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Thursday, December 21, 2006

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:48:44 GMT

A New Heart and a New Spirit

In the book of Ezekiel chapter 11, verses 19 and 20, the scripture reads, “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” Do you find yourself asking, what does it mean to have a new heart and a new spirit? Often we find ourselves saying, “I love you with all of my heart,” yet we also realize that they are just words we say, and the truth be told, our hearts are really not in it. We find ourselves saying out of our mouths that we have changed, that we no longer do this or we no longer do that, we find ourselves saying, that this New Year, I will be better, I will try to love more, I will try to give more, I will try to complain less, I will try…I will try…. I will try…, but before the first month of the New Year has passed, we are back doing the same old things. Why? Because our hearts have not changed. We have not totally submitted our hearts to Jesus. We want change, but we are not willing to undergo a “heart transplant.” Many times, because of all our years going to church, we have never accepted Jesus into our hearts. We go through the motions, we read our bibles, we pray, but we have never said, “Jesus, I invite you into my heart.” We do good things, we work hard in our churches, but yet, we realize that something is still missing within us. We can’t put our finger on it, but we know that something is not quite right. What is missing…Jesus in our hearts…

A person can never truly have a new heart and a new spirit, if Jesus is not in their hearts. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, then our hearts will change. We will no longer have a heart of stone, but one of flesh. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, and as our hearts change, we want to walk in His statutes, desiring to keep His judgments and commandments. As we accept Jesus into our hearts, we shall become His people and He shall become our God, and our desire will be to serve Him all the days of our lives. As we get our new heart, we will have a new spirit. Something will have changed from the inside out. You will no longer walk the same, you will no longer talk the same, and your countenance will have changed. What used to be will be no more, because your heart has been changed, it has been renewed…the old heart is gone; you have undergone a “heart transplant”. Jesus came through 42 generations, to be born of a virgin, to die the death of a criminal, so that we can have life eternal. He came for all of us, and I often say that if you were the only person in the world, Jesus would have died just for you. Once you make a decision to receive Jesus into your heart, and to receive that new heart that He has promised you, and then the Spirit of the living God will fall fresh upon you, covering you, keeping you, and comforting you. A new heart gives way to a new mind. A mind controlled by the spirit, a mind that desires to do the will of the spirit.

With so many people dying, and the world at war, we need to be sure that we are one with Jesus. Before you venture off into a New Year with new resolutions, make sure that you are starting your year with a new heart and a new spirit. Give Jesus your heart today, and walk in the spirit of the Living God.

-Denise Watson-Smith (www.freewebs.com/womanfavoredbyGod/)

Monday, November 13, 2006

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 16:02:41 GMT

The Ultimate Gift

By: Denise Watson-Smith (Dee Dee)

During the holiday season, so many of us run around trying to find that perfect gift. We look for electronics, toys, candy, and clothing, just to find the perfect gift for that family member or friend. While we are so busy out searching for that perfect gift that money can buy, we overlook the one gift that is free. The gift that keeps on giving, we overlook the ultimate Christmas gift that was given to us. What gift is that? JESUS!!! Over 2000 years ago, God gave His only begotten son, to come to this earth, to live, to suffer, to die and to live again, just so that we can have eternal life. He sent His Son to us, as a gift for us, to continue to give to us daily… (Remember, the gift that keeps on giving). We get so caught up in the holidays that we fail to remember the reason for the holiday. Children think that Christmas is about Santa Clause, and they never realize that if it had not been for Jesus, there would not have been a Santa Clause for them to “rely on” every year. We spend so much money every year giving the perfect gift, but we fail to tell others about the ultimate gift. Our children hear about someone who comes down through a chimney, but they do not hear about the one who can save them. We have gotten so busy trying to take Christ out of Christmas, that we don’t even say Merry Christmas anymore. We say, “Season’s greetings, or happy holidays or merry x-mas.” Christ is no longer the focal point of Christmas. People don’t care about that baby who was born in a manager, wrapped in swaddling clothes so many years ago. They want their diamonds and furs, cars, clothes, toys, etc. We are so busy giving to others because of the season that we fail to thank God for the season. When was the last time that we said to God, “Thank you?” When was the last time that we offered up something to Jesus, after all, it is HIS BIRTHDAY?! The gift that keeps on giving…new mercies every day, another day, miracles, love, patience, understanding, blessings, family, friends, eternal life, another chance to get it right, forgiveness, health, joy, peace of mind, salvation, God’s grace, integrity, justice, mercy, respect, self-esteem, faithfulness, courage, kindness, generosity, compassion, contentment, hope, patience, passion, wisdom, boldness. Everyday with Jesus is brand new, everyday with Jesus is greater than the day before, waking up everyday to Jesus is waking up to a brand new perspective on life. I know how wonderful it is to wake up on Christmas morning to find a gift under the tree for you, but how much more wonderful would it be to know the Giver of the Ultimate Gift, how much more grand will your life be if you knew the one who was born on that day, so many years ago, so that you can have the freedom to receive the gift.

