Choose your Father...CONSCIOUSLY

Hello Loves!  Let me be the first to say, I have been slipping when it comes to blogging.  It's not that I haven't thought about it.  It's not that I have nothing to say.  It's definitely not that God has stopped speaking to me.  It's just because, I honestly thought no one was reading my blog.  So, why even blog?  Well, I have been contacted by several someone's, curious as to why I stopped blogging.  I think I need to get back to doing what I enjoy so much.  Touching someone's life in a positive way.  My mind has been going a million miles a minute, as usual.  It was a little difficult trying to decide what to blog about.  Family structure and our ability to choose our family members, is a topic that most people never think about.  Here's my take on family.  Specifically, Father's.

Life is a beautiful thing.  Life is something that so many people take for granted.  Even the one's who claim to appreciate life, are not making a sincere effort to LIVE.  God decides who is born, who their parent's are, who their siblings are, and who their family is.  For the most part, our blood line is set in stone.  There's not a lot we can do about that.  So we think.

Naturally, we are born into sin.  We are all created by the same process, and enter the world the same way.  We know that it takes a woman and a MAN to conceive a child.  We have no idea when we are being conceived or who the two people are that will contribute to our conception.  Yes, our parent's are just contributors, God is the creator.  As children, we behave as children.  Most, not all of our decisions, are based on what we are taught, and what our parent's allow us to do.  We never consider the fact that someday we will have to make a choice.  We will have to choose who our eternal father will be.

Regardless to what, God is our Father.  Whether we acknowledge Him or not.  But, the way we live our lives dictate who WE believe to be our father.  The life we lead, the decisions we make, good or bad, are a reflection of our father.  Children are representatives of their parent's.  Adults are representatives of themselves and their Father.  One God, one Father.  Yes, in a perfect world, this is true.  But, considering that we live an imperfect existence, there must be an opposite of perfection.  That imperfection is the Devil. 

When we choose to serve God, we openly accept Him as our Father.  But, when we choose otherwise, then that choice becomes our father.  We can not openly choose our natural parents.  But, God has given us the right to choose our Spiritual father.  We can't just speak, and acknowledge the fact the we have chosen God as our Father.  We must live according to our own words.  We must live according to God's words.  When we do ANYTHING less, we are glorifying that which should not be glorified.  We are choosing that which should not be a choice.  So many people claim to be a follower of Christ.  So many people claim God as their Father.  But, the way we treat other's, the way we treat ourselves, the way we treat our children, our total lack of respect for God, all of these things are indicators that we do not truly choose God as our Spiritual Father.  Of all the choices we can make in life, there is just ONE choice that should be automatic.  This choice should never be argued.  But, we live in a world where people are looking for something, anything, to discredit God.

Give credit where credit is due.  A theory is a theory, we all know this.  But, theories are meant to be disproved.  Considering that we are not in a place to PROVE God's power, we're also not in a place to DISPROVE God's power.  It is our responsibility to KNOW God for ourselves.  It is our duty to live a life that compliments what our Father has taught us.  Our individual walk can give the world some personalized insight as to the power of God.  Every choice that we are presented with should not be a choice.  There's no comparison.  Choosing God as our Father should not consist of a thought process.  There's nothing to think about.  But, we do need to think about our words, our actions, and most importantly, our thoughts.  This is proof as to who we choose as our Father.

There should be no doubt in the minds of anyone who interacts with us as to who our Father is.  Our  loyalty should be obvious, and not able to be challenged.  No one should wonder who we are, whose we are, what we are, or who we choose to serve.  Our lives should be evidence of our undying choice.  Bringing ourselves under subjection is an individual check and balance that we should frequently practice.  We should look at ourselves, our lives, several times a day.  I am who I am, I choose God as my Father.  My desire is that people can CLEARLY see Him in me, each and every day.   Anything else will require clarity.  I love you.    carry on

^{Joshua 24:15}

¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Through the Eyes of A...STRANGER

Hello Loves!  My transitions have been phenomenal, but tiring.  This entire year has been a year of clarification, revelation, and manifestation.  My faith is great, I feel Spiritually empowered!  But, in the midst of all of the wonderful things that God has shown ME, I have come to the recollection that people do not KNOW me.

It's an eye opening experience when the people that you thought knew you, really don't KNOW you.  To know me is to know God.  He is my everything.  Your specific prayers to Him will reveal everything you need to know about me.  Key word, "NEED".  It is not necessary for everyone to know everything about you.  When you look at me, what do you see?

Beneath all of the polish, class, and beauty, there is an inner me.  The inner me is the most important part of me.  It defines who I am, and it proves that I am who I say I am!  Not that I live for the approval or acceptance of others.  But, I LIVE for the approval and acceptance of others.  The reason being is this.  God made me who I am for a reason.   He has given me the mind, and put me in a place of leadership.  The fact that I claim to be His, I must live as if I am His.  The Jesus in me, is what I want others to see.  But, it's kind of hard to see that, relate to that, or accept that, if you are not a true believer.  If you do not have a personal relationship with Christ, there is no possible way that you can have the Spiritual eye that it takes to see "ME".

"ME", yes "ME", who am I?  What do others see?  I had to put myself in a place of a strange and unknown person.  I had to look at myself as if I had not been with myself my entire life.  I had to view myself as a person that has never been introduced to Christ.  That was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  From my perspective, I was successful in this endeavor.  As I looked at myself through the eyes of a stranger, I noticed some things that did not set me apart from others.

