Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation

Manifestation – the act, process, or an instance of manifesting. A perceptible, outward, or visible expression. http://www.wickipedia.com

Are you waiting for a manifestation or maybe several to happen in your life? Have you been praying unceasingly daily? Have you waited so long that you have just given up hope? Well, I have good news for you. Don’t give up hope because you are not alone. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation. Check out my website

Even with automation like toll booths where you have a device in your car that electronically communicates with the toll booth when there is no attendant to process your payment and keep you moving. In today’s day and age 24/7 fast food service, there are still times you have several cars in line ahead of you and you must wait to receive your order. Waiting for all of us is inevitable. Also, believe it or not, we have to wait more often than we think. Of course, there are times when we know we will have to wait no matter what. A pregnant mother waiting to give birth to her baby, boarding a plane with other people, and waiting on the runway to taxi for takeoff, whatever fruit or vegetable seeds you have planted in your garden to grow and produce. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation.

Manifestation is all about waiting and for most of us that is sometimes a daunting task especially if you are a Type A personality like myself. We want it done and we want it done yesterday. Then we realize the timing does not depend on us it depends on God and so we mellow some. Then our feathers get ruffled again because it is taking too long. Well, how long is too long? Let’s look at some examples from the bible. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation. Check out my website

Abraham – God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. When God said that Abraham and his wife Sarah did not have any children. They waited many years until Sarah convinced Abraham to have a child with her handmaid. The child was born and named Ishmael, but this was not the child God promised. At the age of 100, Abraham and Sarah 90 finally had the child God promised and they named him Isaac. Abraham waited 20 years.

Joseph – God spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him he would become a very powerful man and reign over many including his older brothers. He told that dream to his siblings and that angered them and so they threw him into a pit. A caravan of Ishmaelites found him in the pit and took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar’s wife made sexual advances on Joseph which he rebuked and so she lied about him trying to take advantage of her and was thrown in jail. Finally, when Pharoah needed an interpretation of a dream he called for Joseph to be brought to him. He told Joseph the dream and he interpreted it and was released by Pharoah and was promoted to chief administrator of Egypt second to Pharoah. From the time God gave Joseph the dream until it was manifested was 13 years.

Job – God allowed the devil to destroy everything that Job had so he could prove Job’s faithfulness to God. Job was a very wealthy man. Job lost everything including his wife and children. Job trusted God and remained faithful through it all. In the end when Job had passed the test God restored twice the amount of what Job originally had lost in cattle, property, children, crops, and children. Job had patience.

Don’t worry ladies I did not forget about you. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation.

Hannah – In the Book of Samuel, there is a story about a young woman named Hannah. She was married to a man named Elkanah and they were very much in love. Hannah, however, was not able to have children and after many tries, she convinced her husband Elkanah to take another wife named Peninnah who gave birth to several sons and daughters for him. However, Elkanah did not love Peninnah the way he loved Hannah and that drove Peninnah to jealousy. She taunted Hannah mercilessly about being barren, but Hannah kept her dignity and grace and held her tongue and continued to pray to God for a child. One day while Hannah was at the temple, she was so despondent and explained to the priest Eli what was troubling her. She said she was willing to give up her child if she ever had one that she would dedicate him to the church. God was so pleased with Hannah’s patience and perseverance that she did have a son and named him Samuel. She kept him up until he was 3 years old and then gave him to the church. She kept in contact visiting him and watched him grow. God blessed her patience by giving her 5 more children, three sons, and two daughters.

Esther – She was a young Jewish woman who was being raised by her cousin Mordecai. She was obedient and beautiful. She was sent by her cousin to become a part of King Ahasuerus harem. She finds favor with the king and becomes the queen. Her cousin Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill all the Jews and tells her she must speak with the king to save her people. Once getting informed of the plot to kill the Jews she becomes frightened and is overcome with helplessness. She is not allowed to see the king unless she is summoned. She goes to the king unsummoned and explains her plight. He resolves to save her people and kill the one who orchestrated this plot. Esther showed her faithfulness and belief in God that he would save her people if she did her part. God provided the manifestation for her.

