Tips for the Graduate

        These are exciting times for college grads. You get a chance now to show the world who you are and to also see the world's true colors outside your comfort zones.

        In case you didn't do things too well, you get to leave the past behind and reinvent yourself (no matter what happened---you probably won't see many of the people you went to school with again or for many years anyway). You'll go to work every day just like mom and dad and start paying bills, like rent and college loans. (Unless you get a job that has flex time, yes, you'll have to be there early!)

My niece,  Royalle's,  dazzling graduation cap.

        It's about the same for high schoolers, except you finally get to cut the purse strings and leave mom and dad! However, this excitement may be short-lived. Once you begin to see what's really out there, this thing called appreciation will kick in, and after you're delivered your first dose of life you might start looking back and holding on a little bit longer to what you were just so eager to leave.

        Scary? It doesn't have to be. It just depends on how you choose to walk it out. As a high school counselor, here are a few of things I encourage my children to do that might help you as well:

• Set goals and keep them in front of you. - You have to have a road map for where you are going or you'll always feel like the man who got on a horse and rode off in all directions. Write your goals down, make them specific and measurable, establish a time frame to accomplish them in and keep them where you can see them every day. You will be surprised at how much you will accomplish.
• Spend a little, save a lot. - Now that you really are in charge of your own finances, you will see every dollar counts. The "spend now, pay later" days are over. Contemplate your purchases carefully and make clear distinctions between needs and wants. Vow to get out of debt or stay out. It is a controlling menace that will affect the quality of your life greatly. Having money when you need it offers comfort and security.
• Walk only with those who add value to your life.  - You will become like those you hang out with, no doubt. It takes courage to walk away from bad influences, but it will save you a lot of years and a lot of tears and help point you toward God's perfect will for your life.
• Watch what you allow to go into your eyes and your ears.-  It will go into your heart and change who you are. The music you listen to (a biggie), the television shows and movies you watch, and the places you go will all form who you will become as a young adult. These influences will be instrumental in establishing your values as a person. If you want to put something good in your  heart, read one chapter of the Bible each day. It will help keep you grounded and counteract the world's negativity. 
• Listen to your conscience and follow it; it's always right. - Keeping your conscience clear and walking in integrity will make it easy for you to refuse compromise and help you make quality decisions in life. Conversely, continuing to override your conscience and doing things that violate who you are on the inside will make you dull of hearing the right things and, again, change who you are. Seek to hear from your heart (where God is), not your head.
• And finally, don't make permanent decisions with temporary people - Sure it's just one night or only one time. But that one time can wreck your life. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If they really cared, they wouldn't, and you don't have to decide today. Take a minute, an hour, a day, or even a week to think it over. You'll probably decide differently. And remember, you don't owe everyone explanations.  Be true to yourself and to God.  

          Now, go succeed!  God bless you.

Scripture Links:  Habakkuk 2:2; Amos 3:3; Matthew 12:35; Proverbs 3:1-3; Proverbs 4:20-22; Proverbs 4:26; Acts 24:16

To Receive Jesus as Lord ad Savior:(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan has no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.

To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

   

A Gift You Can Give for Mother’s Day

We took a trip to Boone today to attend my niece’s college graduation. The North Carolina mountains are stunning. To take a few hours to get away and experience another facet of God’s handiwork was worth enduring the steep, winding roads and the discomfort of popping ears. Sandwiched between two snoring nephews with alternating modulations during the ride didn’t help much either, but it still did not  divert my attention from the cloud-shrouded mountain backdrop and rows of carefully arranged Christmas trees on distant hills. A change of scenery is always good, especially if it's beautiful.

    Mom would have been pleased with my niece's achievements. She would have been one of her biggest cheerleaders, encouraging her pursue her field of fashion and apparel design with unrelenting resolve. 

As Mother's Day is celebrated today in many countries all over the world, here is a side note to us nurturers--let’s appreciate the gifts God has placed in our children. We should help them recognize these gifts and talents and encourage them to step out and pursue them.

The world is full of adults who have lived lives of despair attempting to please parents who do not recognize and accept their true gifts. Many times we can push our children in directions we wish we had gone so we can have one last chance at fulfilling our own dreams. 

God has hand-crafted each one of us and given us specific purposes to fulfill. Let's be brave today and encourage our children to live out their God-given purposes. This is a gift you can give at no cost.

Scripture Links: 

John 15:16; II Timothy 1:9; II Timothy 1:6 

In Loving Memory - Beatrice Artis Farmer 6/6/29-11/19/10

To Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior:

(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan has no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.

To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):

Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

There's a Miracle in Your Mouth

       What do you need today? Well, it's as close as your mouth---maybe not close yet in proximity, but your miracle is as close as what comes out of your mouth.

        Many of us wonder why our circumstances have not changed for weeks, months or even years. It could be because of the spiritual laws we have placed in motion as we have spoken over our situations. If we need healing, do we constantly say, "I am so sick," or, if we need peace, do we say, "I am so worried."? If we need finances, do we say, "I am poor. I never seem to have enough!"?

       We actually chart the course for our lives by the words we speak. We can either speak life or death into every situation we are faced with. 

          When we speak against what the God's Word says, it becomes ineffective in our lives and we limit greatly what He can do for us.  We also form wrong mental images and begin to gravitate toward these images. On the other hand, when our words line up with God's Word, we give Him something to work with!

        God can change any situation---even those that look hopeless. Speak life into your situation today and never give up! 

Scripture Links: 

Proverbs 18:21; Proverbs 6:2; Joel 3:10; Matthew 12:37; Psalm 78:41; Proverbs 4:20-22

To Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior:

(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan has no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.

To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):

Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Leaving the Past Behind

    Screenwriter and multi-award winning author Marala Scott, after suffering over 17 horrifying years of abuse at the hands of her father said, "One day I smiled back at my reflection in the mirror and  my spirit lit up. Beyond the initial reflection, I could see that my father had caused me pain, but he had not touched my spirit that belonged to God." This courageous woman was then able to put her broken past behind her and forgive her father.

      Taking this bold step ushered in her freedom from the bondage of emotional destruction and set her on a path of healing and restoration. She is now an advocate for those who have experienced domestic violence and has impacted the lives of many.

      What do you need to forget today? Who do you need to forgive? The apostle Paul admonishes us to forget the things that are behind us and to look forward to the things God has in store for us. God has specific plans for us, but they are simply out of our reach when we walk in unforgiveness. How can we not forgive when we ourselves have so desperately needed forgiveness and mercy in our lives? 
     When we hold onto the wrongs that have been done to us, we actually become prisoners in our minds. But, when we let go of the past, the prison doors are opened. Then we are able to receive what we need for today and for the future.      
      Remember, it does not matter what happens to us.....what really matters is what we do about it.  The pain will leave us when we let go. Forgive someone today and go free!

Scripture Links: Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 3:13

To Receive Jesus as Lord ad Savior:(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan has no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.


To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.