Trick or Treat?

There was a time in my life when I would allow the enemy to trick me into believing God would never use me to carry out His will in the earth. He would constantly tell me I wasn't worthy of the Father's love and would throw up my past in my face. Before long, he had me doing his dirty work for him.

Who are you to stand before people and tell them about Jesus? I'd ask myself. God didn't call you to speak for Him. You have a lot of nerve telling women God will use them in ministry when He won't even use you!

When I wasn't beating myself up, the enemy would really rub it in: "Never tell another person to have character and integrity; you have a child and you’re not married."

His words would drive me to my knees in prayer. I would tell God everything the enemy told me. Without fail, the Father would respond with one simple question: "What did I say?" I would get up from the floor, dry my tears and delve into the Word with a vengeance.

It didn't take long for the Father to transform my thinking. I soon realized He wanted to use all my gifts and abilities--even my mistakes--to do His bidding in the area of influence He had called me to. I learned many simple truths during that season of my life, and His Words to me are my encouragement to you.

• God loves you (John 3:16)
• He will forgive you (1 John 1:9)
• The Father can transform you (Rom. 12:2)
• God has plans for your life (Jer. 29:11)
• You can live a life of integrity (Ps. 25:21)
• The devil is a liar (John 8:44)

God wants to wake up the passion He has placed in you for the area of ministry He has assigned you to. He has some wonderful plans for your life, but you'll have to get into His presence to discover your destiny.

When the enemy comes to remind you of your past, rebuke him and remind him of his future. And when he tries to trick you into believing his lies, treat yourself to the truth of God's Word.

Please Say Yes!

If you're anything like I am, you can hardly wait to get to the polls and cast your vote for the next president of the United States. In fact, I'm so anxious to have a voice in this election, I'm going to take advantage of early voting this year.

But before I cast my vote for the next president, I'm going to skip down to the section on my ballot where the amendments are located and vote "yes" for the marriage amendment that is up for a vote here in Florida. This piece of legislation is critical because it will provide another layer of protection for traditional marriage.

Florida is one of three states that have marriage amendments included in their ballots this year. Unlike the amendments in Arizona and California, our amendment must receive 60 percent of the vote to become law.

I realize many of you may not know much about this amendment, so I went to www.yes2marriage.org and got some information so you can better understand why this issue is critically important.

According to the Web site, Amendment 2 is "a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that will protect the definition of marriage in Florida between one man and one woman. The amendment will prohibit polygamy, group marriage and same-sex marriage from becoming legal in Florida."

It is important to preserve marriage because it was instituted by God as the foundation of the family.

I know this has been a contentious election season. Christians and unbelievers alike are worried about everything from the economy to the war in Iraq to the housing crisis. But those issues must not distract us from taking a stand to defend marriage whenever we can. The institution of marriage will remain threatened if we do nothing to protect it.

If your state has not already voted on the definition of marriage, it is only a matter of time before you will be confronted with the issue. So tell every Floridian you know to say yes to traditional marriage, and cast his or her vote for Amendment 2.

Valerie G. Lowe is the editor of spiritledwoman.com and associate editor of Charisma magazine.

The Litmus Test

Now that my daughter is away at college, getting an education and hopefully living a life that's pleasing to God—despite pressure from the culture to live in defiance of Him—I'll let you in on a secret: I wonder if I got it right.

Only the Father knows how much time I have spent teaching her about the things of God—His ways, His statutes, His voice. In my efforts to be a godly parent, I tried relentlessly to instill character in her and mold her into a viable and responsible member of society.

I spent a lot of money too. She took ballet lessons; competed in numerous oratorical contests; worked as a Senate page for the Florida Legislature; and was a cheerleader from the sixth grade through the 12th (if I see another round-off, backhand spring, back flip, I'll faint!). She has received numerous awards and commendations for her efforts, and no doubt the praise of her peers.

But at the end of one of my very exhausting days several years ago, I realized a spiritual truth that keeps me grounded today: Only what you do for Christ will last.

Once I was reminded of that revelation, I started directing my daughter down a different path. She had always been active in church life, but I took her from the pew to the street. She got involved with ministry to homeless and hungry people and helped our church feed some 28,000 families. She turned off the television and started reading to children at the local middle school who were at risk of being retained. And instead of spending all her time on Facebook, she now looks into the faces of young girls she mentors and tells them, "You are somebody."

I know it's tough being a parent and extremely discouraging at times. You have to contend with a culture that's beckoning to your children to go down a wrong path. That's why I sometimes deviate from the usual topics I blog about to encourage women like you.

Don't give in and don't give up. Raise your children to be the best they can be and to leave their mark on the world, but don't forget to train them to make a difference for eternity. You want your kids to pass God's litmus test. You want to hear Him tell them, "Well done."

Valerie G. Lowe is the editor of spiritledwoman.com and associate editor of Charisma magazine.

Unlock Your Future

Have you ever had the gnawing feeling on the inside that you were not getting everything you were supposed to get out of life—a feeling that life was full of possibilities, but somehow you could never figure out how to tap into them?

Have you ever looked at another woman's life, marriage, financial status, or career and wondered, What's wrong with me?

What you need is a set of keys to unlock all that God is holding for you in your life.

If you want your life to change, watch what you think and say. This is precisely why Proverbs 23:7 tells us, "For as he [a man or a woman] thinks in his heart, so is he" (NKJV).

You must realize that the Word of God has the power to realign anything that is misaligned, especially faulty mind-sets, belief systems, traditions and doctrines of deception that lie and exalt you above the will of God for your life.

Life does not have to be a mystery for you. You do not have to continue mindlessly groping in the dark for the right path through life. God already has your success, prosperity and fulfillment all planned out; you just have to follow His directions to find it.

Woman of God, take control of your life and experience divine success and prosperity by following God's directions outlined in His Word. He has a wonderful plan for you—and His plan depends on you first taking control of your mind and your mouth. Learn to fill your thoughts and words with light and truth.

Every new day with God brings the dawn of new and better possibilities. Today could turn out to be the best day of your life—but how it ends largely depends on how you begin it. You are in charge of taking control of your day from its very beginning—something I call "commanding your morning" and as you do, know that whatever begins with God has to end right.

Cindy Trimm is a motivational speaker and preacher and a multifaceted executive, life coach, and success mentor. She is the author of The Rules of Engagement Series, volumes 1, 2 and 3.