10 Things 2014 Taught Me

 

Ten Things 2014 Taught Me

 

 

1. The necessity of having meaningful relationships

2. You can only fly if you jump
3. The value of me time
4. Peg Legs Do Look Good in Knee High Boots
5. Kids do grow up

6. Be vulnerable

7. Life is not always about you

8. Every answer can’t be solved by Googling it
9. It’s A Waste of time questioning God
10. If You Haven’t Found a Reason to Die, Your Aren't Fit To Live

I hope this inspires you to reflect, take some time to reevaluate this year and how you can become better, reach your destiny and become all of what God made you to be.

-Lady Jenn

Trusting God's Timing

I will be the first to admit, that on countless occasions I have been guilty of wondering “how long??”, “when!!!??”, “oh for real now??” I find myself questioning God and his sovereignty to be GOD in my life. Trusting God’s timing doesn’t always come with ease, especially when you want things to change NOW! Our prayers sometimes go like this, “Lord, could you please get me this new job now, or take the heart ache away now, or send me to another state for a new start, or for my single ladies, I really would like to get married and begin starting a family yesterday!” Ecclesiastes 3:1 reads like this, “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven” Reciting, meditating and resting in this promise provides peace and offers a different perspective of which we are presently faced with. Our 20/20 sight can only see so far up the road. God is omniscient and has the ability to see why the death of a loved one had to happen right when it did, why that relationship had to end, and why our dreams haven’t fully developed into the master plan we have envisioned.

These naïve cries are sometimes rooted in the belief that what we are praying for will never happen. The question, “Why isn’t it happening?” can be answered by looking in the mirror and realizing that God is really being patient with YOU! II Peter 3:9 reads, “The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you…” Did you catch that? God’s delay has nothing to do with His ability to make things happen, but everything to do with you becoming what He needs you to be for the release to happen. Delay does not mean denial. When we find ourselves on the treadmill of life, wishing and hoping, and becoming weary because things are not happening as fast as we would like them to, we have to look in the mirror then get on our knees and ask God to show us:

1.       What we need to work on?

2.       Where we need to make any adjustments, whether it is in our heart or actions?

Sometimes we can accelerate the process through our obedience and do what He’s been prompting us to. You may REALLY want to be a home owner, but lack the discipline to save and spend wisely. You may want a friend or family member to “get it” and start making better decisions, but YOU haven’t been the consistent expression of love and positive example for them.

When you find yourself looking at the clock or calendar, wondering when is the Lord ever going to come through, remember these two simple truth remains, GOD LOVES YOU (John 3:16) and IS INTERESTED IN YOUR SUCCESS (Psalm 35:27). God will not withhold what is due to you, what you need and what will help you fulfill the call on your life. It is our job to seek him, come into agreement with His plan for our life and that includes His timetable for our life as well. Stay encourage, God is interested and vested in your success. When you shine, He shines!

The Search for a Simple Life

I dare to believe that I am the only woman who awakes in the morning to a mental checklist of the numerous things that need to be conquered on this day. Before my feet have even reached the ground I am strategically arranging the hours of my day and methodically creating gas-saving routes that will make my day most productive.

At times, we can be so busy that we don't know what to do, where to start or how to conquer. Just recently, I became a bit bogged down with "the life" I always hoped for. You know the husband, kids, business, clients and other outlets that my unique gifts are being utilized.

God in all His Sovereignty, had the audacity to remind me of a powerful passage in His word. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take MY YOKE upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 NIV

Jesus instructs us to take upon HIS yoke, not selfish ambitions, nor the yoke of things that are not aligned with our purpose. At the end of the day, we must say YES to God's plan, mission and direction for our lives. When we place yokes of "trying to please others", yokes of trying to "fit in" and yokes of other people perspectives of us we become burdened, weary and wanting to give up.

Jesus offers to His children peace that comes from knowing He was a great plan for your life, joy that is anchored in knowing that if God is for me then who can be against me. We can learn a lot from Jesus, He instructs us to learn from Him. How we can use wisdom to decline responsibilities that will detour us, using wisdom to say "YES" to the things that seems taxing, but can be life-giving.

Although our lives can be complex, God has a simple plan for us to maintain balance and create a sense of peace and purpose for what we do. Following God's instructions promises prosperity and fulfillment. We will begin to decipher truth from fact, and purpose from pain. God came so we may have an abundant life, a life that really matters when all is said and done.

Today choose the path that is narrow, the path others will neglect to follow because it will cause you to be disciplined, selective and committed to living for Christ. Proverbs 14:12 reads, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Simplify your life so it glorifies God and brings joy, peace and fulfillment.

**I cam across this helpful tool to simplify my day and keep things in perspective.**

Favor Anyone?

I just had a light bulb moment. You know when 1+1 finally equals 2?

