Posts

Reacclimate to Regenerate

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I love a good "God-wink" revelatory moment. Last week, it seemed like many revelations were shared pertaining to gardens and plants.  God's creation was speaking loudly, and I am here for it all! We have two potted peace lilies in my home office from my mother-in-love's service two years ago.  (Roses and lilies are my favorite flowers, by the way). After her service, we brought them home and cared for them. The peace lilies continue to thrive and grow in abundance, so much so that repotting them became necessary.  After we repotted them, I noticed that they gradually stopped producing lilies.  I used to care for the peace lily at my old job, and it produced lilies all throughout the year, as long as I kept it watered. So quite naturally, " Did we do something wrong ?" was my first thought. Nevertheless, the greenery continued thriving. We -  well, my husband actually  - continued to care for them (watering the soil, spraying the greenery, placing them in goo

Tithing with Your Time

In your opinion, which one of the following is more valuable: time or money? I would imagine that many people would say that money is more valuable. I mean, money answereth all things, according to Ecclesiastes 10:19, right? Money is often necessary to obtain the things we need and desire. However, in my humble opinion, time is more valuable than money.  Time is the one thing you can't get back . Money is a tool that's obtainable virtually at any time, from working a job to panhandling on the street. Some even make money in their sleep. Some are privileged to wake up to direct deposit notifications on the daily that are complementary to their salary. However, once that second, minute or hour goes by, it's gone. It will not return, and you can't get it back.  Therefore, making good use of the precious time presented to us is of the utmost importance, while we have breath in our bodies.  The principle of tithing is commonly associated with money.  Some give ten percent

This Too Shall Pass

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One of my "happy place" moments is spending time with Jesus in the quiet solitude of the morning.  I anoint myself with my favorite essential oil , and then I sit on the balcony with a hot cup of coffee,  Jesus Calling devotional and YouVersion Bible app. On the morning of July 30, 2024, I had the most amazing morning. Sitting quietly before the LORD gave space for divine downloads and regal revelations.  And it all came from simply basking in the handiwork of our LORD (Psalm 19).  The skies were completely overcast.  The gloomy dark clouds loomed overhead, and the probability of rain was prominent. Sitting on edge, I wondered if I should just stay outside or go back inside to avoid being rained on. I decided to stay outside and see what happens. Gazing at the sky, I noticed how those dark clouds moved slowly toward the east.  Their slow migration ultimately unveiled beautiful blue skies accentuated with white puffy clouds, enhanced by the light of the slowly rising sun.  Mor

Be Intentional

Gifts. Talents. Abilities.  Lovingly and purposely endowed upon us by Father God, our gifts, talents and abilities should all be utilized with pure intentionality.  Despite inevitable obstacles, we have the awesome benefit of asking God to reveal unto us the ways to accomplish the assignment or even how to maximize our gifts. As we work in cooperation with Holy Spirit, we will see our assignment to completion and the fruit of our labor shall be our reward.  Approaching my last three semesters of undergrad, I was divinely laid off from full-time employment. Traveling along the homestretch towards graduating with my bachelor's degree in communications, I enrolled in three classes, all of which were writing intensive courses.  The beginning of the semester was rough; even one of my professors, Mr. Jack Lessenberry, who doubled as my curriculum counselor asked, "You sure you wanna take these classes? Two of them are with  me. "  Let's just say that the weight of my assign

ACCEPTABLE

Imagine this: You are at the home of a dear friend or close relative for dinner.  You've worked all day and had no time for lunch. So, you are really looking forward to breaking bread.  The table is set; you're invited to sit at the table. In eager expectation of a good, delicious meal, you're smiling from ear to ear in anticipation and gratitude.  Then, you look at the plate placed before you. Your smile disappears in .4 nanoseconds.  The dinnerware and flatware are still decorated with the remnants of the previous meal. Your plate lacks presentation, as the food looks as if it was thrown on the plate like slop in a trough. There is a long streak across one edge of the plate that looks like it was licked by "Fido." Although you make a conscious effort to show appreciation for the meal, your stomach churns uncontrollably at the mere thought  of even placing one forkful of that meal in your mouth...much less chewing and swallowing it.  NOW. PICTURE THIS! Imagine ho

THE PLOT TWIST: The Pit, The Prison, and The Palace

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  "God, this is not what I envisioned!" "God, I had no idea this would happen to me!" "Why, God? Why me?!" Isn't it lovely (sarcastic quip) when that colloquial monkey wrench gets thrown smack dab into our plans, ideas and vision?   In the words of Sophia Petrillo from The Golden Girls, "Picture it! Sicily, 1912..." In this case, "Picture it!"  You've had a dream--a vivid, reoccurring dream that's so potent, you can't stop thinking about it.  Every fiber of your being resonates with the significance of this dream, as it aligns with the desires of your heart. To add some delicious icing on the cake, prophetic words went forth, confirming that what you've dreamed and seen in the spirit is true, and that it is God's will for your life.  You're rejoicing and excited about all God is doing and is going to do. You're anticipating, expecting, praising and proclaiming by faith that your vision is indeed coming t

Childlike Faith

  As a new mom, I'm constantly in awe of Little Ali's actions--the new things he's learning daily, watching his little personality develops, hearing his babbling in efforts to communicate with others.  My ten-month-old is growing right before my eyes; it's happening so quickly that I often have to retreat to the thousands of photos of him in his newborn stages just to reflect and remember how small he was.  I am so glad that I followed the advice of many: TAKE PLENTY OF PHOTOS. His looks will change and change fast. They grow up so quickly.  And it is so true.  We can also learn some big lessons from our children. One of the things that keeps me in awe is his interactions with my husband, his dad Big Ali.  When Little Ali sees Big Ali, he cries for him to come get him.  Once he is swept up into Big Ali's arms, he smiles, laughs and wraps his little arms around his neck.    ... in thy presence is  fulness   of   joy ... Psalm 16:11 KJV Now that he's older, he sle