Surgery Time Anxiety

I've been running around getting prepared for my surgery and time has seemed to be on crack.  I am excited for the ultimate outcome/goal of the surgery and I'm prayed up and ready to go.  Nonetheless, I'm human and nervous and I've had a hard time sleeping for the past week. 

For those that do not know, I have pansinusitis and I'm having bilateral sinus surgery tomorrow morning to correct it.  I started having issues about 4 years ago.  I kept being admitted to the hospital for asthma issues.  So for about 2 years I was treated strictly for asthma and doctors were focusing on getting my asthma under control.  Turns out they were focusing in the wrong area and the root cause was the sinus issues.  The blockags cause frequesnt infections and the post nasal drip causes breathing difficulties.  For someone with asthma, it was just a double whammy.  Anyway I went through one awful ENT who had me on antibiotics for over a year and finally found the one that will be performing my surgery tomorrow.  I've heard amazing things about him.  He's been doing this for 26 years so...

I'll be off work for a few weeks recovering.  I hope I don't go stir crazy.  There are 50 million thoughs running through my mind.  I know that there are more serious surgeries done every day, and some may think me to be ridiculous for the amount of nerve issues I have right now, but it doesn't change the fact so whatever I guess lol. 

I have to stay focused.  Lord I trust you and know that I am healed and all is well.  I am not perfect in anyway so please forgive me for the anxiety that is running through my body right now.  I know that I am your child and in your hands.  Thank you Lord for the victory.  Amen!

Tomorrow morning at 7am I'll be preparing to go under the scope.  I'll be at the hospital at 5am.  I don't know how much sleep I'll get tonight, but I suppose that doesn't really matter does it?  I feel reallty bad for 'M', he's been staying up with me for the past few nights and trying to be a comfort.  I really appreciate him. 

I have a list of stuff to get for pre op preperation.  I'm trying to dust and get everything ready for my return home after surgery.  Hypo allergenic stuff.  Since I'll be unblocked, I will be way more sensitive to my allergens and need to get what I can under control.  I will start allergy shots about 3 weeks after surgery to maintain control of that stuff.  I'll blog more after the surgery when I'm up to it.  :)

Heaven on Earth: Annual Daughters of Increase Conference

Thy Will be done; on Earth as it is in Heaven. - Matthew 6:10

You always hear people speak on a situation and describe it to be "hell on Earth." Well we as Daughter's of Increase, King's Kids and children of God cancel that out and speak life and call Heaven down in all situations!
Coming this October starting on 10/16 thru 10/19, get ready for HEAVEN ON EARTH at the Annual Daughter's of Increase Conference at Ontario Christian Center.  It will be 4 evenings packed with dynamic, spirit filled word from some powerful women of God.

Here's our Dynamic and Life Changing line-up:

• Tuesday 10/16 at 7:00pm -  Ontario Christian Center's own - Dr. Juan Williams Sr.! 
• Wednesday 10/17 at 7:00pm - Dr. Betty Price of Ever Increasing Faith Ministries 
• Thursday 10/18 at 7:00pm - Pastor Desiree Ayres of In His Presence Church
• Last but certainly not least Friday 10/19 at 7:00pm Ontario Christian Center's First Lady - Mrs. Tracy L. Williams
• We will also be blessed, nightly, with the dynamic musical styles of Kim Stratton!

Don't miss out on this dynamic conference.  God has a blessing for YOU!  Pre register now to get your goodie bag at the door!  Registration is FREE!!! You can register online at http://daughtersofincrease.blogspot.com/
For more information please contact us: womensministry@ontariochristiancenter.org 
Or call the church at: 909-983-5269

He Loves us through our Good and Bad

I had to share this song I heard by J. Moss.  I heard it a while back on "Sunday Best" and it immeadiately belssed me.  It is a constant reminder to me that God's love for us is unconditional.  Although, He may not always be pleased with out decisions and/or actions.  He truly loves us through our good and bad.  Luke 15:11-32 is a perfect reminder of God's compassion, grace and unconditional love for His flock... 

²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

 God and the Heavens celebrate when we find our way home.  My Grandparents generally are in bed early and the house is locked up by 9pm.  I remember when I started going back to church, I was taing classes on Tuesday evenings and I would stop by and say hi after my classes.  They started to stay awake to wait for me to come by because they were so excited to see me back on fire for the Lord.  There was no judgement or anything, just praise and encouragement.  It became our thing for a while and it was a blessing to me.  It was just another way the God showed me that He loves me and has never stopped and He has placed people all around me that love me and care for me regardless. God is love!  When I have a bad day or lose my temper (*gasp* I'm not perfect!) I find so much comfort in this song because it's another reminder to me that God loves me anyway.  Even while others are judging "the Christian girl" that is only human...God love me and all of His flock through it all. We are truly his bride (no gender)...in sickness, health, better, worse and everything in between.  I am so blessed by the song the the Holy Spirit put in J Moss' heart.  I'm glad the Lord loves me (and you) through good and bad!

"Good & Bad"

You loved me through my good
You loved me through my bad
You loved me through my good
You loved me through my bad
Jesus...

You didn't erase my future
Because of my past
I'm glad You loved me through my good and my bad
(through my good) and my bad

You loved me through my good
You loved me through my bad

You didn't erase my future (hallelujah)
Because of my past (thank Ya')
I'm glad You loved me through my good and my bad

You loved me through my good and my bad
(so glad you loved me Lord)
You loved me through my good
(never took Your love away)
You loved me through my bad

You didn't erase my future
(thank God U didn't write me off)
Because of my past
(I even did some things I know You despise God)

You loved me through my good (& my bad yeah)
You loved me through my good and my bad
(God I know sometimes we make You ashamed)
You loved me through my good
(Thank You for never giving us whaat we deserved God)
You loved me through my bad
(after falling... again & again)
You didn't erase my future
(Every blessing & request that You've granted Lord)
Because of my past
(You could've withheld but mercy intervined)

You loved me through my good
(through the rebellion)
You loved me through my good
(through all of my short-coming)
You loved me through my good
(& this my favorite right here)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(can somebody help me)

You keep on... Lovin' me
You keep on... Lovin' me
U keep right on Lovin' me
(through the good and the bad)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(You never stop lovin' me)

(what You are to me)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(no man could ever be)
(You see through every mistake)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(Through every stumble You prove to Your children You always be there)
(through every slip)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(through all of my issues)
(You could've been finished)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(You could've been gone)
(But You put up with me)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(kept on teaching me)
(kept on loving me)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(yeah yeah)

(what I love about You)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(Is Your love runs deep)
(You gave Your life)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(For a wretch like me)
(Who else would've done that)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(Who else could do that)
(Nobody but Jesus)
You keep on... Lovin' me
(nobody but Jesus)
(Through all my good) and my bad
I'm glad You loved me through my good and bad





When the newness wears off

Remember when you were young and Summer was coming to an end?  You started to get prepared for the new school year; new backpack, school clothes, supplies, etc.  If you were in Jr. High or Sr. High School you would go up to the school a few weeks before and get your schedules.  You normally planned to meet up with friends to see what everyone's schedules looked like.  Planned outfits for the first week and talked about everything.  Then along came "First Days of School Eve"; you sit your clothes out perfectly down to under garments, you load your backpack, make sure you and your friends have a plan to meet up somewhere before the bell rings, you can't sleep, you're full of anxiety and excitement and everything else.  You get to school and see you friends and parade around in new clothes like you're walking down the catwalk.  There's laughs, people joking around, jocks prepping for practice, so much chatter and business until the bell rings.  You go to your classes finish the day and then go home.  The further into the school year you get, the more the newness and excitement wears off and now you have troubl waking up and you have no motivation to get homework done (except the threat of a beat down from your parents).  You and your fiends start gowing apart a little because everyone is into different things.  Some are athletic, some are bookworms, some are "mr or mrs popular", and you seem to have become a bit of a loner.  So you decide not to care and just fall under the radar.  Building up resentment towards people because they are, seemingly, happier than you are.

As believers, this is what tends to happen when we decide to become too religious or over saved.  When we choose not to allow a mentor into our lives.  When we choose to be the "perfect" Christian and condemn others around us for the very things we used to do ourselves.  The word of God says the we are not to juge unless we will be judged ourselves.  Please understand that you are not alone in feelin this way.  You get saved and you do the "hallelujah and Amen" dance for a few months (if that) and then you slowly fade away.  You don't feel like getting up for church.  You hit snooze instead of getting up to pray, you would rather talk about a brother or sister in the church instead of praying for them.  Eventually, you just stop going all together and figure you can do it on your own...until you can't.

Now I'm not saying that you're going to hell if you miss a bible study or church event once in a while.  But I am saying that if you have a choice to prioitize, you should always prioritize God in your life.  It's so much easier to push God to the side and deal with things of the world.  Duh, satan wants you to fall and he is lord over things of this world so of course they are going to be way more glittery with flashing  lights to appeal to your flesh.  But if you take the road less traveled and yield to the word of God, I promise you won't miss out on a thing.  Worldly possessions are instat gratification, but God's word and His inheritence is eternal.

So while it does take some work to maintain a relationship in the word, know that it is well rewarded.  We are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus.  God has promised that we shall eat of the good of the land and inherit the kingdom...as long as we follow Him and obey his commandments.  Trust me when I say the world is not all its cracked up to be.  Instant gratification is not worth it...Eat of the good of the Land for eternity!

Who's Agenda is it anyway?

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done; On Earth as it is in Heaven... - Matt.6:10

In preparing for a meeting at church this evening I was getting some information together and writing down questions do that I had my agenda together and could speak intelligently.
I started praying in the car and began to speak in my Heavenly language. My heart desires to do so many things and the Holy Spirit began ministering to me about what was on my heart and I was so humbled. And I began to change my prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to let me go in with His agenda. Speak through me and use me as a vessel to use my gift to further the kingdom.
I'm sure we've all heard the saying "if you want to hear God laugh...tell him your plans." Its always made me chuckle and now I have so much more revelation in that. God gives us gifts, we all have a purpose and it's a choice that we make to use our gift to further the kingdom or solely for selfish gain.  Don't get me wrong taking care of yourself is not selfish...it's wisdom; but there must be a balance. 
So make sure you check your spirit before you enter into tasks and ask the Holy Spirit to move through you on His agenda, not your own.

Procrastinating your way into bondage

9 He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer - Prov.18:9

The dictionary describes procrastination as: The act or habit of procrastinating, putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention.

In Proverbs it talks about being slothful in your work.  That means to procrastinate.  Procrastination is a spirit of laziness.  You put it off because you don't feel like it or you're dreading it.  This can easily become a form of bondage for you and it is in your spirit to procrastinate until you feel a sense of urgency or until the pressure is on you to get something done.  Then we fall into the art of blaming others for things not being done in excellence.  Because of the fact that we delegate something late in the game.  You cannot expect things to be done in excellence if you don't start them in excellence.  Yes we are children of God and yes we have favor in the Lord and ALL things are possible through him.  BUT, don't test the Lord and think that He is going to pull off a miracle to help you when you haven't tried to help yourself.  You have to take care of business and make moves so that what's already loosed in heaven can manifest here in the natural. 

This all falls into being a good steward as well.  If you procrastinate and let things fall to the wayside like: weight, health, household chores, your appearence, car maintenance or anything else - then how can you expect God to bless you with new things?  If a church is growing and needs a new building but the members are not good stewards over the sanctuary that is there already; meaning no one is sowing time or money into the kingdom and if so it is not with a cheerful heart, then how can you expect God to provide a bigger one?  If a woman is not a good steward over her health and her body - but wants a baby - how can God bless her with another life to take care of and she won't take care of her own?  These are all choices that we make family and procrastination holds us back, keeps us in bondage and blocks us from inheriting all the good that God promised us.
When you procrastinate, you might as well tell God to have a seat because you have better plans.  You invite strife, doubt, fear and a host of other blockages into the mix and they are all giving satan a standing ovation.  When the Holy Spirit brings a blessing to you or is speaking to you; make moves!  Procrastination can be a matter of life or death in the natural and spiritually.  I promise you come out on top when you decide to do what you need to do expeditiously!  The Holy Spirit is already leading you and God has you under His wing.  Don't sleep on what you are called to do!  God has a blessing and has called you to be nothing less than Great.  Be the King's kid that you are!!!

Is your faith in the Fridge?

 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.  - Hebrews 11:1-3

I was cleaning some stuff out of the refrigerator the other day and making space for new groceries and such. I made sure that everything was able to fit that needed to be refrigerated or frozen so that nothing would spoil.  It occurred to me that I put a lot of effort in making sure that my food doesn't go bad because that's just wasted money and time (I hate grocery shopping).  I received a revelation from the Holy Spirit about my faith...
We talk about faith and having strong faith and the importance of faith but so many of us don't do what it takes to preserve our faith.  The word tells us that we need to walk in faith and love and have faith in calling those things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:17).  We're on fire for a little while and then it starts to dwindle and we still go through the motions of going to church and we Amen and high-five on Sundays and keep it pushing.  It is important to do what we need to do to preserve our faith.  It is perishable if you don't take care of it.  If you don't put ice cream in the freezer it melts and becomes flavored milk and it is no good.  If you leave milk sitting out it spoils.  Leave a box of cereal on the shelf too long and it gets stale.  We can't do this to our faith.  We need to spend time in the word feeding our faith, spend time in prayer fueling our faith.  Spend time building our faith. 

as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, - 2 Peter 1:3

2 Peter lets you know that God gave us ALL the tools we need to build our faith and walk in the ways of the righteous.

Exercising our faith is important to.  Calling situations to life, sowing into someone and/or the ministry.  Being led by the Holy Spirit and obedient in making a move that you wouldn't otherwise do without a back-up plan.  When we don't exercise our faith - like our bodies - it becomes heavy our of shape and it becomes harder to exercise it or even be in the mood to.   When we allow our faith to get bent out of shape it gets heavy with burdens, stress, doubt, depression and all the weights of the world settle in and make it hard to speak life.  It makes us not want to get up and go to church, bible study or anything else.  It's not even about satan getting in our heads and making us feel these things - we're doing it to ourselves. 
I encourage your family to exercise and preserve your faith.  Don't let your spirit man get bent out of shape. 

HE Knows your Worth: Even when you don't

 

For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? - 1Cor.5:12

Please understand that Christianity does not equal perfection.  Don't become so religious that you are no worldly good!  If it is not your life, it is not your business to pass judgement.  Pray for one another and talk to God.  Don't gossip and then ask God to help that person.  Flick the plank out of your own eye first!  That word came on my heart the other day and I wrote it down.  In re-writing it, it has ministered and convicted my spirit.  The first time I heard it and was obedient in sharing it with some folks...this time I heard it and I'm being obedient in adhearing to it myself.  I thanks the Lord daily for continual revelation and understanding.  He knows I am no where near perfect.  He also knows my heart like no one else. I have to learn that just because He has put something on my heart and given me a gift to use to further the kingdom, doesn't mean that the path will not be bumpy nor the journey weary. 
There has to be a lot of patience put into being obedient so that you are making moves at the right time.  There has to be a lot of silence in obedience so that you can hear when the Holy Spirit is giving you further instruction.  There needs to be trust in obedience because God will require you to step out on faith in areas.  Don't worry He knows your worth even when you do not. 
So many times we (myself included) want to wait for the "right" opportunity to be used.  "When I get that million dollars, I'll sow into the kingdom."  "Once I'm where I want to be in life, I'll help in the ministry." I'm not where I want to be spiritually..." that's like getting in shape to go to the gym!  Don't harp on where you feel you may be spiritually.  98% of the time where you feel you are spiritually is based on your observations of others in the ministry and/or around you.  They may be able to flip to a bible verse faster, speak longer, articulate better, or do something that you cannot do BUT, when God wants you to do something it's because He knows your worth.  He knows that you can speak out boldly, He knows that you can manage a department, He knows that you can committ to being there.  He doesn't call people by mistake.  In all of our imperfection, God's will in us is perfection.  God does not call the qualified because we are ALL qualified and called to be kings and priests.  We are all called to further the kingdom in any way that we can. 
 Corinthinans 12:12-31 talks about unity and diversity within the body of Christ and how we all have different functions, gifts and assignments just as your physical body does.  If we all did the same thing and has the same function and purpose how would we be productive in many areas?  It's the desire for immediate recognition and praise of the flesh that becomes the demise of kingdom business.  If you entertain a vain thought for just a second it opens the door to strife, lust and carnal intentions.  People think of being concerned with looks and fashion when they hear vanity and that's why it is such a dangerous spirit.  Vanity is let in when you get a little irritated because someone didn't mention your name to the congregation.  "Pastor said thank you in private but didn't tell everyone what I did."  "Why is her name ahead of mine..." "I talk to Pastor all the time why did he help them..." Those are vain thoughts.  Romans 12:3-8 talks about not thinking too highly of yourself. 
Let God reward your works...you have to know that they are not going unseen.  Instant gratification is just that and it is gone just as quickly as it came...in an instant! You will be rewarded for every good work...your heart needs to be in the right place.  Do it because God loves you and has done so many things for you in the midst of your disobedience and beliees in the good in you...2Corinthians 9:8. 
I intended for this blog to go a completely different direction.  I have been struggling with feeling blocked and I was planning to write more or less out of frustration.  In the first few words I typed out the Holy Spirit began to minister to me and a calm came over my spirit and I thank God for it.  Continue to be obedient in what God has called you to do and keep pressing through.  He didn't promise smooth sailing, but He did say that we can walk on water!

Patience is Love & Love is Patience

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.2 And though I have the gift of  prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Patience and love go hand in hand.  This scripture has been on my heart but it was a reflection of patience for me.  As I continually grow both physically and spiritually, milestones in my life cause me to reflect.  I reflect on who I am, where I am going and what I am doing to get there.  Patience has been a word that my close friends and family used to describe me on many occasions.  However, It was a conditional patience that I possessed.  1 Corinthians describes love as the greatest thing to have and if you do not have it, you have nothing.  God's love - agape love - is unconditional and his patience is everlasting.  Patience, like love, is necessary in all situations.  In order to truly forgive - you must be patient.  In order to truly maintain love - you must be patient.  Butterflies, bells and whistles of love come naturally as you start to develop feelings; but there's a patience that has to come along with it in order to maintain the natural high of love.  Relationships take patience and developing a calm patience, ironically enough, takes patience.  If God had no patience, what a world of trouble we would be in!

Patience also comes in our everyday actions and/or decisions.  People (including myself) struggle to save money in so many areas because of a lack of patience.  In today's society everything is about convenience.  Fast food, Faster food, Jiffy Lube, Drive thru coffee and more.  If we took a little time out of our busy schedules to be patient and do a few things ourselves; not only would we save money but we would learn lessons in developing patience along the way.  I recently taught myself how to braid hair.  I started out practicing on my fiance's daughter and right after I finished I called and made a hair appointment to get mine braided.  It was recently time to get it redone and I was having a meltdown because I HAD to get my hair done and I didn't know how it was going to fit into my schedule and so on and so forth.  Patience fell heavy on my heart and I woke up the next day and decided to try braiding it myself.  I did it, it's not professional but I know I will get there.  With practice and patience.  The enemy went to work on my mind saying that I couldn't do it, It was going to take to long and - my favorite statement - "I don't have the patience for that..." the thing is, I DO have the patience for it if I choose to have it.

Patience, like love and so many other things is a choice we make.  A state of mind that you choose to have. For all the control freaks out there...to not have patience is a lack of control over your mind.  So renew your mind and get your thoughts in order.  To be absent of love is to have nothing, but without patience true love will not surface. 

Brew coffee at home, make a home cooked meal...What can you do in your daily life routine to allow yourself a lesson in patience?

Submission is not weak: Don't be the O.T.H.E.R woman!



¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
¹¹ The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
¹² She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
¹³ She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
¹⁵ She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
¹⁶ She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
¹⁷ She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
¹⁸ She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
¹⁹ She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
²⁰ She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
²² She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
²⁵ Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
²⁶ She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
²⁷ She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
²⁹ Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
³⁰ Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

- Proverbs 31:10-31



^{Society has taught women that the description, above, is weak.  To be submissive is to be a doormat.  The word tells us to strive to be that woman ladies.  To do anything less is not lining up with the will of God.  No we are not perfect, and yes the Proverbs 31 woman is a super woman basically.  You may never be able to do it 100% but don't ever let someone else tell you that your desire to be this woman is wrong.  You can work and take care of home, or just take care of home or do things however you do them.  Taking care of business is what we are born to do.  A strong woman doesn't always do what  she WANTS to do, we do what we HAVE to do and take necessary steps to make sure that we are pleasing God and our home front!} 

^{Females let’s be clear and REAL...a man isn't cheating with you because you are so good at being the other woman.  He's cheating with you because you are NOT good enough to be THE woman.  I laugh at women who brag about being the "go to" woman when the man gets bored at home.  You try to put down a submissive woman for being who GOD designed her to be.  Learn what submission really means.  A submissive woman is FAR from weak.  A true submissive woman knows how to carry the load for him and her both without him even having to know it.  She knows how to speak to his spirit and not his lusts.  She knows how to push him to his dreams instead of pulling him to his destruction.  She knows how to pray WITH him and not PLAY with him.  She knows how to be quiet even when her flesh wants to speak.  She knows the vcalue of his hard work and not JUST of his dollar.  A submissive woman is his LIFETIME while the "other" woman is just a GOOD TIME and that's all you'll ever be.  He knows that he can throw a few dollars and material possessions your way and that's all you will ever expect.  The other woman makes it easy for a man.  The submissive woman makes it easy for herself by making him EARN her...not BUY her.  You are the O.T.H.E.R woman...an Overplayed Toy He Eventually Releases!  Get a clue and change the game ladies!}

Are you a Faithful Steward?

"41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people? ”42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

 My fiance called me this morning and told me that Luke 12:48 was on his heart.  He said he wasn't sure why, but that it may be a good blog topic for me today.  So I looked into the scripture and then went into depth with it and looked at the entire parable.  This is the parable of the good steward and although I have read it plenty of times, I received a lot of revelation from it this morning.

Luke 12:48 says: "...For everyone whom much is given, from him much will be required..." that's the part of the verse most people know best.  Just to touch on that for a minute, where we tend to go wrong is in what we are given and/or what we have to give.  Many people often mis-conclude that it has to be something material gained or given.  Whether we are rich, middle class or poor, by societies' standards; we all have something to give: Money, time, love, encouragement, a skill - you get the idea.  You can give of yourself and tithe in many ways. 

Now, touching on the entire parable, it goes much deeper than that.  God has given us dominion over all of the land.  We are King's kids and we have inherited the good of the land!  We are supposed to be good spearheads over all that God has given us.  No matter how small or big our possessions we are to be fair and generous.  Help those that can't, be a teacher to those who may not know better and keep your own house in order instead of trying to keep someone elses'.  My Grandma used to tell my, "If all you have is one dress, you make sure that one dress is always clean and pressed and the best looking dress around.  And wear it with pride..." Be a good steward over what you have.  If you have 10 dresses and only wear 4 of them; bless someone or people with the other 6.  You never know how much of a blessing you can be to someone until you extend yourself. 
You will have God to answer to in the day of judgement for the things that you have not repented for.  If you have down talked those around you and made yourself to be "bigger and better" than everyone around you, that prideful and arrogant sin will be dealt with in the time of judgement.  Remember that what you have is not yours to hoard, it was given to you by God and can vanish even quicker than it came about.  It's all in what kind of steward you are.  If you possess a skill that you can bless others with, share your skill...help others around you in any way that you can.  Granted, you may run a business based on teaching your skill, make sure you donate time as well.  Don't make everything about the money.  God blessed you with it, bless others.
Lastly, God will only hold us accountable for what we know.  Now, that doesn't mean that you should not study parts of the bible and say "Lord I didn't know" that means if you read something and haven't received a full revelation on it, you will not be held accountable until you get that full revelation and understanding.  If you are studying, like we all should be, the Holy Spirit will constantly bring revelation and understanding to all that you read.  He will even bring revelation to certain situation that we face.
Just remember to check yourself and your spirit regularly and ask yourself..."Are you being a good steward over what you possess?"

Child Like Faith

¹³ Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” ¹⁶ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

My four-year-old has been on this kick about having super powers.  Everything we tell her that she can't do she says she can because she has super powers.  She said she's not afraid of bugs because she has super powers that protect her or help her.  She said that she can heal her family and she can do anything!  This was such a revelation for me because  she truly believed in her super powers and had faith in what they can do.  We are all born with that faith and somewhere along the way we are taught to be logical and analytical about things and we start to over think and under believe.  God tells us plain as say that we should have child like faith....simple faith!  God has given us dominion over all things.  Not a few things, all things!  We lose out on so much because we over analyze it and tend to feel silly about praying over and/or speaking to certain things.

