Christmas ideas

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I can decorate my house with all different kinds of things. I just love it. I love searching online trying to find new ideas. I want to share them with you.

Today's Thoughts: Stop Talking to Yourself

November 10

Today's Reading: Jeremiah 48-49; Hebrews 7

Today's Thoughts: Stop Talking to Yourself

You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:3

Does God want to be involved in every decision we make? Is it necessary to pray about every little detail? Many would say that God doesn't care, He saved you and He gave you a mind to think things through for yourself. I would completely disagree. After spending years of praying over the details in life, I have come to appreciate all He does for me just by including Him and looking for His fingerprints in my life.

But how does this work? Well, for a great starter, stop talking to yourself and start talking to the Lord. If you are late, talk to God about it. If you are confused, include God in it. Talk to Him as a friend, a counselor and a companion. He says that He is all those traits so get to know Him in those ways. In every relationship, there needs to be two-way communication. Prayer obviously is your part in the communication process with the Lord. But the Bible is God's way of speaking back to you. So let's say it is on your heart to buy a new car. Start talking to Him about it. Ask Him to change your heart if it is not His will or to lead your heart in the car buying process. Next, go to the Bible and ask the Lord to give you verses to guide you in this decision. If some verse pops out to you, pray over it and ask God to make His message clearer through that verse. If He does give you the go ahead, do further research with that promise. Keep talking to Him and keep going back to the Word, asking for specific direction. Whatever you include Him in, the Lord will work with you from dealerships to your finances. As you grow in the knowledge of God's guidance, you will gain a peace in your decision of what to purchase. Regardless of the outcome, you will have assurance of God's hand in the process. Walking through these decisions in our lives with God is the only way to assure peace. The more we include Him in every decision, the more we grow in our knowledge of Him, which leads to a closer walk with the Lord.

Are you in the midst of a trial or major decision in your life? Are you searching for answers in various places? Knowledge can bring peace, but the knowledge of God brings everlasting peace that continues to surpass our understanding. Start out everyday in God's Word. Take time to put His Word in your heart and mind. Before the day is through, you will need to hear from the Lord on something that crosses your path. The knowledge of His Word will give you peace and assurance in ways you could never imagine. Try it and see what God will do.

Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple.
Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc.

Today's Readings: Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5

Today's Readings: Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5
Today's thoughts: The Peaceful Fruit of Righteousness
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11
We know that the Lord disciplines those He loves but sometimes I wonder why He has to go to such extremes to love me so much? I have told the Lord that it is a good thing He told us that discipline is based on love because, at times, I would misinterpret the pain as something else.
I have noticed that through the process of chastening, I probably will not remember the circumstance that brought the trial, but I will remember the intensity of the pain. When God really gets a hold of me and starts working on changing me, I feel hallow and empty. During those times, I feel like a pumpkin. God cuts around my handle and scrapes me clean of all the seeds and stringy things. But I liked all those seeds, stringy things and even the dingy environment; at first, I grieve over missing the "old me". But then, He goes a step further and takes the knife of the Word and starts carving at my hardened protected outside. Now my insides become exposed to the outside, and light has the ability to shine through. So often, I can barely handle such exposure and I feel embarrassment and vulnerability no matter what angle the light hits. During these times I cry, yell, pray and beg Him to stop, not understanding why I have to go through this painful process. But in His perfect timing, I realize that the peaceful fruit of righteousness has resulted in me. Finally, I pray for His light to be placed deep within me so others can see His good work.
We need the Lord. There should be nothing else we want to do but to love Him with all that we are and to serve Him with all of our lives. As we continue to walk with Him, we better understand that His purpose for us is best for us. We are called to endure these trials of life as we are becoming more like Christ, and being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Jesus needs to become our everything. We need to ask Him to help us yield to His will in the discipline process and to resolve ourselves with His timing, being content with His will. Though the process is painful, He knows what is best and we can trust Him to finish the work He started in us.
Are you dealing with something painful today? Maybe you are wondering why God has put you in such a place. Regardless of the reasons for our sufferings, we must remember that He is our answer. Go to Him today and ask for His strength and guidance to lead you through this time. Begin thanking Him for His purposes in the work He is doing in your life. He will never let you down.
Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple.Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc.

Iphone case with a little bling

Girls do you have an iphone. Check out these iphone cases. Show my the bling.

http://cristyles.com/gallery.html

Church: Creating an Experience

taken from www.beyondrelevance.com

A few years ago, I was sitting in my local Starbucks and happened to overhear a group training session for new employees. And it was awesome! The employees were being trained on the atmosphere and experience that they were hired to create. The mission statement was given clearly through examples, so everyone could grasp it. The meeting was visionary. I was just about ready to fill out an employment application!

The people holding the training had a picture of how the employees were to treat each other and the leadership, but the tone was not focused on what the workers wanted to get out of the job. Instead, the training was centered around the experience they were to provide for each other and in turn, the customers. They were taught to be relational with frequent guests and sensitive to those who might not even know what a latte is.

What if we, as the church, put this much effort into inspiring workers—volunteers and members alike—with a vision for how the church could be and the atmosphere we would create for our visitors? Without this alignment, is it any wonder why we often come across as so fragmented and ineffective to the people we are trying to reach? Is it a surprise that there are so many churches connecting with so few people?

What are you doing to allign your ministry team? Do you have an atmosphere that's deliberate and effective?

The Nike Effect: Part 1

The Nike Effect: Part I
taken from www.beyondrelevance.com

Some of you out there might remember the early days of the running shoe market in the late seventies and early eighties. (And by some of you, I mean if you’re old enough!) There were all these new companies—Brooks, Puma, Saucony, Asics, New Balance, Adidas, Pony—and they were all competing against each other, each company selling pretty much the same thing. Well, by the mid-nineties, Nike basically made it clear that it was the dominant company. How did they take over that market? It’s called genius marketing. They saw needs that the other companies didn’t.

What Nike did was sell us a perceived need—inspiration—but delivered our real need—belonging. They convinced us that we could basically have superhuman abilities by creating a connection between their brand and Michael Jordan—an extremely iconic figure in sports. They had top athlete endorsers from almost every sport—creating more than just shoes, but rather an identity behind them. When they reached their “Just Do It” campaign, the company was one of the top brands in the world. How did they do it? They paved the way for us to see them as more than just shoes. At the time, Nike was so great that no other shoe stood a chance.

Nike was all about belonging and to buy a pair of Nike shoes was like being a part of something bigger than yourself. We have this basic human need to belong; so Nike wrapped their product up in faith and achievement. Why am I convinced that it was about belonging and not a true desire to be better at sports? Because 90 percent of us never used our Nike shoes for anything more than going to the mall on Saturday. We didn’t really want to be athletic—we just wanted to be on the winning team.

So how does this translate for the church? Well, it helps us see that there is a difference between true needs and felt needs. We know the people we want to reach need Christ, and we can agree that God has given all of us that space in our heart that only He can fill. But until they’ve heard and understood the message, most people don’t know their need is for Him. They might know things like they should be in church and their kids should be there too, and they probably feel something missing in their lives. We know the real need in their lives is belonging to Christ, but they are likely to think the need is something less spiritual.

We’re not frequently going to introduce them to their real need until we can connect with them on what they think they need. Since they don’t fully understand their true need, it’s our job to make that need felt.

What do the people in your community think they need? Is it friends? Childcare? A sense of belonging? Financial provision? A job? Cool music?

© Richard L. Reising

What is Marketing?

What is Marketing?

by Andy Havens, Guest Blogger

Ask most people about marketing and they’ll talk about advertising. Why? Because advertising is the end result of a long marketing process and the only part that is actually observed by the general public. Behind the scenes, though, there are hundreds of people and thousands of hours of marketing work involved in every product you see advertised.

This becomes problematic when consumers of advertising become creators of marketing, as they assume they should start with advertising. That’s like assuming that building a house begins with picking out paint and wallpaper because that’s the part that’s most visible and that you’re most familiar with.

So what is marketing?

