DO IT DIFFERENT!

Today do it different:

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Don't stand there looking at the closed door. Look to your left or right surely one of those windows can open. Have you tried it? Look for the solution, it's obvious of the problem right? So you can't go through the door. OK! Maybe that wall behind you can be torn down. Many times its all about adjusting yourself. So adjust.

I was not born knowing this...it was taught through life lessons.

Change your mind, change your life!

Your Path

A mans Path does not run straight on it's own.

It is amazing how many preach about integrity as if they walk such a straight path. We all have our issues and when someone points out another it makes you wonder; how straight is their path. Many just choose to walk a path that had different pattern of crookedness (sin). SMH. I remember a story of a Christian man had separated from his wife and 8years passed they never divorced however, he met someone else. His friend ridiculed him. But the friend that was telling him he is in sin was a homosexual. WOW! Now this is interesting. Both are in sin yet the man that is a homosexual was calling the other out on his sin. Need I type more. All I am saying is we can help one another by walking our own straight path.

I have asked asked God to help me make my path straight, then He reminds me everyday to keep on walking with him and by choice my path will become straight and easier to walk.

Examine Yourself from Joyce Meyer

This has allowed me to see just what God has for us to see and what the Devil does not want us to see. Allow this to help you to stop, look and learn to love the child that God loves...YOU! Explained perfectly

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?
—2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV

The Bible tells us to examine ourselves, and I wholeheartedly agree that we need to do so. We should examine ourselves to see if we have sin, and if so, we should sincerely repent, then move on to living without that sin in our lives.

There is a great difference between examination and condemnation. Examination helps us prove to ourselves that we are in Christ and He is in us, and that in Him we have been set free from sin. Condemnation keeps us mired in the very sin we feel condemned about. It does not deliver us—it traps us! It weakens us and saps all our spiritual strength. We give our energy to feeling condemned rather than living righteously.

There is such a thing as excessive self-examination, and I personally believe it opens the door for much of the unbalance we see today in this area among God's children. To be overly introspective and continually examining our every move opens a door to Satan. In the past I experienced multiple problems in this area, and I know for a fact that you and I will never be confident in prayer until the problem is dealt with thoroughly and completely.

Lord, I ask You to search my heart and expose any sin in my life. I refuse to get trapped in endless introspection and condemnation. Set me free from all sin. Amen.

This has allowed me to see just what God has for us to see and what the Devil does not want us to see. Allow this to help you to stop, look and learn to love the child that God loves...YOU!

I am now learning to LIVE!!

Follow Your Heart's Desires
by Joyce Meyer - posted June 17, 2011

Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
—Psalm 25:12-13

To enjoy your life, start following the God-given desires of your heart instead of the desires of your flesh. You may need to mature in faith before you can tell the difference between your flesh and Spirit-led desires.

One way to tell if you are following a desire of your flesh is that when you step out to do it, you will lose your peace and face a struggle. If it is not of God, you will feel like you are pushing a dead horse uphill. If it is a God-given desire of the Spirit, it will work like a well-oiled machine. It will flow, with what I call a "Holy ease." Start your day right, and follow your heart.

Learning to give thanks in ALL things

Those who are thankful will always be blessed
This is re-post of my archived blogs and reminder to myself to always be thankful -MJ FitChik4Life

Learning to give thanks in ALL things(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

My prayer today is that you'll always be blessed even in your trials and tribulations. Some may ask how can you be blessed in a tribulation? Here is a perfect example, I lost my father in 2005 and it was and still is hard, but somehow God has given me this comfort that I know a human being could not provide. I still miss him and holidays are hard for me because he enjoyed holidays and he past 1week after New Years day, so though I think of him often I miss him most around the holidays.

I have chosen to be thankful for all the years God had him with us. I do miss him but the bible says in ALL, not some but ALL things be thankful.

So this week as I remind myself, I wanted to share with you and remind you that regardless of what things look like in ALL things give thanks for there is someone out there that have not what you have. There is someone out there that lost a friend and you still have yours, there is someone that had no food to eat and you just finished eating, there is someone that has no awareness of there faculties and you have all of yours. You don't want to go to the gym today and there is someone who can't go even if they wanted to. My friends look around you there is so much to be thankful for. Inspired from 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Don't be thankful when its sunny if you can't be thankful when it rains. A thankful heart is a soul that will forever be blessed-MJ

Choose to Please God

from Joyce Meyers ministires

Choose to Please God
January 31

Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).
— Galatians 1:10

The apostle Paul said that in his ministry he had to choose between pleasing men and pleasing God. That is a choice you also must make.

