Scripture of the Week (SOW) formerly known as the Scripture of the Day (SOD): January 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014

What is God calling you to do? (1/30/2014)

Greetings Everyone,

All honor and glory be to God for providing us with another day of endless opportunities. Please remember to bear with me through my technological hiatus... I'll reiterate that it is not in my budget to replace any of my electronic devices at this time. Therefore, production gaps for the SOD will continue until I am able to invest in a more reliable system. But rest assured that God NEVER takes breaks, His prayer line is OPEN 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so call on Him and share your testimony. Anyway, it's almost Friday yall... we're one step closer to a weekend of relaxation, or are we? Is there something more you can do to "give back?" Of course there is... donate your time and service to someone in need this weekend and discover the reward in helping others. Now, let's move forward with our healthy living... "Vitamin and antioxidant-packed superfoods, including oranges, carrot juice, and kale, help the diary-free combo cleanse your system. Betalains in beets support your liver (the body's detoxification center). For a squeaky-clean drink, use organic ingredients. Combine 1/2 cup chilled unsweetened brewed green tea, 1/3 cup chilled carrot juice, 3/4 cup chopped cooked beets, 1/2 cup frozen or fresh chopped kale, and 2 oranges, cut into segments (membranes removed) in high-power blender and puree until smooth (makes about 2 cups). Divide between 2 glasses. To clear out toxins: add fresh parsley or celery to complement the natural diuretic properties of green tea" (Alexander, A. (2014, January). Eat clean: Detox: Beet-orange bliss. Prevention, 100). "To IMPROVE is to CHANGE" ~Winston Churchill~ #Be encouraged!

Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) is on a never-ending quest to locate needy individuals to extend our services to. God blessed each of us, and my members and I have teamed up to share our blessings with those in need, but we require more help... we are conducting a PRE-SALE fundraiser until February 4th for See's Candies in lieu of Valentine's Day, to raise funds to support our day-to-day mission of providing the less fortunate with various resources to provide overall sustenance for their minds, bodies, and souls; we provide ministry, mentoring, toiletry items, school supplies, clothing, and meals. Let our fundraiser be an OPPORTUNITY for you to show your romantic side this year; get with myself or one of my other team members to purchase some sweets for that special someone in your life, or as a nice gesture for someone who may not have anyone in their lives. FMBS Inc. members pride ourselves on using our talents and blessings to serve needy individuals in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. Being a veteran myself, we vowed to extend our continuous support to deployed veterans and their families as well. This is only the beginning for us. With YOUR help, we WILL prosper and advance our activeness within the community, eventually expanding to other coasts. Our solicitation for monetary donations and/or contributions of time, hygiene items, and clothing items is a YEAR-ROUND campaign that YOU are encouraged to participate in whenever you can. 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. 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, make your Valentine's Day purchase or simply make a donation and/or 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 Mindbodyandsoul and Twitter @FMBSInc. On behalf of my team of volunteers, I thank you in advance. ~Tylesha "Tye" Allen, CEO/Founder, FMBS Inc. Est. 2012~

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 spirits 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 and ears so that we may see, hear, and receive your intended message from this fellowship. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Passage - Genesis 28:17:

"But he was also afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!'"

***Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible***

"There is something about fear and faith working together that intrigues me. It seems, at least in my life, that the times of greatest fear are the times God is calling me to display the greatest faith. I wonder if (really I know) God does this so the attention and glory will not be on me, but on Him who can do all things. Somehow, if I was able to easily accomplish what God asked me to do, or even to endure, it wouldn’t make God seem that special; even that important.

Of course, God is special. His glory created the Heavens and the earth. He really doesn’t “need” me for anything. He chooses to use me simply to display His glory and honor. To do this, He must do through me things I couldn’t do apart from Him. So, He calls me to God-sized tasks that require an increase in faith beyond what I have ever experienced previously. It may be to move in some new area of my life or to simply remain patiently as I wait for Him to move again, but both require faith. Each new challenge grows my faith to another level.

What is God calling you to do today that is bigger than you; that in order to accomplish it will require an even greater display of faith than you have ever displayed before?

Is it to end a relationship you know is not God-honoring?
Is it to begin a new chapter in your career life?
Is it to step out in faith into some ministry opportunity?
Is it to forgive the person who hurt you the most?
Is it to simply trust Him with your finances, your family, or your future?

