From the Abundance

Photo by  Kelly Sikkema  on  Unsplash When I asked God for the gift of healing I had absolutely no idea what I was really asking for.  I just knew that when I looked around, a lot of people were sick and hurting and I wanted to do something about it.  As I got older and matured in the things of Christ, I knew that healing wouldn't be just physical.  I knew that I was in for a crazy ride when God told me, "I have to keep breaking you in order to heal them". Sounds crazy right?  It's really not. Psalm 51:17 says  My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.  I wish someone would have told me what I was asking for when I asked God to break my heart with the things that break His heart.  That's a big, crazy, bold prayer.  I could have never imagined that it would lead me down the path that is has thus far.  I said all of that to say this... if you have a friend that has h...

The post I should be writing would be entirely too long to hold anybody's attention.  It would be a stream of consciousness, dumping of the thoughts, cleaning out your brain type of post.  Instead I'll tell you what I learned during this year's hurricane.  This is my second hurricane season in Daytona Beach and this time I chose not to stay.  I was blessed to have a friend take me in and let me crash at her house.  She was a true blessing and the time during the storm was like being at a retreat.  I learned a few things this year that I really wasn't expecting to learn, but I'm glad I did. 1.  When the eye of the storm passes over, you see everything clearly.  The eye of the hurricane is usually the most pronounced part, and although chaos is raging all around it, remains fairly peaceful. In the middle of everything crazy, there's always a moment of clarity where you see exactly what you need to see.  This lesson came for me through s...

Every year I try to do a post on or very close to my birthday and this year's birthday is quite a bit different than any other I've had so far.  This is the first birthday I've spent away from my family & friends.  Although I'm blessed with sweet friends and co-workers here that have made my day special, I've kept it pretty low key today.  I spent the day working, helping families and walking in purpose. The past year has been filled with transitions and changes and learning experiences. For the first time ever I've had to walk through things without my support network being close by and it's been so eye opening. I feel like I'm stepping into adulthood for the first time for real.  You never know what you're really capable of until that safety net is gone.  I've experienced some of the most trying times of my life over the past two years and when God relocated me it was a chance to start fresh and step out into purpose and obedience. I...

The past week has been catastrophic for those in the path of Hurricane Matthew.  My heart is overwhelmed for Haiti and all of the families who lost loved ones, everything, and those who are in the process of repairing and rebuilding.  I was fortunate not having any damage or loss personally nor within my close circle of friends.  We're truly blessed to have survived with minimal damage in comparison.   Matthew was my first hurricane and I used the time to think, write, pray, enjoy fellowship with friends, eat Reese's minis, and be amazed by God in a whole new way.  As my friends and I sat in the house hearing and watching the storm range all around us,  the house was peaceful. We could hear the wolf whistles of the winds,  the thrashing trees, and the water pounding down like golden gloved fists of fury. The storm shutters clanged and banged against the neighbors house like tangled tin cans yet the house was peacefully quiet. .. I wa...

It's taken me a while to get to the place where I could write this blog.  I've been struggling with writing for the past few weeks and hadn't really realized why.  Tonight all of that changed.  I needed some couch time, for those who don't know me couch time is when my friends and I play therapist for one another.  I'm fortunate that most of my close friends are actually social workers, therapists or ministers/Pastors.  So I was talking to one of my friends an explaining to her all the things that had been going on in my head, the things God had been showing me about myself and how I'd just been a bit overwhelmed with it all.  Then it hit me.  The light bulb came on and I knew exactly why I was struggling and what I was struggling with. I'm in a season where everything in my life is new.  New city, new state, new people, new church, new job, new relationship, new everything... That's all great but what I forgot was that with all that newness ...

Over the weekend I did my usual #Saturdayscopes and invited my friend to share a story of her current dating chronicles.  There were several live viewers, a few replay viewers and I thought it went well.  Later that evening I called my mom about something totally unrelated and she quickly expressed her disapproval of my conduct during my #Saturdayscopes.  She told me I was unprofessional and unbecoming of a minister and that I needed to do better.  She admonished me for eating on camera and laughing to the point that I was choked up.  I chose not to respond and told her that I was not going to have this discussion with her at that time.  I was in physical pain, my patience was lo and I wasn't in the mood for arguments. Now don't get me wrong, I agree that I should not have been eating on camera.  I hadn't been up until the point that I flipped the camera back around and took one bite of the donut.  I immediately realized my mistake and put t...

