Month: August 2016

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:23)

When I was a child, there was only three ways to get the news:  radio, television, and the newspaper. There was no all day news channel like, CNN. In fact, television only had a few channels. Less than that if you didn’t have a good antenna. LOL

Of course, nowadays cable TV and the internet allows us to have access to the news 24/7 if we want and a lot of it is BAD! I was going to say most of it is BAD, but I didn’t want to be a Debbie Downer. LOL

In spite of all the bad stuff going on in this world, we have hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Even when things aren’t going our way at the moment, we know God can and will turn it around for us. We have an upcoming election that has folks feeling some kind of way to say the least. LOL We have to remember to vote, but put our trust in God, not man. If our least favorite candidate is elected or if something terrible happens in our lives, we shouldn’t get mad at God because He’s our hope. He’s promised to never leave us or forsake us. He’s promised us forgiveness, eternal life, protection, guidance, wealth, love, family, etc. He is the ultimate promise keeper. So don’t be discouraged. Put your hope in the ULTIMATE PROMISE KEEPER!!! I’m not exempt. I’m  . . .

Just blogging it out . . . OH, and Happy Wednesday Night!! 😀

Pray! Pray! Pray!

 

I saw this meme on Facebook a couple of hours ago. I’m not sure if Mother Teresa really said this or not, but it makes total sense to me. What do you think?

Family values play a major role in how we react to our circumstances. Everyone is different, of course, but I don’t think anyone will disagree with:  if you want more, you have to do more. It starts at home. We need to go home and love our families!

Just blogging it out . . . OH, and Happy Tuesday Night!! 😀

Pray! Pray! Pray!

 

 

Finally, a break from the summer heat. No need to run the air conditioner tonight. 😀 Well, it’s the last Friday of the month. Can you believe it? 120 days until Christmas!

I will end this blog week with a little encouragement. Most of the people in our lives mean well even when they’re a bit discouraging. LOL And most of the time they don’t understand our vision. When we take risks, they are more nervous than we are because they don’t want us to fail. Especially those who never take risks. They see things from their perspective, they wouldn’t dare do it, so neither should we.

So, perhaps we shouldn’t broadcast our plans. Now, I’m not saying we should start being overly secretive.

LOL

I’m saying we should be mindful of what we say and to whom we say it. As a matter of fact, we should think about whether it’s necessary for us to say anything at all. Sometimes we get so excited about what God has shown us that we feel we have to tell someone. We totally get it, so everyone else will, right? WRONG! It’s not for everyone to understand and they probably won’t be as excited as we are either. LOL We should ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in everything we do, including discussing our visions and plans. If God said we can do it, we can. No idle chit chat needed. Just do it! 😀

Just blogging it out . . .Oh, and Happy Friday Night!

Don’t forget to pray for the world.

 

 

Miss Mitchell was my forth grade teacher and one of my favorites. I’ve never been a great student, having difficulty with math in particular. I thought she was the best teacher I ever had UNTIL she expected me to solve the math problems by myself. We worked so well together. I couldn’t understand why she wanted me to work on my own. And besides that, she started helping other students too. LOL She was no longer one of my favorite teachers. In fact, I stopped paying attention in class. When I got my report card, my mother asked why I was doing so poorly in class. Guess what I said. “Because Miss Mitchell stopped helping me.” LOL

It’s funny how I thought Miss Mitchell was the best while she was helping me. But as soon as she  encouraged me to use the skills she knew I had, I became resentful. It was so much easier when she helped me. How dare she!?! LOL She did her best, but I didn’t. Of course Miss Mitchell told my mother everything that happened during the parent-teacher conference. Needless to say, my mother gave me the whole ‘no one owes you anything’ and ‘you’re responsible for yourself’ speech. She probably popped me a few times too. LOL

We all have a God-given purpose to fulfill. It’s our responsibility to seek the Lord to find out what it is. We can’t waste the help that God sends our way. And we certainly shouldn’t get mad when the help is no longer available. Here’s the deal. . .

Seek the Holy Spirit for guidance. You have work to do. I’m not exempt. I’m . . .

Just blogging it out . . . OH and Happy Thursday Night! 😀

Keep praying for our country . . . the world.

 

 

 

 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8)

Life is full of challenges. As Christians, we are to rely on God’s strength to get us through times of challenge. A few weeks ago, when my literary contract was cancelled, people thought that was a challenge for me. I guess it was, but there was absolutely nothing I could’ve done to avoid it, so it’s easy for me to move on.

