God looks @ your heart!

Henry Blackaby tells the story of a very self-righteous man who prayed: ‘Lord, there’s something wrong. I read the Bible, pray regularly, attend church faithfully and always give to charity, yet I don’t have much. My brother doesn’t do any of these things, yet he’s got tons of money. How come you’ve given him so much and me so little?’ After a pause, a voice said, ‘Because you’re a sanctimonious pain in the neck!’ The Bible says, ‘…God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6 NKJV). God looks at your heart’s intent; He judges your motives. You can sit in church with a heart that’s far from God. The Israelites did (Isaiah 1:10-17). You can help the needy and still be greedy. Judas did (John 12:4-8 NIV). You can proclaim your love for Jesus yet be influenced by the devil. Peter did (Matthew 26:31-35 NIV). You can make sacrifices yet still be living in disobedience. King Saul did (1 Samuel 13:7-14 NIV). You can pray with the wrong motives. Some folks in the New Testament church did (James 4:3 NIV). You can even be a pastor who loves crowds but has no time for individuals. Check your heart! The Good Shepherd left His ninety-nine sheep to look for the one who was lost. Then He carried it home on His shoulders, rejoicing. ‘Motives are weighed by the Lord.’ God sees your heart. Everything you do must be motivated by love for Him and for others. So look beyond your actions to what lies behind them. Ask God to show you what He sees.

 

OPERATING THE PEACE RULE-UCB

If you don’t have peace about it, don’t proceed! Often peace is all God will give you to let you know whether you’re in or out of His will. So how can you operate by the peace rule? ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand…His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest…’ (Philippians 4:6-7 TLB). Pay close attention to the words, ‘Don’t worry…instead, pray.’ Prayer transfers the problem from you to Jesus. ‘Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you. Be careful—watch out for attacks from satan…Stand firm when he attacks…’ (1Peter 5:7-9 TLB). Don’t give the devil a few days to work you over. The longer you wait to resist him, the stronger his hold over you becomes. The moment you find yourself worrying, stop and ask, ‘What’s the enemy trying to do here? If I give in to these thoughts and emotions, what will the result be?’ ‘Do not give the devil a foothold’ (Ephesians 4:27 NIV). Know your enemy, and each time he attacks put him to flight by saying what Jesus said to him in the wilderness: ‘…It is written…’ (Matthew 4:4 NIV). When Jesus said for the third time, ‘It is written,’ we read, ‘The devil left him, and angels came and attended him’ (v.11 NIV). So here’s the question: How well do you know God’s Word?

Ellys Thought; Cultivating The Right Attitude

Today at work, a colleague really got me upset, and because it was a customer facing environment, I had to bite my upper lip and stay mute, I wouldnt wash my dirty linen in public, not infront of customers, no way lol! I knew my time would come, and I guess he also didnt expect less and because he knew he was wrong, he decided to play soft. I would always address an issue, its so much energy bearing a grudge or dont you think so? Except when you get the vibe that certain people want to be left alone or better still the relationship will be healthier if its from a distance Yes! you heard me right, Trust me not every relationship is meant to be, Yes! We are in the real world. Now when I confront him, he goes "O Elly!" you know I love, you and |I respond by saying love, its not the issue, just do the right thing!! And you wont believe he goes "Elly you know I will do anything for you" can you imagine this guy?? lol! And I finally sit him down and let him realise, that by doing the right thing, hes actually cultivating the right character for himself and developing a healthy personality.

Now often times, we do the wrong thing and hide under the pretence of love( which most of us are guilty of) but the truth is that there is only as far as we can get. Do the right thing and leave love out of the question. Also do the right thing not because of who is involved but because it is the right thing to do. If we do the right thing because of who is involved, we end up enslaving ourselves and leaving in mediocrity.
So when you go out today, In all you act, do and say, dont forget to do what is right, regardless of who is involved and you stand out from the rest.

The word for today-UCB

Walking on water (3)
Let’s observe two final things: 1) Between the dread and the devastation, look for the Deliverer. Picture a boat lashed by huge waves, and frightened disciples who thought they were going under. They forgot the promise: ‘God is…a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…’ (1-2 NKJV). They didn’t look for Jesus to rescue them. Yet as the night advanced and things looked hopeless, ‘…Jesus went to them, walking on the sea’ (Matthew 14:25 NKJV). Did they rejoice? No, their fear intensified and they said, ‘…It’s a ghost!...’ (14:26 NKJV). Look out! Your fear can distort your perceptions and make you see the answer as just another problem. Often what appears a threat is actually a blessing about to manifest itself. For example, you lose your job and God opens up a better one, but your fear and inadequacy make you avoid the interview. Look to Jesus in your time of fear; when He takes away the lesser it’s always to give you the greater. 2) God’s best always requires facing what you fear. Jesus called Peter to come to Him. Deciding it was safer in the storm with Jesus than in the boat without Him, Peter walked toward Him. But there’s always a moment after you step out in faith when you hear, ‘What if I’m not up to this?’ Peter heard it, and the waves began to engulf him. Panicked, he called and Jesus immediately rescued him. Peter wasn’t drowning; he was learning and growing! When you walk by faith, even your failures will lead to success. So step out with Jesus; He won’t let you drown.

Living Room Make Over

Now giving your living room a lift shouldnt be so much of a hassle, a bit of colour here and there as well as a few snuggle cushion, wall lamps etc may just give that room a lift you never imagined. As you get creative however, always remember: Less Is better. Yes!!



Accessories are one of the quickest and easiest ways to update your home. Whether you choose cushions, a rug, new glassware or a mirror, making a few small changes can have a huge impact on the overall look of a room. 

And with lots of budget accessories on the high street, it’s easy to update your home for less.

Snuggle up and get cosy
For a traditional winter lounge, think warm colours, subtle pattern and lots of texture.

"Go for tone-on-tone colours and add interest by layering different textures in the form of cushions, throws and rugs to create a cosy and relaxing feel,"

"Look out for knitted chunky cushions, deep-pile rugs and different scale patterns in warm colours, like aubergine and heather with burnt orange or berry red."

Greens aren good for spring and summer but also,A soft shade of green will enliven closed winter spaces, while plants, botanical print pictures and natural materials, such as wooden picture frames and ornaments, can all help breathe life into a room.
You can then add contrast with harder-edged, glossy accessories like vases, dazzling glasswear, gilt-framed mirrors and luxurious chandeliers."

Cracking the Knuckles and Arthritis

Yea and you know that time of work when all eyes are on the clock and its still 4:45pm and it seems like its taking  forever to get to 5pm, and out of boredom regardless of productivity, there I am chatting with a colleague and the african girl in me comes out and I start cracking my knuckles, you cant hide your identity you know lol! Not like I m trying to hide mine, but my colleague goes Stop Elly! your gonna give yourself arthritis and we begin to argue because I was not convinced that was a cause of arthritis, however it lingered in my heart and I had to research and heres what I found out, but I must say ever since then, my knuckles do hurt a bit though, is it psychology, the weather or old age? looooooool! Do read on!

How the Joint Works

A joint is formed where the ends of two bones come together. The ends of the two bones are covered by articular cartilage. The cartilage is surrounded by what is called the joint capsule. Inside the joint capsule, there is synovial fluid which serves as a lubricant for the joint and also as a source of nutrients for the cells that maintain the joint cartilage.
Synovial fluid contains dissolved gases -- oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. When you crack your knuckles or when pressure is applied to a joint, the pressure inside the joint capsule expands but the expansion is limited by how much synovial fluid is contained in the joint. Synovial fluid cannot expand unless pressure inside the joint capsule drops and the dissolved gases can escape out of the fluid. The cracking sound comes from the gases rapidly being released from the fluid.

Study Conclusions

There have been a few studies over the years that considered whether or not cracking knuckles caused arthritis. One study found that there was no increase of hand arthritis among knuckle crackers, however, knuckle cracking was related to hand swelling and lower grip strength.
Another study indicated that while knuckle cracking was not associated with arthritis, it was associated with damage to ligaments that surround the joint and dislocation of tendons. While cracking your knuckles is not linked to causing arthritis, there may be a connection to soft tissue injuries.

The word for today- UCB

WALKING ON WATER (2)			13 Nov 2012
'The boat was...buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.' Matthew 14:24
Notice: 1) Trouble doesn't mean that God has abandoned you. The disciples learned that Jesus may be out of sight, but He's never out of touch. To '...walk by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV) means sometimes you'll walk in darkness without visible cues. Someone put it this way: 'When you can't trace His hand, you can trust His heart.' When the disciples were being tossed like a cork on the waves, Jesus was up on a mountain praying for them! He was aware of the problem and He was working on the solution. He was their mediator and their 'need meet-er', just as He has one hand on your need and the other on your answer. '...He always lives to intercede for [you]' (Hebrews 7:25 NIV). Can you imagine Jesus praying to the Father for His fear-filled disciples? And can you imagine the Father refusing to answer His prayers? Never! '...The Spirit himself intercedes for us...' (Romans 8:26 NIV). With both Jesus and the Holy Spirit talking to the Father on your behalf, your victory is guaranteed. 2) Between the command to 'Go' and your safe arrival on the other side, there's often a crisis. Jesus commanded them to cross to the other shore, but before the trip was completed their world experienced upheaval. What's buffeting your life today-loss, guilt, loneliness, financial reversal, illness, addiction, rejection? When our faith is low and our fear high, we cry, 'If only I had (or hadn't)...If only I could...' Learn to trust God. It's not over until He says so. And He hasn't!