Hello everyone, I hope all has been going smoothly thus far. PRAYER REQUESTS: I ask that you continue to pray for my health and healing and for my professional and business endeavors, always as the Spirit leads. Be sure to pray for the other recipients of the SOD as well. ANNOUNCEMENTS: My non-profit org. has about FIVE DAYS LEFT in our campaign to select 2-4 families as recipients for our annual Christmas meal box; my solicitation is for nominations of deserving families - not limited to the meal box itself, but also including one gift per each child living in the selected household(s) - and/or a monetary donation(s) and/or item contribution(s). So far, there have been NO nominations... If you know of a family in true need of assistance, please submit your nominations ASAP: ALL nominations, contributions, and/or monetary donations MUST be submitted NLT December 23nd to allow time for us to purchase the items necessary to pull off this blessing, as well as time for us to delivery the boxes to the families before the actual holiday.
HEALTHY LIVING TIPS:
"Fight Winter weight gain... These five simple tricks can fool you into eating less - your stomach won't notice: (1) Opt for white - if food is bright, put it on a white plate. The contrast can create the illusion that your dish contains more food; (2) Think tall and skinny - research shows that your might pour up to 70% more into a short, wide glass than a tall thin one; (3) Use smaller utensils - scaled-down, lightweight forks make you think food tastes sweeter, denser, and more filling than it does off heavier flatware; (4) Choose a 10-inch plate - you'll eat 22% fewer calories off this size than a bigger dish, which could prevent you from gaining up to 2 pounds this December; (5) Match your tablecloth with your plates - when settings are simple, you tend to eat 10% less" (Rutz, D., & Speakman, L. (2014, November). 5 Ways to eat less without your stomach noticing. Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.prevention.com/).
JOIN OUR CAUSE: Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) is on a never-ending quest to locate deserving individuals to extend our services to. Therefore we are always in need of monetary donations and/or contributions of hygiene items, sealed snacks, bottled water, winter items (gloves, scarves, blankets), mini bibles, etc.; our YEAR-ROUND mission is to serve homeless and/or needy individuals and families in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. We are a NON-profit 501(c)(3) federally exempt organization, which means that ALL donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE. NO matter how big or small your contribution or donation is, YOU are helping someone in need. We encourage YOU to participate in our ongoing campaign whenever and however you can. If you were on the receiving end and needed a helping hand, wouldn't you want someone to reach out to you? Accept this opportunity to HELP LIVES. If interested in supporting our organization in helping others, simply make a donation and/or a contribution; make all checks payable to FMBS Inc., provide one of our representatives with your cash donation/contribution, or use the PayPal link located on our website. We are successful because of YOUR continued support. Please join our cause!
For more information about our organization, visit our website at http://www.fmbs-inc-bytye.org and/or add our Facebook page, Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (and/or Fostering Mindbodyandsoul), and follow us on Twitter @FMBSInc. On behalf of my team of volunteers, I thank you in advance. ~Tylesha "Tye" Allen, CEO/Founder, FMBS Inc. Est. 2012~
BE ENCOURAGED: TRANSFORM your body, mind, and soul TODAY because tomorrow is NOT promised; by feeding your body healthy nutrition, and being cautious of what things you allow your eyes, ears, and spirit to be exposed to (e.g. media, books, TV, music, etc.), YOU can start anew and become a better you. CHANGE BEGINS WITHIN... Continue to keep one another in prayer, thanking God for the victory, and refraining from claiming defeat from the enemy; ALWAYS pray for your desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome. Do NOT lose sight of God in the midst of adversity. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "be the change that you want to see in the world." Have a blessed rest of the week.
Lord please clear our minds, and open our eyes, ears, and hearts so that we may see, hear, and receive your intended message from this fellowship. In the name of Jesus, Amen!
PASSAGE - HEBREWS 10:19-22:
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
***Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible***
REFLECTIONS:
"Only once per year was someone permitted to enter the Most Holy Place--the place wherein they would come into the very presence of God. And the only person permitted to enter was the high priest, and only after he had undergone the proper cleansing ceremonies. We perhaps take for granted the ease of our access to the very presence of God in Spirit. Christ entered through the curtains that stand to separate us from the living God. Having being clean already, yet taking upon Himself the sins of the world He incurred God's wrath and suffered death for us all. And being given access to the very presence of God, we who are no longer separated from God by veils or curtains, can boldly and confidently approach Him with assurance that though we come into the presence of pure Holiness, we will not die but live, and that only because Christ died in our place" (Chambers, R. (2014, December 16). Permitted to enter [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://reflections.daybyday.org/).
"... Christians can approach God boldly, free from our guilty consciences and in full assurance because of the work of Jesus Christ. We can go to God without doubting, knowing that He will hear and answer us. Under the new covenant, our hearts and consciences are cleansed completely, not partially or temporarily... the imagery of our bodies having been "washed with pure water" actually pictures an inward cleansing. Just as baptism is an outward sign that represents the purification that Christ does inside us, so this washing speaks of an internal cleansing from sin. Once cleansed, we can approach God" (Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Hebrews. Life Application Study Bible: King James Version: Notes 10:21, 22 (pp. 1875). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.).
Unlike the super olden days, we have access to God's prayer line 24/7. Yet, we so often take this privilege for granted, only using God's hotline when we are in need, in fear, or some other trying situation. But what about all the ordinary times? Matter of fact, is being blessed with another day of life a mere "ordinary" moment? I believe that every moment we are allowed to breath God's breath of life, we are afforded with an extraordinary blessing. Thus, EVERY DAY and EVERY MOMENT that you are conscious about your life, you should take a moment to BOLDLY approach God, and PRAISE HIM for the many blessings He has bestowed upon you.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: