instead of light because their deeds were
evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will
not come into the light for fear that his deeds will
be exposed." [John 3:19-20]

Central to Satan's goals is the widespread acceptance of the
supernatural, including the occult, on the part of North Americans,
accompanied by a great revival of spiritism all over the world.
Over the last 30 years, the occult has moved into the mainstream
of America - in television, movies, magazines, business, and
various aspects of daily life. Movies, books, magazines and
encyclopedias of the supernatural have abounded. Turn on your
TV and hear from the ever-present "Psychic Friends" hotline, or
see lead characters in TV shows meet their "spirit guide." Entire
bookstores devoted to the occult have become common.
Universities regularly offer courses on witchcraft and magic -
usually the so-called "white" variety. Myriads of mystical Eastern
religions, bizarre and often demonic, have invaded North America
and found in most cases an amazing responsiveness.

Increasingly the curriculum in many public schools is
becoming a primer in occultism. Impressions, a curriculum used in
many school districts instructs teachers and students in how to
cast spells. One teacher's manual reads, "Tell the children that a
magician has cast a spell on some children. Have them work in
pairs to write the magic spell the magician used. Have each pair
write another spell to reverse the first spell. Have them chant their
spells." About 16,000 school districts use the Pumsey the Dragon
curriculum, by Jill Anderson. Many of the relaxation techniques
used are identical to those used in hypnosis. Another curriculum
called Duso the Dolphin employs relaxation techniques and sends
hypnotized youngsters off on guided fantasies to a place called
Aquatron.

Recently, a California skateboard manufacturer used a
package enclosure similar in appearance to a gospel tract to
encourage purchasers to sell their souls to the devil. The brochure
titled, "Let's Make a Deal" has a smiley-faced devil who explains
to Flame Boy what happened in heaven after he was banished:
"First off, they set up a bunch of dumb rules, and then they
imposed a really strict dress code. I'l wager that people must be
quite bored up there, but hey, that's what they get for being good."
He contrasts this with, "Flame Boy, even a dimwit like you can
see that hell is by far the best place to retire. Just look at all the
fun to be had." Children are asked to sign and return a contract,
by which they give possession of their souls to the devil for
eternity.

Satanism has become a phenomena that crosses the city limit
into the rural areas of our nation. It is reported there are some
6000 witches, and approximately 10 million people are involved in
the occult. However, it is very difficult to establish how many
actually participate. These individuals are involved in a wide
variety of activities from simply casting spells to human sacrifice.
The news wires carry story after story about young children being
kidnapped, only to be found later as victims of some bizarre
ritualistic crime.

As satantic involvement among our youth increases, we begin
to see the primary goal of such activity. According to Scripture (2
Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:9), Satan's goal is to deceive man by blinding
him to the truth of the gospel and to receive worship for himself
(Matt. 4:9; Isa. 14:12-14). It has become clear that the primary
goal is to alter an individual's values and turn him against himself,
his beliefs, family, God and society.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
[1 Peter 5:8]

Young satanists believe the strong will rule with Satan. Once
an individual becomes involved, they often make a pact with
Satan. They commit themselves to a future date when they will
take their own lives by suicide. They believe if they submit
themselves to Satan in death, they will come back in another life
as a stronger being and rule with him forever. According to recent
statistics, fourteen young people a day take their own lives.

What's wrong with Halloween? It does not have even one
single redeeming virtue. It is custom born out of pagan
superstition. It is a demon-inspired, devil-glorifying, occult festival.
It is an evening holy unto evil, death, and divination. The
Scriptures tells us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil."
[1Thess. 5:22] Wake up Christian! This is the night of evil and
those who love the Lord Jesus Christ should have nothing to do
with it.

