Partly Cloudy

I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it’s cold outside, I have got the month of may. Don’t get the temptation to think that your mountains are too high for God to reach you.  Don’t you know their aint no mountain high enough, aint no valley low enough, there aint no river wide enough to keep God from getting to you. Let us sing about God’s grace and mercy every single day of our lives.  My papa wasn’t a rolling stone, but I am so thankful that on that glorious Easter morning papa rolled away the stone from the tomb that Jesus used as a resting place.  I praise Him every day that even though He is in Heaven my God has never been a distant lover. He loved me when I was uptight with my inner city blues. Now for once in my life I have the joy that can only come from the love that God has for me. 

Good day to you all!  I am praying that you are able to see over whatever it is that is blocking your view of what a great life you have.  I am praying that whatever that thing is that is separating you from the joy that God has for you be removed.  There is no reason for you not to smile today!  I know that it may seem like you don’t have a good reason, but when you feel like that whether there is sunshine or rain outside, just remember the times that God has pulled you up when you thought that there was no way out.  You are a miracle when you think about it.  So think about it more and you will see that you have all the reason in the world to smile.

We look for the sun to brighten our days.  When we look for a forecast from the weatherman, we are looking to see when it is going to be sunny outside.  Whenever we have a day that is full of rain and clouds we describe those days as being gloomy.  Meteorologist look at cloud cover and the type of clouds that have formed and they can tell have much precipitation there is going to be.  Sometimes when there are only a few clouds the forecast maybe “partly cloudy”.  There may be a chance that the atmospheric pressure may cause the moisture in those clouds to release rain.  If the atmosphere is at the right temperature then it may turn to snow. A storm front may come in and there is 100% chance of violent storms.  There may be some low lying clouds that cause visibility to be bad, and they call those clouds fog. Sometimes clouds can form in bunches so they may block out the sun making the outlook darker than it really is. Our brightest days are the days that have no clouds. The good thing about a partly cloudy day is that sometimes it can block the heat without keeping you from the sun. 

Dear Reader sometimes people can be like clouds in our lives.  Sometimes there are people in our lives that cannot take the pressure from the atmosphere and so everything that they have built up in them rains down on you.  There are people in our lives who are in such a cold place that everything that comes out is cold and icy.  There are people that are so low to the ground that every chance they get they cause your visibility to be low because they have put you in a fog. They like to cause confusion.  Now I don’t mind a few clouds in my sky, but I tell you Dear Reader, I prefer my sky to be partly cloudy.  Understand that in everyone’s life, some rain will fall, however I don’t want any clouds in my sky that are going to keep me from seeing the sun.  I say again, I don’t want any clouds in my sky that are going to keep me from seeing the Son.  Yes, there are times when we need a break from the temperature and when you have people in your life that can give you some relief.  However, I don’t want people around me that are going to be rain clouds.  I don’t won’t people around me who are going to make the weather unpleasant.  In this new year I want you to get rid of the thunderstorms that are brought on by other people who seek to take your sunshine away.  You may not be able to see the sun every day, but don’t keep people around you that are going to keep you from the Son that shines all day and all night.  Your days and your nights will be brighter when you remove those darks clouds and let the Son of God shine in. The joy of the Lord is bestowed up you so take it and live a renewed and purpose filled life.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Eagles Landing

If you ever have any doubt about how great you are, take a look around at all of God’s creation and know that you are His greatest creation.  There everything else was spoken into existence, but the Master created you by hand.  Take that with you today and always and let that be the motivation behind that smile.  Let that be the reason why you reach out and touch someone that needs a had.  His eye is on the sparrow so rest assured that He is indeed watching over you and God loves you deeply. Smile!

Good day to you all!  I must say that it is a good day to see new things, and have new experiences!  If you have not smiled when you should be angry, or forgiven the unforgivable, go ahead and give it a try.  You will be surprised at how good freedom feels!

