Daily Devotional – 3/24/14 “Stop turning around!”

The only way you’re going to move forward, you have to stop looking back. Yea, I understand you’ve been through some things but if you’ve made it through, the only way you go back through them is if you turn around and go back. Please understand, you will go through other things and some may even seem similar to what you’ve already been through but it won’t be the same. I mean, no one has ever said it’s easy to walk straight with your head turned looking back yet you continue to try and then wonder why you keep walking into dead end situations. You’re looking back and then question God on why YOU keep bumping your own head. Don’t you know the bible says in Philippians 3:12-14 (King James), “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Oh, but The Message Bible says it like this, “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running and I’m not turning back.”

So, why keep going back to that same dead end relationship when you’ve already been bought out of it? Why do you keep harping on the fact that you used to be addicted to this or that when you’ve been delivered from it? Why do you keep going back down the same road that God has closed when He closed it for a purpose? For Luke 9:62, “Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” See, if you’ve placed your hand on God (the plow) then you should know that Isaiah 43:18 says, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” Yes, your past experiences make way for your present but leave them in the past because they can’t hurt you unless you open the door to let them in. The past is behind you so stop turning around to go get it. Live in your now and make it better, no make it greater than anything you’ve been through. Stop turning around when all you need is right in front of you!

Daily Devotional – 3/19/14 “God moves in His time!”

Baby, slow down! Why are you rushing? Why are you in a hurry? You’re constantly bombarding God for an answer, you’ve paced all night long begging God for confirmation and you worried all day yesterday over a situation that you supposedly left in God’s hand, why? Don’t you know that God moves when He is ready or shall I say when you are ready? Haven’t you realized it yet that everything happens when it’s supposed too? Child, if it had been your time to die; that bullet, that car wreck, that abusive spouse, that cancer or disease or that drug/alcohol addiction would have taken you out a long time ago. Yea, you want God to send the answer to your prayer as soon as you say amen but then would you really be thankful for it? I mean, if you got everything you wanted as soon as you asked, you would probably spend more time counting your blessings than being grateful. If you got everything you asked for, you’d probably never really be sure of God’s goodness. How do I know? Well, if you had all you need then how could you know that God is a provider when you don’t? If you got out of every situation that you got yourself in, every time, then how would know that God will show up when you can’t? If you never got sick then how will you know that God is a healer? If you never called on Him and had to wait then how can you definitely know that He is an on time God? (I’m just asking.)

When Jesus was asked to come and see about Lazarus who was sick, He replied in John 11:14-15, “So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead and for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” See, Jesus had to let Lazarus die in order for Him to raise Him in the presence of those standing there because it was only after Lazarus came out of the grave that many of them believed in the power that God had given. So stop rushing God when He is trying to do His will. I know you are trying to see if you should take this job but if it is meant for you, they’ll wait. I know you need to decide if this car loan is the one for you, but if it is meant for you, they’ll wait for Philippians 4:6 say “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” God has a specific reason and time for everything that he does and this is why Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” If God came to get you out of trouble as fast and you got in it, you’d never learn from your mistakes. Sometimes God has to allow us to wallow in our mess in order for us to learn the error of our ways because if He snatched us out of every bad situation right when they happened, how would you stop making that mistake? Stop rushing God and allow Him to move when He knows you are ready because when you move yourself, you sometimes end up in a place that wasn’t meant for you anyway. God moves in His time, not ours.

Lakisha Johnson First Event Experience with Delphine Publication

Over the weekend I attended my first event as an published author at Jazz in the Garden in Miami, FL. Check out the article below on my experience!

delphineauthor's avatarDelphine Publications

Untitled1LaKisha Johnson is a girl after God’s own heart; doing what she believes to be her purpose..writing.  In addition to being a self-published author, she’s also a wife of 15 years, mother of 2 and native of Memphis, TN. She comes from a huge family and has always been the go to girl whenever someone needed a poem written or read, an acknowledgement that would convey just what they were thinking or even an occasion written for that special day. She’s an all-around talented lady that makes everything she touch turn to gold. She has 2 degrees from Southwest TN Community College both in Information Technology and has worked in the corporate field for over 15 years. She is also a dedicated blogger, delivering a devotional blog 5 days per week entitled ”Kisha’s Daily Devotionals.” 
In 100 words or less describe your first event experience with Delphine Publications.

My first event with Delphine Publications…

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Daily Devotional – 3/18/14 “Fasting and Praying!”

