Fruitful Thought

  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So, Abram went as the Lord had told him. Genesis 12:2-4 NIV After God told Abram to go to a land that He would show him, He motivated him. He told Abram what He would do for him and through him. So, what was Abram’s response? He went. Motivation caused Abram to act, and I believe fueled his courage, and it does the same for us. I remember when God first told me He wanted me to share the gospel. He showed me how He wanted me to do it, but it was different from what I was exposed to. Initially, I was apprehensive, due to fear, and discomfort.   But God motivated me by placing a mentor in my life to help me understand the call I was given. Through the years, here’s the motivation that continues to fuel my courage; God will not call y...

On the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, I found myself pondering on the courage he exemplified.   I couldn’t help but think of the times he may have considered giving up the assignment he had on his life.   I imagined he faced many challenges from people and circumstances that surrounded him.   I believe it was his faith and knowing within that strengthen him to “keep moving”. “ Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles; Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity: Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it”. – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This quote reassures us of God’s promise in 1 John 4:4 “ He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ” .   This is good news! When the flesh is weak the spirit of God within us is strong.   It takes courage to stay the course when everything around you may seem chaotic. Doubt is rising inside you telling you to just forget it. ...

Courage is the willingness to let go of the familiar. John Maxwell 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. Genesis 12:1 NLT Wow! That took courage and faith in the One who told him to do it. Can you image being in an environment all your life and now you’re told to leave everything you know and head out without any direction? One of the challenges in my life was stepping away from the familiar. To do something that I have never done before. This created fear because I was comfortable with where I was and with what I knew. Even the challenges that came up did not bother me because I was familiar with them. So, it wasn’t a stretch. Here’s what I realized. God has been leading me through uncharted territory as far back as I can remember. He’s created a desire in me to go, to do, or to say something each chapter of my life. And each time, fear raised its ugly head. But, in those times I truste...

  Happy New Year! This is the greeting we use to welcome in every year that is new.  Have you ever considered if it is actually new or not?  What makes it new?  The number of the year number changing.  The current events.  No, it is not the “What” but the “Who and How” that makes it new.  You have to make a decision to do something new and courage is a tool that is often needed to do it. What is courage?   Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.  As a believer courage means to trust the Lord as our source of strength.   At the beginning of every year we make goals, promises, resolutions and vision boards for our lives. The most common ones that come to mind is lose weight, get out of debt, and spend time with God.  In reality none of these are new.  These are areas in our lives that we need to implement courage and be consistent in....