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Sometimes the road that we travel can be rough.  Sometime it seems as though we don’t know which way we should go.  Imagine being able to fly.  Imagine if you could leave your worries and your cares on the ground as you soar high about them.  I know that we cannot physically fly, but, I have experienced God providing me wings to fly over problems that I could not see a way to get around or get over.  I can tell you that the solution was not in front of me, and the situation was not caused by me, but there I was looking down on the as He lifted me up.  I know that you may be going through something right now and you can’t quite see how you are going to get through.  Dear Reader I can tell you that as long as you are relying on your own understanding you are never going to take off.  As long as you are relying on your own strength your legs shall be weary.  As long as you think that you are the only one that can get yourself out, since you are the one that got yourself in, you will find that you will be ready to fall out.  When you lean on the Lord, He is faithful to give you the strength to overcome whatever is in your path.

Dear Reader, I am writing to tell you that today it is up to you.  How long you struggle is up to you.  How long you go through the same situation over and over again is up to you.  God is waiting on you to take Him up on some flying lessons.  God wants to see you run track and filed without the need of Gatorade.  When you tell God that you are done with trying to figure it all out, the solution will roll out right in front of you.  It may seem like there is no way, but when Daniel walked into a den of Lions he walked out without a scratch or a bite on him.  There are still going to be lion dens that you will still have to walk into, however when you  walk in with God who is the lion tamer you will walk out in one piece. I tell you Dear Reader, you have nothing to lose but the weight that is on your shoulders.  You have nothing to lose, but that fear that has been holding you back.  When we mount up with wings as eagles, don’t worry about what anyone else has to say, because all they will be able to say is how beautiful it is to see those Eagles Landing. Let God be your strength, and you will be able to overpower and overcome anything that you come up against.  Happy flying Dear Eagle!

You are beautiful, loved and blessed.

John Reed   

What the World Needs Now

We serve an unlimited God so don’t spend your time putting limits on your blessings.  Have faith that what God has for you is bigger and better than anything that you could ever imagine.  Reach out and He will reach back.  Hold on and God will lift you up!  You are better today than you were yesterday so look at yourself everyday and smile at what you see! 

Good day to you all!  I am praying that today will be a productive day today!  Stay mission minded, and make moves that compliment your cause!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

As human beings we all have a need for love.  We seek out love, sometimes in all the wrong places, because love is what makes us feel complete.  Our intense need for love often times will control our actions. There have been times when you have been faced with a choice, and when you looked at your options, you chose what you loved more.  I you love movies and have a choice between a movie and an opera, more than likely you are going to choose the movie.  Often we tend to look for love and not even know what it is that we are looking for. Anytime you look for something you should at least have a good description.  There should be some way of you knowing what you are looking for otherwise your search will be fruitless. 

Dear Reader, today you are in the midst of love.  God loves you.  God has made every attempt to show you that He loves you.  He is patiently waiting on you to come to Him for your salvation.  He is kind when you may not even deserve kindness. God is the truth, and He protects you.  God’s love will never end.  When Jesus died for our sins he had a choice.  His choice was based on who He loved the most.  God had a choice in whether or not He would give His only begotten son to die for our sins. God chose based on the love that He has for us.  I want to encourage you today to embrace God’s love, because once you understand how God loves, then you will understand what love really is.  You will be able to recognize love and you will know love when it comes to you.  I wish you love and I wish you peace Dear Reader.  What the world needs now, is love, sweet love, and it starts with you!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John  Reed

Red Tails

Praise Him when the sky’s are grey because even when  you can’t see the sun the sun is still there.  Even when there is rain the sun is on the way.  I am so glad that trouble don’t last always.  I am so glad that when my sky’s turn grey, I don’t have to worry about how long the rain is going to last.  My faith tells me that the Son is on the way.  Rejoice in your heart that God has not left you in the middle of the storm.  Brighter days are coming, I promise.

Good Day to you all!  It is ok to fall down, it is not ok to stay down.  It is ok to be upset, as long as you realize that you are being set up.  Forgiveness does not equal relationship so let go of those things that could keep you from being blessed.  Smile today, and always.

