BELIEVE IN YOUR VISION!

“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who
reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; in the end, it will
speak and not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it because it will surely come,
it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:2-3

For An Appointed Time. Do you know that God has a purpose and a plan for you,
not just for you but for each of us? Maybe you are an artist, a songwriter, or
an author and feel that as much as you try you cannot get the notice you
believe you should for your craft. Or maybe you are toiling at your desk trying
to get your idea from paper to prototype. Believe in your vision.

Sometimes waiting for that little door to open seems like forever. Yet in
the between time, we should never stop believing in our dreams or visions.

Now just supposed Madam C.J. Walker did not believe in her vision of a hair
care treatment for Black women that led to the invention of the first pressing
combs, or Thomas Edison who is credited with inventing the first lightbulb. Frederick
Jones, for refrigeration, and Charles Babbage noted as “the father of
computing”. 

Could God have used someone else for any of these visions? Yes. However, they were the ones blessed to receive them. 

Believing in yourself, and trusting in your vision means trusting in
yourself. Your vision helps us see things beyond what others cannot see. Some
have to see it to believe it, however, you see with spiritual eyes what we
cannot see.

God has a set time for everything, pray to seek His guidance, and trust that
if He blesses your vision it will come to pass in God’s time, not ours.

This I believe, as I wait for one to see my vision in my paintings until then we wait with patience, and if it’s what God has for us, it will come to fruition. Until that time, as my daughter often says, “My Mom is a proud parent of her artwork!” I say, “Whatever! I believe in my vision!”

“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; in the end, it will speak and not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”  

Trust and believe in yourself and continue the good work. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and you the believer.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | FLSB |WB

Oh, Taste And See

An invitation to try before you buy. This invite also contains a promise to you.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

If we trust in Him, He can help us with our feelings. We have the assurance that God is near to us when our hearts are broken and our spirits are crushed, whether we feel like it or not. This is not a promise with conditions attached to it; it is a fact! Those who seek the LORD discover that He not only saves and keeps but also satisfies.

“Taste” doesn’t suggest a sip or a nibble; it implies feeding on the LORD through His Word and experiencing all He has for us. It means knowing Him better and enjoying Him more. Not only does He saves and keeps but He satisfies.

Come, taste, and see that the LORD is good, Blessed is the man or woman that places their trust in His Hands!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

SY Jesus Calling | WSB

DISTRACTIONS!

Distractions can be your family members, like mine who continually interrupt me to look at old photos as I write the description for today’s devotion. “Ma, look at this one…” LOL

Distractions can cause you to lose focus on the most important things in your life; family, and work. They can also be caused by a loss of interest in the primary activity, an inability to pay attention, or the intensity of the distraction itself.

However, the worst distractions are the ones (if allowed) that take a person’s attention away from God. For instance, you have created a time set aside to pray, but one thing after another seems to happen directly before this time and those things seem to need your immediate attention, the washer is spinning out of control due to the clothes being off balance. So, I run downstairs to correct this before it walks out the door! Are such distractions hindering your scheduled time to yourself, or are they robbing you of your peace and joy?

In the Bible, David, with Bathsheeba, then we have Peter when he was distracted when Jesus called him to step out on the water and come to Him. The list goes on.

Then we get upset at ourselves which is a distraction because we allowed the distractions to distract us! What do we do?

When we pray, and remember prayer is having a sincere talk with our LORD. To thank Him for His goodness and mercy, worship and praise our LORD and Savior, and seek His forgiveness and prayers for those on our prayer list. Then our prayer should be, LORD please deliver me from distractions from the importance of serving You!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | NIV

STRESS IS LIKE KRYPTONITE!

I’m happy to have you join me as I share today’s thoughts.

“Are You Stressed Out?

Stress is like kryptonite (Superman’s nemesis), and it’s out to knock off your cape and diminish you to a heap of trembling, useless mush!

Allow me to share some spiritual food for thought, from the Word of God:

The Book of Mattew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” and …

 Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I would also like to share with you a few quotes I found online: “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.”

“If you feel like you’re losing everything remember trees lose their leaves every year, and they stand tall and wait for better days to come.”

“Stress is not what happens to us.  It is our response to what happens.  And the response is something we can choose.”

This one is a dear reminder … “God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way” — Anonymous.

So when times seem hard and the path before us seems to darken, let’s remember that our God is the LORD that will light and show us the way.

I’ll bring it a little closer to home, “whenever I forget which way to turn, He reminds me that He is still the wheel in the middle of my wheel.” Trust God. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

After listening to The Word for You today via The Church Within You! podcast, https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/dOG4DSeeKIb reach for your Superman’s cape, because kryptonite is just a word to the LORD! 

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Hayes

TWFYT | HB

A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES

A friend loves at all times. When you’re up, they’re not envious, when you’re down, they’re not condescending.

Proverbs make it clear that true friendship is based on love because only love will endure the tests that friends experience as they go through life together.

We may have many companions and no real friends. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Pro. 18:24

Friendship is something that must be cultivated, and its roots must go deep. Friends must be constant with each other. That is not true friendship which is not constant. Friends, like swallows, that fly to you in summer, but are gone in winter are no loss. But if I love my friend because he is wise and good, though he falls into poverty and disgrace, still I shall love him.

Christ is a friend that loves at all times (John 13:1) and we must so love Him, Rom. 8:35. Relations must also in a special manner be tender of one another in affliction. Some take it thus: “A friend that loves at all times is born (that is, “becomes”) a brother in adversity and is so to be valued.”

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT|WSB|FLSB|MHSB [TheChurchWithinYou! podcast]

A PARENTING DO-OVER

“RAISING GREAT KIDS IN A TROUBLED WORLD”

The word for you today asks, “Have you ever wished for a parenting do-over”? Knowing what we know now, I wonder just how many of us, if given the chance, would return to the beginning, when our child was first born.

Just think, we would be able to address the blame of feeling like we might have been awful parents. We could remove the question, “Where did I go wrong with this child?”

Listen honestly, there is no perfect parent we have all fallen short somewhere along the line in our parenting skills. We do our best not to repeat the things we didn’t like about our parents. And said we would be different when it came time to raise our own. We tried our best not to incorporate those hard rules, but, sometimes we found that those rules were necessary.

Let’s share a laugh, we do not teach our babies how to tell a lie, but if asked, “Did you do that”? even with you watching them as they did it, they would reply, “No”.   Therefore, begins their first lesson, “You should not tell untruths”.  From toddlers to teenagers, we take on a different world, theirs, and ours. 

We are to provide them with the protection of the ills of this world that we live in.  They do not see this world as we do, just as we did not view it from the eyes of our parents. Proverbs tell us to get understanding and to get wisdom, those two go hand in hand.

Remember you have already walked the road they are walking now – maybe a different day and year, but you’ve walked it.  Be open to listening, rather than judging, and know that open ears and closed mouths learn more about your young one and their world. 

My prayer is, LORD, help me and show me how to accomplish the requirements of being as good a parent as possible. Help us to show sincere love, listen, understand, share the good and the bad, respect, and encourage with unconditional love and acceptance. 

Blessings,

Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | FLSB | The Church Within You! podcast.

THE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES

“I THANK MY God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.” Phi. 1:3

Every recollection that Paul had of the believers back in Phillippi, he remembered with joy.  While he awaited his pending trial in Rome, Paul found joy in remembering them before the throne of grace in prayer.  Perhaps the deepest Christian fellowship and joy we can experience in this life is at the throne of grace, praying with and for one another.

He recalled Lydia and her household, the poor slave girl who had been demon-possessed, the jailer and his family who found Christ, and the other dear Christians at Phillippi. Each recollection was a source of joy.

When you pray do you think of others who are in need? Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of another, just as Jesus interceded on our behalf to God. Do you intercede on behalf of families, neighbors, co-workers, the homeless, the sick and shut-in, our seniors, youth, and those caught in war-torn areas? We should all be partakers in prayer for one another.

Let us remember to keep each other lifted in our prayers. Take a listen to “The Church Within You!” podcast.

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWSB | [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara375/episodes/THE-PEOPLE-IN-OUR-LIVES-e2gmbrn]

TELL THE TRUTH

Lying always comes with consequences. Proverbs 12:22 says “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”

We can find many ways to turn words into weapons and damage others. As this verse points out, we hurt others by lying.  We also know that “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight! 

Solomon warns us against bearing false witness and violating the ninth commandment. When those around you find out that you have lied, it robs you of those ever-having confidence in you again.  Truthful words stand the test of time but lies are soon exposed.

This is what the Book of Ephesians has to say regarding being untruthful. Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. Eph. 4:25

The truth may sting a little, but its bite is not that of a lie. Recall this … Liar, liar, pants on fire!?

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | TWSB [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara375/episodes/TELL-THE-TRUTH-e2gl9dc]

COME OUT OF THAT CORNER!

Come Out of That Corner, is a reading using the Book of Ruth, a love story about a man and a young widow. It’s a redemption story regarding this wealthy man, a young woman, and a near kinsman. The events in the Book of Ruth occurred during the period of the judges, a time not much different from our own day, if you focus only on the evils of today, you’ll become pessimistic and cynical. But if you ask God what field He wants you to work in and faithfully serve Him, you’ll experience His grace, love, and joy.

The Book reminds us that God is still at work in our lives and in our world. He has not forgotten you nor your faithfulness towards Him. Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

When Boaz saw Ruth, he called her out of the corner of the field into the midst of the harvest field. Even though you may be in a crowd of people, God can make it so, just like Ruth, that you stand out among them all.

Be assured God has not forgotten you, nor does He overlook you. When He has prepared for you, you will hear Him call, “Come Out of That Corner!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

TWFYT | TWSB | [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara375/episodes/COME-OUT-OF-THAT-CORNER-e2gl5l3]

THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT

The world’s worst prison is the prison of an unforgiving heart. If we refuse to forgive others, then we are only imprisoning ourselves and causing our torment.

Jesus warned that God cannot forgive us if we do not have humble and repentant hearts. We reveal the true condition of our hearts by the way we treat others.

In the parable of the unforgiving servant, Peter asked the LORD how often he should forgive his brother’s sin against him. He asked, “Should I forgive him? Up to seven times?” The LORD Jesus’ replied, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” 

Listen, I truly know that it’s hard, sometimes very hard to forgive someone who has done you so badly that it rocks your world.  The last thing you can think of is to forgive them or have someone who was not hurt in the mix-up say, you should forgive that person. Been there and spent the night!

Here it comes … however, nothing, nor anyone is worth you, spending eternity outside of heaven.  When we stop and think back over our own lives, there may have been a time or two when we messed up, and just as the Master of the servant in the Bible had compassion and forgiveness upon him, then we must dig deep and find that compassion too.  It may take a whole lot of praying, but if we ask of God, He will provide us with a heart to forgive.  

With a heart of repentance, we can gladly forgive those who have said, done or hurt us in any way. 

Today, search your heart and see if there is anything you hold against another, if so, let it go. Forgive with all sincerity, and please do not allow “that seed of unforgiveness” to make you miss heaven!

Blessings,

Presiding Elder Barbara Hayes

WSB | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara375/episodes/THE-UNFORGIVING-SERVANT-e2gjijm