Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas

In late October and early November, the retail stores have ushered Christmas (as the world sees it) in by sending us subliminal messages using beautiful Christmas songs, trees and other inanimate objects decorated with gold, red, silver, white and other season colors and people wearing santa hats reciting “Merry Christmas” in a jingle like fashion. These messages were a set up for us to spend more money as you probably already know. But anyway, I began to reflect on what Christmas really means to me, and I wanted to understand what it really means to others. Those who know me well know God’s commission for me is to start studying the Word of God with “new eyes” and to no longer do things just because it is a traditional thing to do. (Yeah, I know bold huh?).  The Holy Spirit guided me to 1 John 4:1-3,

 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

 In my reflecting on Christmas, I have began to ask questions like what is the history of Christmas and why do we as Christians celebrate Christmas really. You do know Christmas is not in the Bible but anyway…..So being the Google Queen that I am I began to do some research and now I wish I had not come across some of the things I discovered. I may tell you about my discovery at a later date. I began to feel a little betrayed to be honest with you. But then the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said “Nanette why do you celebrate Christmas?” Then I thought ”well it is about the birth of Jesus even though Jesus was not born on December 25.” Don’t believe me, research it.  Then I thought, “It is about giving even though people begin to expect a gift and for some they’ll get mad because they did not get what they wanted. So in testing today’s spirit of Christmas, I have decided to continue doing what I usually do when Christmas comes around. I treat it like any other day that God allows me to see.  And on those days I celebrate Jesus and what He has done for me. I thank God for Jesus and allowing Him to die for my sins.  I will continue to edify and support others and give of myself. In closing, I encourage you to celebrate Jesus everyday of your life and not conform to the things of this world. Don’t let Christmas be the only day you celebrate Jesus. Make sure your motives are truly about Jesus and not you.

It is my prayer that you are always open to the revelation of God through studying the Word of God and developing an intimate relationship with Jesus. I pray that you will thank God for his precious Son Jesus every day. I speak life, excellent health and spiritual and physical blessings in your life and your family’s life, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

 Celebrating Jesus Every Day,

 Nanette Floyd Patterson, MA, LPC        

HISentrepreneur™, Abundance & Life Coach and Counselor

www.theseedplanter.net

follow me at twitter.com/theseedplanter

www.theaccsi.com (Coming Soon)

Don’t Take the Shorter Route, You Are Being Processed

While I was working on my soon to be released book Go In & Possess the Land: The Journey Begins Now, I began to closely look at Moses and the Israelites’ journey from a place of bondage (Egypt) to a land where they could have a life of abundance. This is the place God had promised, a land flowing with milk and honey. I was studying Exodus 13:17-19 where God strategically decided not to lead the Israelites on the road through the Philistine country because even though the road was shorter, He knew the people very well. He knew that if He were to lead them through this country they would be faced with war. He also knew that if the people were faced with war they would change their minds and turn around and go back to the place of bondage (Egypt). God knew them better than they knew themselves. In their own minds, the Israelites were ready for battle but God knew better.

As it relates to vision manifestation, sometimes the shortcuts are not the best route to take even though we think we are fully prepared. If you have prayed and God instructs you to take steps that seem to take more of you or more time, trust that He knows all things. You must do exactly what he tells you to do even if you think you are ready for the battle or challenge.

I asked God for more revelation regarding His decision to lead the people the long way. God gave me two words to study “process” and “journey.” According to dictionary.com, the word “process” is defined as a series of actions, changes, or functions bringing about a result and the word “journey” means passage or progress from one stage to another. I believe that if God instructs us to take a longer route to a certain end it is because we are still being processed on the journey He has assigned for us. A journey that will end with being in a place (emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually) that will lead to a life of abundance (the land).

Feel free to comment on my blog.

Abundance and prosperity to you!

Nanette Floyd Patterson, MA, LPC, CEO
www.theseedplanter.net
Follow me: twitter.com/theseedplanter
www.theaccsi.com (coming soon)

MINISTER OR NOT? You Have Work to do!

In my walk as a Christian and before I even accepted Christ I have come across many titles in the church which became quite confusing. I later realized that man made titles are just that man-made titles. I asked myself are all of the titles supported by God’s word…well I know now that they are not. It really does not concern me what folks call themselves but what concerns me is that sometimes people’s perceptions and misunderstandings of titles get in the way of them doing what God has instructed or called them to do. I want to be crystal clear here, just because a person did not have a trial sermon and labeled a minister in the church does not mean they are not equipped or competent to minister. Here’s what the Word of God says in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6:

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament;
not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

My purpose in sending this message is to inform all who have truly accepted Christ and who are not aware that you are just as competent to minister to a hurting people regardless of whether you had a trial sermon or not. But you must gain this confidence yourself. I challenge you today to gain this confidence by studying (not just read) the Word of God for yourself which will further equip you to minister to whoever God sends your way. That person’s LIFE may depend on it.

