Yesterday's Pain (Some of today's too :D)

I am going to be transparent and share with you my worship time with God today.

Bishop Jakes preached, "Ripped for a Reason", Hebrews 10:16-20, and it was as if God was speaking to everything I have gone through and am going through right now, in my life.

I LOVE SPIRITUAL ENCOUNTERS LIKE TODAY!

This was the conversation that took place:

"When we are ripped in areas of our soul that no one can reach, know that it is God.

Lord, I break my alabaster box before you...as long as I continue to fake it, like I have everything together, I will not be effective!

Broken and undeserving...retched and filthy....prideful and disobedient as I am!...I am still here by Your Mercy, God! Thank you God for not giving me what I deserve. HALLELUJAH!

I do not want to live a life of ineffectiveness...you created me for a purpise....just because you have placed gifts/abilities/talent in me....it is not until I am broken (I am in a state of brokeness, right now) that the anointing (your purpose) will flow out of me.

Fellow Christians, we are not like Jesus, we are like our picture of Him. We are more concerned about our image instead of what God put inside of us. If God has anointed us, we have to be RIPPED/BROKEN!

We become wise through our stupidity. Today's wisdom is yesterday's folly. It is how we respond to our imperfection...pain...mistakes...weaknesses that determines how effective/strong/anointed we are..RIPPED/BROKEN FOR A REASON!"

I know my family and friends thought I had lost my mind this morning...I kept sharing and sharing and tweet tweet tweeting for two hours straight. LOL!! They know my battle the last five years with anxiety and depression has been a life changing process.

I don't know about you but when I hear God's voice, it makes me want to run (these days, that's about all that makes me want to run) hahaha! In fact, my son saw how overwhelmed I was during worship this morning that he told me to take a lap around the house, so I wouldn't have an anxiety attack. :D

My life has been ripped/broken in quite a few places. I am sure many of you can make the same confession.  I am grateful for the confirmation that I am "Ripped for a Reason."

I thank you, for once again allowing me to share my spiritual journey with you.



Sunday message: https://youtu.be/lcCCbPEmZjk

Read more

Systems Under Test (S.U.T.)

Testing How We Speak, Understand, Think

SYSTEMS UNDER TEST (S.U.T)

Have you run a systems check on yourself lately?

Did you know that what comes out of our mouth can poison/contaminate our opportunities? The way we understand shapes our expectations....it becomes the truth we stand under....our vision of what will happen.  What childish things are we speaking? If we don't put away "childish things" it will put us away....our success, promotion, progress, love peace, influence.

Steps to putting away childish things/an immature inner life:

v Identify - we cannot put away anything we do not first identify...call it out each time it rises up

v Challenge - consider a different way of thinking/viewing people/situations/feeling

v Resist - no longer fight to hold onto our dysfunction ("that's just the way that I 

         am"...holding onto our perception/our version of the story)

v Cease - stop habitual "reactions"....breath, pray and then "respond"

v Meditate/Study – Hide these scriptures in your heart (“….the mouth speaks what the  heart is full of” - Luke 6:45)

§ 1Corinthians 13:11

§ Romans 12:2

§ Galatians 4:1-3

§ Philippians 4:6-9

§ James 4:7

§ Proverbs 4:4-8

Inspiration:  "Removing the Barriers To Destiny"

Read more

Happy New Year (2016)

Read more

30 Life Changing Statements that Shape My Life

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"  Psalms 119:105

There are many statements by Christ and revelations in the Word of God that have impacted my life 

but there are 30 that I have "hidden in my heart", study and are shaping who I am. My shaping (transformation) is ongoing and there has been new revelation throughout my life on these scriptures.

Shaping/Transformation:

• clarifies my faith walk
• guides me in the development of my relationship with God and people
• inspires how I view life, adversity, people
• influences how I treat people (forgiveness, love, judgement)
• reveals the "Kingdom of God" and the "Body of Christ"
• drives me towards purpose
• speaks life, hope, strength and peace to my soul

Each of these seeds have been planted in my soul and produced good fruit:

1.      "...Without faith it is impossible to please God...." (Hebrews 11:6)

2.      "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path" (Psalm 119:105)

3.      "Peace I leave with you...do not let your heart be troubled" (John 14:27)

4.      “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper….” (Isaiah 54:17)

5.      “Love is patient, love is kind..it is not proud..it does not dishonor others..” (1 Cor 13:4-8)

6.     “My Grace is sufficient for you...my power is made perfect in weakness..." (2 Cor 12:9)

7.     “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God..." (Romans 3:23)

8.     “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11)

9.      "You are the vine, we are the branch, apart from you we can do nothing" (John 15:5)

10. " For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you...give you hope..." (Jer 29:11)

11. "... Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness...do not worry about tomorrow..." (Matt 6:33)

12.  "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance.... (Gal 5:22-23)

13.  ".....The testing of your faith produces perseverance..." (James 1:3)

