LOVE BETTER CAMP

by Wanza Leftwich
www.thegospelwriter.blogspot.com

I may have said this before, but I will say it again…and again. I am determined to accomplish my goals in this season. It is my time to produce. It is my time to not only write, but to publish. I have a word for the nation and they will hear it through my published works. I am determined to accomplish my goals in this season. I will say it and do it until it is completed.

Did you know repetition is good for the soul? As you noticed, I’ve said a few things twice within a few lines. Why? Because if you speak it and repeat it, it becomes a part of you. It comes to life in your soul and spirit and soon you begin to act on what is inside of you. The Bible specifically says there is life and death in the power of the tongue. Today, I choose to speak life over my goals. I will accomplish them in this season.

Have you spoken life today or did the murmur get the best of you? I haven’t been feeling too hot in my body for a few days, but I refuse to sink into a depressive whole designed for the weary. I do whatever I have to to keep it moving. Today, do whatever you have to do to stay determined and focus. If you have to cry in a bathroom at work, type a letter to God during lunchtime or even go to bed early so you don’t argue with the hubby (I’ve been there a few times), do what you have to do. Your tongue has power – use it to your benefit.

Say it aloud with me – “I will accomplish my goals in this season. I am fruitful. I will use the talents God gave to me without fear. I am in God’s will. I am determined to do what I have to do. I am not lazy, but productive. I speak life and not death over every situation in my life.”

I am determined…and I know you are as well.

by Michelle Cameron
http://blog.myspace.com/shellylove2002

“You don’t know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box.” (CeCe Winans, The Alabaster Box)

Do you know the cost of your oil?

In Biblical times, oil was considered a precious commodity and used in many facets of life. As such, in those days, one’s wealth was partially based on that individual’s capacity to produce pure oil. And so it was then, so it is today.

What value do you place on your spirit, soul and body? What is your net worth? Many see net worth only in terms of what they drive, who they know (or who knows them), where they live or where they work. What about your character? Can you be trusted if all the lights go out and no-one is around? What happens if you lose the fancy car, the luxurious house and the “friends” that came with the car and the house?

Those of us who are able to look beyond the fluff have come to realize that it isn’t what we own (or what owns us) or who we know but it is based on Who knows us. Yes, God knows us and has valued us so highly that He sent His only Son, Jesus the Christ, to live here on the earth, to walk and talk with humans, to feel hunger, pain and rejection just like any of us. Some of us are popular and can draw a crowd of adoring fans anywhere, anytime. Many of us are average people making the best of our situations. The key is our foundation. What are you depending on for inner strength? Is it able to carry you through any situation?

Then there are many of us who believe that life is as a result of an accident – the Big Bang. This thought pattern allows many of us not to care too much about how we conduct our lives on a daily basis. Even some of us who claim to know God may conduct our lives with little caution. Are you easily accessible? Does just ANYBODY sleep in your bed or get that close to you? Are you managing your diet? Exercising? (I’m guilty here.) How about your thought life? Do you see others as simply a means to an end, or do others really matter to you? Are you truly content?

I used to see myself based on what I thought others were attracted to – the “loud” people, who always had something witty to say which caused uproarious laughter, those with all the money they could ever want so “drinks were (always) on the house”. Since I did not fit into any of these categories, I felt “less than” others. But with time spent in the Word of God and after experiencing some very sensitive situations, I am healing inside and I now view my net worth as more than just monetary value or the ability to draw a crowd. I am VERY valuable to my Maker, Sustainer and Savior. My oil is worth more than anyone could ever pay for it because it was first purchased with the life and blood of a mighty, Holy God’s Son. That is something I can’t even redeem. The only thing left for me to do is to cherish what God has placed inside of me. So, because of that precious oil I dare to dream again of love that will last until one of us dies. I dare to dream of financial success regardless of what the economists and financial analysts say. I dare to dream of career fulfillment as I battle with difficult academic classes.

What is your net worth? Do you know? Does it matter to you? Remember, you were redeemed with a high price. Protect your value. Guard your wellspring. Cherish your oil.

1 Corinthians 6: 20 (KJV) “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”