Ruth – She is the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi has been compared to a female Job. She lost her home, husband, and children. Some say she lost even more than Job did. When Naomi’s and Ruth’s husband died Naomi advised Ruth to go on and live her life, but Ruth was a loyal woman and stayed with Naomi. Ruth had great faith. Her faith and belief in God that he would provide for Naomi and herself was solid. They introduced Ruth to a man named Boaz, and she proved to be a woman of integrity with Boaz. Ruth went to go work in the fields of a man named Boaz. Boaz was a single wealthy man. Boaz fell in love with Ruth and she went from a lowly field worker to being Boaz’s wife. The book of Ruth shows the workings of divine providence. The book reveals the extent of God’s grace. God blessed Ruth and manifested to her exceedingly and abundantly. God fully accepted Ruth into His elect people and recognized her with a role in continuing the family line into which his appointed king, David, and later His Son, Jesus, would be born. After Boaz married Ruth, she became pregnant and had a son named Obed. This man Obed became the father of Jesse. Now Jesse was the father of David who was in the direct family line of Jesus Christ.

Are you waiting for your manifestation? Patience is the key. We are always in a hurry and God is not. God’s timing is often a mystery. He doesn’t do things on our timetable. However, the Bible promises that God will not be late, not one single day. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” – Habakkuk 2:3. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – The Anointing

Anointing – to choose by or as if by divine election.

What does it mean to have an anointing on your life? It means God has chosen to work through you and gives you an opportunity to do something with ease, so it is not a struggle.
All of us would love to do things in our lives with ease since life can be so hectic. A good example of this is Christmas time and holiday shopping. Things sometimes get very chaotic at this time of the year. When we have the anointing in our lives, we don’t feel overwhelmed and anxious. With the anointing things flow like tranquil waters in a lake, like an eagle gliding through the air, and like a dinner, you watch being prepared at Kobe’s restaurant. If you have never dined at Kobe’s it is a Japanese Steakhouse Restaurant where the chefs prepare the food right in front of you on teppanyaki stainless steel grills. These grills are usually powered with gas and the chefs prepare quite an entertaining show while they are cooking your food. The tricks that they do on the grills with flaming hot fire are great and they do them with such ease. Book of Proverbs – The Anointing. Check out my website

How do we receive the anointing on our lives? We must keep peace in our lives. We must stay away from strife. We must be sensitive to The Holy Spirit because he is our helper, instructor, and educator. We need to have an intimate relationship with God because it is possible to have an anointing on your life for everything, not just things involving church or ministry. When you have an anointing on your life you can accomplish whatever it is you need to do in all areas of your life. Book of Proverbs – The Anointing

As with anything where God is concerned, he is always looking for willing vessels. If we will make ourselves available God will work through us and do amazing things. Strive for peace and keep the anointing on your life. Book of Proverbs – The Anointing. Check out my website

Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can

God – the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe. A being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers and to require human worship; specifically. – Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can. Check out my website

God can do anything and everything even though we sometimes think and feel certain things are impossible even for God. Let’s look at some of the things that only God can do and did. – Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can.

In today’s society, there are so many people dealing with sadness, hopelessness, dejection. Society categories this as depression. Human beings on a whole figure that we are 100% achievers. An achiever is always looking to get or attain something because of great exertion. Like Joyce Meyer says, “we are meant to be believers, not achievers. The achiever works and works…saved by grace but living by human effort. However, the believer rests in the grace of God…and follows the leading of the Holy Spirit into an abundant productive victorious life.”

In the examples of biblical stories that you will read below, you will see that even in biblical times people struggled with depression and relied on exertion. However, in their time of need when they could not fix their situation no matter how they tried it came down to one thing – Only God Can. Check out my website

The Beginning

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And God said, let there be light: and there was light. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and overall the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1 verses 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 16, 20, 24, and 26. – Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can. Check out my website

The Red Sea

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. – Exodus 14:13-16. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can.

Daniel In the Lion’s Den

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also, before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God. – Daniel 6:16-23. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can.

Jonah in the Belly of the Whale

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. – Jonah 2:1-10. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can.