We are all accountable for our choices and decisions.
Ignorance is no excuse. The choice is up to you. Have you been
involved in this satanic holiday? Do you struggle with giving it up
because "it's just fun" and an innocent opportunity for children to
dress up and collect candy? Don't take my word for it. Let God
show you what he would have you do. You might begin by
praying the following:

Father in heaven I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ to
confess that I'm a sinner. I'm sorry! Please forgive me. I
believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is Your Son and
that You raised him from the dead. I believe that Jesus Christ
died for my sins and that I might be saved. Each and everyday
Father I turn my will and my life over to Your care, and may
Your Holy Spirit lead and guide me in all the things I think ,
do and say. I'm Yours and You are mine. Father, please use
me that I might help others come to know and love Your Son
Jesus Christ. Thank you for saving me. Amen

A Gloomy State Of Mind...

When everything that COULD go wrong DOES go wrong, it puts you...
In A Gloom State Of Mind...
You've given all that you have to give and it still isn't enough...
You get to the point of total unfulfillment... Where nothing even matters anymore... You just wanna let it all go because your...
In A Gloomy State Of Mind
It seems like Everything that looks good is bad & Everything that looks bad is good...
The checker at the grocery store that says hello and always has a positive word "looks good"... but in reality she can't stand her job, her co-workers, or the piddly pay she receives for dealin wit it all...
The teenager walkin down the street with baggy saggin pants "looks bad"...but is a straight A student, has a nice job, and volunteers to feed the homeless...
The honor roll student at the high school "looks good"... but comes home err'day to an alcoholic mama passed out on the couch, and has to BE mama [or daddy] to the younger siblings...
I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover... **sigh** just thinkin bout it puts you...
In a Gloomy State of Mind...
How is it that there are people in the world that are unmotivated to do anything for themselves and get ALL the help in the world from the government...cash aid, medical & dental insurance, food stamps, and housing?? They don't wanna get a job or go to school to better their education, but are complacent & comfortable doing nothing but collectin a check... and the working class people who strive to have a better life, put themselves thru school, and struggle to put food on the tables don't qualify to reap the benefits that THEIR taxes provide for the others?? It's enough to put you...
In A Gloomy State of Mind...
Life goes thru many different paths over the course of some years... along this path has been slippery roads that has caused head on collisions, twists turns & curves where you have no clue what's around the corner, low-visibility to the point you can't even see your destination, and finally dead ends that leave you desolate...
In A Gloomy State Of Mind...
What is this Human Body of Ours??
Temple of God??
OR
Closet full of Skeletons??
What is this Brain in Our heads??
Mind of Christ??
OR
Thoughts & Imaginations we'd NEVER want others to know we've entertained?? or is it...
A Gloomy State Of Mind...
MAN... Emotionless...He's sitting in a cell... He's not counting days, He's counting Calendars... He's had Love... He's felt Love... He's experienced Love... After all, Love is what put him there... The Love of Money... So he gets out and dabbles in a lil bit of everything... girls... sex... drugs... fast cars... strip clubs... marriage... kids... church... now he's shown emotions... "Fear" of losing his freedom again & "Love"... The Love of Money...Does he want to be a good Man?? Does he want to be a good Father?? Does he want to be a good Husband?? Does he want to be a good Son??
ABSOLUTELY... As long as it doesn't interfere with his Love of Money...
WOMAN... Emotional...She's crying crying crying...she can't stop... everything is wrong... nobody listens to her... nobody respects her... she's lived a hard life and done a lot of horrible things, but has struggled to "get right"... She doesn't do it for herself, she does it for her kids... So they will never know the hard callous road she chose to follow, and never travel it themselves... She hollers and screams, but never gets thru... She's fighting for morality in an immoral world... She's running a race... She's been runnin it for some years now... they're hot on her heels, but she always manages to elude them... Them darn people from her past... Her heart is pounding fast... She's outta breath... She feels like she can't go on... She wants to just throw the towel in and be done with it all... but she can't... but she doesn't know what else to do so she just continues to cry cry cry... Does she want to be a good Woman?? Does She want to be a good Mother?? Does she want to be a good Wife?? Does she want to be a good Daughter??
ABSOLUTELY...but she doesn't know how... She doesn't know what's wrong...She doesn't know what the problem is... Yet, everywhere she turns and everywhere she looks she sees the problem... She's standing in a house of mirrors... Emotionless...
CHILDREN... oblivious... Swinging at the park with a big cheesy smile... spinnin around on the merry go round hangin on the end, face up to the sun & sky... like life couldn't be greater...
Playing PS2 & kickin it wit friends... recording skateboard tricks on the camcorder... runnin to the ice cream truck munchin on Hot Cheetos... like life couldn't be greater...
On the computer choppin it up wit friends... Creating graphic masterpieces... talking for numerous hours on the phone to that one special person... like life couldn't be greater...
Going to parties... bowling... skating... and spending time with the significant other that makes them feel so special & loved... like life couldn't be greater... Do they want to be good Children??
ABSOLUTELY... as long as they don't have to Grow Up!!
Children... totally oblivious to...
A Gloomy State Of Mind...
Life is Rough... Life is Cruel... Life is Unkind... Life is Callous...
What do you do when you get fed up??
Do you turn to Sin... cause you've lost patience with righteousness??
Where is the joy?? Where is the Happiness?? Where is the gladness??
They say the gratification of Sin is temporary... that the joy, happiness, and gladness you receive from sin doesn't last long...
Seems like the joy, happiness, and gladness you receive from righteousness doesn't last long either...
Why??
It's KARMA Baby!!
There's raindrops on my windowpane... I'm hangin out the window, but it's not raining... At least not from the sky...
Are You there God?? It's me Dominique...
but don't mind me, I'm just in a...
Gloomy State Of Mind...