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;^[d] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”^[e]

Have faith and believe that you have already received everything that you pray for.  Know that God's promises are solid and you already have what the word says you can have.  Now it's time to possess your possessions and what God has promised you through prayer and un shakeable faith.  We have "super (natural) powers" and can do all things through Christ (Phil.4:13) utilize your inheritance and move mountains!

Good Bondage...

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand tin the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

It is important that we thank God daily for the full armor that he has provided for us.  We need to make sure it is prayed up and secured properly at all times because our spirits are constantly in battle for us.  With that being said, I want to focus on verse Ephesians 6:20 where it says "For which I an an ambassador in chains..." I struggled for a long time with that verse because I was thinking in the flesh about being in chains.  I kept praying and saying Lord why are we in chains when you say we have free will.  Lord I know you set us free from bondage.  So what is the significance of being in chains (KJV says bonds)?  I received revelation one morning as I prayed and the Holy Spirit began to minister to me and explain that I am to be bound to the word of God.  The same way that a man and woman marry and become bound together as one; we as the body of Christ are His bride and bound as one in the body and to the Living Word.
When we spend time in the word, and we pray to the Lord and spend time really getting to know Him and speaking to him in our heavenly language or in understanding, we are getting intimate with Christ and developing the same relationship that we desire to have with our mates.  We do so many things in our earthly relationships to please our mates.  We go on dates to bring back romance, we light candles and desire to spend intimate time together to keep love strong and the bond stronger.  It works the same way with Christ.  He desires our time, He desires us to talk to Him, worship Him, acknowledge Him; spend some intimate time with Him, in His word strengthening your bond with Christ!

Nesting

I read a post of my best friend's the other day and she said that she was starting to nest to prepare for her little one that is on the way.  So I looked up the definition of "nesting" the other day and it was described as an action that pregnant women perform in their third trimester...preparing the house for their new baby; likened to mocking the ritual of birds preparing a nest before hatching eggs.  The same way that pregnant women and birds, in their right, "nest" to prepare for a new life; we, as believers, should  continuously nest and prepare for what God has in store for us. 
God revealed to me that, although I have never been pregnant in the natural; I have been pregnant in the spirit realm plenty of times and miscarried because I wasn't ready.  My spirit was willing but not ready because my flesh was not obedient.  I have been impregnated with a vision and it's about to birth, I am and will be obedient to the word of God and speak life to all things in my presence.  Calling those things that are not as though they are, God will begin too allow my spirit to dilate and eventually go into labor and birth in the natural what He has already done and showed me in the supernatural.  Right now, I will nest and/or prepare for me to be used as a vessel for what God has in store.
We have to understand the God can't bless us with better until we can take care of what we have right now.  This rings true for houses, money, cars, our bodies in health and weight and everything else.  He desires the best for us, but, if we can't take care of - what we consider - mediocre things, then how can He trust us with luxurious things.  Family listen, in the same way that Jesus went to prepare a place for us in His father's house (John 14:2) because He loved us; we need to prepare a place for Him in our hearts and in our lives period.  Prepare and keep up with what He has blessed us with so that we can pull what is already manifested for us out of the supernatural and eat of the good of the land in the natural.  Take time to nest and you'll be blessed!

Revelation & Understanding

For a long time I was a sporadic church attendee, I was the best “Sunday/Wednesday Christian” I could be.  Every time I went to church, there was always a song or a word that would hit my spirit and I would begin to cry. I would feel so convicted by the word and vow to change right then and there, but it always stopped at my words.  At some point in my life, I began to feel that if I didn’t cry at church, or I didn’t hear a word that caused me to lose control of my emotions then I wasn’t receiving it right or I wasn’t being fed.

This morning I was listening to Yolanda Adams “Yeah” and praising in the car on my way to work. I was praying and singing and asking for forgiveness because I know I haven’t been perfect.  Something in my mind started to tell me that I was praying hard enough and I wasn’t sincere because I wasn’t weeping in my praise or prayer.  Then something even more amazing happened…my spirit shut that thought down within seconds of it forming.  I received a wonderful revelation and received another as I was writing this blog.  God does not condemn us he forgives us and forgets everything that we repent on.  Sometimes the word will convict us on some things, but Jesus said that His joy is in us that our joy may be full.  Our spirits are not supposed to stay grieved.  God forgives us for that reason and tells us to cast our cares upon Him (1Peter 5:7); Lay our burdens at His feet (Ps.55:22).  The world tells us to let not our hearts be troubled (John 14:1)…

I know now and am so thankful that my spirit is no longer grieved.  I know that I am forgiven, that I am a Daughter of Increase and that I have inherited the Kingdom.  The second revelation I received in that my spirit is truly battling constantly against the things of the world.  I pray every morning and thank God for His full armor (Eph.6:10-18) that I keep on and am constantly ready for the spiritual battle at hand.  Had I neglected to realize that God has given me everything I need for success and had I not claimed and possessed the armor that God promised me; that thought, could and would have festered and continued to bring a false grief to my spirit that should not be there. 

Take a moment today to make sure your spirit is equipped for battle and know that you are forgiven. Let not your heart be troubled because you have the joy of the Lord!

