Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 4/18/15 “Your Set up!”

I thought I’d share some of the devotional I did this same day last year because baby, it shoal will fit for somebody today! Yea, see; no matter what you go through, it is all a part of the setup that God has for you! It doesn’t matter what you face, it’s a part of the setup because after the setup it’s then time for those folks who counted you out to see God’s goodness. After the setup, those folks who’ve been waiting for you to fall will see God’s plan be manifested through your life! After the setup, those who said you’d never amount to anything are now stalking your social media pages trying to count your blessings. After the setup, those who put their mouth on you, now have nothing to say but they are ear hustling on your conversations to see how you did it! After the setup, those who were kicking dust on you, while you were down, are now dusting off your back. Oh, I wish you’d get the point I’m trying to make here.

After the setup comes a set up! Yea, God has now set you up higher – you’re out of harm’s way! God has now set you up out of the reach of man’s hands who try to stab you in the back. God has now set you up so that you can no longer hear what “they” say. God has set you up so that it no longer hurts, as bad, when fake friends leave. God has now set you up so that everything you touch is blessed. God has now set you up so that the path you’re walking is the one He designed. Yea! You have read in Psalm 23:5 where it says, “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings,” haven’t you? Psalm 16:5 says, “LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.” What more do you need to carry on? Yes, this walk is hard but keep going because if you stop you have no way of knowing what’s next. Keep pushing through because God is simply setting you up for something major and when God sets you up there isn’t a man alive who can take it! Oh, after the setup comes a shouting that will shake some stuff loose. After the setup you’ll sing a song you’ve never song before. After the setup, you’ll never settle again but you’ll serve God wholeheartedly. After the setup, your spirituality won’t ever be the same because now it’s sanctified! After the setup, you won’t look the same! After the setup, you won’t talk the same! After the setup, you won’t even walk the same! After the setup come a set up! Look out for it!

Daily Devotional – 4/17/15 “God, whatever you’re doing in this season …”

Whatever God is doing in this season of your life, don’t question Him. Whatever God is doing in this season of your life, go through it. Whatever God is doing in this season of your life, get the lesson out of it. See, whatever it is you’re facing, going through, dealing with, fighting against, running or hiding from – it’s time now that you face it! Yea, it’s going to be hard but you’ve got to deal with it. Stop running. Yes, it might hurt but stop hiding. When Jonah ran from the assignment God sent him to do, he ended up in the belly of a fish. Now, I need you to look around … are you in an unfamiliar place in your life? Is it dark and you can’t see your way out? Have you tried calling on folk and they couldn’t help? Have you tried to get yourself out only to find that you got pushed deeper in? Are you wandering lost in the same place you’ve always been without a clear direction on where to go? Have you tried it your way and it didn’t work? If you answered yes to most of these, you might need to think about what you are running from. Please understand this, people are quick to assume that when God places a calling over your life it is to be a minister but that is not always the case. No, God calls all of us to do things and it’s not just to be a minister of His word because if you think about; His word should live in us daily so we should all, in one way or another, be ministers of the gospel anyway.

Yet, whatever it is God is calling you to do; you have a responsibility to find it out – stop running from it and then you’ll be able to do like Jonah did and call on God from your dark place and He’ll hear you. For Jonah 2:2 says, “I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me.” Yes, I get it; it feels like every time you try to get your life together; the enemy is camped all around you, hell breaks loose in your home, folk on the job start acting strange, it feels like you’re about to lose your mind but just like Jonah when he started to lose it and thought all hope was lost, when he thought it was the end, he says in Jonah 2:6, “I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!” Baby, God won’t let you die in the mess you’re in – GET UP! God won’t allow you to suffer by yourself – OPEN THE DOOR! God won’t allow you to be in this thang alone – ANSWER THE PHONE! God won’t even allow you to continually run from Him – STOP RUNNING! You have something on the inside on you that has been growing and now it’s time for you to give birth … PUSH! Start pushing out that purpose God has dropped in your spirit, somebody needs to hear it. Get ready to deliver that destiny, somebody needs to see it. Then your song will change to, “God, whatever you’re doing in this season; don’t do it without me!”

Daily Devotional – 4/16/15 “It’s not about us!”

I’ve been so out of sorts, spiritually, these last few days. I can’t seem to get my thoughts together. Then, I got up this morning and decided to slow down to allow my mind to rest. See, if I continue on; I’ll mess up and this thang isn’t about me. The sermon that I have to put together, it isn’t about me so it has to be right. This devotional that I write, it isn’t about me so it has to be right. My life isn’t about me and although it isn’t perfect, it too has to be half way right because folk are looking at me. When I accepted God’s calling, it stopped being about me. Sure, I get frustrated sometimes but it isn’t about me because I’ve been favored for this fight. Yea, I get weary and worn but then there is a word that can light a fire in my spirit that will make me forget all about my troubles. My mind goes back to yesterday’s devotional and the scripture that says in Revelation 2:10, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” So you see, I have no reason to be fearful of what’s happening because my God got me! He’s my ride or die, my protector, my shield; grandma told me He’ll be food when I’m hungry, a midnight company keeper, a sleeping pill when I can’t find rest, a hugger when I need comfort, a doctor when I need healing, a lawyer when I need help, a psychiatrist when I need to talk, a forgiver when I sin, a bank when I need a blessing, a mind regulator when mind seems to be going, hurt eraser when folk have done me wrong, water to clean me up when folk have thrown dirt on me and He’s a new name giver when folk have scandalized the one I have. Oh! I ain’t got the same worries as when I started!

