Mission Impossible

There is no “I” in God, but always know that God has His eye on you!  You may be trying to figure out a plan that is already figured out so if you are saying to yourself, “I don’t know what I am going to do” I want you to go back and read the first sentence again.  God is in control so always know that it may not seem like you are going to make it, but the truth is your way has already been made.

Happy New Year to you all!!  I hope that you all have had a wonderful Christmas with your family.  I enjoyed my time with my family, and I can tell you that the weather in Florida is beautiful. I made a special effort to bring some of the sunshine with me so let me know if I can help warm up your days! 2012 is going to be blessed so be prepared for the rain to water your gardens! 

I love a good action movie.  While I was at home, I took my mother to see the new Mission Impossible movie.  Wow.  From the time that this movie comes on there is so much action that you literally are on the edge of your seat.  I must say that it was well worth the price of the ticket.  The main character is Ethan Hunt and he is a spy that is a part of the Impossible Missions Force, and in this installment of the series he is put with a new team that is blamed for something that they did not do.  Their enemies have made it look like they were guilty,  and at times it looks as though they are not going to be able to disprove the mountain of evidence that is stacked against them.  As you watch you can’t help but to think that the mission seems impossible. 

Dear Reader, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to remain faithful.  No matter how impossible the situation may seem, remain faithful.  The road will not be easy.  Every day will present a new challenge.  I want you to remain faithful no matter what happens.  You have a God that loves you.  You have a God that cares about your well being.  You have a God that loves you.  Just when you think that you have fallen off the cliff, and it is inevitable that you are going to hit the ground, a secret parachute will open up, and ever though you may hit the ground, you will still be standing.  Dear Reader praise Him through it all.  Walk knowing that your steps are guided.  Speaking knowing that your words are blessed.  Move knowing that the essence of the Holy Spirit is with you wherever you go.  When your enemies think that have you cornered, don’t give in to the temptation to give up. When you give up the praise your enemies will let you out of that corner and they will give in.  God has a way of turning everything around.  You are what God made you to be.  You have God with you.  If God be with you, what mission would be impossible?  Who would dare stand against you? Your blessing is right in front of you, should you choose to accept it. It's a new year, so let's look forward to a new way of thinking, a new good habit, and a new outlook!  Be blessed.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

The Home Depot Experience

It is Friday and you are about to embark on another beautiful Christmas holiday.  I want to personally wish each and every one of you who takes time out of your day to read what God has placed on my heart.  Whether you are at work or at home, I realize that there are so many other things that you could be doing, but you choose to take in what God has given me to put out.  I appreciate all of your encouragement, and your well wishes, and I must say that it has been a pleasure getting to know those of you who have reached back when I have reached out.  Tis the season to be jolly, so let every heart prepare Him room. Always your friend- John Reed

Merry Christmas!  Open your gifts, and count your blessings!! Your blessings may not be wrapped up, so always look at where you could be, and praise God for where you are!

As a child my father had a workshop in our backyard that he would do his “fix-it” projects in.  He was pretty good with his hands so there would be all kinds of broken fans and appliances that he would set out to fix, because in his eyes throwing them away would be a waste.  Now, as a small boy I was curious about all of the saws and drills that my dad kept in his workshop.  There were paint thinners and lawn mowers, nails, and other things that had a certain element of danger to them.  My dad taught me how to use some of those tools because he told me that if I picked up a tool and did not know how to use it, it became a weapon. I remember taking many trips with him to the local hardware store to purchase new tools because sometimes each job that he had to do would require something that he did not have.  He learned what each tool did, and he was able to use it to fix and repair.

Dear Reader, on this Friday before Christmas, I want you to know that those things that you call bad, God can use for good.  I want you to know that when it comes to being able to reach somebody, the same tongue that can be used to tear someone down, can also be used to lift someone up.  Just as the nail gun can be pointed at someone and used as a weapon, we have so many tools that we are using for the wrong purpose.  With the right tool, you can accomplish anything.  God has given you all the tools that you need to serve His purpose and glorify His name, but you have not been trained on how to use those tools.  I am praying that you pick up His word so that you can have a Home Depot experience.  I am praying that in His word you find yourself being taught how to use those tools so that you can bless instead of making a mess.  The Home Depot will give you a how-to class on different areas of home improvement.  Wouldn’t our world be such a wonderful world if we would just take a class from the Master every now and then.  There are people pointing nail guns and sanders at each other and then want to know why there are no houses being built.  There are people using the tools that God has given them as weapons.  Dear Reader you have the ability to do what God has set out for you to do.  You just need a little training.  Go to the word and study, pray for yourself and others, and God will teach you and prepare you to build a wonderful world around you.  Enjoy your Home Depot experience.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Twas the Night Before Christmas

As Christmas approaches I want each of you to know that the greatest gift did not come from a black Friday sale.  The greatest gift did not come from the lay-a-way that you put up in October.  The greatest gift was the gift of salvation that was delivered in a manger on one silent night.  Enjoy the celebration but never forget that Jesus is the reason for the season, and when you are in your best season, Jesus is the reason.  I pray that the joy that you have with you now you will keep forever more. 

Good day to you all!  I know that the festivities are going well, and if they are not know that God is still in the midst of it all.  You are one step away from where you need to be!

“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse”

It was a night that was not too much different than any other night.  There were no pre-Christmas celebrations.  There were no garland and holiday light decorations.  It was just a silent night.  There was a star that guided some wise men, kings as they were, to a little barn.  This was no Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that introduced the Christmas Season, and there were no Holiday cartoons.  It was just a silent night. Mary gave birth to our Lord and Savior.  It was a great event, Jesus came to save the world from its sins, yet with no fan fair or celebration He was born in a manger because there was no more room in the inn. Something extraordinary happened on what would seem to be an ordinary night.

Dear Reader let not your heart be troubled.  Do you know that God can do something extraordinary with what would seem to be ordinary.  Do you know that on the night before Christmas God’s plan was unfolding.  You might be looking at yourself and saying, “I don’t have much to give, I am just an ordinary person.”  You might be looking back on your life and saying, “I can’t really touch anyone, I am just living an ordinary life.”  Oh, Dear Reader do you realize that there is a miracle being born. In the midst of your ordinary circumstance God is moving.  There may not be any room in the fancy hotels, but God can work with a manger in a barn.  People may have made you feel like you were not equipped to handle the big dreams, but God has proven that He can birth miracles on an ordinary night.  If you are feeling like you got nothing going on, I want you to remember that there was a night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.  Your miracle is on its way so don’t give up on you, because God is still working it out on your behalf.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Be Healed

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:15-16

This is the day that the Lord has made so let us rejoice in it and be thankful.  Let us be thankful for all of the small blessing that we tend to overlook in order to complain about minor issues. Let us concentrate on the Love of God instead of the Hate of our enemies.  Let us rejoice in this day at this time instead of regretting mistakes that happened so long ago.  We will make our way to a new day, and we shall be a blessed people as long as we let go of the past and keep our eyes on God. 

Good day to you all!  I want you to look back on this year and highlight in your mind all of the times that you were blessed when you were not expecting to be blessed.  When you think about those things you can tell that God is working in your life.  Be confident that going forward He is going to be with you as He always has.

We fall down, but we get up.  There are so many things that happen to us in this life, some good, and some bad.  The bad things that happen to us seem to leave a scar on our spirit.  Everything could be perfectly fine, and then suddenly something reminds us that we are scarred. Something puts brings us back to where we think about the bad situation, and how it happened. Imagine if we were able to see the good that God was doing in all things.  Then the bad things that happen to us would not seem very bad at all.

Dear Reader do you have any idea how much farther along our spiritual walk we would be if we would keep looking forward instead of always turning back?  How much farther we could walk if we would just heal properly.  When a runner falls and breaks his leg he or she must go to a doctor in order for the bone to set properly.  If the runner does not go to the doctor the leg will not heal properly and if he or she ever tried to run again, they would not be able to run the way that they ran before.  I know that sometimes it seems easier just to try a home remedy, or to try to heal yourself, however I would not recommend that you do that.  When we fall and break our spiritual legs, I want to recommend that we go to see the one true doctor who has all healing power in His hands.  I tell you His name is Jesus.  He is a healer and His patient load is never too much.  He is good with Emergency visits and He is able to set that broken bone.  Dear Reader we have a long race to run in this life so in order for us to make it together we must heal.  I am praying not just for you to make it through, I am praying that you make it though and that you are healed.  BE HEALED.  I want you to let go of those things that would keep you from seeing yourself as anything but a conqueror.  BE HEALED.  I want you to give your broken heart to God so that you can love again. BE HEALED.  I want you to break loose from the people that would have you stay back with them instead of moving forward with God.  I know that there may be some rope burn from when you break loose, but I promise you will BE HEALED.  God is waiting for you to come to Him so that you can be healed and finish the race on two anointed legs.  You will make history if you follow the example in His story; let Jesus be your example, teacher, and healer, and you will be blessed. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Master's Plan

There is so much joy in your world because on one silent night the Lord did come.  Every time that you walk outside you should hear heaven and nature sing, so let your heart prepare Him room.  Let this season be as much about the light on the inside as it is about the lights that is on the outside.  Let the celebration begin because there is no much to celebrate when you count your blessings every day.

Good day to you all!  I am praying that this holiday season brings you and yours nothing but the joy that only God can give!