As I sit here and write this, I can only imagine what Jesus done for me. I can only sit here and look around at everything that He has given to me and just say thank you. It is wonderful to know that I can open my eyes and see His magnificent works. It is awesome to know that I can listen with my ears to the sounds of that which He created. Have you ever wanted something so bad and that when you receive it, because it did not come packaged the way you expected it to, you rejected it, put it on a shelf or in the corner somewhere. That is how we do Jesus, we want Him and all He has to offer, but because He did not come packaged the way we wanted Him to, we rejected Him, we placed in the corner or on the shelf, but never close to us, because we did not want people to see our association with Him. Jesus came to this world over 2000 years ago. He was sent by His Father in Heaven to a woman who was a virgin, to be born into a sinful world, to be made sin for us, to suffer, to have bled and died, just to be resurrected so that we can live forever in Him. This Christmas season, while you are out trying to find that perfect gift for someone, don’t forget to also tell someone about the Ultimate Gift, because that is the only gift that can get you into Heaven.©

Monday, September 18, 2006

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 12:52:48 GMT

IF THE GRASS LOOKS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE…..FERTILIZE YOURS

A few weeks ago, I was driving along taking my niece back home to Bedford County. I was on route 122 and I passed this church, and the sign read, “If the grass looks greener on the other side….fertilize yours.” As I read that sign, it was as if a God gave me an answer to a question. But not only that, it made me think on the rationale behind churches splitting, congregations divided, etc. Why do churches divide, why do people walk away from one church and go to another, so many questions, but does anyone have the answer? When I passed that sign at the church, I realized, so many people talk down about their churches and their leaders of the church, as opposed to continuously lifting them up in prayer. We fell to realize that those negative connotations that we speak about our churches and leaders are not only hurtful, but self fulfilling. If we perceive this person as being worthless enough or that church as being no good, then those words that we speak, we begin to live it. People leave the church because they don’t like the Pastor, or because someone has mistreated them along the way, and because we meet one or two bad people within the church, we accuse the whole church of being that way, but as I grow in God, the one thing that He has shown me is that, “one bad apple DOES NOT spoil the whole bunch.”

When you up and leave your church in the midst of confusion, you know God was not in it. When you start comparing ministries to each other, seeing what one does differently and saying whose is better, your “vision” can become tainted. You see this being done this particular way, and your church does not do it that way, then you perceive your church as being wrong, because the grass looks greener, but sometimes, more often than none, when you crossover to that other side, and you look back at where you came from, you see that the grass is NOT greener, you just were looking at it from a different angle. Faulty vision can have us do crazy things, because we are looking through someone else’s eyes, and not trusting what God has spoken to us. What is God saying; are you listening? Did God say pack up and go in the midst of confusion, or did He say, what are you doing to HELP your church? How can you say the grass is greener somewhere else, when you are not trying to fertilize yours. How do you know that God is not pruning and plucking and pulling the weeds? What do you have to offer to your church, to help the fertilization process? What areas do you see lacking, in which you can be of assistance? Prayer, love, humility, leading by example? Have you given God free reign over our church? It is not about what this one does or what that one does, and trust me, I have been so guilty of that, but it is about serving God and doing the will of God, and allowing God to be the Head of your church. Going somewhere else does not necessarily mean the grass is greener, sometimes is means you are looking through the wrong person’s eyes.

I have seen churches split over this and that, but I have never seen them split over prayer. If you want change, you have to pray for change, but you also have to realize that change comes from within, that change starts with you. We get so busy criticizing what is wrong, that we don’t see what is good or what is right. We put on our rose colored glasses and start to look elsewhere, but what happens when you take those glasses off, you find out that people have the same problems and the same issues as you, always seeking for someplace better to go, when sometimes, more often than you know, the better you have been seeking is right where you are, it is just allowing God to operate within you so that you can see that YOU can make a difference. If everybody wanted to leave their church because of this that or the other, people would be changing churches like they change their clothing. There is no perfect church, but there are churches who are striving to be everything that God wants them to be. If you know something is wrong in your church, are you going to be part of the problem, by not praying, not fasting, not loving, or are you going to be part of the solution. Sometimes you can be in a place that you don’t call home, because you have NEVER ALLOWED it to be home, and when you don’t allow it to be home, you are always going to try and find something better, something different. A house is just a place, but home, well; home is where the heart is. We can’t go to someone else’s house and make their house our home, if at first you don’t try to make your house a home. Before you start looking for another place to call home, try and fix up the home you already have. Remember, if the grass looks greener on the other side…..fertilize yours.©

Be Blessed

DWS

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 01:24:59 GMT

Obligation by contract…or by Love

A few days ago, I was talking to a young man about church and “obligations.” The young man is affiliated with a certain ministry in his church, but he did not feel obligated to that ministry, because he never signed a contract. It made me wonder, what obligates us to be in service for the Lord, a contract, or love? I am not picking on that young man, but that question is important to so many of us, what obligates us to do what we do, what obligates us to sing on the choir, or teach Sunday School, to usher, to be a missionary or even to preach. Do we feel that we do those things because, one, God has called us to do that, and two, because we love Him so that we will serve Him at all cost. Sometimes, I feel that people have it confused by participating in ministries; we often do that to please other, but we should do it to please GOD. The Bible tells us in I John 4:19, that “We love Him because He first loved us.” I believe that our love for Jesus should be the reason why we do anything that we do. We should not do things in the church because a contract obligates us, we should do because we love God. Our obligation should go beyond our day to serve or what we get paid, our obligation for Jesus, should reflect the sacrifice He made for us. When Jesus died for us, He did not sign a contract; He did it because of His love for us. When Jesus died for us, He did not say it was not His day to die for us or to serve us; He showed up and did what He was required to do. He showed up so that we could live forever with Him, but not because we signed a contract, but because we love Him. We are contracted to do a job, we serve Jesus because we love Him. Serving Jesus is not a job, it is an honor. We should feel honored when we are able to bless others in our service for the Lord. If we look for pay for service, then aren’t we doing it for the wrong reason? It is one thing to receive pay, but it is another thing to expect it.

People need not sign a contract to serve Jesus, all they need to do is say “Yes.” Our values are all wrong when we look at serving God as a chore instead of serving Him out of love and devotion. Suppose He told us that we owed Him because He died for us, you could never re-pay Him, ever. What do you give to someone who gave it all up for you? What do you give to someone who bled and died for you? What do you give to someone who rose again 3 days later for you? It is not about signing on the dotted line for a period of time, when Jesus gave His all for us, it was for eternity. Not for today, or tomorrow, but forever.

I believe as Christians, we need to realize, “when we make a commitment to serve in this ministry or that ministry, we should serve faithfully and cheerfully, not because we are under a contract, but because we are covered under the blood of Jesus, who loved us so much that He died on the cross for us. Don’t just show up because it is your day to serve and you have to, show up because it is your day to serve and you want to, you can be of service every Lord’s Day to someone, if you just show up and if you allow the love of God to live within you. Don’t be obligated to serve God because of a contract, let your obligation to Him be your love…..allow love to be your motivation to serve!

Be Blessed

DWS

Monday, June 05, 2006

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 02:42:19 GMT

This Morning When I Rose……what did I do?

So many people have so many different things that they do in the morning when they wake up. Some people wake up to a cup of coffee, some wake up to their spouses or the sounds of their children saying good morning. Some wake up to a pet or the alarm clock, but how many, if we are being honest say that we wake up to Jesus? We wake up to this or that, but do we really wake up to Jesus and just say, “Thank you?” Some of us feel that we woke up on our own without any help from anyone, while others say, if it had not been for the alarm clock going off, I would still be sleep. Truth be told, the alarm clock can go off at anytime, but there is no guarantee that you are going to wake up. Quite often, I feel that we take God for granted. We just assume that we are going to wake up because it is another day. We act as if God owes us that much, and because we feel that God owes us that, we fail to say thank you to Him. We fail to give Him the credit that He so rightly deserves. We give credit to the alarm clock, our kids, our spouses, our pets, but we don’t give God the credit for waking us. We barely give God the credit for saving us. We often can’t even say thank you to God for sending Jesus to become sin for us and die for us that we may live forever in Him. I often wonder, what is it that people do when they rise up in the mornings. Honestly, there was a time when I would wake up, and God would not even be on my mind, and thanking Him was definitely out of the question, and I would venture to say that, that was not so very long ago, probably within the past 5 years. I too use to thank everyone else but God, I would give credit to everyone else, but God, I would say good morning to everyone else but God, I would invite everyone else in to my home….BUT GOD!!!! It is a dangerous thing, when you can invite everyone else in your home, but not God. Now….just think on this, if we don’t invite God into our homes, are we really inviting Him into our churches. Do we really say, God, you are welcome into this place?

Today, did we say thank you to God just because, and you can fill in the blanks, just because He saved us, just because He kept us, just because He loves us, just because He gave us our children who may bug , but thank God for them, just because He gave us a boss who is so very hard to work for, but thank God, we have a job, just because the rain is storms are raging, but thank God, because we are alive. It is time to thank God for all things, whether good or bad. It is time to give credit to God for all things, not just what we want to give Him credit for. Thank God for the storms that are raging in your life, thank God for the people who despise you, thank God for the for those who talk about you, thank God for being God. If we wake up to God in the mornings, our days would be brighter, because then you could see evidence of the “Son” all day long. We have to realize, it is not what we wake up to, but who we wake up to that counts. I may wake up to some mess, but if I wake up to Jesus, He will work that mess out. We have start waking up everyday saying, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” Thank God for every new day. Thank God for every new morning, every new song, every new wrinkle….because you know that you are alive. So now, when you wake up in the mornings, who do you plan on waking up to?

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Tue, 23 May 2006 16:35:08 GMT

ONE GOD FOR ALL TO PRAISE, ONE GOD FOR ALL TO WORSHIP

ONE GOD FOR ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE

I have been sitting here, an I can feel the Spirit of the Lord all upon me, an I just can’t shake it, I don’t want to shake it. This feeling that I have right now, I never want it to leave or go away, because there is nothing greater than being under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, HALLELUJAH!!!! God has been dealing with me daily, an I have been tossing and turning at throughout the night, struggling, and yet and still, asking God why? But all I can hear God say is, “Because I said so!” I thank God so much for His Spirit and for being GOD. Throughout everything in my life, God continues to show me that He is God, and that there is no other God. He may be different things to different people, but He is still the only God. To some, He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider, to others He is Jehovah Ropheka, our healer, and to others, He is Jehovah Rohi, our shepherd, but above all, HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY GOD!!!! We often sit around and we focus on the difference in denominations, as if they are not worshiping God properly because they are not you or of your denomination, but the last time I checked, there was no denomination in Heaven. God did not say only the Methodist or the Baptist will make it in to Heaven, Jesus died for all of us, regardless of where or how we worship. If I want to shout, let me shout, if I want to dance, let me dance, just don’t keep me from worshiping God in the way I know, don’t keep me from praising God because of who He is to me. Don’t ask me to stop praising God because He is my healer; don’t ask me to sit down because I am praising God for being my deliverer. Don’t ask me to hush, when I am praising God because He is my sanctifier. It is ok to praise God in different ways, JUST PRAISE HIM. The bible lets us know that God inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3) When we worship and praise God, He will come down and sit in the midst of the praises, He will sit in the midst of His people. Don’t judge people because they are shouting, don’t judge because they are running, don’t judge because they are dancing, just praise God for those who are able to praise Him, praise God for their deliverance, and praise God because you know that He can do the same for you.