What about you? I’ve learned that we have to give these things over to God – It ain’t about us. Even the things we sometimes go through aren’t about us. God will take us through sickness just so somebody around us can see His healing power being manifested through us. God will allow us to fail only to restore us just so somebody who has doubted His ability to see that He is who He says He is. God will allow us to fall on our face in front of folk who say they are our friends just to show you they aren’t who they say they are. (You learn who you can count on when you’re down.) God will allow you to lose family so that you can lean on Him. It’s not about us. I know you’re trying to figure out why you’re going through whatever it is you’re going through but baby it isn’t about you. Go through it in order for somebody around you to be helped. Stop being selfish – it’s not your world; we are in this thang together. We all got a part to play.

Blog Tour – Under Covers by Author Rhonda Bowen

Author Bio

Rhonda Bowen knew she would be a writer as early as eighth grade when she wrote her first

novel with a classmate in a dollar notebook. While waiting for the day to come she completed a

degree in Communications and spent a few years working in Public Relations and Event

Planning. Throughout this time however, her desire to write stayed alive. She eventually

completed her first novel, Man Enough for Me, which was released under Kensington Books’

Dafina imprint in February 2011.

Several years, a stint in Asia and a career change to youth work finds her still writing. She has

written four romance novels and her books have been featured in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and

LIBRARY JOURNAL. Her latest novel Under Covers was released March 16, 2015. She writes

about the themes of Real Life, Real Love and Real Faith, weaving stories about strong women

who must deal with life and love without losing themselves. Sometimes they succeed, other

times they make a mess of things while trying.

When not writing or being schooled on what’s current by the youth she works with, she enjoys

chilling with her family, trying on shoes she can’t afford, bargain hunting online on Asian clothes

websites and enjoying the great outdoors. Visit her online at http://www.rhondabowen.com ,

http://www.facebook.com/RhondaBowenBooks or drop her a note at rhondakbowen@yahoo.com

Synopsis /Excerpts

Naomi Savoy is five days away from marrying Jordan Lennox, the man of her dreams, when she

is faced with her worst nightmare. Her sister is missing. When her search for her sister sets her on

a path into her past, she is forced to ask for help from the last person on earth she ever wished to

see again – Garth Duhaney – a man she has both loved and hated for most of her life and whose

power over her she has never been able to break.

—–

Jordan Lennox knows his wife-to-be is hiding things in her past. But his love for her keeps him

believing that one day she will come clean. But when the secrets force him on a trip across the

ocean only days before their wedding, he begins to question whether love is really enough.

Will love keep them together or will it all fall apart when everything is uncovered?

Find out in Under Covers

Under Covers Excerpts:

Excerpt 1:

The first sign was the milk. The glass bottle hit the ground as soon as she opened

the fridge door. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Naomi’s body went still. She watched

the white fluid seep through her toes and spread across the floor while the feeling of

dread seeped over her stomach.

Her mother always had a thing about milk. She said the milk had been sour the

morning Naomi’s grandfather died. The creamer had leaked all over the fridge the day

her cousin, Marika, lost her baby. And even Naomi, who was usually the more practical

one, couldn’t forget the fly she found floating peacefully in the saucer of white liquid the

night before she lost her job at Whisper. Bad milk was a bad sign – especially the week of

your wedding.

Excerpt 2

She slipped out of the office and down the corridor to her own space. Jordan must

have heard her voice. He leaned lazily against the door frame, looking better in a collared

shirt and jeans than the photo-shopped image of a bare-chested J. Cole that she had seen

just moments earlier. Naomi felt the heat begin at her toes and travel all the way through

her as their eyes locked.

How had she gotten this lucky?

“Good morning, Red.” His eyes devoured her as the distance closed between

them.

“Good morning.”

He pulled her into his arms. Naomi sank into him willingly as he parted her

smiling lips with his.

“Babe, the whole office can see us,” she murmured against his delicious mouth.

“Good.” He kissed her again. “Let them see what Black love looks like.”

Excerpt 3

Naomi rolled her luggage behind her as she headed to check-in for her flight.

“Natasha, you’re making way too big a deal about this,” Naomi tried to sound

rational. “The way I see it, I’ll be in Port of Spain by midday, sort this crap out in twenty

four hours and be back by Thursday night, three whole days before the wedding.”

“And how exactly do you plan to find your sister whom you didn’t even know

was going to Trinidad and has a twenty-four hour head start on you?” Natasha’s heels

clicked as she walked along behind Naomi. “I know Trinidad is small, but it’s still more

than 5000 square miles with over a million people. You got some special resources I

don’t know about?”

