Impress

People do strange things to impress other people. People lie. People pretend. People justify. People care about the opinions of their peers. They care about what people think of them. People value public opinion. People live for “likes” and “shares.” When did we start to care about interactions and impressions? Why do we care? When did we buy into the ideology that our existence boils down to our “friends” list? When did we trade social interaction for social media? No one posts their failures. No one posts their struggles unless it is for gain. The real question is who are we trying to impress?

Invest

Most of us weren't taught to invest. Most of think about money when the word invest is mentioned. However, there are plenty of ways to invest that are not monetary. First and foremost, we must invest in ourselves. We must invest in each other. We have to nurture our own personal growth spiritually, physically, and financially. How can we better ourselves? How can we better each other? How can we better our environment? Most importantly, investment is intentional. We have to be deliberate. We have to make time and make room. Invest in something today.

Imagine

Imagine what you could do if you had no limitations. What if you owned that restaurant? What if you bought that property? What if you had that investor? What if you weren't focused on what you don't have? What if you focused on what's in your hand? You've got to start somewhere. Have you sketched the design? Have you written the business plan? Start today. Do something. See yourself there and make plans to get there, realistically. Make moves. You are the only one stopping you.

Fellowship

As an only child, I always wanted to be around other kids. I wanted to go outside to play. I wanted company. I wanted sleep-overs. I wanted to be socialized. On the flip side, I enjoyed being alone. I enjoyed not having to share. I liked the solitude. I didn’t like that when things went wrong, there was no one to share the blame. I didn’t like that there wasn’t anyone to share the household responsibilities. Relationships balanced out my life. Friends taught me to share. My husband taught me how to be selfless. My kids taught me how to sacrifice. Relationships teach us how to love one another. Relationships teach us how to fellowship with God.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

Faith

How big is your faith? I was inspired by a fellow blogger, Brittany Bonnaffons. She is a former classmate of mine. She has a blog that is nothing short of inspiring. So much so, that it inspired this Facebook post in response to her post.

For those of you who have given up....for those of you who have thrown in the towel....for those of you who have said, "I can't take anymore!" For those of you who think that you are beyond broken and beyond pressed...it ain't over till God says it's over! This too shall pass and you shall come out as pure gold. The test is only for a season. Big prayers don't always require big faith. Remember the mustard seed. Hold on! 

Mustard Seed Facts:

• Seeds are usually about 1 to 2 millimetres (0.039 to 0.079 in) in diameter.

• They are an important regional spice.

• Grinding or mixing the seeds with water and vinegar produce mustard.

• Mustard seeds take seven to ten days to germinate.

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed:

• It doesn’t require Big Faith.

• Your faith is important to your region. (Matthew 5:13- You are the salt of the Earth)

• If you mix your faith with something else, it can produce something on your behalf.

• It won’t take long for your Faith to grow.

• According to scripture, you can Move Mountains.

• Nothing will be impossible to you.

Matthew 17:20-21- Because you have so little faith, " He answered. "For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there, ' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." 

Fortitude

I heard a preacher say that, “on the other side of your pain is success.” Most of us would choose a life free from pain and adversity. We would choose a life that doesn’t require any courage under fire. Interesting enough, it’s in the fire that we find out how much we can endure. It is in our weakness, we find our strength. It is in challenging times, we find our fortitude.

Jabez

Prayer did not come easy to me. I grew up in a church where the elders could pray down heaven. I was often intimidated by the way the Mothers and Elders prayed. As I grew in God, I began to understand that people pray to God based upon their understanding of God or based on who God has been in their lives. God may be a “Genie” God to you. You know….the God “pay my rent, pay my bills, bless me God.” God may be a “make this happen, open this door” God to you. Your personal experiences with God tend to make all the difference.

The prayer of Jabez helped me understand the simplicity of prayer. Prayer is my way of talking to God. I can express my fears, my regrets, my hopes and dreams. I can reverence God for who he is in my life. I can express my disappointment and confusion. I can express my gratitude, and I can share my concerns.

Ask yourself the following questions?

Who are you praying to?

• Jabez knew God as his Lord and the God of Israel.

What are you praying for?

• Jabez asked God to bless me him and enlarge his territory.

Why are you praying?

• Jabez knew that he needed God’s help to accomplish what he asked.

How do you want God to help?

• Jabez wanted God to keep him from evil.

Trust that God hears your prayers

• God answered Jabez’s prayer.

1 Chronicles 4:10 (KJV) And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.