Three Hebrew Boys Delivered from the Fiery Furnace

Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore, he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. – Daniel 3:10-27. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can. Check out my website

Modern Day Miracles that Only God Can

Baby Born with Heart Outside Her Body – Leicester, England

Brain Dead Woman Gives Birth to a Healthy Baby – Lisbon, Portugal

Man, Who Survived For 555 Days Without A Heart Waiting for A Transplant Survived on An Artificial Device Doctors Implanted in Him – Ann Arbor, Michigan

Dog survives 5 weeks on highway median with a broken leg – Sacramento, CA

Eight-month-old baby girl stuffed in a plastic trash bag abandoned survived 72 hours before found – Elmira NY

With all this truth and documentation what makes you think that God cannot produce a miracle for you. Whether it is restoring your health, providing you with a new job, saving your business, giving you a spouse, lifting you to higher heights after bankruptcy, getting you approved for that dream car you want, giving you that dream vacation you always wanted. Remember ONLY GOD CAN! Christian Books – Donna Louis – Only God Can. Check out my website

The seasons have changed again, and Summer is finally here! Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point

It is July and we have all reached the halfway point of the year. We have gone through the first six months of the year. No doubt we have all had many ups and downs. We have encountered many trials as well as many moments of euphoria.

At the beginning of the year, we had a lot of hopes and dreams that this would be the breakthrough year in many areas of our lives. We made a list of goals that we intended to accomplish no matter what. However here we are starting the second part of the year and we have not accomplished anything near what we had planned. There are some of us that may not have even checked off one of the goals on our list. So where do we go from here? Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point. Check out my website

We do like the classic Frank Sinatra song says, “Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” We must remember the old saying, “if at first, you don’t succeed try, try, again.”

We all have become a set of people that want instant gratification. That is very evident with all the fast food places to eat. Let’s not forget drive-through where we don’t even have to get out of the car!

Whether it is getting out of debt, losing weight, quitting smoking, etc, etc., we must go back to the grassroots method. Nothing happens overnight but if we keep at it and pursue it with our whole heart eventually we will reach the finish line and have success. – Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.

I am sure that some of you when you were a kid had jigsaw puzzles you would put together. You would start off strong and could match the right pieces where they belonged easily. However, as you went along almost always when you picked up a piece to interlock into the puzzle it was the wrong piece. After a while what you thought you would have had completed in a brief period was taking hours. Through the euphoria, frustration, and timing eventually, you finally completed the puzzle and you were so happy once it was done. You smiled a big smile and stuck out your chest and proclaimed victory. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.

This is the way it is in adult life as well as we tackle our goals. Things don’t always shape up the way we want but that doesn’t mean we give up! Try reassessing your goals. Maybe some of them were unrealistic from the beginning.

If you are looking to get out of debt don’t expect it to happen overnight. You didn’t get yourself into debt in an abbreviated period of time so don’t expect it to go away in a fleeting moment. Sure, you can engage with a debt consolidation firm and tie all the debt into one payment, or you can file bankruptcy. Even with debt consolidation, you will still have a bill to pay over an extended period. If you go with bankruptcy sure all the debt is gone but you will have 10 years to wait for it to drop off your credit report. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.

If you are looking to lose weight that also will not happen overnight. You didn’t gain the extra 30, 50, 70, 100, or more lbs. overnight. They say the natural and safe way to lose weight is to lose about 10lbs. per month which amounts to 2.5 lbs. per week. Set a realistic weight loss amount and then remember to give yourself wiggle room. Try using the 80/20 rule. Eat right 80% of the time and allow yourself the 20% for the times for when you just must have the big bucket of popcorn loaded with butter at the movies or, your favorite flavor ice-cream or, whatever it is that you enjoy that you just must have sometimes. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.

If you are looking to quit smoking and you have been smoking for over 10 or 20 years don’t expect to just quit in one week. Now don’t get me wrong there are miracles that take place in our lives now and then. This one I can say for myself was a miracle. My husband and I both smoked for over 20 years. One day back in the year 2001 my husband decided he was just going to quit smoking cold turkey because he refused to pay $4.00 a pack for cigarettes. He told me you can keep smoking if you want but I quit. Well, I decided I would try it as well. I was never a heavy daily smoker only ½ a pack a day or on stressful days maybe ¾’s of a pack. However, I tried it along with him and honestly, God took the cravings from us both almost immediately. I had some temptations in the first week but never gave in and after that, we never picked up cigarettes again. This has been over 19 years now. I don’t recommend this method for everyone but please don’t be harsh on yourself if you are not able to quit for 3 months and then you have a lapse. Don’t think to yourself I will never be able to quit, this is just my life. I will always be a smoker. No, don’t put that branding on your life. Remember what the bible says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. – Philippians 4:13. We all have goals and things we want to conquer including me.

So, enjoy your summer, live life to the fullest, thank God for life because the next day is not promised to any of us, and be grateful you made it to the halfway point because there are so many who did not. Reassess your goals and grab the bull by the horns and roar into The Halfway Point! Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point. Check out my website

Courage – mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. – Christian Books – Donna Louis – Courage. Check out my website

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. – Deuteronomy 31:6

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:9

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. – Psalm 27:14

And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. – Daniel 10:19

As you can see from above there are numerous places in the bible that says you are to have the courage and fear not. God created us to be strong and not weak. We are to be bold and vivacious. This is something that we can easily master when we rely on our heavenly father. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. – Philippians 4:13.

Moses appointed Joshua to be the new leader once God had informed Moses that he would not travel into the promise land. Once Moses passed away God told Joshua he would be with him and don’t be afraid and have the courage to lead the people. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Courage.

God was with David when he went to fight Goliath and killed him. David’s confidence in a powerful, wise, loving God was key. The Bible says that after Samuel anointed him with oil, “the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” If we try to emulate David’s attitude, our confidence in God will produce the courage to face any giant in our lives. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Courage.

God was with Samson when he killed 1,000 Philistines. Ask someone who was the strongest man in the Bible and you’ll likely hear “Samson.” After all, it’s not every day that one hears of a man who kills 1,000 men in hand-to-hand combat. Armed with only the jawbone of a donkey, Samson was one tough adversary. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Courage.

God was with Nehemiah when he appealed to King Artxerxes of Persia and won his backing to return to the land of his ancestors to rebuild the walls of the city.

God was with Esther the queen when Haman, the second-most powerful man in the land, persuaded King Xerxes to condemn the 9 million Jews in the kingdom to death. She risked her life by approaching Xerxes and revealing that she was a Jew. Xerxes changed his mind, and the Jews were delivered.

God was with Noah when he asked Noah to build the ark. Noah listened to God. God spoke to him only once, and he built the ark on dry ground and waited decades for it to rain. To others, his faith appeared foolish, but it was an act of obedience to God. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Courage.

God was with Barnabas. Before his conversion, Paul persecuted Christians, so members of the early Church didn’t trust him at first. But Barnabas believed Paul’s conversion was genuine and saw his potential, and he was willing to risk his reputation to vouch for him. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Courage.

God was with John the Baptist. John called people to repent: to take stock of their lives, realize they were sinners, and turn to God. He eventually was thrown into jail and executed, but Jesus said, “among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.”

God was with Gideon when he downsized his army of men from 32,000 to 300 before waging war. Gideon asked God for a sign before acting. We might think that Gideon was wrong to do this, but the opposite is true: Gideon was sensitive to God and stood in the gap for His people against a fierce enemy. God challenged Gideon to trust Him, and God was pleased with his faith and courage. If you attune yourself to listen to God’s voice today, he will give you words of correction and encouragement.

Do you believe that God can do remarkable things – impossible things – through your life? God is looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary things by just stepping out, trusting God, and having courage. Will you be one of them? Christian Books – Donna Louis – Courage. Check out my website 

To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. – Ecclesiastes 3;1-8. Christian Books – Donna Louis – To Everything There Is A Season.

Well, it has finally arrived. The summer season is officially here. Family barbecues almost weekly, crowded beaches, long lines at amusement parks for rides, sailboats, powerboats, boats of all types in the water, picnics, bonfires, going to a drive-in movie theatre, take a nap in a hammock, go to live outdoor concerts, fly a kite, go on vacation, etc.

Summer is a great season and an outdoor season, but all the seasons have their highs and lows. Summer season lows can bring sunburn, dehydration, mosquito and insect issues, etc. We all also have seasons in our lives where we encounter high and lows. Farmers know a lot about seasons. Christian Books – Donna Louis – To Everything There Is A Season. Check out my website

Spring – this season normally begins in the latter part of March and ends in the latter part of June. When spring comes, and the weather warms up, farmers begin to prepare the soil for planting. Spring is the season of new life and new growth. Once the ground is thawed out from the cold of the winter, farmers often plant their crops. In April and May, the fields get planted with the seeds of crops. These crops may be ready for harvest in only a month or not until many months later. This is an exciting time for the farmer. This same principle applies to us because we come alive and feel like we have been revived. However, just like the crops, there will be highs and lows. Some things will go well and be ready for harvest and some things may need more time. That doesn’t mean we give up on our dreams and pursuits we just must persevere. Christian Books – Donna Louis – To Everything There Is A Season.

