New Year = New Beginnings!Let's all make this the best year ever! It's been tough for many and we are hoping for this year to be the "breakthrough" year for all! Remember the Present is a Gift, TODAY IS THE 'PRESENT' tomorrow is not guaranteed. The rear view mirror is only meant to 'GLANCE' in, staring will cause you to crash! Look for a moment at yesterday, learn from it and MOVE ON! Don't miss out on today! Again We say Thank you to all our wonderful Students and Customers that have given us such great support and encouragement this year and years past. We so much appreciate the incredible friends that God has brought to us through this company. The best is yet to come and we are excited for the future we ALL have ahead of us! We Pray this year will be your most prosperous year! Keep pressing in, don't lose hope for that is the most precious gift of all "HOPE"
This NEW YEAR WILL be Different, Better, more Prosperous, Speak This Out!
Sharing A Word of Encouragement
God's Word WAS, IS & ALWAYS WILL BE Inspirational!
Be Inspired, Be Lifted Up, Be Blessed Today!
God Bless You & Your Family and May Your New Year Be The Most Prosperous You Have Ever Had!
"For I know the thoughts I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope"Jeremiah 29:11
"And the same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus ." Philippians 4:19
Sunday, January 29It's Grow Time, Part 4 Have you ever noticed how a large number of ungodly people have become incredibly successful? Is there a point to living a pure and integrity-filled life if the rude and seductive will come out on top? Pastor Tommy speaks to this very common frustration, using God's powerful Word from Psalm 73.
Wednesday, January 18Faithworks, Part 2Pastor David Blythe elaborates on the importance of godly wisdom in our life. James explains how God is willing, without reproach, to give wisdom to those who ask Him. Let us press in and live a lifestyle of wisdom and Kingdom thinking.
Sunday, January 15It's GrOw Time, Part 2In part 2 of his series, It's Grow Time, Pastor Luke Barnett teaches from Psalm 112:1-10. It teaches that there are 7 rewards that come the way of a certain kind of person, & then he contrast that with just 1 terrible consequence for those who take the other path! Once again he urges us to stay in the Word of God, by reading daily and being the best that we can be for God.
Sunday, January 8It's GrOw Time, Part 1Every decision we make, moves us along a path of becoming either tree-like or chaff-like. As Pastor Luke explains, we need to cease certain practices that move us even slightly away from God, and dig into the habits that will grow us spiritually.
Spend time each day in God’s Word with thought-provoking devotions to strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ. The Our Daily Bread devotional is published and distributed in more than 40 languages world-wide, and available in 10 languages online. http://odb.org/
Eighty years ago, Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy wrote a short story he called “Chain-Links,” in which he proposed the idea that any two individuals in the world are connected through, at most, five acquaintances. The thesis has been revived today and is usually described as “Six Degrees of Separation.” It’s…
Strife is extremely dangerous. Learn to detect and remove it before it brings destruction to your life.
Daily Devotional
Launch Out
by Joyce Meyer - posted February 04, 2012
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” —Luke 5:4 NKJV
The only way we ever reach our final destination and succeed at being our true selves is to take many, many steps of faith. Stepping out into the unknown—into something we have never done before—can leave us shaking in our boots. Because of feelings of fear, many people never “step out,” therefore they never “find out” what they are capable of.
I believe we are very close to the time when Jesus will return for His Church, and I don’t think He has time to spend months and months convincing each of us to obey when He wants us to step out into something. I believe the more we progress into what we call “the last days,” the more God is going to require radical steps of obedience.
Many people are missing the will of God for their lives because they are “playing it safe.” I don’t want to come to the end of my life and say, “I was safe, but I’m sorry.”
The world has a little saying: “Better safe than sorry.” I am not sure that always works in God’s economy. If I had tried to be safe all the time, I am sure I would not be where I am today.
Lord, there truly is no safe place apart from being with You, walking in Your will for my life. I refuse to play it safe as long as I know what You want. Amen.
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
Fear is a formidable foe of faith. It lurks about, looking for ways to lead us into distrust of our Lord. Fear is subtle with its sneak attacks on our attitudes and bold in its frontal barrage on our beliefs. Fear always fights back, even when we extinguish it for a time with our total trust in God. And it doesn’t let up until we get to heaven. Fear is like fire ants. You can eliminate their unholy mound with a baby powder-like deterrent, but they regroup and rebuild nearby.
Trust in the Lord is the terminator of fear, but fear seems to recreate itself with whatever appendage of doubt is left. It grows within the next uncertain circumstance that comes our way. Fear thinks it has us in check on the chessboard of our life, but the truth is that Jesus checkmated fear on the cross. Now it is up to us to appropriate His triumph by trusting in God.
