The Process Of Transformation

The Process Of Transformation

(Change, Wanting to Change, and Transforming)

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."  If you don't understand the process, God says just trust my plan.  

Many times in life we face many obstacles, challenges, hills, and valleys.  The obstacles are sometimes difficult and painful, but very essential for our growth in Christ.  What if there was growth, but no change?  It is not possible.  God does not change, because He is perfect.  People change, because people can grow.  But, that is precisely, what God is doing within each of us.  Yes!  He is perfecting us!  I am not a finished product, and by no means am I perfect.  Witnessing the transformation of the butterfly up close was a new experience that I never thought about before.  It was very interesting, and it showed me how God can transform our lives.  It also showed me how this painful process was beautiful, and very fulfilling.

One afternoon in class, one of the teachers brought in a small clear plastic jar with five small fuzzy caterpillars in it.  All that week we had been talking to the students about the transformation of the butterfly, drawing pictures, making arts, and sculpting crafts.  Now, we where about to see the whole process first hand in the classroom, and get an opportunity to care for them.   Immediately, the students flocked to me anxiously wondering what was inside this clear plastic jar.  So, I got the little fuzzy buddies, walk to the front of the classroom, and explained to sixteen three and four year old students; we were going to watch the change from caterpillar to butterfly.  I like the term "grow butterflies".  At least that is what one of my students called it.  For several weeks we all watched the little caterpillars inch around the jar.  They inched up, and down, side, to side.  Listening to the students day after day asking, when were the "worms" going to get their wings, and fly away.  Each time we would reassure them that it would be soon.  Watching their eagerness to witness this transformation was a blessing in itself.  One morning we all came into class, and noticed that a couple of the caterpillars had surfaced to the top of the jar in a cocoon.  Excitement overcame the classroom, and the students questioned the wear abouts of some of the caterpillars.  As the days passed we noticed that the rest of the caterpillars soon followed suit.  Once again, the students faces lightened with excitement.  By the end of the week all the caterpillars were successfully in their cocoons.  The next week we got the "butterfly house", (that is what my students called it),and we carefully placed all the cocoons in the netting.  We then hung it from the ceiling, and patiently waited for the butterflies to emerge.  The students watched the butterfly netting day after day in anticipation.  Then it happened.  The shadow of a wing emerged from the bottom of the netting, and slowly appeared in the light.  The students, all in amazement, watched as one of the little butterflies made its appearance to the class.  A few days later a couple more followed.  I got the netting down from the ceiling to put in a cotton ball of sugar water, and noticed blood all around it.  I saw that three of butterflies had spread its wings, one butterfly was quivering from the push, and the other was not moving from its cocoon at all.  It made me sad, and it also made me think.  

Growing the wings was the most crucial and critical part of the transformation.  Change can hurt.  It can be painful, but the outcome is beautiful.  Our Heavenly Father knows where we are, He knows our growth, He knows our strengths, He know our weakness, and He knows how much we can bear.  And yet, He still loves us, is patient with us, through our growth, through our change, and through our process.  He is with us always till the very end.  He has the perfect plan if we only submit to His will, and His way. 

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2).  "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:23-24).  "Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord." (Ephesians 5:10).  "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:17).  Realizing the beauty of transformation allowed me to see the beauty God was doing in me.  It was painful, but it was beautiful.  We grabbed the netting with the three remaining butterflies, and took the students to the awning to set them free.  I saw their faces light up when the butterflies flew to freedom, flew to their new lives, and flew changed and transformed little angels.  This was an opportunity where both teacher and students received a lesson and a blessing!  When we are being transformed, and we allow ourselves to be changed we are allowing God to shape us in His likeness.  His perfection!  Remember, if you do not understand His process, know He has got the perfect plan!  

Have a blessed day dear friends!!!

                 

  

The Valley of the Dry Bones

The Valley of the Dry Bones

"The spoken word brings restoration over a valley of dryness, and 

life over a desolate land."

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone." (Ezekiel 37:1-7).