Whether you deem it favor or grace, its one of the highest commodities in Christiandom. So many of us want FAVOR with the Lord. Technically its contingency has nothing to do with our behavior, what we get wrong or right. But here I am scanning through his Holy word and I Peter 2:19-20 shares how we unequivocally can obtain favor from the Lord and its found when we do right, even we we are wronged. Talk about "the big pay back"!

The Lord will repay us for our obedience. When we neglect our flesh to get the last word or letting the other person know how we REALLY feel and simply submitt to authority. As the old adage goes "there is a blessing in your pressing." Pressing through persecution, injustice and pain only to obtain a great gift from our awesome God in the form of FAVOR!

Favor is when we get what we dont deserve and couldn't pay for ourselves. Doesn't that sound like the opposite of what may have just happened to us? Here we are someone dodging us and we refuse to go there with them. In turn we are blesswd with something WE DONT EVEN DESERVE. I dont know about you but I need a dose of favor EVERYDAY!

So when you recieve the call to walk in favor, know its going to cost you something, but the reward is some much greater, something you couldnt do for yourself, its the favor of God.

I'm Covered

Just the other day, I had to take my cell phone in for service. In order for them to see what the issue was I had to uncover the phone from the case which kept it safe. When I received the phone back I noticed how clean and brand new it looked. This fresh look was not because, the technician gave it a quick buff or that the sales associate exchanged it for a new one, it was simply because the phone had been COVERED.

Every time it fell face forward on the hard cement, thrown across the room like a football, or stepped on, it had made it through these turmoil situation in tack simply because the phone was covered.

I couldn't help but to make the parallel between my phone and being covered by the blood of Jesus Christ to this scenario. Literally, I would be a millionaire if I had a dime for every time I personally failed horribly, was stepped on spitefully, or my emotions were tossed like a ship during Hurricane Katrina. I am extremely grateful for being covered by God's loving arms. Psalms 91:4 reads, "He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield." Even when we aren't faithful, God is!! The Lord warmly invites us back into his fortress of security and forbids the thing that is trying to take us out to deplete us. Refuge in anything but Jesus is a complete setup for failure. Following our selfish desires, and not heading to the promptings of the Holy Spirit leads us directly away from the comfort we desperately desire.

I encourage you today to make your bed underneath the warmth of our sweet Savior, Jesus Christ. The psalmist declares, "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of wicked people." (Psalm 84:10). When you are overwhelmed with the harsh reality of life, or you find yourself in a season of victory, remain covered by His amazing grace.

Allow this song to touch you and serve as a reminder of God's love and awesome covering

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If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and you would like to today. Pray this prayer

" Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

We Did It!

Go ahead and pat yourself on the back, give the Lord a hallelujah shout and celebrate the fact that you took ownership on the development of becoming a more Godly woman. Throughout this study many life-changing topics were introduces to us. Some of them made us cringe knowing we must do better, then there were many “ah-hah” moments that altered your thought process and actions. There is nothing God wants more than for us to walk in the fullness of who He created us to be.

We are meeting one last time (Saturday, April 26) to celebrate, not the end, but the beginning of a transformed and prosperous life.

 

Ladies, I again salute you and I am excited to see the transformation continue.

Blessings and peace to you, Proverb 31 woman. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuZv909KU9g

A Pep Talk From God – Joshua 1:8-9

Let’s face it, we have all been there before; facing a daunting task, confronted with making an important decision or charged to walk blindly by our faith. “How on God’s green earth am I supposed to do this?” You ask yourself, then you begin to find every excuse in the book why you can’t, not realizing that greatness is really inside of you!

In this scripture we find Joshua on the brinks of walking in his God-ordained purpose. Through his obedience he has been given the opportunity to change the life course of the Israelites for generations to come. But what is standing in his way?? The thought that he has to accomplish this gigantic mission alone. As if the same God that delivered them from the chains of Pharaoh, parted the red sea and kept them during the years in the wilderness is out of power, out of protection and lacking provision. As children of God, He assures us countless times throughout His word that he will not leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), greater is he that is within us (1 John 4:4) and right here in Joshua he tells him a few simple, but profound words…”BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS for I am with you WHEREVER you go.” Did you catch that…WHEREVER we go! If that doesn’t give you confidence, I don’t know what will. There is something special that happens when we read God’s word and a fresh breath of air literally falls on our spirit and we are renewed with inner strength. The fact of the matter is, God doesn’t want us to do anything in our own might, but through the might of God. This is how we can gain full confidence to face our fears and move forward.

Every now and again we need the confirming words from the Lord or a fellow believer to shift our focus and help us to understand that we are not in this thing alone, but we have an almighty and all-knowing God that has forecasted our future and it looks pretty darn good. Our job now becomes to trust in His word and act in obedience. After all, every great player in history needed a good ole pep talk and you are no different. #yougotthis #shereadstruth