Your Life As A Reality Show

Looking in the mirror this afternoon, as I was doing my hair, I had a thought that I was given to share with each of you. If your life was a reality show, would God be pleased if He was watching it? Would He smile and feel proud and call the angels over to come watch it with Him or would He be so embarrassed at what He saw that He'd want to turn the channel? I know that as a parent, I find myself quite uncomfortable when my son and I are sitting in the living room, watching a movie when romantic scenes come up or when those commercials come on that are advertising medications that claim to help eliminate ED (erectile dysfunction). I want to quickly turn the channel so that he isn't absorbing any of the nonsense that today's media has to offer. I wonder...would God want to avoid watching my life, moment by moment, as a means to not corrupt His mind or the mind of His most highly regarded and loved servants. I should hope not. I pray that everything that I do is pleasing to Him, although I know that as a human, I'm far from perfect and fall short daily. I pray the same for you....I hope that even if we do fall short on a regular basis, that we are still striving to live the most watched and "highest rated" reality show on God's tv. I pray that in everything we do, we remember that God is watching...and that we take a moment before we chose which direction to go, to first think about which decision would be pleasing to Him, and then actually do what's right.

Here's something to reflect on. Take your time reading it, to ensure that you are getting the full understanding of what it says.

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Peter 3:8-17 NIV

Be blessed! Continue to trust GOD and relax....watch HIM work....

Reflecting on 2008

Wow....I haven't blogged in quite a while but it feels really good to be back. So many things have happened in this past year, both wonderful and tragic. Personally, I have gone from being a single mother with only male friends to now a single mother who is engaged and looking forward to spending the rest of my life with the most wonderful man I know. I tell you...if you stop looking and worrying, and only seek God, He will truly lay everything right in front of you. There's no need to search for human love because that love will almost always hurt you in some way. God's love is the only true and steadfast love that will never fail and as soon as you focus on Him and live according to His will, everything else will fall into place.

2008 has brought us a new President and a new hope that the future of the United States will again be bright and that the US will be brought back from the depths of debt and negativity to both prosperity and positivity. The American people have spoken and have chosen the man who will lead us and God has made it possible for us to have that opportunity to even have our say in the matter. I'm thankful for that.

Please continue to pray for those who are suffering from losses in their families...Jennifer Hudson and family, Macaulay Culkin and family, and the families of Bernie Mac, Heath Ledger, Robert Prosky, to name a few.

Blessings

Living Single

Wow! Who would have thought that at 27 years old, I would still be a single woman. Growing up, I always thought I would get married around 21 or 22. Knowing what I know now, I am so glad that I didn't get married at that time. The last thing I want is to enter into a marriage that would end prematurely. I know who I am now, but I know that when I was 21 and 22, I had no idea. And if I didn't know who I was, and hadn't experienced all that I have, there is no way that I would have been able to commit my life to someone else. Back then, I probably didn't love myself the way I do now....and loving yourself is always the first step, before you can love anyone else. My love of God and my relationship has grown so much in just the past year, its ridiculous. But I am thankful for that and everything that has happened that has propelled me to this point. Truly knowing the love of God and loving myself, after all these years, I am ready to love my husband....whomever he may be. But don't get it twisted....I'm in no rush. :) God is still preparing me. I am still a work in progress. I welcome the changes. As a single person, its the ideal time for me to continue the work of God. Once I'm married, that won't change, but it will add another person that I will have to focus on. Right now, its just me, God, and my son. As long as its that way, I am happy....But I know when I am blessed to have my husband find me, I will be happy too. I'm sure there is no way to describe the feeling of being in a life-long commitment with someone that you not only love, but with someone who loves you conditionally as well.

Be blessed and continue to grow in Christ. Find yourself through HIM. Live your life according to HIM and what it is that He has for you to do. Don't worry about your future or anything else. As long as you walk with Christ, everything else will fall right into place. (If you can't tell, I am telling myself this, as I tell you.) As with everything else, it may not happen when you want it to, but it will happen in God's time. Be patient. Trust God. Watch Him work.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day, April 4, 1968, we lost a great man. This is the date in which Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. I found out this week that there are so many more things about Dr. King that I never knew. I know that day alone, I had no idea that things went the way that they did. Its interesting what we learn in schools and what we don't. But its also interesting that with people in history, we seldom think of them as real people. Rather than a human being, they are put on a pedestal and seen as a hero...which of course, he was and still is, but because we do this, sometimes we don't see past the outer shell of the person. Yes we know that Dr. King was a great speaker. He was a father, a husband, and a preacher. After watching Tavis Smiley on Tuesday, I got a glimpse into Martin the man....the friend.

Rev. Samuel Kyles was one of the guests on Tavis' show. He is one of the two people who were with Dr. King, just before he was killed. He is the only one of the three of them who is still living. Openly, he shared with Tavis and the world that he believes he remains as the sole witness of that experience to continue to tell the story of what really happened that day. He is able to shed light on what actual events occurred....not just outside of the hotel room, on the balcony where King died, but also what went on the hour before, behind clothes doors. Now, I can look at Dr. King as the human being that he always was and I hope that after this, you will look at him in the same way. He was more than just a civil rights activist who preached equal rights and nonviolence. Turns out that he was actually a very funny guy who often shared jokes with his friends.

The Sanitation Workers sent for Dr. King to come to Memphis because they were striking at the time, hoping to be recognized as a union. He came, although his people initially turned them down,saying that he was too busy to come. He was asked to lead a march, and when violence broke out, he was hurt by it. But being the man that he is, he wanted to have another march, which he also led. On April 4th, Rev. Kyles went to the hotel where Dr. King was staying, at 5pm to pick him up and take him to dinner. The women of the church prepared a dinner of the delicious "soul foods" that he actually hoped he'd be having. At 5pm, Rev. Kyles went to pick him up, but he was in no hurry to leave because he knew dinner didn't actually start until 6pm. From 5 to 6pm, the three ministers, Rev. Abernathy, Rev. Kyles, and Dr. King sat in the hotel room having "preacher talk". They shared a few stories and a few laughs and just hung out, just like three friends would. As they were preparing to go, Dr. King was standing on the balcony, leaning over the rail. He shouted down to Jesse Jackson who he spotted down in the courtyard, joking with him about how he didn't have on a tie although they were supposed to be going to dinner. Rev. Jackson said all he needed as his appetite. :) As Dr. King stood on the balcony, he realized that he didn't have his coat so he yelled into the hotel room for someone to bring it out when he came out. Rev. Kyles tried to rally the troops because it was getting late and they had a rally to go to after dinner, then he walked away. Five steps later, he heard the shot. When he turned around, Dr. King had fallen back onto the floor from the railing where he had once stood, joking with his friend. That evening, the man, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, but his kindhearted and gentle spirit will live on forever. Never forget....

If you get a chance, check out the transcript from Tavis Smiley's show. The link is below. No one can tell the story like the man who was actually there. :)

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200804/20080401_kyles.html

God bless you!

Third graders in a murder plot?

Waycross, GA A group of third graders plotted to kill their teacher after she chastised one of the children for standing in a chair. Each child had a particular role in the plot, such as watching the door, tying up the teacher, and cleaning up after the murder had been carried out. Third graders...children ranging from the age of 8 to the age of 10.

I am saddened with the thought of children having the idea to even attempt to kill their teacher. Why is it that after one child being disciplined, the group decided they would take part in such a heinous act? Perhaps a better question would be, why did those children decide to take revenge rather than taking correction. I realize we are in a world where our children are often babysat by the television and sometimes as parents, we fail to censor movies of certain ratings from our children, but something has got to give. It is imperative that we are mindful of what our children are watching on TV and what types of behavior they are around. We can no longer be complacent or naive and think that they aren't paying attention or that they really don't understand what they see. They do. Children these days are much smarter than we sometimes give them credit for and are more aware than many of us were at their age. They are the technological generation. We can't take that for granted.

Keep praying for our children, their teachers, and their parents. There are so many crazy things going on in schools these days that prayer is absolutly necessary for survival. Prayer changes people and prayer changes things. Watch God work.

Be blessed

Father drowned his children

I will never understand how an adult could kill a child, let alone how a parent kill their own child. In this case there was a father in Baltimore, Maryland who had his three children visiting with him (2, 4, & 6 years old). He drowned them one by one in the bathtub in his hotel room some time on Saturday. On Sunday he called the front desk to tell them what he had done and that he had intended on committing suicide. Their mother was expecting them to be back at home on Saturday around 8 pm. I can only imagine how she felt after hearing what their father had done to them. I hope that she doesn't blame herself for letting them go. Let's pray for both parents, along with the rest of the family and everyone else who my have any connection to the family. Senseless acts are rarely understood.....but then again, I guess they aren't for us to understand.

God bless

Clinton rejects calls to quit Democratic race (cnn.com)

Apparently supporters of Obama have made the call to Sen. Clinton that she should go ahead and thrown in the towel on the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. She wouldn't be Sen. Clinton if she didn't reject those calls. Do people really think that after all that they have both been through, all the hard work, sweat, tears,...and speeches that either of them would just give up before the official time came to do so? Its unfortunate that the race has turned negative the way it has, especially with the fact that the issues that Clinton and Obama are bring up about each other could possibly fuel a fire lit by the Republicans in November....not to mention lessen the amount of Democratic voters who would have under usual circumstances turned out to vote. At any rate, it looks like Sen. Clinton is in there for the long haul. She very well may not have won the most primaries, and she may not even stand a chance against Sen. Obama, but I applaud her determination to see it through to the end.

Everything happens for a reason. Pray that God will lead our government and that He will put those people in office who have out best interest and the interest of our country at heart. His hand is already on the situation. He is already doing things that so many of us can't see. As with everything, let me suggest that we just trust God...watch Him work...

Be blessed

Single parenting

My son is now 10 years old, he has only seen his father maybe three times....his father is now 29 years old. Not playing a present role may have been understandable and somewhat acceptable when he was 17 or 18, but now that he is knocking on 30, its getting somewhat rediculous to me. It seems that he is showing an interest in having an active role, but its likely that its all in my mind. My baby's first soccer game of the spring season was today and although I called his father (who hasn't been to any of his sporting events his entire life) earlier in the week to invite him, he still didn't show up. I am not surpised nor unhappy that he didn't show. I didn't tell my son that I spoke to him or that he might come, so there is no disappointment that he has to suffer. He doesn't know anything else anyway. Its not like he expected his dad to be there or that he planned to look over to the sideline and see him standing there cheering. He has grown accustomed to only seeing me, his mom (and his dad for the most part), standing there cheering him on....instructing him...encouraging him. So why is it that I am even talking about this? Maybe I am the disappointed one. Maybe after making another step to reach out to him and offer an opportunity for him to step up, and him not taking that step, I am in a way "let down". I guess I was thinking things would be different. I'm not sure why I expected as much as I did from someone who hasn't proven himself to be worthy of any parental expectations. We have lived in the same city for 10 years, probably less than 5 miles away, yet we never see or hear from him. Fortunately, my son has stopped asking where he is and why he isn't a part of his life, but I can't help but assume that he still wonders those things privately. He has to....

Anyway, for those single parents out there who may be going through the same thing, I want to encourage you today to continue to be strong and continue to be the best parent YOU can be. God didn't intend for us to be two people, but He did equip us to be the parents He called us to be. Everything we need is already within us. Pray for your co-parent, that he/she be the parent that God intended for them to be. Just know that it will happen in God's time, not yours, and not mine. Ask God to help you to be the best parent possible and then leave it to Him to handle the struggles for you. Keep in mind that all things happen so that God can get the glory. It may seem far off or nearly impossible for that absent parent to play an active role, but image how it will feel the day that he/she finally comes around. When whatever stronghold has been holding them back is finally been broken, it will be obvious that it was nothing but God that made the change and made the change possible. Here's another important thing, please try not to insult your co-parent in front of the children. Its not our place to judge them and its never a good thing to speak negatively about them to the children. If anything, allow the kids to form their own opinion. Offer positive feedback and objective thinking as much as possible. God will take care of everything. He will take care of you and he will take care of what needs to be done in your co-parent's life. Let go and let God. All you need to do is sit back and watch God work.......

Blessings....

Step by step

Recently I left my career to pursue my destiny as an entrepreneur. Wow...what a change it has been. Everyday, I enjoy my new opportunity to live outside of the box, free of the daily 9 to 5 structure of the corporate world. In my case it was 7:30 am - 4 pm. The same thing every day...the same people every day. I remember sitting at my desk thinking about the fact that we were all breathing the same stale air. That's how bored I was. I have fallen in love with the beauty God blesses us with everyday. Its been there all along, yet I don't think I truly noticed it enough to appreciate is for what it is until now. I'm talking about nature...the sky, the trees, the sound of the ocean, even the grass. And step by step, as I admire God in nature, my relationship with Him continues to deepen. My love for Him continues to grow. I am becoming more and more aware of what it is He has for me to do. Leaving behind a career, along with the benefits and salary that it offered to step into the "unknown" has been an interesting experience. Some people thought I was crazy, and I'm sure some still do. There was a time that I thought I was too! :) But, I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is what God wants me to do. I stepped out on faith and I couldn't be happier with just the fact that I am trusting God to do what He said He will do. Step by step I am getting stronger, as the tough times come...step by step I am trusting God even more as He continues to provide when I am struggling financially. Step by step, moment by moment, I am watching God work in my life. I am proud to be a living breathing miracle.....living my testimony as we speak....