Long Season...

Greetings!

It seems like this has been a long season of difficulties.  Some days, I know exactly where I should be and why I am there. Then, there are those days when I want to leave everything behind, get in my car, and ride until the gas runs out.

I think that it may be like that for a lot of us. We go through seasons of trials, as well as, seasons of triumphs. That is life. What seems like a tragedy to me would be a blessing to someone else. For instance, I think I have been on a life-long diet. My closet is ridiculous. I have clothes in there from a size 8 to a size 16. Ok, so I whine and complain about how I cannot lose weight, when there are people out there with illnesses who would love to be able to gain weight. I look in my closet, and complain that I cannot fit anything, when there is someone out there who would love to have a closet.

I know those examples may seem petty, but they are real for many people. My point in bringing this up is that we have to be able to rise above our situations. We cannot let “things” control us. When we focus on our problems, it robs us of our joy, and that is exactly what the enemy wants. We have to keep our focus on looking up to God, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He will always bring us through. His promise is that He will always be with us. He strengthens us so that we can take those things the enemy tries to use against us.

I thank God for being my keeper, and for always being there whenever I call. I pray that you also have a personal relationship with the Lord, because without Him…we would be nothing.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Bring back those yesterdays...

Greetings!

I had a ball with my family yesterday. We make a point of getting together a few times a year...just to stay connected. I especially love hanging out with my brothers and sisters. It always makes me think about when we were young, and at home cutting up. 

Watching them yesterday just made my soul happy. When I look at us…I don't see the gray hair, and expanding waistlines. I see us sitting on the steps in the summertime, playing outside until the street lights came on, and riding our bikes all over the place. I see my parents having Sunday dinner, and going out to get ice cream afterward. I see us sleeping under the dining room table until the thunderstorm passed through. I see us getting together for big family gatherings, with laughter, and good times, and lots of love.

My family didn’t have a lot, but we never knew it. Our neighborhood was clean and safe. Everybody looked out for everybody else. My friend’s mom could yell at me for doing something I shouldn’t, and my mom would back her up. We respected our elders…all of them. Even the ones who we felt were just plain mean…lol. I miss that. I miss seeing children playing outside. I miss hearing moms calling their children to come in and wash their hands for dinner. Now, some things definitely needed to go, but right now, in this world, everything that is right seems wrong, and everything that is wrong seems right.

We need to bring back those yesterdays when we cared about one another. We need to continue to hold up that standard our parents had. A standard that says having respect is not being weak. That says helping your neighbor is not a bad thing. That says we are family...no matter what.

Until next time…

Be blessed

Let my faith speak for me

Greetings!

There comes a time in everyone’s life that you come to a fork in the road and you have to decide which way to go. You have to decide whether to go left or right and should you do the right thing or the wrong thing. That’s when you have to know who God is in your life. We all have made mistakes and most likely will do it again. The thing is not to kick ourselves for making a mistake. 

We have a way of having compassion for others, but not for ourselves. We can make one little mistake and still think about it for months—sometimes even years. We should let our mistakes activate our faith. Faith is having complete confidence in the God who is more than enough. It's not about having faith in our ability...it's having faith in the One who gave us our ability. 

To activate our faith I believe we first have to believe that God is. Faith will do us no good if we don’t believe that God is who He says He is. Next, we have to know His word or at least know where to go to find it, right? Finally, we have to be able to speak God's word back to Him. We gain strength from speaking God’s word, especially out loud. It changes the atmosphere.

Until next time...

Be blessed

I won't let go...

Greetings!

It is something in the air, and I am loving it...

There is a scripture in Genesis 32 that says, "But he said, I will not let You go unless You bless me!” (v.26b) This scripture reminded me of an event a few years back when I attended my first all-night shut-in at church. I had no idea what to expect. I wasn’t sure I would even be able to stay up all night. I arrived to find women there with blankets, pillows, change of clothes, and snacks. I almost wanted to turn around, but I had come this far. I felt so unprepared…here I was standing there with nothing but my Bible. I had come that night with nothing but my expectation of deliverance from strongholds that were trying to take over my life. All I knew was that God was going to do something big…I felt it in the pit of my stomach, and I did not want to miss it.

This scripture spoke to me, because that struggle…that night…was with me. My spirit fought with my flesh all night long. I felt like Jacob because I was determined that I was not going to leave the same. I wanted to be healed…I wanted to know what it was like to feel whole. I wanted it…and I was not going to let go—not until God blessed me…and He did. In ways I never even imagined. That night was the beginning of a journey in Him that I never expected, and it has brought me to a new level of faith—in Him.

I think at some point all of us question our faith, but we all have it. Maybe at different levels, but it’s there. I am feeling that same rush right now. Like there is something going on in the spirit that is taking shape in the natural. 

God is doing something, and we can't afford to miss it...

Until next time...

Be blessed