In The Storm

Where I live, it’s been raining every single day for the past three weeks, like a lot of rain. The local news outlets say that we’ve reached a record high in rainfalls. We’ve heard stories of flooding, evacuation notices, and cars under water, power outages, and a lot of buzz on social media about this horrible weather. And today is no exception, the storm continues to hit us and hit us hard. Everyone in this town is to the point where they’re like…ok, we’re like, “Enough!” When is this storm going to be over? We’ve already endured enough! It’s uncomfortable, you get wet and sticky and you have to take extra precaution when driving. Some may say extra prayers when leaving the house because the storm can be pretty nasty.

Today, during my morning devotional, I was reminded how important and necessary “storms” are in our lives. When we are in the storm, we are in God’s safe haven. It is not in our homes where we feel safe, it is not in our comfort zones, it is not in our jobs and careers, churches or ministries; it’s in the arms of our Heavenly Father where we find refuge in our times of need. It is in those storms, where God’s love and grace is revealed in our lives. He shows His mercy and compassion in the midst of those moments where we feel like we’re drowning in floods of uncertainties.  It’s not when the sun is shining bright where we feel hopelessness and despair, it is in the raging storm where we feel Him the closest.  

 

There are three things I want you never to forget when you find yourself in the storm:

1. Embrace the storm when it hits your life. Embrace it because it will come anyways, so you might as well have a good attitude going into it because there is a lesson to be learned. Many times, we may feel weary and the easiest thing to do is give up, but do not give up. You will not be able to get through the storm with your own strength, that is why it’s important to keep focused and put your faith in Jesus; He will give you the strength to endure and get past the storm.

2. This too shall pass. Storms will come into your life and storms will exit your life. The sun will come out again and brighten your gloomy day. I don’t know about you but it’s exciting to be reminded of this. Although we may face a season of gloom, once we get past it, the warmth of the bright sun will shine upon our faces and radiate joy and happiness.

3. And finally, remember that the storm will come, the storm will go but Jesus always stays. He is faithful and He will remain! The bible says in Psalm 27:4 “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close”. What a wonderful promise made to us that no matter who leaves, Jesus will NEVER leave us. It is in times of trouble; in the storm, where we discover who is really there for us and who has left. Today, we are gently and lovingly reminded that no matter who has left, Jesus will never leave.

 As I previously said in the beginning, storms are important and necessary in our lives. We don’t like them but we have to endure them. We must learn from them because they serve as stepping stones for where God wants to take us. Storms promote us to the next level, if we’re able to pass a rainfall, then we’re challenged at a higher level. And the more we’re challenged, the more God can entrust us. So today, thank God if you’ve past the rainfall level and you’re enduring a thunderstorm because if He helped you through the last storm, He will certainly help you with this one. And if your storm is catastrophic, hurricane “I WILL DESTROY YOU” thank God for that storm because it just means that the SUN will shine so, so bright and you have no idea what God has in store for you at the end. No matter how intense your storm may be, don’t give up, keep focused and put your faith in Jesus. Your storm will pass, so just hold on tight; just a little longer! Jesus will give you the strength to get through it and He will be with you every step of the way. And when you get past it, you will look back and say, “it was worth going through the storm because look at me now”.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

The Miracle Blessing

Last Wednesday I was able to witness a miracle blessing, my baby nephew was brought into this world and he has changed our lives completely. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow will mark one week of his special delivery into our family. To be able to presence this unbelievable experience was truly remarkable and once again it shows us how miraculous the work of God is.

 

And this just got me thinking that if God is able to create such a wonderful and perfect being in the womb of a mother; He can create a wonderful and perfect plan in our lives as well. Just as a mother has to be patient and wait until her unborn child is fully developed and ready to be exposed into the real world, we too have to be willing to be patient enough to wait for God’s perfect timing because in due time, His plan will be revealed and manifested.

Just as a mother’s body senses when it’s time to deliver, your spirit will sense when your time is ready. Whether you have just begun your journey or you are full term and ready to go into labor, continue to take this time to prepare for your miracle blessing. Many have prayed, believed, declared and confessed their miracles, their healing, their destiny and God has heard them. Do not be afraid when the time comes to deliver, you will have to push your promise out, it may take one push or it may take several pushes. The pain will be inevitable but with every breath, remember your purpose, remember why you’re pushing, remember your miracle blessing. After you birth it out, you will look back and say, all the pain and suffering was worth it because I am now holding and possessing my miracle blessing!

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

But.. what if?

Have you ever wanted something really bad and did everything the way you were supposed to; I mean you crossed all of your T’s and dotted all of your I’s, and nothing?  Have you thought about how you would feel or react if things simply didn’t go as planned? I often think about it, especially in this walk of faith that day to day we endure. Life is a journey with many peaks and valleys, highs and lows, good and bad. How do we maintain a steady and balanced state of mind when things simply do not go our way, when prayers are not answered, when we don’t receive what we want but receive what we did not expect? Let’s talk about the many “But.. what if’s” that surprises and confronts us. What should our reaction be?

But.. what if I’ve been praying day in and day out for a specific request and God doesn’t answer or simply “delays” his answer? How am I going to react? Will I stop praying because I didn’t get my answer when I wanted or how I wanted it? Have you thought about that?

But.. what if I’ve been declaring God’s healing power over my sick body and I do not receive healing? Am I going to stop declaring? Will I stop believing that God heals because He didn’t do it for me? Have you thought about that?

But.. what if my faith is SO big and I am believing for something BIG and I am wrapped around God’s promises to the point that my faith is not shaken. I know that I know that I know it will come to pass (next week). And it’s a month later and everything is still the same. Will my faith be shaken? Will I still believe and know that I know that it will happen? Or will I just give up? Have you thought about that?

 

And there are countless examples that I’m sure you can think of as well. The point here is this: What will your attitude be if what you are asking, declaring, and confessing with faith turns out to a big “but what if” moment in your life? It appears out of the blue to disrupt your smooth connection of faith and prayer with your Heavenly Father.  I am the first one to believe in prayer, having faith, in declaring God’s promises and all of those beautiful biblical affirmations. But it is important to understand that our prayers are channeled to the throne of God through this question: Is it God’s perfect will? Sometimes we will receive exactly what we want and ask for, because it was God’s perfect will at that particular moment. Many times, we will have to wait, wait, and wait a little longer to receive our blessing. The word of God says in Proverbs 10:22 that “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it”. When God blesses, there will be no sorrow, confusion, bitterness, none of that. God’s blessings bring peace, love and joy. So many times, it is in God’s perfect will to answer that request but it's simply  not the right time. And that is why we must learn how to not only have faith but also, wait in the Lord for His perfect timing. You may be in God’s perfect will but be out of His perfect timing and that can be damaging to our lives.

I would like to propose that in this New Year, only 9 days new we really think about this. This is the time where we are still pretty fresh and excited about the New Year and we are on cloud 9 with our resolutions. Our prayer lives is in full speed and we believe for anything and everything good to happen to us. And I am all for that! I’m actually one of those people! Lol But let’s take a moment to think about the “But.. what if’s” . This will relieve us from many heart breaks, frustration and even anger toward life-and God.

When the “But.. what if’s” pop up, simply say THANK YOU! Thank you Lord because things didn’t happen the way I expected, they happened exactly the way you wanted them to happen. Then what? Then keep doing what you were doing. Your biggest mistake will be to simply give up. Continue praying, continue believing, and continue giving thanks because if it didn’t happen when you wanted, it will happen God wants. His timing is impeccable – and His clock is always on point, literally! If He didn’t answer a prayer when you wanted, do not give up!! He’s working on something bigger and even better.. Just wait a little longer! Do not get caught up in the moment; open your eyes to God's vision. And you will see what God sees, for we only see the  puzzle piece but He sees the whole picture.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

 

 

Photo Credit: www.photographymojo.com 

Just a little tighter

While I was in NYC this past weekend, I came across the news that two of our beloved church members, one of them being a family member of mine had passed away. This has been a rough week, having to go to two back to back funerals has not been easy. And to have to find out in last night’s funeral that another beloved church member passed is just heart breaking. Our church family is definitely mourning these wonderful people who will be terribly missed.

In the mist of grief, I can’t help but to hold on to my loved ones just a little tighter, hug them just a little tighter, kiss them just a little tighter. Situations such as this, definitely puts everything into perspective and helps you prioritize your life a little better. Questions such as: What’s really important? Should I be dwelling, breaking a sweat, consuming my time and energy on this, that and the other? What is really important in life is my question to you today.

