God is using you….

Sunshine’s Reflection

Good morning!  Happy Friday to you all!  Spend time this weekend thinking of ways that you can help minister to someone’s life. 

Thought for the Day: God is using you

John 9:1-3 (New King James Version)

¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

There are some things that may happen in your life that will cause people to look at you and wonder what in the world did you do to deserve this suffering or what sin did you commit for this to happen to you.  And like the blind man you may have done nothing and your parents may have done nothing.  You could be going through for the expressed purpose of the works of the Lord to be revealed through you.  (Hallelujah!)

You may be struggling in an abusive relationship-not because you deserve it but because Jesus is about to work some things out through your life for someone else.  There is a young woman who is thinking about giving up on life but when she sees how God pulled you through your situation she will gain hope.  You are struggling with health problems; cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic asthma not because God wants to torture you but when He brings you out of that someone will chose to fight another day.  You may have some form of disability no fault of your own or your parents but God is using you for the specific purpose to show others that even with your limitation you are not limited.  He wants to show someone who has an able body to stop complaining and be grateful and work towards their purpose. 

You may be struggling financially, lost your car, lost your home, lost your insurance, robbing Peter to pay Paul, not because God is punishing you but because he wants to show that brother or sister who is mad at the world that you can still rejoice in the Lord during tough times.  Or you may just be in your Job season and we all know what happened to Job.  He lost everything and everyone no fault of his own, but in the end God revealed a mighty work in him and everything that Job lost was restored plus some. 

You have lived for Christ and are pressing towards the mark.  You are faithful in your studies, your tithe, and your devotional time.  Stop letting people tell you that you are struggling because you sinned all of those years ago. 

Sometimes your struggles are so that Gods work can be revealed through you.  Give God some praise for selecting you to go through.

I pray that you have a blessed weekend.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Compassion

Sunshine’s Word of the Day

Good morning!  Happy Thursday to you all!  Hang in there the work week is almost over! 

2 Kings 13:22-23 (New King James Version)

   
²² And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. ²³ But the LORD was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.

Today’s Word is: Compassion

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

How great is God that He would have compassion for a king who oppressed the people of Israel?  How great is God that He would have a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for us who have been stricken with sin and yet still have a strong desire to alleviate all of our pain and suffering?  I am grateful that the God I serve is so compassionate that He looks at me in all my mess and still wants to help me.  Correction: And has helped me.  We need to take a lesson from Christ and extend compassion to those who have hurt us and even hurt people around us.  Let’s not be so quick to destroy them or cast them from our presence.

Let’s take a note from the LORD in regards to compassion.  When you hear or see the word compassion asks yourself how can I emulate Christ and demonstrate my deep sympathy towards others.  It’s easy to write someone off from your life. It requires work to keep someone in your life that has done wrong.  Look at how easy it would have been for Christ to write us off, but His compassion for us caused Him to work for us.  How can you be more compassionate to others?

Have a blessed day being a little more compassionate to others!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

In due time and not a moment before

Sunshine’s Reflection

It’s Wednesday!!!  Give the Lord some Praise for getting you safely to the middle of the week.

Thought for the Day: In due time and not a moment before

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (New King James Version)

Everything Has Its Time

 ¹ To everything there is a season,  A time for every purpose under heaven:
       ² A time to be born, And a time to die;
      A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
       ³ A time to kill, And a time to heal;
      A time to break down, And a time to build up;
       ⁴ A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
      A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
       ⁵ A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
      A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
       ⁶ A time to gain, And a time to lose;
      A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
       ⁷ A time to tear, And a time to sew;
      A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
       ⁸ A time to love, And a time to hate;
      A time of war, And a time of peace.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Gods Word is self-explanatory, but allow me a moment to make it plan for you. 

You have been searching for that man or woman all of your life and decided to settle to avoid being lonely, you have exhausted all of your possibilities in search of a job and now you have grown frustrated, you have went to the end of the earth trying to fix your children, you have pulled out almost all of your hair trying to change the people in the ministry that you serve in, you have not tithe in years but play the lottery faithfully to increase your financial status, you have decided that change is not coming fast enough in your situation and are giving up on people and circumstances, but I am here to tell you that things will change IN DUE TIME AND NOT A MOMENT BEFORE!

For everything there is a season.  The problem is as people we are impatient creatures.  Our spouse is not changing fast enough, our promotions are not coming quick enough, this weight is not falling off fast enough, our situations are not getting better quick enough.  We grow so impatient that we begin fixing things ourselves or neglecting things all together.  I believe we think to ourselves “Maybe God is too busy helping others, I’ll just give Him a hand”.  STOP, RIGHT THERE!!!   DON’T MOVE!!!  PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN!!!  Stop putting your hands on GOD sized situations.  Your situation both good and bad will work out IN DUE TIME AND NOT A MOMENT BEFORE!

We have to stop trying to do everything and allow God to work in His time.  Any time we put our hands on a situation in an effort to speed up the process we make a mess of things.  There is a time to speak and be quiet, there is a time to heal, a time to cry, a time to laugh and the list goes on.  Let’s encourage one another to wait on Gods time. 

Remember everything will work out IN DUE TIME AND NOT A MOMENT BEFORE! 

Food for thought:  Every time you try to speed up things in your life and work in your time you post pone your blessings and deliverance.  Stop pushing back the delivery date of your blessing.  Keep your hands off and allow God to handle it!

Have a blessed day!!! 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

I know you’re strong, but Really????

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Tuesday to you all! 

Thought for the day:  I know your strong, but really???

Matthew 26:41 (New King James Version)

⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Often times as believers we convince ourselves that we are indestructible.  We convince ourselves that we are so holy ghost filled and fire baptized that nothing and no one can cause us to stumble or even fall.   We are to be mindful of our surroundings and watch for the signs of people doing wrong and environments that are not pleasing to God.  We are to pray for God to cover us in our daily activities so that we do not enter into temptation.  God knew that as believers our spirit is willing to do the things of Christ, but He also knew that our flesh is weak.

I know you’re strong, but did you really think that you could walk into the bar on Happy Hour Friday with all of your old drinking buddies and not sip on a drink?  I know you’re strong, but did you really think that you could walk into a night club with your girls and not get swept into a gyrating contest?  I know you’re strong, but did you really think that you could stay over that woman or mans house without fornicating?  I know you’re strong, but did you really think that you could surround yourself with negative people and still stay positive?  I know you’re strong, but did you really think that you could stop going to church and study your Bible and still maintain a growing intimate relationship with the Father?  I know your strong, but REALLY!!!!

As believers we have to stop putting ourselves in tempting situations.  We have to be vigilant!  Do not give the devil an opportunity to say, “look Lord I got her/him”.  If you want to witness to someone, bring them into your environment.  If you want to hang out with your friends go to a place that will not be a hinderance to you.  Do not set yourself up to fall.  I know you’re strong, but let’s be smart about the people and the environments that we are around.  Our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak and you do not want to give your flesh free rein.

Food for thought:  God always provides a way of escape for us.  The question is why do we purposely walk into tempting situations?

Take time to consider the people who you hang around and the places that you go.  If you are always coming up with “pre-escape” routes before you get there I would dare to say that you need to stop going there.  

I pray that you have a blessed day in the Lord. 

 Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis  

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Usable for Christ

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning family, friends, and visitors,

Happy Monday to you all!  I pray that you had a blessed weekend in the Lord.

Thought for the day: Usable for Christ

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (New King James Version)

⁴ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

Take a moment to think about how useful you are to Christ.  Are you working in your spiritual gifts?  Are you serving in ministries that will enhance the gifts that God gave you?  Or are you useless for Christ?

I’ve come to realize there are a lot of Christians who are useful to so many things but useless for the things of the Lord.  They are articulate, educated, well manner, full of ideas and luster for life, motivated, and driven, but for all the wrong things.  Have you ever noticed a Christian who will work for the world with all of their might but only give Christ second and third best? 

There are so many believers who are walking around aimlessly.  They have these wonderful gifts but they are unable to tap into their full potential because they have not allowed themselves to be USABLE FOR CHRIST!  You know who I am talking about:  The woman who sits next to you at church has a great voice and will belt out a secular song in the street in a minute, but won’t allow her voice to be used for Christ.  That young woman who is steady “pop locking and dropping it” on the dance floor at the club has not allowed her dance steps to be transformed and used to praise dance for the Lord.  Or that young man who speaks with authority and purpose on his job and in his home has not considered the possibility that God has called him to preach, speak, or teach His people.  Are you usable for Christ?

 Consider this, the things that you are good at and even great at are so phenomenal that you could not have possibly developed them on your own.  God thought enough of you that He poured Himself into each one of the gifts that you have.  Instead of using them for the world, use them for the One who gave them to you in the first place.

I pray that you have a blessed day.  Make sure you are usable for Christ!
  

 Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis  

   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.    

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Integrity

Sunshine’s Word of the Day

 

Praise God it’s Friday!  You better praise Him.  He brought us safely to another day!  Give Him some Praise for He is worthy of All of the PRAISE!!!  Hallelujah!  I don’t know about you but I have something to Praise God about.  He loves me!!!!  Hallelujah!  Thank you for your Love Lord!!!  I pray that you all have a blessed Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Psalm 7:8 (New King James Version)

 ⁸ The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me.

Today’s Word is: Integrity!

Integrity is a steadfast adherence to strict moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character, honesty.

Let me break this definition down: to be steadfast you have to be fixed in direction or firm in purpose, adherence is to be steady in devotion, when something is strict you chose to act in close conformity to the requirements or principles.  Stay with me because I was blessed by this.  When I live with integrity I am firm in my purpose to be steady or fixed in the direction of daily devotion that will cause me to work in close conformity to the requirements of the Lord.  To operate in all honesty! 

The Word says that the Lord will judge us according to righteousness and the integrity within!  How is your integrity looking today?  When you hear or see the word integrity ask yourself: “What can I do to have the integrity of the Lord within me?” 

Have a blessed day operating with integrity!  God bless you all!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Time to serve an Eviction Notice!!!!

Sunshine’s Reflections

  

Happy Thursday to you all!  

Thought for the Day: Time to serve an Eviction Notice  

Zechariah 8:16-18 (New King James Version)

¹⁶ These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; ¹⁷ Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the LORD.”  

There is someone today who has allow the enemy to move into their home.  The enemy has made resident in your heart, your mind, your walk, your talk, and in your attitude.  He has made his filthy, lying, destructive self comfortable on your couch.  When you come home he prepares a meal of bitterness for you, he has made a bed of lies for you to sleep on at night, he has painted your walls with hatred, he draws your bath water-filled with resentment and jealousy, he even rises early to feed you a dose of insecurity before you leave for work.  For many he gets in the car with you and saturates the airways that enter into your ears, he then sits next to you on your job and fills your mind with complaints and frustration.  Oh he doesn’t flee when he sees you rather he waves and says “what’s up my sister or my brother”  He speaks to you on first name basis.  

It’s time to serve the enemy his eviction notice!!!  He has stayed in your home and in your life too long.  It’s time to stop abusing and misusing our brothers and sisters.  It’s time to stop speaking lies and death upon one another and start speaking life and encouragement.  The Word says, ¹⁷ Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the LORD.” We have to put aside all things that are not of God.  We need to love on our brothers and sisters, but we can’t do that if we are bunking with the enemy.  It’s time to serve him his EVICTION NOTICE!  It’s time to walk in Gods will and not the will of the enemy.  It’s time to serve him his EVICTION NOTICE!  

Stand boldly on the principles of God and tell the enemy he has to go.  Serve him his EVICTION NOTICE TODAY!  It’s time to evict depression, it’s time to evict bitterness, it’s time to evict anger, it’s time to evict jealousy, it’s time to evict negative attitudes, it’s time to evict abusive language, it’s time to evict evil spirits, it’s time to evict the enemy and everything that he has.  There is no room for him and Christ in your life.   

Stop making the enemy comfortable and make him flee.  Serve him an Eviction Notice with the Word of GOD!  

Food for thought:  As for you and your house who will you serve: The Lord of the devil?   

    

Have a blessed day!  Make a decision today to serve the enemy with his EVICTION NOTICE!
  

 Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis  

   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.    

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

You call yourself a Christian?

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Wednesday to you all!  I want to encourage you all to step outside of your comfort zone and share something that the Lord has done for you with others.

Thought for the day:

You call yourself a Christian

by Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

You call yourself a Christian

but when you are angry you never pray

You call yourself a Christian

but when God instructs you to speak you refuse to say

Say the words of encouragement that He has placed on your lips

Because you are too busy carrying your hurt feelings on your hips

Your call yourself a Christian

because you serve in a ministry

but how can you be effective if you envy the ones who serve Thee

You call yourself a Christian

but all I see is you complain

When you should cry out to the Lord I hear you call people names

You call yourself a Christian

but you are always worried and full of fear

You often listen to the world instead of the Father who speaks in your ear

You call yourself a Christian

Yeah, YOU!

But you’ve planted seeds of bitterness in everyone you meet

I’ve been watching you closely to see how I am suppose to treat

Treat others when they come my way

You’ve shown me how to turn my back on others and wait for another day

Yet, you call yourself a Christian

How could you do this to me?

You’ve robbed me of the chance to spread love to all that I see

You have been so consumed with your life and your feelings

You failed the assignment that would bring me my spiritual healing

You call yourself a Christian

yet you live the way that you do

I just wanted to let you know that God assigned me to you

You call yourself a Christian

but you lead me a stray

I thought by looking at you I was following the likeness of Christ

I guess I was wrong to say

That you are a Christian.

Food for thought:  Our life is the Only BIBLE that some people will ever see.  God has assigned someone to your life.  What are your daily actions telling them about Christ?  You do call yourself a Christian, right?

Spend time today reflecting over your life and how you can be more effective for Christ.  God bless you all!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Attitude Check

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning family and friends!  Welcome to everyone who is visiting the blog for the first time.  I pray that you have a blessed Tuesday.

Thought for the day: Attitude Check

1 Peter 4:8-9 (New King James Version)

⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

 

As people we all serve one another in some capacity, but as Christians our service should look noticeably different to that of a non-believer.  A problem that is creeping into the Christian community and robbing the ministry of its fruitfulness is BAD ATTITUDES!  Yes,  I said BAD ATTITUDES!

Too many times we get caught up in how many areas we are serving in and how we will look to others.  You may be serving on the choir, usher board, Sunday school teacher, minister of music, deacon, trustee, praise dance ministry and so forth in an effort to show others that you are busy for the Lord.  You may hold multiple leadership positions between your job, your church, your school, and your home in search of receiving accolades from the outside world.  And though you are busy your attitude diminishes the service that you are putting out.

You serve on multiple committees at church but you complain every time you step foot on the church grounds.  You are a wife/mother or husband/father yet you bicker about providing and taking care of your family.  You are the boss at your job or hold a supervisory position where others answer to you yet you complain and murmur about everything and everybody that comes into your office.  What is wrong with this picture?  Bad attitudes.

Here are three things we need to check in our lives as we serve in our many capacities:

1. Focus on why you serve- God has called you to the appropriate position in your life
2. Focus on who you serve- The Lord, not man.
3. Focus on the attitude in which you serve- Be hospitable, gracious, without complaints and grumbling

Be careful about your grumbling because you can discouraged someone who has been sent to watch you.  Be careful about your complaining because the very thing that God blessed you with can be stripped from your hands.  Your service means nothing to the Lord if you do it with a bad attitude. 

Food for thought:  Attitude check:  What does your attitude say about the areas that you serve in?

I pray that you have a blessed day serving with a humble, gracious, and positive attitude.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Someone had a dream and so can you.

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning to you all!  Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I pray that everyone had a blessed weekend in the Lord.

Thought for the day:  Someone had a dream and so can you.

The dream within

by: Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

A dream for equality among race

Can be widely attributed to a man of a certain face

On August 28, 1963 a man shared his dreams

on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In spite of the difficulties of the past and the future

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. still had a dream

A dream for children, a dream for every man

His dream will forever be remembered across the land

I would dare to say that a dream lies within you

There are many people today waiting for the dream that you hold to come true

You have a dream that could change the world

A dream that could encourage man, woman, boy and girl

Rebuke the notion that you are not good enough

That you could not measure up

That you could not stand up

Stand up to the obstacles that will come your way

Stand on your faith in God and walk towards your dream today

Dr. King had a dream that he did not live to see

but because of his dream we have greater possibilities

Endless possibilities that will float across the land

Tap into your dream so that tomorrow can have a chance.

Food for thought: Stop allowing your dreams to die because of the limited vision that lies within your own mind.  Start thinking of your dream on Gods level…No limits, no boundaries.  God has a god-sized dream within you that He is waiting for you to give birth to.  Do not limit God.  He has a dream within you.  Start walking towards your dream today because it can affect someone tomorrow.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

 

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.