You can travel the world, live long years and experience all there is to experience and still not know all there is to know. You can go to school for years and years, get a Doctorate and still be missing some inside information.

Life is a continuing learning process. You can never know all there is to know. Paul confirms in 1st Corinthians that we now only know in part. In other words, we don’t know all there is to know. We’re missing some key hidden information.

Think about it: The world’s smartest scientist is missing some key information. The world’s smartest Jeopardy contestant only knows part of the whole. You can search far and wide, find the most sought after surgeon, and discover that he doesn’t know all there is to know. But there is One who has all the inside information! And He is all knowing, all powerful and all mighty!

And the good news is you’re connected to this One who is our great God, the True Vine. He can show you great and mighty things that you do not know. When you call on the Lord, He’ll show you hidden things that are far beyond the world’s wisdom.

I love how Jeremiah 33:3 puts it. The Lord says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

I think of people who have street smarts. They know certain “code things” that the books don’t teach you. They know certain survival traits, the “ins and outs” and the “low-down”, (if you will) that can only be learned on the streets.

On the contrary, the books teach you educational, success driven and need-to-know tactics that the streets don’t teach you.

In the same way, God’s wisdom is not the world’s wisdom. In fact, His wisdom is on a higher plane. In Isaiah 55:9, the Lord declares “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God’s Word is packed with wisdom and knowledge that can only be learned when you have access to Him. He has some key hidden information that can only be gathered when you call to Him as the scripture declares. But here is more good news, you do have access to Him! All you have to do is call upon the Giver of all life!

Make yourself readily available to the Lord today. Call upon our God, the creator of the universe, for His wisdom and guidance. When you do so, He will show you great, mighty, fenced in and hidden things which you do not know or understand. His Word will then become a light to your pathway and give you peace as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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We serve a God who fulfills all of His promises. Everything He says, He brings to pass. And the scripture says that we’ve been made in His likeness. As ambassadors for Christ, we should strive to be people of integrity. We should be people of respect and dignity.

In your everyday life, make it a point to walk the talk.  Be a person of your word. When you make a promise you should stand behind it. God not only wants us to be in right standings with Him,  but He wants us to be in right standings with the people around us.

Aim to be a person of integrity and stand behind your word. Don’t just talk the talk, no, you have to walk the walk. If you honor your word, people will honor you. And more importantly, God will honor you.

When you’re honored by God, He causes His divine favor to reign over you. He then causes you to triumph in every area of your life.

I heard a great saying. “Preach always and use words only when necessary.” How do you do this? It’s simply done by letting your actions do the talking. You do it by living a honorable life full of integrity.

If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Maybe you’re asked to attend an event. If you promise to be there, stand on your promise. Maybe you’ve opted in to be at a certain place at a certain time, try to honor that. It’s hard to regain your integrity once it’s been lost.

People are not always listening to what you say as much as they’re looking at what you do. They’re looking to see if you’ll follow through with your word.

It would be a sad story if God, the creator of the universe, had failed promises. But in the same way that God hasn’t fallen back on His word, don’t go back on yours.

Your actions speak louder than your words. So make a point to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. When you do so, God will honor you and cause you to rise to a higher dimension as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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You weren’t just birthed into this world by chance, God has had a purpose for your life since the very beginning. Your life is divinely orchestrated by God, and He has great things in store for you!

Too often, we find ourselves being tossed back and forth in the wind. Many people feel a since of no purpose. We’re just taking chances hoping for what the world calls “luck.”  But with God, there’s no such thing as luck. No, you’re not here by chance. There is a method to His madness. You’re not doing what you’re doing by coincidence. Your steps are ordered by the Lord, and He has every step planned out for you.

Maybe you didn’t have the same upbringing as your peers. Maybe you’ve had it rough all your life, and you’re tempted to think that God has deserted you. Well know today that what you’ve been through is not by chance. Jeremiah 1:5 says that “even before you were born God knew you and He set you apart.” And Jeremiah 29:11 pretty much answers this when it says,  “God knows the plans He has for you. He wants to prosper you and give you a future full of hope!”

