Positive or Negative! The choice is Yours!

Often times we start out with the best intentions. We speak the positive with assertiveness and as soon as the words have escaped our lips, we follow with a negative statement. How many times have you said, “I AM GOING TO MAKE IT! and then utter “SOMEHOW!!” or “ I CAN DO ALL THINGS!...”IF!!” OMG as the kids say! Some may argue that “somehow” or “if” are positive statements but I disagree. Once a positive statement is made, that’s it! Don’t allow the enemy to counter with a negative whisper into your spirit. As soon as you send that positive energy into the atmosphere, here he comes with a vengeance; ready to pounce on you with his negative spirit. He brings in the spirit of doubt, worry and confusion! Tell him to go back where he came from!! LOL

The next time you speak positive, leave it at that! Positive! Declare… “I am going to make it! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Notice, I added “through Christ. That’s because we can’t do it in our own strength, but with Christ we CAN! Say it with me!! “Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Christ…enough said! That settles it! That finishes it! JESUS CHRIST! The name above all names! Say his name and guess who will flee??? Yeah.. you already know!

Happy New Year!

525,600 minutes

There are 525,600 minutes in a year! The song says “How do you measure a life? In sunsets, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife? How about love!”

My father lived each day to its fullest. He often said, “I may not be here tomorrow so I am going to live now, in this moment!” He loved his family. He loved quality things, good music and fast cars. He had rheumatic fever as a child and the new wonder drug penicillin saved his life. Some seem to think that this traumatic fever weakened his blood vessels and he was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 18. He had several heart attacks in his 40’s and died at age 62. He died in an instant, a moment, a minute. There was no sound, no warning, he was laughing, clutched his chest and was gone. We later learned that he had cardiomyopathy (a diseased heart muscle) and an enlarged heart. He knew that he wouldn’t live a long life without a new heart but he never told us. It was only after he passed away that Duke Hospital called to let us know that a heart had been found. My father would have been 76 years on January 2, 2010.

2009 is almost over. How have you spent your minutes? Did you give it your all? Did you love with your whole heart? Did you reach toward your dream? If you didn’t, it’s not too late!!

A new decade is minutes away. Some see 2010 as a new season, a change in the direction of their lives. Some have placed hopes and dreams in the newness that is to come. I am reminded of the moments and the minutes that constantly tick by. I am reminded that we should appreciate each of one of them now as my dad did. There is no need to wait until January 1, 2010 to begin anew! Start this instant, this moment, this minute.

Let’s not waste another minute being consumed by our senseless circumstances. Let’s forgive others as well as ourselves. Dream and push toward the fulfillment of them! And most of all LOVE! God is love and HE loves us! His love reaches to heaven! You can do it too! Love unconditionally. Hug your child a little tighter and kiss your mate a little longer. Make a new memory! Reach out to an old friend, let go of grudges, skip, smile, laugh or whatever it takes for you to release the inner stirrings that have been holding you back. Treasure your life. Treasure your minutes, your moments and as always… push forward!

Psalm 57:10

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

Psalm 117:2

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.

Walk in the Light!

Morning is described as the first or the early part of the day. The Dawn! A time of renewal. Something to look forward to. Sometimes people casually say " It's always darkest before the dawn" or "Joy comes in the morning" not realizing how true that is. Research has found that many people are affected by the light or the lack there of. People that live in parts of the world were sunlight is limited are encouraged to use sun lamps to release the endorphins that the sun would normally release in them. The sun light makes us FEEL better!


In Israel's version of "Trading my Sorrows" he says " Joy is when you wake up!" It doesn't matter if it's 3 o'clock in the evening. When you wake up, it's a time of Joy! Whenever you come out of the darkness into the light, it's joyful!

Why did God create us like this? Why would He have us react to the radiance of the sun? Light? Have you ever thought about it? It's because God IS light! His spirit is in us; therefore we are light! We are His offspring. His children!

John 8: 12 says " When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 1 Peter 2: 9 says " But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

WE ARE LIGHT!

I don't know who I'm talking to right now. I needed a reminder myself! You may be in a gloomy place but rest in knowing that the darkness is not permanent. It can not exist unless we allow it to. Darkness can not exist where there is SON! The lamp has already been purchased. Paid for at a precious price! It's free and you don't even have to leave home to get it. Call on him.... Wake up! It's Morning!!

Unshakeable Peace!

It is the enemy’s job to destroy our peace! To distract us to a point that we are so frazzled that we can’t see our way! He doesn’t want us to go to God in prayer! When we are sad, mourning, upset, stressed or bothered in any way, he wants us to wallow in it. How dare we go to Jesus-the Prince of Peace! But remember, the devil is a LIAR! It is his job to destroy! He specifically wants to destroy our relationship with God!


Phil: 4:6-7 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" --Sweet PEACE!

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I posted a status the other day that said “We should grow fruit in good times so it will be ready for hard times! That simply means our spirits will be in perfect peace even when our minds are too clouded to call on it! Thank you Lord for the fruit of peace! God's peace is unshakeable!”


God wants us to live a life of Peace! In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. HE has given us PEACE! It is one of HIS gifts to us!

My prayer for you today is that you will always be at PEACE! If not, please seek it! Seek that sweet unshakeable PEACE! Hold on to it! Envelope yourself in it and most of all rest in it!

And as always….PUSH FORWARD!

Wesley's Notes

Phil: 4:7 And the peace of God - That calm, heavenly repose, that tranquility of spirit, which God only can give. Which surpasseth all understanding - Which none can comprehend, save he that receiveth it. Shall keep - Shall guard, as a garrison does a city. Your hearts - Your affections. Your minds - Your understandings, and all the various workings of them; through the Spirit and power of Christ Jesus, in the knowledge and love of God.

THE Call! The WHY? The THANKS!

As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours and it did and it does and that's the truth!


My aunt passed away suddenly! No warning! No notice! She simply sat down and took her last breath!

The Call!

No one wants to get the call! The call that a loved one is gone. It's as if your world stops while everything else is moving around you. You take a deep breath! There is always that delay between hearing the news and your brain actually processing it into understanding, then you exhale. Everyone handles it differently. Some weep, some get angry, some shut down. BUT, it is something that we all will eventually have to deal with if we keep on living. It is nothing that we can really prepare for. Even if we have been told it is coming, we aren't ready. No one wants to say GOODBYE! My daughter has started telling me not to say goodbye to her this week. She told me to say, see you later instead. I have begun to honor her wishes.

The Why's and BUT's!

Then we begin to search for understanding. We want to know the details. Why? When? What happened? How did it happen? The details force us to think. They bring some relief in knowing. The details make it real. Maybe something could have been done differently? If I know the details, next time, maybe I will notice the signs! We want to know! We need to know.We begin to question ourselves. Did I miss something? Then there are the things we meant to say! " BUT.. I meant to tell her....! I meant to say....! " All and all, the answer is still the same. She is gone!


The Answer!

Yes, she is gone! My aunt is gone! She has gone HOME!

I am reminded that we are only here temporarily! Those of us that are left are the ones that have to continue to deal with the rain and the storms. My aunt told my mother the day before she passed that she was tired. She didn't say tired of living but tired of other things. God hears our prayers. He is the one in control and decides when we have had enough. He decides when it's our time to stop running and cross that finish line in victory! So the answer is YES she is gone but she is free!! As my daughter says, she gets to have Thanksgiving with Jesus.

Thanks!!

As we approach Thanksgiving, I dare you to try and name ALL of the things that you are thankful for? 1. We woke up! 2. We opened our eyes 3. etc etc! It's not possible is it? Even if we had 10,000 tongues right!! The holidays are hard for many! So many are joyous while so many are sad. BUT I truly believe that if we start writing down what we are thankful for and our blessings, they will out weigh the bad. EVEN in the midst of mourning and hearing of the sickness and sadness that others are facing, I know that OUR GOD's blessing will prevail! We are all winners!

SO, I pause to say Thank you GOD! Thank youl for the time that I had with my aunt Betty! Thank you for the time that I have with my mother! Thank you for the time that I have with my Family and friends. Thank you for my life and my purpose! AND thank you God for my relationship with YOU! YOU are so incredibly awesome & I'm forever thankful!

Revelation 19:9 ...... 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' "

Driven Expectations! Write the Vision!

Expectations

I used to get perturbed when others didn’t have the same drive that I had about a particular goal. I wanted them to have the same passion as I had and just couldn’t wrap my brain around it if they didn’t. After all it was a great idea, so why shouldn’t they be excited, right? Wrong! We are individuals, uniquely created by God for a purpose! Due to life and its circumstances, we may view the importance or value of a goal differently. Does this make it wrong or does it make us different.

There is an order. A shepherd/pastor is given a vision by God and he shares it with the people. We the congregants are the vision carriers. All of the flock may not agree. Some will catch on immediately, some eventually and some never will. It is the same as individuals. We may be the leaders of a team and have an idea. We may expect the members to have the same drive and enthusiasm about a goal as we do but it may not always be so. Just as when David came to the brook at Besor (read --1 Samuel 30:10), we have to take with us, those that are willing to go and leave the others behind. If God said it, then it is so. Don’t allow naysayers to block the vision.

Driven

I come from a family of strong driven women with high expectations. My father’s mother graduated from college in 1928 and taught school for 38 years. She was strong and determined to make a difference in the lives of others. She would often refer to God as her father and spoke of Him as if she had a personal relationship with him. As a child I could not understand why she felt that she could speak to Him directly and He would hear and answer her. She and my grandfather were a formidable force. Together they could do anything and they were a shining example of what can be accomplished when you put God first and strive toward the mark.

My mother’s mother was a midwife at Womack army hospital. She was very compassionate. Her priority was family. She would prepare dinner every weekend and expect her entire family to come by to sit and eat. She taught me many lessons on how to be a successful, classy woman and to strive toward myr goals no matter the circumstances. She was a staunch catholic and prayed every night on her knees until the day she died at age 84.

My mother was and is driven. She married my father as soon as they graduated from high school and had my sister her sophomore year. She still pledged Delta Sigma Theta, graduated on time and was the valedictorian of her class at Fayetteville State University. I watched her prepare the meals, pay the bills, clean the house and still drive to Greensboro weekly while working full time to complete her doctorate in Education. She always took us to church and spoke of putting God first in your life. I didn’t understand it when I was young, but the importance of GOD in my life was instilled in me by each of these women in a different way.

My sister was chosen to receive a full scholarship to a prep school called Chatham Hall when she was in high school. She went on to UNC-Chapel Hill where she received her PhD in Psychology. Being ten years her junior, my teachers would always say, you are Sabrina’s sister. I know you are smart like her. I in turn had to prove myself because of the legacy that I was following.

Driven Expectations: Write the Vision

I placed high expectations on myself for that was what was always expected. There was no excuse. I was expected to be driven to accomplish whatever the goal was. I had no choice. I was blessed to be friends with other girls that had high expectations as well. Donna, Vanessa and I were in the same classes. We competed among ourselves, striving to be the best. We were driven because our parents expected it of us and thus we expected it ourselves.

I have tried to implant these same values in my girls. I want them to want it themselves. To strive for excellence on their own. To want to be the best because they can. I firmly believe that we become what we speak. We have to speak positively over ourselves and our children. Last night my 12 year old said that she had decided what she wanted to be when she grew up. I told her to research it and write the vision. Write the goal and plan for what she wants to be. She took the time and wrote it all down and put it in her binder so she can look at it and see it.

That’s something that we all can do. If you haven’t reached the goal that you set for yourselves, it’s not too late. It’s not about your past. It’s not about what you USED to be, but about what you are SUPPOSED to be. NEVER EVER give up on your vision. Habakkuk 2:2 says “Write the vision, make it plain! “ I dare you today to write your vision down. It may seem odd but it really isn’t’ too late. What has been nagging at you? Has it been to open that book store? Finish that degree? Write that book? Whatever it is, start! Start by writing it down. If you need a push, give me a call. We can push forward together.

**Picture - David’s Victory over the Amalekites! He was driven! He took back all that was stolen from him.

BLOCCKed BLESSINGS! Blind Logic Operating under Clueless Circumstances Kills!

Blessing is defined as God’s Help! What happens when God’s help is BlOCCKed?

Blind not only means unable to see. It also means unable to recognize. It also means unquestioning, unaware and uncontrollable.
The person is unable to see and even worse, unaware!

BLIND LOGIC!

Logic means reasoning!
They are unable to see or even worse, unaware that they are not using reason and it’s uncontrollable.

BLIND LOGIC OPERATING
Operating means to function, or exert effect.
They are unable to see or even worse, unaware that they are not using reason, it’s uncontrollable and as they are functioning in the midst of it is causing an effect.

BLIND LOGIC & OPERATING CLUELESS!
Clueless mean dense, oblivious, naïve and incompetent!
They are unable to see or even worse, unaware that they are not using reason, it’s uncontrollable, and they are functioning in the midst of it is causing an effect that they are oblivious to. They don’t even know that it is happening.

BLIND LOGIC & OPERATING under CLUELESS –CIRCUMSTANCES
A Circumstance is a condition affecting a situation. An uncontrollable condition affects somebody’s life beyond his or her control.
They are unable to see or even worse, unaware that they are not using reason, it’s uncontrollable, and they are functioning in the midst of it, causing an effect that they are oblivious to. They don’t even know that it is happening and it is affecting their life beyond control!

BLIND LOGIC & OPERATING under CLUELESS –CIRCUMSTANCES KILLS!

Kill means to cause something living to die.
They are unable to see or even worse, unaware that they are not using reason, it’s uncontrollable, and they are functioning in the midst of it, causing an effect that they are oblivious to. They don’t even know that it is happening and it is affecting their life beyond control and it is slowly killing them. Killing their relationship with God!

OH MY GOD! YES! It is time to call on HIM!! NOW, not later! NOW! You see when a person is BLOCCKed! - The enemy has done his job! They are mixed up, messed up and don’t even know it. They can’t receive their blessings because they don’t realize that they are missing them. They are outside of God’s will and are not receiving HIS help! BLOCCKed!
Sometimes people flippantly say don’t Block my blessing. Being BLOCCKed is serious!

It is my prayer that you never find yourself in BLOCCKed position. That you will stand still and listen for God’s voice. God’s direction! God’s help and God’s guidance. Keep your mind stayed on HIM.

It is my prayer that you recognize the signs before you are BLOCCKed! If you ever sense that you are operating outside of the will of the FATHER, listen to that voice inside of you that says, “No my child, you are going the wrong way. Come back this way. Don’t look left. Keep your eyes on me.”

If you know of someone who has been BLOCCKed, please pray for them. Pray fervently! Ask that their eyes be opened that they might see. That they not be consumed with a reprobate mind. It’s never too late! God is a God of love and HE loves all of HIS children. He doesn’t want even one to be led astray and left behind.

Pushing Forward … AMEN!

Matthew 18: 12-14
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.