I CHOOSE LIFE

Deuteronomy 30:19
"I call Heaven and earth to witness this day against YOU that I have SET BEFORE YOU LIFE and death, the BLESSINGS and the curses; therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that YOU and YOUR DESCENDANTS may LIVE."

I've been eating a salad with EVERYTHING (Daniel Fast approved of course) in it for my lunch and dinner for the past 7 days, and I must say I feel MORE energized than I did the first few days of the fast. So I'm vowing to RECOMMIT to this type of eating THROUGHOUT the year. One day during the fast, I was remembering how I used to "feel" when I use to eat like this REGULARLY along with EXERCISING REGULARLY. God whispered to me..."LIVING FOODS bring LIFE...LIVE!!!"

God tells us to eat the things of the earth, LIVING foods (Genesis 1:29-30) like we are limiting ourselves to doing for this 21 Day Fast (see details here... . However, we often eat/drink foods that bring "death" to our mind, body and spirit because they are made out of "dead" things. Over-processed, over-cooked, man-made/artificial flavors, refined, and heavily laden sugary foods are just that...DEATH to YOU!! They were NOT made for the bodies God gave us...and we see the results of that CHOICE in the illnesses and diseases that are plaguing many...mind, body and spirit. We must become GOOD STEWARDS of the housing that God has Given us so we can FINISH the course GOD DESIRES for us to complete on this earth!

I pray you DON'T LET what is popular or the world's way of doing things "rob' you of the LIFE God intends for you to have. Because, these "death" type of items are being WELCOMED by your own CHOOSING...into your HOLY TEMPLE that houses the HOLY SPIRIT. Would you offer "DEAD"CRAP food/gifts to someone you HONOR???

Let's continue this path together of dedicating our bodies, mind and spirit to the THINGS that HONOR and not "grieve" God. He DESERVES the BEST and so do YOU! - ALH, Always Loving Him/Her

EVICTION NOTICE SERVED!!!

Genesis 1:26 (AMP)
"God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth."

John 10:10 (AMP)
"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and ENJOY life, and have it in ABUNDANCE (to the full, till it overflows)"

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG)

"The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our POWERFUL God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the TRUTH OF GOD, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of LIFE shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity."

I don't know about you but I'm SICK and TIRED of the enemy reigning in so many areas of this earth and in our lives...even though God has GIVEN CHRISTIANS (Christ's Disciples/Followers of Christ) ALL AUTHORITY, POWER, and DOMINION over his wiles, devices and schemes. (Genesis 1:26) But, how many of us are POWERED up in the SPIRIT to do any REAL damage?

A lot of us, as Christians, spend more time, OPENING the door to the enemy like he is a TRUSTED FRIEND than we do OPENING the DOOR to God.  It always amazes me, how the enemy tends to get INVITED to dinner while God is usually WAITING outside the door even though He’s been KNOCKING and ASKING to be INVITED a lot longer. We already KNOW FULL well, the enemy is NOT an EASY guest to get rid of once you ALLOW him in, but we CONTINUE to LET him in willingly. We must remember he's KNOWN for...STEALING belongings...KILLING any sprouts of FAITH with fear...and DESTROYING anything in which he gains access.

So ask yourself...Have you OPENED the door to any of his fake friends that initially LOOKED/SEEMED like a JOY and a BLESSING, but now is more like a leech that is DRAINING the LIFE out of you???

Let’s LOOK at some of his subtle DISGUISES...

- those LOVE SONGS that keep you REMINISCING about that old fling that you know is NO LONGER the Will of God for you...but you KEEP ENTERTAINING the old thoughts as you listen to that type of music and then wonder why you can't seem to MOVE on from the loss.

- that food/drink that you KNOW is causing a SLOW DEATH to your HEALTH, HOME, FINANCES, and YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD every time you decide to GIVE in to those FLESHLY cravings. You've decided, with every LUSTFUL digestion, that you LOVE the IMMEDIATE & TEMPORARY FEELING of it MORE than the LIFE GIVING, LONG-TERM RESULTS it will bring, if you STARVE it out.

 - that friend/family member that is keeping you from a CLOSER RELATIONSHIP  with God because you have allowed them to have MORE CONTROL over you and your time than you have ALLOWED God to have.

- that negative conversation that gets stirred up every time you see or hear of that person you can’t seem to forgive even though you know God says you must. Every time you open your mouth to speak about that person, every bit of venom and bitterness is spewing out of your mouth into your ears and giving energy to that unforgiving spirit over and over again. Instead you should pray a WORD of FAITH for them and over you that will help REPLACE your thinking and feelings with each GOOD and audible WORD seed that is being planted towards forgiveness. 

