I’d rather be an Eagle who soars alone (even though I don’t) than birds of a feather that flock together!!!

If all you are looking for in life is fame, recognition and a sense of connectivity, then follow the crowd, do what others do, say what others say, and believe what others believe; but if you are looking for something deeper, something more meaningful in life, something called “God’s will for your life”, then follow your heart!

So many times people say, “I just want God’s will for my life”; but they are afraid to step out on faith and follow His will, sometimes it’s for fear of lack of support, fear of lack of encouragement, fear of lack of followers, fear of failure or worst, fear of the dreaded question…”What if this really isn’t God’s will for me:" for some reason people give in when they have to tread things alone!

Well I’m here to tell you that all those fears are real and they can hinder and stop you from “walking on water” being a “pioneer” and…. doing “God’s will for your life”, but they are all worth the sacrifice when you know you are doing what God has called you to do; the support will come, the encouragement will be there when you need it, the followers… well my take on that is, they shouldn’t be following you anyway, they should be following Christ; but God knows your heart and if you need them to come, they will come too! J    

As humans we have a tendency to think of fear as something big and scary like bungee jumping or going swimming if you are afraid of the water; or even going into a scary house, but in reality fear is very subtle and can attack you in ways you wouldn’t even consider.

There was a time in my life when I was afraid to step out and walk on water. I was afraid because of what people thought, I was afraid because of the fear of being alone, I was afraid because of what looked like rebellion to others, but one thing I wasn’t afraid of was that I wasn’t doing “God’s will for my life!!!”

You see I’ve always known the voice of God in my life, not because I am just that cocky, but because I believe what scripture says, “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord,” (Psalms 37:23) “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” (Deuteronomy 31:6) and “My sheep know my voice”(John 10:27)! I know His voice and I’ve always known His voice in my life, and I’ve always believed that He would never lead me astray!

Yes, it can get a bit lonely and scary at times doing God’s will for my life, but I’ve always done what God has called me to do and guess what it has ALWAYS worked out; from marrying the right man, to being a stay-at-home mom when I wanted to work, to becoming a counselor, to writing books, to making investments, to working with the homeless and making it my mission in life….to becoming a minister of His GRACE!

You see years ago I accepted the call on my life to become a minister, despite, not having the traditional look, the age, being a female, and being a teacher and not a preacher, but I have to be honest, I really didn’t know what I was walking into. I just felt the call and answered, well low and behold, I didn’t know God would call me, have me serve for a few years and then call me out to proclaim His Gospel of Grace! It was scary, it was lonely, and it still is at times, but I know my message, I know my ministry, my inner circle is AWESOME, my lifestyle is abundant and most of all I know the voice of God in my life!!! He and His voice hasn’t failed me yet and I know He won’t fail me now!!!

So stop being afraid, step out, take a chance at being criticized and ostracized; will it hurt? Heck YES! But I’d rather have this kind of hurt than the kind of hurt that comes with not “walking in His will for my life”! I can truly say I live a Life of Liberty, I Live a life of Love and I live a life for Christ!!! Don’t let man hold you in bondage, because when their lives aren’t up to par, they will, and unfortunately some will keep you in bondage just to keep their pews crowded and their churches full!

No, I’m not trying to bash Christian’s (Heck, I’m one), but it is time to stop playing church games and do what God has called us to do; TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER UNCONDITIONALLY, not to just love one another because we go to church together, or because we support each other’s conferences or programs, or because you are a member of my church and pay tithes and offerings; but love unconditionally!!! BY THIS (LOVE) THEY WILL KNOW YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES!!! (John 13:35)  

Remember God loves you and don’t ever let anyone ever tell you He doesn’t because of something you did or said! As long as you are a Child of God, His love is everlasting, His answers to your prayers are yes and Amen, and His Grace, Love and Mercy endures forever in your life!!!!

I love you and Remember,

You are Always In His Grace!

Godz Grace Girl,

Toinette Neube, MA Professional Counseling 

Religion or Relationship, which one are you practicing with God?

