Before I had a personal relationship with Jesus, I would hold in feelings of sorrow over painful events because the emotions were so overwhelming that I chose not to face them. I thought the best thing to do was to bury my emotions and get on with the practical duties of living. I dodged the pain because I was afraid of despair. Then a good friend of mine died and I could not bury my emotions, I was devastated. If you have lost a loved one to death, you know that it is a painful experience. I did not want to hear he was in a better place. My friend was gone. How could God take someone so good? I remember one night walking the floor and talking to God. I was angry. I wanted answers. I cried and I let God know exactly how I felt. I did not get answers then, but I did feel better afterwards and at the time I thought it was because I had given God a “piece of my mind”. I know now I felt better because God had given me something, comfort. After coming to know the Lord and the truth of His Word, I know that when we feel pure sorrow it does not mean we have lost faith. God does not get mad when we ask questions. Look at Job, not only did God not punish him, he blessed him double. Sorrow is an emotion, not a sin. As I said, before I knew Jesus I would hold my pain of loss in because I was afraid of despair, without the Lord, there is only despair. Despair means no hope. In 2 Cor. 4:8, the Apostle Paul writes, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.” He never claimed he was not sad, only that he was not despairing, not losing hope. There is nothing wrong with pure sorrow over the pain of suffering or loss. Sorrow must be allowed to take its course. Sorrow is inevitable; but unlike despair, there is hope. Because there is always comfort, in time, and the grace to go on. I know God is good and everything good comes from Him. I also know that He is in control, and nothing surprises Him. When bad things happen, I still have questions. Why does God allow bad things to happen? I don’t know. What I do know is I rather trust God and have Him with me than live in this cruel world without Him. I know I could not bear it. Nothing in life can prepare us for the death of a loved one. Whether death results from a sudden accident, a sustained illness, whether they slip away peacefully while sleeping, or a terrible horrific tragedy, it will always catch us off-guard. Death is so deeply personal and so final; nothing can emotionally prepare us for its arrival. With every death, there is a loss, and with every loss, there will be grief. No one likes to think or talk about death. I’m at a place where the thought of death does not scare me anymore, because I know Jesus dying defeated death. I have eternal life. However, I still grieve when I suffer loss. This is heavy on my mind because a sister of mine is dealing with sorrow and grief. My heart aches for her. She too has questions. She is not sure what to believe or who to trust, even God. Her feelings are real and to simply dismiss them and say take it to God or God does not make mistakes, is not enough for her right now. I understand. I say to her take one day at a time, and if need be one breathe at a time; I pray to God that he comforts her and give her peace. Everyone grieves differently, and no one can set a time limit on another person’s grief. If anyone is grieving right now, please read the scriptures in “FOOD FOR THE SOUL” I pray that God’s Words will comfort you. Much Love…

 

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when ten men who had leprosy met him. Leprosy attacks the nerves in the cooler parts of the body, particularly those that relate to the hands feet and face. The result is a loss of sensation in these areas, and a person is at much greater risk of injury as they cannot feel pain. The lepers stood at a distance and called out to Jesus to help them. When he saw them, he said, “Go, and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked him. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Ten lepers healed and only one came back to thank Jesus, the others were to happy with the physical blessing they received. But the one man who came back to thank Jesus received an additional healing. He was made whole, which means a deeper commitment to God, a more constant awareness of the indwelling Christ. How awesome is that! All because he came back and thanked God! How often do God answer our prayers and we go about our happy business? Yes, we might say thank you, but do we do as the leper, praise and thank him without ceasing? I want to be like the leper and take another step beyond healing. I want to be made whole! When our hearts are thankful, we position ourselves for even greater blessings. When we thank God for blessings, we also need to get closer to Him and grow in our devotion. Let “the things of this world” dim a bit more. And hear God say “You are made whole.” We need to thank God every moment of every day for everything! Much Love…

 