I love movies, and over the weekend I went to see a great one.  The name of this movie was Red Tails.  It told the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of black pilots during World War II, and their yearning to fight for their country in spite of racial inequality.  These men fought and died for freedoms that they or their families would not even get to enjoy.  They fought and died for the freedom of generations that they would never meet. Their skills were doubted and their intelligence was undermined. They were brave in the face of danger and they fought on the principle of freedom which finds its self rooted in the foundation of love.  These men had faith.  They paid no attention to what people said about them, they were not influenced by what other people thought of them.  They knew their purpose, and they acted as people who know their purpose should act.  I enjoyed the entertainment, but I loved the underlying message.

Dear Reader, I want you to channel your inner pilot.  There are many goals in this life that people have told you that you cannot reach.  One of those people may be the person that stares you in the mirror.  I want you to know that God’s purpose for your life cannot be undermined.  What God has for you is for you, and there is no one that can defeat you when God is fighting for you.  There may not be something for you to gain.  You may just be there to open the doors for an entire generation.  I want you to know that people are going to doubt your skills.  People are going to doubt your intelligence.  Dear Reader I want you to be encouraged, and fly a little bit higher.  I want you to be encouraged because there is nothing that you can’t accomplish with God on your side. I want you to have faith that God is going to make a way out of no way.  God is going to get you through your mission.  I want to encourage you to pray so that God can reveal your purpose, and then once He has touched your heart, walk with purpose, and act like people you know their purpose act.  You are on your way to greatness as you fight for your spiritual freedom that is rooted in the foundation of God’s eternal love.  Keep your head up and don’t give up Dear Reader, your mission has just started.

You are beautiful, loved and blessed

John Reed

Let Down Your Nets

Let not your heart be troubled, and be not afraid!  Allow the joy that God has placed inside of you to radiate from every part of your being.  When God has His hands on you everything that you touch will be blessed. Let today be the day that you are an unexpected blessing to someone who is expecting a miracle.  You are just the light that someone needs in their life right now.  You are love, and you are grace, so expect to make a difference!

Good day to you all!  There is so much in you that you have not discovered.  Learn to love the person that is you.  Learn to love the things that separate you from the anyone else!  You are a limited edition masterpiece!

And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”  Luke 5:5

Imagine being a fisherman.  Imagine being on the sea all night long.  You are fishing at night because you have discovered that this is the best time to catch fish.  You have had some successful nights catching fish in the past and you consider yourself to be a skilled fisherman.  However, on one particular night you have caught nothing.  Not a single solitary fish.  This is your only source of income.  This is your only source of food for your family. Daybreak has come and there is nothing to show for your work.  This is what Simon encountered when the Lord entered his boat to speak to the people on the shore.  Simon  was washing out his fishing net when Jesus entered his and told him to pull away just a little so that the people could see Him just a little better.  After Jesus was done speaking He told Simon to let down his nets one more time.  Simon told Jesus that He had been fishing all night and had not caught anything, but he believed in the word of the Lord enough to obey. Simon cast his net into the water and brought up so many fish that they needed two boats to hold them all.

Dear Reader I know that sometimes it may seem like you have been casting your net into a sea of dreams and have been pulling up nothing.  You have the skills that it takes in order to pull in those dreams, yet you have nothing to show for your toils, and labor.  You have even been casting your net at what you thought was the right place and the right time. I want to let you know that your skills have nothing to do with what you are or are not catching.  Where you are fishing at has nothing to do with what you are reeling in.  The time of day that you are throwing out has nothing to do with how many fish are in your net.  It’s not even the boat you are using.  What it boils down to Dear Reader is who is on the boat with you.  I tell you from experience that if you let Jesus on board you will find your nets will be full.  If you allow God to use your vessel for His purpose you will be blessed beyond measure.  You may have given up on your dreams, or you may think that you can’t make it because you have tried over and over again.  However, when you let Jesus on the boat you may be asked to forget about your empty nets.  When you trust Him, Jesus will multiply your skills.  When you have faith in Jesus you will find that your boats will be overflow with the blessings and the goodness that God has for you.  Let God on your boat, trust His word, Dear Reader,  and let down your nets.  Be prepared for a blessing.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

My Gift to You!

