Weekly Devotion

The Lord wants us to spend time with Him. He wants us to get to know Him better and better in order for each of us to be able to grow spiritually and to live our lives the way He intended. And most importantly, He wants us to spend time with Him simply because He loves us and wants to be with us. It is like any other relationship, if you want the relationship to deepen and to grow, you need to dedicate time to it.

The other day I was sitting in the garden during my quiet time with the Lord. I looked up to the two thorn trees we have in the garden. It was spring, but it hasn't started raining as yet, but we use irrigation to water our other plants during this time. Some of the irrigation reached the one thorn tree, but not the other one. I noticed then that the leaves of the thorn tree that got extra water started to come out, but not the leaves of the one who didn't. The one tree looked green and fresh, while the other one still resembled winter. At the end of the day, the leaves of both the trees will eventually come out, though one would just be quicker than the other one. And then I realized that it is the same with us. Our spiritual life will grow faster if we water ourselves spiritually. At the end of the day all Christians will go to heaven, but if you want to grow spiritually, look green and fresh, lead a life of abundance and be the first to hear from God, then you need to make time.

It is like Paul says:

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with Him." Philippians 3:8,9

And how did Paul get to know Jesus better and become one with Him? He spent time with Him. A lot of it.

A while ago I had to find the answer to a certain aspect in my life. I needed to find the answer from the Lord. I asked three Christians close to me to pray about it and tell me what they hear from the Lord concerning this issue of mine. Each of them came back with either a dream, text verse or a feeling that they had. None of it was straight forward. It was like a riddle I had to solve. I wrote everything down and tried to make sense of it all. I looked up to the Lord and presented it to Him and asked Him why He made it so difficult. Why couldn't He just plainly tell me what to do, why all these riddles? And do you know what I experienced that He said?

In the first place He said He will only reveal as much as we need to know/can handle at a certain stage, but most importantly He said that He speaks in riddles in order for us to make time to spend with Him. If we make the time, He will make the riddle clearer and present us with our solution. If He gave us the answer on a straight forward basis, we will not have the need to spend the time with Him, but we will rush on with the task ahead. Jesus also talked in parables. Why? Because people with their minds fixed on this world cannot understand what He wants to tell them, only people who spiritually seek to really know God will find the answers they are looking for.

Don't fall into the trap of simply rushing to the Lord whenever you need Him. Rush to Him every day, because whether you realize it or not, you actually cannot cope without His love and His guidance. You need Him to be able to function properly and to make the right choices. Your existence will only make sense and come to life when you realize your role in His Kingdom and the only way for you to know, is to make Him your first and only priority. He will gladly tell you and show you the way.

Lord, we love You and ask forgiveness that we do not make enough time for You. Other things always seem more important, while it is not even close as important as spending time with You. We look forward to feeling Your warm embrace and greeting You every morning. Amen

The other day I was driving to the shopping mall. Now I wouldn't say that I drive excessively fast, but sometimes when the road is open I tend to drive faster than the speeding limit. For example in a 60 km/h zone I would drive 80 km/h easily or sometimes even 90km/h. That day I drove about 80 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. But the next moment I noticed that a police vehicle was driving right behind me. I had such a fright and slammed on the brakes to get to 60km/h. Now I know that they were not following me, they were by chance right behind me, but their mere presence made me nervous and all of a sudden I wanted to obey the speeding limit. They didn't do anything, but I felt guilty, because I know I was in the wrong. This incident made me think, why is it that people only obey when they know that they are being watched?

Another example is a classic one at work. Have you noticed how everyone works faster and more efficient when the boss is around? And the moment he leaves, almost everyone tends to slack off. I would never forget that at my previous employer, one of my colleagues would always work in the time when he knows the boss is on holiday, and take leave when the boss is back. And during the time that the boss is not there, he would leave early from work, take extended lunch breaks and surf the internet most of the day. Isn't it ironic that a lot of people are that way? They only look out for their own advancement, and when the one that can promote them is not there, they don't care about the rest.

But the Lord pointed out to me that we shouldn't just act and work in the right manner when we are being watched, because in actual fact we are always being watched. The Lord is always, everywhere, watching our every move. Now I am not saying He is like a policeman, but He is our loving Father looking out for us. He wants us to act in a manner that would reflect Him. After all He says in Romans 12:11:

"Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically."

Proverbs 16:3 "Commit your work to the Lord, then your plans will succeed."

We have a big responsibility as Christians to reflect that we are indeed children of God. If we say that we are His children, we need to act that way and reflect Him to the world. And if we are not responsible in our work and our everyday tasks, it can hinder other people in their faith. For example it makes me very angry if people drive with 'Jesus stickers' on the bumpers of their cars, and then they drive like maniacs, pushing in in front of other motorists, skipping red lights etc. Because then I think to myself, if I didn't know the Lord personally, this will put me off from Christianity. If Christians behave this way, I don't want to be one. So if you do have a bumper sticker, that is great, but please remember to drive like a Christian ought to.

Also at work, do your work to the best of your ability, whether anyone is watching you or not. The Lord sees you and He knows your heart. He sees what you are doing and He will bless you because of it. Even if you don't get a raise and the one misleading the boss does, it doesn't matter, the Lord's approval is more important than anything else in the world. And you can be sure of blessings falling on you, whether it is good health, clever children, a discount at the shops or treasures in heaven. Don't fall into the trap of our materialistic world, but make the Lord your main Boss. At the end of the day, you are only accountable to Him and no one else.

Lord Jesus, please help us to be better Christians in everything we do. Please help us to look up to You and to follow Your holy example. You are the only One we want to please. We want You to say to us: "Well done My good and faithful son. I am proud of you." Amen

During these past two weeks something dawned on me that I would like to share with you. As I am writing this we are nearing the end of winter. I am so glad that this winter is over. Spring is in the air and I can feel a sense of excitement all around me. The birds are singing, new leaves are coming out, small beautiful flowers are starting to bloom and the people around me is metaphorically speaking coming out of their holes. Everyone has a sense of energy filling the air around us, people are starting to exercise again, the children are playing outside for longer periods and organizations are getting ready to hosts functions and carnivals. It is an exciting time. A time to breathe in deeply and enjoy the life that the Lord so graciously gives us.

This made me stop and think. Would we have enjoyed spring so much if there never was a winter? Would there still be a buzz in the air? Would we feel full of energy again, if we never experienced the deadness of winter? I don't think so.

My sister and her husband worked in the Cayman Islands for 3 years. And those of you that know the Caymans, know that they don't really have a winter. There are times when it is a bit cooler than usual, but overall it is warm all year round. My sister and her husband missed in effect four winters due to the timing that they went to the Caymans. When they came back, they had their first winter in 4 years and it was freezing for them. They weren't used to it and longed for summer to return. When spring came again they enjoyed it more intensity than ever before! They appreciated summer again, much more so than they did in Cayman when all they had was summer. Why? Because they experienced the contrast with winter once again.

Therefore it would seem to me that we need the winter to appreciate the summer. We need the winter to feel excited about the summer. We need it in order to see the leaves sprouting again, we need it in order to see the growth in nature and we need it in order to understand things in our lives better. The 'winters' in our lives hurt, and it is a dreary time, it could be cold and lonely, but it spurs us on to change. You see winter times in our lives come when God wants us to grow spiritually to let go of certain things in this world. It might make you very unpopular if you do not join in with the drinking partying crowd, it might make you unpopular if you do not agree with certain 'grey' areas in business, it might make you the laughing stock if you stand up against 'innocent' movies, games or shows. And so I can go on and on. Jesus Himself wasn't very popular with the religious crowd of His day. He was cast out and thrown out of synagogues. And today it is the same with us. Do not expect warm handshakes and friendly greetings when you expose dishonest practices and evil influences etc. No, the world will not welcome you when you expose the enemy behind it all.

BUT spring is always around the corner. Winter never lasts indefinitely. Jesus paved the way to His Kingdom for us and there is always Light, always summer. This world and all its evil practices will not last forever. Winter will be something of the past. But recognize the 'winter' in your life for what it is. Let the 'winter' times spur you on to grow closer to God and all that He is planning for you. Let the 'winter' times cause you to freeze your love for this world and spur you on to rather live in the Light of His warm love. There is life and true freedom. There is abundance and blessings and there is your destiny. What do you choose? The choice is yours to remain in the winter or to move on to summer and enjoy your life with Him as your anchor.

Lord thank you that we can reach out to You. Thank you that there is always summer in Your presence. In Your presence is light and life. We look forward to spending our time there with You. Help us to let go of the winter in this world and to embrace Your Kingdom principles. In Jesus Name. Amen

I received a lovely email over the weekend and would like to share it with you. The writer is unknown, but in his/her absence I would like to thank him/her for this wonderful message.

A British environmentalist, Alfred Wallace, one day picked up the cocoon of a moth and took it home. After a while there was movement inside the cocoon and he noticed that the moth was trying to get out. The moth was struggling and wriggling and truly battling to get out of the small opening of the pear shaped cocoon. Alfred was watching this struggle and he felt sorry for the moth. He decided to help him and he carefully cut open the cocoon with a knife and freed the moth. When the moth came out, he had small wings and his body appeared to be swollen. Alfred thought that it was only temporary and that the moth's wings will grow and that he will be able to fly away in no time. But this didn't happen. The moth did try to fly, but he couldn't get it right and he died within a day or two.

Alfred tried to do good by helping the moth, but at the end of the day he didn't help him at all. Alfred didn't know that the moth needed to struggle to get out of the cocoon in order to extract fluids from his body into his wings, to help the moth to be able to fly when he gets out of the cocoon. He needed this struggling process in order to survive. Alfred helped him in the short term, but caused his death in the long term.

The same is true with our children. Our children will go through similar painful processes during their lives. They will struggle and they will wriggle and they will try to free themselves from the 'cocoon' they find themselves in. It will be a very painful process, something that will cause us as parents to cry. We will hate seeing them struggling like that. And our first instinct will be to cut open the cocoon and free them from the painful process. We want to automatically do our best to make it as easy for them as possible. But we will deny our child the opportunity to grow. We will deny them the lessons that they can learn from it. They will never learn that their own choices have consequences, they will never learn perseverance, they will always sit back and wait for someone to free them from the cocoon, they will not believe in themselves and believe that they can make it out of there on their own. They will never be able to test their own abilities; they will never know what it feels like to spread their wings.

Gary Thomas writes in his book 'Sacred Parenting' that a parents deepest hurt is also the child's most important one.

As difficult as it may be to see your child struggling, sometimes it is better to leave them in the short term, in order for them to grow in the long term. Now when I say leave them, I mean be right beside them, but guide them into growing into all that God has ordained for them. God has wonderful plans for your child. Afterall your child is His to begin with. He knows everything about your child and knows what will make him/her prosper and shine. He knows the best way to handle your child. Spend time in the presence of God and ask Him how to handle certain situations. Ask Him what His goals and purposes for your child are.

Sometime we as parents get so wound up and so involved that we fail to see the bigger picture, that we fail to see further than the present moment. Our feelings, our hopes and our dreams for our children get in the way. I think the time has come to stand back and to allow God's dreams for our children to prevail. Allow God to get them out of the cocoon, even if they need to struggle a bit. The beautiful butterfly that will come out will be worth it.

Your child needs to fly, your child needs to reach her/his full potential, let go and let God. It is liberating, it is true freedom.

Thank you Father that we are Your children. We are so glad that You know best. You are awesome and wonderful. Help us in the process of letting go. Trusting in You is liberating and it frees us from this world. Thank you Father, we are so glad that You are there and that You know best. Amen

I was going through some of my older devotions and I came across this one and I felt like sharing it with you once again. I am sure that you won't mind as we all need to hear this message again. Let us start with this wonderful passage in John 3:26 - 30

"John's disciples came to him and said, "Teacher, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan river, the one you said was the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everyone is going over there instead of coming to us." John replied, "God in Heaven appoints each person's work. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for Him - that is all. The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom's friend rejoices with him. I am the Bridegroom's friend, and I am filled with joy at His success. He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less."

John's reply truly amazed me. Just think about it, he was at the height of his 'career', his followers loved him and revered him as an amazing prophet of God; in fact he was the first prophet in over 400 years in Israel. He had a big following and everyone looked up to him. After living for years in the wilderness, people were finally recognizing him as a man of God and flocking to see him. And yet when the time came for Jesus to start His ministry, John wasn't jealous when his followers rather followed Jesus, he didn't try and stop them and save his career by spreading false rumors about Jesus. No, he knew that his task of preparing the way for Jesus was coming to an end and he rejoiced at the success that Jesus had.

This reminded me of another lovely Bible story where the same principle was demonstrated. It is the story of Jonathan and David. Jonathan was the oldest son of King Saul. He was next in line in becoming the King of Israel. But God chose David instead because of Saul's disobedience to God. King Saul and Jonathan quickly realized that that was the case and that God wasn't going to allow Jonathan to become King. Now Jonathan could have let jealousy blind him and tried to stop God's plan by killing David like his father Saul tried to do. He could have spread false rumors about David and try to discredit him in front of the people. But no, Jonathan is an amazing example to me of someone who accepted God's plan and who understood that God's plan is best, even if it meant that he would never receive the prestige and honor here on earth that he might feel is due. Listen to Jonathan's words to David while he was hiding away from Kind Saul:

"Don't be afraid," Jonathan reassured David. "My father will never find you! You are going to be the King of Israel, and I will be next to you." 1 Samuel 23:17

Sadly Jonathan never had the opportunity to be next to David, reigning as king, as he was killed in a battle before he could. But I can assure you that he was well awarded in heaven. Jonathan understood that what happens down here on earth is not your ultimate goal, he understood that to follow God's plan is the greatest fulfillment and that his rewards are eternal.

And we should learn the same lesson. When we do not get the promotion we wanted, when we are not the most beautiful, when we do not measure up in worldly standards to the one next door, when we do not 'make it' in the eyes of the world etcetera, we shouldn't be envious of the ones who do. We should look up to God and follow His plan for our lives. His plan is good and His plan is fair and like John said, "God in Heaven appoints each person's work". We should take hold of the plan that He has for us and run with it and do the best with it that we can! He is ultimately in control and we shouldn't try and force our hand and bad mouth the ones who got the advancement we feel that we deserved. No, we should learn from Jonathan and John. It is the progression of the Kingdom of God that is important and each one of us has a task in this. We should look up to God and ask Him what our task is and then we must do it with all our vigor and might. Our reward will be in Heaven.

Father, thank you so much that You have a wonderful plan for each one of us. Please help us to stand tall and do the best with what You have entrusted to us. To make You proud of us is life's ultimate achievement. In Jesus' Name. Amen

The Lord wants us to enjoy our lives. He loves us very much, so much so that He came in person to die for our sins, so that we can have eternal life with Him. And that is going to be even greater than anything we can ever imagine or dream!

And He wants us to enjoy our lives on earth as well. He came to give us life and life in abundance. He lives in all His fullness in us and all His promises are yes and amen in Jesus Christ!

But we need to do our part as well. We need to make sure that we give priority to the things that matter the most and spend less time on things that will wither away one day.

First of all we must give priority to our relationship with Him. He is the One we should search for, He is the One we should strive to know better, He is the One we should adore and honor. Jesus Christ should be our cornerstone and our foundation. We cannot move an inch forward if we are not moving in sync with Him.

Then second of all we should give time and priority to our relationships. We should make special time with our spouses, our kids and our family/close friends and also in that specific order. Nothing on earth, and especially not your work, is more important than them. They are the only 'thing' you can 'take' to heaven and into eternity. Don't you think it is worth the time and the effort to teach them about Jesus and to nurture them in a loving relationship with Him? Don't you think it is worth it to be Jesus' Hands and Feet to them and to live an example? Remember always, charity starts at home. They need to see and experience your love.

And thirdly you need to look after yourself, the Temple of God. If you don't and you are worn out and depressed, the Lord cannot use you for bigger things. You cannot rise up to be all God created you to be, if you don't even have the strength to look after yourself. And at the end of the day the whole Body of Christ will suffer. You have a unique role to fulfill and to bless other Christians with, but if you don't take care of yourself you won't be able to do that.

Stand up and be all you were created to be. Be a blessing to others and be a devout child of the living God. Represent Him in every way to a fallen world. Then you will find the true meaning in life and find an inner peace that you are fulfilling your role here on earth and making a difference in this sinful world.

Lord God, thank you for creating us, each with a special purpose to fulfill. Thank you that You believe in us. Help us to prioritize our lives in such a way that You will be in first place, help us to look after our relationships and also after ourselves. We can only do it in Your strength. In Jesus Name, Amen.

I have discussed various ways to look after yourself these past few weeks. We need to look after ourselves as we are the temple of God. We need to portrait His love to the world and if we are tired and worn out, we do not have anything to give. We cannot give what we do not have. And therefore we need to look after ourselves on a physical level as well. Now what I am about to say is not news to you, I am sure of it, but sometimes it is good to recap again some of the knowledge we already have.

Our bodies need to be nurtured in order to function at our best. When my boys were smaller I didn't get much sleep in. They were not the best of sleepers from birth and I was up most of the night alternating between the two. So I didn't get the rest my body needed and you know what, it affected everything I did. My temper was shorter than usual, I felt depressed for no reason, my memory was affected, my relationship with them was a bit strained etc. In short I couldn't function at my optimum best, because my body was not looked after. And I therefore I couldn't be all God wanted me to be.

