Trust the process...

Greetings!

I cannot believe it has been three months since my last post. But it just goes to show how quickly time can get away from you. I have been in this place of transition and it has not been easy. I feel like I'm in a place where I can't go back and I don't feel ready to move forward. The crazy thing is...my spirit is yearning to move into that new place...my flesh just hasn't caught up with it yet.

Transitions can be hard because there is no one that can really talk you through it. Everybody's experience is different, and what worked for them may not work for you. So, how do we get through this period in our lives? We hold on to God's unchanging hand. We believe the word of God, we keep moving forward and we just trust the process.

The plan God has for our lives is simple, yet so complex at times. Simple because we have the plan laid out for us in God's word...we just have to follow it, and complex, because we have free will and our will, is always in conflict with God's will. We spend a crazy amount of time trying to get to the place God is calling us to and yet the word says, "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand (Prov. 19:21 NIV). This word is saying that all we have to do is wait. We can plan whatever we want, but there is no plan we can come up with that is going to be better for us than the one God put into place before we were even born.

So, today trust the process and know that God is faithful to His promise. If He said it, He will surely bring it to pass.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Baby Steps

Greetings!

I listened to a young preacher do her initial sermon today, and it made me think about the first time I spoke in public. I was a  member of Toastmasters, and I was so nervous that you could see my legs shake through my pants. I had a written speech, but I couldn't even see the words. It was a mess, but thankfully I made it through without passing out.

Back then I dreamed of speaking all over the world one day and I still hold onto that dream. I believe through God anything is possible. During those meetings, at times, my spirit would feel so huge, but my flesh still felt so small. I learned to be patient with myself and I learned that it was going to take baby steps...

Speaking in public didn't come easy for me, because I was a background kind of girl. But I believe that God doesn't give you a vision for something without also giving you provision. The problem is the enemy knows who you are too, and he knows what God sees in you because he sees it too and his job is to keep you from it. God gave me a heart that loves to help others and I don't take that lightly, but I also know that He has called me to do more.

Taking baby steps means that progress may be slow, but you are making progress. It means that one day, you will walk boldly into that thing God is calling you to.  Never give up. He is faithful to His promises. We serve a powerful, and amazing God. Keep pressing. Keep going. Keep believing. Trust that what He has created you to do...you will do.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Family

Greetings!

We had an awesome time at the park yesterday. God blessed us with the perfect day for a cookout. It was great seeing all of the family together again. My parents were big on family traditions and my mother prayed that we would all remain close. It made me realize how blessed we are to have family that cares enough to want to keep our family traditions.

When my father was living, he had Alzheimer's, so we started having cookouts so that he would remember who we were. I'm not sure he knew who we were, but he understood that we were family. And when both my parents passed away, we made a promise to do what we could to stay together and for the most part...we have done that. Do we always get along? No. Do we always agree? No. Do we have differences and still find a way to love one another. Yes. And that's the most important thing...

When God made all of us, He built us so that our gifts and talents would all work together, but He also made us unique. Everyone has a path to follow and my path may be different from yours. God designed it that way for a reason. And sometimes that means we have to agree to disagree so that in whatever we choose to do, God will get all the glory.

God is at the heart of my family...right in that place where my parents used to be. He blesses us individually and collectively. He keeps our family grounded and focused on the whole...not on the part. That is what has kept us together all of these years and with the Lord's help...will keep us together for the generations to come.

Until next time...

Be blessed

It is not about our comfort...it's about His glory

Greetings!

Summertime is finally here and things are heating up everywhere...

People are cooking out and partying all night...whether the neighbors like it or not. Folks are coming out in all manner of dress...or undress. It's summer...it's to be expected. I don't know...I think that I am getting a little older and things that used to irritate me, no longer do and the things that didn't irritate me are really irritating me now.

I was pondering these thoughts when I realized that we all fall short. None of us are perfect. I know I'm not and I don't try to be anymore. I did for a long time, but that just made me miserable. Our path is set for us. The Bible says that God knew us before we were even born and He has a plan and purpose for all of us, but sometimes we need someone to point the way. We are not supposed to try to figure it alone. In Ephesians 4, it says the gifts God has given us work together to help build up the body of Christ, but we have to work those gifts. We can't be afraid to speak about God to those who do not know Him.