 

For me: God, Family, and Friends. Having a constant relationship with my Lord and Savior who assures that His peace surpasses all understanding and that no matter what whirlwind of emotions may be rushing towards me- He is my peace! My family is my core, support group. They keep me grounded and show unconditional love. We all need family because family sticks with you in good times and in bad and no one will be as loving and accepting as your family. Friends keep me happy, free spirited and alive. True friendship is hard to find but when you have a group of people who you can call friends, you feel on top of the world. With God in your life, you are able to experience true joy and happiness despite what your current situation may look like.

Today, I want to encourage you to think about what’s important in your life? Maybe you think your career is the most important thing right now, maybe its school or even trying to reach your dreams. Those are all good and I often speak about being assertive and chase after your dreams but make sure the main ingredients are always present: God, Family, Friends. It’s very sad to reach a level of success or “happiness” if you have nobody to share it with. It’s heartbreaking when you’re going through a storm in your life and you have nobody to turn too. We should never feel alone; celebrate with people, mourn with people.

What do your priorities look like? Who or what is on top? If it doesn’t look like this: God, Family and Friends then it’s time to make some changes. Tonight when you see your husband and kids, hug and kiss just a little tighter. If your parents are alive, that is a blessing in itself, tell them how much you love them and give them the biggest squeeze ever! Tell your siblings how much of a pain in the butt they are but that you wouldn’t trade it for the world! Send your friends a quick message saying how much you appreciate their crazy friendships. Tell God how much you love Him! Tell the whole world how love should abound and hate – well… get out!

Life is too short, I know we have all heard that and it’s become pretty cliché but when death hits home, it brings a whole different meaning. Cherish your loved ones. We are here today and gone tomorrow. James 4:14 says” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”  Lets make the best out of the gift of life that has been given to us; it’s time to appreciate it instead of always complaining about it. Let’s encourage and inspire those around us and may our legacy continue to live even after we have left this world.

Be Blessed, Be Encouraged!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

Forget Not

Many times we are too consumed in anything and everything that is going on in our surroundings that we don’t pay attention to what really matters in life. We tend to forget about the small details in life because we are too busy figuring out what the “big” picture should look like.

David reminds us like he once reminded his soul, I can just picture him giving himself a pep talk. “Hey buddy, listen up! You are to praise God whether you like it or not, whether you are in the mood or not, whether you want to or not. Don’t you dare for one second forget all that He has done for you.” Do not dare forget all the goodness and mercy He’s shown you. Do not forget His benefits that have become active in your life. Now is not the time to be an ungrateful brat!” Can you picture a similar conversation?

Today, how about we give ourselves a pep talk? Despite of what your day looks like or what your life is like right now, don’t you dare forget His benefits towards your life. Remember everything that He has done in your favor. You may not see it today but I’m sure you saw some kind of goodness from God yesterday and you will surely see it tomorrow. Psalms 103:2 says: Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

 

David knew that there were bad days ahead but He was also conscience of all the goodness and mercy, love and favor he had received from the Lord in the past and one thing was sure in his mind and it was this: If God was able to deliver him, protect him and bless him in the past, He knew that God would do the same thing for him in the future.

Do not get discouraged, life may seem tough and unfair at times but God is not done with you and if you hang tight, you will see greater things happen in your life because God is orchestrating every single detail in your life and working them together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

Jesus speaking to the disciples once told them this, and today He tells you the same thing. Are you ready for this because this is a powerful declaration: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Give God glory at all times, praise Him in your storm, in those moments of despair because He rejoices when He sees a sincere and pure heart that loves and praises Him unconditionally. You heard that? Unconditional Love. Can we show God that we love him not because of what He can do for us or give us but because of who He is? Today is a good day to tell the Lord "Thank you for everything!" Thank you for the good and the bad because you make everything work together for my good and let me never forget your goodness. Forget Not His Benefits!

I’ll leave you with the first five verses of this incredible poetic expression that David wrote, I encourage you to read the rest of it on your own time.

Psalms 103:1-5

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

 

Let it cook!

I'm so  happy to introduce my friend, Justin Moore as my guest blogger for today. He is a young man that is doing great things in the music industry and impacting a lot of lives through his passion for music and God. He has a great word that I believe will bless your life today!! Thank you Justin for blessing us with this word!!

