Daily Devotional – 11/25/13 “In all things …”

The bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus,” but I asked the question; what if sin is involved? Do you still thank God? Do you thank Him that He allowed you to come out of the sin so that you are now able to repent or do you not thank Him because you are in something that you shouldn’t be in? Some may say that God gave us repentance so He must have known we would sin but does that make it right? Just because there is a liquor store on every corner, does it give you the right to drink, get drunk and then drive? I’m simply asking. Should you give thanks while you are thinking about sinning, in the midst of sin or coming out of it? The bible does say, be thankful in every circumstance; right? So, I asked the question again and it was said to me (by someone I think is knowledgeable and whose opinion I welcome) that “you should give thanks for the ability to understand and acknowledge that you have sinned as well as give thanks to God for allowing you another opportunity to correct the situation where sin arises in your life. So I would say yes it can be appropriate to give thanks in that situation however, not thanking God for allowing one to enjoy one’s sin…”

But why give thanks? That’s simple; because you have the chance to do so. See, nothing happens without God knowing because not even the devil can get close to you without prior approval from your Father, so give thanks that He deemed you worthy enough to be chosen. Now, hold on, I am not speaking on sin but I am speaking on the storms, circumstances, situations and trying times that we often face. No, sin happens because we allow it to happen because we live in fleshly body but read the above answer again because even though we don’t thank God for enjoying the sin, we thank Him for knowing enough to repent for it. So, give thanks for the going in, going through and the coming out. Give thanks for the downs and the ups. Give thanks for the yes and the no. Give thanks for the well and sick days. Give thanks for the falling down and the get ups. Give thanks for the mistakes and then the ability to recognize them. In other words, “always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).”

Daily Devotional – 11/22/13 “Clean it up!”

One of my fellow bloggers recently re-blogged one of my devotionals from a few years ago entitled, “Why are you crying over spilled milk?” and I just thought I’d share a portion of it today for someone who is crying over the mess you should have cleaned up a long time ago. After hearing, “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” for as long as I can remember, I now know that it’s not actually referring to milk but it’s the things that have happened or happening that you have no control over.

Let me explain. You’ve been married for ten (10) years to your high school sweetheart. You have the house, cars, 2 kids, a dog and all seems to be right in your world. Your husband is the provider, you all attend church every Sunday as a family and he is a deacon while you sing in the choir. You know that God has ordained your household, so you aren’t worried. Then one day your husband comes home early from work and he wants to talk because he’s leaving you for somebody else that makes him happier. He doesn’t want to discuss it because his mind is made up, so he packs his bags and leave. He leaves you at the table devastated because your world has been turned upside down. So, what now? Do you retreat to your bed to cry for 2 weeks straight or do you fall down on your knees asking God to strengthen you, keep your mind, wipe your tears and show you the way? Yea, you are probably wondering what you could have done to make him stay but I’m here to tell you that no matter what you did or didn’t do, this was a circumstance you had no control over, so why are you crying over the spilled milk? Please note, this may not be your situation but you get what I’m saying. Stop crying over things you can’t control. Whatever happened has happened so what you need to do is, pick up the empty carton (you), wipe up the spilled milk (tears) and refill your carton (with God’s word) and move on! If they can walk away from you so easily without a second look, they weren’t yours to begin with and maybe, just maybe, they were standing in the way of the real blessing God has for you! Be thankful for what you do have and not miserable over what is gone and watch God enlarge your territory. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that God won’t bring you to anything that he won’t see you through.

If you are questioning God, your milk is spilled. Wipe it up and refill your carton with Ecclesiastes 3:1 that says “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” And if you think that you are the only one facing problems, your milk is spilled. Wipe it up and refill your carton with 2 Corinthians 4:17 that say “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”

Daily Devotional – 11/21/13 “Surrounded by your enemies!”

Have you ever wondered why you keep being surrounded by your enemies? Are you still trying to figure out why every time you sit down to eat you’re surrounded by your haters or why they keep showing up on your job? Well it’s quite simple. It’s because you’re about to be blessed. Don’t believe me? Then I suggest you grab your bible, go to the internet on your phone or pull up Google on your computer and look at Psalm 23:5 which clearly state, “You prepare a table before me, even in the presence of my enemies.” So, why are you worried about your haters, enemies, gossipers and back stabbers? Yea, I know they have you surrounded and it’s hard to move, you can barely turn around without bumping shoulders and you can’t even see a way through but my bible tells me in Psalm 138:7, “Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me.” Yea, they may be standing around your table trying to see what you got, so what? For, again, my bible tells me in Proverbs 25:21, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” Oh, I know you’re wondering why God would want you to be nice to someone who wants to see harm come your way, be kind to someone who is trying to make you stumble every time you pass them by, be thoughtful to someone who only thinks mean things about you but it’s because, “In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you (Proverbs 25:22).” See, when you are nice to your enemies, it makes them burning mad that they didn’t get you. Oh, when you’re generous enough to pull out a chair to offer them a seat at your table, a plate to eat from your feast and even a cup of water to wash it down, it makes them hot with anger that they didn’t win this time either. Yea, when you do your part, your enemy doesn’t win. When you do what you are supposed to do, your haters can’t prosper. When you abide by God’s word, He’ll abide in you and that’s all the protection you need. Isn’t that enough to shout about?

6 great choices for your Fall reading list!

I was inspired by a fellow blogger and authoress on yesterday to give you 6 books that you should add to your reading list this fall (if you haven’t already). With the cold weather, what better way to curl up than with your favorite beverage, blanket and book?

The Illest Na Na (Episode 1)
by Tamika Newhouse and Anna Black

The first ever drama series on eBooks is filled with sex, drama, scandals, and shocking twists that will have you on the edge of your seat. This season meet Brianna and Natalie. Best of friends but both deal with similar issues they both desire a man who isn’t actually theirs. Episode one- Meet the cast, get wrapped up in the sex, and guess the next secret as the drama unfolds as the Na Na rips havoc on these characters lives.

Heart of the Streets
by Chenae Glaze

Corinne is running from the pain of her past but she can’t seem to run fast enough. Jabari thought he had it all but even with everything, something is still missing. Follow Corinne and Jabari through the streets of Atlanta as she offers him a loyalty he’s never had and he showers her in a love she never knew existed!

Crimson Footprints II: New Beginnings
by Shewanda Pugh

An eleven-year-old boy hitchhikes 1500 miles from Bismarck to Miami; a prostitute yearns for escape from a prison of her own making, and the horrible secrets of a long-ago murder are unraveled in the shadows of one woman’s dreams. Lizzie Hammond is an ill-fated whore that believes in little, save her own ultimate demise. Kenji Tanaka is a pseudo-architect, content to hide in the shadows of his family’s overwhelming success. Neither can stand the other. But the appearance of a boy only rumored to be true helps them discover that two unlikely halves can fit together as the perfect whole. For Lizzie Hammond and Kenji Tanaka, redemption is found in the most unlikely of places: each other, even as the world around them disintegrates.

The Knife in my back 2
by Stacey Covington-Lee

After seven long years in state prison, Tameka Williams is being set free. Unfortunately, all of the anger and resentment that she’s lived with during her incarceration are being freed as well. While Brook Mansfield-Banks was not pleased with the idea of her mortal enemy being released, she was ready to defend her family and show Tameka that she was no longer the naïve pushover that she once was. But, Brook has forgotten just how deep Tameka’s wickedness runs. Now the fate of her child will once again be determined by Tameka Williams. Mia Purcell has always been the loving and supportive friend. She was there for Brook through all of her trials and tribulations. Now with her marriage falling apart, she’s the one that will need the strength of a true friend. There’s only one problem, her marital issues have a strange connection with Tameka. Mia and Tameka find themselves working together in order to uncover the truth about the men in their lives. But is this unlikely duo more than Brook can stand? She will have to dig deep and put her hatred for Tameka aside if she wants to be the friend that Mia desperately needs.

Black Magic: Book 3 of The Black Butterfly Series
by Nika Michelle

After dealing with relationship and family drama, murder accusations, near death experiences, media scrutiny, obsessed love interests, crazed ex-lovers, secret porn sites, and deep dark family secrets, what could the Beauvois sisters go through next? In Black Magic, the third installment of the Black Butterfly series, it all FINALLY hits the fan! Will fame suddenly become too much for these sassy divas? Or will they continue to fight the demons that threaten to destroy them?

The Ultimate No-No 4
by Tamika Newhouse

Nitrah Hill was finally happy, that was until she got the call that a former friend was found murdered in her hometown. Forced to return to Fort Worth she is faced with her lives past secrets, regrets, and mistakes. Leaning on her friend Jazzaray for strength they both are faced with the ultimate betrayal that suddenly starts to make everything fall into place. When Dahlia returns to town she comes to blows with her own demons. When her former love is thrown back into her life she must face the fact that her mistakes that ruined everyone s lives must be made right. That means; she must take destiny into her own hands, including facing her friends murderer.

Again, these are just 6 of the top books on my Kindle that I know you will enjoy. And as always, please pick up a copy of my book, A Secret Worth Keeping at Amazon.

Let’s support one another!

Daily Devotional – 11/20/13 “My soul needs reviving!”

When I say I’ve been feeling some type of way the last few days, it would be an understatement. I can’t seem to explain it but it’s just a feeling. I told my daughter on yesterday that I am so ready for revival tonight, at our church, because I feel like my soul needs reviving. Not because my spirit is broken but simply because I need it back to full strength. See, I am worried about my sister even though her healing is on the way (it can’t come fast enough), I’m a wife, mother, sister, friend, I’m trying to write a 2nd book while promoting the 1st one, working 2 jobs even though I keep saying I am quitting the second one (which I don’t need but I like), changes occurring on the 1st job that could be overwhelming but I’m ready; it’s just a lot. I know you’re probably asking why you won’t slow down but this is the thing; I can’t. Again, you’re probably saying; yes you can but I can’t because I have things to do and every time God wakes me up with a fresh dose of His anointing and the strength to do it, I can’t stop. My best friend said on yesterday, we can’t have you sick too and she was right. Even though my balance is off from fluid in my ears, I’m still functioning. Yea, I could have a woe is me party but why when I’m good? I am good because I am alive, blessed, healthy, still in control of all my faculties, still got my family whose alive and well, still got 2 jobs, a home, a car, friends and even a book that is still in the top 100 on amazon; so I am good however, my soul still needs reviving but that’s alright because I know where to get it from.

This is why I know and believe that God will not put more on us than we can bear. Yes, it gets hard even for the strongest man but we can do it. The average person would have given up by now but it’s not about me because if it was, I’d thrown in the towel by now. Baby, if it was all about me, I’d place junk in your joy so your journey is jumbled, mix misery in your miracles so you’ll miss your mark, test your testimony with temptations so you tarry there, weaken your witnessing so that you’re weep and be weary instead of willingly work, put pain in your praise so that you get no peace, add bitterness to your blood so that you’re bound instead of blessed, feed your fear so that you forget about faith and fail instead of flourish, be foolish instead of fierce and a follower instead of favored. Oh, if it was all about me, I’d push you when you lean instead of propping you up, I’d let you stay down instead of picking you up, I’d laugh when you ask instead of trying to help, I’d be happy about your tears instead of wiping them away, I’d dance when you grieve instead of being there for you, I’d rejoice in your storm instead of holding a umbrella over your head and I’ll shout during your battle instead of helping you fight! However, Nonetheless, Yet; I’m so glad that it’s not about me but it’s about the God in me because when I am nothing but a filthy rag God still finds me good enough to use! My soul needs reviving and I am so glad I have access to the reviver!