I know this is Lent Season and I’ve yet to touch on the subject of fasting and praying but that’s because fasting and praying is something I consider to be personal between you and God. See, I’ve always said, if you don’t broadcast what you’re doing then you minimize your chances of being talked about when you don’t do it right. Yea, I know it’s no one else’s business but if I put on Facebook every day for 30 days that I plan on getting back into my skinny jeans yet after the 30 days are up and I can’t fit in the skinny jeans nor any other pair then I can’t be mad when someone talks about my business because after all I am the one that put them in it, right? The bible says in Matthew 6:16-18, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Yea, as it was stated by Pastor last night in Bible Study, it’s alright to dialogue about your fasting when you’re asked but don’t boast about it so that people can notice you because it is then that you’ve received your reward for Matthew 6:1 says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

When Jesus fasted He did so in the wilderness by himself as He prepared to begin His ministry because He wanted to have His mind free and clear in order to hear what His Father would have Him to hear. And it’s the same with us. No, we don’t have to go into the wilderness but before we make decisions that ultimately affects our entire life, we should consult with the Father and this should be done by fasting. And for the record, fasting isn’t only with food but it’s denying yourself anything that you love and when you want that particular thing you pray to God to sustain you, such fasting AND praying. No, you don’t have to wait until Lent to fast and pray because it can be done at any time however Lent is set aside to reflect on Jesus’ life, His sacrifice, His death, burial and resurrection until Easter Sunday. Fasting should give you time to repent for whatever you done that has taken you out of God’s way and it should give you time to meditate on God’s goodness. Fasting should also give you clarity in your mind to be able to hear from God without the clutter and messiness of day to day living. You don’t have to fast for 40 days and 40 nights, fast for 40 minutes and the next time increase your time just as long as you fast. Try it and you may just get the understanding you’ve been looking for. Try it and you may get that answer you’re seeking.

Daily Devotional – 3/17/14 “God’s plan always work!”

Over the weekend, I was a part of a book festival in Miami with a few of the authors under the publishing company I am a part of. Now, I had everything planned out and was ready to go and enjoy FL and the time with my sister but let me tell you the difference in my plan and God’s plan. My plan: Catch the Megabus 11:30pm Thursday night, make it to Atlanta at 8:30am to catch our flight to Fort Lauderdale at 10:15am to relax and enjoy FL until the Jazz Festival on Saturday where I would be working our vendor booth. Then catch a flight out of Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night at 9:30pm, make it to Atlanta at 11:30pm, check into our hotel room, eat and chill. The next morning, eat breakfast and whatever else until our bus ride back home at 1:30pm which gets us back home at 8:30pm on Sunday night. (I had it all worked out.)

Oh but here’s God’s plan: We made it to the bus station at 10:30pm only to leave at 1:45am because the bus never came. Our husbands decided to drive us the 5 ½ hours to Atlanta to make our flight. On the road making good time until we forgot about Atlanta being on Eastern Time which meant we were an hour behind. We make it to the airport where I had to check a box of books at the last minute (which wouldn’t get to FL until Saturday morning) only to find out we had 15 minutes to get to the gate. Well, we didn’t make it. The young lady said, I can put you all on standby for the next flight at 6:59pm but it’s already full which means you probably won’t make it so you will be pushed to the next one on Saturday morning at 6:15am. (Oh but catch this) I wrote a status on Facebook at 10:39am that said there’s a teaching moment in everything God puts us through and I just hope we learn whatever it is He would have us to get out of all this. Well, at about 3pm we went to get coffee. We make it back to the gate area when this older Indian lady maybe in her 60s or 70s walks up and she keeps watching us. Even with the area being mostly empty she sat down next to us. Then she begins to talk. She was from India (her husband had died a few months ago) and was in Atlanta visiting her son to stay a week. Well, the night before her son gets angry because the house he stays in is in both their names and he wants her to sign everything she has in her name to his (even her business and home in India) and when she wouldn’t, he became angry and broke her phone and even put a hole in the wall of the house. To make a long story short, she changed her flight to leave which cost her $300. She also had 2 big bags that cost her $70 to check and they were so heavy, they cut her hand. Oh, he wouldn’t give her the money nor drive her to the airport but she had some old friends who took care of it. (She had been in the airport since 11 and her flight didn’t leave until 5:30). She wanted some tea but didn’t want to bother us but of course we didn’t listen because we got her tea and snacks because she was a diabetic. She was headed to spend some time with her brother in TX until her flight back to India. She hugged my sister and I for the longest time before boarding her plane and my heart was breaking for her to have to endure this. After she left we sat there wanting to cry and at that moment it didn’t matter if we made the flight because this was what we had to go through. We had already cancelled our hotel and rental car in FL and were planning to spend the night in ATL yet after the plane to FL started boarding, the attendant called our name and handed us our boarding passes as if we had already been confirmed on the flight. Baby, if we didn’t almost shout in that place! See, God had a purpose for us to be in that spot at that time and had we not trusted in Him, we would have missed it! God plans ALWAYS work and it was His plan for us to be there at that exact moment because although we didn’t know this lady needed us, God did!

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13”