There are many times when we are in transition from fear to faith. It’s in the transition of trust in God that our cares co-mingle with Christ’s care. There is a holy tension that transpires in our transition into trust. It is in this dawn of trust that light gradually overcomes darkness. Faith dissolves doubts as the sun drives away the mist. Your mind may be a little murky, but you renew your thinking (Romans 12:2) with the truth that God is ever present.
Your confidence may be crumbling, but you keep your eyes on your Savior. Your prayers may be clumsy, but you still cling to Christ. Your relationships may be reluctant, but you rely on the Lord. Use this transition from fear to faith to grow your mercy and compassion. Indeed, doubting can drive us to God, and it grows us into more patient and humble human beings. It strengthens our trust and makes us hold fast to heaven. Hope trusts in this transition from fear to faith.
Moreover, mortal man has not made a permanent impression on the saints of God. Immortal and Almighty God is your new insignia. Embedded on the coins of your character is the faith-filled inscription, “In God I Trust.” Followers of Jesus have the eternal seal of their Savior as their newfound identity (Ephesians 4:30). Do not allow the patterns of your old life to feed any fading fears in your new one (Romans 6:6). The fears of your proud past have been replaced with faith, love, and hope in your humble here and now. Faith has banished fear.
Therefore, you can continually celebrate. Praise points you to Providence. After all, it’s all about Him. This is why faith brings forth praise. When you trust, you can’t help but sing from your soul. Indeed, faith in the Lord facilitates praise and is a product of praise. It is in our praise of God that our fears fade and our faith flourishes. So praise Him, trust Him, and fear no one. No one can take from you what you have already given to Him. Faith is a fear-killer; it overcomes.
Taken from the February 5th reading in the 365-day devotional book, “Seeking Daily the Heart of God”… http://bit.ly/bQHNIE
He’ll Get You Back
on Track
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths”
(Psalm 25:4, NKJV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Like most cars today, I have a navigation system. I can program it to take me to a certain location. All along the way, the announcer will give me instructions, “Turn left in a quarter of a mile. Take this freeway three miles. Exit in one mile.” But sometimes I don’t follow the directions. I may miss a turn, stop to get gas or go another way. The announcer doesn’t come on and start yelling at me and say, “What in the world are you doing? I told you to turn left! You ruined my plan.” No, the moment I get off course that GPS system immediately starts recalculating another plan. Within a few seconds, it will give me new directions.
It’s the same way with God. When you have a heart to please Him, you may miss an exit, you may make a wrong turn, but God has already recalculated another route. He’s still going to get you to where you’re supposed to be. He loves you with an everlasting love, and when you seek Him with your whole heart, no matter where you are in life, He’ll get you back on track!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, show me Your path, teach me Your ways. My heart’s deepest desire is to know You and to be known by You. You are my King, and I humbly submit my ways to You. Thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
We can’t reach our highest potential in our own ability; we need God’s help. Part of releasing His help is through praying bold prayers.
God is moved by our faith. If you ask small, little prayers, you’ll get little results. But if you pray big prayers, you’re going to get big results. Matthew 9:29 says, “According to your faith it will be done to you.” (NIV). If you’re going to see God’s surpassing greatness , go beyond praying little prayers and ask God to do something big in your life. God is longing to amaze you with His goodness. Dare to stretch your faith. God wants to give you the secret petitions of your heart.
Peace for Anxious Days
When my daughters were single-digit ages—two, five, and seven—I wowed them with a miracle. I told them the story of Moses and the manna and invited them to follow me on a wilderness trek through the house.
“Who knows,” I suggested, “manna may fall from the sky again.”
We dressed in sheets and sandals and did our best Bedouin hike through the bedrooms. The girls, on my instruction, complained to me, Moses, of hunger and demanded I take them back to Egypt, or at least to the kitchen. When we entered the den, I urged them to play up their parts: groan, moan, and beg for food.
“Look up,” I urged. “Manna might fall any minute.”
Two-year-old Sara obliged with no questions, but Jenna and Andrea had their doubts. How can manna fall from a ceiling?
Just like the Hebrews. “How can God feed us in the wilderness?”
Just like you? You look at tomorrow’s demands, next week’s bills, next month’s silent calendar. Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert. “How can I face my future?” God tells you what I told my daughters: “Look up.”
When my daughters did, manna fell! Well, not manna, but vanilla wafers dropped from the ceiling and landed on the carpet. Sara squealed with delight and started munching. Jenna and Andrea were old enough to request an explanation.
