God's Favor

My career plan in 2010 was to start working when the kids went back to school, stay on that job a year, then move on. I started working in August of that year, but before I knew it, a year was gone, I was still there, and I didn’t have any prospects for a new job. Honestly speaking, I was a little down in the dumps about still being there and not moving on. Because in my mind, my course there had ended, the job served its purpose and I was ready to move on.

On May 22, 2012 I wrote down my prayer “I pray for a job with great benefits, good understanding people, not far from home, more money, good working hours, not much overtime... I pray for a job that will allow me to utilize my current abilities as well as grow in other areas. A job that will challenge my mind and get me out of this current rut.  I am not an average person, therefore I want greatness to reflect in all areas of my life! Work, home, family, demeanor....” I prayed for a new beginning…a chance to meet new people at my new place in life.

In June I was offered a job, but I had prior engagements that were top priority for me at the time and my current employer agreed to wait for me an entire month. (good, understanding people *check*) When I turned in my notice one of my former co-workers told me “You don’t want to burn any bridges” and my response to him was “Some bridges need to burn to prevent you from trying to cross them again.” At the time I didn’t realize how powerful that statement was, the only thing that mattered to me was, in my heart I knew that my time there had come to an end and God agreed.

My travel time to work was once anything from 45 minutes-2 hours dependent on traffic; with the new job my travel time became 15-25 minutes dependent on traffic (not far from home *check*) Hurricane Isaac happened and we experienced damage to our home so we have been staying by my mom, the kids school was destroyed so their schools are now in alternative locations.

Jeremiah 29:11 reads For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Being that I got my job only a month before all of this happened, I am able to recognize God’s favor in my life. The toll that living on one side of town, working 5 towns over, and my kids being 3 towns back would have taken on my mind, body and spirit would have been tremendous.  God spared me from the exhaustion that would have happen to me had I still been working that job, but he also made sure that his timing was perfect so that I realized it was him working things out in my favor, not just “my plan” unfolding.  In a previous post entitled Restoration I wrote “Restoration happens when your willingness to live a Godly life and God’s timing collide…” I also wrote “We have to be at the point in our lives where we allow him to take away what we have in mind for ourselves…and allow his will to be done” and this is exactly what happened to me.

      Moral of the Story: Just because things don’t happen when you want them, doesn’t mean they won’t happen when God’s timing is right. In the bible there are many instances that God performs acts to make people aware that HE IS! “You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other”. I feel the reason God doesn’t allow things to happen when WE want them is because he wants his presence and power to be recognized and not overlooked! If things happen in our timing we may think it was a lone act when in all actuality it wasn’t.

I almost forgot, the other blessing staying over a year brought me was some friends that have changed my
life forever! God allowed me to meet them at a time when we could each compliment each others lives. How's that for favor?

So today my voices are praying that God continues to make his favor known in my life and that I continue to realize it and give him thanks, glory and honor! God loves when we share the greatness of his word and his great works and I love it when he shows off!!

…Until Next Time

  

Happy Birthday to Me

Looking at myself I see a 33 year old woman who has lived life to the fullest! I see a woman that knows REAL love, REAL heartbreak, REAL success & REAL disappointments. And in experiencing all those things, I see a woman that has learn to embrace herself and all that she is.

 

Here's to loving me and all I represent...strength, weakness, beauty, flaws, brilliance, ignorance, compassion, wit, aggression, the fear of God, love of life and all it has to offer!

 

Happy Birthday Me!!!

September 13th

I'm Not Lucky

I remember it as if it were yesterday; it was an email to an old friend that I ended with “Good Luck… No scratch that, I don’t believe in luck, Be Blessed!” It was one of many times my use of words and their importance was brought to my attention.  After that email, that sort of became my saying, but I never truly understood the power and truth in that statement until recently.    

Luck -success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions. The force that seems to operate for good or ill in a person’s life, as in shaping circumstances, events, or opportunities.

Blessed -of or enjoying happiness; specifically: enjoying the bliss of heaven. Pleasure, contentment or good fortune.

Those definitions really made me think. I remember saying  “I’m not lucky” “You’re so lucky” and “Good Luck”.  But the truth of the matter is, I’m not lucky! I’m not one of those people that just stumble upon fortunes or one of those people that know what to say to get ahead.  I’m the person that never gets a full refund, the one that buy things at full price and the next day it goes on sale, I’m the one that never seems to get a break when looking with the human eye.  

As I grow in Christ I’ve learned a new word called favor and favor is defined as an attitude of approval or liking.  A gracious, friendly, or obliging act that is freely granted. Something granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for compensation; a kind act.  So something I’ve realized about myself is I’m not lucky BUT I do have God’s favor and having God’s favor allows me to be blessed..which means I enjoy the bliss of heaven and have good fortune, contentment and pleasure. I may not be the lucky one that walks into great opportunities but I AM the one that God sets things aside for personally. I’m the one that God gives the knowledge and strength to endure any situation so that when the going gets tuff I don’t rely on luck to make it through. I’m the one that knows what God gives, no man can take away!  Which means.. what’s for me and given to me, by way of blessings and favor can NOT be taken by luck and happenstance.  The only thing that can alter my outcome is the way I choose to handle the situations that I’m faced with.

Life and death truly are in the power of the tongue; when I took luck out of my vocabulary and replaced it with blessed, I subconsciously took the restraints of luck off and replaced that with blessings, which released a whole new world full of possibilities. 

So today my voices are asking you to leave luck to people who don’t believe in free will and the ability to make one’s own decision. Leave luck to those who don’t believe in God’s favor and blessings.  Do you want your success or failure to be left up to chance? Do you want your circumstances to be dictated by things against your will and God’s desire for your life? 

Remember with God all roads lead to success, some just take longer dependent on the way you handle the situations your faced with.

Until Next Time…

Be Blessed

Hurricane Isaac

It started off as typical day when there's a bad storm. We all slept in one room because I didn't want us split. The boys were on a mattress on the floor and we were in the bed. We rose to no electricity, no water and HUNGRY! Demond went in the garage to fix breakfast on the grill and we followed behind him… outside the clouds were threatening, the rain was endless but there was still a sense of calmness in the air despite the strong winds.  We looked around and noticed that the area behind the house was flooded and so was the street in front of the house.  But there was still grass that was visible along the side of the house and in the front.  We went back inside and ate, we may have stayed inside for about an hour or so…when we went back outside everything had changed drastically it was now extremely gloomy outside, there was no sign of grass only water that went back as far as we could see… What was once visibly our yard, our street, our driveway was replaced with never-ending water resembling a lake with mailboxes, houses and cars strategically placed in it.  

We called to be rescued because the water rose really fast. I grabbed everyone's hand and we made a circle on the floor, it was time to pray..."Lord we come before you giving you all the glory, all the honor and all the praise! I pray the blood covering over me and my family, I ask that you send your angels to watch over and protect us during this storm. We love you Lord, Amen."

A fire truck came hours later "Someone will be back in 25 minutes to get you, be ready!" was shouted through the intercom. We opened the door without thinking and a tidal wave of water stormed in the house, it was instant panic as the water poured into the house. We closed the door and tried to absorb as much water as possible. Later a boat came that took us away from our home.  We floated away with all signs of coming back to anything pointing at slim to none.  

While in the boat we were surrounded with devastation but not defeat so that in itself was a blessing. During this test God used so many people to show his Greatness and for that I will always be thankful.  God's favor just kept shining through so many people.  The love, sincerity and concern showed by our family and friends has truly been an amazing gift from God.  Initially people are inclined to say "If you need anything let me know" but we are blessed enough to be surrounded by people that actually mean what they say.

...Until Next Time

Outside My Front Window

...Asking all them questions

In life, we as human beings question things often.  Why, when, how and who are just a few of the questions we ask. As we grow older these questions never really change, the circumstance and seriousness of the matter may, but we still question life. Eventually after having millions of questions and no answers we usually take those questions to God.  But, as our relationship with God matures, there are certain questions that we expect not to have to ask anymore.  Have you ever found yourself wondering why your still enduring some hardships now that you are trying to develop yourself in Christ? Have you ever found yourself asking God why, how, when or who? When heartache comes we often wonder why God would allow us to feel the way we do.

As I was reading I came across something that read  “God is more concerned about your character development than your comfort level.” When I read those words, it was as if the wind was instantly taken from within me.  What I’ve noticed through this journey is, revelations and confirmations come in the strangest forms.  God will get his message to you through many venues.  After reading, I had to thank God for answering my prayers and giving me the information needed to continue my walk with him.  There are times that I have questioned God,  but reading that made me understand that I have no right to question him in some things, because I’m the one that’s missing the point.   

Let me take a different approach.  If we are a child of God, that makes him our father, right?  What do we give our parents? What is it that most parents want? What gives them the most joy? First and foremost we MUST give our parents respect. Meaning we don’t question why they did something or when they’re going to do something (unless we are ready for the consequences). We should give God (our father) the same respect.  Some questions we should NOT ask, we should trust that whatever is happening is happening for a reason and we should know that his ultimate goal is our well being. And we should be aware that by questioning him we are not having faith in him and we will reap what we sow. Parents also want to feel proud of their children.  They love nothing more than having the assurance of knowing that when they are not around you show people respect, courtesy and compassion as you were taught. The same with God! Futhermore, parents love when you are successful and accomplish things.  It allows them to stick their chest out and feel proud and accomplished through you because you are theirs.  It’s the same with God!  When you react in the spirit its like showing him that you are capable of carrying yourself in a way that is pleasing to him.  And what do parents do when they’re proud of you? Yep. They reward you.. Same with God, hence a blessing!

There are times as a child of God we feel it should be easy sailing... but, Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, yet he was crucified! So remember you will never be above disappointment, hurt or pain. But you can rise above allowing any situation to overcome you. 

Today my Voices are encouraging you to give God something to be proud of! Show him growth, respect, and knowledge! When you fear someone you dont usually question them and we as Christians should possess the Fear of God, so STOP ASKING ALL THEM QUESTIONS!

Until Next Time…

Write the Vision...

Habakkuk 2:2-3 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  My interpretation of this scripture is to write down the desires of your heart to make it a reality when reading your goals. In writing these things, realize that it is not for the present time, but for the future.  Also realize that if we are patient and believe in God’s word our desires will come to pass.  One thing I believe in is writing down my hopes and dreams.  I never realized its correlation with the word until recently.  As I have shared with you before, I make a short-term list each month and what I don’t accomplish carries over to the next month. It is what I like to think of as keeping up with my life’s inventory.  At the end of the month I’m able to see my achievements, my determination or the lack there of.  You’ll be amazed at the gratification it brings to realize the greatness of God and the many blessings that he allowed you to experience over time.  Not to mention you will notice your strengths as well as your weaknesses and in knowing these things, you can make yourself a better person by correcting what's wrong and capitalizing on whats right. 

My listings include EVERYTHING like personal aspirations, career objectives as well as workout targets. I even list things about myself that I would like to change or eliminate (this is the hardest list to concur).  If you are at a point in your life where you would like to start making positive changes try making a list of your own.  If you do decide to try it, there are a few things you must understand.

1.     Write the vision and make it plain

Know exactly what it is you desire, be descriptive

Example:  Pray for a job with great benefits, good people, understanding atmosphere, not far from home, more money, not much overtime

2.     You must have faith the size of a mustard seed

Simply writing things down or wanting something is not enough.

You must make realistic goals and believe that they are achievable by your own will and by God’s will.

Example

a.     I want to lose 100 lbs in a month (this is not a realistic goal)

b.     Writing down I want to be successful and believing it will happen

3.     Faith without works is dead

To believe something can be done will not bring it pass.

Example: I want to lose weight, but I keep eating and I’m not working out.

I want a new job, but I haven’t applied for anything and my resume is not done

You MUST work in the direction of accomplishing the task at hand, if you want to lose weight, work out, cut back on food. If you want a new job update your resume, go to career fairs, apply to jobs. 

DO NOT do anything that will take away from your ultimate goal.

Example:  I want a husband of my own but in the mean time you sleep with someone else’s or continue to have a relationship where all signs lead to a dead end road.

4.     Glory goes to God

When you reach your goals it is a blessing and should be treated as such. DO NOT take credit as if you did it on your own.  Don’t be ashamed to speak on your blessings or breakthroughs.

Example

a.     Stating “I was blessed with a good job” not “I get every job I want so this one was no different”

b.     Stating “I was going through hard times and God stepped in right when I needed him” not “I don’t know how I got through it”

5.     When you have been faithful over few things you will be rewarded with 

many things

God  tests progression to see how you’ve matured in The Word  and if you are ready for certain blessings.  You must follow all of the above guidelines in order to get to this point.

Example:  You reached a short term goal and you used it to glorify God and or you gave him glory for it coming to pass.  He will then see if you will respond in the same way with more and if you do you will live a life of abundance in all areas of your life. 

These guidelines have worked many times in my life.  Faith without works is dead is my motto.  I know exactly what I want in life and I also know what it takes to get it.  The Fear of God, Learning his Word, Determination, Desire, Strength, Faith and Obedience. 

Before every Test there’s a Testimony, and before every Breakthrough there’s a Breakdown. Keep this in mind when problems arise.

Today my Voices are Reminding you: You are not an average person, therefore you should demand greatness to refelect in all areas of your life! Work, home, family, deameanor, words and actions…. If you do not know where to start to accomplish greatness..here's a starting point.

Until Next Time…

Back Down Memory Lane

As I’ve told you before I love music..so it’s typically how I start my day. I brush my teeth and comb my hair to the beat of the music. But this morning I was being picky about my music selection because when I woke this morning I wasn’t in the best mood so when one of my most memorable songs came on I turned it off because I wasn’t mentally prepared for what that song had to offer. I decided t o hurry and get dress for work so that I could take a slow ride in to work and enjoy my music. 

So here I am headed to work and I decided to press play on my Pandora station and here is that song again, Jaheim’s soulful voice mixed with Terry Dexter and instantly I was brought back to that moment in time that changed my life forever! Every time I hear that song a tear or tears will roll down my face without permission as I bask in the feeling of the day that Demond stood in our apartment singing that song to me. I could remember thinking boy he’s in a good mood, I better take advantage of this. He was singing and reached out his hand and asked me to dance… So here we are dancing in the middle of our bedroom while he’s singing Remarkable (that was back when I thought he could sing J LOL ) he smiled and sang “Girl I know I done put you through some things, and I love you more each day and that aint never gon change no! If you ever left me nothing would remain…you’re part of me…no, you’re all of me…”  It was as if each word that left his lips was being permanently embedded in my heart and mind the very moment it was released, that day changed me! So I was smiling and enjoying that moment of pure bliss!  Then he got to the part of the song that Jaheim sings “How my heart begins to pound; On one knee I will go down, grab your hand and tell you now,  You will always be all that I’ll ever need much more than my baby you’re an angel heaven sent me; once was blind but now I see; never let your love get away from me…Will you marry meeeeee” And as he sang the song he got on one knee and pulled out a box and proposed by singing the song!

So here I am in the middle of my bedroom jumping up and down, flapping my hands and screaming “ O My God, O My God!” as tears of joy rolled down my face. That happened in 2002 and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Moral of the story: No matter how bad life may seem, a great memory will always be that…a great memory!  Nothing can change the events of the past or the circumstances of the present...but there’s a lot that can be done to determine the type of future you will have.  Start today with making moments that count! Begin today creating memories that can carry you or someone else through! Life is too short to waste on negativity. Do something today that can have a positive everlasting affect on someone!

One definition of memory is a retained impression of event: the knowledge or impression that somebody retains of a person, event, period, or subject. So when you make your decisions, make sure your reaction is that of something you wouldn’t mind being remembered for!

Until Next Time…