This morning, I received a timely phone call. I know it was truly the Lord's doing, as this is not someone I speak with frequently. After asking how I was doing and how my kids were doing, the caller said, "The Lord is right there with you in the same boat...in the same storm."
Those words began to resonate in my spirit. My spirits didn't lift immediately. But, my 'funk' that I've been in seemed to not be so funky! I really just needed the Lord to speak to me (though thru a human) and let me know that I wasn't alone.
Many times, we can go through trials, tribulations...LIFE! It seems that no one cares or is concerned about what's really going on with us. It seems as though we're alone and just going through day after day after day. But that's not necessarily the case! God strategically places those in our lives to minister to us at the appointed time! My friend reminded me this morning of the story of the disciples being out in the middle of a storm. While they were fretting, Jesus rested right there on that same boat...out there in the same storm!
I'm encouraged by this call and want to encourage you today. No matter how bad that storm is or how tumultuous the 'stuff' is, He's right there with us every step of the way. Don't look to the left or the right, and definitely don't look behind you! Continue look to Him, the one who's right there by your side! Remember that He didn't bring us this far to leave us :)
Blessings,
~Tee
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Are You Willing to Change?
When we hear the word "change", more often than not, we shirk. Change means that we have to do something. And most times, our doing something is not something that we really want to do! We pray for others to change and fail to realize that it's us that really need to make a change.
I've been taking a close look at myself over the past 3 years or so. I've noticed, especially here lately, that there are some adjustments that I need to make - FOR ME! In order for me to change, though, I've had to change my mindset. I'm one of those kinda people who likes things done a certain way. I believe in doing everything as unto the Lord and not unto man because I know where my reward will come from :) A previous manager even pointed out to me that I tend to hold people to a high level of accountability. And she's right! I guess that's because I try very hard to be accountable!
I'm learning that change requires maturation. It requires transition. And it requires humility. I may have said that before, but for some reason, I need to say this again :) I've had to humble my SELF because I know that I want and NEED something different. You know the saying that goes "In order to get something different, you've got to do something different". That's the place that I'm in.
I'm grateful for the push in my spirit this week to do something different, put my 'self' aside, and press my way to Bible Study! And I'm so glad I did. I want to leave you with some declarations (in bold below) we made throughout the evening.
I must embrace the process - including the responsibility that comes along with it. Now this one needs to be posted on the refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, and the windshield! LOL! I've talked quite a bit in this blog about the process and the purpose that's in it. The Pastor brought to my attention this week that there is also another piece - RESPONSIBILITY! Different things happen at each phase of the process that requires us to 'man up'. Be responsible and remember that to whom much is given, much is required! (Luke 12:48)
I need to change with my change. When things begin to change for you, that means that you've got to make some changes, too. You may be positioned properly for your breakthrough or your blessing, but your mindset is still in Egypt! Get out and change with your change!
In order for me to change, I must transition. According to Merriam-Webster, transition means "a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another". So in order for me to "make something different" (change), I must MOVE through some stages! WOW!!!
I'm changing. But Lord, You're staying the same. (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6)No matter what state we're in...what phase we're at in our process, the Lord, our God is still the same. He's not changing. He's still the same loving, caring, correcting Father who loves us past our hurts, our pains, our downfalls, our setbacks!
I've been taking a close look at myself over the past 3 years or so. I've noticed, especially here lately, that there are some adjustments that I need to make - FOR ME! In order for me to change, though, I've had to change my mindset. I'm one of those kinda people who likes things done a certain way. I believe in doing everything as unto the Lord and not unto man because I know where my reward will come from :) A previous manager even pointed out to me that I tend to hold people to a high level of accountability. And she's right! I guess that's because I try very hard to be accountable!
I'm learning that change requires maturation. It requires transition. And it requires humility. I may have said that before, but for some reason, I need to say this again :) I've had to humble my SELF because I know that I want and NEED something different. You know the saying that goes "In order to get something different, you've got to do something different". That's the place that I'm in.
I'm grateful for the push in my spirit this week to do something different, put my 'self' aside, and press my way to Bible Study! And I'm so glad I did. I want to leave you with some declarations (in bold below) we made throughout the evening.
I must embrace the process - including the responsibility that comes along with it. Now this one needs to be posted on the refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, and the windshield! LOL! I've talked quite a bit in this blog about the process and the purpose that's in it. The Pastor brought to my attention this week that there is also another piece - RESPONSIBILITY! Different things happen at each phase of the process that requires us to 'man up'. Be responsible and remember that to whom much is given, much is required! (Luke 12:48)
I need to change with my change. When things begin to change for you, that means that you've got to make some changes, too. You may be positioned properly for your breakthrough or your blessing, but your mindset is still in Egypt! Get out and change with your change!
