The Daily Devotional Blog

You ever just sat and watched the ocean? The birds? An ant? A butterfly?  There's beauty in all of God's creations, isn't there? All we have to do is take the time to experience them. I have to admit I can do better in this area, because certain things in my life can be stressful and challenging. Sometimes I feel like those lyrics in that Lenny Kravitz song, I want to get away, I want to fly awaaaaay, yeah yeah yeah. Sometimes we all need to get away and recharge. There's nothing wrong with that. It's human. It's normal. In fact, when you have a lot going on, it's a must.  Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most and we have to take the time to enjoy them. Sometimes the blessing is in the small things. I have made a pledge with myself that this year I'm going to take time for just me, myself, and I. I'm going to fly away to a place where I can experience God on a whole new level. A place where it's just my peace with the ...

Are you an overcomer?  Have you climbed over mountains? Clawed out of valleys? Made it out of fires? That makes you an overcomer. That makes you a trooper. That makes you an inspiration. Yes, you, because you made it. You are able to stand strong today, because you never gave up, you never threw in the towel, you never waved the white flag. And for that I admire you greatly. I love a champ. I love a winner, I love a warrior.  You know why? Because it encourages me when I hear about a person who could have given up, but who refused to do so. And I respect a person who gives God the glory for everything they've gone through -- the overcomers.  "...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.( John 5 :4/5). Because of the God who lives inside of you, you are indeed an overcomer and will remain one. Believ...

What do you think of change? Do you embrace it or despise it? Depending on what it is, I do both, I know it would be great to say, "oh change, I just love it, it's the best thing ever", but you won't hear me say that regrading every single area of my life. It simply depends on what it is. If it's something that will take a boatload of time I don't always welcome it, but I'll follow the steps to make change happen. The one thing I know for sure, is that we have to learn how to deal with change in a productive way or we won't get anything accomplished. We have to roll with it. The people who do that are the ones who find themselves moving along faster. That even goes concerning the area of salvation. Jesus said, " unless you change and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven ( Matthew 18 :3).  For daily encouragement, visit and share this blog, my  Facebook ,  Twitter ,  Instagram ,  Pinterest ,  L...

I was listening to a video by John Maxwell titled, Ready, Set, Grow . He was talking about growing spiritually.  He was speaking from Christ Fellowship Church. I don't know where that is located, but it was another great message by Maxwell. He's one of God's messengers I can listen to everyday. He interesting and he tells good stories. In the video he referenced two scriptures, Ephesians 4 :15, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ"  and  Luke 2 :52, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."  Maxwell said God wants us to grow up and tell the truth in love. The following are my notes about the 8 guidelines of growth he talked about in his message: Be intentiona l. Do things on purpose, not by accident, and focus focus focus. We have to really want to grow and be willing to do what it takes. How bad do we want it? Choose ...

Warriors, fighters, or contenders, never leave home without their game face on. They go out with their armor and sometimes that involves putting their dukes up -- putting their boxing gloves on. Where warriors go, all types of weapons are needed. Their game face is multifaceted and even if they have a smile on their face, they are always ready to defend what they stand for. They uplift people in order for them to see and experience Jesus in some way. Warriors fight to uphold the name of Jesus and when they fight they do it firmly, tastefully and respectfully just as Jesus would. There is indeed a way to fight smart. Jesus did it when He walked the earth in order that we could and would do the same. He fought for us, His people, to be able to walk freely in order for all men to be drawn to Him. There are no inhibitions with Jesus. Everyone can and should become warriors for Him. And since we were all born in His image and He is a warrior, it's automatic that we are also....

I have written about Mark Casto's book, When Misfits Become Kings , because I have gotten much from his book. You can access Part 1 and Part 2 , which talks about "outcasts" and "misfits" being just that. I don't know about you, but I embrace being different. I basically have been different all my life. Not the weird type, just one who didn't need to fit in just because everybody else did or believed the popular opinion just because everybody else did. Boring. If you read the book yourself, you would find out that part of Casto's testimony is that he was also a misfit, so it would make sense that the book takes on an autobiographical tone in some parts. In the book's intro he says, "something in me longed for more, and I felt like a square peg in a round hole, an outsider, a misfit going nowhere very slowly." How many of us at some point can identify with that? I know I can. Casto goes on to do big things, include write his book...

Are you in it for the long haul? For the duration? No matter how long it takes?  If so, that's great news, because there are many who give up. They stop, because the grind gets so tedious and monotonous. If anyone knows how that feels, it's me. Yet we can't base our hustle and flow by how we feel. If that was the case I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago. But the Lord has much work for me. He wants me to set the captives [brokenhearted] free  ( Isaiah 61 ) . He was us to do that. Who are your captives? Who have you been called to serve? Who have you been called to help? Who have you been called to sacrifice for? You should know by now. In the case that you don't, think over your life for a moment. What has caused you the most trouble, pain, hurt, heartache that you know in your "knower" that you want no other soul to come anywhere close to what you went through? Well, there you go, that's your tribe, those are your peeps. You must run to...

Are you a big thinker? Do you have big plans that you are confident will happen in your life?  Terri Savelle-Foy says, 'nothing limits us more in our lives than our thoughts and God is moved by our thinking when we think big.' Of course there is more to becoming all we can be, than simply thinking big, however, achieving great things starts with how we think and how much faith we have in the God who can make things happen. Savelle-Foy says we have to first see ourselves doing big things and believe what God is speaking in our heart. I love it when a person thinks big and I love it even more when a person acts on that thinking. We have to put some evidence behind those big words.  Our thinking should include the vision we have for ourselves and we must continue to speak and pray over that vision. That's what Savelle-Foy did. She printed out a picture of a Joyce Meyer conference, because she had a vision of seeing herself speaking at huge conferences. She substitut...

What is your vision for your life? Some people know and some people don't. You know where I think you can start? I think you can start by figuring out what it is you always saw yourself doing since you were a kid. Or what makes you angry. Concerning the latter, for me it's when people are mean to kids. That really bothers me, because I love kids. That's one of the reasons I was always drawn to education. I also have a soft spot for broken people who need inspiration and encouragement. Other things bother me too, but those are some of the things that come to mind which give me passion while going out of my way to help. Another way of deciding your vision is by whatever brought you pain. You can help people so they don't have to go through what you went through.  My blog, ebooks, and speaking are just the tip of the iceberg in fulfilling God's vision for my life. As the blog description above states, "a Godly blog to encourage, educate, and inform....

All of us are called to do something to help people. That was one of the reasons Noah was called. He was the only righteous man the Lord could find, so in Genesis 6 , the Lord flooded the earth and called (and chose) Noah to be the one He established His covenant with. What a feat to be such a leader of so much and so many who would come after Him. Noah's purpose was clear.  We have all been called on this earth for a purpose. Our purpose is to help draw men unto the Lord Jesus Christ. None of us are here by accident. We're here, because God created us to make an impact and to be used. Moreover, we're here to build the "house" of the Lord. The house of the Lord is not just His physical house. It's His kingdom. Just as God called Noah to be fruitful and multiply, He calls us to do the same, so I have a question for you? What are you doing to help others see Jesus? I'm curious. I'd like to know. I know some of you are movers and shakers in the ...

"Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body" ( Proverbs 16 :24). Put another way, speaking positive, speaking well and having great things to say, are welcoming to people. It should comes as no surprise that just about everyone loves when people have worthwhile things to say, especially when a situation dictates otherwise. Look, I raise my hand high when it comes to the times I have spoken out of turn and the times I should have stayed mum instead of opening my big mouth. In those situations I had to learn the hard way that silence is powerful.  When you're an open person with an opinion it's easy to spew things off without thinking, but the school of hard-knocks has taught me otherwise and today I'm still learning when to speak and when to remain quiet. I hope to always be in a learning posture. I don't mind that at all. In fact I welcome it, we all should. And we should also welcome the fact that it's wis...

Don't give up now when you're so close. Don't do it. How do I know you're thinking about letting go what God has for you? Because this thing called life is not a game and it's not for punks. Parts are fun, exciting, and easy and other parts are boring, tedious, and difficult. That's just the fact of the matter. Yet, we have to roll during the good and the bad, the sweet and the bitter. That's life and only the fittest survive to the fullest. We have to want more than living a mediocre ho-hum life, because that's the type of life we will get if we're not careful. We should desire a great optimal life and that's what we'll get. It's largely up to us how we live and how much we are blessed with. If we aim high we will go high as long as we're willing to climb. God has a plan for each one of us and we can work that plan when we check in with Him often. That's the wise thing to do, because He's directing our lives when we ...