Photo Credit: South Valley Church It's not often that the Lord speaks to me during prayer and tells me to share what he has spoken but today as I stood in praise and worship He spoke very clearly and impressed upon my heart to share His words. "For I am overcome with grief says the Lord.  Weeping will endure for more than the night but I will come in the night and deliver my people.  Woe I say unto them who do not hear.  Time is drawing near for the Son of Man's return.  Take up your cross NOW.. follow me me NOW.. For I am with you.  Until the end of the age will I cry unto thee... Seek me and you will find my face.. Hear me and I will answer.  Come to me and I will heal. Seek me for I am nigh.. SEEK ME, FIND ME." After speaking these words He took me back to Abraham's intercession for the city of Sodom and showed me how he kept coming back on their behalf.  This is what we need to do.  I read the story again when the Lord had fini...

One of the things I love to do when I travel is find funky unique places to visit.  The photo above was taken while I was on vacation in Miami.  There's a huge area called Wynwood Walls where the buildings, fences, and pretty much everything is covered with beautiful graffiti style art. My friend and I took tons and tons of pictures and I have several of this particular painting.  There's so many intricate details in this picture that drew me in and made me want to look closer.  I was flipping back through pictures and thinking about what I wanted to write today and I ended up thinking about the course of my life.  I figured I would be married by now, have a couple of kids, a business or a great job, and be well into ministry.  Although it is nothing like I imagined it would be, I can truly say it's been amazing thus far.  Yes, there's been some hardship, some pain, some disappointment, and many many tears shed along the way but overall, it'...

It's teacher Appreciation Day and I would be in error if I didn't shout out all of my teachers and all of my friends that are blessed and gifted to carry this mantle.  Whether you teach at school, in church, academics, music, sign language, dance, Sunday School, art, makeup, or anything in between... Thank You!  It takes a special person with lots of love, compassion, and patience to teach others.   I have to give a special thank you to two of my favorite teachers.  Mrs. Connie Murphy,  my elementary school Art teacher and Mrs. Joan Stafford, my senior English teacher.  These two ladies established and set my creative foundation.  I was the Art helper for a few years in Elementary School and Art was always my favorite class. Mrs. Murphy always inspired us, encouraged us to be different and expressive in our artwork and kept us motivated when things didn't turn out quite the way we wanted.  Mrs. Stafford helped my love for writing blossom. ...

Yesterday I spent a good part of the day in the library, working and writing.  I needed a quiet place that wasn't my house.  I finished up there and ran to the store to grab a couple of things I'd forgotten the previous day.  On the way out I had the opportunity to talk with a homeless man. He was sitting on the ground eating breakfast (by this time it was late afternoon) he'd gotten out of the dumpster at steak and shake.  He asked me if I had $.47 so he could get a drink. I gave him all the cash I had in my purse, it wasn't much but I was glad I had some cash to give. I stood and talked with him and offered him some of the snacks I had in my my hand  but he didn't want to take  anything away from me. I told him I didn't mind sharing and it would be my pleasure but he told me he was diabetic.  It touched me in such an incredible way that someone with nothing was worried about me not having enough.  I asked his name and if I could pray wit...

There's something about being in a quiet place that allows the enemy to think it's his time to shine.  I don't know about you but whenever things are real quite it seems like her grabs a megaphone to yell his lies like a cheerleader.  It seems like everything he said gets louder and louder, like he's hosting his own pep rally to cheer on his starting lineup of lies, doubt, and deceit. This is one reason I always keep some music close by.  My mom and grandma always talk about me for keeping the radio on in my car but they don't understand the power of music to quickly reach and influence the soul.  If you stop and think about it, I bet there are 5 songs you can quickly recall all the lyrics to but for most, the same can't be said about passages of scripture (I know my word though!).  The right song can completely change my attitude, lift my spirits, encourage me, or give me that push I need to go on and drown out the voice of the enemy.  The devil ...

Today I had the most frustrating day I've had in a while.   I went to my "river front office" and tried to take a walk.. that didn't help.  I tried listening to music but that didn't help either.  SO I went to the- grocery store to wander the aisles and find some fruit and icecream... then I did what I love to do when I'm frustrated.. I cooked. I cam home and opened a full out assault on my kitchen.. I grabbed ingredients, pots, knives, a skillet, some broth and as the old folks say.. got the pots stinkin.  As I stood in my kitchen and chopped veggies the tension eased up, (I talk, think and sometimes pretend I have a cooking show), my mind stopped racing and I was able to calm down.  As the veggies went into the skillet, I added my second layer of seasoning, a blackening seasoning I got at the farmer's market, and let them cook for a while.  I tasted and the flavors were not coming through like I wanted them to.  I went back to the spice rack (it ...

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...

  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....