Press Reset ...Ready, Set...Go!

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

As we journey along God’s path for our lives today I felt it necessary to encourage us to tackle each day differently than the day before. For a few days now God has been dealing with me in the area of forgiveness. He showed me that forgiveness is an area sensitive to most of us.

In the area of forgiveness I challenge each of us to press the “reset” button in our minds, hearts and souls. Now I know you must be thinking that you don’t have a “reset” button, but you do. It’s not a button that you can see or touch, it’s simply changing your ways within. After you press “reset”, the next step would be to change your outlook on your situations.

The easiest way to do so is to seek God through prayer. When we pray it’s a time to converse with God. It’s a time to praise and confess. It’s a time to intercede, release and receive. It’s a time to repent and reconcile. The list goes on and on.

Through it all prayer is a time where you can be released, replenished, refreshed, renewed, and “reset”, just to name a few.

If we think about where we want to be in life today and compare it to where we are; we will see that there is a disconnection somewhere for most of us. If we start to think about how we became disconnected with our goals, dreams, or desires we would begin to point fingers at others and even ourselves.

That’s why it’s extremely important that we reconcile the existing matters in our lives today, in order to press forward in fulfilling our purpose in life. We need to seek God for forgiveness in order to forgive others and ourselves as well.

This week I have been working on one of my books “Birthing the Promise: It’s Time to P.U.S.H.”. In this book I have compiled my life long journey into different chapters as it relates to my growing pains. I aligned every experience in each chapter with God’s Word and how it has helped me along the way, especially in the area of forgiveness.

This year is my year to give birth to my promise. I believe it’s still time for you to do the same.

You see nothing we experience in life is experienced alone. We can identify most of our situations with things that have taken place with biblical characters. We also may be by ourselves going through trials and tribulations, but at the same time, in another location someone else is experiencing or has experienced a similar situation. We have to change our way of thinking, feeling and doing to align with God’s will and way for our lives.

We always seem to beat ourselves up about the very things that are out of our control and pay little to no attention to the things within our control. We often try to accomplish so much for ourselves to prove something to others and especially ourselves to feed our ego, but in the end we have no real success if we don’t choose to include God and do it His way.

In last week’s blog “Right the Wrong” we examined the book of Jonah. We went through each chapter and identified Jonah’s charge from God with some of the things we are faced with today. We saw how Jonah fled God and attempted to go in another direction.

We learned that no matter how far he thought he had gotten away by going in another direction, God was still in control. You see when we ignore God and do our own thing; it just blows up in our face. We may be happy now, but it won’t last for long. We will never truly be satisfied being stuck in our ways and doing things outside of the purpose in which we were created.

Every decision we make in life impacts others in some way. We learned from Jonah that when he didn’t obey, he threatened the lives of the sailors. When he did obey he changed the lives of the people in Nineveh to reconcile with God.

It’s time we decide to step forward in a new direction and reconcile our matters with Him as well.

It wasn’t until Jonah asked God for forgiveness and reconciled the matter with Him that God allowed Jonah to use his “reset” button. Once Jonah cried out to God, his journey was restarted. He took the necessary steps to start again and fulfill God’s plan for his life.

You and I still have time to fulfill God’s plan for our lives. As long as we are alive and able, we can turn our situations around!

Most of us have dealt with people who have hurt us, lied on us, cheated on us, abused us, etc. We have dealt with so many people who have smiled in our faces and talked behind our backs. We have dealt with people who have stabbed us in the backs and threw us under the bus.

We have also done those very things to people. So I am honest enough with myself to say I am a sinner and I am not perfect. I have done wrong to many people in my life and I am at fault just as much as anyone else.

So we must also seek forgiveness from others. We have to learn to take ownership of our actions and reap the consequences and forgive ourselves too.

We deal with people in the home, workplace, at school and even in the church who pushes our buttons and try to get the best of us, but we have to learn to forgive them daily and not allow them to have a hold over us any longer.

Today is our day to press “reset” and release all of those situations to God through prayer and restart His journey for our lives.

So what you were wrong, so what they may laugh at you or talk about you, so what! It’s not like they aren’t doing it anyways.

So what you are embarrassed, so what you feel ashamed! Guess what? You are not the first and you definitely won’t be the last.

So what you made a fool of yourself, so what, so what, so what! Do away with the excuses and step forward with the courage and confidence of God today, because He has your back!

Right now I challenge you in this moment to release it all over to God. As Jonah was in the belly of whale he pressed through a prayer to reconcile the matter with God. As you say the prayer below I ask that you reset your mind, heart and soul to focus solely on God’s plan for your life.

No longer allow your haters, enemies, loved ones and friends to get the best of you and allow forgiveness to be an area that will hinder you all of your days.

Instead bless them and love them as God instructs us to do daily!

Blessings,

Tennille L. Whittington

Prayer for Today:

As it is written in Matthew 18:19 …I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Father on today we ask for Your forgiveness in all things; We seek forgiveness from ourselves as well, so we can move higher in You; Teach us to forgive those who have hurt, hindered or shattered our lives; Strengthen us in our areas of weakness as we step forward along Your path for our lives; Deliver us from us! In Jesus name, Amen

Right the Wrong!

Psalm 5:1-3 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 3:8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

Right the Wrong!

As we approach this week I want to ensure we are walking down the right path for our lives. All weekend long God has been dealing with me on some things that have taken place in my life for some time now. When I thought about all that God has been asking me to do, say and become it would get the best of me. For so long in my life I have been running and I was headed the wrong way.

This is my year to walk in my God given authority and run no more! I am grateful to know that I have reconciled my wrong with God and I am headed in the right direction!

Thank God!

Do you sometimes feel you are headed the wrong way? God has said go right, but instead you try avoid Him and go left. God calls you closer, but yet you step back. God taps on you and gives you a little power, but you fear it and you hide it within. You walk around powerless, but God has called you powerful in His eyes. You don’t like what God is asking of you, so you decide to do you and ignore God. Daily you pray against all that is taking place in your life, because you are stuck in a place where fear has set in or you are stubborn and don’t want to obey Him.

Daily we struggle with decisions, whether they are in the home, workplace, at school or in the church. It all depends on what we consider important to us. Well today I want us to focus on what God has deemed important to us verses what we feel is important.

God has been dealing with me in several areas of my life and for some time I chose to ignore Him, avoid it and even take a step in a different direction before 2010 began. When I stepped into 2010 I chose to step boldly and chase after all that God has promised me.

As we have been walking with God this year, He has been beating me up about all the things He has spoken to me about since 2006. I had dealt with too many sleepless nights as a result of my disobedience and so I decided to seek Him for reconciliation and step out on faith. I stepped off the cliff of my life to enter into an airspace of faith where I have placed my trust in God to lead me daily according to His plan for my life. I can testify today that He has not failed me yet.

I say this to say that my experience led me to the book of Jonah. The story is about a man who disagrees with the assignment that God has given him. In Jonah 1:1-3 God instructed him to go to Nineveh, but instead he headed elsewhere. He thought he could outrun God by fleeing from Him.

This is no different from when God asks us to do something, but instead we result to our own plan and test God. It doesn’t make God’s charge to us go away, but instead it impacts our lives and others negatively. It challenges us daily until we give in and if we don’t give in ourselves and others suffer a great deal. It’s because God’s plan unfolds to us daily and it’s up to us to walk in our call and complete our assignments.

As Jonah journeyed out to out into his own direction God sent a great storm. In the midst of doing his own thing Jonah endangered the lives of others. In Jonah 4-16 the sailors on the boat Jonah decided to travel on were impacted by the great storm, they ended up throwing Jonah into the sea.

In our lives how many storms have God sent our way? How many times has negative situations taken place because we made the wrong choice or we failed to do something? Take a look at your life for a moment: Are you in the midst of a mess? Are you going through day after day? Is God beating you up because you decided to walk in a different direction? Is your family falling apart? Is your workplace off the hook? Is your business declining? Are your finances jacked up? Are you in a place that you don’t want to be in, but you chose to be there because you thought it would be better?

In Jonah 1:17 God sent a whale to swallow Jonah alive. While in the whale Jonah (Jonah 2:1-9) reconciled with God and prayed for His forgiveness. After he called on Him, the whale was commanded to vomit him up in Jonah 2:10. This reminded me of how in the midst of our troubles when we call on God, He will deliver us also. No matter how your situation looks God can command you to be delivered from it, but first you need to reconcile the matter with Him.

