Listen with not only your ears but your heart too!

Do you find yourself so caught up in this fast paced world, when you don't get the answer quick enough you stop listening because you are already seeking the next question?

After much prayer about a personal matter, I prayed for honesty, along with courage and the words to say.  Today I sat down and had a heart to heart with this person who has been very close to me.

During our conversation I experienced a deeper form of listening. I shut up after I asked the question and just listened. Not only with my ears but with my heart. I was living in the moment and what I experienced was simply amazing! 

We all know that men and women think so differently! If we took more time learning to lean on God and taking our issues to him in prayer first our world would be so much different!

Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

To live this kind of peace beyond our own understanding is the most wonderful feeling in the world. If we live of or for the world there is turmoil, which the enemy delights in using part truths to spread his lies. Getting inside your head with doubts and fears.

When you allow this to happen you have no peace.

Job 3:26 (NIV) 

I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.

God's timing is not always our timing, nor do we get many season with people we love. I have had to lean, let go and let God handle it.

Daniel 2:21 (NIV)

He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Not only did I listen with my ears I also used my heart, and in the process I have learned - I can live in a moment, laugh through the tears all while sharing God's love Always!

Have a Bless Day,

Dee

Let's get caught up again

So it’s been quite sometime since I’ve updated my blog. “Life happens” as they say.

There have been rough seasons and now a season of learning to listen to the small still voice and following through in Faith!

I will attempt to update at least once a week from this point forward.

Time to play catch up now…

I am the Morning Show Host of Live, Laugh and Share God’s Love in the Morning on Christian 107.3 

(Formally Lloyd and Dee in the Morning) 

along with 

The Deelightful Midday Show on Christian 105.7 (Beginning Nov. 10th)

So many times we let time slip through our hands only existing and not living!

Someone close to me is doing just this. Instead of looking at all the blessing they have their hung up on all the ‘junk’ of the past. I love the person very much, and it’s hard to bring them up when they are compelled to dig their hole even deeper.

I've continued to pray for them and be there for them but recently I found myself sounding like a broken record of ‘glass half full’ even though it appeared to be going on deaf ears. I had to remind myself at that moment “God’s Got This”!

Often times we think we can help people without it affecting our own walk. It’s at those ‘light bulb moments’ we find as the human side of us wants to just give up and reject them - God has other plans and a lesson to be learned from it!

Don’t give up on those ‘bitter people’ in your life! Continue to pray for them.

Believe it or not I was once a ‘bitter person’ too!

God has taught me so much in my years here on this earth!

Each lesson has taught me it is our choice to be ‘better’ instead of ‘bitter’.

So the next time you see that person who seems to suck the life right out of you when they are around, pray God gives you the words to say or how long to listen before saying a word.

We are all supposed to love one another and how can we do that with rejection toward what God has placed in your life as a lesson!

Just speaking from the heart and sharing a little more “Sharing the Love of God” with you!

Have a Blessed Day and remember to Live, Laugh and Share God’s Love with someone today!

Dee

11/3/2014

Tests, Trust, Tithes, and Love…

Life is full of happenstances!

Recently I found myself in a discussion on views about having friendships of the opposite sex. During this conversation I mentioned trust for the loved ones involved. Then it just so happens God, in his perfect way, made sure I was in the right place at the right time on Sunday as Pastor Jeff spoke on Tests, Trust along with Tithes.

As he began to talk he made it clear this was not going to be just a sermon on Tithes but sort of a history lesson of how the 10 percent came to be along with how God Test us in our lives.

I learned many things I already knew but felt the need to share with others.

God does not change! He is perfect and there is no room for improving perfection! Now we, as Christians, can always improve on our lives.

We should always remember to put God first in our everyday living. God cannot bless second best!

There may be times when we see our neighbors or friends who have more than we do but do they really? Let me use myself as an example here. I’ve gone through a lot and I’ve had to sell just about everything I own and am starting all over again. But in my eyes I feel very blessed! God is first in my life and he has blessed me with my parents who have been my rock through the low point in my life, my health and a wonderful man who loves me!

Someone who doesn’t believe in God or put him first in their life might see only the fact I’ve lost so much, with having to sell a lot of my personal belongings. Sure I could focus on what has happen to me and be bitter but how does that help me in my life now? Others might say that God cursed me by some of the rough times I’ve had but God does not curse you… you curse yourself when you step out of living your Christian life to be brought closer to him.

God continues to test us in our lives. God is the reason for my Faith, Family, and Finances. How I live my life is to be a reflection of how a Christian should live. It’s how I want to show others about his Love!

Love is God and God is Love this is what love means to me! He has blessed me with so much more than many have and I know he will continue to bless me as long as he allows me to walk on this earth. Trust is knowing God knows where I’m going from here!

