Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 8/24/12 “Whatcha hiding it for?”

I didn’t have a devotional topic in mind this morning and even when I put my fingers on the keyboard, still nothing but then God took over. See, I’ve been thinking about granddaddy so much these last few days and sometimes my heartache feels like it was just yesterday that I was standing next to his bed when he finally received his rest and I want to cry. I want to be able to walk into the house that he lived in for over 60 years and hear him say; “Hey Marcy,” yet I know that I won’t hear him. I used to wonder what was the point of visiting somebody’s grave when it’s only his or her body there but if granddaddy’s burial place was a 10-minute drive, I’d probably be there everyday. Whew… I’m just so emotional yet through it all I’m looking for God in my tears because I know they have a purpose so I bow my head and pray for God to speak to me. I pray for His purpose in my heartache and in my strength and yet in my listening I received these words for you…

Stop living like you’re dead and stop burying your blessings because you’re afraid they may hurt somebody’s feelings or that your haters may get jealous! So what!! You made it through cancer, radiation, chemo, dialysis, high blood pressure, blood clots, and diabetes; shall I go on? Migraines, sinus pressure, toothache, alcoholism, drug addiction, sex addiction, being lied on, abused by the hands of someone who was supposed to love you, being homeless, without a car, lights off, no food in the refrigerator, money in the bank or your pocket, no job … still not enough? You made it through surgery when the doctor said you wouldn’t, you made it when momma/daddy died even though it felt like you’d never breath again, you made it when your spouse walked off, when the doctor said you got a STD you still survived, you walked off from that accident that should have claimed your life, that bullet grazed you when it was meant to pierce your heart, that knife didn’t go deep enough even though it was meant for your lung, that gang was stopped by the police on the way to jump you in so you got away… my point is YOU’RE LIVING SO ACT LIKE IT. All the things that should have killed you didn’t. Those things that would have killed you didn’t. Those things that meant to stop you, they didn’t succeed! Those things meant to quiet your praise, didn’t work. Those folks, who kept putting their mouth on you, can’t hurt you. Those folks who always whispering behind your back, can’t hinder you. That person, who hurt you and thought they had your joy, didn’t win! That person, who thought they’d stolen your smile, didn’t get it. Baby, don’t you get it? God is trying to come in but you’ve got to open the door. Stop worrying about what folks say, what folks do, how other folks will look at you and all that because there will always be somebody hating on what you have because they feel like it should have been theirs. Live for you and appreciate what you have. God blessed you with what you have and he didn’t stop sending down blessings when He gave you yours.

Don’t you know that God gives each of us different gifts/talents? Well the bible says in Romans 12:4, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function.” Stop being ashamed to use your gifts and blessings because Romans 12:6-8 says, “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” Which simply means, whatever your gift, use it to the best of your ability! 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” It isn’t up to you the gift that you receive but it is up to God, so why hide it? Who cares because folks think that what you’re saying isn’t true because as long as you’re doing what God has given you to do, then you are doing your job. Do I think that everybody believes what I write, no but that’s their opinion because I am simply using the gift that has been bestowed upon me. Do I do it for worldly gain, no because the bibles says that my gift will make room for me, so I don’t have too.

Stop hiding your gift out of fear of hurting someone’s feelings because you may do a better job, they may be glad for the help. Stop hiding your gift because you don’t want to hear what others have to say, who are they anyway? Your gift was made for you and no one else can do with your gift what you can so use it. God has blessed you to be able to teach when a lot of others can’t. God has blessed you to cook when others can’t even boil pasta. God has blessed you to sing when others couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. God has blessed you to be an encourager to others when some folks can never find the right words to say. God has blessed each of us with a gift that is specifically for us so don’t hide it. 1 John 2:27 say, “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true–it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” As long as you remain in fellowship with Go, he’ll remain in fellowship with you and your gift will continually be renewed. So use what you have because what sense does it make to hide it anyway?

Daily Devotional – 8/23/12 “It’s okay to not be okay!”

Yea, you read this right because I said; it’s okay to not be okay all the time. If every time someone walks by and asks how you’re doing and you reply, “Oh, I’m great,” you’re probably telling a story. See, not everybody is great all the time and it’s okay to admit that. You don’t have to be “Blessed and Highly Favored” every time I speak to you because at some point folks will need to see you go through a test in order for them to believe your testimony. I mean, how can I believe that God healed you when I’ve never seen you sick one day? If I’ve never seen you down then how can I really believe that God lifted you? If I’ve never seen you without, then how can I know that the God you’re serving actually provided for you? No, I don’t mean you have to be tore up and raggedy every time you’re going through trials and tribulations but at least let me know, sometime, that you’re human.

My daughter asked me to write on this topic on yesterday because I was talking to her about doing some devotionals for teenagers and once she gave me the title, I had to really pray on it because I needed to know what God would have me to say. See, I realized that during the times I don’t know she’s watching me and even the times she acts like she isn’t listening to what I’m saying, she is. Yes, I talk to her and even my son, a lot because this world that we’re leaving in is terrible and I want them to know that when they have moments of wanting to give in, they should give it over to God instead. The youth and young adults in this world are facing a lot more than what we could possibly think of and if we continue to sugar coat stuff instead of telling them the real deal; we may have issues on our hand long before the time we should. Baby, it’s time out for talking about birds and bees because we need to be talking about sex. Yea, it used to be cute to drop them off at the movie with a boy they like but honey, now the movie theater is too dark to hide a lot more things that kids are not afraid to be doing in public. While you are trying to keep your baby a baby, she or he can probably tell you more about the “birds & the bees” than you could have ever imagined because when you allow them to have a phone with internet, computer with internet and cable TV, what can we really expect? Have you stopped to listen to the music they have blasting in their ears, well you just might want too. Children are dealing with grown folk issues so they need to know how to handle grown folk issues. So, see; stop acting like everything is always okay around the kids when you know that it isn’t. You don’t have to have them all in your business but be honest with them because if you can’t afford to buy them a $100 pair of shoes because you have to make sure they have lights, tell them. What sense does it make for you to have them going to school with name brand stuff on from their head to their feet only to get there and put the teacher through pure hell and then you’re at work hungry because you can’t afford a $2 sandwich. Child, you better wake up. If you don’t pay but $9.99 for your jeans, theirs shouldn’t be far from it.

Stop acting like you’re okay all the time because sometimes it is okay to not be okay. Sometimes getting a hug can make it all feel all right, if only momentary, but if every time I see you and you’re acting like you never have a bad day why would I offer you one? Again, I am not saying that you have to become a whinny, miserable person but I am simply saying let folk see God working in your life so that your testimony is true. When 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” This is simply saying, be always ready to answer when someone ask you about the God you’re serving. It doesn’t matter if they talk about you when you walk off because if you do what you’re supposed to do the right way and with the right tone, God will handle the rest. See, when folks ask you about the God you’re serving after they’ve seen the things he’s done for you, they’ll be quicker to believe you and even try Him for themselves. However, if you try to tell me how God has fed you when you were hungry yet I’ve never seen you hungry; how God has made a way for you when you didn’t have a car; yet I’ve never seen you without one; how God has healed you yet I’ve never seen you sick; how God has wiped your tears yet I’ve never seen you cry – I may just have a hard time believing you. This is why I say; it’s okay to not be okay! Stop trying to act like you got all your stuff together because you’re afraid of what they world may say when the world will chew you up and spit you out on your best day. Stop trying to conform to what folks think you should be, act the way they think you should act, walk the way they think you should walk; eat what they think you should eat and all that because truthfully who in the hell are they anyway? 1 John 2:16 says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” Which is why 1 John 2:17 says, “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

You don’t have to act like you got it all together all the time because everybody, yes everybody, goes through a storm. You don’t have to be strong every day because we all have to hurt before we can heal; there’s no way around it. You can’t mend a heart if it’s never been broken the same way you don’t put Neosporin on a place that has no cut. In order to heal you have to go through some hurt so act like it. You don’t have to wear a badge of your hurts and past mistakes but let somebody see you down sometimes so that they’ll see the goodness of God in your getting up. Let somebody see you sick so they can see the power in God’s healing. Let somebody see you cry every now and then so that they can see his grace when he wipes your tears. Let them see God working in you so that on the days when you know it’s okay to not be okay, you’ll actually be okay!

Daily Devotional – 8/22/12 “There’s joy in your journey”

Yea, I know you’re tired of hearing folks say you’ll be alright, you’ll get through this, just hold on, God is able, you’ve got to have faith and yadda yadda! But I’m here to tell you that even when your walk gets tiresome and it seems like it’s not worth going on, there is joy in your journey. See, God didn’t place us on this path for us to give up but he placed us on this journey in order to get us to where we need to be. I know the days seems to be getting short and your suffering nights seems to be getting longer but they aren’t, God is simply putting you through so that you can be stronger. This is why in Jeremiah 29:11 it says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” If God meant for this journey to harm you, why would He promise you a future and not just any future but a future with hope? Don’t you know by now that in order to get from one place to the next you have to move? Then why are you complaining about this journey? Obviously, God is moving you from the place you’re in into something better or He would have allowed you stay right where you were. See, Isaiah 55:12 says, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Can’t you imagine being pushed out into the wilderness because folks have wished badly on your life, yet as you’re walking this journey your faith shows you that God is right there with you and now, you hear singing yet you don’t know where it’s coming from but it makes your heart happy; you hear clapping and although you don’t see the hands it makes you hold your head up high and you hear rejoicing but you don’t see the lips it’s coming from yet your soul rejoices, doesn’t it make you feel good? See, there is joy in your journey, can’t you see it? No, then you aren’t looking! You may not see the sun when it’s raining but you know it’ll be back, right? This is the same with your joy as long as you don’t give it away. No, folks can’t take or steal your joy because joy is God and He should be on the inside of you so they only way folks get your joy; you have to give it to them.

Stop giving away, so easily, the joy that God has given you. You walk into the job humming your favorite song, feeling good but as soon as Dorothy Downer comes along, you hand her the joy you just had because you’ve allowed her to ruin your day. You allow folks who like to see you act a fool cause you to act a fool when you should have smiled and walked away. So what, they were talking about you; that means you’re on their mind! So what, they’re always whispering when you walk into a room; that means you’re worth talking about! So what, they always hate on you; that means you’re doing something right! Don’t you know by now that misery loves company because it’s no fun being alone? Then why are you keeping her company when you should have told her to get the hell on? Baby, there will always be somebody talking about something you used to do, something you’re doing now or thinking about something you might do; so what? Let them talk, child! The more they say your name, the more God hears and if your name is constantly in God’s ears then He’ll know who you are over those whose name He never hears which means He’ll come and see about you when you call him. So let your haters talk, let you enemies wish bad over your life, let the folks push you down because when it’s all said and done, God will still be right there so walk on!

I get it; death has come more times than you would like in your family, sickness seems to be a constant, disrespect is always on the lips of your children, abuse seems to always find it’s way into your job, bills seems to always outweigh your paycheck, hard times always fall when the time isn’t right and it seems like the more you pray; the worse your situation gets but just hold up! I mean, hold up your arms and say to the Lord; “Here I am, Lord; use me because I won’t be giving up anytime soon!” See, when you proclaim before the Lord that giving up on this journey isn’t an option, the devil hears it too. Yea, he hears it because he watches you just as much as God does and when you let him know that you aren’t giving in under the pressure of the storm, he backs off. When you’re weak the devil is strong because he gains strength from your weakness so when he see your knees buckling, he adds extra pressure so that you’ll finally cave in to falling because he knows eventually you’ll get tired of being down which may mean you’ll curse God. But baby, when you fall while you’re in Christ, fall gracefully so that you bounce back up, dust off your clothes and shout in the devil’s face, “That’s all you got?” See, in John 15:4, Jesus says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” When you become a Christian, you accept the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit; therefore you are planted in great soil and in order for you to continue to grow in this soil you have to stay in this soil. Yea, the winds of time, disappointments and setbacks come and can sometimes try to blow you out of it, but just replant yourself by repenting, believing and studying for yourself.

No one ever said your journey would be easy but what is? If it’s worth having then it should be worth working for, right? You can put in 60 hours a week at work but you can’t even give God 3 hours on Sunday. You can stay at the club until they make the last call for alcohol yet you complain when worship service runs over 10 minutes. Child, if you put in time with God, He’ll put in time with you. Well, James 4:8 says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” Be loyal to God and He’ll be loyal to you. Listen to God and He’ll listen to you! Walk with God and He’ll walk with you! God has already went ahead of you on this journey because he laid it out, so he knows what is waiting for you behind the curves and over the bumps but He has already prepared you for it, so walk your journey because even when it doesn’t seem like it, there is joy in your journey! No, I didn’t say walk just any journey but I said walk YOUR journey because it was prepared for you and you were made strong to endure what God has for you. Stop allowing folks to skip you or take the place the God has made rightfully yours and stop walking down someone else’s journey because it looks easy. Stop wishing for my blessings because baby your legs may not be strong enough to endure what mine has to get what belongs to me so get your own!

Daily Devotional – 8/16/12 “Don’t tarry too long!”

This simply means don’t stay, remain, linger, stay put or get comfortable in the position you’re in because although it’s ok to have a pity moment, don’t tarry in it too long. Yea, you can get sick and tired of being sick and tired; you can get frustrated about never ending bills, the sickness that won’t leave your body and you can even get mad about never having enough even though you’re working like a dog but just take your moment then get up and smile. See, if you stay in your funk to long you get funky and once you’re funky no one will want to be around you. I know that’s it’s easy for me to say because I may look like I have it together but baby, I’m still human with issues too and although I may look like it’s all good it’s really all God so I’m just simply not looking like my problems because once I do the devil wins and he won’t get a free pass on my watch. No ma’am, no sir; so he can just get on out!

Yea see, the devil thought he would get me when granddaddy died but he was a lie because granddaddy had already prepared me for his leaving, so I overcome daily. The devil thought he had me when it looked like the money would run out before the bills but nawl, didn’t work either because I can’t stress over what I don’t have; I’ll pay what I can and the rest will wait. Oh, he thought he could get me by putting stress on my shoulders but it didn’t work either because me and stress don’t work well together which means one of us would have to go and I’m still here! Hmph, you have to claim yourself victorious every once in a while or you’ll eventually be defeated! Don’t allow worldly mess to send you hiding in a corner but once it backs you up against the wall, come out swinging. So what if your cable bill is due and your money is few; let it get cut off and then go rent some $1 movies from Redbox. So what if you don’t have the money to do your hair, wash it yourself and make it work. Your nails look a mess and you don’t have the money, polish them yourself. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses because they are struggling too but they’ve learned to cover it well.

Child, haven’t I told you before that even folks with money have problems? Their problems might not be the same as yours but they still got them so before you go wishing for the lives of the Atlanta Housewives, the Basketball Wives or the Love & Hip Hop wannabes, you’d better pray for your own. You see all the glitz and the glamour but you’re not seeing the real behind the scenes stuff. Yea, you wished for Evelyn’s life but now you see she’s a victim of domestic violence … Why, because everything is not what it seems. While they are allowing cameras to follow them around showing the high life, their real life is lower than the ground they’re walking on. Money doesn’t make problems go away, oh it makes it looks easier but most times it brings a lot more problems with them. Why do you think the bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs (pain)?” I know, Lord don’t I know, how easy it would be to not have bills, past due bills, bill collectors calling and the inability to buy what you want but what else comes with it? You have a husband who makes all the money to give you the lavish lifestyle that you want when all you really want is a little more time with him. You have a job that pays you well that also provides for the lifestyle you live but when do you have time to enjoy it? Having money may make your problem easier to deal with but it won’t erase it.

So, whatever it is that you’re facing don’t let it win today, tomorrow or any of the days to come. If it’s money problems, Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” If it’s sickness, know that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison; 2 Corinthians 4:17.” If it’s heartache, Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” If its depression, Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If it’s fear; Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” If its children with their rude attitudes and careless behavior, Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it,” and Proverbs 23:13 says, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.” You’re better than your current circumstance; you’re greater than the stress, you’re more than the battle that is trying to win, so hold on. God didn’t make you a wimp but he made you a winner so declare this as your victory and let it be known. God didn’t make you the tail but he made you the head, so hold your head up high. God didn’t make you the borrower but he made you the lender, so take what’s yours. It’s ok to have a moment of weakness but don’t tarry in it for too long! Cry if you must, scream if you wish, take a walk if it’ll help, clean if it clears your mind, sing if it covers your sadness, have a glass of wine to ease the sorrow; do whatever you have to but don’t allow the lowness of your situation to overtake you because you are strong enough to get through it. You are but you have to believe it! Yes, you can do it so get up out of that dusty hole you’ve dug for yourself and make it happen. You’re the captain of your ship so if it’s heading for disaster, you’re the only one that can steer it to avoid it. You’re capable of getting over this mess, so act like it because God has made you strong because he made you in His image.

Doses of Devotion

For all my book readers, I’ve taken a few of my devotionals and put them into a book that can be purchased on Amazon.com for your Kindle for $4.99. If you have a IPhone, iPad, Android or Blackberry device; you can also download the kindle app and purchase it.

I am working to print the book in hard copy also. I will keep you updated on the process.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I pray that they are an encouragement to you. Please share them with others!! Thank you and God bless!!