  

The word of the Lord brings life.  The breath of life that we breathe deep within our bosom is the same breath that fills our souls.  From the beginning, God brought all life into existence, and the creation of man by His very own breath, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7).  God only spoke the word, and everything was so.  For, "In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1).  As our physical bodies cannot survive without the breath of life, indeed how much more we need to depend on God's word for our spiritual life.  Both are essential, and both are of God!  "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." (Job 33:4).  No other form of created power could do such a marvelous thing, than to give life its own existence.  Who has the power to give life, and to take it?  Who has the power to bring back from the dead?  Who has the power to give in full with all prosperity, and hope?  Only God can!  "The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifeth up."  (1 Samuel 2:6-7).  Only God alone can restore flesh to human bones, connect tissue to tissue,  and only God alone can cause them to live.  The Spirit of God is the wind, (the symbol of life), and it is represented by His quickening powers.  Disobedience and sin has caused death among the people.  The people were spiritually dead, and their bones lay desolate in a valley of dryness.  God hates sins, and He hides His face from it.  He is pure and He is holy.  "Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. 30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth." (Psalms 104:29-30).  So, Son of man, can these bone live?  O' Lord God, thou knowest!  "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14).  Washed in blood of the lamb, and by God's great power!  It is by God's power that the dry bones lived!  By God's power that He manifested himself through human flesh, and died paying the ultimate price for life!  By God's power are we able to confess and be saved.   By God's power there is a blessed hope!  By God's power there is restoration!  For, Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.  "And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed." (Joel 2:27). 

"And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said, he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, and exceeding great army.  11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cute off for our parts. 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:8-14).

God's restoration is at hand in the land for His children, and nothing can separate His love for them.  "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).  The valley of the dry bones tell about the true power, love and grace of God.  That even though we are dead in sin, He stills converts us to himself.  Prophesying the word, that we may live and have life.  Prophesying the word of the coming King of Kings!  Prophesying the word of His death and resurrection as our Savior!  Jesus Christ was resurrected in three days!  "And after three days and an half spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them." (Revelation 11:11).  That reverent fear, that is the fear of the Lord.  By that fear one can gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  The wisdom of not doing it, the knowledge of knowing not to do, and the understanding of why it should not be done.  But, by sin, there is death.  "Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth."  (Psalms 141:7).  Now, through the death of Christ, hope has now been restored, and the people who were dead, could now live.  

The same word, the breath of life that was spoken in the beginning of time is the same word whom came down in the flesh as Jesus Christ, to bring life back into that which was dead.  "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father;) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14).  Christ died on the cross and rose bringing hope and salvation to all.  That precious life!!!  As prophesied, to Ezekiel in a vision of dry bones, and through the resurrected Son, Jesus Christ, we are now delivered from sin.  He has put His spirit within us, and kept us by His power through faith, unto salvation.  "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27).  To God be the glory!!!

Have a blessed day dear friends...      

        

The Perfect Work of Patience

The Perfect Work of Patience

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," (Galatians 5:22).

The purpose of tests in our lives is to perfect the endurance, or perseverance of patience.  And, with the perfecting of patience, there is an increase of our faith.  Our faith is in Jesus Christ, who is the author, and finisher of our faith.  But, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2).  To be the new creature in Christ, you must allow Him to work with you, through you, and in you.  "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye maybe perfect, and entire, wanting noting." (James 1:4).  The perfect work that God is to bring about, and mature within you, until the day of Jesus Christ.  It is not by your own hands that this work is done, but the Lord's.  "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." (Psalms 138:8).  And, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 1:6).  "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12).  And, "Let us there fore, as many as be perfect be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." (Philippians 3:15).  

Once patience has been perfected, ye shall be entire, wanting nothing, because all is fulfilled in Christ Jesus.  He will be all that you ever want and need, because He is the supplier, and rewarder to all those whom seek Him!  "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." (Psalms 34:10).  Because, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." (Psalms 23:1).  There is no need to worry, or fear anything.  God is going to finish, what He started.

     

So, be "Patient", and allow God to do that "Perfect Work" so, that you "Want Nothing."  All things, and everything is by Him.  To God be the glory!!!  Ꭿℳℰℕ!

Have a blessed day dear friends...

Pruning, and Purging

Pruning and Purging

"A rebirth out of spiritual adversity cause us to become new creatures." - James E. Faust

God loves us so unconditionally that he will prune and purge us that we can grow spiritually in Him.  After time, we become bogged down with sin, and God will remove those things that are dead within us, so, life can be manifested through us.  Trust the process, and not focus so much on the procedure.  Trust in God, and allow Him to have His way!  It may not feel good, but it is necessary for your spiritual growth.    

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." (Psalms 51:1-2).  "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalms 51:7).  "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me." (Psalms 51:10-11).  It is God whom does the "Good Work" in you!  He works in Grace, and works out the corruption of sin.  "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13).  

What righteous can we say that we have of our own, unless it is the righteous by faith in God. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" (Titus 3:5).  His love, grace, and mercy endures always!  "The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." (Psalms 145:9).  So, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" (Acts 3:19).  Our Heavenly Father encourages us to repent, because there is forgiveness, and free mercy through the acceptance of His son in Christ Jesus!  "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isaiah 43:25).  "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee." (Isaiah 44:22).  How wonderful is the Lord thy God, who will wash sins, cleanse sins, forgive sins, and create us anew.  A God who sacrificed His only Son to be the Savior of the world, and only way to heaven.  A God that is holy and righteous whom with all His purity, can't stand the sight of iniquity, yet made a way for us to be saved.  Love!  Love!  Love!  An unconditional love like no other!!!  To God be the glory!!!

Have a blessed day dear friends...       

Keep Hoping, Praying & Believing

Keep Hoping, Praying & Believing

As you travel down the highway of life, you will encounter many obstacles along the way.  On your journey you will have twist, turns, hills, and valleys that tend to slow you down from reaching your destination.  There are times you will make a wrong turn, and wind up going the wrong way.  Only, to find out in the end, that your way wasn't the right way at all in the beginning.  You pray, you have hope, and you believe, but the situations around you still stand.  You tend to get upset, try to fix the problem, and in it, you want to question God over things that are beyond your control.  You start reasoning with yourself, allowing worry and doubt to take root in your heart.  "Why did this have to happen this way?", "Why did this have to happen to me?"  As you go through, know God is in head of everything, and His ways exceeds ours.  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9).   You may not understand it now, but in time you will.  So, keep hoping, praying and believing.  Before everything is over, you may go through a domino effect of problems.  You may start off with a flat tire on Monday, run off the road on Tuesday, engine overheats on Wednesday, get side swiped on Thursday, car won't start on Friday, and before the week is out, you run out of gas on Saturday.  Still, keep hoping, praying and believing.  You may have had the whole trip mapped out.  You may have had a certain time that you wanted to reach your goal, but things didn't go the way you planned.  Remember, God always has something better for us in the end, and His way will bring peace. 

"For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off." (Proverbs 23:18).  Through it all, God tells us to "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6).  Keep hoping, praying and believing.  Always have faith, and remain hopeful.  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). 

Through the good and the bad, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6).  Always "Pray without ceasing. In ever thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).  Have faith and believe in what you have prayed for.  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Matthew 7:7).  "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22).  Keep hoping and never give up.  Keep praying, and know that God can.  Keep believing that God can and that God will.  May peace abound in you all that you keep "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;" (Romans 12:12).  Open your heart, listen to the voice of God, and He will renew your strength.  The journey will become easier once you allow Jesus to be the head of your life.  "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:" (Isaiah 45:2).  And,

The storms on the highway of life will be over, and soon a distant memory of the past.  You will look back and appreciate all that happened when it did.  "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." - Soren Kierkegaard"  Stay focused on Jesus Christ, and the heavenly things that are beyond this earth.  Keep hoping, praying and believing!!!  To God be the glory!!!

Have a blessed day dear friends...