God’s word is for everyone, not just particular denominations, and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. God’s word is true and for everyone. We may have a different name, but we are still children of the only God. We may be black, white, Hispanic, Asian, or a martian, but we are all children of the only God. There is not a God for black people and a God for white people, and a different God for Asian people or Hispanic people, there is ONE GOD FOR ALL. We are supposed to be one nation under God here in America, not one nation with many gods. The scripture tells us in Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord (Jesus), one faith (in Jesus), one baptism (in the name of Jesus)” There is no other name, under Heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12), just the name of Jesus. And the bible tells us in Romans 10:13 and Joel 2:32 says whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. It never said only this race or that race, but whoever shall……. There is only one God, one Father in Heaven, one King of Kings and one Lord of Lords. We are all created equal in the eyes of our Father, and all of these dividers of the children of God, need to be rebuked in Jesus name, because the word tells us in Galatians 3:28, ‘Neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.” We are all one in Christ Jesus, created by one God, to do His will and to bring glory to His name. There is only one God who desires for all His children (not some but all) to dwell together in UNITY. Don’t judge my praise or my worship if it is different from yours, don’t judge me if my name is different from yours, don’t judge me if my denomination is different from yours, don’t judge me if my race is different from yours, just love me because I am a child of the ONE AND ONLY GOD, MY FATHER IN HEAVEN, just like you. Be Blessed.

Denise Watson-Smith (Dee Dee)

May 23, 2006 1:32 PM

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Wed, 17 May 2006 19:55:11 GMT

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Today, when I awoke this morning, I felt sad, not because of anyone doing something to me, but sad because of the state of things. I sit and watch people down the street sell drugs like it is nothing. I watch the police ride by, and that is all they are doing is riding by, not stopping or investigating, but riding. I see the little children in the streets arguing and fighting like they are adults. I hear about a child who threatened another in school by telling her that her mother was going to shoot her. Hearing this makes me sad. What makes me even sadder is to find out that many of these individuals do not go to church, and we can’t get them there, because we are acting just as bad in the church. We speak on fellowship and unity, yet we turn away from that which is not like us because it is different. We don’t want to worship with those who are charismatic, because it is not “biblical.” We don’t fellowship with this church because they are too small and not in our league. We segregate against our own race in addition to others because they are not of our social statuses. We are not willing to come together for the common good, and that is to further the kingdom of God, but instead, we would rather continue to allow the enemy to dwell within us by tearing others down at all cost. If we are not growing, then we dare anyone else to. We take on an attitude of “how dare you get that when I can’t or how dare you shout and praise God, when I have not received my breakthrough.” We would rather complain about God blessing someone else than praising God for the blessing of your brother or sister. Our witnessing is not effective in the streets, because it is not effective in the churches. Our witnessing is tainted because we act so much like those in the streets, acting as if we don’t know God. We lie in church, we steal in church, we cuss in church, we commit adulterous relationships in church, and we backbite in the church, in addition to other things. We turn our noses up at people as if we are better than others, and the truth be told, all those things we do in church are the same things that are being done out here in the streets. Our jobs are to be witnesses for Christ, effective witnesses, but how effective is your witnessing, if you are still bound by those things that God wants you to be delivered from. How are we to be effective in our witnessing if we are allowing ourselves to be bound? How are we to work toward the kingdom of Heaven coming if we can not get along with our selves and others? How do we expect to get along with those that are different from us in Heaven in we don’t even make and attempt to get along with them on earth. We don’t trust this person or that person, but aren’t we all God’s children? We often hear preachers preach these things on Sunday, and we all appear to get real excited about the sermon and say we are going to change, yet that change last every bit of 30 minutes, and sometimes even less.

A change has to come, racism has to end, backbiting has to end, and treating each other like gum on the bottom of a shoe has to end. We need to love and be loving. Jesus Christ was not condemning, but loving. The greatest judge that ever lived was not judgmental. The greatest King there ever was, yet the most humble person ever. Why then do we make ourselves out to be more than Jesus? Who appointed us to judge others who have sinned? What makes us think that we don’t have to love those who are different from us? What makes us think that we are more than people who are different from us? What makes us think that we know better than Jesus, or that we know more than Jesus? As a matter of fact, when did we ever get on the cross and give our lives for others? We really need to be about the business of God than trying to further our own kingdom. We need to realize that we have to stop hating and stop killing and stop lying and cheating. We need to raise our children according to the scriptures, “train them up in the manner that God requires us to.” Instead of dropping our kids off at church, we need to stay with them. We need to have a “bring your parent to church day.” We need to stop judging children who grow up in the projects and whose parents don’t come with them to church because of one thing or another, and teach them that they are special and spend time with them. We need to meet the parents of the children who come to church without them so that they will know who is helping their child, and my goodness, in the process, you can witness to the parents as well. If you want to win a parent over, show a positive interest in their child. We have to stop killing each other off because we feel like that person’s life is not precious. God created all persons, an since God created it, then it is precious to God. The more that us church folks continue to be self-righteous and judgmental; the more we are keeping others away from Christ. Again, many people think that the church is full of hypocrites, but the church is for sin sick people, and once you have been introduced to Doctor Jesus, then you should not remain the same. My heart aches and is grieved for this world and those who dwell within, because our agendas have changed. We are about doing for ourselves instead of doing for God. We think that we have forever, yet tomorrow is not even a guarantee to us. My heart aches and bleeds because there are people in this world who are dying without being introduced to God. My heart aches because there are people who are afraid to come to church for fear of being chastised and criticized. My heart is breaking because there is someone who wants to know God, but there is no one willing to tell them. This is a 911 situation. People are dying and no one seems to care. This brings me to my final question, if you were to die tomorrow, are you sure you are going to heaven, are you sure your children know God, and if not, then who would train your children? Be Blessed.

Denise Watson-Smith (Dee Dee)

May 17, 2006 4:53 PM

Friday, May 12, 2006

Fri, 12 May 2006 17:53:31 GMT

HE CAN FIX WHAT IS BROKE

I was sitting here thinking about an old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The bible tells us in the book of Genesis when Joseph was talking to his brothers after his fathers death that what they meant for bad, God turned it around for the good. So then I started to wonder, how can I make lemonade out of the lemon that I was just given? On Tuesday, I fell up the steps and broke my toe, not the big one or the small one, but the middle one, and I had on shoes. I first give all praise and glory to God, because it was definitely a freak accident, and what should have happened, did not. Needless to say, I will be on these crutches for about three weeks because of my toe, and that shall be alright. But how can God get glorified out of me falling, and then I realized it, “God can fix what is broke.” Though we go through many trials and tribulations in our lives, and many things that we go through can break us down, we should seek comfort in knowing that God can fix what is broke. We sometimes get so bent out of shape, in our jobs, our relationships, in our churches, but we fail to realize that no matter what the enemy does to break us, God is the fixer of broke things. God can fix that broken heart, He can fix that broken home, He can fix that broken man or that broken woman, IF we allow Him to. Some of us get into situations in our lives where we are broken, and we want to remain broken, not broken for God, but broken in our lives where we do not know what to do. But instead of seeking God to fix it, we wallow in it and dwell on it and complain about it, but we never talk to God about it. Neither your friends nor your family can fix what is broken in you, only God can. I know that God can mend the broken, there are so many passages in the bible that reminds us of how God is a healer, yet we find ourselves doubting His word. We question God, we don’t rely on Him, we doubt His healing power, we doubt His love for us, yet and still, He continues to bless, and He continues to heal. I fall and break my toe, and I begin to complain to anyone who will listen, but the healing can not come until I go see a doctor. It is that way in our spiritual walk, we complain, moan and groan, but the healing can not come, until you meet Jesus. I cried because the pain was so excruciating, and many others cry because of the pain of their everyday lives. I cried because I could not feel my toe, and many of you cry because you can not feel Jesus. I cried thinking I would not walk normal again, and many of you cry thinking that you will never experience the fullness that God has for you. Like I had to go to the doctor, you all have to go to Jesus. Like the doctor told me, it may hurt for the moment, but it will heal, the same is with Jesus, He reminds us that it may hurt for the moment, but it will heal. The doctor told me that I will have some difficulty standing and some difficulty walking, so he gave me some crutches to lean on. The same is with Jesus, you may have some difficulty standing and some difficulty walking, but Jesus is the crutch that you can lean on. The doctor told me that the pain may be unbearable at time, but you can take this medicine, it will reduce the swelling and help with the pain, the same with Jesus, when the pain is too much to bear, just get on your knees and call Him, fall on your face before Him, He is the best medicine that you well ever need. The doctor reminded me how very fortunate I was that I did not do more damage to myself when I fell, as if someone there holding me up, it is the same way with Jesus, you can never fall too far without Him being there to catch you and to pick you back up again.

Jesus reminds us that He can fix every area of our life that is broken. He can pick us up when we fall down. He can fix a broken heart that has been shattered to pieces. No matter what situation we are going through, it is not too hard for God. No matter what storm we are going through, there is no storm big enough that God can’t calm, there is no GIANT out there that the GIANTKILLER can’t slay. Jesus is the potter and we are the clay. He molds us and shapes us, and when we are broken, He repairs us. Instead of walking around broken, or trying to mend it ourselves with Super Glue, we need to take it all to Jesus, everything, no matter how small, give it all to Him. He tells us that He can fix what is broken in our lives; we just have to trust that He will do it. We have to stop looking at man to fix the problems of this world, because man is fallible, God is infallible. Only God can fix what is broken in YOU!!! Be blessed.

Denise Watson-Smith (Dee Dee)

May 12, 2006 2:49 PM

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Wed, 10 May 2006 19:19:13 GMT

SOMETIMES, IT IS ABOUT YOU

We often hear it said that it is not about you. We hear it in relationships, as well as other areas in our lives. We often hear it within our daily walk with Christ, “It is not about you,” or to make it personal, “It is not about me!” But, sometimes, it is about you. Sometimes the things that you are going through are not about anyone else but you. You can be in a relationship with someone else, and the other person may tell you that what they are going through is not about you, maybe their particular issue is not about you, but whatever it is you are going through, it is about you. It is about you when God wants you to grow, and you don’t want the growth. It is about you when you decide that you are not willing to walk in the ways that God has for you. It is about you when you do not want to let go of the past and move on into the future. It is about you when you feel as if you do not need God in your life to make it through each and every day. It is about you when you make everything about you. But you are probably wondering, what is it about me? It is about you being in control of your life, it is about you being manipulative within your life, it is about you not wanting to fully submit to the will of God for your life, because you know, once you submit, things will never be the same. It is about you willing to stay in bondage; though you want others to feel that you have done all you can to be set free. It is about you not wanting to say yes to God. It is about you being comfortable where you are. It is about you being afraid of change. It is about you saying, I want more, but I know the place I am in right now, an as long as I am here, someone will love me, someone will need me, someone can be controlled by the way I feel. Our problem is, WE MAKE IT ABOUT OURSELVES. We would rather make it about us, than allowing our lives to be about the business of our Heavenly Father. We need to stop making it about us, and start making about what God has done for you. We need to stop wanting to have a pity party to celebrate our misery, and start celebrating our victory through Christ Jesus. We need to stop making it about us in order to keeping others where we want them, and start making about turning it all over to God. Most of us would rather walk in darkness and maintain control of our lives than to walk in the light and turn our lives over to Christ. As long as we make it about us, then we can do what we want, say what we want, act any way we want, live any way we want, because when it is about us, others don’t really matter, only to have them when we need them. I heard myself saying today that we need to get over ourselves. I found myself today wanting to have a pity party for myself because I fell and broke my toe(it really does hurt)….but I was making it all about me and pouting because of it, which could have kept me from doing the will of God in my life. I realize that it is hard getting over ourselves and relinquishing control of our lives to God, in addition to not making everything about us. When my focus is on me, it is not on Him. When I think it is all about me, then I am not allowing it to be about Him. The more I put the focus on me, the more I stop seeking Him. And then when I mess everything all up, I want to blame Him because I feel that He should have stopped me, but then God reminded me, “It was all about YOU!” We need to take a long look within ourselves, and ask God to remove those things from us that cause us to think that it is all about us, and ask God to help us make it about Him, about His will for us, about His love for us and His love for others. We need to stop thinking that it is all about us and realize who it is all about. It is all about Jesus, the one who saved us. We need to stop being self centered and be Christ centered, we need to stop thinking that the world revolves around us, and realize that it all revolves around Jesus. We need to stop allowing it to be all about us and allow it to be about Jesus. We need to stop being manipulative, stop being controlling and start being sold out for Jesus. Jesus loves us so much that He gave His life for us; we need to love Him enough that we will give Him our life. Be Blessed.

