Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 3/12/14 “God has your back!”

You’re wondering why you keep getting stabbed in the back, well that’s because you keep turning your back on the enemy. Yea, you’re giving them every opportunity to find a place to stab you when you ought to be facing your enemy, standing with your feet firmly planted and your head raised looking the enemy in the face because you’ve been given everything you need to win. See, the bible tells us in Ephesians 6:13-18, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Now, if you noticed, you’ve been given a belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit however nothing was given to protect your back. Why? Well, that’s because God already has your back covered; He is the ultimate protector but you have to have Him in order for Him to protect you.

On last night at revival, the message was taking the limits off of God. See, we’ve got to stop choosing where God can go with us and if I shall tell the truth, if you’re going anywhere you don’t want God to go, you shouldn’t be there anyway. Plus, God already knows every intention you have anyhow so you’re not hiding anything from Him. But how can God have your back if you won’t allow Him too? You do know that He won’t allow any harm to come upon you that He hasn’t already predestined, right? Then why not trust Him? I mean you trust the doctors and nurses without researching their work yet God has proven Himself time and time again. You trust the path you take in your house at night in the dark without looking yet you won’t trust God and He is the light. You trust the chair you’re sitting in each time you sit down yet God says rest in me and you question Him. You trust that man or woman to protect you even though man can fail yet God says I’m your protector and you’re running scared when trouble comes. You trust in the restaurant food yet you have trouble feasting on God’s word. Trust God because He has your back. Baby, God is worthy so may I suggest you put your faith in Him because when everything else fails; God is better than sliced bread because He never molds, He’s better than milk because He won’t spoil, better than insurance because His coverage doesn’t lapse and far better than batteries because His power doesn’t die! God has your back!

Daily Devotional – 3/11/14 “Voluntary living yet required death!”

Death is a solemn reminder that we all have to die from this life in order to live again with God and although we don’t know when death will show up, some of us live like it’s standing at the door. I mean, you walk around with so much hate in your heart that you won’t let anyone love you. You’re always depressed even though most of the situations you find yourself in, you caused. You’re mad at the world because you’ve become what you said you wouldn’t become but it was your choice. God has given you the fresh anointing of a new day yet you wake up worse than you was when you laid down on last night. God gave you the healing your body needed yet you still walk around like you’re sick. God continually provides for you yet you act like He hasn’t done enough. When will you voluntarily live before the required death? When will you get out of that pity you’ve jumped in? When will you untie that bad luck from around your neck? When will you choose to be happy? Yea, folks have let you down but get this, they will again. Yea, you’ve lost some people and some things, get over it. Yea, you may be addicted to alcohol, drugs, other people’s spouses or materialistic things; destroy it. You have the option to be happy or sad and whether to live or die. Don’t keep being tied down in unhappy places and stop being pushed into tight spaces because they drain the life out of you.

Yes, in your living you get heartache but in dying you gain a never ending heartbeat. In living you get mess but dying you get the Messiah. In living you get pain but dying gives you never ending praise. In living you get sleepless nights but dying you gain restful rejoicing. In living you get strife but dying gives you shouting and singing in the Heavenly Choir. In living you get worldly stuff that can be taken but dying gives you a home that man’s hands didn’t touch. In living you go through hell but dying gives you Heaven. So, don’t be afraid to live for Romans 14:8 says, “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord,” and then be afraid to die for Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Choose this day to voluntarily live before the required death comes!

We’re headed to Miami!

Daily Devotional – 3/10/14 “It’s just a rehearsal!”

After I finally got back to my desk this morning following a fire drill at work, only for it to be a false alarm, I realized that many of the things we go through, in this life, are simply just a rehearsal preparing us for the real thing. Yea, that job you have now, it’s just a rehearsal preparing you for the career that’s on the way. Those few bad relationships you’ve had, they were only rehearsals preparing you for the marriage that God is binding together that has yet to be seen. That sickness that’s attacking your body, it’s just a rehearsal preparing you for the glory of God that’s about to be manifested in your healing that will be shown during your testimony. Yea, it’s just a rehearsal. Now, get this; a rehearsal is defined as a session or series of sessions in which something that is to be done later, especially a public performance, is practiced. So, in Lakisha’s logic of thinking, it breaks down like this. All the hell you’ve gone through behind closed doors was just a rehearsal preparing you to reveal God’s handiwork that is the miracle of your life that has now been restored to even greater than man could have ever thought. Yea, all the names you’ve been called, the lies that have been told, the whispers that said you’ve never be nothing, the knock down seconds, the giving up minutes, throwing in the towel hours, weeks of being without and months of living barely making ends meets were simply rehearsals preparing you for this time, the grand show that is the blessing you’re now reaping of everything you lost that has now been given back to you in a way that even blows your own mind. Therefore, when you have to go through the test more than once and when you have to bare the same storm again, it’s just a rehearsal. So, don’t give up now and don’t quit yet but pay attention because it’s just a rehearsal and God is watching and giving you everything you need to perfect your performance for when the real thing comes.

Blog Tour – Not My Will by Khara Campbell

Not My Will Book Tour

Khara Campbell’s new book, Not My Will, released on March 4th and she is giving you a chance to win a copy on Goodreads. Be sure to check out her interview, a book summary and your chance to win a copy of her new novel below and feel free to leave a comment and follow.

Title: Not My Will

Author: Khara Campbell

Publisher: Delphine

Having hooked up with her boyfriend Ty the same night they met in a club, two years ago, Virtue now wants to put a hold on their sexual relationship, but she’s not sure how Ty will take it. Their relationship started with sex from day one so she’s unsure of how to break the news to him. Erika, Virtue’s best friend from childhood, thinks Virtue is stupid for to force her man to quit having sex. She warns Virtue that she may push Ty into the arms and legs of another woman. While on her self-discovery, Virtue meet Terrance, a new confidant who is everything she wishes Ty would be: a godly man for one. But she will find out that sometimes her will is not the best.

1. What is your inspiration as a writer?
My faith is my inspiration for pretty much everything that I do, so that would include writing. I’ve always had a desire to write since I can remember being a little girl. I’m thankful that I didn’t give up on my dream, it’s so awesome to be releasing my debut novel-one of many.

2. How hard is to gain a following when you are a Urban Christian Writer?
I’m still in the process of doing this since this is my first novel. However I’ve been opening up myself and sharing bits of who I am on social media along with writing my blog post which has been helpful so far in gaining followers. I’ve realized that people like to know the person behind the products more than the product itself.

3. What motivates you to write?
Live motivates me. I like to write about real life situations, fictional of course, but real enough for readers to connect with some of the characters.

4. What do you want reader’s to take away from Not My Will?
Not My Will is fictional, however it is inspired by a similar situation I faced like the main character Virtue. Virtue struggles in her faith by wanting to abstain from sex with her boyfriend, however there are many other struggles that we all face in our lives. Virtue clearly is not perfect in this novel, like we all are imperfect, but she is looking to God to help her overcome that particular struggle. Like Virtue we are all faced with struggles, tragedies, fears, death whatever it may and the only place we can get help is from God. Everyday is a day to surrender our will and allow God’s will to be done.

5. What can the reader’s expect from you in the near future?
I’m already working on my second novel which I am very excited about. The main character gets some life changing news from her dying mother. I think there are many people that unfortunately are faced with family secrets that can either destroy them or make them stronger-depending on which way they allow the news to carry them.

Khara Campbell holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Midland Lutheran University. She is an online contributor for The Praying Woman which many of her post have went viral on social media; also Black Literature Magazine and The Literary Network. She was born and raised in Nassau, The Bahamas. She resides in the Washington, DC metro area with her husband and their three young children. Not My Will is her debut novel.