He Still Resurrects!

It is Resurrection Sunday people! God has blessed us to celebrate one more time together in gratitude of what His Son, Jesus did for us thousands of years ago. His innocent Blood was shed for you, just for you. His Love was stretched from left to right, up and down on The Cross. His patience was between the two thieves that represented us. That's another story because those two thieves represents the two kinds of people in this world. However, Jesus faithfulness to us kept Him there. Jesus was exalted in the midst of His enemies. In the midst of His ridicule, shame, and agony he was high and lifted up! Just as with us and our turmoil of life God will lift us up. He said He has already prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies. For all of those going through remember The Cross and remember that He did not stay there. Jesus got up! God raised Him from the dead just as He will raise us from our seemingly dead places in life. Jesus went to hell and preached. Are we still preaching in our hellish lives? Are we still proclaiming the soul saving power of Jesus when we are going through trials in life? Jesus showed God's Power never left. God's Power never leaves us. We may leave Him, but He is always there! Even when we feel like we are unable to feel Him, all we have to do is ask. Ignite God's Power over every situation in your life.


 Now, every day is a declaration of what Jesus did for mankind. I know we have our days when we feel like giving up. Jesus shared those same moments with us, but nevertheless He said not my will, BUT let YOUR Will be done! So speak The Word when you are having those same struggles. God has purposed you and your living is not in vain, just hold on. Your Resurrection from your dead places is coming! God is STILL resurrecting! 

Eliminating Waste

Isaiah 52:2 "Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive" 

Let us continue marching on through 2016 growing and staying focused on the goals we've set for ourselves. I'm excited to see what God has in store for us as we switch our focus to redemption, forgiveness, and grace this month.

As I sat struggling to stay awake in an evening work meeting yesterday God saw fit to use that "boring" moment to reveal a message to me. My exhaustion during that meeting stemmed from being emotionally, mentally, and physically drained as we all have our days. God encouraged me to "stay awake". The objective in the meeting was to assess a process within the department in order to improve it following an integration. My role in this is to serve as a facilitator ensuring that the team stays on task; however, there are moments (such as yesterday) when my presence is not much needed. After about an hour of laying out the current process the head facilitator moved to the next task on the agenda which was to identify any waste in the process. Oh, now you've gotten my attention.

One could regard their life as a process in the sense that there are certain types of ways we tend to operate. Your process could be working, but there also could be room for improvement. When assessing a process it is important to identify wastes. What is waste? Waste is anything that consumes resources without adding value. One type of waste is "moving" waste whereas we actively go back and forth physically, mentally, or emotionally unnecessarily which slows down the process. Another type of waste is "stopping" waste in which you are completely stuck waiting on something or someone which hinders your process. The last waster I'd like to mention is "searching" waste whereas we spend an excessive amount of time searching for things in all of the wrong places.

We should operate in such a way that promotes growth and in order to do so we must "Stay Awake". Waste has the ability to accumulate in and around you forming a hinderance, don't allow it. If something doesn't add value to your life it is considered a waste; of space and of time. If you find yourself going back and forth with something or someone it is considered a waste; of energy. Just as the above scripture says, shake off your dust and free yourself from the chains that are holding you back. Redemption has been given to you (vs.3) and it is only through God's grace.

Eliminate that Waste!!!

#FearlessFAITH #EliminateWaste #March2016

Love From Above

Hello people! January has passed and we are now entering a new month. We are going to discuss EL OH VEE EEE this month. I know many do not like discussing it around February because of Valentines Day and they may not have a Valentine. I mean what is a person to do without flowers getting sent to them or enjoying an incredible evening with their sweetheart, right? Wrong! Love is deeper than buying a stuffed animal and fine dining. What about when the honeymoon is over? Tell me what happens when V Day passes or before it even comes. Love goes as deep as loving our enemies. It penetrates the soul and captures the heart. Loving someone requires forgiveness. Being selfless is a known characteristic. Genuinely loving is not about being right, but making sure we are representing God correctly. Actually, it is deeper than what we may feel or think.

So this month, I challenge us all to love like from above! That love never gets old or runs empty. It is tough, but it is necessary. Did you know our very lives depend on it? Naturally and spiritually we will not be able to survive without it. When was the last time we prayed for our enemies? Do we really treat everyone the same with the love of God? Are we easily fueled with anger? Take today to evaluate your love life, the REAL one. Our love life is the only TRUE indication we are saved. No one cares how much we give or how eloquent we pray when the Love of God is absent. Let's explore this life changing Love from Above and allow His Light to shine within us!

                                                            #LoveFromAbove

Conviction and Judgement

Genesis 3:8 "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden"

And then there was conviction! This is a continuation of the "Ignorance of Bliss" post so, if you haven't read it take a moment to check it out. Once Adam and Eve realized they had wronged God they were overcome by the spirit of conviction. That is a feeling that I know all too well. As children of God we cannot do wrong and not feel convicted by our actions. Just as Adam and Eve did we tend to run even further from God which plays even further into the plan of the devil. We stop praying, praising, and worshiping because we feel as though we are unworthy of the Kingdom, which is ultimately true.

This situation with Adam and Eve was the first implication of God's grace and mercy towards us. Although they deserved to die for being disobedient to God (after all He had done for them) He spared their lives and forgave them. BUT, His forgiveness did not come without consequence. Just as many of us can be found guilty of doing, Adam and Eve tried to justify their actions. Adam even had the audacity to try to blame God in Genesis 3:12 saying "The woman whom YOU gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate". Have you ever blamed everybody else for your actions except for yourself? My pastor says "The most painful diagnosis is self-diagnosis". We have the most difficult time seeing our faults and holding ourselves accountable for our actions.

We are sinful beings by nature which means we all know or will know the feeling of conviction. It is in these moments that we are able to gain knowledge and grow mentally and spiritually. Don't ignore it!

#FearlessFAITH 

Ignorance is Bliss

Genesis 2:25 " And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed"  

As a part of my goals for 2016 I've made a commitment to start and complete the "Bible in a Year". (And now that you all know you all can hold me accountable) As I was reading Genesis 3 the quote "Ignorance is Bliss" came to mind. Now, this quote is often misunderstood and misused so I thought we should delve into it today. Ignorance is simply defined as the lack of knowledge or education. Having defined that term I think we can admit to possessing ignorance in some areas. Now, moving on to the word bliss, which is simply defined as a state of extreme happiness. Incorporating the two definitions gives us a better understanding of the quote thus defining the quote in its entirety as being happy because you simply have no knowledge of anything that will inhibit said happiness.

So why did this come to mind while reading Genesis 3? Well, life in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-25) seemed to be well. God had provided all Adam's needs. He had given him food, shelter, work, and a help-meet. Both, Adam and Eve, were given the knowledge they needed for the task that had been assigned to them. They were happy, blissful if you will, because they had no reason not to be. Then in comes the serpent with his tactics of temptation convincing Eve to go against the instructions of God and just like many of us she fell into the trap. Although the Bible doesn't specially make mention of it I'm sure Eve thought she was happier in her ignorance than she was with the knowledge she had gained in knowing good and evil. Ignorance truly was Bliss for them.

As for us today, we must understand that there are some things that God intended for us not to know or experience. Not because He strives to deprive us, but because He has promised to protect us. Eve may have been the first to fall victim to the deceiving behavior of the devil, but she surely wasn't the last. We've all had our eyes on a forbidden "tree" perhaps many forbidden trees and most of us have probably fell victim just as Eve did. Yes, satan is still successfully using the same tactics today as he did in the beginning of time. He tries to interfere with the communication between you and God (Genesis 3:1 "Has God indeed said, 'You Shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?") when you know God told you otherwise (Genesis 2:16-17). He tries to convince you that God is a "softy" and will not punish you as He said He would (Genesis 3:4-5). In all of this the very thing that God has told you that you should not desire satan then makes you desire it (Genesis 3:6) and after you have acquired it you realize it wasn't all that the devil hyped it up to be.

#FearlessFAITH #IgnoranceIsBliss  

Seek on Fleek!

1 Chronicles 16:11 Search for The Lord and His Strength! Seek His Face Always!

Winding down the month of January peeps & we pray that our posts have been helpful in putting this year in the right perspective. We must prepare and we must adhere to the Will of God to live a more pleasing life to Him! A great part of making God smile is getting to know Him. As we continue to prepare ourselves for a fantastic year in Christ let's make it our business to explore more of God. I mean think about it. Doesn't it make you feel special when someone you love genuinely tries to learn you. Anyone who cares about you wants to know your dislikes and your likes in hopes of being one of the few people who makes your day.

Show God that you care by taking time out of your day to spend with Him. This is applied for every day. Let's not make it just one day out of the week or during mid week Bible study but EVERY day. He is deserving of your time because He gave it to you, to us! Wouldn't you want to get to know the Person that created you in the womb? The Person that died for you? The Person that continues to bless you in your filth? Remember, our goodness is but filthy rags in comparison to such a Holy God. No, we rather take MORE time out doing everything else but getting to know Jesus. Let's break that habit. Encourage your family to collectively spend more time with God or your spouse, friends etc...if those are people who seem to capture more of your time than God. Sacrifice five mins in the morning. Then another five throughout your day and end with five at night. Keep that 5-5-5 in mind then add to it. Let nothing and I mean NOTHING stop you from getting all that you can on this earth in regards of a growing relationship with your Father. The reason the world is in bad shape is because the church is in bad shape. People need to see us seeking Jesus daily. If we don't lift Him up, then we have missed the point completely.

#SeekHim #SmileChallenge #PrepareToProsper2016

Be the One

Philippians 2:4 "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" 

Hello FRIDAY!!! Let's get right into it! When I was a teenager learning to drive my mother told me "when you are behind the wheel it is important to look out for yourself and everyone else around you". For the most part that instruction has helped keep my driving record "okay".  I have now come to realize that this concept can be applied to life in general especially as a young woman seeking continual growth in Christ. As saved individuals it is our duty to be the hand that uplifts versus the hand that pushes people down. Giving or uplifting is not limited to things of monetary value and in most instances those things that aren't of monetary value have the most value. Honestly, people that are at low points in their lives aren't necessarily hurting financially. Usually it is spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or physically. So, simply lending your ear to listen or your mouth to encourage can make a huge difference in the life of someone who has reached that point. Sometimes even just your presence can change atmosphere because your presence should mean God's presence.

While our personal salvation is only enough to save ourselves the results of that salvation should reflect in how we treat others. Understand that none of this is solely about us individually, but it is about the body of Christ as a whole. Never cease to observe and be in prayer for those who surround you. Blessings flow from hand to hand and heart to heart which means we can't let our blessings stop with us we have to use those blessings to bless others. Don't wait on others to do what you see needs to be done or said YOU BE THE ONE!!!

#FearlessFAITH #BeTheOne