Once you know God is calling you to something and you become afraid, the question then is what are you going to do about it? Will you reside in fear or surrender by faith to God’s plan for your life?

As Henry Blackaby says, "What you do next reveals what you believe about God!" That choice, my friend, is yours!"

(Edmondson, R. (2013, August 26). What is God calling you to do? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.biblestudytools.com).

Let's be completely honest with ourselves, if your life was perfect and you never endured a day of heartache, pain, or trials, how much would you call on God? Haven't you noticed that immediately upon misfortune, you call on the Lord, or wonder what you did in your lifetime that made you deserving of such unfavorable circumstances? We are exactly where God wants us to be... perhaps we are in our situation because we attempted to challenge life alone; maybe we are experiencing hardship because we chose to do things our own way instead of God's way; or perchance, we are that strong in our faith right now that God allowed the devil to attack us to test our faith, similarly to the way He allowed Job to be tested. Nonetheless, every trial and tribulation brings us to the alter in search of understanding and/or relief. Without the experience of oppression, we would be destitute of faith and furthermore complacent with doing things in our own strength instead of looking to God for guidance and peace. What is it that God is calling you to do? The answer is in His Word; do NOT let the Word depart from before your eyes, because it is health and healing to the flesh - follow the direction that God is leading you to.

Prayer of the Day:

Father God we thank you for life, health, and strength. We thank you for the strength we need to forgive those who have wronged us, the same way you continuously grant us forgiveness, and for placing upon those we have wronged the same desire, that we too may be forgiven by them. More so Father, we thank you for removing the guilt we once placed on self, and for removing every thought that has held us captive in our own minds. We thank you for transforming our image into one that mirrors Jesus, so that His goodness is reflected in all that we do. Thanks for blessing us with a double portion of your Spirit, and for closing every unnecessary door that is open in our lives. Thanks for opening supernatural doors in our lives that lead to peace, prosperity, clarity, contentment, and happiness. We thank you for providing each of us with the clear and concise revelations we need in order to overcome the adversary. Thanks for helping us to see, hear, and feel your presence through every trial and tribulation, and for the courage to rearrange our priorities, placing you at the top of our list. We thank you for discernment to know the difference between good and bad, right from wrong, and your will vs. our own desires. Thanks for provision, guidance, and protection from Satan’s attacks. By the authority in our words, we reverse all the negativity spoken into existence within our individual lives and the lives of our loved ones and associates. We take back everything the enemy has stolen from us, and bind every evil and malicious plot, plan, and scheme devised against us, in the matchless name of Jesus. Lord we also grant your angels permission to do our bidding on Earth without recourse. This is our affirmation of faith Father God; we submit our petition to you and thank you in advance for working it all out. All these things we claim in the name of Jesus, Amen!

Respectfully,

Tylesha "Tye" Allen

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)

Ministry Blog: http://sodbytye.blogspot.com/

Non-profit Website: http://fmbs-inc-bytye.org/

Your independent Herbalife distributor/health coach: Tye.HL24@gmail.com

Change begins within; work on becoming a better You

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Freeing Faith (1/29/2014)

Greetings Everyone,

All honor and glory be to God for providing us with another day of endless opportunities. Please remember to bear with me through my technological hiatus... I'll reiterate that it is not in my budget to replace any of my electronic devices at this time. Therefore, production gaps for the SOD will continue until I am able to invest in a more reliable system. I hope your week is moving along well. The Lord is waits patiently for YOU to call on Him... God NEVER takes breaks, His prayer line is OPEN 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so call on Him and share your testimony. Now let's move forward with our healthy living... consuming fresh veggies and fruit is a healthy way to load up on antioxidants, or is it? Believe it or not, after fruit and veggies are picked, deterioration begins, including the loss of nutritive value. Nutrients can be preserved through dehydration, however "frozen fruits and veggies are often significantly higher in vitamins and antioxidants than fresh, since they're picked and chilled at peak ripeness, locking in max nutrient levels" (Katz, D., & Koff, A. (2014, January). Nutrition: Healthier picks: Fruit in all forms. Prevention, 24). If you find that frozen veggies are too gummy, I would suggest trying Green Giant vegetable steamers if you prefer a fresher taste. "To IMPROVE is to CHANGE" ~Winston Churchill~ #Be encouraged!

Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) is on a never-ending quest to locate needy individuals to extend our services to. God blessed each of us, and my members and I have teamed up to share our blessings with those in need, but we need more help... we are conducting a PRE-SALE fundraiser of See's Candies in lieu of Valentine's Day, to raise funds to support our day-to-day mission of providing the less fortunate with various resources to provide overall sustenance for their minds, bodies, and souls; we provide ministry, mentoring, toiletry items, school supplies, clothing, and meals. Let our fundraiser be an OPPORTUNITY for you to show your romantic side this year; get with myself or one of my other team members to purchase some sweets for that special someone in your life, or as a nice gesture for someone who may not have anyone in their lives. FMBS Inc. members pride ourselves on using our talents and blessings to serve needy individuals in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. Being a veteran myself, we vowed to extend our continuous support to deployed veterans and their families. This is only the beginning for us. With YOUR help, we WILL prosper and advance our activeness within the community, eventually expanding to other coasts. Our solicitation for monetary donations and/or contributions of time, hygiene items, and clothing items is a YEAR-ROUND campaign that YOU are encouraged to participate in whenever you can. 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. 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, make your Valentine's Day purchase or simply make a donation and/or 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!

Lord please clear our minds, and open our eyes and ears so that we may see, hear, and receive your intended message from this fellowship. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Passage - Luke 8:24-25:

"The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we’re going to drown! When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?" The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. "When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!'"

***Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible***

"From time to time, Jesus asked His disciples, perhaps with a tone of gentle rebuke, “Where is your faith?” These disciples were they that “left everything” to follow Jesus (Mt. 27). These were they of whom most would eventually be martyred for their faith. And yet these were the ones Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?” But who could really blame them. In a small boat in the midst of a great storm, all indications and all reason spoke loudly of their certain demise. For such are the storms that capsize ships and claim the lives of many. Yet the message was to them as it is to us today—take your eyes off that which troubles you, and fix your eyes on Jesus the One who holds you; on Jesus, the one who keeps you; on Jesus, the one who rebukes the storms and brings His children peace even in the midst of storms. Such storms can be frightening and even paralyzing. But keeping our eyes on the storms can keep us from seeing God’s way of deliverance. And thinking about the storms that have not yet come, can keep us locked in place; preventing us from moving forward in faith and obedience to Jesus. Is there something you feel God wants you to do but you are worried about the consequences? Will it mean moving, financial uncertainty, or facing a difficult challenge? Well then, abandon all reason Abraham (Gen. 12:1-9) — get out of the boat Peter (Mt. 14:22-33). The Lord will be with you; He will not let you sink and perish. There are sure to be days you are likely to hear Jesus gentle rebuke, “Where is your faith?” But today could be different. Today you can find the strength to take your eyes off of the storms; to fix your eyes on Christ Jesus; and follow Him in truly freeing faith." (Chambers, R. (2014). Freeing faith. Retrieved from http://reflections.daybyday.org).

Ever wonder "why me God?" I do it all the time, but the Spirit continues to nudge me toward my purpose despite my inner most concerns. The problem with us is that we focus far too much on our goings than our comings; we praise God eagerly when things work out to our benefit, then we fall back on our praise when we've been placed in the midst of some adversity. We pray time and time again for relief and sometimes feel that God has forsaken us. The reality is this - God has you exactly where you're supposed to be, but it is YOU who needs to open your heart so that you can hear from Him. There is a lesson to be learned from your circumstance; there is something that you have failed to do or let go of in order to receive your full blessing. Thus, you repeat the same sequence of events throughout your lifetime in various forms of circumstances, yet with similar outcomes. Until YOU accept and understand that God is in control no matter how difficult your situation seems, no matter how far a resolution seems to be, and no matter how physically and mentally draining your experience, you will always posses a void that NO ONE and NOTHING will ever be able to fill. Fix your eyes on Christ and gradually your contentment will bring some resolve to everything else, because that is when you'll experience the peace that passeth all understanding; you will not worry about anything because your everything will be in the Lord - His power far exceeds anything else, thus, His authority and presence in your life will fill all voids.

Prayer of the Day:

Respectfully,

Tylesha "Tye" Allen

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)

Ministry Blog: http://sodbytye.blogspot.com/

Non-profit Website: http://fmbs-inc-bytye.org/

Your independent Herbalife distributor/health coach: Tye.HL24@gmail.com

Change begins within; work on becoming a better You