Goal Oriented

"Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it." ~ Habakkuk 2:2

For the new year, Michele and I decided to write down our goals for 2009.

Why?

Because we understood the principle of writing the vision down and making it plain.

I once heard it said that whatever you expect from God is what He will get. The Bible says asks and you shall receive (Matthew 7:7). So, if you expect a little, you’ll get a little. If you expect nothing at all, you’ll get nothing at all. But if you expect exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ever ask or think, God is faithful to give it to you.

Now, you may not get what you want when you want it, but the Bible says that it will surely come to pass if you believe.

Well, there’s something about writing something down that makes it tangible. It makes it real, almost like a thing unto itself. So, by writing our goals down, we made them real. We materialized them. We processed them in our spirit and now we are ready to tackle the new year with renewed force and passion.

So, just try it. What could it hurt?

There’s even a website that can help you get started called My Life List. Check it out and take the first step in making your dreams into your reality.

God bless,
J.W.

The Secret

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" ~ Acts 20:35

Here's another timely message sent to me by my friend Janis (Thanks again Janis!)

Enjoy!

J.W.
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A man was having a conversation with God one day and said, “Lord, what are Heaven and Hell like?”

God led the man to two doors.

He opened the first and the man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table, however, were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering, and the Lord said, “You have seen Hell.”

Then, they went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which, again, made the man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The man looked at God and said, “I don't understand.”

“Well, it’s quite simple,” said God. ”You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.”

The Wrath of God

I got this email the other day from a friend of mine (thanks Janis!) and wanted to share it. Take note: when you mock God, He gets offended. And when He gets offended, look out!

God bless,
J.W.

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It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7): “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap.”

Here are some men and women who mocked God:

John Lennon (The Beatles):
Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: “Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him” (1966). Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil)

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet)

During A show in Canecio (Rio de Janeiro), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: “God, that's for you.” He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic

After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: “Not even God can sink it.” The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic.

Marilyn Monroe (Actress)
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: “I don't need your Jesus.” A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.

Bon Scott (Singer)
The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: “Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell.” On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005)

In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend... The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: “My daughter, go with God and may He protect you.” She responded: “Only if He (God) travels in the trunk, ‘cause inside here... it's already full.” Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken.

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer) said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.

I have done my part.

Jesus said: “If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.”

I Worship You by Mary Mary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b2syw_dG_A

So I wasn't planning on posting anything today, but when I saw this video, I had to share it.

This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite groups.

Plus the video's cool too! It's like a triple whammy!

Please enjoy.

God bless,
J.W.

P.S. Please get their album "The Sound." I guarantee you will enjoy it!

Front Row Seat

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?... Therefore 'come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." ~ 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17-18

After receiving this email from a friend the other day, I knew I had to share this with you. It's very straight forward and to the point, so I don't want to say too much.

But as you read, remember the following:

1. You are the company you keep. So, choose your friends wisely.

2. There may be people in your life right now who are simply not meant to go where you are going. They are toxic and will only hinder your progress. LET THEM GO! NOW! God can only give you ALL that He has in store for you when you realize this. Not everyone is meant to travel with you on your journey.

God bless,

J.W.

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Everyone Can't Be in Your Front Row

Life is a theater – invite your audience carefully.

Not everyone is spiritually healthy and mature enough to have a front row seat in our lives. There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you LET GO, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships/fellowships!

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to:

Which ones lift and which ones lean?

Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?

Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?

When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?

Which ones always have DRAMA or don't really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?

The more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.

You cannot change the people around you... but you can change the people you are around!

Just because no one has shown up who can love you on your level, doesn't mean you sink to theirs!

Ask God for godly wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the front row of your life.

The Folded Napkin

“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.” ~ John 20:7

This morning, I got an email from my cousin Monique explaining the significance of Jesus’ burial cloths being folded upon the disciples discovering that His body was no longer in the tomb.

I thought it was interesting and wanted to share.

It’s something that I’ve heard before, but figured everyone may not have.

Enjoy!
J.W.
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Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have tounderstand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.

The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and everyJewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........

The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

He is Coming Back!

God's Perfect Timing

"There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

So, for the past two months, I've just been waiting.

Since the campaign ended in November, I've been looking for a job and had a couple of interviews during the first part of December.

But since then, I've just been waiting.

