Be Transformed - Daily Devotional, by Erica Jefferson

I have read today's verse many times but today it jumped out at me like never before. Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord." Wow! This verse shows us a couple of things.

First, that it's necessary to be prepared. Preparation means that when we show up to battle, we are equipped. You may want to move to the next season in your life. You might have become a bit anxious after seeing the vision and the promise that God has for you. My question to you is, are you ready?

Before you shout yes, think about what you have done to prepare. What habits are you exhibiting right now? Are you seeking the Deliverer (God) as you prepare? If so, you better shout for joy because after the preparation, this verse shows us that deliverance is of the Lord!

This means you don't have to go into the battle field alone. You have to get prepared and let God bring the deliverance. God will soften the hearts of the right people, open the right door and send the right resources. Your job is to be prepared to receive what He has in store.

I pray that this message blesses you. Be Inspired! and have a blessed and productive day!

Submitted by Erica Jefferson of www.BeInspired-Online.com

Are You Offensive?

Yep...Today I was "that person."

I had my $80 worth of groceries in the 15 items or less line. I totally offended the cheese block lady (lady with just a block of cheese) who walked up behind me. After she gave the block of cheese to the checker and said, "Never mind. I thought this was the 15 items or less line," she then walked out in a huff. Surprisingly, it didn't faze the checker one bit, but cheese lady was not happy...

Ooops! Totally my fault for not paying attention. However, I did not intend to be offensive. In fact, I would have moved myself to the other lane if I had noticed in time. Normally, I am a nice person who is considerate of others. But nonetheless, I was offensive today.

It gets me thinking these thoughts -
How many times are we offensive when we totally don't intend to be?
How many times are we offended by others when they didn't mean to be?

I wonder what the percentage is of unintended offenses. 50%? 60%? 90%? Unless it is at a public middle school or high school (I can say that because I've worked at a public high school!), I bet the percentage is high. Most people do not normally intend to offend others.

When we find ourselves as the offender, what do we do? In Ezekiel, the Bible says, "Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die." Once we have an awareness of our offensiveness, then we can choose to change and repent.

How does God handle offenses that we commit (after we first, we ask for forgiveness, and turn away from our offenses)? In Isaiah, God's forgiveness covers or removes offenses. "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."

When we find ourselves offended by others, what then? Proverbs has several wise thoughts, such as, "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends," and "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense."

Hopefully this gives you a new perspective on being offended or offensive. We can learn these lessons in interesting ways; even at the checkout line...

Posted by Krista Dunk
www.KBWomen.com

Feeling Glad? 4 Tips to help you increase your 'Glad Meter'

"Anxiety in the man's heart causes depression. But a good word makes it glad." -Proverbs 12:25

Are you in a place of gladness or a space of depression? Much has been written and spoken about vision in the secular world in more recent years. And interestingly enough, we don't hear about it a lot in the faith world. We hear a lot about being filled with joy and peace, letting go of wounds and hurts and focusing on all things good. There are words spoken and books written about getting understanding and finding peace to rid one of depression and anxiety. We even see things written and prayers prayed that fill us with good things and cast out the negative. But what makes us glad and how do we find it?

Webster's Dictionary defines glad as "feeling joy or pleasure; delighted; pleased: glad about the good news; glad that you are here" and yet there are no instructions on how to get "glad."

We are continually bombarded with ways 'not to be' or attitudes to be 'adjusted' and yet there still seems to be this illusive quality of glad that we strive for - only to continually fall short. My experience tells me from the years of coaching and encouraging others, that many people don't have a vision for what that place of 'glad' looks like, on the personal level. They haven't yet identified the steps and even desires to get to that place that is spoken of so frequently. Have you too been waiting for that good word in your life to get out of being depressed or anxiety ridden and into having a heart that is truly glad?

Good News! We have a good word for you today with 4 simple tips to help you identify and increase your "GLAD meter."

1.) Gauge the future not based on your past, base it on where God is leading you. When we know that we know, that we know the voice of God and how it moves in our life, we begin to set markers that support growth and joy.

2.) Lead from a heart motive. We are all called to lead, and when we lead with our heart toward what we know is God inspired in our life, we increase our efficacy for daily life and relationships.

3.) Action is always a necessity, we don't just happen upon things without some form of action. Defining what the steps look like to move toward what we are called for motivates us toward the results that are most satisfying.

4.) Define your life's vision - build a support network to help you see what you were created for and put it into a plan that defines your action, leads you toward satisfaction so that you can easily gauge your glad meter.

Would you like to take action, build a support network and increase your "glad meter?" Join us on October 9th at "Strength 2 Strength - A Conference for Christian Business Women" in Bellevue, WA. MORE INFO

Posted by Tammy Redmon