Last night I wasup late after everyone else went to bed. My initial plan was to pray. I had my prayer journal, my names, and I thought I was ready to go!!!
Well…….that’s not quite how it all worked out!! I sat down and before I could started….I started asking God some questions. I must admit this wasn’t the usual, mid tempo prayer. I had some tough questions….some why’s, why is this happening, and what are the underlying problems?
I didn’t really know what I expected the Holy Spirit to say….but what He said I wasn’t expecting….. “Bloom Where You Are”……..
After hearing this, I just sat for awhile. I came to God to pray for others. I thought that He would tell me how to help or specifically what to pray. But instead I got directions for me.
That one phrase “Bloom Where You Are” has been on my mind all morning and I believe that I have a better understanding…..get better and be excellent where I am right now, at this very moment. For me, excellence is doing my best ,being my best and pleasing God in whatever it is I’m doing. Whether its being a wife/mother, cleaning, cooking, serving in the children’s ministry, or encouraging and following up w/women at church……doing it w/a cheerful heart, thoroughly, prayerfully, and to the best of my supernatural ability.
Its time for me to do my very best in every area of my life so that God’s glory can be seen……..I’m planning to bloom where I am…how about you????
What Are You Doing With Your Gifts???
I was just reading the parable in Matthew 25 about the talents and it got me to thinking…….Am I investing in the talents that God has given me like the first two servants or am I burying them in the sand like the last servant??
The landowner returned and told the first two servants that he was pleased with them (I’m paraphrasing :0))and since they put their talents to good use and multiplied them, he could trust them with more.
But it didn’t go so well with the last servant……..he buried his talent out of fear b/c he thought the landowner was a harsh man. This excuse didn’t go over to well with the landowner. He called him “wicked and lazy” (read Matthew 25 for the full details!).
So my question to you is are using the gifts/talents that God has blessed you with? Are you investing in yourself/talent so that God can be gloried through you???? If so great, I applaud you being a blessing for The Kingdom!
If not, why? What’s holding you back from being the best you ever? Whatever it is, I challenge you today to change your thinking, speaking, and actions so that God can invest even more in you!!!
What’s Your Process????
Today I was doing some of the usual things that I have to be done to prepare for a move: cleaning, packing and sorting and disposing of items. To me this process is no fun. It’s tedious and time consuming. But well worth it.
Think about it……w/o going through the process of preparing and packing, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy our new house soon. The process is uncomfortable but necessary if I want to enjoy a bigger, better house. Not only is the process benefitting me, it will also be a blessing to my family (especially my hubby…he will officially have his own man cave and deck :0)).
So today instead of complaining about the process, I’ll just thank God as I do what has to be done so that I can get to my destination of more than enough…..room:0).
Renewed and Confident…in Him
Can I be candid for a moment??? Yesterday was a pretty rough day in my adventures of mommyhood! It seemed as if everytime I turned around I was repeating myself, scolding someone, putting furniture back in its rightful place, sitting someone down for time out, or being a referee.
It was draining…….to be honest yesterday was discouraging for me. I felt very disconnected and at one point I like I was more of a task master than mommy. Man, I don’t think it’s supposed to be like this I remember thinking this as I sat on the couch, praying for peace and patience.
After I put the kids to be last night, I took a moment to just be. I put on some music, closed my eyes and took advantage of the quietness. I told God that I trusted Him and that I’m putting myself in his hands to be molded into the woman, wife, mother, friend and witness that He would have me to be…
Today I got up with a renewed spirit!!! I refuse to let yesterday cause me to be anxious, uptight and rob me of my joy. As I was reading in Proverbs this morning, one specific verse stood out and it is now my affirmation for the day ” For the Lord is my confidence, and will keep my foot from being caught”……..
I’m believing God for an awesome day, filled with joy and direction that comes from being in His presence…….what about you???
21 Days Until………
I was reading something that said that it takes 21 days to form and/or break a habit, whether it be good or bad. So that got me thinking, what are the three main things that I need to change in order for my day to be ran more efficiently and effectively on a daily basis?
I know that this seems like an easy challenge and 21 days is only 3 weeks but……….changing takes work. Making better habits and breaking bad habits is going to take diligence. It looks easy on paper but to actually do when I don’t feel like doing or when another option appears easier is a different story.
So, I challenge you to take the challenge w/me!!! Let’s do something that will change our lives for the better, nothing can be too big or too small……………
In 21 days, I’ll be better at least 3 things what about you????
Greatness……..
My hubby and I were talking the other day and he said “Babe, I just want us to be great”……this comment has been in my thoughts every since.
Great……..wow, that’s a big word! Honestly. My first thought was man, is that attainable for me? I knew it was for my hubby but when it came to me I had to think on it……
So, I’ve been thinking. And I came up with an answer. “Yes”. Greatness is attainable for me.
I’ve been meditating on a particular scripture 1 John 4:4 “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”. God is in me and He is the greatest. Therefore greatness resides in me and if I put God, the greatest, first in all things, then I know that His greatness will show forth in all that I do…….
So, are you ready for greatness and all that He will bring????……..
I Can, I Can, I Can……….
When I got up this morning, I had a few things on my mind. I had a to-do list, boxes, kids, a boat load of laundry, and a treadmill that all seemingly, were looking at me wanting immediate attention. But instead of trying to tackle everything at once aimlessy….I’ve decided to take a different approach.
This approach seems to be what I always wanted to do but sometimes fail to do…….put God first. Putting God first or saying that He is the head of my life can sometimes seem cliche-ish to me b/c is sounds soooo good but my actions or choices can reveal that I put myself, my comfort, and/or my desires before anything and everyone else (please tell me that I’m not alone??!!!).
So, instead of getting my favorite pen and my to-do list, I decided to get my bible, my journal, and a specific book. And when I finished reading and meditating on God’s Word, I felt so encouraged and so peaceful. And the only words that were written in my journal for today are “I can, I can, I can”!
What’s the reasoning behind my new winning spirit you ask? It’s Jesus……..I can b/c He lives in me.
It’s her birthday!!!
Today is such a big day……it’s my oldest daughter’s 5th birthday!!! Although I excited b/c my big girl is a year older, I’m also shocked at how fast the time has went by. It seems like just yesterday she was crawling around w/chunky cheeks and braids. Now she is on her way to kindergarten and requesting that her birthday dinner be at “Olive Garden”.
As the time goes by, one thing has remained consistant. I am so thankful that God blessed my hubby & I w/such a beautiful, compassionate and creative first born…….
Happy birthday Virginia Maddison. I’m looking forward to celebrating many more w/you and I know that my heart will be even more full of gratefulness……..
>Have you mended your net today?????
>I just finished talking to my oh so wise Pastor (s/o to Pastor Eula Greer!!!) and as usual I was given a nugget that blessed me and of course I wanted to bless someone else…..you! When our conversation was coming to a close, she said that she was about to go “mend her net”. Hmmmmm I thought. And then she went on to tell me that she was about to read her Bi ble and cry out to God ie, “mend her net”.
Pastor told me that if she wanted to catch”fish” and be a blessing she had to make sure that her net was able to hold what God was going to put in it……. .
I looked up the word mend and it means “to repair, improve, or to heal” . So, if the net is our life, the fish are God’s blessings whether they be revelation, souls 4 Christ, or the fruit of the spirit…..we have to be prepared to receive. And what better way can we prepare for God to pour out on us but by strengthening our relationship w/Him through His word and talking to Him personally. So my question to you is…….have you mended you net today????
>Life is……..precious
>Hello all!!
Today is “Sanctity of Human Life” Sunday….and I just so happen to have a little bit to share with all on this subject.
And here’s my testimony…..
When I was 14 yrs old, I gave my virginity away (I started to say lost but honestly I willingly gave it away). I was a freshman in high school, naive, and to be honest my knowledge on sexuality and how precious my body is was close to none. My mom didn’t relaxingly the “bird and the bees” to me so to speak. She simply said “keep your panties up and dress down”. In no way do I fault her for anything that took place….she was doing what she knew to do and until you know better you can’t do better. A few months after I started having sex, I found out that I was pregnant. And I was beyond scared!!! I didn’t tell anyone except the boyfriend and a cousin of mine that lived in Georgia. So being 14 and pretty simple, I must add, I decided that I was going to hide it. My logic was that the longer I hid it, the farther along I would be, and hopefully by the time my mama found out I’d be near nine months.
Well, that plan didn’t work. One night my mama woke up saying she had a dream about fish and asked me if I was pregnant and of course I said no. She didn’t mention it for a couple of days and then bam!! I came home from school and she was waiting with a pregnancy test and she told me to “pee on the stick”. I dipped the stick in toilet water and it came out negative and for a second, only a second, I thought that I was in the clear. But the next day, Mama was waiting with another test and this time she put on her gloves (my Mama was a caregiver and one of the best I might add) and held the stick as I used the bathroom.
And the inevitable happened…..the truth came to light. Her daughter, 14 yeas old, was indeed pregnant and completely clueless. For a few days it was very tense. My Mama wa upset and as we all know we can.
say and do somethings in the heat of the moment that aren’t right.
So, she told me to call the boyfriend and his parents. We all met, the verdict was given and my Mom gave the final say LIm not raising nobody’s baby and I’ll make the appointment”. With that said I really didn’t know what was going to happen besides I wouldn’t be pregnant anymore due to me getting an “A/B” (short for abortion,we never said the word). Long story short, I had the abortion when I was almost 5 months. I remeber having an ultrasound, finding out I was carrying a boy, crying my eyes out b/c in that moment there was absoluely nothing that I could do.
For a really long time, I was ashamed and felt horrible. I just remeber how alone I felt afterwards and being told that I was “going to hell”
As the years went by, having an abortion was my dirty little secret and when I was 20 I got pregnant again. Without thinking too much about I got another abortion. My reasoning was that the guy I was w/wasn’t daddy material and after my first pregnany I vowed to never have kids.
Then when I was 23, I got pregnant yet again…….this time it bwas different. I made up my mind that I was going to have this baby and do everything on my own ,if I had too. I went to th dr. and found out I was 6wks. A couple of nights later while I was at work I started bleeding really bad. Long story short, I miscarried and my dr. told me that due to my 2 prior abortions my cervix was really weakand it would be a miracle if I evr carried a child to full term.
I was completely devestated b/c I made these choices and it was all my fault. A friend of mine called me not too long after I heard the news and invite me to church(thanks friend). I went. Repeneted, rededicated my life to Christ,joined my church, was filled with the Holy Spirit , and strted working in the children’s ministry. By no means was forgiving kmyself and others an easy process. It took a lot of time, tears, prayer, and surrender. But eventually I was able to forgive myself and accept God’s forgiveness and unconditional love.
When I was 25,God blessed me with a saved, sanctified, and Holy Spirit filled husband(very handsome I might add:-)). And on our one month anniversary, I found out we were expecting!! To wrap of of this up, at 30 years young we have a beautiful 4 yr old daughter and 19 month old twins. I went full term with Maddie and delievered her at exactly 40 wks. And with the twins,I carried them 39wks and 1day…….
The point of all this is that life is precious and God is a God of restoration. The mistakes that I made, the hurt and guilt that I felt were all covered in the blood of Jesus. If He did it for me, He can definately do it for you! Trust Him, Nothingos is impossible 4 God……..
PS*My Mama lived to see God bless me w/my hubby and Maddie. I can honestly say that she was the bestest “MawMaw” ever and our relationship was better than it had ever been……(my God is awesome!!!!)
Thee Mommy Diaries 