The Close-Out Sale

May God’s grace and mercy be with you all of your days. God’s goodness is evident in the world around you so embrace each and every day that you are given. You are the blessing that someone needs. You are the message of hope that someone needs in order to know that everything is going to be alright. You are the sign that love still exists, and therefore someone with a broken heart can catch their second wind, and love again. You are the sunshine that someone needs because only dark sky’s and clouds seem to be in their atmosphere. You are all of these things because God shine’s through you. You are able to make a difference because God is working through you. You are blessed for the express purpose of being a blessing and that is what you do whether you know it or not, God’s will is being done through you. Go forth today knowing that the joy that you have been given is spreading to everyone around you.

Good day to you all! If there is love in you, let love come out in everything that you do. Take refuge in peace, and know that God’s timing is not our timing because God’s timing is perfect timing.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Everyone enjoys a good sale. In these tough economic times, we often find ourselves looking for a good deal. Every now and then a store will have a close-out sale. That is when the store is not going to sell any more of a particular item because it is not selling, and they need to make room for new inventory. There is nothing like a good close-out sale. As a consumer we are getting a good deal, but on the business end, the retailer is able to get something new that will be more profitable. Definitely a win-win for all involved.

Dear Reader, as we close out this year, I want to encourage you to have a close-out sale of your own. There may be some things in your inventory that have kept you from being profitable. There may have been some things in your life that you were selling, but the world was not buying. No need to worry about the past, I would just tell you to make those things down. As a matter of fact, I would tell you to just go ahead and give them away. Put negativity on sale. Mark down depression. Low Self Esteem has got to go. Do whatever you have to do to get all of those things out of your store. They are destroying your bottom line. You need to make room for new and better inventory. Happiness is on the way. Unspeakable joy is on order. Love is always a hot item. When you make a change in your inventory, you will find that the world will have to take notice of what you have in stock. Dear Reader, you are on your way to a great new year. Make the decision to make a change to what you are carrying with you, and you will find that you have set yourself up for success. I am praying for the best for you! Be encouraged. Keep the faith. Don’t look back. I love you. God loves you. Let’s close out on hate, and stock up on love. Let’s close out violence and stock up on compassions. Stay beautiful. You are always loved. God has His hand on you so you are blessed. I want to wish a Happy New Year to each and everyone that is reading this message! You are indeed a blessing you me! See you in 2013!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

The Underdog is Here

God is moving in your favor today.  All things are working for your good, so do not worry and do not fear.  You are blessed beyond measure today.  Spend time counting your blessings and you will find that you will run out of numbers before you run out of blessings because we serve a God who is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him.  Let us give Him praise today for His grace, His mercy, and the love of God that lasts forever.

Good day to you all! You are a blessing to someone and you don’t even know it.  There is someone who looks to you for inspiration and hope.  There is someone that can see something in you that you cannot even see.  Shine today because someone is in need of your light!

And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 15:20

I remember fondly a cartoon that I used to watch that was called Underdog.  The idea that an underdog could be a hero is what made this cartoon funny, and also ironic. The term underdog comes from the English blood-sport of bear-baiting where two dogs trained to attack a bear. One dog was a top dog and that particular dog was trained to attack a bear’s head and neck. The underdog was trained to attack the bear’s mid section and legs.  Because of the power that the bear possessed in his legs, the underdog was not expected to survive. There were two dogs in the fight, but only one was expected to make it out of the fight. 

Dear Reader I want you to embrace your role as the underdog.  Yes, we want to be the favorite, because when you are the favorite everyone expects you to be victorious.  However, if you are like me, you embrace the role of underdog.   Understand that every now and then this life will present a bear of a challenge.  The bear can seem intimidating when you are an underdog.  It can seem like you are the only dog in the fight, but Dear Reader there is a top dog that is in the fight with you.  All you have to do is switch the letters around. Don’t worry about it, I will do it for you.  See, when you serve a Top God, your odds of being victorious increase because you are under God. People will tell you that because of where you are from, and what you have got that you don’t stand a chance in the world.  Folks will look at what you have on the outside and try to predict you outcome. What they don’t know is that God works from the inside and is in control of everything so when you go through something you know you will come out.  Jesus would have been considered an underdog.  Here you have a man born in Nazareth, going up against the government of Rome. Jesus did the work on the bottom, but He knew that God was doing His work on top.  When it was all said and done he defeated death, hell, and the grave, and ascended into Heaven with all power in His hands.  Dear Reader you have that same bloodline in you.  Don’t give up on you.  Your enemy has a lot to fear, because the underdog is here.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed