You catch more flies with honey... Have you ever noticed that the people or things that initially get and hold your attention best use an approach that is tailored to saying or showing good stuff about you? It’s human nature to like to see and hear things positive about ourselves. Life lessons school teaches us to make a sandwich with our words when dealing with others. Start with a slice of positive bread, layer the meat of correction or opportunity in the middle, and then finish with the final slice of encouragement bread on top. This is a biblically based principle that works far better than intimidating others with negativity and harsh words… Check you 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 use the eyes of our heart to look for and see the good in all people, places, and things today, AMEN. "So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault." Romans 14: 19-21Have a blessed day y’all! Furniture Bank helps many folks with a HAND –UP as they work with various organizations to gain skills and jobs to escape homelessness and, helplessness to gain self-respect and self-sustainability!! Your gifts, donations, prayers, and financial support make this possible! Families, veterans, elderly, physically and mentally challenged, as well as others can enjoy homes filled with furniture and furnishings as they rebuild their lives. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! ALL donations to Furniture Bank are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% goes toward helping the families, veterans, elderly, and other individuals in need. You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! It’s easy and you can make a big difference on how Furniture Bank can further help our families and individuals in need. http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

But I just wanna be judged by my INTENTIONS while I judge you by your ACTIONS. ...Well that’s just dandy isn’t it?!? Maybe it’s just me, and perhaps you cannot relate, but the “committee” in my head that tries to run my life, otherwise known as my selfish self-will, tries to make this a policy for me all the time. Thank goodness I have tools to veto their vote and the key to lock them back up deep in my mind. Why is it that I have this fear fueled, pride based notion that I have the right to judge others only by how I view their actions and at the same time expect them to overlook my actions and judge me by my intentions? Over the years and through many painful lessons I have learned that I must first walk in another person’s shoes before I even attempt to understand them. I have no right to judge another person. That is for God to do. My job is to try to love, tolerate, and accept others as best I can and allow them to have their own opinions of me. How is your relationship with the committee in your head?.. Check your experience… . “Love and tolerance of others is our code.” Big Book pg 84. Lord, let us set aside our preconceived notions and give our best efforts to love and tolerate others, AMEN. "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! 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://aservantsheart.us/

Becoming teachable. ... Remember the last time you were able to lay aside your preconceived notions, expectations, assumptions, 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. ...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! Furniture Bank helps many folks with a HAND –UP as they work with various organizations to gain skills and jobs to escape homelessness and, helplessness to gain self-respect and self-sustainability!! Your gifts, donations, prayers, and financial support make this possible! Families, veterans, elderly, physically and mentally challenged, as well as others can enjoy homes filled with furniture and furnishings as they rebuild their lives. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! ALL donations to Furniture Bank are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% goes toward helping the families, veterans, elderly, and other individuals in need. You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! It’s easy and you can make a big difference on how Furniture Bank can further help our families and individuals in need. http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

The difference between a leader and a boss. ... At various points in our lives we find that we have different authority figures who we either report to or hold us accountable. In my walk I have had some great ones and some... well... "interesting " ones! The interesting ones have been bosses. They dictate, bully, and spout negativity. They attempt to rule by fear and intimidation. These "bosses" seem to never get much good done and those under them tend to move on to other jobs, tasks, or assignments under others to escape this toxic environment. I learned to NEVER attempt to lead that way. .... I have tried to model my own servant leadership style from the great ones I have served under. I have found a common trait that is biblical in nature. The greatest leaders I have had have taught me by example to do what they do. They SERVE the ones they are responsible for and LEAD BY EXAMPLE. They gain loyal followers and happy, productive workers with positive results and create healthy long term relationships. ....What is your style AND...what is your experience? .... "Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us." Big Book pg 77. Lord please continue to guide my heart and show me how to lead through serving others, AMEN. "The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:11 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! 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! Its Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://aservantsheart.us/

