Guard Your Heart and Mind

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are (NLT).

Hey Everyone,

Remember that rough week I told you about in "#enduretotheend" blog post, well everything worked out for my good and for God's Glory. During my time of testing I learned, once again, that I shouldn't take things personally...God is at work and my faith should be on Jesus. Satan tried to steal my joy, my peace, my victory, my focus, but he wasn't successful (Praise God).

Even though the outcome was in my favor and I felt VICTORIOUS and wanted to have my "ROCKY" time or do a happy dance (which I didn't), I remembered to "guard my heart and mind". It would have been real easy for me to go from one extreme to another, the week before it was disappointment, this week it could have been pride and self-righteousness, thank God, I didn't fall into that trap.

A few years ago (around 2007), I was in a season of, let's call it "misunderstanding" between myself and another individual. It took me three years to come out of that thing, I know right! That whole experience taught me a lot about myself and the importance of "guarding my heart and mind", my mind was so set on being right that I was unaware that bitterness had taken root in my heart. When this person did apologize, not that he/she had anything to apologize for, it didn't mattered because that root was so deep. I was no longer clothed in righteousness, but I wore anger, unforgiveness, slander, yeah!, and that's a lot to carry and the Lord let me carry it until I got tired.

This thing consumed me to the point of misery, I went to bed with it, I got up with it, I talked about it constantly, until I just made myself sick on every level - mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. When I did finally make peace with God and with myself, there was still this battle going on within my mind and I had to learn how to "cast down" thoughts, it was a humbling experience. Humility is key, my being right/wrong is not important, it's more important for me to do what's right in the sight of God so that He gets the Glory (recognition).

Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (NLT).

Last week I learned the importance of the "Be Still" moments. It's during those times of anxiousness and  frustrations that we get out of the Will of God, and begin to "lean to our own understanding" and become judgmental and harsh, so "guard your heart and mind" against anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, gossiping, or any evil intentions. The "Be Still" moment is also a time of quiet reflection, when it's just me and God and I give Him honor, exaltation, thanksgiving and reverence for being Almighty God. I'm reminded of just how powerful He is and how weak I am, so be still, remain faithful and you will grow in the grace of God.

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 path. Don't be impressed by your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn your back on evil. Then you will gain renewed health and vitality (NLT).

Psalm 46:10 Be silent (still) and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world (NLT).

John 15:5 Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing (NLT).

One more thing, I learned that God is pruning me, He's cutting away things that are not like Him so that I may be more like Christ and be fruitful in the things of God. Jesus is my life source/power source and apart from Him I can do nothing, but I also know that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." You and I must "guard our hearts and minds" by obeying God's word, being imitators of Christ, always be thankful, live peacefully with one another, and let the love of Christ be your guide. To God be all the Glory.

Until next time, you are BLESSED!

#SETBACKS #REGRETS #REALLY???............#ENDURETOTHEEND

Hebrews 12: 1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. Think about all He endured when sinful people did such terrible things to Him, so that you don't become weary and give up.

* Endurance-the ability to withstand hardship or adversity. (Miriam Websters Dictionary)

Hey Sweetie,

It has been ONE OF THOSE WEEKS.....you know the kind that makes you throw your hands up or makes you want to get in bed and stay there all weekend or binge eat and watch comedies, yeah, its like that. All I can say is, "Lord, I Need You To Help Me."

I'm so hurt and disappointed right now, even though I know I have the victory (Praise God) it doesn't take away the pain. UGH!!! I SOOO HATE feeling this way, I'm trying not to take my frustrations out on anyone and you know it also makes it hard to celebrate with others when they share good news. I feel terrible.

Friday, I was going through the motions, trying not to complain, but I did....trying not to be angry, but I was...trying not to let it consume my every thought, but it has. Why do I always let one bad thing overshadow everything else? So, I feel like I just had, a SETBACK, full of REGRETS, and I'm like REALLY???, but  Holy Spirit is saying to my heart, ENDURE.

Proverbs 4:23, Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.

So, I decided to go into hiding this weekend by staying in my bedroom, separating myself from others, no social media, no phone, no tv, just me, God and my Bible. I've been meditating in the book of Hebrews 11 & 12, reading about faith & endurance and it has given me the power I need to stand in this adversity and KNOW that Jesus is with me.

Now, I've come to this conclusion, "Yes, I had a tough week but I had some wonderful things happen also, the behavior of two of my students on the bus was AWWWWESOME!!! (complete turn around), the blog/fan page is doing really well (thanks everyone for your support and positive feedback) and Jesus still and will always love me-no matter what."

Right now, I choose to give every foul emotion to Jesus and just trust Him and know that everything will work out for my good and for His Glory...my main objective is to stay in His Will and trust Him with the outcome.

Romans 8:28, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. (NLT)

"You are the chosen one", that is what someone told me....she said I was chosen for this situation for a reason and a purpose and that I will be alright and I was like, "I don't know about all that", but....what if I am?  Hmm....

You know, she made me remember that God uses people to accomplish His Will and sometimes it's uncomfortable (kind of like standing to close to the fire) I'm just a vessel He is using to set in motion whatever it is He wants to accomplish. So, I guess I should be grateful that He thought I was worthy of the task and seize this opportunity to grow in Christian knowledge, wisdom, patience and love.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (KJV)

James 1:1-4, Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. (NLT)

Trying to see the "bigger picture" was not difficult once I got my "big head" out of the way, LOL... meaning my way of thinking and putting on the "mind of Christ". People all over this land have endured far more difficult circumstances than I have experienced, this is minor is comparison. Even though it took the whole weekend to get understanding, it was time well spent with God. Hmm...Do you think He allowed this just so I would spend more time with Him? Just a thought, LOL.

#FORHISGLORY

*Oh, I did go to Church today and I did get on FB briefly to post Pastor's sermon and to share this week's blog.

From Mourning To Morning...

"It's another day, that the Lord has kept me. I could have been dead sleeping in my grave, but you made death step back and behave. It's another day, that the Lord has kept me."  My Dad's favorite song to sing.

Hi Sweetie,

You know the expression, "when it rains, it pours", our family was in a downpour for a few years. My mom's youngest brother-Ellis passed away in June 2008, then her other brother-Ernest passed away in October 2009, then her oldest sister-Janie passed away in July 2011, then her closest cousin-Yvonne, who is like a sister passed away August 2011, and then her husband-Curtis (my dad) passed away February 2012 and then her sister-in-law-Betty Jo passed away August 2013. That's just in the immediate family, there were so many cousins that passed along the way as well.

With that being said, we all have a time of mourning in our lives, sometimes it last longer than we would like, but by the Grace of God, He brings us through all things and we hold on to the promise that "joy will come in the morning" Psalm 30:5 and "those that sow in tears shall reap in joy" Psalm 126:5, God's word is true and it brings such comfort during those times. With each trial that we encounter, it is an opportunity to grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord.

Even though as a family we all grieved, it was my mom's endurance through it all that was truly inspiring. She lost (for lack of a better word) her brothers, her sisters and her husband and people would always say, "she's so strong" but she would be the first to say, "it was the strength of the Lord Jesus that carried her through that" because it was a difficult season.

It's so refreshing to know that we are in our morning and reaping joy. In April 2012, my Uncle Ellis son got married to his sweetie (Sean & Alexandria Crawford) and Yvonne's son got married in June 2013 to his sweetheart (Dexter & Kimberly Wimbish) and this month my sister Devonne & Calvin Slaton will welcome their second child into the family. We are expecting a boy and his name will be Collin Curtis Slaton, YAY!!!, looking forward to meeting this little guy.

Only God can restore what has been taken away and He knows when and how to do it. Yes, we miss our loved ones, but we can rejoice because we have the assurance that they are in the presence of God. So, don't let your MORNING pass you by, everyday with Jesus is a time of rejoicing. Even in the tough times, choose to REJOICE!!!! The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Ecclesiaties 3:1 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven".

Until next time, you are BLESSED!

WISDOM....PRICELESS!

Proverbs 3:13-18 says, "Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. For the profit of wisdom is better than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing that you desire can compare with her. She offers you life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her, happy are those who hold her tightly. (NLT)

Hi Sweetie,

Several years ago, I kept having this recurring dream and in this dream I was spitting teeth out of my mouth, more teeth than I actually had. This dream really troubled me because I knew it was from God, but I didn't understand it and I needed to know what God was trying to tell me.

