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 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,