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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (ESV) Is there such a thing as absolute truth in our world? A person or a group of people in one area may feel their truth or moral code is the absolute truth. Then another group with different beliefs, thoughts, and opinions, really believes they have the absolute truth. However, in this world that is full of sin and corruption, the only absolute truth everyone should look to is God, His word, and the life example of His Son, Jesus Christ. In this very confusing world in which we live, there are so many influences that are pulling our attention in all directions. Unfortunately, some influences can lead to terrible situations and outcomes. Still, others which may appear harmless, are in fact contrary to God’s word and go against His guidance in our lives. In today’s verse, Jesus states He is the way, the truth, and the life. If we align our lives according to the principles and the life that Jesus lived, we will find the truth that we seek. The only absolute truth and honesty to rely on can be found in God’s Holy Word. Through daily Bible study, prayers, and seeking God, we will find the peace and the truth that God wants us all to have. By choosing to follow His ways and His truth, we will live a life pleasing to God, ourselves, and to those around us. When seeking truth, always look to God’s word. Test any “truth” the world gives against what God states in the Bible. Allow your life to be a conduit for spreading God’s truth, His message of faith, hope, and love, throughout our world. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17 (ESV) For the past few days, many people around the world have paid their respects and mourned the death of Elizabeth II, Queen of England. It was remarkable reviewing the in-depth and elaborate plans that went into the funeral arrangements; arrangements that had been in place for many decades. Global business chains were closed on the day of her funeral, and it was declared a national holiday. Around the world, many countries were flying their flags at half-staff in her honor. As I viewed a few minutes of some of the ceremonies myself, it occurred to me, do we give that much care and attention to God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit? I am not seeking to interrupt or take away from anyone’s mourning period for the Queen. I simply was fascinated by the love, commitment, and duty, individuals have for this Sovereign, who despite her position, cannot save herself. She, along with us all, needs a Savior in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Yes, she wielded a lot of power and influence while she was here but, she was not able to prolong her life, save herself for eternity, or in addition, save any of her loyal subjects. The time and effort we who are still alive give to other individuals, can be wonderful however, are we giving the same amount of time and attention to God? Are we pouring our hearts into developing a close relationship with Him? Are we witnessing and encouraging others also to give their lives to God? Teaching them how to develop a close relationship with Him? Because, when it’s all said and done in life, our belief, our faith, and our relationship with God, will be needed in order to spend eternity with Him. Our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, along with His death on the crucifix, allows our sins to be forgiven and gives us direct access to God the Father. No human being, despite their important titles, position and money, will be able to guarantee any of us eternal life once we die. As those around the world say goodbye to famous individuals as well as loved ones closer to home, may we focus on the fact that our time on Earth is finite. We do not have control of our lifespan; we do not know how much longer we will be on this earth. But what we do know is this, while we are here, we must seek daily to align our lives with God and His principles. We are not to keep the knowledge of His love and His saving grace to ourselves but, to go out and share it with others. May we put as much effort, excitement, and determination into spreading God’s gospel throughout the world, as we do celebrate famous individuals and their life achievements. Of course, there is nothing wrong as we look to memorialize another person’s life and achievements. But when it’s time to turn to Godly matters, may we be just as excited and enthusiastic. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (ESV) How is your attitude today? What attitude do you normally have every day? Are you mostly positive/optimistic? Or are you mostly negative/pessimistic? When we look at the negativity and pain that surrounds us in our world today, it is easy for many of us to be negative and pessimistic. With the global Covid-19 Pandemic, other diseases/viruses, economic crises, wars in various parts of the world, racial tensions that seem to be escalating, and many other problems plaguing our planet, it is understandable if one develops a negative and pessimistic outlook on life. However, we must remember, that even though there are negative situations that occur daily, there are positive ones as well. As we live our lives, we all will experience ups and downs. As the saying goes, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters”. This saying can be true for our everyday attitudes as well. We can choose to be grateful and look at each new day we are given, as a beautiful gift from God. We can view it as another chance to do good and to be a blessing to others. In order to do this, it begins with us trusting God despite the craziness of the world around us. It begins when we have talks with God (our prayers) and make the choice to be positive. To make a daily decision to take the “high road” in life and to focus on the positives, not the negatives. Of course, we’re human and we will have some down periods in life but let us choose not to stay with a negative mindset, a negative outlook on life. May we seek to surround ourselves with God’s word and focus on the daily gifts He gives us each day. As the verses today suggest we cannot allow ourselves to be transformed by this world, but we must seek to renew our minds and our outlook on life. We are encouraged to think about things that are noble and praiseworthy, in other words, to think positively and not negatively. Seek to have an optimistic/positive attitude always. May we have faith and trust that God will always be with us, no matter what. May we keep shining His light of love, peace, and hope to this world, by having a positive attitude, having a positive outlook on life. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) Have you ever stopped to think that life is made up of seasons of letting go? When you’re a toddler, you look to being a school-age child that rides the bus and hangs out with friends. But to move from the season of being a toddler to starting school, you must let go of that part of your life and move forward. Then from school days, which can be up to high school and even college, you cannot wait to be an adult out in the world and fully on your own. Then, to move from school days, one must let go and turn to fully embrace the adult world, which usually includes working, starting a family, etc. Every season becomes more challenging and harder as you grow. And again, in order to move to the next season of life, a person is required to let go of the current season and look to the season of life ahead. In this new period of life, to fully engage and live life to the fullest, we need to be present and embrace our current stage of life, with the ultimate goal of obtaining peace for where we are at that moment in time. Now we all can plan for our future, our next chapter/season of life however until we arrive at that future destination, you will not have it all together nor know precisely how you’re going to feel emotionally and physically. For example, an individual work most of their adult life looking forward to retirement. They will make plans on what they would like to do but until they enter that phase of life, they really have no idea what will happen, until they begin that season. They will have let go of the past adult-work life season and begin to learn/embrace the retirement phase. And once they get to the retirement season of life, even with all the prior planning, they still have to trust God as they look to navigate and embrace this new life chapter. So, may we seek to understand, enjoy, and embrace, whatever season we are currently in. May we not rush through the process of learning and growing trying to get to the arrival or endpoint of that season, eager to start the next. I’m not suggesting we don’t plan for the future but, I am suggesting we don’t look to hurry our current season for the next. That we don’t begin thinking once we get to that next phase of life, that time period will be the pinnacle or the ultimate destination. Because if we do this, we will soon find out we are not at the pinnacle of that new chapter, we are just beginning. And at the beginning of each new season, we are adjusting and learning how to navigate this new phase of our life’s journey. I pray we continue our life seasons by beginning, flourishing within them, letting go, and moving on to the next with joyful and eager anticipation. May we always seek to have God ever present throughout all our seasons of life. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Acts 14:3 (ESV) How many of us want miracles to be a part of our daily lives? I believe we all would absolutely love it!! All of us want God to create miraculous signs and wonders throughout our lives and the lives of our loved ones. But have you ever stopped to consider, how often God wants to bring forth miracles in people’s lives, by partnering with us? For us to be part of a miracle, we must be willing to partner with God to help our fellow human beings. Many of us have opportunities, either great or small, where we can help others who are struggling in some capacity. Examples could include cooking or buying a meal and taking it to an older person or couple. Cutting the grass or doing house repairs for a single parent or an elderly person. Being with someone while they are going through health challenges or, being there for others as they process unbearable pain and grief. At times, it does not have to necessarily be a situation that entails struggles. It could just be willing to go out of our way to extend small acts of kindness to others. For example, purchasing a stranger’s meal or beverage, in order to bring a smile and give a pleasant surprise to their day. When we align our thoughts and desires to God’s will, our eyes and hearts will be opened to see who may need us to be the miracle, for their situation. Now as human beings, we will not be able to do large supernatural miracles on our own, only God. But there are many acts of kindness we can accomplish when partnering with God, for the benefit of those around us. As we daily seek to connect with God in our prayer time, may we ask Him to reveal to us those to whom we can show kindness. May we seek to always be willing to be the miracle to God’s people, to God’s world. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14 (ESV) Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Romans 12:9 (ESV) When we think of running from evil, we think of obvious situations and places that we know are not good, as well as the types of people we are around. However, evil can come in various forms, such as evil thoughts and intentions one may have toward another. One can have thoughts of wanting to inflict emotional, mental, or even physical harm on others, because of a wrong that was done. When God calls us to flee evil, it is not just evil around us but that which is within us as well. We need to always take inventory of ourselves, and what we are thinking and doing, before looking outwardly toward others. We must continue to flee evil thinking and be in control of our actions always. In contrast, we should always strive to seek peace in every situation. Seeking peace at times may prove very hard and challenging, especially when you are dealing with other people and/or situations that are extremely difficult. As you develop strong faith and trust in God, you will have His peace to contain you, despite what is happening all around. May we all have that Godly peace, no matter where we are or what may be happening. Doing good should be what all of us strive for daily. For us to achieve this, it starts within. It starts when we allow God’s ways of living and interacting with others, to be an integral part of who we are, and how we choose always to behave. The Bible declares in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, meaning we all have a bent and a tendency toward sin. However, if we have a willing heart, open to God’s leading, we can make the constant daily choice, to always be kind, to everyone we meet. Now, no one said being kind will always be easy. As stated before, we all WILL encounter difficult situations and people. As they say, you cannot control what and who comes at you, but you can control your reaction. Knowing our basic human nature/instincts, we need to constantly call on God, and seek to do good. So, the call for us all: flee evil, seek peace, and do good! Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, Proverbs 1:5 (ESV) Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18: 2-4 (ESV) Have you ever felt you’ve been through enough life experiences, and have matured to the point where you’re confident, about how to handle all aspects of life? I truly hope that your answer to that question will be a resounding no! I hope and pray that despite your age or life experiences, you still feel as if you can learn, grow, and be willing to share your knowledge/your testimony with others. Hopefully many reading the blog posts every week, have been encouraged to make positive choices and live their best life. I pray all are encouraged to grow and share with others how they too can live life as God would have for us all. To learn and grow we must be willing to always be a student of life. To always have the sense that we have “not arrived” and that we are still on the journey of life. A key part of learning is being quiet, learning to really listen/focus in on others, as they share their testimony/ their life’s journey. At times when choosing to listen to others, most are willing to listen to someone older and wiser. However, do not close yourself off from hearing from those who may be your age or even younger. One should never prejudge the different wisdom and insight that is being shared by someone who is young. As we seek to learn from others, may we also keep a constant connection with God and His Holy Word. Then, filled with new insight, wisdom, and knowledge, may we walk forward in life armed and willing to be a positive impact on this world. May we be ready and willing to be used by God to help others, as they too navigate the ups and downs of life. May we never feel as if we know all there is to know about life. May we be like little children, ever eager to learn and understand the people as well as the world around us. May we all strive to be just as Jesus said in Matthew 18: 2-4, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Let us continue the beautiful life cycle of being willing to learn, grow, and share with others. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand”…1Samuel 17:45-46a (ESV) Have you ever experienced past or even present traumas in life that you must face? But instead of confronting them, you sought to avoid addressing the issues? I believe we all have had past and perhaps present issues that we need to face, deal with, and not avoid. In order to move forward in life as healthy and productive people, we must learn to face our giants, our past, and not run from it. At times, to avoid dealing with the traumas of the past, we work ourselves to mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. Or we go to the other extreme, seeking various types of pleasures that we hope would fill us and give us what we “need” in order to be happy and content. In spite of the initial pain, we all must face our traumas and brokenness and begin the journey of healing. We first begin by loving and forgiving ourselves for the past hurts. In certain situations, it may require we ask God for forgiveness, in order to begin the healing process. As we seek to face the truths of the past, turning to a Godly spiritual professional can help as you walk through your healing journey. This partner can help you come to terms with the trauma and in time, learn to heal and grow. As a child of God, know He is with you continuously throughout your life’s journey. As you begin to make peace with the past, know that God is the master potter who can use the fragments of your life, to create something beautiful. Trust and believe all our fragments can be useful to God; He will never let any fragment be wasted. He can put the pieces together so they can be effectively used as a powerful witness to the world. By choosing to care for ourselves, we are making room to allow the gifts God has given, to be utilized to their fullest potential. As painful as it may be, may we all have the courage to face and conquer the giants in our lives. May we seek to put things in proper perspective and focus on living healthy for the present, and looking forward to the future. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 (ESV) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:15 (ESV) Sin permeates every facet of planet earth as well as its people. From creation to now, we cannot deny the fact that mankind with all their pursuits, has contributed to the decaying of our environment here on earth. Of course, I do not want to imply all pursuits are from a sinful origin but, we must admit a good majority of them originate from greed and an incessant need for pleasure-seeking. Take for instance God’s beautiful creation of planet earth, which has limited resources but if cared for, could last for multiple generations. However, as populations grow as well as humanity’s insatiable needs, the earth’s resources are steadily being diminished. As for human beings, their need for constant pleasure, whatever the cost, usually will involve sinful behaviors. Whether it’s cheating, stealing, lying, ungodly sexual acts, abuse of drugs/alcohol, manipulating others/situations for personal gain, death, decay, and the list can go on and on. It seems as if there is no end to the extent of what people will do, to satisfy their wants and desires. Truth be told, sin has permeated every aspect of our environment and mankind. We live in a world where acceptable sinful attitudes and behaviors are in abundance. And unfortunately, we all from time to time have fallen prey to sinful actions in our own lives. Even though sinful pleasures are all around and we can be affected by them, we do have the choice to not allow sin, to infect us. Sin has affected our physical world and various relationships, whether directly or indirectly, via our family and friends. We can see sin’s effects when we witness the breaking down of family structures. When families are destroyed, it not only hurts the immediate individuals involved but also has a ripple effect that seems to impact others as well. To shield ourselves from sin’s destructive influences, we must establish and maintain a strong relationship with God and His Holy word, which give us instructions on how to live our best life. We all must make choices daily however if we are connected to God and His precepts, we can avoid allowing sin to infect our decisions. How wonderful it would be if we all chose to not let sin inside. If we did, we would be able to slow and/or eradicate sin with its infectious and insidious nature. However, the Bible does make it clear that until Jesus returns, sin will still permeate this planet. Despite this fact, we all should strive to do our part so as not to let it infect our lives. Following the example of Jesus Christ, we must strive to align our attitudes and behaviors according to God’s Holy word. In so doing, the sin that is so prevalent in affecting this world, will not be able to infect us. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 (ESV) Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 (ESV) Have you ever been betrayed and wanted revenge on the person who hurt you? You would begin plotting/planning, how you were going to go about exacting your revenge. As human beings, we all in varying degrees have probably felt this way. And truth be told, there are those who carried out their plans. In reading the verse for today we can intellectually understand and agree that vengeance is the Lord’s. However emotionally, we feel as if we want to be the ones exacting revenge and we want it to be swift. We also think if we were able to get revenge, it will heal all our pain. However, this rarely happens, and the hurt and pain would usually still exist. What we need to realize, by taking on revenge, one can easily turn into that person you despise. When seeking revenge, you will likely have to turn into a manipulative, dark, and perhaps evil person to exact the revenge you feel you’re owed. When you take on this role, you are not healing instead, you are keeping the pain, the hurt, and the wounds, fresh and open. One should not seek to focus their time on trying to get even. In doing this a person is investing a lot of their precious life force and energy, trying to get back at someone who hurt them. Instead, that time can be better used to promote one’s growth and healing due to the situation. By seeking help and restoration for your life, you are placing your needs first, such as your goals and priorities, as opposed to wasting precious time trying to get back at those who caused you pain and grief. As human beings, we all have wronged God by going against the principles He set forth for mankind. Every person on this planet has wronged Him and done things contrary to His will. But God does not take it out on us or exact revenge for our destructive behaviors. He still loves us and tries to bring us back to Him and seeks to guide us in our life’s path. So, when you want to seek revenge on someone, realize they are a son and daughter of God, and that He is their Creator, their Parent. Let Him deal with His wayward kids as He sees fit. As for us, may we overcome evil actions/thoughts with good works/deeds. May we allow God to work on our minds and hearts, to help us become who He created us to be. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. 2 Corinthians 8:21 (ESV) Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, Titus 2:7 (ESV) I read an article about a speaker who does an exercise with his participants, where he asks them to imagine, what would the obituary at their funeral say about them? Basically, he wanted them to imagine what will people truly say about them when they’re gone? The speaker went on to state that many people contacted him later and shared, that when they truly thought about his question, it changed the trajectory of their lives. In reading the article, this question resonated with me as well and inspired me to share this post. My hope is for us all to stop, think, and ask ourselves, “how do others, truly see me?” How am I living my life and, what will others say about me, in my absence? Would they feel I have made a positive impact (whether great or small) in their lives? Will they feel welcomed, cherished, respected, and even loved by me? Or, will they feel judged, belittled, and always on guard while in my presence? Of course, there will be many who feel they don’t care what people say after they’re gone. As a result, they will do and say whatever they think, regardless of the consequences to others. The way they see life, it’s all about their wants, needs, and desires; and everyone else plays a role in helping them get what they want. However, there are those who do care about others and how their lives can impact those around them. Granted, we cannot live our lives pleasing other people and doing what others expect us to do all the time. But we can choose to be the best version of ourselves, seeking to grow and mature, as God’s child. We can daily choose to live with integrity as well as having Godly principles. In so doing, people will see God’s light and love shining through, as it spreads out onto them, and the world around us. How do people see you? How would they describe you to others? Let’s pray that we all live our lives in such a way that others feel blessed, happy, and honored, that they had the privilege to cross our path of life. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19 I saw a poster that read: “Don’t look back. You are not going that way” written by James Thurbur. This made me stop and ponder this statement and, became the inspiration for this week’s this post. It is true that some of us have experienced hurt and disappointment from other people and/or situations. And as much as we want to live in the past by going back and changing what has occurred, we cannot. God created us and has set up the order of life as it occurs on this planet. In this world, we all must live life moving forward and not traveling backward. For some who have lost loved ones, this is very difficult to accept, especially in the initial stages of grief. For others moving on from bad break-ups, despite the suffering from the recent pain, at times they may want to return to pleasant memories of a better time period in the past. Then there are others, who perhaps have had a very happy life and would love to be able to relive the past. Whatever reasons we may have, none of us can live our lives in the past. All of us live in the present and if it is God’s will, we look toward the future. If you are struggling with letting go of the past, it is okay and even encouraged to seek help from a Godly spiritual advisor or a professional counselor. They will walk with you spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, as you search for healing and understanding of your life struggles. May we embrace our lives now and seek to use our gifts and talents to help others in our world. May we remember our past, but not desire to live or dwell there. May we look forward to our future with faith and hope, trusting and believing God, no matter what. Remember the past, live in the present and look forward to the future. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com