BlessedAssurance

Today's Thought from Blessed Assurance: Often times, we operate in a world where everything is so fast paced. If it is not fast paced, some things just go unexplained or we just do not ask the questions to gain in-dept knowledge. Often times, we do not ask the questions because that’s the way it’s always been done. Not really understanding the “why” behind it or the rationale of the concept. What benefit is it to go through the motions and not understand the desired goal? Are we setting and accomplishing goals or are we setting motions in place wondering aimlessly with a blind fold tampered on our eyes? Let us take a step back today and write down some goals, identify the steps it will take to accomplish the goals, and align them with something greater than us! Blessings to you, ~LaKenya

(Genesis 12: 1-3) 1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you .(The promise of Land) 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others .(The promise of descendants) 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”( The promise of blessings and redemption)                         A promise, in general , is a declaration , written or verbal , made by one person to another , which binds the person who makes it to do , a specified act ; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect the performance of a specified act . The Bible is the authoritative source of information for Christians to study and apply standards to daily living. Encompassed in the Bible are promises

The King Cake is believed to have originated in France around the 12th Century. These early Europeans celebrated the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas calling it the feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night or King's Day. The main part of the celebration was the baking of a King Cake to honor the three Kings. The cakes were made circular to portray the circular route used by the Kings to get to the Christ Child and confuse King Herod, who was trying to follow the wise men so he could kill the Christ Child. In these early King Cakes, a bean, a pea or a coin was hidden inside the cake. The person who got the hidden piece was declared King for the day, or was said to have good luck in the coming year. In Louisiana, Twelfth Night also signifies the beginning of the carnival season, which ends on Mardi Gras Day. The beans, peas and coins have been replaced by a small plastic baby to symbolize the Christ Child. The person who gets the baby is expected

        John 1:4 (NIV) 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind . Jesus is the life, and that life is the light of all mankind. In John 10:10, Jesus said, "I came so that you may have life and have it more abundantly". You have to believe it first and then start walking in the abundance God intends for your life. Once the light penetrates darkness, there is newness of life. Don't contemplate, "How am I going to keep this light burning?". God will supply you with the tenacity to keep on going, keep on shining, and keep on working to build the Kingdom. Oftentimes, we may stray away from what it is that God wants for our lives. Each individual is predestined to contribute to the Kingdom of God. Don't let anyone deter you from doing what you know is right, according to God's instructions contained in the Holy Bible. Man can instruct many things that do no line up with the Word of God. So, you must continue to study for yourself

K ...A...T (Know, Apply, and Teach). It's not enough to know something and not apply it. What good does it do to Know; Apply it for yourself and not Teach it to someone else? Keep the heritage and knowledge flowing. So, let's Study so that we will Know it, Apply it so that the studying will not be in vain, then Teach it so that the philosophy continues. There are cycles of learning that we all go through. Whether we are like babies just starting to crawl or like mature grown ups, sharpening the advanced skills of life, there is still much to share with others. Do you realize that some people are not exposed to the same resources and therefore, do not exhibit the skill sets necessary to compete competitively in the arena. Now that arena can be in the workforce, in the community, in the Christian circle, or even in an academic setting. This is where one must employ the K...A...T technique. When you study and understand a concept, the cycle is not complete until you apply it. Yo

Promise Yourself (One of the most classic motivational poems) Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel like there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living person you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. The Optimist Creed From The Optimist International