Don’t let anyone redefine you who you are, and what you can be.  Your path is this life is predetermined by God, and there is so much in store for you.  Don’t allow people that don’t have your best interest at heart to be around you.  Embrace what you may call your imperfections and take a deeper look at what is truly beautiful about you.  When your beauty is true, there is nothing to make up.  I want you to look past everything that the world has told you is wrong with, and see that how God made you was just right.  Today is the day that a new you is staring back at you in the mirror.

Good day to you all! Don’t  allow the ups and downs of the day to cause your joy to go up and down.  Don’t let nobody bring you down.  Maintain who you are and your days will be a lot brighter!

Today I would like to offer a gift from me to you!  On this day I am going to offer you a gift, and you don’t even have to give me anything back in return.  I know that it is not Christmas and I may have missed your birthday, but I tell you Dear Reader I am here to give you a wonderful gift, if you are willing to receive it.  If you are ready Dear Reader your gift is below, and I have already unwrapped it for you!

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24

Yes, I have given you the gift of Mark 11:24.  Everything that is to be unlocked needs a key.  The key to unlocking your destiny is faith.  Faith is the key that unlocks the door behind which your blessings reside.  I want to encourage you on this day to take a closer walk with God.  Give your worries and your problems to God, and allow Him to work those things out for you.  Know that He is going to do it and it will be done.  I want to get you out of the habit of telling God how big your problems are, and get into the habit of telling your problems how big your God is.  This gift that I present to you, this key if you will, will unlock areas of your life that you thought were locked away forever.  I am presenting it to you as a gift because when I discovered it for myself, I thought it was Christmas.  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and everything will be revealed unto you. I am a witness.

Dear Reader, I want you to have relationship with God.  The better news is that God is ready to have relationship with you.  You have tried it your way, give God a chance. The pathway to God’s love, this is my gift to you.  Hope for a better tomorrow, this is my gift to you.  You are more than a conquer and I thank God daily for bestowing you as a gift to me, so this word of encouragement is my way of giving back to you.  I am excited about your future. Be excited, and be made whole.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Power in Your Words

For the rest of my days, I will praise the Lord.  I give Him praise for the mistakes I made because it is an honor for Him to teach me such divine lessons.  I praise Him for the rain that falls in my life because without the rain I would be left in a drought.  I give Him praise for the people that plotted against me, because without them I would have never realized how good I really am.  Yes, for the rest of my days I will praise the Lord. 

Good day to you all!  Everyone has a song in their heart, but everyone does not have the courage to sing.  Everyone has a story to tell, but some people can’t find their audience.  I am praying that today you sing your heart out and that you find a listening ear.  You are God’s greatest creation!

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Proverbs 17:28

Sometimes it is so easy to let our words get away from us.  I will tell you that sometimes it can be easy to just say the first thing that comes to our minds. Did you know that when God made the world He did not touch anything.  In Genesis we learn that God spoke the world into existence.  The part of the story that is so powerful, is that He made us with His hands, and He made us in His image, and He gave us power in our words.  The same way that God created this universe by speaking it into existence, you too can create the universe that is around you.  You are in more control of the world that is around you than you know.  Speak positive and watch the world around you change for the better.  If you continue down the road of negative thought and words, you will see nothing but negativity manifest around you.  Start with your thoughts and your words will follow. Try to find the good in every situation and you will find yourself in the midst of good situation.  Make the commitment to change the way that you speak and you will see your world change almost instantly.

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24

Dear Reader I want to encourage you today to change your language.  I know that it can be tempting to be negative.  We live in a very negative world.  I want you to shake that negativity off of yourself and start with a brand new you.  There is a blessing that is waiting on you, but you cannot receive it if you don’t think that it is going to come.  God cannot bless you if you don’t have faith that He will.  Make it a daily practice to think of good things and good outcomes to situations.  Make it a new habit of finding what is good in the things that are around you. You have nothing to lose and a whole world to gain.  You may still say the first thing that comes to your mind, but you will find that there is nothing but goodness that comes to your mind first.  I am excited about your turn around Dear Reader.  Believe in the power in your words.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Many Returns

How great is our God?  He woke us up this morning in our right mind.  How great is our God?  He made a way out of no way so many times, that we can easily lose count.  He continues to bless us over and over and over again.  He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. How great is our God?  He sent His only begotten son so that we could all be free.  Our God is great and he loves us, so smile today! Smile and rejoice!

Good day to you all!  I know that it may not seem like the brightest day outside, but there is a source of light that is in you that needs to come out.  Someone needs your light to shine today!

And he looked at him and said, “How hard is it for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”  Luke 18:24-25

How can you claim to love Jesus and not love the poor.  It is a very basic concept.  Jesus came to preach good news to the poor and the poor in spirit.  So if you have wealth in abundance how can you look at those that have nothing and go about your daily life?  Understand that being poor is not always about not having money. Being poor is when you lack something. Sometimes we are poor in energy, some days we are poor in spirit.  Sometimes we have been poverty stricken when it comes to love and relationship. If you see someone who is need of love, or motivation, if you have been blessed with an abundance of those things, I want to encourage you to bless someone else. I want you to know that God see’s every area of your life where you are lacking.  God knows every hurt and every struggle. If you give Him a chance to make a difference you will find that in every area that you that you were at a deficit God has supplied enough to bring you back up, and before you know it your cup will overflow.

Dear Reader, there are some who have a lot and only give back a little.  I can only tell you that they should be an example of what not to do.  The Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver so when you have the opportunity to bless someone with your time, your heart, or your love, give all that you can and God will open up a window in Heaven and pour you out a blessing.

2^nd Corinthians 8:13-15 tells us: For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

Learn from those who look upon receiving as the goal, and never be selfish with the gifts from the heart.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Children of a King

On this day, we should celebrate because we are children of a King. We should celebrate because we are not 3^rd cousins, play cousins, or extended family of a King, we are children of a King.  We are the manifestation of the little black and white children that Dr. King spoke of on the mall in Washington D.C.. On this day let us be reminded that since we are children of a King, then that means that freedom is in our bloodline. We have to be aware that the same justice that I love for me is futile, if I don’t love and want the same justice for you.  If your rights are taken away, then my rights are not too far behind. Let today be a reminder that a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  Let us continue the work that Martin Luther King was unable to complete.  We are children of a King.

Good day to you all! Today is more than a Monday!  Today is an opportunity.  Go to your calendar and cross out the days of the week.  Write in “opportunity” in order to remind yourself that each day is an opportunity to live, love, forgive, give yourself a new chance to walk with God. There is no better time than now.

On January 15^th 1929 Michael King Jr. was born in Atlanta Georgia. He and his father changed their names to Martin Luther King Sr. and Martin Luther King Jr. because he admired Protestant reformer Martin Luther.  Martin Luther King Jr. had no idea how much of an impact he would have on the world.  He was going about what he thought was his calling when a situation in Montgomery Alabama superseded his path. He was thrust into leadership even though he did not know if he would be able to handle everything that came along with being a leader.  There were many days when Dr. King was afraid, yet his belief in the cause, and his trust in the Lord kept him going.  He was criticized and talked about.  He was threatened and lied about.  Yes, the man that we celebrate on this day went through so much so that you and I could be everything that we were promised we could be.  A generation that he never had the opportunity to see, would still benefit to this day from the sacrifices made from what seems like so long ago.

Dear Reader, we are children of a King.  When you were born greatness was thrust upon you, it has just taken a while for you to know it.  You are the leader that someone has been waiting for. You are the catalyst of change that a movement needs. You may not have been born into prestige, but most people that are leaders are not.  Look at the example of Jesus.  He was born in a barn on a silent night, yet He was sent to save us all.  Dr. King had a humble start right here in Atlanta Georgia yet he was a leader that open many doors for many people.  I want to encourage you on this day to look at where you want to go and stop looking at where you are at.  Keep your eye on the prize and make moves that will put you in a position to achieve that prize.  You don’t have to worry about whether or not you qualify by the standards of the world, because when God is on your side, you are approved.  What God has ordained in your life, no man can take away.  Claim your greatness, claim your victory.  Claim your crown, Dear Reader, after all, you are the child of a King.

You are beautiful, loved and blessed

John Reed

On my way to forever

You are on a path to greatness!  There is nothing that can stop you but you.  Your success has already been ordained so all you have to do is move towards where you are supposed to go.  If you were thinking of giving up, I want today to be the day that you reset your way of thinking.  Stay mission minded and God will open up window and every door that you need opened in order to accomplish what is in His will for you to accomplish.

Good day to you all! Keep smiling!  No matter what you do, don’t let anyone take your smile away!

There was a man that decided that he was tired of the life that he was living.  He didn’t know what he was going to do, and he didn’t know where he was going to go, the only thing that he knew was that he needed to get away from where he was at. So he did just that.  He started walking.  Without too much notice, he started on a journey without any clear cut destination.  When a neighbor asked him where he was going, he thought about it and he said, “ I don’t really know, all I know is that I am on my way to forever.” What started as miles turned into days.  The man would stop in the next town, and he would rest.  When he got up the next day if he did not feel like this was his destination he wouldn’t complain about where he was, he would simply get up and move on.  The man was very content with his journey.  He never complained that it was taking too long to get to where he was trying to go.  He thanked God for his ability to get to where you was going.  He thanked God for the birds, the tree’s and the nature.  He thanked God for each day that he was able to see.  The man reached forever. No one knows how long it took him, or where his journey led him, but he reached forever, and when he got there, he discovered joy.

Dear Reader I want to encourage you to get up and find forever.  Maybe you have an idea of which direction you need to go.  Maybe, unlike the traveler in the above story, you have a certain destination in mind.  I want to caution you not to get too comfortable when you reach rest stops which are not your destination. Rest stops along your journey were meant for you to rest, not to stay.  An eternity with God awaits you at the end of your journey, so be excited each step of the way.  I want you to enjoy your journey, and love every part.  Don’t stop till you reach your destination.  When they ask you where you are going, let them know I am on my way to forever!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

You WILL Smile Again

Your footsteps are guided so that means that every step that you make has already been planned.  It God has already got your journey mapped out why, oh tell me why, should you be worried about a thing?  I want this day to be a day that you stand boldly on the word, and KNOW it to be true.  I want today to be a day you discover unspeakable joy.  I want you to come to terms with happiness and breakup with disappointment.  Your praise report should be like CNN, it should be 24/7 and constantly updated.  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and watch everything else fall in place.  Today is your day!

Good day to you all!  Today is going to be a wonderful day!  Whether you know it or not, today something is going to happen that is going to set off a chain of events that will be a blessing to you in the end.  Trust and believe.

Today, Dear Reader, I come to you with good news.  I come to you today to let you know that you will smile again.  Not that artificial smile that you force yourself to put on because people are around.  No, I mean that deep down smile that is rooted deep in the spirit and is powered by the joy that only God’s grace can bring.  I want you to know that the world is good at stealing joy, and burying your smile.  The world has a PH.D (Playa Hating  Degree), a Masters Degree  in making you a slave, a Bachelors Degree in making you feel like single is all you will ever be. I want you to know that just because they have the above stated degree’s does not make the world and the elements within it smarter.  It just means that you are enrolled in the wrong school.  God wants to put you at the head of His class.  God wants you to learn from the one that He sent to teach.  The Master of all Masters, the King of all Kings.  He is the one that conquered, death, Hell, and the grave. Who better to teach us because at times we are scared to death because the enemy is putting us through Hell, and wants to see us put in the grave.  His name is Jesus and He is waiting on your prayer.  He is waiting on you to follow.  When you are out on the water keep your eye on Him in order to stay afloat. Choose this day to be the day that you  choose Him. 

Dear Reader, you will smile again.  I know that it has been a long time and situations continue be demanding.  You are His child and He wants to see you with that smile on your face.  Your tears are seen, even in the dark.  God is going to make it right.  Reach out for Him and I promise He will reach back.  I promise Dear Reader, you will smile again.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Temperature Change

You are in control of that smile so you might as well turn it all the way up!  I know that you have seen brighter days, but I want to let you know that the sun has not stopped shining on you.  Lead with positive words and actions, and watch what follows.  You are going to shine like a light!  You are good right now!  Embrace that thought and live in the moment!

Good day to you all!  It is another wonderful day full of wonderful people! We are amongst those wonderful people.  Remember, people that claim that they don’t like you, just have not gotten to know how wonderful you really are!  They are truly missing out!

There are only two types of people that we run across on a daily basis.  There are people who take on their environment and blend in, and those that change their environment.  So in essence there are thermometers and thermostats.  We have all seen people that walk into a dreary situation, and no matter how they were before they walked in they slowly become whatever the situation is.  If they are upbeat before work, and they get to work and the mood is gloomy, slowly but surely they become just as gloomy.  Those people are thermometers.  They reflect their environment.  Then there are those people that walk into the room, and people gravitate to whatever mood they are in.  They walk in with the attitude that nothing is going to get the best of them, and they smile.  They offer advice and they offer positivity to everyone around them.  These people are thermostats.  They change the temperature of the room, and often times make people more comfortable. 

Dear Reader today I want to encourage you to be a thermostat and not a thermometer.  I want you to determine that your joy is going to lead the way,  everyday. I want to encourage you to encourage others.  The room may be cold, but your smile and your spirit were sent there in order to warm it up.  Tempers may be boiling over, but when you walk in there is a cool and calming peace about you that puts everyone at ease.  The spirit of the Lord in you makes that possible.  You have the ability to speak to the storm and calm the waters.  You are an instrument of God and there is a beautiful song that is being played through you.  Dear Reader there is a temperature change coming in your life.  Let today be the day that you change the temperature in the lives of others. God’s grace is all over you, and you are highly favored.  On this day, and every day, be that presence that signals a temperature change.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Any Street Corner

You are able to move mountains, so don’t let anyone trip you up with mole hills.  You are able to speak change into your universe, so let God’s universal love be the motivation behind your smile.  Today is another opportunity for you to be the star in someone’s dark sky, so do not underestimate the power of the love that is in your heart.

Good day to you all!  There is something moving in you and there is something that you are feeling like you need to do.  Act on that feeling and be a blessing to someone else!

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and it there is anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things

I want to make an appeal to you today.  On  this day let us decide that we are no longer going to dwell in past disappointments.  Let us make a conscious effort not to let negativity navigate our course in life.  I want to encourage you on this day to let Philippians 4:8 be your guide.  Understand, Dear Reader,  that your thoughts can and will become things.  If you wake in the morning with a song in your heart, and praise on your tongue, your day will be brighter than it ever has been before.   Your thoughts are very precious and you should not allow them to hang out on any street corner.

