Happy Sunday Afternoon from Atlanta, GA!

I want to impart advice for you, dear reader, that I hope will help you in your walk with Christ. My hope is that you are blessed by reading this from wherever you live in this part of the world.

The first piece of advice that I have for you concerning your destiny is that not everyone can travel on the same road that Father God ordained for you. This means that not every brother or sister in Christ is meant to walk with you on the same road to your destiny.

The Lord painted a personal tapestry that is specific for you and only you to walk on. I can say this because I had an ex-friend I knew for a season in college that told me that the Lord led us to go our separate ways. While this made me very sad, angry, and a whole mixture of feelings at first, I accepted this Word that Father God gave my ex-friend later on as He showed me things concerning my destiny.

I am an editor of Atlanta Christian Voice. An assistant teacher for toddlers at a daycare. A student about to go back to Liberty University’s online Master of Arts program in Pastoral Counseling, amongst other things. I look back now and understand now why God allowed me and my ex-friend to go separate ways. She has a different destiny and I have a different destiny, as ordained by Father God. Father God had my story written already and He had a different plan for her. Period.

The second piece of advice that I want to give is that Father God already knew the plans for your life before you were born into this world. You may not know all of the plans that Father God has for you concerning your life, but Abba will show you the deeper that you choose to go into His Word. Yes, Father God will show you hidden Truth of His Word that will bring His light into your soul.

~”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”~Jeremiah 29:11, NIV~

~”But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, or ear heard, neither have into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”~1 Corinthians 2:9-10, KJV~

I woke up at 4 am this morning to pray and God confirmed this Scripture to me. He showed me that He is going go deep with me, as long as I willfully (free will) choose to go deep into the hidden things of God as far as my destiny is concerned. His Spirit is moving deeply and mightily and I can say with confidence that I am ready to walk into my destiny as the Lord continues to reveal Himself to me.

The last piece of advice I have for you is that Jesus loves you. I know this sounds cliché and you have probably heard it many times in church or seen these words on billboard advertisements, but it is the Truth. Jesus loves you very much. He loves you so much that He will make sure that you are on the right road to your destiny as long as you choose to spend time with Abba Father in prayer with Him.

The more time that you commit to pray with the Father and spend intimate time with Him, the more that He will show you the deep and hidden things of His Kingdom. All that you have to do, dear reader, is to seek His Kingdom and righteousness, and all of these things concerning your destiny will be added unto you, Atlanta.

~”But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.”~Matthew 6:33, KJV~

I now want to pray for you, dear reader. Let us pray:

Dear God,

I thank You for the readers, who have opened up this blog post and are reading it. Thank You for the leading of Your Holy Spirit and for this testimony that You have put on my heart to share with them. I pray that they will be open to absolutely surrender to Your will and that as Your Holy Spirit leads that You will make each readers’ destinies known to them. I pray for peace and clarity in the lives of each reader today as Your Holy Spirit moves in the lives of each reader today. I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

Have a great rest of your Sunday, dear reader. Stay blessed! 

Jesus loves the little children. And this I know because the Bible tells me so.

~”But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”~Luke 18:16, NIV~ 

I currently work at a daycare in Alpharetta, GA. I am an assistant teacher for toddlers. Even though I have worked here for a short period of time so far, I know that Jesus gave me a serving heart for these children. I feed them. I change their diapers. I play with them outside. I teach them. I give them hugs and many other things as I share the love of Christ with them. And it is these things that I do with great joy in the Holy Spirit.

~”for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”~Nehemiah 8:10, ESV~

These little ones bring me tidings of great joy that cannot be replaced in the Holy Spirit. Their smiles remind me of the innocence of Jesus Christ as He can relate to these precious ones through His humility.

Jesus humbled Himself to serve children throughout the New Testament Gospels. I love the New Living Translation of the Gospel of Matthew 19:14 because the words of Jesus command us to not stop the children from coming to Him. To command us not to stop them are powerful words from my Lord and Savior.

~”But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”~Matthew 19:14, NLT~

Because Jesus said to not stop the children from coming to Him, I won’t let them stop coming to me. In fact, I want to come to me so that they can enter into Jesus Christ and His heart as a result of His love that I show them through me.

It is by the power of the Holy Spirit of God that I am able to share the love of Christ with these precious children daily. It is with His hands that I can carry out acts of service to these children as I change diapers, feed, them, and hold them in my arms. It is with these feet He anointed me with that I go to the daycare that He handpicked me to be there daily. 

I go to the daycare so that I can be Jesus to these children. Each child there are little bundles of blessings and I love them very much because of the love Christ has for me. And it is with a loving and serving heart that I go to the daycare in order to be light to them. 

Even though the task God has assigned me to be light to these children is not easy at times, I know that Jesus wants me to be here. He is preparing me for great things by being here and it is with His Truth I trust Him for it. Even the children are light to me as Jesus is using them to fill me up with His light.

I thank God that Jesus is my Savior and that by His power I can be a shining light in the daycare for these little ones. I thank God for being here so that His Holy Spirit can empty me of anything that is not of God and His Kingdom for these little ones’ sake. I thank God that Jesus is effectively using me daily. Praise Him!!

I now want to take a moment to pray for all mothers and fathers of children and children. Let us pray!:

Dear God,

Thank You for consistently using me to be a bright light in the daycare. I thank You that You are using my story to be a testimony and light for mothers and fathers of children. Thank You for every mother and father, who Your Holy Spirit has blessed with children. I pray that the ministry of every mother and father is fruitful and that it multiplies as You effectively use them to be the light of Jesus as well as His Example to their children. I pray that the children of every household follows the Example of Jesus as their parents show them the Way. I pray that all children of Your Kingdom are effectively refined, go, and grow into not just disciples, but disciple-makers of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I pray that all families, who are reading this blog post, are touched not just because it is a sweet story. I pray that they are touched by Your Holy Spirit as You make every family household that is reading this blog post into commissioners of what You order everyone on this earth to do: to go, to baptize, and to teach Your Word to the nations. Bring the Great Commission to every nation on earth and do not stop until Your Holy Spirit says, “It is finished.” I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you! ❤

I was scrolling through my news feed on Facebook yesterday night and came across a post that broke my heart for my friend’s loss: she had two deaths of two friends that she knew in the same week.

I can only imagine the sadness that my friend feels at this time, which is why my heart goes out to her. While I did not know her friends at all, my heart grieves for my friend, which is why I want to dedicate this post to my friend, who is in the stage of grieving at this time in her life. Jesus wept, so this gives my friend permission from her Heavenly Father to grieve too, in the Name of Jesus Christ.  

~”Jesus wept.”~John 11:35, KJV~

I want to use this blog post as a way to encourage my friend and anyone, who is reading this and is going through a period of grieve and loss over a friend or family member, in the Name of Jesus Christ. I have never experienced the death of a family member or friend close to me in my life. I may not know what it is like to experience the pains of grieve or what it is like to lose a loved one, but my heart has compassion for you because Jesus has compassion of you, loved one. Jesus loves you. Jesus has a heart for you because He only wants you to draw closer to Him as you seek Him for peace and comfort that surpasses all earthly understanding.

~”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”~Philippians 4:6-7, NIV~

Jesus wants you, my friend and dear reader, to seek Him. In Heaven, there will be no more tears, pain, or crying because those things will no longer be remembered. Heaven is a place of joy with many mansions that Your Heavenly Father prepared for you and especially you, dear reader. Claim this Truth as comfort for you and your loved ones, in the Name of Jesus Christ. 

~”Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”~John 14:1-4, KJV~

As you draw nearer and nearer to Jesus in this time, I encourage you to journal any prayers or thoughts that Father God puts on your heart and mind to write. Take this time to spend with God as you seek His presence and comfort because His Heavenly peace provides all of the peace that You need. His peace is comfort. His peace is joy. His peace is the Father’s love straight from Heaven to your heart. 

Remember that Jesus loves you and wants you to experience His peace. His peace is of Heaven. His peace is so tender that when you take the time to reflect on it, dear reader, your heart and your mind become One in the Father as all of you settles in Christ Jesus.

~”…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”~John 17:21-24, ESV~

Take the time to settle in the Father’s love and peace. Remember that Jesus loves you.

I now want to pray for you, dear reader and that you will experience total peace today. Let us pray:

Dear God,

Thank You for the friendship that I have with my friend from church. I want to take a moment to pray for my friend, as she is going through a period of grieve and loss in this season of her life. Let her know that You love her as she takes the time to spend in Your presence and seek Your Kingdom. Let my friend and any reader, who is going through the grieve and loss of a loved one know that Your peace is comfort and it surpasses all understanding. Let my friend and any reader know that Your compassion is so great because Your love is great. Also, let my friend and any reader know that You are peace and love for them because You are Jehovah, a God of peace. Allow Your Holy Spirit to give glimpses of what Heaven is like for my friend and any readers so that they can claim this Truth: that You are a God of peace. Let my friend and each reader walk in Your victory today as they claim Your peace in their hearts and minds today, in the Name of Jesus Christ. I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you!! Go in peace. ❤

~”Then Jesus said to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”~John 20:21, KJV~

As I was eating my breakfast yesterday morning, I read a devotional from a book titled, “Lifting Your Spirit Through Truth,” by Yancey Snavely. This devotional encouraged me for many reasons, but mainly with this confirmation:

Jesus holds my future in His hands.

In the past, I used to worry a lot. In the past, I used to fret. Even though David states in Psalm 37:1, “Do not fret,” I had a tendency to fret about little things such as how I’m going to pay my bills, for instance. I stand in the confidence that Jesus holds my future in His hands for many reasons:

1. Jesus cares deeply for me.
2. Jesus has compassion for my sorrows.
3. Jesus loves me: truly, madly, and deeply.

Jesus cares deeply for me. I know this to be true because I just got out of a state of homelessness and can live to talk about it. Even though I know what it is like to go hungry or not bathe for a couple of days, I trusted and clung to the Truth that is in and of God’s Word and what it stands for as it relates to my mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Even though I read A LOT of Scripture when I was homeless, one Scripture stood out to me the most:

~”No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.”~Isaiah 54:17, NIV~

Isaiah 54:17 stood out to me, for many reasons. The devil did not win even though he toiled and tried to pity me against Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Satan is a liar and this I know very well. Satan attempted to deceive me many times that Jesus did not care for me because if He did care about me, then He would not allow for me to walk through this valley.

This was a lie because I reached the mountaintop, the ultimate victory, at the end of this trial. I made it out of homelessness. I may be a victim, in the sight of the world, but, I am accepted as a victor in the eyes of the Lord because His Word ALWAYS STANDS and is for me. God’s Word wins every time.

Jesus has compassion for my many sorrows. I had my nights when I was in a hotel room and I cried. And cried. And I cried until I could not cry anymore. The world looks at crying as a sign of weakness, BUT Jesus sees it as a strength. This is because Jesus wept. 

~”Jesus wept.”~John 11:35, KJV~

Jesus wept for me. Not just for this corrupt and vile world and the age of which we live in. He wept for me in my broken state of mind and heart. Therefore, I have compassion for the multitudes. I have compassion for those who go through abuse, manipulated, go hungry at night, or have no where to go. I even have compassion for those who don’t have a roof over their heads because I know what that is like. Jesus suffered for me and I reached the mountaintop as a victor with many battle scars that tell the story of a broken women with a heart for Jesus. This world may be corrupt and shaken. But I AM NOT A VICTIM, as they say, BUT A VICTOR, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

~”Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”~Isaiah 54:10, NIV~

Jesus loves me: truly, madly, and deeply. I know this to be so not just because His Word tells me so. I know this from my own practical experiences. His love drew me closer and closer to my Heavenly Father all while drowning out hate. His love made me strong and courageous. His love made me into a woman of great faith that will not be shaken. 

Jesus died for me. Therefore, I have a reason to fear God because Jesus proved His death for me as Truth that He is God on the cross. It is because of this love that Jesus had for me that I praise God. In the good, the bad, and the ugly, I praise God for it. And it is for this reason that I have no fear of the future because I can literally look at it and laugh at the days to come. My future is bright in the brilliance of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ. 

~”Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”~Proverbs 31:30, NIV~

I now want to take the time to pray for you, dear reader. Let us pray!:

Dear God,

Thank You that Your Word is love. Thank You that Your Word is true, even for readers who needed to read my testimony today. Thank You that Your Hands are making and fashioning each of these readers to be of an encouragement to someone, who is going through a hard time or who needs a Sound Word to lift him or her up. Your Word is power. Your Word is love. And is gives a sound mind to each of these readers today. Lift up each reader and let him or her know that his or her future is bright and filled with brilliance that only Your Son can provide. Heal the hearts of any reader, who may be discouraged today, so that he or she can turn their hearts and minds to heaven, in Your precious Name. I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you, dear reader. You are loved!! ❤

~”He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”~Psalm 147:3, ESV~

This is a test….

