Singin' in the Comeback Choir...

Oh Happy Day...

During this time of the year, I always get a bit sentimental. Holiday time, which means, by the grace of God, I am a year older, and hopefully wiser and better.  I reflect on past heartaches, and am happy to have healed. I reflect on past relationships, and am thankful to have moved on. I reflect on moments when I wanted to throw in the towel, and am grateful for endurance. I reflect on past failures and mistakes, and am thankful about grace and mercy, and life lessons. It also means that time is passing by, and as time waits for no one, this time of year comes to me as a reminder to Live.

And, sometimes, Living Ain't Easy...

I remember when I started Peace In The Storm Publishing. There were so many obstacles in the way, and as time progressed, the obstacles grew bigger and self-doubt tried to creep in. The keyword here is "tried." 

So glad I didn't give up. He speaks through trials. I was reminded, through the trials, "Who" I am, and "Whose," I am. Made all of the difference in the world. And, whatever you're going through in life, no matter how big your problem may seem, I'm here to tell you that there is a God that is bigger than anything you're going through. So the next time obstacles confront you, you don't allow your problems to scream to you how big they are, you look them in the face and shout how big your God is! 

This is a message from some time ago and its relevant, especially in these trying times.

Life is filled with speed bumps, roadblocks and stop signs. Our normal tendency is to listen to the world as it tells us to slow down or even stop, behind a belief that some things in life are out of our reach and beyond our attainment and control. The world wants to cushion our expectations and to ultimately limit our goals. But thankfully, there is a God. And with faith in Him and His mercies, He gives us pedals upon which to accelerate and a path of green lights upon which to proceed when others tell us to we can’t possibly move forward. My PITS journey has been an ongoing saga of having faith and believing that even though others can give me molehills of why Peace In The Storm can't, My God gives me mountains of why Peace In The Storm can.

You Can, Beloveds, YES, you can!

Kisses,

Elissa Gabrielle

YOUR HATERS ARE NOT YOUR MOTIVATORS by Elissa Gabrielle

YOUR HATERS ARE NOT YOUR MOTIVATORS, well, as for myself, and if I'm being honest, I must admit that I get no motivation from haters. I heard someone say this again today. I think we should stop thanking them, and stop acknowledging them. Discontinue expressing gratitude to a sector of people who really could care less about you; who loathe themselves probably even more than they dislike and despise you. As with anything in life, the more energy you give to anything, the more it grows; the more life it sustains. If you ignore them, you render them powerless, amen?

My motivation in life comes from and is lead by those who love me. My haters don't. My haters are people who are busy counting my blessings instead of recognizing their own. Haters are people who fail to see the glory in their own life's story. Remember that.

I pray for mine. Pray for yours. I pray they will one day receive with open arms all of the grace and mercy they've been given. I also murder them with my success. Bury them with my Kool-Aid smile. :-)

I thank my Creator and not haters for motivation. Give all credit, praise and glory where its due and where it belongs.

What are you doing with the rest of your life? I hope not wasting not another damn minute on giving thanks to those who don't value you, your hopes, dreams, goals, and even the air you breathe.

Living well is the absolute best revenge.

It's Sunday, we made it, let's spend the time we've been afforded live well.

Kisses, E
xoxo

*****************************

Elissa Gabrielle is the Publisher of Peace In The Storm Publishing. www.peaceinthestormpublishing.com.

Trying Walking a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes by Jacqueline D. Moore

You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. ~ Nelle Harper Lee

Scripture:

If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.  Matthew 5:41-42 NIV

Very often we are quick to criticize others based on our own opinions and positions in life.  We think nothing of judging the conditions of others centered on what our life experiences have shown us.  We will shake our heads in disapproval if others do not conform to our standards and beliefs.  We will quickly dismiss those who find themselves in situations and circumstances we find appalling because of the hand that life has dealt them.  We tend to forget that many of us are only where we are because of whose we are and but for the grace of God go you or I.

Years ago when I first started my writing journey, I wrote a short story called Death at a Church.  It was about a young prostitute who worked the corner near a church.  Even though she didn’t know anything about God, there was something about the beautiful church, the beautiful sounds emanating from it and its beautiful people that fascinated her.