Ashford and Simpson sang:

They try to pick me up and take me for a ride
I tell 'em, No, the girl is satisfied
They say, I've got the stuff that really turns you on
I tell 'em, No, this little girls is grown

Dear Reader when negativity is ready to take you for a ride, I want you to tell them no, because the Lord is satisfying every aspect of your life.  The enemy is going to try to entice you but fear not because you are growing in the word and now that you are grown you cannot be lead just anywhere to hang on any street corner.  You are in God’s hands and He is going to lift you up.  Let your thoughts dwell in a place that is close to Him.  When you dwell on the things worthy of praise you will find that beautiful things are around you.  When you dwell on what is true, and honorable, truth and honor will follow you.  This is going to be a miraculous year Dear Reader.  It all starts with you. Put your thoughts in a brighter place, and get them off of any street corner.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

The Big Payback

Don’t let the cold outside affect the warmth that is in your heart!  It is a fact that you are a child of the all powerful God, and that fact should be enough to keep you warm for 1000 winters.  You are loved by God almighty so when things are not looking like you think that they should, just know that all things are working in your favor.  Smile at the bad and rejoice in the good.  This is going to be a beautiful year!

Good day to you all! We are on this journey called life together, so when you need a shoulder to lean on, I will be there!

We have completed another wonderful Christmas season, and there were a lot of gifts exchanged so where big and some were small.  Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the exchange.  We are so used to giving to our family and friends because they are the ones that give to us. Imagine if you gave to complete strangers without any expectations of getting anything back.  Imagine having a big party and instead of inviting all of the people that you know, you gathered up all of the poor, and the hungry.  Imagine inviting the people that are homeless, and without anything.  Imagine giving to people that could not give back to you.   Who does that?

In Luke 14:12-14 Jesus says: “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may  invite you in return, and that will be your repayment.  But when you give a reception invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they don’t have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Dear Reader as we prepare for the year in front of us, I want to encourage you not to let the holiday’s that just past be the only time when you think of others.  Take care of your family, but try to give to someone that can’t give back.  Offer insight to someone who is blind to a fact that could save their lives.  Help someone who has been crippled by this life and feels that they are unable to get up and walk on their own.  When you invite the people with the least to dine with you.  When you set the table for someone who has no table of their own, God tells us that He is going to pick up the tab.  He can see that they are unable to pay you back, but more importantly He see’s us being obedient to His word.  If we focus more on giving and less on receiving, we shall have the blessings of God upon us, and along the way we would be an instrumental blessing in someone’s life. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Resolution for a Revolution

Praise Him with a mighty voice and watch those mountains fall.  Praise Him in the middle of it all and watch what happens in the end.  I am a witness to the power of God when all faith is put on His word, and all praise come from the tongue.  You can tell the storms in your life, Peace be Still, and it will be so.  You are God’s most wonderful creation.  This is your time to shine!

Happy New Year to each and every one that is reading this message!  Things are looking up already so be on the lookout for a turn around to a situation that you thought was impossible.

There is so much emphasis put on New Year’s resolutions.  We see the start of a New Year as a perfect opportunity to get into shape.  Or to start back trying to reach a goal that we had given up on.  There is always room for improvement in our lives.  I know that it can be difficult to keep up with those resolutions. We start out in January with the best of intentions, but by mid-February we find ourselves back in the same place that we were last year.  Researchers say that it takes 3 weeks to start a new habit.  Imagine if you could take a new habit and replace an old habit, and do that for 21 days.  You would be on automatic pilot with that new habit, and you wouldn’t even have to think about it.

Dear Reader, I want to encourage you at the start of this new year to make a resolution not just for one particular goal, but for your whole life.  I want you to make a resolution for a revolution.  I want you to resolve to revolve.  Once you make a turn-around in your life you will find that your revolution will begin the evolution to your new way of thinking, your new way of praying, your new way of speaking positive no matter what the situation.  I am praying that you make a resolution to cause a revolution in the way that you eat, the way that you laugh, the way that you love.  I want you to experience joy, and peace.  God can change everything that you think is unchangeable, and He can move the things that you thought were unmovable. This is going to be a wonderful year for you this year Dear Reader, just move closer to God all of your goals will become reachable.  The road won’t be easy, but God will be with you every step of the way.  Happy New Year Dear Reader!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed