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Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV) – “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Hi WR2W, I would like to take this time to thank you for sharing the last two years with me. This journey has been one of healing, transformation, and pursuit and it has been my pleasure to share with you my innermost thoughts inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, this will be my last blog post. God has revealed to me that the year of 2020 will not be a year of much presence on social media, phone, or physical engagement, but an extensive amount of my time will be spent in prayer and studying the effects of prayer as it relates to relationship and healing. However, I will take a limited number of spiritual life coaching sessions that must be scheduled via the website http://tamariajhawkins.com/booking/.

In this upcoming year of 2020, I am looking forward with great expectation for what God has promised in the areas of healing, transformation, and pursuit, and am excited about what He will do for me and through me for others as I continue to pursue after His will. Thank you for all of your encouragement, support, and prayers along this journey and I ask that you continue to keep me lifted as I continue to pray for you. Please continue to submit your prayer requests http://tamariajhawkins.com/contact/ and place your orders for your Prayer Signature Blankets via the website http://tamariajhawkins.com/store/, Facebook Messenger, or text. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true, Happy New Year !

Let Us Pray…….

Abba Father, in the name of Jesus, we petition You to go before us and clear our paths for healing, transformation, and pursuit. Father God purify our hearts so that we are healed and are able to be transformed into spiritual vessels in pursuit of more of You. Father, we thank You for loving us more than we can possibly love ourselves and we ask that as we come before you with hearts of humble submission that You will bring us through the processes of justification and sanctification that we will always bring honor to Your name. Dear Master, bring us into Your knowing and give us understanding so that we will seek Your will in all we do. In this upcoming year of 2020, we ask that You make our paths plain where there is no space for confusion. Allow our eyes to be open, ears in tune to what Your Spirit is saying at all times and order our steps for the pathway to destiny. Father God, in the name of Jesus, we come against the enemy and his strategies and we decree and declare that distractions are blocked, and detours and delays are no longer in our paths. Abba Father “go before [us] and make the crooked places straight” (Isaiah 45:2 NKJV) that we are in alignment with Your will for our destiny. Father, right now we have gathered together in Your name as Your word instructs in Matthew 18:20 and are standing in agreement trusting that “no weapon formed against [us] shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against [us] in judgment You shall condemn” (Isaiah 54:17 NKJV) in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus because You are with us due to our obedience to Your word. Holy Trinity, thank You for being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit over our lives and we will forever give You and Your powerful name all the Glory. In this and many blessings we pray, Amen!

Signed,  
In Pursuit of Greater ❤️

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT)– “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

Hi WR2W, I pray that your month has been filled with blessings and your day will be one of joy, love, and gratitude. As I reflected on this past year, I embraced many different emotions that forced me to feel beyond the surface of my heart and brought me into moments of joy, indifference, and sadness. I became sad most often when remembering moments shared with loved ones who have transitioned to be with the Lord. However, I am grateful to God for the memories that He allowed us to create. For those of you who are having the same experience, I encourage you to seek the joy of the Lord as your strength. We are to “give thanks to the Lord, for He is good” even in the midst of mixed emotions. During this time of year, when we are expected to celebrate with family, friends, co-workers, etc., research shows that many of us are suffering from depression, loneliness, and unfulfillment, which in my opinion are the primary ingredients for the devil’s recipe. So, when we feel the vices of depression, loneliness, and unfulfillment coming our way, let us consider [them as] an opportunity for great joy and one that is fully developing our endurance where we will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (James 1:2-3 NLT). Why? Because God’s faithful love endures forever, and He fulfils His promises even when we wander in these vices yet for a moment.

Therefore, my prayer as we come closer to the end of the year is that we continue to give thanks to our Almighty Father for His goodness and faithfulness to all generations. Let us give thanks not just today or during the month of November, but every day because having the ability to breathe the breath of life and serve Him daily is indeed a true gift from God and we ought to be grateful. WR2W, I challenge each of us to finish this year and go into the next year thanking God daily for being God, our Everything, and complaining about nothing as we sow seeds of expectation and reap a harvest of manifested blessings. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let Us Pray…….

Abba Father, in the name of Jesus, we petition You with hearts of Thanksgiving, giving You praise, honor, and glory for being our Everything. God, thank You for being Good and Faithful, but most of all, we thank You for Your never-ending love. Father, You are more than Good and words cannot express the gratitude we have for You as You welcome us into Your presence. As filthy rags, You purify our hearts, clean our hands, and renew our minds so we are fit to enter in and worship You. Father God, there is nothing greater than worshipping at Your feet and breathing in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Sweet Jesus, thank You for interceding on our behalf and sacrificing Your life so we can serve and worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Holy Spirit we seek You as Comforter and Guide and we ask now in the name of Jesus that You lead us into all righteousness and grant us the Spirit of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control so we can serve the Kingdom in excellence. Holy Trinity, we give You thanks as “those who belong to Christ Jesus hav[ing] nailed the passions and desires of [our] sinful nature to [the] cross and crucifi[ng] them there (Galatians 5:22-24 NLT). O’ Mighty God, we commit our all to You in Thanksgiving, have Your way with us and forever use us for Your glory, in Jesus mighty and matchless name we pray, Amen!

Signed,  
Thankful ❤️

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Hi WR2W, this month of October has definitely brought the unexpected into my life. At the beginning of the year, I was on “cloud nine” and several months later I started realizing the unexpected was about to happen. I was not in denial; I was in a state of not ready. Something I thought was finally about to happen made a turn for the worst before my very eyes and although I tried my best to send warning and fix it the best way I knew how, destiny spoke, and a purposeful decision had to be made. WR2W, sometimes we are forced by destiny to make decisions that will affect the trajectory of our life but what we must remember is that when we are in relationship with God, He will make all things clear and grant us the peace and strength we need to move pass the decision. Will the spirits of frustration and disappointment arise as a result of the unexpected? Absolutely, but we must look beyond our wants, ask God to reveal our needs, and expect the best is yet to come.

WR2W, although I was forced by destiny to make a hard but necessary decision, I was not ready to make, I trust God and I know that this decision is already working together for my good. Therefore, I am looking forward to the new door God is opening in my life because I strongly believe when God closes a door, He has already opened another. As I walk through the open door, I will carry purpose, fearlessness, and confidence with me over the threshold knowing without a shadow of doubt that God has positioned me for the promise. WR2W, never avoid making hard decisions and settling for less than what you are worth because someone else is not ready to go where you know God is taking you or to make someone else comfortable when God is saying it is time to stretch pass your comfort zone. Time is to be cherished and not to be wasted so make every decision and move with purpose and on purpose. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let Us Pray…….

Father God, in the name of Jesus, we come before You with hearts of uncertainty due to the unexpected, but through it all we still trust You. God help us to see as You see and accept what we did not expect, but You deemed purposeful to happen as well as to make hard but necessary decisions when we are not ready. God, we cast every care upon You and although we may not understand Your reason for making the decisions You have in our lives for our good, we trust Your plan for our destiny over what we thought was best for us. Forgive us for thinking we know best and rid us of any frustration and disappointment that we may have developed as a result of the process. God, in the name of Jesus, give us the strength to weather the process and allow Your Joy to be our strength. We love You and fully trust You with our heart, service, and destiny even in unexpected times. Have Your way Father as we stay out of Your way and follow Your lead. Lord, order our every step and continue to guide us into righteousness, in Jesus mighty and matchless name we pray, Amen!

Signed,  
Trusting in the Unexpected ❤️

Hi WR2W, I pray that this 9^th month of the year has been well. September, the first month of Fall, what a blessing! In this month, I pray that we have refocused our energies and have come to recognize the meaning of falling blessings. During this month, I have faced many attacks from the enemy that I know were only distractions. Distractions, things that keep you from devoting your full attention to your divine assignment. Hmmm, sounds like a good plan by the enemy to keep us from becoming all that God has purposed for our lives. But the enemy of fear is a liar! I am aware that these attacks came to introduce fear in areas where I was fearless and to increase fear in areas where fear laid dormant but thank God for Jesus.

WOG, it is so important for us to recognize the enemy’s strategy and his plan to thwart our destiny. If he can plant fear in our heart, he can destroy our destiny and I do not know about you, but my destiny is not up for negotiation! We must conquer fear and walk into our destiny fearlessly. It is time for us to stare fear in the eye and speak to this very mountain and tell it to MOVE! It is time for us to stop dreaming about what life can be like and take the steps in God to make it happen. Every word that has been spoken over our lives including the affirmations we speak daily (prayerfully), it is time for us to step out on these words in faith and make the move to see the prophecy come to fruition. A prophecy is just a prophecy until we grab hold of the word and put it into action. So, who is with me? Who is ready to trample over fear and take destiny by force? WR2W, let’s go, for our destiny awaits; I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let Us Pray…….

Father God, in the name of Jesus, we come before You, asking that you would purify our hearts, renew our minds, and give us clean hands to worship You. We look to You as our Helper, the only Helper we know that can rid us of this enemy call fear. Father, we recognize that fear is not of You, therefore, it has no place in our lives. We understand that You did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. So, Father, uproot fear from our lives and replace it with boldness and courage. We want to walk bold for You God, decreeing and declaring our destiny here on Earth as it is in Heaven. We believe that You have called us to a greater purpose and that purpose is for us to fulfill the destiny You have assigned to our lives. We rebuke the enemy of being stuck, and we speak to the mountain that is blocking our next level blessing, move out of our way! But Father God, we thank You for this great month of September. The month that marks the first day of fall, but spiritually marks a season of falling blessings. Thank You September for reminding us that God’s Hands not only holds the blessings but releases them and fear cannot stop God’s falling blessings. Dear Master, we receive each blessing now with open arms and we thank You for being a promise keeping Father. Fear has been defeated and as long as we live, we will continue to praise Your name and say Bye Fear, and Thank You September; in Jesus, mighty and matchless name we pray, Amen!

Signed,  
Bye Fear, Thank You September ❤️

Hi WR2W, I pray that this 8-month of the year has been well, and we have been revived and motivated for newness. I encourage each of us to look forward to what God has in store and to trust Him to lead and guide us to just what the number 8 represents, “New Beginnings”! I am excited about our future and all that we will accomplish for the Kingdom through the power of God. For too long we have been focused on what we should have done, what we have not done, and what we cannot do. What about focusing on what God has called us to do and seeking Him for vision and purpose. Knowing what we were put on this Earth to do is the beginning to us discovering our passion and making great use of it for the Kingdom. I am a firm believer that once we have discovered our passion, we have discovered our purpose and will gain a profit. However, the only way this will effectively happen is if we dig deep and become intimate with God. He is the only One who can reveal passion and purpose and bring forth profit. So, the question is what are we passionate about?  

Some of us may be passionate about speaking and motivating others, some may be passionate about helping others look good, some may have a passion for creating stuff, whatever we find we have a passion for is most often what we have been gifted by God to do and if He has gifted us He will make provision for us. “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men” (Proverbs 18:16 KJV). So, there is no need of us worrying about how our passions will become a business and one day an empire. No, our assignment is to answer the call of God with a yes and put our all into the “New Beginnings” that has been set before us. I pray each of us develop within our heart a never-ending and burning fire that will forever ignite our dreams to become a reality and our fears to die. Each day we awake is a new beginning and each moment we have to give God a yes to the passion burning inside of us is a blessing so let us embrace the call of “New Beginnings” with a yes today. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let Us Pray…….

Father God, in the name of Jesus, we come to You with hearts of humble submission with our hands lifted and our minds centered on You as we say yes to the call You have placed on our lives. Thank You for trusting us with the assignment and giving us this extreme passion that continues to burn in such a way that our dreams have become ignited and destiny is inevitable. Father God, thank You for setting before us “New Beginnings” each day that will allow us to open the business and establish the empire for Your glory alone. Send profits God, in the name of Jesus, from the North, South, East, and West and allow wealth to find us and never leave our hands. Father use us to bless others by transferring the wealth of our hands into the hands of others that Your seed will never beg for bread. Allow our lives to be pleasing unto You that we shall never bring You shame, but always bring You glory. In the mighty and matchless name of Jesus we pray, Amen!

Signed,
Embracing my New Beginnings❤️

Psalm 23:3 (NLT) – “He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name.”

Hi WR2W, I pray that your month has been well, and you are ready to be revived! I am looking forward to what God is going to do on Friday, August 2, 2019 at 8 PM in the old building of the St. Joseph Baptist Church “When the Glory Falls” at 878 Irish Bend Road, Franklin, LA 70538. When God spoke to me about giving the revival, He showed me the great and mighty works of His Hands that will go forth. I became excited at the results that will manifest before leaving the temple in the areas of deliverance, healing, and restoration. Saints, God is amazing, and He is worthy of our praise in the name of Jesus. The fire of the Holy Ghost will be present, the spiritual works of our Father shall be imparted, and unlimited grace shall be supplied as a result of His glory. I pray you are ready to experience the unusual because God is not a usual being. He is a Supernatural Being that does the unusual. The unusual is the “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” type of blessing that He shall release on Friday, August 2, 2019! This is the type of blessing I am expecting from God and what I am praying for God to do in each of our lives. So, prepare your hearts, mind, and hands for an unusual experience because It’s Revival Time. Therefore, it is our time for breakthrough so come through and get your blessing!

Whatever we have been praying for and trusting God to do that is in His will for our life, I can assure you, the release will be in the house. “When the Glory Falls” there is nothing that He has ordained for our life that can be withheld from us. Healing in our body, mind, and soul shall be granted, deliverance from spiritual vices that has been keeping us bound shall be granted, and restoration of our soul (inner spiritual man) shall be granted in the name of Jesus. God has ordained and blessed this revival so that our strength in the things of Him can be increased to do the work of the Kingdom for His glory. It’s Revival Time because God wants to attend to our spiritual needs such as our prayer and worship life, faith, and actions. This revival is not about receiving houses, cars, and money. It is about purifying our hearts, renewing our minds, and cleaning our hands to worship God so we can bring “honor to His name”.   

I look forward to seeing each of you and I pray that you will invite others to come as you share with them the great and mighty things that will take place “When the Glory Falls” so come and receive a powerful word from the Lord that will guide us “along right paths” as God provides specific instruction through His preached word. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!     

Signed, 
Ready to be Revived❤️

Luke 10:2 (NLT) – “These were His instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.”

Hi WR2W, I pray that your month has been well, and you have been spending a significant amount of time with the Lord. Since last month, I have been reflecting on my life, the different seasons of my life, and how I was shifted in each of those seasons. I realized that every season of life is important and a gift from God and it is our rightful duty as Daughters of the King to work in each season. When I think of a seasonal worker, I think of someone who only works short term (temporarily) during a time when there is an increased work demand. For instance, I am from a small town called St. Joseph in Louisiana that has a sugar mill so every year the locals as well as migrant seasonal workers usually work from October to January or until Sugarcane grinding season is over. Once the grinding season is over, the temporary local workers shift to other employment and the migrant workers is shifted back to their homeland. But although the workers for the grinding season have shifted, the permanent workers who are employed year-round are still working in that location to carry out the process and produce the final product. So, in order to get to the final product, every season (planting, grinding, and harvesting) in the Sugarcane industry is important and workers are needed in each season. Therefore, when it comes to the work of Jesus Christ, there is an increased demand of work each season and the Kingdom cannot afford for the harvest to be plentiful and the workers few.

It is time for us to not only believe God’s field is present, but for us to actually show up in His field and put our hands and feet to work. James 2:26 (NLT) teaches us that “just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works”. The two (faith and action) work hand in hand and if we are truly living our lives by faith (meaning we trust and believe), we will actually get to work and do something. We will not just talk about the goodness of His field, but we will be about sowing goodness into His field. The action of being an all seasons worker will automatically follow and the harvest will still be plentiful, but so will the workers. As Daughters of the King, let us pray to our God for our field assignment with an attitude of selfless concern and as the pure in heart. In this season of our life, let us put our faith (total trust without any doubt) in God like never before. Faith is the reality of God and His power at work in our life. We are to put our faith in things eternal and not the very things that our flesh desires; which has no lasting value. We are looking to the physical and scratching the surface, but God is the I Am Who I Am who brings forth promise to those who harvest in His field.

Moreover, He is the Unseen that is going to bring us out of a dark situation into my marvelous Light. God is the One that will destroy the wall of Jericho (that is blocking our access to the promise), He is the One who will say to the mountain (our issue) be uprooted and thrown into the sea (out of our way). God is a spiritual force that requires us to work in the field and go deep in worship, meditation, and prayer every season, and although we cannot see Him, we must walk (live in this world, conduct ourselves) believing that He is right here with us in all seasons. God is the fence that surrounds us. He goes before us, is on both sides of us, and is behind us, covering every piece of our being. The miracles we have read in His word and the miracles we have seen today are evidence of His presence. God is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. So, we need to stop saying this is my season. God says, He has created every season, therefore, every season is our season. We are to rejoice in our season of planting (the time given to sow seed), waiting (the time given to prepare to receive the produce of the seed), harvesting (the time in which we see the blessing manifest), and eating (the time in which we are now released to taste and not just see the goodness of the Lord). As hard as it maybe for us, every season will not be a season in which we eat, but if we go through the process, by faith, we will eat the good of the land in the appointed season because by faith, we walked in an act of obedience and lived a life pleasing to God. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!  

Signed, 
All Seasons Worker❤️

   

Romans 15:13 (AMP) – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.”

Hi WR2W, it has been my constant prayer that each of us would experience “May Flowers” (an abundance of blessings) “After the Rain” (April showers – when it rain, it pours). Naturally, many of us know that when rain is heavy and persistent and is attended by winds, it can cause serious damage to what we have been working so hard to build. Naturally and spiritually, this is why it is very important for us to take the necessary precautions before, during, and after the down pour in order to maintain that which we have worked so hard to build. Naturally, this would be a beautiful garden; spiritually, this would be unwavering faith. From experience, naturally and spiritually, I am a firm believer that preparation is key and if we accurately prepare, we will see “May Flowers” (many blessings) blossom “After the Rain” (the hardships of life’s twists and turns). No matter what we have gone through and/or possibly still going through, “God is faithful; He will not suffer [us] to be tempted beyond that which [we] are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way to escape, that [we] may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV). So, let us hold fast to our faith and trust the God of Hope to fill us with His abundance of blessings: joy, peace, and hope – these are the promises that will forever sustain us through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!    

Let Us Pray…. Father God in the name of Jesus, we thank You for being a God of Hope. We thank You for making the blessing of hope possible through the sacrificial death of Your Son, Jesus Christ. God, we acknowledge You as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For without the power of the Holy Trinity, we would be lost without hope. So, thank You Father for loving us despite our shortcomings and giving us the power to exist in the abundance of hope “After the Rain”. Father God in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the “May Flowers”, the many blessings of joy, peace, and hope which You have allowed to blossom daily in our life even through the rough times. You are such a faithful and loving God and we praise Your Holy name and will forever be sustained by Your word. In Jesus matchless and mighty name, we pray, Amen!

Signed,
Abundantly Blessed❤️

Hi WR2W, I pray everyone has been well and I want you to know that I am praying for you and your families. This month has truly been “April Showers” (trying times) for my family. According to the old adage, “April Showers” means a very rainy period, a heavy downpour that gives way to “May Flowers” (an abundance of blessings). We have faced a downpour of trials and tribulations, but thanks be to God for carrying us through them all and for that I say to God be the Glory for all He has done. It has been one thing after another, like a bad chain reaction that is falling out of control. Most days, all I could do is cry out to God and cast all of my cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7) and “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let [my] requests be made known unto [Him] (Philippians 4:6 KJV). It has gotten so heavy at times all I could do was lay in His presence and trust God in such a way that whatever happened, I know without a shadow of a doubt that all was well and God allowed it for our good even though 99.5% of the time I did not understand why.

In order to have a peace that surpasses all of our understanding, we must trust God and not rely on our own strength. As hard as it may be to accept what God allows, it is essential that we surrender our all (thoughts, matters of heart, and premeditated actions) to Him and let God order our steps in a way which pleases Him. I know life can be hard and we may face some difficult times when we just do not understand what God is doing and why He chooses to allow some things to happen, but this is where “prayer is the key and faith unlocks the door”. Having a faithful prayer life invokes God’s presence and causes situations to shift and peace to abide. So, I encourage each of us to “pray without ceasing” and “in every thing (“April Showers” and “May Flowers”) give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning [us]” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 KJV). I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let Us Pray…. Father God in the name of Jesus, we come to you with humble hearts of submission asking that You will forgive us of our sins. We ask Dear Father that you purify our hearts, renew our minds, and give us clean hands to be fit to enter Your presence. We thank You for all that You have done and will continue to do in our lives, and we ask that You teach us how to stay before Your throne of grace and always pray without ceasing. We ask Dear Master that You incline Your ear to hear from Your servants and that You make room for us at Your feet where we can come before You with hearts of worship. God, in the name of Jesus, we ask that You heal our hearts during and after “April Showers” and You teach us how to receive “May Flowers”. Father, in the name of Jesus, forever lead and guide us in the way that pleases You and offer You glory. In Jesus matchless and mighty name, we pray, Amen!

Signed,
After the Rain❤️

Hi WR2W, I pray each of you are doing well and the month of March has brought you many blessings. This month for me has been all about being M.A.D. (Motivated About Destiny)! When you have set goals and surrendered them to the Lord, you must be intentional and become extremely M.A.D. To be M.A.D. means to be motivated about God’s will for our life. The reason I say this is because “everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny” (Ecclesiastes 6:10 NLT), but it is useful to be in relationship with Him and seek after it. Being M.A.D. is all about relationship, purpose, and position. Are you in relationship with the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)? Do you know the purpose He has created you to fulfill? Are you in position to receive the blessing that being M.A.D. brings? I would like to think that we can answer yes, but the truth of the matter is that the majority of us have a lot of work to do before we can truthfully answer yes.

As hard as it may be for us to accept, we have no control over our life and all that it entails, which includes our destiny; but we do have control over our actions to come into relationship with God by studying His word, praying to Him, and praising and worshiping Him. This is the type of work we must put in if we want to experience the presence of God and His revelatory power. The bible says in Hebrews 11:6b (NLT), “anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him”. The only way we can know if He exist is to try Him by pressing into His presence and spending time at His feet through the way made by Jesus Christ. If we truly want to know our purpose, we must know God as Elohim, the Mighty Creator of all things; Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who makes intercession for us, and the Holy Spirit who teaches, comforts, and guides us along life’s journey. To know one without the other is not truly knowing God. He is all three “equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption” (BBFI, Article of Faith II). 

So WR2W, I encourage each of us to get to know Him and surrender our heart to be positioned to be used for His great and mighty works and watch the blessings that come when we are determined to be M.A.D. “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give [us our] heart’s desires.” It is so important when being M.A.D. to “commit everything we do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help [us]” (Psalms 37:4-5), but we must remember that our only desire should be to please Him by being M.A.D. which is to fulfill His will for our life. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
M.A.D.❤️

Hi WR2W, the month of February is considered to be the month of love. On the 14^th of this month every year, trucks are loaded with flowers of all types, the shelves of stores are emptied of candy, stuffed animals, cards, etc. and jewelry stores sell more diamonds than we can imagine. All this is good, but is this really the meaning of expressing godly love? Don’t get me wrong, I love receiving roses, chocolate covered strawberries, cards….and so on, but what I love the most is receiving and most importantly giving love selflessly and sacrificially. A selfless and sacrificial love is a type of godly love that expresses action without considering oneself, but considering others, and this is how I want to live life and love!

Ephesians 5:2 (NLT) teaches us to “live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us” and there is no love greater.  I thank God every day for the selfless and sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and try my best to model after Him.  Yes, these are big shoes to fill, but all that we do to honor Christ and live life pleasing in his sight is worth giving of our time, money, and resources selflessly and sacrificially and for me this is love!  We should not celebrate a day of love only one day of the month, but every day of the year. Love should be consistent, unceasing, and unconditional. 1 Corinthians 13: 7 (NLT) says it well, “love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”  So, whatever you may be going through or facing, God’s love will never leave us nor forsake us, but it will always carry us through, so we are to be strong and courageous!

My family and I continue to witness the selfless, sacrificial, and never-ending love of God and this month He blessed us yet again with a Love name Piper.  We are so grateful to God for granting her a miracle by bringing her through heart surgery and giving us a chance to live life loving this bundle of joy and witnessing the amazing things He is going to do in her life.  Please continue to lift her up in your prayers and from our hearts to yours, live life filled with God’s love because there is no love greater. I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
❤️❤️❤️

Hi WR2W, I hope your New Year has been great thus far!  I pray that you have made your list of goals for the year and have already started tackling them “head on”.  The start of this year for me has been amazing and the reason it has been amazing is because I have changed the way I approach another year.  Did anything physically change for me from 2018 to 2019?  NO, but my mindset going into 2019 is different from the mindset I had in 2018.  I left fear, doubt, procrastination (well still working on this one), and hesitation in 2018.  Although I made great progress in 2018 with overcoming fear, doubt, procrastination, and hesitation, they still existed, but in 2019, they are non-existent, and I am intentionally pursuing my goals with courage and by faith.  In 2019, I am determined not only to give birth to my destiny, but to nurture it with all that I am and all that I see myself to be!

WR2W, I am extremely excited about what God has in store this year for those of us who are taking the leap of faith, intentionally walking in our purpose, and pursuing our destiny.  Moreover, for those of us who are allowing ourselves to be stretched, our capacity to soar is limitless.  I am looking forward to hearing some amazing and mind-blowing testimonies of the goodness of Jesus and how with Christ, we have accomplished all that He set out for us!  But the only way this can happen, we must do the work.  We must seek God to order our steps, give us the personality and attitude, and put us in the right position to meet our god-ordained connections.  I am ready to connect with like-minded individuals who God has put in my path to help birth my destiny.  It is only up from where I am standing and that sounds awesome to me!

WR2W, “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27 NLT) so the impossible things are what my list consist of because in 2019 I decline everything man can make possible, but I accept all things that “comes from [God] and exists by His power and is intended for His glory (Romans 11:36 NLT).  In this season and every other season of my life, the impossible, the ridiculous, and what seem out of reach is all that I am seeking because I know the Power that is working in each of us is mighty and is able “to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).  Let us stretch our faith beyond our imagination and watch God work!  Have a blessed and wonderful Sunday!

Signed,
Happy New Year ❤️

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, this is my last post of the year and I wanted to share with you the gift of “Birthing Destiny”.  So many times, we have quick and/or constant thoughts, great ideas, and clear visions, but what do we do with them?  Do we allow them to remain dormant because we are unsure of what to do with them?  Do we not take the necessary steps to prepare to birth them because of lack of resources?  Are we afraid that if we do birth them, there is no turning back, so we must have what it takes to maintain?  For some of us, all of the above are probably true.  Well, I am here to encourage each of us to “take fear head on” and command it gone!  That’s right, in order for us to give birth to our destiny, we must get rid of the blocks of stagnation, fear, and confusion.  There is no need for us to be confused because God knows His plans for our life as He knew the plans for the life of Jesus, from the beginning, through the middle, up until the end, and it is our responsibility to seek Him for clarity and trust Him for a good and hopeful outcome; never did He say the plans would be easy, but He did promise they are not to destroy us (Jeremiah 29:11).    

However, I do understand that many of us have a hard time when it comes to being certain of what God wants us to do with our life while here on Earth.  The answer is He wants us to serve, but the question most of us have is in what capacity.  The majority of us are clear that we are servants of God and we have been called for the purpose of serving and glorifying God, but again, what area have we been chosen.  I get so many questions when it comes to hearing from God and feeling His presence, knowing when it is indeed Him telling us to move on something or stand still in relation to family, career and education, church, and friendship.  For instance, I have had many people tell me, I do not know how to hear from God, when He is speaking, or if what I am feeling is God, therefore, I do not know if I should do this or not.  WR2W, one thing I am certain of is that the Godhead,the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit speaks (bring forth revelation) through His word.  The Master Prophet, Jesus, knew all things and He made sure we were fully equipped to carry on His ministry for the perfecting of the saints, so He gave gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the church to do His work, so again, there is no need for us to be confused (Ephesians 4:11-12). 

Moreover, if you are confused, I rebuke this spirit right now and decree and declare that you will no longer be confused or in denial, but that God will give you clarity on the steps that He has ordered for you to take.  It is so important for us to walk in purpose and fulfill destiny, and this is why, I have answered His call to bring guidance to His people through spiritual life coaching.  If you have been experiencing this feeling and would like to turn it around in 2019, I would love to help you discover your purpose and birth your baby.  The midwife is here to help you deliver, so make your appointment with Birthing Destiny (asktamariaj.com)!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Birthing Destinies

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Deuteronomy 9: 21 (NLT) – “I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.”

Hi WR2W, did you do the exercise last week?  I hope so!  When we fully surrender to God and give Him a yes, He begins to reveal the purpose of our pain and gives us strategic direction on how to channel the pain to become purposeful, not only for our good, but for the good of the Kingdom.  WR2W, what we must realize is our pain is never about us.  It is always about our assignment!  However, if we are so focused on what we think we are supposed to be doing (that which is causing us the most pain and holding us in bondage), we will always miss what we are meant to be doing (that which gives us purpose and fulfills destiny)!  For the longest time, I struggled with identifying my purpose because I allowed the emotions of my mind and heart to block me from receiving clarity from the Lord on that which He has purposed me to do.  As hard as it was and sometimes still is, I choose God’s will and I totally say yes to Him.  Is it easy to do?  I would have to say no, but if it is easy for you, then congratulations!  However, for most of us that are being honest with ourselves, it is hard.  It was hard for me because I could not differentiate God’s will from my will.  I never saw them as separate and I did not think I was being selfish and wanted only what I wanted.  I did what I was taught to do: made goals, prayed, and did all I could to make it happen.  So, how do you correct over 30 years of being taught a certain way and train this same mind to forget almost everything about this way and accept the method of just saying yes to the Lord and believe He will reveal what we are meant to do?  I had a serious problem with this method because for people like me, this did not work.

First of all, let me be honest, I became so angry when I was told this for the first couple of times because I felt like my feelings were not being considered and all the pain I was feeling had been disregarded.  Some may say I felt like this because I was being self-righteous, but I say I was merely confused!  At that time, I definitely was far from where I am now spiritually so can you possibly imagine how confused I must have been after hearing such a statement?  Now, I understand why I was told this, but at the time, I truly did not understand.  I did not understand that I was dealing with “Purposeful Pain”.  It took me many years to understand that may pain was not unnoticed but being developed for a greater purpose.  Moreover, it took years of praying to God to teach me through the power of His Holy Spirit how to recognize the difference between His will and my will, forfeit my will, and accept only His will.  For the longest, I believed in my heart that it would have been much easier for me to deal with as well as spared me several years, if that above statement of just saying yes to God’s will would have come with an instruction manual on how to do just that, but one thing I have learned while on this spiritual journey, some things cannot be taught by man but only learned from the Holy Spirit.      

WR2W, there is no step by step manual on how to hear the voice of God in relation to the purpose of our pain because God deals with each of us on a case by case basis, therefore, no two people have the exact process.  Nevertheless, if we participated in the above-mentioned exercise of surrendering to God on last week, we learned to let go and no longer hold on to purposeless pain but learned how to move forward with “Purposeful Pain” and be all that God has destined for us to be.  I challenge each of us to continue to motivate one another to burn the graven images of how we see our life, the plans we have made for our life, and all the pain we have endured from trying to make life happen and accept the “Purposeful Pain” in our life and watch God transcend our expectations.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
My Pain was for Purpose

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Deuteronomy 9: 21 (NLT) – “I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.”

Hi WR2W, have you ever wondered why you have endured so much pain in your life?  Why me?  That was the famous question, especially if you felt like you were doing everything God wanted you to do.  You treated people with kindness, tried to help everyone you could, nor did you do anything to cause others harm.  But then there were others who did everything under the sun, and on top of that, they were not nice and caused harm every time you looked around, but these were the people who appeared to be prospering, in good health, and pain did not appear to be what they were suffering.  Well, I know I am not the only person who has ever experienced these types of thoughts.  Many years ago, I would ask God, why me?  Then I would go as far as to compare the type of person I considered myself to be to the type of person I concluded in my mind was not so good and appeared to be reaping blessings.  Blessings, I obviously did not think they deserved based on what I would consider now as a judgmental mindset.  As if I was the One who died on the cross and was granted the power of being the Only Judge and Gift-Giver!

 WR2W, often times, we do not realize we are judging others because we have become so self-righteous.  Many may not agree, but in my opinion our self-righteousness is connected to our level of pain and what we feel we deserve and do not deserve, when in actuality, we need to evaluate ourselves and surrender it all (thoughts, actions, feelings, and will) to God.  Today, I want you to evaluate your level of pain and give it a number from 1 – 10.  Then I want you to take your number, for example, if it is 10, and write 10 things you feel is causing you the most pain and burn the paper when you are done.  As you stand there and watch the paper burn, begin to pray and ask God to uproot the cause and cast the dust of it into the depths of the sea that you shall no longer have remembrance of it.  Once you have completed this part of the process, then I want you to look up to heaven with your arms raised up and opened wide and say God not my will but let Your will be done in my life.  Now, believe in His will for your life and trust Him to bring it to completion! 

 How do you feel?  Do you feel lighter, the same, or nothing at all?  The answer to this question determines the next step of your process.  I want you to write your answer down and think about it.  If you feel lighter, write down why you think so.  If you feel the same, I want you to take a deep breath and try it again, but this time think about all the pain you have felt and/or currently feeling, and exhale as you are letting it go in the fire.  If you feel nothing at all, I want you to begin to pray and ask God to help you embrace the exercise, teach you how to feel Him during the exercise, and reveal the pain which has caused you to become numb.  Then repeat the process.  The purpose of this exercise is to teach us to let go of the calf (the graven image, our will) we have made and say yes to the will of God.  Do I think this is easy, no, but do I think it is worth it?  Absolutely!  I encourage each of us to spend some time doing this exercise as often as needed and spend time with the Lord as we meditate on His word day and night (Psalm 1:2) because in the midst of all our pain, God is developing our purpose and it shall be revealed.  I look forward to next week as we continue to discuss “Purposeful Pain”.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
To Be Continued…

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, my prayer for each of us today and every day is that we be faithful, focused, and fruitful.  I pray that throughout our life we have joy even during the difficult times.  During these difficult times is when we need to draw from the well of joy because life can be very tough.  But what I know, in the depths of my soul, is that Jesus is Joy and He is Lord!  In the good times, I call on Jesus.  In the hard times, I call on our Jesus.  He has been so consistent and so faithful.  He has answered my prayers and blessed me with His ways and delivered me out of the miry clay, and all I can say is thank you Father.  I worship our Father because there is no other like Him. I come before His throne with worship when things appear good, bad, and/or ugly because no matter the state, He is Lord!  Throughout my life, I have endured a tremendous amount of pain, but life experiences have forced me to my knees and taught me how to lean and depend totally on our Father and as a result “I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer” (Psalms 120:1).  If there is no other advice I can give you, I will be sure to recommend crying out from your soul unto our Lord.  When we cry out to God in our distress and pray to Him for help, the bible says our cries reach His ears and He hears us from His sanctuary (Psalms 18:6), but what really gives me courage and helps me to feel safe and at rest is the fact that He does not leave our soul in tears, but He reaches down from heaven and rescues us and draws us out of deep waters and from our powerful enemies (Psalms 18:16-17).

WR2W, as I reflected on crying out from my soul, I could only remember 1 time in my life when I really cried out to the Lord from the depth of my soul for His help and that was 4 months ago when my mom was diagnosed with cancer.  I felt completely helpless.  There have been so many other times when I have gone to the Lord for healing for other family members and friends, but nothing seemed as hard as that time.  In 2013, when the doctors gave up my aunt Lisa, it never crossed my mind that she would not make it, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would live a full and healthy life.  When the doctors said 1% chance, I heard the Holy Spirit say 100% chance and that settled it.  But when it came to my mom, I did not hear all is well and I was scared.  The day my mom took the biopsy, I was in the office with her watching the surgeon and I began to ask Him the questions I heard the Holy Spirit utter to me.  I began to feel unsettled because I knew it was cancer and I heard Him say move her immediately.  That same day when we left the doctor’s office and I was driving us home, I heard the Holy Spirit say, sarcoma.  This was amazing and nerve-racking at the same time.  Amazing because He was preparing me and nerve-racking because I did not want this to be true.  However, I guess my face told when I heard the voice of God and/or maybe it was when my mood suddenly became somber because my mom asked me what was wrong.  I cannot remember the exact words I told her, but I remember looking at her and saying no matter what the results say we know that God is in full control and she was alright.  She looked at me and said, she was not worried because she did not have cancer.  Although, I think at that moment, she knew I heard something because I was too quiet, her soul was crying out to the Lord and she knew He heard her cry and she remained faithful and unmovable.

WR2W, I did not respond to my mom’s question of what was wrong because at that moment, I did not know what to say.  My emotions took over and my mind was not at rest.  I begin to google on my phone the word sarcoma.  It was a long ride home for me because I wanted to be strong for my mom and appear as if I was unbothered.  I wanted to prepare my mother for what she was about to hear so before we returned the next week for the results, I told her what I heard the Holy Spirit say and she said ok, but I don’t have cancer.  Again, she had cried out to the Lord and He had answered her, so it was no need to worry and accept what she did not have.  Needless to say, I learned so much from my mom, a woman of strong faith.  So, we continued with the process and the following week, we went for the results, and were prepared to hear the words cancer and sarcoma, and this was exactly what we heard.  We were given a paper that said leiomyosarcoma and the size of the tumor, which was really small, but learned later that it was large for the area it was located.  However, to make a lengthy story short, my journey of crying out to the Lord from the depths of my soul and trusting Him like never before began.  My mom was alright and emotionally was doing far better than me.  Early the next morning after receiving the results, it had to be about 3 or 4 AM, I cried from the depths of my soul and asked the Lord to heal my mom and extend her years.  I remember saying Lord for her faithfulness, remove this unclean spirit from my mother’s body and send it to a barren land that it shall never rise against her again and extend her years upon this Earth that she may complete Your work.  I cried so much I became weak and quiet.  The next day, Bishop Anderson stop by to see me and I began to cry again and shared with Him what I heard the Holy Spirit say to me.  And he began to pour into me and bring me into a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit and the revelation in which He gives.

WR2W, I share with you all of this to let you know that the Holy Spirit reveals to us so we can go into prayer with revelation on what exactly to come against.  It is for us to wage war through the power of the Holy Spirit against the Satanic attacks of the enemy.  It was not until I cried out from my soul, that I entered into a greater dimension of knowledge and understanding.  Something happened to me that morning that is unexplainable.  I felt a feeling like never before and became completely vulnerable before the Lord.  I was stripped of pride, and the walls came down.  I was completely helpless and realized that this was a job only for Jesus and my natural intellect and medical knowledge was not going to get me through this one.  I don’t care how many classes I took in college, graduate school, and/or medical school, none of them gave me peace and if anything, they made me more nervous because naturally I knew that this cancer was a beast.  It was only the way of the Holy Spirit that pulled me through this one and recognizing the voice of God that gave me peace and assurance that all was indeed well!  My Sisters, I encourage each of us to cry out to Lord and cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7) and will answer our prayers.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
A Continual Cry from My Soul

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, Friday morning I woke up thinking about that interception Drew threw in the final minutes of the game, we (the Saints) were almost down to the two-minute warning, and Drew threw his first and only interception of the game.  Now, this was a “Game Changer”!  Before this play, I am sure Sean, the players, and the fans still saw hope.  Hope that Drew could throw the ball down the field possibly to Thomas or one of the other players to run the ball into the end zone for the winning touchdown.  A repeat of what was done several times throughout the season, but no, not this time!  This time, we needed a “Game Changer” moment!  A moment when defensive pressure could not shake us, and we recognized that what use to work, would not work this time.  We needed to bring the element of surprise, but when we come unprepared to play like #1 seed, the element of surprise can never be implemented and losing is the end result.  But every loss is not a bad thing.  Many times, in our life, God will allow us to lose the war to win the battle.  The loss is to teach us to always come ready to play like the #1 seed and never take any moment for granted.  A loss prepares us for a greater comeback while granting us a humbling experience that opens our eyes to see what we missed the first time and use it to execute with greater skill and force every other time.  So, let us thank God for the losses because He is only preparing us to be a mighty “Game Changer” and setting us up for the big win!

Listen, on Thursday night, the Cowboys did just that, they came waging war and played as if they were the #1 seed.  The defense was off the chain and no matter the team’s current record, they played as if they were playing in the Super Bowl as the #1 seed.  We can learn something from the Cowboys, and that is to saddle up and take the horse for the best ride of his life!  It does not matter who may have counted us out based on our past or current record, we should always come prepared and ready to take out our opponent (Satan, the enemy).  Do you understand that the Cowboys spent countless hours studying the strategy of their opponent and practicing every play strategically as if they were playing the Saints in the real game?  HINT: we must take this approach in life.  The Cowboys set out to stop their biggest threat, Drew Brees, the greatest quarter back in the NFL and guess what, they did just that but not without strategy and practice.  We must stop saying we want to win if we are not doing anything in our life to prepare to win.  This is insanity and stupidity!

WR2W, if we want to be champs and play in the Super Bowl of life, meaning accomplish our goals and became a “Game Changer” we have to study our opponent’s strategy and develop a plan to wage war and the only way we can be successful at defeating the enemy is by studying the word of God.  One of my favorite game changers in the bible is Esther.  Esther was a bad woman!  She was wise and very strategic.  She did not make a move without consultation and sticking to the plan.  She was not hasty nor was she shaken under pressure.  She remembered all she was taught and shared only what needed to be shared at the appropriate time and because she came prepared to play, she not only won the game, but she changed the game!  In changing the game, she saved her family and a nation of people, made history, and prepared the way for the Kings of Kings!  Esther was a “Game Changer” because she had a prayer life and a plan!  Moreover, she understood the importance and power of praying with those in agreement.  My sisters, this type of praying will move mountains, I have seen it happen.  The bible enlightens us in Esther 4:16 (NLT) that Esther sent word to Mordecai to “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me.  Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.  My maids and I will do the same.  And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king.  If I must die, I must die.” This indicates that Esther was not operating in fear because she had spent time with God and received revelation on strategy and her purpose and she was prepared for whatever may have come her way because she trusted God.  WR2W, the hope that many may have seen on the field Thursday night before the untimely interception because of the trust in the skill of Sean Payton and Drew Brees to get us the win when we knew it was over, is the same enthusiastic approach we must take in coming to know Jesus when we feel like life is over.  We need to surrender to the will of God and allow Him, the only Hope, to give us strategy to become a “Game Changer” and make a difference in and for His Kingdom.  Then and only then will “The Saints Go Marching In” and win the Super Bowl of Life.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Changing the Game

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, today I woke up feeling blessed and overjoyed from spending time with my family and enjoying them these last four days.  I was NOT ready for them to leave this morning, but I know their time in Georgia for now was up.  However, as I laid in my bed, l began to reflect on life and what is truly important to me.  Career and living out my life’s dreams are ok, but there is nothing greater for me than experiencing true love.  True love to me is not the “fleshly stuff” but supporting one another through anything, having each’s others back when one is lacking and picking up the slack to the point where the other person’s shortcomings are never noticed, building a “brand” together that takes the world by force, and creating an extension of the family that reflects our love for one another.  I am “Ready to Love”.  I prayed and asked God to place me in position to be found as a wife and to release my husband to find me because “the man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22 NLT).  I am a well-balanced treasure packaged with “wifey materials” and my husband is one blessed guy and for this I say, to God be the Glory!

 WR2W, we must know to give God glory for all things even for the process of being made into the wife He is calling us to be and for the husband we are “Ready to Love”.  My prayer is that in our time of waiting, we focus on God and being obedient through the process.  We are to take our focus off of wanting to be married and when the husband is coming and center our focus on being prepared to be a godly wife and fulfilling our assignment.  As I was writing the previous sentence, the Holy Spirit directed me to Titus 2:12 and when I turned there, I was reminded “and we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures.  We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God (NLT).  The Holy Spirit then sent me to verses 4-5, wow, they were already highlighted, and read as thus “these older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands.  Then they will not bring shame on the word of God (NLT)”.  I am so in love with God and His word that I am “Ready to Love” as the scripture instructs.  When we become consumed with God and the things of God, all our desires and earthly wants and needs are no longer important.  Godly living and destiny surpass fleshly living and desires because we have taken delight in the Lord and accepted God’s will for our life instead of our own will as our hearts’ desires (Psalm 37: 4).

 WR2W, I encourage each of us to live a godly life and “don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what [we] need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then [we] will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard [our] hearts and minds as [we] live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT) and we will become content in whatsoever state we are (11), and then and only then, can we be “Ready to Love”.  I have learned to be content and to fully trust God with every entity of my life because I am fully persuaded that He has my best interest and will only give me the best.  This is why waiting to be a godly wife who is loved by my husband as Christ love His bride (The Church) and why I am “Ready to Love” for the first time as God has instructed have become easier and my portions.  It is my prayer that we pray for each other, and individually, we keep our heart and mind focused on God throughout our process.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Ready to Love

 

 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, it is time for those of us who rather lay down all day and never leave the house to “Get Up, Get Dress, and Get Out”.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it is good for us to lay around and catch up on our rest and recharge.  For me, this week was necessary.  Sometimes, it is good for us to turn off all electronic devices, don’t answer any calls, and do nothing but take a mental break to avoid a mental breakdown.  Well, I was not able to fully do all of this because I had to work, but as much of it as I could, believe me, I did!  However, now it is time for me to “Get Up, Get Dress, and Get Out” of this house because these four walls definitely seem to be closing in on me, lol.  I hear people tell me all the time, “Tam you are too young not go anywhere, how do you want to meet someone, he is not coming to your door and get you”.  And to be perfectly honest, I know they are right, although I joke back by saying, “how you know, he could be the FedEx guy”, but then I need to be honest with myself because I am not ordering any packages, lol.  I must do better!  I keep saying this to myself, but until I choose to do better, I guess I will continue to wait on someone or something I am not putting any “good works” into receiving.  “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works” (James 2:26 NLT).  

 Therefore, I encourage each of us to start making a special effort to do our work and “Get Up, Get Dress, and Get Out”!  Even if we go to the movies, the mall, grocery shopping, the park, somewhere, we are trying.  Friday, I realized that this is a spirit of laziness because I did not want to do anything outside of work.  All I wanted to do was wish, and I have never discovered where wishing got a person a dream.  We are not little children anymore where our parents tell us “make a wish and your dream will come true”.  We need to stop telling our children that anyway because that is not the whole truth which in my opinion is a lie.  The part that is left out, I will fill in, “make a wish, put it into prayer, work hard to achieve it, and our dream will come true”.  Now, this is the possibility of truth because we gave it to God and at least we tried.  But most importantly, we gave it to God and did not magically leave it up to Him to bring it to pass while thinking we do not have to do our “good works”.   Now, it is true, sometimes God gives us things that we did not apply for, did not ask for, etc., but I guarantee if we really evaluate the situation, we were in position to be seen or thought about to receive the blessing.  We still had to “Get Up, Get Dress, and Get Out” to be seen, thought of, and/or remembered!

 WR2W, if a person never knows our name, never sees our face, never heard about us through connection because all we ever did was laid around, caught up on our rest, and never went anywhere, 9 times out of 10, we will miss the blessing that has been released with our name on it.  I would like to think of this as the power of appointment.  I am ending this year strong and entering next year with even more strength working hard to execute the power of appointment.  I will make a special effort at least three times a week to “Get Up, Get Dress, and Get Out” of the house outside of work.  Will you join me?  If we want to live our best life which is a blessed life, we better do our “good works”.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Putting in Good Works

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I am so grateful for all your love and support this weekend.  OMG was not the Lord good to each and every one of us.  The fire of the Holy Spirit was in the building and I cannot thank God enough for the presence of His glory.  We fasted, prayed, and showed up with great expectation and we received more than what we could have ever imagined.  Truly, I am grateful, and I say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul.  I am so excited about what God has for us in the upcoming months.  Tamaria J. Hawkins Ministries, Inc. is looking forward to #heelsconference2019 and sharing with you the details so you can begin making plans to be a part of this amazing experience and opportunity to give God all the glory!

I am grateful for my team, they did such an amazing job!  O my, what can I say?  I am absolutely speechless.  God could not have given me a better team.  Everyone on the team is hardworking, all must have overcome the “L” in HEELS, because none exhibited the spirit of Laziness during this year as we prepared for the conference nor this weekend.  They were patient with me and executed my vision with so much grace and class, and I know patience was their virtue when dealing with me, lol.  Thank God for Jesus, can I get an Amen…. I am shouting right now!  I also would like to give God glory for such an amazing, anointed, God ordained music ministry.  From the singers, to the musician and drummer, and the beautiful dancers…. Yes Lord, it was nothing short of amazing.  All I can say is to God be the Glory!  And what can I say about these powerful women of God who revealed God’s word in such a way where we were all arrested under the power of the Holy Spirit and subjected to change.  The word of the Lord penetrated our hearts and changed us from the inside out.  When I tell you these anointed vessels of the Lord took us “Under Construction” and we had an awesome time feasting on God’s word.  We must have laughed, cried, smiled, laugh some more and cried all over again.  What a time, what a time!

Moreover, a big thank you goes to my photographer for capturing every moment, I know Half Pint must have taken over 1,000 pictures and that is not an exaggeration.  Thank so much for your professionalism and dedication to capturing beautiful and cherished memories.  Thanks to Bees Catering Service for the delicious food, people are still talking about how tasty it was and wanting another plate, lol.  A special thank you goes to my Pastor and First Lady, and my Mt. Calvary Baptist Church family for allowing us to house #heelsconference2018 and showing such great hospitality in helping to make sure that everything ran smoothly from the sound room to keeping the bathrooms clean to being available to open and unlock the church and whatever else we needed.  We are truly grateful because you made this weekend a huge success so thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  God has been faithful, and blessings and favor have been immeasurable.  WR2W, please stay tuned because the best is yet to come, and I hope you are Women Ready to Work, I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Grateful

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to share with you today how to make the best lemonade you could ever drink.  It starts with knowing Who makes all things bitter, sweet.  When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  Yes, I have heard this saying ever since I can remember, but nobody ever told me how to take bitter lemons (life circumstances) and make them into a refreshing, bubbling spring (peace everlasting).  Well, that day is over because I am officially coming to tell you how and His name is God, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit!  When most people refer to this saying, they are speaking naturally, but I have never heard anyone say, take this lemon baby and add the blood of Jesus to the glass and mix in a bit of that sweet Holy Spirit and to top it off, to make it cold and solid as ice, add in some prayer, praise, and worship.  This combination in one glass is the best lemonade that will quench every thirst, forever.

 WR2W, I invite you to #heelsconference2018 to help you look beyond the lemons (life circumstances) and give you the ingredients to make the best lemonade you will ever taste.  Come all and “taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8 NLT).  When I tell you that your life will forever be changed, it will, and you will never want to go back to being thirsty.  In order for you to understand that sentence, you need to join us on Friday and Saturday, November 9-10, 2018 at the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 414 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560 where all lemons will be squeezed to make the best lemonade ever sold on the market because it is sold out for Jesus.  Life is not supposed to start as lemonade, it is supposed to be made into lemonade.  The bible tells us in Job 14:1 (KJV), “man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble”.  So, this is biblical proof that lemons are purposed in our life to be processed throughout our life to make that “good ole fashion, down home, southern type” of lemonade, I’m a country girl “ya’ll”, lol.  

 WR2W, life can be so much sweeter and refreshing if we had the joy of the Lord in our life and we knew Him in the pardon of our sin.  Then and only then, will we no longer focus on the bitterness of the lemon, but on squeezing all bitter juices from our heart into a glass filled with the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and all byproducts of serving the Lord in excellence and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.  My sisters #heelsconference2018 is the place to be so share the good news with all whom you know.  We will be going “Under Construction” together squeezing lemons (life circumstances) and making lemonade (peace everlasting)!  Please register today at http://tamariajhawkins.com/conference/ or via CASH App ID: $HEELSConference and put your name and for registration in the note section.  You don’t want to miss it.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Making Lemonade

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I am so excited about this upcoming H.E.E.L.S Conference!!!  It is going to be absolutely amazing and Holy Spirit filled.  I pray, like me, you are ready to “Loose the Trash” in your life and “give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about [us]” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT).  The word tells us in Proverbs 12:25 (NLT), “worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” so please come Friday and Saturday, November 9-10, 2018 to the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 414 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560 and hear an encouraging word from some God-ordained, Holy Spirit filled, anointed women of God.  On Friday night, I, Minister Tam will be delivering the word during the “BE HEALED & DELIEVERED: IT’S TIME FOR WORSHIP!” service, and on Saturday, my God, the lineup is Amazing for the “UNDER CONSTRUCTION: LET’S TALK REAL ISSUES!” segment.  Pastor Kathy Nettles will open with HATRED & ENVY, followed by Humble Lady Shira Verrett with EAGERNESS & LAZINESS, Evangelist Elizabeth Gash with SEXUAL SIN, and a close out with Minister Angelika Jones who will take us “UNDER CONSTRUCTION”.  All I can say is Amen and Hallelujah!   

 Listen, I don’t know what is worrying you, but all your cares (how I am going to pay my bills, what am I going to do about my family, when will my health get better,  where will I get the money to buy a vehicle or fix the one I currently have because I can’t afford a new one, where will I find a new place to live because we are about to get evicted, I had to sell my stamps this month to pay the light bill, how am I going to feed my family, etc.) need to be loosed in the trash because you can’t drop them off at goodwill because these type of items you are carrying, they don’t take!  However, I know a place that will take them, and not only will we take them, but we will help you pick up some peace and joy to deal with everyday life.  WR2W, it is time for us to “Loose the Trash” that is keeping us from living our best life and that is a blessed life. It is no way we can say we are living our best life and are living full of worry and stress.  No, we are living a heart attack waiting to happen.  We are living a life without joy and peace; one which leaves us restless because we don’t have the tools to go “Under Construction” and “Loose the Trash”, so we can build a better foundation for ourselves and all those connected to us.

 WR2W, share the good news with others about #heelsconference2018.  We will be going “Under Construction” together and collecting the trash from our lives and setting it on fire with Holy Ghost power!  So, again, if you are not registered, please register today at http://tamariajhawkins.com/conference/ or via CASH App ID: $HEELSConference and put your name and for registration in the note section.  You don’t want to let the chance to “Loose the Trash” in your life pass you by, come an empty yourself and receive the peace and joy that awaits you.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Loosing the Trash!

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I am so excited about what God is about to manifest in our lives before the end of this year.  My God, my God, my God, this conference is going to be off the chain and if I was you, I would be in the place to be!!!  God is going to pour His Holy Spirit in us who are ready to receive more of Him and I dare you to come on board.  Listen, I have felt the unction before, but it is something about this feeling I just can’t shake, and I am super duper excited because I l feel a great shift and a mighty move of God.  More of His anointing, more of His grace, more of His favor, more of His mercy, more of His love, more, more, more of Him and this is what I pray each and everyone of us want in our lives!

 WR2W, come and get your blessing.  Can you feel the momentum?  I know I can, and I just want to scream and shout Hallelujah and run around my house because His word is in my heart and like Jeremiah, it is “a burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jeremiah 20:9 KJV).  When I tell you the fire of the Holy Spirit will be in the building of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 414 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560, but most importantly in us, on Friday and Saturday, November 9-10, 2018, I mean just that!  “It’s Conference Time” ladies!  And for those of you who may be wondering, what is a conference, it is simply a time when women from all types of backgrounds with one common come faith and that is the faith in Jesus Christ, come together to worship the one and only wise God.  Are you ready to worship at the King’s feet?  I know I am and not only am I coming to worship God, but I am coming with a spirit of expectation—why, because He told me to come ready to receive spiritual renewal, spiritual refreshing, and spiritual awakening. 

 WR2W, this will be a life-changing experience for all who will be in attendance and I AM SO EXCITED because this conference is needed!  It is needed because we need a revelation.  Heaven will be open and God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, will reveal His truth as we “worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24 KV).  It is so important for us to understand that true worship has nothing to do with a physical location, but with our attitude of worship, the condition of our heart.  Let us come together with worshiping hearts and gather in His name, expecting a mighty move of God and the word says, there He will be in the midst of us (Matthew 18:20 KJV).  Oh, “It’s Conference Time” ladies and I hope you have registered and if not, please register today at http://tamariajhawkins.com/conference/ or via CASH App ID: $HEELSConference and put your name and for registration in the note section.  WR2W, don’t let this worship experience and manifestation of His glory pass you by, come get your blessings.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Coming Expecting!

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, as I was sleeping in the wee hours on Saturday morning, I can hear the song “Close” in my subconscious mind and when I woke up, I can still hear it and feel it in my spirit.  Have you ever had that experience when you go to bed, not listening to a song, but you wake up to one?  God is simply amazing, and He has a way of delivering a message to His children if we are in tune enough to know the voice of our Father singing us a melodious prophecy.  Well my sisters, not only did I receive the words of my Father through the song “Close”, but I went to YouTube and listened to my prophecy and thanked God the whole time it was playing.  I am sure many if not all of us can relate to going through difficult times and a stretch of roughness where we have been waiting and anticipating our breakthrough.  I believe as the songwriter Marvin Sapp sang what our Father placed in his spirit to prophecy to us, we are “Close” to what God has for us.  Do you believe?

 Today, I want to use this time to pray for our mental state and endurance to push through these moments of difficulty, so we can continue to move closer to our destiny because destiny is what God has for us.  But, if we do not believe it, we will not receive it!  This is why I love Mark 11:24 (NLT) because it provides hope and instruction, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours”.  Those words, “if you believe”.  Whatever and/or Whomever we are believing God to receive, I am here to encourage each of us that we are closer than yesterday and if we just keep pushing and holding on to God’s Unchanging Hand, we will soon have it or him in our hands.  WR2W, if you are waiting on a new opportunity, receive it and it is yours, if you are waiting on a husband, receive him and he is yours, if you are waiting on a financial blessing, receive it and it is yours, if you are waiting on more of God’s anointing, receive it and the gift is yours, if you are waiting on healing, receive it and it is yours, and if you are waiting on order in your home, receive it and it is yours.  I believe and receive all of the above, and with anticipation, I am waiting for all of it to hit my hand soon because He told me “that I am “Close” to what [He has] for me!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

 Let Us Pray…….

 Father God we come to You with our hearts in humble submission, asking that You would purify our hearts, renew our minds, and give us clean hands to worship You.  Father, for we know that we are not without sin, so we ask You to forgive us daily and feed us with Your Bread of Life that we will never have a day of lack and struggle that You would not get us through.  Teach us Father to P.U.S.H (Pray Under Sacrificial Holiness) because without communing with You in prayer it is impossible for us to follow the steps that You have ordered.  Father, we are closer than we have ever been to reaching our destiny and we pray now that You uproot distraction and every plot of the enemy to keep us from receiving what You have for us.  Father keep us on the path You have set for us and open our minds, eyes, and hearts to receive what You have for us even though we have not yet seen it in the natural.  Father grant us a YES, for we believe the wait is over and are anticipating a great breakthrough in Your darling Son Jesus name, let Your will be done, Amen!

Signed,
Closer Than Ever

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I come today to motivate us to do what Nike said best “Just Do It”.   Many of us have been waiting for years to do what God has purposed in our heart, and what we know we are supposed to be doing because we are full of excuses based on fear.  Fear of not having the funds to carry out the vision, fear of not having a partner to support the vision, fear of not having the education to sustain the vision, and fear of failing at executing the vision, all these things keeps us in a position of always waiting and never obtaining.  This is a waste of life and purpose, at least for me, and I refused to be another added waste to the graveyard.  There are many people who have died full of dreams and aspirations, therefore, the graveyard is full of wasted life and purpose because when life expired so did their dreams; which were never introduced and/or fulfilled.  All I can feel deep down in my soul is what a waste and I would rather die on empty, having given all that I am, instead of on full or half a tank! 

 WR2W, whatever you are purposed to do and be, why continue waiting for the perfect time?  The perfect time does not exist, let us “Just Do It”!  The only timing that exist is God’s timing and for those of us who like to blame God and say when is God going to do it and what is He waiting on?  News flash, He is waiting on us to “Just Do It”.  There is a difference between perfect timing and God’s timing.  Perfect timing is the timing man has developed to define the right time to be doing something.  God’s timing is the time in which God has ordained that which we have been waiting on to manifest in perfect timing.  This is a huge difference, so it is important for us not to move on our time; which is before time, but to move on God’s time, which is perfect. 

 So, with that being said, WR2W, let us not waste any more time, let us “Just Do It”.  If paperwork needs to be signed and/or filed, “Just Do It”.  If the building needs to be purchased, “Just Do It”.  If the dress needs to be picked out or you need to be fitted, “Just Do It”.  If the call needs to be made, “Just Do It”.  If a family meeting needs to be scheduled, “Just Do It”.  If you need to get dress and go out and fellowship and develop a godly social life, “Just Do It”.  Whatever it requires for the dream to be achieved, “Just Do It”.  I challenge each of us to use these next 7 days to work toward accomplishing whatever it will take to help us get closer to achieve our goal and not be lazy and full of excuses, but to “Just Do It” relentlessly!  I am all in ladies, I hope you are too.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Just Doing It

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to empower us today to not allow anyone or anything to kill our dreams.  Sometimes we get to a point in our life when we get tired of going through hardships.  But, hardships are God ordained and a necessary part of shifting our purpose into destiny.  These hardships are called “Dream Killers” and are meant to knock us off course.  So, knowing this information, we must pick up our cross with a smile on our face and constant prayers to God in our heart and keep it moving.  PLEASE NOTE: The question is not if hardships come to break us or make us stronger, but how do we respond when they do come, and the answer to that question, is we respond with a spirit of conqueror and not defeat.  “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NKJV). 

 WR2W, let us take the story of Joseph for example.  Joseph’s dreams were about his purpose and because Joseph was filled with the Holy Spirit, he knew these dreams meant he was destined for greatness and that he would one day rule.  But because Joseph was still immature and somewhat naïve, he spoke what others was not mature enough to handle—his destiny.  But thank God for his immaturity because what he spoke and when he spoke it was ordained by God to shift him from purpose into destiny.  Therefore, hardships were necessary for Joseph’s destiny because he had not been through anything yet that would prepare him for the destination revealed in his dream.  So, when the enemy sets traps for us, let us not complain, but view them as temporary stops on a battle ground to train us to be prepared to reign in excellence.  No more feeling sorry for ourselves and resenting these “Dream Killers”, but it is time for us to start thanking God for them because they are a necessary part of the process of us becoming strong enough to handle anything, prepared for any situation, and better yet wise enough to handle the power that God has given us when we reach the dream of destiny fulfilled.   

 So, “Dream Killers”, thank you for the shifts in the hardships.  And like many of us today, we are being shifted from being naïve to enslaved to imprisoned, but there is no need for us to worry because if we search deep enough we find that there is purpose in the pit of issues that brings us into isolation.  Nevertheless, the shifts in the hardships have taught us that although we may be honest people with integrity, there are people who are carrying spirits inside of them that are bound to attack our purpose and shift us into our destiny.  So again, thank you “Dream Killers” for the heartache, pain, disappointment, fear, and even doubt because all of it made us fall to our knees, draw closer to our God, and call on His name.  Thank you for trying to kill our spirit which carries our dreams because all you did was push us on our knees when we could not fall on our own.  Joseph was shifted from being a naïve Shepard boy to a slave to a convict and then a ruler.  When Joseph’s brothers threw him in the pit then came back and sold him into slavery, they were shifting him closer to fulfilling his dream.  Joseph’s destiny to rule was not in the Valley of Hebron in Canaan, it was not in Shechem, nor was it in Dothan; it was in Egypt, and although his “Dream Killers” did not know it, they were “shifting” Joseph up to feed them.  Isn’t God good and won’t He do it?  Yes, He will!  So, WR2W, who is God “shifting” us up to feed?  Each shift has purpose.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Shifting Up!

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to encourage you today and everyday to “Put A Praise on It”!  It is so important that we recognize God’s hand in every situation in our life and learn how to give Him thanks in all circumstances.  For the scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV), “Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for [us] in Christ Jesus.”  So, if that is what the word instructs us to do then why are we not doing it?  No more complaining and saying what God has not done, instead, let us thank Him in advance for what we have requested and are expecting Him to do.  And yes, it is that simple so let us not say “it’s easier said than done” because we can prove this statement to be a lie simply by our actions.  Every day let us get into the practice of thanking God for our current situation, no matter if it appears good or bad, again, in every circumstance we are to give Him thanks! 

 WR2W, God is waiting to hear our attitude of praise.  Are we praising Him because this is what we feel we must do or are we praising Him because we are truly grateful for whatever state we are in and are taking delight in praising the God that we know is going to bring us out?  The choice, He leaves up to us and depending on our choices is how God responds.  God blesses obedience and faithfulness.  If you do not believe me, check out the story of how God scattered the nations of Israel and Judah.  Because of their disobedience and unfaithfulness, God removed His protection and peace from them, took His unfailing love and mercy away, granted no favors, and turned them over to the enemy (Jeremiah 16).  But the great thing about our God, He did not leave them in this state, but restored them and bought them to the land He promised (Jeremiah 30).  And just like He did it for them, He will do it for you and I as evidenced through the grace of Jesus Christ, who the scripture promises in Hebrews 13:8 (NLT) “is the same yesterday, today, and forever”.  

 WR2W, it is time for us to exercise our faith and “Put A Praise on It”.  It, being whatever our circumstance, as stated previously.  For instance, I have been dealing with my home warranty company about my upstairs AC unit.  I have had two servicing companies to come out and for four months (May – September), the problem still existed.  Now, I cannot tell you I never fussed, did not tell the warranty company and the servicing companies what was on my mind because I did, but I must tell you I gave it over to Jesus and when I did, I was at peace and then I became quiet.  I no longer gave them what was on my mind, I no longer became upset, I was quiet.  Anybody who really knows me, knows when I get quiet, that is not a good thing for whoever I am dealing with at the time, lol.  I remember last week, getting on my knees and saying, now God, in the name of Jesus, I asked you to reveal the problem to the servicing company and to me, so the problem can be fixed because you know my current situation.  Lord, I can deal with the heat, but not my mom Lord nor anyone else.  And I ended the prayer with God, I know you are here so please just fix it!  Then I felt a calming in my spirit and I felt at peace about the situation.  But let me tell you just how good God is, and we need to recognize His hand in every circumstance.  That same night, my mom said Tam, you noticed how it is not hot upstairs and we have a little breeze even though the unit is not working properly.  I had to stop and “Put A Praise on It” because she was absolutely right.

 WR2W, from last Friday until this Friday when they came to fix the unit, God gave us a breeze and I cannot tell you where it came from because it was hot as hell outside and I never been to hell, definitely not going, but from what I could imagine it is hot!  But it gets better, I thought they were coming to replace a part as I was told, but WR2W, they replaced the whole unit.  When I asked the man about the part yesterday and was about to ask another question, He said Ms. Hawkins, we are replacing your entire unit.  When I tell you I “Put A Praise on It”, I “Put A Praise on It”!  A unit I did not have to pay for or even asked to receive.  WR2W, God did it!  All we have to do is trust Him in all circumstances and “Put A Praise on It”!  My circumstance could have been worse.  Both units could have been out or not working properly, but God saw fit to let the downstairs unit work in excellence and allowed a breeze to come through upstairs until the appointed time to not replace a part but replace a unit.  WR2W, we are asking God to fix and replace parts in our lives when He is trying to replace units.  It is so important for us to learn to see God’s hand in every circumstance and “Praise the Lord!  Let all that [we are] praise the Lord.  [Let us] praise the Lord as long as [we] live. [Let us] sing praises to [our] God with [our] dying breath” (Psalm 146: 1-2 NLT).  The word instructs to “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6) so “Put A Praise on It”!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Forever Putting A Praise on It!

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to empower each of us to “Get on our Marks, Get Ready, Get Set, and Go” conqueror the issues of life!  Many of us have been to track meets or have seen them on TV and heard the announcer say, “Get on Your Marks, Get Ready, Get Set, Go” and then the gun goes off.  Well, this is how we need to approach life.  If you have ever watched the Olympics, you have seen men and women from different countries in one straight line on their Marks, Ready, Set, and then they take off (Go) when the gun goes off.  They all are running the same race, and striving to achieve the gold, but it is important to understand that each are in their own lane, looking straight ahead, not worrying about the next runner, but focusing on running his or her best race.  If we want what God has for us, then we must stop worrying about what God is doing for those on our left and right and just be glad we are on the track.  We must realize that although each runner is running the same race, they all have not had the same training.  Some may have had the same trainer (meaning teacher), but different training because their lives are totally different.  There are culture differences, their body make-up and mental capacities are different, and the everyday challenges they face are different.  So, it would be impossible for them to be trained the exact same way for the same race with all these differences.  In order to receive the proper preparation (meaning training) to not only run the race, but to endure (meaning last, make it, persist, suffer) to the finish line with hopes of achieving scores that will put them in the right position (meaning placement) to receive the gold, their training must be unique (meaning designed just for them)! 

Now, I know there are other medals, the silver and the bronze, that can be achieved.  But in spiritual terms, at the end of God’s race (the race that you and I are on), there are only gold medals at the finish line because God only gives the best!  And what I love about God, it does not matter what number we finished, but how we finished.  Did we finish with character and integrity, remaining faithful to God?  In the end, will we be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7)?  When we understand that we are not running this race on our own strength, but on God’s strength alone and come into the knowing of His providential care, we can accept the fact that it is not about the swiftness of finishing the race, but how God lines everything up for us according to His timing and His way.  The scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NLT) that “the fastest runner doesn’t always win the race” but Matthew 24:13 (NLT) says, “but the one who endures to the end will be saved”.  This scripture confirms that whether we finish first or last (meaning we stuck it out to the end, did not give up no matter how much we had to suffer, no matter how hard it got or how long it was taking us), we made it and received the same reward from Christ, salvation, which is the gold!  We did not cheat, did not hurt anyone along the way, maintained our character and integrity, and guess what, we made it! 

WR2W, let us keep in mind that when we are striving to achieve the gold medal that God has purposed for our life, we will need to “Get on our Marks, Get Ready, Get Set, [and] Go with the 4P’s!!!

Number 1: “Get on Your Marks”

• Pray – develop a prayer life; MEDITATE!!!

Number 2: “Get Ready”

• Prepare – write our vision and make it plain (clear), ZONE IN!!! (begin to focus)

Number 3: “Get Set”

• Plan – develop a plan of action (how will we accomplish these goals?), FOCUS!!!

Number 4: “Go”

• Persevere – endure to the end, DON’T GIVE UP!!!

I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
On My Mark, Ready, and Set to Go!

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

John 4: 7-10 (NLT) – (7) “Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”  (8) He was alone at the time because His disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.  (9) The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.  She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman.  Why are you asking me for a drink” (10) Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 

Hi WR2W, we all have issues, but it is up to us what we do with them.  Do we allow our issues to keep us stuck in a place of shame, unforgiveness, fear, and doubt or do we surrender them to God and allow them to aid us in meeting our potential?  Let us take the Samaritan woman for example.  She was a woman with many issues.  One was the fact that she was of a mixed race known as the Samaritans and another resulted from a few romantic experiences with men.  However, Jesus used her issues to bring her to her potential and if He did it for her, He will do it for us.  Every day come rain or sunshine, He allowed her issues to keep her appointment with Jacob’s well at her regular scheduled time, 12:00 in the afternoon.  And although she was unaware, but it was because of her consistency, which was based upon the shame of her issues, that she met her Potential.  What I love about this story is that when she arrived at Jacob’s well, she did not have any expectations.  Nevertheless, her Potential was expecting her arrival, sitting there like a perfect gentleman, waiting patiently in the heat of the day.  How many of us know that Jesus, He will wait on us because our issues do not stop Jesus from paying us a visit, if anything they draw us nearer to Him and when this happens, He will draw nearer to us?  For the word tells us in James 4:8 (NLT), “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

WR2W, Jesus was the potential she so desperately needed, and although she did not have expectations, and most of us do, He is who we need to meet our potential.  Our problem is not that we are showing up with expectations for our spouse, financial breakthrough, family, job, or whatever we are expecting, but that we are in a hurry every day to meet it.  There was no hurry, no rush, and no urgency with Jesus.  He was just patiently waiting for her alone during this rather unusual time of the day and He is waiting for you and me, but it can only come, when we learn to take Jesus’ approach and patiently wait for the arrival!  Like the Samaritan woman, we are extraordinary; one of kind, and although we have issues, it is something different about us.  We are the chosen ones, handpicked by God for such a time as this!  If God says it is our time, then that which we are waiting on has got to come to pass because it is a part of God’s plan for us to reach destiny!   

Do you think Jesus needed her to give Him a drink?  Do you really think He was thirsty?  He is the “living water” when we are thirsty.  But because Jesus understood His assignment and was willing to fulfill the work of His Father, this perfect gentleman in waiting, did not ask her for a drink; instead, He told her with boldness to “Please give me a drink.”  We better learn how to speak to the very thing we have been waiting on with the virtues of boldness, confidence, and authority.  It is no time to fear!  For 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) states “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  It is time for us to stop asking in fear and start declaring in faith, “Please give me a drink” (the spouse, financial breakthrough, family, job, or whatever we are expecting).  WR2W, we may have issues, but we still have potential and Jesus is waiting on us.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
My Issues Met My Potential

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Psalm 34:8 (KJV) – “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” 

Hi WR2W, in life we are faced with many trials and tribulations, some expected and others unexpected, but either way, we are faced to deal with them if we want to experience the peace and joy that comes after the storm.  The reality of life is we do not choose to go through these storms, but we are chosen for the storm.  These storms would be defined as the hardships and the difficulties that life most often bring.  The bible promises us in Job 14:1 (KJV) that “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble”.  So, there is no need for us to go through life thinking that life is going to be a bowl of fulfilled dreams, 365 days of happiness annually until we leave the Earth, or that we will never experience trouble or what we perceive as things that are so unfair because we would be lying to ourselves and setting ourselves up for a life of disappointment. 

WR2W, we must face the fact that most often we do not choose our storm, but our storm chooses us.  We do not choose cancer, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, lupus, lung disease, blood disorders, kidney disease, musculoskeletal disease, or any type of life-threatening illness, sickness, or disease but many of us, we must suffer through directly or indirectly through the life of a love one.  Is it easy?  No, it never is and more days than not, it is emotionally draining and tiresome.  And for some, health issues are not the problem, but we all have something so maybe you are experiencing the difficulty of being forced to deal with an unruly and ungrateful child that continues to give trouble no matter what you do, a spouse that has asked you for a divorce unexpectedly, or financial struggles that has come as a result of the loss of a job or something you could not prevent.  Whatever our story, most often these storms bring about pain, grief, depression, anxiety, fear, and/or mixed-emotions no matter how long we have been on the battlefield for the Lord.  But the problem is not that these emotions come knocking at the door of our mind, the problem is who and/or what are we opening our mind to when they come knocking.  In times like these is when the enemy comes hard to overtake our mind, so we can taste (try) him (drugs, alcohol, sex, deception, manipulation) instead of tasting (trying) Jesus (grace, mercy, peace, unconditional love).  In times like these, we need to keep the door of our mind shut to the enemy and open the door of our mind to Jesus and “taste and see that the Lord is good” no matter the situation (good, bad, ugly) and experience His abundance of blessings no matter how they come or by what means they come because indeed “He’s Just That Good”.

WR2W, if we want to see the joy of His blessings we must taste His Word and come into the knowing and understanding of the Lord.  From the Word comes our power, from the Word comes our prayer life; which has the power, from the Word comes the declaration of the defeat of the thing we have under subjection, from the Word comes our authority and the casting down of strongholds.  To taste and see is to put in the work and trust that whatever we are going through is already conquered in the name of Jesus because God says so in His Word (Romans 8:37).  To put in the work means when cancer attacks, we do not give thought to the process, but we see the expected end of healing, deliverance, and restoration.  We stomach the process by speaking and praying the Word and calling on the Master Physician while going through cancer treatments, surgery, and the after effects of both.  To put in the work means to put in the Word because the Word is what does the work and brings forth the Glory of the Lord because “He’s Just That Good”!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Tasting and Seeing His Goodness 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I know what I am about to say may sound crazy to most, but I must be obedient and say it no matter how crazy it may sound.  Here it goes, it is time for us to stop thinking and just move on whatever God has given us to do.  What does this mean?  It means “We Don’t Have to Understand, We Just Have to Trust”.  It means God has already thought “the thing” out for us step by step and all we have to do is trust His word that “[He] directs the steps of the godly [and] He delights in every detail of [our] lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT).  This is good and exciting news!  This means God did not leave anything about our life to chance.  No, He thought out even the little and most intricate parts that most would overlook to completion.  What a mighty and wise God we serve!  So why are we trying to understand what we are going through, why we are going through it, or why we have been chosen to go through it instead of trusting God and saying thank You God for sending (choosing) me, “Here I am.  Send me.” I will go (Isaiah 6:8) NLT? 

WR2W, it is no reason for us to “worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong” – DON’T (Psalm 37:1 NLT) because “no weapon turned against [us] will succeed” “I the Lord, have spoken!” (Isaiah 54: 17 NLT).  It is no reason for us to try and figure out why we must go through the process, but for us to trust God for the blessing.  If we stop trying to understand and stop thinking, we can appreciate that everything we have been chosen to suffer through is not because of the enemy, but because God wants to trust us with His blessing.  So again, “We Don’t Have to Understand, We Just Have to Trust “!  It is our Christian duty to “take delight in the Lord, and [trust and know] He will give [us our] heart’s desires.  Commit everything [we] do to the Lord.  Trust Him, and [trust and know] He will help [us] (Psalm 37:4-5 NLT).

WR2W, “We Don’t Have to Understand, We Just Have to Trust “that we have been chosen for a greater purpose other than ourselves.  Once we can accept and come into the knowledge of the Lord then natural understanding would take no priority and godly understanding would supersede.  For the last two weeks, I have been teaching on Designed to Carry Purpose and Give Birth to Destiny and this has been such a blessing because in this series, we learn that we can stop thinking about how we are going to carry purpose to full term and give birth successfully to all that God has promised because we can trust that God has fully dilated (stretched) us so we can deliver further than eyes could see, ears could hear, and minds could imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT)!  So, does it still seem crazy to stop thinking and just move on whatever God has given us to do?  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

P.S. – I almost forgot to mention one of the most important reasons “We Don’t Have to Understand, We Just Have to Trust “, He told us in Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.  “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  What does this mean, we could never understand because we do not have the ability to, only God does so it is no sense in wrecking our brain trying because all we can do is trust God!

Signed,
Not trying to Understand, only Trusting 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, today I want to encourage each of us to “Keep Pressing” because we will never know the strength of our character until we face challenges, and life begins to pressure us.  God wants mature Christians, people that are complete and have endured His test (which comes with pain and suffering).  Instead of complaining about our struggles and blaming God for our struggles, we should be obedient and true to God and keep our focus on God during our struggles.  Moreover, we should take the time to thank God for our struggles, His many blessings that follow the press through the struggles, and the opportunity to grow in our faith while in the struggle. 

Job was this kind of person.  He was a righteous man of God; a true model of trust and obedience to God.  He was a man who possessed great wealth and prestige; a faithful husband, praying and loving father of ten children (seven sons and three daughters), a land owner, a livestock owner of eleven thousand animals [seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses (which are donkeys)], and an owner of many servants.  According to the word of God, Job “was the greatest of all the men of the east” (Job 1:3).  However, all of Job riches couldn’t save him from God’s sufferings and the attacks allowed by God from satan; if anything, they brought more attention to Job.  But the attention that caught satan was not the same attention that God speaks of concerning His servant Job.  Satan was looking at the fact that Job was only serving God and being true to Him because of all that he possessed and his great health.  Satan’s mind frame was once Job is no longer blessed with these things; Job will no longer be a servant of God, and he can come in and take a hold of him.  But how many of us know that when God is in the plan, satan’s plan will never work.  When God has His Hands on us, satan can plot up whatever he wants, but no weapon formed against us will prosper.  Because God knew Job’s heart and his love for Him, He allowed satan to attack Job, but gave satan specific instructions during each test. 

Job was tested twice by God through satan’s attacks.  During the first test, God allowed satan to take all of Job’s possessions and his children, but not his physical health.  Job was delivered four messages.  Before Job could rest with the news from the first messenger that the Sabeans had raided and stole all of his oxen and donkeys and killed his farmhands, the second messenger was arriving to inform him that the fire of God (lightening) had fell from heaven and burned up all of his sheep and shepherds; killing them, then the third messenger before the second messenger could finish told Job that three bands of Chaldean raiders had stolen his camels and killed his servants, and finally the fourth bearer of bad news before the third messenger could finish came with the news that a powerful wind came in from the desert and swept the eldest son house; killing all of his children.  It was one thing after another!  And then there was the second test when God allowed satan to harm him physically but was not allowed to kill Job.  Satan attacked Job with boils from his head to his feet.  Can somebody say, when it rains it pours! 

Well, this has been my testimony these last few months, one thing after another and I found myself saying, Lord, I cannot take any more bad news; please Lord nothing else.  But then, I heard the voice of God saying, remember my servant Job.  Although Job lost everything, and his health had been stricken and he had an unbelieving wife in his ear telling him to curse God and die; he still maintained his integrity and did not talk against or curse God.  Job was a true model of trust and obedience to God.  Despite what he had been through, God’s servant Job stood up and took off his robe, shaved his head, and fell to his knees in reverence to God; praising and worshiping God’s holy name.  Job did not break under pressure.  He maintained his integrity and did not sin against God because of his suffering.  And I too, shall not be moved and this is my prayer for each of us.  Job trusted God in all things and we should do the same.  How many of us can be like Job and do that today?  All God wants from us is a spirit of obedience and a yes to His will and His way no matter our circumstance and when we yield not to the temptation of this world but yield to the will of God and “Keep Pressing”, God will grant us His favor and release the double blessing.  If He did it for Job, He can and will do it for us; “for there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11 KJV).  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Still Pressing

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Abba, Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the power of Your grace (unmerited favor) and mercy (compassion) which You did not have to extend to any of us, but because of Your unfailing love for and forgiveness towards us, Your sons and daughters, we are privileged to experience the benefits of Your grace and mercy so again, we say thank you.  There is nobody and nothing greater than You Father and we honor You as the head of our life and the Author of our Faith.  Father God, in the name of Jesus, we acknowledge that You have all power in Your Hands and the power of Your grace and mercy goes beyond what our eyes can see and our heart has the ability to feel.  Father, thank you for being God; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our lives.  Thank you for offering Your darling Son Jesus who is the reason we are able to live and declare Your works on this side of Heaven, for He alone is Grace and the reason we are experiencing the power of Your grace and mercy even now. 

Abba Father, we give You praise, honor, and glory.  For our hearts are full of joy thinking about Your goodness and all that You have done, continue to do, and will do on our behalf.  We acknowledge that our path is set and we ask now in the name of Jesus that You continue to give us the power of Your grace and mercy to stay the course You have set before us and to run it with integrity.  Father God, block the enemy now in the name of Jesus and cover us with His blood that no weapon formed against us shall ever prosper; for we are more than conquerors in You, Christ Jesus.  Reveal to us those things which are hidden by the enemy to take us out, and order our steps, giving us a strategic plan on how to handle and overcome the unknown.  Father God, in the name of Jesus, grant us peace, strength, and endurance to finish our earthly race strong and allow us to come out of whatever we are faced with as pure gold where those who do not believe in You and Your power will come crying what must I do to be saved! 

Abba, Father, we trust You with our life and we surrender our all to You for Your use and glory.  So, we ask now in the name of Jesus, that by the power of Your grace and mercy that You consume us with the fire of Your Holy Spirit, anointing us from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet to “tread on serpents and scorpions [and crush them], and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt [us]” (Luke 10:19 KJV).  And when our time on Earth has come to an end, let us enter Your glorious eternal gates and hear you say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21 KJV).  Amen!

Signed,
Covered by God’s Grace and Mercy

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, for us to give birth to destiny, we must first recognize our purpose (the reason for our existence; God’s intention for our being on Earth) and be willing to go through a process.  A process is a series of actions or steps taken to achieve destiny.  Destiny is the supernatural/spiritual force that is pulling us into our purpose by bringing us into an ordained set of events that have been orchestrated by God (and God alone) for us to get to an exact place at an exact time when all that we have been through will come together for our good.

WR2W, there is nothing complicated that is required of us, but to Trust God and follow His instructions.  We do not have to think about how we are going to design the tool to carry purpose during the birthing process in order to give birth to destiny because the psalmist said it best in Psalm 139:13 &14, thou hast covered me (knit me together) in my mother’s womb; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works.  So, we need to give the Lord praise right here, right now because we know full well that God has designed us with a womb that is strong enough to hold the embryo of purpose.  However, before purpose becomes an embryo; we must first understand that it started out as a seed of purpose (egg) that had to be fertilized by the Holy Spirit (sperm) to produce purpose (embryo).  I want to call your attention to the fact that one egg has millions of sperm swimming toward it, but God has designed it so that only ONE sperm is successful.  WR2W, there are many spirits after our seed of purpose, but there is only ONE Holy Spirit that has the power to produce a healthy embryo of purpose that will have the ability to survive and became a healthy baby of destiny!

Jesus, who was designed for the greatest purpose of all, also had to go through a process to accomplish the Father’s will and achieve destiny.  The cup of suffering was necessary because without Jesus’ journey in the wilderness, He would have never made it in the garden and without His journey in the garden, He would have never been able to handle His journey to the cross; hence, aborting His destiny!  WR2W, our process is necessary for the healthy delivery of our destiny so let us not complain but endure because by the Hand of God, we have been Designed to Carry Purpose and Give Birth to Destiny!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Birthing Destiny

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I would like to share a poem with you entitled, “The Touch of the Master’s Hand” by Myra Brooks Welch.  This story tells of an old, beaten up violin that was the last item to be auctioned by the auctioneer because he felt it was worthless and a waste of his time.  The auctioneer started the price real cheap; only for $1 and the highest price the bid got up to was $3.  But then something happened, an old gray-haired man picked up the old violin, wiped the dust from it; cleaning it up, tightened the strings, and went to work playing a pure and sweet melody.  After hearing the melody, the auctioneer then recognized its value and increased the price.  You see it was not about the physical state of the violin, but about whose hand it was given over too.  Before, it was in the hands of someone who did not know its value and did not have the power to give it value but when it got into the hands of someone who knew its potential and gave it value through the quality of his touch, no longer was the old violin’s value questioned; matter of fact, it was increased. 

How many of us have been treated like this old violin or know someone who has been treated like this old violin until we or they experience “The Touch of the Master’s Hand” and the sound of our life begins to play a sweet and beautiful melody that only God can orchestrate and then our value is recognized by the very ones who underbid on our worth?  It is so important that we do not take the approach of the auctioneer nor the bidders because we too can be deceived by a look instead of being able to appreciate the beauty of the gift the person, place, or thing holds.  I encourage each of us to read this poem in its entirety and thank God for Jesus as we reflect on the gift of “The Touch of the Master’s Hand”.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
I’ve Been Touched

________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Old Violin
The Touch of the Master’s Hand

‘Twas battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.

“What am I bid, good people”, he cried,
“Who starts the bidding for me?”
“One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?”
“Two dollars, who makes it three?”
“Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,”

But, No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said “What now am I bid for this old violin?”
As he held it aloft with its’ bow.

“One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?”
“Two thousand, Who makes it three?”
“Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone”, said he.

The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
“We just don’t understand.”
“What changed its’ worth?”
Swift came the reply.
“The Touch of the Masters Hand.”

“And many a man with life out of tune
All battered and bruised with hardship
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters’ Hand.

– Myra Brooks Welch

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, in times like these it seems like when it rains it pours.  When it seems like we have just begun to come to grips with one thing something else happens, and then something else happens until we feel as if we cannot breathe and this cannot be life.  In times like these if we do not know the Savior, we better get to know the Savior and His name is Jesus.  I would always hear the elder saints say, “in times like these we need a Savior and if you live long enough you will see what I am talking about.”  Well, I can surely tell them that they were right, and I am sure many of you can agree with me and say in times like these, we are living what they were talking about!   

Sometimes I think to myself, Lord when will it get better?  I am striving everyday to live according to Your word and do what I know pleases You.  Then there goes the but…But why Lord, why do I have to go through this…But when will You deliver me from this…But I’ve done everything You’ve asked me to do and still no relief; nothing but sadness surrounds me.  At this point, we must stop and reflect on the goodness of God and Who He is and has been in our lives.  In times like these, we need to shift our mind and focus not on the problem but what we expect to receive as an outcome and then give God the praise.  In times like these we better learn to count our many blessings and say, to God be the Glory for all things that are working together for our good.  In times like these, we must continue to pray and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 KJV).

WR2W, when we have become numb and speechless, and all we can do is shake our head, we better lift our head to Jesus instead.  In times like these there is no time to get weak and give up.  It is time to fight with the word of God and give it all over to God and let Him deal with all people, places, and things.  In times like these, we need to learn to call on one another in the body of Christ and pray for and with one another and encourage one another in the Lord.  In times like these, we better realize the Savior is all we have and all we need.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Overcoming Because of God

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, today my family and I would like to celebrate the matriarch of our family.  She will be 80 years young on Tuesday, July 17, 2018.  She is indeed “A Rare and Precious Jewel” fit for a Queen.  The Hawkins family bloodline has been graced with 80 years of wisdom, from her inception until now.  She is the matriarch of this family and have touched not only the lives of the bloodline, but all those connected through marriage and friendship.  Lillie Mae, as she is affectionately known, is a quiet and soft-spoken woman of wisdom who encompasses a heart of love and gives both wisdom and love freely to all she comes in contact.  “A Rare and Precious Jewel” who speaks with “lips of knowledge” and one who has used this knowledge well to train a village to build their homes and raise their offspring in the admonition of the Lord.  Because of who she is, we are who we are today.  Each of us different and similar in many ways, but the most important factor we share is our love for Queen Lillie.  So, on today, we give her every jewel to represent the type of Jewel she is to us.

January, the Garnet, represents our Dear Sweet Lillie Ride.  Full of joy and always ready for safe travel and service to others.  If you need a riding partner you can always count on Dear Sweet Lillie Ride, she keeps her riding shoes on. 

February, the Amethyst, represents her courage to partner with her sister Sylvia (Sugar and Spice) and raise “The Ten plus Two” as single parents always standing for what was right.

March, the Aquamarine, represents her calming spirit which has always saturated our family with peace.

April, the Diamond, represents her everlasting love for all she has come in contact.  She is the true definition of what love is and should be.

May, the Emerald, represents her fertileness; her ability to grow this family and produce fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

June, the Pearl, represents her purity.  A woman with a pure heart where evil has never dwelled.  The bible says in Matthew 5:8 (KJV), “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  We have seen her go through a lot, but even in the midst, she has always spoke kind words. “For out the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Matthew 12:34 KJV).     

July, the Ruby, represents the month she was born and her passion for the people and things she loves such as family, cooking, ironing, keeping the home, and calling to check on others.

August, the Jade, represents her strength.  As the matriarch of this family she has endured financial difficulties, illness, family crisis, death, etc. but through it all the joy of the Lord has been her strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

September, the Sapphire, represents her wisdom.  “There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge [her wisdom she continuously instills in us] are a precious jewel (Proverbs 20:15 KJV).

October, the Opal, represents her faithfulness.  Her faithfulness to keep this family together via phone calls and family gatherings.  We love the fact that she has 90-95% of everybody’s number and call every number in that book!

November, the Yellow Topaz, represents her intellect.  She may not have a college education and degrees hanging on her wall, but her mind of reason and capacity of understanding could not be taught in University but has taught this family so much we could never learn from a book.

December, the Blue Topaz, represents her good fortune.  She has successfully raised a family, fed us well with those tasty and priceless recipes, kept us together, did her very best to keep us out of trouble, and most importantly prayed God’s will for our lives. 

Thank you, our Rare and Precious Jewel, Queen Lillie Mae Hawkins, your 80 Years of Wisdom continues to be food for our soul!

Signed,
The Family

 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, we should always take time to reflect on our life, think about where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going.  It is never too late to change our perspective on life and do something different.  It is no sense in living if we are not going to live!  It is no sense in not taking chances, leaps, and breaking down walls for something we want, and God approves.  Today, I affirm I will no longer live with limits because I am playing it safe.  No, I will live like the Daughter of the King who owns the world “and everything in it” (Psalms 50:12).  This next chapter of my life nobody can write it nor live it for me.  Only the pen of God can write it, but He is waiting on me to make the decision to “Live Life Like It’s Golden”!

WR2W, my prayer for each of us today and everyday is to be honest with ourselves, write the vision of our dreams plainly, go after them relentlessly, and live our life to the fullest because time waits for no man.  To “Live Life Like It’s Golden” simply means we are living a blessed life and if we want to live a blessed life, then we should follow Nike’s slogan and “Just Do It”!  But always remember, we cannot live our best life with an impoverished mindset.  It is time for us to dream big, set goals, think blessed, look blessed, and live blessed.  Are you ready, I know I am, let’s do it!!!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let Us Pray…….

Father God in the name of Jesus, we thank You Master.  We thank You for life, vision, and strength and we ask Father that you give us the strength now to use the vision of our heart, in which you have seeded, to live our life with purpose, on purpose, and in the fullness of joy.  Teach us to go after the dreams you have placed inside of us with persistence and not in fear of man, but only fearing You.  Teach us how to enjoy this life for Your glory and send us the people You want us to enjoy this life with because we know it is not Your intent for man to do life alone.  Father God, only You have the power to yoke us with individuals in which You have ordained for our life for various reasons to carryout Your assignment.  For we know Father every connection is for a divine purpose when You are in control.  Please teach us how to live a holy and fun life because everything You have created was created so we can enjoy.  So, Father teach us not to be boring, stuck in religion, and stuck on stupid acting holier than thou and missing out on all You have created this life to offer.  We trust You, shall remain faithful to You, and will live this life according to Your will and way.  Father God, in the name of Jesus, we trust that You will teach us to “Live Life Like It’s Golden”, Amen!

Signed,
Will Live Life Like It’s Golden

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I hope all is well with each of you.  I wanted to share with you today a topic that is dear to my heart…. Religion to Relationship.  As a Christians, it is so important for each of us to be able to distinguish being in religion from being in relationship.  Being in relationship means to be one with the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and following His way.  What it does not mean is attending church, Sunday school, vacation bible school, bible study, and/or any program or service the church is having on any given day and being a member of several auxiliaries for the sake of habit, saying I am active in church, or for wanting to be in control, this simply defines religion.  When we are in relationship, attending these things and being a member of various auxiliaries comes as a bonus on our walk with the Lord.  When we are in relationship, our soul is at peace and our hands and feet are eager to do the work of the Lord for the sake of building the Kingdom of God for the Glorification of God.

It is my extreme honor and pleasure to have been extended the God-given opportunity to come into relationship with Him.  As Christians it is our duty to come to the realization that God did not have to offer us relationship through His darling Son Jesus, but because of His love for us, He has graced us with the most fulfilling relationship anyone, male or female, could ever ask for and experience.  To know you have graduated from religion to relationship is when you can love without limits, when you can see and not judge, when you can give and not want anything back in return, when you can forgive without seeking revenge, and when you can overlook faults for the sake of birthing peace.  Religion to Relationship is a positive experience that spreads Light and Love.  Religion to Relationship offers a heart and a mind of openness to seeing and feeling through spirituality (relationship) and not tradition (religion).  Moreover, following the Holy Spirit as our guide exemplifies being in relationship and following the practice of man because it has been done a certain way ever since we have known exemplifies being in religion.  Which do we identify?           

WR2W, I pray that each of us identify with being in relationship because this is the only way we shall receive salvation.  How can we say we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior if we are not in relationship and are not experiencing the power of the Advocate (which is the Holy Spirit)?  There is no reason we should still be stuck in religion and rejecting relationship because we are muted to the spiritual things of the Lord.  Jesus said in John 16:13 (NLT), “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide [us] into all truth.  He will not speak on His own but will tell [us] what He has heard.  He will tell [us] about the future”.  Who has the Holy Spirit heard from and who is He bringing glory, Jesus!  Jesus said, “All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me’” (John 16:15 NLT).  Let each of us this day decree and declare relationship over our life and rebuke the spirit of religion which continues to work to hold people in tradition to stop the advancement of the Kingdom here on Earth.  Let us pray for the churches open in the name of our Lord and the Leaders that are proclaiming His word.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
In Relationship

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, these last two weeks have been a real “eye opener”.  I have had so many wonderful experiences and God has allowed me to see through His eyes the joys of rest, laughter, and a peace of mind.  I have traveled to the beautiful cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, and London and had a blast with family, friends, and acquaintances.  I have had the privilege to see so many unique people, places, and things and the opportunity to taste different foods and a different way of life.  A new taste at life and more of what God has for me is how I would label my experience.  For I know in my heart that I have truly been blessed by God to experience such beauty, but not for the sake to say I have been to 3 beautiful countries (Spain, France, and England) and to get more stamps on my passport, but to be “Blessed to be a Blessing”.

Throughout this experience, God has kept before me Psalms 34:8 (NLT), “Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!”  To take refuge in the Lord means to trust the Lord and follow Him by being obedient to His will and His way.  Because we are obedient, we will receive the joy (blessings) of the Lord and therefore are able to be a blessing to others.  As Christians, there should be no greater joy than to serve others no matter where we go and who we meet.  My heart’s desire is to model Christ wherever I go and bless whomever I can through the grace of God.  While journeying through Spain, France, and England, I was able to do just that, and it has brought me so much joy.  A joy that words cannot explain and one that fills my heart.          

I am truly grateful to God for His protection, comfort, and guidance while on this journey.  We met some wonderful people and experienced the joy of sowing seeds into the lives of people that did not look like us, speak like us nor understood us, but serve the same God as us.  For God is good and worthy to be praised, oh the joy of the Lord!  Every day was a day of thanksgiving and a day in which God received glory as we walked foreign soil and planted godly seeds.  This vacation for me was a time for not only rest and relaxation (because to be honest, we did not get much of that, lol) but a time to touch the lives of others and to be touched by the lives of others in a way not common to man.  When God blesses us to travel to different parts of the world, we should always look for the blessing He has given us to carry and distribute.  My sisters, I thank God for this wonderful experience and I am eagerly looking forward to where He will send me next and in what capacity because to be chosen by God to be “Blessed to be a Blessing” is amazing.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Blessed and Blessings

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I encourage each of us to turn phones, TVs, and any other electronic devices off and go into a quiet place and R.E.S.T (Release Everything, Savor Time)!  Rest is so very important, and we should enjoy moments of releasing everything and savoring time with ourselves.  When we feel our body is getting tired and we can no longer go, we must learn how to lay it down (mind, body, and soul) and rest!  Lately, I have found myself needing a mental vacation.  A vacation from having to analyze my stuff and other people’s stuff.  A vacation from having to deal with the realities of life and a moment where I can spend time with God and like Bishop says, with “my three-favorite people: me, myself, and I”.  This place of rest continues to remind me that there is no need for analyzation nor for handling anything because when we R.E.S.T, this means God is taking care of it all and has it under control, therefore, we experience total peace.

Moreover, when we R.E.S.T, we are worry free and available to God for His perfect work in our hearts and minds.  Now, this is what I call peace!  Why do we have to wait to experience total peace when we die and experience eternity?  We can have peace daily here on Earth.  I hear many people say, “Oh when this life is over, I will be at rest”.  Well, we should want to be at rest now and this is exactly why we need to establish moments where we can R.E.S.T with God daily.  I will always stress developing and sustaining a prayer life because prayer covers everything.  If we truly want to rest, we cannot do it without prayer.  WR2W, in our moments of R.E.S.T, we must pray!!! 

So, let us take the months of June and July and consciously establish moments of R.E.S.T and pray, write, sing, worship, praise, sleep, eat, dance, and fall in love with Jesus of course, but ourselves as well.  Let us take these moments to learn ourselves, discover new things about ourselves, and enjoy ourselves.  O my, I am so looking forward to these moments.  I cannot wait to do what I have been doing in a more refined, efficient, and effective way.  I pray we can do this journey together and share our experiences.  I look forward to sharing.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Ready to R.E.S.T

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I encourage each of us to be keen to the Holy Spirit and know when God has released us because our assignment is over.  So often we try to hold on to people, places, and things when God is saying, “My Dear, it is not that the people no longer have use for you, but “Your assignment is over”!  Our problem with understanding this is the fact that we get so caught up on focusing on how people have done us wrong because after they have used us up, they no longer have time for us that we miss what is really taking place.  Do you really think it is about them?  Well, I am here to serve you notice that it is never about them!  No, it is always about God and His assignment for our life and when the assignment is over, it is over—-“Bye Felicia”, lol!  

That is just a little joke, but in all seriousness, we need to have the attitude “Bye Felicia” because this means we have released the very thing that God no longer wants us bound to, we are not looking back, and we are at peace.  What a beautiful blessing.  WR2W, we must learn how to recognize when our assignment is over and say thank you God I can move on to the next assignment.  God has too much work for us to do to get stuck on one assignment.  When people no longer call us or call on us, don’t be dismayed…. don’t even fret….be free and thankful!  I can guarantee, once we stop analyzing the situation and start giving thanks to God for the situation, the scales will be removed from our eyes and we will see clearer than ever before and feel so much lighter.

So today, let us go into prayer and ask God to give us the spirit of discernment to be able to know without a shadow of a doubt when He is saying “Your Assignment is Over”.  Because I spend time in His presence, He knows me, and I know His voice, therefore, I listen to His voice and I follow Him (John 10:27 NLT).  WR2W, obedience is the key to our prosperity, we do not have time to be disobedient and distracted!  It is time to be in tune and follow what the Holy Spirit is saying.  Let us press into His presence and stay there long enough to hear because I know He is saying to each of us “Your Assignment is Over”!   I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Assignment Completed

 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I encourage each of us this day to love on our family.  Family is like a bowl of well mixed ingredients that comes out as a beautiful and tasty recipe.  I love my family because we all are unique and offer different ingredients which gives the family recipe the right amount of what is needed to reach near perfection.  In my family recipe, we have a whole lot of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Oh, and let me make sure I mention a whole bunch of forgiveness because without this necessary ingredient, the family recipe would be “shot”!  When I speak of family, I speak of maternal and paternal sides as well as kinship by marriage.  In our recipe, there are no in-laws by separation or divorce, we are all one, mixed together with sincere love despite conflict and the “usual family stuff”.

What I love the most about my family is our ability to have each other’s back.  For example, what one person lacks, another adds the portion that is missing.  This is what family is all about and this, in my opinion, is family at its best.  I challenge each of us today to sustain family relationship and if you no longer have a family relationship, I recommend reconciliation.  As family, we need to be here for one another through prayer by faith and resources.  When one family member does not have, not only should we pray by faith for them, but our heart should be willing to give to meet a need that is lacking.  The bible states in James 2:15-17 (NLT), “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.  What good does that do?  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough.  Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” 

WR2W, there should be no reason to limit our love for family or prohibit extension of resources because of selfishness, anger, or disagreement with another’s choices.  The recipe’s necessary ingredient, forgiveness, should have a taste strong enough to overpower the unpleasant flavors that were added because we were trying to make it perfect (and by the way, family perfection does not exist).  “Instead, [we must] be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven [us]” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT).  Today and every day, let us live in peace and harmony, knowing “Family is Everything”.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
I Love My Family

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, the realities of life can be a handful and too much at times.  Some days we feel like not today, I cannot take anymore and other days we are floating on “cloud nine”.  Life can be a roller coaster at times and to be honest it has been many days where I just wanted to get off the ride.  When handling the realities of life, we need to turn to God for the first step and every step to follow.  Let me tell you something, do not ever think we can do this without God because we will not make it through successfully.  Life is hard enough and trying to handle it on our own strength makes it more difficult.  One of my daily prayers is “Lord, whatever You are doing in this season, please do not do it without me because this thing called life, is too hard to handle on my own and I need Your strength!” 

Now, for those of you who know I am not alone, seek God for wise counsel.  The only way we can seek Him is through His word.  If we want to truly get a handle on the realities of life, we must read the word of God and not just read it but get an understanding.  How can we get an understanding?  The answer to this question is simply by going to God in prayer.  He wants to hear from us WR2W and we want to hear from Him—I know I do!  Another one of my daily prayers is “Lord order my steps and handle the realities of life for me.”  Psalms 37:23-24 (NLT) states “The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of [our] lives.  Though [we] stumble, [we] will never fall, for the Lord holds [us] by the hand.”  I love this scripture because this is a good indication that if we got Jesus, Jesus got us.  But how many of you know that even when you do not have Him, and you are connected to somebody who do have Him and are praying for you, He still got you!  “Won’t He do it” and “Ain’t He Alright” —- Yes, He is!  So, if you do not have Him and I was you, I would get Him for myself, continue the power of connection, and turn over to Him the realities of life.

Because reality is things in life, that we have no control over, will happen and all we can do is handle whatever and however it comes our way.  Let me explain what I mean.  We have no control over what God allows and if we are not in Him, we will not have the peace we need to handle our reality.  For instance, the news we receive from the doctor, the bill that must be paid and all the interest that continues to capitalize no matter how much we try to negotiate, the child that continues to get in trouble and he or she is the problem and not everybody else no matter how much we have a hard time accepting this truth, the spouse that is a jackass instead of a Boaz and no matter how much we lift him in prayer he still seems to work on your nerves and the list goes on and on, but God…..  WR2W, instead of complaining about our realities, give them to God in prayer and consider that maybe we were “given [this] thorn in [our] flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment [us] and keep [us] from becoming proud” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT).  But the good news is God says, “My grace is all you need, My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).  “Won’t He do it” and “Ain’t He Alright” —- Yes, He is!  Again, the only way we can handle the realities of life is by letting God do it, so I encourage you to join me for discussion of this topic on this Thursday night, May 31^st at 8:30 PM CDT/9:30 PM EDT on Late Nights with Minister Tam.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Letting God Handle Them

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to serve us notice this day to SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION!  Sometimes we move so fast, we miss what God is trying to show us.  There have been so many times when I am sure many of us have been moving so fast toward what we have set before us that we have not made the time or disciplined ourselves to slow down, pause, and consult God on the very thing He is trying to teach us in the moment because we did not have time for the moment and therefore, we miss the moment.  About three years and seven months ago, I went to the movies to see War Room.  I arrived early enough to the movie theater where there was no need for me to rush once I purchased my ticket and entered the front doors.  However, this was not the case.  Once I was told what direction to go and the room number where my film was playing, I proceeded to move fast (although I walk fast most of the time), never looking up or paying attention to the doors.  I opened the first door I came to and walked in with great anticipation.  I was told so many wonderful things about the movie and was eager to watch.

Well, let me serve you notice, although you are eager to enter, you need to learn to SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION to what door you are entering because it could be the wrong one!  And come to find out, it was exactly that, the wrong one!  I sat in the room for about 15 minutes, watched two couples (one young and one older) come in and then I looked at my watch.  Something did not feel right, I became very uncomfortable, and did not feel at peace.  Then I felt God through the power of His Holy Spirit tell me to get up and check the door.  He kept showing me doors, but at first, I did not move.  Mainly, because I did not feel like getting up, and secondly, I was trying to convince myself that I was in the right room.  So, I sat for about another 15 minutes, looking around while nobody else came in the room and then the previews and film started to play.  It opened with a war scene and men shooting guns and fighting.  Ok, so now I am looking crazy, but then I found myself trying to convince myself again that maybe this is how it starts, and I am in the right place.  A minute later, I knew this could not have been War Room, so I turned around and asked the younger couple that was sitting behind me the name of the movie.  I do not remember what the young lady told me, but I knew I did not hear her say War Room, so I got up in a hurry and ran outside the door and this time, I looked up.  I was in the right vicinity but should have entered the second door.  How many of us have been so close, but because we were moving so fast and were too eager, we entered door one when we should have entered door two? 

Again, I tell you SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION.  Although I entered the right door the second time, I had missed so much of the movie by this time, if I would have stayed to the end, I would have missed the foundation and would not have acquired what I needed to understand the middle and end of the movie so after about 5 minutes I got up and left because God started showing me doors and I felt Him pushing me to get up and move.  This time, I was not wasting time, I was following His lead.  I got up, went to the guy who took my ticket and told him what happened.  He went with me to the window where I purchased my ticket and he told the lady what happened and asked her to give me a ticket for the next feature at no cost.  Thank God for Favor!  When God is in the plan, it does not matter how much time has passed or how long you stayed behind the wrong door, He will set you up to enter the right door, at the right time, and at no cost, trust and believe!  WR2W, had I been ashamed or afraid to talk to the person God was instructing me to tell my situation, I would have missed a valuable lesson and would have never understood the purpose of the movie because I would have missed the most important part, the beginning.  I tell you my sisters, SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION so you can avoid missing your graced opportunity because catching the beginning is always better than catching it at the end to gain a greater understanding.  “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing [we] can do!  And whatever else [we] do, develop good judgment (understanding)” (Proverbs 4:7 (NLT).  To be a true Ambassador and effectively serve others, we must SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Not Rushing and Staying Attentive

 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to encourage us today to JUST HAVE FAITH.  I believe the teachings of faith are so important and exactly what we need.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) and every day of our life, we should be living to please Him.  I can tell you from experience, without faith there is no true peace, and without faith, we could never accept the will of God.  The will of God is whatever God has ordained to happen and nothing we have control over.  Are you ready to accept the things you cannot change and surrender to His will?  I hope today you make the choice to say Yes to His will and No to your own.  

I am sure most of us know the definition of faith provided in Hebrew 11:1(KJV), “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  The word Now is an attention-grabbing word.  For instance, when we want to get someone’s attention we may say: “Now, look a here” or “Now, let me tell you something.”  This is what God is telling us, “Now, let me tell you about My faith that only I can give.  It is the substance/confidence of things you all hope for/expect/anticipate that will happen if it is in My will, I promised it, and you believe I have the power to bring it to pass at the appointed time. 

WR2W, as Christians, we must have faith in God and trust His timing instead of trying to force His timing!  God does not want us to know everything that is going to happen in our life, what is going to happen, when it is going to happen (month, day, year, and time), where it is going to happen, why it is going to happen, and how it is going to happen.  If we knew these things, would there be a reason to expect the unexpected?  Most importantly, would there be a God to Glorify?  We are so busy focusing on the What, When, Where, Why, and How that we have lost the Faith!  It is time for us to stop looking for man to make us at ease in the things God has promised and time for us to JUST HAVE FAITH!  If God promised it, He will deliver it in His Perfect Time!!!  Man’s time is not perfect, we may be off by years, months, days, hours, minutes, and/or seconds but God’s appointed time is JUST THAT — ON TIME; all we need to do is JUST HAVE FAITH!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Just Having Faith

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Mark 11: 17, 22-26 (NLT) 

(17) “He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

(22) “Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.  (23) I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.  But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.  (24) I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.  (25) But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.  (26) But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”

WR2W, we face challenges every day of our lives and we will always face them until the day the Lord calls us home and says well done my good and faithful servant.  I am here to encourage you that we must have faith in God and forgiveness in our heart because there is no mountain (symbolizing no issue insurmountable, meaning too great, too difficult, too elevated) to overcome.  But we must always remember that the only way we can overcome our mountains is through the power of prayer and praying in the will of God and not in our own interest as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane; “Abba, Father,” He cried out, “everything is possible for You.  Please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine” (Mark 14:36 NLT).  As we know, Jesus still bore the cup of suffering for you and me, but His prayer was still answered because the will of God was done.  When we can get to a place in our heart where we can accept the Father’s will, then we can go to the Father and pray for anything and it will be ours!

Let us go to the Lord in prayer …. Father God in the name of Jesus, we join in unity to come before Your throne of grace pressing into Your presence, asking You Father to give us the strength to P.U.S.H (Pray Under Sacrificial Holiness) in faith and forgiveness to the point where the mountains of life are uprooted and nations are healed, churches within the nations are healed, and people within the nations and churches are healed. 

Nation – Father, in the name of Jesus, we plead the blood of Jesus upon all things You have made.  That no weapon formed against us shall ever prosper God in the name of Jesus.  Father shake this nation loose of the mountains we are currently facing such as the elimination of 66 federal programs.  Father God, in the name of Jesus, cover with Your blood, all federal and state programs that You have ordained well for Your people.  Protect social security, housing and urban development, education, health and human services, tax inflation and laws, and block the hands of the enemies who sit in a decision-making position in this administration, those who have the power of the land to keep Your people in bondage and in a place of struggle.  Change their hearts and for those who have a hardened heart, uproot them now God and cast them into the sea of forgetfulness, move them out of position, and put Your people in position.  Bring about Your wrath and indignation and give Your sons and daughters refuge Father in the name of Jesus.  We are believing You to rule no matter who has the power of the land to rule.  Father God, for You are in control. 

Church – Father now as we come before You, praying for the healing of churches all over the world.  We ask that You close the doors of churches that are not open in Your name and are not truly professing the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Those churches, like the fig tree Jesus describes in Mark 11:12-14, leafy, but is not producing any fruit.  Those who are falsely professing the faith by its appearance, looking ripe but indeed fruitless.  “May no one ever eat [their] fruit again!”  Father, we place into Your hands, those who have turned Your House of Prayer into a den of thieves.  Cut them off now and take back Your Temples Father in the name of Jesus.  Please forgive us as a unified body in Christ and allow the hearts of Your people who are acting in this manner to be changed.  Grant us all Your grace and mercy, for we come boldly before Your Throne.  And Father for the churches You have declared a House of Prayer, those that are teaching sound doctrine and producing ripe fruit, allow prosperity to overtake them and their stores to be filled with plenty and their vats to overflow with Your finest wine.  Father God in the name of Jesus strengthen our faith in You God and give us hearts of forgiveness that we shall repent before You and receive answered prayers for the sanity of the church.   Father God, for You are in control.       

People – Now Father, as we come together as a people, unified in faith, we asked that You bless us as a people as well as the individual desires within our hearts.  Some maybe standing for one thing, while others are standing for another, but God, we know You are All-Powerful (omnipotent), All-Knowing (Omniscient), All-Over (Omnipresent) and All-Loving (Omnibenevolence).  We pray in the name of Jesus that You lift the mountains of sin, financial debt, and illness.  God heal and restore our minds, internal organs, and physical bodies.  Father uproot the weed seed of doubt that is blocking our faith in You.  For Your word says Have Faith in God and that is what we shall have, so we decree and declare Your word over our lives this day until eternity.  Father God, in the name of Jesus, if there is any unforgiveness in our hearts, remove it now in the name of Jesus.  Allow us to pray with no doubt and say to the mountains of cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease, liver disease, muscle disease, tissue disease, autoimmune disease, mental illness, blood disorders, nerve disorders, reproductive disorders, and any other form of illness, sickness, and disease be “lifted up and thrown into the sea” and while we are praying and after we have prayed, let us know in our heart, it will happen!  For it is done in the name of Jesus! Father God, there is nothing too hard for You, for You are in full control.    

Now Father, thank You for inclining Your ear to hear from Your servants dear Lord.  We seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus and in Jesus Mighty and Matchless name, we pray and receive Your bountiful blessings, Amen!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Praying in Faith and Forgiveness

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to encourage us today to P.U.S.H (Pray Under Sacrificial Holiness).   To P.U.S.H means to pray under the power of the Holy Spirit sacrificing our flesh to live in the holiness of our Father.  There is no greater way to serve the Lord than by sacrificing our will to be obedient to His will.  The only way we can accomplish such an honor is through the anointed power of prayer.  As I meditated the last few days on the things of God and sought Him for answers to what concerns my heart regarding the non-manifestation of prayers I have been waiting on for years, God’s response repeatedly was 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NLT): “Three different times I begged the Lord to take away.  Each time He said, “May grace is all you need.  My power works best in weakness.”  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”  What if God’s response to you asking Him to take away the very thing you felt was too much to bear was the same response He gave to me and the apostle Paul? 

Like the apostle Paul, we all have something or somethings we want God to remove from our life to free us from its burden, but what if God is saying no?  What if He is saying no because He knows this is the very thing that will keep us humble and constantly before His throne of grace.  Can we be honest with ourselves and say, God I know if I did not have to deal with this very thing I may not have drawn as close to You as I have, can we admit this is possibly true?  I know I can admit this is true for my life.  In the weakest moment of my life was when I drew closer to God.  It was not when everything was going according to my plan and life appeared to be so good.  No, it was when I had to P.U.S.H to make it to the next day.  It was when life became so hard, I did not know if I truly wanted to continue to live.  It was when I wanted to give up because I felt I did not have a purpose to go on, but because His grace was sufficient in my weakness He gave me His power to continue to breath and serve Him through all the pain.  And like Paul, I can honestly say, “so now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

WR2W, freedom comes when we are honest with God and ourselves and we P.U.S.H to live a life pleasing to God.  Moreover, freedom comes when Grace has graced us with His power that is constantly working through us.  Please know that freedom from your thorns (issues of life) does not come because the very thorn we want removed is removed.  Because even if God does remove that one, there will always be another thorn because the thorn is what keeps us at His feet P(ing).U.S.H.  For the bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT): “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  So if God never removes the debt, never heals the cancer on this side of heaven, allows the love one to die, let the husband leave, do not save the child from going to jail, do not deliver you from people working on your nerves, do not save your job, allow you to experience church hurt, and the list goes on, He is still God and as long as His Spirit is working in us, His grace is working for us, and we are free!  P.U.S.H my sisters and never give up.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
P(ing).U.S.H

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to encourage us today to L.O.V.E (Live Our Victory Experience).  Now, some of you may be wondering, is this possible?  Sure, it is!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV).  This scripture is proof it is possible because the victory has already been won through agape love.  Agape love is a type of love that can only be experienced through the power of God and faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus, Himself, showed agape love throughout His word and is a living example of what love truly is:  selfless and sacrificing!  The greatest moment exemplifying selfless and sacrificial love was at the cross as he took on the sin of the world.  Jesus “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows”; “He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed – able to L.O.V.E (Isaiah 53:4 KJV).

I challenge each of us to take a self-assessment and dig deep to find out who we are in God and if we are indeed following Christ’s example of sharing selfless and sacrificial love. WR2W, after we discover who we are in God, we can then learn how to love ourselves, so we are able to love others selflessly and sacrificially.  If we never come to know who we are in God, it is no way possible we can ever truly love others and L.O.V.E (Live Our Victory Experience).  A victory experience brings one’s life unspeakable joy that can never be given by man but can only be achieved by service unto the Lord which means serving our fellow man.  I am so joyful today because I have finally come into the peace of God because I have learned of the love of God which is allowing me to L.O.V.E.  This was not something that came over night but thank God over time it did come.  And just like God did it for me, He will surely do it for you.  “For there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11 KJV).