Naomi wrinkled her nose but didn’t look at her friend. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Natasha echoed. “Like wha…”

Natasha grabbed Naomi’s arm so suddenly, she nearly fell on her behind. But

before Naomi could protest, Natasha had whirled her around to face her.

“Naomi, please tell me you didn’t….”

Naomi couldn’t hold her friend’s intense gaze. “I had to…”

“Oh my God…” Natasha seemed to lose her strength as she sat down hard on

Naomi’s suitcase.

“He’s a police officer, a Sergeant,” Naomi protested. “He can help me find her…”

“He can lead you off a freakin’ cliff,” Natasha hissed. She stared incredulously at

her friend. “Are you seriously this dense that you would even consider having anything to

do with that man again?”

“’Tasha, he’s not that bad….”

“Not that bad?” Natasha screeched. “Have you lost your long term memory? Do

you remember what happened ten months ago? I almost lost you!”

“That wasn’t his fault….”

“It was completely his fault…”

“But things are different now,” Naomi protested.

“They always end up the same when he is around,” Natasha argued. “It was like

that in college, and it was like that last year when he came to visit.”

“But I am different now,” Naomi insisted. “I am not that girl anymore.”

Natasha shook her head. She dug into her purse. “I can’t deal with this. You want

to pour your life down the drain again fine, but someone else will have to supervise it.”

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. “I don’t have the energy to watch you do

that to yourself again. I’m calling Jordan.”

Excerpt 4

His voice was rough. It hit Naomi like the bark of a tree against her bare back.

When she turned to look at him, she found that he looked just as wild, the uniform and all

it represented did nothing to tame him. Dark eyes, the color of coffee, stood out against

nutmeg toned skin. Naomi had thought that officers were required to be clean shaven, but

with the deep shadow on his square jawline, Naomi saw that Garth still broke the rules.

But the scruffiness didn’t take away from him at all. He was still as handsome as she

remembered. That never changed.

“Garth, wow, a uniform,” Latoya said dryly. “Never seen you in one of those

before. Does it help you remember that you’re a cop?”

“Nice to see you too, Toya.” His tone was dismissive, partly because there was no

love lost between the two of them, but mostly because he was too busy staring Naomi

down. And as she stared right back without flinching, Naomi suddenly knew exactly why

Natasha and Latoya were concerned. Truthfully, they had every right to be.

Waves of hot and cold rushed over her. Her mouth felt dry. Naomi was sure that

at any moment she would start shaking.

Social Media Link

Rhonda Bowen www.rhondabowen.com

learningtheropes.wordpress.com

Facebook/Rhonda Bowen

Facebook/Author Rhonda Bowen

Purchase Links :

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Daily Devotional – 4/15/15 “Overwhelmed but not out!”

Sometimes I get overwhelmed in the midst of everything I have running through this mind of mine. Studying for bible study on last night, writing notes for my sermon on Sunday, looking over the questions for my ordination on next week, got a speaking engagement on Saturday, just finished my taxes; there 2 new hires coming into the job that I have to help train and in the midst I tossed and turned on last night; not because I was worried but it is because God speaks clearer to me in my dreams. (Somebody understands what I mean). Now, here I am at 11AM just now getting to write my devotional and I have no clue what to write to you about. What am I doing? Am I taking on too much? My husband says I need a calendar. I got 2 but never really use them. I try to keep things in order and it works for the most part but what is going on! But then I happen to look back at what I wrote on this date last year and check this out … This is how last year’s devotional started, “When I started writing my devotional this morning, I had decided that it would be on the decisions that we sometimes make. Now, did you catch that because it said I had decided but when I went to my online bible, a scripture stuck out like it had a flashing light around it. (Ok God, I hear you.) The scripture is Revelation 2:10 that says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” In all honesty, I’d never read this scripture before today and even though this scripture was talking to the Church in Smyrna, God is leading me this way to tell somebody that for the next ten days, you’ll be tested. This may even be for me, I don’t know, but for ten days tribulations will be there and there’s nothing we can do about it but REMAIN FAITHFUL.”

Isn’t that something? In the midst of my fleeting moment of weakness, God says; you may be overwhelmed now but look at what you told folks last year, it still holds true today… REMAIN FAITHFUL! Yea, you may have a lot on your plate but it’s not more than you can handle. Just like you told them on last year, James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” I know I am not alone in this and whoever you are, hold on we can make it! Whatever it is you’re facing, whatever it is you’re going through or whatever you’re about to go through; know this … it won’t last! Yes, the enemy is camped around you and he’s waiting on you to wave the white flag of defeat, he’s waiting on you to give up, he’s waiting on you to throw in the towel and to cash in all of your chips but please don’t. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Yes my brother, yes my sister; you may be overwhelmed but you’re not out. You may be depressed but you’re not dead. You may be sad but you’re not stuck. What you’re facing, it won’t last. Remain faithful in your test for Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.”