
Why did I lose power?

Some blame God for what they see as His restrictions. They may even accuse Him of trying to control their lives. But God gives us a choice, just as He did Adam and Eve.
Yes, God draws boundary lines, but they are for our protection. David understood this. He wrote, “You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies . . . . I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your Word” (Ps. 119:98-101).
God cares so much about us that He gives us boundary lines so that we will choose what is right.
Join me in this prayer: Most Precious Lord Jesus, Gentle And Wonderful God, Truly Awesome And Ever-present Holy Spirit, Precious Lord Jesus, I love you.
Precious Lord, you have given me more than I could have ever imagined.
In my lack of money, you have given me riches of life beyond compare.
In my world of war and conflict, you have given me your peace.
In my world of insecurity, you have given me a firm foundation.
In my world lacking in hope, you have given me a hope for the world to come, all of which will come true. Your boundaries of my life are not burdensome.
Your rules for my life are a joy to observe. Your future for me is a place beyond compare.
You speak to me night and day. You speak to me when I get up in the morning.
You speak to me when I retire at night. You speak to me at midday when I stop to praise your name. Because you are at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Because you are my Lord and Savior, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices.
Because you are my Lord and Savior, my body finds rest secure.
You will not abandon me to the grave. You will, at the last second of my life, pull me up and up and up until we stand in the highest heaven, face to face, embraced in love for all time. You have made known to me your path of life. You fill me with joy when we are together. I give you praise from a heart always seeking and wanting to be true.
I give you praise from a heart that does not lie. Your law, so old, so ancient, is still as perfect today as it was perfect in the very beginning. Your law revives my soul and makes me a new person as I accept you as Savior and Lord. Your statutes are trustworthy.
Your commands are radiant, giving light to my path, just as you are the Light of the world.
The fear of you is pure, enduring forever. Your ordinances are sure and altogether righteous. For all the blessings you have given me I shall sing to you a new song and I shall shout for joy. Your word is always right and always true. You are faithful in all you do. All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, my Mighty God, and my Ever-present Holy Spirit upon whom I can rely. Amen!!
Written by: Michelle
Respecting GOD’s boundaries…OnPurpose!
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6, NKJ)
As a believer in Jesus, did you know that goodness and mercy are following you? God´s grace and favor are chasing you down! But if you live with a cloud of condemnation over you, if you surround yourself with negativity, then you are putting a barrier between yourself and the blessings of God.
So many believers today miss out on what God has in store for them because they live like they´ve got a dark cloud over their heads. They´re always talking doom and gloom, living in condemnation. But when you open your heart to receive what God has for you, that cloud is lifted and all that´s left is His goodness and mercy!
Instead of living in guilt and shame, God desires that you walk in His love and forgiveness. Make the decision today to let go of condemnation, let go of the past through forgiveness, let go of self-defeating behaviors, and embrace His goodness and mercy! Let His favor surround you like a shield so you can live the life of victory He has in store for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, I humbly come to You today asking that You remove anything in my heart that would keep me from You. Give me a heart of forgiveness so that I can move forward into all You have for me. In Jesus´ Name. Amen!!
Written by: The “Butterfly”
Living a life of victory…OnPurpose!
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God’s guidance.
When done well, planning can help alleviate worry. Worriers, by contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God.
Think about this: Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong…Galatians 4:8-20
Pray this prayer with me: Most Precious Lord Jesus, Gentle And Wonderful God, Truly Awesome And Ever-present Holy Spirit, Precious Lord Jesus, I love you. You know how impossibly difficult things have gotten for me. You know how my future does not look good at the moment. In your love and grace, help me include you for just a moment in this present moment and in the moments of my future. When the chaos and strife of the present time gets to me, help me include you for just a moment so I get a clear perspective on what is going on around me. I do not leave you out of my life on purpose. Yet, I am so bombarded by problems right now it seems like something or someone is driving a wedge between us. So, for just moment, when I am in the store waiting to check out, place your angel on my shoulder and tickle my ear. For just a moment, when I am eating and begin to think how things will never be better, pour down a little rain of your love and distract me from thinking in hopeless terms. For just a moment, when I am watching television and I get to thinking how things will never change or how things will get worse, give me your vision of a time when all things in my life are made new. All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, my Mighty God, and my Ever-present Holy Spirit upon whom I can rely. Amen!!
Written by: The “Butterfly”
Managing my time…OnPurpose!
It doesn’t have to be all these things…It could be just one.
Pray this prayer with me:
Father God, I blind my own role in any and all toxic relationships. Help me see the truth about myself. Apply the healing power of Your Word to my heart and mind. Deliver me from any stronghold that causes me to harm people with my words and actions. Save me from self-destructive patterns.
I struggle in my relationship with ______. I need You to give me wisdom on how to love ____ well. You are my shield and defender. Show me how, when and where to erect boundaries in our relationship. I believe You are my healer and I trust You to guard my heart and mind.
I need Your specific directions on how to interact with ______.
I want to love _____ with a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)
Help me to love ______ courageously. Fill me with Your truth and compel me to fearlessly tell the truth with love. Let Your perfect love cast out all of my fears related to our relationship.
I forgive ______ for hurting me. I ask You to forgive me for _______ and _______. I acknowledge my emotions: _______, _________, and _______. And I invite You to steady my heart so my emotions do not rule my decisions. I surrender what I think our relationship should be. Please transform it so that it honors You.
In Jesus matchless name, I pray. Amen!!
Written by: The “Butterfly”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good…OnPurpose!
If someone you know is regularly gossiping about others, this is a warning sign. Incessant gossiping is a warning sign of insecurity and a toxic personality.
Likewise, you can be sure that if they’re gossiping about someone else, they will gossip about you too. Be careful with gossipers and remember that gossip is usually untrue anyway.
A hallmark of a toxic person is being negative. This includes being judgmental, sarcastic, frequent complaining and the list goes on. This negativity can be draining and no fun but it is also a big warning that you’re with a toxic person.
One of the key elements to a relationship is the ability to show empathy and compassion towards others. If they are unable to show empathy, they might be toxic to you.
They show up and take up too much of your time, disregarding you and your life. Relationships are a give and take. If you feel like they’re sucking up your time without providing much in return, it may be time to reassess this relationship.
If they seem to always have crisis and conflict going on, this may indicate they are they cause more so than other people in their life.This is particularly true if they seem to thrive on or actually enjoy drama. The same is true if they seem to always have a big personal mess going on.
In addition to straight out lies, make note of even slight variations on what they tell you and note the omission of critical facts as well. Often times, it is difficult to spot a direct lie, but rather, things just don’t add up. If someone is lying or bending the truth it is wise to question whether you can trust them in your life.
It’s one thing to help a friend out if they have some food caught in their teeth. It’s another if someone is constantly criticizing you or offering their “advice” about you and your life. This is very true of the parent-child relationship. If you feel like you are always being corrected, it’s probably them and not you.
A big red flag is when someone talks way more than they listen or if they don’t really listen at all.
If they frequently blame all their problems on someone else or some situation – or even if they blame their own mistakes on someone else or some situation – this is a red flag. A lack of personal responsibility is a sign of toxicity. Be careful, toxic people can be quite convincing.
If someone purposefully says hurtful thing to you or engages in hurtful actions against you or even just disregard your feelings, consider them toxic to you. The way we are treated is important. It matters and if someone hurts you regularly, they are not good for you.
Life is stressful for all of us. No one gets by without some stress. If someone magnifies their stress or compounds it through their choices, they might be toxic.
Being around someone with a temper problem can be excruciating and unnerving. If it seems like they need anger management, you can rest assured they are toxic to your life and you do not need to expose yourself to this.
A sign of a toxic person is their need to be right. If they’re constantly trying to prove themselves or close off to the opinions of others, this is not good. Likewise, toxic people will often claim to be right even if they’re not. Conversation is not supposed to be a challenge that must be won. This is unhealthy.
Have you ever noticed that someone can be kind to you and the people in your circle, but when you’re around other people, they treat them poorly. This includes other co-workers, service people (such as a waiter or waitress). This can be a tip off that the person is putting on a show when they’re with you, but you can see the real person in how they treat others.
If they usually consider themselves first, have a need to talk about their own stuff and are not there for you when you need them, consider this a warning sign that they are either not a true friend or they are toxic. Also pay attention to whether they are looking to see what they can gain in a given situation versus what they can give.
If someone tries to tell you what to do or say or how to act, this is a huge red flag. This can often show up as manipulative behaviors as well. If you feel like you’re being used as a puppet, it’s time to take a deeper look into the relationship.
No question that being in a relationship with someone battling addiction can be one of the most difficult and painful things you could ever deal with. People in the throws of addiction will often exemplify many of these behaviors listed here – not because it is their true nature, but rather because of their addiction. Addiction is a serious issue. If you have a relationship with someone who is an addict, it is imperative to seek help for yourself.
When in doubt, if you have a bad vibe, trust it. Your intuition is a valuable tool and is usually right. Even if you can’t put your finger on it, you should avoid or limit interaction with someone when your gut says to “look out!”
What is your role in this story of my life: Are you Abraham, Issac, the Ram, the Thicket, the Alter, the Knife, one of the two Servants or God? In fairness, it would depend on what role I’m playing…I’m constantly changing… (Praise God)
In this season of my life I am being intentional in everything I do and purposeful in what I say. As God deals with me and my fears, I am being bolder in my faith and in trusting Him with what He gives me to do and say.
One of my first stories from the Bible that I understood as a child is Abraham & Issac: the Testing of My Faith. Each time I read it, I get something new. I have been stuck on the “THICKET” for a while. Just this morning it came to me…the thicket in my life are the people that I have allowed to dilute my dreams and poison my hopes. I have lived in fear of everything my entire life! I have held back from doing great things because I allowed other people’s fears and doubts of their life to shape mine. I remember the first time I stepped out on faith and did something HUGE that someone said I souldn’t do – I DID IT!! That was 11 years ago.
Since then, I have accomplished things that were centered around my son. When it comes to him, nothing is impossible for me to do but until resent I didn’t have that same drive for myself…Until TODAY!
On this day, I will play the role of Abraham – I will do what God asks me to do. My passion is Issac, I will offer it up to God, trusting Him with it…stay tuned to see how the rest of my story unfolds!!
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” Genesis 22:1-5 ESV
Lord, help me stay connected to you so that I do not dilute your plans for my destiny!!
I will not listen to toxic words from anyone…OnPurpose!
Written by: The Butterfly
I found this list from a few years ago when I had a Mary Kay Unit and thought it would be great to ignite the passion in me and possibly YOU!
As I read through this list – I could see many biblical principles & scriputes…Can you tag a scripture reference to the ones your recognize?
Pray this prayer with me:
Precious Lord Jesus, I love you.
What is my future, Lord?
What is to become of me?
I have a past steeped in many mistakes and in many kinds of poverty.
In addition, I have had little chance of escaping my past.
Do I have a future of any kind?
Although I ask these questions I already know the answer.
I know, as I am in your arms this minute, my future is bright in your eyes.
I know, as I am in your arms this minute, my past mistakes can be erased, undone, and made to be of no consequence.
No matter what I face in the next hours, days, or years, I know you are with me.
As you assure me you are with me, we shall walk this road together and your strength will be my strength, your vision shall be my vision, your direction shall be my direction, and your wisdom shall be my wisdom.
You are the one who enables me to move beyond my present circumstance.
You are the one who gives me the ability to make progress.
You are the one who comes to visit me when I am in prison.
You are the one who comes to sit next to me and comfort me when I am sick.
You are the one who comes to me when I am lonely and downhearted.
I praise your name with my words.
May my every thought and action also praise your name. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!
Written by: The “Butterfly”
Jame 1: 3-13 (MSG) ~ 3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. 5 If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. 6 Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. 7 Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, 8 adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. 9 When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! 10 And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. 11 You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing. 12 Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. 13 Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way.
The word of God gives us a way to deal with the pressures of life: James 1:5 – If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get His help and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.
I watched a young man lose his cool over a game last night. As I listened to him rant, I couldn’t help but see him as an employer, employee, parent, leader or mate. It made me think about how I publicly handle situations I’m unhappy about. How am I coming accross with people when I am under pressure? It made me take notice of myself. Do I want to represent myself in that manner? Do I want to represent God in that manner? Not to mention…it is just a game, it is not life threatening? Is it worth the pain and pressure of being angry? I remember when raising my son I would offer him a count down to rectify a situations – it did two things…1) I had a chance to calm down and not overreact & 2) I taught him about grace and self control. I think I will start to use that method again with everyone – I will call it: reflective positioning …counting to 10 when under pressure and asking God to help me in “that” moment. If you decied to try it too…comment and let me know how it worked for you. I want to be better than the day before!
Embrace pressure, take in change and keep your head up because you will either be a piece of broken coal or a diamond at the end of all that pressure!
Pray this prayer with me:
Most Precious Lord Jesus…
Gentle And Wonderful God…
Truly Awesome And Ever-present Holy Spirit…
When every ounce of my soul wants me to survive for myself, let me think of you.
When the pressure and distress of my life pushes out my thoughts for others and for you, let me count your blessings in my life.
When the distress of my life grows so great I think I will crumble, be over me, under me, and all around me.
When my sin of selfishness punishes me with fear, doubt, insecurity, and a total separation from your love, let me kneel before your suffering endured for me on the cross of Calvary.
May all I say, think, and do be a blessing to you and to your call upon my heart.
All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, my Mighty God, and my Ever-present Holy Spirit upon whom I can rely.
Amen!!!
Written by: The “Butterfly”
Being Better…OnPurpose!
Luke 22:42b “…Yet I want Your will to be done, Lord, not mine.”
I will – not lament about impediments, barriers, morons at the helm and lack of time.
I will – not get hung up on details.
I will – not allow pessimists, doomsayers and curmudgeons near me. (They will suck the life out of you.)
I will – not procrastinate.
I will – not being in love with methodology, processes and tools. (I will Challenge myself instead.)
I will – not censor my ideas.
I will – not tell people how to do their job. (Instead, set my own expectations to acheive next level results.)
I will – not punish myself for mistakes, unless they are a result of laziness or overt sloppiness.
I will – not limit myself with arbitrary timelines, goals and beliefs.
I WILL – EXCEED MY OWN EPECTATIONS!!
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