Your Gift Will Make Room for You.............

Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men"

On yesterday, a co-worker and I was conversing about career changes.  We discussed the possibilities of pursuing an education in a career totally different field from what we pursued in school.  My co-worker stated that she would be more successful if she would go into another field.  Once she mentioned that statement, my mind immediately went to the scripture in Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.  I am not referring to a gift someone gives you,  but of the gift that is planted within you. I informed her that no doubt that education is important, it opens doors for you and is the one thing no one can ever take from you, however it is your God given gift that makes you successful . God gives each of us a gift and each of us was born with a God-given talent or ability--the same gift that makes you unique from others. What is your gift? Some people have the gift of writing, others singing, and some speaking, just to name a few. Your gift is your passion. When you are operating in your gift, you have complete fulfillment, peace, and joy even if there is no compensation involved.  Are you exercising your gift? Some of us are sitting on gifts that will make us successful,  however we have not yet discovered what those gifts are.  Your gift will lie dormant within you if you do not utilize them. Once you begin operating in your gift, doors will begin to open and you will begin to achieve great things.

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God." - Leo Buscaglia

The Best is Yet to Come!

Chocolate Girl

Dream Big, Write it Down, and Watch God Make it Happen!......



Habakkuk 2:2-3 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 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.

In early 2010, I decided to create a vision book (some individuals use a vision board) that would visualize the goals and aspirations I would like to accomplish in the near future.  What is a vision book or board you ask? It is a visual collage using pictures and phrases from magazines or other references, that represent things you would like to accomplish or attract in your life.  A vision book/board is a visual way to get all desires on paper and allow you to put your focus on accomplishing those things.

Today's Food for the Soul: God wants us to dream big! We often limit our dreams to what we think we can accomplish, but God has the power and He gives us the ability. It is important to write down your dreams and aspirations.  The more we see and meditate on them, the closer we become to our goal. Perhaps you would like to travel more, own a business, become a millionaire or a great philanthropist--all of these things should be written down with an action plan.  As long as your plan aligns with God's master plan, they will succeed.  Think for a minute.  What is one thing that you would like to do or a place you would like to visit, if money was not an option? Sure you may not have the finances to accomplish the goal right this minute, but put faith behind it and watch God make it happen. He wants us to walk by faith and not by sight! We must put our faith in Him and not our own power or ability. To get your creative juices flowing, consider the following questions listed below:

• What is your true passion?
• If money was not an option, what would you do, go, be, etc?
• What occupation would you choose if compensation were not an issue?
• In 3 words or less, describe your future?
• What would bring you the greatest joy and fulfillment in life?

Get busy working on your vision board/book! Dream big and watch God open up many opportunities for you!

The Best is Yet to Come,

Chocolate Girl

Why Settle for Less? God can Give You the Best!

Galatians 6:9: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

I was driving home one day from work and came upon a church marquee that read: "God saves the best for last."  I immediately thought about my situation and the things I have been praying and waiting for from God.  I was pondering on how long ago I prayed for certain things, many of my requests submitted to God years and years ago. I contemplated on why some of my requests had not come to pass yet.   There were many times when I felt like fainting, times where I doubted if God heard my requests or if He had forgotten me.  Many things that I have prayed for have been placed in the back of my mind, others are on the forefront waiting to be inherited.   

Today's Food for the Soul: We as believers should desire the very best God has instead of some half-rushed counterfeit blessing. There are times when we feel like giving up, throwing in the towel, but if we wait on God, He promises us his best. If  we insist on working things out on our own, the result is a complete mess and waiting longer to actually receive what we desire.  Know that our timing is different from God's timing and with waiting comes understanding and growth.  There is a process with God and he does not always grant us everything we desire immediately. Whatever you are waiting for whether it is a better job, starting a family, house, increase in finances, spouse--know that God has your very best interest at heart.  God does save the best for us if we are patient and wait on him! Why settle for less when God can give us the best? Waiting for God's best requires the following:

• Submit your request(s) unto the Lord
• Ask God to let His will be done
• Take your hands off of it
• Wait patiently and in expectation knowing that God is faithful and He will fulfill every promise

The Best is Yet to Come,

Chocolate Girl

Is Fear Holding You Back?...........

