The Daily Devotional Blog

The more fit a person, the faster their heart rate returns to rest and the lower their resting heart rate. The more fit a person the more they can work at their maximum heart rate and still be ok. It will be a challenge, but that's just fine with them. They have a champion's heart. That means they can take maximum pressure and come right back down to normal after that pressure. That means they can push themselves like an Olympic athlete and act as though it were no big deal. Business as usual. That's what Olympians and serious/professional athletes train for. That's why they train so hard. They know it will be a time when they will have to exude much force and work to their maximum speed, strength, endurance, stamina, physically, mentally, and emotionally. And if they're going to win the gold, the trophy or the prize they can't sweat and give in under the intense and magnified pressure. The refuse to lose.  They know how physically, menta...

"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace" ( 1 Corinthians 14:33 ).  He has nothing to do with turmoil, uncertainty, or turbulence in our lives. He's not flaky like us humans. He's not of a silly mind. He is solid and all knowing. He is the beginner and the finisher. He does not invite chaos and does not condone it. If He did, that would make His word unbelievable and unreliable.  I couldn't imagine such a thing.  So here's the point: If you don't know what to do and where to go, seek God for peace and clarity. I promise you that if you remain committed and faithful to doing that with no distractions, He will speak to you about any given situation or question your have regarding your life and those you pray for. If He did it for me, He'll do it for you. There is nothing more special than me than you. He made us all in His image.  Yet, certain people may appear more special than others and that's because favor ain't fa...

It takes fine wine many years to get better. It seems some of us feel like fine wine, huh? Nothing worthwhile comes over night. The Lord wants us to move to the next level in what we will do to help others, but not before it's time. I understand getting impatient, but we can't rush the process. I tried before and let me tell you, it doesn't work and will only set you back.  Moses, Joseph, and David are some popular leaders in the bible who didn't get their positions overnight. I would imagine that there were lots of dues paid, hardwork and sleepless nights (mainly communing with the Lord). That's how it's usually played out before we start seeing the fruits of our labor, so keep working. Seeing the promises of God will come.  "You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you" (Psalm 128:2).  That means never give up, because the fruit is growing, we just don't see it manifested yet...

God is using you. Don't resist it. Embrace it. Do you feel out of place sometimes? Even around family and friends? Like you belong, but not really? Like you're blowing the trumpet and nobody hears you? Like you're watching the world, but you don't always fit in it? Like you're the proverbial square peg in the round hole?  Well, congratulations. Chances are that means you have been set aside by God to do great and mighty feats in the world. And you cannot be like everyone else. God made you different to do different. You are extraordinary and will do the extraordinary. You have heeded the call and chosen to be chosen. Not everyone does that. So great and outstanding for you. Get ready get ready get ready. " For many are called, but few are chosen" ( Matthew 22 :14). I can't wait to see what you're going to do and how you're going to impact the world.     For  daily encouragement, visit and share this blog, my  Facebook ,  ...

God can use anyone He chooses. Did you know Princess Diana resonated with lots of people? I think I know part of the reason. She knew what hurt and pain felt like. During her funeral her brother spoke about it. He said he asked her why she always went to underdeveloped places in some parts of Africa. She told him it was because she knew how people who had very little, felt. Because of her life she also knew their hurt and pain and she wanted to help them. It took one to know one. I never forgot his words about her, because I often feel the way she felt. That's why she was called the people's princess. She knew people -- hurting people. She was drawn to them, because she felt them -- their spirit. That's what happens when we go through painful changes in life. That pain becomes part of our testimony and our fuel for living the life God has for us. It's for us to sense and feel the people in our sphere of influence. In other words, none of us is here by a...

Reading and education unlocks the door to greatness. You ever wonder why the majority of my blog posts are pretty short?  It's deliberate on my part to keep them that way, because many people simply do not like to read -- at least not lengthy content. People don't like to read directions or the ingredients of food items, and certainly not long books, articles, or blogs. Me included on that last part. I love reading, don't get me wrong. It's just that to sit so long is boring and my attention span is short. It always was. In fact, according to a study Microsoft conducted, many people have short attention spans and start getting fidgety after only a few short minutes. That's why there exists a distaste for  sitting during long lectures. TED Talks are 18 minutes on average (they get it). Further, you probably won't find me sitting for hours reading one single book either. That surprises people since I'm an author and blogger, but it's true. M...

