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When did Imperfection Become the Christian Standard?

There should never be a time where we settle for where we are right now in our faith. I do not care if you are a giant in the body of Christ and are anointed for such a time as this, you still have more to do, a higher level to achieve in your relationship with God, more to learn, and more to share with others. Paul is one of the greatest characters in the Word and even he had to confess, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and staining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). Not only must we be realistic with our own personal journeys, we must love one another and encourage others to be all they can be in Christ. There is no division in the body of Christ. We are one and all being changed and made over by God daily. 12:1b-2 is what our hearts posture should be; “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

“Spiritual Desert”: Has God Abandoned Me?

"I'm just not feeling it, I don't feel Him. I'm just going through the motions in quiet time. My mind wanders and my heart just feels empty." I remember saying these words to friends as I explained the season of spiritual drought I believed myself to be experiencing. I just couldn't "feel God" and it was becoming very discouraging. I was frustrated because just a month before quiet time was enlightening, enriching, powerful, almost supernatural and now... crickets. So what changed? That was my question to God. Oh how much I wish I didn't ask that question lol (be prepared for a real deal answer from the Lord) but I did and I believe He told me exactly what happened.

UncategorizedAllthingsjesusJuly 4, 2017Christian, Faith, god, intentionality, jesus, prayer, quiet time, religion, seek god, spiritual desertComment

Help! I’m Just Not Good Enough: Understanding God's Grace

In order for me to get at the heart of the matter I had to realize that I didn’t really understand the concept of grace or “justification by faith”. As a Christian this understanding is vital, as it is the very foundation of our faith. I have struggled greatly with the concept of grace because if I can be very candid, I’m an all or nothing type of girl, very “black and white”. I’ve always had this rigid moral compass, either something is wrong or right, either you work for it or you don’t, you’re punished for doing bad and rewarded for doing good, etc. you get the point. Don’t get me wrong, I can demonstrate grace for others and be very understanding but when it comes to myself, I am definitely my own worst critic.

The Road from Discomfort to Destiny

You may be thinking that your life seems unbearable, extremely uncomfortable, and even inconvenient at times. But that is exactly what you need to catapult you into your calling. If you’d be honest, you know you would become stagnant and “okay” with living in the land of the in between (out of Egypt but not quite in the land flowing with milk and honey) if you were comfortable and cozy in your current phase of life. You know this, so you know God knows this as well.

UncategorizedAllthingsjesusJune 5, 2017bible, blogger, calling, Christian, destiny, discomfort, endurance, Faith, god, Jesus christ, purpose, scripture, seasons, trustComment

Maintaining Joy in a Dark Place

I mean when you really think about it, how can you effectively draw others to Christ if you’re miserable yourself? I mean, let’s be honest, if you were an unbeliever and the so called believer on your job was always complaining and had no joy or hope to hang their hat on, why would you want to know more about their God? I think you’d probably figure “well we’re both in the same boat, so what good would their faith do for me?” I think it is important to remember what the bible tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” People should be able to look at us as Christians and ask “how can you remain so hopeful in this distressing and bleak situation?”

UncategorizedAllthingsjesusApril 23, 2017bible, Christian, Faith, god, jesus, journey, joy, prayer, religion, scriptureComment

Why Do We Fast?

In the New Testament Jesus does not explicitly say that we must fast but His words and actions imply that we must lol. So what does He say? In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus says "When you fast, do not look gloomy like hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." So the first major thing to point out here is that Jesus says "when you" not "if you". He is giving instructions on how fasting should be done when you do so because you are most certainly going to do so. Also, Jesus is specifically letting us know that fasting isn't a trend or something we do to impress others like my friend was stating society has made it, but rather that it is to be strictly between us and God. We are not to brag and boast about fasting and we should actually keep it to ourselves as much as we can.

UncategorizedAllthingsjesusFebruary 28, 2017bible, Christian, fasting, god, jesus, mourning, prayer, religion, repentance, sacrifice, scripture Comments

Broken Before the King: Power of Prayer

Prayer for engaged faith: Much like the title suggests, this prayer is where I am encouraging you to pour your heart out and pray to have your faith stretched further than just believing God’s will but doing His will, whatever and wherever that may take you. Go all in! Here is a little piece of what I wrote: Lord I come before You first to give thanks. You are Lord of Lords and King of Kings. You are alpha and omega, You sit on high and You still look low. You are my provider, my protector, my strong tower, my confidant, my refuge, and my strength. Thank You for my life and Your mercies that are new every day. Thank You for Your loving-kindness towards me. Lord I pray to have engaged faith. I pray that I don’t sit around and expect for You to do things You have already given me the power to do. Help me to see where You would have me to step out on faith so that I’ll go. Lead me and I’ll follow. Lord go with me, allow me to experience Your manifest presence before me so that I know I have Your favor and approval. Lord I pray to have a faith like Abraham and go wherever You tell me to go and sacrifice whatever You tell me to sacrifice. Lord help me to have engaged faith like the woman who had no oil (2 Kings 4). Help me to get the empty jars in my life so that You can fill them by my act of faith…

Waiting for Nothing!

This truth was etched in my heart as I was frustrated with my singleness and thought one day a while back, "I can't wait to have the covering of a good Godly man, one that will lead me, love me, and never leave me". God quickly checked me as He so lovingly does from time to time and called to my attention that I already have all that I desire, right now in the form of Savior. I'm covered by the blood of Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit daily, and I serve a God that has promised never to leave me nor forsake me. Now I know some people think that's super religious or extra and they love God but "need a man, you know somebody they can see and touch". I hear you sis and I too thought that way at one point in time… but God.

The Cost Of Being Hidden:When A Daughter of THE KING Can't Be Found By Her King

Prayer will literally block that man’s vision- During my time of online dating I was pursued by a quite a few men that I thought, “could this be the one?” They were college educated, handsome, had well-paying jobs, and appeared very interested in actually dating and settling down. I would talk to them through the site and then begin with the text messaging and phone calls. I even went on a few dates that went well in my opinion. So you’re probably wondering, what happened?