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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

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) Let’s face it. We all have deficits and, we all have assets. But oftentimes, as part of our human nature, we tend to focus on our deficits instead of the beautiful assets God has given us. We will sometimes fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others and what assets they have been given, furthering our doubts regarding the gifts God has bestowed upon us. While listening to a recent podcast, there was a discussion about how people will focus on the deficits that have been told to them by society, and/or handed down to them from friends and at times even family. They went on to state people will highlight as well as dwell/focus on the negatives or deficits of their life, as opposed to focusing on and developing their positive attributes. Now, we cannot deny the fact that certain groups of people have faced tremendous deficits due to their race/ethnicity, religion, gender, etc. There are numerous historical as well as current statistical facts that highlight these deficits. However, I would like to suggest that despite the deficits and setbacks we may face, may we begin to shift our attitude and energy, to focus on developing, as well as expanding our assets. In doing this, we will more than likely not only propel ourselves forward, but we will also help propel the lives of our loved ones. As we seek to use our gifts/talents/assets for noble and righteous causes, we will gain the strength to overcome any deficit that man has tried to create to shut us down. We will be able to overcome any objections and/or obstacles, that may try and block us from moving forward. We all have deficits but, we do not need them to hold us back or allow them to take over. May we learn/understand our deficits and seek to overcome them and/or use them to propel us to work on our assets. Where is your focus? On your deficits? Or on your assets? Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalm 32:8 (ESV) Imagine when you were younger and needed to cross a busy street. Someone older and wiser standing next to you took your hand, looked both ways to make sure the path was clear, and then you both walked across to the other side. In many ways, this is how we all should view God, as one who is full of wisdom and who will help us navigate the busy streets of life. If we listen to Him, He will help guide us across the difficult paths we will encounter. Life can be beautiful, fun, and very enjoyable. But there are times we all will have to face challenges in life, with some being harder than others. It is during those times that God’s assurances and His wisdom on how to navigate the difficult seasons of life are so very important. Now, there are unfortunate circumstances in life that can occur which are beyond our control. However, there are many times we will knowingly make decisions that are not the best choices for ourselves, as well as for our loved ones. And due to our decisions, we find ourselves at difficult intersections/crossroads of life, looking for a way out. Had we decided to follow God’s blueprint for life, His Holy Bible, we more than likely would not have encountered those difficulties. May we always seek God throughout every aspect of our lives. May we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. When we do this, we are taking God’s hand and having Him lead us in the choices we make and the direction our lives should take. May we grow in the knowledge of God and consistently choose not to “run ahead”, by choosing our own way and not listening to His instructions. As we go through life, may we keep our spiritual hand in God’s hand, and allow Him to lead us through the busy intersections of life. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24 (ESV) Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience… Colossians 3:12 (ESV) While I was recently jogging, I passed by neighbors who lived in my subdivision that I personally did not know. Some would smile and say “Good Morning” while others looked away or crossed to the other side of the street. Long ago I used to have ideas about them like: “Oh they’re probably not friendly or, I’m not going to speak to them unless they speak to me”. So as a result, I too would run/walk by, or turn away and not say a word.  However, as I grew in my Christian walk, I realized what it means to be God’s light in this world. What it means to be His mouth, His hands, and His feet.  I have decided that regardless of what others may or may not say back to me, God is calling me to be His light in this sometimes dark world. He is calling me to be His witness to everyone that comes across my path in life. Recently I had a discussion with family and friends, about how they felt when people did not treat them with kindness or were cold and rude. They too shared how they wanted to (and at times they did) acted rude and uncaring in return. They felt their actions would be justified based on how they were treated. When the question was posed, “How do you think God would want us to behave”? We all agreed He would want us to treat others with kind words and actions, despite their behavior toward us. We all must realize God is not expecting us to only give kind greetings to those who would do the same toward us.  Now, depending on how we were treated, it may be hard at times to respond with kindness. But one thing we all need to consider is this: we really do not know what is going on with others at the time we encounter them.  They could be shouldering a heavy burden and at that moment, do not know how to unpack or deal with their situation.  So, instead of jumping to our own conclusions, we can just continue to treat them with love and kindness, as well as say a prayer for them. We may never know what positive impact our kind words and actions, can have on their lives. God calls us all to be His witnesses of light and love in the world; by speaking words of affirmation, and showing kindness to everyone we encounter. So, remember today and always, to share a kind word with everyone we meet. Whether or not they respond in the same manner, we are called to be God’s representatives in this dying world. Blessings, Angélique

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 (ESV) No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) What temptations trigger you to go against God’s ideal plan for righteous living? All of us, every human being that inhabits this planet, have triggers that when enabled, will tempt us to sin. All of us face temptations that come from various sources. What may tempt me, may not be a problem for you, and vice versa, what temps you, may not be a problem for me. Facing temptations in life is inevitable for us all. It can be something as simple as certain foods to serious matters that leads to pain and dire consequences such as lying, cheating, sexual sins, and the list can go on and on. Even though we all will face temptations, it does not mean we have to give in to them, as God will provide a way of escape every time. He will always show us the right way to live and the choices we should make. However, we all have free will and can choose the path that goes against God, and leads us into temptation and sin. From infancy up to our present age, Satan and his angels have watched us and know the various triggers that could lead us into temptation. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, there is a part where we ask God to “lead us not into temptation.” The reason Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer was because He knew while living on this planet, we will be tempted just like Him. Some may think because Jesus is the Son of God, He had special powers to not give into sin however, this is incorrect. He is the Son of God but, He laid down His divinity and put on humanity while He was here. So, He was fully human and being tempted by Satan, just as you and I however, He did not give into sin. We all must realize we need to overcome various temptations otherwise, we may see them again, as we move along life’s journey. An example could be a cheating spouse/significant other, who moves on to their next relationship. After a while, the same feelings/triggers that occurred in the previous relationship, show up in this new one. And now this individual again has a choice to make. To repeat the same bad decision, discarding this relationship and moving on, or to remain and work things out, turning away from temptation and sin. Everyone must really know themselves and, what triggers will cause them to fall into sinful behaviors. We must be aware of who we are and be honest with ourselves. We must work to create healthy boundaries, strengthening our resolve now and always, against any weaknesses and tempting desires. By consistently reaching out to God and praying for strength, He will reveal to us the various temptation traps that are ready and waiting. I encourage us all to live our lives connected to God and to be careful not to allow ourselves to get into situations, where we know we will fall into sinful temptation. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com