One day I was watching the Joni Show on Daystar Television and she had a guest on by the name of John Paul Jackson and he interprets dreams. Well, someone had submitted a dream and it was similar to mine (loose teeth/spitting out teeth) and what he told the writer just blew my mind, but I knew in my heart he was right. He said, "you have been rejecting Wisdom from God". I felt so convicted in my spirit, all I could do was repent (change my thinking), I knew what it was pertaining to and I could no longer deny it or justify it. I asked God to forgive me and I have not had a dream like that since.

Now, I really do try to make it a priority to seek out Godly Wisdom/Counsel. I don't always know what to do or what is right or even what to say about a particular situation, but I do know that there are others who can see things differently based upon their life experiences, age, gender, but more importantly their relationship with Christ.  YES!, I do have my own personal relationship with Christ, but as you may know our thinking may sometimes become a little cloudy and we don't see everything that we need to see.

The inspiration for this post came about when I was given some Godly Wisdom about a particular matter. Just recently I asked this person for feedback on a certain thing and the response that I received was not the response I was expecting. Have you ever felt like the life had just been sucked right out of you?, well that's how I felt, thank God it didn't take root. If I had allowed Satan to have his way, I would have blown everything out of proportion, my attitude would have been wrong, I would have possibly damaged a friendship, I would have rejected God's Wisdom, and I would have to deal with the consequences of my actions. With that being said, it makes absolutely no sense to ask someone's advice and not listen and think on it.

As I continued to listen to what was being said, I knew without doubt that God was speaking through that individual. Not one time was I made to feel condemned or disrespected or stupid, I actually felt encouraged and loved and I was also reminded that the final decision was mine to make.

* Also, be aware, that the practical wisdom of God is taught in two ways, by our words, by our talk and also by our walk - by the way we live our lives. Our walk encompasses all that we do and say and all that we don't do and don't say.*

Proverbs 1:7 says, "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline". (NLT)

The World's Wisdom is contrary to God's Wisdom, so know the difference. If someone is advising you in a way that does not line up with the Word of God, that is Worldly Wisdom. Godly Wisdom comes from a place of Love and Respect for you, not to harm you or keep you from succeeding in life, but it's to help you succeed in life, as God intended. I'm truly GRATEFUL to have people that I can go to and know that they will speak truth to me, it's real easy to go to someone that you know will tell you what you want to hear, but in the end it has no profit.

Wisdom is not something that you can buy or even earn, it's a gift from God and it's priceless and should be valued as such (1 Corinthians 12:8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another He gives the gift of special knowledge). Pride shuts the door to Wisdom. Pride says, "I have to have it my way, do it my way", it wants control. Sometimes we call it by another name, selfishness/arrogance/ego, but it's still pride. We've all "been there/done that" and later regretted not listening the to wise counsel that was given to protect us from heart ache, disappointment and the consequences that set us back in life.

Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success". (NLT)

My advice to you, seek out Godly Council/Wisdom and also strive to be one who can give Godly Wisdom and you do that by meditating and studying on the word of God, applying His word and living His word,
"DO WHAT YOU KNOW".  Hide the word of God in your heart, let it be a guide for your life, God's word will remain standing in the end and everything else will fall away.

*excerpt from "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George

Until next time remember "You Are Blessed"

Thank You!!!

Hi Sweetie,

Just wanted to take the time to say "Thank You!!!" for your kind and encouraging words, it really means a lot to me, you have been so supportive and it just reaffirms God's plan for all of this. I must confess that when this was placed on my heart I kept putting it off because, I'm not a writer and my life is not all that interesting and I felt that no one would really care about anything I had to say, but God has proven differently. Thank you so much and I love you guys!

In this weeks post, my "Special Guest Blogger" is Minister Dexter Wimbish and you can find him here, here and here.  Minister Wimbish will be talking to us about "Pride & Arrogance" and how it keeps us separated from God. I'm sure that his words will inspire and challenge us all to take a closer look at ourselves and our relationship with God.

In last weeks post, on the "Fit For Life" page, I talked about my "Minor Setback" and it got me to thinking about the "Spiritual Setback" we sometimes have. Well, I had one a few months ago and to me it was a big deal, so it wasn't pretty and I had been contemplating whether or not I would share this, because I'm a little sensitive about it and I also, don't want to offend anyone. I WILL tell you about it, just not today, hopefully next week. Ugh! I'm still a little undecided.

I AM A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER

Hi Sweetie,

That’s my occupation, I figure that I am in this place for a season and for a reason.  So, therefore I am open to whatever it is God wants to do in my life and let me tell you, I didn’t come to this conclusion easily. It took 7 months (started making this transition in April 2013), there was a lot of pouting, trying to get out of it and meltdowns along the way and after all that I finally decided to surrender and trust God’s guidance in this. Once again fear was trying to rule in my life and it did for a while. It took faith to quit my job and it took faith to start a new one, now when I feel fearful, I tell myself “NO FEAR. JUST FAITH”.

Just got through washing GRACE.

Every morning as I walk around inspecting the bus, I pray and thank God for being with me and for dispatching his angels to be with us and to protect us. I thank Him for His Presence and for Grace and His Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding to do this job for HIS GLORY.

GRACE, that’s the name of my school bus because there is no way I can do this job without the Grace of Jesus. In the past I have always known that, but honestly I put a lot of trust in my own abilities to do things and get things done, not this time, hopefully not ever again.

This has got to be the most challenging job I have ever had, mainly because I can’t control every situation. I am dealing with 40+ different personalities and “crisis”. Not only is it a major responsibility to get these kids safely to school and back home again, but I am also “The Mom”.  I am expected to take care of their needs and discipline them if necessary. Sometimes they like me and sometimes, not so much. I don’t play favorites and I don’t mind “calling you out”, but I do believe they respect me. I had to “learn” each child and what I mean by that is, I know which ones are sneaky, bossy, quiet, the instigators, those that will look you in your face and LIE, the sleepers, the whistleblowers/informants and those that are dependable. I have to say that there is one added benefit to doing this job and it is the fact that the route is in the community that I live and grew up in and I know some of the kid’s parents/grandparents and that is a bonus that some drivers don’t have.

I've only been driving for two months, but it feels like two years. During the course of a week, this is what I know to expect, someone is going to pass gas (they just do-don’t know why), a cute brown Chihuahua is going to challenge my bus head on (and I always have to stop), someone one is going to call me Ms. Bus Driver (even though they know my name), someone is going to cry (it’s not me) and someone is going to yell “shut up” (still not me). Sometimes they have me SMH and LOL, but I try not to let  them see it. At the end of every route I thank God for safety and protection and remind Him that it was all for His Glory.

Jesse Crawford, Jr.

Oh, quick little story about my grandfather Jesse. He was also a school bus driver and he had a reputation of putting kids off the bus (and it wasn't just at school or at home) where ever they acted up at, is where they got off at.    Mr. Crawford/Mr. Jesse was a well respected man and people knew to take him seriously.

I did have the privilege of riding the bus with him as a little girl and I remember this tall, thin man, in denim overalls standing outside the bus on the school grounds and he would usually have a snack for me, a bag of Bugles and I would sit on top of his CB Radio and eat them as we went down the road. When I wasn't on top of the radio I was always in the seat right behind him, he didn't smile much or say a whole lot, but I knew he loved me and I loved him.

VISION

Hi Sweetie,

I know I was going to tell you about my new job, but I will do that next week. Something happened to me on Sunday night (last week) the same day that I launched the blog.

It was after 10 o’clock, I was in bed, but I could not fall asleep, my mind was racing over this blog. Truth is, I was confused, I felt good about it and then I was like “I don’t know if I should do this” just conflicted. Then I turned over and looked at the clock and it was almost Midnight, Ugh!!!! I have to be up a 5a.m. 

Anyway I am finally relaxing and I have what seems like a 2 second vision.  I say it was a vision because my mind was still going and this flashed before my mind out of nowhere and then it was over. That has never happened to me before, but I would compare it to your life flashing before your eyes and that has happened to me once.

Okay, this is what I saw. I was sitting at the table at an angle facing the sitting room, I saw my dad (who passed away in February 2012) he had on his navy blue coveralls, work boots, camouflage coat and fishing cap that says “BORN TO FISH HAVE TO WORK”. He was walking towards me (his walk was strong and he had a smile on his face) and he tossed me a set of keys and I caught them and the vision was over. And I was like, “where did that come from?” it totally caught me off guard. I got all teary eyed because he had not been heavy on my heart or mind but he showed up. Not long after that I fell asleep.

It was actually the next morning that I realized that it was a vision and there was some meaning to it. I don’t want to lean to my own understanding, but I take it as confirmation that I am in the will of God. The wonderful thing is that he let me see my dad, he never said a word, he just smiled at me. 

Me & Dad

Time will reveal.