BlessedAssurance

  Thank You DFA and Family   This serves as a “Thank You” to all of you who are reading this right now. Today is my last day at DFA. Although some of you were here when I came to DFA back in June of 2000, many have retired or moved on to various other assignments. Some have come after I started with DFA. I have had the opportunity over the last few weeks to execute a brief version of a succession plan. What usually takes years, I had to condense in a few weeks. However, I feel assured that the work of DFA will continue with excellence. I did not want any of you to worry about how you were getting paid, so I preferred to work until my last day and think of it as a “see you soon” rather than a "good bye". Good byes are not my forte, because they seem so final. So, I will see you soon. I will be rooting for you and know that DFA will succeed. The years and seasons have gone by so quickly. Time surely waits for no one. As a nation and state, we find ourselves still in the m...

Rejection comes in many forms. People may reject you, your ideas, your personality, your money, your family, your joy and even your voice. Either form of rejection should not be taken personally. People who reject are more prone to have suffered rejection themselves. The objective response is to keep pressing despite the rejection. Jesus does not reject us. In fact, He accepts us just the way we are and for who we are. Psalms 94:14 reassures us that, “For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor, will He forsake His inheritance”. No matter how imperfect we are, God will not walk away from us . The world can be a cold place. Many people are out for themselves. They look out for their own well-being while overlooking the needs of others. The best way to keep joy and peace is to rest in knowing that God will stay right there with us through it all. His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. When we relinquish our will and accept that His will holds us up and that He watch...

Resilience is the ability to fall and get back up. It is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. When obstacles, trials, tribulations, the unexpected occurs; there is a kindling on the inside that stirs and gives us the ability to get back up. Proverbs 24:16 articulates, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (NKJV). Thus, if a righteous man fell seven times, he had to also get back up seven times. Wow, that is resilience! In the chaos of uncertainty, there is reward in continuing to press through. Believing God at his Word and speaking God’s word has power. As stated in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 , “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake”. Lord, your Word is powerful . Let us speak with the authority and continue along the path You have designed for us. What things look like in the natural has nothing to do with what ...

We believe in many things. Some things we believe are conditional, based on something else happening. For example, we believe that some people are popular on Instagram because they have thousand or millions of followers. In essence, the World has taken a stance that popularity is good. Anyone who has a lot of followers sets the benchmark. People will mimic or try to duplicate postings based on the popularity of others to attract more followers, thus seeking and longing for acceptance.  What if we have millions of followers seeking the same acceptance by believing in Jesus Christ? We would have a whole new example or standard of acceptance and would undoubtedly lead to less confusion, turmoil, strife, disappointment and oppression. There are many accounts in the Bible where God employs our  attention to believe in Him - God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . God wants us to take Him at face value, what you see is what you get. His word is our bond. It is wo...

All things are working today for your good. God wants the best for you and me. No matter what we go through, have gone through, or will go through, the end result is that  God will work it out for our good .  Everything that God created was good.  - Genesis 1:31 New International Version (NIV)   31   God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. When He created the earth, after each piece or day he made, he said it was "Good". So, that means that you are "Good" and He works everything out for your good.  All things are working for your good. - Romans 8:28 New International Version (NIV) 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose . So no matter the circumstance surrounding the day, we will  declare  that it is working for our good. ...

Forgiveness can be a touchy subject. It is one of those areas that I struggle with and am still learning to walk through the way God instructs. Although it is not an easy subject, it is a vital part of our walk with God and as we strive to increase our maturity in faith, we must learn this crucial concept. Conquering forgiveness is one of the many ways we mature in Christ. Affliction can cause an array of spinning emotions. Most of the time when we think of forgiveness, we tend to think why should we forgive if we were the one who was wronged? Well, the answer is clear in the Bible that we do not have an option. We are to forgive as we were forgiven .  Matthew 6:15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you". (New King James Version) So how do we work through the hurt and pain inflicted upon us by someone? Let us take a look at what the Bible says about forgiveness and hopefully by the time we finish reading, we will hav...

Have you ever been near or around water and felt a tranquility that compares to nothing else. The stillness and peace that water provides is so sweet. Whether beach side or looking over the pier at a reservoir, there is something that exudes a sense of peace that I feel when I am near water or hear running water. It can something as simple as walking past an aquarium filled with fish and water.  That same tranquility is what God wants us to have each day of our lives. I have come to a point in my life that I pursue peace and dismiss anything contrary. God does not want us to be in turmoil, distress, worried, or consumed with the cares of this World. I know it is not easy, but let us make a concentrated effort to pursue peace.  The word peace appears 429 times in the Bible.  J ohn 14:27,  27 " Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (New K...