The Storm

"Sometimes the Lord rides out the storm with us and other times He calms the restless sea around us. Most of all, He calms the storm inside us in our deepest inner soul." 

— Lloyd John Ogilvie

Favor & Qualification

God doesn't always call on individuals who are qualified, but he qualifies those that He chooses to call. 

The blessing of Favor!!!

Refusing to Worry

A meaningful repost from Joel Osteen:

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

(Matthew 6:27, NLT)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God doesn’t want you to live worried and anxious about anything. He knows that worry is counterproductive. It steals your peace and joy and affects every area of your life — your sleep, your health, your peace. Worry steals precious moments of time that you can never get back. Decide today to put an end to worry in your life. Don’t feed worry by focusing on bad news all the time. Sure, we should be informed, but we should be more informed of the truth of the Word of God. Feed your faith by meditating on His Word and fill your heart and mind with God’s promises. Declare every day, “My God shall supply all of my needs. He makes a way out of no way. He is the Restorer and Redeemer.” As you focus on God’s Word, you’ll drive out worry and fill your heart with faith and expectancy. You’ll experience His peace and joy and move forward into the blessings God has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, today I choose to put an end to worry in my life. I choose to feed my faith by studying Your promises and declaring Your Word over my life. Help me to totally trust in You today and always in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

The Benefit of Trials

Though trials and tests come upon us, our peace shall remain when we stay grounded in The Word. 

Although trials are uncomfortable, I am witness that they ultimately increase our faith and strengthen our perseverance as we completely rely on and surrender to God, knowing that he is our protector and provider. 

Peace in the midst of any situation is one of the best gifts given to an individual who has endured, withstood, and been approved. 

Leadership: Nature or Nurture

There are several arguments concerning the development of leaders and whether leaders are born or made; I argue that effective leaders are products of both nature and nurture. 

Successful leaders are born with a high emotional capacity and several strong dispositions. On the other hand, situational factors and life experiences cultivate these traits and provide opportunities for people to emerge as leaders when necessary. The theory that closest resembles my view of leadership is Fiedler’s Contingency Model, which contends that leader orientation and situation favorability are essential for successful leadership.

 

I personally define a leader as a person who values relationships and uses communication to provide direction, alignment, and inspiration to a group of people as they undergo or experience change. Good leaders have the ability to use strong informal relationships to communicate a vision and allow followers to contribute their ideas while “growing professionally”.

 

 

Seasons: Sowing and Harvesting

Throughout Life, there are seasons to sow and seasons to harvest. 

Many fail to realize that a person will never harvest a result without sowing a seed. Before focusing on the rewards in your life, it is essential to think about your actions and the seeds you have sown. 

The greatest measure of faith is sowing a good seed and maintaining an active hope and a spirit of perseverance when life delivers continued obstacles. A spirit of expectation and determination supersedes any present obstacle that we face, and we create a victorious testimony by pressing forward and keeping our eye on the prize.