HIT'EM BACK!

Scenario: I had to write-up two of my students for hitting (one is a 1st grader, the other a Pre-K) so I decided to have a little discussion with all of my Elementary and Pre-K students.

Me: What are you supposed to do if someone hits you?

Students: (in unison) Hit’em back.

Me: No, No, No,No.

Students: Well, that’s what my momma said. And that’s what my daddy said.

Me: (silently to myself) Oh, Lord.

Hey Everyone. Hope you are having a wonderful day. For those of you who may not know, I’m a School Bus Driver. This is my second year; it’s been by the Grace of God that I can say; I love what I do. Although, the whole training process and the first few months of driving was truly a challenge, my consolation was knowing Jesus was with me every mile of the way and I do mean every mile of the way… WON'T HE DO IT!

How did you like my little Scenario? Unfortunately, it's true. This is the advice children are being given by their parents, I'm pretty sure they were given that very same advice as children, also. I know because my dad once told me the same thing, while my mom was in the background saying, "no that is not how you handle it, you let a teacher know or someone in authority so she or he can resolve it." People who think like my dad (who meant well); must come to realize those playground tactics don’t work anymore; it only brings about serious consequences that no one is really prepared to face.

When it comes to my students there will always be treason's (snitching), 5 minute wars and small fires to extinguish. My Middle Schoolers can be a little iffy at time; my High Schoolers are pretty laid back, they don't require as much attention. Now--- my Elementary Kids... OMGosh they are SOOO DRAMATIC!!! There's never a dull moment, it only takes one of them to take what could have been a tranquil bus ride--- down the path of catastrophe--- sometimes all I can do is shake my head, but once the heavy rains of the monsoon have subsided, I'm then able to reason with them which is no easy feat. It's difficult to get children to understand and do what most adults won't do... turn the other cheek, but I will say this about children; once they're done pouting, they go back to what they were doing as if nothing ever happened.

Handle your business?

"Carolyn, sometimes you just gotta handle your business or you will keep getting bullied and pushed around, mistreated, abused... if you want respect you've gotta demand it, you gotta fight for it." But, if you have to fight for it, is it really respect? I'm also aware that there are varying degrees of tolerance, and I don't believe God wants any of us in an abusive situation, whether it's physically or verbally... that's not what I'm referring to. Nor, am I relating this to helpless, defenseless kids who are being threatened/hit and need a grownup's involvement for protection.

My Way or God's Way...

This is a message for "MATURE" Christians, regardless of age, I say that because there are young people who demonstrate christian maturity and faith better than most adults. AMEN!!! There is a right way and a wrong way to handle anything... we may need to adjust our tone of voice, be conscious of our facial expression, watch our body language, listen more than we speak. Just a few, small preventative measures will keep molehills from becoming mountains. Now, I know that it may not always be that simple, some people are just Hell bent on making your day miserable, but they can only succeed if we give them the power and right to do so. Situations are going to arise on a daily basis and TEST us beyond our limits, but remember we serve a limitless God.

Doing things our Father's way can be a hard pill to swallow, it's hard because His Ways are humbling us. He's not trying to get us beat up or leave us defeated and humiliated, He's showing us a better way of living. He's PREPARING us for things to come. As Stephen was being stoned to death, he prayed for the ones who were stoning him, which was only possible because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. ARE YOU FILLED HOLY SPIRIT FILLED? That stubborn pride in all of us, a.k.a our evil nature can be a hard task master, but we must never forget who the real enemy is... Satan. (Satan is our enemy and I will remind us all of that again by the end of this post).

 The solution to our problems is loving and praying for our enemies, which I must confess seems easy until I have to do it. BEFORE Christ hung on the cross, He was loving and praying for us, AS Christ hung on the cross, He was loving and praying for us. If God had not been drawing us to Him, we would not be able to call ourselves Christians, we would still be an enemy to God, it hurts to even think of myself as an enemy to God, but I was. In a sense, I believe that is why He requires us to this burdensome thing. He's making us more like Christ.

In order for us to do what Christ is asking us to do, we must be Born-Again. My stance is this, Christ wants us to TRUST and REST in what He has already done for us (the FINISHED work of the Cross). It takes faith in Christ to turn the other cheek, to walk-away, to keep silent, to speak, to give. to do anything really. Let us not allow our fleshly emotions to Rule in us, but let Christ Reign instead. I tell my students this regularly,"once you retaliate you are now just as guilty as the other person, I can not defend your actions", in essence this is what God is saying to us, if we repay a sinful action with another sinful action, we unwittingly restrain Him from helping us... because God hates sin.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (NIV)

Do what God says do and leave the consequences up to Him. - Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love YOUR enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what REWARD will you get? Are not even the TAX collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(NIV)

 What does it mean to turn the other cheek?