 

 

Being the bachelor that I am I often eat out and consume an abnormally large amount of TV dinners. Considering the fact that I cannot cook that well, the microwave is one of my best friends. In fact, the other day I was RUSHING to get ready and leave the house for a gig and in my haste I was attempting to cook and get ready at the same  time.  I decided to “cook” a.k.a. warm up, a yummy chicken pot pie by Marie Calendar; YUMMY!! I grabbed it out the freezer and flipped it over to look at the directions; microwave time was like 5 minutes and the oven time was like 45 minutes. Contemplating on what decision to make, I looked at the clock and realized  I had a MAXIMUM of one hour before heading out. I was a bit stressed because I still had to shower, iron my clothes, load up my musical equipment, get dressed, and gas up my truck… Yea! A lot to do but then I thought to myself, if I put this meal in the microwave, the chicken will be super chewy and rubbery. The crust would be soggy and moist, making it a less than enjoyable experience. The oven; however, tends to cook the meat slower and very thoroughly, making it juicier. This process makes the crust crispy, crunchy, and golden brown; just perfect!! YUMMY!! At that moment, I decided that I would put the meal in the oven and be patient enough to wait because I wanted it to be delicious and enjoy my dinner! 

 

 

God wants our blessings to be delicious and just right so that we can enjoy its excellence. Because we live in such a "microwaveable ' society, we expect God to have the same mentality and “pan out” our lives in such a way. In the day and age we live, today in 2013 there are phones that can send videos and pictures across the world in a matter of seconds. You can scour the internet through thousands of databases in a fraction of a second with a Google search. And in the microwave you can cook things in a fraction of the amount of time that it would take on a conventional stove. So, what am I trying to say? It’s safe to say that we are in an age where we expect things instantly.

Well, unfortunately success does not work that way nor does God work that way. Now of course, you have your exceptions, there are rappers who get multimillion dollar deals overnight and you have some people who have been lucky enough to hit it big with the lotto.. But for the other 7 billion plus people on the planet, things probably will not pan out "overnight ". Success is a journey not a destination. It’s a process not a place. I think so many of us have the idea that success will happen quickly and if it doesn't, we tend to get discouraged.

The bible tells us that the race is not given to the swift or the strong but to the one that endures till the end. We have to remember that God is Omniscient so He knows exactly what we need and when we need it, in HIS own timing. Often times He will withhold a blessing because we have not yet developed the character that it would take to maintain such an endowment and that we would more than likely squander away such good fortune. He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. God knows where we are and what we can handle. Be patient and persevere! Trust in HIM. God will always honor His word. 

Justin A. Moore

Record Producer, Musician, Songwriter
Reality TV co-star Mary Mary

For more information on Justin,
visit him at: Twitter.com/justinamoore

 

 

Season of Singlehood

I love to encourage the Singles because I know it can be a difficult time in their lives. Trust me, I know!! Lol. Although, God has blessed me with a wonderful and loving husband, I still remember what it felt like being single and waiting for “the one”.

The wait may be frustrating but it will be gratifying. When we commit to leave all of our needs, wants and desires to the Lord, He will grant them to us- the key is to delight ourselves in Him. The more you indulge in God’s presence and enjoy your time with Him, the closer you are to meeting the desires of your heart. Read Psalm 37:4,5. I remember in my time of singlehood, this was one of the verses that I held near and dear to my heart and it helped me in my journey.

If you follow me on FB or Twitter you will see that I always post/tweet encouraging messages to the Singles.  It’s important for me to let all my single friends know that God has your best interest at hand.  He know what you need, His desire is to give you nothing but the best.  Sometimes we want to settle because we feel time is ticking and we want to take matters into our own hands. Big Mistake! When we surrender our time to God, who is timeless, we will then understand that He is always on time. One thing is for sure; He is never too early, never too late, he is always right on time.

My advice to you, and this comes from someone whose been there! Be patient and wait on the Lord. Easier said than done, huh? I know but I can speak out of experience- it's worth it! He has not forgotten about you and is about to give you the biggest surprise of your life, don't ruin it by "trying to help".  Continue to be faithful to Him, serve Him wholeheartedly; seek Him first- involve yourself in His kingdom and you will see how invested He will be in your life. And most importantly, enjoy every season of your life to the fullest because seasons come and go, you may be at the end of this one and about to start a new one very soon.  Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy your season of singlehood!

I will leave you with five truth quotes that will encourage you as you wait for your blessing!! – (Quotes are courtesy of The Single Woman)

1. Fellas, make your intentions known and clear. Don't lead her on if you have no intention of following through.

2. God, if it's not meant for me, I don't want it. Give me the courage to let it go and wait for what's mine.
 

3. To cling to the one who is not meant for you is to delay the arrival of the one who IS. #LetGo
 

4. Remember: You are a CATCH. And a catch is worthy of being pursued, wooed, chased. Not just settled for!
 

5. Singleness is the most exciting, confusing, breathtaking, wildly unexpected, insanely courageous time of life. Enjoy it.
 

