Let's Celebrate This Thing Called Life

Good Morning monsters, It is a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, you couldn't ask for a more perfect day. In my imagination I imagined storm clouds, destruction and gloominess. April 21st the world lost a musical genius an icon that spanned generations. We lost the talent known as Prince. I grew up in a world filled with Prince and of course Michael Jackson. I listened to their music, bought their albums stayed up late to watch their videos on MTV. (back when MTV still played music videos) I never experienced a world where either of them did not exist. While I loved Micheal and mourned his lost he never held a special place for me like Prince.

           

 I have never met this man, I have never had the pleasure of his company, he never knew that there was a young girl growing up just outside Chicago who loved all things purple because she loved all things Prince. Isn't it funny how that happens how we come to love those we have never truly known, how they touch our lives in our most secret moments and leave traces of their presence across the landscape of our lives. How through their talent and gifts they forge a connection that they will never know they made.

                You might not ever be famous, but you change the world in just this way. You reach people, you leave footprints on their life, you touch each and every life you come across, sometimes not always for the good. We are all connected in this life, we leave an imprint on this world, we touch the lives of perfect strangers, what do you want your imprint to be?

          The beautiful weather contradicting my emotions serves to illustrate that life goes on. Despite the loss of his physical presence in this world his music, his legacy will continue to leave an imprint on everyone who experiences it. What will your legacy leave?  Will you have been a bright light in someone's otherwise dismal day? Will your random smile change the outcome of a situation, will someone look at your life and be inspired?

              Today's message is a short one. Celebrate your life, every moment, every second. Live, don't just survive. Your life touches so many others, let your imprint be one of joy, love, hope and kindness.(Galatians 5:22-23)
It is so easy to get caught up in the trials and tribulations of your life, to be so focused on what is going on with yourself that you ignore everything else around you. The gift of life is a precious and fleeting gift. It is not enough to survive this life, but to celebrate the gift of life.

(Psalm 118:24) (Proverbs 15:15)

          As a Christian we are meant to be an army, occupying a dark world. We are to be the light and the salt, you can't do that when your focus is on yourself. Today, monster, make a point of celebrating life. Look beyond your current circumstances and be the joy, the light, the smile the celebration that brings some light into this gloomy world.

Celebrate monster, Celebrate

Death, Loss, and the Joy Promised in the Morning

   Good morning monsters, As I sit here watching the sun play across my windows I am reminded of one  simple joy we all take for granted, waking up. It is such a blessing to open your eyes and witness the birth of a new day. When we lay down at night we don't dream of not waking up, as we go about our day we don't focus on the millions of ways we could die, for many of us these thoughts never cross our mind. For those of us dealing with chronic illnesses, heart problems, debilitating illness, cancer, death or the thought of death; is our constant companion, he sits down with us, eats at our table, walks with us, looks over our shoulder and perches at the end of our bed. 


    Monster, I am not telling you this to cause you to fear, only to remind you of the greatest possession you have, Life. As we travel through life we lose people along the way, during the course of your journey you will lose someone you love, you will lose a whole host of loved ones. I am sorry monster, I am sorry for the pain and the hurt that you have felt, I am sorry for the pain you are feeling now, I am sorry for the future pain you will deal with later.   Death will come for all of us, but in the midst of this seeming darkness I want you to remember monster, that death though painful is not evil, it is not something to be feared, death has no power over us. 


  By all means, grieve, weep, and honor the memory of your loved one, but in your grief take comfort that it is not the end.  You will be sad, you will grieve there is no shame in this. After all when faced with coming to terms of his own death Jesus wept (John 11:35).
But monster in all your weeping there comes a time to remember that there is joy, there is an end to the pain. As Christians we are given hope. The word refers to death as sleeping, nothing more. "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

   Monster, in your pain know that God is with you. He will comfort you, (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) He will Bless you, (Matthew 5:4) He will heal your broken heart. (Psalm 119:105) and he will be your strength. (Psalm 73:26). Know that this pain and hurt will diminish and you will be left with the love and wonderful memories of having shared even a moment with the one you have lost. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5)


 

  In the church I grew up in we called it a Homegoing Celebration. We took joy and comfort in 2 Corinthians 5:8  which tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I have loved and lost those loves, and in the moment of my grief I was surrounded by people who loved me enough to remind me of these things that I have shared with you. I hope that they bring you peace monster, and shed a little light on your dark time. 

I wish you peace monster.

Be Still....He's Got You

      I have been on quite the hiatus when it comes to blogging. I used to blog daily, sharing my journey and my thoughts but recently I have been real quiet. Not just on the internet, but in my life too. Maybe a little too quiet. There is a time monster in all of our lives when we learn that it may be wiser to remain silent, prayerful, and still then it is talk and move forward. This is a hard lesson monster, especially for one such as me who is not used to having to guard my mouth. I have always been quick to talk and slow to think it through first. I have always shared my thoughts and opinions freely, I have been quick to display anger and impatience, but in my journey I have learned to be still. I am not going to say it is easy, monster, it is not. It will be the hardest thing you master, the hardest thing you will ever do. To be still, to allow the Lord to move, to make a way, to deal with your enemies, to fight your battles while you are still, will be the hardest but the most rewarding experience of your walk.

    What do I mean by being still. I am not talking about inaction, or sitting back waiting on things I am talking about moving forward on your path, doing the work you have been called to do. You are still praying, you are still in your Word, you are still doing you. So how is that being Still? When I say be still it means not to pay attention to the distractions that are going to arise. As you walk with the Lord you will be blessed. You will get the job you have been praying for, get that breakthrough in your life you have been working towards, you will be enjoying all the blessings that come with it and while your enjoying it, the enemy is throwing things in your path to make you stumble. The enemy will throw people at you, situations, etc. to make you falter, to make you question and to ultimately make you leave your path. Don't give in monster, no matter what comes at you, be still, knowing that God has already worked it out. 

Here is what it looks like. You have finally gotten the job you have been praying for. You are happy, you are making lots of money, you are finally able to be the blessing you always wanted to be. Everything is great until it is not. Your car breaks down, your babysitter quits, and your co-worker is throwing so much shade at you she could be an oak tree. I mean seriously, what is wrong with her that she is constantly bad mouthing you, undermining you and basically making your dream job a nightmare. What do you do? Do you throw a fit, tell her where she needs to go and how to get there? Or do you be still. 

Scenario 2. You are finally in the relationship you have been praying about. You have met the man you are going to marry. You pray together, you go to church together, you are actively building a life together.  You are happy and you expect the others around you to be happy as well.... yeah not so much. Your getting advice from this one and that one, everyone has an opinion, some think your moving too fast, some don't like him, some just liked you better single who knows but everywhere you turn you find a new opinion. What do you do? 
Scenario 3. You are finally getting your degree, you have made it into the program, everything is great until it is not. You don't like your study group, your classes are not available, the books are too much, your job is tripping about all the time you have been requesting off. You are distracted by everything going on around you what do you do? 

Be still monster. I don't know what your dealing with in your life, but I know at times it can be stressful, You have so many things pulling at you, people talking into your life, everyday stresses and set backs and you just want to fire back. Be still. Psalm 46:10 "Be Still and Know that I am God."  simply means that you don't have to do anything. You don't have to defend yourself from attack. Exodus 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Hold on to your peace monster. You don't have to tell that chick where to go, you don't have to fight and argue with your family, you don't have to do anything. You can be still knowing that the battle is the Lord's and that no weapon formed against you will prosper. You can relax and bathe in the light that tells us that All things work together for the good of them who love the Lord. This monster is being still. Keep doing what your doing. all these obstacles and trials tell you is that you are heading in the right way. So next time someone throws some dirt your way, don't worry, God has got your back. 

I wish you stillness monster. 

Malarkey, Balderdash, Hogwash and other Foolishness

   

 Happy Tuesday Monsters, how is the taming of the tongue going? Harder then you thought huh? I have been practicing being silent, I have been absent on twitter and face book, I have not responded to the off the wall posts that we call social media, I have smiled and nodded rather then engage in conversations at work. I have thought before I spoke and become a woman of few words. For now. I don't know about you but I am bursting to tell other people to shut up!  I mean really when your quiet, you start to really take notice of the chatter going on around you. All that chatter, all the tweets, all the updates, even the face to face convos are full of mess. I said it. Foolishness! Mess, and yes to quote Biden, "malarkey." As people we say a whole lot of nothing. Think of all that air pollution. I look back on some of my own chatter, tweets and status updates and wish I could have back all the millions of seconds I wasted telling people how much i love sunshine, go bulls, and "liking" of random stuff. If I had all those seconds back I could be making history instead of posting about it on my face book page.

       The most important thing I learned during my forced silence is not to argue with fools.

Unfortunately I seem to know quite a lot of fools. I am sure you do too, in fact you may be a fool right now. The good news is you do not have to stay one. When I say foolish  I don't mean stupid or ignorant (Though my face book friend list seems to have an abundance of them also) I mean people who don't think before they speak. People who make great business decisions but horrible personal ones. People who make excellent personal ones and horrible business ones. People who for the most part are smart, kind, loving, until they sit in front of a keyboard, then all their foolishness shows. People who just have wrong thinking about a whole host of things. That is the foolishness I am speaking on.

    Don't get me wrong monster we are all at times  foolish.We have all made foolish choices, made foolish statements, and just in general acted a fool at one time or another. However there should come a time when we let all that foolishness go. There should come a time when our appetite for it diminishes and disappears, a time that as we walk in the Light, we become wiser. We should at some point stop looking to our education, our friends, our experiences etc and look to the Lord and ask for wisdom. The wisdom to do right, act right, think right, choose better friends, choose better dates, choose better jobs and lifestyles. Eventually in our walk with God we should be able to move past the foolishness.

    Let me share some random conversations and posts I have come across in my pondering on fools and foolishness.  Foolishness is what keeps you in a bad relationship yet you keep asking for advice. It is what makes you make snide comments about people, it makes you stay in a dead end job or spend your paycheck before you get it. Foolishness is buying 200 dollar gym shoes and your rent is due. Foolishness is doing the same ignorant thing over and over again and wanting different results. Foolishness is posting half naked pictures of yourself on the Internet and then beating your daughter for staying out all night with her boyfriend. Foolishness is arguing with someone who makes racist, sexist or bigoted comments on an anonymous forum. Foolishness is knowing what is right and not doing it. You starting to get the picture?

The world is full of foolishness, lucky for us we have the solution. The Word. The bible tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom, ask the Lord,(James 1:5) it tells us to put away childish behavior, ( 1 Corinthians 13:11) to cease from foolish talk(Ephesians 5:4) and to not hang around fools.(1 Corinthians 15:33) It is all there a whole manual on how to live, to be wise, to make wise choices. The only catch is you have to actually read it. The world is infected with foolishness and malarkey, you only have to turn on the television or the computer for that matter and you will be bombarded with reality shows full of people acting a fool, talk shows, news forums and programs that celebrate ignorance and vulgarity. You can be infected and spread it or you can be the cure. Foolishness has to stop with you. You choose how you speak, to whom you speak, and the content of your speech. So monster are you a fool. I would hope not, but just in case you may have a mild case of it, a good dose of the Word will clear that all up.

Be wise monster, be wise.

The Taming of the Tongue, Shut up already

   Happy February monsters. How is the love walk going? In case you haven't noticed I have not been blogging as much as I was. A part of that is I have been crazy busy juggling being a mom, planning a wedding, working and all the other things that make up a life. More importantly I have been working on me, specifically my mouth.  With day to day issues and frustrations it is easy to say things you don't mean, to talk about people and situations that annoy you, to gossip, to rant, and to make comments you may later regret. Yup with all the stuff going on in my life its easy to lose ground on the things I thought I had dealt with, my mouth being one of them. Lucky for you monster my slip ups make great topics for this blog.

    Throughout this blog and my journey I have discussed the importance of changing the way you think, guarding your heart, and speaking good things into your life. I seem to have overlooked the whole watching what you say thing, I mean it was easy to call out others on what they say, but myself not so much. In fact recently I have found myself so annoyed with the words coming out of the mouth of someone I loved, that I had to pause and see that God was placing a mirror in front of me. Yup, it was time to work on my mouth, after all what is the point of having pretty lips if every word that comes out of them is ugly? Ponder that monster, ponder that.

   

 So what should you not be saying, let's go to my favorite place, Proverbs. Proverbs is chuck full of wisdom, and a whole bunch of it is dedicated to watching your mouth. It talks about lying, bad mouthing, slander, gossip, foolish talking, deceitfulness, speaking out in anger, rash words, and even about when to shut up. The more I read it the more I realize that I could have saved myself a ton of drama just by being quiet. "Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble" Proverbs 21:23. We all know that lying is wrong, gossip is not so good and slander, slander you could be prosecuted for, or is it libel, either way you want to stay away from it."Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler." Proverbs 20:19 "A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends" Proverbs 16:28 Then there is the grey area. Sarcasm, dry wit, perverse speaking, etc. So basically the majority of my smart comments and mean but funny statements should never have been uttered. Harsh, but true.

        So what are we supposed to do monster, it's not like you can walk around with a muzzle on or a gag, so not fashionable. It is easy, it is time to shut up. Yup I said it, shut up. Next time you want to talk, make a comment, discuss someone, joke about something, shut up. Harsh huh? Before you speak think. Is what you are about to say a sword or not. Are you verbally murdering someone? Are you making a situation/conversation better or worse? Is it something you wouldn't mind saying to Jesus? The Bible says that we are to think about the good, the just, the lovely, if you are thinking these things then there is no room for the ugliness that can escape your lips. (Philippians 4:8) There are times when you think that your not really gossiping or your just telling your friend what you heard, the Bible also covers this. It says that love covers all things and a trustworthy friend will shield their friend from the hurt.

grace  

/grās/

Noun Simple elegance or refinement of movement.

Verb Do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one's presence.

Synonyms noun.   favour - favor - charm - elegance - mercy - gracefulness verb.   adorn - decorate - ornament - embellish - deck - bedeck

As for the snide comments and the off color jokes we are all guilty of enjoying, try this one on for size.  "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29.  Grace, now there is word you don't hear often. In fact it has all but disappeared from our vocabulary, it is more then just a popular name for a little girl.  We as ladies should be gracious and kind. Unfortunately we seem to be a generation of mean girls we mistake cattiness for charm and mean spirited talking for wit. Do the words you use with others do honor or credit, is it a pleasure to be in your company, are you elegant, refined? According to the words you use and the content of your conversation, I would say no.  

So you see monster, you have great power in your tongue. It can be a sword, destroying and cutting at every turn or it can be a healer, a balm to the bruised, an instrument of peace, and a source of wisdom. You decide on what you want it to be. I still struggle with this, as I am sure you do. The good news is that you can master your mouth, it is as simple as shutting it. While it is shut get to reading, start with proverbs then do a search of all the verses that deal with your tounge. I did, I still do, It is a walk that we are on monster. This is just one step in it. So how do you  get started taming your tounge? Easy, when in doubt, shut up. 

Happy talking monster, happy talking 

Walk into Abundance

Happy New Year monster. I can not believe that it is already 2013. This time last year I was making resolutions, cleaning out my life, praying for breakthroughs and believing God for new adventures and circumstances. 2012 had its fair share of trials, heart aches, blessings, answered prayers and life changing moments. I am looking forward to the adventures of 2013. 




    So have you made your resolutions yet? Are you sticking with them, or have they already fallen to the wayside. Many people vow to lose weight, get their house organized, start something new, get rid of a bad habit, or get their finances in order. What have you vowed to do in 2013? Anything? Let me offer a suggestion. In 2013 get rid of the lack in your life. Vow to walk in abundance in all things. Tell yourself that this will be the year that you lack for nothing, nothing lacking in your relationships, your career, your home and most importantly your finances. Vow that 2012 is the last year you will ever refer to yourself as broke, unable, not financially solvent, or in a recession. After all your a Child of the Most High and He has promised to meet all your needs, to provide for you, to open doors for you, to bless you. So why as His child should you be walking around in debt, or in lack? 

People get really skittish when you put God and money in the same sentence. It is almost as if they are ashamed to ask the Lord to bless them in this way. It is as if they don't believe that He will or that it is wrong.  Get rid of this thinking monster. God knows what you need, He wants you to have what you need. So go ahead, ask Him. Oh one thing, monster, there is a catch. Yup, you knew there would be, nothing is free right? What is the catch? God wants your life. He wants you to obey Him and to live according to His standards. He wants you to Love Him with all you are, and to love your neighbor. Oh and God wants you to bless others, to give so that you can receive, oh and one more thing, He wants you to tithe. Told you there was a catch. 

Tithe, such a small word, yet it is one of the most debated topics of the church.  People will stop going to church because they are asked to tithe, they will argue about how much and how often they should tithe, they will even argue that it is an Old Testament "thing" and something they no longer have to practice. I am not here to debate theology or church doctrine or any of  that. I really don't care what you believe or what your choose to do.  I am just  here to challenge you. I challenge you to try it, I did and I am more blessed in my finances then ever before. So, monster do you want to take the 2013 challenge. 

Here is what it looks like. Let's go to the Word. In the book of Malachi God challenges us to prove Him. It is the only place in the Bible where He tells us it is ok to test Him. 
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3: 8-12

 What does this mean for you monster? God owns everything in this world and in the Heavens. He is the reason you are able to draw breath every day and go to work. He has blessed you with a job and an income and He asks that to honor him you give him a mere 10% of that. Right off the top, before you pay bills, buy a cheeseburger, pay your rent, pay yourself. You get to keep the other 90%.  You will find that the 90% will begin to stretch further and further. You will find that you have more money to do what you need to do, so much more that you can begin to do what you want to do. 

I stated earlier that everything is already the Lords', “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27:30  Tithing reminds us that it is His. That is is His favor, His Grace, His Will that is allowing you to earn your money in the first place. It humbles you monster. By keeping Him first and knowing that it is from Him, pride cannot creep in. Nor can greed. Money is not the problem, The love of money is. By returning your tithe to the Lord, you are saying Lord I love you more then this money. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs" 1Timothy 6:10.  It was the love of money that sent the young man away when he was seeking to follow Jesus. (Luke 18) It was not that he was rich and had many things it was that his many things had him. They had become his idols, they had usurped the place in his heart that belonged to God. 



The second part of the 2013 plan is to give. You cannot be a miser monster. Remember I told you in an earlier blog that God blesses you, not for yourself, but for others. You are the means by which God carries out His plans in the world. When you give your time, your skills, your talent and yes your money to help further the church you are doing God's work in the world.  Be smart in this monster. I am not saying to just give your money away. Take a look at your church whether you are a member or thinking about joining it. Look at what they are doing locally and globally with their missions. Listen to the pastor. Is he preaching the Gospel, the word as inspired by the Holy Spirit and not himself/herself. Is it a ministry where your spirit is being fed. If it is not you need to keep looking for the right church, the right ministry. Once you find it you will know. Then you  can begin sowing into that ministry with your time, your talents and yes, your tithes and offerings. The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6 It is important that in all your giving you give with a willing heart and spirit. That you do not begrudge your offering. God loves a cheerful giver. This goes back to Cain and Abel. Abel loved God, He gave the best he had and was pleasing to God. Cain gave grudgingly, he gave the leftovers and he became jealous when he saw how God blessed his brother. So much so that Cain murdered his brother. If you are going to give unwillingly or just to get something in return or to be seen giving by others, it is best to not give at all. 

The Bible offers even more on giving, tithing and how to deal with money. Get to reading monster you can't expect me to tell you everything. I will add this. In order to get out of debt, out of lack and walk in abundance you will have to work. You will have to work physically, you will have to pray and ask God to bless you, you will have to exercise your faith and believe that all your bills will be taken care of and trust that God will do what he says He will. "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

One last piece of wisdom when dealing with your finances this year, "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." Romans 13:7

Prosper, monster, prosper. 

Turn up the Light

    Hello monster, how is your love walk going. I know that my blogs usually focus on the inner you, on the spirit you, on the you who walks and talks with God. Today we will venture outside of ourselves a little bit. We will take a look at the world around us. Recently we have been assaulted with horrific events. Mass shootings across the country with the culmination of them being at Sandy Hook Elementary. There are no words for the loss of so many lives. There are no words to express the hurt and the pain that these events cause. It seems like no one is safe. That the innocent suffer and we are helpless during the onslaught of evil. We offer our prayers and thoughts to the families, we mourn as a nation. We look towards lawmakers, government, and others to protect us, to make this right, to stand in the darkness. We feel helpless against all the evil in the world, what else could it be but evil? 
   
