Favor Ain't Fair

Blessed and Highly Favored.  This is something proclaimed by MOST Christians.  Active and non active.  Too Blessed to be stressed, the devil is a lie, God is good...all the time and all the time, well you know the rest.  There are so many words and phrases that were created to be motivational and inspirational, but have just become cliches within the church world.  Maybe that's because the church world has gotten to a place where the world doesn't look that much different.

Be ye separate.  The power contained in these words are not as respected as they should be.  Going to church every Sunday does not constitute as being separate.  Praying before you eat does not constitute as being separate.  Acting grateful, DEFINITELY, doest not constitute as being separate.  Being separate does not necessarily consist of a physical separation.  It consists of a separation of the mind, body, and spirit.  A separation that allows you to connect with God in ALL that you do.  To be in a place to hear from heaven in the midst of the living hell that so many people have tried to create for you.  The day to day torture that is referred to as LIFE by some believers as well as non believers.  To believe or not to believe, that is NOT the question.  The question is...WHY?

Why does God rain on the just as well as the unjust?  Matthew 5:45 states, and I quote, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."  The mere fact that God loves us all unconditionally, is something automatic.  It does not have to be earned or appreciated.  It's not based on whether we believe in Him or not.  Whether we are just or not.  Whether we live righteously or not.  His love is everlasting and one of a kind.  He gives it freely and without remorse or regret.  His love is a form of favor that is shared by EVERY living thing.

God's favor is presented and spread about without warning, without preparation, and in many cases, without cause.  He favors us just because.  He doesn't need a reason.  Mercy and grace is the foundation of favor, the two goes hand in hand.  Mercy is what keeps you, grace is what delivers you.  God will keep you with or without your desire to be kept.  But, deliverance must be desired.  To acknowledge that you need to be delivered is the first step to actually being delivered.  HOW we are delivered is completely up to God.  Just because we don't think that we have been delivered in the way that we EXPECTED to be delivered, does not mean that we were not delivered.  God knows what we need to be delivered from, and He also knows the best kind of deliverance to give us.  There's no rhyme or reason to it, it just is.  This is where His favor seems to be UNFAIR.

Each of us are individuals with individualized needs and desires.  We are given the minute ability to see within ourselves so that WE can have some idea of what we THINK we need.  God has unlimited access to the INNER US, and He can see things that we can not see.  He discloses to us, about ourselves, what He knows we can handle. Everybody is not ready for everything.  That's because of our uniquely different, personalized self's.  Since we are so uniquely different, our Blessings must be tailored to meet our individualized needs.  Blessings are the melting pot of favor.  From the outside looking in, we have a tendency to conclude that some people are favored more than others.  This may be true.  But, if we look at things from a spiritual perspective, we know that there are things that are unknown to us, and we can not possibly see the entire picture.  That's where we must have faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.  Our faith is what helps us to be accepting of whatever God Blesses us with.  It also helps us to rejoice in the Blessings that are received by others.  Most importantly, faith is what gives us the strength to carry on, even in the midst of a storm.  We know that God will bring us through.  We know that He sees our faithfulness.  Most importantly, we know that FAVOR AIN'T FAIR.

carry on

Celebrate getting married, or getting married to celebrate?

Hello Loves.  Life has been at a place that I am not familiar.  I've had so much going on.  Despite it all, despite of myself, God is still good.  He keeps me when I don't have the drive to keep myself.  I can't complain.  I am grateful for the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The year has brought me more disappointments than triumphs, but I count it all joy.  I can't do anything but be positive, that's all I know.  People depend on my positive energy, and my positive direction.  I have to depend on God to give me the words to speak to my friends.  So many people are hurting.  So much pain is being caused by the one's we love.  Relationship issues have become so prominent on the distress list.  Everything that glitters is not gold.  Just because people want you to think that they are happy in their relationship, does not mean that you should be fooled by the fakeness.  When people seem OVERLY happy, they are usually unhappy.  Relationships are hard, they take work.  Marriage will not resolve anything if you are unevenly yoked.

Marriages that are ordained by God, are a gift from God. All marriages are NOT ordained by God.  People get married for the wrong reasons, to the wrong person, everyday.  This is happening in the church, more than the world.  The divorce rate of saved people is much higher than that of people who do not claim to be saved.  Why?  People are getting married to appease the church.  To appease their mate.  Or just to say that they are married.  Marriage is serious.  It was not created so that divorce can be existent.  Nowadays, you can't have one without the other.  Or can you?

When you allow God to lead you to your mate, divorce wouldn't be an option.  It is not acceptable for a woman to propose to a man, according to God.  The proposal is the responsibility of the man and the man alone.  When a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing.  I understand that some are saying, well my wife or fiance didn't propose to me.  That may be so.  But, if she nagged you, kept throwing hints, and suggested to you that the two of you should be married, she may as well have proposed.  If a man proposes to a woman to appease her, this is not acceptable  unto God.  Proposing to make her feel secure is the foundation for an unstable, unhealthy, and failed marriage.  Do it God's way.  If your heart is with someone else, you need to be with that person.  Why spend the rest of your life with someone, knowing that your love for someone else is greater.  KNOW for yourself what direction God is telling you to go. KNOW for yourself what's a distraction.  KNOW for yourself when YOU are required to step up to the plate and claim the one that God desires you to be with.  That was for the men.  The rules are a little different for women.

Ladies, even though we are living in a time where our society is pushing equal rights and male/female equality, the word has not changed.  It will not return void.  It will do just what it was set out to do.  Allow God to send you your husband.  Throwing hints to your man is just a subtle way of asking him to marry you.  If he wants to marry you, he will tell you.  His proposal should be confirmation of what God has already told you.  Well, that is if you are connected to God the way you should be.  Proposing to a man is not God's way.  Nagging a man into marriage is not God's way.  Questioning a man about his past until he proposes to you, just to appease you, is not God's way.  Let a man be a man.  He doesn't need any help in that area.  Your marriage will be prosperous for it.  Your marriage will have peace because of it.  It doesn't matter how good a man may seem, if he is not following Christ, he is not a man that you should desire to marry.

Man is the head of HIS house.  God is the head of man.  This is written.  If this is not the hierarchy of what's evident in your man, wait on the Lord.  For the men, if she is not a true, undeniable follower of Christ, and you are, how can you possibly expect her to follow you?  Church on Sunday, cussing like a sailor on Monday.  Love you and your children to your face, but despise your children behind your back.  Never has time or a dime to help you when you are down, but the first one with her hand out when God Blesses you with overflow.  KNOW what you are getting into BEFORE the nuptials.  God will give you insight and discernment when it comes to these things.  He will not leave you to make decisions alone.  The hardest decisions are the easiest one's to mess up.

When you decide to spend the rest of your life with someone, you should have already decided to allow Christ to lead you.  The decision is made even before the proposal.  The decision is made even before the proposal is accepted.  When a man proposes to a woman, he should be ready to marry her even before he proposes.  When a woman accepts a proposal, she should be ready to get married even before she accepts the proposal.  The devil tries to be in the details of anything holy.  Know that he is standing there watching you whenever you try to do what's right and good.  Knowing is half the battle.  If you know that God will never leave you or forsake you, then you have to be willing to recognize that sometimes cold feet is not cold feet.  It can be God tugging at you telling you not to do what you are about to do.  Saying I do is the easiest thing in the world.  STAYING I do is where the challenge lies.  The devil can give a false sense of security and love to distract us from what God desires us to have.  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.  Some reservations are red flags.  Some red flags are stop signs.  God will make every attempt to stop you from making the same mistake TWICE.  You have to be at a Spiritual place to know that it's Him.  Get to that Spiritual place and stay there.  If God didn't tell you to marry this person, then why are you?  When God is in it, you can celebrate getting married.  When God is not in it, you will get married just to celebrate.

Be Careful For...NOTHING

Hello Loves!  I know, I haven’t blogged in awhile.  Focus has not come easy to me this year.  There has been so many things rising up, and my Spiritual energy has been drained.  Despite my strengths, despite my gifts, even the strong needs to feed and glean.  I was at a point where I had nothing to give anyone.  I was too busy fighting to maintain my own faith in the midst of my many attacks.  It’s not by chance that our battles are ENORMOUS this year, at the start of year. 

This is 2014, haven’t you noticed?  Take the time to add the digits, they will add up to be 7.  There is Biblical significance in the number 7.  The number 7 is God’s number of completion.  This year will be the year that so many of us will receive what we have been praying and waiting for.  This will not come without a battle.  In battle, out of battle, before battle, and after battle, it is imperative that we remember that the battle was already won before we were even thought of.  The fear factor, the intimidation factor, and the idea of being rejected while standing firm on our beliefs, has caused so many of us to be hesitant in our words and actions.  We are the good, we are the one’s that should be able to make a difference.  We are not the enemy, nor are we a part of his militia. 