Dee Dee Watson-Smith

May 10, 2006 4:15 PM

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Wed, 03 May 2006 12:05:26 GMT

IF YOU HAD OF TAKEN’ CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS AT HOME, THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO WORRY ABOUT ANYONE ELSE

I was sitting with a friend tonight and talking, and she said, I am going to pull out a comment that is used in the secular world, and when she said it, God said, “That’s it!” She said, “If you had taken’ care of your business at home, then you would not have had to worry about anyone else.” Even though that sounds kind of strange, it is true. And some may complain about the statement, but we also remember, what the enemy means for bad, God will make it good. That statement in itself could mean so many things, and not just the obvious. It could mean, if you had of studied your word like you should have, and prayed like you should have, then you would have been better equipped when satan came against you, but because you didn’t, the enemy stepped in. It could mean that because you did not take the time with that young man who has been begging for help or that young girl who just wanted to know that she was loved, that you now have a gang banger or a young prostitute on your hands. It could even mean that because you kept putting someone off that was looking to you for guidance, that you continued to promise that you would get back to them and never did, that you failed to follow up or you told them you don’t have time for them, in a word, you rejected them over and over (sound familiar), and now that one that you turned away, turned to someone else. Now you are angry because someone else stepped in, and helped groom that young man or that young woman. Now you want to make accusations and insinuations that have no validity. You want to point the finger at the one who took the time to help that child, yet when you point one finger at someone else, there are 3 fingers pointing back at you. We need to realize that it is not about us, but about what we are doing for the kingdom. We need to realize that when we turn away a child, we are turning away Jesus, because His word reminds us that what we do to the least of them, we do unto Him. We need to stop criticizing those who are willing to help and lend a hand, and thank God that someone took the time to help out a young brother or sister. It is so much easier to blame someone else instead of looking at our own shortcomings, but instead of blaming, search within yourself and ask God to remove any malice or jealousy that lies within us. As I write this, I think of Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

No matter who are what we are, there is still stuff within us that needs to be cleaned out. We still need to ask God to create a clean heart within us. Sometimes it is not always about what you didn’t do, it is about what you did. Children need love, not rejection. Children need guidance, not confusion. Children need to feel needed, they need to feel assured, they need to feel safe, and they need to know that they are special. Spending time with a vulnerable young lady could make the difference is how she will turn out. It could make the difference from her selling herself or for her being self assured. Spending time with a confused young man could be the difference between him questioning his sexual preference and who he thinks he is to realizing that God has called him to be a Mighty Man of Valor, a king. We are not at war with each other; we are all of God’s children, working for the same King, trying to tear down the kingdom of satan. Satan does not have to try and destroy us; we are destroying each other, with our words, with our sneers, with our smart quips. The sad part is, when the children see us at each other, arguing, fighting, backbiting and not trusting, they pick up the same habits, BECAUSE we are their role models. That is why the kids are looking to the rap artist and movie stars as role models, because that is what they know. Because we as parents did not take the time to spend the time with our children, we sent them to their rooms with their tv sets and radios, and now, the rap artist and tv sets are watching our children. We have to stop rejecting our children, stop closing the door on their faces, stop telling them you will get back to them, stop telling them that you are too busy for them, stop putting them on hold. Start loving them, unconditionally. Remember if you don’t do, someone else will. And be careful, the one that you speak ill of, the one that is reaching out to you, the one within your “home” that needs you, could possibly be the one YOU PUSH AWAY.

Denise Watson-Smith
May 3, 2006