I Choose

I choose love... No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy... I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace... I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience... I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I will invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fists at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness... I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. I will be kind to the rich for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind for that is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness... I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness... Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their mother will not come home.

I choose gentleness... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control... I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.

I choose self-control. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Is My Flesh In Opposition?

The way of the spirit is clear...
When I walk in the spirit I am departing from the works of the flesh (sin)
the works of the flesh (sin) will destroy your: life, family, your brother or sister (people you associate with), and your community..
when i walk in the spirit, I bear the fruit of the spirit -- the fruit of the spirit is Love, you can tell when your walking in the spirit by whether or not there is some love coming out of your life...

Galatians 5:16-17
16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

In Other Words, our flesh wars with the Holy spirit...

How do you know if your walking in the spirit of God??
It will be contrary to your fleshly nature...
It's gonna be what you don't want to do...
If it agrees with your flesh and makes your flesh feel good, and you really want to do it, more than likely that's not the spirit of God...
If it hurts your flesh, if it's a sacrifice to do it, and you really don't want to do it, more than likely, that's God...
That's how you know...
If it appeals to your flesh, and you really wanna do it, and your mind is coming up with ways you can get it done and not pay the price, That's not God...
But if your mind says, you ought not to do that, and your body says, i don't wanna do that, that's God...
By nature our flesh is in opposition
for example:
when God tells us to study the word; we don't want to... when God tells us to witness to somebody; we don't want to...Everything that God wants us to do is against our fleshly desires...
You had enough to eat...That's God
but i got a lil more room for a slice of pie...that's our flesh
If somebody on your job is treating you bad and God says why don't you to invite them to church...That's God...love the unlovely
but I don't want to, we'd really rather give them a piece of our minds...that's our flesh...
when your spouse gets on your nerves, and you hear something on the inside saying "don't say nothin"...that's God
when you just have to get the last comment out and have the last word...that's our flesh...
Alot of times we say we "missed" God and we really didn't...We just check the caller ID and decided not to answer...

Works Of The Flesh

Galatians 5:18-21
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Here's A Breakdown

(Adultery) - being married and sleeping with somebody that's not your husband or wife -- (Fornication) - being unmarried and sleeping with anybody no matter the age, stage, gender, sex, race, color, or belief system -- (Uncleaness) - just plain nasty -- (Laciviousness) - a bigger word for nasty, and stuff you just know you ought not to be doing -- (Idolatry & Witchcraft) - serving things other than an almighty God; i.e. the house you live in,the money you want, the friends you want -- (Hatred and Variance) - discord -- (Emulations) - trying to be like something other than Christ -- (Wrath, Strife, and Seditions) - being boisterous and dissentful about the things of God -- (Heresies) - fractions or creating divided motives -- (Envying) - a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.-- (Murders) - murder is more than just killing somebody; you can kill a person's purpose, or joy, or witness, or enthusiasm, you can murder somebody without physically killing them -- (Drunkenness) - All types of highs -- (Revellings) - partying -- (And Such Like) - all the other stuff you while you partying...All these things will destroy your life, family, your brother or sister (people you associate with), and your community... These Shall Not Inherit The Kindom Of God...

Fruits Of The Spirit

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Here's A Breakdown

(Love) - walking in God's unconditional love-- (Joy) - the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by God from the inside -- (Peace) - that passes All understanding -- (Logsuffering) - hanging in there, day after day and week after week and month after month -- (Gentleness) - kindly, amiable, easily handled or managed, polite,and refined -- (Goodness) - integrity, honesty, uprightness,moral excellence, and virtue -- (Faith) - committed to something; faithfulness is a time tested attribute, but not just "time"; just because you've been somewhere a long time doesn't mean you've been faithful; so you can't be faithful without time, but time alone doesn't mean faithfulness -- (Meekness) - when you have the power to destroy somebody but instead you use that power to defend them; You have the power to just wipe them out but use that strength to uphold them -- (Temperance) - self control... Against such There Is No Law...In Other Words -- there is nothing stopping you from having these fruits...

If You want to know if your hearing from God, the best question to ask yourself is:

Is My Flesh In Opposition??? If so, That's God!!!

Casting Down Imaginations

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Imaginations paint a picture in our minds with evil intent. Your Imagination is where ideas, thoughts, and images are formed. Images of arguments, reasonings, and theories.

Arguments are attempts to prove or disprove ideas thoughts, or images that have formed in our minds. They are the first sign of an incorrect image in our minds. They set out to prove a stronghold that has exalted itself against the knowledge of God.

When arguments happen they are born out of pride. They want to win a position, or prove a point; arguing our own truths. Arguments are also concluding proof of our selfishness. Arguments are usually over WHO'S right instead of WHAT'S right and are an indication of a flaw in our character, insecurities, and low self-esteem. Arguing is a lack of Patience!

Reasoning is the mental process to draw a conclusion from presumed. Reasonings are always on the presumed and not the known [Truth of God].They seek to justify our human nature. When we want to justify what we are doing cause we don't wanna quit. Reasonings happen when we don't factor in GOD and take HIS stand because when we do, we have to stop what it is we are doing. Reasonings also happen when we justify ourselves to others to get their approval for what we are doing... saying things like well "at least" i'm not doing this or "at least" i'm not doing that... the term "at least" is being at the bottom of the barrel; being in the "least" is not a standard for us as Christians! We shouldn't measure ourselves to the "least" of THIS WORLD, but we should be comparing ourselves to the "BEST" of God's Word because that is what our standard should be, God's Word, NOT the patterns of this world!!

Theories are arguments and reasonings that have turned into theories. Theories are a plan or scheme that exists in the mind of man and man only! [mankind, that is]. We try to justify our theories by stating that God understands; Trying to make God a partner in our theories saying things like "God understand why i don't tithe, he knows i gotta pay my cable bill" or "God understands why i fornicate, so i won't be lonely, ain't nobody gonna want me if i don't offer my body" or "God understands why i lied, I didn't want to be exposed." God is unchanging and nowhere in the bible does it say that God understands Sin or Disobedience!! Theories are conjectual, hypothetical, theoretical. They are speculative without evidence of a positive outcome. They also cause anxiety and The Word of God says to be Anxious for NOTHING!!

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Titus 3:1-2
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander NO one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

Psalm 119:8-9
I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
2 Timothy 2:22

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Fulfilled Obedience

2 Corinthians 10:6

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Fulfilled obedience means staying ready to punish disobedience. To punish the things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. In order to fulfill disobedience, we must know how to stay ready, why to stay ready, and how to punish disobedience.