Well, I’m facing another challenge that’s very difficult because through my own strength I can think of plenty of things I can do. As a matter of fact, I could’ve completely avoided this situation. And now that it’s happened, I have a solution that doesn’t require divine intervention. LOL The solution will leave me comfortable, BUT I will have to visit this challenge again. That’s how life is. It’s like taking an ‘I’ in a required college course. (I=incomplete) In order for you to receive your degree, you have to complete that course. It’s always better to try your hardest to complete the course the first time even if it’s difficult. Gotta push through. And I  definitely don’t want to spend 40 years trying to accomplish something that only takes 11 days. LOL Read Deuteronomy  for that story.

I don’t have the strength to face this challenge. I really don’t. So, I am going to rely on Jesus, COMPLETELY!! I know He will get me through this. Discomfort is inevitable, but in the end I will be a better person.

If you’re facing a challenge that you’ve decided to solve without relying on God, maybe you should rethink the solution. Rely on Him to get lasting results. Avoid the ‘I’.

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Tuesday Night! 😀

Keep praying for our country.

 

 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

Only you know your situation. I definitely know mine. 😀 Always identify the real enemy.

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Monday Night! 😀

Keep praying for our country!

TGIF!! Antoine, Scout, and I are enjoying a peaceful night.

Here’s my story:  I’ll never forget the night my sister called me to tell me my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She unfortunately died a little over a year after she was  diagnosed. That was the worst part of my life and I’m sure it was hers as well. After she passed away, I experienced the peace the Bible describes in Philippians 4:7. Some people didn’t understand and felt I was hiding my feelings because I didn’t grieve the way they expected. They didn’t realize how much I cried as I begged the Lord to heal her from the time she was diagnosed until she took her last breath.

I know this is strange to type, but I always thought she would die unexpectedly, in her sleep from a stroke or a heart attack or something. I never thought she would be diagnosed with cancer or suffer. I wrote my first book, A Love Uncommon, as a coping mechanism. You know what? Her passing gave me the courage to publish the book. I love the story, but I’m definitely a better writer now. LOL Who knows, I may revisit that story one day. 😀

Well, today is my mother’s birthday. She never made a big deal out of her birthday, but my siblings and I threw her a surprise birthday party in 2008. If I remember correctly, she liked yellow cake with strawberries in the middle with whipped cream on top or the Atomic cake. We didn’t have the same taste in cakes. 😀

She didn’t get a chance to read A Love Uncommon. Some people believe the dead watches over the living, or that loved ones become guardian angels. I guess believing that helps them cope with their loss. I don’t believe either one. I do believe we will see each other again because she had a personal relationship with Jesus. That’s all a part of the peace I described earlier. I do believe if she were still alive, she would be proud of the person I am today. 😀

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Friday Night! 😀

Keep praying for our country!!

 

¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13, 14)

While editing Book 1 of the Autumn Moon series, I ran across a good reminder for all of us. Here’s a little snippet:

Daddy always says, there’s always someone who is better or worse than you in some area. There’s no need to look for them. God created you the way you are for a reason. To wish to be something different is an insult to God.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. We all have a purpose and are all important to God. There’s no need to compare ourselves to other people. It’s a waste of time. Instead, we should seek the Lord for our purpose. Reject negative thoughts and agree with God. Say, “I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE!”

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Thursday Night!! 😀

Keep praying!

 

 

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

Only twenty-eight pages of edits left. I would love to finish tonight but I’m actually typing this with my eyes closed. LOL

God is so good. It is better to focus on His goodness than the foolishness all around us. Thank Him for what you have instead of pouting about what you don’t have. He’ll give us exactly what we need. We have to trust Him.

Just blogging it out . . . OH and Happy Wednesday Night! 😀

Keep praying.

2 Timothy 2:21 “…he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

Yup, that’s me in the not so flattering pic. It was taken after a long day and after a rehearsal that made me question just about everything I’m doing. Have you ever had one of those days?

LOL It’s pretty cool that I was wearing the HG brand that day. The HG stands for Honor God 4 Life. Christianity is a lifestyle, not a religion. The choices I make and the way I live my life is a direct reflection of my love for Jesus. How much I trust Him. When faced with opposition, I have to . . . we have to choose to honor God with our actions and reactions. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I have a purpose to fulfill and nothing is going to stop me. My focus is on the Lord, not humans.

As long as we have breath in our bodies, conflicts will arise. They are an opportunity for growth. Or, you can always stay exactly where you are, your comfort zone. That’s a good place to blame everyone else around you for your problems instead of taking responsibility for your actions and reactions. I know you won’t choose the latter. 😀

Wake up every morning with the mindset to honor God. Go to https://shop.honorgod4life.com/ to get your t-shirt today. You never know when you’ll need a reminder to Honor God 4 Life. I’m not exempt. I’m . . .

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Tuesday Night! 😀

Pray for our country.