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A Day Like Today

So to keep this short and from putting people on blast, today did not go my way. I was in a competition, and while singing the mic started to act funny then it just went smooth off. First fail of the day, then on top of that I was the last one to get there, but was somehow the first to perform. What in the world?! I was so not expecting that. Then there were the other acts which were cool, including my sister who did phenomenal. I knew one of us had it in the bag, until my fiasco lol. Anyhow, my sister won. I can’t lie and say I didn’t, but I really did want to win…real bad. But, I sucked it up. I had to she was my sister ☺. So after that we were waiting for her prize and all that jazz, and long story very short, she wasn’t able to receive it, due to a conflict of interest. I knew something was wrong, especially when she came back to me crying. Oh snap! It was about to be a wrap. But I held it together; I had to. There was really nothing that I could do. Still, for my sister to cry that protective mode kicked in quick and…yeah, and then my momma apologized because of how the whole thing went down. Man oh, man. Got my emotions all jacked up.

All that to say, this is the second time when I expected something to go one way, my way, and it didn’t, but I accepted the next best thing and that didn’t pan out either. Each time all I could say was, “God what in the world?! What is the purpose ’cause I ain’t gettin’ it?”

The first time this happened, it’s been about 2 years, and the Lord pretty much took away my dream. I had one plan, and it didn’t work out the way I had originally planned, so I settled with what I thought was the next best thing, but would ultimately get me where I wanted to go. Needless to say, once I figured out that plan was so null and void, I never felt so lost in my life. It was then I discovered and accepted God’s control over my life. It was hard because I had it all planned to a ‘t,’ and He stripped it away. So I was left with nothing. Or so I thought. Now what happened today wasn’t as dramatic emotionally and spiritually lol, but it just reminds me that God is God.

Back to my second story, it was when I just waited on God and did what I could do for Him in the mean time. He developed a new passion. This year is the year that what He has been doing in my life since I graduated in 2010 is coming to fruition. On a day like today, I was reminded that things will not always go my way, won’t always go smoothly, and won’t always make sense no matter what way you look at it. Still, God’s favor is real and He knows best. Many times we don’t see what He is up to behind the scenes, and so the only purpose we have sometimes is just to show up and do just what He had for you to do, and trust that God will bless our efforts. I know this because even though things didn’t go how I desired, I still made connections and even got a singing gig ☺.

So if you get nothing else from this post, I encourage you to seize every opportunity, even when it may not be all you hoped. There is always good, we just have to find it and keep it moving. Your purpose depends on it.

Genie

god_the_genie

“He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

When Job exclaimed this to his wife, he had just lost all his wealth, his home, all of his children, his health, and to top it off, his wife was giving him the third degree, adding more fire to the flame. Yet, Job kept his focus on God. He didn’t at all see His purpose, but he knew God’s heart and sovereignty above all else. This is not to say he wasn’t upset or disheartened by all that had happened, rather Job understood the greatness and holiness of God. Job lost everything, but his heart understood that,

“naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

In the same way, especially after talking to a friend of mine, some of us think God is a genie. We think He’ll just give us what we want when we want it, and that life will be honky dorie once we enter a relationship with Christ. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In this walk with Christ, we are promised suffering, hurt, disappointment, and despair, although, there will be the good days. Still, we have to expect and accept the terrible nights as well. Any good relationship is about weathering through the storms. Where does your relationship lie? Jesus is in it for the long haul…Are You?

But I won’t leave you in fear or anxiety, because it will be worth it. Jesus said he would always be with us, he said he would meet our every need, David even said he will give you the desires of your heart, and it was Paul who said:

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

…Amen

Surrendered
[To understand my purpose]
I [must continually] surrender my life
Not letting my mind and flesh overwhelm me
Learning that other people need encouragement
But not everyone wants to be encouraged
Knowing that through God all things are possible
I now understand what it means to be me
Now able to comprehend the concept of don’t be who people think you are but be who you know you are
I’ve established the fact that someone will always have something to say about everything
I have figured out that no one else is quite like me
I am an individual priceless and unique
I’ve concluded that there’s always good in some strange way in every situation
That life is hilarious the way things just fall into place
I’ve recognized the true meaning of wisdom and courage
I’ve accepted that I am different but special in every way
I’ve realized what I was put on earth to do
 I’ve acknowledged the fact that there is purpose for my life
Still being challenged in my walk and in my talk and in my living
I’m choosing to take the road few people travel
As I learn the new meaning of what life is
I’ve given some things up
Yet waiting to take things in
Learning to let things go
However still remembering the world I’ve come from
Things were taken
More were gained
I’ve surrendered my life

A Great Mistake of Today’s Church

No church is perfect. Each church has its own issues, problems, and things they could and should change. And truth be told there are some issues that are more common than others. However there is one particular that I want to discuss.

God does have a purpose for each of his children. Some of which would require a person to marry, and others that would require singleness. The problem comes when many Christian institutions, not just churches, are so adamant that every Christian should marry. I do not believe that to be true.

Now don’t get me wrong, when marriage is done the right way for the right reasons, it is a noble, honorable and beautiful thing. I mean I myself would love to get married one day and share my life with the man God created for me. Still, that is just me. Not everyone is meant to be married. There are some things that a married person cannot engage in, and Paul even talks about it in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, as well, he himself embraced the single life.

Many teach in one way or another, that marriage is the only way to live a  life of purity, or rather subside the urge of fornication or immorality. FALSE. There are many ways to remain pure, take Philippians 4:8 for example. It starts with your thoughts. There are things around us everyday that aren’t godly that we can’t control. In the same way there are just as many things that we can control to help keep us focused on what God has for us, whether it be marriage or celibacy, like what we read, watch on tv or movies, music we listen to, people we hang around, and places we go.

Being single is not a disease. If that is God’s calling for you don’t doubt it or be pressured into thinking otherwise. When you know who you are, know your purpose, understanding God’s will for your life, live that way by the grace of God and be content with that, whether marriage is in you future or not. But that’s between you and God to determine, and which ever life He would have for you, embrace it follow His word and will and let God do His thang in the way only He can.

When I First Fell in Love

I was saved at a young age, and have been in church all my life, so being a “Christian” came standard. Furthermore, my father is a pastor, so the stigma of being a “preacher’s kid” followed me for years. Although, I think I’m safe to say I was a good kid overall and stayed out of trouble.

Christianity was a bubble that I was in; not to say I wasn’t truly saved the first time, because I understood everything when my mother led me to Christ. But it wasn’t until years later, that light bulb went off.

In 2003, Mel Gibson released the movie, The Passion of the Christ. I was 15 at the time. Needless to say, as part of a church-sponsored event, I saw it. Seeing that movie, watching every graphic detail of what Christ went through even before he made it to the cross; it blew my mind. Many times before I had seen depictions and portrayals, including animation, of the last 12 hours of the life of Christ w/ ‘PG’ rated details. However, this movie being rated ‘R’ very vividly displayed the horror of his gory beautiful death. As a result I was no good. Even some time after the movie was over I was crying my eyes out in sorrow and guilt. I truly understood what Christ did, for me, yet I treated him like he had done nothing for me. I was almost ashamed to say his name out loud out of insecurity of being labeled as a ‘holy roller.’ It was then that I fell in love.

I fell in love with someone who I now call my best friend. He was there when no else was. I fell in love with Mercy. He alone is the one that kept and keeps me from getting involved in the wrong things. I fell in love with the Great Physician. He has held me together, more specifically, physically being a diabetic since the age of four. I fell in love with someone I call faithful. He always remains faithful, even when I am not, which happens to often. – I’m a work in progress. – I fell in love with peace. He has kept my ever racing mind from going rogue from worrying. I fell in love someone I call amazing. He never ceases to amaze me and blow my mind with his love.

As I once heard before, I could never repay Jesus for all he has done for me, but my purpose is to spend my life trying and to tell others about the best thing that ever happened to me.