Observation and the word of God has brought me to this conclusion. We live in a fallen world, it's evident within our families. We all come up short from time to time; just miss the mark completely and we need our Father's grace and mercy to get us back on course. Sometimes we end up giving our very last to help someone. We may even have to give up our "rights" for the sake of peace. Be kind to those who are gossiping about you. Try not to take things literally or personally, that individual may be having a bad day or received some bad news. Be compassionate. We will have disagreements, so just "agree to disagree" but never fall out with anyone. If someone comes at me, I've discovered that three sincere words will cause that individual to pull back and that's "are you okay?" Paul said, "if it be possible we should try to live peaceably with one another." With help from Holy Spirit and total surrender on our part it is possible to turn the other cheek. All things are possible with Christ.

I'm reminded of a story Dr. Creflo Dollar shared: He said, he was in a convenient store and the clerk had a nasty attitude, just mean. He had taken offense to her behavior, and as he was leaving God spoke to his heart, God told him to give the clerk $100's and of course he didn't want to do it because of her behavior towards him. But he yielded to Holy Spirit, he went back to the clerk and told her "that God wanted her to have this $100." She broke down and cried because she had been so overwhelmed, stressed over her finances and that amount was what she needed.

God works through people AND satan works through people, too. But it's our Christian responsibility to always be in a position to hear what He is saying to us. I take it as an honor for my Father to use me to carry out His Will, but if I'm fussing, cussing, fighting, and acting ugly... there is no honor in that and my Father can't use that. Our life is not our own (it's time for Christians to get rid of that notion). OUR LIFE IS NOT OUR OWN! This NEW LIFE belongs to God and we live for our Heavenly Father. If you're not sure about how to do that I suggest (1) seeking out someone who is truly following in the ways of Christ, they will tell you what God says, not what they think. (2) A Church that teaches Godly Principles, teaches Christ Crucified, teaches the Power of Holy Spirit. (3) Attend Sunday School and Bible Study, regularly. (4) Invest in a Study Bible that you can easily comprehend. (5) Ask questions. (6) Pray for and love one another, especially your enemies.

Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.(NIV)

Why do I have to turn the other cheek?

As Christians, you can believe that people are watching to see how we handle ourselves when the heat gets turned up. Are we going to be like the Devil or be like Christ? Will we fool heartedly lean to our own understanding or follow after ill-advised wisdom or allow pride to manifest itself in our heart. Our flesh tells us to retaliate by any means necessary, but God tells us to demonstrate love, mercy, kindness, joyfulness, patience, humility, goodness, and faithfulness (Galatians 5:22-23).

The act of love covers a multitude of sins. When I think about it now, I’m not turning the other cheek because I love that person, but because God loves me and I love Him AND!!! He also loves that other individual (why woudn't He) AND!!! that is what drives me to love that person in return, therefore causing me to act accordingly to His word. Turning the other cheek... frees us, keeps us from becoming entangled in sin, ensnared by the real enemies (Satan and his demons) devices.

Our Father wants us to trust Him to deal with His creation in His own way and in His own time. Sometimes we forget that we are His creation and He loves us all. He made the ultimate sacrifice for the entire human race, God sent His only Son into the world to die for OUR sins. Jesus took the wrath of OUR punishment. When we accept the gift of Salvation that comes through Christ we then become a New Creation (Born-Again) with a new spirit, now we see God as Father and we also see things as He sees it, with spiritual insight.

"If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also." Some might argue that this is pretty extreme and that's not what He meant, but Jesus was slapped on two occasions and He could have called a legion of Angels to His defense... but He didn't. If it weren't possible for us to live as Christ lived, He would not of asked us to do so. He would not have empowered us to do so, through Holy Spirit. Christians are being persecuted throughout this land for their faith in Christ. Christians are having to meet in secret in order to worship together. Christians are being tortured and killed. Christians are giving up their rights because of intolerant people. WHY? WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS IF IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO TURN THE OTHER CHEEK?

