God Wants Me Happy!

From:   Grow-A-Minute-A-Day Good Morning, I woke up in prayer and study of the Word of God with my wonderful husband, Justin Smith . I encourage you to pray and read the Bible with your family, if you can. If you can't, then do it alone until they join you. The scripture that I want to encourage you with today is: Matthew 6:11 - Give us this day our daily bread. Jesus instructs us to pray to God for provision. Do we ask God to feed us, provide for us, clothe us, fulfill our needs? It's more than food. More often than not, we need God's Word, God's guidance and leading, which is bread enough. The Bible tells us in Matthew 7:7-12, to ask and we shall receive. Are you sick? Are you struggling financially? Do you need more of God in your life? Do you need food in your house? Ask God for what you need? Better, ask God to provide for you what you need according to His Will? He's the parent that knows what's best ...

Good Morning! Today and everyday, the LORD is my Shepherd! He gives me rests and restores me. He gives me direction and when I follow, He comforts me. He takes covers me and protects me in the midst of harm and chaos. He loves me better than anyone can ever love me and will continue to do so forever!

Can you imagine a child without a relationship with their parents?  What would it be like if you never spoke to your mother or your father?   How would you feel about a best friend who never called or stopped by? Where would a marriage be if the husband and wife never communicated or if the communication was one-sided?  When does it become necessary to interact with someone who you love, i.e., a parent, a spouse, a child, a sibling? Relationships are important in our lives.  The greatest relationship that we should have is with our God Who created us.  He desires our time and our attention.  He always blesses us.  It's time that we bless Him with the gift of a relationship.   Psalm 139:13-14 King James Version     (13) For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. (14) I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. God expects us to operate out of what we hear spiritually.  God tells us that we are above and not beneath, the head and not the tail. (Deut. 28:44)  The Word of God says that we are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and that everything (including you and me) is made beautiful in its time (Eccl. 3:11). So what is it that you are hearing?

Don't Spend another Day without the Joy of the Lord! Where ever you are, you can find us!

Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. Philippians 4:11‭-‬13 AMP

Tip of the Day! Sometimes a person gets depressed to the point that they refuse to look in the mirror.  For whatever reason, they may have, the idea of looking in a mirror repulses them.  This is one of the many signs to pay attention to with ourselves and/or our loved ones, just like sadness that has lingered for more than 2 - 3 days or failure to bathe oneself. Did you know that we are the mirrored image of God?  The issue that we face is that the mirror is dirty on our side because of our sin, flesh and emotions.  We sometimes work to clean the mirror.  We exhaust ourselves in an attempt to make the image better.  We struggle to create an image that we can be pleased with.  What is really important is that we recognize that our image is dirty to start with and it's through our daily presentation of our lives and our obedience to God, that God can perform the necessary cleaning.  We can decide to allow God to clean us, but we really don't...

Tip of the Day! Philippians 4:4-9 4  Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. 5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

From my heart to yours... We are in the middle of the month of July and I've already been on too many roller coaster rides.  Roller coasters are fun because we are prepared for the dips, twists and turns.  We get excited and we look forward to them.  In life, however, we like a steady stream that is conditioned to go in one direction with the same amount of light pressure all of the time.  We all know that we want the stream but most of the time we experience the roller coaster. I must admit that I wasn't prepared, with all of the signs and warnings, I simply wasn't ready because I didn't want to be ready.  Who wants troubles to come?  Well, while I avoided all of the signs, my life became one train wreck after another...all.month.long, (at least the all of the 1st half of this month). I kept thinking to myself, "how do I encourage other people to fight depression while I'm struggling not to fall into one myself?".  My problems and my thoug...

Tip of the Day! Another chance to do differently.  Another chance to get it right.  Who told you it was over?  Why did you believe them?  As long as you are breathing, you have another chance! Lamentations 3:22-24 (KJV) 22  It is of the  Lord 's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24  The  Lord  is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.  

Good Morning! This is the 100th post!  Thank you so much!  I love you for following, listening and liking what God has given me to share with you.  Since April 19, 2016 there's been something to relate to, read about and think about posted on this page with the goal of defeating depression.  

Journal Each Moment! Sometimes the things that depress us are minor, other times they are major.  I have experienced times when I didn't even recognize that I had fallen into a depression.  Have you ever experienced this?  Have you looked back and said, "wow, I was depressed and didn't know it?".  I find it helpful to keep a journal and I'll admit that it's something that I need to go back to doing.  It doesn't have to be a journal of doom and gloom either!  You can write all of the wonderful things that happen in your life, your small victories, your happy times, etc.  Write how good God has been to you?  Write about the things that make you happy.  Write your plan to make your life better and how you plan to do so. Habakkuk 2:1-3  (KJV) 1  I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2  And the Lord answered me, and...

What do you do when life disappoints you...? We all experience those days. You never heard the alarm clock.  You running late.  Your pet vomits in front of the door way.  You forgot to sign paperwork that's needed today. The car is acting up.  You don't have the exact change for the bus/train.  You bang your bad foot against the door.  There's an accident on the highway.  Your boss/teacher has warned you about being late and to make matters worse, they don't like you. There are many other scenarios that we encounter that may differ from the ones above, but we do understand that there are days when everything seems to go wrong.  It feels like one big disappointment after another.  This situations may even seem minor.  We could be facing trial, losing our homes, dealing with the loss of a loved one or anything that makes the little disappointments seem pale in comparison. In the 15th and 16th chapters of 2 Samuel, King David, is de...

Yes, suicide I’m saying, “Goodbye” You’ve fought a good fight Oh yes, you’ve tried I’ll admit it, You almost won, But almost won’t stop me From saying, “Goodbye” When I think of your game, How you wiggled your way in, All of the time you spent with me, Playing a friend, You spoke to me daily And never missed a beat Showing me who hated me Replaying my defeat Several times I trusted you, I believed you with my life Did as you instructed, And tried to end my life Even then you were pitiful. The pills made me sleep The drinks made me weak The marks from cuts were deep Marks that remind me of your part In trying to ruin me You thought that you destroyed me I thought you did too, Even when there weren’t attempts You were in my mind too. You told me I was worthless, Rejected and of no use. I believed that all of my dreams, Died while listening to you Yes, I remember every lie that you told The memory has taught me To pr...

Are you self-medicating yourself to numb the affects of depression? What are you using to numb the pain of being sad and unhappy?  Without denying it, first look at the different forms of "self-medicating" that we're referring to: Sex Drugs Alcohol Unhealthy Relationships Food, i.e., over-eating, bulimia, anorexia, etc. Obsessive Actions, i.e., shopping, cutting, video game binges, compulsiveness, etc. Dangerous Activities, i.e., gang-affiliations, violence, etc. Hoarding Busyness There are others that aren't listed here but understand that anything can be used to "self-medicate" the pain that is associated with depression.  Many people don't talk about the things that they use to "self-medicate" themselves. So many hide how they are really feeling.  Depression hits more people than we know, every single day. Oftentimes, if the person is not a drug or alcohol abuser, the "self-medicating" aspect can go ignored for ver...

Today is a new day and another chance to do it! Job 33:29 Yes, God does these things again and again for people. (NLT)

Do you have a loved one who suffers from depression?  What do you do to help them?  How often are you their leaning post and closest friend? What are you doing for yourself? Are you allowing God to take care of you? It is important that you take time to pray and relax in order to be there for your loved one.  It gets hard especially during episodes where you are needed 24/7, however, you are not God.  God doesn't sleep nor does He slumber (Psalm 121:4), but you need to rest in God (Isaiah 30:15).  It is important to your loved one that you trust God to care for you both, understanding that God sees and He cares.  Take time each day (if only a few minutes to an hour) and reconnect with God through prayer.  Rest in His love, listen to His voice.  Sit outside and listen to the wind or go to the beach and listen to the waves.  Allow God to restore you in His love that you may be the best caregiver to your loved one.  It will brighten t...

Are you upset because you loved someone and it didn't work out? Let God calm you with His love.   The  Lord  thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

1. Pray .  Start your weekend, end your weekend and all throughout the weekend keeping an open conversation with God the Father.  Ask God to keep you this weekend.  Ask Him to protect you and lead you so that you make the right decisions, go places and do things that will honor Him and keep your mind in peace.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. Psalm 10:17 Lord, thou has heard the desire of the humble:  thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 2. Spend time with God each day .  Each day schedule an amount of time for just you and God.  It's probably best in the morning, but make the time.  Put it in your schedule on your phone or in your computer.  Find a quiet place-in your room, the bathroom, your car, etc., and sit with God.  You can pray, meditate on a scripture, listen to your favorite gospel song or hymn and just relax in His Presence.  Psalm 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therew...