Summer – summer occurs from the end of June till the middle of September. During the summer months, there are constantly things to do around the farm. There is always plenty of weeding in the garden to do, and there is never a shortage of cutting grass. We can learn a lot from ants and how they operate in the summer months. The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer. – Proverbs 30:25. Ants never quit. When they are on the trail for food, they don’t let any obstacle stand in their way. They just don’t stand there shaking their heads in disbelief. They don’t give up on their goal. They don’t start to feel sorry for themselves and decide that success isn’t for them. They confront their obstacles and walk around it, over it, though it or under it, until they achieve their desired outcome. They think winter all summer. In life, we should be using the exact same process. Christian Books – Donna Louis – To Everything There Is A Season.

Fall – During the months of fall, usually late September to late December, farms are busy with getting things ready for the chilly winter months. It is important that it is dry out when harvesting takes place because hay and most of the crops cannot be stored while they are wet. This makes harvesting stressful for many farmers due to the constant change in weather during the fall. In our lives, the fall season is also stressful sometimes. Children are returning to school, more traffic on the roadways because the schools have re-opened. With children returning to school then all their school activities such as football, music class, ballet, etc. come back and take even more of a dent out of our daily grinds. Our employers are looking for strong closing 3rd quarter tax numbers before the 4th quarter starts. This is when we need to pace ourselves and connect closer to God to renew our strength every day. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31. Christian Books – Donna Louis – To Everything There Is A Season.

Winter – Once winter rolls around on the farm, everything settles down on the farm. Even when it’s too cold for crops to grow, farmers still have duties on the farm. Even after the combines are sparklingly clean and put away for the winter, crop farmers don’t stop farming. The winter months are a time to prepare for the coming year by budgeting for and purchasing things like seed and fertilizer. When the wintry weather comes around and there are cold rainy days and the snows have descended upon us and we revert to eastern standard time for some of us things can become a little depressing. One great pick me up is the Christmas lights on people’s homes and stores. Christian Books- Donna Louis – To Everything There Is A Season.

There are times in everyone’s life when things go wrong and not according to plan.  Unfortunately, I can almost guarantee that there will be disappointments and let-downs, making certain periods of your life seem like Winter. However, statements like, “Life is always hard and disappointing”, “I can never get ahead where things go my way” and “I’m always stressed” can be extremely damaging and depressing after a while, making our low periods seem longer and sometimes actually last longer. Understand that tough times always end, things do get better and Summer is coming!

Remember life is what you make it. Sure, there will be highs and lows but try changing your thought pattern. Say things like, “I have an inbuilt optimism and know that the lean times won’t last forever. Everything and everybody prospers me.” Start to look at the glass as if it is half full and not half empty. Christian Books – Donna Louis – To Everything There Is A Season. Check out my website

Christian Books – Donna Louis – Running Hot and Cold

Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God. – Leviticus 18:4

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. – John 10:4

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. – John 8:12

For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. – Isaiah 3:8

For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that he would not shew them the land, which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. – Joshua 5:6

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: – Deuteronomy 28:15. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Running Hot and Cold. Check out my website

There are times in life when you will be running hot and cold. If you have a fever or chills you will feel hot and cold. When you take a shower you normally combine the hot water faucet and the cold, so it is a mixed temperature, so you don’t scald your body with too much hot water and you don’t freeze your body with too much chilly water. If you’re old-fashioned and wash your own dishes or if it’s just yourself and maybe someone else in the household instead of running the dishwasher you wash the dishes yourself and use the same format as the above example and mix the water temperatures. If you go into a sauna which is meant to make you sweat and remove toxins from your body while you are in there you are hot but once you come out, you need to wrap your body with a bathrobe or else you will immediately feel cold. These are all examples of running hot and cold. However, you should not be running hot and cold in your spiritual life. When Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for you he did not have second thoughts and run hot and cold. Christian Books – Donna Louis- Running Hot and Cold.

When life is great you are running hot. You are quick to read your bible, follow your bible, go to church, follow the golden rule, give your tithes to the church, help your neighbor, be kind to a co-worker, volunteer your time at organizations, give to charities, etc. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Running Hot and Cold.

