Daily Devotional – 12/6/13 “For if I suffer, I’ll gain …”

Now, the song says for if I suffer, I’ll gain eternal life but before I even get there, I’ll gain down here. See, God told me that whatever I sow, I shall reap which means I’ll gain down here (if I sow good things). He said if I ask it shall be given; which means I’ll gain down here (if I ask the right things). He said give and it will be given back to you; which mean I’ll gain down here (if I give good things). He said knock and the door will be open for me, which means I’ll gain down here (if I’m knocking on the right door). He said seek and I will find, which means I’ll gain down here (if I’m seeking the right thing). So, I’ll suffer in my temporary situations if it means I can gain something eternal (never-ending).

Yea, so you go on and suffer through your temporary sickness because it’s gaining your everlasting healing. Go on and suffer through your temporary moment of being without because it’s gaining your endless time of being with. Go on and suffer through you temporary heartbreak because it’s gaining the unending love that you deserve. Yea, I know that it may seem like this temporary situation is lasting a long time but it’ll end with a gain of everything you deserved. The woman with an issue of blood suffered 12 longs years yet she gained her healing. The blind man suffered from birth yet he received his sight. Oh, I know that’s the bible days but let me call some witnesses from today. Come here my Aunt Evelyn who was diagnosed with breast cancer but can now proclaim she’s cancer free. Come here Grandma Cora who was diagnosed with kidney cancer yet she’s still living. Come here my friend Tara who was diagnosed with breast cancer yet she’s living. Come here my sister Laquisha who’s suffering with pain yet she’s willing. Come here all of you who the world deemed a statistic yet you’ve risen above it. Come here all of you that folk said wouldn’t make it yet you’ve overcame every obstacle. Come here those of you who folk said wouldn’t be nothing but now your business is thriving. Yea, suffering doesn’t feel good yet it doesn’t last. So go on through for if you suffer you’ll gain … whatever it is you set your heart to!

P.S. God gave me a gift and every day I use it to glorify Him. Even in writing my first urban fiction, it is only because of God’s grace and guess what, it’s number 1 today on Amazon’s List of African American Women’s Fiction so when I write about these things, it’s because I know and not because of what I heard!

EReader News Today… A Secret Worth Keeping

EReader News Today …
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That’s right! EReader News Today is featuring A Secret Worth Keeping on their site.

Why don’t you go on over and check them out by at EReader News Today. Oh and while you’re there, go on and download a copy of my book.

ASWK Cover

Synopsis:
Shelby is a career woman turned housewife who enjoys the friendships that have been built with her 5 best friends; Camille, Lynesha, Raylin, Kerri and Chloe. They are all career women with different businesses, husbands and even children but something is missing and they can’t seem to find it at home, in a store or even in a book. So, they search for this missing piece in the beds, arms, cars and even offices of other men who don’t mind paying for what Dem Dam Divas can offer. They enjoy the thrill of sneaking, creeping and even vacationing on someone else’s dime but they soon find out that all good things come to an end. What happens when it becomes too much? From secretly wanting someone who doesn’t want you, loving only to not be loved back and being caught up in a dream that you’re about to be awaken from; will it be worth it in the end? Will they regret their actions or stand by them? Will they finally question whether this secret is really worth keeping?

Daily Devotional – 12/5/13 “For if I suffer …”

I keep hearing the song, When I see Jesus, Amen; and there’s a particular part in the song that says, “For if I suffer, I’ll gain eternal life.” Oh but then I turn to my bible; 1 Peter 5:10, that tells me “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” Then Romans 5:3-5, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” And then Romans 8:18 sums it all up with, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Simply saying for if I suffer, I gain eternal life!

Oh, I feel alright about this thing called life now because if I suffer, I gain a reward over there. Yea, I feel alright about the bad times now because I got something greater waiting on me over there. Yea, I feel, I feel … I feel better about the storm I sometimes endure, this race I have to sometimes run alone, this pain that sometimes takes over my body, this sickness that tries to tear me down, the enemies who tries to destroy me, the lies folk tell to ruin me, the few haters I have that try to spoil my gift, the stress that tries to wear me down, the world that tries to confine me, the doubt that tries to bind me and even the no that tries to detour me because if I suffer through all of this … My God! For if I suffer, for if you suffer, for if we suffer; WE shall gain eternal, that’s everlasting, that’s never ending, that’s forever, that’s having no beginning nor end, no start or stop time, no cancellation or expiration date but undying life! Yea, you can shout now!

Daily Devotional – 12/4/13 “Churchin yourself to hell!”

Yea, I know that you’re asking how you can church yourself to hell; well I’m going to tell you. First, let me define “churchin,” in my terms. Churchin is the time, energy and resources you put into serving God. If you’re at the church every time the doors open but you raise more hell than the devil, you’re churchin yourself to hell. If you are teaching Sunday school yet you’re too holy to practice what you teach, you’re churchin yourself to hell. If you keep saying, “God knows my heart” to account for your sins instead of repenting, you’re churchin yourself to hell. If you’re standing at the altar wishing bad over folk’s life while the preacher is praying, you’re churchin yourself to hell. If your only reason for going to church is to see the mistakes the Pastor makes instead of the message, you’re churchin yourself to hell. Oh and if you think you can’t be sent to Hell, then may I suggest you re-read your bible because if God will banish the angels who sinned then surely you can be too (2 Peter 2:4). Now, let me tell you this … Hell wasn’t made for us because Matthew 25:41 says “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” but this doesn’t mean we can’t go. See, if we are living and doing the exact same thing the devil and his angels are doing; what does that make us? If we set out to intentionally hurt folk, misuse and abuse, tear them down, knock them down and then kick them, hate and stay angry; aren’t we as equally guilty as the devil? And no, the devil doesn’t have to have you on his payroll to work for him because if you’re doing all these things as a so called Christian then you’re working for him but for free.

All I’m saying is get back to God! Get back to churchin the right way. Praise God during the good and bad times. Give like you should and help when you know you could. Love more and show hate the door. Pray for people and allow the Holy Spirit to live in you deeper. Show God’s light and let him win the fight. Be a blessing and stop stressing. Share mercy and grace instead of being two faced. Stop with the pity we see and do away with the woe is me. Use your gifts and watch your atmosphere shift. Yea, get back to churchin where the praise is real and not just a thrill. Get back to churchin where you leave renewed, your spirit on fire and not only was it the Pastor but it also came from the choir. Get back to churchin so you’ll have a story to tell and stop with the churchin that’ll send your soul to hell.

Daily Devotional – 12/3/13 “God reply: Yes, child, I’m listening!”

Yes, child I hear you but are you been listening to me? You say you’re at your wits end yet you won’t let things be! You keep bringing me your problems and then you leave with the same worry but you expect me to send your answer quick, fast and in a hurry. Well, I don’t work like that because most times you aren’t ready to receive especially when you’re looking through natural eyes because they can deceive. Yea, I tell you to rest and let Me work it out but you still pace the floor at night with your mind full of doubt. I tell you to stop crying tears of pity when I should be your joy every day, yet you don’t stop long enough to even hear what I have to say. You keep your life so occupied with mess and gossip, that you miss my message and you don’t take time to study My word so you’re also failing my lesson! You cry out “Where am I?” when I’m standing outside your door, you’d notice if you stop looking at your past or raise your eyes from the floor. Yes, I hear you calling and I’m trying to get in but your life is too busy because you’re trying to keep up with your friends.

You say you’re tired of having hell on your back or looking the devil in his face, when you wouldn’t have to if you’d stay under my grace. You say you’re tired of turning the other cheek when folks do you wrong but aren’t you the one that wouldn’t listen when you said you were grown? You say you’re tired of struggling, tired of trying to make ends meet; when baby, I’ve given you all you need to stand up on your feet. No, life isn’t easy; I didn’t tell you it would be but your tests make you stronger, just read James 1:3. For it says, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow,” And you also know that in this life you’ll reap what you sow. Which means if you hold out through your test you’ll be rewarded with a greater something because James 1:4 says, “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” So, yes my child I hear you, I hear you loud and clear; please know that I’m holding you close but I simply need you to hear. Listen when I talk to you because I won’t steer you wrong and just hold on through your storm even though it seems long. You have to know that I haven’t left you and I’m only a prayer away and please know that I’m listening to everything you have to say. Yea, you’ll have some more bad days that I cannot stop because you’ve got to hit a few snags on your way to the top. But that’ll make you appreciate it more when you finally make it; when your breakthrough is granted; so, hold on my child; I’m listening so keep your feet in my word firmly planted.