Tag: service

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Almighty Encourager

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

In my weakest and most troubling times, God has always sent a clear direct message of comfort, encouragement and help to me. I am thankful to be loved so greatly by him. To those who know me personally, I make it a point to speak positive affirmations into my life and into the lives of others….

…but sometimes the encourager runs low on encouragement.

Sometimes my light may not shine as bright as it should, my attitude may need a tune-up, I just may need to find a quiet spot and still away for a few minutes or I may need to pull the blinds call it a day and start all over tomorrow.

I’m human and it happens.

In those times, thank goodness we have the Almighty Encourager to lift our head, our heart and our spirit. If it wasn’t for the weak moments, how would we be able to praise God so immensely in our victorious seasons!

God made it a point to send two wonderful ladies my way today to help lift my spirit and offer words of encouragement to me. I am grateful to be so loved authentically. No prerequisites required!

Make it a point to check on the people who God has given you responsibility over. God needs you to be a vehicle of encouragement to others!

Peace and Blessings

SuGa

Opportunity: Here at SUGA we are expanding the brand! Our focus is to help you live an empowered, peaceful life full of successful moments. What better way to kick of our new initiative than with an online, interactive bible study discussion. Click here for information on the study of choice.

To join the group click on the Contact Us button at the top of the page and enter your name and email address in the comment box at the bottom of the page. Once you submit your information we will add you to the list of those eager to take part in this life changing opportunity.

Posted on by — 3 Comments

What’s Your Word

Psalm 119:11 NIV “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

What’s Your Word?

What’s that one word or phrase that gets you going by motivating you to live out your passion? Of course you know it’s SUGA for me. I live and breathe this acronym. When I think about the goodness of God and all that he means to me, I can’t help but write about it. Writing for God is my prayer and when I don’t write as often as I should, I feel stuck, stagnate and unproductive.

What’s Your Passion?

There are so many voids in this world that need to be filled, so many needs to be addressed and so many opportunities to be taken. As the Word says, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”  So what is it for you? What gets you going and gets you excited? What passion are your under utilizing that world is in need of. Think about it this way, you are the key to unlocking someone else’s blessing.

What’s Your Intent?

What do you intentionally set your mind to accomplish each day? Do your actions line up with you intention? For me, I am a Peace Activist and a Challenger of Conflict. I do my best to live my life by The Four Agreements ~ 1. Be Impeccable With Your Word 2. Don’t Take Anything Personally 3. Don’t Make Assumptions and 4. Always Do Your Best. Those are huge intentions and I admit that I often struggle but I make it a point to work at my intentions daily.

Since I am discussing intentions today, I wanted to share a wonderful website with you called: http://www.myintent.org This site will help you bring “your word” to life by creating a beautiful statement piece of jewelry for you to always keep your intent close to your heart and at the forefront of your thoughts.

My prayer is that you are inspired to live out your dreams and make your intentions a reality. We never know all of the things that  life holds for us but we can live out loud and enjoy the journey.

Peace and Blessings,

SuGa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

God’s Hand of Blessing

Psalm 18:35 NIV You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great.

I’ve often referred to the Hand of God as my hand of protection. It wasn’t until reading a recent devotional from Pastor Joel Osteen that I began to meditate on the phrase “God’s Hand of Blessing.” I’ve witnessed countless interventions in which God has protected me from dangers seen and unseen but somehow my mind always connected those valiant acts of kindness as protection instead of blessings.

Several weeks ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and much to my delight, I was diagnosed in the very early stages of development (blessing). On April 8, 2015, I had planned to spend a fun-filled spring break day with my daughter but God had other plans for me (blessing). For several weeks I had experienced a constant nudging to have a mammogram performed (blessing). I’m so thankful that I obeyed the Lord’s instructions, which led me to the local mammogram mobile unit in my community and several follow-up appointments (blessing).

I’m ecstatic over these series of events because: 1. I didn’t have an authorized referral to get a mammogram, but God saw fit to give me favor with the nurses and they granted me access to what I needed. 2. Through numerous test and observations, it was concluded that the cancerous cells were confined to one location. 3. I was able to have genetics counseling which paved the way for my daughter and future grandchildren to be aware of any threats. and 4.I’ve learned the value of true friendship. I understand now more than ever why it is important to surround yourself with wise counsel. We all need friends to laugh with but we also need those friends that will cry with us, pray with us, encourage us and hold our hand as we take a walk of faith through a stormy season.

I’m so thankful for the many blessings that God has given me by simply waving his hand in my direction! To God be the Glory!

Peace and Blessings,

SuGa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Full of Grace

“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

John 1:16

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this day. Thank you for life, strength and grace today.

I thank you Lord that you are all knowing and fully capable to handle all of our needs. From the fullness of your grace we are sustained and able to keep going.

Lord today is a day unlike any other. Help us to enjoy all the beauty that it holds and to seek your face in everything that we do.

We thank you for your hand of protection that guides us along our way and for your spirit of peace that passes all of our understanding.

We thank you for the people in our lives that you have sent to encourage us and for those whom you have given us responsibility over.

Lord we celebrate you in the good times and we praise you in those things that challenge us.

Lord most of all we thank you for allowing us to experience you. You are our focus and our eyes are fixed on you.

With sincere love, we give honor, glory and praise to you.

In Jesus Name,

SuGa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

And Another Thing

Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV

My earlier post listed three declarations in the scriptures to help get us through tough times in our lives. Those three declarations are: “I don’t understand, I will not forget and I will press on. Without further examination those conclusions may be a little confusing since the scriptures blatantly tell us to forget those things which are behind us.

Admitting that we don’t understand places us in a spiritually prostrate position before the Lord. We acknowledge that his plan and purpose for our life is greater than any knowledge that we may think that we have about what he is doing in our lives.

Admitting that we will not forget doesn’t mean that we will dwell on the failed outcome, it means that we accept the mistake, forget the offense but take with us the lessons that need to be learned.

And finally, when we trust God enough to press on, we put our faith into action and begin to operate under his perfect grace. Grace such as this only comes with obedience to God’s word.

I pray this message finds you in peace.

Peace and Wellness,

SuGa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Things Remembered

Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV- Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Oftentimes we can be hard on ourselves for bad decisions that we’ve made in our past. If we’re not careful we will allow our entire life to be defined by a few bad choices that we made during a weak season in our life. Maybe it was a bad breakup or a financial investment gone wrong, or maybe something as simple as a lapse in judgment on our part. Those choices can have a profound affect on us and how we conduct our everyday life.

We view some mistakes as being more difficult to bounce back from than others. Sometimes we’re embarrassed and think how could this have happened to me and then there are those other times when we worry about what others will think of us because of our misstep.

In those times I am comforted by verses 13 and 14 in Philippians Chapter 3 because they say so eloquently say the words that I often have trouble reciting. The word makes it clear that we will make mistakes, but it’s how we bounce back after the mistake that will determine our outcome. In those two versus I found three declarations to help get me through the tough times: I don’t understand, I will not forget and I will press on.

File those missteps in your “things remembered file” and press on toward the victory in Jesus Christ. He doesn’t want us to get stuck in our past, we’ve been purposed for greater things ahead.

Peace and Wellness,

SuGa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Different on Purpose

John 15:13 KJV: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.

How would you spend your time if you knew someone purposely died for you? Would you live any differently? Would you make different choices? What if someone loved you so much that they willingly gave up their life so that you could live a victorious one. How would you remember them? Would you resolve to live your life by honoring them or would you chose to live on your own terms and disregard their honorable act of sacrifice.

For the millions who have accepted Christ and made the choice to devote their lives to him, let’s make it our business to live different on purpose. I know it can be easy to get caught up in the everyday messiness of the world and heaven knows that we are far from perfect people but effort goes a long way. When God created the Heavens and the Earth, he put forth the effort. When Adam and Eve found themselves unclothed in the Garden and God gave them covering, he put forth the effort. When God raised Lazarus from the dead and restored life to him, he put forth the effort. The same effort was exhibited when God gave us his only begotten son. All throughout the Bible we find God always putting forth effort on our behalf.

How are you repaying him?

When God created you, he put forth the effort so that you could fulfill a void that exists in this world. Without your time, talent and influence, there is a need that will forever be unfulfilled. What can you do to live different on purpose to ensure that God’s word is fulfilled in your life.

My different on purpose looks like this: Personally, I like to sprinkle a little SuGa into the lives of believers and seekers. Prayerfully I give myself away to be used by God. Purposely I share the message of Christ with others with the hope that they will share with someone else.

Make the effort to live different on purpose today.

Peace and Wellness,

SuGa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pray The Same For Me

Hebrews 11:3 By Faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Dear God,

Help me to see greater. Help me to understand that all things are working together for my good. Lord, you said that grace and mercy follow me all the days of my life, so I’m asking you to help me envision this. Lord, sometimes I get weak and I lose focus, I forget the promises that you’ve made to me and then I begin to worry. Help me not to worry. Help me to truly believe you at your word. Command my heart to be open to understand the ways in which you are working in my life. Father help me to trust that you have me in the palm of your hand. Honestly Lord, I get tired of trying to figure things out on my own. Help me to accept your reassurance that “it is well with my soul.”

Lord I ask that my mind, body and spirit come into complete agreement with every word that you have ever spoken over me. Help me to embrace these blessings and to allow  your peace to correct all of my misunderstanding.

In this very moment, I am releasing all my cares, concerns and burdens to you and I accept your help. Lord I trust you.

In Jesus name. Amen

Much Love,

SuGa

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Heartbeat

Psalm 126:5 NIV – Those who cry while they plant will joyfully sing while they harvest. The person who goes out weeping, carrying his bag of seed, will come home singing, carrying his bundles of grain.

God has promised to replace our tears with joy and our weeping with singing. Our job is to remain loyal in our obligations. Whatever responsibilities that God has entrusted to us, may we run our race whole-heartedly and never give in to weariness.

Trust and believe that God appreciates our willingness to complete those small tasks. Your current assignment may seem insignificant, but in due time, God will multiply your efforts and your faith will produce a harvest.

It may be rough going for you at the moment and you may feel like your current assignment is lasting a long time, but never has God forsaken those who love him! In fact, the word says that your name is written in the palm of his hand! We are reassured by God’s word that we are the apple of his eye and I firmly believe that he is concerned about every aspect of our lives.

Do you remember in the book of Genesis when God came down from Heaven to see about Adam and he asked that one simple question, “Where are you?”

Answer God and let him know where you are today. Make a decision to dedicate every waking moment of your day to God and watch him move in your life. Whatever concerns you, concerns God.

Personal Reflection:

During my quiet time, when all is still and my mind isn’t racing, I love to sit and listen to the sound of my heart beat… “thump thump”, “thump thump”, “thump thump”. Those thumps are soon replaced with the phrase…”go God”, “go God”, “go God”

Each time I repeat this phrase I am humbled because God loves me so much and I am reminded by every heartbeat that God is always with me, he is always in control and I am reassured in the fact that everything that I am and will ever be is all because of his love for me.

I pray that you find encouragement in each heartbeat.

Much Love,

SuGa
    

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Self Control

Philippians 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

As children of the Most High God, we belong to a royal priesthood. When you get a taste of royalty it’s easy to want what you want when you want it. Often it becomes hard to wait for things to happen on your behalf or wait for that next turn around blessing to appear.

Philippians 4:6 illustrates a simple blueprint on how we can maintain our self-control about a situation. We have to remain calm, submit to the Lord in prayer, formally submit our request to God and then Thank him in advance for how he chooses to act on our behalf.

The key to maintaining self-control is to understand that nothing is about us and everything is about the will of God being fulfilled.

Whenever we find ourselves feeling anxious, remember that God is well able to provide for all of our needs.

Much Love,

SuGa