NOTES OF INSPIRATION

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.” Proverbs 22:24,25

There is an old saying that says, “Birds of a feather flock together”.  My grandmother used to say that to us when we would discuss friendships. She also would say this one: “Show me your company and I’ll show you who you are.” She was trying to tell us that we could be judged and our reputations could possibly be defined by who are friends are. My own parents would sit down and explain the importance of choosing our friends wisely.  But the most intriguing family conversations were the ones that involved choosing friends who had unfavorable characteristics. For some reason it seemed that some of the coolest kids at school were the bad kids. However, I quickly learned that there is a price to pay for choosing the wrong type of friends. Their unfavorable characteristics “rubbed off” and it seemed that trouble followed us everywhere. Some of the bad kids were hot-tempered and that led to even more trouble and difficulty. It didn’t take me long to figure out that being with them was not  my “cup of tea.” I got out and got out fast!

Pay attention to the characteristics of ones that you spend time with. Spend time with people who will bring joy and encouragement to your life and not ways of destruction. You deserve the very best in this life and you should have and enjoy friends who “celebrate” you and not “tolerate” you.  Be aware of the company that you keep.

Patrice Tankard

Today, I am reflecting on my life and I am evaluating who and what are important to me. God is so awesome in my life and I love him so much for the blessing of  loving people.  I am also grateful for family and friends who love me.  I was talking to a friend the other day and we discussed the importance of being honest, even if the truth hurts. I can certainly appreciate that. Integrity and honesty are valuable to me and it is so delightful when people who I associate with have these qualities.  Be sure to make careful selections of the people who will be in your circle. The qualities that reside in their spirit should compliment yours and not diminish or demean them. I am so grateful for the people who are in my circle. They help to keep me encouraged and uplifted. They remind me to stay focused, they protect my interests, they defend my honor, pray for me, and they are loyal. I love them with all of my heart and I hope that they know that.  Your life is affected by many things and your circle is one of them. Choose wisely.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:7

In the times that we live in today it is easy to get side-tracked when it comes to challenges. Challenges make us stronger but they are also distractions. When the enemy tries to tear us down he is forgetting one thing. God’s power is greater than his. All we have to do is submit ourselves to the Lord. Resisting the devil sends him(the devil) a message that is clear. We have the power of God on our side and we are victorious in Jesus. The devil doesn’t stand a chance! After all, the team work is what sends the devil “packing” and running like a bat out of you know where!  But the key is that we must submit ourselves to God. It makes us and God a team “against” Satan’s plan and tactics. After all of that, as we come closer to God, he comes closer to us. Team work is what it is.

Patrice Tankard

“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Psalm 27:12

People who are wise can sense when there is something that is not right about a situation, event, circumstance and other people. From experience they recognize the patterns and the “foreshadowing” of evil and quickly do what is necessary to avoid it. But simple people(unlearned, ignorant, lowly) may be in a lot of trouble when it comes to foreseeing because they cannot always tell when something evil is about to affect them. However, these same people are sometimes not willing to listen to wisdom and they possess a prideful and unrealistic confidence that make them feel like they do not need to adhere to wise counsel concerning their safety. Be encouraged today to walk in wisdom concerning the avoidance of evil. It is a blessing to be able to foresee trouble and avoid it. Continue to do this and share your wisdom with others. Foresee evil, avoid it and live well.

“Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well” James 2:8

Love your neighbors(all people) without any regards  to status, complexion, birth, age or any other factors. Do not become biased but be sure to  treat all with respect and worth. Learn to love others unconditionally. Jesus loves all of us unconditionally and died for all of us without regard to any special ethnic group or culture. He loves us all. We should love all.

“Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence;…” Psalm 101:5

Stay on on the course of blessings in your life everyday by living righteous before the Lord. Live righteous in how you treat others, in how you live your life and and in how you speak with your mouth. Do not spend time with people who gossip or slander others. Sometimes doing that will rub off on you and you may begin to gossip or slander others as well. Do not get caught up into that trap. Doing so can bring devastation down on your life. I’m not interested in bringing devastation on my life and I’m sure you are not interested in bringing devastation into your life. Be encouraged today to speak well of others. Pray for them instead of talking ill of them. Having blessings instead of devastation is worth the effort. Be blessed!

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”  1 Peter 4:7-8

Be encouraged today to stay in your right mind and stay alert. Stay prayerful and love one another. Love does hide the multitude of faults. Loving someone like that means that you over look the flaws, look beyond the faults and see the need. Many times people can be enlightened to be successful in life when they know that someone loves them without judging them. Take the time out today to love on your loved ones without judging, but with gentle encouragment and inspiration.

“Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit” There is more hope of a fool than of him.”  Proverbs 26:12 

We should always continually trust God for wisdom and for the elements and phases of our lives. No one knows more than God. We need insight from the Lord. There is more hope for a fool than for one who may think that he does not need help and revelation from God.

“Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, Lord, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.” Psalm 19:14

Pleasing the Lord should be our ultimate desire.  We should pay close attention to what we say and what we think. The Lord pays attention to what we say and think, so, it should be absolutely something that would make him happy. God is our protector and our rock. He is stable and able to bring us through in our lives.  We should bless him with good thoughts and words.

“When the Lord blesses you with riches, you have nothing to regret” Proverbs 10:22

It’s a sure thing. When God does it, it is truly genuine. The blessings of the Lord are wonderful expressions of his grace and favor. He does it just because. Enjoy the “just because” of the Lord as he showers downs his favor, love, grace, protection and blessings upon your life.