Promises Promises Promises....

Have you ever been in a situation where you received a letter of confirmation about some unexpected money, or a reduced debt or bill? I have and it was some of the happiest mail I'd ever received!! The more interesting thing though was that I immediately began to shift my preparation according to the information that I'd  received in the letter...I mean...I'd received a letter regarding a tax debt that I owed, a significant correction to my debt to the tune of $3000.00. After reading that letter I literally cried but then I began to make an adjustment to my budget to reflect what I'd received in the letter...

This was the beginning of a new revelation for me surrounding what I receive and how I acknowledge and regard it. Let me tell you what I mean...after reading the letter I never ONCE called the IRS, I knew that the letter was official, I trusted the source of the letter. I cried in response to the debt reduction and the relief to my current situation...without question. What would happen if we gave the same credence to the Word of God and what He promises in His love letter to us?

Hebrews 6:12 (Amp)says "so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises."

Our circle of influence plays a huge role in what we can believe to receive. Who are we listening to, who are we modeling our Faith walk after? I'm so encouraged to stay in the face of God's Word in order to be able to take Him at exactly what He has told me that He has for me…

When we put our absolute trust in the truth of God's character then we can rest in what that character has proved to produce for thousands of years! What a thought…the God of such a phenomenal track record cares enough about ME, that He leads me to His word to reassure me of what He desires for me to possess!! We are in great company with those that believe and receive from a God that CANNOT lie!!

The challenge comes in what we choose to focus on. I just want to encourage somebody today to inundate your gates with the truth of God's Word, His Worship and His Will for YOU!! His Promises…Promises…Promises

Exhaustion!!

The point in my life that clearly indicates my disconnection to all things restful…

When you have 'worked' your entire life with no real view of rest, the concept tends to get lost between shifts of punching in and punching out of… cycles of more and more work…you trust work…you trust the press. It's the one constant that you seemingly have a fraction of control over…especially when self employed.

I employ myself, yep I tell me when to work and when to stop…or so I thought. The demand of my service actually has a lot more control than you could have ever convinced me of in the beginning of my career. Unfortunately the perceived freedom associated with it is just that… a perception. Self Employment is one of the hardest things I've ever done. It's more work than I bargained for…I bought into the perception that it wouldn’t be as demanding…I'm exhausted. The initial rest of discovering the passion that drives one to seek a career that doesn’t 'feel' like work is just the beginning…it's exhausting.

Putting in the work to get to the place where your work doesn’t seem as such…exhausting.

Having to do it all praying, pressing, pushing, prepping, pulling….exhausting.

It's exactly here that I am renewed in my revelation of the actual place that I'm SUPPOSED to operate from…the rest of God. It’s a graced place and the real challenge is the transference of my personal trust from the seemingly controlled place of work to the submitted place of Faith in God's sovereign ability and desire to lead, provide, empower and Grace us for the place of purpose that we desire to operate in. It really doesn’t matter whether or not it is a place of ministry service, employment, academic pursuit or even parenting. 

What matters most is that we allow for the revelation of Gods rest to really resonate to the point that we submit to it….not the kind of "realization" that tends to happen when we read an interesting or enlightening article that we are inspired by for the moment… And then slowly slump back into fleshly focus and operations.

Nope…really rest. Because the alternative is not only the thought of doing things in our own strength but the reality of, that in doing so we block out the God that has all of the strength, strategies and stamina IN HIM to finish what He's called us to…

Join me in resting in the Sovereignty of God today! Wooosaahhh!....

Chuck your Pacifier!...

What could possibly be better  when we are having a hard day than to dive into a small  container of extra cold butter pecan Hagen Daz, while sitting in freshly laundered PJ's? Not a whole lot I used to believe. From the time that we are infants we are trained to take in things that add absolutely NO value to our lives,  they only quiet us in the moment. In fact in paying close attention…pacifiers that we allow into our lives do way more harm than good!

A belly full of gas, tired jaws from pulling at the air for dear life…only to end up empty and aching. Much like the empty calories and brain freeze from the ice cream that stays on our hips and makes us sad ironically and consequentially for much longer than it actually pacified.

So I've come to the conclusion that when I'm sad or longing or insert any relative emotion that would seek to drive me to a pacifier…meaningless consumption of air…I mean a man…I mean sugar…I mean carbs…I mean frustrated fussing at my son behind some silly issue that wont even matter tomorrow that I have a clear decision to make! I can go through the motions of an action that will leave me worse than when I first began to experience the trigger OR I can actually allow the Spirit of God to walk me through it and fill me with nutrient dense Word and Worship and sometimes a simple " its gonna be alright girl" from a sincere friend that genuinely loves me and understands that we all have times of weakness and the need for reinforcement.

Yep!, I've  chucked my pacifiers much like Kevin James in the BEST scene EVER in the movie Hitch. Yeah you know the one where  he almost missed the opportunity to share an experience that would change the course of his relationship with the woman of his dreams?! Shortness of breath, fear and a dependence on something else to enable him to breathe properly…he almost missed out. Then…reality set in, fear went out the door as indignation stepped up and gave him strength…Courage.

Chuck the thing, the pacifier that poses as real air! Chuck the thing that stands between you and forward movement because of dependence…Chuck your pacifiers. Breathe. Live. Then strut up to your opportunities and kiss them dead on the lips…Like a boss.

-

A Mother's "Yes"....

Walking alongside his destiny path.

I often wonder if other parents experience the things that I find myself dealing with in raising my 11 year old son Darrius. I'm sure we've all had moments where we've questioned whether or not anyone else truly can relate to our encounters as parents, from the doubts, discouragements, fits over homework, half washed dishes and socks under the bed, to the victories at football games, mastered speech competitions, and gentleman like ways where they open your car door or walk on the outside of the sidewalk…I find myself pondering this a lot more than I'd care to admit at any given time. Trying to find the connections between the experiences of my friends and the seemingly disconnected moments of my own, one can understand my temporary preference for a roller coaster at those times…at least they're predictable. The dips and turns are the same each time you strap yourself in…but I digress.

On a seemingly normal night (what does that even mean anymore?) while watching 'The Bible Series' on the love seat in our living room, my son engrossed, head in my lap…it happened.

I saw a mother that I could totally identify with, she was raising a son…he was accepted and being raised by an awesome selfless stepdad….my consistent prayer and petition. She was so passionate  while she watched her son walk out what he'd told her was his destiny. She undoubtedly taught him as a boy the promises that were ministered to her regarding him…promises that were met with a YES to carry him from birth to his destiny path. She didn’t even look like the shame that HAD to surround her pregnancy, she walked out her YES daily. When you have a clear vision/revelation of who your son is, it empowers you to receive instructions and impressions from God regarding the process.

Amazingly as I watched this mom watch her son, from the side of the road on that same destiny path, carrying the very instrument that would later serve as the tool to free millions…she couldn’t stop the pain that she witnessed…she'd walked beside him so long, the first woman to do so.

The revelation and relation between her previous acceptance would be tested again and again…and she had to choose her YES daily…meaning the difference between helping or hindering his outcome. Fresh tears rolled down my face onto my sons head ( thankful more than anything for just the reminder) and her tears seemed to hold so much more in earnest to wash his wounds. I understood….she did too, yet she said YES.  The same way that so many mothers watch their sons walk through pain…

I understand that even though there is  divine destiny, there is  natural necessity…a YES that God uses as access into the earth realm. Her son had a HUGE assignment, and so did she…to get him there. She would NEVER be the same  as a woman again. As I watched Mary go the distance I was reminded that I was placed on this earth to choose a YES daily to get my prince to his purpose, to replay that Purpose inwardly so as not to lose focus. Its  a death to MY flesh to submit to the plan of God for my son that isn't always pleasant or plain…but Powerful nevertheless. I cant complain about what I don’t cultivate…

It’s a spiritual journey with very tangible results/manifestations. My intercession is vital, necessary in order for him to receive his own encounter with the Father. He is clear about the call of God on his life…even at 11 so…

Thank you Mary, because of you I am able to say...Yes!

Thank you Jesus, because of you and YOUR Yes...I am!

 I will nurture and navigate…through childhood to Purpose.