14.  "But we have this treasure in jars of clay...we are pressed on every side but not crushed.... (2 Cor 4:5-8)

15.  "....He does not retain our sin…He delights in mercy...He casts our sin into the sea” (Micah 7:18-19)

16.  "...things work together for good for those who love God...according to His purpose..." (Rom 8:28)

17.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding..." (Prov 3:5-6)

18.  "...Live in harmony...if possible...do not seek revenge...Vengence is Mine..." (Rom 12:15-20)

19.  "The Lord is the strength of my life...In the time of trouble, He shall hide me..." (Psalm 27)

20.  "Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil and he shall flee." (James 4:7)

21.  "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15-16)

22. "I will lift my eyes unto the hills... He will not suffer my foot to be moved..." (Psalm 121)

23.  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...He leads me in peace....." (Psalm 23)

24.  "...When my enemies come in like a flood, He will raise a standard against them..." (Isaiah 59:19)

25. " The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord...though he stumbles he will not fall.." (Psalm 37:23-24)

26.  "Be strong in the Lord...put on the whole armor of God...praying always..." (Ephesians 6:10-18)

27.  "You will know them by their fruit..." (Matt 7:16-20)

28.  "You are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world...let your light shine ..." (Matt 5:13-16)

29.  "You have been saved by... Grace created for a purpose....prepared in advance..." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

30.  "...Forgetting those things that are behind, I press toward the mark..." (Phil 3:13-14)

It never ceases to amaze me how the Word of God has become a part of me (who would have 

thought). It speaks to/leads me daily, season to season, through each challenge and blessing. 

Don’t get me wrong, life can be hard and unnerving. :/  Peace and assurance always seems to 

rise up from what is hidden in my heart. Without fail, one of the 30 scriptures above will 

come to mind and illuminate my path. These gems help me to stay positive and try to see the
best in people but also prompts me to tell it like it is (in love). :)

What illuminates your path?  Take a few minutes of reflection and write down what is hidden 

in your heart.  You do not need to quote it verbatim nor does it need to be all scripture.  Like 

mine above, it could be a combination of several scripture translations/quotes.  I would love 
for you to share what inspires and leads you. 

This was a great way to start my new year.

Happy 2016 to you!!

Read more

Spiritual Community Garden - Preparing the Soil

My initial seed planting and prepping of the ground will be a little more extensive than the seeds I will plant in the future.  I thought that sharing some of the initial things we discussed in our time together in the past two weeks would be an excellent way to till the ground for our Spiritual Community Garden.  Please set aside 10 minutes to read.

Disturbing the Ground/Turning the Dirt

Defending Our Faith Against:

      ·         Mental attack (our own/the enemy)
      ·         Questions from others regarding our beliefs
      ·         Life circumstances
      ·         Unanswered questions to God

Identify/Define your faith:

       ·         Identify what your are defending (an understanding of faith)

      ·         Identify your enemies/areas of attack
      ·         Identify your areas of weakness
      ·         Develop a plan of defense
      ·         Inventory your weapons of warfare

Battling Wounded:

      ·         What do you do when you are lost behind enemy lines?
      ·         What do you do when the smoke is too thick from the battle and you can’t see to forge 
               forward?
      ·         What do you do when there is radio silence (can’t hear God)

Seeds:

      ·         Never make major decisions based on or on the heels of a major disappointment
      ·         Don’t react to situations out of your emotions….let the dust settle and respond out of   
               wisdom
      ·         Learn to be patient
      ·         “The Lord makes firm the steps of those who delight in him; though he may stumble, he will
               not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Ps 37:23-24
      ·         “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me. You will stretch forth Your hand
               against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect
               that which concerns me. Your mercy and loving kindness O Lord endures forever.”
               Ps 138:7-8
      ·         It is what we refuse to do or give that locks us in our circumstances
      ·         We do not determine God’s lessons/growth process for us but we can determine if we will
              learn through joy or pain

Spiritual Gifts/Armor:

      ·         Check your armor for cracks/weak areas before you step onto the battlefield (a daily
               exercise)
      ·         Become a master (wisdom/understanding) of your spiritual gifts and armor (study/prayer)
      ·         Why is the enemy able to use God’s greatest gifts/weapons against us? (stay
               alert/conscious)
        o   Keeps us separated, in bondage, angry, weak and blind
        o   It is a dangerous thing to willingly hand over to the enemy the very things God
                          created in us/for us, to be used by the enemy against us and those around us.  Do not
                          allow the enemy to manipulate you and use for evil the very things God put in us to
                          be used for good. 
        o   Spiritual gifts absent of God’s anointing become a curse.

WHEW, my garden work for today is done!  I will pick up the shovel/tiller tomorrow and continue the first phase of this prepping. 

I pray this is a blessing to you so that you may be a blessing to someone else.  The harvest from this garden will feed a multitude.

Read more