In academia “religion” has been defined as a particular system of faith and worship. Within religions themselves the term has been known to be defined as, a way of life and belief in God or a God; but in reality “religion” today has become known as a system of traditions, rituals, rules and regulations that has unfortunately not only kept unbelievers from believing in an Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient God, but has also turned away people who still believe in God, but have been enlighten and awakened, to embrace the Love, Grace and Mercy of God in a way that goes beyond the traditional ritualistic method we are so used to following in past generations.   

Yes, traditions, rules and regulations have made society and even cultures what they are today, and they have their place in life, even within the religious system, but we must be careful in Christianity not to confuse religion with relationship!

The Bible provides many scriptures on the relationship between a Christian and Christ. One such scripture is John 1:12-13 which states, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” This scripture alone tells us once we accept Christ into our lives that we are no longer strangers to Him, but we are now His Children. This scripture and many like it remind us that relationship/s is/are at the heart of our walk in life not only as humans, but also as Christians.

Receiving love in any relationship in life should be something that is without conditions; and the best example we have of this kind of unconditional love is The Love that Christ first gave to us according to 1 John 3:16, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!” Now that is Love! 

A relationship should be the “at the heart” of your life with God. Religion only requires you to have the ability to follow rules, regulations and rituals, while building a relationship requires that you Accept the person as they are, Rest in that acceptance, and Yield to receive what they have to offer! 

Unfortunately sometimes as Christians we have been so indoctrinated by past generations and conditioned by today’s society to prove ourselves “worthy” in our natural lives that we begin to believe that God thinks the same way we do! We get so caught up into trying to “please” people and “prove” ourselves to them that we forget that God doesn’t think or act like us. According to Isaiah 55:8, “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways,” the true meaning behind this scripture is that God’s love for us is so beyond our realm of thought that we can’t fathom it! Yes, He Loves us beyond Human Measure!  

So today I ask that you examine your relationship with God and in the midst of striving to prove yourself worthy of His love, via “Works” or obeying the “Law”, just take the time to Accept the relationship you have already confessed in, Rest in His Love and promises to you and Yield (slow down and be open to what's coming) to receive the Love, Grace and Mercy He has provided for you!!! I promise if you learn to consciously Receive more from God, you will unconsciously give more to others, because in the end, that’s all He really wants from us anyway, “Love one another as I have loved you!” (John 13:34)!    

Always In His Grace!

Toinette Neube

GodzGraceGirl!   

Is it true that all Great Leaders were once Great Followers, and if they were whom did they follow?

“All Great leaders were once great followers!” Wow! What a statement! Now my question to you is… is it true and if it is, whom did they follow?

My husband and I were talking about Leadership the other day and this question came up in our conversation. Now understand that the Word GREAT is the operative word here. We aren’t just talking about those who lead such as teachers, bosses, or the likes of those whom society has slated as “Leaders”, and are, in their own right, but we are talking about “GREAT LEADERS.” Such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Gandhi (etc.). Leaders whose missions have made a great impact or shift in society as a whole!

I must confess, I told my husband, that I found it hard to follow others as I have seen so many others in my life doing so effortlessly. It’s not that I think I’m better than them or that I’m just a rebel without a cause, it’s just that in my eyes there’s a fine line between following man and idolatry and I personally believe we all can unconsciously fall into the latter if we aren’t cognizant of it!

I’ve been taught through scriptures such as Psalms 146:3, Psalms 118:8-9, and others like it, not to put my trust in man, but to only put my trust in Christ, because they cannot give me salvation!

One of the most notable passages of scripture on this subject is Matthew 23, which teaches us that as humans we all have faults, and sometimes when others begin to follow us we can acquire an ego that leads us to thinking we are God, and that we have all the answers. I personally don’t think most people try to acquire this type of thinking, but it can come with the territory when others begin to put their trust in you the way they should be putting their trust in Christ!

