Don't judge a book by its cover. ... Looks can be deceiving, especially when we allow our judgment to be based solely on what we initially see. Perhaps it's different for you, but I have shared before how my magic magnifying mind likes to trick me into trusting the ideas it generates on its own just for me. It pays to learn more of the story before we pass judgments. Years ago when I was living, recovering, and working at the Salvation Army in Sacramento, we had this very small man named Joe who also lived there. Because of a stroke he suffered, he walked funny and had a hard time speaking so it was easy to pass him by as another needy and hopeless cause. However, I got to know Joe. As our friendship grew, I learned that he was a power lifter in the gym and before he had a stroke in his mid 20's, he was a college graduate with a promising career in engineering. Different choices he made around drugs and alcohol led to difficult twists, and turns in his life, like many of us encountered before we wound up at Salvation Army for help. Joe helped teach me and others to weight lift and use the gym safely. He was very encouraging to me to get my college education and pursue God's calling on my life. I am glad I took the time to get to know Joe before he went home to the Lord. His encouragement and influence helped me a lot during that season of my life. Are there any "Joe's" in your life where you don't know their story? ... Check your experience.... "We let God be the final judge." Big Book pg 70. Lord open the eyes of our hearts so the we can see those You send to help us, AMEN. "Do not judge according to appearance" John 7:24 Have a blessed day y'all! Did you know that your financial gift to Furniture Bank is not only tax deductible but also qualifies you for up to $800 in AZ Tax Credits? Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Please help us continue to help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Reaping and sowing…. It’s a fact of life, based on a solid spiritual principle that we GET what we GIVE. I was grateful to learn this fact in the rooms of AA listening to others share. I was also blessed to experience this as I walk with Jesus daily. Now perhaps it’s a bit different for you, but I have learned from my own experiences, as well as from helping others in their walk that we only GET OUT of a person, place, things, or situation, what we are WILLING TO GIVE to it. Negativity breeds negativity, and misery does love company. However, supply some positive attitude, support, encouragement, and good effort and you will be amazed at what you get in return!.. Check your experience…“Do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it.” Big Book pg 102 Lord, let us give our best to others and be a source of hope, grace, and love, just like You are for us, AMEN. “Do not be deceived. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 Have blessed day y’all! Did you know that your financial gift to Furniture Bank is not only tax deductible but also qualifies you for up to $800 in AZ Tax Credits? Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Please help us continue to help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

We can’t keep it unless we give it away…. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to help another person with no expectation of a gain or a return. Perhaps you have experienced this spiritual principle enough to know the powerful blessing it brings to you and those you help. Just being able to help another is humbling for me, for there was a season for me over 27 years ago when I had nothing to give and not much hope. Thank goodness for the Salvation Army who loved me until I could learn to love myself again. AA and walking with Jesus has blessed my life far better than I could have ever imagined with Miss Tami, Miss Kai, and all the gifts of friends, family, ministry, and service work I have in my life today. I know from experience that we cannot keep it unless we give it away. With yesterday being National Giving day, please …check your experience… “Helping others is the foundation stone” Big Book pg 97 Lord, thank you for the bounty of blessings and the ability to help others not as blessed as we are right now, AMEN. “Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love.” 2 Peter 1: 5-7 Have a blessed day y’all! Its National giving day! Did you know that your financial gift to Furniture Bank is not only tax deductible but also qualifies you for up to $800 in AZ Tax Credits? Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Please help us continue to help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Take time to listen before waiting to speak… Have you ever caught yourself on “auto-pilot” in a conversation? For me, it usually happens when during a familiar conversation or recurring situation. My mind tells me the answer before the other person even asks or finishes! Now maybe it’s different for you, but I catch myself going into auto- pilot mode when I start deciding what must be done even before I have really listened and or HEARD what the other person is trying to say. OK, so this is part of standard fare for raising kids under 5 when it comes to junk food and unsafe toys, we DO know the answers before they form the question, but this type of listening hurts us in all other aspects of our lives. Think about it. We like to be listened to, heard, and feel that we have been understood. It’s a spiritual principle that we need to treat others in the same way that we wish to be treated. So maybe this is the 3rd time Aunt Mabel has told you the story about her trip to the grocery with the wrong coupons. Perhaps by actively listening to her and building conversation around her story, she may finally feel heard and stop telling you the same story. How do you listen? Does the solution noise in your head drown out what the other person is trying to say? … Check your own experience and…Take time to listen instead of waiting to speak. “We never gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing.” Big Book pg 50 Lord, let us listen with our hearts and hear with You Holy Spirit that resides in us all, AMEN. "To answer before listening-- that is folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 Have a blessed day y'all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Looking away or looking to help..... Sometimes when we see uncomfortable or unpleasant things we divert our eyes away so our mind won't focus and our hearts won't feel the situation. I used to do this every time I walked by my teenager's room. I am sure it's a well-organized myriad of clothing, books, and life pertinent items to her, but it looked like remnants of a hurricane to her mother and me. It's easier to just look away and move on. What about those times when we are at work or out and about with a group of friends and we see someone noticeably upset or hurting. Hopefully it's our natural reaction to seek to learn the situation, offer comfort, and help if possible. Now what about when we see that out of place person trying to deal with something that is obviously unfamiliar for them? I know that it's easier to look away and pretend we don't see that older person in the store trying to figure out how to lift that case of water. Or its "better to ignore" the dirty looking person on the street with the shopping cart full of weird stuff. I am not suggesting we stop and try to change their whole life, but what about looking them in the eye and saying hello? What would Jesus do? Check your experience. ... "Helping others is the foundation stone of our recovery." Big Book pg 97. Lord, let us open the eyes of our heart to see where You would have us offer compassion and help, AMEN. "Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." Philippians 2:4 Have a blessed day y’all!! Support Furniture Bank today when you shop on Cyber Monday. Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/46-2771809 and Amazon donates to Furniture Bank. https://smile.amazon.com/?ie=UTF8&ein=46-2771809&ref_=smi_chpf_redirect&ref_=smi_ext_ch_46-2771809_cl&ref_=smi_ext_ch_46-2771809_dl Have a blessed day y'all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

It’s all in how you ask… Have you ever asked or prayed for something only to either not get it or get something you were not expecting? For years I have been asking and praying for weight loss, six pack abs, and a Tim Berry physique but y’all know that ain’t happening! I am sure many folks ask to win the lottery, but we all know how that goes! The thing I have learned in my sobriety and in my walk with Jesus is that it is OK to ask for things….BUT…. make sure we are asking with an open mind, willing heart, and correct motives. It seems all these years I have asked for the weight loss while not being completely willing to do the required work on my part with diet and exercise. When I do ask in prayer with the right motives, the right things happen. So, for me, the lesson is to look at my motives before asking in prayer to make sure they are backed by willingness and effort on my part. When I do this, things tend to work out pretty well. How’s this working out for you in your asking and prayer life?.. Check your experience… “Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.” Big Book pg 86 Lord let us ask You for anything with an open mind, willing heart and motives not based on self-will, AMEN. “You do not get things because you do not ask for them. Or if you do ask, you do not receive because your reasons for asking are wrong. You want these things only to please yourselves.” James 4: 3-4 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know that you can receive up to $800 in an AZ tax credit with a donation to Furniture Bank? Every penny goes toward helping our families and individuals in need. Please pray and consider helping us as we help others! www.FurnitureBank.us

Motives and efforts…. Ever heard the saying you get OUT of it what you PUT IN to it? Great examples of this are folks that run their first Triathlons, lose massive amounts or weight, win their first body building contest, or achieve some other life altering change for the good. The secret to success in each of these examples is that while they were training and working to achieve their goal, they constantly made sure their efforts matched their motives daily. We can use this “secret” in our everyday lives for ordinary things as well. This is a biblical principle that never changes! From being a better person, to overcoming an uncomfortable situation, if we measure our motives and match them to our efforts we will see change.. How well or your efforts matching your motives?... Check your experience… . “Keep on the firing line of life with these motives and God will keep you unharmed.” Big Book pg 102 Lord, let us provide the efforts needed along with the right motives to bring the healthy changes into our lives and strengthen our walk with you, AMEN. “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16: 2-3 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

