God Is Good

Happy Friday everyone!

We’ve all heard it: "God is good, all the time… and all the time God is good". It almost sounds cliché but I really want you to grasp the meaning behind those words. Despite your current situation, God is good and will remain good.. all the time! Not just sometimes, not once a month, not only on happy days but God is good all the time. Things may change in your life, but God never changes, He is constant.. God is good!

 

The Bible consistently describes God as good. “Good” is the consistent scriptural description of the nature and actions of God. We see this manifested in Bible’s earliest revelation about God and His creative acts, the word “good” is used repeatedly. God described as “good” the things He made on the various days of creation, and the overall work of creation was summarized as “very good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25).

When God revealed Himself to Moses and the nation of Israel, it was in these terms: “And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth’” (Exodus 34:6)

The Bible also says in James 1:17 that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning”. If a gift is “good,” it ultimately comes from God—the unchanging God. “You are good, and do good” (Psalm 119:68). This reminds us that once again, God is good.

You may not see the complete picture or even understand the overall plan that God has for you but let me tell you, it is a good one. The road that has been mapped out for you may not be easy, but it is good—it's very good. God is good, and that goodness is seen as He accomplishes His purpose in your life. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that we must be confident because the good work that God has begun in our lives, He will bring it to completion. So, if you find yourself questioning God’s goodness in your life, remember that you’re only seeing a glimpse of His masterpiece, just wait until you see the whole picture- you will be blown away! In the meantime, declare that God is good….all the time! He’s not done with you.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

 

Steps

The first quarter of 2014 is over.

Today we embark a new quarter, a new month, a new day. Looking back on the first three months of the year, how would you evaluate it? Are you proud of your accomplishments? Did you set short term goals and meet them? It’s important to acknowledge small achievements and celebrate your progress, even if it’s one step at a time. Why? Because you’re one step closer to where you envisioned yourself to be. No one can desire it more than you. No one can see the vision as clear as you can. No one can want it more than you. People can help carry out the vision for you, they can assist you in accomplishing your dreams but ultimately it falls on you because the dream is yours not theirs. Everyone has a place they’re trying to get to, everyone has a destination assigned to them, and everyone will be focused on their individual journey.

Image by Designated Disaster

So, as we enter a new phase of the year 2014, I ask you to re-evaluate your life and where it's headed. Ask the core questions that will give you clear and concise answers, because those answers will shed light in areas that are still darkened with doubt and confusion. Have the mindset of a champion that is focused and determined to make it to the end victoriously. Only you know how far you want to go. Only you know where you’re meant to be. We all have a purpose in this life and God is the one who reveals and pin points every detail of our lives. If you’re in sync with Him, you’re on the right path to living a purposeful life.

Beware of the roadblocks and detours that will try to redirect your path. Your path may be under construction and you may have to be redirected into an unfamiliar path but if you’re tuned in and focused to what God has for you, then you will arrive to the right place, at the right time and the right people will be waiting for you. Otherwise, you will end up lost, perhaps in a remote area or even in a place where you do not fit because that's not where you are suppose to be.

When in the correct path, be in expectation of what lies ahead, for God has prepared your grand arrival. You will not have to seek others; they will have already know of you and will be waiting with open arms for you. Everything you need will have already been provided. All of the resources and connections will be at your disposal and granted to you. All you need to do is arrive!

When we are obedient to the voice of the Lord and we walk in His perfect will and not ours, these treasures are made available to us. Psalm 37:23 declares that a man's steps are established by the LORD, and He takes pleasure in his way. Proverbs 16: 9 says that we can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. And Proverbs 20:24 states that the LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

I say all of that to say this, our life is not our own, to God we belong. Our steps are ordered by Him, our plans are to be submitted by Him and our lives are to be directed by Him. He is the orchestrator of it all. When we are obedient to His ways, His path, and His future for us, we become victorious and successful in all that we do, and everywhere that we go. The bible says that He takes pleasure in the steps that He establishes for us because He is so excited for us to see His grand plan for us. Can you imagine, following God’s lead and at the end, when we reach the place where He intended us to arrive at, He’s like: “ta-ra… This is what I had planned for you all along!” I can only imagine because our thoughts are not His thoughts and if I think BIG, He thinks B.I.G.G.E. R. !!!

Trust His Ways • Trust His Path • Trust His Promises

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

 

 

 

Speak Life

 

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names/words can never hurt me” - Nursery Rhyme

 

Now think...think..think....

 

I remember screaming this back to kids who during recess would hurl mean words at me and to be honest, I think I might have been on the receiving end of this infamous statement as well :-).  But the truth is that words do hurt and names do mark us and to think otherwise is a great danger.  I believe wholeheartedly that a truer statement of the power of words came from a Journalism teacher I once had in college.  He said:

 

“We are wordsmiths and as such, are responsible for the words we share”  

 

Words have power.

 

The Bible further confirms this.  Take a look at the infamous “Tongue = Life or Death” scripture:

 

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. (AMP)

 

Your words have much more power than you attribute to them:  The power to build and tear down, the power to encourage or discourage, the power to love to hate, etc.  The list goes on and on!

 Can I share a story with you?  Great!  Here goes:

 

A few years ago, I received a call to put a band together for an international Christian artist who would be on tour in the Tri-State area.  I was excited to take on the task not because it was  my first time but because I am so passionate about music.  I immediately called friends who are phenomenal musicians and asked them to come on board on yet another band I had to put together.  

 

Drums?  CHECK!.......Guitars?  CHECK.......Bass?  CHECK!........Keys?  Check?!?!  (Hmmmm)

 

I usually play keys for these bands but recently felt insecure in my gift (yes yes, it happens to the best of us).  However, I took a bold step and shut down all insecurities, I thanked God for my gift and was also encouraged by a circle of phenomenal musicians who believed in my gift and would SPEAK LIFE into my life as a musician.  

 

After months of preparation, I received a call from the artist’s manager.  I still remember that I pulled the car into the church parking lot as I saw his name pop up on my phone’s screen and with excitement I picked up the call:

 

“Hey! God bless!”

“Hey Ruthy...”

“What’s going on?”

“Listen, I know you’ve been putting the band together but when the artist heard you were playing keys, he said ‘If she is playing, I’d rather sing alone with tracks’”

[Silence]

“Thanks Ruthy but if you’re playing, we have to cancel the band”

“.....ok, God bless”

 

I froze......pain in my chest....fingertips cold...speechless......

 

I walked out of the car and into the back door of the church.  As I opened the door, my father stood at the bottom of the steps with his usual “¿Como estas mi linda?” I fell into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.  The wordsmith who once sat in a Journalism class, the little girl who would yell at recess “words can never hurt me” now stood as a woman, unable to form a thought because words had literally shattered her to pieces; they had spoken death over her life as a musician.  Every insecurity came up, every doubt in my gift screamed louder than any word of encouragement could during that season of brokeness.  A series of events before and after multiplied the hurt and like a night stand, my keyboards became places for books, jewelry and dust....nothing more, nothing less.

 

But God! Yes, But God!!

 

That season of brokeness sparked by the words of a manager came to an end when I surrendered the broken pieces of my heart to my Creator and He spoke words of love, kindness and confirmed that the gift He had given me was entrusted to the right person..Me!  God then placed others that once again spoke life into me.  I decided to push myself as a musician, learn more, do more. Wow!  Words nearly sent me down a path of destruction BUT GOD!!

 

So how does this story end?  It doesn’t. Instead it grows with me as I continue to understand that my words DO have power and that I am responsible to build up those around me.  Even a word of rebuke spoken in love will speak life!  

 

BE ENCOURAGED! Those words that were spoken over you to seemingly destroy are cancelled by the one who Created you!  He knows you best and will surround you with His best.  

 

Speak Life :-)

Ruthy Rodriguez 

{Thank you Ruthy for being my guest blogger today and sharing this heart-felt message. Remember to always Speak Life!}

Photo Credit: With Love Photography

 

Power Source

For those who know me, I’m always on my phone or my iPad doing something. My important notes, messages, studies are on those devices; a lot of the chapters written in my book are documented in there. I write my blogs many times on my iPad, an idea or event often comes to life because I jot it down on my phone (real quick)…What am I trying to say? I use electronic devices a lot; it’s a powerful and practical tool that makes my life a lot easier. Thank you Apple, thank you Siri.. Lol

It’s funny because sometimes I freak out because I’m running low on battery and I feel the need to charge my phone or iPad now, not in ten minutes, not in two minutes but NOW because I am losing power. Just like we look forward to plugging in our devices every night to make sure we have a full charged battery for the next day, we should also be as eager to plugin with God through prayer.

 

Prayer is power! Your place of prayer is your place of power. God is our power source and in order to feel fully recharged every day, we must pray every day. You can have all of the resources, be the best in your field, the most creative and talented person but if you do not plug yourself to the power source, which is God, you are slowly dying.  Just as a phone or any other electronic device has vital information and is very useful, if it’s not charged, that information becomes useless.

We all should look forward to our prayer time; it’s our time to connect with God. It is through prayer that we receive revelation and direction from our power source. With each prayer we say, God revitalizes us and our battery percentage goes up until we are fully charged. Through prayer we receive power because The Almighty Powerful One lives in us and is manifested through us. Prayer gives us power to conquer and to believe that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

I encourage you today to stay connected with God through prayer, if you find yourself running low on battery, plug in. Only prayer can connect you to the power you need to keep alive.

 

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!                                                                                                                         

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

 

 

There is purpose {Speak Life}

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. Proverbs 18:21

We have been given an incredible tool which is our mouth and what comes out of our mouth is powerful. And what we speak holds great responsibility. We are accountable not only for our actions but for our words as well.  The bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue.  What you say is powerful and every word pronounced has a purpose.  What are you declaring, death or life?

 

Sometimes it’s better to just stay quiet, right?  We’ve all heard the saying: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.  If your criticism is not constructive and if its purpose is not to build but to destroy, is it really worth saying? There has to be purpose in what you speak! What about my problems Landy?  You have no idea what I am going through? Some may say that but I want to tell you that even in the mist of your troubled times, you can still control what comes out of your mouth.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can overcome any situation.  If you do what you can do, God will certainly do what you cannot do.  

Do not allow your problems and disappointments to overcome your thoughts which will later translate into words.  Acknowledge them but do not dwell on them, focus your attention on declaring purposeful words over your life. Fuel your mind with the goodness that God has in store for you.  Remember, your trials too shall pass, they have an expiration date. [Hallelujah!]  So, start rejoicing in the joy of the Lord and be in a ‘great expectation’ state of mind, expect that something great is about to happen.  Fill your mouth with God’s promises and declare His blessings over your life and you will see that as your praises go up; blessings will began to come down. 

Take a moment and give yourself a pep-talk and say: (Insert your name) I refuse to continue to live a life of fear, depression, anger and bitterness! I am better than that and I will no longer continue to feed into the lies of the enemy.  I have been given a powerful weapon and I will start to use it correctly and immediately.  I speak life into my life and into my family.  Whatever struggles I am facing that apparently are dead (no solution, impossible) I speak the powerful words of life over it. I receive God’s acceptance, His joy and His blessings.  I will change my vocabulary and I will speak life and in abundance because my words have purpose.

Trust God to give you the strength you need in anything and everything you do and say.

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 ♥

Empty Nest

Our family will be celebrating an important event tomorrow afternoon, my little (not so little) baby brother will be getting married!!!

It's still hard to believe that Ronny, the baby of the family is all grown up and will be embarking on a whole new journey will his lovely wife to be, Elissia. I am so proud of the man he has become and I know he will be a wonderful husband and the coolest dad (someday). 

I know that tomorrow will be a day full of different types of emotions (Kleenex please!) Our friends and family along with our church will be celebrating their union as man and wife.  There will be a lot of tears (of course, it's Papa we're talking about.. 96% of the church saw him in diapers..) there will be laughter, happiness, joy but especially, the family (my parents specifically) will be experimenting the "empty nest"... again! And although, it will be tough, but I know that my parents and our family as a whole is so happy to formally welcome Elissia into our family.  She makes my brother complete, brings out the best in him and makes him happy and that is all we ever wanted for him, happiness!

So, as I write these lines, I think back at our childhood together and how much fun we had growing up together, laughing, crying, playing pranks on each other, fighting... etc.. the joys of having a sibling.  And something my sister and I always tell him is that He will never be too grown for us, we will always be his big sisters (in age.. obviously not in height) and we will always love him, give him an earful, pinch him, punch him, hit him.. in other words, he will still endure all of the sisterly abuse he endured during his childhood.  His wife will see that things have not changed one bit in our relationship as siblings and they will never change because we have a special, unique, weird bond that only we understand!! Lol

Ronny, I want to tell you that I love you so much, you are the BEST brother anyone could have, although you are the youngest, many times you acted as the oldest because your young years are full of wisdom. I know that God will continue to bless you and your new family in this new chapter of your life.

God Bless you baby brother! xoxo

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