This is just a short illustration of what goes on in all our lives. You might be working very long hours, you might be travelling a lot for work, you might be in a bad space emotionally, but the point is it is very important that you do look after your body. If your body is looked after, you will function so much better and be able to achieve what God intends for you. If you feel good physically, you are in a much better emotional state to reach out to others and be the witness that God wants you to be. Here are a couple of things (you know most of them, but let's recap) that will help your body cope better in today's stressful lifestyle:

• Sleep a good 7-8 hours a day. I know people who sleep 4-5 hours a day and claim to be fine with it, but the experts tend to agree that 7-8 hours is the norm for healthy living;
• You must make time for yourself, be quiet for at least 15 minutes a day (It is a pit stop for the soul). I know it is difficult. Even if you need to lock yourself in the toilet or get up ten minutes earlier, you need your quiet time to commune with God.
• Commune with nature and get a bit of sun every day. The Lord is in each ray of sunlight and in each leaf or flower you touch.
• Breathe in deeply at least 20 times a day and give your brain the oxygen it needs;
• Get some exercise, even if it is just by taking the flight of stairs at work instead of the elevator or walking around the block. Your body will stagnate if it doesn't get the oxygen flowing through the blood;
• Eat moderately (eat live foods like fruit, vegetables). It is difficult I know. I also love a chocolate now and again, but at least try to get more healthy food in. Also try and chew more, your food will digest easier and you will feel full and thus eat less;
• Try and read 20 minutes a day something that will build you up and nourish your soul. Reading your Bible must be at least a part of the 20 minutes. It is God breathed and when you read it, it is as if you are inhaling God's breath, His strength and His power.

Our bodies need to be looked after, it is our responsibility. And the greater your body feels, the greater you will feel and the more you can achieve for God. Be proud of the body God gave you. Look after it and help it to give it its best shot. You are worth it.

Lord, please help us to look after our bodies with special care. You made it with precision and entrusted it to us. Please help us to be good stewards. Amen

I truly believe that one of the key ingredients to being truly happy is being content with what you have and who you are. In our society it is also one of the most difficult things to do, as people are taught to always want more than what they have. It is very difficult to reach a point where enough is enough. I think in our materialistic world it is advertised to us that we need more to be really happy. If we have this car we will be fulfilled, if we have this ring we will be so happy, if we have this house we will live happily ever after, if we have this cell phone or latest gadget people will look up to us. And you know what, it is all a lie. The opposite is rather true, you will find fulfillment with what you have if you are happy within yourself.

Now I am not saying don't ever buy something nice for yourself (I love shopping when I have a chance), I'm not saying stop striving to be the best you can be. If you do your best and you make money in the process then that is great. You can use it to the blessing of all. All I am saying is that you shouldn't find your happiness in things. Sure it is nice to drive a new car, it does make you happy for a while, until the next model comes out and you realize that yours isn't that nice anymore. Then you immediately contact the car dealer for the latest model to make you happy again. For a while, until the process repeats itself again.

Trying to keep up with the Jones's is tiring! There will always be someone richer than you, always someone more beautiful, someone more successful etc. True peace comes when we can accept this fact and be grateful for what we have. You will find a load coming off your shoulders. You are okay just as you are. I realized the other day how we can 'hurt' God, by being ungrateful with the gifts He has given us. We are so quick to tell Him that we actually wanted the gift He gave to someone else. It is like a slap in the face. God deserves our heartfelt gratitude, because He looks after us. He made you beautiful, He made you brimming with talents, and He made you perfect for His Kingdom. He is pleased with who you are and the time has come that you be pleased too.

Take a piece of paper right now and write down at least 5 things that you can be grateful for. I am sure that once you get started, you will write down more than 5. Now take this piece of paper and put it up somewhere even if it is in the inside of you closet and thank God for those things every day. Soon you will be adding things and the moment you feel the spirit of envy creeping up on you, read those things out loud and thank God for it. Have a Spirit of thanksgiving; the Lord will smile at you. And you know what, before long you will be smiling yourself!

"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever." Psalm 16:11

Thank you Father for being a God of more than enough. We apologize that we are not grateful as we should be. You have blessed us with so much and we glorify Your Name! Thank you very much! Amen

The Bible is quite clear on another aspect of our lives and that is that we should strive to attain wisdom. And by striving towards it we also find ourselves in a fortunate position of growing spiritually. And through growing spiritually we discover a wealth of treasures hidden in the Word of God. What an exciting prospect!

The Word of God quite specifically says that we should strive to attain wisdom. We should run after it as if we are chasing a monumental treasure!

"Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or a hidden treasure." Proverbs 2: 2-4

Now wisdom is such a massive concept. How can we be wise? How do we attain it? I think we can write thousands of books on this subject alone, but let's focus on the basics for now. The Bible is quite specific about attaining wisdom. I think for a start we can look at the verse above and start by listening more than we speak. I am sure that the Lord made two ears and only one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as much and think carefully before we speak, as life and death is in the power of our tongue.

We should allow the Holy Spirit to help us to respond to and deal with situations in the correct way. We should be discreet and realistic and allow His Spirit to empower us to make the right plans. We should make the most out of life, be open to correction and reproof, and above all value the truth.

The Bible also specifically warns against being a fool. Some of the characteristics of a fool mentioned are the following: being ignorant, arrogant, aimless, careless, argumentative, want everything on a plate, doesn't think for oneself, prefers fantasy to fact and illusions to truth.

Now I think if we read the list of actions related to a fool and those related to being wise, it is natural to want to lean towards being wise, but it is easier said than done. It is easier to retaliate when someone hurts you, it is easier to receive everything than to think for yourself, it is more convenient to dream dreams than to actually get up and do something about it, it is hard to be open to correction and reproof, it is hard to be discreet when your ego cries out for recognition. It is hard I know. I battle with it myself. But thank God that He is there to help us with the battle. Thank God that He doesn't condemn us, but that He came to set us free.

We should ask the Lord daily to gain wisdom. Ask Him to help you on a step by step basis to walk the steps towards true wisdom. Restrain yourself from foolish activity and focus on your only true source of inspiration, Jesus Christ. Step by step you will attain wisdom, and though the progress of growing we will find ourselves happier than we have ever been, more at peace with ourselves and with others. I will end of with two powerful scriptures of Paul declaring that we must pray and ask God for spiritual wisdom. May God bless you.

"We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while you will learn to know God better and better." Colossians 1:9, 10

"I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God." Ephesians 1:16, 17

Father God, thank you for being there for us. Thank you for instilling wisdom into our spirits. We want to grow in knowledge and stature in You. In Jesus Name. Amen

Our houses (our lives) here on earth need to stand firm against all storms. We need to believe in Jesus Christ, we need to work on our relationships the Lord has blessed us with, we need to be God's Hands and Feet in this world and we need to look after ourselves. We shouldn't neglect any of these things; otherwise we might not be able to weather the storms coming our way.

Last week I reflected on the way we should get up in the morning. We shouldn't allow negative thoughts to ruin our day even before it started. We should vigilantly make a point of it, to start our day off with positive thoughts filled with the Word of God.

This week I would like to reflect on the opposite side of the coin. How do we end our day? Are we despondent? Are we angry with someone? Are we stressed? Are we disappointed with the way things turned out? Do we feel as if we will never amount to anything good?

Then I have good news, you can learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes at some point in time, but winners learn from it. Use a moment just before you drift off to sleep to ponder the day's happenings. Ask the Holy Spirit to point out to you where you have gone wrong. Ask Him to show you what you should have done differently and learn from it. Practical experience is the best way to learn and grow. And the Lord wants us to grow and reach our full potential. He doesn't want us to look down on ourselves and walk around like failures. He wants us to continue, to run the race with our full potential and to reach the finish line with triumph. He made us to be the best mom we can be, the best friend, the best wife, the best daughter, the best aunt, the best in everything He has placed in our paths. He wants us to excel in our 'jobs' here on earth, He never wants us to give up. We should learn and grow. We have the Lord inside of us and therefore we have more potential than we can ever dream of.

Thomas Edison, who invented amongst several other things the light bulb, once said: "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration."

Winston Churchill also once said in one of his shortest speeches: "Never give up. Never ever give up. Never give up."

What a striking message. Never give up. Believe in yourself, believe that you can make it, and believe that you can be the best you can be. The Maker of the heavens and the earth is within you, He believes in you. Shouldn't you too?

Thank you Lord God for believing in me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Help me to always look up to You and continue with Your Purpose for my life. Help me to never give up on Your dream for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen