You can’t talk mediocrity and expect great things.

We all want to be better. At least I hope so. Growth is something that should be continuous in your life. What do you expect from your life? A better job, a bigger house, a nicer car, better relationships, or maybe better health. When you think about your daily thoughts and how they come about do you find yourself always complaining about your life? When you chat with your friends are you positive or is negativity the only thing coming out of your mouth? I really want you to think about this. You’d be surprised how many people say they are positive and upbeat and speaking great things over their lives but whenever you have a conversation with them, it’s the total opposite. This mediocre attitude is a thief. It’s a thief of goals and dreams.

I get it. You don’t want to seem greedy, or selfish, so you don’t want to dream to big. You’re afraid to ask for too much. Who decides what’s too much? A lot of people say “I just want enough to pay my bills.” That’s speaking mediocrity. Think about how many people you could help if you did have abundance! God wants to give us life more abundantly. So go for it!! Don’t be afraid to dream beyond your wildest dreams!  Just because it’s beyond your dreams, does not mean it’s above God’s goal for your life! What goals and dreams have you given up on because you’re afraid that it’s just “too big”? You can’t out think or out dream God.

I’ve always had a desire to write. I’ve always loved reading and writing. Over the years I’ve started and never finished a few books. I didn’t think I could do it. It was hard, I was busy, and I was married with 3 kids and a full time job. But guess what? All of those are excuses to stay in mediocrity. It’s still hard, I’m still busy, and I still have 3 kids. Being a single mom is way harder than being married. And I’m writing a book. I stopped settling where I had resigned myself to be because it was easy. I knew that was not my purpose. I talked myself into believing that having food, a house and enough money to pay my bills was enough. It wasn’t enough, not by a long shot. I started feeling restless and couldn’t figure out why. I prayed about it and God said –write. I was like write what? Being a Life Coach, I’ve helped people deal with all kinds of issues. When God told me to use that knowledge to write a book, I was hesitant at first. It was scary! But, I faced my fear,  and I’m almost finish with my first book, and I have ideas for 2 more books already!! I’m being obedient to God and I do have big goals and dreams and even if I don’t become the next Stephen King or Tom Clancy. I am an author, and I’m writing. God has already opened doors and will continue to open doors that no man can shut.

My challenge to you is this. When you feel “less than”, don’t settle on mediocrity in your life. Think about what it is you desire the most for your life. Make a plan and go for it!! Ask God for big things, and then expect Him to answer!! My Pastor always says to get something you don't have, you have to do something you've never done. 

John 10:10 – A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than ever dreamed of. (The Message Bible). 

Faith of a mustard seed

The bible says in both Matthew and Luke that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can say to a mountain be moved and it will move. What does this mean? To me it means that God is not asking to have superior faith right now, in the midst of the storm, but just a little faith. That little bit can go a long way to show God that we trust Him. Think about it -Faith as small as a mustard seed. How tiny is that?

It’s tiny!!  That’s all God is asking for…. He just wants us to have the tiniest bit of faith in Him to be able to bring His promises to pass in our lives. Sometimes that tiny amount of faith is all we have to give. Give to Him, trust Him and believe.

A very dear friend of mine was going through an extremely tough time in his life. He was struggling with a relationship and if he should continue it. We talked about it and I asked him if he prayed about it and he said yes. But he said he still struggled with his faith. He wanted to believe that everything was going to work out, but he was afraid to have faith because of the fear of it not working. We’ve all been here, it may not have been a relationship, it could be belief for healing your body or a better job. It still takes faith.

My challenge to you is this. Can you have faith as small as a mustard seed and believe God for what He promised?

Matthew 17:20 – I tell you the truth, if you have as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain ”move from here to there”  and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (NIV)

Are you a Warrior or a Worrier?

Being a worrier is easy. Everyone worries about something, their family, career, finances, health, and the list goes on and on. But you don’t have to be a worrier. You can be a Warrior! You can overcome the fear and anxiety that is keeping you stuck. Being a Warrior takes faith. Tremendous faith. How strong is your faith? Recently I was dealing with an issue and I was discussing it with a friend. All of a sudden in the middle of a sentence, he asked “Are you a Warrior or a worrier?” I couldn’t even answer him. I felt like I got punched in the stomach. Why you ask? Because I recognized that I was a worrier. I was worried because things were not happening on my time in the way I expected them to and the fear and anxiety was getting to me. It caused the worry and fear to win. That is not acceptable!! I am not a woman of fear. I am a child of God and He did not make me with a spirit of fear. I had to start acting like the Warrior that I know is inside me. You can too! When something is worrying you and you feel like it’s taking over don’t let it! You are a victor in Christ Jesus!

My challenge to you today is to ask yourself this. Am I a Warrior or a Worrier? If you’re worried, let it go. Lay it at the altar and trust God. Be the Warrior that you know is inside you.

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

When God is in it, it's not over

When we have dreams and goals and maybe even promises that God has put in your heart, it can sometimes be difficult to always stay positive and stay in faith. I still hold onto the promises of God in my life and even though it's taking a lot longer than I have wanted or even anticipated, I'm not giving up. Don't get me wrong, I've cried and prayed and given up numerous times. But then I hear that still small voice telling me it's not over. So I apologize to God for letting my emotions get the best of me and I keep going. I read a weekly newsletter and the lady who writes it said in one article that God gave her a promise about her future husband and that he would come in 20 years. Now, for me I would have been like 20 years!! And I would question God if it was really going to take that long, but now I get it. God's timing is perfect, and even if its 20 years down the road, it's still right on time.

