Giving these days can be tough, but not giving can have an affect on many of us. I admit that I don’t tithe very often, but when I do tithe at church, or give to a charity it helps me feel better as a person. I feel that I am doing my share, I am giving a small but meaningful contribution to people I may not even know but can know through time.

I have to tell the truth, I work only one day a week and get some SSI and SSDI, so for me tithing isn’t easy, it is financially hard at times but I still manage to give something. There are times when I feel as if all the church wants is my money but instead of seeing the big picture, I tend to feel sorry for myself; and make excuses for myself. Well if I worked longer hours or if I worked more days I could give more.

It really isn’t the amount you give, it is rather HOW a person gives. Do they gripe and complain or do they give with a thankful and heartfelt joy of knowing they are definitely doing their part.

This is how I have learned to be a cheerful giver, first I think of what and where I would be without the Lord Jesus in my life, then I thank him for all He has done for me. How He has helped me through very difficult times in my life.. how He has made me realize how much God really and truly values and loves me just the way I am, even with all my flaws and imperfections. I heard that God doesn’t make junk..He makes everyone suited for His purpose in life but it is up to us to follow His direction and instruction.

Just think, if one penny was given by each person in the world to one specific place ( church or charity), how much more would they have in they give their actual 10% of their income?

There are many churches, many charities and at times it can be confusing as to which one to give your 10% to; well that is where Gods guidance comes in. All that is needed is for you to listen and put His direction into ACTION.

It is how we manage our money as well, let us say we go to the store and we see a beautiful blouse or see a nice pair of designer jeans that may only fit for a short time or go out of style in a season. It is how we manage our money that matters. Instead of buying things we truly don’t need, tithe that money instead, who knows you may be feeding a baby, toddler or it could be your own relative who may not let you know they are in desperate need.

I make roughly about $85.00 for the two days that I work, and that is about $8.50 from my earnings, just think, if everyone gave their true 10 percent (10%), now $8.50 may not seem like a lot of money… but when you are counting every penny, it does seem like quite a bit. You would be surprised how much you can get with that when it is combined with other peoples 10%.

When I do give, I say this prayer silently as I drop the tithe in:

May this ( whatever the amount) double and multiply who ever God entrusts it to.

It won’t be easy at first, but with time and Gods help your giving will become easier and more joyful.

Thank God for God, that He is here with us to help us through these trying times. Thank God that our loved ones aren’t living in the streets; but in a crowded but comfortable home and have food to eat.

Thank you God for showing us how to share our food and house, even if it is for family… because charity does begin in the home. It isn’t easy with many children running around but we manage to find time to join in the play… but when bedtime hits… that is a different story.

I love my family and hope and pray with the times changes our love for each other doesn’t change, of course we will have days of trials and set backs, and other down sides… but we will keep our faith in God and in each other.. that we can make a difference just by lending a helping hand.

You know my mother

She has been a faithful servant to you.

She has in many ways contributed most of her life to taking care of children.

and although there may be moments of weariness…  it doesn’t last long.

You know of her past,  and created a bright future for her.

And you know of her love for you and the love for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

God I know that You love her,

as the woman you created her to be, selfless and giving of her time.

My prayer is this:

That she continue to give;

with a heartfelt joy.

That she find rest at the end of the day;

and awake early to greet You God and the day.

I pray that she will live her life to the fullest;

without regrets,

because it is by our mistakes in life when we learn.

I pray that she will find a joy and peace to her heart;

for the ones she lost some time ago.

I pray for her because I love her;

I pray that she will always be content in knowing that she is loved by us;

but mostly… that she is loved by You God.

Amen

Faith means:  Belief or trust, devotion to, or trust in someone or something, especially without logical proof. Trust in God means: belief in and devotion to God.

Stable means: Not changing: steady and not liable to change.

Unstable means: Not firm, solid, or fixed., Lacking emotional or psychological stability: lacking, or resulting from a lack of, emotional control or psychological stability.

What is faith to us? Are we stable in our faith in God? Do we try to find logical reasons when miracles occur?

We should know that God is stable, He doesn’t change, His love is everlasting and always will be. Are we as people that stable? Do we have that solid ground, that stable mind that it takes to keep our faith in God and our trust in him in check?

As the world changes, are we changing along with it, or do we do our best to keep Gods Commandments?  Are we learning at all from those who lived before us?

I believe faith, like God doesn’t change, it can only get stronger with the right nourishment. Either we have faith, trust or not. Hot or cold. I believe that in my heart of hearts most of us have that stability in our faith in God, and I believe that faith doesn’t change, we do. We change for the better, especially when we do come from an unstable background. Or a background that needs lots of work and FAITH, to get us where we need to be in life.

I believe that we are tested on a daily basis, with obstacles in our path, and it is our reaction on how we handle things that we should be aware of. Do we get upset? Do we find a person to blame? Do we become judgmental? Or do we call upon our faith in God to help us to see us through our daily tests and are we forgiving enough to forget and move on?

I have been asking myself this: Is my faith in God stable enough to pass a test? The test could either be facing a death in the family, will I blame God or will I just accept it that my loved one is in God’s care, or learning of a fatal illness about a family member or ourselves. The test could be an easy one… or a very difficult one, similar to the path Jesus had; that it would take the love of God to help see us through. I believe that it was Jesus’ love for God, and God’s love for Jesus that He gave us forgiveness.

It takes faith and love for God to see us through life; the knowledge that God is definitely there with no question of His existence or His love for us. There was a time in my life when I questioned just that… whether He loved me or not… but my faith is stronger now and I know now that He does indeed love me, not just when I am good, but all the time.

When you begin to doubt your stability, because God didn’t give us a mind of confusion but a stable mind. If our minds aren’t stable, what happens to our faith? We begin to doubt, and wonder about the existence of God, and wonder if He hears our prayers. We begin to be bitter through our challenges in life instead of finding peace in God’s Word.

God is the most important being, person, role model, in our lives that we can’t afford to be classified as unstable in thought or in character. We need to become strong in our faith, in our trust for God in order to pass the test. God only knows how He will test us, and our ability to withstand it. For in the Bible it says He does not test a person beyond their strength and always helps us find a way out. All it takes is a mustard seed of faith, which I am sure most of us have, and in saying this, we should through our faith in God, and collective prayers, move mountains.

I was reluctant to accept you.

It took years for me to trust…

Now I am so glad I found Trust in you.

There was a time I thought and felt….

That you were against me-

When I realized it was the other way around.

My devotion towards you…

Isn’t a showcase for all the world to see-

But You now I love and trust you.

This treasure I found in my heart-

Came from you

You alone put it there, that spark back into my life.

It is you who has made me whole again…

And you who make me rich in blessings

Of comfort and love.

How do you repay someone who gave my life back to me?

With undying love and devotion.

Thank you Jesus….

You came into my life when I needed you most.

Help me see what is true,

Give my life new meaning;

Let my service be for you.

Help me see in others,

What I can’t see with my own eyes,

The truth in them when they speak

Help me discern when they.

Change my heart Dear God

Help me have more compasison,

Help me see with loving eyes,

Instead of the same old fashion.

Change me in a way,

That I can please you Dear God,

Give me hope and inspiration,

Don’t want to be bored.

Give my life new meaning,

Fill my life with your fire,

To please you Dear Lord,

Is my only desire.

I believe that God will always be in control…no matter how bad things may appear to us. I for one, have thought about my actions when I am hurt by someone or when I feel an injustice has been done to me. It is my reaction that I need to be aware of, not the injustice or hurt, but do I forgive immediately? Or do I sit or stand and brood about it until I resent the person who did the injustice or hurtful thing?

In the Bible it says that we forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times, but do we? To be forgiving means: Allowing for degree of imperfection: allowing for or coping well with a degree of imprecision, lack of skill, or other imperfection. Do we allow for those imperfections? Or do we find reasons to condemn and get upset over small things, or  things that others may have no control over?

I believe that Jesus died for all of us, the whole entire world, as it was back then- to the world we live in today. His death should make us stop and think about how we think towards one another and act towards one another.

Before his death, He spoke of love for God, God’s word, and about forgiveness. If we treat each other unforgiving- won’t our Heavenly Father treat us the same?

I believe that God loves everyone of us… from the poor to the rich, but more over for those who are lost without guidance… those who haven’t reached out to Him yet. When Jesus said we should forgive.. It means just that, forgive, overlook the imperfections in them for not one of us is perfect except Jesus, Son of the Living God.

It is the person that Jesus is so forgiving, our imperfections and weakness when it comes to sin. It is the action of the sin that gets us in trouble. Whether or not it was done deliberately… it is the sin that hurts us in the long run, thus needing to repent. For God knows all that we do, think, and say. It is our choice that we make that will either keep us in good standing or have us stumble along the way.

To be truly forgiving we need to forget about the offenses, hurts, injustices and move on, never to bring them up again, as Jesus would want us to. It isn’t easy, but with the help of God we can.

Take heed to My word;
Let Me direct your path.

You are entering a journey as a young woman;
And there are hinders along the way.

Love is a beautiful emotion;
But don’t confuse it for lust.

Lust will deceive you;
Love comes with a heartfelt feeling that comes from Me.

You will be challenged;
Young men will come to test you of your faith and love for Me.

Don’t be fooled;
For they love you not.

For the man that loves will wait for his mate.
And a fool will continue with his own desires.

Be patient;
Wait for my answer to come.

Your obedience will be rewarded;
And the Love I put into your heart will be everlasting.

With His love….

It grew into a flame.

From the flame of His love;

With His warmth….

It grew into a fire.

He touched my life with His love,

I watched how the fire spread to others…

I was in awe of how it grew.

As time passed,

Some fires began to dwindle…

Some just went out.

But the fire in me is ever burning,

And so you’re fire can to…

Just life your heart unto God.

Let Him restore your faith,

It may begin as a little spark…

And turn into a flame.

He, God never fails in His miracles even though we may have to suffer at times. We may think that God has either forgot about us or doesn’t care because of the situations we get ourselves into. Remember that God is always with us no matter what and that He will never leave our side.

He, God has a good track record for delivering us out of our worst jams we may get in, or when we can’t seem to find our way out… God is there to help us.

Remember in your past, all the times you thought you would never get out of the trouble or mess you were in, then by divine intervention you found your way back to God. It was God who led you back from a life of disaster to a life of prosperity and love.

We can always count on God to bail us out of our trouble, or problems or even a life threatening situation. It is the love of God that keeps us from getting deeper into trouble and helps us see which direction our lives are going. We have to remember the miracles and wonders of creation that only He can do.

So don’t be troubled about  situations or illnesses, because God truly loves us and there is nothing that can separate us from that love.