Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 2/24/15 “Is your change evident?”

There’s this old gospel song titled, New Life that says, “I’ve moved from my old house and I’ve moved from my old friends and I’ve moved from my old way of life; thank God I moved out, to a brand new life!” (I know you’re singing it!) The second verse says, “He changed my old way with words, He changed my old narrow mind and He changed my heart and gave me a new start. Thank God I moved out to a brand new life.” Then the chorus says, “Can’t you see I’m a new man, don’t you know I’ve got a new name and one day I’ll live in a brand new land? Thank God I’ve moved out to a brand new life.” Baby, that’ll preach … if we, as Saints of God, could honestly say the lyrics of this song. But the reality of today is; folks can hardly tell the difference between the just and the unjust; the saved and the unsaved. Be honest, can folk see the change in you? Is it evident in your walk, your talk, in the way you live and in how you give? Are you approachable by someone unsaved? Could that mouth of yours save someone unsaved or could your hands help someone in need? I know you’ve been a baptized believer since you were 13 but what have you done lately to further the kingdom of God?

Now, get this … In order to change, you have to first change your way of thinking. Yea, it doesn’t make sense to change your shoes if you still like to play in mud. It makes no sense to say you don’t smoke any more yet you’re still in the midst of smokers or you quit drinking but you’re the bartender. You can’t say you’ve stop cheating when you’re still accepting his or her calls or text. Change your thinking and then, if need be; change your friends. Yea, I get it; they’ve been with you, your ride or die but if they can’t get with the change you’ve made, change them! At some point, you’ve got to get in the race and off the sideline, one of these days you’ve got to put the plan into action, and soon you’ll have to turn the close sign around to open and be about the change! When will you (we)? God needs folk on His side who are willing to work for Him. Haven’t you seen the news? Folk need saving y’all and they aren’t making it to church, we’ve got to get into the streets, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Too many children are dying without knowing God because their parents are living without knowing Him. This has got to change. We’ve got to change. We’ve got to be saved every day of the week and not just Sunday in order for us to make it to the new life. Is your change evident?

Daily Devotional – 2/23/15 “Mind your business!”

Sometimes as Saints of God, no; let me say it this way; as Saints of God, we need to mind our own business. Period! See, we think just because we are “Holy” we have the right to get into other folks business but baby stay in your lane unless you are invited over. Pastor is trying to figure out why folk join church and then never come back, ask some of the old members; they know. Church members feel like they can get all up in Pastor’s business because they are paying his salary but God is paying his way; mind your business. Learn how to stay in your lane. See, when you mind your business, you have more time to devote to Godly business. While you are minding your business, you don’t have time to mind other folk’s business. And get this … I’ve found that when you mind your business, folk can only know what you tell them. Oh but now we go to church to find out folk’s business because it spreads in the church faster than it spreads in the world. We go to worship, not to get the message but to get the mess that we’ll spread so fast through text message before service is even over. It’s a shame! We, as Saints of God, have too no; we need to do better! We need to mind our own business!

1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” Now, this scripture says to mind your business but it is also speaking to working by the sweat of your hands so that you don’t have to be begging and borrowing from folks, who will then be all up in your business. See, you can’t borrow from folk and then be mad when they tell somebody because when you eat from your own table, it’s your business; when you are spending your own money, it’s your business and when you are in your own house or car, whatever you do, it’s your business! This is why you need to stay in your lane! Oh Saints of God, it is our duty to help one another, not hurt each other. If gossiping has been your strong point all these years, you need a new hobby and some new friends because someone should have told you better by now. If passing judgment on folk has been one of your character traits, now is the time to change because it no longer suits you; mind your business. We can all stand a bit of a change by staying in our respective lanes and minding our business. We all are guilty of this but let’s do better before it’s too late. Let’s mind our own business so that we can get back to doing kingdom business because there is work to be done!

Daily Devotional – 2/20/15 “Be careful who you invite!”

Let me say this or shall I say, let me type this for someone who has yet to get this in their spirit … Stop trying to take everybody with you! Some folk aren’t meant to go where you are going, period! I get it, you want to invite everybody to the celebration but baby haven’t you peeped out the fact that not everybody is celebrating with you? Yea, you want to snap a picture with everybody in attendance but not everybody is wearing a smile. Don’t get it twisted; some of those folk just came for the free food and gift bag. This is why you have to be careful who you invite. Listen beloved, God is trying to take you somewhere and you are too busy trying to take the entire crew; it ain’t their time yet. You can’t get all of what God has for you because you keep pinching off of it giving it to others, it ain’t their time yet. You’re scared to even step off of the elevator to your elevation because there is one somebody in the crew who is still having doubts and now you’ve allowed the door to shut, again because you’ve got to pacify them again; it ain’t their time. This is why you have to be careful who you invite.

Please understand, I am not saying you can’t help folk but there is a time and a place. However, I am saying this … Be careful who you invite. All I am saying is, if you know Uncle Low Down is the one to ruin every party, why are you still inviting him to all the parties? Why is doubt the DJ at your dance? Why does pity have an invitation to your praise? Why is there jacked up junk jiggling with your joy? Why is rage RSVP’ing to your rejoicing? Why is fear catering the food and guilt mingling with guests? Don’t you have a say so at all who is on the invitation list? Isn’t this supposed to be a praise party? Aren’t you ready to get your elevation? Aren’t you tired of playing with this thang yet? You need to let go of some people, places and some things and watch how your life change. Everybody isn’t ready to celebrate with you, that’s ok; but you’ve got to prepare yourself for that. You’ve got to know who is for you and who is against you but you will only know that by getting yourself right. You test the spirit by the spirit. That’s bible. Be careful who you invite, some aren’t ready for the change in you and some just shouldn’t be there!

Daily Devotional – 2/19/15 “Stop conforming!”

We’ve found it so easy to emulate reality television when the reality is, it isn’t real. Yea, sure; the writers and producers take everyday life and write it into the script but the glitz and the glamour that you see is all an act that quickly ends when they yell CUT! What they don’t show you is the behind the scenes stuff it takes to make the final scene, the final scene. So, why do we as a people try to conform to what we see? Why can’t we be who God has made us? God didn’t make a mistake when He chose your gender because God doesn’t make mistakes. Please understand, I am in no way judging you for you “doing you” but why not do the real you? Why do you have to act like them to fit in and then get mad when folk won’t accept the change you’ve made? Who are you? The bible says in 1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” But in order for you to abide by this scripture, you have to first be obedient to God’s word! This in lies the problem.

It makes no difference how many Sundays out of the month you go to church, if you are still living in sin – it outweighs your obedience. It makes no difference how many times you shout on Sunday, if your praise doesn’t match your living – it’s just a show. It makes no difference how many times you kneel at the altar, if your heart is dirty – your prayer is in vain. My God! When will we see that this spiritual thing is real? Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” When God change your mind, He changes your meaning. When God change your position, He changes your people. When God change your heart, He changes your habits. And when God change your situation, He changes your shout. All you have to do is allow Him too. Stop conforming to people, places and things and let God transform you! It’ll be a change worth making.

New Series … Ms. Nice Nasty by Lakisha Johnson

I am so excited to announce that I have a new series coming out next month!! Aren’t you excited?? If you’ve read A Secret Worth Keeping, then you should be familiar with Camille, or Cam; well she’s back and in her own series titled Ms. Nice Nasty. And baby, she’s still the same … That Damn Cam (#TDC). Get ready, buckle up because you are about to be taken on a ride!

Synopsis::

Camille Holden-Shannon has always been who she says she is, a woman who can command a courtroom and bedroom without opening her mouth! She’s sexy, confident and not afraid; her credentials speak for themselves. She loves her family and her career but she cannot deny the fact that she loves sex and lots of it. She doesn’t break up homes; she simply gets what she needs and she’s gone!

Her career suddenly takes a turn in the right direction and she is thrown into the public’s eye and all hell breaks loose! A secret adds more fuel to the fire already burning inside her chaotic home and to make matters worse she finds herself being tormented by a ghost from her past! Can she hold it all together or will she break under the pressure? Will Ms. Nice Nasty hang up her stilettos or can she come out on top like she’s known to do.

Pre-order now for $0.99 via Amazon by clicking HERE!

Pre-order your copy today! Tweet, Facebook or Instagram me and let me know. Hashtag, #TDC (That Damn Cam) or #MNN (Ms. Nice Nasty). I look forward to chatting with you. If you have a book club and would like to feature any of my books, hit me up!

Keep reading!
Lakisha