Choose To Walk In Love

Choose To Walk In Love

"Love As The Creator Loves"

I have learned that people fear what they don't understand.  The lack of knowledge plays a major role with a lot of the disagreements, and arguments we have.  The enemy thrives where there is a lot of confusion.  He also thrives where there is the lack of love.  For, God is love!  "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16).  For, He is the creator, and sustainer of love.  All believers are to be vessels of God's love and light!  For, it is He who shines within us!  Love and light can drive out all powers of evil.  Hate begets hate, and evil begets evil.  We cannot cure the other with same thing!

 We need more love circulating in the world.  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:" (Ephesians 4:31).  But, "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forebearing one another in love;" (Ephesians 4:2).  Speaking with love, and through love we should "Choose To Walk In Love."  To forgive as God has forgiven you.  To show mercy, as mercy was shown unto you, to treat others, as God would treat them, and to see people as God sees them.  God sees everyone as His own treasures, so we should be cautious of how we treat them.  Look at others as Jesus would look at them.  Let us be guided by the spirit, and not to trust our own judgments.  "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. (Philippians 2:21).  Even when we have the best intentions in our heart, it doesn't mean they are always the right ones.  Do everything in love, and place love everywhere.  Guide others in love, teach others in love, correct others in love, and reproof one another in love.  "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." (Ephesians 5:2)

We can't change anyone, only God can.  So, we should leave it in His hands!  We can do a lot for someone just by loving them.  There is nothing that is happening that should be a surprise, because of the times we are in.  "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12).  That is why I will, "Choose To Walk In Love."  Because...

 We should always be in continual prayer for those who have not repented, and turned away from sin.  So, let us walk in unity with another, spreading the love, and gospel of Jesus Christ."  Everyone has the right to the tree of life, and all have a chance to be freed.  Walk in love, and love as the creator loves!  Let us be together on one accord, to edify, and build up the body of Christ in preparation for the kingdom.  "If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die." - Maya Angelou.  Let us sing praises unto Him together, and lift His holy name!  Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."  (John 12:32).  To God Be The Glory!!!

Have a blessed day dear friends...    

Focus on the Promises of God

Focus on the Promises of God

Focus more on the promises of what God has in store for you instead of the problems you are facing to get there.  By focusing in on God and His promises you allow inner peace to flow throughout your heart, and mind.  What God has purposed here on earth will come to pass unfailing, and sure.  His word brings peace, love, and restoration.  Max Lucado said, "God is either God of all or not God at all.  Semi-sovereignty is not an option."  There is nothing that happens on the earth or universe that God is not aware of.  He is all powerful, all knowing, and triumphant over Satan, sin, and death.  "So shall my words be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:11-12).  Such powerful words!    The promise in the word is hope, and should urge all believers to spread the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Whatever God has willed for you, whatever God, has spoken to you,  and whatever God has promised you, he intends to finish it in you.  He is going to do it.  The battle is not yours, but the Lords!  If God said, trust, and believe it!  

When you start to feel like everything is closing in, you began to worry, or you start having doubts, take a deep breath, and call on God.  When the enemy starts to tell you that you are not capable, not worthy for the task, plagues you with self-guilt, and condemnation, just call on Jesus!  Remember, that battle is not yours.  That victory was won when Jesus died on the cross.  You are victorious!  Take a stand, and don't allow the enemy to tell you that you are the victim.  Keep your head held high in confidence with Christ Jesus!  Having a "looking forward to" mindset will help you to "Focus on the Promises of God", and not the problems faced of this world. Knowing that,

Having faith, and "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 1:6).  And He, "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:8).  Those that wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus will be kept by Him to the end by and with free grace.  "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." (Psalms 27:4).  You will never fail, nor be ashamed by waiting on God.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).  What promises!!!  To God be the glory!  "Grace will complete what grace begins!"

Have a blessed day dear friends!

Being Alive and Revived In Christ

Being Alive and Revived In Christ

"Just because there are fish swimming in the river, does not mean they are all swimming upstream. A dead fish can swim, but it takes a live one to swim up." - Kenya Hodge

Being alive and revived in Christ!  "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenlyplaces in Christ Jesus:"  (Ephesians 2:4-6).  Thank God for his love, grace, and mercy!  The unconditional love that God showed to us by sending His only son to die for our sins.  His everlasting grace, and unmerited favor that allows us to be partakers of His salvation, and kingdom.  His river flowing mercy that pours on us, and showers us with His compassion and forgiveness, that we may have a chance of eternal life.  Sin + man = Death, but Christ + man = Life. 

  

 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2). The grace that saves is free, and is a gift from God.  The undeserved goodness saves all, not by works of the law, but through love, and faith in Christ Jesus.  

Once Christ is accepted in the heart of man, Christ's blood showers us covering, freeing, and saving us from sin and the wrath of God.  God hates evil, and he hates sin.  If someone commits a murder, and is executed for the crime, they are no longer tied to the law, because of death that has freed them from their sin or crime.  Jesus, on the other hand, had no sin, but died like a sinner with all the world's crimes on His shoulders.  "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:11).  It shows how deeply God loves us, and cares for us.  The unconditioned love that loves unconditionally.  "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" (John 11:25).  Christians, let us continue to swim upstream to God, displaying the very same to all, as He has displayed to us.  We are no better than any other, and all deserves God's love, grace, and mercy.  Let our love deepen for one another, by spreading love and the gospel of Jesus Christ to everybody.  

Have a blessed day dear friends...

Crossing The Timeless Bar

Crossing The Timeless Bar

Throughout the journey of life, we've all had to face the ups, downs, good, and bad.  Question is, which of these emotions have we allowed to control our mindset, and the way we look at life.  

Over the years, I have learned that the world will always bring you down, but I have also learned that it can't keep you there.  We were all destined to achieve, and succeed in this lifetime.  Over the years of my life, I had always written poetry, but I never took the time out to pursue it.  It has been embedded deep within my heart to do for a long time, just like my passion to sing.  About 15 years ago I wrote this particular poem, and kept it tucked away in an old journal.  I remember sitting down, and crying as I wrote it.  No one knew about this poem but, me and God.  At the time when I had written it, I was going through several hardships, and was facing a state of depression.  It seemed to last forever.  But, this poem in itself, seemed different than my other pieces of poetry.  The name of it was "Crossing The Timeless Bar."  I didn't know the reason why I wrote this poem at the time.  I just knew the words flowed so perfectly that even my own will couldn't stop the pen.  Nevertheless, the trails of life had beckoned me, and I lost thought of it, and lost thought of pursing my dreams.  Why should I?  The enemy already had me in a pit of depression, where I felt useless, and hopeless to myself, and the world.  He didn't stop there.  Just within a couple of years the enemy tried to take my life on several occasions.  The last time he tried, everyone around me, including myself, thought he had succeed.  But, God said "No!"  "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2 KJV).  God's love, and His light filled me so high that all of what the enemy tried to take from me was restored with one touch.  The doctors didn't even know what to think.  I had been clinically dead.  For whatever reason, my throat had closed shut, and I couldn't breathe.  This is how I woke up the morning after I had come home from receiving a thyroidectomy.  I was petrified.  I knew that if I didn't get oxygen it would be over for me soon.  Lying there unable to breathe was a horrible feeling.  I literally wished myself dead.  I couldn't get any air down to my lungs.  Everything was cut off.  When I tried to breathe in, everything back up at the back of my throat.  I had a mass amount of pressure that was going down in my chest, and filling my head like a balloon.  Death itself beckoned to me, and called my name.  And yet, through it all, the enemy kept screaming in my ear, "You are going to die!!!"  You can't go a long time without oxygen, but my experience felt like it went over 30 minutes.  Everything else from then on went in slow motion.  I remember looking up, and thinking, "God just take me."  My brother ran to me, and I recall hearing these last words, "What's wrong, can you breathe?"  The next thing I knew I was inside of a tunnel floating up to an illumination.  There was total darkness all around me, and I didn't see my body.  The only thing I saw was this remarkable light.  No sunshine, no candle, or no electricity could fathom the wonder I saw.  I remember reaching out with my hands to not even see them.  I immediately felt an enormous amount of love and peace.  I can assure it was nothing like I have ever experienced before.  I thought to myself, it is done, and I'm dead.  I was a piece of metal, and He was the magnet, the magnifying light.  I was just drawn to His brightness, His peace, and His love.  I recall thinking I'm here, and I don't have to worry anymore.  Why should I?  I was with Him, and I didn't want to leave.  He stood by my side filling the empty holes, and all the brokenness within me.  He also filled me with what I needed the most.  His love.  I looked over at Him, and asked Him if I could see my mother.  I lost my mother to a massive stroke in 2005.  The last thing I remember after that was hearing doctors all around me screaming, "Hurry up, we are going to lose her again!!!"  I could feel tears fall from my face, and I remember thinking, "Why!"  It was very blurry, but I could see images of people all around.  Then a man came up to the side of me, and said, "It's going to be okay, and you are going to be fine."  The inside of me was screaming no, no I won't.  I went back out again.  I woke up on a ventilator strapped to my bed.  I also saw that they had my hands and feet tied down.  I was coherent, and felt that machine stuffed down my throat into my lungs.  It was a very painful experience, but God saw me through it all.  I had lost my voice behind the whole matter, and lost all of my dreams to start back singing.  They said the ventilator may have played a role, and damage my voice.  They told me I probably wouldn't get my voice back to even talk, and that they would send me to a vocal cord specialist later.  I cried, and prayed for my voice back.  I would see people at church singing, and I would try, but everything was hoarse.  I remember thinking how I had sung all the time at church, and I felt the greatest joy when I did.  I prayed about it, hoped, and continued to sing with my hoarseness.  All I have to say on that is, "But, God!!!"  I got my voice back, and it was given to me even stronger than before.  "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you."  (Joel 2:25 KJV)  Nothing is ever meant to destroy us, but to strengthen us.  God will turn around what seemed to be bad, and make it good.  I wrote the poem, "My Epiphany", describing the personal experience with God.  Soon after that my dream to write resurfaced into my heart again.  At the time, I was working as a Phlebotomist, and I tried to squeeze in the time to write.  The two didn't work well together.  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Matthew 7:7 KJV). So, I started praying.  I prayed to God that He would grant me the opportunity to be able to write again.  God answered my prayers, and that door I knocked on soon opened.  To make a long story short, I joined a writer's guild, and started presenting my poetry.  "Crossing The Timeless Bar", was one of my first pieces to present.  I felt in my heart to do so.  The feedback was eye opening, and surprising.  What surprised me the most about everything is that I was accused by some, for plagiarizing Alfred Lord Tennyson poem, "Crossing The Bar.?"  I was emailed on the fact that our poems were so much alike, but I didn't take no thought of the notion behind it.  So, I took the beating of being accused of plagiarizing his poem.  I never heard of Alfred Lord Tennyson.  I always read Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, Shel Silverstein, Dr. Suess, Maya Angelou, and several others.  Alfred Lord Tennyson was not one of them.  When you read his poem to my poem, you will see a major resemblance.  I don't fault anyone for thinking in anyway, but sometimes we can be judgmental to each other by lack of understanding, and not knowing the known.  "Crossing The Timeless Bar" is a poem that has been tucked away in my journal for over 15 years, and I refuse to leave it there.  When I look back at all the things I went through, I trust God in this.  I had even changed up the poem up, and was still accused of copying.  Here is Alfred Lord Tennyson "Crossing The Bar."  You can see it here below...

Crossing The Bar

My original version of my poem, "Crossing The Timeless Bar"

Crossing The Timeless Bar

The sunset will fall to an evening star soon

With only one clear call for me

And may there be no nightly moon

For me to go out and see

Such as the morning seems to fall asleep

Can hit you hard like rocks

When that which drew you out of the deep

Has no key to open the locks

Twilight and the ring of a summers bell

Then after it, comes the dark

May there be no letters of farewell 

When the moon comes out and claims the dark

From out of our bound of time and peace

The road just may take me far

I hope to see my maker face to face

When I cross the timeless bar.

Very similar pieces of poetry.  Everyone else thinks the same way.  I have respect for Alfred Lord Tennyson poem.  Enough respect not to copy his work.  I most importantly reverence to God.  I also know He knows and loves each of us deeply.  He can and will rescue us when we are in trouble.  I truly believe that the very One who spoke to me in writing this poem, was also the One who had spoken with Tennyson.  All things are possible with God!  Not some, but all.  "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - E. E. Cummings.  I choose to ride the clouds dear friends.  We should not allow the enemy of fear to kindle the flames of our faith.  God is working out a divine plan in us all.  "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God."  (Mark 11:22 KJV). This is only a mere insert to all what happened.  I've always heard that "Your test will be your testimony, Your mess will be your message, and Your storm will be your story."  Choose now, that you will be the defender, and not the defendant.  The victor, and not the victim!  I am victorious through Jesus Christ!!!  

Have a blessed day dear friends!  

Comfort Zone or Faith...Mountain or Cloud

Comfort Zone or Faith...Mountain or Cloud

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine

We walk everyday in this life with a visual perception of what lies ahead before us.  We can visually see it with our eyes, and our mind reflects what we see.  There are other times we walk with a spiritual perception of what we believe is ahead of us.  We can't visual see it, but we have hope that it is there.  "Now faith is substances of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrew 11:1).  But, do we actually rest on the confides of faith, or do we depend on the comfort of the zone.  Are you currently in a situation, yet your heart desires to do something else?  Do you have dreams, goals or accomplishments you seek to achieve, but your current situation will suffice?  Are you sitting on the mountain, or are you floating on the cloud of unlimited possibilities?  When you are resting on the mountain you feel safe, secure and grounded.  You know you can always rely on a mountain to be a stable foundation for you to fall back on.  It isn't going anywhere, so why is there a need to leave and go elsewhere.  While you are sitting secure on the mountain, you see in front of you, a huge, pretty, fluffy cloud.  You not only see a cloud, but you see potential to do so much more.  You know in your heart that the mountain can only get so high, and then it can't go any further.  But, the cloud, can float here, there, and take you anywhere you want you to go.  You tell yourself, "It looks comfortable, but is it stable?"  You have never road on a cloud before, but you imagine, dream, and hope that it would be a great adventurous ride.  "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9:23).  Now, you have a choice.  Do you remain on the mountain, and allow fear to kindle the flame of your most desired dream, or take a leap of faith on the clouds to see how far up you can go.  From your view it may seem impossible.  "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26).

Face your ultimate fears, trust in God, and walk on the cloud of faith.  You see the cloud ahead,  but you must have faith, and believe that you will get there.  For, it is faith, that pleases God!  Don't ever lose heart, and keep praying to Him.  He never said the road would be easy, but He did say it would be worth it.  

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:  for verily I say to you, If ye have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20).  

In the end, the very mountain you climbed to get where you are now, will be the very mountain to put you where you need to be!  That is how good God is!!!  Thank you Jesus!!!

Have a blessed day dear friends...

     

The More You Find Yourself

The More You Find Yourself

The closer you are to your destiny, the more people will fall off.  Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you or who stays with you.  It maybe hard, but I believe God uses things like losing people to draw you closer to Him, so that you may reach your divine purpose in life.  Building fortitude that will ultimately guide you into solitude.  Solitude being that much needed time alone to listen to God.  Some people you encounter on your journey will help promote you to the next level.  Then, you will encounter those, that are specifically there to try to get you off course.  Thank God for both of them.  He said He will never leave you, nor forsake you.  Believe and live on the promises of God.  Have peace within your hearts, and know that each person plays an important role of seeing you get to where you need to be.  Thank them, and love them for that.  Where there is harmony, there will also be discord.  Don't fret, and don't get upset.  God will allow opposition to come across your path to strengthen, and establish you.  It is never there to hurt you.  Don't expect your garden to blossom and grow if you always had sunshine.  Your crops would eventually burn up without a little rain.  So, don't be disappointed when you notice the people who were there are no longer.  Don't get discouraged about the things that you once had, are now gone.  Allow your hearts to be glad, and keep trusting in God.  You are more closer than you think you are.  Keep pressing on!!!  "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14).  Seek, Trust, & Hope...

Blessing to you dear friends...