By Daneen James 

When life gets in the way, you're challenged, conflicted, fatigued, and your faith fades. Remind yourself, God already decided, you win!​

When you feel challenged, conflicted, fatigued, faith fades. Remind yourself what God says. Use His power to persevere and persist in His ways, regardless of circumstance, consequence and convenience. 
 
Let these verses fuel you! 

Is God telling the truth, does that truth apply to me and my situation?

• I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. (Isaiah 45:23)

God is saying– I already told you – I don't change, you can trust me. 

Time has passed, I’m older, can God redeem this situation?

• Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait, take courage, wait. (Psalm 27:13)

 
Overwhelmed by all the good stuff happening or feel like you can’t withstand one more bad thing?

• When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2)

 
Wonder when you’re breakthrough’s coming, when’s it your turn?

• Be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. (I Peter 5:6)

 
Will this life of faith pay off?

• “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!  (John 15:5, 7)

Thank you for reading, I hope this post encouraged you! If what you read or saw added value to your life, please take a moment and share this website with family and friends. 


Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. ​​

​
Want more? 
Book Daneen as a speaker:
https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and inspiration:
https://www.daneenjames.com

Shop the SPARKSAFLAME Store:
https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html

Watch a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFNfg-fuOM
​
You might also enjoy:
https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/daily-dose-nope-not-today

By Daneen James 

Yes, you read it right!  God means for us to have fun! Not just now and then, but regularly and often. Could it be that trying new things and finding the fun in life, not only helps us care for ourselves, but also cultivates connection with our creator?

Enjoy this Facebook live video for a more interactive experience. Don't do facebook? No problem, click here to watch the video: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNPECSybjDA&feature=youtu.be

​More, Please.

God's goodness isn't confined to religious programming or hymns. God is alive in all that feeds and fortifies us. Finding joy in the world around us, using His creations to care for and connect with ourselves and those around us glorifies God. It's praise in the truest sense. 

If you find yourself thinking, is this all there is? Feel like you're running really hard but not getting anywhere? Want to do something "crazy", because the routine of life is wearing your down?  You want more. That's to be expected, the desire for more comes from God.  Very often those feelings of discontent are a call to "change it up", a signal to connect to all that is possible. Because more is available to us and intended for us through life with God.  

More Than a Feeling.

When you find it hard to center yourself. Life feels more like a burden than a blessing and each day feels like the last. You feel like you need a break, a real change. We're tempted to do something drastic or have the tendency to reach for something or someone to "distract" us. Food, alcohol, drugs, a relationship, anything that helps us release and/or escape.

What if we took a more proactive approach? Find ways to introduce the fun, even silly, into the every day. It doesn't mean you disregard the responsibilities of life. But it does mean, acknowledge each of us is mind, body and spirit. Commit to engage all three aspects of who you are. Joy opens the door. If it makes you smile and isn't contrary to God, go for it! It's not always the big, grand gestures that make the biggest difference. Sometimes it's the subtle shifts that make the most impact. 

Give It a Try!

Here are a few ideas to enrich everyday life and freshen the familiar. Try with friends, family, or as a way to refresh yourself. 

• Playdough, Legos, coloring books, or paint (finger or brush), let yourself go, see what happens. 
• Water gun, Water Balloon, Pillow Fight - old fashioned fun and let out some tension too!
• Pancakes for Dinner - pick any "breakfast" item and cook it for dinner.
• Indoor Picnic – get a blanket, have breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks on the carpet or floor.
• Magazine Magic - cut out pictures from magazines that remind you of what you love or represent what you want to experience – make a collage and post so it's easy to see. 
• Pictures and Videos - watch old videos and go through old picture albums, recall happy moments and memorable times. 
• Destination Unknown - just drive, take a route you don’t know, get lost (go in the daytime :)
•  Tea Time Out - sit and sip, try different flavors and types of tea (loose, bagged, herbal, fruity etc.) 
• Mocktails - create cool cocktail creations (minus the alcohol) 
• Freestyle - put on some music you love and just dance, don’t worry about how you look or if you’re doing it right, dance to your beat, find your rhythm. 

Try one of these or improvise. For you it might be something more personal, like a change in hair color, growing or removing a beard, painting a room in your house, cutting your hair or wearing it longer. The possibilities are endless, encouraging you! 

Thank you for reading, I hope this post encouraged you! If what you read or saw added value to your life, please take a moment to share this website with family and friends. 

Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. ​​

​
Want more? 
Book Daneen as a speaker:
https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and inspiration:
https://www.daneenjames.com

Shop the SPARKSAFLAME Store:
https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html

Watch a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFNfg-fuOM
​
You might also enjoy:
https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/daily-dose-nope-not-today

By Daneen James 

When you put a new garbage bag in the can, sometimes it has air bubbles. So even though the bag is new and empty, whatever you put in just sits at the top. And unless you let the air out, the bag won’t expand to its full capacity. 

The air in the bag can be like the filler in our lives. Over time hurts and hang-ups can prevent us from experiencing life with the richness and fullness God intended. We stifle what we want because of what we hold on to.

Enjoy this Facebook live video for a more interactive experience. Don't do facebook? No problem, click here to watch the video: ​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_xEZytMmrQ&feature=youtu.be

Here are a few questions to help you to explore and go deeper: 
​

1. What’s the hole? What wasn’t done, but should have been. 
2. Where’s the hurt? What was done, but should not have been. 
3. What’s the hope? Who or what are you hoping will change, so your life can change?  Doesn’t mean that you don’t want better, but you’ve made the person or situation being different, the condition for you being better. 

Reflect: 

Ask God to lead and be with you as you look at your life. Here are a few scriptures to ground and strengthen you in your daily decisions. 

• The Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17
• God gives us the desire and power to do what pleases Him – Philippians 2:13
• We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps us from knowing God – 2 Corinthians 10:5​

Thank you for reading, I hope this post encouraged you! If what you read or saw added value to your life, please take a moment to share this website with family and friends. They may need encouragement more than you know.

Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. ​

Want more? 
Book Daneen as a speaker:
https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and inspiration:
https://www.daneenjames.com

Shop the SPARKSAFLAME Store:
https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html

Watch a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFNfg-fuOM
​
You might also enjoy:
https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/daily-dose-nope-not-today
​

By Daneen James 

Enjoy a more interactive experience with this Facebook live video. Don't do Facebook? No problem, click here to watch the video: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWcP-zrha3Y&feature=youtu.be

3 QUESTIONS to Spark Gratitude...

Ask yourself these questions, to help you see the people, circumstances and experiences in your life differently. 

1) What do I have that I wouldn't? 
2) What do I know that I didn't?
3) What am I doing that I couldn't? 

Apply these questions to the "whatever" of life. The irritating and unexpected as well as the surprising and wonderful. Gratitude creates consciousness.

Consciousness connects us to our creator and helps us recognize how He works. 

The more aware we become about how God works in our lives, the easier gratitude becomes. The life we want is within our reach, when we connect to the God within us. 

Reflect

•  Submit to God, resist the devil and He will flee. James 4:7
• God keeps in perfect peace that mind of those that remain fixed on Him. Isaiah 26:3​

Thank you for reading, I hope this post encouraged you! If what you read or saw added value to your life, please take a moment to share this message with family and friends. 

​Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME.

​
​Want more? 
Book Daneen as a speaker:
https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html

Shop the SPARKSAFLAME Store:
https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html

Watch a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFNfg-fuOM

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and inspiration:
https://www.daneenjames.com

You might also enjoy:
https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/daily-dose-gratitude-more-than-words

By Daneen James 

​“Love is not jealous”, another translation reads, “Love does not want what it doesn’t have.” You’ve probably seen this before, part of the infamous bible passage on love, it's found in I Corinthians 13:4-7. Although, I’ve read this verse more times than I can count, I never saw it the way I see now. When we want to be something other than who we are, want someone else’s relationship and experiences more than our own, we are not living in love. We fail to love ourselves and God by dishonoring who He made us and discounting what He gave us.  

​You don’t have to be carried away by your thoughts and feelings. A bad mood doesn’t have to dictate your day...

​You asked for it, God wants to do it, but are you willing to wrestle for what you want?

Our creator's love for us is incomprehensible. It's too big and wide to understand and there is nothing you can do to lose or earn it. What God wants is relationship. He wants you to extend to Him, the same faithfulness and love that He extends to you. You love Him by looking for ways to please Him. There is no better way to please Him, than to live like Him. 

Everything you do either builds a bridge or creates a barrier to right relationship with God. We can't expect to experience God's best unless we're willing to follow His direction. Our creator knows what we need to grow and live well, His word tells us. Countless scriptures outline what we can expect from God, when we do what He expects from us.  Let's explore a few examples.