Love the Skin You're In

Let us make a joyful noise to the Lord.  If you cannot sing, then you can just wave your hands, and let the world know that God has been good to you.  Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord!  So if you are able to read these words then you are more than capable of giving Him praise.  If you can see this message then you have been blessed with the ability to see and comprehend, and that is enough to give God the praise.  Don’t take the small things for granted.  Be grateful and lift up your praise to God today!

Good day to you all!  Stay in prayer! Our daily conversations with God are important!  Pray for someone that you don’t know very well because the compassion that we show towards a stranger is the compassion that God will show towards us!

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them  Psalm 139:13-16

Sometimes it is easier to be critical of ourselves than to see the beauty that is there. There are so many people who like to tell us what beauty is that we often can’t see the beauty that sits right in front of us.  There are so many priceless portraits in the world, and we miss the one that hangs in our bathroom.  That’s right, the mirror transforms into a priceless masterpiece whenever you step in front of it.  God created the world with His words, but He crafted you with His hands.  I tell you this because there is no way that you can value others, if you don’t see the value in yourself.  There is no way that you can understand where I am going if you have not started your own journey.  I find it amazing that babies are born all day, every day and each and every one of them is uniquely branded with God’s love.  You are also uniquely branded and there is no flaw in your design.

Dear Reader I want to encourage you to love the skin you are in.  I want to encourage you, on this day, to appreciate every part of who you are.  There may things that you want to improve on, but never let anyway cast shade on what God has made to be light.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you are less than the perfect specimen made exclusively by the Master’s hand.  There may be others that want to be like you, but that’s just because behind closed doors they like you.  I tell you Dear Reader there is no smile quite like your smile.  There is no voice quite like your voce.  There is no beauty quite like yours.  You should love the skin that you are in because the skin that you are in holds that spirit that God has made.  Dear Reader, don’t let nobody bring you down.  I live by a quote that I heard from Shaquille O’Neil.  He said, “If you don’t like me, then there is something wrong with you”.  Dear Reader when you have God in your heart, and you know that you are walking in the spirit, there are people who are not going to like you.  However, I want to encourage you not to change a thing!  If they don’t like you, then there is something wrong with them.  Dear Reader, you are God’s best creation.  Smile because you are who you are.  Don’t let anyone try to change you.  Love the skin you are in.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Cross Training

Take a look around you and know that you are blessed.  Cherish your family and friends, not just on birthdays or holidays, but everyday that you have the opportunity to do so.  Sometimes we miss out on the opportunity to love, and to laugh, so on this day make an effort to do just that. Sometimes we don’t realize that time is short until we realize that we are about to run out of time.

Good day to you all!  Give something to someone that you know cannot pay you back.  Give without expectation of receiving and you will be blessed beyond measure.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

One of the most effective ways for an athlete to train is to cross train.  Cross training is the process of an athlete doing things outside of how he normally trains in order to get a complete training experience.  A runner may train with a kick boxer in order to gain more agility, and then train with basketball coach to work on speed. After going through a series of different training methods the runner finds that they are stronger and faster than they would have been if they had only concentrated on running. 

Dear Reader there is something that we can learn from these athletes.  We all have a cross to bear.  We all have something that things that we must take up and carry whether we want to or not.  I want you to know today that it is Jesus who taught us to cross train.  Jesus could have just been a healer. Jesus could have just come down from heaven to raise the dead.  Jesus could have come down to be a teacher, but Dear Reader the good news is that He came and did it all.  He taught us how to be accused and forgive at the same time.  Jesus taught us how to be a teacher and a provider at the same time.  I want to encourage you to cross train as well.  If you are good at teaching, work on praying for others.  If you are able to give you may want to work on your ability to forgive.  Once you work on these things you will find that your spiritual muscle will be able to handle the cross that you have to bear a little bit better.  You are stronger than you think Dear Reader, and you will be rewarded with the imperishable wreath of eternal life for all of your efforts. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Win From Within

Lift up the name of Jesus on this day because we know that when the praises go up the blessings come down.  You are in the midst of a season of miracles right now.  It is up to you to claim It and believe it!  There is no failure in you so forget about what didn’t happen in the past and know that it was not your season for success.  Know that God is on your side and your turn around is on the way! Look forward to tomorrow and smile for today!

Good day to you all!  Keep your head held high because God is in control!

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:57

Since I had a day off, I decided to watch some television.  I am not a big fan of commercials, but every now and then I come across one that says more than it is intending to say.  I was watching a commercial for Gatorade, and there was a swim coach who was describing how he watched his swimmer go from  slacking off and not taking swimming serious to becoming the fastest swimmer in the world. Of course the commercial would have you to believe that Gatorade had something to do with him becoming the fasted swimmer in the world, but I can tell you that if you train hard enough and have the right coaching, and the right motivation, you can drink tap water and accomplish your goals.  However, I was struck by the words that came up on the screen when the commercial was over.  The words that came up said, “Win From Within”.   I started to think about how many people that were victorious were victorious not because of what they had on the outside, but what was on the inside.  There was a young man by the name of David who was a huge underdog in his match up against a giant name Goliath.  He did not have a lot on the outside, but on the inside there was a God who can make a way out of no way.  Then I thought about a man by the name of Cassius Clay who was a great boxer, but he refused to go to war. It would be fair to say that one man could not defeat the United States government, unless, that one man had God on his side. There are many who have had to win from within.  Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Dear Reader, I know that it may seem that the victory is escaping you right now.  I know that it can feel like you are not winning at all.  I want you to know that sometimes we try to win the race with the paint job instead of the tires.  Sometimes we can dribble the ball, but we can’t run down the court.  What I am saying to you is that you may not look like you have what it takes to get the job done, but looks can be deceiving.  As long as you have God on the inside, the outside is just a mere formality.  As long as you have Jesus on the boat what can the storm do to you?  I want to encourage you today to try a different strategy.  You have tried to look, and act the part, and that has not worked.  I want you to know that you can win from within.  In 2 Corinthians 2: 14 we are reminded: But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. Not only will you be victorious, but God will be glorified! Don’t give up because of what finances look like.  Don’t give up because of what the outside look like. Don’t give up because of what your educational background look like.  Your victory will come from within!  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!  Stay strong Dear Reader, your victory is still to come!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Rock & Roll

Praise God for everything that you have!  Praise God that He has removed the things from your life that are keeping you from Him!  Praise the Lord for the rain and for the sun! He is worthy to be praised!  Praise Him in everything that you do because when people see what you do and how you do it, they are going to want some of what you have.  Understand the power of your witness, and you will understand the difference that you can make on people whether they know you or not.

Good day to you all!  Explore that which is deep in you!  Keep your mind focused on your ministry, and continue to reach out.  Try to touch someone everyday!

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:19

Don’t give up!  I say again, do not give up!  Often times our biggest enemy is time.  We put ourselves on an imaginary time table and we stick to it faithfully. We come up with our 5 year plan and we get to year 4 and have not done the things that we set out to do in year 2 we judge ourselves harshly.  When our dreams are buried often times it is our own fingerprints on the shovel.  We give up on ourselves too quickly.  We sometimes feel that we were not meant to be what God made us to be.  A compliment will be scrutinized to death, but an insult will be accepted immediately. There can be no testimony without a test. Today I want you to know that you are all that God wants you to be.  I heard Al Sharpton say that everything is acceptable until we stop accepting everything.  Accept that you are more than a conquer and stop accepting what the world tells you about what you can’t do.  When God is for you, who can be against you?

Dear Reader I know that you know the following story, but sometimes we just need a little reminder.  I want to tell you the story of when rock and roll was invented.  Jesus was on the cross on a Friday, and they put Him in the tomb.  The devil had chocked this up as a victory.  They put Jesus in the tomb and they placed a rock in front of the tomb.  The devil was still in the middle of his victory dance, until on that Sunday morning God sent an angel to roll away the stone.  Understand Dear Reader that at first there was a rock and then came a roll.  When the angel rolled that rock away Jesus walked out of the tomb with all power in His hand.  The devil had to stop dancing.  The devil had to do damage control because he thought he had the win, but it ended up being a stunning defeat.  Dear Reader it is Rock and Roll that guarantee’s your victory!  Your enemies have tried to bury you.  They not only tried, but they put you in the tomb and put a rock in front to keep you inside.  I tell you today Dear Reader that God is sending an angel and that rock is about to roll.  Don’t put yourself in the tomb Dear Reader because God is on your side! Go ahead and stand boldly on God’s promises and rejoice in who you are! You are a rock star!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Weapons of Mass Destruction

You are God’s child and He loves you!  His eye is on the sparrow so you know that He has His eye on you! Step out on faith knowing that Jesus is walking with you!  Speak love knowing that you are completely wrapped in the  love of God and there is nothing that anyone can do about it.   Let peace wash over you like the waves of the ocean washing over the stones that have been exposed to the heat of the day. Stay on the path that leads to Jesus, and your every footstep will be guided!

Good day to you all!  Sometimes it is just better to be humble.  Jesus is the King of Kings but He was born in a barn.  If we follow the example of humility that Jesus has set for us, we will be able to relate to others in a way that we did not know possible.

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Back in the George Bush era, I think we all can remember that there was a search for weapons of mass destruction.  President Bush thought that Iraq was holding and hiding weapons that were able to destroy the United States of America.  They never found any such weapons in Iraq. However, I can tell you that I have found weapons of mass destruction in some of the oddest places.  I do not need to go to a foreign country to find them.  I can go the grocery store, or the mall.  I can stand on the corner, or I can go to church on Sunday. The weapons of mass destruction that I refer to are the words that people speak.  I have heard fathers speak negative about their sons.  I have heard husbands put down their wives, and wives talk bad about their husbands.  I tell you that words can not only hurt, but they can destroy.  There is so much power in the tongue, and there are people who abuse that power.  It all starts with the heart, because from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So if there is enough Jesus in you, then it should come out of you through the words that you speak.  If there is enough Jesus in you then your words won’t be your weapons, but they will be the medium that speaks in the harmony of heaven, and is in concert with peace.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

Dear Reader I want to encourage you today to watch the weapons formed against you, but more importantly watch the weapons that you form against others.  Understand that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, so there is no reason to retaliate against a weapon that is going nowhere.  I tell you Dear Reader the enemy is going to try to put you down, and make you feel like you are worthless.  You will be called everything, but a child of God.  The good news is that Jesus gave you the shield of salvation.  When those weapons are used against you, it is important that you hold your peace.  Let your words be of peace. Let your words be of healing, because if someone is speaking harshly towards you they are in need of some healing somewhere in their lives.  Smile at those who would seek to destroy you with words because God has already paid the price for you and the gift of salvation that you have been given cannot be torn down.  The gift that you have been given was given so that you could lift someone up.  Dear Reader don’t use words as weapons.  My suggestion is that you use your words to paint a beautiful picture for someone who could use a change of scenery .  I would suggest that your words be an inspiration to someone who has not been inspired in a long while.  Dear Reader you have the power to change someone’s whole world, and it’s not based on the money in your pocket, or how much you own.  You can change someone’s whole world, and even save someone’s life, just by the words that you speak. God spoke the world into existence, and I want to encourage you to change someone’s world by speaking God like love into their universe.  You are more powerful than you think!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Wade In The Water

Celebrate your freedom everyday!  Know that when you are saved by the grace of God, you are saved from the worries of the world.  You are blessed and highly favored today, and always.  God is working through you to bring get someone else where they need to be. You are the miracle that someone needs to witness n order for them to know that they can make it!  Rejoice in the Lord always!

Good day to you all! When you look at yourself, there is so much that should be happy about!  God is working a miracle out for you!

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Who’s all those children all dressed in Red?
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Must be the ones that Moses led.
God’s gonna trouble the water.

The road to freedom is never an easy one to travel.  Every year on the 4^th of July we celebrate independence.  One person that I admire in the struggle for freedom in America is Harriett Tubman.  Harriet Tubman is a hero of mine because she escaped slavery.  She could have been happy with having her own freedom, but that wasn’t enough for Harriet.  She went back to get some of those who were left behind.  She risked her life to save her own life, and then put in all on the line again to save someone else.  To me that is an amazing fact.  Because of Harriet Tubman well over 770 slaves were freed (70 by way of the Underground Railroad). The road to freedom is never easy, but it is especially hard when that road has to go underground.

What are those children all dressed in White?
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Must be the ones of the Israelites.
God’s gonna trouble the water.

Dear Reader I want to encourage you to reach back for someone who is still being enslaved. Sometimes we can get so caught up in our own salvation that we forget to go back and free someone else.  Let the word that came through you to unlock the chains of sin, and death that were holding you down, be passed on to someone else.  You won’t be able to save everyone, but God wants us to witness to others.  If we are affective witnesses we can lead others to freedom, like Harriet Tubman.  When we trust God, we can lead millions like Moses.  When we take ourselves out of the agenda and put God in, we can change the world like Martin Luther King.  Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin may have had the idea or freedom for some, but it took many others who remain nameless to bring about freedom to all.  Dear Reader you are the best instrument of change that there could be.  Tell someone your story and let them know that freedom is not free, but salvation is, and salvation will free you from the burdens of this world.  Celebrate your independence, but never forget those who have not made it to the promised land yet.

Who are these children all dressed in Blue?
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Must be the ones that made it through.
God’s gonna trouble the water.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Making a You Turn

Let God be your guide today! Your footsteps are guided and you are on your way down this pathway that we call life.  Live, laugh, and love as much as possible along the way.  Never take for granted the true friends that you find along the way.  Most importantly enjoy the journey and praise God every step of the way.  Wherever you are, you are not at your destination.  Don’t make rest stops your resting place!

Good day to you all! You can never pray too much!  Prayer is a personal conversation with God, and He wants to hear from you today!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Sometimes I don’t know how I would get anywhere in the city of Atlanta without my GPS.  I can tell you that there have been times when my sense of direction failed me completely.  The funniest thing that happened was when I set out for my destination thinking that I knew exactly where I was going.  In my mind, I just knew that I was going the right direction.  I started looking around for the land marks that I thought I should be seeing, and when I didn’t see them, I realized that somehow I had gotten turned around.  That’s when I reached for the GPS.  I turned it on, and when I put in the address that I was trying to make it to, the first thing that I heard the GPS tell me, “When possible, make a legal U-turn”.  I got to a point where I could turn around, and the GPS guided me from there.

Dear Reader, I want to encourage you to step out on faith.  I want to encourage you to let God guide your footsteps. However, I can tell you that there are going to be times when your sense of direction may be just a little off.  On this road of life you may notice that you are not seeing anything that looks familiar. That is when we pull out the God Prayer System. (That’s what my G.P.S. stands for, how about you?).  God tells us in a soft still voice, “when possible, make a legal You Turn”.  Well, I can tell you that the easy thing to do is to keep going the way that you are going and hope for the best.  Sometimes we find ourselves in that very spot.  We ask God for direction and then when we get that direction we continue going the same way. Dear Reader, I can tell you that it takes a lot of courage to make that you turn, but once you do it will be the best thing that you could ever do.  Let today be the point where you turn around and God will guide you from there. Oh what a feeling to not be lost.  Dear Reader it is never too late to turn it around.  I know you have been on the road to nowhere for a long time, but fear not because it is never too late to turn yourself around.  God is waiting on you to go in a new direction.  Dear Reader when you make that You Turn, it will be the best move that could make.  God is with you, today, and always!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed