An Amazing Grace for Amazing Women

Proverbs 31:10

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁰A capable, intelligent, and ^[a]virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.

This day I wanted to take a moment and do something a little different.  Today, I am saluting women.  I have been blessed to have a wonderful loving Mom and Wife.  I had the fortune to have three older sisters who were all blessings in my life.  Today it is all about saluting the women.  Without you loving and caring and being the moms that you are, so many of us would not have made it. I believe God wanted to take this time out to pay tribute to you.  For all the men in your life that you feel like they take you fro granted, God is telling you thank you.  You can love us because God loves you.  If you are ever to tired to love go and refuel from the love machine.  What God has given you is something I can never have.  He graced and loved you to be an amazing woman.
 Today, God is encouraging you and saying today, "thank you"  for all the things that you do.  For all the wonderful meals you cook or provide. For all the little things you do that seem to go unnoticed. For all the times you take care of us when we are sick.  For all the times you submitted but did not want to.  Your Heavenly Father had you on his mind tooday.  Brothers, lets' take a lesson from our God today and thank the women in our lives for all that they do.
Thank You Ladies and God Bless!

Brother Clarence
Author and Family Strategist
http://www.godlyking.com/
http://www.godlykings.blogspot.com/
clarence@godlyking.com

   

Fight

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12)

     Yesterday, I had to leave work early.  My sister was rushed to the hospital in a very critical state.  When I arrived at the hospital, I witnessed my sister fighting for her life.  Every breathe she took seemed like it could be her last.  As I consoled my mother, and wiped tears away, it was a feeling of hopelessness and a feeling of loss and despair.  I literally did not know what was going to happen and I did not know what this day would hold. 

     For those who do not know, my sister Dr. Velda Threatt was in an almost fatal car accident in 1994 in Roswell, Ga.  This accident left her with severe brain damage and was in a comma for months.  She truly never recovered from her injuries.  That brilliant mind was reduced to recognizing childhood songs and her family.  She never forgot her family.  Never again able to articulate a conversation. Never again to retain the relationships professionally or personally.  A lot was lost.

     When and if you ever visit Dr. Velda Threatt, you leave her with a sense of how strong her spirit is.  Once her eyes were able to focus on you, she would do a “shake in the bed” with a huge big smile.  Take in mind, she has lost the use of her hands and legs, is unable to feed her self, or express audibly  how she feels but can sing the fool out of “Yes Jesus Loves Me, “He got the whole world in his hands’ and  songs like that from her childhood.  The nurses at her Nursing Home where she lives would put her radio on and she will do a “shake in the bed” for you!  I’m not talking to Christian music, they put in on the blues station and she will boogie down her ”shake in the bed” till you have to make her stop.  A true amazing spirit!

     Yesterday, I witnessed someone fighting for every breath to the point that she was lifting her legs that she has not had any control over.  I saw someone “fight”.  The nurses gave her a sedative to settle her down.  She was not responsive until she heard my mother’s voice.  She let us know that she knew my mom was there.  Once she was sedated, they cleaned her up and said they are going to try and move her to intensive care.  The doctors and nurses asked the family to leave and they would prepare her to be moved.  My mom , aunt and her close friend waited outside while they moved her.  I decided to go across the street to get something to eat and we waited to see her again.

     When I came back to the hospital, my aunt came down to take me to Dr. Velda’s room.  I walked in and my mother says, let your sister know that you are here.  Before I could turn around to walk towards her bed, she gave me a small “shake in the bed” with a smile on her face.  All I can say was that was the best feeling to see her saying to us she is still here.  Her eyes never opened but her spirit said I am here. 

      I shared all of this because so many people are going through things right now.  Co- workers and friends are going through challenging times unlike anything they have ever experienced.  Just remember, to Fight the good fight of faith and continue to be strong.  God is with you and no matter what it looks like, God can do it.  He is still a healer!  God is still a peace giver!   God is love!   Blessings!

Brother Clarence

Author and Family Strategist

www.godlyking.com

www.godlykings.blogspot.com

clarence@godlyking.com

The Illusion of Success

     What is Success? Is it different from fame?  Do we live in a society that shows success as being rich and famous?  Is being rich and famous a bad thing?  Well, I will let you answer these questions this morning for yourself.  I was taught something about success that the Lord shared with me years ago in my quest for some satisfaction of that "rich and famous" thing.  This is what God shared with me and I included it in the book, "A Struggle Not Meant For A King."  I pray it helps bring clarity to your definition of success.
   
     "To the degree that we put our trust in our own abilities or our own intellect, it is to that degree that we will eventually fall.  Success, or should I say godly success, is based upon stewardship.  Being a good steward over whatever the Lord has placed into your care.  The Lord shared with me a definition of godly success: It is alignment with the Father. It is totally surrendering your will for His will and exchanging your life for the life He has for you.  Godly success is not the house, car or clothes.  The fruit you see( the cars, houses, clothes, etc) is the result of consistency in being aligned with the Father."

     In essence, if you are measuring your success on your degree, your job title or status and not on your relationship with Christ, your success is worldly and will eventually cause you to stumble or compromise your character because you are trying to keep something that you were only the steward over.
   
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8

Brother Clarence
Author and Family Strategist
www.godlyking.com
www.godlykings.blogspot.com
clarence@godlyking.com

    

Making Your Decision Count

"" I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." Duet. 30:19
    
     I am going to be honest today and say that I have not always made the best decisions.  I had a history of doing impulsive and in the moment things.  How many can now say, that's not the way to make decisions?  I sure can.  I have learned and is still learning, that your decisions affect you and those who you are connected to.  The text today tells us the vision that God has for us and gives a lifeline to how we can measure all our current and future decisions.  I do believe that none of us want to repeat our bad decisions and we now want our current decisions to be good ones.  Today, using the scripture, lets look at some keys that can help all of us make our decisions count.

Keys to Making Good Decisions
1.  Always judge your decision from the Word of God.  (If what you are thinking of doing is contrary to God's Word it will not benefit you in the long run of life.)
2.  Seek Godly Counsel. ( Finding someone who is knowledgeable and stable minded always should validate your conscious.)
3.  Listen to the Voice of your Spirit ( That inner voice On the Inside is the Spirit of God.  It always lines up with the Word and never leads you astray.  The other voice is your flesh it will be contrary to the Word of God.)
4.  Don't go against your peace ( God has given every christian peace.  Peace is supernatural.  Peace guides and comforts in times of trouble and contention.  The peace of God is our weapon to help us make good decisions.)

     "Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusted in thee." Isaiah 26:3

     This final thought is mainly for the men.  "Just because she is fine does not mean she is mine."  That will help you if you apply this principle.

Brother Clarence
Author and Family Strategist
http://www.godlyking.com/
http://www.godlykings.blogspot.com/
clarence@godlyking.com

Ruling Your Own Spirit

" He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." Proverbs 26:28

     This past week I was on vacation with my family.  It was really nice to be at the beach most of  the week and witness the wonder and amazement of the creation of Our Lord.  When we came in at night and turned on the television to see what was going on in the world, I was saddened to learn of  the events surrounding the death of this young man in Florida and the apparently "no investigation" done by the Sanford police department. Regardless of where you stand on the issues involved in this case, a young man has died and another is presumed to be the killer.  There is no good end to this story. 
    I watched the President of the United States of America say, " If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon."  There is no escaping the problems we face in America.  At some point in the life of an African American male, we all will face prejudice or injustice due to the color of our skin and due to the stereotypes of how some of our African American males behave. (like wild fools)  Some people put all African American males in a category and say we all are the same or we all act and live the same type of lives.  This is certainly a falsehood but the reality of too many men who only speak from the injustices of our society and the grave. 
     I have no quick antidote for this problem but we have the "Word of God."  If we can control our own spirits we can save lives and the lives of so may other young men.  I do  know, we must learn to diffuse situations differently even when we are confronted or accused falsely.  The real enemy is the enemy and  satan will use every opportunity he can to destroy you.  I look at the real enemy (satan) who set this whole situation up to kill, steal, and destroy.  If you are mad, get mad at the real enemy and start teaching our kids the Word of God.  We all get mad.  We all get angry but we all don't survive the consequences of anger when it leads to sin. 
     We do not know what happened in Sanford, Florida but we do know that the Word of God can teach and save our lives if we apply it to our everyday  life situations. We all will be confronted.  We all will be accused falsely but how we handle it is a matter of life and death. Food for a prospering soul..........

"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." Proverbs 26:28

Brother Clarence
www.godlyking.com
www.godlykings.blogspot.com
clarence@godlyking.com