One day, she gathers enough courage to put on her best and enter through its beautiful doors.  Once inside, she almost loses her courage because of how she is treated by those beautiful church folk.  Many of them recognized her by her profession without knowing her story or that her choice of profession had never been her choice to make but rather a choice made by someone else.  If those good folks had been given the same cross to bear, would they be as strong?

Remember, When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father, we come to You this day asking forgiveness for the words spoken against another because of what we think they are. Help us Lord, to see other as You see us. Help us Lord to look beyond a person’s appearance and see into their hearts. Help us Lord, to show forgiveness towards those who have caused us such sorrow and heartache. Help us Lord to rebuke those who seek to destroy us. Teach us this day to have a forgiving spirit towards those who have misused us. Father, help us to see others in the same way You see us. With the eyes of Love. With a spirit of forgiveness, and with an open mind so that we may come to understand those who seem strange to us. Father, I am asking once again that You touch those saints who have asked for prayer for whatever situation they may be faced with. Father, our prayers are not complete until we tell You just how much we love You. We thank You Lord, for Your forgiveness of our sins and for looking beyond our faults. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Footnote:

If anyone is interested in reading Death at a Church to see how my character triumphs in this moving story and others just as encouraging you can Order a copy of the Triumph of my Soul anthology at: http://peaceinthestormpublishing.com/home/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=13  or at: http://amazon.com and http://barnesandnoble.com

Owning Up to Your Faults by Jacqueline D. Moore

Nothing can work me damage except myself; the harm that I sustain I carry about with me, and never am a real sufferer but by my own fault. ~ Bernard, St.

Scripture:
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me. Jonah 1:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

This past weekend I heard a very interesting take on the Story of Jonah. In the past, whenever a sermon was given regarding Jonah and his disobedience to God, it simply referenced him running away from what God wanted him to do. However, in all the years that Jonah’s story had been related to me, I had never heard the Prophet Jonah’s story told this way before.

I had on several occasions read and heard of Jonah’s initial refusal to go to Nineveh and tell the citizens to repent of their sins or they will be destroyed. Jonah did not want the city to be saved because he felt that they weren’t worthy of God’s grace and mercy. He didn’t want God to forgive them so he took it upon himself to run in the opposite direction in and effort to refuse God’s directive.

What I found most interesting about this sermon was that the emphasis wasn’t placed upon Jonah running away, but on the fact that he owned up to why the ship and its crew were in trouble. He admitted he was the reason and that it was all his fault.

How many of us are brave enough to admit that we are the catalyst for our own problems? How many of us are willing to take the blame for causing stress and strife in the lives of others? How many of us are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others? How many of us would have continued to run away rather than own up to our mistakes and try to make things right.

It's not hard to find the truth. What is hard is not to run away from it once you have found it.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, I come before the throne of grace seeking Your face and Your favor. Lord, often times I hear Your voice and tremble. I tremble because I know that I am not doing your will but rather following my own. Forgive me Lord. I pray that You would forgive me for my mistakes of yesterday and I pray that You would find favor with me once again. Lord, I come standing in the gap for my family and friends. I pray for the family who lost a mother and the family who lost a young child. So many need so much. I ask that You would comfort those who are heartbroken, assure those who are at a lost, strengthen those who are weak. Lord, help us to realize just how blessed we are. We may not have all that we want, but you continue to supply all of our needs. Lord, we just want to thank You for all that You have done in our lives and for all that You are about to do. Keep us all in perfect peace and help us to keep our minds and our hearts set on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.

Breathing and speaking life into every part of my life.

Breathing and speaking life into every part of my life. Encouraged by and because of it. In the same breath, I've learned to be extremely careful about who I let speak life into my situation. As much as I may have tried to avoid it or understand it, I accept it and it is my sincere belief that one of my purposes in life is to exhort, encourage, and inspire but I can't do that if I'm not, myself, on a journey to becoming completely whole. I can only get there if I know, under no uncertain terms, that the power is in my thoughts, words and actions and that power belongs to no one but me.

