IT IS FINISHED...,

Hey Everyone,

Hope you had a wonderful Resurrection Weekend, I know I did... not that I did anything special, this time of year is always exciting to me. Who else do we know that saved our souls from Hell and reconciled our relationship back to a Holy Father and then on top of that, He sealed us with His Holy Spirit.... exciting right! That will make you want to shout, Hallelujah.... go ahead, shout Hallelujah!!! Get your praise on for Jesus. "It is finished".

This past week I was blessed to have a conversation with Audrey Peek, we were talking about the final words of Jesus as He hung on the cross, when he said, "It is finished". So much was compressed into those three words... Salvation would be extended to whosoever wanted to receive it, so therefore; death lost it's power over us, the grave can't hold us and Hell can't have us. "It is finished".

To me, it also means that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us through Holy Spirit, we are sealed with the promises of a loving Father that is for right now and for what is to come... and that same Holy Spirit prays for us when we don't know what to pray for and you know what else.... Jesus is in Heaven at the right hand of our Father, interceding for us. And you know what else, He gave us the authority to use His name and ask for whatever we want... now seeing as how He is a loving Father, we know He's not going to give us anything that would bring harm to us. Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot this, every one of our sins have been forgiven... past, present and future. Jesus was forsaken, so that we would no longer be forsaken.... He said that nothing could ever separate us from His love. "It is finished".

The Cross is offensive because it demands a new lifestyle out of us and it is a confrontation that all of us must face.

-Billy Graham

On Good Friday, the Lord had impressed upon my heart to reach out to one of my FB friends. This person had been on my mind earlier in the week, I pondered whether or not he was Born-Again, in my heart I felt the answer was... no. He is a TV personality and I kinda get tickled because my sister always says, "you'll send a message to anyone" and I'll say, they're people just like us, famous or not. Well, I sent him a message with the question, "are you a Christian", the next day he sent his response, "I am not", my response, "I want you to know that Jesus loves you and I am still a fan". You might be thinking, I understand you telling him Jesus loves him, but why did you tell him you are still a fan? That was my way of letting him know that I didn't dislike or condemn him for not being a Christian. So far, he hasn't un-friended me, lol.  I'm hoping that there will be more dialogue to come, but until then I know that I am to pray for him, there are others that I am praying for as well. I'm telling you this to show the importance of staying in close fellowship with Jesus, I need to know what it is, He wants me to do, I could have missed a God-Given opportunity to be used by Him....Yeah, He could of used someone else, but I'm glad He chose me.

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time

-Zig Ziglar

Luke 15:10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

As He hung on the cross for all of humanity... taking every sin upon Himself for our sake, He said, "It Is Finished". The Son of God and the Son of Man, had just gone through the most horrific beating and crucifixion imaginable, we could never fully comprehend what He endured for us;  a whip with shards of metal and bone ripped open His flesh (that alone would have killed a man), a crown of thorns were pressed into his head, they spit on him and hit Him with the palm of their hands, Jesus was mocked and ridiculed by the very ones He came to save from their sins. He was made to carry His own cross, until Simon of Cyren helped Him. The spiked nails that were driven into His hands and feet would have made the strongest of men cry out for mercy... He is our MERCY.

The Savior of the world, hanging between two thieves; one repentant and the other unrepentant... the mocking continues as they gamble for His garment, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross" "He saved others, himself he cannot save". In that moment of time, Jesus promised Paradise to the repentant thief and He made intercession for the multitude, "Father, forgive them; for they know not, what they do." We would have wanted judgement... He offered GRACE.

In those three remaining hours, Jesus struggled to breathe and hold His dying body up on that cross. He looked upon His mother Mary... the one we called "blessed among all women", handpicked by our Heavenly Father, to be the mother of the one who came from above. "Woman behold thy son", and He said to John, "Behold thy mother". Her soul was pierced that day, just as Simeon prophesied, in a few days she will understand what it all means.... He showed COMPASSION.

Darkness came upon the land, our Jesus was in pain and He was rejected, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?".... "I thirst", the sun was darkened and the veil in the temple was torn. Jesus cried out again, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" "It is finished", He hung His head and died, the earth shook, He was pierced in His side.... He is the LAMB OF GOD and a RISEN SAVIOUR.!

Jesus lived the life I couldn't live and He died the death I should have died.
-LeCrea

Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against Him, saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost, He said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

I've often wondered who that centurion was. How was it that He was able to see Jesus as the Son of God? Was he the one who sent an Elder to Jesus and pleaded for the healing of his beloved servant? (Luke 7:1-10) Maybe, like so many he heard about Jesus and all the miraculous things He had done or perhaps he actually listened to the teachings of Jesus as he was ordered to watch HIm. Maybe, those words spoken from the cross was enough to make him believe and confess, that Jesus is who He says He is... I don't know, but God was Glorified.

Many Christians say, they are going to Heaven, but they are not enjoying the journey.
-Joyce Meyers

You know that song, "I need just a little more Jesus", it's a nice song, I like it; but do we really need a little more Jesus. I mean... What more can He do? He has done it all, paid it all, made Himself accessible to us, empowered us to be over-comers. Could it be that we need to give Jesus more of us? Why are so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ still in bondage; slaves to the very thing that wants to destroy us? Are we so hard-hearted, stubborn-minded and full of pride that we will not submit our will to His Will... which we know is better for us.

I know I sound like a scratched record but...Jesus said "I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh to the Father but by Me." He gave Himself, so we could be FREE. We are going to have struggles and trials in this life, but didn't he say, "whom the Son sets free is free indeed" and He said, "I have overcome the world". Our Lord will never force Himself on anyone, that is not His way, but He did say, "come boldly to the throne of Grace", humility precedes Grace. Perhaps we should get alone with God and confess our struggles and make the necessary changes, He will help us, He wants to help us, we only need to BELIEVE that He will do what He says He will do, lets keep our Faith in JESUS. If anyone of us should stumble or fall, may we be counted as worthy to help restore that person with Mercy, Grace, and Love.

Hurt people... hurt people but, Free people...FREE PEOPLE.

-James Robison

If you don't have a personal relationship with Christ I invite you to give Him a try, you've tried everything else. He loves you and me so much that He gave His life for us, He makes us brand new. Just say, Lord, my life is a mess, I'm lost and I'm confused; I've sinned against you and I'm sorry. I need you to help me. Be Lord of my life, clean me up and make me brand new.

John 8

"It is finished", what does it mean to you?

Continued blessings to you and your family <3

"Who's Influencing Us?" Part 2

Beyonce has her Bey Hive... Lady Gaga has her Monsters... Miley Cyrus has her Wrecking Crew... Jay-Z has his Kingdom.... and Kanye calls himself Yeezus??? All these people have a tremendous, tremendous amount of influence in the world; key word being-WORLD. If you don't believe me, stir the hive and see what happens. For us who follow after Jesus, we are not of the World and our lifestyle and choices should reflect that we are of the Kingdom of God. Satan uses worldly influences and devices as a weapon against Christ followers, remember Satan is the Prince of this world.

Hey Everyone.

Hoping all is well with you and your family. This is a continuation of "Who Are We Influencing", there was so much that I wanted to say, I dare not try to say it all at once; so here is Part 2, "Who's Influencing Us?" Some may see this post as trivial or frivolous or maybe even find it offensive or debatable, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE is for us to take a closer look at ourselves; OUR lives and OUR relationship with the one we call our Saviour, Lord and King, our Creator and Redeemer, the one who is supposedly our First Love. What I share with you is not just my opinion, it's my experience... we must become more aware of the spirits we invite into our spirit and into our homes as well. The quickest and easiest mode of entrance is through entertainment; television, music, books, magazines, and social media. The things we watch and listen to will become engraved upon our heart and mind; have you ever had a song get stuck in your head, and have you ever watched a show that was so disturbing you couldn't sleep at night, perhaps you tried to sit through a movie, but the sexual content, violence or strong language made you feel uncomfortable. LET US BE AWARE OF WHAT WE TAKE INTO OUR SPIRIT. (Be sure to check out my story on the Jesus Girl page "The Other Realm".

