Don’t Hide Your Creativity in 2016

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The basement of my friends’ house was filled with art. The art was so incredible, inspirational that I started to cry as I viewed the pieces. I was moved to tears; the art was that beautiful.

And it was in the basement.

The art belonged to her father (at the time she lived with her parents) and he had created lots of work, but then stored it in the basement. I couldn’t believe that he took his amazing work and put it in the basement. I thought it was a sin to put all those beautiful pieces in a dark, unused basement.

Isn’t this what so many people do with their creative talents?

They hide them by putting them in a dark space where no one can see them. I can only think of one instance in the Bible where a man hid a “talent” (in this case the talent was money), and God wasn’t pleased. God isn’t pleased when He blesses us with something of value and we hide it.

When God gives you gifts – those gifts aren’t just for you – they are for you to share.

What if every great intellectual, thinker, writer, entertainer, inventor, and researcher decided that they no longer wanted to share their thoughts, music, gifts, talents, and knowledge with the world?

Can you imagine if all the Adele’s of the world decided to only sing in the shower? What would the world look like? I can’t imagine a world devoid of creative beauty. I don’t want to imagine it.

I believe we are ALL created to contribute in some way. None of us are meant to live in solitary confinement and hide our natural gifts and talents. We are meant to share and build upon the gifts and talents God gives us.

Hoarding your talent is selfish. And selfishness is a sin. Don’t hide your creativity in 2016. If you have a talent, don’t bury it in the ground or place it in darkness. And if you refuse to share your talent, the least that you can do is grow it.

Soul Detox 2016 (A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Detox the Soul)

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2015 is finally over…

Some of us had a great year while some of us faced more trials than usual. The good news is that 2016 is here, and we have a fresh start! God’s mercies are new every morning, which also means that His mercies are new every year!

With that said, I want you to consider ditching the New Year’s resolution that you would normally make and consider embracing some ‘Soul Resolutions’ this year. Instead of making a list of resolutions that you probably won’t keep; instead, why not commit to a soul detox for 2016?

The soul detox is deeper than your usual resolution. It isn’t just a list of cumbersome goals and changes that may or may not stick. Instead, a soul detox is about a lifestyle change. It’s about changing who you are from the inside out and allowing the change to permeate every area of your life. A soul detox is about incorporating habits and disciplines that nourish the spirit and leave you feeling that it is well with your soul. Detoxing the soul starts with detoxing the mind, body and spirit.

Detoxing the Body

Choose to eat healthy in 2016! Your health and your soul are related. In the third book of John, the disciple tells the beloved of God to prosper and be in health even as their soul prospers. There is a connection between health and the soul. God doesn’t just desire for your soul to prosper; He wants your health to prosper too. Here are a few ideas for your physical detox:

– Get out of the house for fresh air and walk more.

– Drink more water. Water is life-giving.

– Eat delicious whole foods.

– Sit in the sun.

– Inhale deeply, and then exhale. Do this a few times a day.

Detoxing the Mind

Detoxing the mind requires a release of negative thoughts. Interrupt any negative loops that are replaying over and over again in your head. Choose not to meditate on what went wrong during the day, a hurtful remark, or a memory that still makes you angry. Let it all go in 2016! Replace negative thoughts with God’s word. Think about what God says about you this year.

Another powerful way to detox the mind is to go on a digital detox. Most people desperately need a digital detox! Don’t waste your time on the internet this new year. Make the most of every opportunity. Treat five minutes as if it’s an eternity. Here are a few ideas for your mind detox:

– Meditate on Jeremiah 29:11 which reads: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

– Remember the Biblical principle that you are what you think. Monitor your thoughts.

– Simplify your bookmarks. Visit a handful of websites that you really love and delete every website that you simply like.

– Simplify your online life. You don’t have to be on every social media platform. And when you log on to a platform, look at the clock and keep track of your time.

– Choose to spend less time in front of a screen and more time in front of Yeshua.

Detoxing the Spirit

Your spirit is affected by what you hear and see. Here are a few ideas for your spirit detox:

– Be careful and picky about what you watch on tv or browse on the internet.

– Choose to listen to the word of God while you’re sleeping. Stream scripture into you home with a Roku channel called the Streaming Bible.

– Read scripture every single day. Put His words in front of your eyes.

– Confess scripture every day. Speak it aloud and it will build your faith.

– Avoid the news. Don’t read horrible headlines because it affects your spirit. Detox from the news. You’ll be happier and healthier for it.

Are you going to Soul Detox this year?

The Yes Dear Marriage (1 Kings 1:28)

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When Denzel Washington was asked by a reporter what the key to success was in his 25-year marriage, his response was; “Do whatever your wife tells you. Yes, dear. Breathe.”

Marriage begins with Yes.

When a man (or woman) proposes the one word that they need to hear to begin the marriage journey is “Yes.” The phrases “Yes”, “I do”, or “I will” is the start of the marriage and continuing the usage of the word keeps the marriage going.

Biblically, we are told that wives are to submit to their husband – or in simple terms – “Yes, Dear.” And Husbands are given a Biblical mandate to love their wives – in simple terms – “Yes, Dear.”

When Bathsheba went to David to ask him about Solomon taking over his kingship, David in his old age had learned how to properly respond to his wife. His response to her request: Yes Dear.