In order for me to change, I must transition. According to Merriam-Webster, transition means "a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another". So in order for me to "make something different" (change), I must MOVE through some stages! WOW!!!
I'm changing. But Lord, You're staying the same. (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6)No matter what state we're in...what phase we're at in our process, the Lord, our God is still the same. He's not changing. He's still the same loving, caring, correcting Father who loves us past our hurts, our pains, our downfalls, our setbacks!
Be blessed and begin to embrace this place!
~Tee
Monday, May 14, 2012
Weeping Endured
As we all know, yesterday was Mother's Day. I awakened yesterday to a lot of text messages from friends and loved ones. I even got dressed in my cream suit and 6" pink heels (yes, I was cute!) and headed to church service. I thought everything was going just fine until the Pastor began talking about Mothers and their children right before he prayed for all of the mothers.
It seems like everything the Pastor said was so on point. He talked about children not being disrespectful, not talking back, honoring your mother and father so their days may be long, and even the sacrifices mothers make for their children. He also said, "Your mother loves you even when you're not lovable". I think I lost it there, and the tears began to flow...uncontrollably seemingly.
You see, the truth of the matter is, I didn't feel like I look. I didn't have on a mask, per se. I felt great on the outside but was a mess inside. No matter what happened on yesterday, I didn't feel like a mother, and it didn't feel like Mother's Day to me.
I felt like I cried and cried and cried, and couldn't stop crying. A little later in the day, I saw that I was still crying. I was hurting not just for me, but for my sister (who's a mother) and my own mother. None of us appeared to be happy, and it was Mother's Day! Through my tears, my sister hugged me tight and said, "I don't care what anyone says, you are and have always been a great mother." Ohhh...how I sobbed more and more!
I ended up enjoying a fun dinner with my sister, my niece, nephew, and the Grizzlies/Clippers game! We laughed, cheered the Grizzlies on, and even had ice cream to wrap up the evening. I slept for 5 hours after that only to come home and go to sleep again after speaking with my spiritual mother.
My spiritual mother said something to me last night that I have often shared when ministering to others - "You've got to speak those things that be not as though they were. You've got to encourage yourself. You're going to get through this." It's amazing how He will bring things back to us :)
I guess I needed the rest! I'm up this morning and glad that yesterday is over. At one point, I thought I wanted a Mother's Day 'do-over', but nahhhhh! I'm determined to honor my mother every day and not just one one day. I'm glad that my focus from how I feel to where I'm going. I'm convinced that my latter is going to be greater than my past. Weeping endured yesterday and on last night, but joy has come this morning. I will continue to encourage myself in the Lord, and encourage you to do the same! I know that my help truly comes from the Lord. I must continue to lift up my eyes to Him and trust Him to keep me.
He loves us...He really does.
Be blessed,
~Tee
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
I Believe!
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to
him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” - Matthew 14:31
I don't know about you, but I know that I serve a great God! He truly is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above ALL that I can ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)! I really do believe that God will do exactly what He said He will do. His Word will not return to Him void; it will do that which He set it out to do (Isaiah 55:11)!
For a little over a year, I'd been seeing an oncology gynecologist who had given me a report regarding disease including cancer. I went through one procedure after another on last year. Ladies at my church prayed for me and laid hands on me. I even made sure that I took time during a morning worship service to lay hands on myself and speak healing over my body! I believed that the same God that was in operation over 2,000 years ago healing the sick was still in operation and working on my behalf!!! I had a follow-up appointment a couple of weeks ago. My tests came back ALL clear - AGAIN!!!!!!
Why am I sharing such personal information? Because someone needs to know that they have the power to speak their own healing AND believe God for their healing. More often than not, we speak our sickness moreso than we speak our healing. But just as Jesus bidded Peter to "come' in Matthew 14, He's bidding us to walk in faith and TRUST Him! Many can pray for you and even lay hands on your, but if you do not have faith and believe that your healing (and deliverance) exists, it's really all for an ought.
Step out on faith today and trust that He's able to do it just for you!
~Tee
I don't know about you, but I know that I serve a great God! He truly is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above ALL that I can ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)! I really do believe that God will do exactly what He said He will do. His Word will not return to Him void; it will do that which He set it out to do (Isaiah 55:11)!
