WARNING BEFORE DESTRUCTION

How many of you have ever received a warning before something bad happened? I am going to raise both of my hands to this question because not only have I seen it in my life, but it is a recurring theme in the Bible.

The definition of “warning” is a statement or event that indicates a possible danger, problem, or unpleasant situation especially one in the future. When we are driving we see stop signs that are colored red to let us know to stop at certain crossings, before crossing over a railroad track, lights will flash to let you know the train is coming through, at work you may get a warning before receiving a write-up, and the list goes on. But what do you do when God gives you a warning and you do not take heed?

The best people to study regarding this would be the Israelites. Throughout the Bible, God gave the Israelites many many warnings through various prophets and leaders. Some of those warnings were about turning away from sin, disobedience to His commandments, and idolatry. Now, God in His merciful nature, consistently warned the Israelites of his impending judgment should they continue to walk in rebellion, and sometimes they did despite the warnings that were given.

Even in looking at how God treated the Israelites, we see His true nature and desire for all mankind. God is both compassionate and just, and He longs for us to turn away from sin and be restored in relationship with him. God’s warnings are motivated by love and provide us with the opportunity to repent and transform, and in that comes redemption.

I have received so many warnings from God and chose to actively walk in rebellion, and unfortunately, I have had to suffer the consequences of my actions. My consequences did not feel good, however, God loved me enough to let me experience the pain so that I could learn the lesson and take heed to the warnings early on. Nonetheless, they ultimately turned me back to God and in those moments he also brought me restoration.

I simply say all this to say, don’t wait for what’s on the other side of the warning! Take heed now, and listen, because disobedience is costly!

Don’t take God’s love for granted and know that every warning set in place is only to PROTECT YOU!

UNFAILING LOVE

People say if you want to hear God speak, open His WORD, so that’s exactly what I did, and I ended up in the book of Hosea which is in the Old Testament. For those of you who do not know, Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel during a great time of moral and spiritual decay. Hosea talked to God consistently and God talked back to Hosea, and his life was a living parable.

One of the radical things God commanded Hosea to do was marry a woman named Gomer, who would be unfaithful to him. Now imagine God commanding you to do the same thing with a person you were going to marry. A lot of us would not have been able to do that, especially in this day and age that we live in. However, what seemed radical, was God showing how Israel was unfaithful to God through idolatry and sin.

Despite Gomer’s infidelity, Hosea had a persistent, unfailing love and it mirrored how God was with Israel despite them turning away from Him, and He is still showing us that same kind of love today. The definition of unfailing is without error or fault; reliable, steadfast, constant, sure, endless, and perfect. God has an enduring love for all of his people and a willingness to forgive us no matter how far we stray, and there is no greater love than that of our Heavenly Father.

God seeks to restore rather than punish and he wants you just as YOU are. He has a true desire for us to be in a genuine, faithful relationship with him. All you have to do is turn away from anything pulling you away from him and repent.

As you enter into this week I want to leave you with this to meditate on, especially those who are filled with shame and condemnation:

Romans 8:38

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God loves you, I love you, and there is nothing you can do about it!

Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone!

If you are new here, welcome, and if you are returning heyyyy. The Lord carried us through the entire year of 2024 and He has graciosuly allowed us to enter into 2025. I don’t know about you but there has been a stirring in my spirit, and I am excited about it because I know God is up to something.

Often times we fill the first few days of the new year writing out goals, making vision boards, creating new routines, and the list goes on, but you don’t often hear people talking about giving their year over to God or even including Him in the planning process. So I want to challenge you all to allow this to be one of your biggest years yet, and we can all do that by making this a GOD YEAR! It is time for us to get in the trenches with God this year and surrender our own plans over to Him so that His will becomes ours and His desires for us becomes our desires.

I pray that in this year you will grow closer to God in a way like never before and that together you will walk hand in hand. As you honor him may He honor you, and may you see all that he has for you. The time is now, so let’s continue to pursue Him with open hearts that are willing to sacirifice and lay aside anything that will hinder us in 2025.

As always, God loves you, I love you and there is nothing you can do about it!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

SIT WITH IT

I was driving the other day and had a reflective moment that allowed me to look at my circumstances in the past and see how I reacted to them, compared to now. In the past, any time a problem arose, I would run and try to to fix whatever problem I had instead of allowing God to help me. For example, there was a time I was looking for an apartment after college, and I literally did not know how I was going to afford rent on my own. At the time I knew I wasn’t making enough with one job, so instead of trusting that God would provide, I went ahead of him and got a second job so I would feel secure. Little did I know that I would still end up with only having one job.

 Over the years, I learned two valuable lessons. One being I was putting my faith into my job for security and income instead of trusting that God is the ultimate provider. Two, if you never learn how to sit in anything, how can you give God the opportunity to be God. I would run any time things got hard, my feelings got hurt, I was rejected, low on funds, anything you can name, I did not want to sit with any of those feelings, my first point of action was to figure out how to make sure I was good on my own.

 Fast forward to the 27-year-old I am today, I am no longer running, but sitting with everything that happens and truly trusting God to deliver my every need. I am currently sitting in my current circumstance, and this time I did not run, but rather I focused my attention on the Lord. In doing so I have gained so much peace, my spirit is calm, and I have not been filled with any anxiety.

 I have literally gone without NOTHING that I have needed, and God has been truly taking care of me. Now that doesn’t mean, don’t acknowledge your feelings and emotions, but instead don’t try to come up with a solution on your own. Give God time to show you, who he is and what he can do.

 So, to all my runners, I want to release control and try God out. Do not be hard on yourself, but ease into fully trusting God. It’s easier said than done but, put action behind it every day, and little by little you will begin to see God in a different way, as well as strengthen and encourage your spirit man.

 As always, stay blessed!

HUMAN NATURE

Humans feel a multitude of emotions such as sadness, happiness, fear, anger, and they are by far very powerful forces. However, growing up in the church as a child, I never heard anyone talk about emotions that we experience on an everyday basis, or furthermore that we can sit with our feelings and be transparent with God about every emotion and feeling.

 As an adult, I have come to realize that every human emotion I feel, is perfectly normal and I do not have to sugar coat them or hide them. We all have things we do to that aid in us being able to cope when life gets a little hard and one of my coping mechanisms is crying. Crying for me allows me to release pinned up emotions without having to even open my mouth, but it also aids in healing because the tears are being released.

 The other day, I found myself saying I’m tired of crying, but I was reminded in John 11:35 that “Jesus wept”. That scripture is the shortest verse in the bible, and it offered me so much comfort. Often, we feel like no one truly understands what we are going through but there is someone who does and that is Jesus, and he feels what we feel because he felt it to. There is nothing under the sun that we will experience that He himself hasn’t experienced first.

 The Lord created his son Jesus Christ in human form to live among the people, so in doing so that allowed him to experience every human emotion you can imagine. The next time you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, angry, sad, whatever it may be, take rest in knowing that God truly does understand. When you cry, He cries as well, and he collects every tear. You do not have to rely on yourself or feel bad about what you feel in this lifetime, and God encourages us to be open and lay those emotions at his feet.

 It's good to know and fully understand that I am not alone in anything that I do. He truly understands. Take the limits off, and be your authentic self with him, you do not have to hide the ugly parts or appear to have everything together.

 The next time you find yourself feeling like no one understands, look towards heaven, and know there is a God who understands more thank you think.

 XOXO

SPIRITUAL METAMORPHOSIS

Today was my first day back in the gym in maybe a little over two weeks, and it was hard getting back into it, however, I was proud of myself for getting the strength to go back. But when my life started to shift, unfortunately, everything around me began to backslide. That’s the gym, this blog, my entrepreneurial endeavors, appearance, meditating on the word of God, and a slew of other things. After reflecting, I realized that I have a hard time pushing through when life is throwing curve balls at me unexpectantly. It’s not I don’t want to push through per say, but I began to have a laser beam focus on just trying to keep my head above water, and when I feel I am flowing back at a normal pace I resume doing what I essentially abandoned.

I must be honest and say that I have been dealing with some things, and it hasn’t all been easy. I have been trying to do the best I can, given the circumstances. At times I feel overwhelmed, and other times I feel like my back is against the wall and I cannot find a way out. I literally feel the pressure and that is one of the most uncomfortable things, but I couldn’t explain exactly what I was feeling at first. So, through prayer, getting my focus back, and wise counsel I began to see that I am in fact in the process of being MADE by God.

If you aren’t familiar with the word METAMORPHOSIS, it is a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means. Typically, this occurs with insects and amphibians, for example, a butterfly. The butterfly goes through a complete metamorphosis experience that happens in 4 stages. The butterfly itself never starts off being this beautiful insect with pretty colors, it starts off being an egg. When that egg is hatched it goes into the larva stage where it’s a worm. The next stage it enters is the pupa, where the worm will cover itself in a casing called a cocoon to protect itself as it develops into an adult, which can last anywhere from weeks to months, and sometimes years. It is in this stage where radical changes in the insect’s appearance and behavior occur. But catch this, while in this stage, they are most vulnerable to predators and other hazards, so while they lie still to complete their development, the cocoon helps to ensure that it reaches full adulthood unharmed. The last stage it goes through is the emerging process, coming out as a full adult.

What am I trying to say? I am learning how to sit still in uncomfortable times and flow with the developmental process of being made, while keeping my commitment to doing everything that God needs me to do right now in this season, for me to get to the next phase of my life. If I continue to hold on and stay focused on him, I will see every promise that he has for my life.

YOUR WEAKNESS, GOD’S STRENGTH

Recently I felt led to read the book of Judges, and in doing so I was looking for Gideon’s story specifically. Many of you may not know who Gideon was, but he would be in the “Faith Hall of Fame” if there was one, and I highly encourage you all to read up on him.

 In reading about Gideon, I was able to take away 5 pointers which I believe will help every believer especially in this new year.

1.   The mission does not change with God. Quick back story, Gideon started off with 32,000 soldiers and God reduced them down to 300. The goal was to have the battle and win the battle however the method of the victory changed, and God was orchestrating everything the entire time.

2.   God sometimes does BIG things in an unbelievable way. Let me break this down a bit further; Gideon was supposed to have a victory of conquer with only 300 men, and if you look at that from the natural eye, it’s absurd and cannot be done. But what cannot be done by man can be done by God. This was something only God could do and get the glory from.

3.   The battle is the Lord’s and his alone. We get caught up looking at what’s in front of us and we began to try to put things together to solve or fix what has already been taken care of by God. God was with Gideon every step of the way, gave him a plan of action, allowed him to be encouraged during the process, and promised to deliver Israel. Everything he said he would do, he did.

4.   God always accomplishes his plans. God is in absolute control of every circumstance and situation we will ever face. He is the author and finisher, and when he says something will be done, IT WILL BE DONE, and he is a faithful promise keeper.

5.   God wants us to walk in faith as leaders. Modeling trust in God through difficult situations is not easy, however the mission still doesn’t change.

Recognize your WEAKENESS as an opportunity for God to unlock his full strength in your life.

DEAR 2023

Today officially marks day 4 of 365 and I want to make sure we are all on the same page. Last year brought a lot of “it’s giving very much so God where are you” vibes but we are still STANDING!

 If I do say so myself, 2022 was very much needed in more than one way. I was stretched beyond what I thought I could be, I found my voice again and started speaking up for myself, my faith increased more, I learned how to trust God in a new way which still has me mind blown to be honest, I stepped into entrepreneurship, I saw my gifts and talents with a new set of eyes, I got to see what others see in me in a spiritual way, and I learned that I really am THAT GIRL, just to name a few things.

 So, 2022 thank you for a stirring year. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, but I absolutely needed it, and has prepped me for what I am about to walk into for 2023.

 My prayer is that all of us will reflect and see last year as a catapult for this new year. Use all you have been taught and shown to go after everything that has your name written on it. This journey is strictly unique to you, and that’s all you need to focus on. Don’t look to the left or the right but keep your eyes focused on the Lord.

 Peace and Blessings as always and cheers to 2023.

 IT’S GO TIME!!!!!!

DOES SELF SABOTAGE RING A BELL

I have a feeling that this is going to set some of you all free!

 Self- sabotage is when people do or don’t do things that block them from success, accomplishing goals, receiving healthy relationships, not walking fully into what God is leading you to because you do not feel worth it, and the list can go on.

 I have self-sabotaged so many different things in my life and second-guessed opportunities because either I felt like I wasn’t worthy or I just didn’t do what was necessary to maintain them, or even push myself to get to the next level. I can say that I often found myself once again comparing myself to another individual who had more accolades than I did, or more education when it came to certain jobs, and I would be in my head subconsciously talking myself out of a good thing. To be even more specific a GOD thing. I would ask multiple questions for extra confirmation when it was certain God sent me into a specific place.

 Another example I can give you, is going after the dreams and ideas God placed in my heart to execute. I would spend time brainstorming and drawing out ideas but when it came time to execute them, I would start and stop within a few days. Back then I didn’t know why I would fall into the same pattern, but after reflecting I came to the realization that I feared myself. I was fearful because I knew it would require me to get serious and to get to the next level I was going to have to work hard and push myself. It’s not to say that I wasn’t willing to do the work, but it would be something that was new for me and would have to be done in a new and different way.

 Over the years I have learned to lean into all of who I am as a woman of faith. That’s not to say I am perfect and have everything figured out because I absolutely do not. But I am learning to really trust who God created me to be and the opportunities he blesses me with. Because if he has led me to it and presented it in front of me, I have everything I need already on the inside of me, he trusts me, and he knows I will knock it out the ballpark.

 Consider me as your sister, cheerleader, and encourager right now. It’s time to get out of your own way and walk into these spaces knowing YOU belong there without a shadow of a doubt. Trust yourself and trust what God is showing and doing in your life. We can be our own worst enemies, and the longer you continue to self-sabotage you will always be in your own way!

A WORK OF ART

Someone once said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if that were truly the case why we do we compare and pick apart the very handiwork God created, which was YOU.

 At some point I believe we have all struggled with self-esteem and self-confidence, at least I know I have over the years. As I got older, I started to appreciate myself and the very way I looked because I saw myself in the way God sees me and not what the world deems as beautiful.

 When we view ourselves in the eyes of the world or compare, before you know it, you’ll find yourself in a loophole questioning your whole existence, which is you also not trusting God and diminishing the fact that everything he has made is PERFECT.

 God does not make mistakes. He formed us even before we were formed in our mother’s womb and carefully molded each of us just like a potter who molds clay. Your very make up, is like no other, and you will not find a single sole that is like you, which is a beautiful thing. You are unique and wonderfully made. So, the next time you find yourself comparing your features, or picking apart the small things you see in the mirror that you deem unlovable, I want you to see God in the mirror when you look at yourself.

 You reflect God himself and I need you to walk in that confidence, believing and knowing. You are special in his eyes and will forever be.