Respect the process. When we're in the thick of it, the process of getting to the next level, going higher, becoming all we can be, can be a tedious, never-ending series of ups and downs.  Yet, think about everyone you know who achieved greatness. Was it easy? Was it fast? Was it time-consuming? Did they probably want to give up? Probably yes to all of those questions. Nevertheless, we have to respect the process of going to the next level in whatever area we want success to happen in. And no matter who we are, there is no way we're going to be successful without God. It doesn't matter what it looks like and who appears to be living large. Without God in their lives, forget about it. God allows certain things from certain people and doesn't allow certain things from certain people. That is just something we must live with and not try to understand. All I know is that He's a God of order, decency, and excellence. He will have His way. “For my thoughts ...

Do you have a big head? Yep, you heard it right. Watch it. And watch out. That means we must not get the big head, because of what God did for us. Don't fall for that feeling that we're on top of the world. Don't let us get overly confident, because we know how blessed we are for making it through the valley. Don't get so full of ourselves, because of all of our accomplishments. Remember what happened to Samson ( Judges 13 ). He gave away what God blessed him with as his source of strength and power. He got the big head and God left him. Thus, he wasn't able to be effective in the land.  Don't you think for one minute that people don't know from whence you draw your strength and power. It's the gift God gave you to inspire and uplift people. People see your gift and some of them don't like it. They wish they had it, so they will use tricks and schemes to render you powerless and weak. You must remember what happened to you "ye...

God will show us which doors to walk through and which ones to steer clear of. Some doors open and some doors close.  And we should be thankful. God will open the doors we need to walk through and close the ones that will be disastrous for us. It's wise to seek God in which ones we need to walk through. When we do that we can rest assured that God will only steer us in the best direction. We will be positioned nicely for greater opportunity and future success. Be led by God, not man, when it comes to the direction of your life, because once God opens a door, no man can shut it. To be more specific, when we are in tune with what God has for our lives and we wait patiently for him (which means grinding, working, and not trying to do things without God) then His words are clear: "I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name ...

I remember something that happened years ago when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real and His spirit is alive.  It happened one day when I picked up the phone and called somebody I didn't want to call. I can remember it as clear as day. I was in my quaint little apartment in a small 1-stop light town about 30 minutes from Sacramento, California. There I was in my living room finding myself dialing a number to call a person I never thought I'd ever call again. My thinking was, 'why am I doing this?' Although I surprised myself, everything about it seemed right.   Over the years I was reminded once again that God controls everything. He orchestrates our steps and He directs our lives from the simple to the complicated. From the minute to the gigantic, He's the beginner and the finisher. If you think for one minute we control everything, think again. If you think the devil controls things, no so. If you think things just happen, they don't...

When you read the bible, what is God saying to you? What is the rhema word and what does it mean, exactly?  According to an article on sharefaith.com, "in Greek, the word rhema means "an utterance." Therefore, the rhema word in Biblical terms refers to a portion of scripture that "speaks" to a believer." Or we can say the rhema word is what you get when you read the Word (the bible) and you get a clear revelation or an answer to a problem, an issue, or a circumstance you are dealing with. From those particular words you read it is now crystal clear what you need to do. And nobody can tell you otherwise. You know what you just read and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you "heard" inside your spirit regarding those words -- that rhema word (plural). "God wants to speak to His people and provide insight beyond human understanding" (sharefaith.com). This will give us more power in our faith walk and we will be better eq...

If  you've ever read the biblical book of Judges you'll read some amazing things that went on back then.  The Isaelites didn't listen to God. God dealt with them by turning them over to their enemies. Then they cry out to God. God relieves them of their pain by blessing them. They forget about God.  The same process happens over again and again.  Haven't we been there done that, as well? Haven't we done the same things at some point in our lives? Oh no? Let's go down memory lane shall we? God tells us not to do something that we know is wrong. We know the consequences, but we don't care, because it's just too good to pass up. So we don't listen and the pain, trouble, issues, and circumstances present themselves and it's our fault. Then God helps us get out of it. We must make lasting change or we'll end up being lifetime cry babies. God is so awesome, isn't He? He loves His people. Yet we must not take His grace for grante...

Don't despise humble beginnings. "The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts" ( 1 Samuel 2:7). Those words were spoken by Hannah who knew what she was talking about.  She knew pain, heartache, and humiliation. She knew lowliness, how it was to be looked down upon, and what it felt like to be judged. She also knew the exhilaration and the appreciation of being brought up high by God. Throughout it all she experienced how prayer without ceasing worked.  Her story involved being barren. She couldn't have children and as a result, her husband's other wife, Peninnah, would taunt and humiliate her to no end. Yet Hannah continued to pray (and cried a lot) and God heard her prayers. She became pregnant and birthed one of the greatest prophets and priests of all time, Samuel. She was so grateful she gave him back to God to serve as a priest under Eli. She and her husband would visit him every year with a new coat she made for him. All t...

Do you hear Him? "Go lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'speak Lord, for your servant hears ( 1 Samuel 3 :9). Those were the words Eli, the priest, told Samuel, his young protégé, to say to the Lord after Samuel heard the Lord's voice. God was calling Samuel to give him orders. He wanted Samuel to follow His directions concerning Eli. Samuel had previously missed God's voice three times before Eli told him who it was calling him.  Then finally Samuel heard, listened, and followed.  Smart man. "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground." That means God continued to speak to Samuel and the words Samuel spoke were manifested as the Lord said. That also means Samuel had power, because God called Samuel and he decided to answer. Thus Samuel was called and chosen. How about you? Do you hear God's voice? Because He's been calling you for awhile now. ...

If it doesn't do you no good, you gotta know when to walk away.  You can do it. Resist the things that are no good for you. But usually you can't do it alone though. You need God first. Then you need people to help you become stronger. None of us can do life by ourselves. We need helpful caring people. When people say they don't need anybody I think it's an issue of pride and/or arrogance. If we are to resist the things that mean us no good, we also need strong people who can help guide us to the good things. Those people will help us if we allow them too. No man is an island who can be all and do all without someone else to help and support him. Trying to do everything on our own is not only impossible but it's not how God made us. He made man to have companionship. For a number of years I went through life sad over certain things that happened and certain things that didn't happen. I think I was definitely operating in pride because in my mind i...

Always seek happiness and whatever happy is for you, is good enough for you. Do you know happiness is a choice? Yep, it sure is and it's all around us too. It just looks different than we think. Recently I visited the small town my mother was raised in. It is a one-stop light town and it is a town I could never find myself living in. Yet there are people who live there who appear perfectly happy. My aunt is such a person. She is pleasant, kind, peaceful, and humble. I love being around her. Her mobile home is modest yet comfortable. I love going there to visit. I sleep well on the most cozy sheets she always gives me and I feel like a princess in her presence. It's such a peaceful loving place. She has her vegetable garden with corn, zucchini, squash, peas, and some others I can't recall.  She has two dogs and many roaming cats. She has cable TV, goes to karaoke once or twice per week, and just learned how to text on her new iphone. All this while in her late ...

Unbreakable -- that's a great word for the people who are unstoppable, unmovable, and unshakable.  The people who refuse to be broken, because of life's struggles, pain, challenges, hurt, setbacks, sorrow.  Being unbreakable is another term for being faithful that God is not going to leave you in a state of despair, despondency, or a place of helplessness. Do you believe it? You have to believe it, because God acts on our belief and trust that He will get us to a place of joy, peace, and fulfillment. There's a story in the bible ( Mark 5:25-34 ) about a woman who had an issue with blood. She bled for twelve years and went to many doctors who could not heal her. In fact she got worse. Twelve years. Yet she didn't let up in her faith that she would be healed. All she wanted was a little bit of Jesus -- all she wanted was to touch his garments -- enough to make her well by His power. And when she touched His clothes, immediately the blood stopped. When Jesus re...

Your blessing is coming.  What do you do during the "waiting" period? The waiting period is when God promises you something and it seems as though nothing is happening. You're grinding day in and day out. You're focused like never before. You're staying around all things, people, and places, positive. Yet it seems like you're just going through the motions and no movement is happening.  I'm here to tell you not to despair, not to grow weary, not to give up. God is working behind the scenes and He's organizing the right circumstances. He's making sure we are ready for the ride. And we want Him to ensure we're ready. That way we will have staying power when things get crazy (because some things will). He wants to ensure we can handle things well. He wants us to win so others will win -- blessed to be a blessing.  So, stay in tune with the rhythm of the flow God has you in right now. And watch how quickly all that waiting pays off.  ...

Most of us can start something, but what happens when we're right in the middle of it and things are not going as well as we thought? Do we just give up and throw in the towel or do we continue with it, because we know it's what we were born to do? Carrying out our endeavors is like flying airplanes. It takes precision, focus, and strength. I'll focus on the strength part, for time sake. Have you ever seen an obese pilot? Probably not. At least not a very efficient top-of-her-game pilot, right? There are many reasons why pilots have to be physically fit (as well as, emotionally and mentally fit). It's a demanding job. Finishing goals and carrying out our God-ordained life purpose is also demanding. We need similar attributes to that of the pilot if we want to be able to fly the success plane. It's not for the give-up-easy people. And starting, continuing, and finishing something isn't for the person who wants quick results either. It's for t...