You may be reading this and wondering what test is this that I must pass for my God? It is the test that I can do anything if I put my mind to it, in Jesus’ Name. 

~”I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”~Philippians 4:13, KJV~

For the past several weeks, I have been doubting myself. Because I have been doubting myself, I have been doubting God. Doubt is a sin that needs to be stripped away from myself in order for me to become more confident in me and the abilities that God gave me for success.

When I was working at the daycare one day, one of my co-workers challenged me. She told me that in order for me to be able to do my job well that I needed to have full confidence in myself. 

At first, I continued to doubt myself. After spending time in prayer with the Lord, His Holy Spirit allowed me to realize that doubt is not of God, but of Satan. 

That Satan is a LIAR and he will do anything or whisper the slightest lie in your ear to cause you to have doubt in yourself. That is his ultimate goal in order to cause you to fail. The truth of the Word of God says that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

~”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”~John 14:6, NIV~

I had a choice to make. I could either dwell on my own doubts and fears that I could not do my job at the daycare properly or I could rebuke doubt and fear in order for the Truth of God’s Word to settle in my heart. This would also allow for me to take courage and not give into my own fears and the fear of Satan.

~”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”~2 Timothy 1:7, KJV~

What harm could Satan do to me at my job? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING because I am a child of God. I am a noble princess of the Most High. I am His prized possession, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

~”Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”~1 Peter 5:7, NIV~

~”But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”~1 Peter 2:9, ESV~

By remembering these Truths of God, I gain confidence in myself as I have confidence in Christ. By remembering these truths of God, I rebuke the devil with the blood of Jesus because he is a liar. By remembering these Truths of God, I know that I can do anything if I put my heart and mind to it! 🙂

Jesus is all of the Confidence I need. He is all that I need. He is my Everything because He gives me the strength to be able to get my job done at the daycare and DO IT RIGHT!! By the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength.

That devil will not and shall not cause me to doubt myself at my job because God put me there for many reasons, especially to be a nurturing and sweet spirit to the toddlers that I teach. They need me because they need me to be the love of God in Christ Jesus to them.

I now want to take the moment to pray for you, dear reader. Let us pray:

Dear God,

Thank You for washing away my doubts and fears. Thank You that the Confidence that I have in Your Son, Christ Jesus, is all that I and every reader needs. May Your light shine in the little lights of each reader today and may Your great light outshine the lies, doubts, and fears of the devil from any reader today. May each reader see that confidence in Christ is the key to success while simultaneously rebuking the lies, doubts, and fears of the devil. May each reader see that as You build up him or her that You love them and that Your love is great. Do not let that devil take over any reader and may no weapon of that devil prevail over any reader today. Protect the hearts and minds of each reader today as You let each reader know that he or she can do anything that he or she puts his or her heart and mind to if he or she trusts in You. Let the confidence of each reader soar from valleys to mountaintops today. I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise as You let these little lights shine today.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you, dear reader. Have a good day and good night! 🙂

❤ Jesus loves me and this I know very much! ❤

How do I know that Jesus loves me, you may ask? It is because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and because of His resurrection that He loves me so. But there is so much more to His love than I can EVER comprehend……

I know that Jesus is a God of love because His hands fashioned me and knitted me together in my mother’s womb. His hands caress me as I go to sleep at night. I was not a mistake. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Praise God for this amazing truth!

~”Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous–how well I know it.”~Psalm 139:14, NLT~

~”Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”~1 John 4:7-8, ESV~

One of the reasons I am writing this blog post today is because of two sources of inspiration: my friend, Jennifer, and Pastor Anthony George at First Baptist Church of Atlanta.

Jennifer is a very dear friend of mine. I can pick up the phone, call her anytime, and she will pray with me on the spot. One day, I was very troubled. So, I decided to call Jennifer. I told her that I could not believe in the Word of God and that God would come through for me because of the emptiness and loneliness that I felt as I was going through a rough time in that season of my life.

She immediately told me to use this time to press into Father God because He is the Ultimate Source of Comfort. She told me to press so much into Him that I fall asleep in His arms that night. She even prayed with me before I got off of the phone. I slept like a baby that night. 🙂

I could feel the love of God the next day. I went to church this morning and Pastor Anthony George preached a sermon that touched my heart. He preached that God is your Designer!