I watched this video recently of a young preacher who was standing on the street corner preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and all these people began taunting him and getting in his face, shouting obscenities at him and telling him that Jesus loved everybody. This preacher never stopped. It was that important to him. He knew that many in that crowd were lost, and his job that day was to point the way to Jesus Christ ... whether they wanted to hear it or not. I could feel myself getting angry just watching it so I know I could not have done that. That's why God wouldn't use me in that way. He knows what our gifts are and He knows how to get the best out of us.

We have to.remember that we represent God and when others see us...they should really see Him. If God needs to use us to show His love to our neighbor, then we need to step up to the plate. God gets the glory every time we turn the other cheek, give someone some grace, or bless someone unexpectedly. It really is not about our comfort...it's all about His glory.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Balance...

Greetings!

I had the pleasure of serving at the nursing home with two of my church sisters today. I love that ministry because the focus is not on what we are doing as much as it is for who we are doing it. I love the residents there. They love the Lord and they come expecting God to show up and He never disappoints...

Although we have an order of service, we leave room for the Holy Spirit to do whatever He wants to do. That service doesn't belong to us and because we know that...God always leans in our direction when we are there. He has anointed us for this ministry and it's obvious in the way the residents respond. They know all the hymns, and they are serious about "church." It doesn't matter that they are in a nursing home...for that moment, it is transformed into God's sanctuary.

Today, my sister reminded  us of the importance of balance. She spoke about how we sometimes forget that those things that are good to us are not necessarily good for us and that too much of anything can turn a blessing into a curse. Not taking care of our bodies will eventually cause problems with our health and that's what the enemy wants. He wants us to be so distracted that we don't eat the right things, or get enough rest or spend enough time with the Lord. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, that the enemy is always roaming around to see who he can devour. Our job is to make his plan null an void. Stay focused on God. He will always cause us to triumph.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Not just Pentecost

Greetings!

This past week, we celebrated Pentecost Sunday. I came to church expecting a great move of God and I was not disappointed. For the first time in a long time, everyone seemed to be on one accord. The word says that God inhabits the praises of His people and wherever there are two or more gathered in His name He is in the midst. I believe He was in the midst. Actually, I know that He was present in that place, because I didn't think about what I was going to eat for dinner not one time.

Ok...don't judge me. Most of us have a wandering mind during church every now and then, right? But I digress...

What I love most about Sundays like that is how God allowed my pastor to move in the prophetic. It was more than words on paper. He felt what he was preaching and he spoke exactly what God moved him to speak. Not that he doesn't always do that, because he does. But, this Sunday felt different. He spoke healing over that congregation and he gave the Holy Spirit all the room he needed. There is a work that God does on His people when we get out of the way.

No...this was not just another Sunday. It wasn't about Pentecost. It was about making sure that the people of God knew that they had access to their healing, to power and to authority. We don't have to wait for anyone to give us what God has already given us. We can't keep doing church as usual. The world is not waiting for us to get it together. People are dying and we have to be sure to capture as many moments as possible for God. What I mean by that is that we can't let an opportunity to minister pass us by. We need to share Him with our family...with our friends and with the world, because their lives may be depending on it.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Move

Greetings!

I am telling you...our God is awesome. When God wants to really get through to me, He will do it while I sleep. I often tell people that He does that because it's the only time I stop talking long enough to hear Him (I can't help it, that's how He made me). But, here's the thing...when I wake up, I always, always have a song in my heart. The song will typically be the answer to or the confirmation of a situation I am dealing with. He takes that opportunity to search my heart for those things that I am struggling with and He helps me put them in perspective and I always wake up feeling refreshed. The thing is I have been in a holding pattern for way too long. He is constantly encouraging me through songs, other people, and even through adversity, and I am still waiting...

God led me to share that today because there is someone out there that needs to know that God is aware of everything that concerns you. You don't have to try to figure it out by yourself. He has the solution, you just have to go to Him and let Him know that you are ready to let it go.

My pastor did a sermon today, and in his message, he spoke about the man at the pool of Bethesda. He said the man had been right at the point of his breakthrough and just didn't complete the act. An angel would come and stir up the water once a year, and the first one in the pool after the water had been stirred would be healed. This man was at the edge of the water and all he had to do was roll, but for 38 years he lied there waiting for someone to help him get in. When Jesus came along, He simply said take up your bed and walk and the man did. He didn't ask any questions. He didn't gripe and complain, and he didn't consult with others around him...he just did it.

