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Are you POWER hungry?

When you’re trying to succeed at something, are you willing to let OTHERS help?

Can you TRUST them with important pieces?

Do you allow them to run with THEIR vision as long as it syncs up with yours?

Empowering others doesn’t take away from your authority; it actually gives you MORE power.

Let Go

“Give and it will be given to you…” Luke 6:38 (NKJV).

God wasn’t just talking about money. The principles of giving apply to EVERYTHING we do.

If we want to become MORE influential, we must give influence away.

People who try to HOARD all the power for themselves actually short-circuit their own destiny.

By their selfishness, they are putting a CHOKE-HOLD on any future blessings.

Teamwork

Success is rarely achieved as an individual. It’s almost always accomplished as a TEAM.

Rest assured…the person who HOGS all the credit won’t stay at the top very long.

The team that got them there may feel BETRAYED and decide to leave.

Even if they do stay, their HEARTS won’t be in it anymore.

The Best Encouragement

Empowering others will bring a team TOGETHER by increasing everyone’s feeling of value, buy-in, and self-worth.

Giving team members more responsibility actually MULTIPLIES our own effectiveness, and encourages them to work harder toward the goal.

If we want to be more valuable and accomplish greater things for God, we should look around and see who we can EMPOWER today.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Have you ever worked under someone who wouldn’t give you latitude to do why you needed to get the job done?

A harder question, have you ever been scared to empower others? Why?

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Change is in the Air

Just last week it was 9 o’clock in the morning, almost mid-May, but still ONLY 48 degrees in St. Louis.

That doesn’t make ANY sense at all. The season was supposed to have changed!

It was supposed to be WARMER, we were supposed to have SUNSHINE and it was supposed to feel GOOD outside.

The calendar says it’s SPRING…but I was just NOT feeling it!

Behind the Scenes

Just because we don’t FEEL it, doesn’t mean that the seasons aren’t changing all around us.

Even though it still feels COLD and DEAD, the grass is getting greener, the leaves are coming back and the flowers are starting to bloom again.

Actually, everything is on the brink of coming back to LIFE!

Matter of fact, this week it finally feels like the spring we have been waiting on!

A Long Winter

That makes me think about how OLD seasons are ending and NEW seasons are beginning in our lives.

Sometimes it seems like we’re waiting a LONG time for certain situations to change in our lives.

We don’t always SEE it. We don’t always necessarily FEEL it.

But UNDER THE SURFACE, our new season is in the process of happening, NOW.

Just Around the Corner

In just a few days, the weatherman promised that it was going to be 75 degrees outside.

And guess what, what they said came true.

And now I want to tell you something about what is coming in your life.

God takes us from glory to GLORY and victory to VICTORY.

I speak over our lives, today, that our GLORIOUS new season is GOOD and it’s waiting to unfold just aroundthe corner!

What About You?

Do you see a new season beginning to bloom in your life? Share it with us so we can all be encouraged!

And That’s Not All

The I Am Woman conference is right around the corner on June 7 & 8 at Faith Church in St. Louis.

A small $35 registration affords ladies entrance to an EXPLOSIVE (and you have to come to see what I mean) 2 days of speaking with T.D. Jakes favorite Dr. Cynthia James, Cindy Thomas (a personal favorite of mine) and a weekend beyond what you can imagine!

Catered food, fantastic after party, surprises to make you smile and productions that will wow you are all in the works.

Want a little something extra? Check out the premium tickets and the reserved seating that get you right up front in the action.

Or, you could buy a Scholarship ticket for a woman who could not afford to come any other way. We have several women from local charities that will be attending the event even though they couldn’t afford a ticket :-)

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Don’t be Stuck in Yesterday

The other morning I was lying in bed. I started praying about a talk I was going to give.

I wanted talk about a subject I had recently kind of touched on because it was really unique. I thought it would be good it because was going to expand on it from a different angle.

Then God spoke to my heart. “So you want to live on YESTERDAY’S manna?”

“Huh? What?”
I hadn’t really thought it out, but the answer I felt I was supposed to give was, “Well…NO!”

I don’t really know a lot about manna. I know in the book of Exodus, God supplied His people with fresh manna to eat EVERY DAY.

So, it’s a valid question. Why WOULD I want to rely on yesterday’s revelation, yesterday’s inspiration and yesterday’s manna?

Fresh Anointing
Yesterday’s manna is CRUSTY and OLD!

Why should we settle for day-old bread if we have money in our pocket for FRESH bread today?

Yesterday’s manna gets us yesterday’s results. And that is so….well, yesterday.

Don’t we want TODAY’S results?

Don’t we want TOMORROW’S results?

The Next New Thing
If we to get too comfortable, we’re only going to get what we’ve ALWAYS had.

We can’t afford to get trapped in what WAS instead of what IS…or what COULD BE.

We have to have today’s manna to get the next NEW THING.

By the way, yesterday’s manna is full of MAGGOTS!!! Yuck!

Move On
God had to let the maggots eat up the OLD manna, so that His people would rely on Him each day for NEW manna.

Let’s don’t get stuck in your past, but move on to what God has for you.

Look up! He’s raining down a FRESH and exciting NEW future right in front of you!

YOUR TURN
Has something like this ever happened in your life? Have you tried to ride the wave of yesterday at the risk of missing the wave of today? Share your story so we all can learn.

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The Party’s Not Over

I’ve decided I’m going to have fun. And I am going to enjoy my life. I know God wants me to enjoy my life. And I know He wants me to have fun!

The Bible says God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17) Unfortunately, there are many people who have difficulty believing God wants them to enjoy their lives. They REALLY think the party is over once they become a Christian.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

God loves you just the way you are. He loves you so much that while you were still a sinner, His Son, Jesus Christ, died for you. (Romans 5:8)

God accepts you as you are. Period. He wants you to feel secure in His love. Rather than trying to live up to someone’s interpretation or definition of Christian living…

Live life knowing that you are fully accepted and completely right before God regardless of what you’ve done (or what you’ve yet to do). This is the freedom that we have in Christ! (Galatians 5:1) It is a freedom rooted in knowing that we are secure in His love (no matter what). So just be yourself and enjoy your life.

Kick back, smile, and laugh a little.

Appreciate what you have, who you are, and what God has in store for you. Remember God’s plans for you are good. The Bible says a merry heart does good like a medicine. (Proverbs 17:22) But sometimes the heart needs a kick start.

So go ahead and laugh out loud. You see, laughter has tremendous power over the human body and psyche. Even if you are in the midst of a stressful situation, go ahead and laugh.

Laughter makes a difference.

If it seems like you can’t laugh right now, pray… “Jesus, in your Word, you said the joy of the Lord is my strength. Fill me with your joy. Remind me that I am accepted in you. Give me the strength to laugh right now. Thank you Lord!”

Now laugh. Your laughter is a sign that change is on the way. Joy comes from the inside out. Joy is contagious. Pretty soon, people will want to have what you have. The smile on your face is proof that the Lord is good. His love and mercy endure forever!

As I end this blog, I want you to remember that happiness is not dependent on what other people think of you. It’s based on what God thinks of you.

And we are here for each other….

Why not post a little thing that made you chuckle when you read it to make others laugh now? Got a one liner (clean of course – lol) or a cute story? Let’s start sharing and spread the smiles as far as we can.

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It’s been said that showering helps blood circulation. It also eases aching muscles and strengthens your immune system. Of course, the most obvious benefit is getting clean. Fact is, people don’t like being around people who stink. That’s why we shower. Did you know that it’s equally important to wash your mind? I call it brain washing.

How are we supposed to wash our mind?

In Ephesians 5, Paul talks about how Christ has sanctified and cleansed our minds by the washing of the water by the Word, so: “That He [Christ] might present [us] to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that [we] should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27 (KJV)

You see, the word of God can cleanse our minds and free us of negative thinking.
I’ve heard it said that where the mind goes, the man follows. This is so true. Solomon wrote that as a man thinks, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)

What are you thinking?

I’ve noticed that when my mind is not washed with the word, I begin to think wrong. When I begin to think wrong, I begin to speak wrong. I start saying things like “me” instead of “we.” And that’s just not right! You see, when all we ever think about is “what’s in it for me,” we are counterproductive. Sounds strange, but it’s not.

Going Further Faster

If you want to go further faster, you must truly know how to win friends and influence people. For those who haven’t read Dale Carnegie’s book, allow me to let you in on a little secret… you can’t win friends if all you ever think about is yourself.

Let’s look at the greatest influencer of all time, Jesus Christ. Before He was arrested, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. He prayed in agony, “not my will, but yours be done” Luke 22:42. Then,“An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.” Luke 22:43 (NIV). Despite what He was getting ready to face, Jesus never allowed thoughts of “what’s in it for me” to consume Himself. Jesus was all about the “we.”

Do you need strength?

From Jesus’ example, we learn that strength comes when we take the focus off ourselves and off of our problems. It’s been said, if we change our thinking, we can change our life, but we can’t do this on our own. That’s why Jesus left His Word and He sent the Holy Spirit to abide within us. Can you hear Him speaking?

When we allow the Holy Spirit to correct our thoughts, then we have strength to correct our spoken words. When we correct our speech, then we can grow into the leaders that God needs us to be. It all starts with a shower!

Today, I encourage you to begin brain washing yourself with the Word. There are 31,173 verses in the Bible. Each verse has the ability to comfort, direct, calm, and motivate. These are God’s words. Through them, He speaks, and He wants to speak to you. Take a few minutes to find out what He is trying to say. Will you listen to him and start right now. Let me know by leaving a comment below!

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Ladies! Are you anything like me and ALWAYS concerned about finding the right outfit? Well we have put together a special event just for you! Join us for “What To Wear” a FREE event for women of all ages. We’ll start with some great music and an inspirational talk. Then a dessert after party in the Portico Cafe with a Q&A training session with a personal stylist for every body type. You’ll leave with tips and tricks that show you WHAT to wear and HOW to wear it to take you from “Ughhh” to “Aahhhh” It’s Friday night, April 26th at the Sunset Hills Campus at 7:30pm. I’ll see you there!

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How To Overcome Stress

Have you ever felt overwhelmed?

Or aggravated?

Or depressed?

I was speaking with a close friend recently. He said, “I just don’t seem to be as happy as I used to be.”
As soon as he said it, I knew exactly what he was talking about. You see, my friend was feeling overwhelmed.
Often times, we become so overwhelmed with our present problems that we let them stack up. Sometimes, we even let them compound to the point that they steal our joy. And when left unchecked… stress can lead to depression.

You Are Not Alone.

As a pastor, my life doesn’t always look exactly like I wanted. I spend a lot of time dealing with seemingly overwhelming issues. I had to make a decision early on… a decision to not let these challenges get the best of me.

Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:23 (NIV) Frankly, it took me a long time to learn how to enjoy the little things in life… to learn to enjoy the beauty of the moment.

Trust Me, It’s Worth the Effort!

Scientists have proven that stress overloads the brain with powerful hormones that damage and kill brain cells. So don’t allow yourself to get aggravated all the time. It’s not healthy. Right now, I believe your spirit man is sounding an alarm for you to wake up. He wants you to realize that you can’t experience complete peace and comfort under the kind of schedule, pressure, and deadlines that you have placed on yourself.

This Has To Stop!

Stop means to cease, to discontinue, and to put an end to, but it’s also a pretty relevant acronym.
S.T.O.P. = Stop, Observe, and Plan You see, God’s plan and design for your life does not include the pain and strain of feeling overwhelmed. If that’s where you are right now… let me tell you very clearly, you have the power to make it S.T.O.P.

So what’s the plan?

Jesus said, “Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:30 (MSG) Know that He has the whole world in His hands. Know that all things work together for the good of those who love him. Know that He has a purpose and a plan for your life. You see, I’ve read the back of the Book, and the truth is… we win! So today, realize that happiness doesn’t mean everything is perfect. Then, make a decision to look beyond the imperfections.

Say, “Even if everything isn’t right today, I have hope that it can be right tomorrow.” Then smile because you are closer to your breakthrough today then you were yesterday.

Do you have any special way of staying unstressed? Post a comment and share them with us.

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I remember how hard my parents fought the idea of getting a VCR in 1990…until someone gave them their first one. THEN they started watching movies like CRAZY and LOVED it! If you had tried to take it, you would have gotten bitten!

It was the same way with a microwave and a cordless phone!

Then 10 years later, they didn’t want a DVD player…until I finally bought them one. They saw that the picture quality was SO much better and now they love DVDs!

Of course, they swear they’ll NEVER ever switch to blu-ray. But in a couple of years I’ll buy them one because the picture and sound is even better. And guess what? I know they’re going to LOVE it!

Getting stuck can mean missing out

Do you know someone who’s still wearing the same clothes that they wore in 1980? Maybe that’s the last time they felt COOL.

How about a relative who’s house is still decorated in mauve and country blue? Maybe that’s the last style they felt COMFORTABLE with.

Getting STUCK in one place, comfortable with one way of doing things, steeped in one tradition can mean that life, new business and opportunities might just pass us by.

The way we have ALWAYS done things might not be the way we should ALWAYS do it.

Just today…

As I’m sitting here by the fireplace doing my morning devotions, I’m thinking about how God says that His gifts and calling are without repentance.

No matter what happens, God doesn’t take our gifts and calling away from us. They’re IRREVOCABLE!

The problem is we think that yesterday’s gift can take us into tomorrow without being relevant to today.

Don’t skip that last thought – it’s a big one.

Staying Relevant

Sometimes we have a tendency to just get stuck wherever we feel COMFORTABLE.

Comfort doesn’t mean success.

My pajamas are comfortable, but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to wear them to my next meeting.

The discomfort that comes with using our gift in a new way is actually us feeling the stretch of staying cutting edge, in the now, and prepped for the future.

The gifts of God ARE irrevocable, but if we don’t get with God every day and find out what NEW THING He’s speaking to our hearts, we risk getting stuck in the past.

Then we’re going to be STALE, we’re going to be IRRELEVANT and we’re going to be OLD!

And OLD to me is a curse word.

So what does it take?

If we can’t embrace change, God will move on to somebody else who will listen to Him and do what He tells them to do, right NOW!

That will be TODAY’S MAN. Today’s man in business, today’s man in the news and today’s man to change the world…or TODAY’S woman! (C’mon ladies, represent!)

God’s going to use the person who’s listening to Him today. Who’s not STUCK in their old ways.

God never said, “I guarantee your comfort all your days.’ He said, ‘without faith it is impossible to please Me.’

The old and routine doesn’t take faith. The new, out of our box and increasing of our talents and realm takes faith.

The person willing to move, to be flexible, to seek Him daily, to shift – THAT is who He uses to change the world.

Be a world changer

Get with God and listen to Him.

What is He telling you to do?

What can you share with us that you know you’re STUCK in?

How are you going to get out of it?

Share with us so that we can all move forward together.

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