Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 12/8/16 “New shade of you!”

When you press a grape, you get grape juice and in some cases, a grape seed. When you apply pressure to an olive, you get olive juice. When you squeeze an egg, it burst. You get my point, right? Well, why are you surprised at what’s coming out of you when God applies pressure? I mean, you knew good and well, you were full of hell before you asked God to make you over. You knew, sure you did, that you were full of anger and resentment before you surrendered saying, “Lord, have your way.” So, tell me again why you’re shocked at what’s now flowing from you. You do know that God has to first remove the mess before filling you with the manifestation of His glory, don’t you? Mark 2:21-22 says, “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

See, if God puts His anointing into the old you, it wouldn’t take like He needs it too. If God allows His grace to fill the old you, it may not have as much as an impact. Think about it. You have a red wall and you decide to paint it white. If you put the white on top of the old red, it’ll bleed through. Oh but if you clean the wall, sand the walls and them prim the walls; you’ll be able to paint it white like you planned. This is why God has to allow us to go through the pressure of life, situations and circumstances. It’s preparing us for the new. And you that’s going through, it’s just the process. God is cleaning you, that’s why folks aren’t calling and showing up like they used too. God is sanding you, that’s why you’re feeling pain you can’t explain or understand because God only sands because primer sticks better to a roughened surface. (Don’t believe me, look it up.) And then He’ll prim you, that’s covering you with His Holy Grace that keeps the old you from bleeding through on the new you! Beloved, losing folk, it’s part of the process. The pressure, it’s part of the process. The pain, it’s part of the process. You just need to allow it to happen in order to get to the new shade of you!

Daily Devotional – 12/7/16 “Your sacrifice is not in vain!”

I can remember as a child, waking up on Christmas at my grandparent’s house, excited for the shoe box grandma had decorated and filled with walnuts, pecans, orange slice candy, peppermints, oranges and apples and etc. for each one of us. I was so happy to get that box because it was something that grandma had prepared with her own hands. I didn’t care about the latest technology or fashions, I wanted that box. I told her a while back that if I could get anything for Christmas now, I’d want that box. That’s because I appreciated grandma for her sacrifice. It wasn’t about money, it was grandma’s gift to me. And as I watch her now in her 86 years of living, she still gives, she still feeds and she still helps everybody she can. Grandma gives, even if it means sacrificing her last because she knows her sacrifice isn’t in vain. I don’t know why God gave me this to share but somebody needs to know that your sacrifice isn’t going unnoticed.

All the times you help, it isn’t for nothing because you’re about to reap from that harvest. All those times you picked folk up, it means something and you’re about to get it back. Those times you cooked and fed folk that didn’t even say thank you, you’re about to be repaid. Those nights you went even when you didn’t feel like it, it’s about to pay off. Those many times, dear pastor, that you’ve sacrificed your family only to still hear “you aren’t doing enough,” by the deacon board, it’s about to work in your favor. Sir/ma’am, your sacrifice isn’t for nothing and I need you to know that. I get it, you’re tired of being overworked and underappreciated but the time is now upon you that you shall get back everything you’ve sown. You don’t have to believe me but you know the word says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Your sacrifice isn’t in vain and it’s about to pay off. Stay faithful and keep serving.

Daily Devotional – 12/6/16 “The blessing in NO!”

You may not recognize this but there’s a blessing in the no and the not yet. I know it’s easy for me to say when I am on the outside looking in but think about it. When God tells us no, it’s to test your faith and usually because He has something greater. When the bank turned you down, it made you grind harder to clear your name and your credit. When folk closed the door on you, it made you hustle harder to ensure the next door was yours. When they said you couldn’t do it, it gave you the extra push you needed to prove them wrong. When he said you’d never make it, you did just so he’d see it for himself from afar. When she said you’d never amount to nothing, you made sure you did and even smiled when she congratulated you. There’s power in NO. You knew you couldn’t afford that car, the blessing was being turned down. You knew you weren’t ready for that promotion and the no gave you time to get yourself together. That eviction, repossession or foreclosure allowed you to see God working. Baby, you were blessed when that relationship didn’t work out and because they denied you, you met your ‘real thang.’

This is why I say there’s a blessing in the no and the not yet. Stop forcing something that’s not meant. Stop searching for stuff that you know isn’t yours. Stop trying to get back what has left. See the blessing in the no and the not yet because it’s there. Affirm today… I, (your name), by the power of the living God, declare that today I will no longer chase what isn’t mine. Today, I, (your name), shall no longer be held captive by the word no for I will embrace the blessing in it. Today, I will no longer hang my head in shame but I’ll rejoice in knowing, it’s not my time yet. Today, I will not be afraid of hearing no. Today, I’ll take the no and the not yet, only because I know the kinks are being worked out of my YES! Today, I’ll see the blessing in no, not yet and even goodbye because I know God’s delay does not mean denial.

Daily Devotional – 12/5/16 “It’s time!”

Don’t go searching for the past! If it was meant, it would be your present. And you know good and well what I mean. Quit searching social media, stop reading old texts, erase those old emails, delete the phone numbers and move on. Stop with the stalking of their pages and throw out those old pictures. Beloved, it’s time you move on. See, your identity has been tied to your past for so long that you don’t feel comfortable without it but it’s time. It’s time the real you stood up. You are no longer the abused woman, you left that relationship years or even months ago. You are no longer the spouse that was cheated on, that part of your life ended with the divorce/separation. You are no longer the spouse that cheated, that should have ended with the divorce/separation. You are not the victim anymore that ended when God allowed you to walk out victoriously with your mind. You aren’t the person who lost your stuff to repossession/foreclosure because God gave you everything back including your mind.

This is why, it’s time! Time you come out of the past. Time you throw out the excuses of what you can’t do because of what you couldn’t do before. Try again. It’s time. Time you let go and move on. It’s time. Time you release it. Because the truth of the matter is, you’re tired but you don’t know how it’ll feel to be a new you. Yea, you know it’s time but you’ll afraid you’ll like it. You know it’s time but you don’t know how ‘they’ will accept this new you. Well, either they do or they don’t. But it’s time. Time you stop answering when the past feels like showing up. It’s time! Time you stop letting the past get comfortable in your present. It’s time! Time you put the past the hell out! It’s time boo. Time for the new you to shine. Time for you to come out of the shadows and take your rightful place. It’s time. Time you took what’s justifiably yours! It’s time. Time you took what you’ve already paid for through blood, sweat and tears. It’s time!

I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.” — Isaiah 44:22

The Family That Lies … Book Discussion & Signing

The Family That Lies … Book Discussion & Signing is almost here? Are you coming?

It will be held, Saturday December 10, 2016 at 6PM. You can check the flyer for more information.

You can RSVP here or even sign up to be a sponsor or vendor.