WORK: Action

In order to achieve your goals, having faith that you will attain them is important, but belief alone won’t get you very far.  You need to take action as well.  Think of your goal as being the top step of a ladder.  To get to the top step, you must walk up one step at a time.  The same goes for your career destination.  Every day perform actions and take steps that propel you forward.  By doing so, you’ll be creating and flowing in forward momentum and before you know it you will have reached your goals.  

A wise person is determined to succeed.  Growth and advancement will come as you do your part.  Obstacles may come, but you have what it takes to overcome. 

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

MARRIAGE: Make God’s word our guide, not our feelings

Sometimes we just don’t feel like being nice to our spouses or sacrificing for them. Sometimes the feelings of love and intimacy just aren’t there.  We have a bad week, the kids are driving us crazy, and our spouse’s character defects seem to be out of control.  Relax.  Sometimes this happens in relationships and it does not mean it’s the end. 

The Word of God tells us to walk by faith and not by sight, or feelings. (2 Corinthians 5:7)  If we are led by our feelings, we will encounter more trouble than we’d like.  Make God’s word your guide, not your feelings.  God tells us to love, even when we don’t feel like it. God tells us to honor one another above ourselves, even when our spouse is driving us crazy.  God tells us to love him and others, even when we are depressed, angry, or hopeless.  Faith is a decision, not a feeling.

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

HEALTH: Spiritual appetite

Eating to satiate our physical need happens frequently.  We feel hungry so we grab something to eat.  We need food in order to live.  But what about our spiritual appetite?  It hungers as well.  Do we feel our spirits stomach growling in hunger?  Are we aware that our spirits need fed?

Our physical health is important, but our spiritual health is more important.  If we are sick spiritually, it affects every aspect of our being.  God wants us to feed our spirits with him.  Whether it is through reading his word, or directly communing with him in prayer, it is important to take time daily to satiate spiritual hunger.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with God’s spirit.  Take time today to fill yourself up with God.   

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

MARRIAGE: Covenant

In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with his people.  A covenant is a promise or agreement.  God thought it important to make an unbreakable covenant with the Israelites because he loved them and wanted to commit to them and have an intimate relationship with them.

Marriage is founded on the same principle. A marriage covenant exists between two people who have agreed to partner together for life.  Marriage is a covenant that allows a couple to become one flesh and is a commitment to love, honors, and serve one another all the days of their lives. (Ephesians 5:31)

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

WORK: Tree of abundance

We have a choice every day to either live according to God’s ways or man’s ways.  We can choose to delight in God’s word and trust that following it will bring us peace, joy, and success, or we can choose to trust in man’s ways, which oftentimes lead us to sin.

Psalm 1 explains that the blessed and successful are those who delight in God’s word.  It says that they will be like a tree planted by a river that brings forth abundant fruit, no matter what the weather is like.  This is good news.  My advice to you is to stay away from those who discourage you or ridicule you for your faith in God.  Live according to God’s counsel and watch and see blessings come your way.  

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved