From the Abundance

The best thing I learned this year is what love REALLY IS... all of my ideals, thoughts, assumptions, and expectations of love were demolished and replaced with truth....   Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.   It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.   Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.   It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.    Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8NIV The best way to determine if you love someone or if someone loves you is check their actions based on this scripture.. Love is an action word!  It requires a choice, action, and thought.   I could go on and on about the things I've learned about love this year bu...

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Psalm 126:5 As the old saying goes... after all that I've been through I still got joy!!  That is definitely my testimony for this year.  Life in general really, but I thank God for continually bringing me through.  I am an overcomer!!  I love this scripture because the word for sow, zara`, is not only in the context of planting seed, but it also means to become pregnant.  Many of the things that have caused me to shed tears are the things that God has impregnated me with, or sown into the fiber of my being .  Even thous some of those things have cause me tears... I know when it's harvest time, it's all joy... Proverbs 10 :22 s ays The blessing of the Lord , it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.... so even when I creid a few tears, it wasn't because of God.  Sometimes it was the burdens of those connected to me, other times it was the con dition of the wor ld, and at times it was just...

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives , and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Tim. 5:8NKJV  2012 has certainly been a year all about family for me... I've always been a firm believer that family is not just made up of those you're stuck with (bloo d relatives & those who got "I do 'd" in) but also those you adopt in your heart and those who Gods send you on purpose. My natural family is huge!! I've been finding and have been found by many relatives (thanks Facebook!) this year.  I hope I get to meet them all face to face very soon.  It's so important to know your heritage and who your people are fo r so many reasons... Beyond getti ng to know new family members, I've had a lot of time to spend with the not so new ones this year and boy did I learn a lot!  Yep !  I got to spend a good part of the summer with my nieces and nephew , which was great!  I'd m...

 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17 According to many people's standards I am poor... but I know better than that.  I know that I am extremely rich and wealthy beyond measure.  Most of the time people who are poor don't even notice until someone else, who has more than them, points it out.  Anywho, this post isn't about being poor but it is about the courage and kindness I've encountered this year. I've always been a dreamer... and boy do I have some good ones!!! They've never been small either!  I'd dream of owning a huge company, traveling the world, blessing my entire family financially, giving away houses like they do on Extreme Makeover Home Edition , doing ministry in HUGE crowds of people , starting programs t hat will change lives, writing books, lots of things... Now that we've established that, let me tell you what I know... it takes a lot of courage to ste...

I have this little necklace that I made for myself a few years ago for a New Years Eve Service.  The theme that night was "in the trenches" so these little tags became a part of my dog tags.  I wore this again recently and took the time to really read what was on the tags. I thought it very fitting considering all that has happened this year so I'd like to share what I've learned with you in the last days of this year . Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;   In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 More than any other time in my life, trust has been a HUGE theme this year.  Not in a sense of "I don't trust anyone", but more of being open to trust myself with the things God has given me, trust God COMPLETELY, and even tearing down some walls and trusting that my heart won't be broken again.  Earlier this year I graduated with my Master of Social Work and ...

The past two years have been an amazing journey for me to say the least.  I quit my job, went to grad school, became a minister, moved into my own place, started my own business, became a nationally published writer, graduated and got my Masters degree, became a licensed Social Worker, entered a relationship, became a pastor, helped plant a church, and sooo many other things.  God gets all the glory because if you had asked me about any of it, the only things I'd probably say maybe to are writing, and the business... It all started in prayer.  I asked God what it was that He wanted me to do, how He wanted me to do it, and simply trusted Him to handle the details.  Was it easy?  not always... has it been worth it?? Absolutely!!  Have I lost some things/people along the way??  you better believe it!  But for everything/one I lost God has added so much more... Throughout this process I had so many questions and so many concerns but God always sai...

but perception is everything.  I say that to say this... often times the very things we think we have are the complete opposite of what we actually have.  For example, you may have a great job offer...they pay is great, the hours are good, ya get good benefits..but you only get paid once a month, the deductible on the insurance is outrageous, the benefits have vacation time, but no sick time...  So yes you perceive that you possess something wonderful but it's not so great after all.  The same applies to anything in life and especially the spiritual aspects.  If you don't have perception when it comes to your spiritual life you may find yourself in a load of trouble.  Perception is defined as : The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses. The state of being or process of becoming aware of something in such a way. So in the spirit, perception can be likened to discernment.  In order to have discern...

It's easy to get caught up playing the superhero and coming to everyone else's rescue only to realize that you're the damsel in distress tied to the train tracks.  I don't know about you but I'm definitely guilty when it comes to this.  As lives, positions, titles and responsibilities change so do uniforms, roles and expectations... and if you're not careful you may find yourself where I was just a few days ago. Sitting in my bathroom crying uncontrollably tearing through rolls of toilet paper to blow my nose just so I could breathe... because the weight of everything I was carrying had gotten to be too much.  The levees broke, the dam failed, and the floodgates came crashing open.  I had gotten to the point where I could not carry one more burden, hold in another word that I wanted to scream at someone, fight back another tear, suppress my own needs for the needs of others or continue on the path I was on.  I broke down... and I couldn't even form t...

For the longest time I've always told myself "tell people how you feel while you have the chance, you never know when you might not."  Well I can't say that I've held to that word... most of the time I do but recently I've found myself having to tear down some more walls.  Funny how you think you're done with demolition and you turn around to find another hallway that you didn't realize was there... So last night was my date night with myself.  I made myself dinner, got a nice fuzzy blanket, curled up on my couch and read a great book and watched a movie.  As I read the book I saw a lot of myself in the characters.  It was a romance novel (hey don't judge me.. lol) and the two parties had both faced difficult pasts and trials that deeply scarred them.  They were both paralyzed by fear and about to miss out on something wonderful because of it.  Many times we limit ourselves because we're afraid... afraid we'll fail, being alone, afraid...

Ok, so this is where I have to just be really transparent and tell on myself... lately I have been getting quite a bit of attention from the opposite sex... if you know me, you know I'm not one to put myself out there to intentionally attract attention.  I'm perfectly fine laying low and being in the background.  So anywho I started thinking about the purpose of this attention (and it's mixed.. some positive, some the wrong kind in every way) and I came to the conclusion that it's all a part of this slurry of stuff, this transition period and even an old trick of the enemy.    One of the desires of my heart is to be married and have a family, not just for the sake of being with somebody or to have a big lavish wedding.  I truly desire a Godly marriage where my husband and I do ministry together, raise a family together, and honor God with our life and marriage.  Well, when you're still waiting.... hmmph.. the devil gets real busy sending dummies, decoys, ...

I started a different blog but had to sit that one aside to have a personal therapy session through writing.  I don't know about anybody else, but right now I'm feeling all kinds of crazy.  I can't quite describe what it is, how I feel, what's on my mind.. it's almost like every botton got pushed at once and I'm on overload. UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!! Feeling this way is so frustrating.  I can't get my thoughts focused, can't get my emotions together, i feel like I'm on the inside of a salad spinner and everything is all over the place.   Jesus!! That's all I can manage to pray right now.  That, and Lord you know!  Tap me out, ya girl is done!  So tonight.. I'm making me some cocoa.. gonna put on some music and just sit at my kitchen table and have a long talk with Jesus.  I can't even pray all that "Father God..." type of prayer tonight.. we just need to have a good ol sit down heart to heart.  It's proba...

  One of my favorite authors and poets is Dr. Maya Angelou.  I love listening to her recite it because nobody else can do it quite the way she does.  There's something about the wisdom in her voice, the experience behind her eyes and the emphasis and inflection of her words.  When I was in high school I read the first part of her autobiography, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and always wondered why she had chosen that title.  I read the book and began to understand, but as I kept on living, I found out for myself.  Birds are built for flight.  Their aerodynamic bodies, wings, feet, even the placement and pattern of their feathers enhance the bird's ability to soar.  When a bird is in it's natural element it flies effortlessly, picks up and goes as it pleases, coasts on the wind and flies above the environment it was born in.  So in case you haven't made the connection yet, let me help you out.... Each of us were created with specif...

For a long time I declared things that I wanted and told God the desires of my heart, but when the chance came for me to have them.  I ran.  I ran without even realizing I was running.  Out of my mouth, I said ok God, I'll do whatever you want me to do, go wherever you send me, and do whatever you assign to my hands.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  This past month we completed a series entitled "Who Am I??"  The series was intended to help believers discover who we are in Christ, who the Bible says we are, what God says about us, what we can do, how we were made, and many other things.  Well the first thing I discovered was not what was on the page, or anything else that was covered in any of the lessons.  I learned that I am an Olympic Gold medal track star.  I discovered that although I had given God my yes, and I was doing the work, that I was running the 400m relay all by myself... in my m...

There's a popular reality show called the Biggest Loser where people compete to lose the most weight and win a prize.  My question today is, are you the biggest loser? How much weight have you lost??  I'm not talking pounds, but burdens, sins, weights of life and the world... Hebrews 12:1-3  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Simply put, lay down everything that's heavy on you.  Those worries that are burdening your heart, the sin that's holding you hostage, the bad habi...

It's always amazed me to watch an artist create. To watch the individual components come together to make something beautiful, to tell a story, give the piece depth, character and value, to see chaos come into purpose is absolutely inspiring. One of my favorites is blown glass. The skill, patience,lung power, strength, and strategic planning that goes into it reminds me of how God transforms us.  Although we we made from dust the actual process is much the same... glass starts from dirt as well. The artist begins with a chunk of molten glass.. nothing spectacular, pretty much shapeless and without design.  But before there's ever one breath blown into the rod, the artist has a plan for the blob of glass... it's purpose has already been determined and it's destiny already established before it was ever formed. Once the molten glass is gathered on the pipe it begins the process of being made into the artist's vision (reminds me of Jeremiah 1:5). The next step is a...