My heart was racing and my mind was running a mile a minute with thoughts and images. I needed things to slow down but they wouldn’t. I tried to rest my body and lay quietly in the dark. When that didn’t work, I tried to distract myself with Facebook. But I was not interested in that. So, I opened my bible app and looked for a reading plan. After reading scriptures and talking to God, peace began to surround me. I was able to drift off to sleep. Then the morning came. I was totally distracted. I was moving on auto-pilot. I hungered for the Word, so I completed my bible study lesson for the day. Oh, the similarities between Haman and I in Esther 5:9-10. Haman was happy then enraged. Nevertheless, he held his composure and passed. Likewise, I chose to move forward and to take control of my actions and reactions. Every thought is not meant to be verbalized. God always delivers a word just for you at the exact moment that you need it. You just have to be open and willing to receive

"When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out to the city wailing loudly and bitterly. ” – Esther 4:1 In Esther Chapter 3, King Xerxes raised up Haman. As a result of his new stature, Haman commanded that everyone bow down to him. Mordecai, however, refused. Shortly thereafter, Haman convinced King Xerxes to enter a decree. After Mordecai learned of the decree that all Jews be killed by a specified date, his heart sank. He was brought to a moment of emotional and spiritual weakness due to his impending death. He knew this was a time that he didn’t have any answers on his own. Instead, this was a time for Mordecai to draw nearer to God.   The sackcloth and ashes that Mordecai exchanged his clothes for were a symbol of apology and mourning.   God allows some things to happen as a way of opening our eyes. Have you ever had a situation in your life where God called you nearer to him? A time when your spirit wa

July is here! This means that we are now more than halfway through 2015. At the beginning of each calendar year, many of us set goals and affirmations for ourselves. Now that we are midway through the year, it’s time to reflect on the status of those goals and affirmations.   What goals did you set for yourself at the beginning of this year? How many of those goals have you accomplished? It’s time to make your dreams a reality. Now is the time to take action. In an interview with prima ballerina Misty Copeland, she shared that her only dream since she was 13 years old was to become a principle dancer with the American Ballet Theater. It took almost 20  years, but her dream came true. From her story I learned 1) all things are possible and 2) the theory of the compound effect is true. Author Darren Hardy wrote a book entitled The Compound Effect . As I listened to the audio book  yesterday, something clicked. I've heard it for several years but I didn’t take heed until now.