It is only when we surrender to our Father's Will, that He removes the "difficult" and replaces it with His "PEACE". It's His PEACE  that is far above human understanding. It is my prayer that we (Christians) will be able to stand boldly in the face of persecution when it comes our way, we will only be able to stand if we have HOLY SPIRIT living inside of us. "For greater is HE that is in us than he that is in the world."

John 18:19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said." 22 when Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded. 23 "If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. (NIV)

Luke 22:63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" 65 And they said many other insulting things to him.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. - Mahatma Gandhi

You know one of the hardest things to do when someone does us wrong is “to let it go” we will harbor on that thing until the sun goes down and the only people that are willing to listen are those who will fan the flames of confusion rather than quench it; but even they will eventually get sick of the “woe is me” and just won’t it to be over. Trying to stay upset with someone for the sake of being "right" is exhausting, but thank God we do finally come to the end of ourselves... it's then we can confess, apologize, repent (having a change of heart and mind) and move on.

1 Peter 3:9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t snap back at those who say unkind things about you. Instead, pray for God’s help for them, for we are to be kind to others, and God will bless us for it. 10 If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. 11 Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it! 12 For the Lord is watching his children, listening to their prayers; but the Lord’s face is hard against those who do evil. 13 Usually no one will hurt you for wanting to do good. 14 But even if they should, you are to be envied, for God will reward you for it. 15 Quietly trust yourself to Christ your 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)

How is your relationship with Jesus?

I ask this question because it is a question that every confessing Follower of Christ should ask him/herself. Our relationship with Jesus is more valuable than any other relationship there is. If we value Him, we value His Word, we surrender to His Word of Truth. and we allow that Word to guide us throughout the day. We must become the type of Christian who stands on God's Word even when it's difficult. The world needs to see Christians living like Christians. If we can not handle minor pressures (with Holy Spirit helping us), will we be able to stand when the heavy hand of persecution subjects itself? We should not be second guessing our SALVATION, every BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER should be able to say without any doubt, "when I step into eternity, I will be with Jesus forever." Can you say that?

This post is intended to Inspire, Encourage, and Motivate. To help us all get our FOCUS back on Christ and the importance of being a Christian. Until Next Time...

Love & Blessings xo

* I say, God's Creation because WE ARE ALL HIS CREATION. We don't become HIS CHILDREN until we are BORN-AGAIN, that is FAITH THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. 

So... Whatcha' Got Planned?

Hey Everyone… this week has been overcast, drizzly and dreary with a slight chill in the air which makes me long for a cup of hot chocolate accompanied by a really large marshmallow; PJ’s and throw blanket included and since I’m on a roll I may as well lay back and watch a heart-warming film on Netflix… What? Like you wouldn’t? Well, that’s my plan and I’m sticking to it… maybe.

Sooo… whatcha’ got planned?

The dreaded question, although simple; I use to hate it, mainly because I never had any plans, NEVER---EVER. It made me look like I had no life, *ahem* excuse me… it confirmed that I had no life outside of work or church. Just the same ole-same ole; day in-day out, mundane kind of thing. Albeit, a cup of hot chocolate, etc., seems like much-a-do about nothing, chillaxin’ does require some creative initiative, it doesn’t just happen. Okay, maybe for some this comes quite naturally, but effort is still required.

So what’s my point? It’s cool to make plans, no matter how over the top, elaborate, fireworks bursting in air, BEST-DAY-EVER!!! WOO HOO!!!... to the laid back, meditating, not worried about a thing, resting in the Lord ‘cuz He’s got me covered… I like that plan.

But seriously, life is more than making plans or living for the weekend. Some of us will be blessed with a long life and some of us; not so long, but still blessed. So what we do with our time is very important, we need to be efficient stewards with the time our Father has given to us. This year, I will be 46 years old… I know I can hardly believe it myself. That’s 16,801 days old; it’s also 403,227 hours lived; that’s some perspective, huh? I always find myself saying; “the week has gone by so fast” “the year went by so fast”. I guess the question I should really ask myself is, “what am I doing with my time?” “What is my purpose in life?” “Do my plans come into agreement with God’s plan?”

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KINDGOM OF GOD

Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

The best laid plans come from our Father, after all He’s the one with the plan and purpose for our lives, right? He’s compelled us throughout the ages to trust Him; to ask, seek, and knock; to acknowledge Him in all our ways: to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. It’s in Him that we live, move, breathe and have our being; apart from Him we can do nothing.  Our Father is the one who is Always Present, All Powerful, and All Knowing… sounds good to me, but why do I fight so hard against it.