Have an abundant and prosperous day!

Nanette Floyd Patterson, MA, LPC, CEO
Christian Life Coach and Counselor
www.theseedplanter.net
www.theaccsi.com (coming soon!)

Follow me at twitter.com/theseedplanter

Feel free to comment!

WHAT KIND OF WORD CHRISTIAN ARE YOU?

Many of us go to church or other religious functions to hear a mighty word. Of course we also read the bible to get the word. But have you thought about what type of “Word Christian” you are after you have read or heard the word of God. Let’s look at the types of “Word Christian” as outlined in Mark 4:3-20, Luke 8:5-15, Matthew 13:18-23. The types are:

1. Path Christian
2. Rock Christian
3. Thorn Patch Christian
4. Good Soil Christian

A Path Christian hears the word but allows the adversary the devil to take the word from their hearts. These individuals hear the word but really do not understand it therefore they cannot receive the word. The Rock Christian hears the word and for a moment receives it with joy. Because the word has not taken root their understanding of the word doesn’t last long. When trouble or persecution comes he or she quickly falls away from the word. [Here is a side bar about the Rock Christian. When I was
studying this, I asked myself how can someone understand the word and at
somepoint the understanding of the word no longer exists. The loss of
understanding happens when we begin to allow other people's interpretation of
the word change what we had previously received. I was guided to 2 Timothy
4:4 where it says "they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside
to myths. Thank you Holy Spirit for clarification on that issue. This easily
happens when you DO NOT study the word yourself. Please
note I said study not just read. Ok, now let's get back on track
here.] The Thorn Christian hears the word but allows life stresses, worries, riches and pleasures to have such a tight hold on them that it keeps them from being fruitful. Then we have the Good Soil Christian. The Good Soil Christian hears the word, receives the word and keeps the word in their hearts. These individuals are doers of the word. Because they are doers of the word they produce fruit. Their crops yield a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

So which are you? Now when you read in your word God shall supply your needs according to His glorious riches (Phillipians 4:19) which Word Christian are you? When you read you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phillipians 4:13) which are you? When you read you are healed by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5) which are you? How about when you read that God has a plan for your life, plans to prosper you not to harm you and plans to give you hope (Jeremiah 29:11) which are you? I can go on and on. My commission is to help those of you who have God-given visions to begin to do what is necessary so that your visions are manifested. You cannot blame anyone but yourself if you have not begun to take necessary steps to manifest your vision. If you have not called upon the Lord and asked him to revealed to you great and unsearchable things that you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3) as it relates to your vision, then it is nobody’s fault but yours that your vision is dormant. God is faithful to His word. He said that He would answer you. Do you believe it? Do you receive it? Ok I double dare you to begin moving in the manifesation of God’s vision for you.

Today’s Steps to “possess the land”

1. Make a comittment to God today that you will begin to walk in His vision for you.
2. Write out what He has instructed you to do.

Feel free to post your thoughts and comments. I would love to hear from those who have taken Today’s Step to “possess the land.”

Nanette Floyd Patterson, MA, LPC, CEO
Christian Life Coach and Counselor
www.theseedplanter.net
www.theaccsi.com
Follow me at twitter.com/theseedplanter

FAITH = UNREALISTIC

As a professional Googler (not sure if it is truly a word), I like to poke around on the internet to find out how others are marketing their businesses, whether they’re selling products or services. It doesn’t matter I look at it all. I look at how they are presenting the information. I ponder on my first impression of their website as a potential buyer. Did their presentation convince me or not? Is the color scheme inviting, exciting or just plain boring? Are they really serious about what they are selling? Are they really serious about their business? Is it a big operation or a small mom and pop (nothing wrong with mom and pops)? Well anyway I stumbled upon a couple who were inviting people to sell some type of product to make money. They both had an “about me tab” which told their story. The story they told was about how they went about making the decision to put their destiny in their own hands by started a business. Reading their stories did peak my interest. More convincing was the introduction video. It allowed me to get an idea of who I would be dealing with if I were to “bite. By seeing this video, I decided ok he looks trustworthy and personable. I couldn’t figure out what they were really selling so I went to their “Frequently Asked Question” tab. The question that caught my eye was:

Question: What is a realistic first year income? (taken from envisionfreedom.net)

Their Answer: Realistic? We don’t believe in realistic. Realistic people do not become millionaires. We would much rather achieve unrealistic results. With the exponential compensation plan, your first year potential is unlimited, given you follow our lead and implement the system. You are the only one that can hold you back.