We can plan and plan, but sometimes things happen that are out of our control.  Murphy’s law tells that whatever can happen, will happen.  Sometimes we can look at life and look at all the things that could have happened.  If I had just turned left that day, I wouldn’t have had that fender bender.  If I had left the house a few minutes earlier I would have avoided this traffic.  We could go on and on.  I am here to let you know that there is very little that this way of thinking can accomplish. I want you to know that you have the ability to control those thoughts.

Dear Reader, I want to encourage you to just go with the Master’s plan for your life.  I know that sometimes it’s not the plan that we may have laid out for ourselves, but God’s law says that He is just and He loves us more than we could possibly comprehend.  So if it is in His will to happen, it will happen.  The next time you think about the what if’s in your life, think about the other side of the coin.  The fender bender could have been a life ender had you turned right.  If you would have left the house earlier you would have avoided traffic, but would have been pulled over by the police that the traffic slowed down for.  God may put things or people in your way for His timing, and it will look like the timing is all wrong.  Anytime you feel like something is not working the way that you think it should, I want you to be confident that it is a part of the Master Plan.  God loves you and wants the best for you, and just like any wise parent, He does things that we don’t understand, but He does those things not to harm us, but to get us to the joy filled life that He wants us to live.  When your footsteps are guided you are on your way to a wonderful destiny.  Keep your faith, and know that you are a part of the Master’s Plan.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

The Backstabbers

We are here and able to live another day!  God is good all the time and all the time we should give Him praise.  I think about where I could have been and when I do that where I am is not that bad. Take a moment to be grateful and give thanks.  There is so much that you are able to do and there are so many people that are in need of you and your smile.  Stay alert, there is a blessing coming your way!

Good day to you all!  I know that the weather can’t make up its mind, but I want to encourage you to make up your mind to serve the Lord today.  He has been faithful to you and it is a great feeling when you make the decision to be faithful to Him as well.

They smile in your face.  All the time they want to take your place.  The backstabbers.  We have all been betrayed at one time or another.  We have all put trust in someone that we really should not have and they betrayed our trust.  Not a good feeling.  Sometimes we have a feeling about someone, yet we decide to trust them anyway, and sometimes we have known the person for years and the betrayal comes out of nowhere.  The smiled with us, and ate with us.  In some cases they have even spent time around our family.  Yet all they were jealous of what we had and who we are.  That is why I believe that true friends are rare and if you are fortunate enough to have them you should praise God every day because everybody is not as fortunate.

Dear Reader I want to encourage you to keep your eyes towards God, and don’t look back.  The interesting thing about people that stab you in the back is that in order to stab you in the back you must be in front of them.  In order for someone to back bite, you must be in front of them.  In order for your enemies to talk behind your back they must be behind you.  I don’t know about you, but when I am in the lead, I don’t want to look back, go back, or lean back.  When I am in the lead I don’t want to turn around to see what the competition is doing.  As a matter of fact I try to find ways to extend my lead.  Jesus didn’t let Judas stop Him.  Jesus didn’t let the grave stop Him.  They stretched out His shoulders they put a crown of thorns on His head, but when it was all said and done he was head and shoulders over the devil.   Don’t focus on the ones that would wait for your back to turn so that they can talk about you.  All you have to do is change the game.  Understand Dear Reader that while they think they are playing pin the tail on the donkey, what they don’t know is that when you have Jesus the game becomes follow the leader.  When they see what the Lord is doing for you they will see that their backstabbing ways have gained them nothing.  The only way that someone can hold you back is if you stay back with them. If someone is trying to hold you back don’t stay back with them, bring them with you.  Break free and let the O’Jay’s deal with the backstabbers. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Behold the Gardener

I Heard it Through the Grapevine

Welcome to another day!  It would not be the same without you!  You are a bright star in someone’s midnight sky, and whether you know it or not, you absolutely make a difference.  Your laughter, your smile, and just your presence is enough to get someone through a tough spot in their lives.

Good day to you all!  I know that there are times when you don’t feel like you are blessed.  I know there are times that you don’t feel like there is anything happening in your life.  Keep your eyes on God because when you are least expecting a miracle, that is when one will show up!  Smile!

Somebody asked me why I thought that I had the right to smile when I things weren’t looking right.  Someone asked me who told me that I was a vessel by which the word of God was to be delivered.  Someone asked me who told me that I would make it through the storm.

I guess they wonder how I knew,

That my God would see me through.

They thought that I would fear like I used to fear before.

But since I have found the blood, I know God loves me more.

 It took me by surprise I must say,

That I am better than I was on yesterday

Don’t you know that I heard it through the grapevine

I heard it through Jesus who tells us in John 15:5: I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Dear Reader on this day, I want you to stand boldly on God’s promises.  I want you to give fear of man, fear of situations, fear of loneliness, fear of finances a break, because if we can do nothing apart from the vine, then if we are a part of the vine we can accomplish all things.  The grape does not need to fear withering unless it falls from the grapevine.  When Jesus walked the earth he came to give us some good news.  The good news is that He will never leave us.  He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him.  He loves us even when we are unlovable, and He forgives us when we feel that we are unforgivable.  I want you to know that I am not making the above statements up.  I want you to know that I heard these things through the grapevine.  Sometimes we lose our juice because we try to branch out, but I know where the source of my strength is.  I know who I can rely on when friends let me down. I will continue to abide in Him, and I encourage you to do the same. Because:

I heard it through the grapevine

That salvation and eternal life could be mine

Oh I heard it through the grapevine

Right when I was just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Fired Up

You were not blessed by accident.  You are not here by coincidence.  The fact that you are right where you are at this moment is not by chance.  There was divine planning that went into every piece of your being.  You are exactly where God wants you to be so for that reason alone, today should be the day that you rejoice with a mighty voice!  You were made on purpose and you were made with a purpose, so live your life with purpose and be a blessing on purpose.  Peace is on the horizon.

Good day to you all!  I want to encourage you to be in the mind frame of peace.  I want to encourage you to be in the mind frame of positive thoughts.  Your frame of mind will match the picture that it frames.

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave.  Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.  Song of Solomon 8:6

The above scripture is one of my favorites because it captures in a real way how much God loves us.  The seal that is on the heart and the arm represents what we would call a tattoo.  God is telling us to tattoo His love upon us so that we will never forget how strong His love really is.  The verse even compares the intensity of God’s love to flashes of fire, which we would think of today as lightning.  There have been lightning strikes that have been recorded as having temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun.  A love that intense can sometimes be hard for us to imagine, but let that be a reason for you to smile today.  You are loved by a God that sits on high and looks down low, and He cares about every detail of your life.

Dear Reader I want you to get fired up about you.  God is fired up about you so there is no reason that you cannot be fired up about yourself.  Your imperfections are perfect in the eyes of the one that made you.  I know that sometimes it’s hard to get excited about ourselves, but I am here to tell you, that on this day you have a lot to be excited about.  There was no assembly line when it came to creating you.  You are a limited edition because when it  comes to you there is only one.  That makes you priceless.  When God made you He put His seal upon your heart so that the joy that feel will be a reminder that His love is as intense as the lightning that strikes.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you are out of place.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you are an outcast.  If they tell you that you are an outcast, you tell them that you embrace being an outcast because Jesus cast out all fear, all sin, and all doubt.  Dear Reader sometimes we have to get fired up about ourselves.  Be excited, your best has yet to come.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Footsteps in the Dark

Love like you have never been hurt, and laugh like you don’t know what sadness feels like. The feeling that you get from finding the unspeakable joy that can only come from God up above is the greatest gift of all.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all things will be revealed.  Today is another opportunity for you to be a blessing to someone else, so live, love, and laugh, it is good for your health, and your spirit.

Good day to you all!  I know that the day light seems like it doesn’t last that long, but if you let the Son shine in your heart you will have everlasting light. God loves you!

There are times when we don’t want to be alone.  There are times when we want to know that someone has our back.  That feeling of being surrounded by the unknown can be intimidating.  I know firsthand what it is like to feel like you are surrounded by the enemy.  I know what it feels like to be in dark situations and feel like there is nothing that you can do about it.  I have seen the face of despair and heard the voice of loneliness. It was dark. It was very dark.  There was no light to be found.  Dear Reader I say again, it was dark, and there was no light to be found. What I learned was that sometimes God works best in low light conditions.  I learned that God can make His best moves when our eyes cannot see what is going on.  I learned that when I was facing my darkest hour and He told me to sit still, there was still movement.  There were footsteps in the dark.  My feet were still, but God was doing some rearranging.  He was moving.  Sometimes we get in the way because we can’t see in the dark.  Our optical abilities cannot compare to God’s all seeing eye.  My weeping may have endured through the night, but Dear Reader, joy did not come in the morning.  Joy came that very same night, I just couldn’t see it until the morning.  I could not see it until the morning, but I could hear the footsteps in the dark.

Dear Reader, as we go through this life, as sure as the sun comes up the sun is going to go down.  I want to encourage you to go through this life with the Son in your sight always so that when the sun goes down, you can see the Son shine even at night.  There is going to be a breakthrough in your life.  The change that you have been waiting for is on the way.  Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean that it is not there.  Just because the darkness is there, it does not mean that God has gone to bed.  You might feel like you are surrounded by enemies, but I am here to tell you that God is surrounding the ones that are surrounding you.  I looked into the face of despair and spoke hope. That voice of loneliness fell on deaf ears because I could hear the footsteps in the dark, and I could feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit.  God is moving in your life. Just sit still and listen Dear Reader, for the footsteps in the dark.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Invented People

Good things are in the works for you today! If you are not enjoying the music that is making up the soundtrack of your life, don’t worry because God is about to do a remix. The God that we serve does not change, but He has the ability to change your situation. Stay tuned, don’t touch that dial, because there is more to come! This life is your prime time and you don’t want to miss a minute of the excitement!