Pull the weeds trying to grow near your heart. ... Static noise and visual distractions are everywhere these days. Our phones, tablets, and other electronic devices are bombarded with visual ads trying to distract us. The "free versions" of Internet radio interrupt our music filling our heads with "offers and specials" I still cannot get the sound of Peyton Manning humming the Nationwide jingle out of my head! We experience the same type of distractions with our Spiritual walk with Jesus. Worldly clamors distract us trying to allow fear, worry, and pride to fuel our self-centered minds away from seeking and doing God's will. How many times daily are your good thoughts challenged with earthly interruptions?.. Check your experience… "His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself." Big Book pg 12-13 Lord please let us focus on your love and will for us despite all of the earthly distractions around us, AMEN "The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good fruit.” Luke 8:14 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! 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_3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3RLzbmtLsgcZTuXS6qO1oPfeZffMfyIyEnZD3fc8XmyDIO8CqmnS1tRGA&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor+mark+farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

I got my tongue in front of my eye tooth and couldn't see what I was saying. ... Ever experienced delayed remorse as the words based on the emotion of the moment go flying out of your mouth, only to be immediately be followed by the heart driven words of "I didn't mean that!" ??... Emotions fuel our words and actions and when left unchecked by our heart and Spirit can cause pain and hurt to others as well as amends work for us. I have spent the past few years in my walk with Christ learning to RESPOND with grace and kindness rather than my old way of REACTING with the emotion of the moment. Now most of y'all know how much I despise numbers, but counting to 10 during an emotional moment has become a tool that I use to disconnect from the emotion of the moment and reconnect with my heart and the Holy Spirit. I find when I do this I am no longer held hostage by my emotions and my words do not cause harm…. Check your experience. ... Patience, tolerance, understanding and love are the watchwords." Big Book pg 118. Lord let us guard our words by responding in grace instead of reacting with emotions, AMEN. " So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!" James 3:5 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! 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_3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3RLzbmtLsgcZTuXS6qO1oPfeZffMfyIyEnZD3fc8XmyDIO8CqmnS1tRGA&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor+mark+farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

What is your energy source?... Every day, about mid-afternoon, I get that rundown and tired feeling. It’s usually during the middle of whatever I am working at or trying to focus on. I generally stop my work and grab a legal source of liquid amphetamines like coffee or the healthiest version of energy drink I can find. This refreshes me and gets me through the rest of my day as my alertness returns. What about those times when our soul is weary? Do you experience times when it seems like you are all alone and feels like you are facing a Goliath of a challenge? I have found the solution that works for me and it is not in a can. I remember that I am not alone and that I have the Holy Spirit of our almighty God living inside of me! I remind myself that HE will never give me anything that He does not think I can handle and with that assurance, I face the challenge and keep walking through it… Check your experience… . “Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did” Big Book pg. 52 Lord, remind our hearts during those trying times when doubt tries to enter our minds that you are in us and with us and that we can overcome whatever obstacle seems to be in our path, AMEN. “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 Have a blessed day y'all!! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! 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_3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3RLzbmtLsgcZTuXS6qO1oPfeZffMfyIyEnZD3fc8XmyDIO8CqmnS1tRGA&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor+mark+farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Worry makes things seem bigger than they are. I am curious to learn if anyone ever gained from worrying? I don’t’ have any record of this. Why do we allow our fears and expectations to grow inside of us and gain strength over our minds and hearts? Our human nature is prone to this and free will allows this to happen, robbing us of our peace and stealing our energy and focus. Did you know that you can trade those worries, fears, and expectations for grace? Try this for the next few days. Every time you catch yourself building a case for a good worry, write it down on a piece of paper and put it in a drawer that can serve as your God box. Tell God the worry is now His and move on with your day! You can do this. It works! Try it and as always then…. Check your experience… “There you will find release from care, boredom and worry.” Big Book pg. 152 Lord let us fill our God box with our fears, worries, and troubles and leave them with You, allowing us to move forward and see how we can turn our focus to helping others, AMEN. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 Have a blessed day y’all! Furniture Bank helps many folks with a HAND –UP as they work with various organizations to gain skills and jobs to escape homelessness and, helplessness to gain self-respect and self-sustainability!! Your gifts, donations, prayers, and financial support make this possible! Families, veterans, elderly, physically and mentally challenged, as well as others can enjoy homes filled with furniture and furnishings as they rebuild their lives. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! ALL donations to Furniture Bank are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% goes toward helping the families, veterans, elderly, and other individuals in need. You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! It’s easy and you can make a big difference on how Furniture Bank can further help our families and individuals in need. http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

When the going gets rough….. Have you ever been at that point where your mind leads you to wonder about what you are doing? Have you ever held thoughts of why you should keep giving the effort if nothing seems to be coming from it? Have you? Good, then, I am not crazy and you are not alone! Part of our walk while we are here is to build up our faith muscles and strengthen our spiritual endurance. Maybe it’s God testing us or perhaps it’s the worldly clamors the Enemy uses to distract us, but these trying times do occur. The great news is that we have an out! When we became born again as believers and followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit entered each of us and now covers and protects us even when we cannot seem to see or feel it. Keep on Keeping on! It will get better. ..Check your experience…. “This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort.” Big Book pg 26 Lord, please remind our hearts in those lonely time where we want to question our efforts that You are here with us and will see us through the challenges, AMEN. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! 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://aservantsheart.us/

Just a daily dose… We have pills to fix our headaches, ointments to relieve sore muscles, and all kinds of over the counter instant fixes for most of our other aches and pains. There is even a pill to help our liver! Didn’t know my liver even needed a pill!.. NO my AA and 12 Step friends, there IS NOT a pill to replace the Steps and meetings! What about our spiritual weaknesses and flaws? Anyone know of a pill for that? What I have learned from those who showed me is that I have a relationship with a living God that I need to maintain and grow through my daily pursuit of His will and Word for me. This way of living has brought me a life even better than my dreams. Even though I am not perfect and I screw up daily, as long as I seek His will over mine, it always works out… Check your experience… "What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition." Big Book pg. 83. Lord let us fix our frailties and heal our spiritual wounds through our daily relationship with You, AMEN. "Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." Hebrews 12: 12-13 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! 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! Its Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://aservantsheart.us/

The change has to come from within… Have you ever noticed that the folks around you who take steps to improve their lives are changing things within themselves first? Think about it in order for any change to be effective and long lasting it has to come first from within us. It’s a spiritual principle that when we first change our thinking and support it with a change in our actions that our behaviors and habits follow. Wishing, wanting, and talking about change doesn’t work unless we supply our own thoughts, efforts, and actions…Check your experience… “…there has been a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking.” Big Book pg 50 Lord, let us provide the willingness needed to bring about changes in our thoughts and actions, AMEN. “So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!” Hebrews 12: 12-13 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! 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_3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3RLzbmtLsgcZTuXS6qO1oPfeZffMfyIyEnZD3fc8XmyDIO8CqmnS1tRGA&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor+mark+farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Have you ever thought about whether or not the light would come on before you turned the light switch on? Because I have the familiar experience of having successfully done it countless times before, I don’t even think about it, I just know it will work. Even when that 1 in a thousand time happens when the bulb is burnt out, I replace the bulb without thinking and the light comes on. That is faith. When I am staying in a new or unfamiliar place like a hotel or a friend’s home, I instinctively know that if I just find that light switch, the light will come on. That is faith. I cannot see the mechanics involved and I certainly have no electrical training or background in engineering, but because I have experience with the process, I trust it works and neither debate it, nor give it a second thought. That is faith. OK, so this next part may not apply to you Spiritual giants… Now why then do I want to debate with God over trivial things? Why do I expect the answer before I even begin the task that is new or unfamiliar? Where is my trust being placed? Where oh where is my faith? Has He not brought me this far in life successfully through things I have had no control over? Why do I even think I need to discuss the new thing with Him? Where is my faith? Check your experience…… “The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe.” Big Book pg 25 Lord, like the light switch, let us place our trust in You based on our experience with You, AMEN. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 Have a blessed day y'all! New Year - new outlook! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! 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_3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3RLzbmtLsgcZTuXS6qO1oPfeZffMfyIyEnZD3fc8XmyDIO8CqmnS1tRGA&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor+mark+farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Love is in the air!... Lots of love in the air today! Cards, candy, and flowers helping to seal the deal so to speak! Remember folks, we each have a personal Valentine that loves unconditionally JUST AS WE ARE! Deep in our heart exists the Holy Spirit that not only looks out for us and protects us when we allow it to, but also loves us unconditionally! Don’t believe me, just check your experience!... “He stood in the Presence of Infinite Power and Love.” Big Book pg 56 Lord, as we share this day with our loved ones today, let us remember Your ultimate unconditional love for us, AMEN. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Happy Valentine’s Day and… Have blessed day y’all! Furniture Bank has helped many folks this year with a HAND –UP as they worked with various organizations to gain skills and jobs to escape homelessness and, helplessness to gain self-respect and self-sustainability!! Your gifts, donations, prayers, and financial support made this possible! Families, veterans, elderly, physically and mentally challenged, as well as others are now enjoying homes filled with furniture and furnishings as they rebuild their lives. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! ALL donations to Furniture Bank are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% goes toward helping the families, veterans, elderly, and other individuals in need. You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! It’s easy and you can make a big difference on how Furniture Bank can further help our families and individuals in need. http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Perception is a funny thing. Maybe it’s different for you but my mind likes to try to lead me to believe things that are not actually true or as they appear. I have learned the hard way that most things advertised as “free” generally have a cost associated somewhere. Also, experience has taught me that most “easy” and “simple” things are either low in quality or not worth really having. The good news is that I have learned over the years to trust my heart and not what my mind likes for me to believe. The verse I am sharing today reminds me of this truth. Check your experience. …“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all “your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6 Lord, let us look in our hearts and seek Your will when we are confused or uncertain, AMEN. “We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves.” Big Book pg. 68. Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! 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://aservantsheart.us/

No pain...no gain....Maybe it's different for you, but I can honestly say that I do not enjoy pain of any kind in any form. I don't intentionally go looking for it but I have learned that when I do find myself in pain, there is either a lesson to be learned or an experience to grow from if I look with a willing heart and open mind. Staying spiritually fit is hard work but the benefits are immense. Sobriety is not easy but the pains from gaining and maintaining it have brought me blessings far beyond what I deserve. The same can be said for my journey to attain physical health and fitness. God gives us the pain inside of every challenge to encourage us to find the benefit He has for us. Check your experience... "If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through." Big Book pg 83. Lord when we are in pain, please remind our hearts to seek the goodness we can gain from seeking Your will, AMEN. "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5: 2-4 Have a blessed day y’all! Furniture Bank has helped many folks this year with a HAND –UP as they worked with various organizations to gain skills and jobs to escape homelessness and, helplessness to gain self-respect and self-sustainability!! Your gifts, donations, prayers, and financial support made this possible! Families, veterans, elderly, physically and mentally challenged, as well as others are now enjoying homes filled with furniture and furnishings as they rebuild their lives. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! ALL donations to Furniture Bank are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% goes toward helping the families, veterans, elderly, and other individuals in need. You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! It’s easy and you can make a big difference on how Furniture Bank can further help our families and individuals in need. http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

The “inner-net’ connection… Plugged in, wired, and networked are terms we associate with our communications these days. I am just glad I no longer need to figure out how to “interface” with folks! Wi-Fi and internet are the connections we seem to chase the most these days as we rely more and more on social media to get our “message” out there to “build our brand”. It sure feels like we need to constantly be networking ourselves to others in order to stay connected in today’s world. How do we stay plugged in to the things that keep us grounded, stable, and secure? What about our internal connection to God and the Holy Spirit? I am grateful that I have been shown and taught to seek quiet time daily, and even hourly at times, to connect with God to stabilize my heart and quiet my mind. When I do this, I become grounded and connected in the right way that makes my day go in the direction it needs to instead of more out of control. How are you keeping your inner connection solid?.. Check your experience… “In nearly all cases, their ideals must be grounded in a power greater than themselves,” Big Book pg xxviii Lord, let us seek Your grace and guidance daily to be grounded securely in your will and not fall victim to the illusions of worldly clamors, AMEN. “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! http://aservantsheart.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! Its Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://aservantsheart.us/

Measuring our motives. .. Way back when I was in grade school, every time we went to visit my father's Aunt Mabel, she would send me to visit her friend Mrs. Wheatley. Now this was not fun for a 10 year old boy, but when the visit was over I would walk away with a big candy bar! So I was always willing to pay a visit to Mrs. Wheatley. Sadly today, that is the only thing I remember about Mrs. Wheatley. Now y'all can say it's because I am old and my boyhood memories have faded, but the sad truth is my only motive in going was for the candy bar. Ever participated in something purely for a self-serving gain? Heck, I am guilty of that at times still to this very day! My point is that when others are counting on us to be there, we should check ourselves and our motives to make sure we are there for the right reasons. Check your experience. ... . "Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives." Big Book pg 86. Lord please help me clear my mind of self-serving thoughts so that my heart can participate 100% for the right reasons based on Your will and not mine, AMEN "All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord." Proverbs 16:2 Have a blessed day y’all! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! 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_3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3RLzbmtLsgcZTuXS6qO1oPfeZffMfyIyEnZD3fc8XmyDIO8CqmnS1tRGA&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor+mark+farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

What's in your heart?... We all have this autopilot inside of us that handles our daily routine functions. Breathing and walking are the obvious ones but what about those expected and meaningless interactions? You know, like the store clerk or that same person you see daily in the hall or gym? You have no emotional connection to them. They say "How you doing? " and you say "fine" with no thought or effort. Now what about when you need to either forgive someone or let go of something locked inside your heart by emotions of pride, anger, or other hurt feelings? Do you find yourself mouthing the words of the correct or expected response yet keeping your imagined control of it in your heart? Perhaps that's why we stay needlessly hurt or angry. We lock that thing in our heart yet act like it's gone. God can fix that but we have to open our hearts and let go for real. Check your experience... . "he should understand that he must undergo a change of heart." Big Book pg 143. Lord let us open our hearts to be filled with your Spirit and healed by your grace, AMEN "I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts." Isaiah 57:15 Have a blessed day y’all! New Year - new outlook! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! 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_3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&fbclid=IwAR3RLzbmtLsgcZTuXS6qO1oPfeZffMfyIyEnZD3fc8XmyDIO8CqmnS1tRGA&ie=UTF8&keywords=pastor+mark+farley&qid=1524849607&sr=8-3

Our tricky minds…..Sometimes when I let my mind wander, it tries to take me down the path of doubt. If I permit this “stinkin’ thinkin’” to continue then the path widens to include worry, fear, and ultimately negativity all fueled from my own self-will. What helps me during these times is to remember that the answers are not in my head and that I am no longer in charge of me. When I made the life changing decision to turn my will and my life over to God, HE became not only my “Employer” but also my mentor, guide, and rock. I have learned to stay out of my own head and not go there by myself because it is filled with fear based illusions fueled by the worldly clamors around us. God has us covered. He not only has us here for a purpose, but also HE has a plan for us that we can easily understand if we seek His will daily. Check your experience… . “We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs.” Big Book pg 63. Lord, let us know in our hearts that You have a purpose and a plan for us that will keep us secure, successful, serene, and covered by Your grace, AMEN. “God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.” Ephesians 2:10 Lord, please let me learn to pray to want what I get instead of getting what I want, AMEN. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage;” Psalm 27:14 Have a blessed day y'all! New Year - new outlook! Grab a daily shot of positive and inspiration with daily devotions with the Big Book and Bible combined looking at the things we face daily! Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://smile.amazon.com/…/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_39057079…

Keep walking toward the light… Have you ever stayed overnight in a hotel or even a friend’s home for the first time and had to find the light switch in the middle of the night? Strange room and unfamiliar surroundings bring us confusion and we find ourselves moving slowly with caution. We know there is light switch there somewhere, so we proceed forward, but ever so slowly because we don’t quite trust our new surroundings and environment. Now think about this with me. Isn’t our reaction the same when we encounter new or unforeseen pressures and circumstances in our lives? How do we handle the new, uncomfortable, and unforeseen? Now maybe it’s different for you, but over time I have learned to seek and trust God’s will in these unfamiliar situations, mainly because, even though I may be uncomfortable and lack experience with handling the situation, I trust in my faith and that God has me covered and will guide me through. How about you?... Check your experience… “I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.” Big Book pg 14 Lord, let us put our faith and trust in You and Your will for us when times get hard and we find ourselves in new or unfamiliar circumstances, AMEN. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing.” 2 Corinthians 4:8 Have blessed day y’all! PLEASE DONATE TODAY! Furniture Bank helps many folks with a HAND –UP as they work with various organizations to gain skills and jobs to escape homelessness and, helplessness to gain self-respect and self-sustainability!! Your gifts, donations, prayers, and financial support make this possible! Families, veterans, elderly, physically and mentally challenged, as well as others can enjoy homes filled with furniture and furnishings as they rebuild their lives. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! ALL donations to Furniture Bank are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% goes toward helping the families, veterans, elderly, and other individuals in need. You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! It’s easy and you can make a big difference on how Furniture Bank can further help our families and individuals in need. http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Different yet the same... Observing people is a hobby of mine. I enjoy learning from others and behavior is usually indicative of a person's habits. Over the years I have seen a blessed pattern emerge when I learn from observing a fellow believer. No matter what the action or activity is, the believer is doing it selflessly to help another without expectation of attention or recognition. This has taught me to remain humble and to keep my focus on others as I continue to grow my relationship with Christ and build my ministry. I constantly remind myself that this (whatever the "this" is) is not about me. ....Check your experience. .... "Helping others is the foundation stone" Big Book pg 97 Lord let our helping actions and activities be focused on helping others and not ourselves, AMEN. "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all." 1 Corinthians 4:12-14. Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are pleased 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://aservantsheart.us/

What goes around COMES around. .. Have you ever played with a bouncing ball? Did you notice that it always comes back to you with the same force you give it? Now I am not trying to teach physics, but the ball example contains today's spiritual thought. I have learned over the years that my relationships with people, places, and things have the same effect. We GET what we GIVE. It's a spiritual principle. When I treat others with grace, I get grace and when I throw out grief and negativity I get it right back. Check your experience. ... "Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity." Big Book pg 68. Lord, let us give others the same grace and joy that you freely give us, AMEN. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you," Matthew 7:12 Have a blessed day y’all! Furniture Bank has helped many folks this year with a HAND –UP as they worked with various organizations to gain skills and jobs to escape homelessness and, helplessness to gain self-respect and self-sustainability!! Your gifts, donations, prayers, and financial support made this possible! Families, veterans, elderly, physically and mentally challenged, as well as others are now enjoying homes filled with furniture and furnishings as they rebuild their lives. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! ALL donations to Furniture Bank are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% goes toward helping the families, veterans, elderly, and other individuals in need. You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! It’s easy and you can make a big difference on how Furniture Bank can further help our families and individuals in need. http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

So why is it that sometimes we think we are walking in faith yet we still have that feeling of doom, failure, and or fear in our heads? Change brings this on more than anything for me. Now maybe it’s different for you, but I have this crazy head and it sometimes doesn’t like to connect with my heart. What I have learned, and mostly the hard way over the years, is that my self-will lives in my head and it loves to tell my heart what a loser and failure it thinks I am. Thanks to God, AA, and a picket fence of friends, I have learned to tune that noise in my head out and focus on my heart where the Holy Spirit resides and directs me if I let Him. So when I get that feeling that perhaps I am going to fail or things are not going to go right, I politely thank my head and then shut the door on those thoughts and focus on what my faith and my heart are saying to me. How do you quiet your head so your heart can lead you?.. Check your experience… “Here was something at work in a human heart which had done the impossible.” Big Book pg 11 Lord, let us turn out will and our lives over to Your care and direction daily, AMEN. “And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” Luke 24:38 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! 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://aservantsheart.us/