For us to stay ready to fulfill obedience, we must arm ourselves with the full Armor of God, gird our loins with the Truth, put on our Breastplate of Righteousness, shard our feet with the Gospel of Peace, use our Shield of Faith, have the Sword of the Spirit in our hand & heart [the Word], put on our helmet of Salvation [ Jesus], and pray at ALL times in the Spirit. We must also have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5 says - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 4:1 says Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. We stay ready by humbling ourselves, setting joy before us, enduring the things of this world, and knowing that we are FREE!! We cannot hold onto the things of this world AND pull down strongholds!! Accepting Christ has freed us from the law of sin and death!! We as Christians are FREE!! We are free to not fornicate... We are free to not commit adultery... We are free to not do drugs... We are free to not have to come up with schemes or kiss butt to climb the corporate ladder!! Promotion comes from God, not man!! God lifts us up!!

Why should I stay ready to punish disobedience?? 1 Peter 4:2 says - That he [I] no longer should live the rest of his [MY] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. So, we stay ready so our lives are not bound by the lusts of man [or our flesh]. Also, to avoid the sinful pleasures and lusts of this world described here in verse 3 - For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries. These desires of the flesh and of this world are temporary and will pass away... Christ is eternal!! We stay ready so that we can be a witness for Jesus Christ... 1 Peter 2:4 pertains to the people you USED to hang around - Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you. Which means They lookin at YOU crazy because you choose to not run with them do the sinful things that you used to do with them. So they talk about you... Lastly, you stay ready so that you can preach the Gospel to them that are dead. Not meaning dead in a physical sense, but dead meaning separated from God. Verse 6 says - For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Now that we know WHY to stay ready, we need to know how to PUNISH disobedience... 1 Peter 4:7 says - But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. So, we punish disobedience by staying sober. We stay sober by being alert, attentive, and watchful. The best way to stay alert is in our prayer life! When we pray, we are alert. Prayer is not telling God what we want and then we're done and go on about our business... Prayer is the constant communication between You and God. It's when you go to God with concerns and pray for guidance and waiting to hear back from him... When your prayer life slips, your alertness is not there because your constant communication with God is gone. The more you pray, the less you sin... The less you pray, the more you sin... [just a thought] We stay sober by having a sound mind and using the Word of God to discipline our thoughts. Discipline is forced obedience done over and over again... [memorizing Romans 6,7,8 will give us a strong thought life and take away our dependency on "things"]... To punish disobedience and Fulfill Obedience, we have to have self-constraint and line ourselves up with the Word of God. 1 Peter 4:8 says - And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. In other words, we need to share OUR experiences to help others to pull down strongholds, and let others share THEIR experiences with us to help us pull down our strongholds...

The Wheels On The Bus

I was just reminded about a song my kids used to sing in Pre- School called "The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round" and it just reminded me of how sometimes we need to just abandon things around us that do not Glorify Christ!! UnGodly people, UnGodly ways, and anything that identifies with the "world" instead of Christ...
So I think of the song like this -- the words are: the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round, all thru the town...So I decided this is how my life is!! I am the bus, and the wheels on THIS bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...This bus don't stop for nobody, detour for nobody, it don't park for nobody, and don't slow up for nobody...The wheels on THIS bus go round and round...My bus only has 7 seats, One for Me, My Husband, and our 5 kids...Now, if You have a bus, You can roll with me, but the minute you stop rollin, don't be confused and get it twisted, cause the wheels on my bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...the wheels on my bus go round and round all thru the town...
I don't love anything in this world so much that i'm gonna park my bus...One year you may see somebody with me or talkin to me, or kickin it with me and assume that's my friend or associate, and the next year you may be wondering where that person is at, or where'd they go, why they not around anymore...well you can just start singing that song in your mind, the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...and while i'm driving i look to the left or the right, and see that your rollin with me, then we can roll on, but the minute you wanna take a detour, go thru a drive-thru, take a look at something, open up and let some additional passengers on, just realize that we will no longer be on the same path, cause the wheels on my bus keep going round and round...
That is how serious I am about abandoning worldly people, places, and things...Paul says in Philippians 3:14 -- I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
So the next time you find Yourself about to take a worldly option or approach to something, remind yourself that the wheels on Your bus are supposed to be going round and round, round and round, round and round...Cease from holding onto worldly people, places, and things...
1 John 2:15 says -- Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Be Blessed...<:((((><<

About Me

I Hate my sins, but never hate myself....

I am quick to repent....

When God gives me light, I walk in it....

I don't say negative things about myself. God loves me and it's wrong to hate what He loves. He has great plans for me, so I'm in conflict with Him when I speak negatively concerning my future....

I'm not afraid to admit that I've made mistakes, but I don't always assume that when things go wrong, it must be "my fault"....

I don't meditate excessively on what I've done, right or wrong; both of these activities keep my mind on self! I center my thoughts on Christ....

I try to take good care of myself physically, and make the best of what God gave me to work with, but I don't obsess over my appearance....

I will never stop learning, but I won't allow my education to become a point of pride. God doesn't use me for what's in my head: He uses me for what's in my heart....

I realize that my talents are my gifts, not something I have manufactured myself; I never look down on people who can't do what I can do....

I don't despise my weaknesses they keep me dependent on God....

Who Am I?

I am no longer searching for my identity or looking to find myself, the word of God tells me that i am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood...and God has called me to further his will in the earth...
He did not make me a commoner, therefore I a not governed by common sense, I don't dress like a commoner, you won't find me in common places, doing common things...I am distinctively different from the world...I am a holy nation, God has called me to be a part of HIS body, and I am a peculiar people, in other words I am GOD's own possession...

1.) I am not what others think of me...
Many times we take our eyes off of Jesus because of what other people think of us...if people have a negative opinion of me based off of how I used to live, or are offended by the fact that now I'm living right, that's not me... I'm not what others think of me...

2.) I am not my past...
whether my past was great or terrible, whatever it is it has passed!!! So if somebody wants to keep reminding me of my past, it doesn't even matter, my past is things that happened to me or regarding me, or around me, but it is NOT me...I am not my past...

3.) I am not my environment...
whether my environment is great or horrible...my environment may affect me, and it is around me, but it's not me and i will not succumb to it...i will not use my neighborhood, household, parents, family, or friends as an excuse as to why I can't live according to the standard set by Jesus to govern my life...I am not my environment...

4.) I am not my current situation...
my current situation may be great or terrible, but whatever it is i am not it...see when I think I am my current situation, when things get good then I feel good about myself, then when things get bad I feel bad about myself... when I like my current situation, then I'm filled with pride, when I don't like my current situation then I'm filled with low self esteem...

5.) I am not how I have been treated...
how people treat you can be deceiving...many times we have friendships / relationships with people that we lower our standard for to have a friendship / relationship with, and we are deceived by their treatment... Jesus chastised Peter, and kissed Judas... sometimes the people who chastise us and are hard on us love us, sometimes people you snuggle up with in a kiss will betray you...I am not how I have been treated...

6.) I am not my social status..
one of the main things that will lure you away from keeping your eyes focused on Jesus is trying to elevate your social status...wanting to be known, wanting to be noticed, wanting to be important, wanting to be this and that... or...feeling like your nothing and on the bottom of the totem pole, but I'm not the totem pole either...I am not my social status...

7.) I am who God says I am...
people can define me any type of way they want to, but I am who God says I am...and the ONLY opinion that matters about who I am is HIS...and he has told me that I am a chosen generation so it doesn't matter how the world AND the people in it want to label me... He also said that i am a royal priesthood, so it doesn't matter if my environment is common, it doesn't matter if the people in my family don't act right, it doesn't matter if everybody around me is living crazy, I am who God says I am...the only thing I have to concern myself with is how does HE defines me...in every place or situation I remind myself that I am who God says I am... when you let the things around you BECOME you, you DEVALUE yourself... If you are who God called you to be long enough, in the end, you'll be what HE said... Not only do we have to be who we are, we have to live according to our faith, and our faith is Jesus; the author and finisher of our faith, he is the beginning and the end, and we are supposed to live and move and have our being in Him....

blogs

The next few blogs posted will be my blogs from MySpace... I'm transfering them over here so i can delete my MySpace profile... So you may have already read em...
Enjoy!!