In Jonah 3, he goes to Nineveh where God had instructed him to go and he completes His assignment. The people turn from their evil ways and reconcile with God. There are people awaiting you and I to do what God has instructed us to do. What if Jonah stayed on the boat or died at sea? How would God have been able to impact the lives of the people in Nineveh?

If you don’t get up and apply yourself how will you ever get that degree, job, house or business? If your relationship is falling and you haven’t stepped up and compromised how will it get better? If you don’t take a step forward to change, how will your life ever change? If you don’t step outside of your box, how will you ever experience all that God has for you?

The book of Jonah is about God’s fulfillment of His holy plan for Jonah’s life and for the people of Nineveh. What has God been speaking to you about? What is He trying to fulfill through your life?

If they were to extend the books of the bible how would your story read? If you don’t get up and go where God has instructed you to go how will your assignment be fulfilled. It’s ok to mess up, it’s ok that you were disobedient, but today God needs to reconcile the matter with you and send you back the right way!

We are not waiting on God, He is waiting on us. One of my favorite songs is “They That Wait” by Fred Hammond. This morning I heard the song a little different. It’s not really telling us to wait on the Lord like in the physical. It’s telling us to run and not get weary and walk and never faint. Instead of sitting around waiting, instead of laying down complaining, instead of stopping and looking for a sign from God, we need to keep it moving in the right direction, because as we walk with Him change is going to take place. He is working it out behind the scenes as we continue to move forward with Him. So get up and move forward now!

Be encouraged,

Tennille L. Whittington

Today’s Prayer:

As it is written in Matthew 18:19 …I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Father I have been running away from You; Father running away from the call on my life; Father I have disobeyed Your commands and today I step out on faith to reconcile with You to make it right; Father the road is unclear to me, but I know all things are clear to You; Father I ask that You strengthen me today in the areas of need as I start over again and walk in the call of my purpose to Your honor and glory; Father no longer do I want to suffer, no longer do I want to lack rest, Father I give in You when; Father I deserve it all; the good and the bad, because through it all comes a testimony that will impact someone else; so use me on today and forever more to Your will and Your way, May it all be done in my life according to Your assignment! No longer shall I travel the wrong way! In Jesus name, Amen

Fearless Faith

So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Acts 27:25

Today I am writing to tell you to keep the faith that will win the race in your life. Whatever the plan is that God has shown you, don’t give up and don’t give in. He is working it out in your favor!

As I was reading over some old writings of mine I thought about where I had planned to be during this year of my life. I had the opportunity today to take a trip back down memory lane to see how far God has brought me. I can remember a time when I was dreaming of being at the place that I am today in my life.

Now it is a living reality!

I remember a time when it seemed only to be a dream never to come to pass, but I am grateful I have put my faith in God and allow Him to lead the way. So I ask that you put your dreams at the forefront of your mind today and walk them out with God.

There will be times in our lives when we will be tested and majority of the tests we will not let take place and will probably give in too before allowing God to lead us through them because we are sometimes stuck in our ways.

I wanted to reach out to you today to tell you its okay to fall down, mess up, shed tears and to be wrong every now and again. Those are some of the things that make us human. No one is perfect but God and He loves us too much not to help us overcome what is taking place in our lives.

In the event you have an issue with a person, it’s always best to reconcile it before it grows out of control. In the event you make a mistake, as long as you are still breathing you still have time to make the wrong…right! You shouldn’t sit around purposely doing things to intimidate, irritate or to upset the person. Those actions only make matters more challenging for you and keep you off track.

It makes no sense in worrying yourself out about something that is out of your control and then not handling those things that are in your control. It’s time we focus on what’s in front of us and allow God to do the rest.

If people are intimidated by you in the workplace, home, church or school than so be it. You have to remain faithful to the call that God has placed on your life and not worry about what people think or know about you, because all that matters is what God knows about you and what He has said to you. Remember He wants the best for us all.