For a little over a year, I'd been seeing an oncology gynecologist who had given me a report regarding disease including cancer. I went through one procedure after another on last year. Ladies at my church prayed for me and laid hands on me. I even made sure that I took time during a morning worship service to lay hands on myself and speak healing over my body! I believed that the same God that was in operation over 2,000 years ago healing the sick was still in operation and working on my behalf!!! I had a follow-up appointment a couple of weeks ago. My tests came back ALL clear - AGAIN!!!!!!
Why am I sharing such personal information? Because someone needs to know that they have the power to speak their own healing AND believe God for their healing. More often than not, we speak our sickness moreso than we speak our healing. But just as Jesus bidded Peter to "come' in Matthew 14, He's bidding us to walk in faith and TRUST Him! Many can pray for you and even lay hands on your, but if you do not have faith and believe that your healing (and deliverance) exists, it's really all for an ought.
Step out on faith today and trust that He's able to do it just for you!
~Tee
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Not So Fast...One Thing At A Time
More often than not, when we want change, we want it NOW. We want everything to happen all at once. We want to make more money, lose (more) weight, have a healthier lifestyle, live life to the fullest, get out of debt, have quality relationships, and the list goes on and on. Yes...I want a good bit of these things in the list like ASAP; however, Holy Spirit spoke to me and clearly said, "Not so fast. One thing at a time, Ms. Lady!"
God wants to do a new thing in and through us. However, not only do we have to be positioned for the blessing and transformation, we have to be WILLING to receive. This song has ministered to me in more ways than I can put into words. Take a listen at the lyrics...
When I heard the song ministered during morning worship service, this is what dropped in my spirit...quickly:
One by one, remove every hindrance. One by one, remove every thought that's holding me captive and bound. Encounter by encounter, relationship by relationship, have your way. Remove and restore one by one. One bill at a time, give me the wisdom and knowledge to handle. One by one, pick up the broken pieces. Make me whole and put me back to together again. The parts that have cut me, heal the wounds. Jehovah God, You are my provider, my all, my everything. One by one, all things are new.
I'm reminded of the story of Job. One by one, Satan tried Job. It started with his children. Then it was his house. Then it was his livestock. And then it was that horrible disease. Then we look at the rest of the story. Three friends (one by one) thought Job had done something for all of this to happen. I'm sure many of us can relate to this piece! When at the end of the day, it's not something that you've done necessary to cause all of the stuff that you're going through. It's just that you've been chosen by God to be TESTED! My God!!! Then it was his wife, who told him to curse God and die! No matter what happened and how it happened, Job didn't give up or give in! And in the end, his latter days were greater than his beginning. Restoration came, and he had MORE!
My encouragement in this post is to have patience. That's really the lesson we learn in the Book of Job. Everything is not going to happen so fast every time. It is the time...and the process of time where we are able to clearly see the big picture. Step by step, one by one, we are able to learn the lesson, see the purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that there's a time for everything. Let's take a moment to change our mindset and embrace that our transformation is a process...one step at a time, we will clearly see the manifestation.
Blessings,
~Tee
God wants to do a new thing in and through us. However, not only do we have to be positioned for the blessing and transformation, we have to be WILLING to receive. This song has ministered to me in more ways than I can put into words. Take a listen at the lyrics...
When I heard the song ministered during morning worship service, this is what dropped in my spirit...quickly:
One by one, remove every hindrance. One by one, remove every thought that's holding me captive and bound. Encounter by encounter, relationship by relationship, have your way. Remove and restore one by one. One bill at a time, give me the wisdom and knowledge to handle. One by one, pick up the broken pieces. Make me whole and put me back to together again. The parts that have cut me, heal the wounds. Jehovah God, You are my provider, my all, my everything. One by one, all things are new.
I'm reminded of the story of Job. One by one, Satan tried Job. It started with his children. Then it was his house. Then it was his livestock. And then it was that horrible disease. Then we look at the rest of the story. Three friends (one by one) thought Job had done something for all of this to happen. I'm sure many of us can relate to this piece! When at the end of the day, it's not something that you've done necessary to cause all of the stuff that you're going through. It's just that you've been chosen by God to be TESTED! My God!!! Then it was his wife, who told him to curse God and die! No matter what happened and how it happened, Job didn't give up or give in! And in the end, his latter days were greater than his beginning. Restoration came, and he had MORE!
My encouragement in this post is to have patience. That's really the lesson we learn in the Book of Job. Everything is not going to happen so fast every time. It is the time...and the process of time where we are able to clearly see the big picture. Step by step, one by one, we are able to learn the lesson, see the purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that there's a time for everything. Let's take a moment to change our mindset and embrace that our transformation is a process...one step at a time, we will clearly see the manifestation.
Blessings,
~Tee
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