While so much of the world has been consumed with evildoers, spirits, the whole nine yards, the believers, I mean the TRUE believers, have got to be consumed with God’s work.  God’s will.  Sometimes it seems as though the righteous are the minority, and the self-righteous and the un-righteous are the majority.  We have gotten to a place where we fret over the things that are evident, and we fear the things that are not so evident.  Why are we worrying about things that are out of our control?  Why are we afraid to deal with the things that are in our control?  Has the people of God gotten to a place where we have been silenced because of the backlash that we will suffer for God’s namesake?  What’s happening different from what we SHOULD have expected when we decided to walk this walk?          

Were we brainwashed into thinking that things would be easier when we become followers of Christ?  Our vision has been tainted by the prosperity preachers that are teaching us, well some of us, that everything will be peaches and cream once we join the army of the Lord.  I’m here to serve notice that the closer you get to Christ, the greater the attacks will be.  The more Spiritual you become, the harder the natural man will fight!  The main focus of ALL living things is to survive.  When that survival is threatened, any and all organisms when fight to stay alive by any means necessary.  Our curiosities have made us weak.  Our love for others has made us gullible.  Our compromised faith has put us in a place where we may fall prey to the enemies at hand. 

There's a difference between being paranoid, being cautious, and being careful.  Paranoia is associated with a lack of trust.  Caution is fueled by fear.  The word says, "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).  Simply put, it means to have no distressing anxiety about anything.  God has already made a covenant with us.  As long as we follow the “IF”, God will surely follow the “THEN”.  He is not a man that he should lie.  His word will not return void, it will do what it was set out to do.  WE must be mindful of this and draw strength just from KNOWING this.  While we’re in battle, while we’re going through, while we’re praying for clarity, we MUST continue to Praise.  Deliverance is in your Praise.  Confuse the enemy, Praise Him in advance.  Be careful for nothing.  Remember that God’s got it.  It’s already done.   carry on

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

Choices...

Hello Loves!  Needless to say, my focus has not been where it used to be.  Since my last blog, I have had so many things going on in my life.  Some things were a distraction, others were a reaction.  None the less, I have been overwhelmed.  I may have been focused on things that served no purpose.  I may have been focused on things that were not designed to strengthen me.  All and all, I was focused on something.  Ultimately, my focus has changed.  I am still striving for clarity and confirmation.  Clarity has come, in some instances.  But, in others,  I am just as cloudy as I was a month ago.  I find comfort in knowing that God is not a God of confusion.  So, my lack of clarity is not of Him.  It is of ME.  I will not give the devil credit for anything.  

Everything is not of the devil.  I will take responsibility for my own thoughts, my own actions, and my own lack of following God's lead.  Even though I may not understand where God is leading me, or why He is leading me in the direction I am going.  I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that His lead is the only one that will guide me to victory.  He will show me the way, and ensure that my path is well lit.  The shadows that come to bring darkness and gloom will be non existent.  The straight and narrow is where I desire to be.  Challenges, many challenges, are evident and designed to tempt me to stray.  

Straying is not always a bad thing, but straying too far can be catastrophic. In the midst of all of my madness, I have not, and will not meet my demise.  Despite my brief moments of misguided movements, I remind myself that I am the ruler of my own destiny.  No one else's.  The destiny that I choose, is the one that God has planned out for me.  

His plan is perfect.  I have no complaints.  It is not by my own understanding.  I had to bring myself back to the place where I FIRST believed.   That moment when the Spirt of God gave me a joy that nothing can compare to.  I received it then, and I receive it now!  I had to find the power to invoke something that had faded, but was never lost.  When I finally connected with that magnificent joy, my storms were calmed.  My storms dissipated.  My Spiritual empowerment was again MY  rock!  

I still can't identify exactly what happened that caused my Spirt to be weakened, but I am stronger because of it.  At no point should we allow the cares of this world to put us in a place of forgetfulness.  Remembering to be grateful for what God has done, what He's doing, and what He's going to do, is thought provoking enough to deter any and all attacks we are experiencing.  It needs to be said, most of our attacks are self inflicted.  

Most of what we go through is caused by our own choices.  Our own decisions.  Not mistakes, choices.  We choose to do what we do.  Especially when we are totally aware of the potential consequences.  We appease ourselves by calling what we do "mistakes."  Mistakes are only evident when we are not aware of the potential consequences.  When we KNOW what can happen because of our actions, or lack there of, then we are making a choice.  Choose wisely.  

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.                                                

                                                                                                                  - Joshua 24:15

carry on