#relationshipgoals

Ever ask why relationships are such a hot topic in the church?  Think about it….our entire world revolves around relationships.  How we think, feel, and act are predetermined by our relationships with our parents (if any) family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers.

The most important relationship we will ever have hopefully is our relationship with Jesus.  Just imagine for a second, we treat Jesus like our absent father who wants to rekindle a relationship down the road.  We ignore his phone calls, or we only call him when we need money.

How about treating him like an overbearing, but nurturing mother?  You only run to momma when you feel like your world is over, but as soon as a little light shines through your gone.  Running to your pleasures again and leaving your poor mother behind.

Maybe you treat Jesus more like that annoying co-worker, you pretend to listen to as they tell you about their weekend.  Or you abruptly end the conversation because they get on your nerves.  You’d rather spend time with anyone else than them.

Or maybe Jesus was like the homeless man you saw on the street and said to yourself, he  only wants my money to buy liquor and you pass him by without thinking twice.  Whether you have a super close relationship with Jesus comparing to the mothers scenario or more similar to the annoying co-worker it’s safe to say your relationship needs work.

The concept to grasp is that you want a healthy relationship with all five relationships, including Jesus.  The key to acknowledge is that the only way you can have a healthy relationship with those on earth is to first develop a healthy relationship with Christ.  This takes time!  Spend time with as if he were your BFF.  The love that Jesus has is not like your parents.  It’s so much more!

Advertisement

WEARY (TIRED, TAPPED OUT, EXHAUSTED, FRUSTRATED) in WELL DOING

Hi everyone!

It’s been a while since my last blog.  If you’re wondering why just re-read the title.  Yes!  I officially did exactly what the bible said not to do.  I became weary in well-doing.  So what happened you ask?  I’ll get to that in a sec.  I still want to keep my tradition and live up to the name short n’ sweet by keeping this blog as short as possible!

Long story short, I felt like Sarah, Abraham’s wife in the bible.  I believed God for a promise he made me a few years ago.  No seriously, I really did believe.  But after months turned into years, I started to question whether or not God was holding out on me.  I felt I was ready to get the blessing sooner rather than later, and that feeling quickly turned into anger and frustration when nothing happened right away.

After months, turned into years of praying and crying about the same thing, I became like Sarah, extremely frustrated and I decided to take matters into my own hands.  When it didn’t work out, AT ALL, I began to lose hope in what I was once believed so strongly.  Once the enemy stole my hope, I no longer had the strength to fight the battle of faith.  I quietly settled for defeat.

Even in my silent suffering, God never left me.  In fact, he was working behind the scenes I just did not see it!  My weariness had taken me out, so the enemy thought.  What the devil didn’t know is that even though I had lost my faith that it would come to pass soon;  A piece of me still knew it would come to pass, just not in the time frame I wanted.  Do you know God met me in my weary place?  Hallelujah!  Just like he met Elijah in the cave, God met with me!  He gave me the scripture we all know and love in Isaiah 40…they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not faint!  Yes God!  Your word is life and like a fresh cold of water!  It snapped me right out of my coma!

Slowly but surely my faith is increasing, my hope is returning!  But the greatest lesson of all was learning about God’s grace.  I’ll never let myself get this weary ever again now that I understand more about God’s grace.  He gives us grace to endure!  Grace to love!  Grace to serve Him!  I am forever grateful for his grace!  I will ask for it every morning, because I now understand I need it every single day!  I was never meant to carry this life on my own.  That’s why on your journey with Christ, in the sand you’ll see two footprints instead of one.  Selah.

THE ULTIMATE TEST

We all have to face this moment with God at some point.  Whether it’s early or late in your walk with his wonderful son Jesus, it will leave an everlasting mark: emotionally and possibly physically.  The question that will explain what God put on my heart to share with you all (and first myself)  is this:  Do you love (it) more than you love me (God)?

God calls them idols.  We call them celebrity crushes, boyfriend/girlfriend, spouses, children, money, success (within self), fame (all about exalting oneself), beauty (vanity), parents, social media, food.  I only named a few but, I am certain there are more.  You can love/idolize memories, fantasies, and fetishes.  You can hold on to things that God says aren’t good for you, and in reality you’re telling God I want this more than you.

It can be as simple as a certain emotion.  You love being sad or down and out since it gives you the attention from those around you, you seek it from.  But God says I want to give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for sadness.  Instead of making the great exchange you’d rather keep that emotion because of that instant gratification.  Sadly, you never realize it’s only temporary, and this is why your happy on Tuesday and sad by Thursday.

If you can just learn to love God with your WHOLE heart.  If we all can just learn to let go of earthly desires and set our affection on Jesus.  Love him, seek after him like you would a guy or gal your interested in pursuing.  Talk to him everyday as if your getting to know each other.  Ask questions!  Wait for an answer.  Enjoy spending time in his word.  That’s how you get to know God!  It will begin to feel like your in a relationship because you are acting as if you are in one!  And you are; a spiritual relationship with your heavenly Father.

God bless.

THE GOOD THINGS TO ASK GOD FOR

I can amaze myself sometimes.  I’ve been in the game now officially 5 years and it feels like I am riding the Batman ride at six flags most days.  Just when you think you got all the answers God comes back and says you’ve got more room to grow.

No problem God….smh

One lesson that I seem to be reminded of constantly is learning to ask God for “good things” in his eyes.  We can learn from our ancient bible friends like David to ask for a clean heart and renew a right spirit.  However, there is nothing wrong with asking God for a baby, spouse, car, house, etc.  But there are things that make God smile when we ask and perhaps we forget about them because life seems to pull at us on every side.

What are these “good things”?  I’ll list a few below…

Righteousness….

Oh boy!  You will tug on the heart-strings of God if you ask for this right here!

His word tells us, “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Essentially what you are asking God is to clean you from the inside out; to make you whole.  You have heart and desire to be more like him.  To walk in the Spirit and not the flesh.  There is nothing more pleasing to God than this…besides the faith that goes behind believing this.

Peace…

The peace God gives will leave you in a place of tranquility.  Only God can do this!  No substance on earth can bring this kind of peace.  If we could just learn to keep our minds on Jesus we can have it.  Every single day!  No matter the situation you face!  I can remember a moment in my life where I should have just lost it.  My mother died in 2014, she was only 57, and I was 32.  I carried for months such a rest, a peace from God that I couldn’t even grieve my mother’s death until months down the road.  As a matter a fact I rejoiced!  She got saved a week before she died and that lifted my soul.  

Gifts of the Spirit…

Healing the sick, casting out devils, teaching the word of God, winning souls, missionary, pastor/preacher, etc.  These are gifts that you may be uncertain about, or you may have and don’t how to activate it.  These are good gifts from the Lord and should be used to bring him glory, not ourselves.  

 

God loves us so much and blesses us everyday, uniquely for each one of his precious children.  There are many things we can ask God for, but as we watch time and this world wind down learn to ask for “good things” in the Father’s eyes.

God bless!

THE THORN IN YOUR SIDE

 

Good afternoon everyone!  I pray your Tuesday is going well.  For some it’s a new day to get things done, and for others it’s just another day; going through the same old thing.

I have a question for you today?  Perhaps you’ve been asked this before.

What is the thorn in your side?

Is it a bad marriage, being single too long, health issues, family issues, or job issues?

Is it a significant death of loved one you can’t get over?

Is it massive debt, job loss, loss of a loved one?

Can you even mention the thorn in your side without your eyes welling up with tears?  If not you’ve definitely got a thorn deep in your heart.  An open wound that only God can heal.

Not even your closest, friend, lover, spouse, or family can heal this hurt.  It’s often something in secret.  Sometimes it’s hard to express exactly what that thing is.  But as soon as someone mentions it….or an event happens that reminds you of it, that wound is instantly tore open again.

Why won’t it heal properly you ask?  I thought it was over it! 

Just because you bury something in the dirt doesn’t mean it’s gone.  It’s still there, it’s just covered up!

One thing we can learn from the Apostle Paul is this:  Keep moving forward even with a thorn in your side.

Don’t give up on what God has purposed you to do, even with that pesky thorn in your side.  You never know if and when God will remove it.  He may just have it there to keep you humble.

 

I AM A MIRACLE!

The month of August has been an interesting time for me.  I can’t believe the year is almost over.  This year has went by so fast!  So much has happened good and bad!  I thank God for it all because it was all for my good!  I have hit some milestones in my life, some highs and some lows, but knowing in all of it I am a overcomer.

This morning I logged in to my Facebook app to purposely look for the “On this day” feature.  I love to look at the memories; how I have matured in Christ since November 1, 2012.  It reminds me that God is working on me.  Today I saw an old modeling photo shared in August of 2010, probably taken in my late 20’s in downtown STL.  It was a beautiful day out and the photographer I only worked with once.  I remember feeling so beautiful that day in a itty-bitty white bikini.

I left the shoot feeling accomplished.  I was pursuing my dream of being the next Twiggy!  The reality was, I was such a mess.  Modeling was the only way I felt beautiful.  Every other day, I felt ugly and unloved.  As I look at this photo today I see a broken girl, lost in the world trying to find herself.  I didn’t know who I was.  I was seeking male attention, affection, I just wanted to hear the words you are beautiful.  I substituted being sexy for being beautiful, not realizing it, and made it easy for emotionally unavailable men to be attracted to me.

When I see the then and now transformation, I can’t help but give God glory!  I am 5 years celibate only because of our savior Jesus Christ!  I remember the day when he called me out of darkness!  Only because at the time I was willing to hear God speak to me that day!  God wanted to use me even in my mess!  It was through a prophecy received that God said he need a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ from me, and a prophetic dream that made me cry out “YES LORD!”

Today I walk in victory!  Each day I get out of bed, still giving God the glory I overcome the enemy!  I walked away from non-Christian men and ran straight into the arms of Jesus!  I gave up modeling and with that small act of obedience God blessed me!  I have a new walk, talk, and style of clothes.  I have a new attitude about beauty praise God!  Inner beauty is illuminating, it’s attractive, it’s not abrasive and it is pure.  I thank God for giving me an inner beauty.  Yes I do believe I am beautiful on the outside, but I needed to be healed on the inside first.  Only God could do that!

I know that my walk with Christ is not by chance.  I have an assignment to encourage others and I intend to do so!  God is not through with me and he is certainly not through with you!  I am a miracle!  The devil did not want me to be saved!  God found me and turned my life around.  I owe him my life!  Just as he gave his for me!  I love him!  And I love you all too! God bless!

 

EVANGELISM 101

 

Good afternoon! 

How are you guys?

I had an exhausting but fun weekend!  Spent some time in the pool, ate great food, and fun with my besties!

I wanted to chat with the singles this summer.  You know the summer season is the hook up season!  Especially those of you who have not been saved all your life.  I am super excited not because it’s mating season for some, but this is a great opportunity to share the gospel with strangers.   I don’t know what it is about summer, perhaps it’s the beautiful breeze and the sunshine that keeps people happy.  People are more open to talk with Christians about Christ it seems in the summer.

Evangelism is not scary!  Get that stinkin’ thinkin’ out your head.  You can strike up an interesting conversation with anyone.  The key is to share in love.  You’ll learn something new from each individual person you encounter.  

Not really hands on or a little shy? No problem, you can always give out a bible verse written on a note card to someone, your church information, or start a blog!

There are many ways to share your faith with strangers.  In my book “To be a Light in a Dark Place” I talk about many different ways the Lord allowed me to share my testimony.  Take a peak by clicking the link below.  God bless and great work saints!