Another confession, I have wanted to follow others for the sake of belonging and that feeling of unity and I, just as others in life, have wanted others to follow me in my beliefs and convictions, and I’ve found myself in the past judging others when they didn’t follow my thoughts and beliefs. But I find the older I get, the more I realize I don’t actually want anyone following me. First of all I’m not perfect and I don’t want anyone following me, because I do (and will continue) to fall short of God’s glory; and secondly if you follow me that means you aren’t following Christ in totality. Yes, you can look to me as an example of Christ, but I am not Christ Himself and thirdly, it’s just too tiring to have others constantly follow you, and I, (being transparent) am more of an introvert, (not in totality) loner and thinker and personally, people drain me!  

I have also found that because I can’t follow man in totality, I only call on others for a listening ear, for agreement in prayer, for accountability and for human connectivity; and viewing man in this light also helps me to love others unconditionally because I don’t see them as gods who will not fall or make mistakes, but as humans who are in need, just as I am, who also need to look to Christ for True Restoration!!!

I’ve had great men and women in my life, who’ve sown great words of wisdom, advice and examples for me to follow. I’ve never had a problem taking their advice and interweaving them into my own life, (from my grandmother, mother, father, Pastors and even iconic figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. etc.) but even with their great perils of wisdom and impeccable character, it’s just a no brainer to me that even they have areas of their lives that the Bible would categorize as sin, thus making them imperfect, human, embodying areas of fault, and in need of Christ’s redemptive blood to be righteous before God!

When I think about Great Leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Sojourner Truth, and other of their like, who did they really follow? Yes, I’m sure they probably followed the advice of their mothers and fathers and others in their circle of life, but wasn't it more of their passion, their drive, their determination, their persistence and their obedient heart to bring to life at all costs, the dream or vision that God placed in them that persuaded others to follow them?

Gal 2:20 “Christ lives in me,,,,” Colossians 2:10 “I am complete in Christ,…” and other scriptures such as these, justifies that Christ lives in me and He speaks to me the same way He speaks to everyone else who believes in Him; thus telling me that I too am capable of carrying out great dreams, capable of accomplishing extraordinary things in life and capable of leading just based on the fact that He now lives in me and He speaks to me, all I have to do is listen to His voice and obey His commands when He prompts!

Trust me when I say, I’m not against following leaders, and I definitely don’t think everyone is a leader therefore calling for the need of followers. I also know there are great institutions out there that have benefited from the Leader/follower concept, the military being one; but I also know that we must beware and vigilant of making idols and Gods of man, because the shift can be slight, and it can deceitful and deceivingly subtle. I truly believe we are to look to those who are more mature in Christ, such as Pastors, Ministers, etc. for guidance, but I am also a big believer that once we truly accept Christ in our hearts and keep our minds stayed on Him the way He commands us to do, that we too will grow in our maturity, we too will begin to discern the voice of God, we too will begin to receive revelation from God, and we too will begin to know when God is prompting us to do something or not!

So the question remains are “Great Leaders” great followers or are they just great visionaries who have the art of influence and who’ve been given extraordinary tasks of being great humanitarians who have the passion, the persistence, the determination the resilience and the obedient heart needed to fulfill those great visions,… and if they have been great followers, who besides Christ have they really followed? Remember you can always follow man to great heights in life, but never, and I say never think so highly of man that you forget that it’s Christ that gives you daily Love, Grace, Mercy and most of all Salvation; Psalms 146:3 “Put not your trust in princes, (or) in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation,”!

Love, Kisses and Teacups

Always In His Grace,

Toinette Neube

What exactly do Christians mean when they say, “People should be able to tell a difference between us and the world?”

When you hear a Christian say, “We should be different from the world!” or “People should be able to tell us apart from others.” What do you think about? Unfortunately the one thing that should come to mind first, is usually the last!

And what is that you may ask?.... Well I’ll get to that in a minute. This question has plagued me for years, what is it about me that should be different from the world, what is it that sets me apart from others? As Christians we all should know the obvious which are: I am now a child of God so this means I have a Heavenly Father and it also means that I will live forever and shall not die because of my belief in my God! These and other attributes are differences I’m sure most people can attribute to being a Christian and being set apart or different than the world. But sometimes we also have a tendency to think the differences that are talked about are things such as not going to the movies like the world, not wearing make-up like the world, not going out on a date night like the world, not having a glass of wine like the world (yes, I said it, etc.) I could go on and on! Yes, not doing most of these things can make you different and set apart from people especially seeing that most people today take part in most of these activities; but I’m here to tell you the real difference that should be noticed between Christians and the World is our “Love Walk”; this should be and IS THE DIFFERENCE that is referred to in the Bible! 

Matthew 7:6 says, “You can identify them by their fruit...” Not the way they dress, not the makeup they wear, not how many scriptures they know, not how well they entertain as a preacher, not how many times they come to church and not how many boards or church auxiliaries they are on. (and yes, I know all these things CAN have their place in our walk, but the interchangeable word here is CAN, it all depends on your personal journey)! 

John 13:35 says,” By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” How will people know we are God’s? How will people know we are set apart? How are we different from the World? “BY THIS SHALL ALL MEN KNOW THAT YE ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YE HAVE LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER!”

As Christians we must remember to keep first things first and The Newest and now the Greatest commandment of The Bible is found in John 13:34, “"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

As you walk out this Christian journey, don’t get so caught up into the religion and or the tradition of your walk that you forget why Christ came in the first place,... because of Love, why did He died for us in the first place,... because of Love, and what really is the only thing He asks of us in life,... that we return His Love to those whose path we come across! 

Being set apart and being different means we are Holy and this in turn means we don't have room for things or thoughts that are hateful, things that are judgmental or condemning like the world, it means we love like Christ! 

One of the most quoted yet misinterpreted scripture is Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.” We interpret this scripture to mean when we desire something in life we shouldn’t try to figure out what God is doing in our lives, well even though the thought is true, we should just live daily and take no thought for tomorrow, this scripture is really talking about God’s love for the world. God doesn’t hate like the world, He doesn’t judge or condemn like the world, His thoughts of love and His way of loving is higher and greater than ours, thus meaning His thoughts and ways of giving us daily Grace, Love and Mercy are beyond comprehension to The World!!!

Love, Kisses and Teacups!

Always In His Grace,

Toinette Neube

Fear is nothing but Twisted Faith; Refuse to Fear!

There is a huge difference between people who “SUCCEED” in life and those who don’t; and that difference is how they choose to look at fear! I use the word “Succeed” lightly because success can come in various forms; it can be a house on the hill to one person while it can be becoming a Nun and taking a vow of poverty and silence to another.

Just like everything in life, fear itself starts out as a thought so this means it manifests itself in our thought life. Now working backwards we can see that fear exist because we have formed a thought, and that thought formed because of what we allowed into our mind, and our mind only catches hold of what we see, hear, smell or touch. Now once your mind has caught hold of a fear based thought it automatically goes to your brain and then starts to literally form a change in the molecular structure of your brain (Leaf, 2009) to create toxic or a fear base structure that your mind uses to react to every time you come across a situation that is associated with the thing you first feared; hence the fear, anxiety, phobia (etc.) chain in your brain, and now in your life has begun!

Okay, now that science class is over, let’s see what scripture says about it! When I became a minister, my parents gave me a plaque that had the scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of Fear but of power, love and a sound mind!” engraved on it. Now, I didn’t realize at that time how relevant that scripture would be, not only in my regular life, but also in my ministerial life. I would elaborate, but trust me, you don’t have enough time for me to share my fear journey with you; but here is the catalyst! I haven’t let it stop me! No, I’m not super woman, so fear still comes at me and even hinders me at times, but I usually step out on faith anyway and do what I know God has called me to do! How do I do this? I inundate myself with the Word of God, which reminds me daily who I am and whose I am, I surround myself with positive thoughts and people who love me and believe in me, I entertain experiences that constantly grow me or move me to the next level in life and more importantly I ALWAYS KEEP MY MIND ON CHRIST! Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” This is the one and true only way in life to stay at perfect peace in life and to turn fear into faith!