My greatest desire is to be what God desires me to be.  To be this, I need to be set apart from others.  To sum it up.  I must seem strange and peculiar to the believers and to the non believers.  The fact that I had become very impatient with people, and God, did not set me apart from others.  I love people because I love people, so I thought.  The fact that I would pick and choose who to openly love, did not set me apart from others.  Most importantly, my moments of boredom, anxiety, anger, agitation, lust, irritation, and above all, my moments of feeling unfulfilled!  These things made me look just like everyone else.  Through the eyes of a stranger, this can make me seem unapproachable, unhappy, selfish, self absorbed.  All of these perceptions are perceptions that are not of God.  I need to be seen as a Woman of God.  I need to be seen as strange and peculiar.  I need to be seen as LOVE!  Love is the greatest gift of all.  If these things can not be seen through the eyes of a stranger, then I have defeated myself.

Self defeat is not an option.  God has already made provisions so that we can be undefeated.  We, yes WE, put ourselves in a place of self destruction!  If we have gotten to the point that we no longer find it necessary to look at ourselves through the eyes of a stranger, we need to accept the fact the we have sabotaged our own salvation.  The devil doesn't have to do anything.  We are unintentionally tearing down the Kingdom of Heaven.  We are supposed to be Kingdom Builders.  We are not perfect.  We are in the flawed flesh.  Knowing God, having a personal relationship with Him, and being Spiritually empowered does not make us perfect.  It makes us perfect for GROWTH.

Go with God.  Grow with God.  Never forget where you came from.  Never forget who you used to be.  Never forget that when much is known, much is required.  Never forget to look at your OWN self, through the eyes of a stranger.  I love you!    carry on

A Man's Love

Hello Loves!  It's been too long, much too long since I have blogged.  The direction of my life has changed, abruptly.  I honestly think I went into Spiritual shock there for awhile.  I am coming back into my own, and the blurriness in my vision is clearing up.  Today, this morning to be exact, began as a day of clarity and reminiscing.  I feel Blessed for that.  My life is not my own, I know this, but sometimes I can remember times when I felt like I OWNED my life.  In my remembering, I often think of my Daddy.  He is the most AWESOME man I have ever known.

My Daddy was a very hard working man, he is retired now. His family was a priority, and his God was an even greater priority.  If my Daddy wasn't at work, he was at church.  My Mommy would take advantage of every opportunity available for us to spend time with him.  Quality time.  One of my fondest memories of these moments, was my Daddy's lunch breaks at his job.

My Daddy retired from Pepsi Cola, he worked there for over 30 years.  My Mommy used to regularly take us to his job to have lunch with him.  I used to be so anxious to see my Daddy.  To this day, my Daddy's favorite meal is breakfast, and I still get excited when I see him.  My Mommy would make breakfast for my Daddy's lunch.  She would cook pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs for our picnic brunch.  My Daddy's face would light up when he saw us.  That was the greatest feeling in the world.  After lunch, he would take me into the plant.  The bottling plant had these monstrous machines that were just loud and scary to me.  I hated walking past them, but being with my Daddy made me feel safe.  He would take me to the cooler where the pop was.  In that day, employees were allowed to have as much free pop as they wanted.  Needless to say, people abused that privilege, but my Daddy didn't.  He would remind me, "Tanny, you can only have one pop, we won't be greedy, this is a Blessing."  He would proceed to dig in the cooler, all the way to the bottom, to find the coldest can of Pepsi he could.  Just for me.  Sometimes, he would pull the pop out, touch it with his other hand, and put it back in the cooler because it wasn't cold enough.  That made me feel special, very special.  It made me understand how big the smallest things are.  Throughout my life, I learned to appreciate the smallest things.  I embrace life on a level unlike most, because of this appreciation.

In my appreciation of everything my Daddy has taught me, I have to say, I know he is ready to pass the torch.  He is longing for the day when the man that God has for me, steps up and claims me...and my sister.  I am very picky when it comes to my husband, and he knows this.  He once said to me, "I blame myself for you and your sisters standards being so high, you want someone just like your Daddy."  I assured him that we do not blame him, we thank him.  Because of my Daddy, I KNOW what a good man is, and have that same requirement for my husband.  The whole point of everything I've mentioned is to say this.  I desire a man that will dig into the bottom of the cooler to get me the coldest pop he can find.  If all you have to give me is a pop, give me the best pop you have to give.  My requirements are not big, but my expectations are great.  I expect my future husband to love me with a father's love, protect me with the love of a warrior, and guide me with the Spirituality of God.  The right man's love will complete me.  I was created for HIM!  That was the sole purpose as to why God gave birth to woman.

As a woman, an unclaimed woman, I feel my loneliest when I am in a room filled with people.  I have people in my life who love me, unconditionally.  I have people in my life who would do anything for me.  For this, I am ever so grateful.  But, until the day I am able to find comfort in a man's love, my man's love, my husband's love, my feeling of emptiness will remain.  That's not a bad thing, it just is.  I am ready to accept and receive whatever God desires for me.  He only desires that I have that best.  I will not settle for anything less.  Settling is not an option for me, and should not be an option for you.

carry on