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed! 

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

We are nothing without God

As I was reading my daily devotional this morning, I couldn’t help but to share this one with all of you guys. Yes- it's that good! God is so amazing and when we come to realize that we are nothing without Him and everything with Him, our lives begin to make sense and we start to find our true purpose and identity in Him.

{These words come from Joyce Meyer and I hope it blesses your life as it has blessed my life.}

God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NIV

 

It amazes me that God chooses weak and foolish men and women to work through, but He does. He chooses what the secular world would throw away as trash and consider useless. When God is looking for someone to fill a position or to promote, He often passes over those who will be naturally qualified if they are the type to be proud of themselves and not give Him the credit and glory for their abilities. God works through the humble, but He frustrates and defeats the proud (see 1 Pet. 5:5).

God loves to lift up those whom life has pressed down. You are special to God and He has a promotion in mind for you. He desires that we live amazed at what He can do through a submitted vessel. God is not looking for ability, but He is looking for availability. Humble yourself under the mighty land of God, and in due time He will exalt you and lift you up. Don’t discount yourself from being used by God because of your natural weaknesses or disadvantages. He is more than happy to show Himself strong in those who will trust Him.

Pride comes before destruction, so always remember to give God the credit for any good things that He does through you. Our gifts, talents, and abilities all come from Him. What do we have that He did not give us? Absolutely nothing! Therefore, all the praise goes to Him.

Trust in Him: Even though you don’t deserve it and may not be naturally qualified, trust God to use you for His glory.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!      
Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

 

Start Right

I think I am having a change of heart with respect to Mondays. 99.9% of people hate Mondays; let’s face it, we all wish it was still the weekend.  Poor Mondays get bashed with cruel comments and bad attitudes because it represents the beginning of a new work week.  But recently, I’ve grown to understand the purpose of this day and the importance of starting your day right!

I can almost assure you that although I still do not love Mondays, (love is such a strong word) I do not despise it.  I look forward to starting the work week right.  You are given an unbelievable power that many do not know they possess; you get to set the tone to what the rest of the week will be for you.  Isn’t that awesome?  When you have the right attitude, life runs so much smoother than when you’re acting like a scrooge.  I’m not saying that every Monday for the rest of your life is going to be pure joy; of course we are going to have our days, we’re humans. What I am saying is that your attitude plays a big part of how your day will be.  If you choose to have a good day regardless of what happens, chances are your day will be good.  If you start each week with the right attitude and declare that it will be a blessed, purposeful and productive week, it will be just that. There is power in what you declare and there is also power in your actions. 
 

 

Let every Monday be your Motivation! Your motivation to complete your goals for the week, your motivation to get one step closer to your dreams, your motivation to be inspiring to others; that’s what your mindset should be.  Look at it this way; every Monday you have a brand new opportunity to get it right if it wasn’t last week.  You have a new opportunity to go back to the ‘drawing board’ and correct what was wrong and come back stronger than ever.  You have the opportunity to maximize on new opportunities that God is giving you. The possibilities are endless when you take advantage of a brand new start, that’s what Mondays can offer you; a fresh start.

Are you excited yet?  I don’t expect you to be jumping up and down and scream out loud: I love Mondays like a maniac!! I’m sure your co-workers will be looking at you very strangely but I do hope that you are able to grasp the essence of my message. If you start right, you’ll end right and that’s precisely what we should do every week, start right.  At the end of each work week, we should be able to look back and say; I had a blessed, purposeful and productive week because I decided to start the week right!

In your mouth is the power to bless or curse.  Change your attitude and bless your Mondays because by doing so, you are blessing the beginning of your work week and whatever projects you have set out to do that week. Declare God’s blessing over your life in general.  Want to have a blessed week? Start to declare that Mondays are a blessing and you will see that the Monday blessing will trickle down to every day of the week. And by the time the week is over, you will have seen that not only Monday was a blessing but Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That is how you have a blessed week.

Have you had a change of heart yet?

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

Expect Favor

As I was reading my daily devotional today, I came across a word that I’ve been declaring all year.  If you are in my inner circle and know me, you know that I’ve declared that this is the year of the Yes, the year of granted requests.  The word “favor” has been in my vocabulary in 2013 and so far, I’ve seen pretty cool things happen- definitely God’s favor.  This word was such a blessing to me and once again a reminder that God’s favor and blessing is upon us, we just have to confess it and believe it. This word comes from one of my favorites: Joyce Meyer!

Enjoy it and receive it in the name of Jesus!

[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring.  Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. -Psalm 27:13-14

 

God wants to give you favor-kindness that you don’t deserve.  We see mention of God’s favor toward many in the Bible, and there’s no reason to think He can’t offer it to you as well.  Learn to believe God for favor.  Confess several times a day that you have favor with God and man.  You will be amazed at the exciting things that happen to you if you speak God’s Word instead of how you feel.

Supernatural favor can be expressed in different ways.  You may get the job you want but are not naturally qualified for.  People seem to like you for no special reason.  You get the best seat in the restaurant with the best waiter.  People give you things for no reason at all.  Favor means that someone will stop and let you into a line of traffic while others are zooming by as if you are not even there.

Living in God’s favor is very exciting.  When Joseph was cruelly mistreated by his brothers and they sold him into slavery, God gave him favor everywhere he went. He had favor with Potiphar and was placed in charge of his household. He had favor with the jailer during his imprisonment for a crime he did not commit.  He had so much favor with Pharaoh that Joseph became second only to Pharaoh in power.  Yes, walking in God’s favor is an exciting way to live.  We see so many men and women whom we admire in the Bible being given favor: Ruth, Esther, Daniel, and Abraham, just to name a few.  Resist and refuse to let doubt convince you that good things won’t happen to you and your family; aggressively expect good things!

Trust in Him:
Ask God to give you divine, supernatural favor, and then trust He’ll do it as you look for in in your life.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!
Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

Grow Up!

For the past couple of weeks my brother Ronny has been talking about the importance of "growing up" in his Sunday morning messages to the church. He remembers when he turned thirteen, it was such a pivotal year in his life, and he remembers it like today! ...props to him, because I don't remember mine.. lol

Ronny was saying that when you turn thirteen, you officially become a teenager! In other words, you're no longer a child; therefore, you must start acting like an adult. There are certain things you should leave behind because you have outgrown them! 

And although we are already in the month of March (still pretty early in the year) I want to emphasize on the fact that we have entered into a new year and if we are expecting to experience a great year, we must leave behind the childishness and start behaving as adults. Basically, it’s time to grow up.

It's time to do grown up things, you're no longer a child
It's time to act like a grown up, you're no longer a child
It's time to speak like a grown up, you're no longer a child

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:2 "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it." Now, this is Paul speaking to the church and he was basically telling them, I have more to give you but because you have not matured enough, I can't give you solid food because you are not ready.

I would hate for God to tell me, I have so much more things to tell you, to show you, to give you but you're just not ready for it.. it's like! Ok, I'm going to get my act together RIGHT NOW because I want more! I don't want to settle for the baby stuff anymore, I can handle that, I need something bigger! Can you relate?

January and February have passed us by and for many it's been a great two months and for others, it hasn't been that great. But the beauty of all of this is, there is time to make 2013 into a different year! A year of what I like to say, the year of the YES, the year of your prayer requests answered. This is such a pivotal year for many of us because this is the year in which God will start to give us solid food! No more milk, no more baby food. He will start to give us big responsibilities that only a mature adult can handle. Are you ready for what is coming your way? Are you ready to receive God's big blessings in your life? You have to be, because God only gives to those who He can entrust His blessings to. But in order to receive what He has for us, we have to Grow Up!

The Bible says that we go from Glory to Glory. Yesterday's blessing was good, last year’s was great but God has something greater for you now. Stop living in the past! Stop living in the past glories, in what God did for you yesterday because He wants to do something greater in your life today.

I truly believe and have been confessing since the beginning of the year that this is the year of prayers answered, this is the year of the YES! This is the year in which God's promises will come to pass in many of our lives. The things we have been waiting for years, the words that God had spoken years ago, we will see them come to pass. Why? Because we have chosen to Believe first! We must believe before we can see!!

I am just so excited for what is to come and I want everyone to be connected with the Spirit so you won't miss out. God wants to bless everyone. The bible says that he is no respecter of persons, in other words, He has no favorites. So if He is doing it with me, He can do it with you. The question is, are you ready??? Make 2013 your best year yet!

Share your thoughts with me :-) What did you think about today's blog?

Be Encouraged & Be Blessed!

LandyPF ♥