Waiting for a phone call, an e-mail, a letter, something that would give me direction, some sort of response from someone.

But for the past few weeks, there's been nothing. No phone call, no e-mail, no letter, no anything!

In times like these, we often think that God has forgotten about us. That he has abandoned us. That he doesn't care about what happens to us.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

You see, waiting builds patience, character, and strength. It shows us that life is not all about us, but rather about God's work through us. It's not about our plans, but God's divine plan. It's not about our timing, but God's perfect timing.

The sooner we learn that, the better and more fulfilled our lives will be.

There is a time for everything. We just have to wait for ours.

God bless,

J.W.

New Direction

In the spirit of returning to one's roots, I decided to post my very first journal entry to Journal Your Journey. The reason - expansion. I've decided to expand my web presence in an effort to have my writings more accurately reflect the entirety of who I am.

So, from this point forward, Journal Your Journey will contain my purely spiritual/inspiration thoughts and opinions.

As such, stayed tuned for my new music and entertainment blog, where I'll express my feelings on the direction of current music, television, film, and theater scene, coming soon! Also, look out for the return of Leave Your Legacy, where I'll express my thoughts and opinions on the current political and social events of the day - particularly as we head into this new Presidential administration!

So stay tuned as I try to target my writings to a bigger audience and bring you even more content, opinion, and knowledge. In the meantime, enjoy the very first installment of JYJ as I set the stage for a new and improved series of writings. A new me for a new year.

God bless,
J.W.

The Beginning

Hey everyone, I hope all is well and that this letter finds you in good health and strength, and blessed with high hopes for the future. I am writing to you all today because God put something on my heart that I felt the need to share with all of you.

For those of you who truly know me, you know that I love to write. Whether it be rhymes, songs, or simple ramblings of my scattered thoughts, writing has always been something that has come naturally to me. In having conversations with God over the past few weeks, and in having read the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren over the past few days, I've come to discover a new purpose for my life, one that I previously did not realize existed. In chapter _ of "The Purpose Driven Life" entitled "Becoming a World-Class Chrisitan, Rick Warren urges his readers to develop the ability to look beyond the natural, to look past the physical environment and circumstances in which we currently find ourselves, and to look at things from God's perspective, i.e. to look at the bigger picture. We serve an awesome God, one who can not only deal with the small details of our individual lives, but one who also has ability to see and move on a global scale.

Jesus' last command was to go and preach the gospel to the nations, and that is exactly what we ought to be doing. Enough of churches existing only between its 4 walls. As Christians, we are called to go out into the highways and by-ways, and not only preach the gospel, but also to set an example in the way that we live our lives. Most times, it's not what you SAY, but what you DO that has the greatest impact on others.

Additionally, in this same chapter, "Becoming a World-Class Christian," Mr. Warren also urges us to "journal our journey," to write down the things that God has done for us, and the lessons we have learned along the way, so that we might look back and see how far we've come. Moreover, Mr. Warren urges us to "journal our journey" that we might help others by passing on our knowledge and wisdom we've gained from our life experiences.

During my short time here on earth, I've been blessed to have been given a vast amount of wisdom through the experiences I've had, which few have known because I'm both young (so they count me out) and quiet (so they write me off). But I thought it was time to share a bit of what I've learned with the world, to "journal my journey" so that I might help others who may have dealt or may still be dealing with the things I've been through in the past.

As such, this is the first of many daily journals that I will be sharing with you all from day to day and week to week, in hopes that they might inspire, education, empower, and inform. All will not be spiritual in nature. Some will deal with social issues, topics of the day, or just random thoughts that I may have. They also won't be long. But all will have a message that I hope will push you to think about your life, your purpose, and your destiny in ways you've never thought about them before. Even if you don't read them all, please forward them to those you know. You never know what someone might be going through and may need to hear at the time.

So until next time, I ask that you all pray for me, that God might continue to use me to build His Kingdom here on earth the best way I know how. It's not always easy when your vision and purpose is unique. Sometimes you stand alone. But I know that, just like each and every one of you, God has a purpose for me and that my experiences are meant to help someone else. May He continue to bless you all.

-J.W.

Happy New Year - 2009!

Isaiah 42:9 – “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Philippians 3:13-14 – “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Happy New Year everyone!

I pray that God will continue to bless you all throughout 2009!

God bless,

J.W.