Most people are familiar with the Year of Yes, but fewer people understand how powerful a Marriage of Yes can be. In life, yes attracts opportunities and opens doors – it can make life richer, fuller and more vibrant.

In a marriage, yes creates a home of unity. Yes stretches and strengthens the relationship. Yes makes a marriage richer, fuller, and more vibrant.

Prayer Can Move the Earth… Literally

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Acts 4:31- And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

An earthquake occurs in the book of Acts – there is no other way to describe what took place in natural, scientific terms other than to refer to it as an earthquake. The Christians were praying, and their prayers shook the earth.

We can speculate for days about why the place shook after they prayed. Perhaps it shook because principalities were being dethroned in the spiritual realm. Perhaps it was shaking because the Holy Spirit was coming to fill those who were praying, and the earth shakes at the presence of God. Perhaps the earthquake was a prophetic sign and symbol of the great shaking that the apostles were about to bring upon the earth as they gained the boldness to preach the Gospel and turn the world upside down.

Or maybe it shook to remind us of the power of prayer.

Prayer is powerful. It’s one of the most powerful weapons that a Christian has in their arsenal. I believe fully and deeply in the power of prayer. I so believe in prayer that I don’t go a single day without it. I’ve even written a book about it.

Prayer is powerful. Prayer can move the earth. Prayer can bring the Holy Spirit into a place. Prayer can produce boldness. Prayer can turn the world upside down.

Let’s not forget to pray.

How to Live a Complaint-Free Life

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Many of our anxieties and frustrations are fueled by our complaints.  When we complain, we set ourselves up to embrace disappointment.  There is nothing wrong with saying how you feel, and being perfectly honest about those feelings.

However, venting turns into complaining when it takes on a “why me?” tone. When we have a pity party that is more concerned with why we feel a certain way instead of what we can do about it, we become complainers. Below are a few tips to help you maintain a complaint free life:

Have an attitude of gratitude  

Is it really that bad? Ask yourself if it could be worse.  If it could be worse be thankful that it’s not. Having a spirit of thanksgiving eliminates complaints. The next time you feel like complaining, count your blessings and be grateful for the life that you have. Being thankful is a cure for complaining.

Replace Complaining with Contemplating

We complain when something is broke, we are broke, plans have gone awry, there is no cell phone signal, no wifi, our cat peed on the rug, our husband drank the last cup of coffee, and so on. Complaints often arise when there is a problem. Instead of complaining about the problem, spend time contemplating a solution. When our focus shifts from the problem to the answer, the complaining stops.

Look for the silver lining

My former house had so many spiders. No matter how clean the house was they scampered down the hallway or dropped from the ceiling.  While I could have complained about the fact I lived in a place with more spiders than the Amazon, instead, I looked for the silver lining in the situation. So what is the silver lining? The silver lining is that at least I had a home for the spiders to invade, and I didn’t live in the Amazon. Always look for the silver lining.

Aren’t All Religions the Same? Is Jesus the Only Way?

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There is a dizzying array of options when it comes to religion, and the culture around us says that they are all equally valid. It seems absolutely bizarre to people that someone would say, “This one way is the truth and the only truth.”

The poet Steve Turner describes brilliantly what many think when it comes to religion: “Jesus was a good man just like Buddha, Mohammed, and ourselves. We believe he was a good teacher of morals but we believe that his good morals are really bad. We believe that all religions are basically the same, at least the one we read was. They all believe in love and goodness, they only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.”

Biblical Meditation – John 20:22

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John 20:22: And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

For the second time in scripture in John 20:22, God breathed on man. The first time in scripture that God breathes on a man is when the Creator breathes on Adam in Genesis 2:7.

When God breathes life into you, it’s not possible for you to die.

Adam, from creation, was immortal. Something profound and spiritual had to take place for death to enter the picture. Later in the Edenic story, we learn that Adam and Eve ate the fruit that would lead to death – and it wasn’t necessarily the fruit, but the disobedience that opened the door to death.

Rebellion is dangerous.

When Adam and Eve rebelled, the death process began. And it wasn’t just a physical process, but a spiritual one as well. Mankind was left to die – not just in his body, but also in his sin.

And then Yeshua came.

When Yeshua came He did something profound – He breathed on His disciples. Yeshua was giving them the Holy Spirit, but I also believe that Yeshua was breathing spiritual life back into mankind. I think he was correcting the brokenness that occurred when man was disobedient.

The Greek word for Holy Spirit is pneuma – which means wind, breath or spirit. I think that the breath of life in Genesis 2:7 was also HOLY. Logic dictates that God’s breath is Holy because He is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.

When God made man, man was Holy because God had breathed on Him – man had an impartation of God. You cannot have a piece of God within, without having some holiness in you. When Yeshua breathed on His disciples, He was imparting the Holy Spirit.

When you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, you are filled with the Breath of Life. It’s our duty to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be filled with life. We are to be life in the midst of darkness.

I used to think that if I prayed more, fasted more, read more scripture, recited the Psalms and the Lord’s Prayer more I would have more of God’s spirit within.

Can you image the relief I felt when I learned in the Bible that the way to be filled with the Holy Spirit is to simply ask God and walk in obedience to Him.

We need to ask for the Holy Spirit.

The Bible clearly says you’re supposed to ask for the Holy Spirit. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Ask God to fill you with His Breath of Life.