Montez Dove | Inspiring

Friday, June 27, 2014

U-TURN

Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]. Joel 2:12 (AMP)

Have you ever taken a road trip and discovered in the midst of your travel that you were headed in the wrong direction? What a horrible feeling, right? Somewhere along the way perhaps you didn't follow directions, maybe you took a wrong turn, or you simply passed your exit. Now suddenly, the road trip that started out on a high road isn't that exciting anymore because you realize that you have lost valuable time. That's how it is on many occasions in our personal lives. We start off traveling in the right direction and then, unexpectedly, we collide with something in our blind spot that distracts us from arriving at our preferred destination. Oftentimes, it's our own unwise decisions that cause us to turn onto the wrong roads in life. But fortunately, there is "Good News" for all off-course travelers. The "Good News" is that you can always make a U-TURN. So, if you ever find yourself traveling on a graveled road of sin and destruction, just simply make the wise choice to change your course of travel. At one time or another we have all gotten off course. Yet, with a repentant heart we can always turn back on smooth pavement and head in the right direction. Today, refuel your heart with hope through prayer, and reunite with a God that forgives, loves, and cares.

Friday, May 9, 2014

You Need More Room

Are you suffocating in the confinements of stagnation? If so, you're not alone. Several months ago, one of my co-workers had the awesome opportunity of retiring. She had worked many years and was excited about her new season in life. She was especially ecstatic about traveling the world and spending quality time with her precious grandchildren. As time drew nearer to retirement I'm confident to say that she counted down like a kitchen timer the months, days, hours, and minutes. During her final week of work, I noticed her packing her belongings and tidying up her desk. As she packed, I also noticed as I had in the past, a beautiful plant that flowed from the corner of her desk like the Niagara Falls. For years I truly admired this plant, so I asked her if she was taking it with her. To my favor and surprise she said, "No you can have it." Wow! I felt like I had won the lottery. I was so excited and grateful that she would give me her plant, and even more grateful to have a keepsake from my fellow co-worker and friend. A couple of days later, I relocated the plant to my desk in a totally different environment. And not before long, I noticed the plant wasn't as vibrant as it was in it's previous climate. Immediately, I felt guilty for taking possession of the plant and possibly not having what it takes to keep it alive. Then one day, the office plant connoisseur as I call her, passed by and said, "The pot is too small." She explained to me that the plant had grown to capacity in the pot it was in, and the plants roots didn't have any more room to grow. So she kindly replanted the plant in a bigger pot and what do you know? The plant began to flourish again. The plant taught me a valuable life lesson. It taught me that environment matters and various things can either promote or hinder growth. So right now let's take a quick inventory. Is there a job, relationship, mindset, or past experience that's hindering your growth? Like the plant, are you dying at your lowest capacity dwelling in circumstances that don't accommodate your highest capabilty? If so, perhaps it's time to expand your territory and take root in some new ground.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

It's Getting Dark Outside

The world we live in today appears to be growing darker and darker by the minute. Tragic events nationally as well as internationally have increased in momentum and disaster seems to be around every corner. Lately, before you can come to grips with one calamity, another one has overlapped. Everything from natural disasters to massive killings is occurring. Just a few years ago, life didn't seem to have as great of a downward pull. But just as the word of God has stated, these things must come to pass (Mark 13:8). Every day we are living in the midst of people that are confused, hurting, and thirsting for peace. And every day as born-again believers we are encouraged to let our light shine. In (Matthew 5:14-16), Jesus urges us to let our light shine forth brightly before men and for us not to hide it. Therefore, shine forth your light at school, work, and play. Let it shine everywhere you go so that people can see God through you. All hope is not lost for this world, even in its darker state. Jesus, the light of the world, came to bring hope even when all hope seems to be lost. If Christ is in us, then the light should be shining through us. Be bold and dispel the darkness by letting your light shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Things Are Unfolding

Do you have a dream in your heart that hasn't come to fruition? Maybe you've been laboring with or carrying your God-given dream for years and it has yet to come to pass. If so, I want to encourage you to keep on dreaming and moving forward with great expectation. Most of the time when God gives a dream or an assignment, it usually requires a process. The process usually consists of testing that overtime will develop Godly-character and maturity in both the dream and the dreamer. Let's consider God's servant Joseph (Genesis 37). When God ignited the dream in Joseph's heart, he was just a young teen. Then a series of unfavorable events took place between the times of him receiving the dream, until it was fully manifested. Joseph was rejected, sold into slavery, lied on, and unjustly put in prison. Joseph had to endure much hardship, but the opposition was never able to rob him of his dream and destiny in God. As a matter of fact, all of the obstacles and negative events contributed to the development of his strong future leadership. And fortunately what was intended for harm, God intended for good (Genesis 50:20). What Joseph spoke of in his youth, later manifested in his thirties. The promise that God put in Joseph's heart accomplished just what it was sent forth to do. And you too, can expect the same to happen regarding the dream that's in your heart. Keep believing in your dream and God's timing, because daily through all of the favorable and unfavorable circumstances things are unfolding.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Relationships

Being around the right people will bring the best out of you. Likewise, being around the wrong people will bring the worst out of you. Evaluate your relationships and take note of what each one is bringing out of you.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Pull Out

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the busyness of life? If so, you are not alone. Each day comes with so many demands and if you don't closely manage yourself and time, you will burnout and crash under the pressures of life. That's why it's so important that you not only know and recognize the signs leading to a burnout. You need to know how to set boundaries for yourself and prevent burnout altogether. No one knows you better than you. That's why you are the responsible party for calling the timeouts you need in life. Jesus is our perfect example of how to live life more abundantly. Matthew 14:23 says, "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." Jesus daily ministered to the masses but often time He would pull away from the crowd to be alone with the Father for a refreshing. If Jesus practiced pulling away, it would probably be wise for us to do the same. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." If you are on the verge of a burnout, now is the perfect time for you to schedule some much needed down time. I recommend that you pull away without any guilt of taking care of you. Schedule yourself a vacation or just get alone by yourself. The restful quality time alone will refresh you, strengthen you and give you a new perspective on life. It's time to pull out!

God, Keep Me Balanced ~ Poem

I find myself exhauted; I find myself drained. I find myself slipping from joy, crossing over into pain. I find myself empty; I find myself dry. I think I'd better stop for a minute and ask myself why?

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Be Thankful

The other day I was driving down the street counting my blessings and reminiscing on the goodness of God. Then, before I knew it I was overtaken with feelings of pure gratitude. I thought about how faithful God has been to me and how excited I was about being alive and knowing Him. Nothing outside of God concerned me at that time. It didn't matter what material things I had or didn't have, but what did matter was my acknowledgement of a loving God. My heart and my mind was strictly focused on Him with an attitude of gratitude. What about you? Have you taken time out of your busy life lately just to think of the goodness of God and to thank Him? If not, now would be the perfect time to do so. Psalm 136:1 states, "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever."

Be Thankful ~ Poem

Thankfulness is an expression that should last throughout the year. We all should be grateful and rejoice that we're still here. For God has been so good and so very kind. We shouldn't thank Him once a year, but thank Him all the time.