Our new born-again spirit man wants to express Himself, but we won't let Him.
-Bill Winston

A relationship with Christ empowers us to live the NEW LIFE He has given us.
-Joyce Meyers

We follow and are being followed, on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and let us not forget our extended Facebook family and friends. I heard a statistic that says, Facebook is THE  largest nation now, over a Billion and a half  people are on Facebook. During my teen years all we had was Oprah Winfrey and our slogan was "well, Oprah said..." following after Oprah, feeding into her very thoughts and opinions about this and that as if she was God of Heaven and Earth; not that, that is how she perceived herself, but that is how we perceived her... unknowingly.

Ephesians 5:4

In a world of social media and pop culture "Keeping up with the Kardashians" isn't that difficult, we can even weight in on the "Braxton Family Values" or know what it means to be "The REAL Housewives of you fill in the blank" and find out that "Being Mary Jane or "MARY MARY" isn't all sugar and spice and everything nice. "R&B DIVAS" or "Total DIVAS" or a member of "The Bad Girls Club"?... "The Preacher's of LA" and these "Preacher's Daughters", WELL...

"Orange Is The New Black" really? "50 Shades of Grey" and "Grey's Anatomy"; "Scandal" is scandalous, "Two and a Half Men", "Big Bang Theory" when has it ever been okay to be a "Pretty Little Liar" or to take "REVENGE" into our own hands. Let us not forget 'the man of the hour, Kevin Hart... OUCH!! These days, calling someone a B**** has become some kind of term of endearment; it's just as bad as the "N" word; what's really going on?  Who's the best... LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant.??? Favorite Football/Baseball Player/Team. My dad use to call this guy DALLAS, because he is such a fanatic follower of the Dallas Cowboys, I don't even know his real name.

Throughout the 90's, ABC was proud to produce family oriented programming, they targeted the family and its moral values and lessons learned in 30 minutes or less. Forget about Friday Night Movie Night, they encouraged us to gather around the TV to watch those programs that brought parents and children together; there catch phrase was "ABC-Family"; don't know if you've noticed, but sometimes it says, "ABC - Family - A New Kind Of Family" Hmmm???

The safest place to be... is in the WILL OF GOD.

- Bishop T.D. Jakes

There was a gentleman on the "Praise the Lord" program on TBN, he works in Hollywood, I think he was or perhaps still is a screenwriter, anyway he was told that if he wanted to have a successful television show, he had to break at least three of the ten commandments: shocking, right...not really. Let's see... In most programming, God is dishonored, parents are dishonored, lying,stealing, murder, sexual sins, adultery, fornication, covetousness, envy and so on and so on, the pattern has been set for future TV programming, but we don't have to succumb to any of it. We shouldn't compromise our spiritual growth when God has so much more for us. I heard someone say, that most of these shows are train wrecks: you are uncomfortable watching, but you can't look away.

One generations compromise becomes the next generations bondage.
-Mark Casto

So...am I telling you not to watch these shows... NO, that's between you and your Heavenly Father, but what I am saying is... does any of the things they say and do, come into agreement with what our Father says. In no way am I against television, sports, music, books, etc., what I am against is the sinful acts associated with it. If God isn't Glorified in it, then it's all for naught/nothing and our spirit does not benefit from it, as believers, we know how our Father feels about the things we allow to come into our lives, if we don't know this---we need to read His Word, Holy Spirit guides us into all truth concerning our Father.  Am I pointing a finger at these celebrities? NOPE... many of them confess or profess to be Christians. Am I pointing a finger at you... NOT AT ALL...but I am challenging us all to think about, the amount of influence; all of this has in our lives, and ask ourselves... Who are they following? and Who is influencing me? The World or Jesus.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled (NIV)

Right Believing Produces Right Living
- Joseph Prince

Well, I know you're probably thinking, 'It's just entertainment... I'm not going to do any of the stuff they are doing in these shows or what they sing about, talk about, or they're just keeping it real, that's the reality of life; maybe... maybe not. But sometimes we are more invested in these shows, artists, athletes, etc; than we realize. My question is this, when we gather in the lounge or at our own table are we talking about how good Olivia Pope looked in that white coat or the goodness of Jesus? Are we talking about how the Kardashian's are keeping it real or how Jesus is keeping us? Do the Braxton's values line-up with what Christ values? Drunk in love or drunk in the Holy Spirit, which do we prefer? Hours spent on FB and none spent in THE BOOK. These are just questions that I ask you as well as myself, in no way am I excused because I'm writing this post, my struggle in this area is the same as yours, this is just a CHARGE for us to GUARD OUR HEART AND MIND against the things that are contrary to our Father. Remember, what we consume... will CONSUME us; it's like this, If I consume fried chicken and biscuits everyday from week to week, it is going to eventually consume me, with high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, weight gain, headaches, and other complications, it's the same with what we take into our heart and mind. it will produce spiritual life or spiritual death. Let us all invest more in the Kingdom of God---Attend Bible Study, and Sunday School, and Worship Service, we should seek out His Will for our lives.

I've told this story before, when I was 23, I chose to live with my boyfriend, well shack, I was definitely under the influence of TV programming. Every show that I watched showed couples living together, unmarried and in my mind I thought that was okay, that it was fine, no big deal, everybody is doing it; this is the world we live in and that it was better to live with someone before marriage, anyway... right.  That is what I based my decision on; little did I know, that everything I thought within myself was nothing but an excuse and a lie; and it was completely unacceptable before our Father...it was an offense to My Father. Two children were born out of that union, so I don't condemn myself for it, I repented/changed my thinking; no longer leaning to my own understanding but yielding to what His Word says about it.

Romans 8:1-2  So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. (NLT)

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His Will in all you do and He will direct your paths. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead fear the Lord and turn your back on evil. Then you will regain renewed health and vitality. (NLT)

Romans 5
Romans 6

"Well... Carolyn, I'm a Grown Woman/Man, I can do whatever I want..." Satan wants us to keep telling ourselves that, TRUE...the choice is ours and so are the consequences. "But Carolyn... we are under Grace, not the law". And THANK GOD for GRACE, it's because of Grace, we are without excuse for our actions. The consequences still remain, good or bad. The Grace of Jesus is what stirs us to live a life of honor and respect to our Father; it is because of that Grace, sin's power has been broken in our lives. We no longer follow after the things of the world and what it calls right. At some point we've all gotten inclinations from Holy Spirit about our choices of entertainment and ignored Him, if we never feel Holy Spirit's nudges, convictions, or feel Him trying to get us to go another way, we may not be BORN-AGAIN. Please, don't be put off by this statement, a lot of people attend church and may have even been baptized, but not truly converted or discipled. If we don't see the evidence in our own lives, we may have to do some self-examination/soul-searching. Heaven or Hell is at stake; I'm not saying that watching the Kardashian's is going to send any of us to HELL, not being Born-Again, does that, I'm not saying that Saved people will lose their Salvation, because they choose to watch "Scandal", that's not possible, but we must live our lives aware of the presence of Christ, in our life and know what He is saying to us about certain forms of entertainment, well not just entertainment, but everything.

You know, how it is when we walk into a dark room and after a moment or two, our eyes will adjust to the darkness. Sometimes, that's the way it is living in this world, we adjust, we conform, we stray away from Our Father's truth and we don't see clearly. Christians don't have to be in darkness, the Light of Christ is in every believer/follower and Jesus has given us His authority, so let us shine for His Glory; let us move from Glory to Glory, the World is watching The Church; the World is watching US!