My answer was simple. I knew the itinerary. I knew we would enter this room. Vanilla wafers fit safely on the topside of the ceiling-fan blades. I had placed them there in advance. When they groaned and moaned, I turned on the switch.
God’s answer to the Hebrews was similar. Did he know their itinerary? Did he know they would grow hungry? Yes and yes. And at the right time, he tilted the manna basket toward earth.
And what about you? God know what you need and where you’ll be. Any chance he has some vanilla wafers on tomorrow’s ceiling fans? Trust him. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:33-34).
From Great Day Every Day:
Navigating Life’s Challenges with Promise and Purpose
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2012) Max Lucado
Previously published as Every Day Deserves a Chance
Below Are Great Ministries You Too Can Be Involved In!
Refuse to Do Nothing & Take Action
AND SHE'S OFF! Dura has left for the "The World Race!"Dura has such a heart for people in general and has touched the lives of so many, including ours! Dura was Tammi's Assistant and has been one of the best she's ever had, she will be missed in this year she is on the World Race Mission, but how selfish we'd be if we held her back!For more information on this outstanding missions trip, click here
Support Her Today In Spreading The Love of Jesus and the Gospel Around the World!
You can still help Dura by donating ONLY $365YR, to that's only a dollar-a-day for each day while she is on this trip.
****All donations are tax deductible****
Also, please check out my blog where you can get video/photo/&blog updates before & during my journey!
A very dear Friend & Mentor of Bryan and Tammi,Pastor Leo Godzich, passed away in a car accident on Thursday, October 27 in Uganda, doing what he does best, spreading the Word of God. He died as he lived….giving his life for others. Open the gates of heaven, for a mighty warrior has come home! Please join us in praying for Pastor Leo’s wife, Molly; his daughters, Emily, Bethany, and Christy who loved him as passionately as he loved them. On Oct. 1st and Pastor Leo officiated Bryan & Tammi's Vow Renewal Ceremony. Such A Dear Friend & Mentor of Bryan as well as Tammi, it is unspeakable of how much He will be missed! Heaven's Great Gain has left many hearts broken here! A Tragic Loss of a dear friend who has touched and changed many lives including Bryan and Tammi as well as countless marriages he spoke LIFE into!
N.A.M.E. and the congregation of Phoenix First Assembly, has lost one of the greatest ministers of our time. His ministry has impacted thousands of marriages and will always be remembered for his unrelenting passion to see lives changed. For more Information on his continuing Legacy, visit the N.A.M.E Website and be Blessed!!!
Have You Met Pastor Barnett's Son Matthew? Have You Heard of the "Dream Center?" They are now all over the World and Here's where it all Started!
The Beginning
The Dream Center is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization that provides social services and outreach programs designed to meet physical, spiritual, and long-term needs.
Our vision is to be a part of the collaborative effort to impact issues of moral decay, substance abuse, hunger, health care, chronic homelessness and poverty that exists in the inner-city of Los Angeles.
The vision was birthed out of the fact that in 1994, Pastors Matthew and Tommy Barnett came to Los Angeles with the intention of building a church. They found that they first had to address the physical needs of this impoverished community.
They began to reach out to the community by providing food and clothing. Within one year, they were reaching an estimated 500 people.
Needing a larger facility for the church and its growing outreaches, they found the current campus- the former Queen of Angels Hospital. It had been closed and sitting vacant for over six years. The Dream Center’s mission to serve the community aligned with the Franciscan Sisters’ vision for the former hospital, so it was agreed to sell the property to the Barnetts in 1996.
Reaching over 40,000 people every month, we offer opportunities and resources for at-risk youth, low-income individuals, and families to reach self-sufficiency by providing basic necessities and emergency assistance.
In addition to food, clothing, job training and healthcare, we provide educational programs, parenting classes and after-school activities. We also provide residential recovery programs for men, women and teens. These programs are available free of charge to anyone in need.
Through innovative mobile programs we are able to provide critical services to multiple distressed communities. Our unique, yet effective approach to issues within the community involves the mobilization of hundreds of volunteers.
Volunteers lead daily outreaches that are designed to build relationships and to assess the needs of individuals or families within the community. Our programs reach, train and encourage those that are often excluded.
We work with you to design a Short Term Missions trip for your group that is completely customized to the life and kingdom principals that you are looking to grow your group in. Our mission trips are designed to help you experience and learn the hands-on ministry provided by the Dream Center in Phoenix, AZ. Its no secret, we impact the lives of thousands in our community each week and it burns within us to impart these kingdom principals and tools to your group. You will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of programs and outreaches. You will become a vessel through which the Lord will reach the lost and broken-hearted.
Contact: Please feel free to contact the Short Term Mission Coordinator for any information on planning a trip to the Dream Center. We would love to work with you to plan a memorable experience with the goal of a lasting impact on you as individuals as well as further impacting your community through the tools you will take home with you.
Samaritan's Purse photographer Paul Sherar reports from Madagascar, where he visited a village transformed by Operation Christmas Child.
STILL MISSING! PLEASE CONTINUOUSLY PRAY
This Beautiful 20 year old student form Tennessee was kidnapped while her mother and brother were watching the abductor dragging her in the woods. Please keep her and the family in Prayer and stand with all of us in belief that she WILL be returned to her family safe and sound!
Scott Rigsby - "The Story..."
He was an 18 year old kid on a hot summer day just prior to his first college semester. Riding in the back of a pickup truck in rural Georgia with friends after a hard day of landscaping work. They were talking sports, girls and plans for the weekend, when suddenly the truck is hit by a passing 18- wheeler, throwing him underneath a 3-ton attached trailer and dragging him 300 feet.
His back suffered third degree burns, his right leg was severed off and his left leg hung barely intact. His life was seemingly over, or so it seemed for Scott Rigsby.
Over a decade of countless doctor visits and hospitals, 26 surgeries, additional amputation, depression, fear, and uncertainty, Rigsby had become a professional patient. An inevitable battle with prescription drug addiction followed, as did the loss of many relationships and trust. At one point, things got so desperate that Rigsby sold what little furniture he had just to pay rent. There was no steady income and no dreams for a stable or successful future.
Life had hit Scott Rigsby hard, knocking him down and keeping him there.
Unthinkable is the incredible true story of how Scott Rigsby turned his life around, reaching unprecedented heights as a world-class athlete. Doing the unthinkable is not easy. It requires an unshakeable determination to overcome any obstacle. Scott Rigsby not only has done the unthinkable, he sees no finish line in sight. Rigsby embraced this motto when he decided in 2005 to change his life, and the world, by breaking down barriers for physically challenged athletes. Little did Rigsby know that his inspirational journey would soon impact generations of able bodied people. He believes he has a genuine purpose to make a difference in everyone's life. He is on a mission fueled by a simple prayer that if God would open doors for him, then he would go through them. Sounds rather trivial until you hear his story of tragedy and one young man's struggle to simply carry on.CONTINUE READING...
GREAT VIDEOS SURE TO INSPIRE YOU!
An amazing moment happened on American Idol Thursday night ... contestant Stefano Langone sings to stay on the show. And what a song and performance is so amazing!
If you have seen a video you would like to share contact Tammi at tammi@betterpaths.com to view the video and consider adding to this page.
God loves you so much that He send His son Jesus Christ to die for your sins. After His resurrection and ascension into heaven, He sent His Spirit to live in our lives and empower us to live the abundant life. But we must personally ask Him into our lives to be our Lord and Savior. If you are sincere about asking Him into your life, why don’t you pray the suggested prayer below:
(Prayer is talking to God. God knows your heart and is not as concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart.)
Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to You and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus Name, Amen
More GREAT Encouragement
Phoenix 1st - Church With Heart - Pastor Barnett, best in the World!
Joyce Meyers - Unique Encouragement, The Straight Forward Truth! No EAR TICKLING HERE!
Casting Crowns - Best Christian Band, speaking truth into our hearts in a way that will stick forever & convict us Christians to live as we should and not as we are!
Max Lucado - Incredible Author & Pastor, Max Lucado is the Minister of Writing and Preaching at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, where he has served since 1988.
Sharing A Word of Encouragement 
New Year = New Beginnings! Let's all make this the best year ever! It's been tough for many and we are hoping for this year to be the "breakthrough" year for all! Remember the Present is a Gift, TODAY IS THE 'PRESENT' tomorrow is not guaranteed. The rear view mirror is only meant to 'GLANCE' in, staring will cause you to crash! Look for a moment at yesterday, learn from it and MOVE ON! Don't miss out on today! Again We say Thank you to all our wonderful Students and Customers that have given us such great support and encouragement this year and years past. We so much appreciate the incredible friends that God has brought to us through this company. The best is yet to come and we are excited for the future we ALL have ahead of us! We Pray this year will be your most prosperous year! Keep pressing in, don't lose hope for that is the most precious gift of all "HOPE" 
