Lakisha, the Author

Author Lakisha – Speaking Engagement

As most of you know, I am an ordained minister. I was ordained on April 26, 2015 and I am grateful every day for being chosen by God. I’ve always known God had a plan for me but I was running, like a lot of us do. However, some have asked how I can be a minister and still write fiction novels and I answer, “It’s easy, I write.” See, God didn’t put a limit on my gift, He didn’t put stipulations on my sanctification and He didn’t affect His anointing in my life when I finally accepted His call to preach and I won’t allow it to be affected either. He said write so writing is what I shall do!

Anyway, I stopped by to tell you all of an engagement I will be speaking at on July 25, 2015. The address is The Minister’s Building at 591 E. McLemore in Memphis, TN 38106. It’s sponsored by the Women’s Ministry of our church and I am excited about it. It’s a conference/luncheon and the cost is only $10.00. If you’re in the Memphis area or if you’re close by and are able to attend (man or woman) come by and share with us.

You can purchase tickets through Eventbrite or through PayPal (authorlakisha@gmail.com)! You can also purchase at the door on the day of the event. If you would like to purchase a table, email me. If you are an author, owner of a company or have promotional items you would like send to me to add to our gift bags, email me at authorlakisha@gmail.com. (There is no cost for this.) If you would like to donate an item to be given away as a door prize, also email me. All gifts are accepted.

I am looking forward to the fellowship as I know it is going to be great.

–Lakisha

Daily Devotional – 6/30/15 “Your gift!”

I finally had a chance to go to bible study on last night after missing it for over 12 weeks (due to being in class) and I am glad I did. Pastor Letcher was teaching from 2 Timothy 1:6 and this verse says, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” Now, Paul was writing to Timothy as a way to encourage him just as I am writing today to encourage somebody reading this. See, there are so many folk, in the Christian body, who are sitting on their gifts; who are not fanning the flame of their favor, who are afraid to tap into the anointing that has been placed in their spirit all because you are fearful of the unknown. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (KJV).” So what are you fearful of? Don’t you know that when God gifts He also grants? What do I mean? Well, when He gifts you with His anointing, He also grants you His protection. What do you have to be scared of? All you have to do is be faithful in that which He told you to do. Pastor Letcher said on last night, “One who is faithful is keeping God’s agenda yet one who is fearful is keeping the enemy’s.” Baby, that’ll preach any day of the week!

Don’t you know that God didn’t make us to be fearful? Romans 8:15 says, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” And Romans 8:16 continues with this, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” And being God’s children entitles us to God’s protection. So tell me again, why are you fearful of using your gift? Is it that you don’t believe in yourself? Where is your faith? You have to know that God believes enough in you or He wouldn’t have chosen you. This is why you have to stand with power every time you use your gift, to show God that you aren’t ashamed of Him and that you are proud to be in the number. Your gift is yours and yours alone, use it. So stop being afraid to use that which is yours, for you ought to be able to proudly proclaim by now Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength!” All you have to do is have faith in the God you serve and believe in the gift that has been placed within you and you can!

Daily Devotional – 6/26/15 “They weren’t there … “

This word of encouragement was shared today on Facebook by Rev. Warren Perry, who is an awesome encourager and it blessed me down in my soul. He said …

“Often times the very reason individuals can’t comprehend the depth of what you are called to do, is because they were not included in the planning of your Creation when God commanded you to be!”

Baby, if this won’t preach on a Friday! My God! See, we spend more time trying to explain our calling to folk rather than doing what we’ve been called to do when those folk we are explaining too aren’t listening anyway … Show them instead! Don’t you know your actions can speak louder than words anyway? You don’t have to keep explaining, tell them “Don’t believe me, just watch!” Listen my brother and my sister; there is folk grumbling around you who can’t grasp the gravity of God’s glory over your life; that’s alright. There are folk camped out at your celebration who can’t comprehend the complexity of the change taking place; that’s cool. There are folk everywhere, ear hustling on your elevation because they can’t explain the effectual enlargement that is taking place; that’s evident. There are supposedly saved folk standing around, speaking on your status because they can’t seem to see the Holy Spirit shifting in your spirit, strengthening your scrawny spaces, soothing your sighs and sanctifying your shout; that’s satisfactory too, keep going! They don’t understand because they weren’t included in the planning of what God intended for your life, let me go. They can’t fathom it because they were not there when you fell but got up. They can’t measure it because they were not there when God plucked you out of the mess you were in, cleaned you up, stood your feet on solid ground, told you to hold your head up high and your shoulders back and go forth! They can’t gage your anointing because baby it ain’t for them too! They weren’t there the nights you had to pace, the days you had to cry in the stalls at work, they many times you had to go hungry, the times you had to lay out in the floor while God worked on you, the many times you ran only to end up back at the beginning; they weren’t there! Stop trying to explain to them! They can’t understand your shout but show them how it’s done. They don’t understand your cry but let them hear it. They don’t even understand why you praise the way you do but do it anyway, they may eventually join in. The ones who don’t understand your calling aren’t meant to be in the vicinity of you, who have been called! Check your circle!

Daily Devotional – 6/25/15 “You are somebody!”

I’m going to be somebody … Nawl baby, I am somebody and so are you! Change your thoughts (past), your thinking (present) and your vision (future)! See, you are constantly saying what you’re going to be, do, buy, get, go, say, accomplish but baby what are you doing? “When I get some money,” “When I get this new job,” “When I get myself together,” “When I,” and “When I” but when are you? You do know that time isn’t going to wait for you, don’t you? You are aware of the fact that things aren’t going to just drop in your lap, right? Oh ok, I was just making sure. Listen beloved; you are somebody. You may not be exactly who you want to be at this very moment but get this … You could be what statistics say you were going to be, you could be strung out on drugs, a functional alcoholic with a problem you can’t break, you could have been the one abuse killed, the one cancer claimed, the one kidney disease captured, you could be walking the streets unaware of who you are, you could be a veteran of this country living with PTSD and not able to fully live after saving countless lives, you could be a mother or father living out of a hospital because your child is stricken with cancer, you could be behind prison walls, you could be confined to a nursing home, you could be confined to your bed because hospice has been called in, you could be homeless because your job laid you off and you had nothing and nobody, you could be searching garbage cans for your next meals, you could be a childless mother or father because your only child has been taken by violence, you could be a pastor of a church and still struggling to find yourself, you could be in ministry and the ministry isn’t in you, you could be …. so much more than what you are yet you are SOMEBODY!

How do I know? Oh, it’s because you belong to a man who says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)” Yea, He was talking to Jeremiah then but He’s talking to us now! 1 Corinthians 8:3 says, “But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.” Do you love God? And Romans 8:29-30 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” You are somebody. You don’t have to wait until someday. It’s now! Be the somebody God has called you to be!

Daily Devotional – 6/24/15 “Commit – God is waiting!”

I shared with you on yesterday the verse, Proverbs 16:3 that say, “Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.” Now, I also told you that in order for you to commit your actions to the Lord, you have to first commit yourself to the Lord. You can’t honestly commit your actions to Him and expect everything you do to succeed if you have yet to commit your life to Him, can you? You’re only committing half way when you have to go all in! That’s like telling your personal trainer you’re committed to making a lifestyle change but every time you leave the gym you’re eating a double cheeseburger meal with large fries and the large drink from Five Guys – it won’t work. See, what I didn’t share with you on yesterday was Proverbs 16:4 that say, “The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Baby, God has everything designed for His purpose. Oh, you thought the enemy was self-made? Go back and read the ending of that verse – King James Version says, even the wicked for a day of evil. Oh, you thought that illness you’re suffering with was due to you, baby that’s simply God being manifested through you. Yea, I know it doesn’t feel good at the moment but this is just your sowing season and soon your reaping shall begin. What do I mean? Well, you have to sow sickness to reap your healing, disappointment to sometimes reap to your happiness and stress to appreciate the sacrifice! Chile, keeping sowing for soon you shall reap a reward that will be worth the payoff!

Yea; you may be going through chemo, radiation, dialysis, surgery, constant pain, high blood pressure, drug addiction, alcoholism, dealing with migraines, sinuses, asthma, cancer, heart disease, losing your eyesight, being cheated on, hurt by someone you gave your heart to, pushed by folk who look saved, talked about by folk who quote scriptures with the same mouth, used by folk who proclaim the gospel, let down by folk who are supposed to love you, judged by family, hurt in the church, tired of struggling in your finances, worn out from putting on a brave face, over being turned down for job after job but ma’am, sir … “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans; Proverbs 16:3!” You cannot do it on your own, stop trying. Quit with the proud act. Stop trying to do it on your own- how’s that working for you? You need to commit yourself and your actions to God and GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER! God will do His will, will you do yours?