Today, I want to tell someone that your breakthrough is here. You don't have to wait for anyone else to help you move into what God is calling you to do. All you have to do is move. God will be there to help you, you just need to prepare yourself for the blessing. I am a firm believer that when God speaks, He makes it so. Your flesh won't be able to comprehend that, but your heart will. Trust the God who loves you and knew you before the beginning of time. He has a plan for your life...walk in it.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Where God is...

Greetings!

Today, my thoughts are on the power of God's presence. We sometimes think that if we are where God is there is no conflict, no issues, no problems. I would love it if that were true, but the truth is that there are no times when we are not in His presence. So, when we are going through our season of triumph or our seasons of turmoil...He is there.

In Psalm 139:4-6, it says, "For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me: it is high, I cannot attain unto it." The King James version is a little harder to understand, but these verses are saying that no matter where we are or what we do...God knows us intimately. Before we even speak a word, He knows. Although that convicts my spirit about the things I sometimes say and the things I sometimes do, its comforting to know that no matter how many mistakes I make, He still loves me. 

Where God is, there is no condemnation, no guilt, and no shame.
Where God is there is a peace that surpasses all understanding
Where God is there is a love that overflows onto others
Where God is there is a joy that doesn't make sense to the world

I can know that without hesitation because I know that He created everything...including me and that He did that intentionally. That thought strengthens me and gives me a boldness that can only come from being where God is...

Until next time...

Be blessed

What would you have done?

Greetings!

Today is Palm Sunday. Traditionally, folks go to church on this Sunday to get palms. For generations, people have collected palms to hang in their homes, in their cars and even on their jobs. I think most people get them because that's what has always been done. When I was growing up, I don't recall my parents explaining to me what the palms were for. I just knew we had to have them hanging around. My mother would hang them on the mirror in our living room...and just seeing them there was part of the Easter holiday for me. But I had no idea why...

For Christians, Palm Sunday symbolizes the beginning of Holy Week. During this week, we remember what Christ did for us. We celebrate His sacrifice. We celebrate His love for us and we celebrate that He gave up His life for us. But we have to also remember how the people began the week celebrating Him and by the end of the week, they were shouting, "Crucify Him." Would we have joined in with the others as they made the decision to let a murderer go free in the place of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Would we stand up for Him? Would we allow fear to override our faith?

My pastor made a good point today. He challenged us to think about what we would have done in that situation. Think about that? The people didn't know what the outcome was going to be. At the beginning of the week, Jesus came riding in on a donkey looking like royalty and by the end of the week, His body had been torn to shreds and He didn't look like He would be able to save them or Himself. They didn't know, but we do.

We have the benefit of knowing that He did conquer death on the cross for them and for us and that He was everything the people were looking for and so much more...

Until next time...

Be blessed

It takes a pressing...

Greetings!

The song, You Made a Way, by Travis Greene sums up how I am feeling today. God just never ceases to amaze me. He keeps making a way out of no way. Just when you think nothing makes sense...He does something to show you that there is a plan in place and that if you hang in there He will show you things you never even expected.

I was thinking about that song and how God works when the Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit that sometimes to get fresh oil...to get a fresh anointing...there will be a pressing. That it may appear that things are not getting any better and you may feel that you are not going to make it, but that pressing is bringing out the best in you. That pressing is not going to take you out...it is going to make you stronger. God will move mountains for you. He will cause walls to fall. He will remove obstacles and open doors that no man can shut. But none of that will happen until you give up your right to be right. God needs you to know that in Him is where you will find your strength, your joy, your peace and your power.

God will never fail you. Nothing about what you are going through is random. God is bringing out of you what you will need in the days, months and years to come. He knows what you are going to come up against and He knows about those things that are going to try to make you quit, but nothing can cause you to abort your purpose. Nothing. God has already sent ahead of you what you will need when you get there. That's the kind of God we serve.

Right now you may be going through a pressing...just know that it was not designed to hurt you, but to make you stronger in Him. God is right there with you. Trust the process.

Until next time...

Be blessed

Next Level

Greetings!

Praise is good. Getting it...giving it...it always feels good, but let me tell you there is something about worship that just takes your praise to the next level. I know they feel the same, but there is a difference. I can praise you for doing a good job, but I will never worship you. My worship is reserved for God. I worship Him; I adore Him and I love Him with a love that can't be put into words...

He is the great I AM and there is nothing or no one greater than He is. Just thinking about Him makes me want to run around the block. Whenever we sing songs about the blood in our church I feel this overwhelming feeling of reverence for Him and I know the Bible says there is power in His blood. It is cleansing. It is healing. It is freeing. Sometimes in our lives, we have to go through those low places....those valleys and it is not fun. But let me tell you...God is there...teaching...training...loving us through it. His blood reaches every area of our lives and just like the song says, that blood never loses its power. Oh my goodness! I feel that. God is doing a work right now and somebody needs to know that it is not because you did anything wrong. It is God preparing you for the next level.

The Holy Spirit touched my heart today and took me to the next level in my worship. That place where only God and I reside. It's in that place that you can ask anything and you know with certainty that He hears you. I pray today that you fall in love with Him all over again...that you dedicate your life to Him all over again. 

For this next level, we are going to have to forget all about what we want and just focus on what He wants for us. Pull close to Him. If we do that...He will take care of everything else in our lives.

Until next time...

Be blessed

It matters

Greetings!

It matters. That's my thought for today. God is so awesome. He keeps blessing me over and over again and not because I do everything right or that I am so special, but I know I am special to Him. I'm not sure about a lot of things, but I am sure that God loves me. I know it because that's what His word says.

God says that...
- I have been redeemed
- I have been justified
- I have been changed

All of those things happened to me at the moment I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. The other thing that happened is that I realized that God cared for me. It matters to Him when someone hurts me. It matters to Him when I don't live up to my full potential. It matters to Him that sometimes I still get afraid. I am His creation and He takes great pride in my achievements. When I don't do what God has called me to do I am living out of order, because if He says I am...I am and if He says I can...I can.

God had a plan for all of us waaaaay before we were born. What we do matters to Him and it should matter to us, but we get so down on ourselves from comparing our lives to that of other people that we think we don't count and nothing we do matters. God doesn't feel that way about us and He doesn't want us to feel that way either. God needs us to help carry out His ministry on the earth. Don't get me wrong...God can do it without us, but He gave us specific gifts and His word says He wants us to use them. In Ephesians 2:10 it says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

So, that's all I wanted to say today....you matter to God and what happens to you matters to Him...

Until next time...

Be blessed

Approved

Greetings!

How about I was at the store today, and I used one of those express lanes that you check your own groceries out, and I finished my purchase, paid for my items with my card and proceeded to my car. When I got to my car, one of the employees came out and told me that I hadn't paid for my items. I told her that the machine had said approved, but she said it still showed I owed money. I went back in and sure enough, it said approved, but there wasn't enough money on my card, so it bounced back. Who knew? I always thought that if there was no money, it would say so. I guess not.....sigh. I added the needed cash, paid again for real this time and left.

All of this made me think about how we are always "approved" with God. We can never run low with Him. Our bank is always full. We sometimes have to deal with a lot in our day to day, and our spirits can take a beating from trying so hard to do what is right. When we really don't have to do that. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, God justifies us. That means that our relationship with Jesus makes us right with God. We don't ever have to worry about doing anything. It is already done. God loves us...just as we are warts and all.

We have to stop worrying about the things we can do nothing about...especially when it comes to other people. We sometimes worry so much about what others think of us that most of the time their opinion of us means more than God's opinion of us and nothinng should be that extreme. He has the only opinion that counts, right?

So, whenever that little credit card readers says approved...first make sure your transaction actually went through...lol...and then give God a little thank you.

Unitl next time...

Be blessed

Joy of the Lord

Greetings!

Tonight, I went to visit some of the patients at a local rehabilitation center and for some reason tonight was different. It seemed like everyone we visited was so full of the love of the Lord. They couldn't wait to talk about how much they loved Him and trusted Him. They had such joy. It is so refreshing to talk to people who know that their current condition is not reflective of anything that they did wrong. They can still have the joy of the Lord because they just believe that God is in control and that what they are experiencing is His all-encompassing, all-consuming, all-powerful grace.

It brings me joy just thinking about God's goodness and how His grace is so amazing. And the really awesome part is that we can't do anything to deserve it or to get more of it. God just gives it to us brand new every morning. The word says that we are blessed in the city and in the country (Deut. 28:3). We are blessed going out and coming in (Deut. 28:6). God covers us no matter where we are and He never has or ever will turn His back on us. Amen.

The joy of the Lord says that even when you have a hard time feeling His presence, you can be assured that...He is always there. That's His promise. I love knowing that because you and I mess up sometimes...big time, but we can still have joy knowing that trouble won't last always and nothing we do will stop how He feels about us. We are still the apple of His eye. He delights in us and He looks forward to blessing us. Praise God!

Until next time...

Be blessed

Abundantly Blessed

Greetings!

When I think about my relationship with God one of the first things that comes to mind is how blessed I am that He loves me. It still blows my mind that He not only waited for me, He sent His Son to save me. How awesome is that? We spend so much time running from God that we miss how blessed being in His presence really is. I often wish I had given my life to Him sooner so that I would have more time loving Him...

Just think about it. Before we give our lives to Christ, most of us spend an enormous amount of time trying to find happiness. We play hard, we work hard, and we live hard (although we don't know it at the time). And for a while, we feel that we are having a good time. But it is the kind of life that is dependent on everything working perfectly all the time. That almost never happens.

Here is what I know, in Christ, we are abundantly blessed. In 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." With Christ, we don't have to worry about things making us happy or making us feel good because everything we need is found in Him. God will supply our every need. He actually will give us more than what we need. His word says that He will give us exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20). How's that for abundantly blessed?

God loves us abundantly and that is worth far more than having any material thing. No amount of money will buy the kind of joy that brings...

Until next time...

Be blessed

Joy and Happiness

Greetings!

I want to start this post by asking one simple question...

Are you happy?

I know I said I wanted to ask one question, but that one question is just begging for a  couple of follow-up questions. First, if you answered no...why not? Second, if you answered yes, what are you doing to share that happiness?

  

As I was contemplating what "happy" really meant, it made me wonder why being happy is so important. We work really hard at finding happiness. We want the life that they show on television, right? The kind of life where the guy always gets the girl and all of our problems get worked out by the end of the show. That would be nice, but that's not reality. 

What I found is that happiness can be fleeting, because it's dependent on something external. Something has to happen for us to be happy. We have to get the promotion, the new job, the mate we have always wanted....something. On the other hand, joy is something different. You can be going through the toughest storm of your life and still have joy. I know that can be confusing. Being happy and joyful sound the same, right? The difference is that joy comes from the inside. It is what happens when we give our lives to Christ. The Bible says that in the Lord we have the "fullness of joy." It is not dependent on anyone doing anything. We get it by staying connected to the Father. This kind of joy is given to us through the Holy Spirit that dwells within all of God's people. It is part of our inheritance. When we gave our lives to Christ, we automatically received the joy of the Lord.

There is nothing wrong with being happy. If you want to be happy...do something about it. Life is too short and God has been too good to live miserably. But, if you want the kind of joy that the world cannot give...the kind that strengthens, the kind that transforms, the kind that comforts, the kind that is everlasting...only God can give you that. Just ask...

Until next time...

Be blessed

A New Day

Greetings!

Happy New Year!!!

I know...I know. I'm a little late. But I couldn't let January get out of here without telling you how blessed and excited I am about 2018. I just know God is going to do something amazing for His people this year. Maybe you have been sitting on a dream or just letting life idly pass you by...this is the year to stop waiting and claim your inheritance!

This is the year to dream bigger than we have ever dreamed before. Go to places we have never been, and try things we have never tried. God is going to put super to someone's natural this year. Will it be you? The things we have been believing God for...keep believing. We can't afford to let any opportunities pass us by. We have to look for God in everything.

Remind God of His word and speak His word back to Him. God wants to bless us, but He needs us to believe we should be blessed. We have the favor of God and yet most of us are not walking in that favor. We are still letting our fears take control and the enemy is laughing his head off. I mean I can really picture him just sitting there laughing at us biting our nails. NOT THIS TIME! We will not let our dreams drift away.

This is a new day, and we owe it to ourselves to at least try. God wouldn't have given us gifts if He didn't want us to use them, right? It's time for us to get to work. God is just waiting to open doors for us...

Until next time...

Be blessed