Regrouping

Oftentimes we find ourselves with a plate full of things that we lack the capacity to consume. We look at these things and wonder how in the world are we going to get it all done in a logical way without losing ourselves in the process. When life gets like this for me, I simply take a step back and regroup. Sometimes I rake off everything and start over. It all depends on what is on my plate that will determine whether I walk away for a moment or completely disengage.

You might be facing this dilemma right now. You may find yourself in the valley of decision wondering should you carry on or wave the white flag. Take hope. All is not lost. Even if you have to scrub the mission and start over, there are still plenty of things you have learned that will be beneficial to you the next go round.

So, just say that you decide to call it quits and start over. Now, you have the experience under your belt to know what not to do this time. This makes you more empowered, encouraged and ahead of the game. Go ahead and do whatever feels go to your soul. Always follow peace and listen to your heart, it will never lead you wrong. As for me, I'm taking some time to regroup, revamp, re-evaluate things as they currently are. I think I just need to tweak my current plan and things will run much more smoothly. However, I have been here many times before and had no clue what to do. So be encouraged. You will survive this!

Once you see that it's not so bad starting over or regrouping, you won't be afraid of failure moving forward. Truth is, there is no such thing as failure. You either win or you learn, that is all. Believe that you are capable of achieving whatever you put your mind to and you will accomplish it. I believe in you. You can do it! Stay focused and determined and keep your head up! You are a winner no matter what!

Pruning is a Process

Oftentimes in the gardening world, it is necessary to prune a plant in order for it to be more productive. Life is no different. It is necessary for us to prune or cut back some things and relationships in order to be more productive. A few weeks ago during my meditation time, I was given clear instructions to "Prune in June" and I laughed because it sounded so cliche to me. However, it was kind of catchy so I started posting it. To my surprise, others were feeling and sensing the same thing. It is pruning season in many people's lives. 

Those of us who have been in preparation for the next level in our lives must go through a cleansing or breaking away in order to claim the benefits that are about to be presented to us. There are those who we have carried this far that are not ready to go any further on our journey. This could be family, a close friend, a significant other, an employee or employer. Whomever they are, they have to go so we can go!

This can be painful at times and other times it is liberating but it is all necessary. I would like to share with you the steps I have taken to prune in the past. These steps have helped me embrace the changes as they come in my life. I practice them everyday.

First step is PURGING. In the morning, before I get out of bed, the first thing I do is acknowledge God and give thanks for my life. I ask Him to guide me with His Spirit into all truth, removing the things and people that are not here for my highest and greatest good and to use me as a vessel for His glory and honor. I give thanks for being chosen and ask that He will help me to remain humble in the process of elevation. I ask for strength, courage and wisdom to carry out the tasks of the day. I ask to be led to the people that need me on that day. I give thanks again and begin my day.

It is important to remain in the present and be mindful of where we are now. The past is for reference, the future is for hope but now is all we really have. So, I continually remind myself to be present in the moment and guided by my intuition so I will always be in the right place at the right time.

The second step is the PATHWAY. During my meditation and prayer time I ask for guidance and direction. I ask for a clear path. Every mountain brought low, every valley exalted, every crooked place made straight so I will walk on a plain path. It is important to know where you are going. It is also important to understand and know that your path is purposed and predestined for you but it is a choice for you to follow it. 

This brings in the third step which is PLANNING & PREPARATION. Knowing the path is one thing, knowing how and when to go is another. Having a plan, the right plan and being prepared to execute it is vital to success. So again, I ask for direction, clear concise leads to know where to go and when, who to talk to and how. I also ask what do I need to know, what should I learn and where to go to get this information I need to study. Most of the time I am led to a website or a book. Periodically, an individual will cross my path (in the right place at the right time) that will have the tools I need for the next task. I openly receive what I need and give thanks in all things. Once I have my plan and I am prepared, I go and believe that everything that needs to happen will happen in perfect ways under grace. 

Now, here is the kicker....when I am in my place, prepared and ready to do what I am called to do, pruning automatically happens!!!! If I am moving in a forward motion, those things and people who are not going in that direction automatically get left behind. I have literally looked up and people were no longer there. No more calls, messages, likes or comments. NOTHING! At first, I was like...DANG! What did I do? So and so just cut me off but in reality, they just couldn't go where I was going. There are some people in this instance that will see you are moving and they will get off of their blessed assurance and get ready to go with you but for the majority, they will not be able to go. 

However, there have been some I have broken away from for a season and when they were ready, they caught up. Same thing has happened to me. Yep! You read it right. Some people have left me in the wind and I felt some kind of way about it too but I later understood that I was not ready to go with them. This may be where you are today, take courage, things get better if you let them. Submit yourself to God, do what He tells you to do (purge, plan, prepare) and He will exalt you when you are ready! Remember, this is process not punishment and it is all necessary for you to receive what you have been promised. 

I hope something I have said has been encouraging to you. Take time to get closer and more open to the Father, delight yourself in Him and you will have the desires of your heart and He will direct your path and do the pruning for you. 

Kingdom Blessings! 

Face Your Fears

The very thing you find yourself afraid to do is the very thing you should be doing. Fear of the unknown keeps us paralyzed. Fear of failure and rejection keeps us from realizing our dreams and potential. Most of all, fear is a LIE! Oftentimes, the things we are afraid of do not exist. They are things we tell ourselves to keep us from getting outside our comfort zone. I totally understand that doing new things brings about a certain level of anxiousness and excitement but when it gets to the point of stagnation and crippling, it is time to break the grips of fear and move forward. 

For years people have had "to do" or "bucket" lists that they have yet to cross anything out or mark as done. If asked what is holding them back, they will give a myriad of reasons from money to time to not wanting to do it alone. If you listen closely, you will hear between the excuses that they are afraid of something. Does this sound familiar to you? What exactly is it that you are afraid of? Failure? Rejection? Success? It is different for everyone. I was so used to failing that success seemed foreign to me and it literally scared me to see things progressing positively in my life. Things seemed surreal and too good to be true. I had to prepare myself mentally to handle favor and prosperity. If this is something you struggle with, you are not alone. I began to find affirmations that spoke to my future and changed my way of thinking and speaking. I learned to speak positively over my life and expect only good to come my way. As with all change, this is a process and it takes time but it is worth it in the end. 

I have found myself in a state of fear more than a few times. It could have been something really simple or far beyond my realm of comfort but it did not matter, I was afraid. So, what did I do? I'm glad you asked. I did it anyway!!! Once it was done, even if I did not get the result I was hoping or looking for, I was grateful that I had conquered my fears and taken the plunge. This set me up to be prepared for the next big challenge to come. Let's face it, we will always be approaching, going through or coming out of a challenge. Such is life! However, we do not have to be bound by fear and imprisoned in our minds, stuck between the world of what is and what might be. The only way to really find out what something will be is to take the leap of faith and experience it. You will never truly know what can happen until you get up, get out and see for yourself!

I encourage you today to face your fears head on. Remember that you are strong and invincible. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. You only get one life. Get out there and live it despite the fear! 

Kingdom Blessings!

Do You Know Your Purpose

Most people think that purpose is a job, a dream, or a title but that is by no means what purpose is. Purpose is what you are here for, not what you do. The things that you do are an outward expression of your purpose. We are all created to have unbroken fellowship with the Father and to love and fellowship with one another. In other words, everyone on the planet has the same purpose: To know and show love!

Love is our purpose! However, the expressions, ways, or methods may be different or vary from one person to the next but they are all for a common goal if we are of one mind, one body, one spirit, one faith, one baptism, one Lord. I'm not referring to religion or denomination, I'm referring to our direct divine appointed purpose on the earth, relationship and discipleship in the love of Christ.  

We have an obligation as the body of Christ to love everyone as God has loved us and we have fallen short. But thanks be to God that He didn't leave us with falling shorts. He has given us access to boldly come to the throne of grace and not the throne of condemnation or judgment in order to obtain mercy in our time of need. At His feet, we can get in right standings with Him so we can get to fulfilling our God given purpose while we are on the earth.

My question to you is what have you been assigned to do in order to show God's love? Are you a singer, writer, encourager? Do you have a business idea that will help your community and local church to spread the love of God into your city, state, and country? What do you need to do to fulfill your purpose and be all that God has designed and called you to be? If you are not sure and need clarity, visit www.InJoyingYourLife.com

L.O.V.E.

L.O.V.E.

Life's Open Valve to the Eternal

If I were to take a survey and asked one hundred people what their definition of love is, I would probably end up with one hundred different answers. For many years people have acquainted love with intercourse, gifts and surprises, dating, and much more. However, these things have nothing to do with genuine, agape love. The bible says, "No one has greater love (no one has shown stronger affection) than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. John 15:13 (AMP).

 Jesus wasn't talking about date night, spending time, buying gifts, or sex, He was talking about sacrifice. Love is a verb, an operative word that requires action. Love is sacrificing your own will, desires, needs and wants for the sake of others. Love is doing the will of the Father by ministering to the brokenhearted, the poor, the battered and discarded. Love is an outward expression of God working in you to do the works that Jesus did and greater works than He did by winning souls for the Kingdom of God.

 Love or Agape in Greek simply means wide open. In other words you love by having your heart wide open. Being open to the things of God, what He desires to do in, through, and for you is how you love. When God moves upon your heart to share a word, lend a hand, give to someone, be a listening ear or shoulder to cry on and you obey His commands, you are practicing love. When a person hurts you, curses you, or despitefully uses you and you bless them, you are practicing love.

There are many who believe that they are operating in the God kind of love but they have not even begun to scratch the surface. They are doing what they know to do not being led by the spirit of God to do. The difference in the two are the harvest you reap. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek His face not His hand. Those who have been "doing" and not "being" often wonder why they are not receiving the benefits that the word promises. Everything in life is predicated on your love walk according to I Corinthians 13 and Galatians 1:5. If your love actions are superficial and you will only reap what you sow, then you will not get the same benefits as those who are sincerely sowing love.

It's not always an easy thing to walk in love but it is possible. In order for you to be able to achieve this you must stay in the word, meditate, and speak the word only night and day, there really is no other way. If you stay connected to God through His word and unbroken fellowship with Him in prayer, meditation, and assembling yourself together with the Saints, it will become second nature to you as it should and then you will be able to receive from God all the many blessings that He has for you.

Get connected and stay connected. Stay under the spout where the glory comes out. Love is your open valve to receive all the benefits and promises that God has for you, there is no other way!

InJoying Life

Too often people equate joy with happiness and they are two different things. Happiness is essentially the feeling you get when something good is happening or you feel good about something or someone. Joy on the other hand, is there even when you are unhappy. Even in the face of adversities, you can still have joy knowing that this too shall pass. You can be joyful expecting that this tumultuous circumstance will not last always and everything you see is subject to change at any moment.

Now, that also means that the good times don’t last for long either. However, you can maintain your state of joy no matter what is happening on the outside of you. Joy is an inward experience of gratitude and thankfulness in all situations that keeps you at peace. That is, shalom: untroubled and undisturbed well being. Nothing is missing, lacking or broken and you have calmness, comfort and assurance that you will be just fine come what may.

Many people spend countless years and money attempting to find true peace and joy from sources outside themselves. Suffice to say, many of them never find it. Not because it can’t be found but because it cannot be found outside oneself. If you are looking to people and things to satisfy that craving for inner well being, you will be sadly disappointed every time. What you are looking for can only be found when you quiet yourself and listen to the still small voice deep within.

Whether you refer to this voice as God, Creator, Being, Spirit, Allah, your intuition, or if you don’t have a name for it or you may not believe there is a still small voice. What you’re searching for is inside of you and it’s been calling to you to open up your heart and listen. The only way to truly find yourself, know who you are and what you’re here for is to look inside. No one around you can tell you exactly who you are. That is something that is implanted in your core, your very essence and only you have the power to discover and unlock what it is.

The reason I spell the word enjoy with an “i” is to make people aware that joy is something that comes from within. True, everlasting joy that is unspeakable and full of glory is an internal experience with an outward expression. When you have joy, you smile and persevere through what would cause others to break and retreat in fear. Real joy causes you to hold your head up high and laugh in the face of a storm. Joy is not the absence of pain. Joy is the presence of Love in the midst of or in spite of the pain.

If you want to experience the joy that I’m speaking of. Get quiet and listen to the voice that is speaking to your heart. Then follow the instructions it gives you. Step by step, little by little, you will be InJoying life in no time!