Often a thing can LOOK and FEEL good for us initially but over time, we find that it has a HOLD on us that keeps us from being CLOSER to GOD and His Will for our lives. Take some time NOW and evaluate what enemy has been INVITED into your life that NOW needs an EVICTION notice. Recognize like a bad tenant, he won't go WILLINGLY but YOU HAVE THE POWER to REIGN over him and his serpents, scorpions, and every other evil imagination and HIGH thing that EXALTS itself ABOVE the knowledge of JESUS Christ!

I Love You and God Loves You Best, 

ALH, Always Loving Him/Her

A Love Like No Other - ALH, Always Loving Him/Her

Judges 16:15
Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you' when your HEART is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great STRENGTH lies."

Solomon 2:5,7,10
2 Sustain me with cakes of raisins, Refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick
7 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do NOT stir up nor awaken LOVE Until it pleases
10 My BELOVED spoke, and said to me: "RISE UP, my love, my fair one, And come away."

If you've ever been hurt in a relationship that you gave your all and only to find out, you were the only one really IN the relationship, this is for you! I feel there are many who are hurting from a love that has failed with a man or another that you trusted to fill a void that no person can ever fill. I wrote this poem through one of those such times and I'd like to share it with you to ENCOURAGE you back to LOVE!

Be Blessed...there is more for you!

A Love Like No Other - ALH, H, Always Loving Him/Him/Her

I Trusted Him...I thought he cared...My heart and soul I truly bared.

I lost myself...thought love was there...but yet still he did not care.

I was honest, I was true...although I gave my all...I still ended up blue.

I didn't understand...What did I do? Was I not enough...for him too?

See it started waaay back when...

when those who were supposed to love me...blew me off again...

Another job, another thing...no affirming did it ever bring.

For they were only doing what they knew...'cause you see it was done to them too!

I needed love....needed confirmation...

starving for hugs...just some validation.

Yet it never came...it least not how I thought it should.

But somehow God worked it out...as only He could. 

He needed that void to be created...

so that when I met Him...it couldn't be underrated. 

Yes He Loved me too much to let me be too dependent...

on someone that would never bring about His Holy Descendant. 

Now, I see it was all meant to be...I was chosen...

to endure the pain...all for a much greater gain...

To help set other captives free...those who would endure later…

yes, after me. 

Now my mess is my message, my pain is my purpose...

How great is my understanding…now that I know this.

My test is now my testimony...my agony now my anointing…

No need for any blame…or needless finger pointing

'Cause God's Love has been beyond measure...

It surely has been my Life's Greatest Treasure!

He's the One that I could never trade, for all that has ever been made.

See, My Joy is full...My cup runs over...no need for any outside lover. 

He truly is the Lover of my soul...the only One meant for that empty hole. 

And now I can say I am truly FREE...'Cause no one else could LOVE me any better than He!

Walking By Faith

May I ask you a question? Are you REALLY walking by FAITH??? I had to ask myself this recently when I was thinking about going back to a situation I SAID I would be giving up. Yeah I said to myself, "I'm an ALL or NOTHING kinda of girl, I'm just going to stay SINGLE MINDED...so I'll just shut the door and not look back. I only want to FOCUS on what God wants me to do and nothing else!"

Now that sounds all well and good while you are living in the comfort of a bank supply, food on the table and NOT REALLY facing any major difficulty in any area or your life. But when we COMMIT ourselves to doing things GOD'S WAY...He will allow us to go THROUGH the test to PROVE we meant what we said...NOT for His sake but for OURS...it shows us WHO we REALLY are. During this season EVERYTHING you have ever RELIED upon will be PULLED away from you so that you will have to HAVE FAITH in God and NOT in yourself or anything else. It's truly a FAITH BUILDING season...and if you don't realize this, you will begin DOING what you were used to doing before you COMMITTED to it...HANDLING things yourself!!!

Yeah you THOUGHT you were a WILLING servant, you THOUGHT you were OBEDIENT, you THOUGHT you were SUBMITTED to God. However, how would you REALLY know until you actually have to GIVE UP what is COMFORTABLE for you and TRUST God at HIS WORD??? FAITH requires a RISK...a RISK to STEP out even when it LOOKS different than the norm...a RISK to face your fears and be BOLD for what is in your HEART...a RISK to LOOK to GOD as YOUR SUPPLIER in EVERY THING...a RISK to ignore the outside comments from those who are NOT use to seeing you in this situation! See, MOST aren't WILLING to go THROUGH the UNCOMFORTABLE stage!!! 

