There is no “i” in team…. A few years ago, I borrowed the phrase; “I can’t fix the head I got with the head I got.” from Brian C. from one of the AA meetings here in Phoenix. I learn many things from listening to and observing people and this thought has proven to be a strong tool for myself and others. Maybe it’s different for you, but when I am in spiritual pain, or struggling with issues of pride and self-will, I have a hard time initially sharing my struggle. This thought gives me a quick reality check and motivates me to seek counsel from others and not let my selfish thoughts continue to dominate my mind and actions. How comfortable are you in using your own mind to clear up your struggles of your thought and spiritual walk? …Check your experience… “Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone.” Big Book pg 84 Lord, let us not only share the things that are dominating our thoughts and blocking us from Your grace, but also be willing to act on advice received from others, AMEN. “One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 Have a blessed day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions 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://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

Give a hand up and not a hand out… Have you ever noticed that when you give stuff to people for free, they will usually take it? It’s a nice thing to give to others and that is what we should do as part of our spiritual growth and walk with Christ, but sometimes helping actually hurts those you are giving to. Stop giving them fish and instead teach them to fish! Think about it, if we continue to provide for another without teaching them or giving them a chance to provide for themselves, then we are hurting their growth and not really helping. It’s good to give, please don’t misunderstand, but it’s not helpful if we continue to give and do for the same people over and over without giving them a chance to learn how to provide for themselves … Check your experience…. “Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others,” Big Book pg 102 Lord, let us share our bounty with others as you so generously share with us, but let us share with a motive of helping with hand UP and not a hand OUT, AMEN. “Treat others as you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31 Have a blessed day y'all!! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions 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://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

“Don’t turn a bad moment into a bad day.” … Back in Sacramento, years ago, ol’ Dick E. of Group 3 used to say this “phrase that pays” at our AA meetings. I have held onto that thought over the years and found it very useful when I am in times of stress or struggle. I simply force my head to remember these words and it stops the bad moment from becoming a bad day. While some situations last longer than a moment, I have learned that I am not facing it alone and that when I turn my troubles and fears over to the Lord, not only does my day go better, but also, the situation usually resolves itself and leaves me in a better place as a result. Are you allowing bad moments to become bad days? … Check your experience…. “In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves.” Big Book pgs. 70-71 Lord, what times of uncertainty, stress, or struggle come, remind my heat that You are with me and I can turn it over to Your care and not let it run my whole day, AMEN. “I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 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 helping 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/

Things grow better in fertile soil… Have you ever noticed how certain plants grow and thrive in some climates but not in others? I live in Arizona and while many forms of cacti and desert plants thrive here, tropical plants don’t. It’s kind of the same with our spiritual life. When we plant ourselves in the Word and make sure we are receiving the Living Water of the Holy Spirit and our hearts are getting needed soul nutrition from fellowship with Jesus we thrive. However, when we try to live in unspiritual conditions, like plants in poor soil and bad climate, we struggle to grow and thrive. How is your spiritual soil?... Check your experience… “At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to affect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him.” Big Book pg 47 Lord, please help us to find fertile spiritual growing conditions through Your Word and the Holy Spirit residing within us, AMEN. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 Have a blessed day y’all! …. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Furniture Bank is in the hand-UP business and not the HANDOUT GAME! You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, even $20 a month helps, because $100 provides a new twin bed and bedding to make a house into a home for our clients and families escaping homelessness and hopelessness. We send 2 or 3 new beds to every family we assist. Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Visit our website and click on the PayPal button for a secure transaction and tax receipt that will follow within 48 hours. Please help us help others! http://www.furniturebank.us

Going with the flow… It’s easy to know how to act, dress, and what to do these days. Just watch TV or pay attention to any form of advertising and it will tell you how to think, act, and feel. But, is that healthy for us? It’s nice to “fit in” but what mold are we trying to actually fit in to? Because we have a God who loves us unconditionally and give us free will, we can become disillusioned by some of the trappings of this world. Most of us know that money and things do not buy real happiness. Having a real relationship with a real and living God does! …Check your experience… "We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change" Big Book pg 84. Lord, let us not fall into the illusions of the material trappings of this world and distort our relationship with You, AMEN. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 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 pleased to share the newest free helping 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/

Encouragement and strength…. We all have those in our lives who seem to always point out our faults, wrongs, and failures. We can either let their comments weigh us down and keep us from growing or we can take great pleasure in knowing that we don’t have to worry about not being perfect because they are there to remind us that we are not! The good news is we have the power of choice in what we allow to invade our ears and cover our hearts. We receive encouragement daily when we look in our hearts and know that God’s grace and hope live in His spirit in us. I am glad I have those in my life who have taken on the job of pointing out my wrongs and failures, it frees me up to focus on what I am doing right and gain strength as I grow closer to God. Are you finding hope and encouragement daily?.. Check your experience… “…whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience,” Big Book pg 66 Lord, let us seek hope and comfort through our daily relationship with you through Jesus, AMEN. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good thing you do or say.” 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 Have a blessed day y’all! …. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Furniture Bank is in the hand-UP business and not the HANDOUT GAME! You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, even $20 a month helps, because $100 provides a new twin bed and bedding to make a house into a home for our clients and families escaping homelessness and hopelessness. We send 2 or 3 new beds to every family we assist. Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Visit our website and click on the PayPal button for a secure transaction and tax receipt that will follow within 48 hours. Please help us help others! http://www.furniturebank.us

The grass is NOT always greener on the other side of the fence. It’s easy these days to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others. Unfortunately, instead of celebrating the gifts and talents of others, our culture tends to highlight the differences. If we believe all of the marketing, commercials, advertisements, and now sadly even some of the media comments, then we need to be younger, smarter, stronger, driving only new cars and using only the latest and greatest products. Maybe it’s different for you, but I do not have the ability to keep up with all of that! In my walk in faith and sobriety I have been given the gift to appreciate what I have and to celebrate what others have instead of comparing myself to see where I come up short. As a result, I get to enjoy better relationships and a peaceful heart. How’s this working out for you?.. Check your experience… “The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy, envy, frustration, and fear.” Big Book pg 145 Lord let us trade our envy in return for grace and peace that comes from Your Holy Spirit living in our hearts, AMEN. “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 Have a blessed day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions 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://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss