When I was a child, I remember learning about the Golden Rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you.I recently read a children’s book that put a new twist on that old saying. The premise of the story was that everyone carries an invisible bucket. It’s an emotional bucket, and when your bucket is full, you feel happy, satisfied, and encouraged. When your bucket is empty, you feel down and discouraged.

In this world there are “bucket fillers” and “bucket dippers.” A bucket filler is a person who adds to other people by encouraging them and investing in them with kind words and actions. When bucket fillers pour into others, they find that their own buckets are filled up, too. Bucket dippers, on the other hand, are those who take away from people by using harsh, critical, or negative words. They not only deplete other people’s buckets, but they also diminish the contents of their own.

God intends for us to be bucket fillers. He wants us to use our lives and resources to help people be the very best they can be. I think about Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter was impulsive; he said things he shouldn’t have, and he needed to grow in a lot of areas. In spite of Peter’s personality drawbacks, Jesus referred to him in surprisingly positive terms. He said, “Peter, you are a rock.” Peter’s very name actually meant “pebble,” and I wonder if he felt like a tiny pebble at times, especially after some of his foolish blunders. Nevertheless, Jesus reminded Peter of what he was becoming—a solid, stable rock. He spoke potential and confidence into Peter’s life, and we should follow that example in our relationships.

Today, let’s look for ways to be bucket fillers not bucket dippers. Instead of reminding people of their failures and faults; let’s see the solid rock in them and speak positively about what they are becoming. Let’s pour into others the way God has called us to.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today (Hebrews 3:13, NIV).

by Victoria Osteen

Remain in His Blessings :]

hi guys, its been somewhile since i’ve sent something.. mainly due to work related “bussyness.. ” if that is even a word.. lol.. but yeah, just writting something up for fun.. so, last week, pastor Monica prayed for all of us, n also prayed for a new youth pastor to lead us all.. n i was very touched.. it was a great prayer meeting we had.. pastor even anointed us with oil n blessed us..

im happy to hv known most of you, n honestly, coming to this church has brought me out of the “all c’tians are perfect humans mentality.. ” lol.. but yeah, its been real intersting being here.. i just want to ask all of you guys to please suggest to me atleast what should we do abt trying to meet up for meetings..

honestly guys, i understand.. having another meeting on sunday is just not happening la.. we’ve just finish a full meeting with one hour plus of worship, n sermon and all.. n we are all tired.. the worship team is tired too.. then we have to go up, practice another song before de youth meeting starts.. no time to eat n fellowship.. honestly, how many people wants to come back upstairs after half an hour n start again with another sermon and all.. how many parents would just stay back for the sake of the youth staying for a youth meeting..??

the fact is, we’re just to tired for another meeting.. hence the turn up is not always great.. pls guys, i just want to help Noel out, what do we do?! what can we all do?! i was thinking we have a meeting on another day.. just for de youth meeting.. we’ll be more wanting, n expecting.. ice breakers aint gona be fun if the same people are gona come up with games..

so shoot at me guys.. tell me yes or no.. what do you want.. where do you want.. coz the youth doesnt belong to just a bunch of people.. its all of us!! all of you!!! we can change this guys.. we can hv RnB nights or Rock nights or wat.. it can be like a party.. dress up n come.. stuffs like that..

how to shoot at me?? just click the comment box under this comment n comment.. guys, once again, i just wana say, have a open heart, do not get angry if people were to disagree with your idea or anything like that. its a discussion.. lets chill n be youths..

When our daughter, Alexandra, was just a little baby or maybe a year old, I’d go and get her out of her crib in the morning. When she’d hear me coming, she’d get so excited that she would start jumping up and down. She’d give me a great big hug with her arms and legs and a big kiss. Why was she was so excited? What was the occasion? Was it her birthday? Were we going on vacation? Were we headed to Disneyland? No, it was simply the dawning of a new day. She was excited just to be alive and have another day to enjoy.

That’s the excitement that God has placed on the inside of every one of us. We should never forget how to celebrate each day. But so often as we get older, we allow the challenges of life to push us down and sadden our spirits. We have to stop ourselves and realize that every day is a gift from God. Once today is gone, we can never get it back. If we make the mistake of living it negative, discouraged, grumpy and sour, then that is a day that’s been wasted.

I’ve made up my mind I am not going to waste any of my days. I’m going to celebrate each day as a gift from God.

Remember, happiness is a choice. I like what Abraham Lincoln said, “Most people are as happy as they’ve decided to be.” When you wake up in the morning, you can choose what kind of day you’re going to have. You can choose to be in a good mood, or you can choose to be in a bad mood. You can choose to live this day happy, excited, and expecting God’s goodness; or you can choose to be irritable and sour and just try to make it through. The way you live your life is totally up to you. It’s not dependent on your circumstances. It’s dependent on your choices. Choose to celebrate each and every day and look for the blessings God has in store for you!

By Joel Osteen

Remain in HIS Blessings :]

I read a story about a man who lived in a tiny apartment and died in extreme poverty. At one point in his life, he had even been homeless, living on the streets. This man never had any successes to speak of nor any noted victories. He lived and died as just another face in the crowd.

After the funeral, some family members went to his little run-down apartment to clear out his belongings. They found a painting hanging on the wall so they decided to sell it at a garage sale. The woman who bought the picture took it to a local art gallery for an appraisal and was shocked to discover that the painting was extremely valuable. The piece of art that hung for so many years in a little run-down apartment was painted by a famous artist who lived in the early 1800s. The woman decided to auction off that painting and ended up selling it for several million dollars.

Just think how that poor man’s life might have changed if he had known the value of what he possessed. He was a multimillionaire and didn’t even know it. So many people live like that today with priceless treasure inside, and they don’t even know it. Sometimes we have to explore what’s on the inside of us to really understand what we have.

I encourage you today; don’t settle for living a mediocre existence. You are a masterpiece created by the most famous Artist of all. Every morning when you get out of bed, remind yourself, I am important. I am handpicked by God, and I am a person of extreme value and significance.

For we are God’s masterpiece…(Ephesians 2:10, NLT).

by Victoria Osteen

Remain in His blessings:]

Sharing God’s Plan Of Salvation

Jesus told His disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). The implication is that if we are really following, we’ll be fishing -soul-winning. Jesus’ last words were, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).

The Christians in the New Testament went everywhere, preaching the Word (Acts 8:4).

How, then, can you and I be effective witnesses for Him?

1. Ask God to give you an evangelistic burden for others. Ask Him to help you see the world as He sees it, and to lay upon your heart a handful of people for whom you can earnestly pray. Then pray over those names every day. Keep a little prayer list, and pray for an opportunity of reaching these souls for Christ. An old song says, “Lord, lay some soul upon my heart and love that soul through me; / And may I humbly do my part to win that soul to Thee.”

2. Live a consistent Christian life before these people. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). We must live obedient lives of integrity and authentic faith. We must love when others hate, and forgive when others harbor grudges. We must remain trusting when others panic, and be honest when all around us are cooking the books. Not that we’re going to be perfect-only Christ was sinless. But we must have a growing, maturing Christian life that others recognize and respect.

3. Build bridges to others. When the Lord shows you those needing Christ, seek to build a relationship with them. Remember how Jesus went to the home of Zacchaeus where many sinners had gathered? While we must be careful not to place ourselves in an environment where we’ll be pulled down, we must be equally careful to cultivate friendships with those needing Christ. Perhaps Christ has placed you in your particular school or workplace just to reach those whom no one else can reach.

4. Learn the Gospel. Memorize the following verses and practice saying them in a mirror or to another Christian until you’re comfortable sharing them with someone needing Christ: Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9, 10, 13; 1 John 5:1, 13.

5. Watch for openings to share a word for Christ. Peter said: “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

6. If the right opportunity doesn’t come naturally, create one. Sometimes we wait too long, looking for just the right time to invite someone to church or to share with them the message of the Gospel. There often comes a point when we must prayerfully introduce the subject and do our best to impress someone with their need for Christ.

7. Leave the results with God. We’re responsible for sharing the Gospel, but only God can convert the soul. Having done your best, let Him do the rest. And if you ever feel you’ve botched the job, think of Edward Kimball. He was determined to win his Sunday school class to Christ, including a teenager named Dwight Moody who tended to fall asleep on Sundays. His heart pounding, Kimball entered the store where the young man worked. “I put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over I placed my foot upon a shoebox. I asked him to come to Christ.” It didn’t seem to go well, and Kimball left thinking he had botched the job. Moody, however, left the store that day a new person and eventually became the most prominent evangelist in America during his generation.

Be blessed………

The Bible tells us that Daniel had an excellent spirit. If you study his life, you’ll find that he chose excellent friends. Do you know who he hung out with? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – the three Hebrew teenagers who refused to bow down to the king’s golden idol. It’s no wonder Daniel was a person of excellence. His friends were people of courage and integrity, people who wouldn’t compromise.

One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to make sure the people you are choosing to spend time with have qualities that you want. Whether you realize it or not, the people you spend time with are rubbing off on you. Don’t think you can just sit in the lunchroom every day and listen to gossip and people badmouth the company and not be affected by it. Whether you join in or not, that poison is going inside of you. If you stay there long enough, more often than not, you’ll become a gossiper just like them. What’s the solution? Find somewhere else to eat lunch. Sit at a different table. Go outside. Yes, people may talk about you, they may think you’re odd, but you need to just rise above it. You have a destiny to fulfill. You are going places. You have to set yourself up for success by keeping that poison out of your life.

Psychologists tell us there is something called the “law of the group,” which means we associate with people according to the way we see ourselves. Have you ever noticed how, most of the time, people who gossip find other people who gossip? Negative people gravitate toward other negative people. Complainers seem to always find the other complainers. That’s where that saying “birds of a feather flock together” comes from. We find people just like us. Knowing this, I encourage you to evaluate your friendships. If your friends are all negative, tend to compromise, or settle for mediocrity, it’s time to get some new friends. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 13:20 that if you spend time with wise people, you will become wise. In the same way, if you spend time with victorious people, you will become victorious. If you spend time with successful people, you will become successful. So choose your friends carefully so you can set yourself up for success and be equipped to move forward in the destiny God has prepared for you!

by Joel Osteen

Remain in HIS Blessings :]

As believers, we have to have a made-up mind. If we want to see God work in our lives, we can’t go back and forth on what we believe. If you leave church on Sunday all excited and feeling confident that God loves you, but by Tuesday you’re wondering if He’s there or how He feels about you, that’s being double-minded. When you’re double-minded, the Bible says you’re unstable.

God wants us to be stable and secure in His love for us. Sometimes we have to choose to believe His Word even when we don’t feel it. We have to know He loves us even when the pressures of life make it difficult to feel that love. Life will try to put a spirit of heaviness on you. Circumstances will try to bring you down, but God wants to take you up higher. He wants to do things that no man can do. He wants bless your life. But it all starts when you come into agreement with Him. You have to get up every morning and say, “God, I know You are for me; You’re not against me.” You have to have a made-up mind!

Today, no matter what you are facing, no matter what you are feeling, choose to believe God’s Word. Know that He loves you and wants the best for you. He is working in your life and taking you one step at a time. Let His love build confidence and security in You because He is faithful, and He will finish the work He started in you!

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:6-8, NIV).

by Victoria Osteen.

Remain in HIS Blessings:]

I heard a story about a little girl who was carefully saving her allowance money so she could buy something special at the toy store. She didn’t have much, only a few dollars, but one day her daddy took her to the store. She was overwhelmed by endless aisles filled with games, dolls, and trinkets. Finally, a particular item caught her eye, and she knew it was exactly what she wanted—a lovely strand of white, plastic pearls. She made her purchase and immediately went home to show off her treasure. She was so proud of that necklace. She wore it every day for several weeks. Her father saw this as an opportunity to teach her about trust, so one day he asked her, “Honey, will you give me your pearls?” “No, Daddy, I love my pearls!” she replied. “I can’t give you my pearls!” Her father didn’t mention the pearl necklace for several days, and then he asked again, “Sweetie, do you trust me?”

“Yes, Daddy.” “Will you give me your pearls?” And again she answered,” No, Daddy, I can’t give you my pearls!” Several more days passed, and the father went a third time to his daughter. “Do you trust me? Will you give me your pearls?”

Finally, with tears welling in her eyes, she reluctantly took off her beloved plastic pearls and handed them to her father. “Here, Daddy. You can have my pearls.” Immediately, the father pulled from his pocket a small blue box and handed it to his daughter. Her eyes grew wide with excitement as she opened it to find the most gorgeous strand of genuine pearls. As he fastened the pearls around her neck, the father said, “I had these special pearls for you all along; all you had to do was trust me.”

Is there something you are holding on to today that is keeping you from God’s best? If you’ll trust Him and let go of what’s in your hand, an exchange will take place. God will let go of what’s in His hand for you—peace, strength, wisdom, favor, and more. He’ll give you exactly what you need.

Remember, God is taking you on a journey of faith. Be open to seeing things from a new perspective. Don’t settle for second best when God has so much more. All you have to do is learn to trust in Him!

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).

By Victoria Osteen

Remain in HIS Blessings:]