Friendship

Hello my name is Jasper, I praise the Lord.

I would like to speak on the subject of friendship. Friendship is something that's very important to me. It's important how I relate to people, especially my friends. I have been blessed through the grace of God to have friends that have been with me for some 30 to over 50 years. Some of my friends we've had the pleasure of sharing our lives together from elementary school to being in our sixties. We partied together, we grew up together, we ran the streets together, we watched as our first babies were born, we watched as our families grew, and now our babies are having babies. This is something that I don't take lightly and I praise God for the people that He put in my life. I don't believe it was anything that I did that was so special or that I was so great that I attracted these people, but I know today that everything that has happened in my life is by God's grace and glory. I know this because I have met people who don't have any friends. I have met people who can't seem to keep a friend for more than a few months. I've also met people that have been betrayed by friends or had friends who turned their backs on them. So I think about this sometimes and I thank God for the people that He put in my life who stuck by me when I was at my lowest point. Who is always there to lend a hand to me when I needed help. Jesus said the Father will always give you what you need and I know that He will also give you the people that you need. I consider my longtime friends to be gifts from God, to help me through the hard times in life, to share in my joy, and also to help comfort me in my pain. I recall once I was in a rehab and I was at a low point in my thinking, and I mentioned to one of my friends that I felt like giving up. The very next day two of my friends came to talk to me, to help pull me up, and told me that giving up on myself was not an option. I thank God again for the people He put in my life. I've had my friends take me into their homes when I had nowhere to lay my head. God knew what He was doing when He put these people in my life. So if you have a friend that has stuck by you, tell that friend how much you love them and appreciate them for being in your life. Remember, it's not you who attracts these kind of people, but it is God giving you more of what you need.

Goodbye, my name is Jasper. Praise God.

Empowerment

Empowerment- to give power or authority to; authorize, especially by legal or official means. To enable or permit.


Hello my name is Jasper, praise the Lord.

The dictionary gives this definition of empowerment. It is to give one authority and power to complete a task or to go further in one's life. Empowerment also means to elevate yourself to a higher level, always pressing forward to a higher goal. This is why the Lord left us with the Holy Spirit- to give us power, strength, and encouragement. He left this portion of himself in each of us so that we may be able to complete any task that He calls us to do. Some people may become afraid or fearful of what lies ahead for them, but the Lord did not give us spirit of fear, but one of encouragement. And through faith in Him we are always empowered to move forward. Empowerment means authority- always remember we have authority over our lives. Authority also means something of great importance. When you are empowered you have no such thing as "low self-esteem" or a "self-defeating attitude". Empowerment means holding your head up high, chest out, taking long strides towards your goal with confidence. Empowerment gives you capable means of doing whatever it is you desire to do in life. You have complete permission by the Lord, through his empowerment to you, to have anything you desire. Empowerment permits you to be anything, do anything, complete any task which lies before you. There is a scripture that says "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me". That scripture speaks of empowerment through Christ Jesus to accomplish any goal you may desire. Any time you feel weak or feel that your life is somewhat in a rut, remember that scripture and remember that you are empowered by the most high authority. You have divine empowerment given to you through grace of our divine Lord. So with that in mind, why would one even consider the thought that you cannot do or complete whatever you want? It's just not so. Check your faith and remember- all things are possible to him who believes because we are empowered through Christ.

Hello again, my name is Jasper, and I am empowered.