I was sitting in the audience and thinking to myself, “Wow!,” because of this amazing truth. God is my Designer. Jesus was sent into the world to be the Example of Abba, the Ultimate Creator. The Holy Spirit intercedes for me, as a creation (not a mistake) from my Creator. 

~”Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God bless them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”~Genesis 1:26-28, ESV~

I knew right then, as I was listening to Pastor George preach that I was not a mistake because God wanted to make me. God wanted to fashion me in His image and likeness. God wanted to make me into me:into Sarah Alexandra Dickens, a princess and noble woman of the Most High!

I won’t forget when my Sunday School teacher, Liz, got me a birthday gift. She got for me body wash and a pair of earrings! The body wash was a mix of lavender and honey and the earrings were a pair of heart earrings. I remember what her words to me were after she gave me the body wash and earrings, “That’s Sarah!“

It’s as if God knew quite well how He wanted to make me unique. How God wanted to set me apart from other women. How God wanted to make me the me that He created me to become. I am a Woman of the King, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

I know that Jesus loves me because it is because of His love that draws me close to Him. I can bask in His presence for hours at a time because His love is so compelling! It draws me straight through the Holy Spirit, into Jesus, and right into the heart of God, even as I write this blog post on this beautiful Sunday afternoon!

I thank God for creating me. That is not selfish. It is a praise for Him as I glorify God not just over all of creation, but as my Creator.

I remember when my friend Ann, from my church, told me how significant that I am that she thinks of me as she prays for me. I did not realize how dearly loved I am and she even told me that she is my mentor! 🙂

Even as this dear woman of God prays for me, I know that the Holy Spirit is constantly interceding for me because my Abba Daddy cares very much for me!

~”So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”~Romans 8:15, NLT~

The Holy Spirit fights for me. Jesus draws me into Father God and this is so that I could know the love of God. God is love! Hallelujah!

I now want to pray for you, dear reader, and that You will feel the love of God today! 🙂 :

Dear God,

Thank You that You created me and have made this blog post that I just wrote as a testimony of Your great faithfulness and love to others here and worldwide. Thank You that every reader, who has read this blog post, can see, know, and even feel that You are a Great, Great Heavenly Father, who decided to create that special boy or that precious girl in Your image and likeness and apart from other creation. May each reader know today that he or she is loved. Let he or she claim this truth: They are not a mistake and that You decided to create them as a part of Your design and plan for their lives. You knew the plans, even before each reader was born, of the future that each reader would walk into with Your hands holding them and embracing them as Your sons and daughters. Let each reader know that he or she is not forgotten and to remember Your great love for them today. Let your sons and daughters praise you for Your amazing truths and mainly for this one: that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. I give you all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

 

God bless You dear reader! Know that you are loved and rest in Abba’s loving arms today! ❤

~”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”~Jeremiah 29:11, NIV~

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~”God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”~Psalm 46:5, NIV~

As I was standing outside of a Marta Bus Stop on my way to work one morning, I heard a rushing wind. It was the Holy Spirit of God. I was also still in that moment. This was because I heard a voice. That voice was the voice of Almighty God. 

I took this moment to pause to see what Father God was trying to tell me. He told me, “My child, let my will be done in your life. “

These words, spoken by God to me in my life, depicted a picture of what the life of Jesus was like shortly before His crucifixion. He prayed to His Heavenly Father in this way:

~”O my Father, if this cup may not pass from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”~Matthew 26:42, KJV~

It took me 1 full year before I finally understood what God meant when He said, “My will.” My will is His will in His power and control alone. I have been through a lot. From lost friendships to family issues, I finally realized I had to surrender them to the Lord. I even realized that I had to surrender myself to the Lord. 

“What??!!,” you may be thinking. Yes, myself. I can be selfish instead of selfless. Unloving instead of loving. And stubborn instead of wise. God is teaching me A LOT of things that I need to work on about myself that only He gave me the eyes to see. I would never have seen what I needed to work on had it not have been for my Heavenly Father. I thank God for allowing me to step into His Son, Jesus, so that I can see what it is exactly that I need to work on. 

 ~”But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.”~Matthew 13:16, ESV~

I remember when a good friend of mine texted me when I was homeless and had no where to go, except My Sister’s House, a Christian homeless shelter for women and children. She told me in a text message to see what God is trying to teach me. 

I was at My Sister’s House for a week and one day. The people there were very friendly. Even the homeless are people too as Father God allowed for me to step into their shoes and be Jesus to them. I remember when one of my friends at My Sister’s House approached me. She gave me a book titled, “Lifting Your Spirit Through Truth.” She told me that this book helped her to get through this hard time and it even encouraged her. I told her, “Thank you,” and began to read the book.

As I was reading the book, I journaled away. I journaled my heart out to Father God. Another friend told me to listen to sermons my Dr. Charles Stanley in my quiet/prayer time with God. On the days I spent at the shelter I wrote. I wrote away with my Bible by my side. God showed me many things, but the main thing was this:

ALWAYS have a plan as it aligns with the will of Father God.

The book that my friend gave me encouraged me and lifted my spirits. Even on days that I felt like wanting to give up on my friends and my family, I did not give up. Even on days I felt like wanting to give into myself (a selfish, stubborn, and unloving person),  I did not give up. In fact, I never gave up because the constant and steadfast love of Jesus pulled me even closer to Father God and made me more selfless, wise, and loving. 

I pressed into Father God as He basked me with His great love. It is always unfailing!

~”For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”~Romans 8:38-39, ESV~

As my Abba Father basked me with His great love, I began to see a transformation occur. This transformation took place in a week and one day (the time I was at My Sister’s House). I was more joyful in that I was not selfish. I was more selfless and not unloving. I was more loving in that I was not stubborn, but wise! God is soooo good!

On my last day at My Sister’s House, I gave the women hugs. As I was hugging them, one of them said, “I will always remember you. You carried your Bible around with you all of the time!” 

It was in that moment that I realized that the work that Father God had set to do in me was complete at My Sister’s House. My assignment that Abba Father gave me to do was finished and I had left a lasting legacy imprinted on the place. I thank God for this truth!

I will never forget the experience at My Sister’s House. It was incredible and it taught me very valuable life lessons. I will not forget it, in Jesus’ Name!

Dear reader, you may be wondering how this ties into the will of Father God? It does in that my experience at My Sister’s House taught me to let God use His hands to strip me of myself so that I can be filled with the love of Jesus Christ where I am at in Atlanta, Georgia. So that I could be selfless as Jesus was. So that I could be wiser as Jesus was. And so that I could be loving as Jesus was.

I now want to take this moment to pray for you, dear reader, and that Father God would allow you to be filled with all of Jesus. Let us pray!:

Dear God,

Thank You for allowing me to be homeless for a time and a season so that I can experience all of Jesus at My Sister’s House. Thank You that my story at My Sister’s House is a testimony to all of the readers, who are reading this blog, right now. May each reader bring all of his or her struggles before Your altar, whether it be jealousy, greed, envy, or any other sin that needs to be stripped from Your son or daughter. Let Your sons and daughters know just how much that You love them and that they need to experience Jesus to know more of Him as they bask into His presence. Let each reader know that even when he or she does not understand why You are allowing him or her to go through this hard time (whatever that may be), that You are using it to make him or her more refined, more Spirit-filled, and more filled with Your love. May each reader not question You, but just follow Your leading and Your will as it is done in their lives. Give each reader a purpose for their lives as Your give them insight as to why You created them. Give each reader understanding as to why You made them for that purpose. Give each reader peace that surpasses their understanding to his or her purpose as he or she steps into Your will today. I give You the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you, dear reader! Stay focused on Abba today and remember that the peace of God allows you to count it all joy today! ❤

The Word of God says in the New International Version of the Gospel of Matthew 4:4:

“Jesus answered, “It it written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.~”Matthew 4:4, NIV~

In this Scripture, Jesus was being tempted By Satan in the wilderness after fasting for forty days and forty nights. Jesus answered Satan the second time He was tempted with these words:

“Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”~Matthew 4:7, NIV~

The third time that Jesus was tempted, He told Satan to get behind Him with these words:

~”Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”~Matthew 4:10, NIV~

After Jesus commanded Satan to get out of him, he left Him and angels attended to Him, per the Gospel of Matthew 4:10.

There are times when we, as followers of Christ, find ourselves in a wilderness and can’t seem to find a way out. We just can’t get to the root of what is causing ourselves to be upset. We just can’t seem to escape from the tempter. That liar is Satan.