I'm owning the fact that I'm here for a purpose and you must too. What I believe is that my life is a gift, and it is waiting for me to trust and love myself enough to know that I'm absolutely entitled to live it.

What is already yours is waiting for you to take hold of it. We are all worthy, Beloveds...

Affirmation.

~from the life lessons vault~

 

____________________

 

Elissa Gabrielle is the Publisher of Peace In The Storm Publishing. Learn more at www.peaceinthestormpublishing.com.

Sometimes there has to be a Breakdown in order to have a Breakthrough by Jacqueline D. Moore

Breakdowns can create breakthroughs. Things fall apart so things can fall together.

Scripture:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

So often as we journey through life, things appear to be going along just fine and then suddenly, something will happen to cause things to begin to fall apart. We sometime call these things an unexpected turn of events. Or as some might say, we hit a speed bump or bump in the road. These speed bumps could be called, financial difficulties, infidelity, sickness and strife or simply “Life happens.”

The word bottom is often used to describe a condition that most would not like to find themselves, such as “At your lowest point, hitting rock bottom, bottom of the barrel, or bottoming out.” Now to most of us, none of the aforementioned conditions or places is anywhere any of us would like to find ourselves. However, when we look for positives in our negatives, we can often find something to aspire to. Such as; “To descend to the lowest point possible, after which only a rise may occur.”

In other words, sometimes the world or life’s situations that we find ourselves in have to crumble beneath us and we must hit rock bottom before we will make a change. It is at times like this that God will allow everything that we have or believe in to be taken away so that there is nothing left for us hold on to but Him.

Remember, when life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. And sometimes satan will knock you down, but God can pick you up!

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Therefore I say unto You, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Lord, we come before You believing that You are the one and only true God. Lord, we thank You for remaining faithful to us. Father we give thanks to You alone for loving us and watching over us. Father, help us always to put You first in all we do and say. Teach us Lord, how to remain faithful in spite of our circumstances. Help us Lord to remain prayerful and diligent in our service to You. Thank You Lord for blessing us. Thank You Lord for new grace and mercy. Thank You Lord, for the Blood, the blood that washes away my sins. The blood that protects, heals, and sanctifies. Thank You Lord, for loving a sinner like me. May the prayers of my brothers and sisters be heard by You alone. May You touch the hearts and minds of all who have come before the throne of grace today. May we always give thanks to You first. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Listen by Jaccqueline D. Moore

Remember, It is the still, small voice that the soul heeds, not the deafening blasts of doom. ~ William Dean Howells

Scripture:
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (New King James Version)

The prophet Elijah had a personal relationship with God. God often spoke to Elijah and commanded him to do great things in His name. In the above passage, Elijah was running from Jezebel, after he had torn down her altars and killed her prophets in the name of the Lord. He then fled to the wilderness and went into hiding, fearing for his life.

Our all knowing God already knew what Elijah was running from, but asked him anyway, what was he doing. It was during this meeting that God, told him to find Elisha who became his servant and would one day, take his place.

The Lord, our God, is capable of many great things. So often when we are seeking him, we look for the “Big” sign. We want him to perform great miracles for us that we, ourselves can see. There are several instances in the bible that tell of him speaking in a booming, loud voice. However, sometimes, He just whispers the answer to our problem.

We must learn not to look for the “Big” sign, but rather to listen for His still small voice.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father, may we always hide Your word in our hearts. Father, may we learn to be still, listen and hear Your still small voice. Father God, help us to learn to be obedient to Your word. Your word, which is the same today, yesterday, and forever word. Your Word, that spoke the world into existence. Your Word, that sooths our souls when nothing else can. We come thanking You today for Your word. We come thanking You today, for Your hedge of protection. We come giving You our love and adoration for all that You do for us and our loved ones. But most of all we thank You for the greatest gift that could ever be given. The gift of Your son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we just want to say thank You for Your word. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Peeling Back the Layers of Life by Jacqueline D. Moore

Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep. ~ Carl Sandburg

Scripture:
A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; Ecclesiastes 3:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines life as the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body. Life is the essence of who we are on this earth and is further defined by our existence in this world. Life is the combined accumulation of our experiences. Life is the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual and can be one or more aspects of the process of living. Life or live, is after all, what we do.
The above scripture from the book of Ecclesiastes has been described as a book of perspectives. It is implied that it was written by King Solomon who was considered a very wise man. King Solomon’s ultimate purpose for writing this book was to give Christians a chance to see the world through the eyes of a person who is trying to find meaning in life. 
 
Most every form of worldly pleasure is explored by the writer, and none of it gives him a sense of meaning. In the end, the writer comes to accept that faith in God is the only way to find personal meaning. He decides to accept the fact that life is brief and ultimately worthless without God. The writer advises the reader to focus on an eternal God instead of temporary pleasure.

Life teaches us that sometimes we choose things we THINK will make us happy. However, true happiness can only be found when we seek God first.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, far too often we seek pleasure in all the wrong things and in the wrong places. Lord, forgive us when we fail to see that eternal happiness can only be gained by seeking first the kingdom of God. Father, we realize that sometimes we make choices that are selfish and self-serving. We allow worldly things to distract us and to temporarily turn our attention away from You and Your word. Forgive us. Lord, help us to keep You at the forefront of all our decisions. Help us to keep our eyes on the prize of the most high calling. Help us to not be swayed by him who seeks to destroy us. Lord, we love You. We thank You for fresh grace and mercy. We thank You for always allowing us to opportunity to turn away from evil and return home to You. We thank You most of all for Your Son, Jesus Christ. It is in His name that we submit this prayer. Amen.

STRENGTH OF PURPOSE ACHIEVES THE IMPOSSIBLE

STRENGTH OF PURPOSE ACHIEVES THE IMPOSSIBLE...Giving up is easy and anyone can do it. To stand tall when everyone else would understand if you fell apart; when you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is true strength.

You're being strengthened on your journey. Don't you dare give up now because if you do, you're not honoring how far you've come in the first place.

All my Warriors, stand up.
xoxo

Elissa Gabrielle

Divine, Time, Water and ME: A poem by SD Denny

Divine, Time, Water and ME: A poem by SD Denny

Divine
Having flash-forwards to times when you’d be mine, focused on the sublime
Wet towels falling to the floor during moments when we would begin to unwind
Moments when we’d get inside each other’s minds, connect the dots and language the signs
It’s only a matter of time

Time
That which stands between us making our debut of the minds
How long before we dance our dance…sing our song
Late night rendezvous beginning with waffles and ending with sweet kisses and hot breaths blown upon virgin necks…not NEVER touched, but not touched in ages, locked in cages
Only allowing time and space to the esoteric and although sometimes illusions
They’re needed in stages like one needs water

Water
That substance that I yearn to feel that is you
Shower me from my head to my feet and feel me welcoming you
Soaking me…quenching me…filling crevices along the way as you nourish the flowers of my mind
Flash-forwards to times when you cleanse me tenderly because you’ve seen ME
Sprinkles become drops and drops become showers..you shower upon ME
The real that is ME

ME
The one who awaits quiet walks along shores…simple talks under shade trees as we sip sweet nectars
The one who yearns for water…the streams that lead to your mountain majesty and countless fields of purple passion and ecstasy
Equinoxes
Full moons above our heads and Adirondack breezes between our lips at the very moment before they engage in a dance producing water over time

Divine, Time, Water and ME


www.sddenny.com

How are you handling things? by SD DENNY

How are you handling things?

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” Charles R. Swindoll


A sure way to know that I’ve matured significantly is my own observation of how I react to things in my life. There was a time (and maybe not so long ago) when my first response to a negative situation would be to immediately fly completely off the handle – no thought of how I might be perceived or the consequences that might follow. If someone said something to me that struck a nerve, I just couldn’t keep quiet. I had to say something back in a tone just as ugly as I perceived theirs to be. How dare they say that to me! The same with situations or circumstances I encountered that I found difficult to deal with – I would immediately jump the gun and get angry or depressed, depending on which of those I felt was the best direction to take at the time.

