Prosperity Vs. Avarice
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)
Dearly Beloved: May God’s love, grace and peace be upon you and may you prosper in the Lord. Amen!
It seems today that everyone wants to be wealthy, but not everyone understands what that means. You can be wealthy with material things, yet poor in the spirit. Likewise, you can have an abundance of the Holy Spirit beyond measure and yet be physically dirt poor. I would choose the latter over the former any day of the week and twice on Sunday. For, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet has not love? God is love and love is God. Without love, without God, it is pointless to exist and you shall forever feel empty and incomplete. Now, let me be clear…God wants us to prosper both spiritually and sometimes financially. He wants all of our needs met both physically and spiritually. That is a fact. Solomon and David are prime examples of the wealth God can lavish on His children. When you are a child of God, you are meant to prosper. Of course, there are times such as in the case of Job when suffering may be part of His plan. In His infinitely divine wisdom, He sometimes allows folks to be physically poor. Just as steel needs to be pounded and tempered, so too must God’s children in order to gain strength and wisdom. (more…)
Proverbs 27:5-6 Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
1st Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
Proverbs 13:7 
Dear Readers: I do not write about my children. That is because I have tried to keep them protected from those who hate me. I have done my best to shelter my family from the spotlight. It is important to me, however, to share my experience with the world. I have a son and daughters that I love very, very much. They have always been and forever will be my heart and soul. In 2011-2012, my family and I became homeless. We were forced to live in a shelter. For the first time in my life I could not provide for them. We were destitute. On more than one occasion, we ate watered-down soup. I went without meals so that the kids could eat. We had been struggling for a couple years. I was working odd jobs wherever I could find them. From time to time, I did things I am not proud of to make ends meet. I did everything that I thought I could to keep from being a criminal. When we landed in that shelter, I became desperate. On top of being homeless, we lost our car. I had not yet accepted the Lord. Thus, I did not possess the mind I have now. So, when I was offered a chance to make some quick money, I took it. My intentions were pure and even noble in my own mind. I did the wrong things for the right reasons. I am not guilty of the crimes I have been wrongfully convicted of. I am not a murderer. 
Proverbs 22:24-25 “