Now back to those “successful” people; it is a known fact that most people (with the exception of your overnight sensations, who unfortunately these days are a dime a dozen) become successful and stay successful because of persistence and because they do not give in to fear! As a matter of fact most of them turn the adrenaline that comes with fear into a positive attribute and not a negative one. For example it’s been said that bungee jumpers have just as much fear as people who are afraid of bungee jumping and their symptoms are the same: racing heart, sweaty palms, and flowing adrenaline, but the difference is they turn those feelings and symptoms into a positive experience that pushes them to follow through and not a negative experience that forces them to stop!  

So here is the key to “Refusing to Fear”, The sensations are real, the heart pumping, the sweaty feelings, the adrenaline flowing, but what you must do is take those sensations and restructure them into positive attributes in your thought life and you do this by constantly reading and understanding the Word of God, surrounding yourself with positive experiences, surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, and most importantly keeping your mind on Christ! Once you have restructured those thoughts in your mind, this will literally restructure your brain to look at things differently and thus change that fear into Faith! For example I once heard someone say that the fear of being bit by a barking dog is fear or another way to look at it is...“twisted faith” faith that the dog will bite you. Well you can turn that fear around and instead of having faith (which has now turned to fear) that the dog will bite you, why not have faith that the dog will not! This concept does work, how do you think people such as “The Dog Whisper” and other animal professionals work, they have faith and not fear! Word of caution, I’m not saying approach a ferocious dog and tempt Faith. I hope you get the gist of what I’m saying. I am saying faith and fear can be viewed as synonymous; it all depends on how you choose to look at the challenge! Fear is “Twisted Faith”, faith that something bad will happen instead of something good, but Faith is belief that something good will happen even though you (I) cannot see it yet!

Remember Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things;” and never forget that the love, grace and mercy of God is forever present and pursuing you, so while you are running this race of life, don’t let the pursuit be in fear, or "twisted faith", but always let the pursuit be in True Faith in God and His Love, Grace and Mercy for you!

Love, Kisses and Teacups

Always In His Grace,

Toinette Neube

Yup, You were made to "Burn Bright!"

Psst… Let me let you in on a little secret of mine, a little something that keeps me inspired and motivated weekly. Every Sunday at 12:00 pm like clockwork for the past 5 years or longer, my phone sets off a reminder to me, and you know what that reminder says,.. “You are fearfully and wonderfully made!” (Psalms 139:14). That’s right I remind myself on a regular bases that God loves me and gives me daily mercy and grace, and that I am also fearfully and wonderfully made!

Did you know when God formed you in your mother’s womb, He didn’t just throw some bones, tissues and muscles together; He molded and fashioned you after His own heart, yes, you! Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Now let’s not just let that scripture slip past you, you are God’s handiwork, God created you for a purpose and He has plans for you!

Today you may feel as if you are lost, as if your hopes and dreams will not come to pass, or as if you’ve been working tirelessly on your hopes and dreams and nothing is happening; well I’m here to remind you that in the eyes of God, you are a Jewel, and Jewels were made to shine, to shimmer, to glitter and to burn bright!!!

Malachi 3:17, says, “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.¹⁸ Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” This particular portion of scripture is referring to a book of remembrance being made up of those who spoke highly of God and who had a reverential fear of Him, He called them His jewels! Yes, that’s right if the fore mentioned characteristics are of you, then God has called you “His Jewel”.

You are special to God and you should always remember that, yes, even in the midst of your slips, mishaps and falls from His perfect will for your life. Remember, Christ died for you when you were a sinner, so if He could die for you while you were a sinner, how much more do you think He loves you now that you are righteous because of your belief in Him and because you strive (even in the midst of the falls) to do right by Him.

Don’t get it twisted and don’t let others twist it for you! People who believe you have to be perfect for God are self-righteous and not Christ-righteous, they are self-conscious and not Christ-Conscious; if we could save ourselves and keep ourselves saved by what we do or did, why did God bring Christ in the first place? If we could save ourselves and keep ourselves saved all God had to do was let us try to do it ourselves;... OH THAT’S RIGHT HE DID THAT AND WE FAILED!!!!

There’s a song that’s sung by Natalie Grant called “Burn Bright” and listed below is a section of that song, read these words, marinate on them and learn that while the world may have their opinion of what you should and shouldn’t do and how God may and may not judge you, remember you are a child of the living God, you are light, YOU ARE HIS HANDIWORK, HIS JEWEL and you were made to BURN BRIGHT!

“Burn Bright”

You were made to shine
You were made for life
Even if you've lost your way
Turn and you will hear love say
You were made for more
So much more
Child of everlasting light
Made to blaze away the night
So baby, burn bright
Burn bright
Natalie Grant – “Burn Bright”

Remember when you’ve lost your way and don’t know where to turn in life, God’s Word will always lead you back to where you belong, seeing yourself as a Child of God, Chosen by Him, Created in His Image, and always on the receiving end of His Love, Grace and Mercy!!!

Love, Kisses and Teacups,

Always In His Grace,

Toinette Neube

Are you a “Water Walker?”

Your first question might be what is a “Water Walker” Well a “Water Walker” is someone like Peter who had enough faith in Jesus to take that first step and walk on water when Jesus bid him to come to Him.

Matthew 14:22-33 says, ^“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!

How many times has God brought something to you, a dream, a goal, a vision, a job, a move out the state, (etc.) and when the opportunity came you, like Peter said, Lord if that is you, tell me to do this. Basically you said, Lord if this job is for me, give me peace about it, or if this is the move you want me to make, give me faith enough to make it. Then once you took that first step of faith or walked on the water to do what you thought Jesus was biding or allowing you to do, your faith wavered because things started to look scary or the winds started to do what they were called to do which was to blow, and you turned back to the normal or the comfortable; and God being the God He is, gave you freedom of choice to turn back and the winds began to cease again; but in hind-sight, you, like Peter could have walked on water, if only you had enough faith.

You see God called Peter just as He called you, all it really takes is faith in God and faith in what God has put inside you, the winds will do as they have been called to do, which is blow, life will happen as it has been called to do, but you have to have enough faith in God and in what He has placed in you to not only take that first step, but also to keep walking, winds blowing and all.  

Noah was a “Water Walker” because he built an ark and had never seen rain before, Moses was a “Water Walker”, because he was a stutter who didn’t want the job of leading millions out of captivity but He did it anyway, David was a “Water Walker” because he was a shepherd boy whose only job was to lead sheep, but he had enough faith in Himself and His God to believe He could slay a giant, and by only using the one thing he knew how to use, a slingshot!

And (yes, I know I shouldn’t start a sentence with “And”, but artistic expression J), I like to think of myself as a “Water Walker”. I have known the voice of God in my life since I can remember and in knowing that voice I have always been the type of person who had to obey His voice even when I didn’t want to, and even when it wasn’t popular to those around me; from being a stay-at-home-mom when I wanted to be a 9-5 mom, to home-schooling my sons when it wasn’t popular,  to leaving a church home where I loved the pastor and church family when I knew God was telling me it was time to go, but in each of those situations, I walked on water, and in each situation God always showed up to hold my hand and bring me through; scary times, winds blowing and all!

Being a water walker is not for the faint of heart, when Jesus calls you and you step out into the unknown, the waves can not only be scary but they can be treacherous, intimidating and at times overtake you and make you think you are sinking and want to look back and return to where you came. But if you are anything like me, you can’t turn around and the nudging of the Holy Spirit and God won’t let you do it.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” Today take that first step of faith even though you can’t see the staircase, become a “Water Walker” and believe that God loves you enough to not let you sink, step out of your comfort zone, the winds will blow, because that’s their job, but know that the Love, Grace and Mercy of God is renewed to you every day and that He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you, know that He won’t push you, He will only bid you, and you have to have enough faith in Him and what He has placed in you, to be a “Water Walker”!

Love, Hugs and Teacups,

Always In His Grace,

Toinette Neube 

Change what you Believe and Change your Life!

In the counseling field we call it CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and in Ministry we call it “Renewing your mind!” Regardless what you call it, “If you can change what you believe, you can change your life!

About 7 years ago The Lord brought the revelation of Freedom and Grace into my life, and once I caught ahold of the message in totality, I gained a whole new understanding and knowledge of John 1:17, “The law came by Moses, but Truth and Grace came through Jesus Christ!”

I have personally experienced the teachings of every denomination from Apostolic to Episcopalian and all have their areas of truth just like anything in life, but none of them have brought me to the place of understanding, knowledge, relationship and freedom like the teachings of The Grace of God!

Unfortunately many people believe that teachings and preaching on Grace gives people the freedom to sin and to not have any remorse about it. Well this type of thinking is not scripture, it’s only human. The Bible tells us in Romans 2:4, “The Goodness of God brings us to repentance…” Not the guilt of God, not the fear of God, not the condemnation of God, but the Goodness of God! Think about it in this manner, if you were the son or daughter of a king and you always feared being punished or judged by your father the king, would you want to willingly please him? I think not; you may even hold a grudge against him for how he treated you; but if you were the child of a king who gave you everything you desired and showered you with Goodness and kindness, would you want to hurt him by not doing his will? I think not, not only would you desire to please him, but you would probably go out of your way to worship him and show him your gratitude and thankfulness. Well the same is true for us as God’s children, He doesn’t desire that we obey Him out of fear, He desires that we obey Him out of Love, gratitude and thankfulness for all that He has done for us. He knows the plans He has for us, as it says in the book of Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”…, and even though God is speaking to the nation of Israel at that time about being redeemed after being in exile, He is a God of redemption and His desire is to see everyone redeemed and to come to Him, and to be redeemed in itself means you are destined to prosper, to be protected and to have a hopeful future all in the name of Jesus Christ!  

So today I encourage you, Embrace the Goodness of God in your life, recognize that God loves you, that He desire to do good for you and by you. Change the way you see God! Change what you believe about God and start Embracing His Love, Grace, and Mercy and “Change your Life!”

Love, Kisses and Teacups!

Always In His Grace,

Toinette Neube   

It's not too late to make a "God-sized New Year Resolution" for "2015"!

Well it’s here, “2015” has made its entrance and I ‘m sure just like every other year we all have made our New Year Resolutions; whether it’s to lose weight, exercise more, or to start that business!

Well this year I’d like to challenge you make a God-sized New Year Resolution! What exactly is that? Well a God-sized New Year Resolution is a resolution that only God can make happen in your life; it can’t happen with any man-power, only insane courage and Faith in God! That’s right! It’s a resolution that can only happen by The Grace of God! A few examples may include: becoming debt free while your bills are showing years to be paid off, writing a book in a year while working full-time, going to school and taking care of your family, or building a church from scratch by years end; any and all of these resolutions would not only take an act of God, but they will also take prayer, dedication and insane courage! (That’s your part)!  

I know that you, just as I, have made resolution after resolution each year, and each year I depend upon self-effort to achieve them. Well this year I’d like to challenge you to make that God-sized resolution and depend upon God to see it through. I’m not saying you won’t have to put any action behind the resolution, but I am saying once you place the petition and prayer, leave the rest up to God and when He speaks to you, MOVE! If He doesn’t speak, then stay still and wait upon Him. The other thing that makes this resolution different from any other one you’ve made in years past, is that it’s not about having it completed by the end of the year! It’s all in God’s timing! All you have to do it begin!  

God is sooo good at giving us what we want and desire, we just need to get better at believing, taking Him at His Word and waiting!

Don’t worry, you aren’t doing this alone, I too have my God-sized resolution that I’m going to place before God and pray for enough insane courage to watch it come to fruition. I won’t reveal all the details of it right now, but I can tell you it has something to do with me taking a vow of silence and poverty!

At the end of the year, (or longer if that how long it takes) I’d love to hear your testimonies, what appears to be failure stories and of course your successes, because I know my God and He is not a man that He should lie! If He placed the dream or resolution in you, then I know it will come to past!

Remember as you start this year that this Christian walk is not about us, it’s always about God, but in His infinite giving Spirit, He loves us so much that He desires nothing from us but for us to accept Him, believe in Him, and to give back to others what He has so undeservingly given to us, His Love Grace and Mercy!

Love, Kisses and Teacups!!!

Always In His Grace!

Toinette Rose-Neube