Good day to you all! I am hopeful that your day is going the way that you were expecting and if it is not I am prayerful that unexpected blessings are on the way!

Sometimes our imaginations can get the best of us. There are times when we can make something so real in our minds that it actually frightens us. Our active imaginations are powerful. I have seen children tell scary stories that are so believable that it keeps them up at night. The world has enough real dangers without the imaginary dangers that we think of in our minds that scare us. Sometimes our biggest fears are people that don’t exist, and things that have not happened. If we can get over the fear of fear itself we would be able to make great strides in our lives. Sometimes we have, in the words of Newt Gingrich, “Invented People”. These people don’t exist, they only live in the scenarios in our minds, yet they control us with the fear that they bring.

Dear Reader I want to encourage you today to give those invented people to the real God that is looking out for you and loves you dearly. I want you to know that those bad outcomes and bad people that you have invented are not necessary and you have the option of having faith. Did you know that a positive outcome is just as easy to think of as a negative outcome is? The Bible tells us that the body is the temple that the Spirit of God dwells in, but I want you to think of your mind specifically. Let the goodness of the spirit dwell there and I promise you that peace will abound. You will find that joy is always just around the corner. There is nothing for you to fear anymore Dear Reader. God is real and He is ready to bless you, but you have got to move those imaginary invented people and situations out of the way. The only thing that can cancel out a blessing is the lack of faith. Your destiny is waiting for you. The new you is just a prayer away. Your best has yet to come. I am excited about you. I am excited about what you are going to do. You are exactly what God made you to be, and if God made you to be what you are, then what you are is a work of art. Stay in prayer, and keep your faith strong throughout whatever it is that you are facing. You are not facing it by yourself.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Willing & Able

It’s another day that we have been granted.  Today is the day that you worried about yesterday, so I want to encourage you to let your worries go and let today be the day that you look back upon and laugh at tomorrow.  Let go and let God and you will always end up on top of your situation.  Get ready for a blessing to come your way.  Embrace the change, God is moving!

Good day to you all!  I hope that health and wellness abound with you each of you.  Today is a good day to call someone that has not heard from you and check on them.  You mean the world to someone today!

To be willing and able is a blessing.  There are so many that wish that they could do something.  We see poor people on television and we say, “If I had all the money in the world, I would help a lot of people.”  I know that I have said that many times.  On the other hand there are people who are able to make a difference yet they don’t do anything for anyone.  They have money, fame, and fortune beyond our understanding, yet they pass by the homeless, and don’t help anyone in need.  I tell you again, to be willing and able is a blessing.  A blessing indeed. 

Dear Reader I want you to know that God has put willing and able in you.  He is just waiting on you to put the two together.  Understand that if you are willing to make a difference, and put faith in God, He will make you able to do whatever it is that you set out to do.  If you are able to make a difference, and are willing to let God lead the way you will be able to move mountains.  Doors that were closed will open up. Circumstances that were not looking good for you will turn out to be the best thing that ever happened.  We can take the example of Jesus who was willing to die for our sins because He was able to defeat death, hell, and the grave.  You can make a difference in someone’s life just by being willing and able.  When you pray that God’s will be done, He is more than able to bless you so that you can be a blessing to someone else.  Stay strong, stay in prayers, and stay willing. With the loving hand of God in your life you will be able to accomplish all things.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Depth Perception

If God can love you the way that you are, why can’t you?  The answer is: you can!  Today is the perfect opportunity for you to pat yourself on the back for your accomplishments. Lift yourself up when you are feeling bad.  Look in the mirror and like what you see.  Today is as good a day as any to find your imperfections perfect.  You are God’s greatest creation.  The beauty that is in nature is no match for you, so if you can see the beauty in a rose, you should be able to see the beauty that blooms and blossoms in you.

Good day to you all!  I want you all to know that I am praying for you still. God is moving and building, and anytime there is construction things are going to look a mess before you see progress.  Keep your eyes lifted up.

Sometimes your eyes can fool you.  If you look into a pool of water it can sometimes be hard to tell how deep it really is.  3D movies entertain us because the technology that they use fools our eyes into believing that something in front of us in 3 dimensions that really is not.  Master artist know how to skillfully use colors to create shadows in their paintings in order to create the illusion that what they are painting is real. The artist Cezanne has painted apples in his portraits that are so believable that you are almost tempted to reach out for one.  I tell you again Dear Reader, sometimes your eyes can fool you.