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)

So, what do I do when God throws a monkey wrench in my plans?

Confession… I throw a natural fit until I come to my Spiritual-Christ Minded Senses. Every now and again… but very-very-very far in-between I become that pouty, temper-tantrum, what the what, woe is me, you have got to be kidding, crying on the inside, spasm on the outside child of God. I never did that with my parents, but for some obscure reason I do that with God. Now, in my defense I’ve come to realize that there is some stuff in my heart that needed to be worked out; crucified, so therefore anything that must be put to death will be painful, hence the fits.  So, I’ve learned not to be hard on myself when I have those “come to Jesus” moments because at the end of the day it was all for my good; God’s perfect plan prevails, yet again and I’m GRATEFUL.

Proverbs 19:21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. (NLT)

STORY TIME: I took a day trip which was 4 hours one way and 4 hours back for a total of 8 hours. Half way back I get a call from someone who was in distress, they were going where I had just come from; there vehicle broke down on the interstate and they needed help getting someone to where… like I said, I had just come from. Me, being the Christian that I am said, “sure, no problem”….. NOT!!!! My response was “ummm….okay” she told me where she was and I hung up my cell. That’s when I began to give God the Glory for choosing me to do this service for someone who was in desperate need of help…. NOT!!!! That’s when I threw a fit because after all…. I HAD A PLAN AND A SCHEDULE TO KEEP.

You see, my plan was this: I left home at 5am in the morning so that I could get back home by 2 pm that afternoon. I’m that type of person who likes to stick to a plan; did I say I had a schedule to keep… that is how I roll, because I was in control.  So, after I throw my fit driving down the interstate I begin working behind the scenes trying to get in contact with some others who were still down that way; hoping and praying that they would surely do this good deed because that would be loving thy neighbor as thyself, right.

Well, God had other plans and He reminded me of that in His ever-so loving gentle way. Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “Do you remember, when you said you would do anything I asked of you even if it meant re-arranging your whole day?” That’s when I said. “Lord, you are so right, I’m sorry.” NOT!!!! I continued with my tantrum, knowing the whole time I was going to do it… I was careful, not to let these people see my less than pleased/unwillingness to do this... attitude.

Once, I managed to find where they were, I picked up the individual, took her back to where I came from; then I went back to where the others were broke down at; waited for the tow truck to come; followed them to where the vehicle was being towed; then we ended up being stuck in traffic; then we made it to the location, waited around some more for details about the vehicle; then we finally got back on the road towards home; I dropped them off; and it was around 9pm when I got home.

Proverbs 16:9 We can make our plans but the Lord determines our steps. (NLT)

This was so hard for me to do, but it shouldn’t have been because I’m a Christian and we are not supposed to act like that, right? That incident stuck with me for days, is it okay for me to say I was POED. Just so you know, that was about two years ago, I did repent and my heart soon softened.
That whole experience taught me that I was not where I thought I was spiritually, I'm glad My Father used that event in my life; it was certainly a teachable moment and I thank God for is grace and mercy towards me and for trusting me to do the honorable thing, even though it was hard.

I share this story to say, our lives should not be about ourselves or our own selfish-ambitions or our own plans or goals. Although it is okay to make plans, our plans should never trump God’s plan, He knows what’s best for everyone and I’m glad He does… because sometimes I don’t have a clue, but He did leave us the Bible and Holy Spirit to help with any situation.

So people, whatever it is you are doing with the time our Father has given you, be mindful to let everything you do be for His GLORY. Until next time...

Love & Blessings xo

JOURNEY... CONTINUES

Hey Everyone, Yesterday was the last day of my "40 Day Journey". There were quiet a few rainy days on this journey, literally and figuratively.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

It is my desire to honor God with my entire being... Mind, Body & Spirit. I usually falter in one area and remain strong in another, but I would like for all three to be cohesive, it's not impossible, just takes more discipline and commitment and help from Holy Spirit. The most valuable thing I learned was, as long as I keep the love of Christ in my heart; that my true, authentic self would be revealed to others. It should be every Christian’s goal to be more like Jesus.

There’s this quote that says, “Telling someone to be themselves is not always the best advice”. That is so true, if we're not grounded in Christ, things can get ugly real quick, being a Disciple/Follower of Christ requires us denying ourselves and usually that's the one thing we don't want to do, even the most laid back easy going person can get his or her feather's ruffled from time to time. I, myself have been know to throw a temper tantrum or two in the face of God, pouting and crying because I didn't want to do the right Christian thing, mainly because it inconvenienced me. We should never let pride come between us and Jesus.

The love of Jesus has brought me a long way and I say that not in comparison to someone else but in comparison to Jesus and His Holy Word only. He has brought so much joy, peace. patience, and self-control into my life, which can be interrupted or refashioned into something dreadful at the drop of a hat if I'm not careful... careful to guard my heart. Please know that I say this not to boast in myself, but to boast in my Lord and Savior.

If we continue to guard our hearts and think on things that are right, lovely and pure, those challenges that we face won't be as difficult as we make them out to be. God has given us His Spirit through Christ Jesus to live a VICTORIOUS life, we only need to yield to Him. Does that make the Christian journey any easier? Of course not, it may even require your life... literally require your life, but it should already be purposed in every Believers heart and mind, that He's worth dying for. When He took our sins upon Himself and died in our place, He did it because we were worth it. Know your worth!

***UPDATE: This 40 Day Journey was a fasting of my MIND, BODY & SPIRIT. One of the things that I want to get in order is my finances, I only have one debt and I want to pay that off within three years. It will be difficult, but not impossible;  I'm also trusting that I will get a part-time job to accompany the one I already have. I've got my crochet business (one woman operation), I'm grateful for what I was able to accomplish last year with a lot of help from my sister. My overall health is important to me, I want to be physically able to do all I can for the Kingdom of God and it is my desire to stay steadfast in the word of God and prayer. I will do all that I can and let God do the rest. Until next time...

Love & Blessings xo

JOURNEY... DAY 27

Hey Everyone, Hope all is well with you and your family; my family is well. Today I woke up feeling some “kind of way”… I sort of touched on it in yesterday’s post… about living with expectancy in our hearts for Jesus. I don’t know, maybe it’s anxiety or an anxiousness that something good is about to happen, it may not be today, but perhaps some time down the road… I feel really good and I haven’t had any caffeine.

The other day I received a Father’s Blessing from John Paul Jackson who passed away on February 18^th, it is a beautiful blessing spoken over whosoever and as of yesterday I reminded myself to speak blessings over myself (family and others), I need this in my life and I’ve been feeling inspired and loved by God. 

A Father's Blessing from John Paul Jackson

A few things stand out… When I prayed, I prayed over this blog; I had to catch myself because I called it a “little blog” and I want to be careful not to downplay anything that God is doing, I also prayed over my crochet business and for the first time I called it a “business"… if I’m expecting God to do “exceedingly and abundantly above all I can ask or think”, I should not be minimizing what He can do in my life.

I’ve also asked Father God to help me write these books that are in my heart, to give me that creative writing ability that will hold the people’s attention, make them think and in turn give God the glory… I know that I cannot do this without Him, what would be the point in that… He makes everything better. 

My life is full of possibilities and opportunities and I want to take advantage of them all, it was also my prayer for Him to surround me with people who want God’s best for me; and to surround me with people that He can use to position me to be, where I need to be. I even asked Him to restore the mindless, restless, wasted years I spent relying on my own abilities instead of seeking after His Kingdom and His righteousness. It is also my desire to be a blessing to others, in what ever way I can. When it comes to the Kingdom of God, no effort is too small. If you haven't been speaking the word and promises of God over your life, I hope you will begin to do so. 

This week I will be in the Book of John and 1st 2nd and 3rd John. Until next time...

Love & Blessings xo

JOURNEY... DAY 26

Hey Everyone, This is day 26 of my 40 Day Journey. What I like about this quest is that it forces me to live in the moment, be more aware of things, people, my surroundings, my thoughts. There have been times that I’ve been inspired for what is to come, even if it’s a few weeks, months or even years down the road; and yes, I know that I can’t predict if I will be here by the end of the day, but we never stop moving forward with aspirations of doing great things for our Lord, living out dreams we didn’t even know we had, or harnessing the gifts that have been placed inside of us… living with expectancy in our hearts while following after Jesus.

This summation comes after reading the Book of Ecclesiastes and Ruth. If you don’t read Solomon’s writings with and an understanding Spirit (Holy Spirit), it would send anyone into a downward spiral of depression and a whole lotta “woe is me”. He goes on to tell us how life is meaningless, there is nothing new under the sun, how everything you have worked for goes to someone else. The most optimistic person would quickly become a pessimist, so you may as well eat, drink and be merry; well, that’s what Solomon said, and I totally get it.

If we are living this God-given life to satisfy ourselves, it is meaningless because this life is so much bigger than one’s self. Just look into the heavens: the sun, moon, stars, clouds, rain, snow, lightning, thunder, wind, seasons, trees, animals, babies… none of this is happening on its own, this is not an accident. There is a magnificent God who is THE CREATOR of if all, every Believer who comes to Him through Jesus knows this.

The Book of Ruth, showed me a servants heart, a willingness to put someone above her own needs. She told Naomi, "your God will become my God and your people will become my people", it was the God that Naomi served that compelled her to stay with her and dwell among her people even though she could have been shunned by them, it took faith for Ruth to leave behind her family and all that was familiar to her. By her being a Moabite there was no guarantee that any man would want to marry her, the Moabite people were looked down upon by the Israelites. Ruth gave up her own desires to follow after God, our Father honored her display of faith. Ruth is one of four women mentioned in the lineage of Christ, the others are Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba (Matthew 1:1-16) Lineage of Jesus 

Ruth honored God with her life and in doing so, God honored her; isn't that wonderful. We should all want to live a meaningful life and the only way to do that is to live for God. Mother Teresa comes to mind, she gave up everything to do as Christ commanded and that was to look after the poor and downtrodden and we still speak favorable of her today. 

We are all living on borrowed time, our time here is short-lived and we waste so much of that valuable time doing nothing or pursuing everything without clear direction. Chasing after what is supposedly “The American Dream” instead of chasing after the one who is the “giver of dreams”. We want our plans and purpose for life to trump God’s plan and purpose for us, it’s only when we stop trying to have and do things our way that we truly find happiness and that happiness is not in what the world can give us, but in what God wants to do in us.

Do you want a "Meaningless" life or an "Honorable" life? Make Christ Lord of your life, until next time...

Love & Blessings xo

JOURNEY... DAY 19

Hey Everyone, It is another day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad! Do you ever wonder why He tells us to rejoice and be glad? Every day is not filled will joy and happiness. If we were to be honest with ourselves; we would see that most of our days are filled with stress, worries, fears, anxieties, mixed emotions, confusion, disappointment, sadness, disillusions, heartache, sorrow… but not much joy. In retrospect I guess He’s not really telling us to rejoice but to choose to rejoice in-spite of our current circumstances, whether it is, permanent or temporary. Life is hard… and it’s difficult, things change in a moment’s time… just like that our lives are altered by some event.

Young girl riding her bike.

Last night I was watching a documentary “Half the sky” by Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof. It’s about young girls throughout the world who are restricted from the most basic common things that we take for granted… such as education and women’s rights. There whole life they have been taught that they are worthless, that they have no value, yet these young girls grow to become women who birth a nation, a nation of men who say, “you’re worthless.” That’s why it angers me when I see people, especially girls and women demeaning themselves, calling one another B****** like it’s a term of endearment, it’s stupidity at its highest form.

Our women are watching what I call RATCHED TV  and they find this entertaining… its degradation. You know I can understand the world partaking in stuff like this, but not Christians… not when Christ has called us to be like Him… not when He has paid such a high price for our freedom. We are to warn others of these pitfalls in life, these “little snares” that cause people to stumble. They (the world) are watching us, they are watching our behaviors as Christians, we’re supposed to stand out, because He’s called us out of the world (live in the world, but do not be a part of the world). There's this quotation by Mahatma Ghandi, he said "I would have become a Christian if I hadn't met one." I hope he changed his mind.

It was not my intent to go there, my point was; one of these girls lived in poverty, she looked to be about 14 or 15, her father would beat her, she was out on the streets selling lottery tickets to make money for the family and if she didn’t sell enough; he would sometimes beat her and if she sold enough… maybe just maybe he would give her some of the money and she would use it for her education, so that she could go to school. She was living in conditions that we wouldn’t choose for ourselves or anyone else… but this girl had the most beautiful smile; she chose to smile even though her eyes were sad, she chose to be happy; with the hope that things will not always be this way.

What choices are you making today? Are they the kinds of choices that reflect Christ? Are they the kinds of choices that put others above yourself? Have you encouraged someone along the way? Are you having a pity party for yourself? Are you using your difficulties in life to strengthen someone else? Are you being Light in dark places? Are you being Salt that brings healing?

Sometimes we get so caught up in what we want to do, we never take the time to ask Christ, what it is He wants us to do. After all He’s the one with the Plan, right. He’s the one who holds our Purpose. He’s got all the answers for our lives. Yet, we don’t always acknowledge Him in our day to day existence. Make a choice to rejoice (the joy of the Lord is our strength), it’s in our rejoicing that He reveals Himself more and more.

During this journey, I find myself becoming even more tender-hearted and I don’t want this feeling to end… well, I know it doesn’t have to end. His presence has become clear so me and I want more of Him, I want to be His hands and feet, I want my touch to bring healing to someone’s soul, I want to be like Christ. Do you want to be like Christ?

Love & Blessings xo

*Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I would have been a Christian if I hadn’t met one.” Before leading the revolution in India, he was exiled in Africa. There, he was seeking the Lord, reading the New Testament. He had become convinced that Christianity was the true religion and that Jesus was the Christ. He decided to attend a Presbyterian church service for the purpose of confessing Jesus as his Lord. But, because of the color of his skin, they wouldn’t let him in. Those people who were so determined to evangelize did not have enough of the nature of God on the inside to look past his color. He then led 750 million people into a pagan religion. On a trip to India some years ago, I learned there were 12,000 Methodists in the city of Ahmedabad, the result of a great revival in the 1890s. When I asked the head of the church in that city how many were truly born again, he responded by saying it was only two or three families. The rest were still worshiping other gods. All they had done was add Jesus to their list of gods to make sure they didn’t miss one. They were obviously not disciples. To those in India, Jesus was just another of the thousands of gods. That is not God’s idea of evangelism.

You can read entire article here: Discipleship vs. Evangelism

Find out more about "Half the sky" and Half the sky movement

JOURNEY... DAY 18

Hey Everyone! I'm finally over this sinus cold, praise God, almost two weeks dealing with that... still have a little cough but not as bad. It seems like this cold weather is wreaking havoc on my body, everything wants to ache or hurt... what is up with that? Sorry, for not posting consistently, just didn't feel up to it and then I also-kinda fell into lazy mode... again. We all have those moments right...but they shouldn't last long. So... here's what's going on with me.

Well, I said this would be a journey right… trying to figure things out takes a little time and a whole lot of determination. It was my plan to start the liquid fast on Day 7, which was a Friday… so that Friday and Saturday I felt really good, I’ve got this in the bag because everyone knows the first day is the hardest and I made it over that hurdle, yay me! Now, Sunday roles around and the inevitable question was asked, “What do you want for dinner”, in my head I was saying, “nothing, I’m fasting” what came out of my mouth was, “Chinese food”… so begins my demise. What can I say?... it was good though.

This is how I feel.

But, I try not to let little setbacks be the end all… I'm trying to focus on what has been accomplished, there is so much more that I want to apply during the course of this journey, fasting is just a part of it. Let’s face it, I pretty much bombed at the liquid fast, but I excelled at fasting from evening to evening… I would go all day with only liquids and eat a meal between 5 & 7pm, which is working pretty well, so I’m probably going to stick with that.

There are some other things that I’m pleased about… my prayer life has become better, I’m staying on budget; I’ve completed the Book of Ecclesiastes and will start on the Book of Ruth... TODAY. Another thing is, I’ve begun keeping a “To Do List” AGAIN. A list really helps me to stay on track and besides, it fun checking off the little things I was able to finish during the day and we know that, it’s the little things that pile up to a big overwhelming mess, that's what makes us not want to do anything… well me anyway.

Oh! Before I forget, I am so proud of myself. I cleaned my room this past weekend, yay! Normally my room is a tidy mess, you probably can’t relate J I’m not into Feng Sui or anything, but I do believe that every room has an energy and it’s the energy that I or someone brings into it. Since, I’m the only person in my room and spend about 95% of my time in there; it was my own energy that needed fixing.

I really don’t like for stuff to be in the corners of my room, yet every corner of my room had something in it. My club chair had crocheted scarves on it, there was fabric on the side wall and at the foot of my bed, my nightstand, vanity, and desk were all cluttered, junk drawers were full, there were shoes under the bed and my closet was packed with clothes that I haven’t worn in a very long time. Did you notice I described my room in past tense, I completely purged my bedroom… and now I can EXHALE! The flow is amazing! I’m actually sitting at my desk typing up this post. EXHALE!

There is so much that I want to tell you, but I will share more on tomorrow. Until then...

Love & Blessings xo