My Book Report (Chapter 10): Every Day A Friday

Chapter 10

How should I open up this chapter of My Book Report? Oh, I know! I'll ask God to bless you and allow you to see those very words of blessing.

Father and God, thank you for all the millions of readers that will take in these words. I thank you Lord for their lives. I thank you my God that they were born. I thank you for what you will do in their lives.  Thank you for their eyes, their ears, their hearts, their minds, their hands and their feet. I thank you for all of this as I ask you to bless all of them. May these words not escape their eyes, and may they not allow these words to escape the eyes of their families, friends, and co-workers. Thank you my God for hearing my words and moving in me to bless them, in Jesus name. Amen

That's a blessed opening, and now I want to share with all your precious hearts what I learned from chapter ten of Joel Osteen's "Every Day A Friday." Chapter ten is titled "You Can Have the Last Laugh." The title is intriguing. Isn't it?! Right off the back, the title makes me think of not so nice things. People getting revenge on others. Witnessing people scheming and plotting to repay back people evil for the evil they have done to them. Even a saying I have heard a few times. "You want to get back at someone, become rich." I don't think money may be an answer of retaliation as it may very well cause others to hate you, and envy you even more. That may seem well and good with others, but not with me. I'm not here to rub anything in any one's face, but I am here to show that a life lived to honor God, will result in God honoring you despite those who look to bring you down, and according to God's Word, God will make it that your critics (those who want you to fail) will see how blessed YOU ARE. Amen.

In reading chapter ten Joel took me on a journey throughout the Bible. I went to the books of Deuteronomy, Romans, 1 Samuel, Psalm, Proverbs, and Genesis. It was amazing. A thrill ride that doesn't leave you dizzy but with the treasury of your heart overflowing and spilling over. Amen. Joel goes on to advise us that although in life we may very well encounter dealings with critics, naysayers, backbiters, backstabbers, those who are jealous and who say we'll never make it, we who believe and receive God through Christ Jesus can be assured that God will give those individuals a clear view of our table of blessing. Joel goes on to say, that God will make sure those individuals will see us promoted, honored, and accomplished. 

The above words are summed up from these Two Verses, and they are evident blessings that are direct results of someone who trusts, believes and lives out these Two Verses. 

As I read chapter ten, it had me reflecting on one key moment in my walk with the Lord. Very early in my walk, the Lord asked me to leave a position I had great comfort and influence in. Three years exactly at a particular company, and in the last year of those three years, things really started to go well for me. I had peace with my bosses, my co-workers and I truly enjoyed my work. 

Although leaving seemed absolutely crazy as I received good pay, had great benefits and seniority, the Lord said this to me repeatedly, "If you don't leave, you'll miss out on the blessing I have for you." Even others in the Lord and those close to me said I was wrong to leave and that wasn't what God said to me. 

Sometimes, it could take years for someone to come up to you and congratulate you, but the Word of God says, "..let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." (Galatians 6:9 NLT). 

My takeaway: 

For me in my life and the clear and concise way the Lord has spoken to me translates into this: Although it'll probably be some time before others can see the good work God is doing in my life, it may very well be the Lord building me up, and as I grow in the Lord, in due time what He first said to me will finally be made known to everyone else. Amen.

God is a promise keeper. It may not happen the way we want or expect, but be assured and at peace that it WILL happen. Amen.

As always...YOU ARE LOVED.

Emergency Post: The Confrontation In The Room (My Perspective)

Good morning beloved. It's about 1:57a.m. the day prior to my 32nd birthday. I was awoken by a voice telling me to get up, and as I fought to get up thinking my alarm (set for 2:45a.m.) had went off moments ago, I started to sing this song that came to my heart. It's called "Trust in Jesus," by Third Day. Okay, now that the environment is set, I'll start sharing with you why am I writing to you at such an early hour.

Do you know that the Lord is good? He is good all the time. I don't say these words to you as some sort of cliche, but rather I share these words from a soul that has known of the Lord for quite sometime although I refused to get to know Him. The Lord has been putting this on my heart for quite some time now to share with you all. Although the Lord called on me on January 1, 2006 and I responded, He has been nudging my heart from as early as 2003. Here's where The Confrontation In The Room begins. In 2003 I was fired from my then current job with a popular cell phone carrier for overstepping my boundaries (we'll leave it at that) and my sleeping habits were dismal. I would stay up very late walking around my mother's house as others slept angry, bored, and arguing with God. Yup! You can say I spoke to God, but I never allowed Him to get a word in. It was me, me, me all the way. One late night I was in my room and as I laid on my bed peering into the darkness of my life, out of the darkness of my closet came a shadow of a man. I didn't quite look at him, but I knew he wanted something from me. This shadow of a man was the devil. As I stood perched up in my bed not making eye contact but seeing him from the corner of my eye, another Man appeared in the doorway of my room. This Man was brimming with Light but He too, I did not make eye contact with. This Man was Jesus. You can say as both of them stood at two entrances of my life, I was not inclined at that point to give my full attention to either of them. But I began to speak to them...

To the devil, I told him I wasn't going to go with him, and "I don't care what you say." To Jesus, I really didn't say anything to Him, but He stood looking at me and throughout that whole confrontation He never left my presence, until he left my presence. At least he left for a time.

You may be wondering why I didn't put the dialogue down that either of them spoke towards me. This was a confrontation of the nature of my heart compared to the character I portrayed on the outside. On the inside I was hurt and in need of healing. On the outside I was angry and pushed people away. Both equally hid themselves well, but the two of them who appeared to me were reflecting both. The darkness was a facade that would eventually fade away and my true colors would show. The bright Light was always there and unwilling to ever leave.

I thank my Lord for waking me up today to share this with all your precious hearts. As I type these last words to you I am overwhelmed by my Lord's love for me that it has me in tears and I can barely make out the keys I'm typing on.

Beloved, this is my heartfelt advice to you. When you come to that crossroad of your life where darkness and Light are presented to you, even if you don't care to make a decision at that moment, be at peace to allow the confrontation to run its course. You will see that Jesus will speak into your hurt whereas the devil will only try to grab your attention. Ultimately it is He Jesus the Lord who has already won your heart. Amen.

Beloved, I urge you to choose Life though. Here's the verse in scripture the Lord gave to me just now that encapsulates The Confrontation In The Room.

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19 emphasis added).




Let us pray: A prayer of Salvation (Make it personal/Make it count)


Lord Jesus, please forgive me for doing things my way. Help me to do things Your way. My soul is in need of saving, and I don't want to live life now or in eternity without you. I have been confronted with darkness, but Your Light is calling out to me. Please fill me with Your Light. Save me, help me, heal me, make me new and show me the way to life and blessing. I choose You as my Savior and Lord.  


Beloved, If you have prayed this prayer, I believe according to the Word of God you are now saved. As it's written, For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).


Congratulations on choosing LIFE! I'd be honored if you would leave a comment if you called on the name of the Lord Jesus. I pray God direct you to the church where you will grow and remain in His Light and blessing. Stay in the Word of God, and keep God first. He'll take you places you never dreamed of. 


As always...YOU ARE LOVED.

Teaching my heart to always be a teachable heart

(Proverbs 16:18; 21)

18 Pride goes before destruction...

 21 The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.


*In my life I have made many mistakes, too much to recall, but in my walk with God, I have been brought before many people God has blessed me with who have given me nuggets of wisdom to strengthen my walk. When their advice lines up with God's Word I don't shrug it off, but accept it as a great blessing from God to keep heartache and pain from continuing to come into my life again.

That's God's grace and in order to receive such wisdom we must have a teachable heart. The Lord has blessed me with a teachable heart, and I'm grateful to God for my willingness to receive instruction, direction, and disclipline when it is called for.

It starts with God, and God places these attributes into His children as well, as we are created in His image (Genesis 1:27). An awesome blessing into our lives and existence.

I must always remain able to stop and thank God for such Love and Grace given to me freely, all due to His Son my Lord and Savior through His ways, and those to whom He places in my life. Amen!

Thank you to those who have help me and guided me towards Him with a wiser and stronger Faith in Him. May the Lord always bless you and keep you deep in His heart and cherished in the palms of His hands. It's in Jesus name I lift this up for all of you. Amen!


I love you all.
God bless you.



Signature from Flavio's iPhone:

Genesis 1:27 

 ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.