Dear Reader I want to encourage you not to let peoples lack of depth perception get to you.  When Jesus walked the earth He was not seen in 3D.  He presented love and salvation that was real, yet there were people that would not reach out and grab it.  He was not an illusion or a painting, Jesus was and still is real. However there were people that saw no good in Him.  He performed miracles, and helped those in need, yet they labeled Him a criminal.  Dear Reader I want to let you know that when you proclaim Jesus folks are more willing to believe a 2D movie than a 3D you.  They didn’t believe that Jesus was the Savior then, and they don’t believe that He is saving and healing now.  They are living a 2D life and can’t adjust their eyes to the 3D life that God has bestowed upon you.  People will question your testimony and they will  question your faith.  People that have never opened a Bible will try to tell you what you should and should not be doing.  Understand, Dear Reader, that some people have a spiritual depth perception problem. They can’t see you in 3D.  They can’t see the Devotion,Discipleship, and Deliverance in your life.  They are still seeing the world in black and white, when God has given you a High Definition life.  I don’t argue with short sighted people I pray that they get glasses.  I can’t convince you that I walk with God, but I am praying that God convict you to walk with Him also.  Be encouraged Dear Reader and do not let anyone tell you what you are, when God has made you more than a conquer.  Keep your faith and you will remain in High Definition. 

You are beautiful, loved and blessed (In HD where available)

John Reed

The Choice is Yours

The rain may fall in our lives, but its only to wash away the debris, and water the grass.  I want to predict that your storm is about to be over and the lessons that you learned from everything that you went through will act as cover for the next storm to come.  Smile not for what you see in front of you, but smile because of what God is about to do.  Praise Him for resolution, and peace in the middle of uncertainty and confusion, and you will understand what faith really is.

Good day to you all!  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and I promise that everything else that you are looking for will show itself in time.  Pray for others, but do not forget to pray for yourself!  You are the apple of God’s eye so there is greatness at your core!

Today is your day!  Now you can believe me or not believe me, the choice is yours.  God is the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is there for you in all of your times of need.  Now you can believe that or not, the choice is yours.  You are in the midst of an unexpected blessing because trouble don’t last always. Now I would thing you would want to believe that, but once again the choice is yours. Did you know that the difference in our day is often predicated on the choice that we make on what we believe to be true?  Did you know that you can make a difference in what kind of day you have just by the way that you choose to perceive your challenges.  I declare again that today is your day!  I know that you may say that I don’t know what has happened to you up to this point in your day, and you would be absolutely correct.  I may not know your situation, but I do know who the situation changer is.  I know that when God looks down on your situation and you don’t know what is going to happen next, you have the choice of worry or have faith.  The choice is yours. 

Dear Reader, it may seem like I am over simplifying this road that we are travelling, but I am simply giving you another alternative for how you can look at life.  Happiness is a choice.  Your thoughts are a choice.  Your faith in God is a choice.  I want to encourage you to choose to be happy.  I want to encourage you to make your thoughts positive.  I want to encourage you to bring all of your fears and worries to God, and let Him make those mountains into mole hills.  You will be happier than you ever have been before when you make the choice to let God handle all of your affairs. You made the choice to read this message, so make one more choice and give God a chance to turn your situation around.  God loves you, and is waiting on you to turn to Him to find peace, love, and joy.  Your best days are in front of you Dear Reader, but the choice is yours.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Unmistakable, Beautiful

As the temperature drops, take a moment to warm someone with your smile.  You may be a little cold yourself, but you may be a little warmer than someone else.  Yes, today someone needs you to be what God made you to be.  There is something great in you that is wanting to come out, and I know that you are going to shine when it does.  Go the extra mile for someone else and you will find your blessings at the end of the road.

Good day to you all!  There is sunshine behind every cloud and I know that it may be hard to see sometimes but it’s true, but the sun is much more powerful than the clouds that are in front of it.  So when you are behind the darkest clouds, know that there is an all powerful God that is going to move you through and make you shine! Smile!

You know it when you see it. Sometimes you don’t even have to see in order to know that it is there. There is something about the beautiful things in life that make us feel good.  Whether it is a beautiful day or a beautiful smile, when there is something beautiful in front of us we know it when we see it.  When someone compliments us or gives us a good feeling, there is no mistaking the beautiful feeling that we have inside.  Sometimes beauty can be a bi-product of something that we don’t consider a beautiful thing.  Like a rainbow stretched across the sky after a violent storm or a butterfly that crawls out of a cocoon after beginning as a caterpillar. God has placed beauty in everything that He created and you, Dear Reader are no different.  There is beauty wrapped up inside of you.  Sometimes, like the caterpillar you have to go through a transformation in order for the world to see it, but it is there the whole time.  You may have to go through some storms in order to see the beautiful colors of the rainbow, but please know that your storms will not last always, and beautiful days are on the way.

Dear Reader, there is an unmistakable beauty that is all over you. It is no mistake that you are so unmistakably beautiful.  You are priceless and there is no reason that you should think anything else about yourself.  And just as blue ink comes out of a blue pen, when you are full of beauty, everything that comes from you will be beautiful as well. Smile whenever you can because you are exactly what someone needs RIGHT NOW.  There is so much that you can give as long as you realize that you are beautiful, you are loved and you are blessed.  Go and do the world some good because what the world needs now, is for beauty to shine a light on the beast.  You can make a difference to the world around you because the beauty that is in you is unmistakable. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

What We Can Learn From Denzel

Today is going to be better than yesterday because you are always getting better.  You are always improving because God is always moving!  Look back on yesterday as a Training Day, meant to get you prepared for the Glory that is here for you today!  You may seem like an everyday average John (or Jane)Q, but when it’s all said and done when everyone else has Fallen and you are still standing and able to tell your Soldier Story, people are going to wonder how you went from being a Man on Fire to an American Gangster.  They are going to think that you had an Inside Man.  You can tell them that it was nothing but God that gave you Courage Under Fire and made you seem like you wereUnstoppable.  If it seems like Déjà vu it’s because Jesus did it before and keeps blessing over and over again. Fear not what your enemies have plotted and planned against you because whatever evil comes at you will Ricochet off of you and bounce right back to them making their schemes Much Ado About Nothing!  You will be so blessed that people will want to make a Carbon Copy of your life because they sit around all day and Cry Freedom, and the freedom that they are crying for is the freedom that God has already granted those of us who put our trust in Him. Those friends that you thought were friends but really they turned out to be Bone Collectors must not be aware that God told Ezekiel to pick those bones up declare that they live and blow breath into them.  See, sometimes people like to pick at the skeleton of your dead dreams and your dead relationships.  However the good news Dear Reader is that you are more than a conquer so when they Remember the Titans they are going to remember you as well.  They are going to look at what you accomplish and the evidence of God in your life is going to be so strong, that folks are going to give God the Glory.  Why?  Cause He Got Game. Folks may have told you that you were Out of Time, and that there was no way that you could make it through the Hurricane when your life was in The Siege.  You don’t have to be a Preachers Wife to know that God is good all the time, and He forever deserves to be praised.

This is what I learned by watching a few Denzel Washington movies (If I left any out…my bad, it was off the top of my head)

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Breathe In

The Glory of God is upon you and this is all the reason that you need to smile today!  I am praying that today you see the goodness in your challenges.  I am praying that today you see the beauty that is in you!  I am praying that today you understand the source of your blessings is God almighty and as His child He loves you more than you understand!

Good day to you all!  It has been a busy day, but I have not forgotten about you!  I am praying the best for each of you for today and always.

We have all heard all of the church expressions.  God is Good all the time, and all the time God is good. Whenever someone wants to let you know that they are not worried, they will tell you that they are “Too blessed to be stressed”.  One of my favorites that has gained popularity is, “The Devil is a liar”.  We have all heard, and even used some of these expressions at one time or another.  There is truth in each one of these expressions. God is good all the time, and the devil is constantly trying to deceive us.  I would like to share with you an expression that we are not hearing enough.  “Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord”.  Whether you read the Bible daily or if you haven’t picked up the word in years, there is always something around you to praise His name about.  If you are too blessed to be stressed, then you should praise the Lord for lowering your blood pressure.  If you know that the devil is a liar you should be praising God that He sent Jesus to be the Truth.  Oh Dear Reader God is good all the time, and all the time we should be praising His name.

Dear Reader when the praising go up the blessings come down.  When you are in the middle of your personal storm sometimes you have to just….breathe in….and let the next breath that comes out praise His Holy name.  You don’t have to praise Him, but if you or I don’t praise Him the rocks will praise Him.  I don’t know about you, but when I look at how the Lord has blessed me, I don’t want to let a rock out shout me.  I don’t want a rock to be more grateful than me.  If you can’t find a reason to praise Jesus here is what you can do: Breathe In….and then praise Him that you have the ability to breathe in.  Praise Him for the life and the love that you have.  If you have made it this far in the email and you still haven’t thought of a reason to praise the Lord, you may want to listen to the rocks around you.  I want to encourage you to lift up a mighty voice to the Lord and be thankful for what you have.  Stop looking at what you don’t have because He promised to supply all of your needs.  You are beautiful, loved and blessed, praise His name!  You are His greatest creation, praise His name!  Breathe in, and let that be your sign that you should be praising the Lord.  Let Everything that Has Breath Praise the Lord.  Now go out shout the rocks!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

If Only For One Night

God loves to see you smile so put down those things that would keep you disconnected from your joy!  You have beauty so deeply rooted in you that it comes out even when you don’t know it.  Beauty is not something that can be looked upon, true beauty radiates from within you and can be felt by those that you touch with your words and your smile.  Remember that you don’t have to see your beauty in order for others to see what is beautiful inside of you!