After reading their answer, it was then that I started shouting HALLELUJAH! I immediately began to think about what it really means to be a Christian, to know Jesus. We often say by FAITH, we’re going to do this, by FAITH we’re going to do that….Do we really believe it is going to happen. To me doing things by FAITH is being UNREALISTIC. The secular world would easily say, “the way you are going about a certain thing does not make sense.” But should it if we walk by FAITH and not by sight? FAITH = UNREALISTIC. I would rather by FAITH do something UNREALISTIC and get UNREALISTIC RESULTS, than play it safe because I am being REALISTIC and only getting REALISTIC RESULTS. Stepping out on FAITH, in spite of having absolutely no extra money, resulted in a very successful business. It resulted in being able to plant many seeds in people’s lives. It resulted in me being able to support my family way above our needs. Talk about UNREALISTIC RESULTS. A woman who grew up in a single parent home where mom did her very best without financial support from her father. (UNREALISTIC RESULTS) A woman who grew up in a small town that had absolutely no job opportunities for her other than working at the local factory or in a field or a fast food restaurant. (UNREALISTIC RESULTS) It resulted in me standing behind someone in the grocery store, being led by the spirit, paying for someone’s groceries. Mind you not knowing that person from Adam. (UNREALISTIC RESULTS) Boy, if I could tell you all. (UNREALISTIC RESULTS) Sometimes I still don’t believe it. My natural eyes just could not understand it. Remember, God is the one who gives us power to get wealth. He is no respecter of persons. If He did for me, He will do it for you. I do not take any credit for these UNREALISTIC RESULTS. I give God all of the glory.

CHALLENGE:

Do something unrealistic with your business. Do it by faith and let God show you what He can do.

Scriptures to Meditate on: Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; James 2:14-26; Acts 10:34; James 2:1; Deuteronomy 8:18; Philippians 4:13

Look up the definition of “realistic” and “faith”

FIND TIME TO BE STILL TO ALLOW GOD TO INSTRUCT AND TEACH YOU

FIND TIME TO BE STILL TO ALLOW GOD TO INSTRUCT AND TEACH YOU On your journey to “possess the land” you will encounter good and bad distractions. These distractions can keep you from making the right decisions or choices, i.e., which road should I take, how do I survive the night, how do I keep warm, which way should I go, and many other major decisions. God said in his word that He will instruct and teach you the way. God will also counsel you and watch over you. It is perfectly natural for you to get off course because you are focusing on issues dealing with the “distraction.” These distractions can cloud your communication with God. Have you ever been talking to some one on a cell phone and the connection was bad? You were hearing weird noises or no sound at all. You could hear the person talking but you only heard every other word or only a few words. Consequently, making it hard to understand what the person is trying to convey. When this happens, you tell the person to repeat what they just said. After the interference goes on for a few more seconds, you get frustrated or they get frustrated and say call me back or I’ll call you. It results in miscommunication, frustration, silence, and only a one-way communication. This is exactly what happens when we allow both good and bad distractions to interfere with our STILL time. Time with God is a two-way communication. It is hard to have a two-way conversation when there are distractions and other interference. ….A PLACE TO HEAR HIS VOICE I remember one morning when I was talking on the phone with a dear friend. In the middle of the conversation both my mind and ears tuned in on some birds chirping loudly in her background. It was kind of odd because they were extremely loud but immediately I began to imagine the setting where Adam and Eve communed with God in the Garden of Eden. Birds were chirping. The four headwaters flowing solemnly. I imagined the subtle breeze that was flowing through the trees. Wow what an experience they had with God. Can you imagine this for yourself? CHALLENGE I challenge you today to find time daily to BE STILL in order to hear HIS voice. Try to create a setting similar to the setting in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve communed with God. Go to a dollar store or wherever and buy a Nature or Waterfall CD or download on an MP3 player. Find a quiet place. Take your journal and your bible with you. Pray that God reveal Himself to you during this time and that all mental distractions are removed. When He gives you instructions and guidance, write it down in your journal. Scriptures to Meditate on: Psalm 32:8, Psalm 46:10, John 10:1-21 Nanette Floyd Patterson, MA, LPC Christian Life Coach & Counselor www.theseedplanter.net follow me at www.twitter.com/theseedplanter

Uprooting Weeds – Do We Really Want to Know the Truth?

Have you ever believed something all of your life but one day you learned that what you believed was a lie? A couple of weeks ago God instructed me to begin reading His word with new eyes. I was telling my bestfriend about what God had told me and shared with her that some of the stuff I was taught as a child in the church would have to be uprooted with a garden hoe. It brought back to my rememberance one day when fact I was looking out my window at some bushes that we had planted in the yard. I had been waiting for this particular bush to bloom this beautiful white flower that has a scent that would messmerized you. It had been almost two years and I had not seen this flower yet. So I have been anticipated seeing the first bloom. Well I was looking out the window checking to see if the flower had surfaced. The flower had not bloomed yet but I did notice another plant had infiltrated my bush. It stuck out like a sour thumb. I knew immediately that what I saw was not part of my beautiful bush. My words exactly were “what the…….” No I did not finish the sentence, trust me. So I went outside to get a closer look and sure enough a big thick weed had started growing from the soil located very close to the beautiful bush which made it look like it was part of the bush. It was so close that if I had not been familiar with my bush I would have missed it completely. For some reason, I got mad at the weed. I went outside and got my garden hoe and began to chop the weed with ferocious force. It took a lot of chopping to break the weed but I got it. But in order for me to really remove this weed I had to pull it out of the ground. Remove the root. As I begin to study the word with “new eyes” I know that I will have some very strong weeds to uproot. What I am learning on my journey of studying God’s word with new eyes that some of my beliefs about the church are traditions and not the truth. As Christians do we really want the truth or are we satisfied with go along with tradition.

Nanette Floyd Patterson, MA, LPC
Christian Life Coach & Counselor
Certified HIScoach

www.theseedplanter.net

Go In & Possess the Land with Creativity

Creativity is the ability to rise above or go beyond traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations. Being creative is a God-given ability. Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV) says, “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. The seed I give you today is that we are creative people. God has given us the mind to “think outside the box.” Often times we have so many things coming at us that we fail to use our creativity to pursue our purpose, visions, and dreams. We let stress, frustration, anger and other negative life issues cloud our creativity. God has given us everything we need to live. This includes the ability to reach beyond traditional ideas to gain wealth. Not wealth for selfish purposes but to be a blessing to others. I offer you these suggestions to begin your creative process:

1. Ask God to show you how to remove the barriers that are clouding your creative thinking.

2. Change your way of thinking.

3. Don’t be logical when you are being creative. Think of it as a fun process.

4. Hang around people who are fun and who are not afraid of “thinking outside the box.”

5. Keep a journal with you at all times to record any creative ideas or concepts that God places in your spirit. Put it beside your bed at night. If you don’t like writing, keep a handheld recorder with you.

6. Thank God for the gift of creativity.

You have “power” to get wealth

In God’s mighty word, Deuteronomy 8:18 (New King James Version), it says, “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

I was meditating on this verse and I began to focus on the word “power.”  Exactly what does that mean? So I did the obvious and looked up the word in the American Heritage Dictionary.  According to this source, “power” means the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively.  It is always good to check a second source when looking up words, so I went to the infamous Webster. Webster says that it means “the ability to act or produce an effect.”  Then I went to my Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible, it gets deeper from here.  Your Go In & Possess the Land Lesson: Get a good dictionary or if you have Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible, look up each word shown here in bold and larger print. Say this prayer before you do look up these words: Father God, In the name of Jesus, show me how this powerful scripture is relevant to my life, my vision and my purpose right now. Amen!  Say this prayer after you have looked up scripture. Father, thank you for your mighty word.   Now knowing what I know now, how shall I begin to take necessary steps to possess the land in which you promised me. Amen. In your journal, if you don’t have one get one quick! Write down every instruction that God is putting in your spirit. If He doesn’t give you anything right away, keep your journal with you at all times. When you go to sleep, keep it beside your bed. You can also get a basic handheld tape recorder just in case your instructions come to you while driving. Please do

Are you L.A.Z.Y?

 The message this morning is a simple question. As it relates to what God has commissioned you to do….are you L.A.Z.Y.?

 

Are you Letting the Adversary Zap Your vision? 

Are you Letting the Adversary Zap Your health?

Are you Letting the Adversary Zap Your marriage?

Are you Letting the Adversary Zap Your vision?

Are you Letting the Adversary Zap Your relationship with God?

 

It is time to take authority over the adversary. Stop allowing the adversary to ZAP your life from you. Remember John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Speak directly to the adversary, the devil, in Jesus’ name and tell it to flee!