As believers in Christ we belong together. We might not always get along or understand one another; however the Holy Spirit continues to bridge the gaps between people. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will teach us all things. On the day of Pentecost, though the people were from different cultures and spoke different languages, the Holy Spirits arrival made them a new community, the church. We are one body, unified by the death and resurrection of Jesus. When the spirit of God lives in us, we have the strength to be kind when others are irritable or mean to us. We can be patient with a good attitude when things are not going the way we planned. We can speak works of encouragement to someone who needs it. God can use us because we are strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in our inner man. It is God’s will that we touch others who need God’s love. His light should shine through us. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can reach out in compassion and bring hope to hurting people. God encourages his people to be kind to one another, even enemies. Read today’s scriptures in “Food for the Soul” and keep them in your heart. Please let us be kind to one another, it’s free. Much Love…

 

 

 

We have so much to be thankful for; 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” and Ephesians 5:20 says “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” Today while my mother and her sisters are traveling to a women’s fellowship retreat, I want to pray for traveling mercy. I also want to take this opportunity to share a poem that God put on my heart thanking all woman in Christ! No matter where you are in your relationship with Christ, know that He loves you and has prepared you for greatness in the kingdom of God, here on earth and in Heaven, Amen!

A Woman’s Hymn

Woman thou art a beloved matriarch and an honorable queen of faith.
God created me divinely unique, regardless of my size or shape.
Therefore I pray you are never made to feel uninspired or insecure.
Because our heart is full of virtue and our devotion is naturally pure.
I receive with joy the worth God has given me, so I will not hide my reflection.
Strength and courage are my spiritual weapons against any sexist message.

I meditate daily in the word of God for it is medicine to my health.
I understand that it’s through Christ that I have obtained this wealth.
My essence is nourished with beautiful wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
As a daughter of the Lord, a bride of Emmanuel and mother of all living.
I stand confident it His word, Joshua 24:15 is embedded in my mental.
So I will not allow any one to disrespect me or defile my holy temple.

I am who I am, determined to be taken seriously, regardless of the color of my skin.
Don’t falsely label me because my gender and identity is different from that of a man.
Body and soul, I too I am fearfully and marvelously made by the work of the Lord.
I am more than my most observable body parts; my womanhood need not be ignored.
Oh, how it hurts me, that people desire my services at a discounted rate or totally free.
I am not against charity, but my gifts and talents shouldn’t be overlooked & undervalued.

My success is defined by my spiritual work, I am not in competition with anyone else.
Prejudice aside, I purposely intend on letting my integrity speak for itself.
I trust God to provide me with the knowledge, resources and the directions I should take.
My mind stays focused on Him & His word so I don’t get lost somewhere along the way!
In knowing a woman’s worth, I highly value what God has bestowed upon me.
It is for that very reason I can be confident in Him and embrace my life with humility.

Please don’t feel intimidated by my intelligence or my strong certainty in my femininity.
I am the makings of a wife, but I’m also blessed with the quality of independency.
God shaped me, He created me to be a help meet, to walk in love with my husband.
We grow together without fear, being considerate and supportive we shall stand!
My womb, fruitful or barren adds to my personality of being a nurturer & a provider.
A mother, entrepreneur, professional, homemaker, moral opportunist & survivor!

My motherly instincts are fine-tuned, I accept this blessing of motherhood with grace.
A lifetime commitment to my children keeps me strengthened even on my worst of days.
I am completely & totally loyal to show forth love, responsibility & selflessness.
The gift that keeps on giving, being a mother is truly one of life’s greatest experiences.
I’ve learned to communicate & organize to better balance my business & family lifestyle.
Neglect no one, love each one and celebrate every day that you have with your child.

As a Daughter of the Kingdom, I want to represent my God, let my light shine with peace.
Holding fast to my integrity and standing strong in my faith, my sexuality is complete.
My relationship with God remains intimate as I am being led by the Holy Spirit.
I accept the role of a role model, awaiting the opportunity to inspire all who hear this.
The perfection I seek, is that which God has predestined & called into existence to be.
So, I cannot boast in myself, but best believe I walk & speak boldly through His authority!

I will not compromise my faith and my beliefs.
I will not compromise my faith and my beliefs, had to put that on repeat!
Worldly prosperity cannot liberate me, I am free because God’s standards are holy.
So, money and fame, can’t control me; dishonesty and failure, can’t control me.
I am royalty, a queen with a righteous crown that God Himself has placed upon my head.
I am every woman who reads this and sees herself in these 703 words that I have said!

Inspired by God written by Vizhun aka Clifton Johnson

~ Dedicated To All Women ~

The first time I was hospitalized I kept thinking this too shall pass. I had not been sick or admitted in a hospital since my son was born. The second time I said “ok, I’ve been running to specialist after specialist now you all better fix me so I can go back to work!” Fast forward to the third time. I was a hot mess! Not only was I not fixed, I was told I could not go back to work! By this time I had another problem. Depression. I never thought it would happen to me. Sad, yes, mad, yes, but depressed to the point where I felt I just couldn’t take anymore, no. It got to the point where I dreaded facing the next day. I just thought I was stronger than that. There are many different types of depression. Depression often co-exists with other mental or physical illnesses. I’m no stranger to depression and mental illnesses. It has shown its ugly head in my family. For years in the black community, no one wanted to talk about depression. It was the family secret. Times have changed but sometimes there is a stigma still. Believe me when I say it can happen to anyone. Sometimes life can throw balls at you so fast and hard, you are unable to duck. So you isolate yourself and give up or give in to all those negative emotions. It. Can. Break. You. I thank God everyday that although I was bent, it did not break me. Although I was shattered, I did not break. I thought it made me weak to fall apart, but what it did was make me see how strong I really am. How strong I really am through Jesus Christ. No one wants to appear weak. Most of the time it is our pride at work. Weakness carries a great potential for strength, but pride can lead to destruction and defeat. The scriptures say so.You know how you have a savings account with extra money in the bank? God is our extra strength when we run out. I probably would not have been so depressed if I had withdrawn my strength from him in the first place. But that’s ok, God being God, when I did realize that I could not handle it in my own strength, he let me make my withdrawal and gave me interest. The interest was lessons learned. We should go to God first instead of trying to handle things ourselves, no matter how or what it is. Small issues become big issues. Our human minds can’t take but so much! On the other hand there is nothing to hard for God. We can conquer anything when he lives within us! Please, if you know someone who is suffering from depression, let them know you are there for them. I volunteer for a crisis hotline. There are support groups. They may just need someone to listen. We can always introduce or remind them about our friend Jesus who is able and willing to give us what we need. Sometimes we just need to be reminded of how good God is. I know I did. I also suggest educating yourself so you will know what you should or should not do. Every situation is different, just know depression is real. Much Love…

 

Different societies measure success in different ways. Many people measure success through wealth. You have really arrived if you are rich and famous! The way God defines success is so much different from the way the world does. Success as God sees it is something that is achieved that is of infinite, eternal value in this life and in the life to come. I believe success only can be defined according to individual purpose and divine directions. Another person cannot know you well enough to discern whether you are successful, only God who created us can do that. We cannot evaluate ourselves in the light of another’s calling. We are successful when we fulfill God’s purpose for us. We each have to dig for our own gold. That is our assignment. We have to develop what God has given us. Everyone can’t handle the success. They can’t handle notoriety, they don’t like criticism and they crumble under pressure. These things come with success. You must ask yourself are you willing to pay the price to get the blessing. Most people are in love with the image of success, but have not really thought about the total picture, the reality of possessing the blessing.  Success looks good on someone else and we think; I want that, I can do that. We don’t know the struggle that person had to get where they are. Isn’t it wonderful that God doesn’t give us everything we ask for at the time we ask for it? It’s not that he wants to hold anything good from us; He knows we are not ready. Unanswered prayers does not always mean no, sometimes it means not yet. God will prepare us for the purpose he has for us. He knows we need the inner ability to withstand the struggle that accompanies success. Most successful people are usually passionate people. They have tunnel vision, only focused on that one thing. And when that passionate focus is for a divine purpose, they will be successful! There are some people who will never be satisfied sitting on the bench while others play the game. They feel compelled and driven to unlock their predestined purpose. They are willing to pay the price to play. And there are those who are content sitting on the bench. But if God wants to use them, he will take them out of their comfort zone, mold and prepare them for his purpose. God is the best teacher when we let him have control. Don’t compare yourself with anyone else. Stay focused on your purpose and keep digging for your own gold! Much Love…

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes we hold grudges or resentments over things that could be easily attributed to someone having a bad day or miscommunication. Let’s just say it is neither of those and we have legitimate reasons to feel some type of way. We still could simple write it off as their problem not ours, or we could fill our body up with hatred and resentment. When you hold grudges and harbor resentment you are only doing harm to yourself. I know from experience it can literally make you sick! Usually the other person is not aware of your feeling or they just don’t care. The more you continue to think about and judge the person, the deeper the anger and resentment grows. I remember the first time I heard the phrase “holding on to anger and resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” The truth of that statement really hit home with me. I was at Bible study and we were discussing how holding on to hurt and anger affects you. How we should forgive and forget. I was my mom’s caregiver. She had passed and I was still holding on to all the feelings of anger and resentment her sickness and death had brought between my siblings and I.  Each one of us felt we were right and said some hurtful things. I don’t know why people say as long as you don’t hit, words don’t hurt. Yes..they..do! Very much so. Our tongues can cut deeper than a knife! Some of my  siblings did not speak to each other for years! When I heard that statement, I knew it didn’t matter who was right or wrong. I had to let go of those feelings that were slowing killing me. I asked God for help. The one’s that would not talk to me, I wrote letters. I cannot tell you how much better I felt once I forgave and asked for forgiveness in return. I realised even if they did not forgive me, I had finally stopped drinking that poison, and it felt good. Even though you forgive, it is hard to forget some things. I am amazed at how when we go to God and ask him to forgive us, not only does he forgive us, he forgets as if it never happened. Our God is an awesome God! Some people believe that to forgive someone means completely forgetting the wrongdoing they committed. And since God wants us to forgive, they tend to impress that view upon the scriptures. I’m not sure about that. I’m not sure if we should forget some things for our own good, but I believe we should not dwell on things that keep us from moving forward. What the scriptures does talk about is forgetting what we have done in our own lives in order to move forward, I don’t believe it is stating that we wipe our minds miraculously; I’m not sure if that would be possible for us. I try though. Scriptures also speaks about not letting our past dictate our futures and being able to press forward in life. The one thing that we should constantly dwell on is Jesus and the cross, which rises above and overpowers any past mistakes or sins that we committed and anyone else committed. Thank God for Jesus! What I do know is that once you release it, let it go and move on, you feel so good. Stop drinking that poison!  Much Love…..

 

 

Jacob was a liar. Moses was a stutterer. David was an adulterer. Ahab was a prostitute. Esther was an orphan. You may think you have nothing to offer and God can’t use you. He doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Gideon is another one of God’s chosen leaders who argued that he wasn’t good enough. As soon as God called Gideon to greater things, Gideon began making excuses, allowing his insecurities and inadequacies to set limitations in his life. (sound familiar) Gideon argued, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family”. But God looked beyond Gideon’s insecurities. He knew who Gideon could be if he trusted in God’s power to work through him. God wasn’t limited by Gideon’s limitations, and He’s not limited by ours either. He didn’t want Gideon to depend on his own strength. God wanted Gideon to depend on His strength. God was going to conquer the Midianites, but He invited Gideon to join Him. And what about the women in the Bible? When you turn the pages from the Old Testament to the New Testament, you can tell something is going to be different for women. In the Old Testament lineages, women were rarely mentioned. However, in Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, five women are listed in the lineage of Jesus. Of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus is there, a teenage girl from Bethlehem. But who are the other four? Tamar who had an incestuous encounter with her father-in-law, Rehab, who had been a prostitute in Jericho, Ruth, who was a foreigner from a cursed people group in Moab, and Bathsheba, who had an affair with King David. I’m so glad these women were listed. This shows us we can never go so far away from God that His grace can’t reach in to save us, and then use us. Each of these women would have probably thought they weren’t good enough if they had known how God was going to use them in His kingdom. No matter what mistakes you’ve made in your past, first of all, know you’re in good company. Secondly, know that God loves using mess-ups who fess up and then step up to do mighty works for Him! Much Love….

 

The Lord spoke to Moses and told him to send men out to scout the land of Canaan that He was giving to the Israelites. Moses sent out twelve spies. He told them to see what the land was like and whether the people there were strong or weak, few or many. He wanted to know was the land good or bad and did the cities have walls around them. They were to check the soil and see if the land had trees. He told them to try to bring back some fruit from the land. Forty days later, they came back from exploring the land. They gave their report and showed the fruit from the land. They said it was a land flowing with milk and honey. They reported the people who lived there were strong, and the cities had walls and were very large. The men said, “We can’t attack those people! They’re too strong for us!” They said, “It is a land that devours its inhabitants and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that’s how we must have looked to them.” The people began to panic and complain as it seemed they were quick to do. They forgot all they had seen God do and refused to trust Him. Everyone except for Joshua and Caleb, two of the 12 spies, who wanted to take the land and begged the people to trust God.  Out of the 12 spies sent into Canaan, only those two made the right choice. Now look back at my first sentence and see where I italicized giving. God had already given them the land; he just wanted them to check it out! If they had trusted in God they would have entered the Promised Land, instead they wandered for forty years until everyone in that generation, except Joshua and Caleb, died off.

 This story sounds so familiar. We start off really excited about a new relationship or marriage. We are all pumped up because we got that new job or better yet starting our own business. We trust God and believe in the possibilities and what we set out to achieve. We believe he gave us that job or that mate. We know with God on our side we cannot fail! Then the giants appear, imaginary or real; trust issues, doubt, fear, the vision killers, and every other negativity to steal what God has given us and to kill our dreams. A giant is anything that stands between you and God’s plan for you. A giant is anything that seems bigger than you and your desire to serve the Lord. There are physical and spiritual giants that put barriers in front of you to keep you from accomplishing what God intends for your life. A giant may be stronger than us and cannot be faced alone. But why is it that we see these giants as bigger than our God? Why like the Israelites our faith fails and we forget what God has done? Why is it that we forget how he showed up the last time and slayed the giant? Uh, did we forget that we prayed for and believe God gave us this job or this soul mate. I’ve said it before, we have to sometimes fight to keep what God gives us. The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy! Is it just human nature that we tend to remember our own limited strength rather than the unlimited strength of God? So again we fall back into half trust, half victory and whole despair. How often do we go over the same ground again and again like the Israelites, being kept back by our own unbelief? We must learn to choose to do what God says when He says it. We must not focus on the giants but focus on the Lord. What looks like a giant to us is like an ant in the eyes of God. When you know God is leading you somewhere or he has given you what you prayed for, step out in faith and go the whole distance? He is greater than all and He wants us to trust Him. I for one am done going in circles and running from giants!  God has shown me that he is the God of miracles! I may be a grasshopper in the giant’s eyes but my God is a giant slayer! It has taken a long time for me to understand this. If only I had realized it doesn’t matter how big the giant is, because the battle is not mine to fight anyway. Wow, I could have saved myself plenty of heartache and pain. We can be pessimistic putting difficulties and challenges between us and God, telling ourselves we are not able, or we can be optimistic and put God between the difficulties and challenges and not let giants steal what God has already given us. Giants do fall down! Much Love…