Greetings!
I cannot believe we just celebrated Thanksgiving. It's incredible to think that we are almost at the end of the year and as usual it makes me think back over the past year. I start wondering if I've accomplished at least some of the things I set out to do. I know that I’ve fallen short on a few of the things I wanted to achieve, but I have gone so much further in others, that it makes up for the ones that I may have missed.
This time of year also makes me think about the things that I am grateful for. The dictionary lists grateful as being appreciative of benefits received; thankful. Although, that is a good start, it doesn’t seem like enough when it comes to God. That means then that we have to show Him how grateful we are. But how do we do that you might ask? We do that through worship and praise. That means that we have to praise Him not because He’s done things for us, but simply because He is.
If we really understood the power that comes from loving and living for God, we would never stop praising Him! We have got to learn how to let go and really focus on God without having an agenda. So, this year, that's what my personal goal is going to be. I'm going to learn how to let God be God in my life and stop trying to understand everything. I don't need to know the plan, I just need to trust the man who does.
How many of you are ready to join me?
Until next time...
Be blessed!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
God is doing a new thing!
Greetings!
This month, I want to talk to you about God's blessings. The past couple of months have been so awesome. God has blessed me in ways that I can't even explain. To start, I accepted God's call into the ministry and did my initial sermon on August 27th. That alone would have been enough, but He didn't stop there. I was one of the participants at the Baltimore Book Festival with the Black Writers Guild on September 19th, and this month, I did a radio interview with Doresa Harvey of Heaven 600 and had a book signing at A Quiet Place Book Store in Baltimore.
God has really been showing me that once I stop trying to figure it all out by myself, and take the limits off of what He can do in my life, He will show me things that I never even imagined and take me places that I have never been. And guess what? This is only the beginning. Praise God!
I was recently at a Women's Ministry meeting at my church and at a certain point in the meeting, the Director always asks us to share in any testimonies, words of encouragement, etc. Well, if anyone should have a testimony it should have been me, right? You would think that I, the author of "Let My Life Be A Testimony" would definitely have something to share. I sat there feeling like I was going to burst, because God had been so good to me that I didn't even know where to start, but that night, I didn't share--almost no one did. The Director had to go around the room and just point out the different ways that she knew we had been blessed. That was embarrassing.
Later that night, when I was on my way home I wondered why I didn't share the many blessings that God had been pouring over my life and I realized it was because I felt almost like I would be bragging. How crazy is that?!!! That's exactly what the enemy wants us to believe. That no one cares about our blessings. That there are people who are really hurting and here you are being blessed and you have the nerve to tell everybody about it. When the Holy Spirit revealed what I was doing, I made a promise not to do that again.
The only way that we can truly be free in the Lord is if we come to Him with an open heart, believing that everything we are going through, good and bad, serves a purpose in the plan. When God moves you to share, stop second guessing Him and just do it. We have to learn to celebrate the wonder of God and all the things He is doing to us and through us.
So, that means that when God blesses you--tell somebody. Yes, you are bragging, but you're bragging about the goodness of your Father--not you. It's all about Him.
Until next time...
Be blessed!
This month, I want to talk to you about God's blessings. The past couple of months have been so awesome. God has blessed me in ways that I can't even explain. To start, I accepted God's call into the ministry and did my initial sermon on August 27th. That alone would have been enough, but He didn't stop there. I was one of the participants at the Baltimore Book Festival with the Black Writers Guild on September 19th, and this month, I did a radio interview with Doresa Harvey of Heaven 600 and had a book signing at A Quiet Place Book Store in Baltimore.
God has really been showing me that once I stop trying to figure it all out by myself, and take the limits off of what He can do in my life, He will show me things that I never even imagined and take me places that I have never been. And guess what? This is only the beginning. Praise God!
I was recently at a Women's Ministry meeting at my church and at a certain point in the meeting, the Director always asks us to share in any testimonies, words of encouragement, etc. Well, if anyone should have a testimony it should have been me, right? You would think that I, the author of "Let My Life Be A Testimony" would definitely have something to share. I sat there feeling like I was going to burst, because God had been so good to me that I didn't even know where to start, but that night, I didn't share--almost no one did. The Director had to go around the room and just point out the different ways that she knew we had been blessed. That was embarrassing.
Later that night, when I was on my way home I wondered why I didn't share the many blessings that God had been pouring over my life and I realized it was because I felt almost like I would be bragging. How crazy is that?!!! That's exactly what the enemy wants us to believe. That no one cares about our blessings. That there are people who are really hurting and here you are being blessed and you have the nerve to tell everybody about it. When the Holy Spirit revealed what I was doing, I made a promise not to do that again.
The only way that we can truly be free in the Lord is if we come to Him with an open heart, believing that everything we are going through, good and bad, serves a purpose in the plan. When God moves you to share, stop second guessing Him and just do it. We have to learn to celebrate the wonder of God and all the things He is doing to us and through us.
So, that means that when God blesses you--tell somebody. Yes, you are bragging, but you're bragging about the goodness of your Father--not you. It's all about Him.
Until next time...
Be blessed!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Greetings!
This month, I wanted to share with you an event I went to that may be helpful to you or a writer you know.
On Saturday, September 4th, The Black Writers Guild hosted How to Publish Your Book at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. A panel of writers presented information on everything from the writing process to what publishers to use.
The panelists included, Karla Brady, JC Faulk, Agnes N. Hopps and James S. Wright (please visit www.blackwritersguild.org) for more information on these writers. Also, one of the writers, Karla Brady, has documented her journey on her blog at cheapindieauthor.blogspot.com. The site includes several articles and links that will help any writer achieve their goal of becoming a published author.
Please also visit the following for upcoming events:
September
www.baltimorebookfestival.org.
www.aaculturalfestival.com/cms/
October
Book signing for Let My Life Be A Testimony at A Quiet Place (see Web site for details)
www.quietbooks.org
Until next time!
Be blessed
This month, I wanted to share with you an event I went to that may be helpful to you or a writer you know.
On Saturday, September 4th, The Black Writers Guild hosted How to Publish Your Book at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. A panel of writers presented information on everything from the writing process to what publishers to use.
The panelists included, Karla Brady, JC Faulk, Agnes N. Hopps and James S. Wright (please visit www.blackwritersguild.org) for more information on these writers. Also, one of the writers, Karla Brady, has documented her journey on her blog at cheapindieauthor.blogspot.com. The site includes several articles and links that will help any writer achieve their goal of becoming a published author.
Please also visit the following for upcoming events:
September
www.baltimorebookfestival.org.
www.aaculturalfestival.com/cms/
October
Book signing for Let My Life Be A Testimony at A Quiet Place (see Web site for details)
www.quietbooks.org
Until next time!
Be blessed
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The favor of God
Greetings!
There is so much going on that I hardly know where to start. God has been growing me and changing me and using me in ways that I never expected. Since the creative writing class that I facilitated in June, God has been placing people in my life to show me just how awesome He really is. I have always been a firm believer that prayer works, but He is showing me a whole new level of faith.
You all know how I had been battling with marketing my book. Well, the last straw came from the IRS of all people. I had been paying my taxes on a quarterly basis and about a month ago, the IRS sent me a letter telling me that I only needed to pay my taxes every six months. Ok, I don’t know about you, but at the time, what that said to me was that I wasn’t making enough sales to even be bothered with sending every three months.
Then God spoke to my spirit and said FAVOR. I didn’t understand that…how that could be God’s favor I didn’t know. What God was saying is that the success of my book is not about how many sales I make. It’s about how many lives He was able to touch through me. Now, my flesh still wants to sell a million copies, but my spirit is saying thank you Jesus! My prayer for my book was that it would be a blessing to someone and God let me see that many times. I have talked to people who have said how much that little book really blessed them.
God didn’t have to do that, but He did because He wanted me to learn how to believe in the power of prayer. I was focusing on the things I could see or hear instead of what I know about God. I just thank Him that He doesn’t give up on us and that when our hearts stay open to us He will fill us with His wisdom and knowledge and THAT is worth more than any amount of money or confirmation from people I could ever receive.
Until next time…
Be blessed!
There is so much going on that I hardly know where to start. God has been growing me and changing me and using me in ways that I never expected. Since the creative writing class that I facilitated in June, God has been placing people in my life to show me just how awesome He really is. I have always been a firm believer that prayer works, but He is showing me a whole new level of faith.
You all know how I had been battling with marketing my book. Well, the last straw came from the IRS of all people. I had been paying my taxes on a quarterly basis and about a month ago, the IRS sent me a letter telling me that I only needed to pay my taxes every six months. Ok, I don’t know about you, but at the time, what that said to me was that I wasn’t making enough sales to even be bothered with sending every three months.
