A Cup of Fruitful Forgetfulness

 And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came... ⁵¹ Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house." ⁵² And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." Gen 41:50-52 (NKJV) 

Have you ever tried to remember a list of something without writing it down? Chances are, if there were more than four or five things on the list, you were able to remember the first and last item but the items in the middle were probably a  blur and a struggle to remember. In the world of psychology that is called the primacy and recency effect. We place more importance on the first and last things mentioned and then kind of forget or "let go" of the rest.

Joseph was at a point in his life where he decided to forget/let go of some things. He had a troublesome life. He was thrown in a pit by his jealous siblings then sold into slavery by them. He spent roughly 13 years in Egypt, the land of "affliction". During that time he was falsely accused of rape then thrown in prison and nearly forgotten about until his time came to be released into his purpose. With the birth his first son, Manasseh, which means forgetful, Joseph declared he was ready to let go of anger, hurts and sorrows from the past. With his second and last son, Ephraim, which means doubly fruitful, he was declaring he was going to increase and grow even in the land of his affliction. Even though Joseph didn't necessarily like or want to be in the location he was in, he was determined to be fruitful and make the best of if because he had a purpose and destiny to be fulfilled. The first and last things he wanted to remember were forgetfulness and fruitfulness.

As we enter into this new year many people lament the sorrows of the past year and decades. Many had much toil and trouble and seasons of affliction in the last decade. We had terrorist attacks, prolonged wars, financial meltdowns, housing crisis, bitter elections and much more. Yet, with the birth of this first day of this new year , 2015, I encourage each of us to name this day "Manasseh". It's time, my friends, to really let go of past hurts, sorrows, and failures. We must do more than just delete people from our contacts list or "unfriend" them on social networks. We must do more than just say with our mouths "I am letting such and such go". We must actually cleanse our heart and minds of the past things than keep us from being fruitful.
We can then name the next day "Ephraim" and focus on being fruitful regardless of our situation or location. We may not like our physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, etc….location yet we can still be fruitful and multiply and grow and mature just as Joseph did. We may at times feel like we are in a dry and barren land of affliction in our lives. Just know there are many good things that thrive in dry climates. Figs, for example grow best in dry climates. The drier the land the sweeter the fig!

I challenge each of us to set the tone for 2015 by naming the "firstborn" day of this year Manasseh to symbolize the true letting go of past sorrows. Then, name the second day of 2015 Ephraim to symbolize the hope for maturity, increase, and double-portion fruitfulness no matter the situation. We can take it even further by declaring these things on a monthly basis. Before we can be fruitful in our purpose we must be forgetful of our past sorrows. I welcome my Manasseh and I look forward to the birth of Ephraim on tomorrow.

Happy Manasseh Day!

A Cup of Commitment

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it… Habakkuk 2:2-3

When we are dating and find ourselves on the relationship carousel, we often fear making a commitment because we are not sure if this is “the one”.  We hop on the carousal and run around trying to choose the right animal before the music starts and ride begins. We attempt to figure out which animals are stationary and which ones go up and down. Some of us don’t even bother with the animals choosing instead to just take a seat and ride while watching others in motion.

If this post was about dating and relationships, I would explore that analogy further…but it’s not. I want to discuss this analogy as it relates to our dreams, and vision. Many of us have many dreams concerning our life plans. We talk about these dreams in terms of “I was thinking about doing….”, “I wish I could just….”, “One day I am going to…”  We treat our dreams like dating. We go from plan to plan without making any real commitment because we are not sure if “this is the one”.  We spend (waste) valuable years of our life talking about our plans and dreams yet we never actually have the courage to commit ourselves totally to pursuing those things. Sure, we take it out on dates (daydreams), buy fancy gifts (write in journals), and whisper sweet nothings (one day I’ll do this), but we fail to seal the deal with a solid commitment.

What does that commitment require? PUT A DATE ON IT! Just like when we finally decide that we have found “the ONE”,  we agree to marriage, we set a DATE and we pursue that date with intentionality. We gather our wedding party; we make plans for venue, catering, decorations, and wardrobe. We are excited about the commitment we have decided to make. We announce that commitment by sending “Save the Date” announcements.

We need that same effort with our dreams. A dream is just a dream when it doesn’t accompany a sound plan to manifest it in reality. It doesn’t become a solid vision until you write it down and marry it with a date of expectation. It’s time to stop dating our dreams. It’s time to “put a ring on it” by committing to a date of expectation. It’s time to stop treating our visions like “side chicks”, getting around to them when you’ve done everything else. Our vision is too important to keep in dream status. 