Satan tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness and Jesus escaped the temptation with Scripture He knew from His Heavenly Father God. I can relate to Jesus because there are times in my life when Satan feeds me with lies and I succumb to them rather than surrender to the Truths of Scripture that are found in the Word of God, the Bible.

Yesterday, I spoke with a very good Christian lady friend of mine, Michelle, in a phone conversation. I LOVE Michelle because she can tell a situation as it is from the Biblical perspective and not cleave to the worldly perspective(in other words, she tells it—-the situation—-as it is with dignity and Christian morale).

Yesterday, I was being tempted to do something that would damage my standing, as a Christian, and that would ultimately change my relationship with Father God and how others viewed me. I was tempted to lie. While I choose to not go into what the lie was exactly, I will say that Michelle is a good friend in that she saved me from making a horrible mistake that would change my life forever. 

Michelle told me to hold fast, speak, and declare the truths of God over my life in whatever the situation is that I am going through and that it shall be well with me, in the Name of Jesus Christ.  I took that night to think about and rest on what Michelle told me.

The next day, I wrote out Scripture from Isaiah 54, the Gospel of John, and other books of the Bible. God was certainly faithful as He spoke to me how to combat Satan with Daily Bread that comes from the Mouth of God daily, in the Name of Jesus Christ. God showed me the truth while Satan tried and tried and tried to lie to me to lie, but failed. God’s unfailing love for me, in the midst of my sin, triumphed over Satan and the lie He wanted me to believe about myself and tell others. The lie failed. Satan ultimately failed. Jesus won and wins every time.

I began to declare the truths of God’s Word (my Daily Bread) over my life and as a result, I was free. I was free from Satan and His lies. That lie does not belong to me and I bar it and ban it, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”~John 8:36, NIV~

From this day forward, I do not and will not give into lies that are not true about myself and certainly not by someone, who wants me to think of myself as less than. I refuse lies and accept the Truths of God, in Jesus’ Name. I am His Child. I am His Daughter. I am His Princess.

Let me pray for you now, dear reader:

Dear God:
Thank You for freeing me from the lie. I am not what my family wants me to think or believe about myself. Thank You that I am not my past mistakes and that You have already cleansed me from my past mistakes. I pray over each reader today and that he or she will not surrender their lives to the enemy, but rather to You, the Maker and Creator of their lives and Your Truth. You are a God of Truth and not a god of lies and confusion. Satan is that tempter and liar, and I command him to flee from any reader now, who is thinking about lying or giving into lies, in the Name of Jesus Christ. May no weapon that is formed against the minds of these readers prevail and may each reader walk in Your Truths, victory, and freedom today.  I command anything that is not of You (especially lies) to leave each reader now and that Your peace will surpass the understanding and minds of the readers today. Keep each reader enraptured in Your great and unfailing love today. I give you all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you dear reader! ❤

 ~”No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”~Isaiah 54:17, KJV~

 

I hit rock bottom…..and I cried.

You got that right!! And it hurt me very much! My mistakes caused me to fall flat on my face and hit rock bottom miserably all while proving to God what a selfish and unselfless person I am. 

BUY there is hope because my past mistakes do not define me, but only my relationship that is near and dear to the God I serve, who seems so far, but is so close to me and even you, dear reader: Jesus Christ.

~”Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”~Hebrews 13:5, NIV~

I choose to give Jesus all of me in this season of my life as I ask Him to free me entirely of myself and empty out anything of me that is not of Him. I choose to praise Jesus in the midst of this storm I am facing  (even in the rain), because I AM formed me to do so just for Him. I choose to dance hard, even as I cry all the way for Heaven to hear me, so that Jesus knows I have given all of my praise to Him. I choose to praise Jesus because I AM wants me to smile and be a bright bold ray of sunshine to the lost and hurting.

My desire is only to do what God wants me to do for Him in this dry season: praise Him. I praise God for the good. I praise Him for the bad. I praise Him for making me a new creation in Jesus and that He is making me stronger than ever: A woman of His making and calling as He lavishes His great love on me: everlasting love, even as I praise Him in tears, dirt, and great sadness. This is the ministry that God has called me to and I won’t stop until Jesus Christ says, “It is finished.”

~”The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”~Jeremiah 31:3, NIV~

Jesus loves when I praise Him in sadness. With makeup and with no makeup, Jesus loves when I come to Him in tears, pain, and crying, so that He knows I am in total need of my gracious and Heavenly Father to forgive me.

~”Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope.”~Romans 5:3-4, NIV~

I have hope as I praise God in my pain and crying because He is drying my tears as I come to Him, humble, and pray away. Jesus is already equipping me with the tools I need to see my rainbow in the sky, a sure sign of victory indeed!! 

~”This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who ho is he that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”~1 John 5:4-5, NIV~

I will see my victory and claim my rainbow through my pain, my joy, and my crying out to my Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ. I already see that rainbow in the sky as a sure and awesome sign of my victory and testimony, in Jesus’ Name. I declare that His rainbow is my victory now, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

How about you, dear reader? Do you see a rainbow of victory in the midst of your pain today? Let’s pray together now:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I know I have sinned. I pray and speak words of affirmation over each reader today. I pray that in the same Way you revealed all of You to me that You will do so to each son and daughter, who feels down and sad and unforgiven. Free each reader from self as He or she comes crying to You in need of Jesus Christ. Free each reader from the plots, tricks, and lies of the enemy. Free each reader into your truth today so that He or she can see his or her rainbow today at the end of that tunnel, bright and clear, and know that by faith  (not sight) mountains can moved and chains broken. Love each reader and let him or know You are love. Let each reader know that You deserve all of the glory, the honor, and the praise because of what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary and resurrection. Give each reader all of You as He or she comes broken and as they are: straight into Your extravagant heart. I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise today.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you!! 😇

Happy Resurrection Day everyone!!
You may be reading this blog post and wondering what do I mean by when I say, “Happy Resurrection Day!” The word resurrection has many meanings. Here are the definitions of resurrection:

a. the revitalization or revival of something.

b. (in Christian belief) Christ’s rising from the dead.

c. (in Christian belief) the rising of the dead at the Last Judgment.

For purposes of this article, I am going to use the second definition of resurrection. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the God all creation and the God of my life. 

I celebrate Resurrection Day (not just calling it Easter) because I want to remember that Jesus rose from the dead for me. I want to remember that Jesus loves me and that He loved me so much that He died on a cross for me so that He could give life to my lifeless heart and spirit. Most importantly, I want to remember that Jesus is Lord of my life. ~”If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”~Romans 10:9, ESV~

I was at a gathering at church this morning and I remember how the Holy Spirit of God spoke to me by saying to me, “You don’t have to carry this burden yourself. I have already carried it for you.”

Yes, that’s right. Jesus carried all of my burdens for me. Jesus died on a cross for me. Jesus carried the weight of all of my sins for me as they were nailed to a cross all for me. What an amazing truth that is for me to ponder as I contemplate just how great the life that He gave me is. ~”Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”~John 14:6, NIV~

It is through Jesus Christ who is the Only Way. It is through Jesus Christ who is the Only Truth. It is through Jesus Christ who is the Only Life He died for us for that He could give us Life: the gift of eternal life. ~”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”~

After the Holy Spirit of God spoke to me in that moment at the church service, I remember how I broke out into tears of sorrow and then burst into tears of joy, remembering and reflecting on all of the good that Jesus has done for my life. We sang, “What a Beautiful Name,” by Hillsong Worship and I just cried and cried my heart out as I counted all joy for the Lord Jesus with what the Holy Spirit of God shared with me. Praise the Lord!!

Today, I experienced a resurrection in my life: total transformation that is found only in Jesus Christ. I now encourage you to do the same, dear reader. 

I now want to take a moment to pray for you, dear reader and that you too will experience a resurrection in your life:

Dear God,

Thank you for the reader who opened up this blog post and read it. Bless each reader richly as he or she takes a moment to remember and contemplate how beautiful that You are. What You did for each reader is beautiful. What You did on the cross for each reader is beautiful. And Your resurrection and the fact that You rose from a grave on Easter Sunday is just remarkably beautiful. You are an awesome God and I pray that You will allow each reader, who is reading this blog post today, to experience a resurrection and transformation that is found only in Your Son, Jesus Christ. May each reader find out today, after reading this blog post and prayer, that there is hope in Your transformation and in Your resurrection because of the gift of eternal life that Jesus Christ provides. May each reader never ever give up the hope that is found in Jesus Christ and in His resurrection today. I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

God bless you, dear reader!! Have a restful Resurrection Day!! 🙂

~”So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”~Matthew 20:16, NIV~