Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Crutch or Crown?

Almost two years ago, I fractured my leg playing flag football. That was the most excruciating pain I've ever had to experience to date. To add insult to injury, it happened at the most inopportune time--a mere six days before my 27th birthday. I had plans to really live it up and enjoy myself, but suddenly out of nowhere, I found myself on bed rest, popping painkillers and hobbling from room to room in my house. Talk about a setback...I really don't have to tell you that I didn't take that situation very well. Then there were the crutches. I swore those crutches were going to be the death of me. I didn't have much upper body strength to begin with, but there I was left with no other choice than to carry all of my 100-something pounds of weight everywhere primarily by the strength of my arms. The worst part was hobbling up and down the stairs of my building (I live on the top floor of a building with no elevator). You can imagine the workouts I got just from doing simple things like getting the mail or just some fresh air! So that was my life for what seemed like an eternity.  On a daily basis, I watched the muscles in my legs gradually diminish from the lack of use. I often complained and felt sorry for myself because I am very into physical fitness. The inability to be active was pure agony...but then I began to notice something. While one part of my body was weakened, another part of me was getting stronger than ever. Soon, I began to appreciate the muscles in my arms, as well as the crutches that inspired my new-found strength in a place where I least expected.

In life, setbacks occur. They can attack us in our relationships, in our careers, in our churches, and even spiritually. What is important to understand is that God uses what we think are "setbacks" to make us pause and align ourselves with His will. This happens because we sometimes allow daily distractions to get us out of sync with God's purpose for our lives. Suddenly, we stop waiting to hear His voice and we begin to rely on our own understanding when making decisions. Some of us even become arrogant and act like we don't need God at all. God chooses to deal with His children in  different ways, but the way He tends to deal with me is through trials. It is through difficulty that God seems to get my attention the most. To be completely transparent, that is when my prayer life becomes fervent. All God wants is for us to keep Him at the center, and when I fail to do that, He tends to put me in situations where I have no other choice but to depend on Him.

The good news is that the Lord cares for us and protects us, providing safety even when we are going through a tough time. Notice, I didn't lose my leg. As painful and frustrating as it was, my leg remained mostly in tact. My period of brokenness was temporary, but it gave me an opportunity to develop in a place that I didn't give much attention to before. When I began to see how my unfortunate circumstance was actually benefiting me, I started to view my crutches differently. I began to embrace them for their true purpose. And when the pain subsided and my healing was complete, I was eventually able to restore the muscles in my legs to point where I am now stronger than I've ever been:)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee [shall] bow...and every tongue [shall] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11, NKJV)

When Jesus came down to earth to save us from our sins, He came down in the image of a servant. To the average man, he was an equal, not the Son of God. He was ridiculed, persecuted and eventually murdered; however, His perspective and unwavering faith in the face of difficulty allowed Him to complete the task at hand. The reward for His obedience was to be elevated above all things and to regain His rightful place with the Father. Right perspective is key to spiritual growth, deliverance and healing. When we look at things through the lens of faith, that is when God can work out the kinks in our lives. Faith in trials increases our strength to endure, and when it's all said and done, we too will be restored and made stronger than ever before. On the other side of brokenness is power.  There will come a day when God will elevate us above the things that try to cripple us now and we will eventually receive our crown in Heaven. First, we must go through a period of brokenness and healing before God can bless and use us for His glorious purpose.

It is imperative to learn to trust the process, no matter how discouraging it can be. Make a decision today. Will you choose to let your circumstances cripple you or will you use this opportunity to draw closer to God, who is the source of all your strength??

Passages of Encouragement: 

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. (1 Peter 5:10 NLT)


Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.  (James 1:2-4, NLT)

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Hope in the Wilderness

If I can be completely and painfully honest, I am going through a really rough phase in my life. Some days, I am truly dissatisfied with where I am in my life. There are certain goals that I have set for myself that still seem out of reach and completely out of my control.That frustrates the heck out of me. There are moments when I hit the lowest of lows and all I feel is hopelessness and loneliness even though I am often quite busy and surrounded by people most of the time. Ironically, even in the midst of feeling this way, I am also reading a book called "Lord, Change My Attitude," which chronicles the story of the Jews as they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land. A trip that took waaayyy longer than it should have simply because of one thing: lack of faith.

The Jews literally grumbled the entire way to the Promised Land--a land that God Himself assured them was full of opportunity and fulfillment. Many doubted, some rebelled, and as a result, some even died. In the end, only two out of thousands of people that embarked on the journey actually made it into the Promised Land. All because the people, including their fearless leader, Moses, failed to depend on God when things got tough. Let's not forget that this was the same God who thought enough of them to perform miracles which led to their freedom from bondage. This was the same God who made specific promises to them and came through on each and every one.

Life before the journey had been pure hell for the Jews. They had been beaten, abused, underfed, and overworked for many generations. But God's unfailing love, compassion and infinite power broke the shackles which bound His people, and for the moment, they were sincerely grateful...but somewhere along the journey, things got rough again. The more they traveled through the desert land, the more uncertainty began to settle in...it became harder and harder for them to see and trust God's plan. Praise eventually turned into murmuring and the Lord's anger was provoked. After all God had done, the people still had the audacity to doubt the Lord God Almighty. Suddenly, they couldn't take Him at His word, but instead sent scouts to check out this so-called Promised Land...Who did they think they were to test the validity of God's promise? Had God not delivered them out of bondage, provided for them, and protected them every step of the way? Was He suddenly a liar? Lack of faith stunted their spiritual growth and blocked their opportunity to experience the abundance God had promised them...They didn't realize that God had to take them through the wilderness in order to make them ready to receive the abundance of the Promised Land.

That happened thousands of years ago, but sadly, it still happens with us today. That story literally sums up what I am currently dealing with. Things are happening that are really challenging my faith. After all the Lord has done (and continues to do) to prove Himself worthy of my trust, I have the audacity to question what He is trying to do in my life. Now I find myself asking, "Who do I think I am?" I know that I am nothing without the Lord, and the more I reflect, the more I realize that it is time to really get my act together. Regardless of what is going on, God has been too good. He's been too faithful and has seen me through even worse times than this for me to suddenly doubt Him. I don't have to understand His ways. It is through my faith that I will begin to see God's work in my life. As hard as this process may be, one day I know that I will realize how this was used to make me ready to receive the Lord's blessings. But even as I travel down this path, I can still thank God for the provisions He makes for me even in my wilderness state. He has not forgotten about me and He still blesses me every step of the way. It's my prayer that soon I will be able to tell this story and encourage someone based on the truth I will come to know. As I sit here today, the Holy Spirit is encouraging me that this too will work together for my good. I have to trust His process. He knows this is the best way to get my attention back towards Him. It's in the wilderness that I will learn to keep Him at the center of everything and not shut Him out of the areas I want full control of. And when the time is right, I know that the Lord will fulfill every promise He has made to me. 

Scriptures of Encouragement:

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

Oh How great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways! Romans 11:33, New Living Translation (NLT)

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord and be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:13-14, NLT

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Music to Live By...

