Retail Therapy...

Don’t allow despondency and depression cause you to fall into a funk and your only rebound is Retail Therapy.  When a grown woman gets mature enough, she realizes that there is no such thing as retail therapy but rather a coping mechanism for something else that is lacking in her life – it’s nothing more than a distraction from the bigger issue.  There is a cure for what ails us and it is the Word of God.  So, the next time you try to buy your way out of boredom or eat your way out of a heartbreak – try sitting down and talking it out with God – the best mental therapy anyone could ask for and he doesn't charge by the hour but rather gives back to you exponentially; because he knows best that it is better to give than to receive.  This world tells us to shop to feel better or pop a pill to take the edge off, or smoke one to relax; and there is nothing farther from the truth.  The crux is we are suffering from a lack of a loving relationship with Christ.  Am I saying to go around raggedy as a mango seed? Of course not, but let’s get our priorities in order and do some self-evaluating against the standards of what God has called us to do.  Clothes and trends change with every season and there will be a new-boo designer at this same time next year.  One thing that does not change nor can be swayed with the tides and that is God the Father.  When you feel yourself wavering on whether to purchase that new bag, sweater or boots ; if it is not a must have, then you must ask yourself why are you risking a late mortgage or utility payment to purchase something that doesn't benefit the life that you are pleading to God for.  Try walking out of the store or logging off the website and give it a day (unless it’s an awesome to the bossome sale – Hey I am only human), if it is still a must have then it might be for you.  If you find yourself enthralled over another item and you are one to the next one – then stop and think about what it is that you are doing and why?  This I have had to learn the hard way.  Most are telling you to shop til you drop.  My admonition is that you find out why Jesus told us to think not about what we are going to wear, what we are going to eat and where we will lay our heads.  God will show you great things when you trust him for provision.

 

el Capitano!

Even though I try to go over and beyond to do for people and out of my way to be a blessing to someone, so that I have good deeds stored up for the remembrance of God, I cannot save them all.  And it is not my responsibility to attempt to try and play Captain Save ‘em to the world.  For it is God who gave his only begotten Son for the sins of this world because he so loved us.  I cannot recuse myself from doing what he commanded me to do for others; which is LOVE them and do my best to show his love for them both in word and DEED – to not just talk about helping but do something about it.  Let God be God and just do what you can to show his love towards humanity. 

A Sure Bet!

God is a sure bet, so stop gambling with the outcome of your future.  Stop rolling the dice hoping for a good outcome or lucky break and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is faithful!  There is always going to be something that comes in our lives that we just don’t want to deal with or feels as if it’s more than we can handle.  We get mad at God if we are truly honest with ourselves.  But there is no one who is absolved from going through.  And our tests in life come from what we need to deal with in order to walk closer with God.  For instance, a woman wanting a husband or who has a husband and finds herself frustrated.  Truth be told - we get frustrated with God about his ways and his timing.  Admitting that to yourself with all humbleness is the first step to clearing the debris from your pathway.  We get mad and upset with our husband’s simply because he won’t do as we say or think that he should; which is the same reason that we grow angry with God. 

RELATIONSHIPS are about trust.  When we open ourselves up to God, we find that his faithfulness is what draws us and we learn through trial and error that we can trust him regardless of how the sky appears to falling all around and about us, because we know his character and we can stand on his promises to be faithful.  Don’t allow the money or the lack thereof, be your only gauge as to how a relationship must go.  You get God’s heart and his blessings will over-take you.  The same goes for a man – you get his whole heart and there is nothing the man will not do for you.  Nothing compares to the love of God or to the love of the man that God has sent to you.  In the Bible it does say that money answers all things, but that money can’t keep you always; and it is the very reason why money is the only thing that a woman has because she has given up on finding that true love experience; and why many when they find that overpowering love of a good man will give up every penny to keep what they have.  When you find that love in God, you will let nothing keep you from him - Same difference. 

It’s not all about my husband but more so all about my God, and my trust in him that he will keep his promises to me.  That is the basis on why I know that I am blessed.  Just like we give our hearts out of love to our husband’s, is how we must trust in God, that no matter what we face, he has our best interest at heart. 

Those who trust God, not knowing the outcome, but simply trusting him for the best outcome are the ones who see Great things from God and miracles and blessings and even the supernatural come as natural occurrences – We just expect God to work all things out for our good – and those who have great expectations, see the come to pass.  If you want to hit the Jackpot – Bet on God.

The Generation Gap

I got a real dose of reality today called “The Generation Gap”.  I’m hoofing it across the bridge that walked daily to try and shed off a few of these unwanted pounds and I was coming through an affluent neighborhood and then I hear someone yell out at me from a distance, “You trying to get to the bus stop”?  I turned around and there was a silver-grayed foxed hair older black women who had pulled over and was going to give a complete stranger a ride to the bus stop because I was a black female, walking in a rich neighborhood of houses averaging a million plus and incomes grossing more than I probably have made within my last five years of working - in their last year.  She came from a time where black folks were only seen walking in these type neighborhoods if they were maids and nannies or some other position of servitude to the upper-class.  And I then I thought to myself how crazy it must be for her to see me meandering around this community and just to be exercising and enjoy the views and vistas of the river through the trees and houses, (without fear or trepidation) of being arrested or harassed.  Though I enjoy a certain amount of freedom - black males unfortunately do not; and that is sad.  I know that they don’t want me walking their streets like I own them but until they put the gate up around the community – I don’t see why I can’t go about my life as I so choose.  They might own the streets I walk on but this world is my Father’s footstool and I sit at his feet and take from him that “good part” as Mary the sister of Martha chose to do.  Yes there are gaps that separate each generation and I truly believe that life is orchestrated that way – in order to keep the balance of things; to look back in order to move forward into the future. 

Don t Sweat The Small Stuff...

I don t sweat much because the small things no longer bother me. And it is not that I have obtained all that God has for me or reached some plateau wherein I can grow no further, but rather because I have learned little by little and day-by-day that God has me right where I need to be - In his will and I trust him with all that I got because he is all that I truly have; everything else - including this world is temporary.

Good Times...

God will cause order to come into his house – this I truly believe- for those that trust him to do great and mighty things and believe in HIM.  I both see and perceive in my spirit a great outpouring of prosperity and blessing upon the children of God (not just financially but spiritually). The children of Israel are already blessed and will continue to be, when it comes to the matters of the purse or wallet; they received the early rain and God’s church is about to receive the latter rain.  But, when they receive it – will they forget God?  Will they stop trusting in him and seeking after his righteous once they get what they desire?  Will you be amiss at giving God all the glory, honor and praise when money and success are accessible readily? Will you still find a reason to pray?  God will return (I believe) when all appears to be good and right and “Good Times” are being had by all.  Everyone is now up under the mindset that he is soon to return because of the sign of the times and because there is so much going on in the world.  The faithful in God do recognize those signs and pray – and the prayers of the righteous availeth much!  Will they pray when, not if, they are blessed? I am saying they or you because I am only speaking Blessings over my own life and admonition of the same faith into the lives of others.  Don’t let the “Good Times” fool you or make a fool out of you.  The “Good Times” are indeed coming – Are you ready for them?

Words left unspoken

To me and only to me… The Bible speaks without speaking - in regards to specifics when it comes to certain things.  It is often what is not said that is the most profound and impactful.  When the Bible says effeminate – it does not have to say gay or homosexual to catch the drift.  When I read my Bible I don’t see anywhere that it called a woman to preach.  We assist with laboring in the Gospel but the leadership is laid at the feet of the man.  I get asked quite often “why I don’t preach” and my response is I have seen no creditable evidence that women were called to hold that office.  In my opinion women preaching is an Eve spirit that I do not want to subscribe to.  Eve is the mother of us all and she influenced the man to sin against God.  In the right roles women have power to influence but moreover in the right position God commands his blessing.  Paul spoke highly of Syntyche and Euodias as laboring with him in the gospel and other fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life.   As women, we don’t need to try and be noticed because if we are doing the work of the Lord – we will get our shine!  Paula White was on the fast-track when she worked alongside a good Pastor.  Every woman that came out in tandem with a Pastor prospered and their stock only fell when they decided to become the Pastor themselves.  Juanita Bynum was a powerhouse in the ministry working with the likes of Bishop Jakes but the anointing has been left her clay vessel (And sadly I am not sure if she is even aware of it, like Saul and Sampson).  But I do believe that God will give it back if she submits - Women our blessing in the submission.  We know we have much power but to whom much power is given, and then we choose to submit is when the blessing is released.  Some might say, “What about Joyce Meyers?” and to you I say she does not ascribe to being a Pastor but rather a teacher or evangelist; the same as I do.  Again in the right role – God will command his blessing.  There can be words left unspoken because God knows that his sheep knows his voice even if there are words left unsaid. 