Some of us Pastors and Leaders have failed the church by making more so-called converts than we have true disciples.
-Pastor Andrew Wommack

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world.

Isaiah 5:20 Doom to you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness in place of light and light in place of darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (The Message)

James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (NLT)

It was not my intent to harp on television programming, music, book/magazines or social media; but we know that these outlets take up a lot of our time, so therefore has a lot of influence in our lives. We can't continue to ignore God's truth, what may seem insignificant right now may become a big deal later. Satan is sneaky and deceitful, he's been at this thing a long time. A snake doesn't have to enter a home through a door opened wide, a small crack will do.

Be provoked to good works that bring Glory and Honor to Christ Jesus; in order to do that we must surround ourselves with positive Christian Influences, programming, filtering Facebook news feeds and music and books/magazines, and other social media, so that Holy Spirit can produce the work that has already been placed inside of us to do. We must open our eyes, ears, mind, heart and spirit to the things that are important to our Father. I would rather you offend me with the Word of God so that I might be brought to repentance than to allow me to continue in my sinful ways. Yes... it may be a hard pill to swallow, but I'll be alright. Believe me, try as we may, we can not twist, dilute, or manipulate God's word to suit our own fleshly desires or reasoning, it's impossible... I've tried to and you have tried to...too. We Christians have a voice in this world and it's time for us to sound the alarm and be heard and taken seriously, but it must always be done in a loving spirit and manner. It's time for us to be true disciples of Christ, and stand on what His word says about us. Jesus told us to count the cost, there will be losses and gains for His sake.

People are more afraid of offending others than they are of offending GOD.
-Dr. Billy Graham

"God's Not Dead" had a box office weekend of $8M and "Divergent" had a box office weekend of over $50M. Where are all the Christians? We say, we want good Christian programming and movies, but are we supporting those voices that are going into the world to proclaim the message of the Cross of Jesus, those that are putting it all on the line for Christ, the Hope of Glory. And yes...we must have discernment over some so-called films that target Christians.

WATCH... what you're watching. HEAR... what you're hearing... DO... what you're doing and KNOW what you're consuming.
-Beckah Shae

We are all born sinners... it's easier to do wrong than it is to do right, but once we are converted... the war between the two natures begin. It is the hope within that we will yield to Holy Spirit in order to bring Glory and Honor to our Heavenly Father.
-Dr. R.T. Kendell

You and I are loved by God, so much so that He sent His only Son to die for our sins, He was raised from the dead and He gave us His Spirit to live in us. SALVATION is a gift, and what a wonderful gift it is, but it's up to us what we do with it. We can live our lives as a monument to our own selfish desires, choosing not to acknowledge His presence, ignoring His loving correction, letting our flesh rule us; or we could live as a reflection of Christ, embracing His Way, His Truth, His Life, which is eternal. Jesus is the Standard by which we live our lives, JESUS SHOULD BE OUR GREATEST INFLUENCE, when it's all said and done, Jesus is the one we will all bow down before.

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way you are.
- Dr. Billy Graham

Continued Blessing to you and your family... <3

GOD'S NOT DEAD

Hey Everyone,

I hope that all is well with you and your family and that you had a wonderful weekend. This weekend, my daughter, Jessica and I went to see the film "GOD'S NOT DEAD". Going to the movies, really isn't my thing, I tend to wait for Netflix or DVD, but this time was different. It has become one of my goals to support Christian films in the hopes of more Christian films being produced for the general public, not just Christians. In all honesty, most people will not set foot inside of a church for whatever the reason, but they will go to the movies, and this is a great tool to use for evangelism, to spread the Gospel of THE GOOD NEWS of CHRIST JESUS.

There was a moment when I wondered if we would even be able to watch the film, there were technical difficulties, the digital film got stuck somehow and had to be reloaded, which took better of 30 minutes. The reward for our patience was a FREE ticket for a future movie of OUR CHOICE and OUR TIME. Hmmm! I could go see "Son of God" or wait until the "Heaven Is For Real" or "Left Behind" film is released.

When you find the time, I hope you will go and support this film with your box office dollars, you will not be disappointed. It was well written and thought out, it touches on every one of our emotions. If you haven't seen any of the previews, the premise of the film is about a College freshman who has to defend his belief in God before his Philosophy Professor and Class, thus "God's Not Dead".  Debate is not one of my strong points, takes to much time and effort to prove a point, LOL. Seriously though, when it comes to our FAITH IN CHRIST, we should all be able to stand and defend our belief, the reason for our faith and hope in Jesus.

1 Peter 3:15 Quietly trust yourself to Christ our Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way. (TLB)

You know, I think that most of us at some time in our lives questioned whether or not God was real or exists, I've asked the question myself and it only led to depression. Religion without Relationship with Christ is DEAD, Jesus is more than religion. My depression came in my early twenties, my children were not born yet and I was thinking to myself, "is this it, is this all there is to life? do we live and die?" Don't get confused, I was a Christian and I knew that when I died I would be with Jesus for all eternity; it was the IN-BETWEEN time that had me all messed up, that's religion without relationship.

Today, I am grateful for the relationship that I have with my Father through Christ Jesus. He is the hope of Glory and truly all that I will ever need, because He is my provision, not that we don't need one another, I know that we do, He is working behind the scenes even in that.

Hope you all have a wonderful week, give a smile, give a hug, share an encouraging word, be kind, be loving, BE JESUS.

Continued Blessings to you and your family.

Who Are We Influencing?

Some of you may remember when Charles Barkley made the statement, "I am not a role model", a statement that became debatable on the Oprah Winfrey Show. There were differing opinions, but the fact of the matter is, whether you see yourself as a role model or not, you are influencing someone. Someone is alway watching you/me, be it right or be it wrong., it begins from infancy. We pattern ourself after other people, it's natural, it's how we learn. Who are we influencing?

1 Corinthians 11:1 

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ (KJV)

And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ's (NLT)

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (ESV)

Men are all mosaics of other men.
-Henry Drummond

Galatians 5:16 (NLT) So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.

You know that old adage "Do as I say, not as I do", this needs no explanation; we've heard it and some of us may have even said it; seriously or jokingly. We as Christians have a responsibility, an obligation really; not only to Christ and ourselves, but to that individual that is a newbie/babe in the Lord, and that individual that is slipping or backsliding in the things of God, and to that individual that is literally LOST, no salvation, but they are seeking, searching for the answer to the emptiness in their lives. We the believers, are the only Christ that they will see and that is because Christ lives in us through Holy Spirit. It is our walk, our spiritual walk that will encourage them to follow us as we follow after Christ. Who are we influencing?

These are critical times, people are dying everyday, young and old; and their eternity is at stake, Heaven or Hell; Eternal Life or Eternal Damnation, IT DON'T GET NO MORE REAL THAN THAT. Our time here is short, if we lived to be 120, that is nothing compared to the oldest man ever, Methuselah (969 years old) and that's nothing compared to Eternity. Our life is but a vapor, it if fleeting and I desire for my life to demonstrate the Love of Christ. When you and I live in a way that brings Glory and Honor to God, we are actually lifting Jesus up before all men to see and then He will draw whosoever to Him. Who are we influencing?

"Ignorance ain't bliss when you standing in the fire."
-Beckah Shae

For many people "seeing is believing", SO LETS GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO SEE---SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT. They need to see us enduring life's trials and tribulations with the 'Joy of the Lord' they need to see us 'walking/living in the Peace of God', they need to see us 'Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves', they need to see us 'walking by faith and not by sight', they need to see us NOT condemning and judging others, but loving others through the righteousness and truth of Christ into the Kingdom of God. Who are we influencing?

James 1:22-23 (NLT) And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT) Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to Him.

Now, in no-way can any of us get "the big head" thinking that we did something so great that others are willing to imitate us as we imitate Christ. It's always-always about Christ; it's about what He is doing in the earth, through us, we can not follow after Christ without Him helping us to do so. He said it Himself, "apart from Me you can do nothing". Jesus is our Greatest example, he never sinned; we still come up short, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". My Pastor says it this way, "If we make a mistake/fall short; it should be short-lived". As Christians we Recognize, Repent, and Rectify; don't put off God's loving spiritual correction, if we know the right thing to do and don't do it, we give the enemy an open door into our lives; we give Satan permission to come into our lives and do what he wills. Who are we influencing?

We should all do some self examination---take inventory. What is our speech like? What are we listening to? What are we watching? Are we guarding our heart and mind? Whatever we CONSUME will CONSUME us; know what you're CONSUMING. It is my hope that this post does not come off as being harsh, it is spoken in the spirit of love. I saw the Kingdom of God because I was influenced by others that were being Salt and Light... I saw JESUS.

Everything we do or don't do matters.
-Andy Andrews

Many Blessing to you...

Are You Ready To Be Blessed?

LOVE DISCIPLINE

Hey Everyone,

Hope all is well with you and your family. Just sitting here thinking about the wonderful time I had at the,Meet & Greet in ATLANTA on Sunday with Mimi Goodwin, my absolute favorite blogger and some other young women who are living their life "on purpose and for a purpose" and might I add that their efforts and successes are unto the Lord (they give God the Glory and the Credit), it was my pleasure to be in the same room with them.

Mimi shared her own personal struggles and trials with us, it was truly inspiring and uplifting to see what God has done in her life. She is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, So Gracious, Sweet and Humble. Her testimonial is proof of God's Love, Grace and Mercy. How can you not be happy for her?

This made me reflect on a time in my life many, many, many years ago, when I was in my 20's and not as WISE as I am now, LOL. There was a season when I was no ones cheerleader. I know, sad right and it was sad; and there's a name for those people---HATERS... the only difference was I didn't slam you, I just wasn't happy for you. God had to bring some correction in my life concerning my 'Inward Atittude' and this is what I received from Him: "You will not be blessed until you learn how to be happy for those that I have blessed. You are not ready for what I have for you." 

Matthew 5:45b For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust too. NLT

"YOU ARE NOT READY" Wow!! Does that mean I was not blessed? Of course not, I was blessed, just not in the fullness of being blessed. I was not accessing the abundant life that He had for me, my attitude was keeping me from that. I had to change my way of thinking; so I had to kinda "FAKE IT TIL I MADE IT". Some of you may be thinking that's not going to work or that I was not genuine. Truth is, it did work and it was not easy and I was not genuine, but it was necessary. "Life and Death is in the power of the tongue", the more I spoke/expressed happiness for that individual; where there was death, life began to come back to me and with the help of Holy Spirit, I was able to break through my flesh/evil nature that wanted to keep me in that bondage. Now, I'm one of those CHEERLEADERS, jumping up and down, shouting Yay!!! Loving everything that God is doing for them.

That's only one of many things that God has corrected me on. What about you? Has God brought some things to your attention that you continue to ignore? Don't let your flesh rule, why follow after something that is dying, literally. Let the Kingdom of God rule in your heart. Learn to love discipline, since I've been putting that into practice, I've been experiencing more of His abundant blessings in my life. Correction doesn't feel good---it makes you/me better---for His sake and ultimately ours.


Hebrews 12:5-12 NLT
5 And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said, "My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children." 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? 8 If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all.9 Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever ? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening -- it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs.


Blessing To You!

I Have A Testimony...

Hey Everyone,

It's been a while since I've posted.... I've been busy working on a project, not sure how long it will take to complete, but I am SO enjoying this journey and when the time is right I will share it with you. Hope all is well with you and your family and that your 2014 has gotten off to a great start. If you've found yourself losing momentum in accomplishing your goals, just remember that today is a new day and tomorrow is also, you can begin again, but never quit.

Want to give a HUGE! THANKS to my sis - Devonne Franklin Slaton for being my Guest Blogger for January. What a wonderful testimony of God's Grace that she shared with us all "BUT GOD..." We should all be able to say "BUT GOD", so many times He has come to our rescue; intervened on our behalf and He has worked things out for our GOOD. His Grace is unfailing.

This February my very own mother - Mildred Crawford Franklin will be our Special Guest Blogger, looking forward to what she has to say about our Amazing God, the Love of Jesus and the Power of Holy Spirit. Much thanks to my former and upcoming bloggers, I really appreciate you putting yourself out there... sharing your struggles, fears, victories and triumphs. Much LOVE to you.

WE ARE MADE OVERCOMERS BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY (Rev. 12:11). I would like to extend an invitation to some of you that may be interested in being a 'Guest Blogger' or maybe you know someone that should share their story... I would love to hear from you and have you share your story through this blog. If you are interested please message me at Girl Interrupted or Carolyn Franklin.

Blessings to you!

Infinite Possibilities!

Hey Everyone,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I got a text this morning from someone that I didn't know (not in my contacts), but it was a text that I couldn't ignore, it said "Happy New Year 2014!!! Infinite Possibilities!!!" (maybe some of you got that text too) but I was like YES!!!! I receive that. That message really resonated within my Spirit; I'm so excited for this year, mainly because I am open to WHATEVER? God has in store for me.

Don't allow a season to define your entire life
- Christine Caine

In this journey of Infinite Possibilities we can count on having highs and lows, ebbs and flows, ups and downs because that's life, kind of like a frenemy (it will hug you and stab you in the back or kick you in the face and then help you up and leave you dazed and confused wondering what just happened, lol). We can also expect to be stretched and pulled, poked and prodded, bent and maybe even broken all for the sake of discovery-discovering who we REALLY are in Christ Jesus.

Moving Past Your Past
- Christine Caine

Don't live your life with regrets (could-a, should-a, would-a) don't take your life for granted, (our time here is short, even if you live to a young age of 120), forgive (yourself and others), let it go (hurts, pains, disappointments, etc.) and  move on (in the name of JESUS) keep moving. When I think of Infinite Possibilities, I think of a limitless God, who will take me to where I'm suppose to be.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (NLT)

About a week ago I had a conversation with my good friend Angela and we were discussing a young person who is about to embark on college life and he/she already knows what they want to do in life. I thought that was amazing and rare, because how many people really know at that age what it is they want to do IN LIFE, I certainly didn't and at 44 I still don't know, but as a I depend on God for guidance and trust Him, I feel myself finding my way.

The good news is it's not too late to turn back and follow the path God has chosen for your life.
- #LIVEUNDAUNTED

Sometimes we take a detour... take the long way around, because we think we know what is best for us and then one day we wake up only to find ourselves lost or in a stuck position, in the land of misery and unhappiness (I'm talking about myself). So, now I'm on this journey and sometimes it doesn't feel so good, but that's okay, Jesus is with me and for the first time... I'm getting to know Him better and better. Now those that got it right the first time, those that hit the mark... I APPLAUD YOU!!!! STANDING OVATION!!!! and I mean that.

Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. (NLT)

As I reflect over this past year... 2013, I can see God at work in my life. He's taught me to conquer some of my fears, I've gained wisdom and insight pertaining to Hs Word, I've learned to be more observant and non/less judgmental (of others and myself), I've learned to listen more and speak less, I've learned to die to myself (my own desires and wants) which is a daily process in itself, I'v learned to not let others DEFINE me and I've learned to TRUST GOD MORE, not that I hadn't in the past... just MORE.

I've made new friends that I'm thankful for; I've probably said this before, but I'll say it again. When it comes to friends, I have hit the friendship lottery. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by women and men who inspire and encourage me in the ways of God and I can do the same in return, that's AWESOME! As you journey into 2014 don't forsake the Infinite Possibilities because nothing is impossible with God.

Until Next Time, Remember You Are Blessed!