Are you tired of casually dating your dreams?  Are you ready to commit to your dreams? Are you ready to upgrade your dreams and make them into a solid a vision for your future? Get on your knees and make commitment. Seek God’s direction and timing and PUT A DATE ON IT. Get rid of the “side-chick” mentality with your dreams and “”Put a ring on it”

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it… Habakkuk 2:2-3

A Cup of Purpose

Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it,"No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered. (Matthew 21:18-22)


How many times have you spotted a beautiful plant or tree on display only to find upon closer inspection that it was an artificial version of the real thing?  Artificial plants are acceptable in certain environments, like restaurants perhaps, but they are a disappointment when they are in real gardens where we expect to find the real thing. That's how Jesus felt when saw the fig tree from a distance. It should have been successfully bearing some type of fruit since it gave the appearance of a fruit-bearing tree!

Have you ever wondered why you are not successfully bearing fruit your life? Have you asked yourself why you are not progressing? The answer may lie with the type of tree in your garden.
 
Let's take a look at trees. During biblical times certain trees were crucial to the lives of the Jewish people. One type of tree is the fig tree. Figs were good for food and medicinal purposes (Is.38:21). Another popular tree is the olive tree. The olive tree was depended upon for a variety of uses. The fruit of the olive tree was used as an exchange for goods, cosmetic purposes, fuel for lighting, medicine, food, offering, consecration and burials.
 

There are two types of olive trees, an ornamental variety and a fruit-bearing variety. The ornamental olive tree is not meant to bear edible or usable fruit. It is for decoration only. Many people have mistakenly planted ornamental olives trees in their gardens, expecting it to yield edible fruit, only to be disappointed and frustrated when no edible fruit was produced. They mistakenly blame the lack of fruit on the soil, thinking it's not suitable for the tree. In fact it's not the soil that is unsuitable it's the tree that is unsuitable for bearing edible fruit!What do these trees have to do with you? In the various parables of the fig tree Jesus was dismayed at the barrenness of the tree and cursed the tree. In Matthew 3:9, 10, John the Baptist warned that the axe was being laid to the tree that did not bear good (useful) fruit.  Unlike the parables of the sower and seed, the seed (tree) is the focus, not the soil. The soil represents you. It represents your heart, and your life...all that you are. The tree represents purpose.
 

You may have had many failures in the past while seeking to accomplish certain plans or goals in life. You have been discouraged, dissatisfied and frustrated and begin to see yourself through the eyes of failure, defeat, shame or unworthiness. It's time to realize that perhaps it's not your soil at fault but instead the problem is tree that was planted. It is time for you to discover your true purpose in life and plant it in your soil in order to see real fruit produced. You can no longer accept ornamental trees nor water and fertilize them with your attention, time or effort. No matter how much you water an artificial plant it will never produce the real thing. You must lay the axe to the false purpose and barren vision whether planted by you or someone else.

It is time to discover your true purpose and begin bearing useable fruit of success and satisfaction. Join a 4-P Puzzle for Success Workshop to discover the you that you were meant to be.

For More Information about the workshop visit: www.puzzleforsuccess.com

To Register for a workshop visit: www.puzzleforsuccess.eventbrite.com

A Cup of More Than Enough

"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"...And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."   Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. John 6:9, 11-13 (NKJV)

"If you don't have enough for everyone don't bring it!" How many of us heard this from a teacher in school? How many of us actually obeyed this rule? How many of us still brought our "stuff" and tried to be more stealth in our attempt to hide them from the eagle-eyed teacher because we had no intention of sharing our "just-enough-for-me" goodies? We knew that we didn't have enough for everyone and sharing would mean less for us.

We can see a similar situation as Jesus is ministering to 5,000 plus people in a deserted place near Galilee. They followed Him because of the great works He was doing. They have been there ALL day. They are in need of nourishment. Their only supply line is a boy with two fish and five loaves. Wait! There are 5,000 plus people and their only hope is a little boy with two fish and five loaves? Personally, I find it hard to believe that out of 5,000 plus people only one little boy had food. I am willing to stretch my imagination that a few others had a stash of "goodies" on them yet did not offer it up because they felt it wasn't enough for everyone. The difference between the little boy and the others who may have had food was his willingness to offer up what little he had to Jesus. That "little bit" was miraculously transformed into "more than enough" in the hands of Jesus.

How many times have we withheld our "goodies" because they seem inadequate for the need? We all have "goodies", those gifts and talents the Lord wants to use to bless others. We must be like the little boy and have the courage, willingness, and faith to release them into hands of Jesus. It is fine to acknowledge that the needs we are faced with are too great for human strength to satisfy, that what we have seems inadequate for the job. This is the point we are reminded  that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. Our inadequacies are a proving ground for God to manifest himself as a more than adequate God!