If someone is intentionally doing things to make you feel uncomfortable seek God for discernment of how to wisely deal with the situation. If the person is unable to receive and reconcile the matter I encourage you to keep moving forward. Life is too short for us to focus our time or things that hinder us from stepping closer into the plans God has for us. Difficult people will be used to knock us off our path. Before we get to far off track, I encourage us to learn how to overcome those situations and use those people, places and things as stepping stones to what’s next.

If we look back at King David, he went through a lot of ups and downs, but He also knew how to praise God and ask for His forgiveness. Even though David had done wrong in the eyes of many, God still used him.

If we look back at Saul, he was a murderer and was against all that God was trying to do, but He used him. He transformed him into Paul, one of my best teachers as I move forward to do as it is written in 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

I am at a place in my life where I can care less of what anyone thinks about me. I am striving hard to keep the faith and rely on God to make all things happen according to His will for my life.

All things that I do are to His honor and glory and will be forever!

Today I challenge each of us to keep the faith to finish the race. I challenge each of us to stand through the tests of time. Despite how hard times may be, nothing is too hard for our God. Nothing is too big that we can’t ask for His forgiveness. We must strive hard for what it is we need in our lives. As for people pray for them and bless them at all times, especially your haters!

Be Encouraged,

Tennille L. Whittington

Today’s Prayer:

As it is written in Matthew 18:19 …I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Lord God we come to you in agreement to ask for your forgiveness. Lord God we have been side tracked from where you want us to be in this life. Lord God forgive us if we have went against your will for our lives. Lord we ask that you guide us daily and that you send forth our guardian angels for the north, the south, the east and the west. Lord we ask that they shed light along our paths and keep us in line with righteousness. Lord we ask that you teach us how to increase our talents with the purpose you have for our lives. Lord we ask that we be able to redeem all things which have fallen by the wayside in our lives. Lord we close the doors on all of the paths that led us astray from where you would have us to be. Lord we thank for your mercy and forgiveness. Lord help us strengthen our faith! In Jesus name, Amen

Stepped Outside The Box

Rev 3:8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Today I ask that we take a look back over the last 3 months of this year and allow God to highlight what we need to leave behind. I ask that we take two steps forward today in seeking Him and experiencing more of His love.

It's time we shed our lives of people, places and things that are hindering us.

Daily I encourage us to tap back into our dreams, hopes and desires, but along the way there have been some obstacles, challenges and pit stops. There have been some doors God has led us to, but there seem to have been something or someone blocking the entry way.

There have been some relationships that we have let go, but yet overnight he or she seemed to have had a change of heart and we let them back in. There have been some habits that we have kicked, but overnight we had the urge to light it up, pop the top and give up ourselves to those who don't love us. Some of us have even raise the hand to hit someone we love and/or neglected our responsibilities. All in all we have been beating ourselves up daily because of our decisions to give in or to give up at some point in time along the way.

We have been faced with test after test, situation after situation and we are putting too much time in trying to make things happen on our own. We are avoiding change to take place in our lives because we expected a different outcome.

We have been placed in difficult situations and it has been very challenging for us to live life as usual, but I want us all to stay firm on God's word at all times.

When we walked into 2010 a lot of us made the decision in our mind that we were going to plan out some resolutions and stick to them, yet after the first week we had forgot all about the resolutions. We saw the challenge of trying to live right, do better and become who God has called us to be and decided to step back into our comfort zone.

I'll go back to Genesis and Joseph's journey for a moment. God had given him visions of who he was to become, but before his eyes it didn't seem possible. Did it stop Joseph from walking in what He believe God had called him to do? The answer is no! Joseph continue to keep his faith in God that his visions would become a living reality. Through all the test and trials Joseph remained confident in God's word for his life. That's the same approach we need to take daily. Despite how it looks know that God is in full control.

No longer can we live in comfort and just allow life to pass us by. I am not one to allow anyone to let life just pass them by! I believe my assignment is to encourage, motivate and impact people.

So from this day forward look forward to me knocking at the door of your conscious, look forward to motivating messages that will get you back on the path that God has established for your life.

Reflection:

In order for me to step outside the box and get myself positioned to the call on my life I had to learn and value the true meaning of God’s love. In 2006 I was faced with so many decisions, so much was happening all around me and I just needed an outlet. I was having anxiety attack one after another until the point I just gave up on all things. I laid there in a fetal position in my bed, until I was able to move and make it to the hospital.

