For Everything There Is A Season

I found the courage to wear red lipstick today. I know it may seem futile or small in comparison to so many more greater things to do today; however it is one of the items on my list of things to do before I die. A comparative list of fears per se. See I’m trying to grow myself up. I recently turned thirty-three (typed out to decrease the shock factor – purely for my benefit) and decided that it was time to do some of the things that I keep saying I’m gonna do and stop putting them off. Another item on my list is planting (flowers and gardening). My recent efforts at my vegetable garden have been thwarted only because I found a series of vole holes in my backyard. With that discovery I decided not to till my ground on last week. The thought and visual remembrance of the holes in the ground, not to mention the web search I did on those little varmits, still bring shivers to my body. However, I have decided that I will continue and moving forward will do container planting on my deck instead (So THERE! you voles….TAKE THAT!). So I have having weekly ‘therapy sessions’ as I call them, go and purchase flowers and vegetable plants. This seems to de-stress me…very soothing shopping. Investments that I know will give me something in return. It truly makes me happy. Last night I purchased some potted pansies. I got home, took them to my deck and cared for them, strategically placed them amongst the other ‘babies’, and went to bed. Woke up this morning to see the packets of flower seeds that I had purchased a month ago, still sitting in the place I put them after taking them out of the bag, still not planted and realized that this is an issue. I keep purchasing potted plants and such, when I have what I need at hand. I have marveled at the beauty of God’s handiwork, and although I realize that everything in life requires processing, I had decided to skip the very part, the most important. And that is creating a foundation, sewing seed(s), watering and nurturing, and in turn watching that seed turn into something just wonderful. God see’s us in this very way! He created us, planted us in the family we are supposed to be a part of, has given us the resources we need for life including the wonderful book called the Bible (B-asic, I-nstructions, B-efore, L-eaving, E-arth), and is ever watchful, waiting for our ‘blooms’ to show. However, blooming requires processing…this is the heart of everything. So often in our walk(s) with Christ we try and skip to receiving the anointing and gifts of God without realizing that there is a process to go through in order to get it. And trust, if you don’t want to go through the test and trials, then you don’t want the reward…because you won’t be ready for what comes with it. The test and trials works patience, and hope, and is what proves us.

All this to say that today, I will de-stress by picking up some more pots and potting soil to plant my seeds this afternoon. As God continues to work in my life, I have an expected end of what is to come of my little seeds. For He makes all things beatiful in His time! Amen


Ecclesiastes3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.


Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Spring Time

It's April and flowers are in bloom, birds are singing, and the bees are buzzing. Everything around me is growing and I am too. Over the weekend, or the past week for that matter I had a 'thwarted epiphany' that I am an adult. I know.........(^_^)! I mean I'm sitting here thinking..."What was I thinking?" I don't know if it was the friendships that have gone up in smoke the past few weeks or the 'long lost lover' (he's married now I might add) making an absurd attempt to contact me. After literally not being able to get out of my spot in bed on one of my most favorite days of the year (Easter), I realized that I am too old to continue to let 'mess' continue on in my life.

MOVING FORWARD: Words imprinted on my mind...doesn't seem to be the popular choice these days. I have chosen to continue on and not let the negative realities of life get me down...so why couldn't I 'function' on Sunday? I had to sit back and access AGAIN what I mean to God, myself, my children, and lastly others (today a clear one, as to why 'others' is on the bottom rung...a muddled day 'they' would rest under God - don't get me wrong 'others' matter, but I can't continue to try and take care of others while my homelife is falling apart). I can no longer listen to people who haven't chosen to make a change in their life for their own good. Hey, I'm no one to point a finger, but will be the first to let you know it took me a long, long, long time to get where I am today. And God's knows I have a lot of learning to go. But I mean seriously? How many times can you let the same thing keep happening to you...and by your doing and no one else's. How long are we as women gonna sit around and bash men while what we really need to do is take a look in the mirror and pick ourselves to pieces to get to the root of the issue of these men 'taking advantage' of us.

I'm tired of the usual same 'ole, same 'ole. WAKE UP! True, life is hard...but can be easy if our steps are ordered. I'm tired of having to tell others to look to God and they agree and then in the same sentence talk about how they want to sin more. I am beginning to start 'dusting my feet off' per se. That means that I probably won't be talking to too many of the 'others' any longer. I yearn to be as a tree firmly planted by the Living Water, that I may grow. And keeping that vision in my head I realize that in order to grow, there must be pruning. Oh man does it hurt, but is so necessary. I will bless God through this process, because it is truly for His glory. Amen

Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! Psalm 63:3 NLT

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. Hebrews 10:36 NLT

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalm 1:3 NLT

AMAZEMENT

Doing the right thing carries a high cost. Many times the cost is actually loss of something, things, and these 'things are usually people. The reality of it means being able to grasp that your decision may cause some disharmony for those who choose the beaten path. I implore you to stay on the high road; with it's twist and turns, rocky, flooded, mud/rock slidden terrain. Your journey will be one that you can look back on and be proud to share the story of how you made it through. As opposed to the beaten path, which is seemingly effortless and trekked so much so, that it begins to leave a ditch of sorts for those that keep on it endless stretch which eventually runs into hilled areas that only lead to other endless excursions. Choosing to take the high road or the road less traveled will bring joy to God, honor to your name, and leave a mighty legacy for your children...it may seem a lonely passage, yet you are not alone. While on this expedition, your conscious choice for the "good of it all" automatically signed you up for a lifetime insurance policy against all the bumpy terrain that you may encounter. I bless God for the reassurance...knowing that He will never leave me nor forsake me b/c I've decided to truly love on Him and honor Him with my life. All that I have lost and will lose...I count it all joy, until His return. Amen

James 1: (2) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you
face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perserverance. (4) Perserverance must finish it work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything.

REJUVENATED!

minimalism

INSPIRED

This week I was hit with a reality…I have not achieved set goals due to my fear and laziness. Hard pill to swallow? Yes. Is the pill for the betterment for my physical, mental, social, and spiritual health? Yes. God has told me that all is mine for the asking, as long as that ‘all’ lines up with His will and that I am obedient in all that He asks of me. Disobedience is a blessing blocker. It can delay if not annihilate what God has in store for you. I was presented with an offer this week. And as enticing as the offer was, I had to decline. Now in me being transparent, I must say that I toyed with the idea, again embracing one of my realities…and then it hit me…I shouldn’t be embracing anything. The real reality is that the presenter had not changed, the offer had not changed, and therefore the end result would be no different either. HALLELUJAH! Eureka! I finally have arrived! God is awesome and deserves my all! And because He is so awesome I know that He will make a way for me always. It’s wonderful to know that you know you have been truly delivered. I am so excited as I have also been receiving calls and emails about a business opportunity. Not from just one individual, but several. This opportunity can and (speaking prophetically) will advance my lifestyle generously. Is it not God’s ideal to bless those that love Him? He will never forsake His children.

All this to say…God loves you. Life is hard, but you can make it through with a steadfast mindset on pleasing the Creator. He knows what’s best for you and always will. Get tired of the mundane and dare to do His will and as a dear friend says ‘see what the end is gone be’. In obedience there are riches. In obedience there is love. Be encouraged that every positive move you make on your behalf isn’t for naught. It builds character. Stop settling for things of the moment and seek and yearn for what is eternal. I’m thankful for being able to see what is presented to me, for what it is and being able to rationally think it through and move forward for my good. And what I can’t decifer, I know I can phone heaven…because the old negro spiritual says, Jesus is on the mainline and all I have to do is tell Him what I want. Hallelujah! Ain’t God good?!!!!!

Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) ~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

LOVE IS LOVE

Many think that I am bonkers because I choose to continue to love those that have hurt me. That is my charge as it is also my charge to pray for my enemies. What is the other alternative? To live with pain and regrets to the point of the manifestation of sickness. I resigned from that campaign recently. Decided to pick up my bed and go. PRAISE GOD! True deliverance in a thing really brings clarity and healing, opening up doors that would otherwise be closed due to disobedience. So why do so many that ‘love the Lord’ choose to walk with such a promulgated handicap? And in reality, many don’t see it in such a light, but wear their “lack” as a badge of honor. It’s shameful, but we all have our specific time for epiphanies. I embrace each and every one of mine.

I still love because God is love. And like so - you love the sinner, yet dislike the sin. Recently a childhood friend and not-so-long-ago love got married. I making the conscious decision, to much of my chagrin, looked to the high road and decided I would send a wedding present. Unfortunately I let the nay sayers persuade me take the road that has been trampled vs. the one less traveled. Unfortunately, I lost that battle of tug-o-war on this one and the worst of me began to surface. The ‘this dude did me wrong and I hope he gets back everything he did to me’ part of me. And even though I know that yes, what he did was wrong, I began reciting in my mind that yes “revenge is a dish best served cold”… I even had a constituent tell me that she would inflict harm upon me had I even dared use any of my money to purchase a gift for someone who did me so foul (yet not examining the plank of betrayal in her own eye, before condemning my ex to hell and possibly committing me to the ER…but that’s another post). My response was silence, once again…. Ultimately, I decided not to send a gift, as my silent protest in ‘my reality’…when in actuality I never received a formal invite or was even officially informed about the wedding in the first place. Still, I wanted to send one to let all know that all was well, as if I were even on anyone’s mind. Really wanted to do a ‘one-up’ the gossipers and show ‘em that ‘I’m just fine, even though there was a submarine that had crashed and had been shooting constant missiles in my gut for months since I became privy of the pending nuptials…Talk about having the blues man (problems with my friends, life, lost love, etc…the recipe for a great country ballad)! My prayer that night was that God forgive me for having such nasty thoughts about revenge (for vengeance wasn’t mine anyway) and that I make better decisions in the future. I wait and think of the ever so popular adage...WWJD (What Would Jesus Do, for those unlearned in modern “churchin” vernacular). I sat, cried it out, thought it out, referenced the Word and decided to pray that my ex’s union would be blessed and fruitful and also that, all who would suggest I do otherwise, that they be enlightened, delivered, and embrace the reality of God’s love. It was simpler for me to forgive and move forward in love than to delay my destiny by continually conjuring up the things to throw into my ‘pity soup’. That type of nourishment never helps anyone to grow. Thankful for this, one of many revelations in my adult life. There’s nothing greater than forgiveness and love….and I do believe we should choose to live freely and not bound by things you can’t change otherwise. In my love,….I am blessed….In my love,….I am freed….In my love,….I still believe in the possibilities of life, love, and the progression of people…In my love,…God resides therein.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. - 1 John 4:16