We should never let ourselves or others minimize or marginalize what we bring to the Kingdom table. Our two fish and five loaves may be an encouraging word, a song, a dance or a prayer. It may be administrative gifts to lift the burden of someone else. It may be gifts of service or hospitality or maybe cleaning the kitchen after a service. Maybe it's caring for  someone's child while they are serving. It could be anything. We all have our own version of the two fish and five loaves of bread. The question is are we willing to release them into the hands of the Master to be used to bless others.

When we decide to release our "little bit" it becomes "more than enough". We are then able to be a blessing to others outside of our immediate surroundings, so much so, that we won't even know who was filled by it. The little boy didn't know each and every person whose need was met by his offering. When we trust the Lord with our gifts we can be assured that it will be more than enough to meet the need of the situation and we shall be filled as well. The disciples picked up twelve baskets full of leftovers. That is supernatural, heavenly increase of what was released for the Kingdom. When we release our "goodies" to Jesus, and allow Him to take them, break them as He sees fit, and bless them for kingdom use we will see others being blessed beyond what we can imagine.

Let's encourage ourselves and others in knowing our seemingly inadequate offering to the kingdom has the power to be more than enough in hands of Jesus!

What's in your basket?

A Cup of Stretch

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."  And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Ex 14:13-16 (NKJV)

The Plateau is a familiar place for those who are trying to reach weight loss or weight training and muscle-building goals. It is the spot where you seem stuck and can’t go any further. It is easy to just accept it or maybe give up and stop trying altogether and return to your previous unhealthy ways. Never mind how it felt to be weak, lethargic, and enslaved by unhealthy habits. It is a good thing to have someone to encourage you to press forward at this roadblock lest you be tempted to throw all your hard work down the drain.
I think many of us can relate to children of Israel’s predicament. They are finally free of the unhealthy enslavement of the Pharaoh and Egypt. They make it to the Red Sea and then progress seems to stop. They reach “The Plateau”. Discouragement, doubt, and fear begin to settle in and right on the verge of a great breakthrough they consider giving up and returning to ways of enslavement.

We also come to moments in our lives that mirror that Red Sea moment. We work hard to make progress in our lives. Things seem to be going well for us, then; suddenly we come to a roadblock, our Red Sea moment. The chariots of our past are coming with the intent to bring us back to the life we just left. The hoof beats of doubt, fear, hurt, abuse, negativity, and enslavement resound in our ears. Our eyes are fixated on our present Red Sea. The obstacles and roadblocks before us seem insurmountable and cause fear and hesitation. Our minds ponder the unknown that awaits us the other side. The fear of the unknown is one of man’s greatest fears. Yet, when we know the God who reigns over the unknown, we can find the strength and courage to press forward knowing He will take care of us.

God was showing Moses, as He had many times before, that he had been given everything he needed to accomplish his purpose; for Moses it was his rod. For us it is the knowledge that our God has a plan and purpose for our lives, a plan which includes peace, victory, success, freedom, provision and all else we need to complete this journey. As with Moses’ rod, God has already equipped, empowered, and encouraged us to accomplish all we are called to do.

We, like Moses, must stretch forth those things that we have been given. We have gifts, talents, and callings that must go forth. We must stretch forth our faith to breakthrough to the other side. Once we make that bold decision we will see a way open before us, a way that allows us safe passage yet makes no allowances for the things of the past.

There is something better awaiting us. We must have the courage and strength to STRETCH forth, walk through, and believe God for the victory.  Don't give up. We can do it because He has given us the power to do so.

One, Two, Three….STRETCH!

A Cup of Assurance

^{Psalm 16:7}I praise you, LORD, for being my guide.  Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind… ¹¹ You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (CEV & NKJV)

Our life as a military family was  an adventure. It was a treat being able to visit many places that some could only read about in books. It was a joy having opportunities to enlarge our circle of friends with every relocation. Yet, for me, the one thing that cast a shadow on the excitement was the idea of driving around an unknown city or country, especially at night. That was never a pleasurable experience for me.
I am self-diagnosed as “directionally challenged”. I dislike being lost in unfamiliar territory to the point of breaking out in a sweat, increased heart rate and stomach pains during a “lost” moment. I am so thankful for the age of technology and access to  on-line maps with directions. I will be forever grateful for the availability of the personal GPS system. No more panic attacks for me! Even when I miss a turn that voice is there to guide me back on the right path. It’s not perfect, but is does ease many of my fears about being lost while navigating the unknown paths.