The seemingly insignificant things that you partake in day in and day out, could be the very things that lead to the next major opportunity. It’s no coincidence that those contacts that you’ve met along the way, have become an influence in your life. They may have been placed there by the almighty God, as a vehicle to lead you to your success.

It’s by no coincidence that you’ve faced some hardships along the way. It’s those very setbacks that will give you the ability to blast through the ultimate finish-line. Those roadblocks that you encounter, serve a purpose to show you what road not to take in the future.

Those defeats that you’ve suffered they didn’t happen by coincidence. Maybe you’ve encountered some closed doors and passed by opportunities, know that it’s no coincidence. Anytime you come face to face with a closed door, it’s because God has something greater in store.

Now just think, if you would’ve accepted the mediocre opportunity, or walked through the wrong doors, you would be delaying yourself from the destiny that God has purposed and designed for you.

I heard a wise person say, “what was supposed to be your setback, is your setup.” So next time you suffer rejection, next time you experience failure or let downs, know that it’s not by chance. Those setbacks will set you up for the next major move that God has planned for you.

God is working behind the scenes. And He’s turning the pages of your life one opportunity at a time. So take pleasure in your defeats and failed opportunities. They are there to bring about growth and maturity as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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We learn many things as we mature in life. And all though it’s good to learn wisdom and gain great knowledge, there are some things that should never change. It’s just like the saying, “what you don’t know won’t hurt you.” Well, that’s what happens to many of us as we grow up in life. We learn how to be prideful. We learn how to reject and be selfish. We learn how to be rude and unkind. And in turn, these things come back to bite us.

You see, little children have the awesome ability to accept, adapt, and trust. They also have one of the greatest imaginations. And it’s also at this age that we are perhaps at our most lowly and humble state.

There is something about the innocence of a child. Most children haven’t been taught not to trust, or to be prejudice, or to hate. They have a natural ability to find the optimism, joy, and laughter in most situations.

When we become older, we learn contrary to these things. As we become older, we learn how to take life too seriously at times. It isn’t until we become more mature, that we lose our ability to dream, imagine, and trust.

And I understand that once we grow older, we develop the cares of life. When we were children we could naturally put our cares on our parents and they would fix it.

But there is something to be said about this. Just like children, we can cast all our cares on the Lord. The truth is, that we have a Heavenly Father who can fix anything. In fact, He describes us in the scriptures as being children of the most high God.

We should take a stand on Romans 8:28 which says, “all things work together for the good of them who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose in Christ Jesus.”

The good news is that we are His innocent children. We should learn to have an active imagination and believe that God can cause even our wildest dreams to come true. Just like children, we should learn to trust and believe the best in others. 1 Corinthians 13:7, in the amplified, says that “love is ever ready to believe the best of every person.”

There is a certain humility that comes with the innocence of a child. And God wants us to bear this same fruit. We know this through Matthew 18:1-5 where the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus illustrated that we must turn from our sins and become like an innocent child. He illustrates that anyone who becomes as lowly and humble as a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.

Too often, we let pride get the best of us. We have a tendency to think more highly of ourselves than we should. Too often, it’s said that children are to learn from our examples, and that’s true. But in the same way, we can stand to learn a thing or two from the children too.

The scriptures tells us that he who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Make a choice to tap into the humility and innocence of the little children and watch as God’s favor exalts you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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There’s one keyword that applies to everyone when it comes to making a change in their lives, and that’s the word “choice.” When I write my blogs, no matter what concepts, theories, or principles I’m writing about, it all comes down to one thing, and that’s a choice that has to be made.

No matter what hurdles you face in life, you have a choice to be affected or to be an effect. In other words, you can let the obstacles deter you and throw you off track or, like a sprinter in a race, you can choose to jump over the hurdles like they’re not even there.

When worry, doubt, fear, and frustrations come your way, you can choose to give into the temptation that causes them or you can choose to give into rest, peace, assurance, faith, and joy.  If the “in crowd” is going down the road of destruction, you don’t have to jump on the bandwagon. You can make the choice to take the other route that’s going to lead to a life full of hope and prosperity.