Marketing is the study and practice of better, faster, cheaper and friendlier. “Making things go more smoothly,” as I put it to my students. The product or service a company provides is the “what” of its existence. Marketing is the “how.” In a church setting, our “what” is the spreading of the Word of Christ. We want to grow the Church, heal the world and bring the Good News to those that haven’t heard it. Those are all answers to the question, “What should the church be doing?” The question, “How can we do those things better?” is one that marketing can help answer.

So where do we start? Good marketing begins with some basic ideas that can help any organization – including your church – accomplish many objectives long before venturing into the realm of advertising.

Goals
Good marketing programs must have well stated goals, often at several levels. By “levels of goals,” I mean that company-wide, department, and personal marketing goals are often set forth, and should compliment each other. If “increased customer satisfaction” is a company-wide goal, then a personal marketing goal might be “spend more time in one-on-one customer interactions.” Goal consistency is even more imperative in a church setting where much more is at stake than dollars.

Measurement
That which is not measured cannot be improved. One of my favorite bosses once quipped that marketing without measurement is like basketball without baskets; “Lots of dribbling, but what’s the point?” For churches, measurement can be about much more than the numbers of people attending services. You can measure how many people are involved in different activities, how many hours of volunteer time are given, how pleased people are with various activities, how satisfied staff and clergy are. And your measurements should all tie back to those goals we talked about earlier.

Project Planning
Once you have goals set, and an idea of how to measure progress towards them, you need a plan. How to get from “Point A” to “Point Z” without trying to skip the stuff in between. Marketing planning utilizes a “blueprint” model that navigates from the statement of a goal to its achievement. This is where many churches (and businesses) fall down. Project planning skills simply aren’t taught in schools. But they are taught in many corporate marketing departments.

Group Dynamics
Marketing often requires a balance of priorities. Shareholders want maximum profits; customers want low prices; employees want higher wages. Marketing has to find a balance. Knowing how to “market internally” can mean the difference between success and failure… even before a product ever gets out the door. Managing internal marketing relationships within your church will help you prepare for and overcome tension and unrest that can disturb your people and limit your success.

In the business world, how these and other marketing fundamentals work together will depend on the particular product or service being marketed. In a church setting, marketing programs will also depend on the goals and resources of the particular church. But no matter what you want to accomplish, starting with a strong foundation is critical. As Christ said in Luke 6:47-48: (NKJV) “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.” Don’t start your marketing programs by working on the “paint and paper” of advertising first. You’ll only end up standing around in a muddy, vacant lot arguing about why you’re still wet and cold. Start with simple, foundational marketing plans and you’ll end up with something that will stand the test of time.

Wall Murals

Murals:
I love murals. In my boys room I had a full wall mural painted in each of their rooms. It just sets the environment for the theme I wanted to create in their room. I found an awesome website that has some really cool wall murals at an affordable price. Check it out
http://www.decorplace.com/wall-murals.cfm

If you are looking for a custom mural I can design them and print them for you. You can check out the one I did for Cathedral of Praise Kids Ministry.

Target Marketing (Part 2): Defining the Target

Target Marketing (Part 2): Defining the Target

From Church Marketing 101 (Get this book)

As church leaders, we are not necessarily taught to study and understand the variances between different people, different cultures and different mindsets. Perhaps it is seminary oversight, but I am amazed at how this inherent part of Paul’s ministry is not pounded into us. Not only was he able to “become as a Jew to win a Jew”, his letters to the Galatians showed us he had a handle on their struggles, lifestyle bents and mindsets—yet, they were clearly different than what he was able to see in Corinth or Ephesus. Paul was able to distinguish lifestyle patterns in people that they did not see in themselves. This is a developable gift that made Paul much more than a preacher—he was a reacher. He reached people below the surface, right where they lived. And as a result of his tremendous passion and traveling exposure, he was able to understand the variances between people types and use it to help them see Christ.

