have a blessed father’s day!
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. – The Message
the past couple days i’ve attended part of the unshakable conference hosted by my former church. been really inspired by the ministries of isaac pitre and tracey mitchell. going over my notes it is so much to take in, but here are a couple points from each of them that i plan to run with!
basically he made the point that some people are never maturing into butterflies, they are staying as caterpillars. we were born to fly, we were born to go beyond the crawl. and once you realize your potential and who you are in Christ your wings will pop out.
2. elevate yourself to God
a lot of times we bring God down to our natural world and our natural way of thinking, but what God wants us to do is to elevate ourselves to the place where he dwells. he dwells in the supernatural.
not everyone is meant to be part of your journey. some people are on board and some people are just creating chaos and distractions, drilling holes in your boat.
2. what you expect you will attract
you must live a life of great expectancy. don’t go around expecting bad things to happen in your life. expect healing, expect joy, expect God to do great and mighty things!
Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. – Hebrews 12:28
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
“america will never be destroyed from the outside. if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves”. – abraham lincoln
if you are worried about people bringing you down you can scratch that off your worry list. the people who talk behind your back, the people who look over you, the people who use you, and the people who just generally hate you for no reason are NOT the destroying forces in your life. the true things that destroy your life are the unhealthy things you carry inside.
i have written multiple times on forgiveness, and it is an important topic because the world is filled with broken and hurt people and broken and hurt people break and hurt other people. in other words, someone is bound to slight you. someone is bound to do something evil to you. then what? here is what you do…you forgive them. yep, you find it in your heart to forgive them. and it’s not always easy. sometimes you just want to remove everything from your schedule and work on your vengeance plan.
your life is more meaningful than other people’s transgressions. don’t allow unforgiveness to eat at you, destroy your life, and have you exist in bitterness. God will fight your battles, you don’t have to hold on to it. you can let it go.
matthew 18:23-35 is a good passage to read about unforgiveness.
dr. martin luther king, jr. said, “hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” stop hating people who are different from you, stop hating out of fear, stop hating that person who hates you, and just put a stop to all the hate. right now i am really digging col. 3:14, “let love guide your life.” it’s all about the love, people. God is love. love more.
stop the hate and appreciate! ;)
it’s called the green eyed monster, and it is called a monster for a good reason!
according to phrases.org.uk the origin of the term comes from the fact that “green is a colour associated with sickness, possibly because people’s skin sometimes takes on a slightly yellow/green tinge when they are seriously ill. green is also the colour of many unripe foods that cause stomach pains.”
walk in God’s purpose and timing for your life. no need to envy what God has for someone else. some people are so fixated on other people’s blessings that they miss their own.
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in other news: i will be blogging over on my mom’s blog for a few weeks at cynthiabanessa.com because she broke her wrist and will be in recovery for a moment. please keep her in your prayers. if you are into homemaking and crafts you will LOVE her blog!
recently in the mail i received the latest edition of budget travel magazine. the title was “america the beautiful” with the subheading of why leave home when home looks like this?
my question is…
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
- The Message, Psalm 139: 13-16
happy sunday!
a few sundays ago my pastor shared the following scripture:
This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.
Isaiah 43:16-21 (MSG)
my pastor focused on the part about going over old history, but what stood out to me is how the passage starts. the “this is what God says” part. it’s easy to listen to the news, reports, our friends, our family, but what does God say about your life? your situation? your future?
listen to the God who is able to build a road right through the ocean. speak his promises over your life. you are blessed and highly favored. he wants to do something brand new in your life.
haven’t created a graphic in a little bit, so here is one for all you pinners out there!
happy sunday!
today is my birthday! blessed to see 31 years old! but whoa, me 31? i was just 7 playing with my barbies! and with my sisters and brothers on the kitchen floor.
the youth minister at my church posted this picture the other week on fb. it’s funny, but the message is important. we sometimes get caught up in preaching the word but fail to show love to our neighbor, and the world’s love language is you meeting them at their need.
for my birthday i am fundraising for unicef, i did this a couple years ago, and doing it again this birthday. for the whole month of august you can go to my causes page and donate. so if you were thinking about buying me the latest apple product don’t! ;) i would love for you to help meet the needs of children who are seeking an education and need supplies.
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. ”
- Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)
This guest post was written just for me! It’s how I felt when it was sent to me from Duduzile N. who lives in South Africa. It’s a devotional centered around the life of Elijah. It is the third time the story of Elijah has been brought to my attention in a span of a few weeks. I was fortunate enough to meet Duduzile through my first book. She read it and sent me a very nice email. Go support her blog at http://prov31v29-dudu.blogspot.com. Enjoy!
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I Kings 18-19
Psalm 23
I am always encouraged when I find that Bible heroes are in many ways similar to us mere mortals. Ever read the story of Elijah? I am sure that some of you can recite it like a nursery rhyme. God has recently been ministering to me from the story of Elijah. To those who are not familiar with the story, Elijah was a prophet of God who was taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind. So he didn’t actually die and neither was he buried because he went directly to Heaven without tasting death. An interesting snippet from his life that I want to focus on is when he called all of Israel to Mt Carmel and challenged the prophets of Baal to pray to their god to come down and consume their sacrifices. The prophets of Baal spent the whole day calling on their god but he didn’t come to the party. Elijah then asked them to pour a lot of water on his sacrifice and God’s fire came down from Heaven and burnt it! Wow, talk about being on a first name basis with God!
The story doesn’t end there, Elijah then prayed for rain and rain came down from Heaven. You would think this is a strong man who would stand up to any challenge because after all he prays and God answers. What happens next is interesting. Elijah is threatened by Jezebel and runs for his life. You may ask what happened to his faith when he brought down fire and rain from Heaven. Sometimes we have our best moments but because we have an enemy who knows what will get us down, he strikes just in that moment of glory. The enemy strikes when we are celebrating and thinking, “phew was that me praying and getting rain and how did I pull that one off?” He knows just where to attack so we can run like cowards.
Elijah doubted himself but what he didn’t realise was that it wasn’t about him but about God, who was on his side. He says “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” Even more interesting is how God responds to Elijah, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” God knew what Elijah needed and provided it.
Afterwards Elijah camped in a cave but God called him out and told him to stand on top of a mountain so He could speak to him. I am blown away by what happens next. There is a wind, an earthquake and fire but the bible says there was a still small voice. Some translations call it a low whisper. Do we sometimes get caught up with the big events and miss God’s still small voice, that low whisper?
In the past I have been caught up in the wind breaking the rocks around me, the earthquake shaking my world upside down and the fire of pain that has pierced my heart. As a result, I almost missed that low whisper, that still small voice that says come away with me. Come dine with me, I prepare a table in the presence of your enemies. My rod and staff are your comfort.
Today is a devotional from Shone N. I met him last year through my blog, he won one of my photography calendars, and when he emailed me to thank me for the calendar he sent along an amazing devotional that he wrote about change. I read it multiple times in one setting, and he had me begging for more. I am always excited when I get an email from him. He is working on a book that I am gently urging him to finish because I really want to read it! With his permission I am sharing the devotional about change.
Many of us take change for granted, we feel change is all about what we want. We should also have a clear picture of those forces that go against change. Not all change is important but some change is necessary if we are to live and enjoy our life the way we should.
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. – Acts 16: 16 – 24
While we are putting all efforts for change there will always be setbacks and opposition, there are skeptics, those who discourage, some who distract and even those who obstruct change. They stand in your way and give a good reason why change you are about to make is bad. There are people who take comfort in what is presently going on in your life.
Be alert of who is benefiting from your current situation, and who is taking advantage of your disempowered life. Some people always enjoy life by taking advantage of weaker and vulnerable people especially those who call for their help. In the name of helping they put someone into a disempowered system where they can exploit someone by reinforcing their weaknesses.
When you want change to live your full life there could be someone who will feel they are about to lose authority. There could be someone who has been getting their self esteem and fun through your disempowered situation. And even though you have high spirits about change, you will actually be threatening someone’s entrenched interests, comfort zone and way of life.
When God intervenes to illuminate your eyes and heart, to show you a higher spiritual destiny, to shift your mindset to be convinced that you really need change, to claim your birth right and your blessing, change and transformation cannot be stopped. For God considers your interests as individually important, more than someone else vested interests or opportunity. No person should stand in the way of any change in your path to connecting you with your life’s full purpose.
Do not be afraid of change or someone else who is more scared of what a small change in your life could mean to them. If it is good, it can be done.
here is a little devotional for sunday:
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” –
Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV)
this is a picture i took of a cover of a journal i saw the other day. after i saw it i immediately made it a prayer and spoke it over my life.
everyone seems to be seeking out great and mighty things, but God wants us to call unto him, seek him, and he says he will show us such things. we have to trust him as our source. that is often a hard thing to do because in the process of trusting God we are bombarded with things in this world that appears to be great and mighty.
the scripture says that the great and mighty things that God wants to show you are things you know not. they are not things of this world. they are at a whole different level, and they are substantial. they are more valuable than all the great and mighty things that the world could ever show you.
seek God and have an awesome sunday!
sometimes you just want to strangle people, and take a page from adele and lay their ship bare and leave with every piece of them. i call these people the 7 kinds of people who will make you lose your religion. they are the haters, the cursers, the abusers, the stealers, the strikers, the robbers, and the demanders. in luke 6 we are called to love these people. they are your enemy.
on sunday the speaker at church, elder mcdonald at pathway in dallas, put things into a good perspective concerning your enemies, he told us “don’t let what is in your enemy get into you.” so that whole revenge plot you had brewing you must let go.
it isn’t easy to do but it’s easier to do when you know God has your back. you don’t have to walk around getting into battles with everyone. earlier in the year i had a situation where i really had to put this loving your enemy business to work. and i’ve seen God fight my battle and answer my prayer when psalm 143:9 became my prayer, deliverance from the hands of my enemy. the term let go and let God is so cliche but when dealing with your enemies it is the best approach. God is love.
and like that little boy who believes that “heaven is real” i also believe in heaven, and i refuse to let anyone on earth come between me and heaven. so you want to hate on me? curse me? strike me? i will probably get all adele on you for a moment, but at the end of the day i am going to keep my religion.
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note: tomorrow is the end of the blogathon! on day 31 i will write on what it is like to do a blogathon.
1. Saturday mornings
2. Butterflies
3. Chocolate chip cookies
4. Starbucks!