This is not true monster. We are not powerless. We have a power beyond our power, a strength beyond our strength. We have dominion over the enemy, he is already defeated. It is time, time to shine monsters. We have a job to do, a calling, we are the light in this world, what good are we if we don't shine in the darkness. 

This blog, today, is a call to arms. This is why you have been praying, you have been working on you, you have been immersed in the Word. Not for yourself, but for the world. The world needs you monster. What makes you so special? so powerful? The God in you. God lives in you. He lives in the innermost part of you and He uses you to show his love and his power in this world. You are a warrior, you are Daniel in the lions' den, you are David with a sling, you are Joshua bringing down the walls, you are Moses, freeing your people, You are Esther, speaking out against injustice. You have been placed here, at this time to be a light. 
The world needs a savior like never before, you are not the savior but you are the light that shows the way to Him. 

Do you see how important you are? How powerful, do you see know why your life has been under attack? The enemy wants to keep you busy with all the drama that used to consume you. He wants to keep you distracted by those around you who are dragging you down. He uses fear to control your thoughts, to diminish you to make you unsure. Today I am telling you that it is he that should be afraid of you. Turn up your light. 

What does that mean? What do you mean light? You should stand apart. Apart from the darkness. You, monster shine because the Love of God lives in you, Faith, Hope, Kindness, Peace, Patience, and Goodness all reside in you. These are fruits of the spirit. When you show these attributes to the world when you practice them daily you are shining! The more you practice them, the more you make them part of your character the brighter you shine. With each act of kindness you push back the darkness, with each act of love you beat the enemy over the head, when you live what you believe you are a living, breathing, word of God. There are a multitude of verses in the Bible urging us to be the light, to put on the light, to walk in the light. The world is in darkness and it needs your light. Badly. 

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

    Ephesians 5:8 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" 

Romans 13:12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Peter 2:9"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"

Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to pray. Yup, that is all you have to do for now. Pray. All day, when you wake up, while your driving, while your working, in your quiet moments, during your loud moments, before you go to bed, while you brush your teeth. Pray. Get into talking to God. Bring all your mess to Him and leave it there. Eventually you will run out of things to talk about where it concerns your self. If this happens pray for those you know pray for their health and strength, pray blessings over their lives, pray for protection over them.
 When you run out of those people pray for your mailman, the lady who rang up your groceries, the guy you pass every day on the way to lunch, the lady in the cubicle next to you. Branch out and pray for complete strangers, your neighborhood, your workplace, your employer, your elected officials, your police officers, your firefighters. Are you getting this monster? 
Pray. For everyone. Make it a habit. While your praying do random acts of kindness. Be patient. Be loving, Be good. Be all the things you love and admire about God. You won't be perfect, no one expects you to, but you will be walking in love, you will be speaking love into the world, you monster will shine. If each and every one of us practiced this even for just a week how different would our world be. Changing the world starts with one person at a time. 

Be the light, monster, be the light. 

Growing Pains

     Hey monsters, It has been awhile since I dropped some wisdom on you. But like all truth seekers know you have to go through some tests to get a testimony, and through some mess to get a message, so now that I have passed some tests, waded through some mess, let's get to the message.

           Let's talk about growing pains. I have been experiencing them lately, and I am sure you have to. After all you have been working on you. Cleaning out your past locker, healing what needs to be healed, basking in the blessings, congratulations monster you are growing. Growing is a great thing. It is an awesome thing. I know that I felt about 2 feet tall when I was in my most recent between time. I wasn't working, I lived back home with my mom, and I was so far from my dreams they didn't even feel like mine anymore. The between time is a scary time, it is a time when God strips away all the crutches we hang on too. He strips away all the things that we think define us, make us, give us a place in the world we have built for ourselves. This is not for your harm monster, but for your best. God needs to strip away all the outer things, all the external things, all the superficial things to teach us that without them we are still His.
Psalm 139:13-16 
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."




 We are created in His Image. We learn that we are not defined by who we know, who we date, how much we make, where we work, live, etc. We learn that we are sufficient and complete and that all that stuff, all those people don't get to define us. We are enough. God has seen to that. He has planned us, and our lives, even though we may drift from where we need to be He still has a purpose and a plan for us.
Ephesians 2:10  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Thus we begin to grow.

    The downside to growing is of course things start to not fit. Things get tight, they don't look right, sound right,  act right, there is not enough room, its not good enough. The "it" in any of these sentences can be replaced with anything, your relationship, your friendship, your home life, your job, your whatever. It does not fit anymore. You are growing. Its time to move on, to find where you fit, to find with who you fit, don't worry you won't have to actually look for any of this God has a great way of bringing the right fits into your life. Not to beat a dead horse but like I said before He has a plan for you. So what do you do when you have all this growth going on in your life? You're moving forward, you're learning, you're becoming but everything around you is stagnant, its not growing, its not changing, its getting tight, it doesn't feel right, etc.
Two words, move forward. Monster, it's time to move forward. It's time to let go

        Here is what it looks like. You are hanging with all your old friends, and nothing they say interests you, the life they are living, that they used to live with you feels awkward. You don't party like you used to, you don't gossip, you don't fight, you don't do a lot of things you used to so they feel like you have changed, like you think your better so in order to fit in you pretend to go along. You become a master of pretending to be who you used to be just so they feel comfortable. Until now. Now they irritate you, you would rather be anywhere else but there. You have no desire to pretend any longer, you move on.
How about this one monster, you have an ok job, one where they don't expect too much of you, and you don't expect that much of yourself. It is a good job but you know you can do better, you know that you have the skills, the talent and the drive to do so much more. What do you do? Move forward.

Its is scary to move forward, you are comfortable, it feels safe, it is a place, person, situation that you know, but it just doesn't fit the new you. God has intended you for greatness. Good enough is not enough. Those pains your feeling, those irritants, insecurities, temper tantrums, they are all part of your growth, monster. You don't need the safety of your situation anymore, it's time to move forward. Trust me, your ready, God has and is preparing you for the next stage in your life. Grab it monster. Move forward. There is a story in the bible about a lame man who could not walk. Jesus healed him. The man had a choice he could stay where he was, fully healed, fully restored, with an entire future before him of he could get up, move forward and walk into his future. "Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” John 5:8 

Monster, pick up your bed, and walk, better yet leave that old bed right where it is and walk away. Move Forward.

Shifting sands, Mud Slide Zones, and other Faulty Foundations

Hello Monsters. How is your faith walk going? I know your getting stronger every day. You have put the past behind you, forgave yourself for past mistakes, put an end to negative thinking, and all your trust in God.
No, not yet, still working on it? No worries, keep walking, it ain't over till it's over.

So what is the point of this blog? I will tell you. While you have been working on you, God has been blessing you, He has been moving you forward, He has opened doors, introduced people into your life, and done a whole host of other things that are too wonderful and numerous to name. You, monster are moving out of your Between time situation and into your After.  (quick note her there will always be a between time in your life, right now you may be dealing with  several Betweens, between jobs, between relationships, between well you get the point) As you enter the after stage you will begin building, building a new life, a new career, a new relationship, a new mindset, I don't know, the point is your building something. If you ever saw a house being built you know the first thing that is dug is the foundation. The foundation is the core. It is what all else is built upon. Without a good foundation, a strong foundation, a well planned and built foundation the house will fall. The same goes for you monster. Whatever your building for yourself will fail without a good foundation.

If you have been paying any attention to this blog, you know I always go on about reading the Bible, getting that Word deep down into you, I also nag you about praying and praising, going to church, and listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  The Word, Praying and Praising, Church and the Holy Spirit's Guidance are the cornerstones of your foundation. I don't recommend building anything without these things in place. You can try, but chances are that if you do you will end up back in a between time experience, probably worse off then you were before.  Not to beat a dead horse, but its not enough to give lip service to God, you got to put the things He tells you into practice, everyday. Luke 6:47-49 clearly lays out what to expect when you don't. "As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”  Build your foundation, monster, that way when your blessings come and you begin building you will have something that lasts. 

   Here is what it looks like monster. You have been working on you and you have been praying for God to send you the right man, a man that you could marry, build a life with. Suddenly you find yourself with a guy, he is great, he seems to be all you prayed for what do you do? Some of us are tempted to throw away all the promises, the hard work, and the foundation that we have built and jump all in. How do you proceed with this relationship? You said you would not have sex until marriage, do you keep that promise, you said that any man in your life would have to be a Christian, share your faith, and be a man seeking God, do you turn a blind eye when He stops going to church? In your walk you have been dealing with being honest, having integrity, putting God first, do you look the other way when you catch him in a lie, when he is less then what he should be, when he would rather not go to church, pray or even know if he really believes in God. In building this relationship what is your foundation? Is it built on rock or is it shifting sand, changing and moving every time the wind blows something new into your life. Are you willing to build a relationship on this foundation?
     You could have been praying for a job, you got the job, but it is stressing you out, your missing church because you have to work, your too tired to pray anymore, your caught up in everything around you and you are too busy to hear from God. Are you willing to build a career on this foundation? This scenario can be placed on any between time transition you may have. We are so quick to pray and ask for things, for change for breakthroughs that sometimes we latch on to the first one that looks our way. We forget to wait on God and see if this is from Him. We try to make this new thing, opportunity, person fit  We slap a praise on it and say it must be God's will for us. We struggle with it, compromise with it, toss away the cornerstones that we are supposed to build on and hope for the best. In the end monster anything you build on a shaky foundation will fall.

A rule of thumb to remember is God will never bless you with something that brings you grief. When God makes a promise He keeps it, He doesn't need your help to make it happen. Remember Abraham. He wanted a son, God promised him one, He got tired of waiting and produced Ishmael. That opened a whole can of worms, read your Bible. If He had waited on God, waited on his Issac blessing he could have saved a lot of people heartache, including himself. So monster the question you want to ask yourself is, does what you are trying to build fit on your foundation? If it doesn't, if you have to compromise your foundation it is not your blessing, it is a distraction. You can build with the distraction and get an Ishmael or you can wait and put the right blessing on your foundation ( I promise it will fit) and have an Issac. I'm just saying, choose wisely monster, build your foundation on the Rock.

It's Not Above Your Pay Grade.

Hello there monsters. How is the faith walk going?

   Lately I have been hearing a lot of people talk about what they would like to do, what they wish they were able to do, what they would do when God blesses them with a position, status, etc. I don't know about God, but I am sick of hearing about all the good people would do if. If they were a prayer leader, pastor, choir director, if they knew their Bible better, if they were allowed to preach, to teach, to lead, they would do so much good. If they had more money, more time, if someone would just notice all the good that they have to share. If this, if that, if if if if if. I am so sick of If.  They honestly believe that they have to be "in a position" to do something. What position are they waiting for? Exactly what position do you have to have to do good? Is there such a thing as a do gooder position? I think not. People get caught up in status and titles and positions, especially in the church. The truth is that we are so busy striving to be somebody, that we are not helping anybody.
 I believe they are making excuses to not do anything at all. I know that God uses all people, the lowest to the highest to do His will in the earth. In fact the Bible is filled with stories of ordinary folk doing extraordinary things. So what is your excuse?


      You probably are scratching your head now, after all the Bible is full of heroes, Great men and women of God. Look a little closer. These patriarchs and matriarchs of the Bible were just regular folk, regular folk that did extraordinary things. Abraham was a gentile, called out from his people to become the father of the Jewish nation. Moses was a child of slaves, adopted and then exiled by the Egyptians. He was a sheep herder and a self proclaimed poor speaker who led the Israelites out of slavery. Rahab was a prostitute, a foreign woman, an enemy of Israel who would be the mother of Boaz and in turn an ancestor of Jesus.   Ruth, her future daughter in law was also a foreigner, a widow, and poor. David was the youngest and the least of Jesse's sons. He was deeply flawed but his heart and his faith delighted the Lord and he was one of the greatest kings and writer of the Psalms. Samson was an ordinary man with a drinking problem, a terrible anger management issue and a predilection for picking the wrong women.  Joseph was the youngest son and sold into slavery by his own brothers, God used him to not only save the Israelites from famine but the Egyptians as well. Esther was just a simple Jewish girl placed in a beauty pageant when the king tired of his wife. She was able to save her people from laws that would destroy them. The disciples were a rag tag bunch of fishermen, peasants, and a tax collector. This list could go on for days but we will stop here. The point, monster, is that God does not need you to be in a "position" in order to use you. He can use you just as you are right where you are.

We put so much emphasis on what we do, what position we hold in our jobs, our society, our churches and our organizations. We look for people to validate us, to show us that we are important and have influence. 1 Corinthians 1: 27-29 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. The truth is God uses you, He does not care about your position, what others think of you, how important you are or how many people read your blog.  All God needs is a willing heart, a faithful spirit, and hands that are willing to work. So monster, you can stop waiting for your if moment and do it now. Volunteer now, feed the hungry now, donate now, start up a prayer group now, begin a bible study, whatever it is that God has put on your heart to do He has already given you the means to do it. Don't sit there a moment longer holding on  to your if, do good now.

Go forth monster and do good.

Take your best shot...

     Hey there Monsters, how is your faith walk going?  Is everything flowing well? Are you walking around basking in the sunshine and frolicking with butterflies? Of course your not. Your living your life, your going to work, your dealing with people, you have bills that are due. What you may notice is that these things have less and less power to cause you stress. You are able to withstand and maintain your joy where before you were easily stressed.God is blessing you, doors that were shut are opened, you are finding favor with people, situations are changing for the better.  It is a cake walk, and then it is not. While your  filling  your life with joy, with peace, and with love the enemy is going to do all he can do to trip you up. He is going to throw people, situations, and hardships at you to try and get you to give up, to give in, to turn back.  I warned you monster, this love walk is a battle.

     It never fails, just when you think you have mastered a thing, just when you have finished reading your word, praying, and praising the real world comes in. It would be so easy if we lived in our own self contained bubble. If we didn't have to deal with difficult people, trouble at work,  bills, kids, haters, traffic, broken heels, no sushi at the Japanese steakhouse, and the pothole that tried to take out the front tire on your newly washed truck, but I digress. We can't live in a bubble, we are the light of the world and no matter how hard the wind blows, no matter how much rain falls, no matter how many dumb people come against you, you got to stay lit. 
   

    Here is what it looks like. You love your job, you got the promotion you were praying for, your making more money, with more perks and benefits but your surrounded by idiots. O.k. that was harsh, not idiots, just people that have trouble getting the job done right. So your stressed, your praying at your desk so you can deal with your coworkers and then your computer goes down, your boss is unhappy with some trivial matter, your lunch order is wrong, your phone won't stop ringing, and you should be a firefighter because your constantly putting out fires (probably started by the other idiots in the office). These may not be the trials of Job, but they are trials, this is life. The old you would have hurt some feelings, fired some people, kicked the computer, told off your boss, threw your lunch at the wall, and tweeted about all the fools in your office. The old you would also be unemployed, miserable, and possibly facing criminal charges. Don't be the old you. 

Be the new you. The new you knows Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." You also know James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." If that is not enough You can hang out with the Corinthians. "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed"

The good news is that no matter what comes against you it can't destroy you. It may tire you out, frustrate you, annoy you, cause you to mutter, but if you stand, if you keep going, if you don't let it trip you up and cause you to sin, it will make you stronger. It will build your faith, strengthen your resolve and you will feel like a superhero. You can look back on it and say "devil, you gonna have to come better than that"
    

Hold on, Prepare for the Harvest

  Fall is here monsters, and it is time to bring in the harvest. Even if you have never planted a thing in your life you know that fall is the time of bringing in the crops. It is the season of preparing for winter, putting away our summer fashion and pulling on knits, jackets and drop dead gorgeous boots. Harvest season is an annual event, without fail we know fall is coming, we know that we have to prepare for winter, we know holidays are coming, we know that summer is officially over. 

  Seasons in nature are easy to tell, even in warm climates you experience the change in the air, the shortening of days, and the heaviness of the annual fall fashion issue of Vogue. The changing of the seasons are so universally known that it is no surprise that the Bible constantly refers to them. It likens our struggles, our hopes, our good times and bad to seasons. Periods of time that are passing, that may feel like forever but are in truth are fleeting. In the Between you may feel like you are in a season full of lack, of doubt, of waiting, of struggle, but just like the natural seasons, your spiritual season will not last long.  As you come to understand that God has a plan for you, that it was established before you were ever born you can learn to weather your season. 

  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tell us that there is a time for everything under the sun. everything has its time and place and therefore though it may feel like forever it too will pass, to make way for something else. 
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; "

    In our lives we will have both good times and bad, times of movement and change and times when we feel like nothing is happening at all. When you find yourself in the stagnant  season it is easy to give up, to feel bad about yourself and your life. It is easy to look at others and covet what they have or what they are doing. Don't give into this monster, it is just a season and it will pass. The season you are in is a growing opportunity, it is a time to prune away what no longer serves you, feed your spirit, water your faith and praise the Lord. Yup in the midst of what you may feel is a bad season, a season of drought, famine, hopelessness, don't forget to praise God. Psalms 1:3 "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." reminds us that we are to stand, that our season of yielding fruit is coming. That no matter how harsh the weather may be, no matter what comes against us if we stand and praise him through it, when it passes we will be stronger for it. 

     God has planted a seed in you, you are a seed, you have planted your seeds of faith, you have only to outlast the current season to reap your harvest. A farmer knows that he has to wait for his seeds to sprout, to ripen, before he can harvest, he doesnt plant corn on Monday and reap it on Tuesday. He knows that it may be a dry season, that insects may attack his crop, that bad weather, floods, tornadoes, hail and a host of other things may happen. But a good farmer sows the seed anyway, in earth that he has prepared. He waits and he watches, he irrigates, he weeds, he safegaurds against pests, but mostly he waits, he has patience and faith that his crop will come in. He prepares himself for a harvest. 

     Monster, you are a farmer. You have sown with  faith, you have prayed for what you need/want, you have prepared the ground of your heart, you have watered it with the Word you have safeguarded it from the enemy you are weathering your season. You are preparing yourself for the harvest. So when harvesting season comes be prepared, in the meantime praise him for the season your in. 

Happy harvesting monster. 

Too Good to be True? No It's Better!

How is your life going monster? Is it good, is it better then you expected, Is it all you asked for? Is it phenomenally awesome and blessed?  Take a look. Remember that before you answer the question, you will have what you say you have. Take your time.

In our journey together we have discussed lots of things, your thought life, your prayer life, your social life, etc. I know you have been praying for some things and my prayers have gone up with yours. What have you been believing God for?  Are you waiting on the Lord, expecting Him to do what He has promised? Are you doing the work, preparing yourself for your blessings, working on your prayer life, reading the Word, doing the best you can do in your life as it is now? If you have monster I am sure you are starting to see the blessings flow into your life. You are experiencing breakthroughs. Things are moving faster and new life has been breathed into old bones.

In the midst of this movement you may start to have doubts, after all you have spent so much time praying for something, a job, a promotion, a change,  a child, a house, a relationship,  whatever. If you have been praying for it, expecting it, praising God for it, then monster, when it arrives don't let doubt creep in with it. God is a God of suddenly. Read your Bible. Whenever he moves it is Suddenly. In life when good things happen to us, when they are blessings from God they seem to good to be true. We are taught to be suspicious of things that come into our lives suddenly, of people who enter our lives with no drama, of jobs that open up with no warning, of opportunities that didn't exist yesterday. Suddenly they are there, they are for you, and they bring such joy and happiness. They are more than what you asked for, it might not be what you wanted, but it is everything you need, it is above and beyond anything you could have imagined for yourself. This is the nature of Blessings. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly  above all that we ask or think, Jeremiah 29:11 lets us know that God has a plan for us, to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future.

Knowing this how can you listen to the nay sayers who look at your blessings and tell you it is too good to be true. That there must be a catch, that you are fooling yourself. Don't listen to them monster. How big is your God? Is there any limit to what He can do in your life? He knew you before the foundations of the world were made, throughout His Word are constant reminders that if we keep His commandments He will bless you, Numbers 23:19 remind us that God is not a man that he should lie, or that He should change His mind. Take a look at the blessings flowing into your life, all good things come from God. Look at the people/person that God may have sent into your life, look at what they do, listen to how they speak. We know men by their fruit, anyone sent from God will have Godly fruit. They will add to your life, not detract. Same thing with material blessings, they will not bring you pain, grief, stress, etc.

Relax, monster, you have asked, you have believed, you have expected. Enjoy the blessings in your life, share your blessings and testimony with others and for all those that believe that it is too good to be true, pray for them so that one day they will know that if it is that good then it is from God.