During this season, you'll be asking yourself, "What Lord, you want me to GIVE UP my nice good paying job to stay home and raise my children/grandchildren instead of having someone else do it so I can be sure I am instilling the values you have for our family vision?" "Oh you want me to begin taking in other children in my neighborhood to be a Spiritual example to them because they don't have a Godly example around them even though it seems there isn't enough for my own family?" "You say what God? You want me to take in that DIFFICULT relative and show YOUR LOVE to them regardless of how they act?" "You want me to forgo surface riches for internal riches during this season just to show Your Glory???"

God is so good that He begins to CONFIRM His Answer to you with each daily situation that shows up in your life that reminds or refers you back to His Word to you. FAITH can seem scary when you are first stepping out...the steps are a little slower paced and steps are on your toes...but as you begin to "SEE" that He has you EVERY step of the way, you become more confident and full footed in your steps. Kinda like that baby that is beginning to walk, who is pulling up on tables, holding on most of the time and then wanting something begins letting go without realizing what they are doing.

So today I ask you, WHAT has God been CALLING you to take a RISK on that you keep REASONING and trying to FIGURE out all the details before you DO IT? You know it takes FAITH to get you where God wants you to be in His Plan of the GOOD and BLESSED LIFE...but you have to be WILLING to go through the FAITH-BUILDING process to get to the other side. You already know INTELLECTUALLY that God is FAITHFUL, PROVIDING, and GRACIOUS to you but now it's time to EXPERIENCE Him on a NEW LEVEL! Go ahead and take the LEAP of FAITH...remember "we WALK by FAITH and NOT by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7), right??

Trust God & Obey Him...Then Watch Him Change Things!!!

Proverbs 3:5-12 (MSG)

^"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this."

If you are going through tough times with your FINANCES and feel like your job is STRESSFUL because of the demands, I want to SHARE my testimony with you to ENCOURAGE you to TRUST GOD...

"I was working at a job where I enjoyed the people but felt like the actual job was bondage to my personality and my time with my family...I had been there for 15 years and still was NOT able to get normal day hours or weekends off to get to church or do some of the family things that children need to enrich them spiritually and be consistent outside of the norm.I worked for a well-known industry which I THOUGHT was the best choice at the time because of the AMOUNT OF MONEY my hourly rate was SUPPOSED to pay. It LOOKED good only until I realized there were union dues, higher taxes, and MORE STRESS than wanted. 

So when I had had enough of the job dictating my life...I began GIVING AWAY my SUNDAYS to those who wanted to work more to make extra money...(since there was no overtime at the time), and I began PUTTING GOD FIRST in EVERYTHING...my time, my talents, and my treasures (money or anything else we value) I did it for almost two years and SUDDENLY God CHANGED my situation where I had the FREEDOM to worship and honor Him without being bond to a job format as I knew it.

Now the situation He used to MOVE me out of that job DID NOT LOOK pleasing because it came in the form of my father dying, me resigning from the job, and not knowing how I was going to get funds to pay my mortgage and other bills I was barely able to make on time....BUT GOD BLESSED me anyway allowed me to be HOME with my daughter the last year of high school...FOCUS on HIS WORD and STUDY and be able to enjoy life as well....So KNOW THAT GOD does NOT come as WE THINK He will...His Thoughts are always ABOVE our thoughts and His Ways are always ABOVE our ways!

God has KEPT ME through these last three years where I have had to TRUST HIM to provide EVERYTHING and MOVE as HE LEADS me to go. He is FAITHFUL and HAS PROVIDED...not to the level that I'm used to but I have what I NEED and I KNOW Him like I never knew Him before. So I say all of this to let you know to SEEK GOD for everything going on in your life and then OBEY HIM...it's WORTH it...'cause HE DOES KNOW more than we do!!!!

I Love You but MOST IMPORTANTLY God LOVES!!!

Apryl

P.S. Let this song encourage you until you see God bring it to pass for you...

Isaac Carree feat. James Fortune – But God

Keep Calm and LOVE Your Children

Ephesians 4:31-32
"We must REMOVE all bitterness, rage, anger, threats, and insults, with all malice. You must practice being kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving, one another, just as God through Christ has graciously forgiven you."

 I remember letting some of the simplest things set me off to yell or say something I would regret when I was trying to do it all as a single mom. I already had anger issues from my childhood that had NOT been healed yet and of course my child caught some of that as she was growing up. Now in hindsight, I see where if I had a better relationship with God I may have been able to safeguard my child from some of the hurt I'm sure was planted through my improper actions at the time of frustration.

But PRAISE GOD He is a REDEEMER of all that may have been stolen or lost....a GOD of GRACE where we are weakest. My child is now a more controlled parent because of her encounters with the "Old" me. Now with a more mature understanding from those experiences, I can say my grandchild is reaping the benefits of a more patient and less frustrated person.