When life is testing your faith then you are running cold. You have no intention of reading your bible because God is not answering your prayers. You don’t even know where the bible is. Going to church is the last thing on your mind. You don’t want to follow the golden rule because why should you be nice to others when you are in pain with your personal issues. I need every penny I can get my hands on so why should I tithe. There are many other people in the church who are tithing so the church doesn’t need my money. I can save my tithe money, so I can buy all my Starbucks lattes for the week which I need to keep me awake to go to this treacherous job where nobody cares and are the most ungrateful bunch of people I have ever encountered. I’m not the only person on the block so my neighbor can ask someone else to borrow their lawnmower. I work 60 or more hours per week, so I don’t have time to be kind to a co-worker or volunteer my time at different organizations. I am not donating or giving to any charities because I am a charity case myself. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Running Hot and Cold.

WOW, that was a mouthful! Let me take a breath.

God provided us all with a beautiful thing called memory and remembrance. Let’s reflect a moment, shall we?

1-Even though your credit score is not 800 God got you approved for that brand-new car when your old car the clunker that it is was on its last leg.

2-There have been three rounds of layoffs at your job within the last year, but you are still employed so you can continue to pay for that new car.

3-You don’t have healthcare, but God continues to keep you healthy and strong where you can move around on your own and you still have use of your five senses.

4-There are times when you didn’t have enough money to pay your cell phone bill or buy groceries for the week, but you do have that trusty old water bottle in your place where you could take out all the coins and change and go to the supermarket and put them in the coin star machine and then go to the customer service desk and get bills and handle what you need to.

5- What about the times when you wrote a check to pay a bill for a disconnect and you are hoping the check doesn’t clear the bank before your pay is direct deposited. You get lucky and it works for your good.

There are countless other examples that I can use but I know you all get my drift. Remember what the bible says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” – Hebrews 13:5. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Running Hot and Cold.

God has made some very powerful promises to us and if we would just be obedient and heed his words we will be abundantly blessed. Stop Running Hot and Cold, God doesn’t. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Running Hot and Cold. Check out my website

And he said, hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. – 2 Chronicles 20:15-17. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Battle Is Not Yours – It’s The Lords.

Notice the words that are used in this passage: You will not need to fight. Position yourself. Stand still and see. Do not fear. There are a lot of action words here, but it’s clearly conveyed that all God’s people must do is be obedient and submissive to God and He will do the rest. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Battle Is Not Yours –  It’s The Lords. – Check out my website

In the book of Judges, Chapter 7, there was a man named Gideon, who had an army of 32,000 men and was about to wage war on the Midianites. The Midianites were the people whose hands the children of Israel were delivered for seven years by the Lord because Israel did evil in the Lord’s sight. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Battle Is Not Yours – It’s The Lords.

When the Lord was ready to destroy the Midianties he sent an angel who appeared unto Gideon and said, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.” Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Battle Is Not Yours – It’s The Lords.

Now, as Gideon was prepared to wage war, the Lord wasn’t pleased with the company of men Gideon had. And the Lord said unto Gideon, “The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, ‘Mine own hand hath saved me.’ And so, as you read on further, you will see that Gideon cut down his company of men from 32,000 to 10,000.

God again spoke to Gideon and said that the men he had with him were still too many. Verse 4 reads: “And the Lord said unto Gideon, “The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there; and it shall be that of whom I say unto thee, “This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.” As you continue to read on among verses 5-8, God explained to Gideon what formula he would use to lessen his troop. As you can clearly see, God will not share his glory with any man.  He cut the troop down to 300 men.  Remember, back in verse 2, where God says, “Less the men say mine own hand hath saved me.” Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Battle Is Not Yours – It’s The Lords.

And so, the Lord delivered the Midianites into the hand of Gideon and his downsized army of 300 men.  “And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him, ‘Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.'”

God used a very unusual way to deliver the Midianites into the hand of Gideon and his army, you can read the entire story of Gideon in the Bible in Judges 6:11 – Judges 8.

We all know the classic movie by director Cecil B DeMille “The Ten Commandments” and how pharaoh’s army was destroyed in the Red Sea. “And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared, and the Egyptians fled against it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus, the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. – Exodus 14:26-30.

God is an all-powerful, almighty, awesome Lord.  God is a Lord of justice and will never leave you or forsake you ever. God is a conqueror. Test your faith, what problem do you currently have that needs to be battled? Are you going through a battle with an employer, spouse, family member, friend, or even your children? You can’t change them only God can. Remember, The Battle Is Not Yours –  It’s the Lords. – Check out my website