Detour not Detained!

There are certain things that we “got to know that we know”; such as Christ is our Lord and Savior.  There is now room for error when it comes to that permanence of our faith.  That is a staple that cannot be wavered on.  That being said, we cannot allow ourselves to become hell-bent on going about life and our Christian walk without being sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that when he calls an audible and tells us to make a “detour” that we think we hear him say “detained” and that we are stuck where we are for - forever.  When we encounter a detour in life, it is nothing but another route to get to our destination – not an impasse that obstructs from going another route to get to our same predestined end.  Base your foundation in Christ and be flexible when it comes to how you come to your expected end. 

In the right place!

God put us in the right place, so that we will prosper and LIVE! Trust him that he knows best.

Overrated!

I used to subscribed to the world system of teach your kids to get a good education.  We are now discovering that the notion of going to college and life will be “all good” has been turned on its head and now we have people with degrees with no job or prospects of gainful employment; and worse – No faith to know that with God all things are possible.  Now I know that the greatest word of advice to give not only my kids but others alike; that they must seek God and his righteousness because if we have God then he will guide where it is that we need to go and what it is that we need to do.  People get jobs and careers to sustain a lifestyle but that doesn't fill our greater need of purpose and true passion.  We can waste a lot of unnecessary time chasing after a life that we weren't supposed to pursue because we decided to guide our own footsteps; when God’s word admonishes us to allow him to guide our steps.  Everyone says, “I just want to be happy”.  Oh so you want to be happy? What is happy really?  No one is happy everyday – and even when you are happy you find something wrong with being happy.  I have come to find out that when I finally got to that place called “happy”, I found out there was more to life than just being happy – and it was so overrated.  There will always be something else that arises that pushes us to reach higher than we have already achieved.  Most think that when they get a certain companion, house, car, career or amount in their bank account that they will park right there and life will be good until the day that they die and unfortunately – life has a way of shifting constantly and stirring things up or else we will find ourselves stagnate and unproductive.  There will always be something else that God wants to show us and do through us, so there is always instability in order to force stability in him.  If God didn't cause us to move higher, many of us would never pursue greater.  You can find yourself so happy that you end up sad about your place in life because you are happy – now what?  Only God can fill the various voids that appear out of nowhere in our lives; and that is where depression comes in.  Some look at other people’s lives that have abundance and think inwardly to themselves that “If I only had their substance”.  And then when they commit suicide or become a recluse and don’t leave their dwelling to enjoy the substance we think that they must have been crazy!  Quite opposite really – they never found their purpose and reason that they were created.  Stop chasing happy and chase after God – there you will find the ability and the will to seek out why you were born and what you were supposed to actually complete during your sojourning here.  In purpose is where fulfillment is found – not in an emotion called – Happy.

Balance Beam

We live our lives doing our best to balance life, play, work, and love - and living in general.  The word of God is narrow and straight and doesn't budge; like a balance beam.  Some are fledgling Christians while others are as straight and steady.  Nevertheless, we all have our good and bad days during our competitions at trying to win this game called life.  What we must remember is that God’s word and his presence will always be there, so we must climb back up and try life again.  Mount back up and trust God that his word will always be there.  When we dismount this life we will stick the landing.

Embryo

Father my prayer is that at this embryotic stage in my faith walk that I don’t abort the mission that you placed in my heart.  This is a very critical stage in carrying this promise to full-term.  Your spirit has fertilized the seed that you placed in my heart and an early termination or miscarriage will not defeat your purpose.  The promise has yet to be fulfilled but I must take all precaution to ensure the healthy delivery of the hope of my calling. I will birth what God has placed in me.  This is a high-risk pregnancy because there is greatness at stake but God has already told me that this child of his will be born.  What the Father’s spirit inseminates will produce an abundant life that will also bless the lives of others.  And this has been a long, hard pregnancy and this final trimester has taken its toll but it has been worth it – to be able to possess what I have only been able to feel stirring inside of me will be worth every ache and pain of birthing it to life. 

Em·bry·o

An unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development.

synonyms:

fetus, fertilized egg, unborn child/baby, zygote "a human embryo"

*Botany

the part of a seed that develops into a plant, consisting (in the mature embryo of a higher plant) of a plumule, a radicle, and one or two cotyledons.