http://www.outofegypt.com/index.htmlHot BLOG!enemckee@OutOfEgypt.comCopyright 2008, Egypt McKee2009-07-08T12:00:00-07:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:38:31 -0800emckee@OutOfEgypt.comRelationships, love, honor, touch, hope, peace, faithfulness, purity, protection2009-07-08T12:00:00-07:00http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/787098beee3ce57012b319c3090da0b3-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/787098beee3ce57012b319c3090da0b3-4.html#unique-entry-id-4What do women really want? The answer is likely more profound than the question itself. So many opinions, perspectives an attitudes shape our belief that women want more than can be given or provided. The argument for what women really want may best be understood when we discover what women don’t want.

It’s about the time in life where you find yourself searching for answers, but no one satisfies your quest. The wind blows in every direction, yet you cannot understand which way it comes or goes. It’s only in the serenity of the moment that you find yourself struggling to figure out the answer to an equation that is more complex than anything your mind can comprehend.

In an instant, you’ve taken a stroll down memory lane and remembered that exclusive audience awaiting the arrival of that new bundle of joy, yet her purpose would outweigh her journey. Signs of life were validated in the piercing of her fragile voice, yet if she could tell you her desires--safety in the womb is where she would rather be. The momma she came to know intimately for so many months would soon be overshadowed by her need for daddy.

Before you knew it, she was walking, talking, even forming opinions about her limited view of life. The things once considered silly and cute were masked in the depths of a heart that required genuine stability. The older she grew, the easier it became to compete in life as if playing a board game. Rules of engagement were learned in private and mastered in public.

Young men fill the air and consume the thoughts of the woman with great needs, yet the best she will ever receive is a broken heart from empty promises. The pressure to preform for her female wolf pack is only secondary to her desire to be recognized by a man’s affection--the things she wants will never be found in what he can give her.

Misguided, misaligned and misunderstood is the virtual banner she wears across her backside. Men who demand visual eye-candy, cultures that demand starving bodies and a heart that demands genuine love seem to wrestle day & night for control of her character. The list of misfortunes is long and distinguished: broken hearts, lies, secret addictions, and the desire to fit in, are headliners that will not soon be forgotten.

Romans 8:24, “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?” (NKJV)

Can you honestly say you know what women want? Maybe you are a woman and have struggled to understand this question in your life, yet living outside its boundaries has left you broke, busted and broken hearted more times than you can count. On the surface of healing rests respect, humility and honor, yet the most valuable things she will ever come to want can only be provided by her creator.

Her physical shape and beauty lasts only for a moment, yet those things alone are not her purpose. The answer to a woman’s wants can only be found in the core of her purpose, and that is in her relationship with Jesus Christ! Consider the simplicity of this truth while you shake your head in disbelief.

Bouncing from one relationship to another like a ping-pong ball will never satisfy the void in a heart that is thirsty for purpose. Coping with another persons manipulative tactics, overbearing personality and covering up their addictions will never bring the peace you’ve been searching a lifetime. Some of you know there simply isn’t enough makeup on store shelves to cover up the beatings you receive on a regular basis. What do women really want--genuine love in their relationships, genuine peace in living their purpose, and genuine hope in walking with their God in Jesus Christ!

Listen, I may or may not have described your life, but there is a certain truth to the fact that you, like everyone, needs genuine peace in your life today. If you want a brand new start and a fresh beginning, give up running and give Jesus Christ your life right now. Admit to Him that you’ve messed up and need His forgiveness, Invite Him to be your Lord and Savior and give you a desire to know Him. If you prayed this with sincerity in your heart, you are a brand new person!

Please post a comment on my BLOG and let me know your decision so I can pray for you. Be encouraged! Egypt McKee
Author, Speaker & Pastor

from the book: Life. The Struggle Within
www.EgyptMcKee.com | www.LifeTheStruggleWithin.com
www.OutOfEgypt.com | www.myspace.com/ooem
©2007 Copyright, Egypt McKee. All Rights Reserved.

DISCLAIMER: This devotional is copyright protected and may be re-posted and distributed only when all material including title, content, author, copyright statement, and disclaimer statement is included and visibly displayed with all content. All other uses must be obtained with the expressed written consent of Egypt McKee and AuthorHouse Publishing | www.EgyptMcKee.com]]>emckee@OutOfEgypt.comVanity, fake, lust, sensuality, sex, fraud, liars, cheaters, players, scammers2009-05-08T12:00:00-07:00http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/4e16f311915f228812dd9e93b4cad2a1-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/4e16f311915f228812dd9e93b4cad2a1-3.html#unique-entry-id-3If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself face down on the battlefield before you recognize you’re in the middle of a fight for your life! Long ago you were well received by family and friends as having been the adorable infant with rosy cheeks and impressionable eyes as a distinct trademark. Before you could comprehend experiences in life, your eyes were most valuable in determining affection from recognizable personalities and disapproval of foes who played with your toys.

Somewhere in the chain of progression, years advanced faster with each blink of the eye, yet it was your eyes that carried secrets hidden too deep for denial to be reasonable. In the most secret of places lies the access key into the gateway of the heart. We’ve all heard the excuses in life, yet somehow what you see is not always what you get.

Training day began the day we were conceived while learning to advance the skill of our eyes through attrition. One day we find ourselves hiding behind walls, others and claiming popularity by association--whereas other days we convince ourselves through the broken values of others that we are somehow invaluable and our outside appearance is worth a second, third and fourth look! What is this time honored code that is more intoxicating than modern day pharmaceuticals? What is this key that offers access to unknown places not yet recognized nor reconciled in the human heart?

Deep in hidden places of our hearts is the place where motives, intentions and character is reasoned. Similar to a factory assembly line lays the complex arguments of denial and intentions in negotiation with reality, faith and intellect. Very Little is accomplished there because motives always demand the first and last word, yet character is responsible for packaging the end product before it is shipped to market in the mind and manipulated with the eyes. Billions of decisions flow through this complex feeding tube of life and is shared with anyone who will listen.

The rewards of such behavior is only rivaled by the process from which it came with shark feeding frenzy-like effect! The scales of life are easily tipped one way or another just like the well defined hourglass shaped woman who balances herself on 3-inch heels with every powerful exaggerated strut. Then of course, there’s the over confident man wearing his shirt half-buttoned and three sizes too small; he has obviously forgotten the embarrassment of this similar behavior only ten years earlier while in grade school.

In an instant, access to the eyes are opened long enough to see the depths of our hearts, yet few will look there for the end cannot be seen or measured. Temporary values for surgically altered body parts and sensual clothing that perform illegal feats containing body parts that are destined to explode under intense pressure, only lead way to the loneliness that comes long after all the smiles and giggles have gone. The sweet taste of sensuality intoxication lasts for only a moment, and the bitter wormwood taste of emptiness, vanity and inferiority quickly follows.

Psalms 34:8, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (NAS)

Has there ever been a time better than now for you to come out of hiding? What have you been drawn to lately? You’ve tasted many things in life yet each has it’s own distinct flavor, scent, and emotion. Maybe you are that person who struggles with what others think or say about you? Maybe you think people value your possessions, intellect or physical features?

Is it possible that you’ve found yourself chewing on rocks and the desperation to fit in and be recognized, accepted and praised has driven you into a life of performing in a contest you will never win? Have you convinced yourself that you are over it and in control--Don’t fool yourself! Are you willing to take a step into the abyss of your own heart and find out fact from fiction? There is only one hope for you and it is wrapped up solely in the person who did for you what you could never do for yourself--Jesus Christ! One things for sure--everyone needs a savior and that includes you.

Do you want a brand new start and a fresh beginning? You can have it right now--just give up running and invite Jesus Christ into your life right this moment. You don’t have to be religious or weird about it! Simply admit to Him that you’ve done many wrong things and need His forgiveness, Invite Him to be your Lord and Savior and give you a desire to know Him. When you pray this with sincerity in your heart, you’ll immediately become a brand new person!

Share your thoughts with me and post your comment along with your name. Let me know how I can specifically pray for you--Be encouraged!

Egypt McKee
Author, Speaker & Pastor

from the book: Life. The Struggle Within
www.EgyptMcKee.com | www.LifeTheStruggleWithin.com
www.OutOfEgypt.com | www.myspace.com/ooem
©2007 Copyright, Egypt McKee. All Rights Reserved.

DISCLAIMER: This devotional is copyright protected and may be re-posted and distributed only when all material including title, content, author, copyright statement, and disclaimer statement is included and visibly displayed with all content. All other uses must be obtained with the expressed written consent of Egypt McKee and AuthorHouse Publishing | www.EgyptMcKee.com]]>emckee@OutOfEgypt.comFitting in, diet, appearance, self esteem, pride, starving, vanity, relationships2009-03-08T12:00:00-07:00http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/2154d568d9922912fd6d4b7436c9eaf0-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/2154d568d9922912fd6d4b7436c9eaf0-2.html#unique-entry-id-2Perfect .... What exactly does it mean to be perfect? Being perfect is being free from any flaws or defects, so what is it about being perfect that we are so eager to become? Is there anything that's perfect anymore? Let's not kid ourselves, being perfect is only a side street on the road to fitting in!

Consider the things we swear are perfect? How about that couple that looked so great on the outside and always seemed to have "goo-goo eyes" for each other, and we swore they were "the Perfect couple", yet they ended their relationship in a bitter divorce.

What about when you look in the mirror and see an image of something "other than perfection", yet are determined to do whatever technology will offer to conform that image into perfection! Think about it .... women and young girls are flocking in unprecedented numbers to radically alter their bodies in pursuit of perfection through breast implants, teeth whitening, tummy tucks and face lifts; while men are striving to climb the corporate ladder yet out perform their neighbors by buying a bigger house, a newer Escalade with 32 inch spinning rims & more televisions than a department store, a bigger boat, advanced college degrees, and a young knock-out wife or girlfriend with big hair!

It's interesting that while growing up, we learned to study hard for tests and do well in school. Yet there was always an inherent punishment for cheating the system and using others information. On one hand, we were taught that if we used another persons information improperly, we were punished for "plagiarism"; yet when we grew up and used someone else's information improperly, we were rewarded and called it "industry best practices!"

What is it that drives us towards being perfect? Have you ever considered your own personal relationships and where they stand today? For men, there's the never ending pursuit of being a "bread winner" and earning respect from our peers, yet for women, there's an internal desire to be accepted as "beautiful and secure." Although this is generally true of men and women, it's not always the case with every person.

I'm convinced there is only one who is perfect and has never made a mistake, never told a lie, never failed in anything He has ever set out to do, and that is God. Listen, The Bible has many things to say in describing God and His only Son Jesus Christ.

There are several realities that cause us to recognize when we are not perfect, yet often times we are driven to perfection as a means of performance. Anytime we fail to perform at a given level, we are confronted with the knowledge that we missed the mark! It's during these times that someone usually has something sarcastic or slick to say that upsets us. Our natural defense is to protect ourselves through hiding, therefore we say, "Don't judge me!" or "Who are you to judge me?"

Jesus Christ taught us about judgement of others, yet we mis-quote the Bible (especially those who reject Jesus Christ) for the benefit of protecting our own interests.

Matthew 7:1-2, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV)

For whatever reason, we seem to forget the second verse as a matter of convenience as we judge. Jesus Christ made it clear that we are to judge righteously the fruits, not the salvation of a person! Far too often as followers of Jesus Christ, we get so over-zealous and radical that we manipulate an intimidate others into following Jesus Christ--THAT IS BOGUS, and only limits true followers of Christ into the same category as every other fraud in the world!

It is not now, nor will it ever be yours or my responsibility to save anyones soul. I assure you, No One will go kicking and screaming into Heaven! Get this through your head--Only Jesus Christ saves souls. He reminded us of this fact in John 12:32 when He said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Myself." (NIV).

In our over indulgence and saturated desire to be perfect, we have forgotten that in our skin, we simply will not be perfect! The fact that God didn't wait for us to obtain perfection, He demonstrated His own love for us by sending His only Son Jesus Christ to die for us. I'm amazed that He created so many cultures, races and creeds and I'm convinced God wanted us to learn His perfect love through a connected relationship with Him and everyone else.

Do you want to be a perfect man? Try loving your wife or girlfriend like yourself! Try loving your momma and daddy! Try loving your boss who ticks you off, or better yet try loving a person from a racial background that you don't like!

Do you want to be a perfect woman? Try loving you husband regardless of his attitude, try loving your friend that just stabbed you in the back, try loving your boyfriend that just lied to you, or better yet try loving a person from a racial background that you despise!

None of this is easy or possible without the love of Jesus Christ living in you, and His love can't live in you unless you invite Him in. If you want a brand new start and a fresh beginning, give up running and give Jesus Christ your life right now. Admit to Him that you've done many wrong things and need His forgiveness, Invite Him to be your Lord and Savior and give you a desire to know Him. If you prayed this with sincerity in your heart, you are a brand new person!

Please post your comment on my BLOG and let me know your decision so I can pray for you. Be encouraged!

Egypt McKee
Author, Speaker & Pastor

from the book: Life. The Struggle Within
www.EgyptMcKee.com | www.LifeTheStruggleWithin.com
www.OutOfEgypt.com | www.myspace.com/ooem
©2007 Copyright, Egypt McKee. All Rights Reserved.

DISCLAIMER: This devotional is copyright protected and may be re-posted and distributed only when all material including title, content, author, copyright statement, and disclaimer statement is included and visibly displayed with all content. All other uses must be obtained with the expressed written consent of Egypt McKee and AuthorHouse Publishing | www.EgyptMcKee.com]]>emckee@OutOfEgypt.comRelationships, Fake, Fraud, liars, cheaters, Players, Haters2009-02-08T12:00:00-08:00http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/80763479a8d963be54d7eda1b0098030-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/80763479a8d963be54d7eda1b0098030-1.html#unique-entry-id-1There's nothing in the world quite like being on the losing end of a con! No mater what you call it, it's still a rip off, sham, mockery and a scam—literally, a ripa-sha-mokeram! The distinct pain that you feel after the fact is nothing like the warning signs predicted long beforehand. You've heard it before that love is blind? Well now is your chance to answer that for yourself—is love blind?

Somewhere along the path of life, the road seemed to cut through rough terrain where gravel and potholes were king, and off-road skills were required. On the outside, the person you placed all your hopes, dreams and future upon did nothing more than prove your theory of bliss to be a ruthless failure at best. Staunch memories of movie scenes where couples always made up and lived happily ever after would not be your personal experience.

Under the skin of that physically attractive saint you first met, laid the enemy of your worst nightmare. Countless acts of denial, looking the other way or pretending to have an out of body experience never gave you peace in your heart. Silly banter during the performance of courtship has escalated to harsh, if not violent speech. The gears in your brain are constantly on overload as they try to move in harmony with your ever doubtful conscience.

Repeated thoughts of being set up seem all too appropriate, but the genius of denial quickly discards the threat. An outgoing personality is easily upgraded to flirting which always bears itself by pushing relational limits. A wandering eye or isolating disposition all lead to one place and that's at the setup table.

Everyone visits the setup table, but not everyone stays to play a few rounds. Once convinced that physical attraction would overcome inner-beauty, inner-peace and inner-character, you've found yourself struggling to swallow the results for your decisions. Playing a few rounds at the setup table has led you to believe that you were holding a winning hand. Years later, you’ve been scorned so badly that you drive by all the newer setup tables shaking your head in disbelief!

The repeated shame of living in a relationship where your mate is addicted to something and trapped in their dirty little secret. Just looking at them reveals a restless sigh of pity and regret, more than compassion. Countless lies, cover-ups, and turned heads make you just as guilty for having employed denial as their enabler. Repeating suggestions of "Why me?" is the highlight of your battle cry which plays day and night within your soul, yet relief has failed again through those delusional words, "I love you and will never hurt you again!"

In an instant, you've come to know the reality of commitment, honor, purity and faithfulness. Once relics for military service, these words have made their way to the front of your attention simply because your experience is everything but. All of a sudden, the shining exterior of your pride and glowing smile is beginning to reveal cracks in its foundation. Every time you grimace a fake smile, details of a crumbling foundation are accentuated. The life once fantasized in bliss has turned out to be a relentless fight against addictions to pornography, alcohol, drugs, eating, bitterness, anger, pride, or something else.

Proverbs 16:9, "A man's heart plans his way. But the Lord directs his steps." (NKJV)

Listen—the taste of being scammed is disturbingly bitter at best. You've made many decisions in your life and will continue to do so, yet maybe you're someone who is comfortable in a relationship today, and if you were really honest with yourself, you'd say that you were only there for reasons of physical attraction, or so that other people can say how great you look—don't fall for that scam!

Maybe you've been with someone who has a long track record for struggling with pornography, alcohol, drugs or eating addictions? You've heard all the lies that can possibly exist and your heart resembles that of roadkill. You've rehearsed in your mind what to say and do, yet given the opportunity it's been easier to shut down in denial—don't fall for that scam!

No matter who you are, where you come from or what your beliefs—there is hope for you today. Everyone makes decisions and will ultimately deal with the repercussions for those decisions. Although logic, reasoning and suggestive commentary seem to make sense, none of it brings peace and order into your life! Your only hope is wrapped up solely in what Jesus Christ personally did for you, not what you can do for yourself!

While your circumstances may be tragic, understand that denial has never been responsible for producing truth, commitment or peace. Your first step is to first agree that you have a problem that is greater than you and need help. If you can take that critical first step, then you are on your way to genuine healing in your life. While life offers you many options, eternity will only offer you two.

Do you want a brand new start and a fresh beginning? You can have it right now—just give up running and invite Jesus Christ into your life right this moment. You don't have to be religious or weird about it! Simply admit to Him that you've done many wrong things and need His forgiveness, Invite Him to be your Lord and Savior and give you a desire to know Him. When you pray this with sincerity in your heart, you'll immediately become a brand new person!

Please post a comment on my BLOG and let me know your decision so I can pray for you. Be encouraged! Egypt McKee
Author, Speaker & Pastor

Excerpts from the book: Life. The Struggle Within
www.EgyptMcKee.com | www.LifeTheStruggleWithin.com
www.OutOfEgypt.com | www.myspace.com/ooem
©2007 Copyright, Egypt McKee. All Rights Reserved.

DISCLAIMER: This devotional is copyright protected and may be re-posted and distributed only when all material including title, content, author, copyright statement, and disclaimer statement is included and visibly displayed with all content. All other uses must be obtained with the expressed written consent of Egypt McKee and AuthorHouse Publishing | www.EgyptMcKee.com]]>emckee@OutOfEgypt.comRelationships, Isolation, Boredom, Insignificance, let-down, ugly2009-01-08T12:00:00-08:00http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/823251a36e2c201f5a015e4f12e35423-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.outofegypt.com/page4/page35/files/823251a36e2c201f5a015e4f12e35423-0.html#unique-entry-id-0The thought of sitting in a corner and watching life go by is often times similar to the emptiness of climbing the highest mountain and not being able to share the accomplishment with someone. With every pulsating beat of the heart, there’s a rippling effect that is felt throughout the body and accentuated in the mind. Multiple conversations compete for time and space in a mind already polluted by every stress the world has in its arsenal.

The desire for relationships is suffocated while the walls of solitary confinement surround us. Fear has frequently performed on this stage of mind-altering headlines. Somehow, the only reasoning that takes place is between your heart and mind, which has convinced you of utter emptiness.

By now, many people have come and gone throughout your life, and the trust you invested in them was rewarded with the misery of being alone. Has there ever been a time like now where your longtime marriage or dating relationships just seemed to implode without cause?

It wasn’t enough to think you’d be alright, someone else always seemed to help make matters worse by stripping you of the security that you’ve come to know as steady—your self confidence. One failure after another and one letdown after another has provided the main ingredients for mixing mortar given the right circumstances. All you needed was a hard hat, boots and a few tools to master the art of masonry.

Each letdown fueled your resolve and gave you a mission to build walls that would be impenetrable. It wouldn’t take long before you began double reinforcing your walls, constantly building them higher to protect yourself from people and circumstances that cause pain. Never once did you realize that in your grand scheme of architecture, that you would be the sole prisoner behind walls that would keep you from the very thing that was meant to be part of your peace.

Observing your surroundings validated your need for more space, less obstacles, an office with a view and most importantly relationships that matter. Ultimately, fear was the vice grip that caused us to split from the relationships for which we are all created.

Psalms 111:4, “He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” (NIV)

Our minds rationalize some of the wildest things imaginable in times of stress, separation and anxiety. It’s easy to think we are the only person that is unloved, unacceptable, an alone, yet there is hope! Being alone is not a matter of your surroundings, but a matter of your purpose in life. Maybe you’ve been existing rather than living your life? You’ve resolved in your mind long enough to be alone and lock yourself into your own world, yet it isn’t working. While this world has many options for you to choose, eternity only offers two.

You can have a brand new life today if you want it, just give up running and surrender your life to Jesus Christ by faith in Him right now. Simply admit to Him that you’ve done many wrong things and need His forgiveness (religion won’t save you, neither will the rules of higher learning, nor your limited understanding). Invite Him to be your Lord and Savior and give you a desire to know Him. If you prayed this with sincerity in your heart, you are a brand new person!

Please post a comment on my BLOG and let me know your decision so I can pray for you. Be encouraged! Egypt McKee
Author, Speaker & Pastor

Out of Egypt Ministries
www.EgyptMcKee.com | www.LifeTheStruggleWithin.com
www.OutOfEgypt.com | www.myspace.com/ooem
©2007 Copyright, Egypt McKee.
All Rights Reserved.

DISCLAIMER: This devotional is copyright protected and may be re-posted and distributed only when all material including title, content, author, copyright statement, and disclaimer statement is included and visibly displayed with all content. All other uses must be accompanied with the expressed written consent of Egypt McKee | www.EgyptMcKee.com]]>