10 Years + 1 Day

10 years + 1 day ago, my life changed.

It wasn’t cute either. Instead, it was the crying, arms wrapped around your body, trying to catch your breath, I’m tired and I can’t do this on my own anymore kind of yes. See, I was outside of God’s will. Yes, I was going to church and was very good at religion. I’d gotten that thang down and was great at pretending, but I was tore up and suffering with no real relationship with God.

And I was tired. Tired of ignoring His call when He’d wake me up in the middle of the night and interrupt my day. Tired of struggling, financially, and being in over our heads. Tired of the check advances, title loan, bankruptcies, and paying every bill late.

Then on 8/28/14, I stopped running and gave God my yes.

I remember it, vividly! Standing in the last bathroom stall at work silently screaming YES GOD, OKAY YES! Understand, saying yes doesn’t magically erase everything, but it sets you on the path to purpose. When I said yes, it restored what I didn’t know was broken and it stitched what I couldn’t see was bleeding. I stood apologizing to God for all the time I wasted only to realize, had God given me destiny then, I would have messed it up.

This is why I’m grateful for all I/we’ve been through. It made me stronger. I’ve shared this before, but that day, back in 2014, our entire life shifted. God told me it was time to move, and He meant that weekend. Here’s what faith looks like. WE DID! We moved even though we had no clue where we were going. My husband probably thought I was crazy, but he trusted my OBEDIENCE in God because he’d seen me struggling. So, we packed up over Labor Day weekend, 2014, put our stuff in storage, and moved. 3 months later, we rented a house in Southaven. Get this … we didn’t pay a bill late.

But here’s the shout. It was with the SAME MONEY! The money didn’t change, but our mindset did.

Has it always been good? No. Has it always been easy? No. Has it always been fair? No, but it has been all God. It’s been ten years + one day later and I’m still saying yes. Now, I get to say it as a whole pastor of a church. Wow. #thankyouGod

P.S. This tattoo, on my wrist, is purposely of the day after the yes, when God began shifting my life for His purpose.

What if God is taking you where HE needs you?

Sure, you thought you were headed in a different direction. You thought the last stop would last longer. You thought you wouldn’t have to start over again. You thought things were going well. You thought this was it. YOU thought … yeah, but where was God?

At what point will you trust God?
When will you trust His direction?
When will you trust His plans?
When will you actually listen to what He’s saying?

Because here’s what is happening. You’re missing out on enjoying the journey.

I get it. You don’t understand what is happening, spiritually, at the moment. You can’t make sense of why it seems things are happening, over and over. What if it isn’t for you to understand, but for you to trust God’s plan?

What if God is taking you where He needs you and you can’t see it because you’re angry, talking, complaining, or crying too much?

Do me a favor. Put it in God’s hands, pray, trust God, trust you, and enjoy the journey.

Enjoy the journey, mane.

Refocus that energy!

One of my sisters sent me a text, reminding me of this devotional I shared over five years ago. Reading it, I realized it needed to be shared again. Of course, with some updates, but the same message.

Stop trying to pay people back for what they’ve done to you! Stop being angry when you see people prospering who’ve done you wrong, hurt you, stole from you, lied on you or still owe you. Stop wishing evil on the life of people who made your life hell. Stop being mad at God when it seems like He’s blessing them and not you. Besides, and this may sting a little, but how do you know it’s God who’s blessing them? And, AND, if it is, it still ain’t your business.

Baby, refocus that energy into something productive.

For the word of God says in James 1:20, “For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” If this isn’t enough then read where God says in Deuteronomy 32:35, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay. In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.” Stop praying for God’s hand of anger to strike them and stop trying to do what only God can. Instead speak like Jeremiah 20:11, “But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.” 

Beloved, forgive them, pray for them and wish them well. Take the energy you’re putting into them and refocus it into something that’s beneficial to you. Stop looking at their social media pages, stop re-reading messages, stop going through pictures, stop replaying conversations or situations and stop preying on them. Stop waiting on an apology or a reason as to why they did what they did. It may never come. Instead, release the hold they still have on you by shutting the door.

Refocus your energy, Suga, because we ain’t (I meant what I typed) got time to misuse the time we have being focused on folk who out living their best life. While you’re depressed and angry, still stuck on what happened, they’ve moved on. Now, it’s time you do the same. Refocus that enery because it’s the only way you’ll truly be able to appreciate and enjoy the rest of your life in joy and peace.

But By Prayer and Fasting

When we feel stuck in a place, stagnant in an assignment or unheard by God, flesh begins to speak louder than God’s voice. Flesh will make you believe it was a mistake stepping out on faith. Flesh will have you regretting your choice to trust God, second guessing and doubting what you heard God say.

Get it now on Amazon

However, flesh is untrustworthy, led by emotions, and sometimes wrong. Truth is, it isn’t God. What if God did tell you to step out but you went the wrong way? What if you are making the right decisions, but at the wrong time? What if this period is your waiting season, but you can’t tell the difference between God’s waiting room or you being in the way?

How do you figure it out? YOU CANNOT. Not on your own. This can only be done BUT BY PRAYER and FASTING.

This journal isn’t the answer, but inside we give you a breakdown of what prayer and fasting is, so you can put in the work.

Included within this journal:

  • What is prayer?
  • How should you pray?
  • When should you pray?
  • What is fasting?
  • What fasting isn’t.
  • When should you fast?
  • What should you fast from?
  • What if you mess up?
  • Dream Prayer
  • Prayer Watches

Who needs a copy? Get it now on Amazon.

Get your copy, one for a friend, and a couple for your church group.

Note: The written part of this journal is also available in ebook format for those who may already have a journal and needs a push.

Do it bravely

I shared this last year.

My granddaughter #HaileyB loves #PussinBoots. In the movie, Puss finds himself in another fight for his life. This time it’s against the wolf of fear. The wolf knows as long as Puss is afraid of him, he can take his power. Yet, Puss said something that resonated with me.

He said, (and I’m paraphrasing), “Being brave doesn’t mean you have no fear. It means, you face the thing that scares you and do what needs to be done.”

Beloved, the Bible says God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), and He hasn’t. Yet, fear is present in our lives. It’s everywhere we turn and because we live in a natural world, in a body of flesh, resides. However, here’s what we do. We face the thing(s) that scare us with bravery, putting our faith in God and believing He’ll give us what we need to overcome every obstacle, distraction, sickness, plot, and plan of the enemy, etc.

I don’t know what you’re fearful of but don’t do it scared. Do it bravely. This means, even if you don’t know what’s waiting, what the outcome will be, or if you’ll succeed, if you’ll be healed, if your marriage will make it, your pregnancy will go full term, the business will flourish, sales will pick up, if anyone will buy the book, if members will join the church or whatever it is … get up, and face it by trying anyway.

Get up, put your shoulders back, and do it bravely. If you don’t, you run the risk of fear taking your power. Do it bravely, because this means your faith isn’t in you, but God.

Bravely, an adverb which means to do something in a way that shows a willingness to face and endure danger or pain; courageously.

Besides, God never said you had to figure it out on your own anyway.

#TrustGodwithYou #DowhatGodsaid #TrustGod #TrustYou #NotFearBravery #DoitBrave #MyfaithisinGod #iTrustGod