Then God spoke to my spirit and said FAVOR. I didn’t understand that…how that could be God’s favor I didn’t know. What God was saying is that the success of my book is not about how many sales I make. It’s about how many lives He was able to touch through me. Now, my flesh still wants to sell a million copies, but my spirit is saying thank you Jesus! My prayer for my book was that it would be a blessing to someone and God let me see that many times. I have talked to people who have said how much that little book really blessed them.
God didn’t have to do that, but He did because He wanted me to learn how to believe in the power of prayer. I was focusing on the things I could see or hear instead of what I know about God. I just thank Him that He doesn’t give up on us and that when our hearts stay open to us He will fill us with His wisdom and knowledge and THAT is worth more than any amount of money or confirmation from people I could ever receive.
Until next time…
Be blessed!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Don't be afraid to try.
Greetings!
This year is going by so quickly that it is hard to believe that we are in the month of June already. Well, actually, we are almost in July. When the year began, I had so many things I wanted to accomplish. I had a plan, but I forgot God’s plan trumps mine. God is definitely doing a new thing. He has raised the standard; actually not raised the standard, because the standard has always been there...maybe now He is holding us accountable.
This month, I had the pleasure of leading a creative writing class. I have had so much fun and have been so blessed that I am actually beginning to look forward to my next assignment. Even though I was a little nervous in the beginning, I just kept praying and believing that God had a plan and a purpose and I just had to keep my eyes focused on Him. He began to show me things about myself and about the students who sacrificed to take the class. We have each grown a little in taking this class. There were connections made that will continue way beyond that class. Some opened up about dreams that they were too afraid to believe were possible. God let each one of us know that we had the power to begin again and that the only way the devil could win is if we let him.
The enemy is tricky, but I realized he was just doing his job. We just have to make sure we are doing ours. We have to stay in God’s Word and then believe what He says. Don’t let the lies the enemy tries to tell you keep you from God’s promises. God has something special for you if you just don’t give up.
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. —Psalm 118:24
Trust Him and then just take that first step.
Until next time..
Be blessed!
This year is going by so quickly that it is hard to believe that we are in the month of June already. Well, actually, we are almost in July. When the year began, I had so many things I wanted to accomplish. I had a plan, but I forgot God’s plan trumps mine. God is definitely doing a new thing. He has raised the standard; actually not raised the standard, because the standard has always been there...maybe now He is holding us accountable.
This month, I had the pleasure of leading a creative writing class. I have had so much fun and have been so blessed that I am actually beginning to look forward to my next assignment. Even though I was a little nervous in the beginning, I just kept praying and believing that God had a plan and a purpose and I just had to keep my eyes focused on Him. He began to show me things about myself and about the students who sacrificed to take the class. We have each grown a little in taking this class. There were connections made that will continue way beyond that class. Some opened up about dreams that they were too afraid to believe were possible. God let each one of us know that we had the power to begin again and that the only way the devil could win is if we let him.
The enemy is tricky, but I realized he was just doing his job. We just have to make sure we are doing ours. We have to stay in God’s Word and then believe what He says. Don’t let the lies the enemy tries to tell you keep you from God’s promises. God has something special for you if you just don’t give up.
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. —Psalm 118:24
Trust Him and then just take that first step.
Until next time..
Be blessed!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Going the distance
Greetings!
The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity. God has been moving and shifting. And letting me know that He is still in charge. As many of you know, speaking in public is not one of my favorite things. So, how come The Holy Spirit led me to be in a play?
In April, I was in a play called, "Saved, but Not Delivered." The play was written by the First Lady of Greater Victory and Deliverance, Elder Phyllis Cornish of Baltimore, Maryland. I played the part of one of the angels dispatched to the garden of Gethsemane to minister to our Lord, Jesus Christ. I was so nervous that I could hardly sit still, but God really showed Himself strong and it was an awesome experience. Now, God has me teaching a writing class. And not just one class, but for the entire month of June!
At first, I went through the same exercise that I normally do whenever I have to speak in front of a group..."no one is going to want to hear what I have to say, I'm still learning myself how am I going to know how to guide someone when I need guidance myself." But I've learned that those things are just the tricks the enemy will use to keep me from what God has for me. I have learned to pray and let God do what God does. I make sure that I am prepared and then I trust God to see me through.
When you are a child of God, He will never let you get into a situation that you aren't equipped to handle. Believe that and then just do it!
I pray that you are allowing God to grow you past your nervousness. That you walk with Him, not in front of Him. And that you embrace all that God has called you to be.
Until next time...
Be blessed.
The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity. God has been moving and shifting. And letting me know that He is still in charge. As many of you know, speaking in public is not one of my favorite things. So, how come The Holy Spirit led me to be in a play?
In April, I was in a play called, "Saved, but Not Delivered." The play was written by the First Lady of Greater Victory and Deliverance, Elder Phyllis Cornish of Baltimore, Maryland. I played the part of one of the angels dispatched to the garden of Gethsemane to minister to our Lord, Jesus Christ. I was so nervous that I could hardly sit still, but God really showed Himself strong and it was an awesome experience. Now, God has me teaching a writing class. And not just one class, but for the entire month of June!
At first, I went through the same exercise that I normally do whenever I have to speak in front of a group..."no one is going to want to hear what I have to say, I'm still learning myself how am I going to know how to guide someone when I need guidance myself." But I've learned that those things are just the tricks the enemy will use to keep me from what God has for me. I have learned to pray and let God do what God does. I make sure that I am prepared and then I trust God to see me through.
When you are a child of God, He will never let you get into a situation that you aren't equipped to handle. Believe that and then just do it!
I pray that you are allowing God to grow you past your nervousness. That you walk with Him, not in front of Him. And that you embrace all that God has called you to be.
Until next time...
Be blessed.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Greetings!
I pray that each of you has begun to explore your gifts or have at least begun the process to find out what your gifts are. I believe that when God blesses you with a gift, He also gives you a desire to want it. We will sometimes go our whole lives never walking in our gifts because we are too afraid to own them. Owning them means that we might somehow fail and the thought of failure for some reason even outweighs the thought of disappointing God.
I recently attended a class on evangelism with the Maryland National Conference on Christian Education held at Poly/Western High School. It wasn't that the class taught me a lot of things I didn't know, but I received a renewed sense of purpose. I know that we each have a job to do and we will be here until we achieve it. I know that walking in who God made you to be is much easier than trying to be something that you are not. And I know that your gift will only fit you.
I don't want to disappoint God. I want Him to be proud of me and I want Him to be able to trust me to do what He has called me to do. One of my dreams has always been to be a great writer. And since God's word says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"(Philippians 4:13)...I know I can.
There is something so awesome about the way God breathes new life into an old dream.
Until next time...
Be blessed.
I pray that each of you has begun to explore your gifts or have at least begun the process to find out what your gifts are. I believe that when God blesses you with a gift, He also gives you a desire to want it. We will sometimes go our whole lives never walking in our gifts because we are too afraid to own them. Owning them means that we might somehow fail and the thought of failure for some reason even outweighs the thought of disappointing God.
I recently attended a class on evangelism with the Maryland National Conference on Christian Education held at Poly/Western High School. It wasn't that the class taught me a lot of things I didn't know, but I received a renewed sense of purpose. I know that we each have a job to do and we will be here until we achieve it. I know that walking in who God made you to be is much easier than trying to be something that you are not. And I know that your gift will only fit you.
I don't want to disappoint God. I want Him to be proud of me and I want Him to be able to trust me to do what He has called me to do. One of my dreams has always been to be a great writer. And since God's word says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"(Philippians 4:13)...I know I can.
There is something so awesome about the way God breathes new life into an old dream.
Until next time...
Be blessed.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Praise the Lord!
God is so awesome and so worthy to be praised. I magnify and glorify His Holy Name.
This month, I wanted to start by letting God know that He is at the head of my life and at the center of my soul. God is just so good. It’s hard to put it into words. Actually, words just don’t do Him justice. At some point, you have to stop talking and just start doing. He deserves all of our praise and I am determined to honor Him in everything I do.
This year has been one of pure emotion. I’m not sure what God has in store for me, but I am learning to trust Him in ways I never have before. He is showing me things about me that I didn’t even know were there. I’m not sure how it’s possible to feel strong and weak at the same time, but I do. The scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:10 is starting to make sense to me, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I am determined that the enemy will not win. He is already defeated and we have to let him know it. The way that we do that is by living this life to the hilt; by embracing every opportunity to show who God is and by working everyday to be a blessing.
I have been rehearsing for an original play written by Pastor Phyllis Cornish that’s scheduled for the end of March. Let me tell you, once I agreed to be in the play, the enemy started getting busy. Every chance he gets, he is using all of the things that I have struggled with, to cause me to feel unsure about my abilities and even to doubt who I know God has made me to be. But God is bigger than any problem he can throw my way and working in this play has been very therapeutic. There have been things that God has revealed to me that I was too afraid to see before. I think allowing myself to open up to my character has caused me to let go of a few things and really embrace some new ones.
Stay tuned…
Be blessed!
God is so awesome and so worthy to be praised. I magnify and glorify His Holy Name.
This month, I wanted to start by letting God know that He is at the head of my life and at the center of my soul. God is just so good. It’s hard to put it into words. Actually, words just don’t do Him justice. At some point, you have to stop talking and just start doing. He deserves all of our praise and I am determined to honor Him in everything I do.
This year has been one of pure emotion. I’m not sure what God has in store for me, but I am learning to trust Him in ways I never have before. He is showing me things about me that I didn’t even know were there. I’m not sure how it’s possible to feel strong and weak at the same time, but I do. The scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:10 is starting to make sense to me, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I am determined that the enemy will not win. He is already defeated and we have to let him know it. The way that we do that is by living this life to the hilt; by embracing every opportunity to show who God is and by working everyday to be a blessing.
I have been rehearsing for an original play written by Pastor Phyllis Cornish that’s scheduled for the end of March. Let me tell you, once I agreed to be in the play, the enemy started getting busy. Every chance he gets, he is using all of the things that I have struggled with, to cause me to feel unsure about my abilities and even to doubt who I know God has made me to be. But God is bigger than any problem he can throw my way and working in this play has been very therapeutic. There have been things that God has revealed to me that I was too afraid to see before. I think allowing myself to open up to my character has caused me to let go of a few things and really embrace some new ones.
Stay tuned…
Be blessed!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Greetings!
We made it! We are in the first month of a whole new year. This is our opportunity to let go of all the things we should have or could have done in 2009, and embrace all that God has for us in 2010. I have this feeling of excitement and expectation that God is about to do something extraordinary.
When I look back over this past year, I can see how far God has brought me. I have done things I never thought I would do and that is nothing compared to what He is about to show me. I have also seen how He has moved in the lives of the people around me. I have seen family and friends receive blessings over blessings, new members be saved or have decided to re-dedicate their lives to Christ. Our God is so awesome and this year I am challenging you to step out of your comfort zone and let God teach you what real faith is all about.
He wants to show you things that you can’t even imagine. Let Him. He wants to give you the desires of your heart and grant you peace that surpasses all understanding. Let Him. He wants to put you smack dab in the middle of your purpose and let you walk in the destiny that He has mapped out for you. Let Him. This is your chance to take God at His word. Let Him show you just how awesome He is and how powerful you really are.
In the coming months, I will share any information that I think may help with your writing endeavors including, my journey into various stages of writing and marketing. I will also share with you any conferences, seminars or book signings in the Baltimore/Washington area.
Please share any comments, suggestions and tips on writing you may have or feel free to share your writing experiences as you walk in Christ.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Be Blessed!
We made it! We are in the first month of a whole new year. This is our opportunity to let go of all the things we should have or could have done in 2009, and embrace all that God has for us in 2010. I have this feeling of excitement and expectation that God is about to do something extraordinary.
When I look back over this past year, I can see how far God has brought me. I have done things I never thought I would do and that is nothing compared to what He is about to show me. I have also seen how He has moved in the lives of the people around me. I have seen family and friends receive blessings over blessings, new members be saved or have decided to re-dedicate their lives to Christ. Our God is so awesome and this year I am challenging you to step out of your comfort zone and let God teach you what real faith is all about.
He wants to show you things that you can’t even imagine. Let Him. He wants to give you the desires of your heart and grant you peace that surpasses all understanding. Let Him. He wants to put you smack dab in the middle of your purpose and let you walk in the destiny that He has mapped out for you. Let Him. This is your chance to take God at His word. Let Him show you just how awesome He is and how powerful you really are.
In the coming months, I will share any information that I think may help with your writing endeavors including, my journey into various stages of writing and marketing. I will also share with you any conferences, seminars or book signings in the Baltimore/Washington area.
Please share any comments, suggestions and tips on writing you may have or feel free to share your writing experiences as you walk in Christ.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Be Blessed!
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