There is a life being lived by church-goers and outsiders alike that is often below the surface to us as leaders. This is not about token “church relevance” where we feel hip by naming a sermon series after the latest movie. This is about understanding what makes different people tick. Even more, as the average church leader is more strapped with preparing messages, holding onto people through life’s struggles, and keeping the ship afloat, the ability to devote time to truly understanding who is and who is not in our churches is lost. This cycle of struggle eats away at one of our strongest assets in understanding people—exposure. Like Paul, when your exposure to different patterns increases, you are able to see more clearly what you yourself are dealing with. And be assured, every church has definable patterns of culture affecting its health and growth whether they recognize it or not.

Know your strengths: Whom do you reach naturally?
Part of the challenge is that we rarely understand our congregants in their day-to-day context. We do not know them as “socially passive”, “upper-middle-class”, “distinctively un-pretentious”, “good-ol-boys” or as “yuppies”. We know that Bob (an arbitrary member) is a kind and supportive, outgoing volunteer at church—but we do not know that he is really an introvert and challenged to feel confident in social settings in his day-to-day life. Does this matter? You betcha! It explains why Bob, while being such a great helper and worker, has never invited anyone from work to church—ever. And if you have a church full of Bobs, you will probably never lack for volunteers, but you will also never see substantial growth. Bobs are reliable; they just are not necessarily influential outside of church.

Do you reach Bobs? Why do they feel most comfortable at your church? Not sure whom you reach? Maybe to understand the types of people you have in your church, you should start by looking into your surrounding community and defining who is not coming to your church. What are they like? When you think of the big church down the road, what kind of people go there? How are they different? Now, look at the people in your church. What are some of their common attributes—socially, economically, in their personality and predisposition—what about their age? Industry? Heritage? Knowing whom you resonate with is a key to understanding your strengths and weaknesses.

Even more, a high concentration of Bobs might make it hard for non-Bobs to feel comfortable. This might have nothing to do with the minister, it might be that you have a Bob-driven culture—a church where Bobs feel comfortable and flock together, and that those with a different social disposition never really feel at home.

Know your calling: Whom do you long to reach?
You can always be stretching to reach more kinds of people, but you must be truly honest about whom you are good at reaching (of note: “good at” might be an insight into your calling—it might also be an insight into whom we have gotten “comfortable with”). Knowing who you are good at reaching is not enough. Paul was a mega-Jew—certainly good at reaching them, but deep down he considered himself an apostle called unto the Gentiles.

God is trying to put people on your heart. If you can find an intersection between your strengths (whom you reach naturally) and your calling (those your heart draws you towards), you have a sense of your target. If you decide that you are not willing to consider the target question, what remains is to water down your pursuit of all with those whom you have little ability and little heart to reach. Doesn’t sound very productive, does it? This is why the targeting question is so important—it causes us to analyze who we are and build to our strengths and calling. Following God’s unique calling for your church might ultimately require that you accept that God can use other churches to help reach those you might not be able to.

Knowing your target strengthens your resolve and clarifies your methods.
We are fishers of men. Like good fishermen, we must start by understanding the type of fish we are going after. Then we determine if you need a net, a rubber worm or a fly lure. The target is found from being open to understand people and hear God’s voice. He is crying out for all of them. He has equipped you for reaching certain ones with a unique gifting. Who are they? Is your church equipped to serve them? The method (how you actually “do church”) follows the target. Get this. This is the most important thing. The method follows the target. What color should the carpet be? How long should we worship? What should we preach on? What should the logo look like? It all becomes easier. Who you are trying to reach? Once you know who you are pursuing, how to pursue them becomes much more clear.

Creating an Experience

Creating an Experience

taken from www.beyondrelevance.com

A few years ago, I was sitting in my local Starbucks and happened to overhear a group training session for new employees. And it was awesome! The employees were being trained on the atmosphere and experience that they were hired to create. The mission statement was given clearly through examples, so everyone could grasp it. The meeting was visionary. I was just about ready to fill out an employment application!

The people holding the training had a picture of how the employees were to treat each other and the leadership, but the tone was not focused on what the workers wanted to get out of the job. Instead, the training was centered around the experience they were to provide for each other and in turn, the customers. They were taught to be relational with frequent guests and sensitive to those who might not even know what a latte is.

What if we, as the church, put this much effort into inspiring workers—volunteers and members alike—with a vision for how the church could be and the atmosphere we would create for our visitors? Without this alignment, is it any wonder why we often come across as so fragmented and ineffective to the people we are trying to reach? Is it a surprise that there are so many churches connecting with so few people?

What are you doing to allign your ministry team? Do you have an atmosphere that's deliberate and effective?

Target marketing (Finding Your Focus)

Blog from Beyond Relevance...

Target Marketing: Finding Your Focus

As a church, whom are you called to reach? …to be?
Once you get past the initial fear that many churches have about marketing, the next hurdle tends to be the discussion of target marketing. It sounds insane that we would target certain people and therefore exclude anyone from our pursuit. After all, Paul, our marketing guru-of-old, shared his heart about being “all things to all men.” (1 Cor 9:22) On his missionary journeys, it was incredible to see Paul’s ability to understand the needs and habits of different people groups and adapt his message to meet them right where they lived. He serves as our role model in his pursuit of all men. On the other hand, Paul considered himself called to be “an apostle to the gentiles.” (Rom 11:13). Sounds slightly targeted doesn’t it? How do we reconcile these two pursuits—to reach all and yet to focus only a segment?

Believe it or not, it was not spiritual bigotry that Paul was guilty of in his pursuit of the gentiles. This was a pure sense of Paul understanding his strengths and his calling. Every church has strengths at reaching a “type” of people in its community. While that might strike you as unjust, its truth defines both our strengths and the areas we need to grow in. Whether you are a church that is known for young families, old money, the upper-class, the working-class or the struggling-class—whether you are known for deep followers, surface seekers, empty nesters or down-and-outers—there are tendencies to whom you draw.

Bear with me as I use a non-church example of two famous target marketers in order to paint a picture. Eminen is a mid-thirties rapper who has a number of platinum albums. In America, if you asked anyone from age fifteen to thirty if they knew who Eminem was, you would get over a 90% familiarity rate. Emimen is extremely targeted and he has almost fully saturated his young, pop-culture target. As a result, everything that he does is extremely aimed at the values of a decade’s culture and style. If you are 65 and know who he is, odds are, you do not like him. He does not care. You are not his target. He dresses young and angrily and he raps young and angrily. He appeals to the young and angry.

Now lets look at Josh Groban. He is in his mid-twenties and sings with operatic undertones. A significant amount of you knows who he is, but, despite his youth, he is just as (if not more) likely to have sixty-year-old women listening to his music than he is a sixteen year old. He wears linen suits or nice jeans with a wool turtle-neck and a sports coat. He sings songs of love and inspiration. “You Lift Me Up…” His target audience is spread wide amongst ages and styles. He will never reach a 90% familiarity rate with any one group. He does well by spreading his style thin to reach a little of a lot. This is in juxtaposition to Eminem who reaches a lot of a little. They both sell millions of records, but they both have different target audiences.

Much of what you see succeeding in churches today are those churches who have committed to specific people groups (targets) and styles by which they will pursue them. There are those that succeed with a wider range—targeted more like Josh Groban, but they must maintain to an exhaustingly extraordinary level of ministry to pull it off. After all, Groban would not be able to have such a wide appeal if he did not have one of the greatest voices of all time. Trying to serve all people at once when you are under-staffed and under-resourced is enough to put most churches under. It is harder to appeal to a wider range of people. Eminem does not have Groban’s voice—he just knows which buttons to push. Remind you of any churches?

It is often easier to reach people with common values than it is to attempt to relate to all people. Numerical growth is often the result of ministers committing to whom they are going to reach and developing an attractive style around it. That is why many ministries with less tenure and testing are often numerically successful. They are not better ministers, they just know whom they are trying to reach and are staying true to it. They are spiritual Eminems—focused target marketers. Their true talent is knowing the values of a certain group of people.

If you have been the church that tries to reach all at once, don’t be upset with the church that targets—that brings an angle of style and cultural value to their ministry. The fact is, they will reach certain people even better than you—and you…them. Working together, that makes us the Body of Christ. If you are hungry for their success, do not copy them. You will only be seen as posers. Find your own way. Chances are, in your pursuit to reach all; you’ve been more successful in reaching a certain some. You might just not recognize who they are yet. And in your quest to reach more in His name, be as Paul… becoming all things to reach all, but knowing deep-down who God has called you to reach.

ChurchMarketing 101

Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth

If you enjoy the Beyond Relevance blog, you will be blown away by Richard Reising's book, ChurchMarketing 101®: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth.

ChurchMarketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth.

This "must read" (we're not just saying that--look at what others are saying below) is a handbook to building a contagious church. Whether you are a marketing guru or novice, you will find it inspiring, encouraging, and hopeful. It’s everything you’ve been secretly thinking about church since you’ve been at church, but it’s also the solutions that churches are needing. In this book, Richard breaks down marketing principles and brand strategy by offering fresh insight into what both creates and hinders church growth. Built on a strong biblical foundation, he reveals how small changes can have a big impact on growth. Strategic marketing can set your church apart, creating the momentum to change the life of your church and your community for eternity. Bottom line: it’s worth the read.

You can buy this book from Amazon.com, ChristianBook.com, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstore.

Brand Value Versus Brand Recognition

A great book I ask every pastor to read:
Church Marketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth click to purchase

I thought this was worth sharing. From churchmarketingsucks.com

Brand Value Versus Brand Recognition

I got an e-mail from a friend with a quote in it, and then I realized Tony Morgan posted the same thing a few days ago. It's a quote from John Wang, the Chief Marketing Officer at HTC, in an article regarding innovation. Here's what he had to say:

"Let me share with you how we think about brand. There is a very important difference between brand value and brand recognition. Brand value means something to the end user. Brand recognition, all it means is a bunch of advertising to make people recognize the brand name. At HTC we care about brand value, not brand recognition. Building brand value is like earning respect; you have to earn respect, you cannot buy respect. And the way to earn respect is by continuing to deliver innovative products and creating value for the market, and that has to be done time after time again. It is a journey."

That's certainly a challenge to the church. Are you just using brute force marketing, or are you delivering incredible experiences and products that lead people to admire and trust you? Ask yourself and your team this question as you prepare to serve your community.

Reaching Your Dreams

God has been speaking to me a lot about "Dreaming Big." In life God gives us dreams and desires that we want to see happen in our life. Well I have a few myself. I have accomplished alot of them (getting married, having kids, buying a house, and so on). There are just a few that I have not seen to come to pass:
1. Help churches develop a marketing and media system for their church.
2. Grow my business to host over 100 websites
3. My husband and I to become lead pastors one day.
4. Have a daughter (this one is up to God , lol)
5. Record my own cd
6. See my kids ask Christ into their heart

I know there are more but they are more private between me and God. Please pray with me that God will help me see these thing through. I know with God help I can do it.

Do you have any dreams that you want to see happen in your life? If so jot them down and remind yourself every day. It is amazing to see what God helps you achieve in life. The only way to know it is if you write it down.

How Big is Your God

Last night was such a great night watching the fireworks at Bellevue Baptist Church. They had a huge concert with Big Daddy Weave and a huge firework show. It was all for free. I think that is so awesome. The question I ask is why Bellevue? Why can't any church do something huge for the community. I know money comes into play or maybe vision. It doesn't have to be the largest church in the community that can do something big for God. All it takes is vision and everything will follow. That is what my husband has done for our Easter Egg hunt. Our first year we had less than 100 kids. This past year we over 6,000 people show up. I challenge you to think of something that you can do for God and do it. God will line up all the resources.

Thank you Bellevue for dreaming big!

Life is Simple

Today my oldest son wanted to make a tent. It reminded me of my mom making me a tent. I loved imagining and creating a world that I could always go to and have fun. I was the child that would play outside on my bike and pretend I was driving a car going on vacation.

As I began to get blankets and tv trays out Cole was getting really excited. Isn't it just crazy how kids get excited about the littlest things. I learn so much from my kids. They look at life with simple eyes. Don't make life complicated. Just enjoy life and do what God has called you to do.

HOME FOR SALE

Just REDUCED to $163,000.
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Click here for more pictures and information on the house.
http://www.forsalebyowner.com/listing/3F212

If you are interested please call Tiffany at 901-465-7671

Today’s Thoughts: Integrity and Character

Today I have not been feeling well. Infact I slept pretty much all day. Well my devotions today was pretty cool and I thought I would share it with you.

June 26

Today’s Reading: Job 5-7; Acts 8:1-25

Today’s Thoughts: Integrity and Character

"No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!" Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there." And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, "My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead." Genesis 23:11-15

When Sarah died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, Abraham went to the sons of Heth (the people who lived in the land) and requested a burial place. Abraham acknowledged that he was a foreigner in their land and humbled himself by bowing before these men to ask his petition. They, in turn, honored Abraham by calling him a prince and instructing him to take the choicest piece of land for his burial. They wanted him to take it for free but Abraham insisted on paying the fair price for the land. After much debate back and forth, an amount of 400 shekels of silver was given as the land value and Abraham gladly paid it.

Abraham was obviously a man of integrity. He was respected and honored among the people living in Canaan, even though he was considered a foreigner in their land. At this time, Abraham's descendants were yet to come. He was living in the faith of the promise from God that one day his descendants would live freely in this land of Canaan, the Promise Land. But instead of flaunting his heritage, he humbled himself and honored the current residents by insisting on paying his fair share for a burial place. In return, his integrity and character were perceived even greater in the eyes of these people. God blessed Abraham for his faith and obedience.

Our integrity is often tested through our finances. How we handle our money is a true sign of our character and it seems that Christians are under the spotlight more than others. By paying for the land, Abraham was not under obligation to the landowners. When in debt, we are obligated to the lenders. When in debt, it is hard to make wise choices because our need for money can overshadow the right decision. Pray about your finances and ask the Lord to guide you in all decisions regarding money, even in issues of debt. Integrity and character are far more valuable.

Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple.
Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc.

Roses are special

Today like everyday my oldest son came into my room to wake us up. We all pile in the bed and have a little family time every morning. I guess you could say it is just something we always do to start our day off. After we enjoy spending some time together we like to go check out and see what roses have bloomed so we can cut them. Cole is amazed every day at the beautiful roses. When my first son was born my husband decided that every mother's day he would buy me a rose bush. Well I have feel in love with collecting them. I now have 26 roses bushes. So needless to say we have a lot of flowers.

My husband asked me the other day if I would ever get sick of having so many flowers. I said are you crazy I get so excited to see and smell these beautiful creations. They are all so different and beautiful. I just love it. The picture is what we cut in 2 days. Cole and I have made it a fun thing to give our roses away to people that we know. I know how much it brightens my day so I know how it will brighten theirs.

Today’s Thoughts: Looking for Love

June 23

Today’s Reading: Esther 9-10; Acts 7:1-21

Today’s Thoughts: Looking for Love

And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16

There is a chorus of a song that says, "Looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love in too many faces." Funny how true that is. We each have an innate desire to be loved and accepted just the way we are. We long for others to be kind, caring and selfless. We look for this kind of love from our families, friends and even neighbors, believing that we are giving this kind of love so others should give it back. However, the harder we look and the more we seek, the more discouraged and heartbroken we become. Why? Because we are looking for love in all the wrong places and in too many faces.

God is love. Love comes from God. If we are going to talk about love, look for love and try to love others, we need to learn from the Creator of love. Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." Jesus laid down His life for us. He was willing to take on the form of a man and then lower Himself to the role of a servant to express His perfect love. The right place to look for love is at the cross and the only "face" that truly expresses love is Jesus'.

Jesus loves you. There is nothing you can do to receive more of His love and there is no sin so great that you can lessen His love for you. His love is constant. It is funny that we look for love, but when we find it, it is a hard thing to accept. Ask the Lord to open your heart today to be able to receive His love for you. Rest in His love and seek His face. Fill that void in your heart by knowing the true essence of Love. Then, instead of your looking for love in the faces of others, others will find it when they see Christ reflected in yours.

Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple.
Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc.