Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional “11/22/16 – Clean your mess!”

Why are you constantly staring at the mess you’ve made? Why are you still walking around that pile of garbage like it’s going to take itself out? When are you going to get up and clean your house? Aren’t you tired of the stench? Aren’t you tired of walking around the junk? Are you not tired of moving stuff from one place to the other and still having no room? Then will when you get up, dry the tears and clean up? Please understand, I am not talking about actual garbage but I’m speaking in regards to the stuff you’ve allowed to taint you inwardly. See, you’ve allowed the hurt of your last relationship to stink up your heart and you’re wondering why no one would dare get close. You’ve allowed the loss of your job to jack up your attitude and now you can’t understand why no one will hire you. You’re still moving baggage from your last three relationships into your new one yet you’re having a hard time figuring out why it won’t work. You left your last church mad at the pastor and now you can’t stand any of them. And you’re allowing your past to hold you hostage in your present.

Baby, it’s time to clean up your mess. Yea! It’s time you stop crying over the spilled milk of stale memories and clean it up. It’s time you stop walking pass the garbage bag of guilt, throw it out. Open the closet and bring out those suitcases of suffering, it’s time to throw them out. That closet of chaos that’s holding the memories of past mistakes, throw them out. Those old text, dm’s and inbox messages; delete them. Those pictures, erase them. Stop stalking his/her page. Stop friending everybody he/she dates. Stop showing up at his/her church. It’s time to clean up. You stink! Baby, you stank! Have you seen the Febreze commercials that say, “You smell this but your friends smell this?” This the same way with you because you’ve become attached to the mess so you no longer smell that it stinks but it does. This is why you need to get up and cleanup!

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” – Proverbs 4:23

Daily Devotional – 11/21/16 “Your Foundation”

It’s Monday and someone is still crying from last week. Angry because your storm is raging and you don’t know if you’ll make it through, this time. Depressed because it seems like you can’t win for the losses stacking up. Suicidal because you feel it’ll be for the best. Looking at your surroundings and even they don’t make sense. Constantly showing up at church, only to leave worse than you came. Need help but afraid and too prideful to ask. Need peace but don’t know what it feels like. Trying to understand but it’s making you more confused. Wanting to scream out, “what in the hell is going on,” but you really don’t want the answer? You want to ask, “why God,” but you know you’ll have to face the real truth. So what do you do? Do you read another translation of the bible that you still don’t understand? Do you ask for prayers only for them to pray for the symptom of your pain and not the cause? Do you ask for help, hoping this time it’ll help? Or should you stay in hiding, praying it’ll go away?

Well, beloved, I don’t have the magic answer to erase your pain, dry your tears or calm all your fears. I don’t have the potion that’ll instantly give you everything you need. What I might share, may not effectively work, at this moment but what I do have is God. Yea, I know you’re sick of being told to try Him but you need too, He works. I know you may be in an uncomfortable place and it’s hurting like hell, but do you trust God? See, I’ve found that after the tornado of circumstance blows through, tearing up everything you’ve known; you can rebuild. But that’s only if you’ve been built on a firm foundation. For the bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have–Jesus Christ.” All you have to do is trust in God, who is your firm and unmovable, foundation. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, God is our promise provider and He never lets us down. You don’t have to believe me but read it for yourself in Isaiah 4:6 which says, “There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.” Whatever storm you’re enduring, God is able to ensure you’ll survive and rebuild. You simply need to reinstate your policy with Him and all it takes is a call from you. Call Him and see if He doesn’t work it out for you!

Daily Devotional – 11/18/16 “After everything God has done …”

Let’s say you have a lot of money saved and you decide to build a house. You make the necessary calls to get everything you need and you start building. Putting your blood, sweat and tears into building the home of your dreams. You hardly sleep making sure every piece of wood and nail is in its rightful place. The home is finished and you decorate it. And now its move in day but you decide, that’s alright I don’t want it anymore and walk off from it. Crazy, right? Well, think about how God feels every time you think He’s forsaken you. Just imagine how God feels when you treat Him as if He’s left you by yourself. Do you not realize all that God has done for you? He created heaven and earth in six days, giving us everything we need to survive. Then sin was introduced so God gave us hard work and pain as a consequence to the action but then He insured we’d be able to endure it by making us extra strong. Then sin began running rampant so God sent His only Son, as a living sacrifice, in order for us to be able to repent, when we sin AND still live. So tell me again why you think He’ll forsake us?

God has put His spiritual blood, sweat and tears into creating us. He’s spent His time to mold us. He’s even given us His breathe so that we might live. He left His word so that we might fill up on His knowledge and wisdom. He gives us His anointing that seals us with the power to cast out, call down and destroy strongholds. We’re granted new mercies, every day that keeps us in our right mind. So, what makes you think He’ll leave us without a thought about our wellbeing? After everything He’s sacrifice for us, why would He abandon us now? After everything …. God said to Jacob, while he dreamed in Genesis 28:15, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” And I just believe and trust God enough to know this is meant for us too, even now. Beloved, whoever you are, God has not left you. He has too much invested in you to just abandon you. You just have to believe that even when He doesn’t show up or say anything, He’s still there. This pain, this momentary moment of feeling defeated and this dark place you’re in, you’re not alone. God is always there. After everything, are you willing to trust Him?

Daily Devotional – 11/17/16 “I’m willing!”

In Daniel 3, the 3 Hebrew boys had been summoned by the king because they wouldn’t bow down in worship to a golden image. When they reached the king he gave them one last chance to bow down. He told them in Daniel 3:15, “I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Now these boys could have been frighten at the sound of the threat. They could have hung their head in defeat and gave in. They could have turned their back on God but instead they replied, in Daniel 3:16-17, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.” Oh but that’s not the part I need you to get. For the boys said in Daniel 3:18, “But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

I need you to understand that giving in/up isn’t an option. Stop settling because you’re fearful of what might happen. Stop giving in because you don’t understand. Stop giving up because it looks like it might hurt. Baby, you have to get to a place where you’re willing even when it doesn’t make sense. See, God never places us in a position to hurt or harm us. You don’t have to believe me. Come here Abraham who was told to sacrifice his only son but didn’t have too. Come here Job who lost everything and everybody but got back double. Come here mother who had to bury your only child but you still have your mind. Come here daddy who lost the only means of money in the household yet still maintaining. Chile, God never leaves or forsakes but you have to be willing. What do I mean? Being willing to go into the fire shows your trust in God’s ability to remove the heat. Being willing to go into the darkness, shows your trust in God to be your light. Being willing to go into the battle, shows your trust in God to be your protector. Being willing to fill out the application shows your trust in God to be your provider. You may not understand but trust God enough to say, I’m willing!

The Family that Lies

The Family that Lies

Born only months apart, Merci and Grayce Alexander were as close as sisters could get. With a father who thought the world of them, life was good. Until one day everything changed.

While Grayce got love and attention, Merci got all the hell, forcing her to leave home. She never looks back, putting the past behind her until … her sister shows up over a decade later begging for help, bringing all of the forgotten past with her. Merci wasn’t the least bit prepared for what was about to happen next.

Merci realizes, she’s been a part of something much bigger than she’d ever imagined. Yea, every family has their secrets, hidden truths and ties but Merci had no idea she’d been born into the family that lies.

Available now on Amazon!

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