No Distractions

People often wonder “why didn’t God help me?” “why didn’t God answer me?” ”Where was God when I needed him?” Often the answer to these questions is that we allowed ourselves to become distracted. 

Some may say, No not me…”I prayed”, “I sought after God”, “I did what I was suppose to do” and nothing changed. Well then I would like to ask the questions what made you stop praying? What made you stop seeking God? What made you stop doing what you were supposed to do? Could it be it was because you saw no results taking place, in other words you were distracted by what was not happening. 

Blessings, faith, and answers are often missed because of distractions. You start out strong and mighty. Your mind is made up that I’m going to wait on God until my change come. But then you realize time is moving on and it seems like nothing still is happening. In fact, it seems like things are getting worse and the small thought “maybe this is not God’s will for me” or “maybe God is not with me” creeps in. 

Once the first distraction takes root, it causes you to take your eyes off of the Lord God Almighty that you are waiting on and instead place your eyes on the situation which seems all so wrong. The more you look at it the more it grows until it now seems bigger than God.

Don’t be fooled, a distraction does not always have to be a problem or a situation that seems to be getting worse. Sometimes it can be a situation that seems all so right. “I know he’s not saved but I believe he really loves me”, “I know this job is going to keep me from church but I’ll now be able to pay all of my bills” or maybe it’s “I know I shouldn’t be hanging around those old friends but I’m tired of being by myself”. These distractions are going to cause you to miss out on the things God has for you and leave you asking yourself why didn’t God help me? God was helping you, but you became distracted before it became manifested.
Let’s look at the book of Matthew the fourteenth chapter. We find the disciples in a ship that was caught in a storm. They see Jesus walking on water towards them. Peter yells out Lord if this is you let me walk on the water and come to you. He receives the answer “come”. Now let’s focus on the 30th verse. But when he (Peter) SAW the wind boisterous, he was afraid: and beginning to sink, he cried, saying Lord save me. The 29th verse tells us that Peter actually walked on the water until he began to look at the boisterous winds and waves. His eyes were taken off of Jesus, he became afraid and then started to sink. Peter became distracted with what was going on around him instead of continuously focusing on Jesus.

It’s only when you truly come to trust God that you will be able to overcome distractions.

I declare...

 There is so much power in the words we speak. God spoke (declared) all things into existence. What we say today creates our tomorrow. If we want a healthy and prosperous future, then we need to use wisdom and speak words that bring positive results. Our future depends on it.

 I declare I am grateful for who God is in my life and for what He has done. I will not take for granted the people, opportunities, and the favor He has blessed me with. I will look at what is right and not what is wrong. I will thank Him for what I have and not complain about what I don't have. I will see each day as a gift from God. My heart will overflow with praise and gratitude for all of his goodness.

 I declare that I will use my words to bless people. I will speak favor and victory over my family, friends, and loved ones. I will help call out their seeds of greatness by telling them "I'm proud of you" " I love you" "You are amazing" "You are talented" "You are beautiful" "You will do great things in life."

 I declare that I have a sound mind filled with good thoughts, not thoughts of defeat. By faith, I am well able. I am anointed. I am equipped. I am empowered. My thoughts are guided by God's word everyday. No obstacle can defeat me because my mind is programmed for victory.

This is my declaration.

Finishing Strong

The desire of most people all over the world is to start well and finish strong.  God has that same desire for you too.  His word says, ”His thoughts towards you are of good and not of evil to give you a hope and a future.”

To different people, starting strong means different things.  An athlete doing a short-distance race begins with a high speed in order to have an edge over other competitors.  Also before a project is embarked upon, lots of information is gathered to assist in making the project a success, so  the project is starting strong.

It isn’t sufficient to just start strong there is also need to finish strong.  I have a few pointers on starting and finishing strong.

1.You will have to trust the Lord with all your heart (Prov. 3:5) and commit your ways/plans (Prov. 16:3) to Him.  These are indications that you trust Him.  It is also a product of your faith in Christ, after all the just shall live by faith (Heb. 10:38A); God who has promised is faithful and He will do it (Heb. 10:23). 

When you visit restaurants you wait to be served after you have placed your order.  You may be hungry but you still endure the wait so as to get your food.  Likewise you are encouraged to wait in things of God (Heb. 10:36).  Endurance is a great virtue.

2. Stay away from fear - If you have faith, then fear can’t have a place in you.  If you allow fear into your heart it will rob you of a sound mind. The Bible reminds you that God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (I Tim. 1:17).  Having a sound mind has a part to play in your finishing strong.  It connotes safe thinking; disciplined thinking. 

3. Study the scriptures - To make a success of your Christian walk you must cultivate a habit of studying the Bible.  There is so much to discover even as you do so.  Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Tim. 1:15). 

The word of God is Spirit and life, and whatever wisdom you need you can find in there.  Whatever challenge you are going through, please note that it’s a wisdom problem.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

4. Prayer is the Mastermind - You will need to pray consistently.  Jesus while teaching His disciples mentioned that men always ought to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1).  Prayer gives you the opportunity to influence your future.  Through it, men have changed situations, saved lives and turned events around. It is the place to ask, seek and find. 

5. God’s Presence – Your consciousness of His Presence is very important.  Moses requested that God’s Presence will go with them or else they would not go (Exod. 33:13-15).  He understood that without His Presence they wouldn’t achieve anything.  Moses was consciously seeking God’s Presence.  His Presence is an indication of finding grace in His sight (Exod. 33:16).  Jacob woke up at Bethel and realized he was in the house of God (Gen. 28:16).  All the while God was there but he did not know it.  Is God around you and you don’t know it? 

6. Diligence in seeking Him – An athlete running a race does so with diligent pace in order to win.  God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).Your due diligence is to seek Him.  Even as you do so, He will reward you. 

7. Seedtime and Harvest - After the flood, Abraham offered a sacrifice of every clean animal.  When God smelled it, He made a covenant with man and pronounced the law of seedtime and harvest (Gen. 8:22).   This law applies to every area of life.  Gal. 6:7-8 warns, “Do not be deceived God is not mocked, whatever a man sows he will reap.”

8. Doing the Needed – Martha complained to Jesus that while she catered her sister – Mary sat down.  The Master’s response was surprising.  He said, “Mary has chosen that which is needed.” (Luke 10:41-42)  The needed is what God expects you to do at a point in time.  Pray for God’s direction to choose the needed. 

9.Your Thought Life - Anything you are in the habit of doing you will become/produce.  The Bible in Prov. 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.”  A man can never go beyond his thought life.  Ask God to renew your mind.

Cain thought evil of his brother – Abel and eventually killed him (Gen. 4:8).    On the contrary David thought of defeating Goliath and with God on his side he got the victory.  The bible advises you to think of those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, if there be any virtue and any praise (Phil. 4:8).  Perhaps you have a bad thought running hay wire within you then you have to put it in check by subjecting it to the word of God.  II Cor. 10:5 admonishes that you cast down every high thing trying to exalt itself against the knowledge of God and bring every thought to captivity of the obedience of Christ. 

10. Heart of Gratitude - is best demonstrated in an atmosphere of appreciation.  During creation, intermittently God looked at what He made and confirmed all was good.  Begin to appreciate what you have by thanking God for it and commending people around you.  In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you (I Thess. 5:18)   Customer Service people are encouraged to smile on the phone while picking a call.  It is believed that their smiles will reflect in their voices.  Like wise your thanksgiving and rejoicing is a heart attitude.  Gratitude is the memory of the heart.

11.Worship – This goes beyond singing; it’s a lifestyle.  We all enjoy going to places where we are loved, appreciated and celebrated.    The Spirit of God enjoys going to such places too.  He rained on the apostles at Pentecost because they waited earnestly to have Him (Acts 2:1-2).  The atmosphere around you must be conducive for the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself.  Doing this is living a life of worship. 

12.Focus & Passion - An athlete with a desire to win focuses on reaching the finish line first.  The athlete will demonstrate so much passion and do everything within the sports rules to win.  During the race everything else takes a second place.  It is said of Jesus that “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Heb. 12:1-2)

Jesus Christ was so passionate about redeeming man.  His focus was on the joy that was set before Him that one day His creation will come to accept Him as Lord and Savior.  Are you passionate about anything?  Involve God in it and it will succeed.  Stop postponing things because postponement is the greatest thief of time. 

Finishing strong is a product of a consistent Christian walk.  Simeon a just and devout Jew began well by trusting God to see the consolation of Israel and he got his heart desire.  He did not see death till he saw Jesus Christ.  He says in Luke 2:29-32, “Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation. 31Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples. 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. 

Simeon finished strong and he can now depart in peace.  It was the end of an era.  I know you also have a desire to finish strong.  You may not have started well but you can have a new start today.  This message addresses where you are at the moment and the future.  In order to achieve any of these, your relationship with God must first be addressed.  Simeon trusted God and handed his life to Him.  You will have to do the same thing.  God loves you very much that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).   

So before finishing strong in whatever you are facing, prepare for the race by getting your relationship with Christ in order and trusting Him throughout the journey. Give your situation to Him and seek wisdom.

Learning to be Alone

I cannot believe that it has been seven months since I last posted anything. There has definitely been some changes in my life. I have moved an hour away from my comfort zone and started a new job. Working back in property management is familiar but the new company is not. All changes have been for the better but a little uncomfortable. Although I have family in this new place, I still feel lonely most of the time. Aside from being single, I am in a season in my life where I just feel alone for some reason. However,  I am starting to realize that I am right where God needs me to be. If I'm not distracted by others I can completely focus on Him. He is calling me to do great things in ministry and just in my life period. The goals and dreams that I have are all about to fall into place and I know now that not everyone that I wanted around me are meant to be around. It is very important that the people you keep around have a purpose that serves a purpose for your purpose. Not saying that people are only meant to give to you but it serves you no good if the people around you are only there to take from you. And not everyone will understand what God has for you because it is not for them. So my lesson that I am trying to master is being ok being alone. If I want the promises of God to come to pass I need to focus on Him. Every time I try to do things my way or try to go after what I think I want, I end up disappointed. Lesson learned.