I found out the Bible is full of numerology! The number 10 means Testing! Tithing is a test! God is testing us to see if we give back what he supplies us to begin with. If it not for him we would not be where we are right now. And it was no happenstance a tenth of what we get should be given back to the church.

God will test us frequently to make sure we are putting him first! Say you make a little bit more money this month than last… Will you include that amount in your tithing or make an excuse to spend it on something else. Take for instance gas prices are so high right now that you don’t think you should spare the money. This money you received as a gift from God and should be included right? Even if it is just one dollar- a penny should go in your tithing.

(The following is from Malachi 3 NIV)

Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

 ⁶ “I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. ⁷Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.

   “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

 ⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

   “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

   “In tithes and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. ¹¹ I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. ¹² “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.

The above scripture was part of Pastor Jeff’s Sunday service. God Test us to put him first in our lives.

Although there may be times when you are struggling to give your tenth to the Church you will be blessed and not cursed.

Remember to always put God first in your life, not just on Sunday but every day!

Take time to look at your life and see where God is in your pecking order of what is important in your life. Could a few things be rearranged to start seeing more blessings come your way? For this to happen you may have change the order of things in your life to let your blessings start to flow.

Have a Blessed Day,

Dee Stevens

I Believe!

God’s Plan…

Even though we cannot see his nail scared hands,

We know Jesus the son of God was sent for us to understand,

Love is not just a word it is a way of life to us all,

When God speaks we should hear his call,

Don’t keep silent if one turns away,

Drop down on your knees and pray,

To save a soul is an honor in his name,

We should be proud as we proclaim,

It is in his name his will be done,

Because God sent his only son,

To save our souls in this life we live,

It is our sins that he does forgive,

If one person hears of his name today,

Another will rejoice as we say,

Thank you God for saving me,

The Alfa, The Omega, The Almighty!

(Dee Stevens 2/18/2011)

I believe that everything happens for a reason so let me start by saying on Tuesday I happened upon and app for my phone which takes your pulse rate. I felt compelled to download it to my phone. I don’t know why I just didn’t question it and did it and didn’t think about it again.

It was a week ago late tonight the following events happened which opened my eyes to how God tell us to do things we don’t understand but he always has his reasons. We may not see them as a sign from God at that moment but later find out the ‘gut feeling’ we get was his way of preparing us for things to come.

*Some of the following events may not be in the exact order as they happened because I wasn’t taking notes at the time…

I got a text from the man I love “I’m sick come take care of me”. Normally I would not think anything of it but he is not the typical guy to ask for any sort of help. I text back and let him know I had a few more things to do and I would be over.

Once I got there I found him on the couch shaking wrapped up in a blanket. His hands and feet were ice cold and he told me he had thrown up a few times since 3 that afternoon.

I asked him if he wanted me to take him to the hospital and his reply was “no I don’t have insurance and I really don’t feel like sitting in the emergency room for hours”. I could totally relate to his replies because I too don’t have insurance and wouldn’t want to sit and wait for hours to find out what’s wrong but a little small voice inside told me “take his pulse with the app on your phone”. I’m not saying that I have a direct connection with God or that he spoke directly to me but when I have things like this happen to me I don’t toss them off or ignore them.

I did and it was reading 199 which to me was not a good thing. He asked me to look up online and see what some of his symptoms might be. As I was got my computer out and started searching in the back of my mind I kept hearing that same small voice saying ‘something isn’t right and he needs to go to the hospital’. I would ask him question to compare them to MD online. As I did I just keep feeling I needed to check his blood pressure.  I’m not a nurse or a doctor but have worked in a nursing home and had a medical clinic and knew that his mother had a wrist cup there at the house. I got it and took his blood pressure to find it was 200 plus over 100 plus (I didn’t write it down but knew it was way too high) He told me it must be a mistake to check the batteries so I changed them out and took it again. It was still over 200 and 100. I went back online to find that anything that high like that meant you needed medical attention as soon as possible. I kept talking to him and watching him breath and then he told me he needed something he was going to get sick. I flew to the kitchen to find something fast and got it to him just in time. He didn’t want me near him when he was getting sick but I wanted to make sure he was ok.

After this happened he felt a little better but the high readings were a nagging concern to me when I had read about having a blood pressure reading as high as his was to seek immediate medical attention. (Click here for the page I viewed)

I took the blood pressure again and it was still well over 200 and 100 plus. I wanted to make sure the cup was working so I had someone take mine. Of course mine was a little high because of the situation but I then knew I had to convince him to go to the hospital.

I took my phone in the other room and called the hospital and asked to speak to the on duty nurse and explained the situation. I was told to hang up and call 911 she added that he could stroke out or could be having a stroke.

I knew I had to remain calm and let him and the others in the house of what I was getting ready to do. After letting everyone know what I was going to do I dialed 911. While on the phone with I remained calm as I watched the love of my life pass out. Even though it was only for a few moments it still scared me. I knew the worse things I could do was panic so I calmly kept saying his name until he his eyes opened up and he spoke to me.

While waiting for the paramedics to get there, which seemed like forever, I kept it together and continue to get him ready for them along with talking to his mom and staying by his side until they got there.

He was alert and requested his mom call his son and let him know we would be heading to the hospital. His son got to the hospital first, followed by me and then we waited for him to arrive.

Again the time seemed to drag on as we waited to be able to see him. During our time waiting and at one point not knowing where he was in the emergency room I struggled with thoughts of losing him.

We were told that only one of us could go back at a time until he was put into a room. Of course I told his son he would be going back first. I thanked God for letting me be there to make the call!

As I was sitting in the waiting room I got updates from his son via text I then I got a text that read “you are probably the reason I’m alive”. Tears filled my eyes as I wrote back “No God is just not ready for you yet”. It was then I broke down and had to go outside to cry! I can look back on it now and know in my heart everything that has happen in my life God had prepared me for to deal with that situation. That moment in my life was preplanned by God.

I’ve told the man I love so many times “God has me back here in your life for a reason” and I feel in my heart God has been putting different events in my life to get me back here to North Carolina for a reason. It’s not just because of everything I have described to you but many other events too.

Like many others, my thoughts of losing the man I love with all my heart were very overwhelming. And I’m sure he would tell you I’ve told him I love him more than I usually do, but I just feel so grateful that God has let him live another day for me to tell him how much I do love him.

Over the past week I’ve gone through some really up and down emotions. From helplessness to crying and moments of pure love! This was not only an eye opening experience to the man I love with all my heart, it has had an effect on all the people in our lives! From the people in both or our immediate circles to others too!

There’s an old saying “you find out who your friends are” when times get rough… it has opened our eyes to other things too. I can only speak for myself right now, and I have to say I have been moved to really see things differently.

Being a Christian woman, I know you can’t hold it against people when they don’t come and visit you in the hospital when things like this happen. You have to not judge them for their actions. It tells us in the Bible: Luke 6:37 (New International Version, ©2010) -“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Our lives are like pieces to a puzzle, each one fits in some way to make a perfect picture! When you think about life and the events which are happening in yours, you should always try and see the bigger picture. God doesn’t make mistakes! It says in the Bible he knows every hair on your head, just like he knows when and where you should be at any given moment. It’s up to us to open our eyes and ears to see and hear what he is trying to say to you!

If you ever feel like your life just isn’t going the way you want it to go, maybe you should remember we are about his business-not ours! Once you open yourself up to the fact he is the reason we are here and try to see the bigger picture it is then and only then that life will seem to take a magical turn and everything will start falling into place.

Always put God first in your life! When you do this your life will take a turn you could never imagine! There are those who say “If there is a God why do so many bad things happen in my life?” I say to you “God has his reasons and we just have to have faith one day we will know the answers!” Until the day we do, we have to trust he sent his son Jesus to forgive us for our sins so our souls would be saved!

Please take time today to share my story with just one person who you think needs to know they aren’t alone in this life.

Life happens!

It’s up to us to see and smell the roses!

It’s our jobs as Christians to be his fishers of men!

Be Blessed!

Dee Stevens

It was not a coincidence that you viewed this today… it was part of God’s plan! 

Welcome To A New Week!

Today I decided to share a few of my FaceBook status'and why I felt the need to write them:

"Parents always want what's best for our kids... Even if it hurts a little... in the long run their better adults later in life:)"

*After talking to a parent of a friend, I felt this was their way of letting me know why they do the things they do... and it was their way of letting me know, without making an excuse for them, why they do the things they do. As parents we always want the best for them but there are times when we know they are on the wrong path and it's our job as parents to let them spread their wings and fly... but then there are times when we have to watch them fall so they can learn from their mistakes in life. It makes them a better person in the end!

"I find I'm at another crossroad in my life... And the map I'm looking at isn't the road I'm on... Going to check God's GPS -the Bible now!!!!!!!!"
Here are some replies I got from that posting:

God's Positioning System?
Grow, Pray, Study
Got Prayer Support!
*I found myself reflecting about my life and where it is heading... And it just popped into my head about how when we are lost we rely on a GPS to get us where we are going... So I found myself referring back to the Bible!

"God has me here and I'm about his business everyday in every way!:-)"

*When I wrote this one I was sending a text to a friend. It was just another way for me to say: Don't over think things... "When life seems to not be what you expect it to be...refer to God's GPS... The Bible!"

Sometimes in life you just have to remember there is a plan for us all and it's up to us to follow down the path made for us everyday... not just when we feel like it.
God gave his only son to save our souls... the least we can do is be a 'fisher of men' in our life's to save the lost. We can't assume someone else will share the Great news of Jesus! Remember that as you go about your day!
Live, Laugh, Love and Be Blessed!
Dee Stevens