In The Midst of it...

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust. 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6  Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, (Psalms 91:2-9)
 
We often turn to music based on our moods. If you want to set a romantic atmosphere you might find some smooth jazz or a sweet “love song”. If we’re angry we tend to want something more hardcore to amp our mood. The blues when we’re sad and so on and so forth. We always want the world to know what kind of mood we’re in and/or what we’re going through at any given time.  Thanks to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter we can tell our 500 “friends” what going on in our lives in less than 60 seconds!  They can like your status and say they’re sorry for what you’re going through, but nine times out of ten that solves absolutely nothing. We either want everyone to attend our pity parties or we want self-gratification for something we THINK we did on our own.  Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with sharing your feelings and even sharing good news.  But sometimes we need to settle down and go to God first.  Then we can commence to telling it on the mountain, if He wants us to.  There are somethings we need to learn to keep our mouths shut about.  There is a point where I recent;y started asking myself, Lord is this just for attention or is this to give you glory.  Lord am I really gaining anything by blabbing about this?  Lord am I low-key trying to make someone jealous or boast about something?  Is my heart in the right place as I tell this news?  I love to gab and talk like most women do and God really began to convict my spirit about opening my mouth so much.  I would vent out of anger, and once I was calm, I would pray about it and feel bad that I said anything but it’s not like I can take it back.  God wants us to talk to Him and be real with Him.  Yes He already knows, but He wants us to have a desire in our hearts to tell Him everything and allow him to deal with us and/or it accordingly.
Christians, we are doing nothing but selling ourselves short if we feel like we should wait until this are “okay” to go and talk and commune with God.  He will deal with us in the midst of our trials, in the midst of our sin, in the midst of whatever situations we are in.  Psalms 91 says that God is our refuge and fortress and in HIM shall we trust. He will take us under his wing and deliver us from the snare of the fowler. It says that His truth, which is His word, will be our shield and only with our eyes will we see the reward of the wicked. If we’re taking refuge and need shields that means we are in the middle of battle family.  God didn’t say He would be our shield because it sounds nice, He said it because we should constant;y be aware of the spiritual warfare going on around and within us. Satan is always at work and he will send his demons to work on your mind first because that is our arena of faith. Once he plants a seed in our mind we tend to run with it and confess it and then he can pull his demons off because we start to do satan’s dirty work and become our own worst enemy. We confess, “oh my back is killing me!” “Oh Lord I’m so broke” and so many other negative things we speak into our lives and confess them on a daily basis. When we start to feel symptoms or things seem impossible, that’s when we should hold fast our confessions! Take refuge in the Lord and know that he will carry you through. It’s okay to need the Lord, it’s okay to have trials and tribulations. Only the “perfect Christian” doesn’t have issues…I’ll let that marinate

Don’t ever feel like you did something wrong if you are going through a rough patch. God to God, lean on the word and believe it. Have faith and know that his shield will keep the fiery darts of the wicked one (Eph.6:10-20 the armor of God) away from us.  God is not a respecter of persons so don’t count yourself out.  Take joy in the midst of a trial and seek the Lord diligently because He’s got a blessing in the midst of it all.

Self-Defense

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV)

I carry a knife in my purse and everywhere with me.  I feel like, you never can be too safe these days.  I’m always the big talker in my group about who I’ll cut and how quickly I’ll cut him.  So, I was shopping in a store a few weeks back and in my own world.  In my completely oblivious state, I didn’t notice that there was a strange man watching my every move.  Thankfully, the holy spirit stepped in and made me aware of the fact that I was being followed.  I began to walk in a very purposeful pattern around the store to ensure that it wasn’t my imagination…nope, I was being followed.  Big bad wolfess was gone and fear set in.  First I called my sister, then my boyfriend, then my sister again and I was looking for my knife and it wasn’t in my purse!  I was unarmed, alone and quickly allowing panic to settle into my spirit.  By the time I found an associate to let him know I was being followed all I could do was burst into tears, especially after he told me he’d seen the guy following me!  I was stuck in the middle of the store, a complete emotional wreck.  I had the “damsel in distress” thing going big time!

We should never be caught off guard without our weapons!  Not a weapon in the flesh, but our spiritual weapons.  Ephesians 6 talks about putting on the FULL armor of God daily.  We are always at war because we are not of this world.  If your spirit man is where it should be, then he is always ready for battle.  There are so many temptations in the world that we have no choice but to operate in the spirit and be led of the spirit if we want to get through.  Our minds are the arena for faith and satan is the enemy of our souls.  If we’re not covered satan is most definitely going to plant seeds within that arena and pretty soon you are full of fear, doubt and self destruction bondage.  I’m not saying that you need to carry a bible wherever you go to ward anything off, but know the word and meditate on it so that when things come against you, you are able to stand on the promises of God to rebuke, bind down and destroy satan’s evil yokes.  Isiah 54:17 says that NO weapon formed against thee shall prosper!  Romans 8:31 says if God is for us [then], who can be against us!  We, as spirit filled believers who are truly walking in faith, need to have the ability to call on God’s word in an urgent manner and speak to any pressing situation.  If we’re not prepared for battle, it could cost you your life…think about that!  How many enemies do you have that would stop and give you time to get your sword out and sharpen it in the middle of a battle?  In the same sense, how often are you able to stop an emergent situation so you can pull out your bible to find the right words?  It’s time to meditate, to study and to really get to know God’s word.  The last thing we want to do is be caught out there in the world without our armor and not ready for battle!

G.P.S.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

I was on the freeway yesterday evening, headed to the mall to meet my mom and brother.  I was going a different way than normal so I put the mall address into my GPS on my phone and updated directions from my present location.  I tend to get nervous when I’m driving, especially when it’s late, so I kept updating the directions from my current location.  At some point I was sure I had missed my turn so at the next light, I made a U-turn and was in the process of updating the directions again.  When they finally updated, it told me to make a U-turn (again) and head back north to get to the freeway I was looking for.  After I passed the light where I’d originally turned around, the very next block was the entry to the freeway…I was SOOOO close and turned around and delayed myself by 10 minutes.  Had I trusted my GPS the first time I would’ve been okay!  
So often, we do that with God’s plans for us.  We’ll say lead me Lord and we’ll go and things get a little rough, but we trust the Lord through it.  They get a little rougher, and we still trust and thank God but we start to develop a back up plan in the back of our minds.  Then when it gets shaky and we’re all sorts of uncomfortable, we turn the other way and go to whatever back-up plan we had.  What I’ve found, personally, is that I was so close to a breakthrough but I gave in to fear and missed out on my blessing!

You see satan tries to turn us around and make us lose our ground, he wants us to give up and lose faith and miss out every time. he (yes I did not capitalize on purpose because I feel satan deserves no respect!) is always ready to tempt us with an easy way out a “solution” to what we are going through.  Sure it may have shiny bells and whistles and seemingly look like a blessing, but there’s always something not quite right about the solution and you become torn or confused about which way to go.  My God is not a God of confusion (1Cor. 4:13)!  He said that he will be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths (Ps. 119:105)!  That means he will make things CLEAR for us.  There is no confusion in God’s works…there is clarity, peace, joy and a presence of assurance!  
So next time you’re ready to turn around, and there’s a voice telling you just go a little further, don’t bicker with God, trust and see what just ahead at the next block.

Live like you're already there!

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)

The world tells us to “Live like you’re dying” but the word tells us that we are already there!  We, as believers, are in this world, we have to abide by laws put in place and live accordingly.  However, we are not of this world and we must stop picking and choosing what biblical laws to follow.  If you’re running late for work and get stopped by a red light, are you gonna run it just this one time because you need to get to work?  I seriously doubt it because of the fear of getting pulled over and ticketed for breaking the law.  In the same manner that we have respect for the laws of man, we need to have respect and fear for God’s law and what the word says.  If there’s a red light and the Holy Spirit is saying that you shouldn’t go just yet (and maybe not at all), don’t try your luck just this one time…just don’t do it!  Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”  That means that we need to walk in the spirit and seek God in all of our decisions, we need to be consistently obedient, and in constant prayer.

The world tells us in Romans 6:4 (above) that when we were baptized we were buried with Christ and just as Christ raised from the dead, we did as well through the baptism and we now walk in the spirit in the newness of life!  1 John 4:17 says that as He is so are we.  Christ Died, was buried and rose again!  In the same way, through being born again and baptized our old self died – That ol’ girl died, that good for nothing man is dead – was buried and we rose again in the newness of life!  God wants us to have his best.  We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ!  We don’t have to “Live like we’re dying…” Family we already died and rose again and have been walking with Christ.  We have arrived…we’re already there!  There’s no need to “Live like you’re dying” we should be Living like we are already there!  Have a blessed and highly favored day family!

Faith Equals Works

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (James 2:14)"

As a believer, the word Faith should be considered a verb. From the beginning it's all about our works and how our works transform after we've been saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit.  When you accepted Jesus into your heart you took a step out on faith, you choose to believe, you walk in faith daily and in challenges you make a choice, you fall into the ways of the world or you trust in God and step out in faith on any given situation.
When you pay your tithe you're stepping out on faith, especially if your finances are challenged at all. Being obedient in attending church and bible study is a work, giving someone a good word of encouragement is works. All of us that are an active part of a prayer/fellowship group, whether it be online or meeting in person are doing a good work because we are uplifting, fellow-shipping, encouraging and even educating (in love) one another on how to inherit the fullness of God! All the small stuff counts. Giving someone some spare change and speaking a blessing on them is good works...and the list goes on. We have all been called to be disciples, prophets & priests in the kingdom. We don't need a pulpit, a long sermon or even a formal setting to be a disciple. So if we change our mindset on Faith and know that Faith isn't just a dormant word it is a action as well, we will see how we use our Faith everyday! With that mindset it will continue to grow your faith and you will begin to do bigger works without even thinking about it or even realizing it at times because you have been so consciously walking in it that you keep pushing and the training wheels fall off without fazing us!

F - Firm
A - Acclamations
I - Invoking
T - The
H - Holy Spirit