James 2 :14-17 talks about faith without doing some type of action, not really being faith at all. Faith with nothing with it, is just idle words. It's cheap talk. As I get older I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to expect very little from words and more from doing from works, from working. In other words, no one has to shower me with fancy words. I'm more impressed with the evidence and the proof behind their mouth. I'm more impressed with people putting up or shutting up. Placing their money where their mouth is. Otherwise it's just mere words that don't help anybody. Just words and nothing else. The one thing about writing this blog is that the expectations I put on myself are pretty high. When I'm feeling tired I think about the things I write and I get a little burst of adrenaline that I must continue on. I must never stop and I won't. You see, I know what the devil tried to do my family and I know what he tried to do to othe...

'Pack up and gather your things.' That's what Joshua told the Israelites in Joshua 1 :11. He told the camp's people to get ready to go take possession of the land the Lord was giving them. It was their time and Joshua wanted them to get ready, because they were going somewhere big. Their lives were about to change. God was answering their prayers. They were finally  getting out of the wilderness. They were rejoicing so much they could have bursted from their jubilation. Can you imagine? The time finally coming when you start living your dreams and all you have to do is pack your bags? Amazing. That's God though and just like that, our lives can change for the better. All we have to do is be willing to go to an unknown land of abundance. What do you think? Is it in you to go?  For daily encouragement, visit and share this blog, my  Facebook ,  Twitter ,  Instagram ,  Pinterest ,  Linkedin , & Snapchat: InSharonsHeart.

Which way are you going? Forward or backwards? Up or down? Only one way is clear and we know which way, don't we? There is nothing behind us, but the past and the past has already happened, so there's nothing to do about that, nor should we want to. It happened for a reason. And down...do I really need to address that? Ok I will, but reluctantly. There is nothing down, but despair and destruction. That means down is not where God is. Up is where God is, because up is the light ( John 8 :12). Up is creation, restoration, healing, hope, building, improvement...all things good and it never ends. So please don't go backwards and please don't look down.  Look up and trust and believe in the God who will make greatness happen -- faith-walking. Faith-walking is just what it sounds like. It's walking forward even though we have no idea how God will do what He said He would do. It's doing all we can do in our own power, to get closer to our goals and dreams...

Keep walking. But ensure you walk forward, not backwards. What the Lord God has for you is in front of you. It's not behind you. That was then and this is now. Now is of the essence, because our now becomes our future. We have to focus intently on what we are doing and the habits we are practicing, because they form the things in life that make us successful or not. What we do now forms who we interact with and who we don't. So yes the future is definitely important, but so is our now and we have to use our now wisely. It's forward preparation time. We have to walk now and continue on. We can stop every now and then to rest, but we must not get too comfortable. Push forward. "Hear, my son [and daughter] , and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble" ( Proverbs 4 :10-12). Keep...

Some time ago I wrote a blog post titled,  Get Out the Boat . That post talked about Matthew 14:22-36 , which was mostly about Jesus telling Peter that it was ok for Peter to get out of the boat to go to Jesus. That it was ok for Peter to walk on the water as he went towards Jesus. That it was ok for Peter to put all his faith in Jesus. That is was ok for Peter to take a chance to do something miraculous, to do something that defied ordinary belief, and to do something most men didn't believe could be done. Peter started out well and actually walked on the water, but when he started getting distracted by all the wind and such, he began to sink and veer off from his goal. He was no longer focused on the task at hand -- to get to Jesus. As a result, Jesus had to save and rescue him back to the boat. For starters, I like that Peter actually got out of the boat; I like that he walked on water even if for a moment, and I like that he was going towards Jesus. Those things took much...

"The past is the past. That's why it's called that"(Dave Ramsey). In other words, we gotta let it gooooo. Let go of the things that meant you no good. I know it's hard especially if those things gave some type of satisfaction. I get it, I really do. Yet we have to move on from those desires of yesteryear, because they weren't good for us then and they're no good for us now. Don't we all have that thing that was so difficult to walk away from, only to one day realize that God had so much better for us?  I had something I once valued that I knew wasn't any good for me and now I'm starting to know why. I wasted lots of time crying over spilled milk only to find that God had a better purpose for my life. I finally had to get to the point where I said bye bye baggage. There's something bigger and better, baby.  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful" ( Hebrews 10 :2...

Perseverance, bounce-back, strength, push-through, staying-power.  All of those words resemble resilience. 'Resilience in individuals refers to the ability to self-soothe and spring back emotionally after a frustrating, painful or in some other way in which a negative event happened, so we are ready for whatever comes to us next, good or bad'  (Pyschology Today). Many serious athletes have it. Let's take Tom Brady for instance. No matter your views about Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots, who played in this year's Super Bowl (and by the way I'm not for him or against him, my team wasn't in the game), he is a model for resilience. During the Super Bowl game he clearly led his team from the valley to the mountain top. He didn't give up. I watched that game and at one point when his team was down I looked at his face and saw a strong calm. I thought, 'wow, how amazing is that, his team is close to losing this important game and He does...

In Part 1 of the book by Mark Casto, When Misfits Becomes Kings, I highlighted some of the things Casto talks about in his wonderful book of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the Lord. Casto talks alot about David who was anointed at a young age to become king ( 1 Samuel 16 ), but David found himself alone and isolated many times before God elevated him to king. How about you? Do you feel isolated or alone? Do you feel like David or perhaps Neo, from the movie, The Matrix , my favorite movie? Neo was destined for greatness, but like David and maybe even like yourself, he didn't quite fit in with others. Do you too feel like...a misfit? If so, Casto says "you can never become a product of your environment, for God Himself placed the source of identity inside your spirit. So no matter how out of place you feel, you will never be a misfit for long" (p. 5). What that means to me is that it's just a matter of time before the Lord takes you to a new pla...

It's great to be able to look up when it seems the chips are down. When it seems like there's a lot coming at you. When it seems you make one step forward and take two back. All we can do in those situations is look towards the sky. Look towards heaven, because God is there. He sits on high so we need not look low, ever. Jesus was only in the grave for 3 days remember? See John 2 :18-22. So don't look low, because He can't be found there. Look high and cast your cares only on Him, the Lord, because He cares for you ( 1 Peter 5 :7). That's enough to rejoice and be glad about. When we do that He will answer us and all will be well. I totally believe that, because our faith will make us well. And our faith will make it so that God will position us to take five steps forward with no steps backwards. That's what looking towards the sky, towards heaven does for us.   For daily encouragement, visit and share this blog, my  Facebook ,  Twitter ,  Instag...

Don't abort the mission! Don't abort the vision! That's pretty much what Habakkuk 2:2 says and I love reading it. It's about writing down your visions, goals, and dreams. Those are the positive things that live in your heart. I had a vision boards party recently and one of the ladies at the party told me she didn't know what she wanted to do, because she didn't know what her vision was. I told her that was an easy answer. I told her in so many words, that her vision was what she always pictured herself doing or what she often thought about or what she imagined so big she thought it would take almost a miracle to make happen. Those are the things we should all be striving for -- the things that are so huge that we know we need God to help carry them out. Now, that's a vision and we must walk in it. To not, is to not really live life to the fullest. It's being half of who we are. Living our vision is like food and water. We can't survive or fun...

Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil ( Proverbs 4 :27). That scripture means to just look straight ahead and to stay away from people, places, and things that have nothing to do with God, Jesus, Yahweh, Jehovah... The things that will throw you off course. Those are the things that will take you so far away from God that you will wonder who you are anymore. Look straight ahead then you will tend to go in that direction. Stay on track, stay focused on what's in front of you. Think of it this way: when athletes run, they don't look back, they don't look to the right or to the left. They simply look forward to what's ahead of them, not behind them. Remember, Lot's wife looked back even though God told her not to and she was turned into a pillar of salt ( Genesis 19 :26). No judgment there, because haven't we all looked back in regret and sorrow because of the defeat, the trauma, the heartache, the pain? Or haven't we a...

God is with you. It may sometimes seem we're alone, but we're never alone. He walks with us all the time. The question is, do we walk with Him? If we do, then our walk, our burdens, our life, becomes easier to bare. We know certain things in life are challenging. Yet we must stay centered on keeping Christ first in our life no matter how difficult things get. At some point in everybody's life, struggle will come and no one is immune. Life will happen to every soul on this earth. That's a fact and since that's the case, then why not have a companion by our side every second of the day? Doesn't it make sense to do that?  Anybody can walk with God, because He gives us what is called free-will to walk in His righteousness. That means we are free to make our own decisions and God will let us. I don't know about you, but I rather have Him direct my paths than me alone. It doesn't mean I will always make the right decisions 100% of time, because I can mi...