What Good is the Truth, if I Don’t Use It?

You ever find yourself in a situation where you’re seeking the TRUTH and it seems it can’t be found? I mean, lies after lies on top of more lies, is all you seem to get. The more you hear, the further you feel you are away from getting down to the TRUTH. My Godmother used to have the ability to see right through me, to the heart of the TRUTH. No matter what I said to her, she could always read me like a book. Now, about the age of 34, and having known her all my life, I should have known better than to try to outsmart her. I’d come around her still holding in all my woes, and she’d just start talking at me and my problems, and speaking the TRUTH into my situation. Then she’d call me crazy (as in being silly). At 83 years old in 2014, I thought she’d laugh as my sister would say “Shae crazy.” But her response was different this time. As she uttered the words, “She ain’t crazy, and she’s going to show yall just how much she’s not.” My eyes widened as they welled up with tears. At that point I knew Momma wasn’t going to be around us much longer. She died that summer. But before she did, she sat me down and spoke the TRUTH into my life. She told me, “You’re going to hear some things, and they’re going to hurt. But I want you to do what you’ve always done, and that’s take it all in stride. Just laugh it off and let it roll off your shoulders.” And though I promised her I would, I gotta say, it’s been hard. Some things I’ve been able to laugh off, others not so much.

Now after the hurt has come, and not gone, I look back and realize I didn’t keep my word to Momma. For that reason, I’ve paid a price looking for the TRUTH.

Now I want you to look back through this post, and replace TRUTH with LORD, and you’ll realize how Momma spoke God in my life all these years and over my situations.

Friends, I urge you to take some time today and speak TRUTH into your life. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

One Love,

Roll Call….Soldiers!!!! Where are the Warriors?

Bold. Brave. Courageous. Fighter. Winner. Steadfast. Fearless. Battle-Ready. Why  group these words together you may ask? What do they have in common? I’ll tell you. They are the characteristics of a soldier. But not just any soldier, but one in God’s army. Though we are all on the same side, the question I want to ask you today is, what kind of soldier are you?

When hard times fall on you, are you the kind to go running scared and let the woes of life beat you down? Do you find yourself laying there helplessly pleading for God to save you? If this is you, then you are a timid or the faithless soldier, one that is severely lacking in faith department. You know God is going to save you, yet you don’t do the work required to get you the relief you need.

There’s another type of soldier I want to warn you about, and its pretty bad. If you find yourself falling from saint to sinner, faithful to fearful, brave to beaten each time life deals you a challenging hand, then you are what they call a coward soldier. You stand, just not in the face of the enemy. Straddling the fence is your best defense in this game called life.

Finally, and perhaps the worse of all, is the beastly soldier. He/She is the most dangerous of the three. They face obstacles in a self-righteous manner. Almost as if to say, their truth is the only truth that matters, not God. Everyone has to listen to their solutions to life’s battles or else they don’t help in the fight. You are dangerous to the great mission because you don’t even heed the Master’s instructions.

If any of this sounds like you, I want to give you a message of encouragement today, and it comes in the form of a song by the Jackson Southernaires. It’s called No Coward Soldier. The lyrics to the song simply say, “God don’t want, he don’t need, no coward soldier.”

Think about that. I mean really ponder over the words of the chorus. If you’re the timid soldier, learn to stand on the word of God, and knock the enemy down. If you’re the coward, GET OFF that fence, and chose this day whom you will serve. And if by chance, you find yourself relating to the beast, prepared physically but not mentally for the battle, then try humbling yourself. In either case, God needs his soldiers strong for the battle. Not weak in the mind, body, and spirit. Reading his word daily will give you what you need for the battle.

Stand strong God’s people…. Roll Call!!!! Soldiers!!!! Where are the Warriors????

One Love,

The Devil Looks Good to Me!

I know what you’re thinking…. She has completely lost her mind to say such a thing. But if you think about for a moment, you’d see that I’m right. The devil must look good to us. How else can he get you to do what he wants when he wants? You think he’s going to show up in your life dressed with devil horns and red cape, and you willingly follows what he says to do? Definitely not!  I have learned in life that the devil will show up as your greatest desire, your wants, and sometimes as the things you need. He will show up in the people you trust, the places you go, and in the things you desire, just to influence your choices.

The question now remains, how do you recognize what is of God or what the devil is using as a tool to get to next to you? Here are a few tips to help you decipher between good and evil.

#1. You Feel like You’re Losing more than Gaining: If it feels bad, it usually is. God would never have you to do anything bad as a precursor for your blessings. We as humans want things our way, right away, instead of waiting on God’s timing. satan will give you a little gain to get you to trust him, but something about it won’t feel right. If you have to question it, then its not of God.

****In all of thy ways, acknowledge the Lord, and he will direct your path.****

#2. Blessings Come with ease: You won’t have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, where lies meet lies, cons and deception to get what God has in store for you. God is not a God of confusion, satan is. If you are trying to make a way to get something, and find yourself being met with roadblock after roadblock. Its time to re-evaluate if this is something good worth pursuing or bad to deter you from the right path. He says in Jeremiah 29:11.

~For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.~

****If it doesn’t feel right, it is not of God.****

#3. Faith without Works is Dead: We must plant our seeds of faith and work on increasing them daily. Having Faith in God requires work! Work means to do something. The Bible says we have not because we ask not. Open your mouth and ask!!!!! Everyday we should be drawing closer to God because he takes care of everything need and desire. Philippians 4:19 reads:

~But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.~

So we must, according to Psalm 37:4,

~Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.~

****God knows your heart. He said ask and you shall receive. Remember: We have not, because we ask not.****

The devil comes in many shapes and sizes, with one common theme: He comes to STEAL, KILL, and DESTROY. If you are receiving and welcoming in something that doesn’t feel right, you didn’t get with ease, or you haven’t asked for, then you can rest assured, its purpose for entering your life is not a good one. I pray this day God that your people’s eyes become opened more to the tricks of the enemy, and that you wrap a shield of protection around them in more ways than one. Amen

One Love,

Church: To Go or Not to Go?

Rise and shine, its Sunday morning! Time for praise and worship in the house of the Lord! So who else feels like staying in the comfort of your own bed in your home and do your own praise and worship? Does the bible instruct us to go to church? How often? What is the purpose?

Oftentimes the woes and worries of the week tire the body, both mentally and physically. Any opportunity to rest allows the body to restore and prepare for the upcoming challenges. Typically,  Sunday mornings are reserved for longer periods of sleep, catching up on missed episodes of Law and Order, spending time with family, cooking and preparing for Sunday dinner, and just being lazy.  It can be very difficult to get out of that mindset.

As Christians, we can not  ignore or take for granted God’s blessings in our lives.  Church is not just our opportunity to fellowship with other believers,  but our way of showing how grateful and thankful we are to God.  To praise and worship the highest power releases, heals, guides,  and restores.  Though it is an option to some, it is a necessity to others. So you can keep that bowl of Frosted Flakes cereal, warm blanket,  and cable series.  God continues to bless me,  I’m going to church!

One Love,

The Right Way to Pray

What is Prayer? How do I pray? How do I know that God hears my prayers? I’m not a Christian, will God still hear me? I see these questions being asked on blogs and posts everywhere! Something in me, just wants to jump up and raise my hand like a school kid to answer these questions when I see them being answered incorrectly.

Prayer is our communication with God. Its how we develop a relationship with him. We simply talk to him. And guess what…. he’s not some far away being…. he talks back! Yes, he even talks with sinners too. He said in his word, whosoever will, let him come. Jesus turns down no one. He said:

~Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.~ Rev. 3: 20

Salvation is free for all. I don’t know about you, but I want to be seated at the table with Jesus. I want to be able to tell him all about my troubles, when I get there. The question now some may have, is how do I get there too?  Jesus said to pray this prayer in secret, and he would reward thee openly.

~Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done “IN” (not on) earth, as it is IN Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.~

It is so important to say IN earth, rather than on earth, because IN earth means in you. Firstly, confess your sins. Secondly, ask for forgiveness. Thirdly, profess your belief in Jesus and you shall be saved. Let his will be done in you.

If it is to begin, then let it begin in me.

One Love,

The Greatest Gift a Mother Could Give

The first gift my mother ever gave me wasn’t life,

She read the pages of a book and swallowed the words inside.

They reached me ever so sweetly and rocked me with peace.

With a gift that keeps on giving and love that never ceased.

The best gift my mother ever gave me wasn’t the beauty that is my face.

She got down on her knees daily and begged for mercy and grace.

It reached me ever so gently as to mold and shape by being.

My mother opened up a door of opportunity to knowledge worth believing.

The greatest gift my mother ever gave me wasn’t the body that attracted so many.

She told me to put my looks aside, just as the fish in the sea, men, there would be plenty.

Her words reached me ever so boldly, as I fought for many to see my worth.

My mother broadened my horizon, taught me equality for all, and never to let people make me hurt.

Some mothers give their children things that can wash away as they were built upon sand,

Some mothers never teach their children responsibility, and spend their whole lives holding their hands.

Yes, some mothers don’t even care at all, and will let a child do as he or she pleases.

My mother loves me yall. The greatest gift she gave to me is Jesus.

She handed him to me on a Gold and Silver Platter.

So all the things people threw at me, Jesus told me they didn’t matter.

He adopted me into his Family and bestowed upon me many of his talents.

He calls me a child after his own heart, in my life he provides me a much needed balance.

I’m not here to boast or to brag about the life God has given me.

I’m here to provide you proof of his goodness, my life is a testimony.

So when you see the children of my family for many generations to come.

Just know it started with a mother’s gift of Jesus, and his will has been done.

One Love,

And I Know He Watches Me

As a child, my mother taught us the 23rd Psalm. I learned to say this Psalm when I was just 2 years old. The protection this Psalm has brought me over the years has been indescribable. Psalm 23 reads,

~The Lord is my Shephard. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters, he restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou annointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.~

Growing up, there were many evils and troubles we could have gotten into. I saw many of my peers here one day, then gone the next. I remember a lot of them going to jail, getting into fights, and struggling to live a normal life. My mother knew she did’t want this for her children, so she gave us the best defense anyone could ever have. The ability to read, to understand, to comprehend at a young age. Most importantly, I learned the Lord is my Shephard, and he watches me. He kept me from all of these dangers. By reciting this prayer daily, little did I realize, I was calling him unto me. Just like a good Shephard, he kept me in line and from going astray. I never felt the need to wander off and see what other’s lives were like. Though we didn’t have much, God kept me, and he will keep you too. On today, I pray that the Lord keep you.

One Love,

The Life of Seven (7)

To know me is to know how much I love children. Babies of all shapes, sizes, and colors, are my passion. Their little beaded eyes, chubby cheeks, milk smell (only mothers would understand the milk scent obsession), and the smell of a fresh diaper just sings to my soul! Imagine my surprise when I found out my first pregnancy was twins! And not just regular twins, a girl and a boy! Oh how my heart soared with joy to know that the little blue and pink angel I kept seeing in my dreams, were about to become a reality. Year after year, time after time, I kept having babies. What was I looking for though? Well, what does any new parent look for? I’ll tell you what I was looking for….1 word…….you ready for it?…..LIFE…. and I found it.

Life has a way of reviving you if you allow it. Some people take vacations to bring about a fresh new outlook on life. Others may move in search of a new beginning. Me, I decided to create my own fresh start, and I found it in the life of my children. When people meet them, they often say, “I’ll bet there’s never a dull moment in your house.” My reply is simple, “No, I like the chaos!” I couldn’t imagine an empty life. Lord only knows what I am going to do as an empty-nester. God has been faithful, and when many see me, they call me blessed.

Now, don’t confuse my message, and run out today and adopt baby fever, because the Bible does say in Luke 12:48 ~But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.~

Children are a responsibility, and a Gift from God. He requires very much from me, as you can see. My message to you today is simple. Ask God to fill your life with joy, peace, patience, and understanding. Then stand back…. and watch the BABIES flow right in.

One Love,

What is Love?

You ever look in the mirror and wonder, what is love? Does it look like me? Does it look like God? What does it look like?

I had someone to ask me the other day what love looks like in my eyes. I had to pause for a moment to ponder over the question. Then I asked myself… what does love look like? The answer to this question lies in our perception of what love should feel like. Love should be warm and inviting, and should come with ease. Every one is worthy of love. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” This tells me that love is about giving and sacrifice. The Bible also makes it clear in its description of love…

~Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.~

Always fight for love, never over it. If I have to fight for it, it was never mine to begin with.

One Love,

Be Ye As Watchmen

For those of you who know me, know that I could not resist my opinion on this subject. Lately I have been seeing a lot of Headlines concerning people being able to predict Jesus’ return, which some have given dates to mark the end of time. What’s worse, is that after talking to some people, they actually believe that there is some truth to the predictions.

I stopped by today to tell you, that it is not. For it is written:

~Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh~ Matthew 25:13

~But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.~Mark 13:32

What does this say to you? If God has not revealed to his son Jesus, neither the Angels in Heaven, that sit on his throne daily, the day or the hour, then what would make you think a mere mortal would know. Jesus is all powerful, and worthy, free from sin, and pure in every sense of the word, but yet, he doesn’t know. It is further written

~Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me~ John 14:6

So, this tells us, as Christians, we must be ready at all times. And for the non-believers, now is the time more than ever to get right. What we are living in, is a sign of the times, but MY bible teaches me, that we are in the beginning of such sorrows (Mark 13:8). People please, be ye as watchmen. I know many wonder why I don’t worry about being hated, having friends, or even speaking my mind without fear of retaliation. Hey, I figure, if they hated Jesus without a cause, then why should I be any different? And I know, I have given quite a few a reason to hate me. (Mark 13:13) But, who among these people can save me? Or give me favor with God? No not one. It is for this reason, I look to the hills from whence cometh my help. And so should you.

As a child, I was always concerned with Eternity. Asking such questions like, what exists beyond this life, this earth, beyond Heaven? It wasn’t until one day, a Jehovah Witness came to the door, and asked if he could talk to me and my brother, did I realize that no one had the answers to those questions. Being that Momma did not allow people to be in her home when she wasn’t there, I told the man, yes. As he attempted to walk through the door, I quickly said, “But you must do it from where you stand.” After all, I didn’t know him from Adam. As he began to speak, and hand out his brochures, about how God meant a life here on earth for us, how it was meant to be paradise, before Eve ate that fruit. He said one thing that bothered me. He said that one day the earth would return to the paradise God intended for it to be. So, me, with my bold response promptly quoted to him John 14:1-5. Which states the following:

~Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believeth also in me. For in my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a  place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself. That where I am, there ye may be also.~

The man was stunned! I told him that in no way, did I believe what he said. For my Bible taught me otherwise. Jesus said, I GO and prepare a place for you. I didn’t then, and don’t now, see how this earth is being prepared for us. Here I was with my little self, proclaiming and holding steadfast to what I knew to be true. I said all that to say this…

Hold fast to what you know to be true. All I know how to do is Trust God, and lean not to my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6), or the understanding of the others. Blind leaders being leaders of the blind, they both shall fall in a ditch.(Matthew 15:14) Don’t be fooled, by the beliefs of others, science, tradition, and someone else’s study. For all have to answer to God, and give an account of their own works. If you really want to be ready, and know for yourself when the end is near. Mark, Chapter 13 says it all. People please, don’t let another day pass you by, without finding out the truth. Be Ye As watchmen.

PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD!

One Love,