Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 12/28/16 “The cost of bragging!”

He had the big expensive house, drove the finest cars and his clothes were custom-made. He’d made a name for himself, being from a small town in MS and he made sure everybody knew it. He was raised in the church but became too busy for God. He rarely made it home but he made it a point to send the biggest box of expensive gifts, making sure the children knew, uncle did it. He was quick to offer his help but it came with conditions and he never kept it quiet. Everybody knew he was the reason momma and daddy didn’t lose their house and his brother’s business didn’t close. He was proud and stood tall, even in pictures because he was ‘thee’ man and his joy came from everybody knowing it. Then cancer showed up, claiming his once tall stature. It took the hair he glorified, the body he worshipped and put the job, he idolized, on hold. He found himself being alone at the chemo treatments and doctor appointments because nobody would answer his calls anymore.

Yet when the family he labeled a disgrace heard he was sick, they showed up. The sisters he’d wounded now wiped his mouth when the medicine made him sick. The brothers he made feel worthless made sure his home didn’t suffer. The parents he pushed away, put their life on hold for him. The God he’d forsaken, he now prayed to. The bible that was packed in the back of his closet, now lay on his chest night after night. Yea, he knew what he was doing was wrong but his weak mind and even heightened ego had him bound. He didn’t understand the cost of bragging and his fleshly arrogance. But he found out, the hard way. And for somebody reading this, don’t allow bragging to write a check your butt can’t afford to cash. Don’t let your ego be the reason you won’t evolve. Yes, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor but be mindful of being a show off. Because although our outsides are different, we all bleed red blood. And please don’t forget that our grave will be the same size and buried the same depth no matter how much the funeral/casket cost.

Daily Devotional – 12/23/16 “Still!”

As I reflect back on the movie Hidden Figures, it reminded me that no matter your circumstances you can still …What do I mean? Well, these 3 ladies were working for NASA during the time there was still colored bathrooms, sitting on the back of the bus, some universities that didn’t allow blacks to take classes needed to be promoted and the black women who had the knowledge were known as “computers.”

Yet these women still …

They still showed up everyday. They still worked. They still gained the knowledge. They still persevered. And they still trusted God. They didn’t allow their circumstances to hold them back. They didn’t allow their situation to keep them from getting their names etched in history. It didn’t matter that they were Hidden Heroes, they still!

On today, a few days before 2016 ends, will you still allow your circumstance to hold you hostage or are you going to get up and do something. Are you still going to blame your past on why you can’t or will you push through? Will you still forfeit your destiny or are you tired of being hidden? Will you walk into your rightful place or are you still scared?

You have the chance to be and do whatever you set your mind too, you simply have to still stand even in the face of the enemy. Push through!

Daily Devotional – 12/20/16 – It’s my story to tell!

Chile, it’s time you get to a place in your life where you tell folk, “If you’re going talk about me, tell my story right.” Look, at some point in your natural life, you’ve got to accept your flaws. You’ve got to own the mistakes you made. Stop hiding behind what you used to do. Stop using your past as an excuse as to why you can’t step into the shadow of the God who gives us an infinite amounts of do overs. Baby, we ALL have a past. We’ve all sinned and fallen short. We’ve all been one sin away from damnation. Oh but we serve a God who can settle our case with charges dismissed while wiping our slate clean. God can use us even with the major imperfections in our clay pot. God will use us even with our present being a little tainted. God will use us despite us because He specializes in remodeling and restoration. That ought to be great news for somebody today!

Because somebody is looking at their credit report and already counting out the blessing. Somebody is looking at their arrest record and counting out the job. Somebody is looking at the many baby daddies/mommas and already counting out your wife/husband. Somebody is looking at the scars and dismissing the healing. You’re, right now, looking in the mirror and counting yourself out. You’re looking at the screen, reading the words and still shaking your head. Well beloved, I’m simply being obedient to the God I serve and He told me to tell you, try again! I don’t know who this is for but God said, try again. He didn’t tell me how many tries it’ll take, He simply said to tell you TRY AGAIN! I don’t know who this is for but tell your story. Ma’am, tell your story. Sir, tell your story. Don’t allow it to die without being told. You are the living testimony someone needs to hear in order to push through.

“But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” Mark 5:19

Daily Devotional – 12/19/16 “Pre-term labor!”

It is six days before Christmas and as I sat here, I wondered how Mary was feeling as she prepared to give birth. So I Googled symptoms and signs that labor is near because a lot of us are in labor, spiritually and we’ve yet to recognize the signs. You know something is happening but you don’t understand it. Well, here’s Lakisha’s thoughts on signs that you’re headed for labor.

1. Your baby “drops” – By baby, I mean blessing and this is why you can’t explain the heaviness you feel. Things don’t make sense and you’re even wobbling and swaying but that’s because the pressure of your blessing is preparing to be pushed out.

2. You start to dilate – This means things are being made wider or larger to make room for the receiving of your impending birth. And this is why…

3. You feel more pain – This is because your muscles and joints are stretching and shifting in preparation for delivery.

4. You get clumsy – You start bumping into things and tripping over stuff even though you looked and didn’t see anything. This is because God is surrounding you with supernatural beings that’s covering you on every side.

5. You lose weight – That’s the dead stuff you shed that no longer fits your birthing plan. Like folk who used you, folk who said they’d be there but lied and folk who only show up to be nosey.

6. You may get a burst of energy – This is because God is doing a work in you and sometimes that happens at night. So while you sleep, God is working and although you only got 4 hours of sleep, you to wake up feeling refreshed and it’s hard to explain.

7. You may feel contractions – this is pain that takes your breath away, stops you in your tracks, cuts off your words and pain you can’t do anything about but breathe knowing it’s only momentary.

So, whomever you are that’s experiencing these signs, it’s just pre-term labor and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. There’s ways you can deal with it but you can’t stop it so prepare yourself to push. For the bible says in Isaiah 66:9, “Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?” asks the LORD. “No! I would never keep this nation from being born,” says your God.”

Daily Devotional – 12/16/16 “If you were to fall …”

At night I plug my phone up to charge and lately it’s been in the bed, under my pillow. This morning when I got up I realized that my phone had fallen and was hanging over the side of the bed. I don’t know how long it’d been there because, well I was asleep. All I know is, it didn’t fall because had it fallen, I’m pretty sure it probably would have cracked. Yet the connection was tight enough that the cord didn’t slip out and the cord was strong enough to hold it in. Chile, you know this started my spiritual wheels to turning. See, I started to think about all the times we’ve being hanging over the cliff but never falling. I started to think about all the times we’ve being dangling over the give up bluff only to somehow still make it. All the times we’ve been hanging off of, “I can’t take it anymore,” mountain yet never falling into suicide valley. Or the many times we’ve slipped over “I’ve messed up again,” yet never falling into the gorge of “I can’t be forgiven.”

And you know why that is? It’s because our connection to the God of another chance is tight enough to not let us go. Our Father is strong enough to keep us even if it’s hanging over the cliff. Our God is mighty enough to hold us even if we happen to be in a jacked up place again. This is why you have to stay connected to the right source. And this is why you have to make sure your connection is strong enough to hold you through the difficult circumstances you’ll face in this life. This is why you can’t just put your hope in everything and anybody. See, had I had a cheap charger, my phone wouldn’t have stood a chance but because I invested in something stronger, it held on. So I ask you the question, who are you connected too? If you were to fall over the cliff, would you be in good hands to hold you? If you were to fall, again, is your faith connection to God strong enough to keep you? If you were to fall, would you survive? Or would you end up at the bottom, cracked up and unusable?