Good day to you all!  I am praying for peace today.  We are all searching for peace in our lives and I am praying for a spirit of peace to fall all around you today!

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

I believe that we all have something to give. I believe that we all have a light that shines within us, but people and situations often cause us to put our light away.  Often times we believe what people, who don’t even know us very well, say about us. Especially if it is something negative.  God has told us over and over again in His word what we are and who we are, yet if your co-worker or family member gives their opinion, it is in our nature to take what they have said to heart.  This is a learned behavior and we have all at one point or another fallen for this trick. I want to encourage you today to never let anyone tell you that your outside self is more important than your inside self, because what is on the outside shall pass away and what is on the inside is eternal.  What is on the outside needs our maintenance, but what is on the inside is maintained by God.  When people look at you and your situation and judge who you are based on that, let not your heart be troubled. Keep believing, and keep praying because God is looking at your beautiful spirit.  You shall be blessed.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Dear Reader imagine if your dark sky’s could be bright.  If only for one night imagine if everything that was keeping your path from being shown to you was gone.  The veil of darkness that has kept you from success was lifted.  It would be so nice, if only for one night.  Be encouraged Dear Reader because the funny thing about light is that when it shines it is brightest at the source. When you shine you are not just lifting someone else up, you are making it possible for yourself to be uplifted.  When you are reaching out to someone else you are making it possible for someone to reach you.  When you love someone you are making it possible for someone to love you.  The light is brightest at its source so when you shed some light to show someone else the path to success, you are opening up a lighting your own path to success.  I want you to let go of what other people have said about you.  I want you to let go of the negative opinions that you have formed about yourself.  You are important in God’s plan, Dear Reader. Someone needs you right now to shine for them, if only for one night.  You are beautiful, and there is nothing that anyone can do about it.  Keep that with you today and always. I know it may seem hard to do on a regular basis, but shine Dear Reader, if only for one night.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

May the Force Be with You

Let today be the day that you let go of what is holding you back.  Let today be the day that you forgive someone who did something that you called unforgiveable.  Let today be the day that you decide to trust God completely.  If you make a life changing decision today, then today will be the day that God will completely change your life.  Doors will open up and you will have protection from the storm.  What you call darkness is actually God’s shadow protecting you.  Today is a good day for change, but it’s up to you!

Good day to you all!  It’s cold outside, but let the warmth on the inside remind of you love that God has for you when the outside world gives you the cold shoulder.  It is a good day!

I am a fan of the movie Star Wars and I have written about it before, but I think that as we face our daily challenges, there is one thing that we can take from the film.  In the Star Wars movies whenever anyone who believed in the light had a challenge in front of them, before they went off to face that challenge someone would wish them luck by saying, “May the Force Be with You”.  Even if you have never seen Star Wars, you can appreciate someone wanting you to be successful with whatever it is that you have to do, so they basically are telling you that they want a force of nature to walk in front of you to clear out all obstacles in your way, walk behind you to make sure that nothing sneaks up on you.  They are wanting  a powerful force to walk next to you so that you are not facing your challenge alone. They are wishing that a powerful force would hover over you to protect you from challenges that are unseen.  May the Force be with you. All the while this unknown force of nature remains unseen.  I must say that the Force sounds a lot like God.  Somewhere in the midst of his story telling George Lucas managed to teach a lesson about faith.  May the Force be with you.

Dear Reader, on this day I am praying that the Force be with you. Today I am praying that God steps in and walks in front of you eliminate each and every obstacle that is in your way.  I am praying that God has your back because sometimes the greatest threat is the one you can’t see. However my God is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him, and He has eyes on us at all times.  I am praying that God surround you with His protection.  I want to encourage you today Dear Reader to walk with all confidence and know that the force of an all powerful God is working on your behalf.  Star Wars is only a movie, but let me tell you what the force of my God has done in real life.  I am a witness to God making the gas in my car last one more day than it was supposed to last.  I am a witness to God making a dollar out of  fifteen cents.  I am a witness to bills being paid and ways being made even when unemployment was visiting longer than I expected. I am a witness to God working through the kindness of strangers.  When I think about it, there weren’t strangers because I recognize the God in them through their acts.  I am a witness to the force of God putting me in the right place at the right time, with the right frame of mind and making anyone that doubted me just plain old wrong.  Oh, Dear Reader, I want you to speak boldly to your problems and situation.  Know that God is going to make a way. God is the only force that you need so smile when you are in a situation that does not look like it’s going to work out.  Dear Reader may the Force be with you!

You are beautiful, loved and blessed

John Reed