What day is it again??

Ok so I've been pretty busy this week and haven't had a chance to blog. Work has been hectic, my babies are busy, and I've even started a new business venture ( to be announced soon). Not to mention church and ministry. I have managed to continue with the fast, however, I devoured four (yes 4) tacos during lunch yesterday. It wasn't an accident. I did not temporarily forget about the fast. A coworker offered to buy me lunch and I intentionally ordered two chicken and two carne asada tacos with EVERYTHING on them! I am regretful but I enjoyed them. I vowed to start fresh today and finish this last week strong! The first week was full of peace and clarity from God. This second week I have felt under attack. I've been overwhelmed with work and my kids and have felt somewhat alone. I know these are all lies from the enemy and I had to really spend time with God and get my mind and soul back on track. So I'm doing better. This last week I'm asking for even more clarity and more of his presence. 

Peace

If I am frustrated or upset about a situation in my life, I remember to pause, take a deep breath, and focus on harmony and understanding. My life is smoother when I come from a place of inner peace. As I deepen my daily prayer practice, I am more able to respond in peaceful, loving ways. 

I create a ripple of peace and understanding through my actions and attitude. My peaceful, cooperative, and kind outlook gently influences those around me to be more peaceful, cooperative, and kind.

My shift in consciousness extends beyond my community to my country, continent, and the world. I envision our planet filled with peace, harmony, understanding, cooperation, and kindness

Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace- in peace because they trust in you. -Isaiah 26:3

Day 2 (sort of)

So it's "sort of" day 2 because at church today pastor made it clear that the fast includes no meat at all. So after 6pm when I'm able to eat, I am not to eat meat. If you remember, yesterday I had gumbo! So today I did not have meat in my meal. Today's reading was Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." This really spoke to me. I can get so caught up in my issues and everyday stress. This made me stop and realize that the things of this life are not important. I should be working and serving everyday for God's kingdom because the real reward is in heaven. 

I had to check myself today because I allowed myself to get irritated and I had an attitude. I had to forgive someone again and they don't even know it. I was bothered and had to pray and ask God to forgive me. I needed compassion and asked for God to help me see that person the way he does so that I could love them. I'm really trying to be better all around. I'm still working on some things though.

Day 1

Day 1 of the fast is almost complete. It was a very easy day but the tests started early. I currently reside with my grandparents and my papa made his famous pancakes this morning and my grandmother  is cooking gumbo now. I can have a small bowl of gumbo after 6pm but the aroma has filled the house for a couple of hours now.

The first week of the fast is focused on families. Our scripture for today is 2 Peter 1:5-7 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love."

Today the kids and I were able to stay in for once without a bunch of plans causing us to run around town. It has been very relaxing. We prayed together, read our bibles (we are reading James), we cleaned the house and washed clothes in preparation for our return to work and school on Monday. We will have prayer again tonight. So I would say that we are off to a very good start. God has already spoken by telling me to read James. The first two chapters says a lot in itself. I am learning through this reading to humble myself through trials, to not doubt God, to be slow to speak and quick to listen (major one for me), to be slow to get angry, and that faith without action is dead! To God be the glory!

2016!!!!

Happy New Year!!!! I am so grateful that I made it through another year! No day is promised and to make it another year with my health, my children, my family, my friends and my peace of mind is a blessing! 2015 was pretty rough. However, I learned a lot about myself and I've grown spiritually. I truly believe that this is my season. And honestly I know most people say this is their year every New Years. However, this time last year, I knew it wasn't my year! I knew I was in for a long ride. But I made it! I'm still not where I want to be but I'm closer. And I'm grateful for the lessons learned. I have made the choice to not complain about my circumstances and trust that God is working it all out for my good. This is my season and I'm excited! 

What better way to start the year than with a fast!? My church is doing a 21 day fast starting tomorrow. Now let me be honest, I have never been successful at a fast more than a couple of days. I'm giving this one my all. I need to go deeper in my relationship with God and I'm seeking him for some clear direction. I know that if I totally consecrate myself he will show up in a mighty way and I desperately need him. I will blog about my fast for the next 21 days. It's sort of my way of holding myself accountable. And prayerfully my experience can encourage others. I am doing a regular fast where I will have no food and just water from 6am-6pm. After 6pm I will eat a light meal. My children are fasting from junk food, only drinking water, and no television.  They're actually excited except for the tv part. But through prayer time together and worship, I know God will move in our lives! So here goes.... Day 1 starts in the morning!

PS... I am always very open and honest but some things will be left between myself and God.