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Isaiah 41:13  "For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

I was speaking with a friend on yesterday about a recent death of her relative. She stated how her family traveled from Texas and how the drive time was about 18 hours, which prompted the conversation about flying versus driving.  She stated that flying was a fear that she would never overcome and if she would someday decide to fly, she would have to be heavily intoxicated or in a comatose state. 

Fear....is a four letter word that affect us in many ways...It is mentioned in the bible about 366 times, therefore God knew that fear would be an issue we would have to address. Fear is often associated with stepping into the unknown or doing something completely out of our comfort zone. It has a driving force that affects many of our life decisions. It is no secret we fear many things in life---fear of failure, fear of flying, fear of speaking in public, fear of rejection, fear of heights, fear of death, fear of stepping into the unknown and the list goes on. Fear is a natural emotion that we have as human beings, however we should not allow fear to consume our lives. We should not allow it to hinder us from enjoying life to the fullest. 
I was reading an article about the Five (5) Natural Emotions-Fear and it implied that babies enter this world with only two fears: fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Any additional fears are inherited responses from their environment or taught by parents.  When I was growing up, many of my family members (the majority if not all) had a fear of flying. A fear that the airplane would crash and send them into brutal death, or the fear of traveling to certain geographical locations.  If I had allowed these fears into my being, I would be limited to do and go certain places.

Today's Food for the Soul: We as believers in Christ should know that God is with us, whether we are flying on an airplane or starting a business for the first time. What is your fear? Is fear holding you back from achieving your dream? You have two options, either you allow those fears to form boundaries around you, which would hinder you from moving or growing or you can face them head on and allow them to be opportunities to take you to new places. I encourage you to ask God to help you face whatever fears you may have so that you can move on to a more fulfilling and abundant life.

Peace and Blessings,
Kiki

Just Be Still..............



Every once in a while I will stumble upon a song that touches my heart and speaks directly to my situation.  One morning while getting dressed for work, I discovered a song by Yolanda Adams titled "Be Still" This song immediately calmed my spirit and gave me an affirmation that God is who He says He is!

"Be still and know!" is a phrase that we often encounter in our journey through life, but have we ever taken the time to know what this actually means? Be Still and know is not necessarily a phrase that suggests we physically remain still--it is more of a spiritual command.  Let us examine this phrase a bit...Webster's Dictionary defines the word be as to exist , have presence or live....and the word still as remaining in place or at rest; motionless; stationary, free from sound or noise, as a place or persons; silent... If we are told to be still, it means for us to rest our spirit knowing that whatever we are in need of is in God's hands. How often do we take the time to spiritually listen? We often search for answers to our issues and never receive one simply because we are not still enough to hear God.  If our spirit is uncalmed or disturbed for example, full of worry or anxiety, contemplating, running to and fro trying to figure out things and get answers on our own, it can be difficult to receive anything from God.

Today's Food for the Soul: Be still and know that God is who He says He is! Know that He is Omnipotent, has all power in His hands! Know that He is Omniscient, aware of every problem, every situation you are facing!  Know that there is no failure in God! Just be still and Know! You have to know without a shadow of doubt that God is who He says He is and that there is no failure in Him! I encourage you to be still.....listen to Yolanda's song below and allow the lyrics to saturate your mind and spirit!

Peace and Blessings,
Kiki

You Say You Can't...God Says You Can!



 Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

I was chatting with a co-worker/friend via Instant Messenger at work on today.  We had a discussion about a list of things we would like to accomplish in the near future.  In particular, we were discussing summer trips and the associated costs.  He stated that it was impossible for him to have a summer vacation this year due to his work schedule and lack of funds.  I advised him that if he could eliminate many of his extracurricular activites that often consumes his money, he could be in the position to set aside or save for a vacation.  Then in his words,  he says "I Can't do it , that would be impossible for me to do!"

Today's Food for the Soul: Nothing is impossible to us. The phrase "I can't" should not be in our vocabularies.  We (myself included) have used that phrase out of frustration numerous times, even before we attempted to do a particular task and not knowing what our capabilites were.  Did you know that through Christ you can do all things?  Through Christ, we have the power to make things happen in our lives. Only through Christ, not on our own!  Whatever your "it" is, you are more than capable of succeeding at it. Perhaps you would like to start a business (or enhance it) , pursue your education, take a trip somewhere.  Whether it be a simple or complex task, make the first step and God will help you along the way. Put your faith in God knowing that He will equip you with everything you need to accomplish your "it"  Go ahead you can do it! Why? Because God says you can!