I remember a few years ago, there was a movie called The Matrix where the main character, Neo, had a choice to take either a red pill or a blue pill. The blue pill would allow him to go back to ordinary life as he knew it. But the red pill allowed him to learn about the “matrix” and change his life forever.

Well the good thing, my friends, is that God has given you a choice and He doesn’t require that you take a pill. In fact, Deuteronomy 30:19b says, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”

Now make no mistake, it’s not easy. One of the hardest things in life is making choices. In the Bible, Abraham had hard choices to make. He could’ve disobeyed God and stayed in his home land. But God ordered him to leave his native country where all his family and friends were and go to a foreign land not knowing where he was going. I’m sure that was a hard choice for him. But because of his choice to be faithful and obedient, he became righteous in God’s eyes. And God gave him great promises, great blessings, and numerous descendents.

Sometimes, the harder choice is often the right choice. But just like Abraham, when you make the right choices in life, it can lead to great blessings for you too. Remember, the choice is yours. If you’ll make life filling choices, God will promise great blessings for you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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The only way to overcome a setback, is to simply go through it. You can’t dodge the problem or take a shortcut. You must face the problem head on.

I’ve heard it said over and over that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. However, many times we find ourselves defying this rule.

The truth is, when we take shortcuts, we’re doing more harm than good. Sure we’ll encounter obstacles along the way. We’ll encounter road bumps that will throw us off, but the key is to get back on the main road of life.

Issues in life can’t be fixed by dodging the problem. In fact by hiding the root cause, we only end up suppressing the issue. The only way to overcome something is to face it head on.

Don’t be afraid, worried or anxious. No, be bold and courageous! Stare your issue in the face and make a declaration that it’s not going to conquer you. You’re going to conquer it.

I believe God wants us to brave it out and endure the race. He doesn’t want us to try to take matters in our own hands. He doesn’t want us to seek our own knowledge or wisdom. No, He wants us to acknowledge Him and in-turn, He will direct our paths.

A great illustration is what Jesus says in John 14:6. He says, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” In other words, you can’t go above, you can’t go under and you can’t go around. You must go through Christ.

My friend, in the same way, you must make a decision today to avoid going around the problem. No, stay on the course. Stay on the straight and narrow. Don’t try to take that side road that seems to be quicker. When you attempt the shortcut in life you’re only hurting yourself. The key is to face your setbacks and shortcomings head on. When you do this, God will cause you to triumph and rise to a higher dimension as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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For most people, hardships and difficulties create a certain level of discomfort. In the interim, we find ourselves resisting obstacles  and seeking comfort.

But if the truth be told, it’s the things that create resistance in life that cause growth. After all, no pain- no gain right?

We can learn from the Apostle Paul. He said in Philippians 4:12, “I’ve learned to be content in any and every situation.” My friend, that’s the way we should be. We should learn to be content and appreciate the resistance that life brings.

When doors of opportunities are closed, that’s resistance. When things don’t go our way, that’s resistance. When friends walk away and talk bad about you, that’s resistance. These things come about so that we can grow stronger.

You will never be able to handle the open opportunity that God has for you if you don’t learn how to appreciate or accept the discomfort of a few closed doors. You wouldn’t learn to appreciate the company of a few faithful friends, until you’ve had many friends walk out on you. It’s this kind of resistance that takes you to the next level in life.

When I go to the gym, I learn that most of my growth comes from the resistance of weight training. So appreciate your struggles. Thank God for your haters, critics and naysayers. Your growth in life depends on the resistance they create!

I like to put it like this, the greater the resistance, the greater your position. The greater the opposition, the greater your final composition. Learn to appreciate your hardships.  Appreciate the naysayers. Let your haters be your motivators. And before you know it, you’ll start to see tremendous growth as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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Too often, we find ourselves looking towards a certain day or a certain moment. We look either too far in the future or too far in the past and in doing so, we find ourselves missing out on the current opportunity.

We live in a day in time where our minds are going a million miles an hour. We have deadlines to meet and chores to get done. We even dwell on the things that are far in the future.

And don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to look forward to things in the future that are worthy of praise, such as that long awaited vacation, or the trip to see your best friend for instance. But don’t delight yourselves too much in those moments that you neglect the good in the current moment.

Know today that every moment that is given to us from God is a blessing. Whether you’re in rush hour traffic, on your daily commute to your job, or waiting in line at the bank, you should look for the good in every opportunity in life.

Ephesians 5:16 tells us to make the most of every moment in these evil days. Notice it didn’t say to make the most of moments to come. It didn’t say make the most of the moments long gone. No, it says to make the most of every moment in these evil days.

Remember, tomorrow is not granted to you. The next hour isn’t even promised. So make a decision today, to find the good in every situation and opportunity of life.

Even until this day, I can remember moments in the past that at the time, I never thought would be such a great memory for me. You never know it could this very moment that you’re facing that you’ll look back on one day and say, “wow, what I would do to go back and re-live that moment.”

The moments that you most take for granted could be the very moment that you end up missing. Enjoy those friends and loved ones that you cherish most dearly. Enjoy the walks in the park. Enjoy every opportunity that you’re given, because you never know which one is your last. If you practice living in the present moment I believe you’ll experience more of the peace, joy, and life that God has for you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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When hardships come our way, one of the things we do is complain. Although we do it without intention, it’s something that gets the best of us.

But I believe that complaining doesn’t please the Lord. Let’s use the story Israelites in the wilderness as an example. When God delivered the Children of Israel out of bondage land in Egypt, they journeyed through the desert for approximately forty years.

The whole time the land that God promised them was just on the other side of the mountain. But it was their constant complaining and murmuring that caused God to get angry and delay them from going into their promise land. In fact, when God rained bread from the heavens, they complained about the bread, they preferred meat.

Due to their complaining God vowed that their children, the next generation Israelites, would be the only ones to see the promise land. The first generation that was delivered out of Egypt died in the wilderness.

My friend, just like the Israelites we too  have a tendency to complain through our wilderness experience. When something doesn’t go our way we’re tempted to get upset and complain. Even when God blesses us, we wish for more.

Many times I believe that’s why God brings trials and hardships our way. He wants to test us to see if we can handle the blessings that He has in store. In fact, I believe that God not only looks at the fact that we go through the storm, but He looks at how we go through the storm.

Do you go through the storm bickering and fussing? Or do you go through the storm with thanksgiving and praise on your lips? Do you go through the storm depressed and looking for a pity party? Or do you go through the storm rejoicing in advance for what the Lord has in store?

Don’t be like the Israelites who brought about the wrath of God. Don’t die in your wilderness experience because of your inability to be thankful for what God has in store for you. I believe if you’ll learn to go through your hardships with a spirit of calm and peace, then the Lord will bring you right into the promises that He has in store for you!

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Photocredit:  by Ashlie Dove

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Part of optimistic thinking is learning to accept the unexpected. In fact, I believe that one of the biggest misconceptions about positive thinkers is that they expect only positive things to happen in life. The truth is that no matter what happens, having a positive mind-set is all about striving to view the current situation in the best possible light.

I love how they say hope for the best but expect the worst. So what happens when you wake up in the morning and that perfect day that you declared turns out to be seemingly the worst day possible? What happens when you don’t make the cut for that team that you trained and worked so hard for?

The hardest type of disappointment is the kind that takes us by surprise. So you didn’t get the advance that you were hoping for, will you crumble? Will you fall by the way-side?

In the future try to make a habit of preparing yourself for disappointments. I’m not saying that you should speak negative instances into your life, but just prepare yourself in advance.

When we were in grade school we had fire drills for our safety. They weren’t looking for a fire to happen or a tornado to come but they had to make sure we were prepared just in case. Experts even recommend that you put extra money into savings for a rainy day. You might have car trouble or an unexpected difficulty come your way. It’s better to be prepared.

When you wake up in the morning ask yourself what happens if the day doesn’t go the way you expect it. What happens if someone says something to upset you? Will you let it ruin your day? What happens if everything goes wrong at work? Will you let frustration get the best of you?

Make a decision that no matter what happens you won’t crumble. No matter what happens your declaration should be that this is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice gladly in it! Keep a smile on your face. Plan for the good as well as the bad today as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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