New Every Morning

Lord, I will wait for you.
You, Lord, are my portion.
Great is your faithfulness.
Your compassion is new every morning.
Your compassion never fails.
I will not be consumed.
Great is your love.

Good Fruit

"You can not change the fruit itself but you can change the root from whence the tree nourishes the fruit it produces." When I heard this a light came on in this wee little brain of mine. No wonder it seems impossible to change our bad habits or bad attitudes or bad tempers. We try to practice better habits, have better attitudes, and present more pleasant temperaments by polishing the appearance of the fruit. But bad fruit is bad fruit no matter how shiney you try to make it.
The only way to make bad fruit better is to nourish the root system that produces it. Build stronger roots that eliminates the need for improving bad fruit because wouldn't you know it the fruit it produces is good. The roots of true joy and happiness are naturally displayed in the fruit we produce. The good fruit is good habits, good attitudes, and pleasant temperments.
In Joel Osteen's book, Your Best Life Now, he encourages us to improve the root system by looking at the roots that produced the bad fruit. What is your purpose for not stopping a bad habit? What is the underlying reason you exhibit a bad temper or bad attitude? Once you know, don't hang on to that thing-- forgive a hurt, stop seeking pity, eliminate a fear--- whatever the reason deal with it and move on. Your life will begin producing good fruit as your root system becomes healthier and stops wasting nourishment on the bitterness of the past.

Hosea 14

Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord... and the Lord will say, "I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever."

He promises to be like:
a refreshing dew from heaven

That falling on us will make us:
blossom like the lilly
send deep roots into the soil
branch out like olive trees
with fragrance as the cedars
We will live:
under God's shade
and
flourish like grain
blossom like grapevines
with fragrance of the wines

God answers your prayers and cares for you.
God is a tree that is always green
All fruit comes from him.

The wise listen with discrenment
and
righteous people walk in the true and right paths of the Lord.

The Lord says,
"I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you."

To Do Life Today List!

To Do Life List:
____ Expect God's favor today... no matter your age, your health, or your circumstances.
____ Visualize your big dream and imagine living it at least twice today.
____ Write down the Top 6 things you want to accomplish today and do them.
____ Take one step toward your big dream today.
____ Read a scripture and think about it as you interact with the world today.
____ Be ready to be used by God today--- you're on-call 24/7.
____ Accumlate 30 minutes of heart-pumping activity today.
____ Think about the things you put in your fuel tank today (your body).
____ Think about the impact of the things that came out of your mouth today.
____ Work a puzzle daily to keep your mind alert (use it or lose it).
____ Read a chapter from a book today and journal what it meant to you.
____ Write down 10 Great things that happened to you today.
____ Thank God for today.