There are many things that I am grateful for. Too many to list here, but most of all I am grateful for my salvation, sobriety, and serenity. I am thankful for my family, friends, and ministry. It’s a spiritual principle that I try to live daily… We cannot keep it unless we give it away…. “We thank God from the bottom of our heart” Big Book pg 75 Thank you Lord for my family, my friends and the bounty of blessings You allow them to bring in my life AMEN. “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:11-12 Happy Thanksgiving y’all!! Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://ServantsHearts.us it’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are please to share the newest free service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! It’s Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://ServantsHearts.us

Humility is way different than humiliation…. Humility is a good virtue that allows us to acknowledge others and respect their dignity, talents, and opinions. Humility is not weakness; it’s a spirit of self-examination that through seeking and doing God’s will prevents us from becoming selfish and arrogant. Humiliation is a painful emotion that we feel when we’ve been shamed. It’s a negative response that usually comes as a consequence of our own selfish actions. I used to confuse the 2 words, I think a lot of corporate America still does. I have learned that a humble person is a powerful person who has a firm relationship with God, self, and others. A humiliated person tends to be isolated and suffer from their own actions based on self-centered fears, greed, and pride. How do you see yourself?... Check your experience… “Belief in the power of God, plus enough willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things, were the essential requirements.” Big Book pg 13 Lord, let us humble ourselves to be strengthened and fortified by our Word, grace, and promises. AMEN. “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3: 13-16 Have a blessed day y’all! Help Homeless Families, Veterans, elderly, and those in need! Contribute to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program (ARS 43-1088), you can earn a dollar for dollar tax credit on your tax return while supporting children and families as they escape homelessness and move back into homes and jobs. For more information visit www.furniturebank.us

A different way to “Google”…. Google has made life a lot easier for me! It seems whatever I need to know; from directions to anywhere to what is the name of the actress that played Lorelai on Gilmore Girls, Google has it for me in a split second! How convenient and time saving it is! If only I could get answers to my moral and self-will challenges along with my spiritual directions from Google. While Google will attempt to answer our life questions and offer spiritual direction, it can’t see our hearts or know our soul like the Holy Spirit does. Thank goodness we can find those answers WHEN we become willing to ask, look, and receive. How is this working out for you? Are you turning to your internal Google in the form of the Holy Spirit when times are confusing or uncomfortable?... Check your experience… “Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. Big Book pg 86 Lord, let us ask You for guidance and direction with open minds and hearts, AMEN. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1: 5-6 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Truly helping others… As Thanksgiving week begins, it’s a great time of year to not only be grateful for our blessings, but also to look to help and bless others. There are plenty of food drives, meals for the less fortunate, and other community collective efforts that we can all participate in and hopefully we all can do our part. What we may not necessarily consider however is the fact that we can help others daily that are already in our lives. The verse I am sharing abut today talks about feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and clothing the naked, BUT…what I want to draw your attention to is there are folks in our daily walk despite being fully clothed and well fed who are spiritually malnourished, heart sick, and naked to the worldly clamors we face daily. We can and must help our friends, family, and coworkers who suffer from spiritual malnourishment. How are you spiritually feeding, clothing, and helping those around you? Its amazing what a kind word, a helping hand, and even an anonymous gift of money or assistance can do!.. Check your experience… “Helping others is the foundation stone” Big Book pg 97 Lord, let us open our hearts to freely share Your Holy Spirit and the grace of Jesus with those in our lives who are silently suffering spiritually, AMEN. “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Matthew 25: 35-36 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://ServantsHearts.us it’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are please to share the newest free service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! It’s Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://ServantsHearts.us

Watch your tongue… It’s that time of year when we gather together with family, friends, and others to fellowship, celebrate, and spend time with others that we may not see that often. Hopefully these times are full of fun, love, create more warm memories. This can also be a time where our petty differences, resentments, and unchecked emotions can try to take the stage in front of the captive audience gathered. Please take this as a suggestion and guard your words! Our self-will can override our spiritual connection during times of stress and anxiety leading to all sorts of words and actions that we later regret. Hopefully you can direct those nasty words to stay inside your head and not come rolling off your tongue. Remember the Holy Spirit lives within you and can give you grace, peace, and comfort during these times IF you let Him… Check your experience… “Patience, tolerance, understanding and love are the watchwords.” Big Book pg 118 Lord, let our words be driven from love and kindness and not from motives of hurt and pain, AMEN. “So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is always ready to pour out its deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our heavenly Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against men…” James 3:5-9 Have a blessed day y’all! Help Homeless Families, Veterans, elderly, and those in need! Contribute to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program (ARS 43-1088), you can earn a dollar for dollar tax credit on your tax return while supporting children and families as they escape homelessness and move back into homes and jobs. For more information visit www.furniturebank.us

Navigating through traffic….. It seems we encounter traffic in just about everything we do these days. The freeways are full of commuters, the Starbucks and Dutch Bros lines are long at times, there is usually a wait time for scheduled doctor appointments. Most of us become aware of these patterns and we adjust our schedules to either accommodate or avoid these situations as best we can so we can continue on with our day. What about the things that can clog our hearts at times? The “rush hour traffic” of fear and worry, or being taken hostage by worldly clamors of self will perceived wants and materialistic desires can derail a good day if we let it. There is a plan and a solution to avoid this clutter and traffic in our hearts. Turning our will and our lives over to the care of God clears this traffic of our heart and allows us to focus on the important things and enjoy peace and grace. …Check your experience… . “But soon the sense of His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself. And so it had been ever since.” Big Book pgs. 12-13 Lord, let us give You the things in our heart that block us off from the your grace and Spirit, AMEN “Let us put everything out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should. Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.” Hebrews 12:1 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Look for the helpers… The tragic events of the past month have hopefully shown us that we are capable of caring for, praying for, and helping others in need. It’s sad that it takes enormous tragedy to spotlight this, but this is our culture and socially acceptable. The good news is that there are many of us who don’t wait for a tragedy to strike but set out daily to look for the good and ways to plug in to be helpful and supportive. A few have shared a timely quote from Mr. Rogers; “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” It’s easy to focus on the bad in times of trouble, but spiritually speaking, the Lord through His Holy Spirit can help us see the good when we look for the helpers… Check your experience…. “Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.” Big Book pg 63 Lord, let us look past the hurt and pain and find the helpers and the hope that You bring to every situation, AMEN. “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” 1 Peter 3:8 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://ServantsHearts.us it’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are please to share the newest free service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! It’s Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://ServantsHearts.us

We get what we give… It seems to be a common line of thought and an acceptable practice these days to look for the bad and find fault in others as part of the attempt to build ourselves up. Perhaps you have learned the hard way, like I have that all this brings us is misery, chaos, and trouble. When I took an honest look at my part in these behaviors’ years ago, I knew I had to make a change. Just like the spiritual principle says, we GET what we GIVE. I find that when I spend my time building others up and looking for the good in others, the same is returned to me, even more than I deserve!.. Check your experience… “We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one.” Big Book pg 67 Lord, let us look for the good in others and not give into fault finding, AMEN. "Make allowance for each other's faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Colossians 3:13 Have a blessed day y’all! Help Homeless Families, Veterans, elderly, and those in need! Contribute to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program (ARS 43-1088), you can earn a dollar for dollar tax credit on your tax return while supporting children and families as they escape homelessness and move back into homes and jobs. For more information visit www.furniturebank.us

Filling food… Most folks I know are doing a better job these days of choosing better foods and meals. Just like having the proper fuel for our cars, it’s important to have the proper fuel in the form of nutritious healthy food for our bodies. Slowly the fast food chains are getting this message and it’s possible to get a sort of healthy meal from them if there are no other healthier options, but for the most part, fast food, like sugary snacks, are full of empty calories that fool our bodies and leave us more hungry as well as tired. It’s the same in our spiritual nutrition as well. We can fool ourselves and load up on man-made words and spiritual “junk food” that require no action on our part and make us feel momentarily good about ourselves. Unfortunately, like fast food, this leaves us hungry and thirsty in our souls. We can get true spiritual nutrition daily by turning our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him and feast on His Word daily… Check your experience… “A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, "a design for living" that really works.” Big Book pg 28 Lord, let us feed spiritually on Your Word and the Holy Spirit, AMEN. “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Truth or consequences… Perhaps you have a better handle on this, but it can get confusing for me at times to know when I am getting the truth or a lie with respect to information. Looking at information for just about anything these days takes a measure or patience mixed with persistence to sort through the word vomit and visual imagery to learn the truth needed to make a decision. Trying to help Miss Tami find a sun screen for her face became a hunting expedition as we read ingredients and learned about all kinds of scary stuff that is part of the ingredients in some brands. I am neither a scientist nor an expert, but it seems to me that putting various concoctions and mixtures of alcohol and mineral oils on one one’s face cannot be good in the long run, let alone make a good sun screen for sensitive skin! Experience, trust, and faith are the anchors I depend on to get me through. We found the brand she likes and lo and behold, no alcohol or mineral based petroleum products are used! This experience leads me to my thought for today, how are we reading the ingredients that we are putting into our spiritual lives? Are we getting the good soul food from God’s Word or are we getting “junk food” and chemical substitutes that make us feel good for the moment but have no lasting spiritual nutritional value?...Check your experience…“We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again:” Big Book pg 33 Lord, let us look for Your Truth in seeking Your will and learning from Your Word, AMEN. "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie," Romans 1:25 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://ServantsHearts.us it’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are please to share the newest free service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! It’s Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://ServantsHearts.us

Thanks and God Bless Chuck Jackson, Rick Jackson, Scott Jackson, Nick Farley, Uncle Charles King, Uncle Russell Priddy , Eric Fowlston, John R., Coop, Bill S., Roger, Tyler, Dan H., my Sponsor Jim R., Phil, Adam, Mel, KD, Dave C., David McC., Raenee, Kristopher, and all Veterans past, present, and future. Your honor, duty, sacrifice, and service keep us safe, protected, and free! “Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.” Big Book pg 77 Lord, we thank and honor those who protect our freedom by serving our country. May You constantly bless them and their families, AMEN. “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 Have a blessed day y’all! Help Homeless Families, Veterans, elderly, and those in need! Contribute to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program (ARS 43-1088), you can earn a dollar for dollar tax credit on your tax return while supporting children and families as they escape homelessness and move back into homes and jobs. For more information visit www.furniturebank.us

It’s a matter of your heart… Have you ever had a situation where even though you are there, your heart is not in it? Perhaps it’s out of your immediate control and for the greater good you need to be there, but given your preferences, you would choose to be elsewhere. I am sure we all have these times and we manage to get through them just fine. What about your faith? While it’s good to go to church and participate in worship, it’s not so good if our hearts are not in it. God doesn’t care where we are physically at, but He does want our hearts to be open and full of faith, NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE AT. Believing is a heart matter and our actions show our faith… Check your experience… “It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.” Big Book pg 12 Lord, let us keep our hearts open and filled with our belief in You and Your promises, AMEN. “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:10 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

What is your power source? … Red Bull, coffee, Protein shakes, Power Bars, and all sorts of other products promise us energy. Many other products promise to enhance our power. Body builders and folks into fitness and exercise routines gain physical strength and stamina, but, ….where do we really get our POWER from? We see stories from time to time about folks doing super human feats to save another or help someone in danger. I bet if you take a look at the events in your lifetime, there have been a few times where you have had to “dig deep” to find that extra needed effort to complete a task or endure an unpleasant situation. Where did that power come from? Honestly, I know I am lying to myself if I try to claim it came only from me. I know for fact that through my faith in God and my walk with Jesus that God equips me with the power I need for every situation. How about you? … Where does your power come from? …Check your experience. … “We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.” Big Book pg 45 Lord thank you for giving us the strength we need to not only accomplish the task or endure the situation, but also to allow You to work through us to help others, AMEN. “I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.” Philippians 4:13 Have a blessed day y’all! Saturday, November 10th from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM we are going to BREAK THE BANK…The Furniture Bank that is! I AM 360 https://www.iam360.love/ will be at the Furniture Bank’s storage unit collecting GENTLY USED items such as bedding linens, furniture, furnishings, kitchen, and other household items, (please note that due to health code standards and insurance liability issues, WE CANNOT ACCEPT used mattresses, appliances, or any items that have excessive wear and tear). Please bring what you can and let’s BREAK THE BANK by filling up their storage unit. The Furniture Bank is located at Pecos Storage – 3087 E. Pecos Road, Phoenix, AZ 85048. Questions? Email info@FurnitureBank.us or you can visit us at www.furniturebank.us    

The power of choice… We face many choices daily but for me, the most important and constant choice I face is to either seek God’s will or follow my own self-will. Maybe some folks think like I used to think when I was first saved that I no longer had to battle with life’s twists, turns, trials, and temptations, because I had Jesus in my heart. However, the fact is that God loves us so much that even though through Baptism He fills our heart with His Holy Spirit, He loves us so much and so unconditionally that He allows us to keep our free will. Now perhaps it’s different for you, but this is exactly why I must make the choice daily and even hourly at times to seek His will and not give into my selfish self-centered will. How do you handle this choice?... Check your experience… “Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.” Big Book pg 86 Lord, thank You for loving us so complete and unconditionally that you let us keep our free will. Let us exercise this power of choice and choose to seek Your will in all things, AMEN. “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://ServantsHearts.us it’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are please to share the newest free service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! It’s Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://ServantsHearts.us

We are not alone… There are all sorts of hi tech headsets, ear phones, and other apparatus that makes it very easy to isolate these days. Heck, with headphones being so popular, it’s almost even cool to keep them on whenever possible. This comfortable isolation is good for brief periods to allow for pause, meditation, rest, and or prayer, but when it happens often and for long periods of time, then it can be very dangerous. This type of isolation not only separates you from others but also closes your heart to the Holy Spirit. Think about it, in times of stress or strain, do you find yourself desiring to be alone with your own thoughts? Again, for a brief moment, its fine, but when it becomes a constant preferred mechanism of escape then problems left inside our own head become issues that lead to all sorts of behaviors, actions, and ultimately consequences we do not need. Sharing your life’s trials, twists, turns, and temptations with other believers will not only keep you from falling victim to the delusions of the isolated mind, but will also allow the Holy Spirit to show you the solution. Are you isolating?.. Check your experience… “No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity.” Big Book pg 8 Lord, let us know that You put others in our lives to for us to lean on in rough times, AMEN. “That their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love.” Colossians 2:2 Have a blessed day y’all! Saturday, November 10th from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM we are going to BREAK THE BANK…The Furniture Bank that is! I AM 360 https://www.iam360.love/ will be at the Furniture Bank’s storage unit collecting GENTLY USED items such as bedding linens, furniture, furnishings, kitchen, and other household items, (please note that due to health code standards and insurance liability issues, WE CANNOT ACCEPT used mattresses, appliances, or any items that have excessive wear and tear). Please bring what you can and let’s BREAK THE BANK by filling up their storage unit. The Furniture Bank is located at Pecos Storage – 3087 E. Pecos Road, Phoenix, AZ 85048. www.furniturebank.us

What is total cost?.. Anyone who knows me understands my preference to avoid numbers in just about every situation that I can. What I have learned in life and in school is that everything has a cost. Not only a numerical valued cost, but also the cost of time, effort, relationships, and growth. It’s pretty easy to count the numerical cost in most things. My wallet and my bank account are a constant reminder that I am not made of money. Now maybe it’s different for you, but it’s those other costs that are the most expensive to me. I have learned to ask myself what is the cost; to the relationship, time, as well as what value is to be gained. Needless to say, whenever Miss Tami or our daughter needs me, that automatically wins, but what about the time I spend on other matters that may or may not be healthy for me or my relationships with my family, friends, and Jesus?... Check your experience… “Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid.” Big Book pg 14 Lord, let us include our loves, our priorities and our relationship with You when we count the cost of our efforts, AMEN. “But don’t begin until you count the cost.” Luke 14:28 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Becoming teachable. ... Remember the last time you were able to lay aside your preconceived notions, expectations, and self-made opinions in order to truly learn something new? Yeah, it's been a while for me too! Part of having free will and becoming an adult is this magic magnifying mind that we have that likes to unconsciously grow and feed from our perceptions and experiences. It tries to predict situations for us as well as attempts to harden our hearts through our own self-made assessments and judgements. Until we stop this process and set aside the ability and power it has over us, we cease to truly grow spiritually. Kids don't have this. They look to us with wide eyes and open minds thirsty to learn. It's only when we can open our minds willingly in this manner can God truly teach us and fill our hearts with His Spirit and wisdom. Are you still willing and able to be teachable? ...Check your experience. ... "But after a while we had to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life-or else." Big Book pg 44 Lord let us set aside our own thoughts and become teachable like a child for Your Word, AMEN. "He said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://ServantsHearts.us it’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are please to share the newest free service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! It’s Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://ServantsHearts.us

Fixing those broken connections… Have you ever noticed the amount of stuff available that helps us to fix things? From the self-help meccas of Home Depot and Lowes to the auto parts stores, hardware stores, deep discount big box stores, and even grocery stores, there are kits, tools, parts, and supplies that allow us to fix just about everything. There are even YouTube videos available for non-mechanical folks like me that will show us how it’s done! What about the spiritual and relational connections in our lives that need repair? Sure, there are self-help books, counseling, and therapists to help, but just like all the stuff in our homes we can fix, it requires willingness, effort, and honest hard work on our part. The good news is that when Jesus sees our efforts and willingness, HE uses the Holy Spirit living within each of us to guide us on the repair of the relationship with Him as well as others in our lives… Check your experience… “The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous.” Big Book pg 25 Lord let us open our hearts to let the Holy Spirit guide us in repairing and maintaining all of our relationships according to Your will and not ours, AMEN. “Jesus replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22: 37-38 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

What is your power source? … Red Bull, coffee, Protein shakes, Power Bars, and all sorts of other products promise us energy. Many other products promise to enhance our power. Body builders and folks into fitness and exercise routines gain physical strength and stamina, but, ….where do we really get our POWER from? We see stories from time to time about folks doing super human feats to save another or help someone in danger. I bet if you take a look at the events you’re your lifetime there have been a few times where you have had to “dig deep” to find that extra needed effort to complete a task or endure an unpleasant situation. Where did that power come from? Honestly, I know I am lying to myself if I try to claim it came only from me. I know for fact that through my faith in God and my walk with Jesus that God equips me with the power I need for every situation. How about you? … Where does your power come from? …Check your experience. … “We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.” Big Book pg 45 Lord thank you for giving us the strength we need to not only accomplish the task or endure the situation, but also to allow You to work through us to help others, AMEN. “I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.” Philippians 4:13 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1405964225?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor%20mark%20farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

How’s your eye sight?... Why is it so much easier to see the problems that other people have when compared to our own? Now maybe it’s different for you, but my cross wired head can point out the faults in others while overlooking the issues in my life that need attention. The funny thing is, no one ever asks me what’s wrong with them, yet my head likes to show me what it sees that is wrong with others. Thank goodness I am used to this twisted thinking and for the most part manage to keep my opinions to myself and my mouth shut. I have learned the hard way that when something in another person bothers me, be it their actions, appearance, behaviors, or words, it’s a strong signal that there is something in me and my life that I need to look at and address… Check your experience…. “Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.” Big Book pg 84 Lord, let us look in the mirror to see what we can change in us instead of looking to change others, AMEN. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://ServantsHearts.us it’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are please to share the newest free service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! It’s Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help!http://ServantsHearts.us