Peace and Blessings,

Kiki

You Have What You Say......



James 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceeded blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

It was a usual Thursday morning at work. I was sitting at my desk, waiting for my work to arrive via email.  My supervisor comes over (as he does every morning) and pulls up a chair beside me to discuss the agenda for the day and the issues that we must resolve.  He proceeded to tell me about a work issue that we have been dealing with for some days now.  He asks me to go into the system and make the necessary changes to a loan.  In the midst of me making the necessary changes, he bellows out a huge sigh of frustration.  I looked over and asked him what was the problem.  He stated,  "I already see it, this is going to be a rough day and I am trying to prepare myself for it."  Hmhhhh??....I look over at him with a stern look and replied, "If you say so, you have what you ask for!" He gave me a disgruntled, confused look as if I was crazy and proceeded to get up and walk back to his desk. 

Today's Food for the Soul: What words are you speaking? Have you spoken negative or positive words thus far today? We frame our day and world by the words we speak. Sometimes we fail to realize how much power our words possess. Our words have the power to make or break us!  If we speak negatively about our situation, then guess what? We will more than likely have a negative outcome. Consequently, positive words can repair, restore and mend any situation in our lives. When we awake every morning we should already be speaking positive words over our day.  I challenge you today to speak positive words into your atmosphere! Remember, You have what you say you have!

Peace and Blessings,
Kiki

Sometimes You Just Have to Wait....

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


Tuesday afternoon, prior to leaving work, I decided that I would get my eyebrows arched at a local nail salon.  Once I arrived at my destination, I entered and proceeded to the front counter to request my service.  The soft-spoken, yet kind worker advised that it would be a 10 minute wait! OH BOY! Here we go! Once again I must wait!Now I must admit, the word "waiting" is not a favorite of mine. On this particular day, I was not in the mood to wait due to the fact that I had a list of errands to run and duties to complete at home. In my mind, time is precious and waiting longer would cause a disruption in my schedule.  I contemplated for a minute as to whether I would take a seat and hold out until my turn or not, but finally decided for once, I would wait.  Now mind you, I would normally leave if an immediate opening was not available. However, while waiting patiently for my turn, God actually laid it on my heart to write this post and in a matter of time, I was next in line!


Today's Food for the Soul: Waiting in general can be a daunting task. Often times it is difficult to wait on the things we have been praying for and we often get impatient and frustrated, wondering if God has forgotten about us! We want our needs and desires met immediately not knowing that there is a process in waiting.  Perhaps God wants to prepare you for what you will receive or He may be working something out of you. I always say that waiting on God involves the 3 P's: Patience, Perseverance, and a Positive Attitude! God is faithful and He will fulfill every promise to you.  If you wait on Him and exercise the 3 P's, you will soon be next in line to receive exactly what God promised!


Until Next time,
Peace and Blessings,
Kiki

Allow Me To Introduce Myself..........

 Greetings Everyone!!!

I am new to the blogging world! Okay now let me be honest...I was actually led to create this blog in January 2011, but due to my procrastination, this blog is being birthed six months later. I am dedicated to blogging about positive, real life, personal issues with inspirational lessons. My goal is to motivate and inspire each reader through my personal experiences. I dedicate this blog to first and foremost God, our Heavenly Father and to YOU who desires "Food for Your Soul." My prayer is that this blog will somehow be a blessing to you! Feel free to stop by and feast anytime!  

About Me....

• I am a Work in Progress (I am being shaped and molded (ouch!!) for God's purpose, slowly but surely I will become the woman God desires me to be)
• I am a deep thinker (the wheels are always turning--lol)
• I am an excellent listener
• I am a lifetime learner and believe that Knowledge is Power
• I enjoy watching the Food Network(to find new recipes) and HGTV(ideas for my future home)
• I believe there is always room for improvement in every area of life
• I enjoy reading various books and blogs with substance
• My favorite Bible Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6
• I am always searching for a better way of life
• I enjoy traveling!!....I will reveal a list of places I would like to visit in a future post
• I am very Observant-I am often told that "I see everything"-not entirely true but I do see alot..lol
• Wanted everything yesterday! (I am being worked on in this area!)
• I am misunderstood at times (Why???I do not know?)

Well now you know a little about me. Feel free to post any comments, suggestions, questions, or concerns.

Peace and Blessings!
Kiki