If your goal is to build a name for yourself and win favor with people, it will cause you to live in fear of man rather than in fear of God.

For years I tried to build my own reputation among believers by striving to win the favor of men. But through bitter experience I learned I was submitting to a sort of slavery to people. God helped me realize I could only be truly free in Him.

If you are trying to build your reputation with people, it’s time to give up all your own human efforts and simply trust God. He will give you supernatural favor with the people that are right for you.


From the book Ending Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Evening of the Year by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

A Renewed Mind

Romans 12:1-2,

The New Year always brings a fresh air. A new beginning, a change.
The mind is above all the key to a new beginning.

No change of mind = No change of life.

Mind renewal is critical because whoever directs and controls our thinking is ultimately the one who will direct and control our lives. In other words, how we think affects how we feel; how we feel influences our desires; and our desires finally produce our actions.

Therefore, if Satan can influence our thinking by keeping us immersed in our own natural, emotional way of responding, he has got us and he really doesn't have to do anything else. We've played right into his hands. He knows he'll win when we're consumed in our own problems, our own trials and our own circumstances, because then we'll be confused, discouraged and depressed. And this will immediately quench God's Spirit in us, and none of His Light or Love will be able to shine forth. We'll be forced to "live a lie." We must always realize that the battle is for our mind! Without a renewed mind, without the Mind of Christ in operation, we'll never be transformed into Christ's Image.

Think of what is hindering you from your goals. Now think of what you can do to change it. Here is the most critical step. DO IT!

Yes, someone does understand!

Oh what a blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person-having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.

This friend accepts us as we are; yet patiently helps us to be what we should. Ask your self do you have a friend? I do and he is a masterpiece. His name- JESUS!
If you didn't, know now you know.

Blessings to you all this holiday please know if you don't think you have a friend, think again. God is here all the time.

There is a thief in our minds-I met my thief face to face!

“Don't become a victim of yourself. Forget about the thief waiting in the alley; what about the thief in your mind?”

I am having a wake up call. I have held myself to a higher standard of perfection because people look up to me and I find that when I fall short of this standard I allow the enemy and my mind to torment me as being less than God says I am. A special friend, I know loves me and I love him very much,shared with me this very subject and I must say it was very true. What hurt is the fact that I felt I was letting others down by not being perfect and letting myself down also.

Now some may relate to this and some may not but as I said my blogs are about learning and growing. I have stumbled fallen and now God is saying get up and who cares what man thinks just learn, hold on to my unchanging hand and press forward. Pick your head up and do not allow the weapons to prosper.

What is the weapon? you may ask. I have learned it can be your mind as well as circumstances, things and others. I have allowed what others think of me to become my thoughts and this self hate is NOT of God. I realize that the weapons that are formed against us can only prosper if we allow them. Unfortunately, I have allowed them. NO MORE will I be a victim or look at myself as such. NO I will not have self pity for myself and my wrongs or what people think.

Again, I have said when you pray for God to use you be sure to pray for strength. It's one thing to be used by God however, when we get personally involved our flesh can intervene in what he has us to do and this is where the chaos and a big mess is made.

God I praise you for your teaching I don't want to be right I just want to be right in you. When I am wrong if I repent then I will be right in you. I will not be able to please this world but I can please you. Lord, I surrender to you and all your ways. I will no longer lean on my own understanding I will listen to you. If I fall I know you will pick me up and allow me to repent, for this I say thank you in advance and I praise you for your unconditional love.

Inspired from the sermon at The Park Ministries by Bishop Claude Richard Alexander, Jr. titled :A Piece of Work! Yes I am a piece of work. I thank him daily for what he is teaching me, showing me and molding to be. I am a under construction.
God you are SOOOOOO AWESOME!

Finding comfort in God

God can make any pain go away if we believe.

I have learned that when I am feeling alone or like no one understands-God does.
He gives me comfort in spite of myself. He accepts me and loves me unconditionally and this my friends takes the FEELING of loneliness away.

Loneliness is a feeling

Loneliness is one of the scourges of humanity. It seems to affect everyone regardless of age or ethnicity. Whether you're a PhD or high school dropout, rich or poor, you're equally vulnerable. What exactly is loneliness? It is a FEELING that intimacy, understanding, friendship, and acceptance are missing from one's life. It is a FEELING of isolation or separation from others, a FEELING of being all alone. We need to realize that loneliness is nothing more than a feeling. After all, you are not your arms or legs, for they are just parts of your body. Similarly, you are not your feelings, which are just parts of your psyche.

Talk to God about this feeling of loneliness. Allow his love to envelope your physical as well as your mental

Be still and know that he is God all by himself.

Experience God's Presence Tonight!

My soul yearns for You [O Lord] in the night,
yes,my spirit within me seeks You earnestly.
— Isaiah 26:9

Have you ever noticed that in the quiet darkness of night there seems to be something special about the presence of God?

He is always with you, even during the daytime, and you can talk to Him anytime, even when you’re busy. But during the day there are many distractions that keep you from focusing on His presence for an extended period of time. And by the end of the day you’ve often experienced problems and frustrations that can cause you to feel lonely and needy. It is then that you can finally give time and attention to the one who is the answer to your needs.

When you yearn for God in the night, seek Him earnestly, and you’ll find He will minister to you in a special way. He will provide answers to any problems you may have, and He will give you peace and rest.


Taken from Joyce Meyers Ministry
From the book Ending Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Evening of the Year by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/dailydevotionals/

Mistakes...we all make them.

Many of us have made mistakes. I am learning that there is nothing wrong with making a mistake as long as you learn from it.

It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit to forgive them for having witnessed your own. ~Jessamyn West


Mistakes are a part of life. Some mistakes are small, like making a right turn instead of a left, passing a street we should turn on, forgetting a time for an appointment. Some mistakes are a bit more detrimental; saying no when we really meant yes. Holding back our feelings or putting up a wall against those who need us most, making poor decisions and just doing wrong. All of them are a learning process. Some are more painful than others and we will have regret. Though I made a left and was suppose to go right I can make a U turn and be back where I started. Sometimes you have to go out of the way to get back in the direction you need to go.
Every time I use a GPS and don't follow the directions exactly it will say recalculating, then gives me further direction to get out of the jam I got in. Even worse sometimes it does not say anything for a while because it is thinking or internally recalculating and you’re waiting for that voice for direction. When you’re in a place that is unfamiliar it can be confusing, frustrating and downright scary. Have you ever been lost in New York City? YIKES!!
Never the less, with almost all mistakes you can correct them by rerouting or finding a different approach, however, we can't get the time back it took to make the mistake and the time it may take to correct it. Some correction is almost an immediate fix others may take some time; this is where the enemy can get really busy in your life. Through lack of self-control, patience and humility, conviction he can really make a mess of you taking the wrong turn.
In my walk with Christ, he has shown me that no matter the mistake I make he forgives me. I tend to take this same approach with people. To many times we take peoples mistakes and crucify them with it. Unfortunately, when we feel we have penalized them enough they are beyond repair or it takes longer than we want for the repair to take place.
Now with God it's different. Once we admit we made a mistake, he then has an expectation of us, just like we have an expectation of him when we are faithful. I learned that when I don't follow the directions of the GPS, if I am patient and LISTEN it recalculates then tells me what I need to do. In order to get back on track and be rerouted I must be obedient to the instruction. After the mistake when we repent or travel the road he expects, he has a way of taking us to a higher level than before, higher than we can imagine, because obedience is better than sacrifice. Being obedient in doing what we have learned to be right. He knows our hearts so he knows when we have truly repented from the mistake, but man does not know another man’s heart. Many times there’s a false representation of a man’s heart being displayed, but sooner or later it will come out.
But to God be the glory that he is an all knowing God; a God that sees all and hears all.

God I thank you for allowing me to make mistakes and I thank you even more for allowing me the opportunity to repent and correct them. I praise you for your patience with me, a patience that surpasses a man’s understanding. Show me your ways Lord so I may not stray.

It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit to forgive them for having witnessed your own. ~Jessamyn West

Share a heart!

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Some people feel that it is not their business to help someone,but I ask; is it not our job to take care of our neighbor. If not ours, then who's is it. What I mean is suppose one day you where stranded somewhere with no cellular reception, no power to your vehicle and there is not a car or person in sight.

After 2hrs you see a light from afar coming up the road towards you.
Tell me wouldn't you have hopes that someone takes a moment to care.
HMMMM!


As a fitness professional and gym patron I feel it is my duty to encourage someone striving on a treadmill or leaving aerobics class, because I have no idea what it took for them to get there nor do I know what they go home to. All in all, it is rewarding to the heart to see a smile of hope. I don't have to describe what this smile looks like because you know it when you see it and it is felt from both sides. It is inspiring to self when we are able to inspire someone else.


Allow God to use you and be the hope in someones life... after all, life is to short to not have hope and it is even shorter to not have that hope fulfilled.

Remember, be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

God does not lose focus, we do!

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.
~Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

I used to want to make a difference and make a change in this world and now I realize I must be the change I wish to see in the world.


We can get so caught up in the big picture that we lose focus of the small important details that make the big picture.
When I am growing in Christ there is a sense of assurance no man or women can provide no matter what I'm faced with. However, when I am drifting away or losing focus he has a tendency to strip away all the distractions and obstacles. Not sure if people understand that God is a jealous God and when Christians start to focus on man or things He will shake things up to get your attention that HE provides all our needs and gives us our desires (wants) of our hearts. It's sometimes painful because the truth comes out and the truth is how he can set us free.

At times, I want something to work so bad that I fight what he is showing me and telling me. The saying to thine own self be true. Well when you are a child of God, self is Christ. Because He lives in every child of God.

So today I will refocus on my heavenly Father as I have in the past. I'm ever so grateful that he does not lose focus of my life the way I have lost focus on him. That's the kind of God I serve and will serve him in spirit and in truth.

Thank you Father for reminding me that I am never alone and you are with me regardless.

The Plan

Make me go in the path of Your commandments, for in them do I delight.
— Psalm 119:35

Go to sleep at night with a plan in mind for the next day. Don’t be vague about what you hope to accomplish. One morning I was lying in bed when the Spirit of the Lord said to me, “Stop being ambiguous.” The dictionary defines ambiguous as “doubtful or uncertain,” and “capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways.”

Don’t be double-minded. Don’t just wait to see what happens. Wake up with a plan that puts God first in all you do. God’s Word is a lamp to your feet, and a light to your path (See Psalm 119:105). Talk to Him before you even get out of bed; ask Him to make clear what you need to achieve today.

Joyce Meyer Ministry

The Truth

The truth hurts- it is hard to hear the truth.

A friends told me the other day remember when you point one finger at someone there is usually 4 fingers pointing back at yourself. Well I will only point when I am looking in a mirror ;).

Many times I have prayed and ask God for direction and he gives it BUT sometimes it's not what I wanted to hear.
Well sometimes this happens with people in our lives. The truth hurts. I am learning to look deep into my mirror as I do I ask GOD show me who you want me to be and he is. The problem I am having now is as I see myself and attempt to change I find others may not accept your change or agreement to change no support as you attempt to fix it. Sometimes we can say things and have the expectations of it reacting in one direction and it actually goes in another. A direction we where not prepared for it to go. I am now at a point in my life where I will not throw my views around I will listen closely for Gods guide and giving me the spirit of discernment. I am simply reflecting my life because this is not a rehearsal this is my life. For those who can relate I know this is where God uses me and uses my mistakes. For those who can't relate I ask that you carry on in love. God is saying clearly to me that I can't be perfect for everyone but I can be for him. Thank you Lord. Because pleasing man is very fatiguing. Pleasing myself has been a chore because I feel I am never good enough. But God is showing me something in all my flaws he is teaching me so much and in my convictions of these flaws I am choosing to change.

Its actually good to have flaws but when they hurt others,ourselves and hinder my growth in Christ well then I gotta check myself.

A friends told me the other day remember when you point one finger at someone there is usually 4 fingers pointing back at yourself. Well I am not pointing fingers anymore. Nope only when I am looking in the mirror.