From the Abundance

I haven't posted anything in a while but I've been busy!  I've been planning ministry events and outreach projects for 2015.  The official launch of Loved Right Ministries will happen in January but some tidbits will be released in the next couple of weeks... I don't know about anybody else but doing Kingdom work always gets me excited!  I did something today that I haven't done in a long while, creative writing.  Someone reminded me that I used to write poetry and that I hadn't in a long time. So when I pulled out my creative writing exercise for today the task was to write a poem beginning with Emily Dickinson’s “Bring me the sunset in a cup”.  So here are my results, I hope it inspires somebody else to pick up a gift that you may have set aside for a while. Bring me the sunset in a cup And I’ll show the beauty of God’s grace The unimaginable detail with which He painted each face. I’ll show you the lines of laughter and Moist tear stained che...

  For the past few night's I've found myself wide awake in the wee hours of the morning.  I'm not talking that, wake up to go to the restroom and pass back out awake.  I mean the bright eyed, bushy tailed, can't get comfortable, not even yawning type of awake.  I haven't quite figured out what it is that God is trying to get from me or to me but I'm available.  I have spent these nights in worship and meditation.  I don't know about you;  but I discovered that there's something special about seeking God early in the morning (aka late at night).  I used to struggle, I MEAN REALLY STRUGGLE, with 5am prayer.  I would always want to go then I would calculate... "ok i have to be there at 5, which means I would have to get up by at least 4 to shower and be dressed, then it'll be over around 6:30-7.. what am I going to do for two hours before school starts? I can't go back home and go to sleep, I can't go to anybody's  house...

It's been a while since I've been able to sit up and keep my foot down long enough to write anything more than a few sentences but today I'm pressing through.  A few weeks ago I was involved in a car accident that resulted in the need for the cast you see on the left.  For those who know me personally, this little monkey is a sticker that pops up a lot in our Facebook conversations.  A friend posted that this was a very fitting picture for me and I agree, but let me tell you why.  One of the hardest things for me to do is sit still and do nothing.  The second hardest is probably to receive.  I don't mean gifts on birthdays or anything like that, but to genuinely receive from others.  I'm so used to doing things for myself and by myself that it's often a last resort for me to ask for help.  Oh does God know how to show you some things in the midst of a situation! For the past two weeks (and still) I haven't been able to put any wei...

So I've been thinking about doing a post on dating and relationships for a while now but there's just so much to say I couldn't figure out where to begin... until I started a Bible study series on the book of Proverbs (one of my favorite chin check in the spirit books).  There's so much wisdom, knowledge and just flat out common sense in this book that it's crazy.  If you haven't read it, studied, and applied it, I highly suggest you start today.  It talks about life, how we treat one another, our neighbors, relationships, business, how to carry yourself, everything really.   But back to what I was saying.. I didn't know where to start until I started this study series.  As I prepared the lesson for week one covering chapters 1-5, I paused at the continued warning about the people you choose to connect yourself to.  Especially the warnings about strange women and harlots.   Not because I plan on doing so, but what the word was saying a...

I was sitting at my Granny's house last night and she asked me a simple but loaded question... are you ok? I gave my usual response of yeah and kept talking.  Then the Holy Ghost arrested my lips and said tell the truth.  I wasn't ok.  For the first time in a long time, I came clean.  I said you know what Granny, I'm not.  She thought I was sad about a guy but he was the furthest thing from my mind.  I wasn't even sad, more than anything I was frustrated and felt stuck. I explained to my grandmother that I don't know what to do with the place I'm in right now.  On the one hand God has shown me this amazing life that I'm supposed to have and all of the things that are a part of it but on the other hand my real life is nowhere near what I've seen.  I feel like I'm just here.  What do you do with that??  I strive to do what He wants me to do and I know some of it's just playing the waiting game but wow... Since my spirit man lives ...

Over the past couple of years I have witnessed and experienced a major transition in my church family (and the body of Christ as a whole).  We endured a lot, overcame a lot, struggled a lot and lost a lot, but we never lost God.  Our churches went through transitions in leadership,  name changes, mission changes, format changes, and several location changes, but WE didn't stop being the church. We're still on duty and God is still expecting us to be who He called us to be.  I said all of that to simply say this, transition is never easy and some people adjust and move forward faster than others.  As a family (because we still are) our job is to make sure that nobody falls by the wayside, loses hope, or stops running the race. Some are running injured, some with open wounds, some are being pushed pulled and dragged, but they're coming!  I was reading my devotional at work and the scripture for  the day was The bows of mighty men are broken and they...

It's mighty dusty around these parts and I have some cleaning to do!  let me brush off the cobwebs by saying... I'm Back!!  I sometimes take a break from writing because I try to be careful with what I release and share with others.  My blog is From the Abundance for a reason.  I set out to share what was in my heart, and truth be told, my heart isn't always right. Sometimes I get attacked, I get angry, discouraged, bitter, depressed, sad, grieved, and sometimes down right disgusted.... BUT I DON'T STAY THERE! None of those are things I want to share with the people of God.  Out of the abundance of the heart, meaning whatever there's the most of in your heart, the mouth speaks...  UH OH, some of us are in big trouble right now!  I'm real enough to say all of the things I just said without fear or worry of being looked at strangely, whispered about, or just flat out talked about.  I've come to a place in God where I have to be real with Him at ...

I haven't touched my blog in quite a while now and it was somewhat intentional, somewhat accidental, and somewhat God's timing.  I was doing well keeping with my writing schedule, working on the book, the classes, fitness goals and several other personal goals.... until life happened!  I had a nasty URI, a bad cold, and most recently a very nasty spider bite/infection.  I've been to the doctor 6 times amd the ER 3 times in 5 the past 5 days... This morning when I was trying to wash my hands without getting the bandages around my IV wet I realized something... every time I've been sick this year has been right before personal deadlines I set for myself to have things done for my kingdom assignments.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not denying or trying to dictate God's timing but I'm also not ignorant of the devil's devices.  I see his pattern and his old tricks at work.   Each time I've been sick it's been to the point that I've been in ...

  One of the things I set out to accomplish this month was writing a letter of interest and support for the upcoming ministry things that I'm working on.  So as I wrote the letter I found myself asking the recipients to make an investment in souls.  When I wrote the letter I was thinking investments in terms of planting seeds.  In the week following, I had several conversations with friends who were in the Valley of Decision, self included.  As I talked relationships with one of my friends, I asked if she was willing to invest in the guy again and give him the opportunity to get to the point he needed to be.  So later that week I was asking myself that same question. This made me think...  Investments require risk.  Anything you're willing to pour into, you have to consider if the risk is worth taking and if so, how long are you willing to wait on the return in your investment?  I thought long and hard and definitely prayed about it....

    Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to wait on the promise of God!  Especially when He's given you a sneak peak of the manifestation.  You've seen yourself owning your own business, happily married, on a vacation, living abroad, giving away a house to a needy family, or serving meals from your own homeless facility.  Whatever it is that God has shown you, usually the hardest part is waiting. I can't speak for anybody else, but God shows me the most amazing glimpses into my future, usually while sleeping, and I can't help but want to press fast forward and get there.  I keep a dream journal beside my bed so that I can write, draw, doodle and capture what I've seen.  (If you're not already dong this, you should definitely start tonight!)  Most people forget the dream a few minutes after waking up, especially the details.  I try to write down ever detail that I remember. EVERY ONE, no matter how big or small, everything po...

I saw a post on a friend's facebook page that was beautiful.  I'm a sucker for love and romance.  What can I say??  I love, love, love.... LOVE!    The post was about her husband and she said,  "... his touch on my skin is like the first rains in the Serengeti desert.... His voice settles like the the most magnificent yet softest sunset in my spirit...." I said wow, that's beautiful and truly a blessing.  It's amazing to have someone love you like that and to still feel that way after years and years.  God did that thing right there!!  I saw this post early in the week but something about it just stuck with me throughout the week and even until now.   Saturday I was having one of those "in my feelings/in my head" days and just could NOT turn my thoughts off for anything.  They were screaming louder than party-goers trying to get beads at Mardi Gras.  I went to bed trying to pray, frustrated, sad, irritated, but at the ...

First let me start by saying HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  I know we're almost finished with the first month, but it's not too late to declare a happy new year!  Since this is my first post of the new year I want to take this time to declare a blessing over each of you and then share some things with you.  SO... let's get it cracking.. If you're reading this it's not by accident.  God has a great way of working ALL Things together for our good.  I declare and decree that the shed blood of Jesus covers you; your life, your purpose and destiny.  The enemy's time to have free reign in your life is up.  The plan and purpose of God supersedes every whispered lie of the enemy, every trap and trick is cast down, and every device exposed.  I decree that this year will be your greatest year of RELATIONSHIP with God.  Every area you yield to God will be revolutionized and forever changed.  I declare and decree that God given wisdom and insight concerning yo...