I had hit rock bottom in my life and felt that love was no friend of mine, but God showed me differently. While I had blacked out from the anxiety attack I could not see nothing but darkness, but I could hear a still small voice on the inside of me keeping me conscious. I remember thinking I have given everyone and everything else a try, but not God and I shouldn't give up on Him easily because times got rough.

At the hospital the doctor placed me on the EKG machine and found nothing, he took X-rays and found nothing, and then he asked me what’s on your mind? Before I could respond, he said “young lady let go of whatever it is that is out of your control”.

It took a moment to respond because I struggled with myself for a while before I let anyone in on what was taking place in my life. I have always strive to be so independent and do things on my own. I realized at the hospital that I needed help and that I needed to reconcile my relationship with God and give it over to Him.

It took some time, but eventually through God's word and patience I was able to do as it is written in Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will..

At one time in my life I would never apply scripture when I was going through, but today I rely on the Word for all things. I was giving God bits and pieces of my life at my convenience, but now He has it all. I always tried to do it on my own, but today I am grateful that He is the center of my life. I put Him first in all that I do. I realized that in order to fully receive all that God had for me I had to give Him all of me. God needs all of you in order for you to experience your breakthrough as well. It's time to stop wrestling with yourself and allow God to lead you to your next level.

One scripture that has helped me overcome my situation is Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. As it is written in 1 Peter 5:7 I have been casting my cares on Him daily, in order to keep myself leveled and focused on the path I believe He is directing me to travel.

Today I ask you what’s on your mind? What’s troubling you? What is it that God has been asking of you?

I challenge you today to step outside the box and allow God to lead you into His promised land to reap all that He has in store for your life. It will not be an easy journey, but I guarantee it will be well worth the fight and effort you put forth for change in your life.

Blessings,

Tennille L. Whittington

Prayer for Today

Thank You Lord for new beginnings; thank You Lord for it all; Jesus You are the center of my life; Jesus You are my joy, Jesus You are my everything; All of my help comes from You; There is no one that can compare to the love I have for You or have received from You; I bless Your name and give You all the praise! In Jesus name, Amen

Step Above and Beyond

Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

Good Afternoon,

On this 1st day of April as we step forward towards pursuing our dreams I wanted to focus in on faith. I wanted to get us out of our way of thinking and understanding of what God is doing in our life and into His will for our lives.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

It's time that we do away with seeing is believing and allow our spirits to take lead of our lives.

During my fast I haven't posted a blog, but felt it necessary to pick up where I left off today. The next 3 days will be life-changing for me, because I believe God has been preparing me to be use at a higher level for His honor and glory.

I am grateful for Facebook and how it has allowed me to connect with so many people around the world and pray daily for each and everyone. I am grateful that I chose to be obedient to what I believe God was calling me to do and that was to encourage and impact the others at all times, despite the cost.

I take my Facebook pages very seriously and I believe it is just the beginning of where God will have for me to go, do and become. I tapped into my gifts and talents in order to help someone else be all that God has called them to be. It's time you step out and do the same.

Another area of mine that I love to the serve the Lord is with community outreach. Through my church Community of Hope as needed I help people with social ills that affect our community and I put others first in doing so. It fills a void within when I see someone's life change because of the choices I chose to make and serve God in helping them.

Today I want you to reach deep down within and tapped into the gifts and talents on the inside of you and bring them out. I want you to step above and beyond and grab the hold of the Lord and allow Him to lead you forward.

The scripture in Ephesians says now unto Him...., God is waiting on you. You already know what your gifts and talents are, what your likes and dislikes are and it's time you stop wrestling with yourself and stand on faith to know that God's got your back. He will never leave or forsake you.

So I challenge you today to bring back the fire in your mind, heart and soul and bring your dream to life. We have touched on Joseph and Daniel and their abilities to interpret dreams over these past few months. God wants you to step above and beyond and live your dream today and no longer miss out on all that He has in store for you!

Bless You

Prayer For Today:

Father come into my mind, heart and soul on today, Father change my way of thinking, doing and seeing, Father I believe in me and I know You do too, Father I stretch my hands to You right in this moment and ask that You have Your way, Father may Your will be done! In Jesus name, Amen