Do you listen to God when He talks to you? Sometimes when we hear God, but it's not what we expected or what we want to hear, we tend to not listen to it or say that it can't be from God. But I encourage you not to look at it like that. When God speaks to us, it's for a reason. When we listen to God it shows that we believe Him and His Word. God does not want to hurt us or make us suffer. He DOES want our faith to grow, and if we have no challenges there will be no spiritual growth.

My challenge to you is to think on the promises that God put in your heart. Check your faith. Are you living in faith or living in fear?

Proverbs 1:33 "But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm."

Persevering Under trial

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. (NIV)

I’m currently studying the book of James and this verse keeps coming to my mind. 2012 has a lot of trials for me and people close to me. There have been times when I wanted to give up on every single promise that God has put in my heart. It gets so discouraging sometimes when you’re praying, believing, crying and doing everything that you’re supposed to do, and you still haven’t reached your destiny yet. Every day that it doesn’t come you get more and more anxious.

I’m here to tell you. Please do not give up! All of these tests and trials and tribulations are doing such amazing and wonderful things to you, inside and out. Even if you don’t see it at this moment, your aha moment will come. There have been so many moments when I look back on things that I either wanted so badly, and I didn’t get it. I ended up getting something better! I still struggle with patience and waiting for all of my promises. But now I praise God for his timing and I pray for grace to accept His timing. Waiting is not always easy or fun but if you notice, the verse says “when he stood the test” not “if”. The tests are coming! How you react will determine the outcome.

Are you ready for 2013?

 

Another year is coming to a close. I have to say that I’m not sad about that. This year has been filled with major hills and valleys. I’m so thankful though that even in the midst of the worst times this year; I never stopped speaking to God. Even when I was mad at Him because I didn’t understand what was happening.  He wasn’t giving me what I wanted when I wanted it. My spiritual growth this year has been quite exceptional. I had a lot of trials and tribulations and wanted to give up countless times. I’ve cried way more than my share of tears. Frustration, discouragement and not being patient held me back quite a bit. God has put many promises in me, some of them a few years ago, and some this year. Well the promises weren’t coming to fruition when I expected them too. So I would get upset and get completely discouraged. What I had to learn and I did the hard way, is that God’s promises are yes and amen, but also that His timing is perfect timing. If God puts a promise in you- He will not go back on His word. Numbers 23:19(NLT) says God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

The problem I had believed that the promises could actually come to pass. Did I trust God enough? The answer was no. I believed in Him and me, but I was having a problem fully trusting Him because it wasn’t happening when I wanted and how I wanted. I let myself believe that God wasn’t listening. Fast forward to now. I look back over the year and in every situation, where I doubted or questioned Hi, once I fully let go and trusted Him- he delivered. It wasn’t always what I wanted, but it was always what was best for me. Because I never quit talking to Him, the Holy Spirit led me and I’ve accomplished things that I didn’t think I could, and things are moving forward. 2013 is going to be an epic and exciting year and I can’t wait! I can’t thank God enough for not giving me everything the minute I asked. I wouldn’t be as strong as I am now. 

It's Christmas Time!!

The holidays are here once again! This is my favorite time of the year (and not just because my birthday is coming) J I love everything that the holidays are supposed to be. The family time, cooking, shopping, baking, even the decorating!  The past few years have been difficult for me at this time of year, being single and not always having the spirit. I did things for my kids and with my friends, but it wasn’t the same as when I was married. I think about the holidays when I was growing up and I have such great memories! I grew up in upstate NY and to say it was cold is an understatement! We had snowdrifts up to my waist. But as a kid of course I didn’t care about the cold. In fact I loved it!(unless I had to shovel…lol) My brother and I would stay outside as long as possible, making snow angels, attempting to build a snow forte, snow ball fights, and sledding. Frozen feet, and hands, didn’t make a bit of difference as long as we were having fun. It was so great! My mom and grandma would make all this awesome food from scratch and spent days in the kitchen getting ready. My mom would save bread forever for her homemade stuffing and I used to think she was so weird!! 

My parents also loved to decorate! Now I don’t mean Clarke Griswold decorating, but there were a lot of lights! As another season comes, I will try to make amazing memories for my children. I hope that when they grow up, they know that Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are not just about getting gifts, black Friday shopping, and eating until we can’t move. I want them to know that it’s about giving as well. She would also volunteer at shelters and food kitchens. I didn’t appreciate her sacrifice then, but I do now, and I try to instill it in my kids as well. Jesus Christ came to serve. Mark 10:45(NKJV) says  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Giving thanks to God every single day for all that we have and all that we’ve been through is very important to me. Giving our time, talent, and treasure is not just a statement. It’s a reality for us. Giving to people less fortunate than us is something that you can’t put a price on. Let’s all remember that serving is not just about once a year, but all year long.  

Charletta Adams is a life coach and public speaker. Her blog is regularly on www.thegodlife.net  and www.charlettaadams.blogspot.com