Music has always been a major source of expression for me. Certain songs have pushed me through some of the darkest moments of my life and continue to encourage me in my brighter days. As I've grown, my taste in music has continued to evolve, but I am proud to say that my 2,000+ iPod library is extremely diverse :) While I do have my moments where I need to indulge in my secular collection of "old skool," hip hop, pop, alternative or r&b music (to name a few), I have grown to appreciate the music that penetrates my soul and speaks life to my situations in ways that no hot beat or clever play on words can ever accomplish. For me, the catchy beat has to be substantiated by the words and the Spirit behind them in order to keep my attention. I really want to share the music (new and old) that I believe God uses to speak to me directly, in hopes that one or more of those songs will affect your life for the better. Hey, I'm bored and I love music so hopefully my fellow music lovers will find my list refreshing and enlightening. Either way, here goes nothing!...
(Note: This list is not ordered by preference)
  1. Be Optimistic - Sounds of Blackness
  2. I Made It - Jonathan McReynolds
  3. Happy - Tasha Cobbs
  4. I Owe All - James Fortune & FIYA
  5. Keep On Moving - Soul II Soul (not really "gospel" but def positive)
  6. Today - Kirk Franklin
  7. The Anthem - Planetshakers
  8. Healer (Live version) - Hillsong
  9. Our God - Chris Tomlin
  10. Sovereign God - Maurette Brown Clark
  11. My Heart Has Been Restored - Maurette Brown Clark
  12. Hallelujah - Marvin Sapp
  13. Breathe Into Me - Fred Hammond
  14. God Is - James Cleveland
  15. Grateful - Youthful Praise
  16. Powerful God - Youthful Praise
  17. I Love the Lord - Whitney Houston (originally recorded by Richard Smallwood)
  18. Love Lifted Me - Youthful Praise
  19. Press In Your Presence - Shana Wilson
  20. Can't Give Up Now - Mary Mary
  21. I Worship You - Mary Mary
  22. Yes - Shekinah Glory Ministries
  23. Calling My Name - Hezekiah Walker
  24. For Your Glory - Tasha Cobbs
  25. Without You - Tasha Cobbs
  26. I Belong To You - William McDowell
  27. I Pray - Jessica Greene
  28. Thank You - Walter Hawkins
  29. He's Able - Darwin Hobbs & Deitrick Haddon
  30. Resting On His Promise - Youthful Praise 
  31. He Won't Fail - Fred Hammond
  32. Even In The Rain - Maurette Brown Clark
  33. Say A Prayer - Donald Lawrence
  34. I Am - Youthful Praise 
  35. Thou Art My God - Ricky Dillard
  36. It Ain't Over - Maurette Brown Clark
  37. Just A Prayer Away - Yolanda Adams
  38. Never Give Up - Yolanda Adams
  39. More Than Enough - Vickie Winans
  40. Make Me Over Again - Tonex
  41. More of Thee - Bishop Noel Jones
  42. No Other Choice - Tye Tribbett & GA
  43. Thank You - Benita Washington
  44. That Name - Yolanda Adams
  45. Turn Around - John P. Kee
  46. Without Love - Cece Winans
  47. You Are My Peace - Juanita Bynum
  48. Yahweh - Mali Music (as ministered by Juanita Bynum)
  49. Every Praise - Hezekiah Walker
  50. Song of Gratitude - Donnie McClurkin

Before Leaving This Earth...



I posted my bucket list here in order to get my thoughts organized in one place...My mind was becoming too crowded LOL. I encourage everyone to do this. It was kinda fun and I think everyone should have something to strive for in life:)These are in no particular order, by the way....




  • Go on an African Safari
  • Walk on the Great Wall of China
  • Visit the Holy Land
  • See the Pyramids of Egypt up close and personal :)
  • Say 'Yes' to Everything for 1 Day (and write about the experience)
  • Sky Dive (tandem most likely)
  • Get a tattoo
  • Visit Dubai
  • Go jogging across the George Washington Bridge (NYC)
  • Participate in a charity bike ride
  • Learn and master another language
  • White water rafting/tubing
  • Go to a gun range
  • Write a memoir
  • Have washboard abs (a girl can dream, lol)
  • Perform in a stage play
  • Travel to every state in the U.S.
  • Read the entire Bible (and understand it)
  • Do 1 random act of kindness everyday for 1 week and use the opportunity to share Christ
  • Work in Public Affairs
  • Tour the White House
  • Learn to play piano
  • Visit the Grand Canyon