News Flash: That’s not good for you, nor does it solve anything!

I had a friend once say to me, “Choose your battles.” At the time, I didn’t understand what she meant, but today I have a clear understanding. Thanks to some true spiritual teaching from various resources over the years, I’ve learned that the above quote by Charles R. Swindoll is absolutely true!

Yesterday, I encountered a situation in which I felt betrayed by a friend. To top it off, when I got home I had to endure sarcastic remarks (jokingly stated, but sarcastic nonetheless) from a family member who assumed it was okay to make such statements. I could’ve flown off the handle and confronted my friend, but instead, I took the time to first assess the situation and my feelings about it. I considered the dynamics of the friendship and whether or not it was worth it for me to go beyond bringing it to my friend’s attention that I felt betrayed and decided that I would leave it where it was. I’ve learned over the years that you can’t change anyone, but you do have the ability to walk away from toxic relationships, which is what I’ve chosen to do instead. And the sarcastic remarks – well, I just brushed them off and didn’t bother to respond. I felt they weren’t serious enough to bother addressing, actually.

You cannot change or control other people and their actions, but how you react to them will make all the difference in the world. This is something that I learned in therapy sessions (yes, I’ve had therapy) a few years ago, and it has stuck with me since. My therapist told me, “You’ll be much better off, much happier, once you’ve accepted that you have no control over other people. The only person you have control of is YOU.” She was right – I am much happier now that I have adapted a new philosophy about handling people and things in my life.

If you find that you are constantly regretting how you handled a person or situation, perhaps you should reconsider your methods. Try taking some deep breaths first. I know this sounds like something you’d read in a self-help book, but it actually works! After that, assess the situation. If you have the time, put some thought into it, but if there’s no time, do it quickly. Think before you act or speak – when you do, you’ll find that you don’t have thoughts of regret as often as you once did.

The bottom line is, there’s other ways you can choose to react to situations without getting your panties in a bunch (I just love saying that)! Choose your battles…you never know how much it can lower your blood pressure!

SD Denny, Award-Nominated Author & Freelance Editor
Sharing words that inspire and raise awareness!
http://www.sddenny.com/
http://www.polishedpages.info/

You Can't Conquer What You Won't Confront by Jacqueline D. Moore

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Scripture:

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:30-32 New International Version (NIV)

As we journey through life, we are often confronted with people or situations that cause us to halt right in our tracks.  We become frozen in place and unable to move forward or make a decision for fear of making the wrong one.  We try to pretend that what’s happening isn’t real or will quickly dissipate and just go away.  Far too often we would just rather ignore our situation than deal with it.

Men and women who may feel that their significant other may be cheating on them would rather close their eyes to the truth than confront it.  Parents choose to ignore the obvious signs of drug abuse in their offspring than address the signs of addiction.  We will often accept less than substandard conditions as apposed to trying to change them.  We would accept wrong in our lives rather than try and make it right.

The word of God tells us time and time again that we don’t have to accept something just because.  If we truly believe in His word, that word lets us know we can change our circumstances and that He can do anything that we ask with His help.  We are reminded time and time again that if we believe in Him that He can and will change our circumstances.  Saints of God, the word of God tells us if we have faith in Him and His word we can positively conquer our problems and situations if we are willing to confront them.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Be Blessed

Prayer:

Father God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts.  Lord, we thank you for fresh grace and mercy and for the love that You so freely give to us.  Father, just like a wayward child, I know that I often disappoint You.  I realize that when I choose to do things on my own and don’t put You at the forefront of my decisions, I become paralyzed with fear.  When I fail to feed my faith I am unable to confront the obstacles in my way.  When I do not partake from the bread of life, I become weak and scared.  I become frozen in place and unable to move forward or make decisions because of fear.  Help me to remember to always hide Your word in my heart and to call upon Him who strengthens me in my weakness.  I thank You Father God for Your Son, Jesus.  Jesus, the sweet, comforting empowering name that helps me to confront my fears and helps me to conquer my demons.  It is in His name that we pray. Amen.