A Canvas of Gifts

Perfectly created by God we are an instrument that is to be used to exercise our gifts and talents to advance the kingdom of God.

Everyone of us is special and has access to all God's gifts. We are to use these gifts according to the suitability of the moment.

They say "practice makes perfect" exercising these gifts every moment builds confidence and proficiency in application

Each one of us is called to do something great. God loves each one of us and has equipped us with various gifts to live an abundant and fulfilled life.

We are like a canvas and God paints this canvas with multiple colored gifts. We pick a color we desire and perfect it. In the end the color initiates a masterpiece.

Use your gift to serve in humility and inspire the world. At the end our magnificent God gets all the glory.

NEVER see yourself as unreliable and ineffective. Stir up those gifts because you have something the world needs.

God Bless

Marlon Katsigazi

Smile

The following poem was inspired by Marlon Katsigazi who encourages everyone around him to smile and he goes beyond that by sharing many of his smiles as well. We all have reason to smile today. To every reader, happy smiling!

I've seen you down
You've been down for awhile
I want to help,
to lend you a smile
In fact, give you the Source,
the place I get mine
He's the factory of plenty
where the demand never
surpasses the supply
where the request for the smile
is never denied
I'm not just talking about
the curve of the lips in
an upright position
But also about the present condition
of your heart and your mind
together on one accord in agreement
that there are more blessings
than challenges and
the reason is Divine
If Jesus is why
then the smile won't die
He's the factory of smiles
I encourage you to try.

-Janaye L. Felder

Finders, Keepers

This poem was written several years ago while I was serving as a teacher in Nanjing, China. I was intent on staying fixed in faith no matter the trials that came when I was so far from what was familiar (family and the comfort of home).

FINDERS, KEEPERS

Where there is a light that's lit
No darkness can extinguish it
The happy hope that in me lives
The freedom and the joy it gives
No man from me can take away
The faith I have this very day
No wave of doubt, no flood of fear
Can touch this faith, nor dare come near
My blessed belief in God above
His grace, His mercy, His precious love
All will sustain me should trouble arise
I'll mount like an eagle in the skies
I'll hold to what I do not see
I trust God knows what's best for me

-Janaye L. Felder

Beauty

I dedicate this next piece of writing to someone very special to me who has endured negativity regarding outward appearance. After a lengthy conversation with this person, I was inspired to write. I hope it's a blessing to all who read it.

Beauty

In His image you were made
by Divine Design, formed and fashioned
Uniquely created, you reflect His beauty

Every hair on your head counted,
every detail known by the God of the universe.
Look at His handiwork!
Stand in awe before the mirrored image
Nothing is by mistake, every feature placed
purposefully so and no accident that
you are who you are.

The Father so proud as you
embrace the You He made
without comparison to another
or complaint of what you may consider
more of a mess and less than what
the world calls attractive

Who can question our Builder and Maker?
He makes no apologies for placing real beauty
in the locked box of your heart, opened only
by the acceptance that the truth of who you are
in God is really what matters.
With this acceptance comes the unveiling
of His wonder shining brightly
outwardly from within.

THIS is beauty.
In all of its essence
with all of its power
without ever fading
THIS is beauty.
That lasts beyond years
that stands the test of time

Our God calls you beautiful
and who can argue with Him?

-Janaye L. Felder

Love

LOVE

Far reaching, ever extending
this love can't be constrained
Full measure, not withholding
the cross that was stained

Blood falling, mockers calling
Still the sacrifice remains
No good in us, we are the crowd
chanting "Crucify Him" and yet

Far reaching, ever extending
this love can't be constrained
The love, His love
in exchange for our shame.

His wellness for every
seemingly unbearable pain
His presence with us
Now we'll never be the same

Far reaching, ever extending
this love can't be constrained
The love, God's love
so we glorify His name.

Janaye Felder

A New Day!

A NEW DAY

The following declaration is something I say almost everyday. It is a welcome for a new day and all the potential it promises those of us who embrace it and believe.

"Today is a day we have never seen before and will never see again. It is a necessary day- the bridge between yesterday and tomorrow. We need this day to accomplish our goals and dreams and to reach our Divine destiny."

May the Lord lead us into great things today and even more than that, may we  follow.

God bless!

Janaye Felder

My Dreams are Alive!

Arise fellow poets! WRITE! Write SOME MORE! There’s a reason why you love pens. There’s a reason why you want to record everything on paper. You are a poet and it’s time the world knows it. Whatever the length of what you write today matters little. Just write something and watch the flow all come back. The next poem is dedicated to YOU!

My Dreams are Alive!

Loosing the pen, I begin again
This time to a completed end
Have I run out of ink?
I think not as the Higher Supplier
Fills me back up
I let my hand go free as I believe
I’ll be
There are pages to fill
If it’s in me still
I write with hope that
IT IS!






Each blank line longs to be
Written on and so I write
It’s now my delight to freely
Pour out what’s been poured in
Dreams awaken and there’s
No mistaken. They’re back
And I’m taking each
One by one
I count to make sure
They are secure-leaving none
And so you see, God is not done.

-Janaye L. Felder

P.S. My prayer is that we all would allow the Spirit of the Lord to stir up our gifts for the benefit of the kingdom of God and that as it stirs, we would be obedient to use them and not sit on the wealth of treasures we have inside. Grab a pen today. Get on that laptop. Set out to write, even if only for 10 minutes. It will bless you!

Sound Mind

This poem is dedicated to all those who need a reminder of the importance and blessing clarity of thought truly is. Our God is a Healer of all and wore the crown of thorns as a deliberate act of compassion. Jesus identified with those to come who would suffer a fraction of that mental anguish and I am overwhelmed that he did this for me. He did it for so many more as well. May this poem bless you!

Jesus gives a clear and peaceful mind

SOUND MIND

Jesus wore the crown of thorns
He knows the agony and torment
Of the mind that I endured
I have a compassionate High Priest
Who knows all of my suffering.
Because of His Blood, I am
Healed. Every drop from
Twisted, coiled thorns
Poured down for me.

Now jumbled thoughts
Become clear. My heart
No longer beats fast with
Fear of death and darkness,
But with anticipation for
The presence of the Light.







My mind, now sound
Rooted and grounded in
The truth of who God says
I am. Lies are banished
He calls me balanced.

This mind is stayed on Jesus
It does not wander down
Paths of delusion or confusion,
But stays straight in the Divine
Order of God, every thought
Filtered by his spirit

This mind thinks creatively
Operates, innovates
This mind holds great
 insights and potential
Because this mind is
Bound forever to the
Mind of Christ!

-Janaye Felder
"Journey"

image via 123rf.com

Clean House

This letter was written after confronted with the pride and prejudice that still shows now and then, and must immediately be addressed to stay in unity with the Body of Christ. Here is my letter to Jesus.

Dear Jesus

You have made this house (me) your home and I am so glad about it. It's pretty junky in there and yet you still reside. I tried cleaning up the place on my own, but somehow or another it becomes untidy again.
Please know I see the mess and I am quite embarrassed by it. Still I am so grateful to have your company. Instead of turning your nose up to the stench of the place, you have started the work with me on getting this house in order.

Thank you ever so much!

Love,
Janaye

A TRUE FRIEND

Jesus said we should love our neighbors as ourselves. We all need each other in life,  therefore we should love one another.

The poem below portrays this: