Category Archives: MUSINGS

Don’t Bow to Baal

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God's Army, with Timashion Jones on the far right

For the last week or so the phrase “They don’t bow to Baal” has come to my mind when I read a blog or a tweet, have a conversation or hear a sermon from the relentless, the fierce, the fiery folks who consistently and most recently intensely have fired me up for Jesus. We all need these people in our lives, those, who like one of my friend’s says, “‘makes our baby leap.’ In other words, there should be spirit-filled individuals who activate the presence of God within us and can also speak into our lives.” We need those people who are sold out for Jesus and won’t give up and give in to a false god.

So here are the ones that have just been such a blessing to me and have constantly been on my mind and heart the last few weeks. Connect with them and I’m sure you’ll be able to tell what I mean.

1. Christopher W. Brooks, pastor of Evangel Ministries and host of the radio broadcast Equipped for Life

2. Sharon D. Moore, assistant pastor of Ebenezer AME Church and national preacher

3. Carla P. Yarbrough, blogger at Royalty Revealed

4. Dianna Hobbs, founder and CEO of Empowering Everyday Women Online Magazine and blogger at Your Daily Cup of Inspiration

5. Michelle Johnson, founder of Alabaster Ministries and blogger at One Alabaster Day at a Time

6. Kim Cash Tate, author and blogger at Color Your Perspective

7. Nichole M. Christian, writer and contributor to Dear Dad

8. Timashion Jones, lyricist, Good News Talk Show creator and host and filmmaker (A Love that Hurts)

9. Ajene Gailliard, blogger at Kingdom Mommy

My One Thousand Gifts List

#351-360
An enriching bible study on mercy with Helena
Washing and grooming my hair
Arched eyebrows
An evening of dinner and jazz at Cliff Bell’s celebrating Kim’s birthday
An itinerary for the book party
Cutting yams with Flynn
Flynn lovingly caring for the boys and me by cleaning the kitchen three times and washing clothes while I was at Cliff Bell’s
A great challenging sermon
Worshipful singing
Fellowshipping with family and former church family members

Friday Feature: Ingredients for Dealing with Hard Times

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When times get tough, many of us may want to just give up. We are tired of the struggle. We are tired of the pain. We are tired of insanity. We want things to be the same as they were. But life is not like this. Evolution is the standard. We can be sure of change. But just because life changes doesn’t mean we HAVE to go insane, that we can’t remain the vessels God has chosen us to be. In times when everyone would understand if we just fell apart and STAYED apart, God says:

Don’t grieve like people who have no hope; seek the Lord and you will have everything you need (1 Thessalonians 4:13; Psalm 34:10).

This is not a charge to take up a strong black woman mantle and walk in our own strength, but this is the charge to know the One who gives strength and to take up His mantle so that we can get His strength, stand, and see His glory working in the midst of a mess (2 Corinthians 12:9; Psalm 46:10).

I don’t care if your mess is one that you created, that came upon a loved one, that happened from governmental changes or from the wicked one, who’s constantly working to make us unstable (1 Peter 5:8); please, know this: God will give you what you need to escape despair, to claim and reign in hope and not to mope around in pity (1 Corinthians 10:13). He has given us the method to use and it’s the one He’s given that we might be able to walk in victory even in a rough fight. We can mourn differently than the world, seek God and receive what we need because we have the main key, His Word:

Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.—Psalm 119:105

God’s Word, whether written or spoken to you in quiet time or prophetically by some other means, is what sustains us. His Word tells us how and where to walk. His Word illuminates the darkness and gives us everything we need, no matter the situation. We lose hope in our struggles when we lose sight of God’s Word. We can’t afford to lose hope. When we do, we lose sight of God.

So as my days have been long and full of trouble, I lean to what God has already told me to keep me strong:

1. Give Him immediate thanks upon awaking for waking me up;
2. Have quiet time with God (which includes prayer, Bible reading and/or study, meditation and most times journaling);
3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables;
4. Drink lots of water; and
5. Drink daily a fresh juice, usually one with green produce and loaded with vitamin C.

This has been how God has prepared me in my times of peace. This is how I must continue, and what I must amp up, in my times of war. With seeing about the welfare of my mom, who has been in the hospital for almost a month, caring for my family (including home educating my sons) and ministering to others as God sees fit, I can’t afford to put aside the very ingredients that He has given to sustain me. I hope you have a Master plan and stick to it when times get tough. This is the only way we can make it and still look like He intends.

What is your Master plan and how has it sustained you in good and tough times?

Special Obligation: The Breaks

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What Do You Think? Wednesday
The sensation was strong and not easy to take, the constant aching that bent me to my knees. I prayed. I asked God what was with this breaking, this separation from life and death, good from evil, past desires from present ones, the old from the new. I sat and heard that the breaking comes so the building can be firm, built on the solid Rock. There is no stability on shaky ground.

“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”—Matthew 7:25-27

So the conflict comes to air the truth; the sickness is used to strengthen our faith view; the laying down of life to give us one that God can greatly use, if we let Him. We have to decide to break from the shame, the doubt, the fear, the meat in the form of tears, worry, unforgiveness, bitterness, revenge, backbiting, envy, trash talking, name calling or whatever your present struggle or pet sin is. These will break us if we don’t break from them. Breaking from them is yet another special obligation we have as Christians. We have an obligation to recognize the power of our breaks; they give God the opportunity to build us again, afresh, anew, to bless us so we can bless, too.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
. . . a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; . . .”— Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3

What do you think are other things that Christians have a special obligation to break? What things have you broken or need to break in your life so you can be built up?

Wicked Worship?

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They waited all night in the cold, wind and rain, thousands of fans stood outside for a chance to get an up close view of their teen idol, Justin Bieber, performing in Rockefeller Plaza last month. The Today Show said this Bieber appearance garnered the largest crowd ever for one of its concert series. Wrapped in winter gear, fans screamed, sung and flung tears as Bieber sang his latest hits. One fan stared in the distance as she with bated breath told of her good fortune of receiving one of Bieber’s hand towels from a backstage worker. These fans were pumped and came to give total praise to the one they adored. Some shake their heads in disbelief, and maybe you do so with your children, wondering how they could give that type of time and attention to anyone.

I understand their mania because their devotion reminds me of my idol worship days. Read the rest at EEW Magazine.

My One Thousand Gift List

#341-350
Nate waking up and asking, “It’s playtime!?”
Nate’s smile
A lyrical blog post
Chloe and Caleb visiting and having a great time playing with Joshua, Nate and Justus
Finding “Freckle Juice” at teh library book sale the day after Joshua said he wanted to buy it
Talking with Karen, a woman I met at the library
A spirited family devotion
Sleeping through the night
Watching Josh and Nate chase each other and hearing their laughter
Offering to make a loan but not having to do so

Friday Feature: Your Pepsi Moment

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On November 24, Thanksgiving Day, I tweeted this:

“My mom has been addicted 2 Pepsi more than all my 42 yrs. Tried 2 drink some 2day, frowned & asked 4 water. My God IS a miracle worker.”

At this time she had been in the hospital for a week and a half. Naturally, people have been concerned about my emotional welfare. After all, my mom went to the hospital suddenly from extreme symptoms related to unknown issues. Then she was in the hospital on Thanksgiving, the day where family gathers to eat real good and to offer thanks for life’s goodness, including each loved one’s prosperity. This year my mom was missing from the Thanksgiving table but praise to God for her health was still there. We praised God for the health the doctors, nurses and other aides are working to restore and for the health that is yet to come that is evident in what my siblings and I have termed “the Pepsi moment.”

I suppose the food service worker wanted to give my mom a treat and put a tiny can of Pepsi on her Thanksgiving dinner tray. After hearing how my mom gagged at that first sip I knew her health was headed for a major turnaround for her good and for God’s glory. She would drink Pepsi with every meal, including breakfast, and just about whenever she was thirsty. She only drank water if Pepsi wasn’t available or if one of her children chided her to consume the natural beverage. Now, from only being in the hospital a little more than a week, she rejects what had been her choice beverage for more than half a century—a beverage that no doubt contributed to her having dry hands, constricted veins, extreme dehydration and temporary kidney failure. Water is now her choice drink and this happened after only 10 days not having access to Pepsi. A 50 plus year issue was eradicated in 10 days. Only something God can do, but He wants to do it for and through me and you, too!

What nasty habit has plagued you that you know you need to give up in exchange for something natural? How has that addiction affected your body? If you know that ceasing to consume something will give your body a health boost, start today making a change. Maybe you can’t go cold turkey, like my mom was forced to do, but you could begin to decrease your consumption and tell someone of your need so she can keep you accountable. I hope you won’t have to be laid on your back before you choose to make that healthy choice, but, whatever it takes, I look forward to hearing about your Pepsi moment that truly can be closer than you think. God wants to help you. Just reach out to Him.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!—Psalms 34:8