I am even more thankful that, as children of The King, we also have access to a heavenly GPS. There are times in life when we travel in unfamiliar territories. We are unsure of what direction to take  to arrive safely at our destination. We hesitate through the darkness because we can’t see clearly. But, with God’s Presence System we can be assured of accurate turn-by-turn instructions as we travel through life. Even if we happen to miss a turn His voice, His word, His Spirit, is there to redirect us and get us back on he right path.
With our heavenly GPS we can choose to avoid roadblocks of unrighteousness. We can bypass the detours of doubt, fear, worry and anxiety. We can even program our favorite places to travel, such as: righteousness, peace, joy, love, grace...you name it and you can find directions to get you there safely. Our job is to keep our GPS charged and updated. We charge up by continuly plugging into His presence. We keep our GPS updated by plugging into and interfacing with God’s word consistently.

God assures us that He will show us the path of life. He promises us that Holy Spirit will always be there to guide us. We can be confident of that still, small voice to whisper those turn-by-turn directions to us as we travel through this life. When we keep our heavenly GPS in working condition we will be able to navigate life’s journey, even the darkest moments, with boldness, confidence and the assurance that comes from knowing our Father’s voice, listening intently to His instructions, and faithfully following His turn-by-turn instructions.
We all have assigned destinies, and with our heavenly GPS we will be assured of a safe arrival.

A Cup of Stillness

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) (Please read Psalm 46 in its entirety)
 

"Be still; don't move" ….

As little girl I would often dread the process involved with the care of my hair. I had long, thick and coarse, or as we say, "nappy", hair that took time and patience to maintain. Although the outcome was beautiful I disliked the process. My least favorite part was always the pressing or "straightening" comb. The intense heat of the metal coming out of the fire, and the smell and sound of sizzling hair was enough to make my heart beat two times faster than normal. Yet I knew if I would just be still and trust the beautician to do her job, and follow her directions, all would turn out beautiful. Then, at the completion of the process, everyone would know I had been to beautician that day.


It is often the same with life. Sometimes we are called to deal with "nappy" situations, those rough and coarse spots in life that take the trained and loving hands of God to straighten out for us. He requires our stillness, obedience, and complete trust in Him to do what He knows is best for us.


We can trust God to straighten things out for us. We may hear the sizzling in our ears at times. The fear, doubt, worry, shame and helplessness that makes us want to cringe is loud, but we must "be still, don't move". The burning smell of our circumstances, a lost job, broken relationships, sickness, or ministry woes may be wafting heavily in the air. Our only response should be, "be still, don't move". 
 

We can trust God to handle those things. He is the Master Stylist who knows the very number of hairs on our head. We can trust Him to take those "nappy" situations and style them into a beautiful array of blessing for us. Then, everyone will know we have been in the hands our Master Stylist. Our responsibility is to show up for the appointment and let the Master do His work. Our job is to "Be still and know that He is God"!

A Cup of Praise

Psalm 67:5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. (NKJV)

Not many people think of gardening in the winter. In many places it is cold, the ground is hard. Not much visible productivity takes places in the winter. Because the land doesn’t tend to yield much fruit in the winter we pack up our gardening tools and patiently (or impatiently) wait for the Spring. We look forward to the rains to soften the hardened ground. We think about the fresh seeds that will be available for planting. We anticipate the abundance of sunshine that will burst forth from the sky to give the much-needed light and warmth to our  precious gardens. We begin the long  waiting game of Winter.

Our spiritual gardens are not bound by earthly seasons. We have everything we need at all times to be owners of productive lands. One key to our productivity is wrapped up in our PRAISE!
Praise is what can bring the showers of God’s favor to soften the hardened land. Praise is the seed that we plant with expectation of a harvest of God’s blessings. Praise is the fertilizer that, when spread in abundance, will encourage growth in our relationship with our Father. And, praise is the harvesting tool we use to reap what we have sown in faith and obedience. Our Father has given us dominion and control of the land (Psalm 115:16). We are able to determine its productivity. As we praise and bless God, He returns the gesture by blessing us also.

If you find yourself dealing with a lack of productivity in your land…spiritual, financial, relationship, health, business, family, ministry, or anything…GET YO’ PRAISE ON!

Praise-“Yadah”-hands extended…Yes, come out with your hands up and PRAISE God! Praise down the showers of God’s favor. Plant praise in expectation of a grand harvest of blessings. Fertilize your  land with praise to encourage supernatural growth of your seed. Praise God to reap the increase of all that has been in sown in faith and obedience. Praise Him with all your might and  be an owner of fruitful lands in season and out of season…at all times.

LET ALL THE PEOPLE PRAISE HIM!