Never Too Young To Learn Humility

My son Demond Jarvis (DJ) is a very talkative, inquisitive 11 year old. He is far from modest and does not mind letting people know just how smart he is. He prides himself in making straight A’s and excelling in Math. Thinking back, I can remember his last 3^rd grade award ceremony when he said "Wow! Ma, can you see how big those trophies are? Next year that’s going to be me!" A 4^th grade girl, walked away with 3 trophies for the highest LEAP scores in different subjects… that was the very moment that my son decided to strive for excellence in all things and set his first academic goal.

　

"And for ALL A Honor Roll in the 5^th grade we have Demond Jarvis! Not only is Demond the only 5^th grader with all A’s, he is also in the running for Student of the Year" the principal announced during the 1st Honor Roll Assembly. My husband and I gleamed with excitement at the possibility of our son being Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School’s next 5^th grade Student of the Year.

　

"Next up we have the highest LEAP scores; in Math we have Demond Jarvis and in Social Studies we….we also have Demond Jarvis" said the teacher announcing the LEAP awards.  This was one of the many accomplishments that DJ set his mind to and achieved.

"Just like I got the highest LEAP score I’ll also get Student of the Year, mark my words" DJ says with a twinkle in his eyes. As I look at my baby, all I can see is someone that believes that the sky is the limit and all I could do is smile. His carefree attitude about achieving what some people deem impossible is refreshing, but scary at the same time.

　

DJ walked in the door with a bouquet of balloons, assorted candy bars decorating the bottom, accompanied by a cup that read "Congratulations 5^th Grade Student of the Year." My husband and I looked at one other in amazement.

　

This 9 weeks however, DJ brought home his 1^st C! I was very upset on one hand, but ok on the other. The reason I was ok is because I feel that he needed to be humbled. . I know that it is important to be confident and believe in yourself, but I also need him to know that there will be some disappointments in life. He has not experienced any letdowns yet. Some may think that this is a lesson that a 5^th grader does not need to know, but I feel that this is a vital ingredient to raising a good man.

Moral of the Story: I feel that everyone should understand..

"Swallow your pride occasionally, it's non-fattening!" ~Author Unknown

"It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help." ~Author Unknown
"Talent is God Given. Be Humble. Fame is man-given. Be Grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be Careful"

It's good to set goals and achieve them. But it's even better to allow your good works to speak for themself.  Sometimes people can get so carried away in what they've accomplished and what they are capable of doing,  that they forget the determination and will that it took them.  Never get so caught up in what you've done, that you forget about what you need to do!

All in all, I am a Very Proud Momma! Congratulations DJ, We Love You!!

Dear God

As I was going through my old emails I found this and felt that it may be something that someone needs to read.  The letter to God was written in October of 2010 and the response was given in November of 2010.

Dear God,

 I know you have the blueprint laid out for my life;

And you want what’s best for me, yet you still allow strife,

To mold and make me what you have me to be

But why did I have to come down this road is what I can’t see.

The road of depression, anger and regret..

Lord I keep listening for you to say “my child please don’t fret”

But I hear nothing, and I need to hear you voice…

Please help me Lord, before I make the wrong choice…

The choice that will lead to things that are not like you…

Things that make me feel better, but multiple sins I will accrue.

Sins that will add, a crimson stain to my path

Lord is it only me, that your allowing to feel wrath?

I know you didn’t bring me, this far to leave me alone,

And since you created me, u know some things I just wont condone

So tell me what is it , that’s led me to this place…

I’ve been running for 31 years now and I cant seem to win this race!!!

Tasha

I wrote this letter to God a week ago, and on Sunday Pastor blew me away... it was as if God was answering my letter to him and using my pastor as his messenger.  The topic of his sermon was “The Power of Release & Praise”.  He spoke about activating the power of forgiveness and how God gives us the power to forgive but he can’t forgive for us.  He went on into saying that we have to Release or set free those grudges that we are holding on to, in order to receive our blessings.  The only thing holding us back from the next level is us; we have become our own enemy! 

Release is the 1^st step in success.  The spirit of forgiveness is a divine gift from God that places us in the super natural market.  And that’s definitely one market that I don’t want to miss out on! When we forgive, we are forgiven…when we hold on, we are held accountable for the grudges we hold. So Let Go and Let God!! Forgiving does not change the past but it does enlarge your future.

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. “

New Year's Resolution

When I tell you that God does not whisper his messages to me he screams them I am not exaggerating. The other day while working out I was reading and I came across a scripture that stood out to me 1Corinthians 2:9 "No Eye has Seen, No Ear has Heard, No Mind has Conceived what God has prepared for those who love him". It stood out so much I had to share and post it on Facebook. I’m at my desk, reading my morning word and guess what I see again? Yep! That scripture, accompanied by:

Position yourself for discovery. Stay steady. Keep your focus. Don't be afraid to allow My Spirit to take you to greater heights and to reveal what has been hidden. Your new found sense of adventure will be delightful.

You are on the threshold of a new era in which you can begin again, says the Lord. Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

God is constantly assuring me to trust and believe in him and he will do the rest. I keep saying that I don’t really have any New Year’s Resolutions, I just have goals that I want to achieve and different things in my life that I want to better. But I guess that can be considered a new year's resolution, because a resolution is a means to resolve a problem or a decision to do something. I have decided to step out on faith and stop waiting until things are tangible to believe that it's possible.

So before you get so caught up on being against a resolution realize that it is just a way to get everyone as a whole to work towards doing and living life better. Just because you live your life the way you see fit throughout the year don’t knock others for realizing that it is time to attempt to change some things in their life.

So for all the people who make resolutions, I commend you for wanting to make changes and resolve issues. And for those that feel that their life is ok the way that it is, God Bless and keep on keeping on. Today I say don’t look at a resolution as a confirmation that your living wrong, look at it as an acknowledgment that you are committed to constantly growing as a person.

There are a few things in my life that can use some resolution, are you without blemish?

My Confession

Its time I stop doing things my way and take heed to the divine signs

The last thing I want to happen, is for my spiritual eyes to go blind.

I’m going to stop taking my destiny, into my own hands

Start taking the less traveled road and do my best to withstand..

Withstand from daily sin and realize that everyone sometimes fall

But stop using that as an excuse, to refrain from the call…

The call on my life, that I keep trying to ignore

When I know that I’m blessed and its me that God adores

Adores more than some, I realize I’m blessed and highly favored you see

And I’m ready to be God’s soldier and try to be all that he has me to be

I tried to make my own agenda but God had something else planned for me.

I wanted to choose my own path, But my divine journey is far beyond what I can see

My Internal Battle

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew the right spirit in me."

　

Is a scripture from Psalms that comes to mind when I think about my life, how far I’ve come and where I’m headed.　Personally, this scripture signifies a cry for help for cleansing of the heart/mind… meaning to be purged of all evil thoughts, wrongdoings and past bad experiences. Renewing a right spirit means to gain a less judgmental, more positive personal outlook on life.

Lately, I’ve been finding myself in a battle against my natural being and my spiritual being.　When I say my natural being I’m referring to the person I’ve become as a result of the obstacles I have faced in life.　When I reference my spiritual being I’m referring to the person that I can be if I allow God to have dominion over my life.

"In order to fulfill your God ordained journey in life, you must release the familiar and enter the unfamiliar. You must leap out on faith and believe that he is real and he will see you through"

When I heard this I instantly thought of the feelings that I have been harboring internally.　The internal struggle of my natural being fighting to remain the strong, independent outspoken person I have become; and my spiritual being announcing it’s desire to leap out on faith and begin the journey that will lead to the divine destiny that God has ordained for me.

I texted 2 of my close friends and I expressed my internal struggle by sending　"God is really trying to prepare me for the next stage of my life and I keep fighting back because I’m scared." Their understanding of what I meant by next level was refreshing and allowed me to know that I was in the midst of people who shared my knowledge of the word and God’s calling on people’s lives.　Their assurance that I was not the only one that has dealt with this type of internal battle with natural versus spiritual was more than I could have hope for. Their responses were:

The next stage is "a scary thing, because we like to know in detail the entire process & God wants us to trust Him.　Sometimes the next level seems so big but God is bigger! God has a better plan for us than we can ever have for ourselves.　God’s plan for you will not involve losing yourself but it will involve finding yourself. Finding the you that he designed you to be" said Jovan. She expressed her views with such conviction that it was if her words found a way to entire not only into my mind but also into my heart.　I felt every word that she sent to me.

　

"Faith is believing with out seeing, trusting and knowing he won’t lead us down the wrong path…fear is natural" said Laurey. She probably didn’t realize it at the time, but that was exactly what I needed to hear.　The breakdown of faith is what I lost sight of.

　

Their words of encouragement were exactly what I needed. I now know that it is time for me to begin the journey to my divine destiny.　I feel that once I completely removed the anger, pain and disappointment from my heart and mind I will be able to easily live my life without this inward battle.　When I truly release the demons and disappointments of my past, I will be able to live "spiritually strong, knowledgably blessed and submissively loved" and all of these thing will be directed by God, which will alleviate my battle and bring me to a different level of awareness.　　

The Value of Wisdom: Proverbs 2

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that many people interpret the same situation multiple ways…and this doesn’t necessarily mean that some people are right and others are wrong.  It just means that it’s their PERSONAL perception so it may not be the same view as the masses.  The same thing can be said for a sermon or a bible scripture.   

As I continue to feed my spiritual self, I think my physical being will benefit as well…whether it be from condemnation or awareness .  Below is the reading for December 2, 2011.

Proverbs 2

English Standard Version (ESV)

Proverbs 2

The Value of Wisdom

 ¹ My son, if you receive my words
   and treasure up my commandments with you,
²making your ear attentive to wisdom
   and inclining your heart to understanding;
³yes, if you call out for insight
   and raise your voice for understanding,
⁴if you seek it like silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasures,
⁵then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God.
⁶For the LORD gives wisdom;
   from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
⁷he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
   he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
⁸guarding the paths of justice
   and watching over the way of his saints.
⁹ Then you will understand righteousness and justice
   and equity, every good path;
¹⁰for wisdom will come into your heart,
   and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
¹¹ discretion will watch over you,
   understanding will guard you,
¹²delivering you from the way of evil,
   from men of perverted speech,
¹³who forsake the paths of uprightness
   to walk in the ways of darkness,
¹⁴who rejoice in doing evil
   and delight in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways. ¹⁶So you will be delivered from the forbidden^[a] woman,
   from the adulteress^[b] with her smooth words,
¹⁷who forsakes the companion of her youth
   and forgets the covenant of her God;
¹⁸ for her house sinks down to death,
   and her paths to the departed;^[c]
19none who go to her come back,
   nor do they regain the paths of life.
 ²⁰So you will walk in the way of the good
   and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,
   and those with integrity will remain in it,
²²but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
   and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Thy Will Be Done

Today as I was going with my normal work day, I had a ticket to work…as I resolved the computer problem, I found myself being much more open than I am with other people. I began talking to Mrs. Sandra  and sharing some things with her and she told me to start reading proverbs. She explained how there are enough chapters in proverbs for me to read a chapter a day and I will find that the more I read the more things will start being revealed to me. She even said that I’ll probably see a lot of sayings that my parents used. She’s going to be retiring in a few weeks so she gave me her card that reads "Lord help me remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I together cant handle" When I left her desk I had to give her a hug..she probably has no idea what she has done for me but I believe that God used her as a vessel this morning.

My prayer lately has been for guidance from God and the ability to follow through with what it is he’s leading me to and through. I’m saying all of this to say that I’m looking forward to my readings of proverbs. Sometimes you may not understand what is happening in your life, but God is always in control. If you just allow him to lead you, there’s no telling where you may end. She told me to read the English Translation because it would be easier to understand and I did just that…lo and behold the second verse jumped off the page and immediately got my attention Proverbs 1:2-4 To learn wisdom and moral instruction, and to discern wise counsel. To receive moral instruction in skillful living, in righteousness, justice and equity. Verse 5 went on to say ‘Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!’

After reading this I knew that this was definitely a message sent to me from God! Who knows…this may be the 1^st step that will lead me to my rightful destination…and it may be the final…I’m excited to find out either way!

I’m still a work in progress, but I’m sooo excited to be one step closer!!

So join me this month in my quest to read a chapter a day. Until next time!