I'm saying all of this to let you know that all though we fall short sometimes with our children, we can still REDEEM ourselves by being the MORE MATURE person to go and APOLOGIZE for our actions when it happens and to recognize they do not have the same experiences as you to do. This realization may help you to NOT be so REACTIVE in a moment of frustration. Also, think about if God did that same thing to us when He was frustrated with us. You can pray and mediate on the LOVE Chapter (1 Corinthians 13) to help STRENGTHEN you in the Spirit in order to fully walk in victory. But until then, REMEMBER TO just KEEP CALM...and LOVE YOUR CHILDREN...this too shall pass!
Kelli Williams – Love Wouldn't

Beauty Is Your Name

1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles, and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather it should be that of your INNER self, the unfading BEAUTY of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

I've been noticing how so many women/girls seem to be overtaken by LOOKING a certain way more than BEING CERTAIN of the One Who is LOOKING for a relationship with them. Our TRUE BEAUTY comes from above and no amount of outer appearance will be able to cover up an inner void only meant to be feed by the ONE who made us...GOD! So today I want to share a short story I wrote last year that may help you with evaluating if you are relying on your outer beauty versus your inner beauty. I hope it INSPIRES you to be set FREE...

"I was listening to a song that I use to love to play over and over again – “Beauty” by Dru Hill. There is a part in the song that says, “Cuz my eyes have seen the glory, in the coming of your smile… Walks by me every day, her and love are the same. The woman that's stolen my heart, and Beauty is her name. I'm hoping I can make you mine, 'for another man steals your heart, and once this Beauty is mine, I swear we will never be apart.” Then, the scripture 1 Peter 3:3-4 came to mind, 'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles, and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather it should be that of your INNER self, the unfading BEAUTY of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.'"

Just in those few moments, I noticed the contrast between God’s view on beauty and the world’s view on beauty.  See everything the singer was singing about had EVERYTHING to do with outer appearance without any reference to the inward beauty of the woman. Sure he saw the beauty of her smile but what did he really know about her other than her outer appearance. Yet he sings that she has stolen his heart and he swears they will NEVER be apart just by her outer beauty.

I remember days when I thought my outer appearance was all that I needed to attract the kind of man, I hoped to marry and live happily ever after. After a few bad episodes with some male fool’s gold, I had to re-evaluate my initial thought. All that seemed to glitter in their lives was definitely not gold. I also was looking at appearances when I was selecting them to date. Men who on the surface had all the right words, appeared to be secure financially, seemed trustworthy in character, appeared to love me and look out for my best interest.

I remember one man telling me if I was his woman I would not be doing this or that. Another telling me if I kept doing whatever it was he didn’t like, that he was going to trade me in for a new model. Then the most memorable act of disrespect was the blatant lie to my face about the woman I could clearly see he was taking on a date.

Some men can make a woman feel like she needs to change this or change that if she is not secure in who she is, but mostly it has to do with how we see ourselves or feel about ourselves prior to any man coming along. We think that the outer beauty is the only thing he will see but we also carry an inner image that is just as evident as the outer image.

Maybe you are thinking you need to have sex with him to keep him, or you need to have bigger breast because he always seems to talk about that as a joke around others, or that you shouldn’t confront him about his wandering eye when you are with him. Take these actions as warning signs that it is time to move on.

Get to know yourself by getting to know God better. When you know what God says about you, no one else can come along and make you doubt what you know for sure. If your relationship with God is not in order, your relationship with anyone else will not be in order.

Outer beauty or any other thing will not be the glue to hold anyone together. We must have the radiant LIGHT of God in us to even attract the type of people that God would have for us. When we have the TRUE INNER BEAUTY of a gentle and quiet spirit it is only by way of the intimate time we have invested with the One who is Ultimate Beauty.

One thing that set me free from trying to manipulate attention towards my outer beauty rather than allowing my inner beauty to validate who I was, I began asking myself some inner questions to help me make decisions regarding my actions:

     1)      Why am I doing this?

     2)      Is this really who I am or am I masking a part of me when I do this?

     3)      How do I feel about myself right now?

     4)      How will I feel about myself after I do this?

     5)      Does this action value who God made me to be?

     6)      Am I devaluing the standards God as set for me to follow?

     7)      Whose approval will I gain with this action...God’s or someone else?

     8)      What does God’s Word say about this?

Beautiful and Beloved one,  you have all the beauty you need as you apply the BEAUTY of God’s Word to your heart and allow it to transform your inner self to a radiant beauty that exudes outwardly. No amount of outward appearance will be able to compare to the attractive beauty of a women exuding the Light of God from within. So allow God to pour His beauty into you then you will later be able to display His beauty to whomever He places in your path…Oh yes, Beauty is your name!

To read more about TRUE BEAUTY, go to... http://cindylumpkin.org/2012/08/in-search-of-true-beauty/