So, as First Lady Michelle Obama said it best, “when they go low, let us go HIGH”.  When others act to get a reaction from us, let us go HIGH in God’s love and rise above whatever negative energy those “haters” are sending our way.  Let us go HIGH in God’s love and rise above H.E.E.L.S (Hatred, Envy, Eagerness, Laziness, and Sexual Sin).  Let us go HIGH in God’s love and rise above all things that can hinder us from giving love selflessly and sacrificially.  WR2W, let us L.O.V.E (Live Our Victory Experience) in Jesus!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
L(ing).O.V.E     

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, it is time for us to kill corruptible seed that has been planted in our life and in the life of our offspring.  As I sat on yesterday and meditated on the word of God, Genesis 19:30-38, I heard God say it is time to kill the seed of corruption that has been separating you from reaching your full potential in Me.  It is time for you to go to work in your garden and identify the seeds that are producing weeds that are causing your fruit to die.  And as the saying goes, “This year’s seeds become next year’s weeds!”  These weed seeds that I am speaking of are fear and desperation and the fruit are simply the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

WR2W, I do not know how many of us are allowing or have allowed the weed seeds of fear and desperation to take root in our hearts, but I am charging each of us to use the best brand of herbicide (weed killer) on the market, and I am not talking about Roundup, I am talking about the brand B.I.B.L.E (Baby It’s “Bout” Life Everlasting).  For us to experience life everlasting, we must kill the seeds of fear and desperation because the aftermath of what it produces continues the cycle of wickedness giving birth to a new Sodom and eventually eternal damnation.  Do we want this type of life for ourselves and our offspring?  If not, let us begin by uprooting the weed seeds of fear and desperation.

 Agriculturally speaking, once the seed takes root and the tip of the root penetrates the soil, the tree (whether fruit or weed depending on the type of seeds that were planted) is now fixed in the ground with the capability of absorbing both water and nutrients.  Now, what I am about to say is extremely important for us to understand.  Please take note, weeds compete with fruit for the sources of life (water, sunlight, and nutrients).   Therefore, spiritually speaking, once the weed seeds of fear and desperation take root and penetrate just a piece of our heart, the trees of lying, deception, ungodly character, and all other byproducts are fixed within our soul and starts sucking up our ability to operate in the Holy Spirit and according to the Word because the non-weed trees, the “fruit” trees, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, become starved leaving us imbalanced and unstable.  WR2W, weed seeds (fear and desperation) produce unwanted trees growing in our heart, a place we do not want them nor can afford for them to grow.  Our heart is the source of God’s supply for our life and we need to make sure the garden of our heart is embedded with only the Fruit of the Spirit.  So, it is my prayer that we decree and declare, fear and desperation uprooted (cast out) and never able to produce again in the name of Jesus, Amen.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!    

Signed,
Killing Corruptible Seed

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Genesis 19:16-20 NLT – (16) “When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful. 

 Hi WR2W, during this life there are always going to be choices we are going to have to make.  Some good, bad, and ugly, but still choices.  Some choices will put us in situations where we may feel like our backs are against the wall.  And most often, when put in this type of situation, we make the choice to be comfortable, and therefore become compromised and confused.  Let’s look at Lot’s life for example.  Lot and his family was living in the city of Sodom.  Sodom was a place full of wickedness, pride, gluttony, and laziness (Ezekiel 16:49 NLT), and its citizens constantly sinned against God (Genesis 13:13 NLT).  And because their sin was so offensive, the bible indicates that the outcry against the people for judgement had become so great, the Lord sent two of His angels into the city to destroy it by fire and burning sulfur.  However, due to Abraham’s plea for the righteous to be saved, Lot and his family was spared, and the rest of Sodom was destroyed because the Lord did not consider 10 righteous.  Although Lot made selfish and ungodly choices, he still was considered a righteous man, one who God considered to be godly (2 Peter 2:6-9 NLT). 

WR2W, if God were to give the order today to destroy the world by fire, would we be in the number considered righteous?  Because we make bad (ungodly/unwise) choices, this does not make us unrighteous.  Only God has the authority to judge and determine who is righteous or unrighteous.  But we have the authority to live in His will and by His faith, thus making good (godly/wise) choices.  How many of us have made selfish choices and have chosen to be comfortable instead of considering others and their well-being?  How many of us are currently yoked up with what makes us comfortable instead of what we have been called to because of lust, money, pride and/or because what God was calling us to did not look so appealing?  Listen, it is time for us to do some honest self-evaluation.  Truth be told, many of us are married to people, places, and/or things that makes us comfortable instead of who, where, or what God has called us to, and we wonder why we are constantly having problems and are so joyless.  Joyfulness is not found in people, places, and things.  Joy is found in the Lord!  Again, it’s all about our choices!

WR2W, we must be witnesses for God and not compromise our integrity and make bad choices out of fear and desperation in the urgency of the moment.  We must be clear on who we are and stand firm on what we believe and stick to it no matter what the devil presents before us.  And please note, the devil will not present us with someone, somewhere, and/or something in which we have no interest.  The devil is clever/very cunning and will send his best hitters at us – we better believe it, so we must stay woke!  Not only do we need to stay woke, but we need not to become confused when familiar spirits come before us.  We must immediately recognize them and not hesitate to denounce the very person, place and/or thing our heart is still attached to and attracting.  From Lot’s story, let us learn the error of our way and trust the process of the One who has come to save us from our Sodom (and His name is Jesus).  And even in our hesitation (our moment of confusion), let us recognize when Jesus is extending His Hand of grace to us to rush us to safety outside of ourselves because our inner man (our flesh), that which we work so desperately hard to please, is our Sodom, the very thing holding us bond to sin.  WR2W, do we realize we don’t deserve for Jesus to extend His hand to rescue us, but because of the sufficiency of His grace, we should be grateful?  In addition, do we understand we deserve to burn in our Sodom, but because of His mercy, He has kept us, and we should humble ourselves under His Mighty hand?  Again, it’s all about our choices!  Therefore, I make the choice not to be comfortable, but to be called.  I make the choice not to compromise or be confused, I choose Jesus and His way, what about you?  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Making Godly Choices

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, as we observe Resurrection Sunday, let us remember the reason we were able to get up this morning, bless the name of our Lord as we cry out Hosanna to the Highest, and “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4 KJV).  Truly we are grateful for the incarnation of Jesus, His life on earth, death on the cross, and all He endured so that we can experience the love of God through salvation and escape eternal death.  We should continuously thank God for the cross that Jesus carried, and the same cross from which He hung, bled, and died.  For if it had not been for this cross, the altar of sacrifice, Jesus’ work would have not been completed, satan’s head would not have been crushed, and God’s promise would have been unfulfilled.  Thank God for Jesus – Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna!!! 

WR2W, for I am excited not only because it was a Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Still Saturday, but for the Resurrection Sunday that followed.  Moreover, I am super excited that on that Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene did not find Jesus at the grave because He had gotten up!  And I believe, He rose with the same power He laid down with, all for the glory and honor of God.  Indeed Saints, Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life; He is our Hope!  And because He dwells within us, we are filled with Hope, therefore, nothing we face today, or any day is hopeless.  Because of the Ultimate Sacrifice made over 2,000 years ago, the power of hopelessness has been defeated on the cross and victory through Christ Jesus has been won! 

So, whatever you may be dealing with today (Hatred, Envy, Eagerness, Laziness, Sexual sin, anxiety, worry, pain, debt, addiction, financial strain, ungodly thoughts, anger, etc.) hang it on the cross.  Three years ago, I came across a poem entitled, “Hang It on the Cross”, and I would like to share it with you since it was such as blessing to me.  This is what Jesus did for us when He took on the disposition of sin and this is what we should do for Him, not my will God but Your will be done.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!  I now leave you with the words of Logan Parker…….

Hang It on the Cross

If you have a secret sorrow, a burden or a loss, an aching need for healing…                                                                                                                      Hang It on the Cross.

If worry steals your sleep and makes you turn and toss, if your heart is feeling heavy…                                                                                                  Hang It on the Cross.

Every obstacle to faith or doubt you come across, every prayer unanswered…                                                                                                                    Hang It on the Cross.

For Christ has borne our brokenness and dearly paid the cost to turn our trials to triumph…                                                                                  Hang It on the Cross.

Signed,
Hanging It on the Cross  

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, what does it mean to us to live our life in peace?  What does it mean to us to be in God’s perfect peace and not be disturbed by things going on around us?  What is peace?  Is it a state of tranquility where everything around us is still and our presence demands calmness?  Today, I encourage each of us to enter a state of peace and create an environment in our heart where we are free from the spirit of vexation, frustration, anger, disorder, and any spiritual vice that would trigger a reaction of rage and a consequence we would eventually regret.  “For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 NLT) and we should strive daily to exemplify the character of God.  Let us not allow satan’s tactics to cause us to enter an ungodly place.  A place of great darkness and one in which God may not allow His Hands to reach.

WR2W, no matter how hectic things are around us, and we feel like we are in a great storm, we need to learn to exercise the authority our Lord has given us and command “Peace, be still.  And the wind [will] cease, and there [will be] a great calm” (Mark 4:39 KJV) in which nothing and no one could phase us.  Oh, the peace of the Living God is the place we should long to be.  Oh, the peace of our Lord, is the place we should pray to stay.  “I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people”, and we should not return to [our] foolish ways (Psalms 85:8 NLT).  As we grow in the Lord, our spirit should rebel foolishness and the thought of entertaining such chaos should cause us to cringe.  So today, let us release rivals (past or current), grudges, ill intentions, hearts of malice, and people who mean us no good.  And for those of us who may know who these people are and their real intentions for us, let us wear the spirit of peace with grace and humility, and genuinely smile, wave, and keep it moving as the Women of God (WOG) we are, why?  Because we were built to take the high road and not allow another person’s folly to make us foolish.

My sisters, God has allowed me to continuously come in contact with those who I know (through His revelation) have talked about me, prayed against me and all my endeavors, and hoped and is probably still hoping I do not succeed, but thank God for the blood of Jesus that covers me daily and keeps me from falling at the hands of my enemies.  Because of God’s love and perfect peace, I can genuinely look at my enemies in the face and silently thank them for blessing me unknowingly because every time we make contact, and I do as God has instructed me, oh we, another blessing!  I have learned to place each of them in the Master’s Hands and follow God’s instructions.  I “don’t repay evil with evil.  [I] don’t retaliate with insults when people insult [me].  Instead, [I] pay them back with a blessing.  That is what God has called [us] to do, and He will grant [us] His blessing.  For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.  Turn away from evil and do good.  Search for peace, and work to maintain it” (1 Peter 3:9-11 NLT).  This is my prayer for each of us today and every day.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!  May God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand, guard [our] hearts and minds as [we] live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 NLT).  Amen! 

Signed,
At Peace 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I encourage you today to get into the presence of our Almighty Father.  Being in His presence gives us a fullness of joy that we cannot find any other place.  Whatever we may have been through this past week, when we enter His presence, it no longer has the power to keep our mind in a depressive state nor our heart in a place of bondage.  When we come into His presence our mind and heart are free to dance in worship and honor our King.  So today, I choose to Dance in His Presence.  Will you please join me and make the choice to exalt our Father and worship Him in the beauty of His holiness (Psalms 96:9KJV)?

To Dance in His Presence means to enter a place where healing, joy, peace, mercy, grace, and everlasting love exist.  It is a place where fear and worry are no more, and His power and His power alone reigns.  So as in the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:16-17 (NLT),” I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower [us] with inner strength through His Spirit.”  And my sisters, when this happens, “Christ will make His home in [our] hearts as [we] trust in Him”.  WR2W, are you ready to Dance in His Presence?  In honor of our Father, I have written a letter entitled “Dancing in Your Presence” to the Man who holds and protects our hearts.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

I invite you to read….

Dear Father, thank You for Your protection, provision, and profound love.  I thank You for loving me beyond what my eyes and heart can imagine.  You have been and forever will be my strength.  As I Dance in Your Presence, I give glory to You for being the Godhead.  It is an honor to know You and I am forever grateful to exalt You with my worship.  Being in your presence indeed gives me fullness of joy and lifts me from the dark places that the enemy continuously tries to take me.  Thank You for being my Light and my Absolute Freedom.  Because of You God, I am free to dance unto You as a sign of total surrender to Your throne of Grace.  For me Father, dancing is my way of exiting the place of bondage that this world enslaves us to and a way to enter a place of freedom that only a life in You can give.  For your word says in 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT), for You are the Spirit, and wherever You are, there is freedom!  Father, I want to live the last days of my life peacefully, and totally free from the things of this world.  So, I dedicate this dance to You.  Thank You for always being there for me and making me feel like the precious Daughter I am.  I salute you Daddy and it has been my heart’s joy to Dance in Your Presence.  

Signed,
Forever will Dance 

 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I want to encourage us today to smile through the midst of our storm, “for the Joy of the Lord is [our] strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 NLT)!  When we can celebrate God when times are rough, we have decided to defeat the enemy.  It is easy to praise and worship God when all is well.  Our family is behaving fine, job could not be better, finances are overflowing, and romantic and social relationships are the best they have ever been.  During times like these, we profess faithfully with our mouth about the goodness of the Lord, but what about the profession of our heart?  What about when things are not going so well.  These are the times when we must continue to exalt the Lord.  We must praise and worship Him while we are going through our circumstances.  This is the time we need to hold fast to the Joy of the Lord and gain His strength to endure trials that seem unbearable. 

WR2W, please be aware these trials come to tempt us to turn away from the things of God and give up on all the progress we have made so we can go back to serving the devil by engaging willfully in sinful acts because it is easier than what we are currently dealing with, and it seems like the way out.  My sisters, God through the power of His darling son Jesus, is the only way out.  The bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT), “the temptations in [our] life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than [we] can stand.  When [we] are tempted, He will show [us] a way out so that [we] can endure.”  This alone should give us Joy.  Why?  Because God has not left us, and He is here every step of the way, carrying us through, which ensures us that we will come out as pure gold. 

WR2W, do not fret about things that are temporary because they will soon pass away, and God will grant us a peace that surpasses all understanding if we hold fast to His Spirit of Joy.  This Fruit of God’s Spirit is an unspeakable Joy that will give us the fuel we need to keep pressing forward “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 KJV).  My sisters, whatever we may be dealing with momentarily, please know without a doubt, that “weeping may last through the night, but Joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NLT).  God is about to give us a new dance, one of bliss.  So, let us speak Joy, live our life in Joy, and continue to praise Him with a heart of Joy no matter our circumstances.  And my favorite thing to do, let us praise Him in advance as we look up to Heaven and shout with a voice of triumph, “You [Lord] have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.”  “O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!’  (Psalm 30: 11, 12) WR2W, let us share our experiences and be transparent so we can work together to help one another as we grow.  I am waiting to hear from you, please leave a comment below.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Joyful  

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I must share with you today, what God has placed in my heart for us to do.  He guides us through His word in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT), to “Trust in the Lord with ALL [our] heart; do not depend on [our] own understanding.  Seek His will in ALL [we] do, and He will show [us] which path to take.”  My sisters, it is just that simple.  Who are we trusting today to lead and direct us?  Who are we trusting to order our steps?  I hope our answer is the Lord.  But for those whose answer is “I don’t know”, you are still in the right place because Jesus will meet you right where you are if you are willing to let Him.  We must open our heart and mind to receive the things of God because He wants to minister to our heart and penetrate it in such a way that it changes our mind and actions.  Once we begin to do this, we will start to look, and talk like Him.  Why?  Because we were created in His likeness (image) and have come into the fullness of who He is, and this is such a wonderful feeling, so we shall not miss our moment!

For some of us who grew up in church, went to Sunday School, and all the programs the church had to offer, for some reason, it is still hard for us to truly trust God.  However, there are others who recently learned the name of Jesus, has no true knowledge and understanding of God, no church history, and does not belong to any religious or spiritual organization, and it is easier for them to trust God.  Can the distinction be because they know God exists, have faith merely in His existence, and trust that He controls the universe, and those of us who have been in church all our lives are looking for a deeper answer?  So, I begin to wonder and ask the question, why?  Is it because of the way we were taught and our perception of the word?  Is it because when we do not get what we are requesting, we try to be too “deep” and lean on our own understanding?  Is it because we do not know who Jesus really is and His purpose for our existence?  WR2W, Jesus is not Santa Claus, I Dream of Jeanie, or Bewitched, Jesus is the Light of the world, who came to bring salvation to a dying world.  It is time for us to think on the external things, stop concentrating on the material things, and making a list for Jesus to complete as if He is our servant.  We are His servants and that is our true purpose of existence—-merely to serve! 

It is time for us to get over ourselves and commit to trusting in the ways of the Lord and follow His instructions.  Unlike the Israelites on their 40 years journey, we must stop complaining and trust God 100% of the time with 100% of our self and all that He has given and will give to us.  We must trust that He will never leave us alone to defend ourselves.  If He sends us, He will take care of us in every area.  If God tells us to do something, we must trust Him enough to do it because He has a plan for the manifestation of His promises.  “For all the promises of God in Him are yea (meaning yes), and in Him Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV).  On our journey to Destiny, God sees what is ahead and will lead us down a path that may take longer and less traveled, but it is all for our good, so we can make it to the promise land.  And if for some reason, our adversary tries to get in the way, and persists to keep us in bondage, when God has ordered our release, trust and believe, He will get their attention one way or another, and although we may be near the place He strikes, like the Israelites, we and our bloodline (all who are spiritually connected through the blood of Jesus) will be spared.  WR2W, please take note, that when this happens, it is not our responsibility to try to figure out the heart of the adversary, but to trust God and understand that He can and will allow someone’s heart to be hardened towards us, so we can experience Him as the Gift Giver and see His glory. 

We must trust Him even when we do not understand what He is doing because He knows the end from the beginning.  God is in control!  He knows what we can handle and the perfect time for our arrival to the promise land.  If we arrive prematurely, this means we are not prepared to handle the abundance of blessings.  WR2W, we must trust the process and fully trust God through the process.  The race is not given to the swift, but the one endures to the end.  Let us worship God together through the process instead of complaining about the process.  As the Israelites had to understand, so do we, He did not have to deliver us, but He did, thanks be to God for His unconditional love.  My sisters, we should be grateful, and shouting with a heart of total praise, thanks be to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!  I am waiting to hear from you, let us help each other and grow together.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!  

Signed,
Trusting         

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, today let us talk about distractions.  Distractions are those things (obstacles, frustration, debt, gossip, unhealthy social media, arguments, lies, underhanded deals) or people who are designed to come into our lives to keep us from achieving purpose by knocking us off track and detouring us from staying on the path of focus.  The path that is truly important.  Many may say distractions come to cause us to lose focus to the point where we can no longer concentrate on our God-given steps to destiny.  When this happens, we immediately begin to develop and operate in a negative mindset—not good!  Yes, distractions are the work of the enemy, and we cannot allow the enemy to win, but we must consider the flip side of distractions.  We must channel all the wasted energy we put into talking about distractions and trying to figure out why they have come into turning our negative mindset into a positive mindset and make them work for us. 

WR2W, God has given us the authority to make it work for us and the best part about it is that He (God, Himself) is causing all these distractions to work together for our good.  Why?  Because we love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  Again, I must reiterate, we must change our mindset, the way we view things and what we speak.  Positive affirmations bring positive results, and it is time for us to see these distractions as blessings in disguise or better yet, blessings in the makings, and speak that they are indeed working for our good.  Perhaps they (distractions) have come for such a time as this to motivate us to transform our mind into being Kingdom thinkers, so our hands can be Kingdom builders.  It is time for us to make Kingdom moves.  What are Kingdom moves you should ask, they are boss moves made by Kingdom women.

My number one distraction is the burden of student loan debt, and how it keeps me from being able to sow more into the Kingdom, the lives of others, and myself.  But honestly, this is not true.  This is only an excuse, and I must change my mindset.  This is the way the enemy wants me to think.  This is his tactic to distract me from what is truly important, being a Kingdom sower, and living my best life.  He wants to stifle me by stifling my thought process to keep me in a poverty mentality, but the devil is a liar and God is in full control.  My distraction is the burden of student loan debt, but your distraction maybe your problems with your husband, companion, children, friends, and/or jealous people who always have an opinion about your life.  For example, if they do not see you on social media for a while, you must be going through something, or if you are on social media quite a bit, you are showing off.  If these people have this much of time to invest into worrying about what you have going on in your life, they have way too much time, which indicates they are not doing enough worthwhile.  WR2W, we must be careful with whom we associate, and let speak into our lives—-VERY IMPORTANT!!!  But truth be told, sometimes we allow distractions, especially these type, to take shape in our lives because we like drama, and the attention it brings, but the only attention we should be seeking is the attention of our Lord. 

My sisters, when we learn how to look at our distractions, and recognize them for what they are, we can learn to say thank you Lord and receive our camouflage blessings (distractions) that have come to make us stronger and give us more fire to achieve.  It is time out for us condoning foolishness and allowing distractions to overpower us.  It is time for us to conquer our goals, walk in purpose, and achieve destiny from distractions.  What are some distractions you are currently facing?  Together, we can make them work for your good because together, we are powerful beyond measure, let us change our mindset and go get our blessings!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let us pray……   

Father God, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for the distractions that you have allowed to come in our lives to make us stronger and fuel us to keep pressing toward destiny.  We ask now God, in the name of Jesus, to shape and mold us into the WOG you have designed us to be.  Allow us to take the tools that you have given us to defeat the spirit of distraction and excel in our God-given gifts and talents for Your glory.  Continue to birth purpose in our life and give us Your divine wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to walk purpose out as you continue to order our steps in You, Christ Jesus.  We trust you and surrender our all to you.  Father, open doors that will allow us to go get our blessings.  We seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus, Amen!

Signed,
Blessed by Distraction

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

John 11:39-44 (NLT): (39) “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.  But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days.  The smell will be terrible.”  (40) Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”  (41) So they rolled the stone aside.  Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.  (42) You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” (43) Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” (44) And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth.  Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!

Hi WR2W, it is time for us to tell our circumstances, issues, and whatever or whoever it is that is holding us bound, I’m Coming Out!!!  Why, because Jesus is a Deliverer.  Through the study of His word, we have found him to be a Miracle Worker, Teacher, Preacher, Wonderful Counselor, Friend, Preserver, Healer, Mediator, Vindicator, Avenger, Mighty Son of God, and the Resurrection.  Jesus was no stranger to taking what seemed hopeless and transforming its state.  For instance, you remember the first miracle He performed as a Chemist when He turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana.  Jesus was showing that He is the One who provides the abundance of blessings.  Not only did He provide at this wedding, but He was Jehovah Jireh to 5,000 hungry men and their families when he stretched 5 loaves of bread and two fish, and still there were 12 baskets of leftovers remaining.  Jesus performed many miracles of healing.  He healed a man possessed by a demon in Capernaum, healed the sick during the evening of all kinds of illnesses, healed the man born blind and the 10 men suffering from leprosy, healed the woman with the issue of blood while He was on his way to raise Jairus’ young daughter from a dead state.  Oh wait, and let us consider this text, John 11, when Jesus was called to Bethany by Lazarus’ two sisters, Martha and Mary, to preform, yet another miracle.  

WR2W, Jesus has proven to be more than a healer, but one who has the power to resurrect us from a dead state and deliver us out of bondage.  One of the great things I love about the story of the miracle of Lazarus was that Lazarus name and place of residence, called forth his blessing!  Lazarus name meant “God helps” and he lived in a “house of potential” so Jesus had to come and help him.  Again, God helps in houses of potential!  If potential is present, hope is present, and when hope is present, God is a present Help!  My question to each of us is, “What name and place of residence is calling forth our blessing?”  Are we Daughters of the Most High King called according to His purpose with Kingdom citizenship residing in a House of Potential?  Oh, and stop thinking and/or saying what is she talking about, like I am crazy because you and I know very well that every so-called Christian is not answering to the call of His purpose or even seeking to know God’s purpose for our lives so how can we know our name is Blessed.  Moreover, every church open is not open in His name and following His doctrine so how can it be a House of Potential.  If we do not know that the purpose He is calling us to is to be Blessed, and if we have established residency (become members) in a church that is not teaching and following the principles of God (sound doctrine), we are indeed hopeless, and helpless, and we wonder why we are still bound and our blessing has not come forth!        

It is time for us to take Jesus to the place where we have stopped believing in His power and started focusing solely on our circumstance and the habitual practice of going to church because it is what we do on Sunday’s, it is the family’s church, and/or the church that is popping at the time.  If the ground is not fertile, how can Fruit be produced, #goandgrow.  We must take Jesus by the Hand to the place where the promise to deliver us from our circumstance has become obsolete.  The place where the stone is rolled to the entrance of our heart due to doubt, fear, and unbelief.  That very place that has become so stinky because we have been dealing with it so long that our circumstance seems hopeless and appears dead.  Once we bring Him there, Jesus will then act on our faith and intercede on our behalf to the Father and shout us out by Our Name—-Blessed!  Like Lazarus, we too will be resurrected from a dead state and delivered out of bondage.  Thank God, Jesus was not through with Lazarus after He called him forth out of the dead state because according to verse (44), he was still bound by his circumstance.  The text states that “his hands and feet bound in graveclothes [and] his face wrapped in a headcloth.  Oh, but thank God for Jesus!  Jesus did not leave Lazarus this way, and He will not leave us walking around still bound just because we got up.  WR2W, we better learn how to thank God for our process and trust Jesus to complete His perfect work in us.  I encourage you today, no matter what you are going through, to try Jesus because He is the only one who can bring us out.  He will resurrect and deliver us because He has the power!  So, my question to you is, what do you need us to stand with you on in prayer, as we go before God, trusting and believing it is already done?  Leave your comment below, and together, we will go under construction and tear that wall down!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let us pray……   

Father in the name of Jesus, we pray now that you, Roll the stone of fear away, Roll the stone of doubt away, Roll the stone of unbelief away, and call forth your daughter, Blessed, to Come Out!  Loose her of all her stinky/smelling circumstances, [LOOSE family problems, LOOSE job issues, LOOSE the pains of keeping dark secrets, LOOSE sickness, LOOSE unruly children, LOOSE debt, LOOSE backbiting, LOOSE gossip, LOOSE lying, LOOSE betrayal, LOOSE hatred, LOOSE envy, LOOSE jealously, LOOSE deception, LOOSE restlessness, LOOSE eagerness, LOOSE laziness, LOOSE spiritual weakness and wickedness, LOOSE lust, LOOSE fornication, LOOSE adultery, LOOSE sexual immortality, LOOSE homosexuality, LOOSE dishonesty, LOOSE stealing, LOOSE murder, LOOSE idol worship, LOOSE church havoc and division, LOOSE pride, and LOOSE selfishness.  Father, whatever her issue maybe, in Jesus name, command it to, “Unwrap [her] and let [her] go!”  Amen!

Signed,
Loosed

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, in times of waiting, we must learn to continue to trust God no matter how long we have been waiting for the promise to manifest.  But, the question is, “Who told you the very thing you are waiting on is the promise?”  Did you call forth the promise or did God call forth the promise?  Too often we say we are waiting on the promises of God when we are truly waiting on the promises of self.  We must ask ourselves, did God really ordain the promise or was it something we set in our heart, and because we want it, we believe it is our time to receive it?  For us to know if God promised it or if it is a self-promise, we must spend time in the presence of the Almighty!   

What does it mean to spend time in the presence of the Almighty?  We simply must set aside some time each day to become one with the Father, basing on His word.  (1.) We must begin to worship Him and usher in His presence as we honor him and give Him reverence for who He is, has been, and is to come.  (2.) We must bring before Him His word as we meditate daily on a scripture and think on the things of God.  (3.) We must let Him minister to our hearts as we go before Him in prayer.  It is so important for us to pray daily!  Prayer is just having a little talk with Jesus as we bring our petitions before the Lord with a heart of thanksgiving, expecting that what we are requesting is already done by faith.   

Moreover, it is not wise for us to do nothing while we are waiting on the promise to manifest because faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26).  This means if we are not in motion working towards the promise, we will not receive the promise.  God wants us to #goandgrow!  WR2W, we must keep in mind, as we are working, just because we cannot see the promise, does not mean God has not released the promise.  Physically, we may not see it with a natural eye, but we must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit and see with a spiritual eye.  “God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV).  The time for manifestation may not be now, but it is coming.  The problems we face are we become impatient and do not want to wait, and we have not become developed enough spiritually to be able to discern when God has granted the request and released the promise or when our emotions have granted the request and our flesh want God to release an unauthorized promise! (FOOD FOR THOUGHT) 

We must do a self-evaluation, get into the presence of God, and stay before Him until we receive His answer.  Times of waiting are not easy, but they are necessary for our destiny.  WR2W, what are some of the things you have been struggling with as you wait on the promise to manifest or have struggled with as you waited on the promise to manifest?  I am waiting to hear from you, let us help each other and grow together!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Patiently Waiting          

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, today I came to encourage us through the word of God that “Good People Do Suffer”, but according to Matthew 26: 36-46, as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He teaches us that during our suffrage, God’s Grace is Sufficient!  The Garden of Gethsemane was a familiar place to Jesus and His disciples.  It is a place where the oil is pressed, and where we find out just how anointed we are and how much we can endure.  It is a place of uncertainty that you and I cannot avoid no matter how hard we try.  But in this place of uncertainty, we discover there is still good, and the good is the fact that it prepares us for our “Next Level Blessing”.  So, there is no need for us to walk around feeling sorry for ourselves, having a pity party because “the cup of suffering” has become full and it seems to be causing us great pain and agony when the bible clearly depicts, through the life of Jesus, that if we press through our Garden of Gethsemane, we will receive our “Next Level Blessing”. 

However, WR2W, for us to receive our “Next Level Blessing”, we must be willing to drink from the cup of suffering.  This is the time in our life when all hell is breaking loose, and our situation has not improved; in fact, it has become worse, and we are now at the point when we feel we cannot take anymore and if one more thing happens, we will lose our mind.  At this point in our life, we must be willing to reflect on the character of Jesus Christ and carry out the assignment God has placed before us with integrity, dignity, and grace.  We are to remember we belong to God, and because we are a Daughter of the Most High King, we are not to conform to the world’s system and try to make things happen for ourselves.  Like Jesus, we must Honor God in Obedience and suffer through!  Father, not my will, but Your will be done.  We must speak to the dead things in our life that is holding us bound (i.e. hatred, envy, eagerness, laziness, sexual sin (H.E.E.L.S), backbiting, gossip, lying, betrayal, jealously, deception, loneliness, pain, hurt, disappointment, agony, grief, anger, abandonment, tiredness, frustration, desperation, anxiety, uncertainty, and despair), and tell these things to “Sleep on now and take your rest!”  (Matthew 26:45 KJV)

We must be willing to Commune with God in Prayer.  Although Jesus knew His purpose for being in Gethsemane, because He continuously communed (talked) with God in prayer, He obtained strength.  For example, verse 39 depicts Jesus going deeper, giving reverence to the Father as He entered His “War Room” of prayer.  WR2W, if we want to receive our “Next Level Blessing”, we must understand our purpose for having to pass through Gethsemane, and we too must go deeper, into our “War Room” of prayer, and prepare for the Great Spiritual Fight that faces us ahead!  Like Jesus, we must have a prayer life because prayer is what brings us into close fellowship with the Father.  When we commune with God in prayer, we come into a place called worship, and for me, there is no greater place to be than in the presence of the Almighty God.  Moreover, prayer is the place when divinity meets humanity and circumstances are subject to change.  We experience spiritual intercourse and become one with the Father.  God is within us and His Holy Spirit is flowing through us.  This, I can tell you, is an amazing experience!

WR2W, it is time for us to “let sleeping dogs lie”.  We do not have time to allow dead weight to keep us bound, the betrayer is here, and we have too much work to do for the kingdom.  In simple terms, we do not have time to be stuck in tradition, operating according to a religious system, and with all due respect, being stuck on stupid while the enemy is in our vicinity plotting and scheming.  We must Serve God in Joy, “Rise, let us be going”, we have work to do (Matthew 26:46 KJV)!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Pressing

 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, do you ever wake up and realize that today is hard and all you really want to do is stay in bed, away from everything and everyone?  Well, lately I have been having these types of days.  However, I continue to look to the Hills, the place where I know my help comes from, and that is from the Almighty God.  Learning how to encourage yourself is one of the most instrumental tools you will need on this journey called life.  David encouraged himself when times became rough, and we too need to follow David’s example and depend upon God to conquer our Goliath (whatever giant—obstacle, that is before us).  As Christians, we must understand that no battle is ours, but all battles are the Lord’s.  When we learn to trust the Lord in all things and for all things, we will always receive the victory because God, He always win! 

I encourage you today to look at your Goliath in the face and openly declare to him, her, and/or it that you have come in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  Do not be shaken nor do you present any sign of fear.  WR2W, stand bold and confident, walk upright in the Lord, take heed to His strategy, and execute it in obedience and with grace.  It is time that we stand tall and face Goliath together.  Will it be easy?  It can be, if we do not try to fight Goliath; especially on our own strength, but if we turn it over to God, trust Him to take care of it, and live in His perfect peace, I believe in my heart it can be easy.  You know what I have learned, there is nothing that God cannot handle, therefore, if He has given us the authority and the strategy to slay Goliath, why should we worry?  What are you worried about today?  Whatever it is, let us take it to God in prayer.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let us pray……

Father God, in the name of Jesus.  We come before you the only way we know how, and that is with a humble and thankful heart.  God, we acknowledge you as God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we surrender our all to you this day.  Whatever Goliath we are trying to fight on our own strength, please forgive us for our ignorance and disobedience.  We turn Goliath over to you right now God, and we ask in the name of Jesus, that you defeat this enemy and give us the strategy to not only take him, her, and/or it down, but to slay this giant where getting back up for Goliath is impossible.  Lord, we thank you for your divine wisdom, strength, power, and authority.  God, in the name of Jesus, we seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus, Amen!

Signed,
Strategizing and Slaying

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, I pray today our hearts are filled with peace and joy and we are healed of our brokenness.  There are so many of us who are broken from experiences we have faced in the past or are currently facing, and our hearts are aching and longing for a touch that we ourselves do not have the power to give. However, instead of drawing close and pulling on the One who has the touch we need, we continue to go through difficult times in our lives looking for answers.  Why did our love ones have to die, why are our spouses unfaithful or inattentive, why did we not get the job or promotion, why do people lie on us and hurt us to our core, why do people continue to take advantage of us and be deceptive, why are we tired and just want to stop dealing with people who are constantly causing us pain, and why have the doors of opportunity not been opened unto us?  So many questions, but what are we doing to seek wise counsel from the Only Wise God.  God is the only One who can provide the answers to the questions that are purposed in our hearts, and we must meet Him in prayer for clarity.  So today, let us go to our Lord in prayer, one for another, seeking answers to questions that are purposed in our hearts.  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Let us pray……

Lord, we come before you with humble hearts of submission.  We ask Father in the name of Jesus that you purify our hearts, renew our minds, and give us clean hands to worship you.  We are crying out to you Father with hearts of distress, knowing you are the only One who can set us free.  We make our request known unto you with thanksgiving and we ask now Father that you loose us of all the things that have been conditioned in our hearts, holding us bound, and causing us to have continuous heart attacks because of conditions that are spontaneous or slow onset.  Father God, in the name of Jesus, prepare our hearts for what lies ahead and provide us protection by suiting us up with Your full armor.  Place upon us, the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.  God, in the name of Jesus, make and keep us ready for battle against the enemy.  We slay the devil right now in the name of Jesus, and no weapon formed against us, shall ever prosper in Jesus name.  We seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus.  Amen!    

Signed,
Prayerful

 

365 Days of Growing Together 
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, difficult times come and go, but the grace of God always remain.  When we face times in our lives when we feel as if we cannot push forward and we do not want to continue, it is time for us to realize that God is in control.  It is time for us to surrender all that we have been through and are currently going through to God and “Be Still and Know” that He is God and there is no other who can deliver us out of our situation and comfort us in our situation.  Once we come to the realization that God cannot be controlled and that He is in control, we will come into a place called perfect peace.  I do not know what you are going through right now, but what I can tell you is that there is nothing too hard for God.

WR2W, please be certain that whatever you are going through, it is necessary along your journey to Destiny.  Therefore, it is important for us not to make any man-made moves, but only God-ordained moves.  If we move prematurely out of our frustrations or impatience, we will derail our path towards Destiny.  To avoid derailment, we must “Be Still and Know” that better days are coming because God is in control.  We must also wait patiently on God for His revelation and for whatever He is going to do next in our lives, whether we consider it good, bad, or ugly because those of us who understands that God is in control, “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 KJV).    

On this day, it is my prayer for each of us to trust God like we have never trusted Him before, and accept whatever He allows.  I pray that God grants each of us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom and knowledge to know the difference.  God cannot be controlled, God is in control of all things, and He is Perfect Peace!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Still

365 Days of Growing Together
“Under Construction”

Hi WR2W, as children of God, it is important for us to recognize the authority of the Lord and realize that we have it to exercise.  In Genesis 1:26, God gives us authority over every living thing, all that is required of us is to open our mouth and speak.  I have learned that a closed mouth does not get fed, and if you do not ask, you will not receive.  The bible says “ask, and it shall be given [to] you” (Matthew 7:7 KJV).   It is time we tear down the foundation of doubt in our mind and heart, rebuild with a spirit of confidence, pray, and speak the word with the authority God has given us.  There is nothing on Earth that we cannot conquer.  If it is God’s will for us to have it or succeed at it, Thine will be done!  We must believe!  Our problem is we do not truly understand the power God has given us, but how can we understand the power He has given us when we do not fully understand how powerful He is—-food for thought.

Do you know that God is Omnipotent (All-powerful)?  He has the power to do just what He wants, whenever He wants, and we have the power to believe and trust in Him.  Are you exercising your power in the authority of God?  If so, how?  If not, it is time that you start!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Powerful

 

 

365 Days of Growing Together
“Under Construction”

 Hi WR2W, I am so looking forward to growing with you during these 365 days of tearing down, discovering the good and bad, and rebuilding our lives segment by segment – and the cool part is we have each other on site. I do not know how many of you have been on or seen a construction site, but there are many different projects going on in different locations on the same site, and many different people assigned to the same project, but working different shifts. However, the one thing I have noticed that these individuals have in common is they are working toward achieving the same goal, and that is to get the job done!

Well WR2W, this is you and me. Although, each of us are different in many ways, for example, our personalities, desires, genetic make-up, family background, careers, political beliefs and affiliations, church affiliation and/or denomination, and so much more, we too have one thing in common, we are ready to work to get the job done! Today, we have showed up on site for our first day on the job – Congratulations! However, before we can begin working there are some safety precautions we must take such as our dress code. On this spiritual construction site, we must have on the full armor of God. It is required that we suit up with the belt of truth (tool belt), breastplate of righteousness (safety vest), shoes of the Gospel of peace (steel toe pumps), shield of faith (safety glasses), helmet of salvation (hard hat), and in our hands, carry, the sword of the Spirit; which is the Word of the Lord (hammer).

WR2W, we must be ready always to wage spiritual warfare against the enemy, and demolish every wall he has put up that needs to come down. For this type of work, prayer is the key! There is always one tool in our tool belt which makes the job go faster and smoother, and in our case, that tool is Prayer. WR2W, it is time for us to use our tools of destruction and start tearing these walls down one by one and rebuild a more solid foundation. Yesterday is behind us, tomorrow maybe too late so why don’t we start today and why don’t we start together! WR2W, I celebrate you and I am grateful to God to take this new journey with each of you.  Let’s get to work, we have a lot to do!  I love each of you, be blessed, be encouraged, and be true!

Signed,
Ready to Work